vii editorial v;a fut% ijks osfr x.kuk y?kq psrlkeav;a fut% ijks osfr x.kuk y?kq psrlkea mnkjpfjrkuka rq olqèkso dqvqecde~amnkjpfjrkuka rq olqèkso dqvqecde~a ("he, who perceives the distinction of 'mine' and 'other' , has a narrow mind. but for those with a noble character, the entire world is one family.") … maha upnishad as we step into 2024, the new delhi leaders’ declaration (ndld) (https://www.g20. in/en/index.html) of the g20 summit held on 9-10 september, 2023 in new delhi provide a beacon of light to the people and the planet. the g20 accounted for “85% of global gdp, 75% of world trade and 2/3rd of world population”. ‘vasudhaiva kutumbakam’, which is part of india’s cultural heritage and was the central theme of the g20, is interwoven into the recommendations of the ndld. the recommendations included on issues of ‘sustainable, green and inclusive growth’, ‘quality education’, ‘digital infrastructure’, ‘climate action’, etc. on quality education, it recognizes the importance of “foundational learning (literacy, numeracy, and socioemotional skills) as the primary building block for education and employment”; reiterates the “commitment to harness digital technologies to overcome the digital divides for all learners”; extends “support to educational institutions and teachers to enable them to keep pace with emerging trends and technological advances including artificial intelligence (ai)”; emphasizes “expanding access to high-quality technical and vocational education and training (tvet)”; reaffirmed the “commitment to promote open, equitable and secure scientific collaboration” and encouraged “mobility of students, scholars, researchers, and scientists across research and higher education institutions” and emphasized the “importance of enabling life-long learning focused on skilling, reskilling, and upskilling especially for vulnerable groups”. the ndld sees potential in technology for bridging digital divides besides being a tool for rapid transformations for inclusive and sustainable development. it further talks about “creating digital public infrastructure (dpi), which is safe, secure, trusted, accountable, inclusive and capable of delivering services at societal-scale.” in also recognises “the importance of data” and their role in development. it also emphasises the flow of data across borders within the applicable legal frameworks. the ndld also “welcomed india’s plan to build and maintain a global digital public infrastructure repository (gdpir), a virtual repository of dpi, voluntarily shared by g20 members and beyond.” it also took “note of the indian presidency’s proposal of the one future alliance (ofa), a voluntary initiative aimed to build capacity, and provide technical assistance and adequate funding support for implementing dpi in low/middle income countries (lmics). it also welcomed the “g20 toolkit on cyber education and cyber awareness of children and youth.” it recognises the immense potential of the ai and thus recommends “promoting a responsible ai for achieving sdgs.” this shared commitment of the g20 countries was presided over by bharat. india is taking some definite steps to turn india’s economy into 22 trillion dollar economies by 2047, when india will be celebrating the centenary year of her freedom from british colonialism. the edtech industry is going to play a crucial role in this viii transformation. edtech’s role will not only be through the market alone but as ndld above says the edtech will become a tool for this transformation as well. the edtech industry was valued at over 2.8 billion usd in 2020 which is estimated to become close to 10 billion usd in 2025 (https://www.statista.com). so, what will drive this market? what innovations will fuel this transformation? it is hoped that with the continuous evolution of technology, the perennial contradictions arising from delivering uniform instructions to a class with diverse students, each possessing a unique learning style, can be effectively reconciled. some of the areas where we can see these innovations in education are discussed below. artificial intelligence (ai) and machine learning are set to revolutionise learning. both are capable of providing personalised learning experiences, either by intelligent tutoring and adaptive assessments or by analysing students’ data to tailor instructional content to suit the learning styles of the individual students. the immersive technologies in form of virtual and augmented reality contents help students and teachers to go beyond the textbooks to learn new concepts and engage in complex simulations. one of the important roles that technology has played historically in education has been towards equitable education. assistive technologies, such as speech-to-text and text-to-speech applications, are making education more accessible to divyang children. blockchain technology is truly disrupting the older ways in the manner in which it secures and verify academic records and thus bring transparency and trust in the educational system. this not only streamlines the hiring process for the employers but also a sense of empowerment to students by giving them greater control over their academic achievements. in this latest edition of the indian journal of educational technology (ijet), different types of articles such as general articles, research articles and book review have been included to cover various aspects of educational technology. general articles explore the topics such as cyber safety and ict competencies. some of the contents range from the impact of multimedia and gaming on the dynamics of learning and teaching to the perceptions and attitudes of pre-service and in-service teachers towards the integration of information and communication technology (ict). this issue of the ijet also inquire into the challenges and prospects of implementing ict in remote tribal areas, scrutinizing the efficacy of the government of india's digital initiatives, such as diksha. it continues to survey the impacts that the pandemic had on educational technology per se. further, it critically reviews the praxis of flipped learning, investigates the role of social media in reshaping teaching and learning habits, and explores how social media content responded to the debates on history textbooks. additionally, the issue probes instructional strategies in the context of the digital technology, assesses the perception of geographic information systems (gis) by school teachers, and deliberates on the broader implications of augmented reality in teaching. it also engages with the ethical dimensions of artificial intelligence in education, examines assisted technologies, scrutinizes the integration of robots into the indian educational landscape, and explores diverse models of technology-mediated learning. (abhay kumar) editor vi editorial after the approval of the national education policy (nep 2020) on 29th july, 2020 by the government of india, the first of the four national curriculum frameworks on the foundational stage was released on 20th october, 2022 at new delhi. by all account, this stage, the foundational stage is indeed foundational in the life of a child as researches reveal that learning at this stage positively impacts learnings later in life. nep (2020) recommends five years of an integrated early childhood care and education (ecce) for children between ages 3 – 8in the 5+3+3+4 curricular and pedagogical structure of school education. the policy envisages that by 2030 all the children will be school-ready from grade 1 onwards. anganvadicentres/preschool/ bal vatikas in the country will help in achieving this important milestone. classes 1 and 2 will form the last 2 years of the foundational stage. nep 2020 recommends play-based, activity-based and inquiry-based curricula. this ncf for foundational stage builds on the nep2020. it defines aims, curricular goals, competencies and learning outcomes at this stage. it also discusses approaches for learning language and numeracy. it recommends pedagogy to be adopted in classrooms, assessment plans to be used in order to achieve learning objectives and overall strategies to be followed to link up with the preparatory stage to strengthen the learning foundations of our young learners. the document ends with a few illustrative examples and researches from the country and world on ecce. in so far using technology at the foundational stage is concerned, this ncf says i. “enabling access to a diverse range of content and materials that is contextual for the child, age-appropriate and in a range of languages and materials.” so, it says that all types of econtent (packaged in traditional media such as text, images, audio, video or new media such as interactive content and immersive content) in children’s own languages can be made available to them. ii. “enabling access to content in diverse forms, spaces, and formats to ensure equitable access and to ensure inclusion of divyang children.” all existing technologies and platforms such as radio, tv, internet, computers, tablets, etc. may be used to reach out to children. iii. “ensuring that the key focus of the material would be to create an enjoyable experience for the learner and feed the child’s innate curiosity and agency.” iv. “supporting the capability development of teachers, parents and the community.” it is important to note here that at this stage, ncf recommends providing a diverse range of engaging content across different platforms to the learners. capacity building is restricted to teachers, parents and members of the community. it shows concerns about children spending time in using digital technology and its effect on their physical and mental well-being. however, it does not shy away from suggesting controlled and moderate use of digital technology by children. perhaps to make them aware of the technology itself. it recommends digital infotainment for children. further, the ncf for foundational stage recommends embedding the textbooks developed at this stage with appropriate audio/video/immersive econtent. the ncf at this stage lays emphasis on the digital rights of children and invokes the guidelines suggested by the un commission on the rights of the vii child, which states that such a digital right is “non-discriminatory”, gives primacy to “children’s development”, serves the “best interests of the child and respect children’s views.” recently, the annual status of education report (aser) 2022 was released by pratham education foundation. it throws some interesting insights into the state of education in the country, especially about the foundational stage. there has been a substantial increase in the enrollment rates of young children (ages 3-5 years) in some sort of ecce centres including the anganwadi centres. the increase is even more for children of age 4 or 5. despite pandemic-induced closures of schools, the enrollment rate for the age group (6-14) has also increased marginally. government schools too saw a rise in the enrollment rate in this age group. an encouraging sign is a decline in the proportion of girls (age 11-14) who are not currently enrolled. the decrease in the proportion of girls not enrolled in school is even sharper among older girls in the 15-16 age group, aser, 2022 reports. along with these encouraging signs in enrollment, the report also flags a few serious concerns such as the drop in the basic reading ability of children (true for both boys and girls and students of both government schools and private schools) to pre2012 levels. children’s basic arithmetic levels have also declined to pre-2018 levels. so, efforts to increase access to educational opportunities for all sections of students have yielded positive results; it’s the quality of education that remains the central concern. can technology be of any help in overcoming this crisis, this is a moot question. this issue consists of twenty one manuscripts: seventeen research articles, one review article, two general articles and one book review. these articles are related to concepts like, online education, augmented reality, happiness curriculum and online learning, use of mobile games in education, cyber safety and security and multimedia learning. i thank all the authors and reviewers for contributing in taking out this issue of the journal. i hope the manuscripts will contribute in yet another episode of academic discourse. (abhay kumar) editor vii editorial “असतोोमाा सद्गमाय । तोमासोमाा ज्योतितोर् ्गमाया । मातृ्योमाा�मातंृो गमाय ॥” (from ignorance, lead me to truth; from darkness, lead me to light; from death, lead me to immortality) … vhridaaranayak upanishad march 9, 2024, was a watershed moment in the history of school education in the country. shri dharmendra pradhan, the hon’ble minister of education, government of india, launched 200 pm evidya dth tv channels for the country’s children. these channels broadcast video content based on textbooks or related materials from the foundational stage to the secondary level in children’s own languages. pm evidya initiative was first announced by the hon’ble finance minister, government of india, on 17th may 2020 as part of atma nirbhar bharat abhiyaan (anba) or self-reliant india movement announced by the hon’ble prime minister on 12th may 2020 during the covid pandemic times with an aim to impart education by using technology to minimise learning losses. initially, as part of this initiative, 12 pm evidya dth tv channels for school education were launched with one dth tv channel earmarked for one class, under what was termed as one class, one channel. the 12 pm evidya dth tv channels for school education were carved out of 34 swayam prabha dth tv channels launched in 2016 by the department of higher education, ministry of education, government of india. the primary objective of pm evidya dth tv channels for school education is to ensure easy access to education using television as a medium, which is an affordable and sustainable medium even in the remotest parts of the country. in a way it helps to bridge the digital divide. later, the 12 pm evidya dth tv channels were expanded to 200 dth tv channels in the union budget announcement of 2022-23 with a specific aim to enable all the states to provide supplementary education in various indian languages and as per the state’s own curriculum. the government of india has allocated these channels to states / union territories (uts) / autonomous bodies (abs) and others. out of 200, 5 dth tv channels have been allocated to each state (except manipur, which has been allocated 10 dth tv channels); 1 each to ut except jammu & kashmir and ladakh, which have been allotted 5 channels each; 1 each to autonomous bodies under department of school education and literacy (dose&l), ministry of education (moe), government of india (goi) (viz., kvs, nvs and cbse – 1 each; while nios has been allocated 4, ncert 14 and ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship (mosde), government of india 6. at present, out of 200 channels, a total of 184 channels among 28 states, 7 uts and 6 abs have been allotted. ncert, under the aegis of dose&l, moe, goi has been designated as the national nodal agency for 200 pm evidya dth tv channels. for technical facility and effective coordination, bhaskaracharya national institute for space applications and geo-informatics (bisag-n), gandhinagar under the aegis of the ministry of electronics and information technology (meity), government of india is acting as national technical coordinator for transmission and telecast of the channels, which in turn has entered into an understanding with doordarshan (dd) for co-branding these channels as dd-evidya channels. 200 pm evidya dth tv channels are free-to-air (fta) / direct-to-home (dth) and can be accessed in every household using dd free dish. the programs shared by states / uts / abs for telecast on the respective channels cover 28 languages, including indian sign viii languages (isl). the pm evidya initiative also has a dedicated feedback mechanism to support the learners. this feedback mechanism currently includes an interactive voice response system (ivrs) and class-wise-channel-wise email ids for receiving queries and providing support to the learners. television transmission technology, the way it receives signals from a remote location, has undergone sea changes. in the 1930s and 40s, when tv was just invented, it used mechanical systems to scan images and transmit them. later, when electronics came into being, the electronic analogue transmission was introduced. it improved tv viewing experiences. colour tv made tv viewing more pleasant as transmission shifted from black and white to colour. the use of satellites to transmit tv signals over long distances has made broadcasting to a wider audience possible. in the 1980s and 90s, with the introduction of cable television, each household could receive more channels with better reception compared to overthe-air broadcasts. the shift from analogue to digital transmission, offering better picture and sound quality and more efficient use of bandwidth, has revolutionised tv viewing and has resulted in a significant increase in the number of viewers watching tv worldwide. according to various reports, such as those from the international telecommunication union (itu) and media research firms like nielsen, global tv viewership has evolved significantly with the advent of new technologies. as of recent reports, approximately 4.1 billion people worldwide watch television regularly, including traditional broadcast tv and newer digital and streaming services. in india, as per the broadcast audience research council (barc), india, there are around 197 million television households in india. india has one of the largest tv viewership bases globally, with about 835 million viewers. according to the census 2011, delhi had the highest percentage of households having television ownership (88 %), while tamil nadu stood second overall (and first among states) with 87 % of households having tv ownership. bihar had the lowest percentage of households having tv ownership (14.5 %), while dadra, nagar and haveli, with 47 % of households having tv ownership, had the lowest percentage among the union territories. the national percentage stood at 47.2 %. according to broadcast india’s tv universe estimates by barc, this figure stood at 66 per cent in 2018. there is an increasing recognition that educational broadcasting, under optimal conditions, can reach dispersed geographical areas and large populations, thereby bringing high-quality teaching to underserved areas. however, the crucial step lies in identifying and implementing these ideal conditions effectively. (television in education by padmaja shaw, published online 20 may 2016 pages198-204 (https://doi.org/10.1080/01296612.2008.11726884). according to bradford l. yates (published on 1 february 2004, doi: 10.3138/sim.4.1.003, corpus id: 144308392), media literacy helps students develop critical thinking skills to analyze and evaluate media messages, promoting a deeper understanding of information and fostering informed decision-making, besides helping students with the necessary skills to navigate the digital world effectively, including understanding digital citizenship, online safety, and media production. during covid lockdowns, when schools were closed down for a long time, and learning shifted online, using television for education emerged as a significant alternative to digital ways of reaching out to students. this alternative emerged swiftly because swayam prabha was already in place. moreover, technology evolves along and after the socioeconomic conditions of society. if there is diversity in the learners’ base, then the technology to reach out to them should also be diverse, and this was the primary driver for the launch ix of the pm evidya initiative. the various stakeholders of this initiative should make these channels the second-best learning centres after the school classrooms. in this issue of the journal, over 20 manuscripts have been accepted for publication across various categories that cover the educational technology related themes such as use of multimedia & econtent in social science studies, open schooling, universal design of learning (udl), application of artificial intelligence (ai) in education, teacher education & ict integration, mental health & tele-counselling, ict & sustainable development, etc. (abhay kumar) editor indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 128 book review 21 lessons for the 21st century by yuval noah harari, 2018, jonathan cape, penguin random house, london isbn (hardback) 978187330672, isbn (paperback) 9781787330870 radhika menon assistant professor, department of education-elementary education, mata sundri college, university of delhi, e-mail: radhikamenon@ms.du.ac.in the rapid changes in technology have changed polity, society and the way people interact with each other at a pace that has confounded even thinkers of our time. a niggling question exists whether society is on the path to further human progress or is it hurtling towards destruction? twenty years into the 21st century, social scientists to technologists, climate scientists to politicians, educationists to activists are debating on the shape that is being acquired by this century. specialists are finding specialization inadequate for comprehending the breadth of changes, even when their tools of analysis become even more important in an increasingly complex world. the turn to the new millennium has added the question: will human beings survive as a species after having contributed to the extinction of several fellow life forms on earth? the murkiness of the problems has added to the anxiety of our times. however, quick-fix solutions, barrage of suggestions and abundance of technology driven information have also created a noise that has made it even more difficult to make sense of the world. yuval noah harari pithily announces in the first line of his book, 21 lessons for 21st century (pix), the primary challenge of our times: ‘in a world deluged by irrelevant information, clarity is power’. he acknowledges that most people in the world do not have the luxury of thinking on where humanity is headed even when they have to bear its consequences. and thus assumes the role of a teacher by deploying his skills as a historian and philosopher to explain the swift turns of this century. the book itself is an outcome of harari’s talks, articles and lectures that have sought to clarify the human past and its future, thoroughly elaborated in his two previous works: the sapiens and the homo deus. the first book sapiens gave a spectacular view of the human past, right from the beginning 6 billion years ago to its becoming the only species left in the human genus about 10,000 years ago; and the revolutions that transformed it as well as the violent, sometimes accidental turns in history and culture. this compelling book was followed by homo deus, an extrapolation of human future based on current developments in technology. it presents a future indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 129 world where human beings have conquered nature and cyborgs are common and artificial intelligence replicate and reproduce itself. he also presents the chilling possibility of human beings becoming incapable of predicting a future for itself, with loss of consciousness, imagination and other markers of human mind as inorganic life begins to dominate it. the current book, 21 lessons attempts to fill the gap that has been left between the human past and extrapolated future, to meditate on the contemporary and present. as in the previous work, 21 lessons also adopts a large canvas and addresses a world audience. the exemplars are international, geographies vast, societies referred to diverse and research taken up from a variety of disciplines. according to harari, if human existence was transformed by cognitive, agricultural, scientific revolution in the past, the current times are witnessing a technological revolution where human limitations of the body is getting conquered, human experience is getting digitised and artificial intelligence is getting better. he pitches for a thorough critique of the contemporary and puts under the scanner both the challenges and the thrilling possibilities offered by the combination of info-tech and bio-tech. like many people writing on the subject of technology and society, harari warns against ignorance that underlies most digital consumption and the threats it pose. the 21 lessons are organised under five sections: the technological challenge (consisting of four chapters; disillusionment, work, liberty and equality), the political challenge (five chapters; community, civilization, nationalism, religion and immigration), despair and hope (five chapters; terrorism, war, humility, god and secularism), truth (four chapters; ignorance, justice, post-truth and science fiction) and resilience (three chapters; education, meaning and meditation). the section on technological challenge presents the current upheavals caused by disruptive technology and its fraught relationship with liberalism. in the chapter on ‘work’ there is an elaboration of these tensions. take this puzzle: liberalism thrives with economic growth, but that in turn depends on better and better artificial intelligence. what does jobless growth then mean? what happens to the people made irrelevant? could technology be ethical in open markets, and are humans ethical enough for technology form interesting deliberation. nothing is final however the urgency is communicated on thinking about post work scenarios to give human life new meanings. there are long deliberations on future of liberal values, in a world where data bases are controlled by corporations and governments. accordingly, frightening scenarios of digital dictatorships and irrelevant humans may be a near possibility and liberty, equality and human rights may not mean the same in a cyborg world. there is also the unsettling indication that familiar social political frameworks of human cooperation such as nation, religion, culture and indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 130 restricted civilizational views may not offer enough answers to the menace of the problems of the 21st century. global ecological disaster may not stop at national boundaries, digital communities may demand far more from the human brain than its evolutionary equipment. yet, there is no space for smugness in the writing: technology is neither a panacea for all ills, nor is a luddite slamming down of artificial intelligence demanded. the examples are riveting and the reader is persuaded to recognize the monumental changes taking place and the sheer ignorance through which most people walk into its consequences. the human predicaments of contemporary times are also deeply personal and significantly political. achievements, ethics and personal values are seen by most people from own cultural reference point, which has often led to significant animosity towards other groups and destructive wars. harari tears into ‘self-important narratives’ (p 181) in the chapter on ‘humility’, by placing claims within thousands of years of world history and animal studies to point ethics as an evolutionary development and ridiculousness of contending claims of superiority by one community over another. in a bewildering world is there anything that could anchor people to reality? harari refers to humility as a key requirement in order to wade through ignorance, secular ideals and a few thumb rules for seeking out truth in an era of post truth. one of the important discussions in the book is on the future of education. as technological disruption increases, it is pointed out that there is as yet no scaleable model for preparing people for the disruptions that awaits them and their mental systems. most learning from today may become irrelevant and the skills for thriving in 2050 and beyond, is unpredictable as bodies, brains and minds get engineered. the stress of fluidity and responding to change requires mental stamina and this could be the life resource of the future. he opines that education also will have to eventually prepare humans to decide if they will retain control over themselves or if they surrender themselves to acts of algorithms. in this light, harari opines that the grand narratives may have to come back to the classroom, if students have to make sense of mountains of information that are at their disposal. he leaves us with his own experiences of seeing through fiction, and his personal experience of corporal reality. harari has emerged as a popular thought provoking public intellectual of the current times. for a historian who demonstrated an absolute command on the narrative with sapiens, he wanders in the current book as themes overlap and present defies structure. it may even be asked, are big challenges of global ecological crisis, social-political upheavals even possible to be addressed with experiencing the bodily reality of breath. or is it another fiction. there could even be quibbles with his style of arguments. at times it may even sound preposterous to some to find examples of disney’s lion king sharing space with national and human indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 131 histories-seen in the chapter on ‘meaning’. but, the message is clear: sapiens are going through a century that will require them to constantly reinvent themselves as bewildering changes envelop them in all possible ways. nothing is pre-destined and there could still be a liberal hope from society, even as liberalism faces the biggest challenge since its emergence as a political system. the book is a tribute for a level global playing field in a technologically disruptive world. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 30 general article professional development of teachers with ict (dr. mohd. mamur ali, assistant professor, central institute of educational technology, national council of educational research and training, new delhi, e-mail: mamurrizvi@gmail.com) abstract the increasing availability of information and communication technologies (ict) presents teachers with exciting opportunities to transform pedagogical practices. the demand on teachers to integrate ict into their teaching and learning programs is high and places additional pressures on teachers in an already challenging profession. the pervasive nature of ict in daily life has made society reliant on systems and tools that provide challenges for the way people think and work. students entering the workforce need not only to be equipped with the skills to use those new technologies, but also to be flexible, adaptable, and multiskilled. they need to operate in an information age that requires them to be: information literate, inventive thinkers, and skilled communicators. this has placed great pressure on educators to provide students with opportunities to develop the skills required to engage effectively in a progressive society and become life-long learners. first and foremost, teachers have to enhance their own ict competencies and then have to bring changes in their classroom with the utilization of icts. the professional development of teachers can be made possible through various online ict and subject specific courses which are available on swayam, itpd and ict curriculum portals. key words: moocs, swayam, itpd, tpd, ict, professional development, professional development of teacher introduction the well being of a nation is dependent upon the quality of its citizens and the quality of citizens is significantly determined by the kind of education they receive. the quality of their education depends on their teachers. the quality of the teachers mostly depends upon the environment, training and their education. it is acknowledged that what teachers know, do, indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 31 expect and value has a significant influence on the nature, extent and rate of students learning. the national knowledge commission of india (nkc, 2007) also observed that the teacher is the single most important element of the education system. continuous professional development of teachers is the need of the hour to develop, implement, and share best practices, knowledge, and values that address the needs of all learners. oecd (2009) highlighted the importance of professional development of teachers by stating “no matter how good pre-service training for teachers is, it cannot be expected to prepare teachers for all the challenges they will face throughout their careers. education systems therefore seek to provide teachers with opportunities for in-service professional development in order to maintain a high standard of teaching and to retain a high-quality teacher workforce” (p. 49) the pace of technological revolution and emergence of a knowledge society are changing the traditional role of teachers and students. traditionally, a teacher used to be the source of knowledge for the students. the development of ict changes the epicentre of knowledge, i.e. teachers find themselves in a situation where they are no longer the principle source for delivery of information. in the new phase of the knowledge revolution, the source of knowledge has shifted from a one source (i.e. teacher) to different sources (i.e. teachers, printed materials and technology based materials etc.). in other words, we can say that there is a decentralization of the knowledge source. with information having increasingly short shelf life, education must empower learners to learn for themselves, and to continue to do so incessantly. it is important to understand the key learning skills of the future -interpersonal skills, information skills, technology skills, basic skills, thinking skills and learnability. the pervasive nature of ict in daily life has made society reliant on systems and tools that provide challenges for the way people think and work. students entering the workforce need not only to be equipped with the skills to use those new technologies, but also to be flexible, adaptable, and multi-skilled. they need to operate in an information age that requires them to be: information literate, inventive thinkers, and skilled communicators (ceo forum, 2001). this has placed great pressure on indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 32 educators to provide students with opportunities to develop the skills required to engage effectively in a progressive society and become life-long learners (hancock, 1993). need of icts for professional development of teachers ncf 2005 states: “integration of information and communication technologies (ict) into schooling needs serious consideration. teachers, educators, curriculum developers, evaluators and others will have to redefine their roles to tackle ict rich environment and harness its full potential for the benefit of learners”. national curriculum framework for teacher education 2009 stated that it needs to also equip teachers with competence to use ict for their own professional development. the demand on teachers to integrate ict into their pedagogy is high and places additional pressures on teachers in an already challenging profession. initially, teachers have to increase their own ict skills and then they have to change elements of their practice to utilise ict with their students. there is a premise that ict competent teachers will produce ict competent students. information and communication technology has woven an indefinite network in the current era with revolutionary changes taking place in education system. icts are widely believed to be important potential levers to introduce and sustain education reform efforts towards making a world class citizen. teacher education institutions are faced with the challenges of preparing new generation of teachers to effectively use the new learning tool in their teaching practices. preparing teachers for the challenges of a changing world means equipping them with subject-specific expertise, effective and innovative teaching practices, an understanding of technology etc. further icts can be utilised for sustainable teacher training and ongoing teacher professional development to meet the challenges. teaching as a profession teaching is a profession and teacher education is a process of professional preparation of teachers. preparing one for a profession is an arduous task and it involves action from multiple fronts and perspectives. a profession is characterized by a sufficiently long period of academic training, an organized body of knowledge on which the undertaking is based, an indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 33 appropriate duration of formal and rigorous professional training in tandem with practical experience in the field and a code of professional ethics that binds its members into a fraternity. (national curriculum framework for teacher education, 2009). use of icts in professional development of teachers introducing icts expands the needs for on-going professional development of teachers. icts can be important tools to help meet such increased needs, by helping to provide access to more and better educational content, facilitate routine administrative tasks, provide models and simulations of effective teaching practices, and enable learner support networks, both in face to face and distance learning environments, and in real time or asynchronously. a person having internet facility can register himself/herself and can have access to online courses offered by the universities across the world. the esteemed universities/institutions in the world like stanford, harvard, duke, caltech, princeton, massachusetts institute of technology (mit) etc. have developed online courses and tied up with major mooc providers like cousera, udacity and edx etc. to provide these online courses to interested participants from world over, free of cost. the details of some of the major moocs provider are as below: coursera: coursera was founded in 2012 by two stanford computer science professors. coursera is a platform (https://www.coursera.org/) where anyone, anywhere can learn and earn credentials from the world’s top universities and education providers. it made the courses available online and free. courses include recorded video lectures, auto-graded and peer-reviewed assignments, and community discussion forums. edx: it is an online learning platform and mooc provider and founded by harvard university and mit in 2012. edx is offering high-quality courses from the world’s best universities and institutions to learners everywhere. edx differs from other mooc providers, such as cousera in that it is a nonprofit organization and runs on open source software. following link would take you to edx home site. https://www.edx.org/ other popular mooc platforms are: indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 34 a) open learning https://www.openlearning.com b) nptel managed by iits and iisc https://onlinecourses.nptel.ac.in/explorer c) future learn https://www.futurelearn.com/ d) stanford online http://online.stanford.edu/ e) european school net http://www.europeanschoolnetacademy.eu/ f) novoed https://novoed.com/ g) mooc-ed https://place.fi.ncsu.edu/ similarly, several ict initiatives have been taken up in india to facilitate the process of professional development of the teachers. some of the major initiatives are as follows: ict in education curriculum and courses ncert has developed a model curriculum on ict in education which broadly attempts to equip teachers with ict competencies to strengthen their own professional capacities and to effectively use icts in their teachinglearning. the curriculum revolves around the six strands i.e. connecting with world, connecting with each other, creating with ict, interacting with ict, reaching out the unreached and possibilities in education and ensuring together the basic, intermediate and advanced levels of competence in the field of ict. the curriculum is rolled out as a series of short term courses which includes three induction and twenty refresher courses for teachers including subject specific optional courses. these courses are being offered online on the web portal (ictcurriculum.gov.in) as in figure 1. any teacher completing all three induction and twenty refresher courses becomes eligible to take an examination leading to diploma in ict in education which would be awarded by ncert. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 35 each session of the induction and refresher courses involves an instructor led demonstration followed by hands on session, during which teachers undertake a number of activities. each activity has an associated deliverable to be recorded in a portfolio (an e-portfolio). teachers also have to submit various assignments as part of the courses. the cumulative record in the portfolio, representing their achievements during the courses serves to provide a comprehensive and continuous assessment. provision for improving one’s performance is also built in. online in-service teacher professional development ncert has developed another web portal to run online courses related to in-service professional development of teachers. several courses for in-service teachers are being offered through the same course portal. (http://itpd.ncert.gov.in/). the portal is offering subject specific pedagogy courses like teaching of science at secondary stage and courses on generic issues as well as skill based courses like action research, diploma in guidance and counselling etc. the portal will host more courses for teachers teaching different subjects at all stages of school education in future. moocs on swayam mhrd, goi has launched a massive open online courses (moocs) platform popularly known as swayam (study webs of active learning for young aspiring minds) on 9th july, 2017. swayam is a programme aimed to take the best teaching learning resources to all, including the most disadvantaged. swayam seeks to bridge the digital divide for students who have hitherto remained untouched by the digital revolution and have not been able to join the mainstream of the knowledge economy. the swayam portal (https://swayam.gov.in/) is offering online courses for students, teachers and teacher educator from school education and higher education to promote quality education and lifelong learning. these courses adopted four quadrant approach as below: • quadrant1:e-tutorial (video) with transcription of the video content indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 36 • quadrant 2: e-content (pdf, text, e-books, illustrations, documents etc.) including web resources (related links, wikipedia, open content etc.). figure 3: • quadrant 3: assessment (problem solutions, mcqs, short answers etc.). • quadrant 4: discussion forum the etutorial quadrant is similar to a classroom lecture delivered in the face to face mode teaching-learning process in the school/institution. similarly, the second quadrant i.e. econtent is for providing text materials along with the references to the learners for better understanding of the content and assessment quadrant is taking care of the assessment activities/ items for assessing the learner’s progress online. the last quadrant is supporting the online teaching-learning process by providing the services to communicate with the teachers or among the learners to share the ideas, clarify the doubts, asking questions etc. ciet-ncert has developed course materials (e-content, e-tutorial and assignment) for master of education (m.ed.) course jointly with allahabad university. a course on educational administration, management and leadership in school education is launched on the swayam portal. this course has completed its first cycle and is relaunched from 2nd july, 2018 and 734 learners are enrolled in the course as on 5th september, 2018. ncert is also running twenty courses on various school subjects at senior secondary school level and 22,000 approx. learners enrolled in these twenty one (21) courses (https://swayam.gov.in/courses/public?keyword=ncert%202018). conclusion the advocacy to use icts for professional development of teachers is based on many promises. ict provides various opportunities for a teacher for professional development. ict like moocs offer a powerful platform for education and development with almost no cost and greater efficiency. icts promise to support teacher professional development by providing accessible, flexible and short term online courses. ict can promote international collaboration and networking in education and professional development. there is a range of ict optionsfrom videoconferencing through multimedia delivery to web sites-which can be used to meet the challenges teachers face today. in fact, there has been increasing evidence indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 37 that ict may be able to provide more flexible and effective ways for lifelong professional development for today’s teachers. recognizing the need and importance of ict in teaching and learning, a majority of the countries in the world have provided ict teacher training in variety of forms and degrees. teachers can be trained to learn how to use ict as well as teachers can be trained via ict. references 5) ceo forum. (2001). key building blocks for student achievement in the 21st century. the ceo forum school technology and readiness report. retrieved april 29, 2004, from http://www.ceoforum.org/reports.html 6) hancock, v.e. (1993). information literacy for lifelong learning (report no. edoir-93-1). syracuse, n.y: eric clearinghouse on information resources. (ericdocument reproduction service no. ed358870). 7) national council of educational research and training. (2005). national curriculum framework, 2005. new delhi: ncert. 8) national council for teacher education. (2010). national curriculum framework for teacher education. new delhi: ncte. 9) nkc (2007). national knowledge commission report to the nation 2006. new delhi: government of india. retrieved from http://www.knowledgecommission.gov.in 10) oecd (2009). creating effective teaching and learning environments first results from talis. oecd publishing. retrieved from www.oecd.org/edu/school/43023606.pdf indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 196 research article exploring users’ satisfaction towards university’s learning management system nidhi bansal associate professor, department of commerce, atma ram sanatan dharma college, university of delhi email: nbansal@arsd,du.ac.in abstract post covid-19, there has been paradigm shift in the way students and teachers interact with the institutions for their daily tasks. it’s a shift from traditional manual interaction to web aided interaction. for this, it is made mandatory by ugc for all institutions to have learning management systems (lms) also referred to as websites in some cases. however, the users’ perception of the effectiveness of the lms depends on how well it is updated and maintained. in indian context not much literature review is available on satisfaction as regards lms. even few studies that have been conducted they focus on students. teachers and administrators/head of institution viewpoint is ignored. based on literature review, the study identified web architecture, understandability, effectiveness, efficiency, portability, security as s parameters for assessing satisfaction of students, teachers and administrators. the study observed that there is lot of scope of improvement as regards reliability, portability and security aspect. further analysis revealed that policy makers need to work upon training of not so young teachers, as these people don’t find themselves so comfortable with the usage and knowledge of lms. only if teachers are apt with e-initiatives usage, they can motivate and make the students use these initiatives. keywords: web architecture, understandability, effectiveness, efficiency, portability, security, lms. introduction universities now a days, provide majority services through electronic means. electronic interface i.e., website is not one way interaction, that is just providing downloadable and informative services. it refers to two-way interaction between the management and all the stakeholders. the lms is not restricted to completing office procedures. lms also can help students/teachers gain knowledge beyond books. they can access online journals, e-books and research articles. students/ teachers/administrators can also do collaborative learning if the system is fully interactive and offers facilities like video conferencing. but this is possible only if the users perceive the system to be effective and beneficial. the more satisfied user is the greater will be the acceptance of the system. literature review post covid-19, learning management systems have become part of education system. assessing and understanding students’ satisfaction of learning management system has been objective of many recent researches. (balkaya & akkucuk, 2021;  mehrolia et al., 2021;  camilleri & camilleri, 2021; alturki & aldraiweesh, 2021; salem al-mamary, 2022). pham et al. (2019) reiterated that student’s satisfaction is supreme, students become the customers of indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 197 higher education institution. to assess the satisfaction of users of lms many researches have been conducted worldwide. mouakket and bettayeb (2015) researched on factors affecting adoption of lms by faculty and found perceived ease of use, web design, training and technical assistance as determinants. ease of use, high-speed access to information, reliability, , attractive features, security and userfriendliness were identified as success factors for lms ( hassanzadeh et  al., 2012; ramírez-correa et al., 2017; costa et al., 2020; kurdi et al., 2020). a number of studies have used technology acceptance model (tam) (davis, 1989). tam model focusses on perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use as the main determinants. this model has been criticised by a number of researchers. it was contended though both ease of use and usefulness are determinants of success but are not equivalent to success, other factors also play a role (petter et al., 2008; sukendro et al., 2020). in this context, the present research uses a theoretical model which though is comparatively new but is extensive in elaborating the factors affecting the satisfaction of lms, which is  nguyen’s (2021). bifurcating the factors identified (nguyen, 2021) in indian context we get parameters as web architecture, understandability, effectiveness, efficiency, portability and security. in india not much of the research work has been done on assessing satisfaction of students and particularly of teachers and administrators. the type of research is necessary to add value to lms which has not been discarded after covid-19 rather has become indispensable part of education system. objectives the research paper intends to achieve the under said objectives: 1. to assess the users’ satisfaction towards learning management system in the university. 2. to offer suggestions to improve the learning management system. 3. hypothesis h0:1: there is no significant difference between different users as regards web architecture. h0:2: there is no significant difference between different users as regards understandability. h0:3: there is no significant difference between different users as regards effectiveness. h0:4: there is no significant difference between different users as regards efficiency. h0:5: there is no significant difference between different users as regards reliability. h0:6: there is no significant difference between different users as regards portability h0:7: there is no significant difference between different users as regards security sampling design population y administrators (head of institution and vice-principal) of non-technical (general) and technical colleges of delhi and ncr at the undergraduate level. y faculty in non-technical (general) and technical colleges of delhi and ncr at the undergraduate level. y students studying in non-technical (general) and technical colleges of delhi and ncr at the undergraduate level. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 198 sample size table-1: number of non-technical (general) and technical colleges in delhi (nct) uttar pradesh, rajasthan and haryana in 2020-21 states/nct non-technical (general) colleges technical colleges delhi 93 15 haryana 554 74 rajasthan 2282 71 uttar pradesh 5449 114 source: all india survey on higher education report 2020-2021 table-2: number of colleges sector wise in delhi (nct) uttar pradesh, rajasthan and haryana 2020-2021 states/nct private colleges government colleges total delhi 75 98 173 haryana 823 258 1081 rajasthan 2217 722 3339 uttar pradesh 6315 812 7127 source: all india survey on higher education report 2020-21. as can be seen from the tables above, number of general colleges are more than the number of technology colleges. in delhi ncr more of higher education institutions are in the private sector. data is available for different categories of institutions as per specialization and ownership for the entire state as a whole. no segregate data is available for number of colleges in individual districts of states. the entire haryana, rajasthan and uttar pradesh is not part of ncr. further for sample size determination specific formula (cochran, 1977) could not be used as the average enrolment ratio is different in all three states and delhi. so non-probability convenience sampling method is used to select general and technical colleges from both the public and private sector. table-3: number of institutions selected as sample for the study states/nct non-technical (general) colleges technical colleges total private government private government delhi and ncr 7 7 7 7 28 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 199 table-4: sampling unit, sample size, sampling method, total sample size unit size sampling technique no. of institutions chosen total sample size students 10 non-probability judgement sampling 28 280 teaching staff 5 non-probability judgement sampling 28 140 administrator 2 non-probability judgement sampling 28 56 total 17 total 476 data set the researcher has collected inputs from both primary and secondary sources. primary data was collected from the stakeholders on quality parameters identified on 5-point likert scale. for the research stakeholders are divided into three categories: administrator, teachers, students. ambit of study data collection has been done from delhi nct and delhi ncr regions. data testing data analysis is carried out using spss 22. first normality of data is checked. kruskal wallis also referred to as h-test is applied to check the hypothesis. normality test foremost assumption for the application of any parametric test is the normality of the data for all categories of independent variable. table-5: normality test for students, teachers and administrators on various quality parameters quality parameter category of respondent n kolmogorov-smirnov statistic df sig. web architecture student 280 .321 280 .000 teacher 140 .221 140 .000 administrator 56 .254 56 .000 understandability student 280 .332 280 .000 teacher 140 .334 140 .000 administrator 56 .289 56 .000 effectiveness student 280 .301 280 .000 teacher 140 .358 140 .000 administrator 56 .360 56 .000 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 200 quality parameter category of respondent n kolmogorov-smirnov statistic df sig. efficiency student 280 .310 280 .000 teacher 140 .288 140 .000 administrator 56 .260 56 .000 reliability student 280 .332 280 .000 teacher 140 .289 140 .000 administrator 56 .332 56 .000 portability student 280 .306 280 .000 teacher 140 .198 140 .000 administrator 56 .404 56 .000 security student 280 .270 280 .000 teacher 140 .333 140 .000 administrator 56 .341 56 .000 as the above table reflects p value is 0.000, which means that null hypothesis cannot be accepted. this indicates it is normally distributed. in case of violation of normality condition, parametric test cannot be applied. hence, in this case, kruskal wallis also referred to as h-test is used. kruskal wallis test is a non-parametric test based on ranks. it is also known as one-way anova on ranks. the table below gives he ranks on the various quality parameters. table-6: ranks as per kruskal wallis category of respondent n mean rank web architecture student 280 245.13 teacher 140 229.26 administrator 56 228.43 total 476 understandability student 280 233.69 teacher 140 240.18 administrator 56 258.35 total 476 effectiveness student 280 235.21 teacher 140 227.85 administrator 56 281.58 total 476 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 201 category of respondent n mean rank efficiency student 280 247.70 teacher 140 216.14 administrator 56 248.41 total 476 reliability student 280 206.98 teacher 140 278.38 administrator 56 296.38 total 476 portability student 280 275.59 teacher 140 167.75 administrator 56 229.94 total 476 security student 280 270.30 teacher 140 181.32 administrator 56 222.47 total 476 table-7: kruskal wallis test statistics web architecture under standability effectiveness efficiency reliability portability security chi-square 1.867 1.970 8.269 5.896 41.280 64.746 45.072 df 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 asymp. sig. .393 .373 .016 .052 .000 .000 .000 the above table depicts that for web architecture, understandability and efficiency dimensions there is no significant difference in quality perception among different users while it varies on other quality parameters. post-hoc analysis further, to find out which category of independent variable differs significantly from which other category post-hoc analysis is carried out. the table below lists the post-hoc analysis for each of the quality parameters. (a) web architecture table-8: web architecture aspect hypothesis test abstract null hypothesis h0:1 test significant value result the dispersal of web architecture is alike across all groups of respondent independent samples kruskalwallis test .393 accept null hypothesis indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 203 each node shows the sample average rank of category of respondent. sample1-sample2 test statistic std. error std. test statistic sig. adj.sig teacher-student 7.364 12.617 .584 .559 1.000 teacher-administrator -53.734 19.273 -2.788 .005 .016 student-administrator -46.370 17.843 -2.599 .009 .028 each row tests the null hypothesis that the sample 1 and sample 2 distributions are the same. asymptotic significances (2-sided tests) are displayed. the significance level is. 05. as on effectiveness parameter, pairwise comparison reveals that there is not much difference between teacher and student perception on effectiveness of the system used to extend e-governance initiatives. however, both teacher-administrator and student-administrator differ in their opinion on the effectiveness of the system. the administrators have ranked the effectiveness parameter higher than both teachers and students. i.e. administrators believe that system is meeting the expectations of the users but teachers and students feel otherwise. (d) efficiency table-12: efficiency aspect hypothesis test abstract null hypothesis h0:4 test significant value result the dispersal of efficiency is alike across all groups of respondent independent samples kruskal-wallis test .052 accept null hypothesis as regards null hypothesis h0:4, significant value 0.052 (p>.05), indicates null hypothesis is not rejected i.e. there is no statistical difference between three groups. all the three students, teachers and administrators have almost given similar rank. (e) reliability table-13: reliability aspect hypothesis test abstract null hypothesis h0:5 test significant value result the dispersal of reliabilty is alike across all groups of respondent independent samples kruskal-wallis test .000 discard the null hypothesis as regards null hypothesis h0:5, significant value 0.000 (p<.05), indicates null hypothesis is rejected i.e. statistical disimilarity between mean scores of the three groups is observed. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 207 they fear the least about security aspect. they are aware that online systems are completely safe. though teachers are quite apprehensive and fear a lot about leakage/misuse of information. however, their fears seem to be unfounded. suggestions 1. bandwidth must be increased to support increased users which will ensure more reliability, 2. to address security issues, gate walls need to be installed. 3. different passwords should be allotted to teachers and students to identify potential miscreants. 4. periodical induction programs, hands on training sessions must be organised to train and update all the stakeholders. 5. a proper feedback mechanism needs to be developed so that grievances and queries of the users are addressed timely. references al kurdi, b., alshurideh, m., salloum, s., obeidat, z., & al-dweeri, r. (2020). an empirical investigation into examination of factors influencing university students’ behavior towards elearning acceptance using sem approach. al-mamary, y. h. s. (2022). why do students adopt and use learning management systems?: insights from saudi arabia.  international journal of information management data insights, 2(2), 100088. alturki, u., & aldraiweesh, a. (2023). an empirical investigation into students’ actual use of moocs in saudi arabia higher education. sustainability, 15(8), 6918. balkaya, s., & akkucuk, u. (2021). adoption and use of learning management systems in education: the role of playfulness and self-management. sustainability, 13(3), 1127. camilleri, m. a. (2021). evaluating service quality and performance of higher education institutions: a systematic review and a post-covid-19 outlook. international journal of quality and service sciences, 13(2), 268-281. da costa, r. d., de souza, g. f., de castro, t. b., de medeiros valentim, r. a., & de pinho dias, a. (2020). identification of learning styles in distance education through the interaction of the student with a learning management system.  ieee revista iberoamericana de tecnologías del aprendizaje, 15(3), 148-160. davis, f. d. (1989). perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. mis quarterly, 319-340. hassanzadeh, a., kanaani, f., & elahi, s. (2012). a model for measuring e-learning systems success in universities. expert systems with applications, 39(12), 10959-10966. long, p., limbu, y. b., bui, t. k., nguyen, h. t., & pham, h. t. (2019). does e-learning service quality influence e-learning student satisfaction and loyalty? evidence from vietnam. international journal of educational technology in higher education, 16(1), 1-26. mehrolia, s., alagarsamy, s., & sabari, m. i. (2021). moderating effects of academic involvement in web-based learning management system success: a multigroup analysis. heliyon, 7(5). mouakket, s., & bettayeb, a. m. (2015). investigating the factors influencing continuance usage intention of learning management systems by university instructors: the blackboard system case.  international journal of web information systems, 11(4), 491509. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 208 nguyen, n. t. (2021). a study on satisfaction of users towards learning management system at international university–vietnam national university hcmc. asia pacific management review, 26(4), 186-196. petter, s., delone, w., & mclean, e. (2008). measuring information systems success: models, dimensions, measures, and interrelationships. european journal of information systems,  17, 236-263. ramirez-correa, p. e., rondan-cataluña, f. j., arenas-gaitán, j., & alfaro-perez, j. l. (2017). moderating effect of learning styles on a learning management system’s success. telematics and informatics, 34(1), 272-286. sukendro, s., habibi, a., khaeruddin, k., indrayana, b., syahruddin, s., makadada, f. a., & hakim, h. (2020). using an extended technology acceptance model to understand students’ use of e-learning during covid-19: indonesian sport science education context. heliyon, 6(11). indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 121 communication the role of ict in science education punam medh research scholar, tiss, mumbai, e-mail: punammedh@gmail.com) abstract ict is helping to bring in a change in the way schools teach and assess students. the use of ict is especially making inroads in the possibilities of how science is taught; going from rote-learning to developing higher order thinking skills like building scientific temper and critical thinking. to enable this journey, ict makes available two types of interventions; content-based applications with rich multi media effects that explain concepts and software applications which help in data collection, documenting – thus helping children build knowledge actively rather than watch a readymade multimedia passively. experts of education prefer the latter because in these applications lie the potential to reshape pedagogy, not just support it. the use of ict in science education by itself cannot bring about change unless, we as educators consciously plan on how and where to use it within the teaching learning processes in the classroom. the use of ict in science can also holds the promise to bring in more constructivist learning experiences. key words: ict in science, constructivism, science pedagogy, ict pedagogy, re-shaping pedagogy, changing schools. the role of ict in science education there is a popular story that educators narrate to express the state of education. it goes like this. those of us born in the 60s, have witnessed a great deal of development around us. we are surrounded by change. there are more cars on the street, homes have modern amenities like water heaters, mixerblenders and perhaps even microwave ovens. banks have atm machines, hospitals have x-ray machines & body scanners. our modes of communication have changed dramatically. and the list goes on. but, what about schools? they still look the same as they did in the 60s. a class full of children, a teacher using mainly lecture-based methods and the good old chalk and duster. it is as though change has not touched schools all this time. fortunately, this story of an unchanging school is fast becoming untrue. and we have information and communication technologies (ict) to thank for that. the last decade has witnessed a host of government-led and private initiatives which strive to bring ict to schools. and while there is a long road ahead to be covered in terms of ensuring a complete bridging of the digital divide, it is safe to say that we are already witnessing a change in the way schools look and function. this article introduces and describes indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 122 two ideas. first, it describes the various ict-led interventions and their use specifically for science education. next, it suggests how these interventions may be integrated into a science classroom as is recommended in the ncf 2005 document. learning science is about developing a scientific temper. learning science is about being curious, being a keen observer of patterns and being the owner of a mind-set asking questions relentlessly. it is the ability to move from casual observations to the next level of systematic enquiry which involves the recording of observations, hypothesizing, constructing experiments and proposing theories or models that support the hypothesis. the aim of science education is thus to inculcate a spirit of enquiry. this approach to science education is also reflected in the ncf 2005 position paper on teaching on science. the paper states that science education should nurture children’s natural curiosity and creativity & aid cognitive development. the paper goes on to add that science education must lead to the cultivation of objectivity, critical thinking and freedom from fear and prejudice. and hence a good pedagogy must essentially be a judicious mix of approaches, with the inquiry approach being one of them (ncert, 2005). ict is a collective term that refers to a wide range of tools that includes hardware, software and internet based applications. the way it can be used in education is limited only by our imagination. technological advances ranging from stand-alone desktop applications to internet enabled mobile technology has given us many different types of interventions that can be used creatively to support educational practices. given below is a description of some the popular ict interventions, classified on the basis of their function and how they help while learning. as such it is beyond the scope of this paper to list all the possible applications of ict in science education. hence this paper emphasizes two broad categories of ict that can be used in science education; type a–ict based multimedia learning content that serves as a vehicle for the development of scientific reasoning and type b – software applications that support practical work as a vehicle for scientific investigations (mcfarlane & sakellariou, 2010). a) ict-based multimedia learning content: this type of ict intervention is where students interact with content specially created for learning. ict based learning content is a direct form of ict in education. this type of ict intervention is where learning content, designed by experts, is presented in various forms as described below: • text with graphics -text with graphics followed by interaction in the form of quizzes. • animation animation is where a complex process like cell division or respiration can be shown in detail, at a pace that the student prefers. the animation is usually accompanied by a voice over that also explains each aspect of cell division in detail. students may be asked to answer a few questions indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 123 about cell division after the animation, to check their knowledge. • simulations in simulations, students can manipulate certain variables and observe the results. for example, students can increase or decrease the ‘wetness’ of a road and see the resulting change in speed of a car that travels on it to study the concept of friction. • games games are a type of simulation, where students can learn specific skills. for example a computer-based card game that makes it fun to learn about the valence of various elements while trying to form molecules and compounds. • computer-based laboratories virtual labs try to give students a virtual laboratory set up experience. these labs are similar to simulations, except that are often visually rich and try to give a feel of a real lab. for example, students may ‘pick up’ different types of lenses from a ‘box’ to study the refraction of light. another example could be where they could ‘select’ different compounds from a ‘shelf’ full of compounds and apply different variables of heat and pressure to see how the compounds are affected. science education content offered in these formats is not just educative, it can also be engaging. the flip side however is that while this type of content brings alive scientific concepts, it is simply a visually rich & interactive form of existing knowledge. while there is no denying of their role in helping students understand scientific concepts, the role of ict must be expanded to not just visualization of scientific concepts but also to foster higher order thinking skills. in his paper, ‘the role of ict in teaching science education in schools’ hannatu abdullahi states the use of ict is largely done to support, enhance and complement existing classroom practice rather than re-shaping subject contents, goals and pedagogy. (abdullahi, 2014). b) software applications: this is a more indirect form of learning through the use of different software applications (that may be used for other work as well). practically most software applications, desktop or mobile-based, which enable us to accomplish our tasks in an efficient manner can be also be used effectively in our educational tasks. ict applications that may be used for education are listed here. • spreadsheets spreadsheets allow us to organize data (usually numbers or text) in rows & columns. once this data is stored in a spreadsheet, mathematical operations can be performed on it using different formulae available in the spreadsheet. this data can also be represented graphically. for example, you may use the spreadsheet to record subject wise scores of your students of each academic year and compare their progress over the years in a graphic form. microsoft excel is an example of a spreadsheet. let’s say your students are working on a project related to climate change where they are collecting data about maximum and minimum temperatures in their district over the last 10 years. a indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 124 spreadsheet can help them record this data systematically and represent it graphically. • search engines and browsers search engines provide a space for us to enter a ‘search string’ like ‘examples of ict tools’ whereas a browser is a software which allows us to see what is inside those pages. students can search for information on various topics using software applications like google and firefox which are both search engines. an application like duck duck go is only a search engine. for the climate change science project example given above, students are likely to find past information about temperature for their district. they can even find data about neighbouring districts for a comparison. • presentation software this software allows us to display text and graphic information on slides. students and teachers may use this software to share information in a systematic way, or to prepare a poster or a small book. • mind mapping software mindmaps are a powerful tool for education which students can use to meaningfully organize the concepts they have learned. mind mapping software can be used by both teachers and students. teachers can use mind maps to show how different scientific concepts are linked to one another. for example, a teacher may create a mind map to show how various concepts distributed across the physics syllabus converge into core concepts of physics. not just this, when students make mind maps on their own, the retention and comprehension of these concepts is far greater. • modeling software modeling software allows us to create virtual 2d or 3d models of physical objects as well as of concepts. a classic example would be to be able to create and manipulate a model of the atom. for example, isis-draw is a software that allows students to create molecular structures. drawing these structures can help students in understanding aspects of molecular structure that is not otherwise possible to appreciate in regular learning. there are other software applications equally important and useful; such as email, blogging, wikis, video sharing platforms; each of these can take up a specific role in learning either by way of gaining new knowledge, viewing it in different forms or by sharing it. recent advances in technology have brought advanced forms of knowledge sharing and representation to our fingertips for example, augmented and virtual reality. augmented reality or ar enhances reality by taking you closer to it. for example, there are specifically designed ar apps on a mobile phone, which when you point at a plant, you can see a simulated (artificial, not the actual) process of photosynthesis taking place. virtual reality or vr on the other hand takes you away from reality. for example you may able to witness a chemical reaction at the level of orbitals where particles of an atom get exchanged during the formation of indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 125 an electrovalent bond. the ict interventions discussed above hold the potential to bring new life to science education. if we want to use ict for the development of the desired science educational outcomes, we need to find ways to place the ict interventions listed above into a classroom. ict by itself cannot bring about change unless, we as educators, consciously plan on how and where to use it within the school’s learning environment and the teaching learning process in the classroom. this calls for a seamless integration of ict in within the existing learning environment. one of the ways to consider ict in classrooms is by aligning it with the teaching-learning process. while teaching science, or any other subject, a teacher might be doing any one of the following; introducing a topic, providing deeper explanation of that topic and assessing students’ knowledge in the form of a quiz or a test. she may carry out additional activities, like projects, to reinforce what they already know, or to enable them to learn advanced concepts. other such activities in the classroom may include refreshing a prior lesson, providing new information and so on. the tools and applications described above may be used creatively in conjunction with the process of teaching described above. for example, a video or an animation may be an appropriate tool to introduce a new topic or to refresh an earlier topic. a spreadsheet may serve as a simulation to show how mass is directly proportional to potential energy. similarly, a presentation software can be used to share information having text and graphics in a step-by-step manner. effectively, each tool can be leveraged to bring out its inherent strength and limitation. the idea is to use each tool judiciously; in a way that it is effective and simple, both for the teacher and the students. imagine a classroom where high school students are learning about sound waves. the classroom has a large number of students, a teacher, the usual chalkboard or whiteboard, textbooks, notebooks, pencils and wall charts. the class may even have an access to a well-stocked library. the teacher is explaining waves, & eliciting different examples from students and provides some of her own. she may also occasionally use a few selected diagrams from a reference book or display charts. students may also access a laboratory and use tuning forks to perform experiments in science. in which parts of a learning environment and the teaching learning process above should ict interventions be placed in? while it is relatively easy to imagine how ict-based multimedia content (type a) can fit into a classroom, in some cases it may be difficult, as well as expensive to acquire. fortunately though, the last few years have seen a surge in the availability of oer or open educational resources which are based on the science curriculum here in india. the oer initiative for schools developed with the collaboration of homi bhabha centre for science education (hbcse), tata institute of fundamental research indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 126 (tifr) and maharashtra knowledge corporation (mkcl) is a case in point (mhrd, 2013). software applications (type b) on the other hand, can be relatively easier to obtain and use. most of the type b software applications can be acquired easily as they are available free of cost for educational purposes and also offer freedom from privacy concerns. the word free here refers to not just free of cost, but software where your data and personal details also remain secure. to learn more about ‘free’ software, read about the foss movement. here is an example of how some of the type b applications may be used in a science classroom. imagine the physics classroom described above, except that this one is ict enabled, mainly using type b software applications. this classroom has the potential to look and function in a very different way. the teacher may now conduct her classroom as a flipped classroom where instead of teaching a chapter from the textbook, she might have students pre-read definitions and explanations of sound waves from the web using a browser. she may begin the class with a question based on what students have read. she may then proceed to show them a simulation of a sound wave where she might ask students to observe the behaviour of waves in a different medium. using the simulation as a base she can trigger discussions about where they may have observed sound behave differently in real life applications. she can search for and show simulations of how sound waves are involved in the functioning of a stethoscope or a mic. she may direct their attention to questions about waves, providing guidance & feedback to their responses. she may also have students record their voices or clapping sounds and observe the waveform of each through an audio recording software like, audacity. students may manipulate the wave to create modifications of their own voices. the activities above are likely to generate a different level of engagement and learning about sound waves compared to the classroom described earlier. so much of this transformation in a classroom is possible due to the ict tools that are now easily available to teachers. incorporating ict in the classroom also has the potential to lay the foundation of a learning environment that is far more constructivist than one without. in the example of the ict enabled classroom above, it can be seen that students are not just receiving and storing information. they develop deep understanding of sound as a wave, experience it, think about it and visualize it (using a software like, audacity). above all students are likely to feel highly engaged and excited with the knowledge the concept learned in the classroom is not tied to the textbook that it is in fact all around them. they are more likely to experiment about it in their own way and discover a few more principles related to sound on their own. this is the way in which ict tools, when used and placed meaningfully in a classroom, can change the learning characteristics of the classroom. as an additional example, let’s say indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 127 students may be asked to work on a project where they can collect different types of flowering and non-flowering plants from their surroundings and create a wiki page for the same. similarly, they may also catalogue the different types of illnesses children in primary section of their school and co-relate illnesses these with concepts in biology. they may use spreadsheets like google spreadsheet or ms-excel to record their data and presentation software like, libreoffice presentation or ms-powerpoint to share their findings. this article begins with a story of a ‘school, unchanged and untouched’ by time and technological advances. ict in education has brought in the potential to change the way schools look and function. there is a need to utilize this potential fully. on our part, we as educators need to shift our ideas about pedagogy rooted in many years of conditioning. we need to move toward learning by doing, creating and thinking rather than by just listening. and ict in education makes that shift possible. (acknowledgement: the author would like to thank dr. shamin padalkar, assistant professor, ceiar, tiss, mumbai for her guidance in reviewing this article.) references angela mcfarlane & silvestra sakellariou. (2002). the role of ict in science education. cambridge journal of education. 32:2. pp 219-232., doi: 0.1080/03057640220147568 government of india. ministry of human resources and development. (2013). open educational resources for k-12 education in india: central square foundation concept paper ict for school education conference. central square foundation. h. abdullahi. “the role of ict in teaching science education in schools”. international letters of social and humanistic sciences. vol. 19. 2014. pp. 217-223. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 168 research article relevance of econtent in learning-teaching of geography with special reference to school education in india nidhi singh1 & vishal verma2 1 assistant professor of geography, amity institute of social sciences (aiss), amity university noida, u.p. email: nidhisingh.cietncert@gmail.com 2ph.d. research scholar, faculty of technology, cluster innovation centre, university of delhi abstract geography as a discipline has seen various paradigm shifts in approaching the goal of studying human-environment relationships. comparatively recent developments in studying human geography have incorporated themes like the use of information and communications technology (ict) in making quality education accessible to the masses and also helping in enhancing the understanding of the subject. india, being a developing country with a large population, is still struggling with making quality education accessible to its learners living in various locations. the integration of ict with different aspects of learning-teaching has not only enhanced the relevance of digital content in the present context but has also given new dimensions to various subjects, including geography. this paper reflects on the effectiveness and relevance of the use of digital content, specifically video content, for learning concepts in geography. videographic geography is an emerging concept to promote learning, teaching and research in geography and is being considered as an innovative way of learning and teaching, especially in the case of india. this paper therefore, tries to explore this area of use of video resources for learning-teaching of geography. based on a field survey, this paper, therefore, aims to explore the possibilities, effectiveness and relevance of video content on geography for school students in india. with the increased engagement of learners with computers and other hand-held devices, the use of video resources can be considered useful in catering for their educational needs. the national education policy (nep) 2020 also suggests the use of econtent in learning-teaching of various subjects. considering these aspects, the paper also tries to explore present and future prospects of video content in the learning-teaching process. keywords: digital learning, econtent, geography, educational video, geography teaching, videographic geography introduction human geography has evolved immensely from the mere study of the distribution of human beings to the use of technology and its impact on the educational achievements of learners. educational films (videos) and videos are one such domain where human geography has expanded. films have been considered as representatives of identities and social constructs (cresswell & dixon, 2002) and modes of instruction for the enhancement of learner’s understanding of a particular topic. film has been considered as an indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 169 instructive mode through which an understanding of geographical issues, and a key site in the communication of geographical knowledge (saunders & strukov, 2018) can be achieved. there are various forms of popular culture of interest to human geographers – including cartoons (thorogood, 2020), comic books (holland & dahlman, 2017) and television series (glynn & cupples, 2015). a close analysis of gaming scores offers new ways of understanding the spatiality of musical style, structure and form (kirby, 2022) that can be yet another area of research. ilesanmi (2022) points out, “by using different media avenues, such as models, audio-visuals, audios, and presentational tools, a friendly learning environment and experience will be enabled for learners to promote knowledge acquisition”. the need for digital content has been identified in transforming education in terms of accessibility to quality education and enhancement in learning outcomes, at least to some extent (li sandy c. & karen b. petersen, 2022 bazelais p et al. 2022). in the rapidly growing world of ed-tech institutions, the development of creative content, dissemination of information, and technological awareness seem to be prolonged requisitions. digital learning-teaching is strongly dependent on mastering and fostering the use of ict in an effective manner. the traditional curriculum of geography and geographic knowledge is seeing a revival with the integration of technologies and even artificial intelligence (ai)-enabled systems of learning-teaching. the strategized use of remote sensing and geographical information systems (rs and gis) has been effectively used in location analysis, climatic and planning activities. it is said that it may bring a technocentric revolution in learning and teaching of geography (kadhim, 2020). coming to the use of econtents in the form of video resources, learningteaching of geography has taken a newer face in india with the aim of making quality content available to learners belonging to various socioeconomic groups and geographical locations. videographic geography has increasingly been considered as a way of dealing with the study of various concepts of geography (garrett, 2011). with the improvement in digital technology, creating videos have become easier and there has been reduction in the cost of their production and distribution. apart from these benefits, videos can be used in the classroom for recording and analyzing interactions between students and with the teachers, develop critical thinking, creativity and enhance collaborative learning (evangelou, 2023). this paper deals with the use of econtent in the form of video in teaching geography at the school level in the indian context. it presents the outcomes of a field trial carried out through a questionnaire to find out the effect of video as a learning resource. it tries to study the interest of students and probabilities of learning-teaching in geography through video content. therefore, the study is part of an experiment that can be taken up further for the development of educational videos. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 171 the continuation of dissemination of videos through internet-based platforms and apps and television even after the opening of schools, the need was felt to make these supplementary resources for continued access to these quality videos for the learners. currently, about 7,000 such videos are being disseminated for classes 1-12 of school education in the country. in order to have a sustained interest of learners, the quality of videos needed to be enhanced to make them more engaging for the learners. the development of the video used in the present study is a part of this continued effort to make quality learning resources freely accessible to learners of diverse backgrounds. objectives: the following are the objectives of this paper: 1. to assess the impact of learningteaching through videos at the school level. 2. to find out the relevance of video content in learning-teaching of geography. 3. to list out the challenges and future prospects of the use of video content in learningteaching of geography. sample and methodology the survey to assess the impact of the use of video resources in learning-teaching geography was conducted in two schoolsjawahar navodaya vidyalaya, gurugram, haryana (government) and bal bharti public school, ghaziabad, uttar pradesh (private) of delhi-national capital region (ncr). the survey was conducted in september-october 2022 in a face-to-face mode. the sample schools were randomly selected and are located on the outskirts of the indian capital city, new delhi. the idea was to take responses from learners who are not much exposed to such high quality video resources specifically designed for topics related to their curriculum. these schools were also found to be using ictlike smart classes in learning-teaching processes. some of the teachers of jawahar navodaya vidyalaya were also engaged in creating video content and reviewing videos for various subjects for pm evidya and diksha initiatives of the moe during the covid-19 pandemic. the sample consists of 101 students from classes 8-9 in accordance with the content of the video. that is, they would have studied the concept in the previous class. the video used for the survey titled, origin of the earth’, was developed in the central institute of educational technology (ciet), ncert, new delhi, in the year 2022. the development of the video was done as part of the pm evidya initiative of the ministry of education (moe), government of india (goi), initiated during the outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic in 2020. the video uses emerging technologies such as augmented reality-virtual reality (ar-vr) to explain the concept of the origin of the earth. this video is the first part of the series of geography programmes, earth’s processes. the video is accessible through the link https://diksha.gov.in/play/content/ do_3135650179044966401129 the questionnaire was designed as part of the field trial of the video and was reviewed by experts for suggestions. it is attached in the annexure. it consists of two sections: one based on general questions related to an educational video and the second with questions specific to the content of the video. in total, there were seventeen questions (10 in section 1 and 7 in section 2). the responses were collected for both sections and were used for analysis. as the questionnaire was given after showing the video, it can be categorised as a post-test survey. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 176 technologies such as 3d animations or ar-vr can enhance the visual feel of the topics being covered and can enhance the interest in the topic among the learners. the responses to the field survey also support that such videos generate interest among the learners about the topic being covered. this also makes the learning process enjoyable for them. the majority of the respondents liked the video, and the format encourages the use of technology in learningteaching of geography. however, the scores of students received in the second section of the questionnaire could not show a clear transcend of the overwhelming response received in the first section, though about 60 per cent of them received 50 per cent. conclusion and the way forward the use of technology in geography in multiple ways can be seen as a paradigm shift in studying the subject. the use of technology and ict, in particular in teaching the subject, has emerged as an integral part of the education system in various countries, including india. incorporating online courses, blended learning and also flipped learning is being done in the traditional and existing modes of practice. though the use of videos was done in a few instances its enhanced use and proliferation of agencies developing educational videos has been a recent trend. probably, such developments have been instrumental in the emergence of branches like videographic geography within geography. educational videos have been found to be helpful in the learning-teaching process. however, the integration of such resources should be made effective and in accordance with the explanation of the topic and other pedagogical ways. the utilization of econtent is also being considered as green consumerism (mishra et al, n.d.). issues of over-exposure to digital modes, particularly with respect to screen timing and cyber safety, should be taken care of. though the use of digital content can on hand enable better access to quality education for learners who are deprived of it, it further draws attention towards the existing digital divide and related issues in developing countries like india. (acknowledgment: we would like to acknowledge the students and school administration of jawahar navodaya vidyalaya, gurugram, haryana and bal bharti public school, ghaziabad, uttar pradesh for helping in conducting this survey. we are also grateful  to prof. amarendra p. behera, joint director, ciet, ncert, new delhi for his visionary guidance in the development of video and conducting the field survey. support provided by dr. abhay kumar, assistant prof., ciet, ncert, new delhi at various stages is also acknowledged.) references bazelais, p., breuleux. a., & doleck. t. (2022). investigating a blended learning context that incorporates two-stage quizzes and peer formative feedback in stem education. knowledge management & e-learning, 14(4), 395–414. https://doi.org/10.34105/j. kmel.2022.14.021 cresswell & dixon. (2002). engaging film: geographies of mobility and identity, rowan and littlefield: lanham, md. isbn 9780742508842 f. evangelou. (2023). video as an educational tool for teaching and learning for primary school students: a research approach by greek teachers, european journal of education and pedagogy, published online: february 16, 2023issn:2736-4534doi:10.24018/ ejedu.2023.4.1.575 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 177 garrett, b. l. (2011). videographic geographies: using digital video for geographic research. in progress in human geography (vol. 35, issue 4, pp. 521–541). sage publications ltd. https://doi.org/10.1177/0309132510388337 ilesanmi abayomi. (2022). teaching and learning with instructional videos: issues and concerns for educational practice, international journal of instructional technology and educational studies (ijites) issn (print): 2682-3918 issn (online): 2682-3926 volume4 / issue1, january 2023 doi: 10.21608/ihites.2022.121271.1110 joe thorogood. (2020). cartoon controversies and geopolitics:  archer, animators and audiences, social and cultural geography, vol. 21 issue3, routledge, doi: 10.1080/14649365.2018.1497190 kadhim, a. j. (2020). effective use of ict for learning and teaching geography. in aalborg academy journal of human and social sciences (vol. 1, issue 1). https://www. researchgate.net/publication/347849381 kambar, s. b., & bamagond, v. a. (2018). teaching geography through e-content. www.lbp.world kevin glynn & julie cupples  (2015) negotiating and queering us hegemony in tv drama: popular geopolitics and cultural studies,  gender, place & culture,  22:2,  271287, doi: 10.1080/0966369x.2013.855711 li sandy c. & karen b. petersen. (2022). does ict matter? unfolding the complex multilevel structural relationship between technology use and academic achievements in pisa 2015, educational technology & society, international forum of educational technology & society, national taiwan, normal university, taiwan, october 2022, vol. 25, no. 4 (october 2022), pp. 43-55, https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/48695980 mishra, u., patel, s., doshi, k., & doshi, m. k. (2017). e-content: an effective tool for teaching and learning in a contemporary education system (vol. 2 issue 1). international journal of advance research and innovative ideas in education (ijariie), issn no. online 2395-4396, www.ijariie.com p 79-83. philip kirby. (2022).  musical orientation in virtual space: videogame score and the spatiality of musical style and topic,  social & cultural geography,  23:6,  855872,  doi:  10.1080/14649365.2020.1821392, https://ijites.journals.ekb.eg/ article_255260_ 1ade885135551173890dc9bb2dffe91d.pdf robert a. saunders and vlad strukov (ed) 2018 popular geopolitics plotting an evolving interdiscipline, routledge, isbn 9780367591625 national education policy (nep) 2020. (2020). ministry of human resource development (mhrd) now ministry of education (moe), government of india (goi) https://www. education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/nep_final_english_0.pdf https://ciet.nic.in/pages.php?id=pmevidya indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 178 annexure 1 questionnaire for field trial name of the programme: origin of the earth type of programme: video (ar-vr series) subject: geography duration: 09:30 min name of the organization/school: state/ut: students/teachers: class: section-1 (choose (√) the right option) 1. did you like the programme? yes/no/partially 2. what aspects did you like in the programme? (you can choose multiple options) i. the topic/theme covered? ii. the way it was presented/narrated? iii. the pictures/visuals used? iv. the sound supporting the video? 3. do you feel the topic was well covered with the help of this video? yes/no/ partially 4. was the duration of the programme adequate? yes/no/partially 5. did you like the audio/background music coming in between the video? yes/ no/partially 6. is the language easy to understand? yes/no/partially 7. have you ever seen such video programmes before? yes/no (if yes, mention the source) 8. do you feel this video has enhanced your understanding about the concept of origin of the earth? yes/no/partially 9. what more type of programme do you see/would you like to see? (documentary/drama/demonstration or experiment-based/puppet-based/ fun-based) 10. do you have any suggestions related to the programme? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 179 section-2 11. when did the earth and other planets of our solar system originate? i. about 4 billion years ago ii. about 4.6 billion years ago iii. about 5 billion years ago iv. time of origin is not known 12. the solar system is the system of the _________and other__________________________ which is bound together by _________________ __________________________. 13. the graphical representation of time span showing the history of the earth on a scale is known as the _________________________________________. 14. the theory to explain origin of universe and then our planet earth is known as the ______________________________ theory. 15. what are the three most important factors that make the earth unique to have life? i. suitable temperature, breathable air & availability of water ii. suitable temperature, various gases & atmosphere iii. cold temperature, plants & soil 16. terrestrial planets are also known as ___________________planets and jovian planets are also known as ______________________planets depending upon their position with respect to the sun. 17. can you compare the life of living things with the life of a planet like earth? yes/no/maybe if yes, in what way? __________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ if no, then why not? _________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 1 research article appraising the awareness, attitude and usage of creative commons licence by central university faculty members sunita saikia1 & yeasmin sultana2 1research scholar, department of education, tezpur university, assam emailsunitasaikia2015@gmail.com 2assistant professor, department of education, tezpur university, assam abstract creative commons is a global non-profit organization providing a set of standard and legal tools that enables sharing and use of original works. the present study aimed to investigate the awareness, attitude and usage of creative commons licence among the faculty members of the department of education in the central universities of india. a descriptive survey design was adopted by the researchers. a self-prepared questionnaire on creative commons licences was developed by the researchers. a sample size of 78 faculty of the department of education based on the convenience sampling technique was selected as the primary source of data. the results of the study showed that the majority of the faculty have used creative commons licensed materials in their classroom teaching. while only a few of them have published their work under creative commons licences and have attended workshops or training programmes on creative commons licences. the study concluded that faculty were aware of the concept of creative commons licences; however, they possess a neutral attitude towards creative commons licences. keywords: awareness, attitude, usage, university faculty members, creative commons licences introduction the new digital age has opened up a wide opportunity to access essential knowledge and information. with the emergence of the internet, academic stakeholders can use, download and copy huge amounts of educational resources and also further disseminate them to a professional network. but the question arises, even though all the resources are freely available over the internet, are they free and open to use, adapt, modify, download or disseminate? are the resources legally free and open for all? many a time, we knowingly or unknowingly use, modify or share resources that are copyrighted or restricted in some terms. this may limit the academic and knowledge community to access some high-quality educational resources. to eliminate this challenge, a new form of licence called ‘creative commons licences’ came into being. creative commons (cc) licences is a non-profit organization founded on the basis that ‘many citizens of the internet want to share their work and the power to reuse, modify and distribute their work – with others on generous terms’ (bissell, 2009). the main vision of creative commons is to realise the goal of universal access to education, knowledge and research by promoting a culture of development, growth and productivity. (creative commons, 2011). as viewed by lessig (2004) copyright laws restrict people from accessing, remixing, and distributing copyrighted materials in a digital environment. it is noted that due to the rigidity and complexity of copyright laws, even those who wish to make their copyright material freely available to others are unable to do so without great effort or the services of a lawyer (mcgeever, 2006). indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 2 therefore, for this reason, the group of experts introduced a set of licences that creators and users could use to share their creative materials freely and use without giving up their rights (awujoola & phillips, 2020). according to creative commons organisation (2020) “creative commons is a set of legal tools, a nonprofit organization, a global network and a movement—all inspired by people’s willingness to share their creativity and knowledge and enabled by a set of open copyright licences” (creative commons organisation, 2020, p. 1). as branco and britto (2014) “creative commons licences act as a source of legal instruments for those who want to give up some of their rights in favour of the community and the dissemination of cultural works.” korn and oppenheim (2008) defined “creative commons as a licensing system under which authors or producers of a work offer some of their rights to others to re-use their work under certain specified conditions”. it is very important to keep in mind that this creative commons licence provides a pool of content that can be copied, downloaded, modified, combined and shared, within the framework of copyright laws. there is a great benefit in sharing our work with a creative commons licence. creative commons licences enrich the culture of sharing creative and original works all over the world. the set of creative commons licence allows users to use, adapt, remix and share educational resources freely and openly as open educational resources (oers). it also enables creators the opportunity to share their resources and decide how their works would be used. park (2016) considered cc licences as the infrastructure of roads underlying the ecosystem of oer to make reuse and sharing possible. and the emergence of creative commons licences has led to a culture of sharing and remixing knowledge and creativity. the success of creative commons licences in driving these goals will depend on the awareness and attitude of the academic fraternity towards cc licensing. literature review williams & werth (2021) evaluated a study on the preferences of students in the use of licences for projects based on oer-enabled pedagogy, factors affecting student selection of a licensing option and faculty experiences in facilitating licensing selection. the study remarked that the majority of the students preferred a cc-by licence. however, students indicated that they were not familiar with creative commons licensing before, but were aware of copyright licences. even faculty tend to be unfamiliar with the concept of creative commons licensing. finally, the results of the study concluded that students are open to sharing their works with credit and that they value helping others. awujoola & phillips (2020)  demonstrated a study to  investigate awareness and perception of cc licences by lecturers in the faculty of education, university of ibadan, nigeria. the result showed that lecturers in the faculty of education were moderately aware of cc licences and held moderate negative perceptions about cc licences. the study found that there was a significant influence of cc licence awareness on its perception by lecturers. nobes & harris (2019) showed that 60 per cent of the participants were familiar with these licences, while only 20 per cent of them have published their papers using cc licences. the majority of the participants preferred the most restrictive cc-bync-nd licence which shows that they were concerned about the commercial usage of their work. it also found a lack of understanding of the commercial clause in creative commons licences among the researchers. krelja kurelovic (2016) found out that the familiarity with creative commons licences among the indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 3 faculties is very low. the study revealed that only 12.5 per cent of the faculties published digitised teaching under creative commons licences. liu, tao, chen, chen and liu (2013) conducted a study to evaluate the effects of the creative commons approach on the collaborative learning experience of students. evidence showed that creative commons can significantly improve participants’ attitude to the derivative works, the satisfaction level of remix outcomes, perception of the peer interaction and the sense of work ownership. it concluded that creative commons has the potential to increase individuals’ responsibilities and motivate them to participate in collaborative learning activities. reed (2012) observed that the majority of the teaching staff were positive about sharing their materials and even reused existing content in their face-toface or online learning. however, the data gathered confirms that there was a lack of awareness among the teaching staff about the creative commons licences. the above empirical literature shows the understanding, attitude and practice of creative commons licence. studies by fitzgerald (2007) and kapitzke, dezuanni and iyer (2011) noted that creative commons provide the most effective coherent way of sharing and reusing digital content or inactive copyright materials. creative commons provides a vitally important facility for sharing knowledge in the name of culture and innovation. creative commons has significantly and positively affected education and the academic sector. furthermore, the researchers found limited and scant studies on creative commons licences. it remains unclear whether the faculty members were aware of the creative commons licence and how they perceive and use this licence. the present study attempts to address this gap in the literature. therefore, it is worthwhile to explore the faculty members’ awareness, attitude and use of creative commons licence in educational contexts. objectives of the study 1. to investigate the awareness of creative commons licences among the faculty members of the department of education of the central universities. 2. to determine the attitude towards creative commons licences among the faculty members of the department of education of the central universities. 3. to find out the usage of creative commons licence among the faculty members of the department of education of the central universities. research methodology the descriptive survey method was adopted to explore the awareness, attitude, and usage of creative commons licences among the faculty members of the department of education of the central universities. the population of the study consists of all the faculty of the department of education of the central universities in india. data were collected from a total sample of 76 respondents. the researchers adopted a convenience sampling technique due to time constraints, willingness, and easy availability of respondents. a selfprepared questionnaire was used by the researchers. the tool comprises 4 sections: the demographic profile, usage of creative commons licences (3 statements), awareness towards creative commons licences (7 statements), and attitude towards creative commons licences (13 statements). the degree of usage of creative commons licences was measured based on “yes” and “no”. the degree of awareness towards creative commons licences was measured on a 4-point likert scale with 1 as “yes”, 2 as “to some extent”, 3 as “no” and 4 as “don’t know”. the statements under the indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 4 dimensions of attitude towards creative commons licences were measured using a 5-point likert scale consisting of 1 for strongly disagree and 5 for strongly agree. it was validated by five experts from the field of open educational resources and educational technology. the questionnaire was a try-out on 35 samples for establishing reliability. the internal consistency reliability coefficient of the questionnaire was found to be 0.78 indicating a high-level of internal consistency of the statements. however, its subsections which are dimension wise had cronbach-alpha coefficients of 0.64, 0.84 and 0.98 for usage, awareness and attitude towards creative commons licence, respectively. the research was conducted using an online questionnaire created in google forms. statistical analyses like percentages, mean and standard deviations were used by the researchers. table-1: demographic characteristics of the sample respondents’ demographic information frequency percentage (%) gender male 41 53.95 female 35 46.05 years of teaching experience less than 1 years 08 10.53 1-5 years 19 25.00 6-10 years 21 27.63 more than 10 years 28 36.84 designation professor 22 28.95 associate professor 20 26.31 assistant professor 27 35.53 guest faculty 07 9.21 usage of computer none 0 0 daily 69 90.79 weekly 07 9.21 monthly 0 0 total 76 100 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 5 findings analysis of objective 1to investigate the awareness of creative commons licences among the faculty members of the department of education of the central universities. table 2 and fig. 1 reflect the awareness of faculty members toward creative commons licences. according to the table, 47.37 per cent of the samples were aware that creative commons is a non-profit organization and not just a classification. 46.05 per cent accepted that creative commons licences are “free, easy-to-use copyright licences’’. 31.58 per cent were aware of the table-2: awareness towards creative common licences sl. n statements yes % to some extent % no % don’t know % 1. creative commons is actually a non-profit organization. 36 47.37 20 26.31 08 10.53 12 15.79 2. creative commons licences are “free, easy-to-use copyright licences”. 35 46.05 17 22.37 15 19.74 09 11.84 3. creative commons licences are an alternative to copyright. 22 28.95 14 18.42 24 31.58 16 21.05 4 the creative commons licences transform all rights reserved to some rights reserved. 28 36.84 19 25.00 15 19.74 14 18.42 5. if the copyright licence of my creative work expires, the material will automatically come under creative commons licences. 25 32.89 09 11.84 13 17.10 29 38.16 6. i can use others’ original work and publish it under creative commons licences. 14 18.42 12 15.79 31 40.79 19 25.00 7. i can apply a creative commons licence to a work that is under the public domain. 21 27.63 09 11.84 30 39.47 16 21.05 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 6 fact that creative commons licences are not an alternative to a copyright licence. 36.84 per cent believed that the notion that creative commons licences transform ‘all rights reserved’ to ‘some rights reserved ’. however, 38.16 per cent of the respondents were not sure whether their original work comes under creative commons licence after its copyright licence expired. moreover, 40.79 per cent and 39.47 per cent of them were aware that they cannot use others’ original work and publish it under creative commons licences nor can they apply creative commons licence to a work that is under the public domain. fig-1: graphical representation of awareness towards creative commons licences analysis of objective 2to determine the attitude towards creative commons licences among the faculty members of the department of education of the central universities. table-3: attitude towards creative commons licences s l . no statements sa a n d sd m sd 1 the use and conditions of creative commons licences are very much easy and clear to understand. 18 27 14 09 08 3.5 1.27 2 i know how to apply creative commons licences to my materials. 15 21 21 10 09 3.30 1.26 3 i can easily locate creative commons licence materials. 17 15 23 11 10 3.24 1.31 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 7 4 i think everyone should make their work free and open to use, share and modify and even use it commercially without permission as per their own choice rather than locking it behind the protection of copyright. 07 11 19 18 21 2.54 1.28 5 i do not want others to make money from my original works. 21 17 15 12 11 3.33 1.41 6 i prefer the use of a copyright licence rather than creative commons licence. 15 13 22 16 10 3.09 1.31 7 i think creative commons licences remove my creditability and acknowledgement. 13 16 17 11 19 2.91 1.43 8 i think creative commons licences will increase the rate of plagiarism. 12 16 17 17 14 2.93 1.35 9 creative commons licences might create problems as i can never know who and how someone is using my work. 16 13 20 15 12 3.08 1.36 10 these licences help in sharing and protecting my creative works, while still protecting them from being misused. 11 12 21 15 17 2.80 1.34 11 creative commons licences help me in spreading my work and gaining global recognition for it. 18 19 17 11 11 3.29 1.36 12 creative commons licences helps in creating an online community of sharing and reusing. 13 17 23 12 11 3.12 1.28 13 compared to traditional copyright, creative commons licences have made it easier to grant permission to all automatically rather than granting permission to each person individually. 19 21 20 09 07 3.47 1.25 table 3 presents the attitude of central university faculty members towards creative commons licenses. the results indicated that faculty perceived: that creative commons licenses are easy to use and clear to understand its conditions and principles (m3.5, sd=1.27); they have an understanding of how to apply creative commons licenses to their work (m=3.30, sd=1.26) and can easily locate creative commons materials (m=3.24, sd=1.31). however, the majority of them strongly disagreed with the fact that everyone should make their work free and open to use, share and modify and even use indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 8 it commercially without permission as per their own choice rather than locking it behind the protection of copyright (m=2.54, sd=1.28); also they don’t want others to make money from their original works (m=3.33, sd=1.41); few of the faculty=preferred the use of copyright license rather than creative commons license (m=3.09, sd=1.31). the majority of the faculty believed that creative commons licenses remove their creditability and acknowledgement (m=2.91, sd=1.43); and disagreed that creative commons licenses will increase the rate of plagiarism (m=2.93, sd=1.35). faculty viewed that creative commons licenses might create problems as they have no idea who and how someone is using their work (m=3.08, sd=1.36); they perceived that these licenses help them in sharing and protecting their creative works (m=2.80, sd=1.34) and gaining global recognition for their work (m=3.29, sd=1.36) they agreed that creative commons licenses help in creating an online community of sharing and reusing (m=3.12, sd=1.28); along with that creative commons licenses makes it easy to grant permission to users compared to copyright license (m= 3.47, sd=1.25). based on these findings, it can be inferred that the central university faculty members have a neutral attitude about creative commons licenses. analysis of objective 3to find out the usage of creative commons licence among the faculty members of the department of education of the central universities. table-4: usage of creative commons licences statements yes percentage (%) no percentage (%) have you ever used any creative commons licence materials/images/videos/ppts in your classroom teaching? 40 52.63 36 47.37 have you ever published your work under creative commons licences? 30 39.47 46 60.53 have you ever attended any workshop or training programme on creative commons licences? 27 35.53 49 64.47 fig-2: graphical representation of usage of creative commons licences indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 9 table no. 4 and fig. 2 delineate the usage pattern of creative common licence among the respondents. the stated table displayed that 52.63 per cent of the participants have used creative commons licensed materials in their classroom teaching. while only 39.47 per cent of them have published their work under creative commons licences and 35.53 per cent have attended workshops or training programmes on creative commons licences. discussions the study reveals that the majority of central university faculty were aware of creative commons licences. the result of this study is similar to the studies conducted by awujoola, & phillips (2020); baas and schuwer (2020); jhangiani, et al., (2016); nobes & harris (2019). on the contrary; baas, admiraal, & van den berg, (2019) concluded that teachers’ awareness of creative commons licences is limited. results of this present study also revealed that the faculty members have a neutral attitude about creative commons licences. this result is inconsistent with research conducted by awujoola, & phillips (2020). the study found that the perception of teachers towards creative commons licences is moderately negative. however, in the studies conducted by brent, gibbs and gruszczynska (2012) it was found that teachers were not willing to openly share their teaching resources under the creative commons licence. conclusion creative commons licences are the most comprehensible licences to release digital content for use by everyone. kim (2007)  also commented that creative commons can aid us in solving many problems and conflicts that arise due to copyright laws in this digital era. this has led the academic community to have access to licensed and free resources through fast, easy, and reliable creative commons; thereby enabling to encourage the culture of creative sharing and improving the academic and research environment. the present study found out that central university faculty have awareness and understanding regarding creative commons licences and a majority of them possess a neutral attitude towards creative commons licences. however, there is still a need to promote the use of creative commons licences in the educational community. references awujoola, o.a. & phillips, k.c. (2020). awareness and perception of creative commons licenses by lecturers in faculty of education, university of ibadan, nigeria. the information technologist, 17(1). baas, m., & schuwer, r. (2020). what about reuse? a study on the use of open educational resources in dutch higher education. open praxis, 12(4), 527. https://doi.org/10.5944/ openpraxis.12.4.1139 baas, m., admiraal, w., & van den berg, e. (2019). teachers’ adoption of open educational resources in higher education. journal of interactive media in education, 2019(1). https:// doi.org/10.5334/jime.510 bissell, a. n. (2009) permission granted: open licensing for educational resources. open learning: the journal of open, distance and e-learning, 24(1), 97-106. doi:10.1080/02680510802627886 branco, s., & britto, w. (2014). what is creative commons?: new copyright models for a more indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 10 creative world. publit publisher. brent, i., gibbs, g. r., & gruszczynska, a. k. (2012). obstacles to creating and finding open educational resources: the case of research methods in the social sciences.  journal of interactive media in education, 2012(1), 5. https://doi.org/10.5334/2012-05 creative commons. (2011). the power of open. creative commons organisation. creative commons organization. (2020). creative commons for educators and librarians. ala (american library association) editions. fitzgerald, b. (2007). (ed.). open content licensing: cultivating the creative commons. sydney university press. jhangiani, r. s., pitt, r., hendricks, c., key, j., & lalonde, c. (2016). exploring faculty use of open educational resources at british columbia post-secondary institutions. bccampus. kapitzke, c., dezuanni, m., & iyer, r. (2011). copyrights and creative commons licensing: pedagogical innovation in a higher education media literacy classroom. e-learning and digital media, 8(3), 271–282. https://doi.org/10.2304/elea.2011.8.3.271 kim, m. (2007). the creative commons and copyright protection in the digital era: uses of creative commons licenses.  journal of computer-mediated communication, 13(1), 187–209. doi. org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00392.x korn, n. & oppenheim, c. (2008). creative commons licenses: briefing paper. https://sca. jiscinvolve.org/wp/files/2008/10/sca_ipr_creative_commons_licenses_briefing_ paper-02.pdf krelja kurelovic, e. (2016). advantages and limitations of usage of open educational resources in small countries. international journal of research in education and science (ijres), 2(1), 136-142. lessig, l. (2004). the creative commons. montana law review, 65(1), 1-13. liu, c., tao, s., chen,w., chen, s., & liu, b. (2013). the effects of a creative commons approach on collaborative learning. behaviour & information technology, 32(1), 37–51, http:// dx.doi.org/10.1080/0144929x.2011.572184 mcgeever, m. (2006). creative commons licensing. university of edinburgh nobes, a., & harris, s. (2019). open access in lowand middle-income countries: attitudes and experiences of researchers.  emerald open research,  1 (17), 1-24. doi.org/10.35241/ emeraldopenres.13325.1 park, j. (2016, may 04). what is creative commons and why does it matter. common sense education. https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/what-is-creativecommons-and-why-does-it-matter reed, p. (2012). awareness, attitudes and participation of teaching staff towards the open content movement in one university.  research in learning technology,  20. https://doi. org/10.3402/rlt.v20i0.18520 williams, k., & werth, e. (2021). student selection of content licenses in oer-enabled pedagogy.  journal of copyright in education & librarianship,  5(1), 1-20. https://doi. org/10.17161/jcel.v5i1.13881 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 1 research article ict enhanced instruction in mathematics sprucing up students’ achievement reena rani1 and anisha2 1assistant professor, b.p.s. institute of teacher training & research, b.p.s. mahila vishwavidyalaya, khanpur kalan, sonepat, emailreena.edu@gmail.com 2assistant professor, b.p.s. institute of teacher training & research, b.p.s. mahila vishwavidyalaya, khanpur kalan, sonepat abstract mathematics is treated as one of the most important subjects but along with it, it has the most dreadful effect on students. students view mathematics as complex, dull, boring, and stereotyped. the national policy on education 1986 alluded that “mathematics should be visualized as the vehicle to train a child, to think, reason, analyze and to articulate logically. there is a shift in treating mathematics education as an instrument for national development as well as the development of a child’s abilities.” for attaining this objective, ict is phenomenal. the research shows that ict makes the learning environment vigorous and more captivating by engaging all the senses. the effectiveness of ict-enhanced instruction can be perceived as a vigorous educational process for encouraging learners to think critically and creatively, analyze the acquired knowledge or skill, have insight into it, associate it with gained experience and apply it first-hand. after the initial reforms of ict got well underway in other domains of education, it became quite evident for the researcher to see the impact of ict on her subject and in her area. this research investigates the impact of ict-enabled programmes created on geometry content and comes out with a significant sprucing up of student’s achievement.  keywords: ict instruction, mathematics achievement, effective learning, geometry skills & students “like the crest of a peacock, like a gem on the head of a snake, so is mathematics at the head of all knowledge.” vedanga jyotisa (c. 500 b.c.) for promoting maths in contemporary learners, ict is proving itself by escalating student’s achievement via manifold tools, equipment and applications by connecting them to symbolic mathematical concepts with dynamic visual representations. introduction in the present era, mathematics is taught as one of the important subjects in indian schools, colleges, and universities. but, the majority of students feel that mathematics is a complex, dull, boring, and stereotyped subject that leads to a lack of interest in mathematics. the paramount effort of every teacher is invariably to improve their student’s ability and to equip them for the time ahead. the national policy on education 1986 alluded that “mathematics should be visualized as the vehicle to train a child, to think, reason, analyze and to articulate logically. there is a shift in treating mathematics education as an instrument for the national development for the development of child’s abilities.” capabilities are enhanced when qualitative instructions are used for teaching along with ict. students get benefitted from qualitative instructions by getting engaged in class with interest and gaining mastery of the content through it, which will help in measuring indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 2 student achievement in recommended time intervals. ict has gained traction as an instructional strategy which helps in gaining qualitative instruction supporting student learning (bloxham, 2005; stuart, mills & remus, 2009) and enhancing student achievement (kellar, mackay, zhang, watters, kaufman, & borwein, 2003; sosin, blecha, agawal, bartlett, & daniel, 2004; coates & humphreys, 2004). the pandemic has induced appalling agony in the whole world. the coronavirus outbreak has posed serious challenges and calls for evolution to resume and persist. our immediate challenge is to educate children where they are, within the infrastructure and setting they are in. ict has sprung up as a most prodigious tool for educating in tandem with the internet. it has overcome all sorts of setbacks of distantly learning. in this pandemic era, all schools are taking their classes online. it has come up with various online teaching learning tools and strategies that are able to enhance interaction, foster engagement, and provide immediate feedback. in this way, ict resources provide many ways for ict-based learning in all subjects and mathematics as well. it has paved the way for learning at its own pace and self-exploration. it succeeded in empowering students and teachers for making significant contributions in this pandemic era. miscellaneous researches elucidate the effectiveness of ict integration as the practical aspect to enhance quality and bring forth productive results. it enables the teaching-learning process to strengthen its quality, improves access to content and resources, fosters learning, provides immediate feedback, supports a number of teaching strategies, promotes student engagement, boosts up skills and elevates the effectiveness of teachinglearning. levin (2005) proclaimed ict has transformed the ways of living, working and communicating. forthcoming generations are supposed to have global awareness and understanding of multiculturalism. this generation has switched from being passive recipients to active participants in the information transfer model of learning. this revamps of curious learners has led to a reinforcement of bolsters in mathematics which is going to consolidate new skills of conceptions, reasoning and operations in mathematics. in this way, curriculum and methods of teaching also transposed from a behaviourist approach employing role play and tactics and strategies to an interactive problem-solving approach in a particular framework. it is provided to be a more effective tool for students, teachers, and administrators in the school. ict is used in different subjects like science, maths, and social science in various forms. it is an effective medium of teaching and learning. a teacher uses technological devices such as powerpoint presentations, video, youtube lectures, animation, audio, graphing, and geometrical tools to encourage interaction with students to share their knowledge and skills. review of literature a thorough review of the research showed that ict is widely used at all levels of education in this pandemic scenario. many studies found that the availability of ict resources and their use had positive effects on students’ achievement. ishaq (2020), josé et.al. (2020), bora ashim et al. (2018), mondal et.al (2012), bature, b.(2016), zakaria, n.a. & khalid(2016), was conducted to see the effectiveness of ict in mathematics learning. these researches were based on learning mathematics, geogebra, powerpoint, online–lecture, multimedia packages, indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 3 and computer-based instruction. the amalgamation of ict in mathematics fabricated an emphatic environment among secondary school students in their learning. the findings of the above research depicted that the relationships between different types of ict resources used with mathematics achievement had shown a positive impact. besides, self-confidence was developed among the students in conducting ict-related activities. ict with a focus on enhancing essential skills accomplish the teaching learning effectively by fostering student engagement. it has an optimistic consequence on engagement, autonomy, high-order thinking, motivation, mathematical concepts, results and grades. henceforth, ict is considered an efficient tool for its pursuit of mathematics achievement. the conclusion drawn from the review helped the investigation properly in the design of the study rationale of the study over the past decade, technology has struggled in various ways to quantify its progress in education towards technology standards. in this information era, students must be able to voluntarily access information from a reservoir of resources, analyze, evaluate, work collaboratively, think enormously and constructively, integrate and reflect on the learning process. ict has become such an influential tool that it has provided new roles for teachers and students during this pandemic. it succeeded in giving new directions in teaching mathematics and enhancing the understanding of students towards basic concepts. with the help of ict, teachers are able to improve their skills and find enormous ways of presenting the content. mastery of mathematical content, pedagogy with technology integration in tandem with knowledge about research outcomes culminates in teachers’ tenacity to plump on the usage of new technology in their classroom for enhancing their technologyintegrated performance. another possible explanation is that different analysis methods of ict had been used in different mathematical concept research. also, ict has developed rapidly, the different tools and software for students learning. after the review of the literature, very few researches related to the usage of ict were found by the investigator in the geometrical concept of mathematics. this area of research needs to be explained more. hence, the current investigation aimed to see the effect of ict on the geometrical concept of mathematics.  objectives of the study 1. to find out the impact of ictbased teaching on the student’s achievement in mathematics. 2. to compare the experimental group and control group based on achievement in mathematics (posttest scores only). hypothesis of the study 1. there exists no significant impact of ict-based teaching on the student’s achievement in mathematics. 2. there exists no significant difference of ict-based teaching and traditional teaching on the student’s achievement in mathematics methodology a quasi-experimental design was adopted for the existing study. it is an attempt to see the effect of ictenabled programmes on the students’ mathematics achievements related to the geometry content of mathematics. the experimental group was taught through an ict-enabled programme and the control group was taught through the traditional method. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 4 sample the existent study was piloted on a sample of 80 students studying in kanya gurukul senior secondary school in khanpur kalan district sonepat, haryana. out of 80 students, one group was formed as a control group, and the other group was formed as an experimental group. tool used: various tools chosen and used by the investigators are given below: • mathematics achievement test by dr. reena rani &dr. anisha (2018) • ict-enabled programme developed by investigators. description of the ict-enabled programme the ict programme was based on nine units of geometry for the class ix ncert mathematics textbook. for this experimental work, software was developed on ms powerpoint by using text, pictures, animation, sound and bright colours for imitation and using the most commonly used software. computer cd-rom technology" as a medium for ict used teaching technology. the cd-rom, entitled, “mathematics geometry,” was developed as a powerpoint programme, comprising the storyboard including text, instructional design and possible graphics, audio and video. to minimize the overload of children, concise information is used. powerpoint features such as slides, background colour, text selection, fonts with appropriate size, graphics and proper animation were used to finalize the package, covering the total content in 40 lecture demonstrations. the slides can switch back and forth with a mouse click or such arrow keys on the keyboard and the developed package was enhanced in compact disc (cd). the surface areas and volume of different solids like cubes, cuboids etc. can be shown in animated form with their dayto-day examples. thus the animated diagrams with different pleasant colour combinations and full of extra allied information were made available to the students. execution of the experiment & data collection execution of the experiment and data collection for the present research took forty days. before the commencement of the experiment, the pre-test was administered to know the prerequisite knowledge of the ninth-grade students in geometry. in the next step, the experiment group was taught through the power point programme and the control group was taught through conventional methods. the teaching was conducted by the investigator herself. after the completion of the experiment, the post-test was administered to both groups and data was collected. results & discussion the finding of the research indicates that students who had learned geometry content by using ict-enabled programmes were significantly better in their mathematics achievement as compared to students who underwent traditional learning.  indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 5 on the basis of scores, it is inferred that the experimental teaching method proved useful. the findings showed that information and communication technology as a supplement to classroom instruction is more effective than traditional instruction. table-1: findings of use of ict-enabled programmes between students sr. no. class interval mathematics achievement scores of control group mathematics achievement scores of experimental group frequency cumulative frequency frequency cumulative frequency 1. 0-5 2 2 0 0 2. 6-10 4 6 0 0 3. 11-15 17 23 1 1 4. 16-20 13 36 2 3 5. 21-25 4 40 6 9 6. 25-30 0 0 17 26 7. 31-35 0 0 12 38 8. 36-40 0 0 2 40 figure-1: mathematics achievement score of control group the pie chart on mathematics scores of the control group shows that 43 percent of scores lie in 11-15 class interval, 33 percent scores lie in 16-20 class interval, 5 percent score lie in 0-5 class interval and 10 percent score lies in two class intervals 6-10 and 21-25, respectively. this piechart shows that the maximum distribution of score lies in the interval 11 to 15. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 6 figure-2: mathematics achievement score of experimental group the pie chart on mathematics scores of experimental groups shows that 0 per cent scores lie in 0-5 and 6-10 class intervals, 3 per cent scores lie in 11-15 class interval, 5 percent scores lie in 1620 class interval, 16 percent scores lie in 21-25, 45 percent scores lie in 25-30 class interval and 31 percent scores lie 35-40 class interval. this pie-chart shows that the maximum distribution of scores lies in the interval 25 to 30. this shows the huge effectiveness of the powerpoint programme on experimental groups.  table-2: significance of differences between mean, standard deviation and t-value of postmathematics achievement scores of experimental group and control group groups n mean std. deviation t-value control mats 40 15.05 4.987 12.71 experimental mats 40 28.60 5.163 students of the experimental group showed a marvellous improvement in the post-test scores after the treatment. the calculated tvalue was 12.71 which is more than the table value at 0.01 level of significance. it exhibits a significant difference between the mean post-test scores of the experimental and control groups. findings of the study depicted that post-test mean scores are higher in the experimental group.  results indicated that the experimental group achieved higher mean gain scores (28.6) than the control group (15.05) in the post-test stage. thus, the subjects exposed to ict gained higher scores in comparison to that in traditional methods. in other words, ict is found to be more effective in increasing the achievement expectation of ix class students. it means ict lays positive impacts on a student’s achievement. researchers found that teaching with visuals strengthens students’ cognitive skills. ict encourages pupils’ creativity and scientific thinking. it happens as a result of a deeper comprehension of the subject matter or the ability to complete more exercises in place of manually answering arithmetic problems. that suggests in some sense how learning performs differently under novel settings. students recognized ict as a tool for learning as well as one that can make a lesson more interesting. students generally approve of it and indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 7 find it to be more useful. additionally, it lessens individual variances and makes all students capable of succeeding. these results support other earlier findings with different populations and different subject areas. this result is also supported by the views of fuchs and wosesman, 2004; gunbas, 2015; kanive, nelson, burns, &ysseldyke, 2014; mclaren, adams, mayer, & forlizzi, 2017 who reported a positive relationship between ict use and mathematics achievement based on analysis of data. the study concluded that ict had a positive impact on students’ learning, critical thinking, and mathematics achievement. according to the various research, it is a dynamic approach and should be adopted for different types of students in schools. whitaker, 2007 found that teaching math via online technology with video helps to improve students’ academic performance. the adoption of technology facilitates new reforms in mathematics, which focuses on mathematical processes by offering quick and accurate computations as well as dynamic visuals as found in geometry and graphs. it makes the learning process enjoyable which improves students’ performance apart from being fruitful by increasing the student’s retention of information and methods. it helps in sparring more time for students and teachers to pursue the mathematical practices and operations in the classroom leading to fostering and imparting an immense understanding of mathematical concepts and enhancing capabilities and creativity to deal with more advanced mathematical content than in ‘traditional’ teaching environments. conclusion                                                                                                                                achievement is a behavioural change that occurs due to multifarious learning experiences. analysis and interpretation of the results discussed above have revealed that ict-enabled programmes prepared by the researcher show an immense impact on better learning of mathematics. the mathematics achievement of students can be increased by using these types of programmes. students were motivated and interestingly participated in ictenabled programmes. mathematics students were active during experiment work due to the uniqueness of the programme. the learning material of the programme was more interesting, creative, valid, and effective rather than the traditional method of teaching. it included animation, text, graph, audio, figure, and video. it brought a new kind of experience for the students. it was expected that the outcomes can aid the students, teachers, school administrators, government etc. and can act as a guide in the implications of the ict enabled programme in the different schools. the main goal of education can only be achieved by paying serious attention and addressing challenges related to ict appropriately. references aristovnik, a. (2012). the impact of ict on educational performance and its efficiency in selected eu and oecd countries: a non-parametric analysis. available at ssrn 2187482. bature, i. j., &atweh, b. (2016). achieving quality mathematics classroom instruction through productive pedagogies. international journal of educational methodology, 2(1), 1-18. bloxham, s., & slight, a. (2005). embedding personal development planning into the social sciences.  latiss: learning and teaching in the social sciences,  2(3), 191-206. https://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/295 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 8 bora et.al(2018) fusion of ict in mathematics learning to improve secondary school,  international journal of scientific research and reviews,7(4) pp.96-111. gunbas(2015) students’ mathematics word problem-solving achievement in a computer-based story journal of computer assisted learning,  31  (1)  (2015), pp.  7895,http://www.wiley.com/wileycda ishaq, h., shah, s. a., muqaddar, l., &tufail, m. (2021). effect of information communication technology (ict) on students’ motivation and their academic achievement at university level.  international journal of management (ijm),  12(1). http://www.iaeme.com/ijm/issues kanive, r., nelson, p. m., burns, m. k., &ysseldyke, j. (2014). comparison of the effects of computer-based practice and conceptual understanding interventions on mathematics fact retention and generalization.  the journal of educational research,  107(2), 83-89,https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs kazakov, s., ruiz-alba, j. l., & muñoz, m. m. (2020). the impact of information and communication technology and internal market orientation blending on organisational performance in small and medium enterprises. european journal of management and business economics. kellar, m., mackay, b., zhang, r., watters, c., kaufman, d., &borwein, j. (2003, march). architecture to support dynamic composition of math lesson plans. in  proceedings of the 2003 acm symposium on applied computing  (pp. 569-574).https://doi. org/10.1145/952532.952645 levin, t., &wadmany, r. (2005). changes in educational beliefs and classroom practices of teachers and students in rich technology-based classrooms [1]. technology, pedagogy and education, vol. 14, no. 3, 2005,  14(3), 281-307.https://doi. org/10.1080/14759390500200208 mandal, a., ghosh, a., sengupta, g., bera, t., das, n., & mukherjee, s. (2012). factors affecting the performance of undergraduate medical students: a perspective.  indian journal of community medicine: official publication of indian association of preventive & social medicine, 37(2), 126-129.https://www.ijcm.org.in/text.asp mclaren, b. m., adams, d. m., mayer, r. e., &forlizzi, j. (2017). a computer-based game that promotes mathematics learning more than a conventional approach. international journal of game-based learning (ijgbl), 7(1), 36-56.https://www.cs.cmu.edu song, h. d., & kang, t. (2012). evaluating the impacts of ict use: a multi-level analysis with hierarchical linear modeling. turkish online journal of educational technologytojet, 11(4), 132-140.https://ideas.repec.org/p/ces/ceswps sosin, k., lecha, b. j., agarwal, r., bartlett, r. l., & daniel, j. i. (2004). efficiency in the use of technology in economic education: some preliminary results. american economic review, 94(2), 253-258. stuart, l. h., mills, a. m., & remus, u. (2009). school leaders, ict competence and championing innovations. computers & education, 53(3), 733-741. zakaria, n. a., & khalid, f. (2016). the benefits and constraints of the use of information and communication technology (ict) in teaching mathematics. creative education, 7(11), 1537-1544.  https://doi.org vi editorial “the gods love what is mysterious, and dislike what is evident...” brhadaranvaka upanisad like many other countries, india too witnessed a huge surge in covid-19 cases in previous months. the so-called second wave of the pandemic brought untold miseries to the affected families. most of the state governments were forced to notify lockdowns. schools and colleges which had started opening physically in some states too were closed down again. vaccination drive has a long way to go. the third wave of the pandemic looms large upon us. it’s been more than a year since the schools, colleges and universities were closed to prevent the spread of pandemic among the young population. possibility for reopening of the schools and colleges in the short future remains bleak. technology appears to be the only way to ensure that learning of the children goes uninterrupted. however, technology mediated learning has its own issues to navigate such as digital divide and hazards associated with the long exposure to screens. the fact that children are more comfortable among their peers make technology based learning so forlorn. in such a context, india continued to make strides towards technology mediated teachinglearning. under pm evidya program, which was announced in may, 2020, ministry of education (moe), government of india has undertaken several initiatives such as making diksha a state of the art digital platform, telecasting curriculum based television programs on 12 dth tv channels (one class, one tv channel), broadcasting educational radio programs through 226 radio stations including all india radio stations, community radio stations, gyanvaani radio stations and iradio, starting hundreds of online courses using swayam platform, more than 2.4 million in-service training of teachers through nishtha, online integrated continuos professional development (cpd) programme through diksha, etc. for addressing the concerns and issues including psychosocial issues two interactive voice response system (ivrs) were created and extensively used during the pandemic. efforts were made to provide a resilient and coherent digital education system for the stakehoders through portals, apps, telecast, braodcast, webcast, online, offline, blended/hybrid approaches and bridge the digital divide. in all these initiatives equality, equity and quality remained the central concern of the government. going in-line with the existing educational scenario and digital platform as an important medium of sharing knowledge and discourse, the july 2021 issue of the journal has 21 manuscripts under various categories: research, review, general and opinion article to book review. there are 20 research articles alongwith review, general, opinion articles each and a book review. the themes of all these articles mainly focus on recent research and developments in the field of et & ict. i take this opportunity to thank all the contributors and reviewers of the indian journal of educational technology for continuing the academic discourse amid covid-19 pandemic. i also extend my gratitude towards the editorial board members for their guidance, whenever required. i hope the sixth issue of the journal will add another set of research in the knowledge world. (abhay kumar) editor indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 30 research article perception and attitude of matriculation school teachers towards online classes m. j. senthil kumar1, s. kulothunga pandian2 & j. jasmine bhastina3 1head & associate professor, department of commerce (cs), sri kaliswari college (autonomous), sivakasi orcid id: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6745-5443 2assistant professor, department of commerce, sri kaliswari college (autonomous), sivakasi, email id: kulothungapandian@gmail.com, orcid id: https://orcid.org/00000002-5780-3336 3assistant professor, department of commerce (cs), sri kaliswari college (autonomous), sivakasi orcid id: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1514-531x abstract the covid-19 pandemic situation upended the education sector with the closing of schools, colleges, and universities everywhere in india. considering the alternative of no school closure, the virtual classroom has been an important tool to sustain educational objectives. the researcher analyzed challenges and perceptions of matriculation school teachers (those who are taking classes between ix standard to xii standard) towards online teaching in the virudhunagar district by adopting a simple random sampling method. the important challenge associated with online teaching is boredom and monotony induced by increased exposure to the screen as well as the modus operandi of sitting at one particular place for prolonged hours and it also leads to some health problems. this article highlights the challenges, problems, and attitudes of matriculation school teachers towards online classes. keywords: online class, perception, attitude, covid-19, technology introduction education in any society does not depend so much on anyone else as on the teacher. the importance and the key position of the teacher in an educational system are recognized by everyone. the teacher is the most important factor for improvement in school education. today teachers are greatly responsible for the student’s future. therefore the teacher should be physically and mentally strong so that they can achieve their objectives successfully. the covid-19 pandemic situation upended the education sector with the closing of schools, colleges, and universities everywhere in india. approximately, 1.72 billion learners worldwide and around 32 crore students in india have been affected due to the closure of educational institutions during the covid-19 lockdown. it results in high socio-economic costs for education stakeholders. the uncertainty caused by the pandemic seems to discourage not only the parents but also the educators as well from being hopeful that the quality of the education process will be guaranteed. from march 2020 onwards students cannot physically attend classes but have to attend classes virtually. it leads to new types of problems for all the stakeholders, whichever faced before during the traditional classes. in this situation, indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 31 the teacher’s role is more challenging and requires more involvement. the success of online education always depends on the teacher. therefore the teacher should take extra effort for the successful implementation of virtual classes. statement of the problem the sudden epidemic of a deadly disease namely covid-19 shook the entire world. this situation vastly affected and challenged education institutions across the world and compels educators to shift to a virtual mode of teaching. many academic institutions that were earlier reluctant to change their traditional pedagogical approach had no option but to shift entirely to virtual teachinglearning. there was an overnight shift of normal classrooms into e-classrooms, that is, educators have shifted their entire pedagogical approach to tackle new market conditions and adapt to the changing situations. now teachers are teaching students with the help of internet access by sitting at their home place. but it is not an easy one. it requires more preparation and innovative ways of teaching to attract the students as well as actively engage the class than the traditional classes. so there is a need to analyze the perceptions and challenges faced by teachers during online classes. scope of the study the teacher is the most important factor for improvement in school education. the quality of education always depends on the teachers and their quality. during the coronavirus pandemic situation, almost all higher education were forced to pivot their instructions online to allow teaching and learning to continue. virudhunagar district is one of the famous districts as well as an industrial centre in tamilnadu state. in the virudhunagar district, many parents give more importance to their children’s education. so they admit their children to matriculation school. they also expect quality education during the covid-19 lockdown with innovative presentations. considering the alternative of no school closure, the virtual classroom has been an important tool to sustain educational objectives. in online teaching, teachers need serious preparation to use online tools and platforms. but most of the teachers are not all ready for the new situation, which further opens the issues with our overall education. so there is a vast scope for the researcher to analyze challenges and perceptions of matriculation school teachers (those who are taking classes between ix standard to xii standard) towards online teaching in virudhunagar district. review of literature mohamed hassan (2020) highlighted that the sudden changes to online classes lead to many challenges for the stakeholders of educational institutions. the main challenge is that some countries suffer infrastructure problems like internet availability and speed. similarly, teaching members do not have updated study material suitable for online teaching and the problem relating to online examination and its reliability. shivangi dhawan (2020) narrated that natural disasters can stimulate our motivation for the adoption of highly innovative communication technology and e-learning tools. to make e-learning effective in such difficult times, we need to focus on the use of technology more efficiently, that is, the usage of that technology that has minimum procurement and maintenance costs but can effectively facilitate educational processes. shabnam gurung (2021) pinpointed that, some teachers conducting online classes is itself a great challenge because they are habitual of conducting indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 32 classroom teaching for many years. the most important challenge faced by teachers in online teaching is to reach/teach students of remote areas because there is the unavailability of strong internet access even after facing all the challenges in online teaching teachers are motivated to learn the new technology and make the best possible use of all resources for effective teaching. objectives of the study the main objectives of this study are: 1. to understand the demographic profile of the respondents 2. to analyze the problems faced by the respondents during online teaching. 3. to identify the expectation of teachers in online teaching. 4. to analyze the health-related problems faced by the teacher due to online teaching. 5. to give suggestions for implementing online classes efficiently and effectively. methodology to fulfil the objectives of the study, the researcher has collected both primary and secondary data. primary data has been collected from the respondents through a pre-tested interview schedule. the interview schedule (designed in google forms) has been modified in light of the experience gained through the pre-testing. secondary data has been collected from various studies, books, magazines, journals, the internet, newspapers, etc to supplement the present study. the sampling design was formulated by the researcher to collect the data from the matriculation school teachers. the researcher selected 30 reputed matriculation schools in the virudhunagar district by adopting a simple random sampling method. after that, 10 teachers from each school were selected by adopting the lottery method. analysis and interpretation demographic profile demographic factors lead to differences in attitudes and beliefs (cianni & romberger 1995, mor barak, cherin & berkman 1998) among the respondents. demographics include such factors as gender, age, salary levels, and marital status. the researcher normally includes those factors which are assumed to have explanatory value in the research. the demographic profiles of the respondents are portrayed in the following table 1. table-1: demographic profile demographic factors number of respondents percentage gender wise classification male 123 41.00 female 177 59.00 marital status married 184 61.33 unmarried 116 38.67 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 33 experience less than 5 years 58 19.33 5 to 10 years 93 31.00 10 to 15 years 84 28.00 more than 15 years 65 21.67 monthly income less than rs.15,000 108 36.00 rs.15,000 to 20,000 84 28.00 rs.20,000 to 25,000 67 22.33 more than rs.25,000 41 13.67 source: primary data table 1 reveals that out of 300 respondents interviewed, 59 per cent of them are female, 61.33 per cent of the informants are married, 31 per cent of the teachers possess 5 to 10 years of experience and only 13.67 per cent of the teachers are earning more than rs.25,000 per month. reasons for choosing the teaching profession choosing a carrier is one of the important decisions in one’s life. the teaching profession is always an interesting, challenging, and serviceoriented profession. the reasons for selecting teaching differ from one person to another person. the interviewer gathered the information about the reasons for choosing the teaching profession and displayed it in table 2. table-2: reasons for choosing teaching profession s. no reasons number of respondents percentage 1 passion 52 17.33 2 like teaching profession 94 31.33 3 social respect & honorable work 58 19.33 4 chances for continuous learning 29 9.67 5 limited work than other jobs 36 12.00 6 more holidays and limited working time 31 10.34   total 125 100.00 source: primary data indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 34 it is lucid fact from the above table 2 that, 17.33 per cent of the respondents selected the teaching profession because they feel teaching profession as passion, 31.33 per cent of the respondents are like teaching profession than any other so they choose this profession, 19.33 per cent of the informants are attracted by the social respects, 9.67 per cent of the informants given importance to the chance for continuous learning, 12.00 per cent of the respondents consider the working hours and the remaining 10.34 per cent of the respondents are attracted by the leave facilities. professional problems a teacher is a kingpin in the entire system of education. almost all cultures of the civilized world have considered their teachers in very high esteem. the success of the education and students’ future always depends upon the quality of the teacher. the teacher discharges their duties effectively only when they feel safe, having adequate freedom, and for career development. so the interviewer collected the information about the professional problems faced by the teacher and these details are set out in table 3. table-3: professional problems s.no professional problems number of respondents percentage 1 lack of job security 73 24.33 2 low salaries 69 23.00 3 little opportunity for career development 36 12.00 4 inadequate annual increment 64 21.33 5 job mobility 36 12.00 6 lack of incentives 22 7.34 total 300 100 source: primary data it is inferred from the above table 3 that, out of 300 respondents, 24.33 per cent of them have confronted with the problem of lack of job securities, 23 per cent of them are not satisfied with their salary level, 12 per cent of them have cited the problem of lack of career development, 21.33 per cent of them are facing the problem of the incremental policy of the management, 12 per cent of the informants pointed out the problem of lack of job mobility in the teaching profession and the remaining 7.34 per cent of them have indicated the problems in lack of attractive incentives schemes. online teaching profile the covid-19 pandemic situation affected the working system of the indian education sector. the classroom teaching techniques were changed. now the teachers are taking classes in virtual mode. the researcher gathered the basic information relating to online teaching techniques and presented it in the following table. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 35 table-4: online teaching profile online teaching profile number of respondents percentage platform used google meet 83 27.67 zoom 97 32.33 cisco webex meet 61 20.33 whatsapp 26 8.67 google classroom 24 8.00 others 9 3.00 teaching tools used whiteboard 101 33.67 powerpoint and other microsoft products 134 44.67 pre-recorded videos 39 13.00 youtube and other videos 22 7.33 others 4 1.33 number of hours per day less than 3 hours 8 2.67 3 hours 98 32.67 4 hours 164 54.66 more than 4 hours 30 10.00 place at home 64 21.33 at school 236 78.67 source: primary data it is obvious from the above table 4 that, out of 300 respondents 32.33 per cent of the respondents are using the zoom app and 27.67 per cent of the teachers are taking online classes through the google meet platform. out of 300 teachers, the majority of the respondents (44.67 per cent) are using powerpoint and other microsoft products for their presentations while taking online classes and one-third of the respondents are using whiteboard at the time of taking online classes. out of 300 informants, 54.66 per cent of the teachers are teaching 4 hours per day, and more than three-fourths of teachers were taking online classes at their school. occupational problems relating to online classes the primary role and responsibility of a teacher are multitasked in the present-day school system. due to the coronavirus pandemic, educational institutes were compelled to pivot their instruction online to allow teaching and indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 36 learning to continue. online teaching poses a different set of challenges for teachers. to ascertain the problems faced by the teacher, a study was made and the responses are analyzed by adopting the ranking method and its results have been given in table 5. table-5: occupational problem s. no. work-related problems i ii iii iv v vi vii viii ix x total 1 lack of classroom atmospheres 35 34 36 34 31 31 27 25 24 23 300 2 lack of network and power problem 25 34 32 43 46 33 31 24 17 15 300 3 inability to focus on screen 49 47 41 36 32 26 22 18 15 14 300 4 unable to monitor students behavior 46 42 44 41 34 27 21 19 16 10 300 5 not familiar with online teaching applications 47 42 41 39 41 34 26 15 9 6 300 6 not possible to interact with students 41 45 49 41 36 31 23 12 12 10 300 7 unwanted interruption by students 21 23 14 21 32 42 41 39 33 34 300 8 homework and attendance verification 21 15 17 16 19 36 42 47 51 36 300 9 difficult in preparing presentations 12 13 18 19 16 28 36 44 52 62 300 10 distributions from the family members 3 5 8 10 13 12 31 57 71 90 300 total 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 source: primary data the orders of merit given by the respondents were converted into ranks by using the following formula. percentage position= [100 (rij-0.5)/nij] the percentage position of each rank thus obtained is converted into scores by referring to the table given by henry garret ranking technique. then for each factor, the scores of individual indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 37 respondents are added together and divided by the total number of respondents for whom the scores were added and presented in table 6. table-6: weighted average points s.no. problems garrett mean score weighted average points rank 1 lack of classroom atmospheres 15783 52.61 6 2 lack of network and power problem 15886 52.95 5 3 inability to focus on screen 17183 57.28 3 4 unable to monitor students behavior 17171 57.24 4 5 not familiar with online teaching applications 17428 58.09 1 6 not possible to interact with students 17287 57.62 2 7 unwanted interruption by students 13879 46.26 7 8 homework and attendance verification 13168 43.89 8 9 difficult in preparing presentations 12122 40.41 9 10 distributions from the family members 10093 33.64 10 source: primary data the above-ranking analysis pointed out that the shift to online learning is not an easy one. it requires restructuring course components using new pedagogical approaches, learning activities, and tech tools. it was new to many teachers. so many teachers are facing many problems to deliver their lectures through online mode in an attractive manner and it got the first rank. interaction among the students is one of the most important elements for a successful education, but it is more difficult in online education and it has scored as 2nd rank. positive attitude towards online teaching the rise of the coronavirus lockdown has compelled education systems worldwide to find alternatives to the traditional classroom environment. considering the alternative to traditional face-to-face classrooms, virtual schooling becomes an important technique to sustain skills development during school closures. this is not only new to the students but also to the staff members. the online teaching method increases the tech knowledge among the teachers. the study about the positive attitudes of teachers towards the online teacher and the result is presented in table 7. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 38 table-7: positive perception towards online teaching s. no. factors strongly agree agree neutral disagree strongly disagree total points 1 increase ict knowledge 153 (765) 116 (464) 28 (84) 3 (6) 0 (0) 1319 2 learn the innovative teaching tools 108 (540) 95 (380) 83 (249) 12 (24) 2 (2) 1195 3 access new study material 46 (230) 60 (240) 74 (222) 61 (122) 59 (59) 873 4 improve professional competency 51 (255) 64 (256) 81 (243) 76 (152) 28 (28) 934 5 develop creative thinking 21 (105) 36 (144) 48 (144) 103 (206) 92 (92) 691 6 feel comfort in taking a class at home 16 (80) 22 (88) 35 (105) 98 (196) 129 (129) 598 source: primary data it is obvious from table 1.6 that teachers strongly feel that the compulsion of online classes increases their tech knowledge, followed by that they understand and use the innovative teaching aids in their teaching paradigm. more overdue to online class the professional competency of the teachers is also increased. hypothesis: 1 ho: there is no significant association between the experience and positive attitude of the respondents towards online teaching. h1: there is a significant association between the experience and positive attitude of the respondents towards online teaching. to test the above hypothesis, the researcher used the chi-square test. the result has been displayed in table 8. table-8: experience and attitude towards online teaching factors chi-square value significant accept/ reject ho increase ict knowledge 21.582 .042 rejected learn the innovative teaching tools 21.570 .043 rejected access new study material 31.833 .001 rejected improve professional competency 6.542 .886 accepted indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 39 develop creative thinking 30.130 .000 rejected feel comfort in taking a class at home 20.708 .014 rejected source: computed data among the above six factors of positive attitude of respondents towards online education except “improve professional competency”, for the remaining factors p-value is less than 0.05. therefore, the null hypothesis is rejected at a 5% level of significance. so, the researcher concludes that there is a significant association between the experience and positive attitude of the respondents towards online teaching. staff expectation in the past, a large proportion of online courses were simple transfers of classroom materials and methods into an online environment. however, it is not possible for regular school education, especially matriculation school. online education should be learnercentric. to fulfill the goals of online education the education institution must fulfill the staff’s expectations. the researcher gathered information about the teachers’ expectations to carry out online teaching effectively and efficiently. this piece of information is presented in table 9. table-9: professional problems s.no professional problems number of respondents percentage 1 ict enabled training programme 69 23.00 2 support from the parents 47 15.67 3 developing adequate and updated technology in schools 96 32.00 4 assistance from colleagues and office staff 53 17.67 5 reducing workload 35 11.67 total 300 100 source: primary data the study reveals that, among 300 respondents, 23.00 percent of the teachers expect ict enabled training programme to increase their tech knowledge, followed by 15.67 percent of the respondents expects proper cooperation from the parents, 32.00 percent of the informants required adequate and updated technologies in their school to carryout online teaching in an effective manner, 17.67 percent of the respondents are pointed out that, the proper support and necessary assistance from their colleagues and office staff help them to take the classes effectively and the remaining 11.67 percent of the informants expected that the workload should be reduced. hypothesis: 2 ho: there is no significant difference between the teaching experience and their expectations. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 40 h1: there is a significant difference between the teaching experience and their expectations. to test the above hypothesis, the researcher used the kruskal wallis test. the result has been displayed in table 10. since the p-value is less than 0.05, the null hypothesis is rejected at a 5% level of significance. hence, the researcher concludes that there is a significant difference between the teaching experience and their expectations health problems due to online classes matriculation school teachers are engaging themselves to take online classes atleast 3 hours a day. during this time, they must sit in front of the system or mobile and continuously monitor the screen. it affects the health of the teachers. so, the researcher collected information about the health problems faced by the respondents. these details are set out in table 11. table-10: experience and their expectations age size mean rank chi-square value significant accept/ reject ho less than 5 years 58 78.53 12.017 .017 rejected 5 to 10 years 93 69.39 10 to 15 years 84 69.88 more than 15 years 65 74.50 source: computed data table-11: health problems health problems some time mild always sever very severe mean n % n % n % n % n % eyesight 43 14.3 48 16.0 65 21.7 80 26.7 64 21.3 3.25 headache 60 20.0 63 21.0 65 21.7 55 18.3 57 19.0 2.96 backbone 78 26.0 55 18.3 101 33.7 49 16.3 17 5.7 2.58 body pain 114 38.0 69 23.0 53 17.7 29 9.7 35 11.7 2.34 sleeping problem 92 30.7 113 37.7 55 18.3 31 10.3 9 3.0 2.17 source: primary data during online teaching, the teacher must observe the screen to take online classes and monitor the students. continuous screening affects the eye power of the teachers. out of 300 respondents, 14.3 per cent of the respondents are affected by eyesight problem sometimes, another 16.0 per cent of the respondents mildly has an eyesight problem, 21.7 per cent of the respondents are always having eyesight problem, 26.7 per cent of the indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 41 respondents are severely affected by eyesight problem and the remaining 21.3 per cent of the respondents are very severely affected by eyesight problem. among 300 respondents, 20 per cent of the respondents are sometimes facing headache problem, 21.0 per cent of the respondents are mildly affected by the headache problem, 21.7 per cent of the respondents are always having headache problems, 18.3 per cent of the respondents are severely affected by headache problems and the remaining 19.0 per cent of the respondents are very severely affected by the headache problems. because of backbone problems, 26 per cent of the respondents are affected by the backbone problem sometime only, 18.3 per cent of the respondents are mildly having backbone problems followed by 33.7 per cent of the respondents are always having backbone problems 16.3 per cent of the respondents are severely affected by the backbone problem and the remaining 5.7 per cent of the respondents are very severely affected by backbone problem. out of 300 respondents, 11.7 per cent of the respondents are very severely affected by body pain and only 3 per cent of the respondents are very severely affected by sleeping problems. to recap the health problems, “eyesight” problems were given the highest importance with a mean score of 3.25. hypothesis: 3 ho: there is no significant association between age and health-related issues due to online teaching. h1: there is a significant association between age and health-related issues due to excessive travelling to test the above hypothesis, the researcher used the mcnemar-bowker test. the result has been displayed in table 12. table-12: age and health problems health issues chi-square value significant accept/ reject ho association between age and eyesight 49.147 .000 rejected association between age and headache 20.708 .014 rejected association between age and backbone problem 34.128 .000 rejected association between age and body pain 39.286 .000 rejected association between age and sleeping problem 31.161 .001 rejected source: computed data since the p-value of the association between age and health problems is less than 0.05, the null hypothesis is rejected at a 5% level of significance. hence, it is concluded that there is a significant association between age and health problems due to online classes. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 42 recommendation from the study, the following suggestions are made 1. the sudden move to online teaching was new to many teaching faculties. to make them familiar with online teaching the management must organize an e-tech-oriented training program for their staff members for increasing ict knowledge. 2. the management should arrange the necessary infrastructure facilities in their school campus to carry out the online class effectively. 3. to monitor the students, assess and evaluate the students’ performance the office staff and colleagues should help the teaching faculties. it reduces the excessive workload of the teaching faculties. 4. the management should reduce the workload of the teaching faculties and also provide adequate incentives to their staff members to induce them. 5. sitting in front of the system or mobile and continuously monitoring the screen will lead to health issues among the teachers. to avoid these issues the teachers should relax while taking online classes continuously. 6. the teachers should also learn the innovative and recent teaching tools to handle online teaching attractively. 7. interaction among students is one of the important concepts for successful online education. therefore the teacher should prepare the study material seriously and should develop interactive online classes as well as share the class materials. conclusion learning is a continuous and life-long process in an individual’s life. learning helps the individual to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge in order to achieve his or her desired goals in their life. due to the covid-19 pandemic situation, every country in the world faced many challenges not only on the health and economic but also on the education scale. the rise of the coronavirus lockdown has compelled education systems worldwide to find alternatives to the traditional classroom environment. considering the alternative of traditional face-to-face classrooms, virtual schooling becomes an important technique to sustain skills development during school closures. the sudden move to online teaching was a drastic step because not only the students were not ready for such a move, but the faculty and institutions as well. compared with the other stakeholders of education, teachers face many difficulties to accomplish the objective of teaching and learning. in online teaching, many of the teachers mostly are facing problems like lack of technological knowledge, technological changes/up-gradation, lack of it support, unoptimized software for mobile devices followed by security issues. similarly, another biggest challenge faced by the matriculation school teacher is assessing students’ progress. even though matriculation school teachers frequently organize online tests, the success of the test is always questionable. another issue relating to assessment is if the students upload their answer sheets online and the concerned teachers across different sections for the different subjects should download the answer sheet and verify the same by viewing the screen. it is not an easy one and it increases the stress among the teaching staff. another important challenge associated with online teaching is indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 43 boredom and monotony induced by increased exposure to the screen as well as the modus operandi of sitting at one particular place for prolonged hours and it also leads to some health problems. in order to solve the issues, the management of the school should arrange ict-enabled training programmes for their staff members to handle e-tech-related issues and develop adequate infrastructure facilities in the schools to carry out the online teaching effectively. the management also reduces the excessive workload and also provides adequate incentives to their staff members. it attracts staff members to take online classes effectively and efficiently. to conduct an online exam effectively the student’s involvement and support from their parents are the more important ones. apart from that the assistance from office staff and other colleagues to monitor the students help the online teaching and online test on the correct path. in order to break monotony/ boredom or fatigue in online teaching, the teachers should interactively take the classes, and present their topic in innovative methods by using different ict techniques. the teacher should also relax to avoid health-related issues. due to covid-19 and pandemic situations online teaching is the only tool to sustain educational objectives. therefore teachers should be open-minded, interested, and flexible in developing themselves became self-taught, and try to improve their teaching skills to tackle the online teaching challenges and handle online classes effectively and efficiently. references shivangi dhawan (2020), online learning: a panacea in the time of covid-19 crisis, journal of educational technology systems, vol. 49 (1). mohamed hassan (2021), online teaching challenges during covid-19 pandemic, international journal of information and education technology, vol. 11 (1), january 2021 shabnam gurung (2021), challenges faced by teachers in online teaching during covid-19 pandemic, international journal of early childhood,vol. 9 (1). kim, j. (2020) learning and teaching online during covid-19: experiences of student teachers in an early childhood education practicum. international journal of early childhood, volume 52, 145–158 https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-020-00272-6. senthilkumar m. j. and kulothunga pandian s (2021). an investigation into higher secondary school students’ attitude towards online class during covid-19 pandemic situation, the online journal of distance education and e-learning, vol. 9 (2). indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 79 research article facilitating positive attitude in students: a study of critical e-learning factors iti verma1 & shalini nigam2 1research scholar, management, dayalbagh educational institute, agra emailitiverma140069@dei.ac.in 2professor, dept. of dayalbagh educational institute, agra abstract planning the implementation of e-learning requires study of various factors that play a key role in its success. although many studies on e-learning factors have been conducted from time to time, the majority of them aimed at identifying critical success factors based on literature review or through surveys, while only a few studied the impact of critical success factors on other variables. (farid et al., 2018; qammach and al-sharifi, 2021). the present study aims to analyze the impact of critical success factors on students’ attitudes towards e-learning. through the questionnaire, a total of 300 respondents were reached, out of which 221 responded giving a response rate of 74 per cent. analysis of data was done using ibm spss and amos graphics. findings reveal that university support has a positive impact on students’ attitudes towards online learning, whereas, technology issues have a negative impact on students’ attitudes towards e-learning. instructor support is seen to have an insignificant impact on students’ attitudes towards e-learning. only three critical factors have been tested in the present study to study their impact on students’ attitudes, while future studies can involve even more factors. the study holds importance for all stakeholders in the education industry. keywords: university support, technology, instructor support, students’ attitude, critical success factors. introduction in recent years, online learning is gaining momentum in schools and colleges around the world due to its feature of flexibility and student-centric approach. however, it is very important to pre-plan the implementation process of online learning as an unplanned effort can be a waste of time, effort, and knowledge. the adoption and implementation of e-learning need careful analysis of critical success factors of e-learning. a lot of previous research has tried to draw attention to some critical success factors that can improve the performance and success chances of online learning. according to the center for management and organization effectiveness, 2022, “critical success factors refer to those specific elements or action areas that require focus and should be implemented for achieving strategic goals”. in the context of e-learning, critical success factors refer to those factors that help to accelerate the success of online learning by achieving planned learning outcomes. these factors can include a wide variety of elements but frequently include, student-related factors, instructorrelated factors, technology-related factors, and university-related factors. for the purpose of study, students’ perception of e-learning will be indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 80 analysed. students are the end users of e-learning, and satisfying them should be one goal of effective e-learning. if students’ attitudes are positive, they will accept e-learning, and it will be easier to engage them leading to better learning outcomes. a study of critical success factors of e-learning is important as e-learning requires a strong base to function effectively, which is possible only if certain elements are actively engaged in the learning environment like competency of students and instructors, reliable technology, quality content, supportive institutional policies, etc. the present study will aim at recognizing the frequently prioritized critical success factors of e-learning and analyzing their role in influencing students’ attitudes towards e-learning. the study is important for higher educational institutes in planning the successful implementation of e-learning through focused investment in the critical success factors of e-learning as they result in positive attitude of students which result in increased student acceptance of online learning and thereby better learning outcomes. literature review the study has collected literature reviews from the period 2007 to 2020 which dealt with the study of key factors pertaining to e-learning implementation, key factors related to e-learning adoption, and key factors impacting the success and effectiveness of e-learning especially in higher education. the following table highlights various studies that investigated the critical success factors of e-learning: table-1: showing review of literature related to critical success factors of e-learning s. no. author (yr.) title purpose methodology findings 1. (qammach and alsharifi, 2021) the impact of critical success factors for e-learning on strategic performance: an applied study in a sample of the faculties for the university of baghdad to test the impact of critical success factors for e-learning on the strategic performance of a sample of baghdad university faculties. survey there is a correlation and a statistically significant effect between the critical success factors for e-learning with its dimensions (information technology, the teaching staff) and the strategic performance with its dimensions 2. (priatna et al., 2020) key success factors of e-learning implementation in higher education this study aims to analyze the key success factors (ksfs) of e-learning implementation multi attribute utility theory approach the dominant factor that needs attention is organizational aspect, while other factors are technology and human resource. 3. (alqahtani and rajkhan, 2020) e-learning critical success factors during the covid-19 pandemic: a comprehensive analysis of e-learning managerial perspectives to identify the critical success factors for e-learning during covid-19 analytical hierarchy process technology management, support from management, increased student awareness to use e-learning systems, and demanding a high level of information technology from instructors, students, and universities were the most influential factors for e-learning during covid-19. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 81 4. (raman et al., 2019) investigating key factors for successful e-learning implementation to identify the critical success factors of e-learning extensive literature review the csfs are teacher’s characteristics (teacher’s attitude, teacher’s computing or technical skills, interaction among teacher-students, teaching style, knowledge in e-learning content development and self-efficacy), student’s characteristics (attitude, computer competency, interaction, selfefficacy, motivation and cultural and social norms), information technology infrastructure (internet accessibility, reliability and availability), design and content (perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness) and organization characteristics (training and support). 5. (kasani and mourkani, 2019) a research synthesis of critical success factors of e-learning: a model development to identify critical success factors of e-learning to develop a model for e-learning success review e-learning success factors include three dimensions: structural dimension (including: organizational, educational, content, support, and system quality); content or behavioral dimension (including factors: learner and teacher); and the contextual or environmental dimension (including factor: technology) 6. (cheriyan, 2018) critical success factors for e-learning: an indian perspective this paper attempts to identify the critical factors attributing to the success of e-learning in higher education sector through a student perspective. survey principal component analysis the study identifies five factors as critical in the success of e-learning viz. technological support, e-learning resources, e-learning support and training, characteristics of student, and characteristics of instructor in their order of relative importance with technological support being the most critical factor 7. (farid et al., 2018) critical success factors of e-learning systems: a quality perspective. to identify csfs through review and identify their impact on e-learning quality review and survey perceived usefulness, lack of learning objects in local languages, quality of educational system, lack of instructional designer, lack of instructional design process and information quality have emerged as top critical factors hindering the quality of e-learning. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 82 8. (anggrainingsih et al., 2016) determining elearning critical success factor at sebelas maret university using analytical hierarchy process (ahp) to determine the critical success factors of the uns e-learning implementation using analytic hierarchy process citations (ahp). the most important factor is technology, followed by the e-learning development, students’ characteristics, lecturer’s characteristics, and management support. 9. (basak, wotto and bélanger, 2016) a framework on the critical success factors of e-learning implementation in higher education: a review of the literature this paper presents a conceptual framework on the critical success factors of e-learning implementation in higher education, derived from an in-depth survey of literature review. review the proposed conceptual framework on critical success factors of e-learning include technological factors, institutional factors, pedagogical factors, ethical factors, resource factors, evaluation factors, management factors, social interaction factors 10. (gamage, fernando and perera, 2014) factors affecting to effective elearning: learners perspective to explore the dimensions of effectiveness from learners’ perspective catering to the current demand. interview and observation (qualitative methodology) identified 10 factors that affect e-learning effectiveness, out of which the top 5 are as follows: interactivity, collaboration, motivation, network of opportunities, pedagogy. the remaining 5 factors are content/material, assessment, usability, technology, support for learners 11. (cheawjindakarn, suwannatthachote and theeraroungchaisri, 2012) critical success factors for online distance learning in higher education: a review of the literature the aim of this paper is to specify the critical success factors (csfs) for online distance learning (odl) in higher education (he). review of literature the critical success factors of odl include institutional management, learning environment, instructional design, services support, and course evaluation. 12. (fitzpatrick, 2012) key success factors of elearning in education: a professional development model to evaluate and support elearning the purpose of this paper is to introduce the ksf (key success factors) model of elearning to support and evaluate elearning in secondary schools. in-depth interview dominant factors of e-learning are technology, human, design, support, and evaluation. 13. (musa and othman, 2012) critical success factor in e-learning: an examination of technology and student factors to examine the e-learning critical success factors (csfs) as perceived by students. survey internet browsing speed and instructor participation in discussion groups are most critical factors for e-learning. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 83 14. (rijal & wardani, 2012) critical success factors for e-learning in developing countries: a comparative analysis between ict experts and faculty it aims at identifying the critical success factors that aim to influence the acceptance of e-learning in developing nations. interview delphi and ahp method technology awareness, motivation, and changing learners’ behavior are prerequisites for successful e-learning implementations. 15. (bhuasiri et al., 2012) critical success factors for e-learning in developing countries: a comparative analysis between ict experts and faculty to identify multiple factors that influence the success of e-learning systems. delphi and ahp technology awareness, motivation, and changing learners’ behavior are prerequisites for successful e-learning implementations. 16. (selim, 2007) e-learning critical success factors: an exploratory investigation of student perceptions to identify and measure its critical success factors (csfs) from student perceptions. survey the surveyed students indicated that instructor characteristics factor is the most critical factor followed by support and technology. the student characteristics factor was perceived as the least critical factor to the success of e-learning. research gap although there are a lot of studies on critical success factors of e-learning, no study has tried to investigate the relationship between critical success factors of e-learning and students’ attitudes towards e-learning. moreover, most studies are review papers and lack empirical investigation. as such,, there is a need to explore the role of critical success factors of e-learning in developing positive attitudes of students towards e-learning. research objectives the study aims at fulfilling the following objectives: 1. to analyse the impact of university support on students’ attitudes towards online learning 2. to analyse the impact of instructor support on students’ attitudes towards online learning 3. to analyse the impact of technology issues on students’ attitudes towards online learning. conceptual framework and research hypotheses the most frequently identified critical success factor in past literature has been technology (indicating technology issues or technology support), followed by university support, and instructor support. thus, based on a detailed analysis of the literature review, three factors, technology, university support and instructor support, have been chosen as the critical success factors for further analysis of their impact on students’ attitudes towards online learning. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 84 figure-1: shows conceptual framework proposed for the study university su•university •university technology university su•university •university university su•university •university university su•university •university university su•university •university instructor support students’ attitude towards e-learning h1 h2 h3 source: self constructed the study will involve the perception of students as well as analysis of students’ attitudes towards online learning. students are the end users of e-learning system. students’ acceptance of online learning is important to fully realize the benefits of online learning, which can only be possible if they have a positive attitude. if students’ attitude towards e-learning is positive, it makes them more interested and motivated to learn, whereas, if the students’ attitude towards e-learning is negative, it can create hurdle in achieving learning outcomes. according to maheshwari greeni, 2020 students who enjoy their courses have stronger intentions to use e-learning in future also. h1: university support positively influence students’ attitude towards e-learning university support is also an essential component of e-learning system. without university support, it might not be possible for e-learning to be successfully implemented at ground levels. according to maheshwari greeni, 2020 students intentions to use e-learning system in future are influenced by the level of institutional support provided to them. the present study will aim to understand if university support influence students’ attitude towards e-learning. h2: technology issues negatively influences students’ attitude towards e-learning the term ‘technology’ can include variables indicating technology management or lack of technology management in the form of technological barriers and issues. according to zalat et al., 2021, the highest barrier in accepting e-learning included insufficient or unstable internet connectivity, inadequate computer labs, lack of computers/laptops, and technical problems. technology support implies managing technology in a way that the technological barriers in e-learning system are minimized and the benefits of e-learning technology can be fully realized. proper management of technology is important as it ensures uninterrupted internet access, reliability on technology, better browsing speed, etc. technology has been identified as an important factor in majority of studies (raman et al., 2019); (anggrainingsih et al., 2016); (gamage, fernando and perera, 2014); (fitzpatrick, 2012); (priatna et al., 2020); (selim, 2007); (musa and othman, 2012); (qammach and al-sharifi, 2021); (basak, wotto and bélanger, 2016); (kasani and mourkani, 2019); (alqahtani and rajkhan, 2020). according to taat & francis, 2019, technology support plays a vital role in e-learning adoption and implementation. it is the lack of technology support that leads to technical issues and challenges that hinder the success of e-learning process. the present study will aim to analyze the impact of technology issues on students’ h3 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 85 attitude towards online learning. h3: instructor support positively influence students’ attitude towards e-learning for e-learning to be effective, support of instructors to students in online learning environment is essential. instructor characteristics include their attitude, technical skills, interaction, participation, teaching style, knowledge of content development on online learning platforms and self-efficacy. (raman et al., 2019); (anggrainingsih et al., 2016); (kasani and mourkani, 2019) and such characteristics should be utilized to support students’ learning in virtual environment. instructors should guide and encourage students to boost their motivation to use e-learning (taat & francis, 2019). the present study will aim to analyze whether instructor support influences students’ attitude towards e-learning. research methodology data and sample: primary data have been collected through an online questionnaire distributed to graduate students of different colleges in western u.p. using purposive sampling. purposive sampling is used as the study aimed at collecting the responses of only those graduate students who have taken online courses in their colleges. self-constructed questionnaire is made to measure the constructs of proposed conceptual framework using detailed review of past literatures. a total of 300 respondents were reached out of which 210 responded resulting in response rate of 74 per cent. the data were coded and checked for outliers and missing values before proceeding for further analysis. variables of the study: the study aimed at studying variables four variables which includes university support, instructor support, technology issues, and students’ attitude towards e-learning. scales of measurement: all variables were measured using 5-point likert scale, where 1 meant “strongly disagree” and 5 meant “strongly agree”. the questions were self-constructed through variables identified from past literature. statistical techniques: analysis of demographic and study habits was done using spss 20. structural equation modelling was used to study structural relationships between the variables. for structural equation modelling, amos graphics was used. results and analysis 57.5 per cent males and 42.5 per cent females participated in the survey, out of which majority of students took online classes in regular mode. table-2: showing factor items reliability and validity through average variance extracted (ave) and construct reliability (cr) cronbach alpha factor loadings ave cr university support us2 us3 us4 us5 us6 us7 0.841 .505 .520 .759 .837 .773 .810 0.491 0.857 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 86 instructor support is1 is2 is3 is4 is5 is6 is7 0.781 .503 .562 .800 .524 .629 .552 .780 0.601 0.818 technology issues t1 t2 t3 t4 t6 t7 0.808 .737 .711 .738 .648 .747 .664 0.498 0.858 students’ attitude towards e-learning sa1 sa2 sa3 sa4 sa5 0.802 .734 .767 .791 .518 .738 0.487 0.838 overall reliability 0.804 source: ibm spss statistics the reliability of constructs is checked using cronbach alpha which is within acceptable limits of 0.6 to 0.8 for all items indicating internal consistency of the scale. factor loadings are at least 0.5. the value of ave should be at least 0.5 and the value of cr should be at least 0.7. approximately all factors fit in the criteria. structural equation modeling the study uses amos graphics for studying the hypothesised relationships which gives the following results: table-3: showing the hypothesised relationships tested using amos hypothesis path path coefficient critical ratio p value direction decision h1 us 🡪 sa .242 4.492 *** positive supported h2 t 🡪 sa -.236 -3.767 *** negative supported h3 is 🡪 sa 0.051 0.913 0.361 positive not supported *** significant at 0.001 level source: amos graphics indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 87 it can be observed that university support (us) influence students’ attitude towards e-learning (sa) in a significant positive way. (r= 0.242; cr= 4.492), thus, h1 is supported. t represents technology issues due to lack of technology support which negatively impacts students’ attitude towards e-learning (sa), thus supporting h2 (r= -0.236; cr= -3.767). instructor support (is) does not significantly impact students’ attitude towards e-learning (sa) and hence, h3 is not supported (r= 0.051; cr= 0.913). discussion the impact of critical success factors of e-learning on students’ attitudes has not been studied beforehand. findings indicate that critical success factors play an important role in shaping students’ positive attitudes towards e-learning. active support from universities in the field of e-learning helps to develop positive attitude towards e-learning in the mind of students, whereas, the role of instructor support is insignificant in influencing students’ attitude towards e-learning. lack of technology support results in technology related issues and challenges which negatively influence students’ attitude towards e-learning usage. there should be an active effort to mitigate technological issues in e-learning, as well as proactive university support in planning e-learning in universities. research implications the research can be beneficial as it pinpoints the basic requirements for successful implementation of e-learning in higher education, through active university support and technology support. many studies have identified critical success factors of online learning from time to time, but rarely have they tried to analyse their impact on students’ attitude towards e-learning. the research is valuable to all stakeholders, but most importantly to the universities in planning the implementation of e-learning. e-learning can only be effective if it is wholeheartedly accepted by the students. positive attitude of students towards online learning is possible only if university provides enough support in e-learning implementation, and by mitigating the technical barriers in e-learning. limitations and scope of future study due to time constraint, the present study has considered only three critical success factors including instructors support, technology support and university support, while future studies can involve analysis of other key factors also in understanding their role in students’ acceptance of online learning by developing their positive mindset towards e-learning. moreover, the study has taken place in western uttar pradesh and can involve analysis in other geographical areas to check the replicability of results. future studies can extend to analysis of more critical success factors and even involve model proposition. references alqahtani, a. y. and rajkhan, a. a. (2020) ‘e-learning critical success factors during the covid-19 pandemic: a comprehensive analysis of e-learning managerial perspectives’, education sciences, 10(9), pp. 1–16. doi: 10.3390/educsci10090216. anggrainingsih, r. et al. (2016) ‘determining elearning critical success factor at sebelas maret university using analytical hierarchy process (ahp)’, in proceedings 2016 international seminar on application of technology for information and communication, isemantic 2016. semarang, indonesia: ieee, pp. 191–196. doi: 10.1109/isemantic.2016.7873836. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 88 basak, s. k., wotto, m. and bélanger, p. (2016) ‘a framework on the critical success factors of e-learning implementation in higher education: a review of the literature’, international journal of educational and pedagogical sciences, 10(7), pp. 2409–2414. doi: https://doi. org/10.5281/zenodo.1125677. bhuasiri, w. et al. (2012) ‘critical success factors for e-learning in developing countries: a comparative analysis between ict experts and faculty’, computers and education, 58(2), pp. 843–855. doi: 10.1016/j.compedu.2011.10.010. center for management and organization effectiveness. (2022, july 7). critical success factors. cmoe. retrieved september 21, 2022, from https://cmoe.com/glossary/critical-success-factors/ cheriyan, n. k. (2018) ‘critical success factors for e-learning: an indian perspective’, in international conference on culture technology (icct 2018). shaoxing, china, pp. 1–15. available at: http://iacst.org/iacst/conferences/icct2018/sessions/session st4/603.htm. cheawjindakarn, b., suwannatthachote, p. and theeraroungchaisri, a. (2012) ‘critical success factors for online distance learning in higher education: a review of the literature’, creative education, 03(08), pp. 61–66. doi: 10.4236/ce.2012.38b014. farid, s. et al. (2018) ‘critical success factors of e-learning systems: a quality perspective.’, pakistan journal of distance and online learning, 4(1), pp. 1–20. fitzpatrick, t. (2012) ‘key success factors of elearning in education: a professional development model to evaluate and support elearning’, us-china education review a9, 9, pp. 789–795. gamage, d., fernando, s. and perera, i. (2014) ‘factors affecting to effective elearning : learners perspective’, scientific research journal (scirj), ii(v), pp. 42–48. available at: http:// www.scirj.org/papers-0514/scirj-p0514139.pdf. kasani, h. a. and mourkani, g. s. (2019) ‘a research synthesis of critical success factors of e-learning: a model development’, technology of education journal (tej), 13(1), pp. 25–39. available at: https://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_805_en.html. maheshwari, g. factors affecting students’ intentions to undertake online learning: an empirical study in vietnam. educ inf technol 26, 6629–6649 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/ s10639-021-10465-8 musa, m. a. and othman, m. s. (2012) ‘critical success factor in e-learning: an examination of technology and student factors’, international journal of advances in engineering & technology, 3(2), pp. 2231–1963. priatna, t. et al. (2020) ‘key success factors of e-learning implementation in higher education’, international journal of emerging technologies in learning, 15(17), pp. 101–114. doi: 10.3991/ ijet.v15i17.14293. qammach, n. i. j. and al-sharifi, m. a. r. a. (2021) ‘the impact of critical success factors for e-learning on strategic performance an applied study in a sample of the faculties for the university of baghdad’, turkish journal of computer and mathematics education, 12(13), pp. 5212–5222. raman, k., othman, n. and danaraj, g. (2019) ‘investigating key factors for successful e-learning implementation’, asia proceedings of social sciences, 4(2), pp. 49–52. doi: 10.31580/ apss.v4i2.725. rijal, b. s. and wardani, r. (2012) ‘critical success factors for e-learning in vocational training: a comparative analysis between ict experts, trainer and faculty’, computers & education, 58(2), pp. 843–855. selim, h. m. (2007) ‘e-learning critical success factors: an exploratory investigation of student perceptions’, international journal of technology marketing, 2(2), pp. 157–182. doi: 10.1504/ ijtmkt.2007.014791. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 89 taat, m. s., & francis, a. (2019, december 23). factors influencing the students’ acceptance of e-learning at teacher education institute: an exploratory study in malaysia. international journal of higher education, 9(1), 133–141. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v9n1p133 zalat mm, hamed ms, bolbol sa. the experiences, challenges, and acceptance of e-learning as a tool for teaching during the covid-19 pandemic among university medical staff. plos one. 2021 mar 26;16(3):e0248758. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248758. pmid: 33770079; pmcid: pmc7997029. table legends table 1 shows the review of the literature collected relating to critical success factors of e-learning. the researcher has reviewed sixteen past studies relating to key factors for e-learning success, key factors for e-learning quality, key factors for e-learning implementation, key factors for e-learning acceptance etc. most studies have explored critical factors, while the impact of these factors on other variables has been rarely studied. table 2 shows the calculation of important values like construct reliability and average variance extracted which is important to validate the constructs. it also depicts cronbach alpha and factor loading values calculated using ibm spss. ave shows convergent validity and ideally, all calculated values of ave are 0.5 or more. cronbach alpha shows internal consistency of scale and ideally, all values are between 0.6 to 0.8. construct reliability is also an indicator of internal consistency of scale and all calculated values are ideally above 0.7 assuring internal consistency. table 3 shows the hypothesis testing conducted using amos graphics. initially, amos has been used just to test the presence and direction of the relationship between the variables although, it can also be used for creating an sem model. figures legend fig. 1 shows the conceptual framework for the study. the variables have been chosen based on a systematic review of past literature. the framework reflects the potential hypothesis that will be tested in the study. all variables have already been explored in previous studies as critical to the success of online learning and hence are taken for analysis. the united nations education, social and cultural organisation (unesco) broadly regards technology as the knowledge, skills and creative processes that may assist people to utilise tools, resources and systems to solve problems and to enhance control over the natural and made environment in an endeavour to improve the human condition (unesco, 1985). under this broad sense of technology, educational technology would imply not only artefacts and devices but also methods of organisation and systems of teaching, which are employed in education to improve the learning environment (anthony, 2012). from the use of blackboards and slates to the use of smart boards and tabs in the modern classrooms or use of a range of pedagogies from behaviourist to constructivist, technology has had a seminal influence on the teaching and learning processes in our country. with the advent of digital technology, the pace and sweep of technological influences have impacted the learning of students fundamentally. so, it is important to understand the linkages that technology has with modern education. students are no longer solely dependent upon schools and universities for learning. technology has provided them opportunities to learn as per their own styles and pace. has the relationship between the learners and teachers changed? if yes, in what ways? will the new technology also bring in a new pedagogy? does it ask for a new learning theory replacing all the earlier ones? are technology, learning and cognition intertwined? if yes, in what ways? in what way technology is improving the quality of education? does technology necessarily bring equity in education? has the emerging technology been helpful for the purposes of inclusive education? the context of libraries in schools and universities has also changed. students and teachers/faculty members no longer visit libraries for physically accessing books and journals. locations of schools, colleges and universities are becoming irrelevant. is it so? what will be its impacts? in a country like us while digital divide exists, the access of digital technology to a few in the society further accentuates the class-divide within the education system. how far are such changes desirable? does technology liberate students and teachers or enslave them? it is important to come out with evidence-based findings on these and many more such issues and publish them in order to make a more informed debates and discussions among the peers on the matter. indian journal of educational technology (ijet) seeks to achieve this objective. we are happy to inform that ijet has been included in the ugc-care list of approved journals. given the importance of technology in education, the draft national education policy (nep) 2019 (draft nep, 2019) too has emphasised its myriad roles in the indian educational systems. as it is known that the committee for draft national education policy submitted its report on may, 2019. ministry of human resource development (mhrd), government of india (goi) had constituted this committee under the chairmanship of dr. k. kasturirangan in june, 2017. prior to this, mhrd led a massive exercise in the country at every possible level of the society seeking inputs all stakeholders editorial v on the policy. a 'committee for evolution of the new education policy' under the chairmanship of late tsr subramanian, former cabinet secretary, collated the feedbacks and inputs from the stakeholders and submitted its report in may, 2016. the present draft national education policy (nep) 2019 is a voluminous document having 23 chapters and 477 pages. it is divided into four main parts, viz., part i-school education, part ii-higher education, part iii-additional key focus areas and part iv-transforming education. along with these four parts, there are addendum and appendices. part ischool education has eight chapters covering topics such as, early childhood care education, foundational literacy and numeracy, reintegrating dropouts and ensuring universal access to education, curriculum and pedagogy in schools, teachers, equitable and inclusive education, efficient resourcing and effective governance through school complexes and regulation and accreditation of school education. part iihigher education has 10 chapters such as, quality universities and colleges, institutional restructuring and consolidation, towards a more liberal education, optimal learning environments and support for students, energised, engaged and capable faculty, national research foundation, teacher education, professional education, empowered governance and effective leadership for higher education institutions and transforming the regulatory system. part iiiadditional key focus areas has 4 chapters on: technology in education, vocational education, adult education and promotion of indian languages. part ivtransforming education has 1 chapter, viz., rashtriya shiksha aayog. addendum-making it happen has 2 main topics discussed and they are, financing and way forward. the draft policy seeks to address the five main challenges, viz., (i) access, (ii) equity, (iii) quality, (iv) affordability, and (v) accountability, faced by the current education system. the use of technology in education has been discussed in the context of all these challenges. in the part on school education, the policy sees technology mainly as a tool to enhance access, bring equity, affordability and accountability in the different educational settings. so, in the chapter on foundational literacy and numeracy, it talks of national teacher’s portal (diksha) having a special section on high quality resources on foundational literacy and numeracy. it further proposes computer-based adaptive assessment to be implemented across all secondary schools in the country initially and then to all schools once computers and tablets are made available in all schools by 2023. technological interventions as aids will be made available to teachers especially in regional languages that “teach literacy, numeracy and other foundational and curriculum material and carry out adaptive assessments and other personalised learning’. it also avers that technological interventions will never be viewed as substitutes for teachers. in the 3rd chapter on universal access to education, the policy envisages creating database of all dropouts and out of school children and putting local community in charge to help such children and ensure that they eventually return to school. for cwsn (children with special needs), the policy seeks to utilise innovative educational platforms involving technology for creating and sharing e-resources, promotion of e-learning and introduction of assessment on demand. in the 4th chapter on curriculum and pedagogy in schools,the draft policy suggests incorporating “computational thinking and digital literacy” along with local and indian traditions, ethical reasoning, scientific temper etc. in curriculum.in the same chapter, the draft nep advocates for “learning science bilingually” from grades viii and to talk about it to in the vi “local news channels”. albeit in a limited sense, it does seek to utilise mass media for communications in education. further, it says that the “new curriculum will integrate digital literacy for all learners at the basic level, with hands-on assessments and worksheets keeping in mind the available digital infrastructure and at a more advanced level, curricula will be developed for computational thinking and programming and other computer-based activities” including textbooks on computer sciences. the draft nep seeks to use digital technology for assessments with farreaching consequences. it says, “once internet and computers are standard in schools, assessment at all levels-especially during the middle and secondary stages –may also be conducted in an adaptive computer assisted manner, so that students could regularly monitor their own progress and formulate, with the help of their teachers, revised personalised learning plans and goals. formal official assessments, such as board and entrance examinations, could eventually be conducted in this manner also, with students thereby easily able to take such tests on more than one or two occasions to improve”. it also recommends extensive use of computer-based testing by the national testing agency (nta). the policy also seeks to make internet based apps, assessments and online communities available for students. all textbooks will be made available in digital formats including for cwsn as well. in the chapter on teachers, the draft nep suggests creating a conducive environment and culture for teachers at school and along with the facilities of clean drinking water, toilets, electricity, computing devices and internet would also be made available in all schools for all teachers. flexible, modular and online platforms for teachers will be created not only for their continuous professional development but also for sharing resources and ideas, the policy envisages. it further recommends strengthening all b.ed. programs with training on recent advances in pedagogy, evaluation and educational technology. it proposes to utilise it based technology for recruitment, promotion and transfer of teachers for bringing transparency in the system. in the chapter on school complexes, which is to combine a few nearby schools for better sharing of resources, not only technology will be used to share the resources in an effective manner but, the technology itself will be shared in a manner which is useful to all sections of the school complexes. in the chapter on governance and accreditation, the draft policy wishes to utilise technology for a more transparent system in place for admissions into schools (both government and private) to ensure fair entry for disadvantaged students in schools. it also foresees extensive use of technology in creating norms for accreditation and maintaining such a record in the public interests. the draft nep-2019 might have suggested a more in-depth deployment of technology for the purposes of inclusive education and cwsn children. as mentioned earlier the part ii of the draft nep-2019 deals with the higher education. technology has not been mentioned as explicitly in this part of the draft policy as has been mentioned in part i, dealing with the school education. however, it is obvious that there are several initiatives that the draft policy talks about are not possible without the use of technology. one of the areas in which the role of technology has been clearly delineated in the draft nep is open and distance learning (odl). it talks about using technology to enhance the access and quality of odl.in this regard, it further proposes to strengthen massive open and online courses (moocs) by enhancing its outreach vii overseas as well and by ensuring quality courses on moocs. “study in india” portal will be created to attract overseas students to come to india and study. to avoid duplication of efforts, all types of resources created for odl/moocs will be shared through “online digital repositories”. in the context of accessing journals in libraries, the draft nep avers that “the government of india (goi) will set up a mechanism, e.g., becoming a single buyer, for online access to journals for all public institutions in the country, so as to save on cost and improve access”. the draft nep advises to provide best facilities such as computers, internet and institutional emails besides other things to faulty members. the draft nep has recommended setting up of national research foundation (nrf) to boost the research in higher education institutions. the draft policy visualises four divisions in nrf presently. one such division will be on technology while other divisions will be related to science, social sciences and arts and humanities. it also advises department of education of the state governments to focus on online education also for both pre-service and in-service programs. use of ict in teaching is also one of the suggested areas for faculty improvement programs in higher education. the draft policy also has a section each on legal education, healthcare education and technical education. the nineteenth chapter, in the iiird part of the draft policy document, deals with the technology in education exclusively, cutting across all levels of education. it begins with establishing objectives of integrating technology in education appropriately, viz., i) to support teacher preparation, and development; ii) improve teaching, learning and evaluation processes, iii) enhance educational access to disadvantaged groups and iv) streamline educational planning, administration and management. although draft policy has talked about bridging digital divide at several places in the document, it perhaps requires special mention in the chapter on technology in education. the draft policy identifies a few important concerns related to technology integration in education in the country. one such concern is the availability of the local expertise in resolving and maintaining hardware and software at remote locations.the draft also exhorts institutions to seek software solutions for issues plaguing institutions or systems and for that, it has also suggested a model to be adopted. its suggestions range from identifying stakeholders to creating technological solutions to doing pilot study with these technological solutions and then scaling them up. the draft also calls for increasing usage of free and open source software (foss). it recommends setting up of a new autonomous national educational technology forum (netf) which will provide a platform for the “free exchange of ideas” to attain the above-mentioned objectives. it also lists approaches for integration of technology. teachers’ opinion will be the key while integrating technology in education. the draft policy also recommends establishment of centres of excellence in educational technology at prominent universities. it has also suggested three-point guidelines for technology interventions. they are i) hardware-cloud-based commercial infrastructure, ii) softwarefoss will be preferred, iii) dataall public data will be owned by the government. then the draft policy recommends extensive use of technology for teacher preparation and their professional development, in improving teaching, learning and evaluation, in enhancing educational access, and in streamlining educational planning and management. at the end of this chapter, it has also talked about disruptive technologies or innovations, which seek to alter the technological operations viii significantly and replaces old markets with the new ones. in this regard, use of artificial intelligence (ai) or virtual reality (vr) or blockchain in education has been talked about. chapter on vocational education visualises data gathering, mis and technology support for rollout of vocational education. it also talks about offering certificate courses on the theoretical aspects of vocational courses through online. in the chapter on adult education, the draft policy emphasises on integrating digital literacy in the mainframe of adult education objectives and use internet based online platforms as well, to achieve the objectives of adult education. we would like ijet to act as a catalyst for generating debates and discussions on the draft national education policy, 2019 in the coming months. it is a pleasure to bring out the second issue of the journal which consists of a variety of sections having research, review and general articles. we hope that the enthusiasm of the fraternity for academic discussion will help us in bringing out the subsequent issues with more number of articles. we extend our appreciation to the authors for sending their works and the reviewers for reviewing those works by taking out time for such academic works. most importantly, we would also like to thank the small editorial team of ours who have worked consistently for bringing out the current issue. abhay kumar (akumarabhay@gmail.com) references unesco (1985) technology education within the context of general education, paris: unesco. edwards anthony (2012) new technology and education, continuum international publishing group. draft national education policy, 2019 (accessed on website: https://mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/draft_nep_2019_en_revised.pdf on 11th june, 2019) . the discussion on policy here is sourced from this document. ix indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 41 research article paradigm shift in higher education through ict: conventional to moocs -a case study of dibrugarh university shrutidhara mahanta assistant professor, department of education, directorate of open and distance learning, dibrugarh university email: shrutidm@gmail.com & shrutidhra@dibru.ac.in abstract the purpose of this paper is to examine the role of ict services in the higher education sector both in the odl system as well as in conventional system of education. integration of ict services in odl makes it wide spread, accessible to remote, accessible to all. these are found to be useful for the distance learners of dibrugarh university (du). moreover, the benefits of ict integrated education can also be achieved by the conventional students, if convergence between the two systems is established by allowing the students to earn few credits under moocs in cbcs. du has already made progress in this front and due to an awareness drive a significant number of students got enrolled to various courses under swayam. the researcher studied few of these initiatives taken by du to cope up with the global trend of ict integrated he. researchers, academicians, administrators of the state and other regions of the country will be benefited from the findings. key words: ict, odl, odel, conventional on-campus system, moocs, cbcs. introduction the global education system especially the higher education (he) system has changed drastically due to the rapid growth of information and communication technology (ict). both conventional face-to-face and distance education have witnessed these shifts from primitive to ict enabled paradigms. ict makes the teaching-learning process more student-centred (amin, 2013; saleem et.al. 2013). ict refers to use of various technologies and scientific inventions to make the communication process faster, wide spread, accessible to remote, accessible to all. it embraces all the technologies used in the process of sending to receiving, coding to decoding the various kinds of messages. the process of telecast and broadcast audio, video or audio-visual media; communicating e-contents like texts, pictures, audio or video clips, controlling and monitoring all these through network-based management system, all are clubbed under the blanket term of ict. in the recent years, ict increases the communication abilities among the mass people by using technologies like instant messaging (whatsapp or messenger), voice chat, tele conferencing and video-conferencing, and so on. social networking websites like facebook, twitter, instagram make indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 42 it possible to the users to remain in contact and communicate regularly worldwide. the process of interaction, the style of work, the dynamics of various industries all are influenced and changed by ict (unesco, 2002a; bhattacharya and sharma, 2007). thus, ict has transformed the world into a “global village,” where people can communicate across the countries just like next door neighbours. paradigm shift of he there are mainly two mega paradigm shifts in the he system; from traditional university (conventional on-campus education) to odl and from odl to e-education (takwale, 2003). conventional on-campus education has been experiencing a plethora of changes over the last few centuries. it travels a lot; from annual system to semester system, from marking system to grading or credit system. presently, with the advancements in ict, the choice based credit system (cbcs) has been growing rapidly. cbcs is accredited globally and accepted as a purely learner centric and pedagogically efficient system (cbcsguidelines, 2015-16). the basic idea of cbcs is to give importance on the needs and requirements of the students; it provides opportunity to the learners to choose inter-disciplinary, intradisciplinary and skill-based courses according to their aims, interests and abilities. this demands sophisticated infrastructures, and competent, skilful, efficient and accountable teachers. it also allows mobility to the learners to learn in different institutions of the country as well as abroad with the credit transfer facility. distance education emerged during the middle of the nineteenth century as an alternative way of learning as there was a demand for education by a large section of population. with the development and expansion of ict, distance education has been passing through many phases like correspondence education, distance education, open education, open and distance education (odl), online education, e-learning, blended learning, hybrid learning, and finally the massive online open courses (moocs). even dominance of e-contents and estrategies in to the distance learning system makes a facelift to the existing odl system by renaming it as odel, open and distance e-learning (mahanta and borkotokey, 2018). an odl system needs dynamic and innovative developments in information and communication technologies for the betterment of the system, to make it more cost-effective and accessible (mahanta, 2014a). e-learning or electronic learning is a general term used to refer to computerenhanced learning (mondal and mete, 2012). e-education is used to denote both the shifts from the traditional and open and distance education to e-content based educational system under convergence. it is assumed that this transition will be complete when broadband internet connectivity and ict appliances are available to anyone, anywhere, anytime (takwale, 2003). moocs are a very recent and extensively researched program in e-education in particular and in odl system in general. it is a package of learning (courses) accessible through the internet (online) by a large group of (massive) students indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 43 simultaneously without any restrictions regarding age, qualification, institutional jurisdiction (open). in 2008, a course named “connectivism and connectivity knowledge” was developed by stephen downes of athabasca university of canada and george siemens of the national research council of canada. the term mooc was used to refer this course for the first time and it was coined by dave cormier of the university of prince edward island, canada (marques, 2013). gradually moocs gained popularity among the learners; millions of learners enrolled to various courses offered by different moocplatform or company viz. udacity, edx, coursera, course builder, blackboard, moodle and so on. keeping the world scenario in mind, the government of india has launched an indian mooc platform named swayam (study webs of active learning for young aspiring minds) to develop and make available moocs to the learners throughout the country. this is an indigenous initiative taken by mhrd and all india council for technical education (aicte). it is also supported by m/s. microsoft india (pvt.) ltd. to host various moocs so that the three cardinal principles of education policy viz., access, equity, and quality can be achieved (swayam-booklet, 2018.) this provides one integrated platform and portal for online courses covering all aspects of he and also skill sector courses (sahoo et. al., 2018). aicte has issued a notification regarding credits transfer for the courses done under swayam. an institution can allow their students to earn credits up to 20percent of the total courses being offered in a programme. thus, a student can earn 80percent credit from his parent university and 20percent from any university offering courses under swayam. the vision behind this initiative is to host more than 10000 online courses and to enroll about 30 million learners. dibrugarh university dibrugarh university (du), is a dual mode university. being the easternmost university of the country, it has emerged as a pioneering institution of he providing both undergraduate and postgraduate programs in various disciplines that include science and technology, engineering, humanities and social sciences to name a few. it was established in 1965. it is a teachingcum-affiliating university with limited residential facilities. the territorial jurisdiction of du covers eight districts of upper assam viz, dibrugarh, tinsukia, sivasagar, charaideu, jorhat, golaghat, dhemaji and lakhimpur. assam is a state in the north eastern part of india. upper assam is a region in the state having upstream of the river brahmaputra which flows through it. it is a dual mode university. it has 175 affiliated and permitted colleges and institutes, which include general degree colleges and professional institutions like medical, law, homeopathic, engineering, b.ed., music, paramedical, management, media, science and technology etc. on the campus, the university maintains 17 full-fledged teaching departments apart from 23 centres of studies. with this infrastructure, the university has approximately 1 lakh (99,710) students indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 44 in regular courses during the session, 2018-19. directorate of open and distance learning (dodl), du was established in 2001 to bring the he to the doorsteps of the learners. at present it is offering 19 degree and diploma programmes, both in the undergraduate and post graduate levels in various disciplines. it has 84 study centres within du’s territorial jurisdiction. more than 30,000 learners have so far been enrolled in these programmes. in this paper, the role of ict in the whole educational transaction, both in the odl system and conventional face-toface system with special reference to dibrugarh university was studied. rationale of the study education is the key component for socio-economic development of a country like india. the government of india has set the target of increasing the gross enrolment ratio (ger) in the he from 24.5 (2015-16) to 30 by 2020 (national convention on digital initiatives for he, 2017). the conventional system cannot achieve this target alone due to its limited enrolment capacity, conventional courses/programmes and limited infrastructures/resources. distance education as an alternative system of education concentrates on i) higher rate of enrolment, ii) conventional and non-conventional courses, iii) optimum use of the limited infrastructures/resources, iv) relaxation in terms of age, qualification, time and place of study etc., to meet the changing needs of our society (mahanta et.al., 2009). it focusses on optimum use of ict to reach its wide range of heterogenous learners. moreover, it is also capable of improving the relevance and quality of education (aristovnik, 2012; rahman, 2014). thus, it is a system of education which concentrates on the pedagogy, technology and instructional systems that aim to offer education to the learners who are not physically “on campus. an effective and successful odl system needs dynamic and innovative developments in ict services for the betterment of the system, to make it more cost-effective and accessible, in other words to bridge the gap between the learners and the campus (institution). also due to globalization and liberalization in education, indian he system faces many challenges. agreements like gats (general agreement on trade in services) and wto (world trade organization) permit foreign universities to market their education in this country (unesco, 2002b; sharma, 2002). expansion of ict services in the field of education is eradicating concept of jurisdiction of a university. this leads to creation of ict enabled services in the educational sector. this permits many leading universities from india and abroad, private and deemed universities and other educational institutions to offer their programs to all the students all over india. this creates competition among the colleges and universities. as a result, weak and less efficient institutions face threat for the existence and survival. besides, the present age is the age of information and is also known as the knowledge age. one of the primary indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 45 goals of the government of india is to make india as a knowledge super power within the next one or two decades. for this, india needs to bring her citizens to the highest level of their competencies and capabilities and this can be achieved only through an ict integrated system of education for all (takwale, 2003). so, it is the need of the hour to reconstruct and embrace all innovative tools provided by technology in our education system. not only the distance learners, the conventional learners also need ict integrated supports to cope -up with the changing society, to compete with the changing paradigm. according to all indian survey on higher education, 2015-16, in india, there are 799 universities, 39071 colleges and 11923 stand alone institutions, out of which 60percent of the colleges are located in rural areas. in this situation, the issues of access, equity, relevance, quality, management, financing etc. can be addressed only with the expansion and application of ict integrated supports in the he system. moreover, our present education system is yet to make significant contributions in developing knowledge, confidence, values and skills among the young generations (cbcs-guidelines, 201516). one of the major reasons behind this could be improper synchronization among the components of teachinglearning process in the conventional education system which produces unskilled, un-employed youth as out-put. so, it is necessary to find ways to make education of good quality, accessible and affordable to all, using the latest technology available (hattangdi and ghosh, 2008). innovative integration of ict may resolve these issues tactfully. moreover, ict can be used as a tool to overcome the issues of cost, a smaller number of teachers, and poor quality of education as well as to overcome time and distance barriers (mc. gorry, 2002). in this context, convergence of cbcs with moocs is a right platform to effectively address these issues. the convergence of conventional and online education may be considered as the third paradigm shift in he. thus, ict enabled teaching learning pedagogies deserve proper operational strategies for which a critical and exploratory study of the same is a must. objectives the main objectives of the present study were to: 1. to identify the various ict services provided by dodldu to its learners. 2. to study the opinion of the learners on ict services in connection to their learning activities. 3. to study the initiatives taken by du for convergence of conventional education and moocs. 4. to find the reason for joining moocs by the students of du. 5. to identify the course categories of moocs where the students of du enrolled. methodology research methods the idea of this study was to look for an administrative perspective on the use of snss in the functioning of the school. around 50 school administrators were invited by survey link but 38 received responses were analysed. the sample consisted of administrators like indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 46 principals, vice-principals, head of the departments, academic coordinators, etc. they are serving at their respective positions from at least three years population and sample in this study, there were three categories of population. accordingly, three different samples were selected for the study. 1. there is a total of twenty staff members in dodldu including officers, faculties and employees and data were collected from all from all the units of the population 2. the total number of learners enrolled in dodldu in the academic session 2018-19 was approximately 3000. 300 units (approximately 10percent of the population) out of them were selected by purposive sampling technique as the sample. 3. during study, 1791 numbers of students of du enrolled to moocs and 180 units (10percent approx.) were selected randomly. tools 1. an interview schedule was prepared for the faculties, officers and employees of dodl to collect various types of information. 2. two structured questionnaires were prepared; one was for the distance learners of du and the other was for the conventional learners of du enrolled to moocs. data collection and analysis both primary and secondary sources of data were consulted to gather information. first, institutional documents and archival records were reviewed. then data were collected by conducting semi-structured interviews with the staff members of dodldu and administering the questionnaires on the distance and conventional learners of du. some data were also collected by direct and participant observation and analysed qualitatively. moreover, quantitative analysis was made with the help of percentage and graphical presentation where ever necessary. results and discussions ict integrated services of dodldu a detailed discussion regarding the ict services provided by dodldu as its supports is presented below: 1. web-site: http://dodl.dibru.ac.in: all of its information likea brief description of the academic and administrative staff, the various support services provided by the directorate, list of programmes offered, admission procedure, examination and evaluation process, examination centre, assignment questions, important dates, examination schedule and results etc. are being uploaded. 2. 20 computers with internet connectivity for development and maintenance of databases of the directorate. also, a computer laboratory for the learners of pgdca and bca programmes. 3. multimedia cd/dvds for the learners of ma/ba programmes. 4. a laboratory for developing e-content. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 47 5. radio counselling for the learners of ma/ba programmes. these programmes are not only subject specific but also informative. 6. personal mobile-phones of the officials and programme coordinators; especially frequent and flaw-less interaction is conducted between the programme coordinators and their respective learners through what’s app messaging. 7. bulk sms 8. ohp, lcd, dvd player, television with dish connection, still and video camera: for the learners, especially for the learners of pgdjmc programme. 9. video conferencing facility. 10. a community radio station named gyanmalinee 11. a bill-board in the entrance of the head office. the opinion of the learners on ict services in connection to their learning activities the learners were asked to provide their responses regarding influence of various ict services on their learning. the results are shown by the following bar diagram (fig-1). fig-1 reveals that according to most (93.3percent, 85.3percent and 75.3percent) of the learners, personal mobile numbers, web-site and bulk sms were the most useful ict services for them. they were able to get all the necessary information regarding admission process, academic counselling, evaluation process (internal as well as external assessment) etc. through these ict services. all the learners found the counselling (both academic and non-academic) conducted by the faculties through their personal mobile numbers (especially through the whatsapp groups with the learners) were very motivating and effective. only a few (10percent) counselling sessions were conducted using ict; however, all the learners found those classes more effective compared to traditional classes. moreover, a significant number of learners also expressed their dissatisfaction about not receiving the bulk sms (35percent), not picking up the land line phone connection by the employees (69.3percent), boring content of cd/dvd and radio programmes (83.3percent), not adequate ict support for pgdca programme (70.7percent). results related to e-content laboratory could not be found as it was established in the directorate after completion of data collection. initiatives taken by du for convergence dibrugarh university has already implemented the cbcs in its post graduate programs in 2012 and also initiated to introduce the cbcs in the undergraduate programmes since 2016. however, due to different issues viz., inadequate infrastructure, insufficient faculty, lack of proper coordination among different academic departments, it is yet to be implemented. so, it has been trying to overcome these issues by convergence of moocs with the conventional education; accordingly, from the session, 2017-18, it has initiated some steps for awareness generation indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 48 and enrolment of its students in the swayam platform as directed by mhrd and ugc. a detailed discussion is presented in the following headings: 1. steps taken within the university campus. 2. steps taken for the affiliated colleges. 3. steps taken through emrc, du. 1. steps taken within the university campus 1. the college development council (cdc) of du has organized four one-day orientation programmes on cbcs and swayam for all the principals of the colleges affiliated to du. in these workshops, focus was given on how the choice of courses under swayam can be helpful as generic electives in the under graduate programmes of cbcs. around 250 principals and representatives from various affiliated colleges of du participated in these orientation programmes. 2. du also has constituted a swayam committee to acclimatize and enroll its faculties and students in suitable courses in the swayam platform. this committee has made several awareness drives to each of the in-house departments and centre of studies of du. as a result, a remarkable number of students (1208) enrolled to swayam courses. 2. steps taken for the affiliated colleges the cdc of du has suggested the affiliated colleges to organize orientation and workshops on cbcs and swayam so that, the college teachers and students can appreciate the significance of swayam courses in cbcs. till july 2019, a total of 12 colleges have organized such workshops for their faculty members and students. moreover, members of the committee guided the college teachers and students through e-mail and telephone in this context. a total number of 583 students enrolled to various courses under swayam. 3. steps taken through emrc, du the educational and multimedia research centre (emrc) of dibrugarh university has taken some steps as part of its digital initiatives: 1. it developed 24 e-contents for the undergraduate programs of physical education under the consortium of educational communication (cec), new delhi. 2. 13 moocs proposals were prepared by some of the faculty members of du and submitted to cec, new delhi for approval. upon approval, these courses will be offered under the swayam platform globally. the questionnaire for the learners enrolled into various moocs was analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively. the following results were revealed: 1. learners profile: • there is no gender disparity among the learners enrolled to moocs as 50.6percent of the learners are male and 49.4percent are female. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 49 • most (59.4percent) of the learners were from semi urban locality, 28.6percent are from rural and the remaining (12percent) are from urban locality. • among the moocs learners most (82.8percent) of the learners are from pg level. 2. the following figure (fig-2) shows the percentage of learners regarding their reason for joining moocs. majority (44.4percent) of the learners opined that they joined moocs to get benefit in their current studies and they joined courses related to their primary discipline. another significant number (30percent) of the learners joined moocs to update themselves with the global scenario, while a few (17.2percent) opined that they joined moocs to get benefit in their future professional life. 2.7percent joined moocs due to curiosity, and the other 5.7percent joined due to teacher and peer pressure 3. in swayam platform, during study there were four course categories viz. post graduation, undergraduation, diploma and certificate courses where the learners can enrol on their own. the pie diagram (fig-3) shows the learners’ preferences for course category most (57percent) of the learners were enrolled under post-graduate category while a few (23percent) were enrolled in undergraduate courses. it is also found that certificate and diploma courses are less popular among the students. it resonates the finding that 44.4percent of the learners joined moocs to get help in their studies. moreover, it can be inferred that students prefer to join moocs according to their levels of studies. this is substantiated by our finding which states that 82.8percent of the learners are from pg level. conclusions and recommendations new developments and trends in ict have transformed the world into a global village. accordingly, with the integration of ict services, two great paradigm shifts take place in the he-conventional to distance education and distance education to on-line or e-education, finally to moocs. to cope up with this, mhrd has launched indigenous moocs platform swayam. dodldu adopted several ict services to provide support to its learners. dynamic and innovative developments in ict are a must for the betterment of the system, to make it more costeffective and accessible (mahanta, 2014b). although, personal mobile phones (messaging through whatsapp), web-site and bulk sms were found to be very effective on the learning activities of the learners, other services were not properly used or not supplied properly to the learners. it follows that dodldu needs to improve its ict services to reach the mass. moreover, a successful implementation of cbcs in du is possible if cbcs is made convergent with the swayam. although a whooping number, a total of 1791 (1208 from pg + 583 from ug classes) of students enrolled in the various swayam courses, no teachers had enrolled to this platform during that session. it is necessary for the indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 50 teachers to take a course under moocs to understand the system and to guide the learners properly. in addition to that, the teachers can enhance their career by joining the refresher courses available on swayam platform. moreover, teachers and administrators need to support and monitor the students as dropout rate of moocs is very high. this study is expected to help the other he institutions in general and the du in particular in many ways. even if, it is a limited study, on the basis of the results of this study the academic and administrative aspects of dodl can be reviewed and enhanced. moreover, it would help administrator of du for preparing future planning and their executions. references all indian survey on higher education. 2015-16. retrieved from mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_ files/mhrd/files/statistics/aishe2015-16. amin, s.l.u. (2013). an effective use of ict for education and learning by drawing on worldwide knowledge, research and experience: ict as a change agent for education. scholarly journal of education. 2(4), 38-45. http:// www.scholarly-journals.com/sje. aristovnik, a. (2012). the impact of ict on educational performance and its efficiency in selected eu and oecd countries: a non-parametric analysis. the turkish online journal of educational technology. 11 (3), 144-152. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.2187482. bhattacharya, i. and sharma, k. (2007). india in the knowledge economy – an electronic paradigm. international journal of educational management. 21 (6),543-568. doi: 10.1108/09513540710780055. cbcs-guidelines, 2015-16. retrieved from www.du.ac.in/du/uploads/syllabus_2015/2409201 5 _cbcsguidelines.pdf hattangdi and ghosh. (2008). “enhancing the quality and accessibility of higher education through the use of information and communication technology. retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org. mahanta, s. and borkotokey, s. (2018). from the conventional on-campus system to moocs: the journey through convergence. panchajanya: a multidisciplinary peer reviewed research journal. 9(1), 05-22. issn 2330-911x. sivsagar. mahanta, s. (2014a). an analytical study of learner support services provided by directorate of distance education, dibrugarh university. unpublished doctoral thesis, department of education, dibrugarh university, dibrugarh. mahanta, s. (2014b). role and effectiveness of electronic media in higher education-with special reference to open and distance learning system. in nath. rubi (ed), media and society (168-185). jorhat, unika prakashan. mahanta, s. biswas, p. k. and hazarika, m. (2009). quality assurance in distance education: a case study of directorate of distance education, dibrugarh university, assam. proceedings of 15th conference of indian distance education association (idea), indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 51 237-248. university of kashmir, srinagar. marques, j. (2013). a short history of moocs and distance learning. retrieved from https://www.moocnewsandreviews.com/a-short-history-of-moocs and-distance-learning. mc gorry, s. y. (2002). online, but on target? internet-based mba courses: a case study. the internet and higher education 5(2), 167-175. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1096 7516(02)00089-1 mondal, a., and mete, j. (2012). ict in higher education: opportunities and challenges. institutions, bhatter college journal of multidisciplinary studies. 2(2). doi: http:// bcjms.bhattercollege.ac.in.pdf national convention on digital initiatives for higher education, vigyan bhavan, new delhi. retrieved from https://www.ugc.ac.in/pdfnews/9208605_brochure. rahman, h. (2014). the role of ict in open and distance education. turkish online journal of distance education. 15(4). retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/ publication/273898911 . sahoo, j. et.al. (2018). massive open online courses and moocs-swayam: an assessment of acceptance. library and information science in the age of moocs. doi: 10.4018/978-1-5225-5146-1.ch004. saleem et.al. (2013). application and uses of information communication technology (ict) in academic libraries: an overview. international journal of library science. 2(3), (49-52). doi: 10.5923/j.library.20130203.01. sharma, v. (2002). wto, gats and future of higher education in india. people’s democracy.26(6). retrieved from https://archives.peoplesdemocracy.in/2002/ feb10/02102002_wto_edu.htm swayam-booklet, july 2018, retrieved from https://dibru.ac.in/swayam, takwale, ram. (2003). challenges and opportunities of globalization for higher education in india – alternatives through e-education. retrieved from https://www.ugc.ac.in/ oldpdf/pub/lectures/ugc_pro2, unesco. (2002)a. open and distance learning: prospects and policy considerations. unesco. retrieved from portal.unesco.org. unesco. (2002)b. trade in higher education services: the implications of gats. unesco. retrieved from portal.unesco.org. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 52 appendices figure – 1: opinion of the learners on ict services figure – 2: reason for joining moocs figure – 2: learners preferences for course category indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 9 research article understanding student engagement and online learning post covid-19 using multiple perspectives heema parveen ph.d scholar, department of education, university of kashmir, jammu & kashmir ut, india email: khanheema9697@gmail.com abstract corona pandemic besides claiming countless fatalities has affected the overall structure of social institutions at large. the suspension of offline learning and implementation of remote learning in the times of covid-19 appeared to be the biggest challenge it posed to the education sector in particular and to the nation in general. specifically talking about the state of jammu and kashmir, it has been witnessing the repeated and frequent closure of educational institutions for the last three years but the shift to online mode was completely a new thing as it was for other states of the country. the crisis which emerged with an abrogation of the article 370 (special status granted to jammu & kashmir) in the year 2019, left educational institutions shut for six months and it was only in february 2020 the schools were reopened. unfortunately due to the outbreak of covid-19, they were again closed in march of the same year and remained shut again for almost eight months. it was only in march 2021, they were reopened but, due to the surging covid-19 cases, were closed back in april of the same year. this repeated school closure and the recurring shift to online mode during the times of covid-19 disturbed the whole teaching-learning process. in such a chaotic environment of teaching and learning, we are interested to know and understand the student engagement of 1st and 2nd grade students (aged 6-8). also to know the challenges or opportunities their parents and teachers experienced during the whole school closure period. parent and teacher perspective was specifically used to realise these objectives. semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data. later, thematic analysis was used to generate the themes. key words: student engagement, covid-19, virtual learning, primary students, parent perspective, teacher perspective. background coronavirus, originally reported from wuhan city in china in late 2019, spread widely and quickly around the world, leading to the closure of educational institutions. this abrupt closure of educational institutions as a protective measure against the corona infection and the shifting of education from inclass learning to remote learning posed significant challenges to students, parents and teachers. because the shift was not gradual, it happened overnight to resist the severity of the corona infection (dhawan, 2020). early studies reveal clear challenges for students in general, and for educationally disadvantaged students in particular in terms of learning continuity and school engagement (devitt et al. 2020; green 2020). previous research provides a good insight that school closure increases the chances of inequality of opportunities for those who belong to educationally backward families (calarco, 2020). initially, much of the discussion focused on the ‘digital divide,’ which suggests that low student engagement for some students is caused by lack of access to devices and indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 10 the internet (devitt et al. 2020; darmody, smyth, and russell 2020). students who had access to internet-enabled classes were found to have higher levels of engagement. additionally, exposure to a wider variety of academic and socio-emotional learning opportunities is associated with higher levels of engagement. additionally, students were more inclined to participate online if their families maintained social ties with the families of other students. (domina et al, 2021). the dissimilarity in the implementation and quality of off-campus education increases the possibility of undesired consequences of remote learning for the development of youth (morgan, 2015; sorensen 2012). physical absence from school environments, besides posing learning challenges, would have consequences for the physical and mental well-being of children (american academy of pediatrics, 2020). this paper examines student engagement in primary students post covid19, using the teacher and parent perspective. moreover, it attempts to know the online learning problems or opportunities perceived by teachers, parents and students. since the population is 1st and 2nd grade students, the qualitative approach was found most appropriate. therefore, a qualitative research design was adopted to get a deeper understanding of their engagement and response to online classes. contextual background the participants in the current study are all the residents of the village padgampora, tehsil awantipora, located 14 km east of district headquarters pulwama and 25 km from ut summer capital srinagar, jammu & kashmir, india. to make contextual background clear the researcher wants to make mention of timing and circumstances together. the data collection process for this study actually started in the month of september. at that time, private schools located in towns of the district were closed. however, the government primary schools and private schools in the locality had actually resumed providing community classes to these children in school under strict adherence to covid-19 sop. research objectives • understanding student engagement post covid-19 from the perspective of parents and teachers. • understanding the challenges or opportunities of online learning perceived by the parents and teachers. student engagement student engagement, a multidimensional construct with behavioural, affective and cognitive components (fredricks et al., 2004) refers to the active participation, interest and psychological investment of the student in the learning goals. the behavioural dimension may include student’s attendance, completion of school activities, active participation in classes, and participation in extracurricular activities (wang, willett and eccles, 2011), emotional engagement involves feelings, interests, and attitudes toward learning and school (skinner & belmont, 1993) and the cognitive component involves the quality of cognitive processes and learning approaches used by students on school assignments and homework (walker, greene & mansell, 2006). it is hard to get positive learning outcomes without positive engagement or involvement of students in their learning. the existing student engagement literature has demonstrated a positive relationship between student engagement & quality learning outcomes & learning indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 11 achievement (carini, kuh & klein 2006; coates 2005). it is associated with improved learning, performance, retention, persistence, experience, and achievement (appleton et al., 2006; carini, kuh & klein 2006; fredricks, blumenfeld, & paris, 2004). online education education received through the internet without stepping out of home is referred to as online education. it involves the use of the internet in the teaching-learning process which allows flexibility of time. online learning is more student-centred, advanced, and flexible to use (singh & thurman, 2019). it happens either through synchronous or asynchronous settings. synchronous learning is where students engage in active learning. there is real-time interaction between teachers and students, and instant feedback is possible. on the other hand in asynchronous learning, learning content is not directly associated with the type of instruction. it is available in a wide range of learning systems and forums and instant feedback and direct response are not possible (littlefield, 2018). methodological framework sampling is a critical component of qualitative research design (mason, 2002). a sample selection criteria, i.e., inclusion or exclusion of participants, must be specified for the study in order to demarcate a sample universe (luborsky & rubinstein, 1995; patton, 1990). the sample participants consisted of 70 parents, 20 primarylevel students and 10 primary school teachers working in different government and private schools of the respective district and were recruited using a purposive sampling technique. the rationale behind using a purposive sampling strategy was to ensure the inclusion of the participants in the sample the researcher believed had a unique and different perspective on the phenomenon under study (mason, 2002; trost, 1986). participant observation of children and the interview of parents and teachers were used for data generation. data was collected in the form of recording by conducting a face-to-face semistructured interview (interview with 5-7 topics about which the respondent is urged to speak (wilkinson et al., 2004) to parents and teachers. parents were asked how engaged the children are with their learning activities at present and what kind of difference they feel in their engagement during this period where no offline education is provided. the parents were also asked to tell the challenges they themselves and their children face in the online education system. also to what extent do online modes engage students with learning goals? interviews with teachers began with similar questions followed by the ideas/points they were revealing to the researcher at the moment. participant observation of children happened simultaneously during this period as the researcher was already giving tuition to these children at home. but during the analysis process, the researcher de-familiarised her to only reflect upon the perspective of teachers and parents but this observation definitely helped to get insight into what the parents and teachers were revealing. since the data was collected in the form of recording, thematic analysis technique was found most appropriate to be used with this data set. therefore braun & clarke’s (2006) six-phase framework was used to do the analysis of collected data pertaining to the current study. during the sample selection process, the researcher ensured the research ethics are followed properly. therefore, proper consent was sought from all the participants before commencing the indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 12 interview process. since the content sought from them was not sensitive, they freely explained what they had gone through and how engaged they saw their children with studies. moreover, they acknowledged the study objectives. analysis analysis constitutes the major part of any research study. in qualitative research, it refers to the process of systematically searching and arranging the data (interview transcripts, observation notes, or other non-textual materials) that the researcher accumulates to increase the understanding of the phenomenon. the data for the current study, using face-to-face semi-structured interviews, was collected in the form of recording, therefore, thematic analysis technique was found most appropriate to be used with this data set. it is the process of identifying patterns or themes within qualitative data (braun & clarke 2006) and then use these themes to address the research or say something about the issue. braun & clarke’s (2006) six-phase framework was used for doing a thematic analysis of the collected data pertaining to the current study. the steps involve: becoming familiar with the data, generating initial codes, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining themes and write-up. it is essential to mention here that this thematic analysis is a recursive process; the movement is back and forth as required throughout the phases. since, the data was collected in the form of recording, it was essential to listen to the audio recording of the interview several times before transcribing the same. the familiarity was gained by listening to the audio recording and transcribing the recordings which helped in producing initial codes, separating chunks of text and labelling them as belonging to specific categories. similarly, these categories were reviewed and later sorted into potential themes. in this way six major themes emerged as follows: online education: an opportunity online education, introduced with a constructive approach to prevent disengagement and ensure engagement (ensure online classes are covering the syllabus) during covid-19 crisis, although, creating chaos initially, helped in engaging back children with learning activities. it made classes possible during the times of pandemic for a large number of students. the deteriorating condition of the education sector faced before and after the immediate suspension of offline teaching-learning process as a result of the corona pandemic outbreak has been improved to some extent with the commencement of online mode. one-third of parents appreciated the initiative saying that it prevented learning loss, made classes accessible during the covid-19 crisis and helped children get an education without getting infected by the corona infection. because the time it was introduced everything was paralyzed and no moment was seen anywhere in the world. in such a chaotic situation it seemed the desired initiative, serving the purpose of educating students during the covid-19 crisis. waqar ahmad, a parent while talking to him said “with the suspension of offline schooling, student engagement started to decrease at a speedy pace. since covid-19 put everyone’s life at risk so health was the first priority and nobody was paying attention towards education of children which added to the deteriorating condition of student engagement initially. but with the commencement of online classes it started improving. in such a situation it seemed the desired initiative, serving the purpose of educating students during covid-19 crisis. also teachers working in private schools appreciated indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 13 this immediate move. a teacher namely mubashir wani said “shift to online mode during the covid-19 crisis was the only option to prevent learning loss one could think of. if it would not have been done the situation would be worse, it at least prevented complete disengagement”. this means that it has somehow helped the students to remain in touch with their studies. comparing the situation education has faced in the valley during the crisis in 2019, virtual mode at least did not let children completely disengage from studies. online education: an alternative not a substitute although online mode helps in engaging children back with studies, it is not free from limitations. the prolonged school closure and repetitive shifting to online mode disturbed the whole process. the way children learn and get engaged with learning in offline mode can never be expected in an online teachinglearning environment. no matter how much effort a teacher puts in to make the connection strong and make sure the material/content is learned by children, children only do what they want to. he fails to ensure their maximum participation and positive involvement which results in partial student engagement. sameer ahmad, a primary school teacher said, “student engagement has definitely dropped due to the prevalent circumstances as we see a partial interest among children towards learning. he further added, it is hard to ensure their complete positive participation in an online class (because of physical distance) that directly affects their performance and hence can never replace physical school”. it can only be an option during an emergency and can never be a substitute. almost onehalf of parents had the same opinion. they believe online learning has affected the health and mental wellbeing of their children (psychological pressure, boredom). giving the reason that prolonged school closure and continuous exposure to the online world is distracting them from the right track. learning problems & student engagement online learning is completely based on virtual interaction, one needs to be mature enough to make the right use of it. considering the immaturity and flexible nature of primary-level children it could not make a satisfactory contribution. the reasons may involve their flexible nature, physical distance, inappropriate teaching strategy, less concerned parents and many more. “in online education, an appropriate teaching strategy is difficult to adopt. primary children learn more by play way method, they are group lovers, they like to learn along with the group rather learning individually, which is not possible to provide in an online class” revealed a primary school teacher, she further added they need help from elders, in case they are not available, or parents are uneducated, engagement and results are unsatisfactory”. in addition to this, in an online learning environment usually, one-way traffic is working, children are supposed to listen to the lecture which is completely a theoretical part. in such a situation, they lose motivation and interest which further makes the intended outcome hard to achieve and eventually results in the failure of the intended purpose of the class. mostly the students from uneducated and poor households were seen to be facing severe consequences because they lack family guidance. “we are afraid that our children will refuse to enter schools again. their involvement is terribly low; they have forgotten what they had learned earlier in school. the corona pandemic has caused great damage to children’s education indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 14 interests. online classes are of no use in our case neither do we have those devices nor do we have knowledge of how to handle them and run an online class. we are unable to support them anyway” said sabzar ah. a parent. thus, online classes fail to serve the purpose in their case. online learning: a challenge the sudden transition to online learning created chaos and disturbance among the people as nobody had thought of such a drastic change before. to embrace this change was really a challenging task for a large number of people. it posed challenges in terms of demanding knowledge about ict and running technological devices for uneducated parents, children and some teachers as well. “initially it was so challenging because the shifting to virtual mode was so sudden. we faced challenges in terms of low or weak student response. as we are talking about primary children who are difficult to handle even in offline classes. to ensure their presence in the online class during the initial phase was very much challenging. however, with consistent efforts they started to learn the process. they became familiar and started showing the signs of engagement. but at the same time, they learned things they were not supposed to learn such as playing online games and accessing youtube” said a primary school teacher. teachers got a weak response from students which has been causing difficulty to ensure positive student engagement in an online class. indiscipline and improper conduct from students in online class was the biggest challenge teachers faced in the initial phase. as of now, the situation is not that critical but the teachers are still not able to ensure maximum student participation and are completely unable to ensure students do their home assignments honestly and on time. besides this, making the devices available to children in poor households was the biggest challenge. the uneducated parents, especially those working in fields all day to make the two ends meet failed to assist their kids in any way due to poverty, illiteracy and unawareness-of how to run an online class. monitoring the activities of children while using the phone appeared another challenge for parents because the process is all internet-connected, chances are inappropriate or sensitive or irrelevant content is accessed that can put parents in trouble. in addition to this, making them join the class and sustain attention was another big responsibility. “the biggest challenge during the whole period was to motivate children to take online classes and ensure they are joining the class on time and ensure their involvement. since online education runs through an internet connection, most of the time it was snapped for days, posing challenges to bring children back to learning after a break” said shabir ahmad, a parent. parent negligence vs. low engagement some uneducated parents (who have either never gone to school or have studied up to 5th class) completely deny the significance of education in general and online mode in particular. while interviewing them it was felt they do not value education due to their narrow perception about it. their perception that education lacks a utility factor, especially provided in government schools, is not job oriented and indirectly affects their children’s engagement and performance. because no attempt is being made to make classes accessible to children. while interviewing one parent of such a category regarding the online mode this is what he said “we do not understand this online education system. this is not going to help our kids. what are they going to get in such classes where they actually get indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 15 the opportunity to play with the device rather than use it for learning purposes” said bashir ahmad, a parent. therefore no attempt is being made to make online classes accessible to children by the parents which eventually results in their disengagement. boredom vs. entertainment besides learning about teacher and parent experiences, some students were also asked about the current teachinglearning environment. although their description is generally considered less important, the researcher believes they possess a transparent nature and say only what they feel, therefore their view was also given space. the children presented a feeling of boredom to the researcher and wished for the resumption of a face-to-face teachinglearning environment. in contrast, government school children are enjoying being at home. “i really feel bad not because education is provided online but because face-toface interaction is missing. in school we were happily learning every lesson and were progressing together along with other classmates, the teacher used to teach us different teaching strategies like activity and demonstration methods. it was really wonderful. online teachinglearning is boring and we do not enjoy the process. we want to go to school to get the same learning environment” toiba jan, class 2nd, a private school student. “i am happy being outside the school and i do not want to go to school now. i play with my friend all day at home and nobody is there to restrict us but in school, we are kept in the class for hours and are taught the lessons” zeeshan, class 2nd a government school student. it can be established from the abovepresented description that firstly this online education could not reach the total student population. secondly, it caused (prolonged school closure and online mode together) boredom among children who have access to it. digital addiction digital addiction was the most serious concern revealed by both parents and teachers. since the learning happens either through smartphone or computer, it makes children learn to operate the devices themselves. being all day free at home, they feel boredom and to get over this feeling the children try to find enjoyment in accessing online material and playing video games online. this is a clear indication that phone addiction among children may prove adverse in consequent stages of their future as it is causing distraction, also exposing them to things which are inappropriate for their tender age. results and discussion a study is a useless endeavor if it has no practical value or contribution. it is necessary to enquire if the findings are helpful in expanding theoretical knowledge or knowledge of the pertinent issue under consideration. (yardley, 2000; silverman, 1993). the present study has a multitude of insights. the first and foremost finding clearly showed a significant negative relationship between the prevailing situation, (created by the corona pandemic) and student engagement. no doubt the data in the present investigation clearly highlighted that virtual learning prevented the complete disengagement of children to these classes but still a significant drop can be seen in the engagement of primary students. the causes are many as discussed in the previous section. the children from government schools especially from poor households and uneducated families could not take any advantage of virtual platforms which apparently increases the risk of their indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 16 complete disengagement. they are the vulnerable group to the severe negative effects of school closures and online mode. the majority of children studying in government schools completely were left unattended during the entire online learning period. the challenges it posed to parents, teachers and students are significant. all three groups felt difficulty in adapting to abrupt changes brought about by the corona pandemic, particularly by the online mode of education. a higher level of adaptability is significantly related to increased positive student engagement (martin et al., 2013). the challenges faced by the teachers were essentially in terms of weak response most appropriately weak participation and lack of discipline in the online class. similarly, parents face problems in terms of motivating children to take online classes and making them do their work without delay. besides this difficulty, uneducated parents faced different other serious challenges due to the lack of academic proficiency or ict skills. since, distance learning completely relies on the use of technology, especially the use of the internet, social media, smartphones, and laptops confused the illiterate or less knowledgeable parents which they revealed was a great challenge. the success of online education mode is determined by a lot of factors. unlike access to the internet and devices, the difference in the skill of teachers and lack of ict skills, less concerned parents, unfavourable family environment, flexible nature of children, poverty, were identified as the stumbling blocks to the success of remote learning initiatives in this particular village. parental support plays a significant role in children’s good or bad performance. help from elders or adults is necessary not only for positive academic outcomes but for overall development. the teachers identified the lack of parent support, parent guidance and lack of interest as key barriers to student engagement. student engagement can be enhanced by a mutual teacherparent endeavour. the teaching in online learning needs to be supportive in terms of assisting children in attending classes and doing assignments. also, a good teacher student relationship can do a great help in ensuring engagement of children in online class. student engagement in virtual learning is likely to increase when the connection between teacher and student is meaningful. also, the use of innovative teachinglearning strategies by the teacher and encouraging the development of student key skills enhances engagement (bray, a. et al, 2021). given the substantial amount of evidence, covid-19 pandemic has had a significant negative impact on education. it can be established that student engagement throughout the school closure period could not rise to a satisfactory level. there might be other implicit underlying contextual factors behind i.e., the period of school closure before the covid-19 pandemic outbreak, which resulted from the abrogation of articles 370 and 35a. thus, the loss of interest or partial engagement that is visible is somehow related to the past crisis. however, online education during the corona crisis ensured engagement at least partially and has comparatively contributed to re-engaging children with studies. at the time it was implemented, as mentioned in the previous section everything seemed paralysed, no movement of people was seen anywhere in the world. in such a stagnant environment, it was thought the only option to avoid any serious damage to education. at this point of time, the issue was not whether online teaching and learning methods can provide high-quality education, but rather how academic institutions can indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 17 provide solutions by embracing online learning on a large scale (carey, 2020). though online education served the purpose of making education accessible to students during the covid19 crisis and prevented complete disengagement, it is not free from flaws as discussed earlier. perets, e. a et al, (2020) stated, the immediate transition to virtual learning influenced student engagement negatively. online teaching less engaged students after this transition happened. however, course activities helped first-year undergraduate students retain their engagement. since online mode demands expertise in ict skills-operating devices such as laptops, smartphones, computers and accessing the internet created a lot of disturbance, the biggest reason seemed unpreparedness of teachers and parents to embrace the change. the move posed challenges not only to students but to teachers also. most teachers who have never taken relevant training or taught online are less likely to provide effective online education (chiu, 2017; ingvarson et al., 2005). the findings of the present paper that overall student engagement declined during the closure of educational institutions are consistent with the research of doyle, 2020. the current investigation highlighted the role of parental support in children’s education as a must. this finding is consistent with previous research that higher parental involvement predicts higher engagement (smyth, 2017, bray et al, 2021). however, research is an ongoing process that starts and ends with a problem which is actually what makes it interesting. the present investigation has been carried out with a relatively small number of participants and is delimited to one single village which may reduce the transferability of the findings. therefore, future research can be conducted with a larger group. it has worked purely with a qualitative approach which if used along with a quantitative approach can increase the generalization of results. also, more in-depth studies using participant observations, case study and triangulation is suggested for future research. conclusion given the evidence, online education during covid pandemic played a complex role in the engagement of children with learning. this role can be classified into main three categories i.e., challenge, opportunity and negligence or deprivation. online education in its initial stage despite causing chaos proved beneficial as mentioned earlier in terms of engaging children back with learning, encouraged engagement that was completely dropped in a short span after the corona outbreak and school closure happened and also protected children from contracting the deadly virus. so the immediate shift was appreciated by both the parents and teachers. secondly, the paper provided insight into the experiences of the journey during the entire school closure period of both teachers and parents and children. thirdly, the paper widened our vision about how underprivileged groups who could not even access it due to one or the other reason got into a vulnerable state to experience the ineffectiveness of online education. particularly the 1st and 2nd grade students from poor households and children enrolled in government schools did not get any online classes for the whole period. another serious limitation revealed by the participants was digital addiction. it was asserted that children who had access to these classes got affected in another way. initially lacking the knowledge of running the device connected to the internet was a big indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 18 challenge for children but now the same is considered the best source of entertainment, it is now like a game for children to operate the devices and access different sites online. this thing distracted them from the actual purpose. the result is partial student engagement. references appleton, j. j., christenson, s. l., kim, d., & reschly, a. l. (2006). measuring cognitive and psychological engagement: validation of the student engagement instrument. journal of school psychology, 44(5), 427-445. braun, v. & clarke, v. (2006). using thematic analysis in psychology. qualitative research in psychology, 3, 77-101. bray, a., banks, j., devitt, a., & ní chorcora, e. (2021). connection before content: using multiple perspectives to examine student engagement during covid-19 school closures in ireland. irish educational studies, 1-11. carey, k. (2020). is everybody ready for the big migration to online college? actually, no. the new york times. calarco, jessica mccrory. 2020. “avoiding us versus them: how schools’ dependence on privileged ‘helicopter’ parents influences enforcement of rules.” american sociological review, 85(2), 223–46. carini, r. m., kuh, g. d., & klein, s. p. (2006). student engagement and student learning: testing the linkages. research in higher education, 47(1), 1-32. chiu, t. k. (2017). introducing electronic textbooks as daily-use technology in schools: a top-down adoption process. british journal of educational technology, 48(2), 524–537. coates, h. (2005). the value of student engagement for higher education quality assurance. quality in higher education, 11(1), 25-36. domina, t., renzulli, l., murray, b., garza, a. n., & perez, l. (2021). remote or removed: predicting successful engagement with online learning during covid-19. socius: sociological research for a dynamic world,7, 1-15.. darmody, m., smyth, e., & russell, h. (2020). the implications of the covid-19 pandemic for policy in relation to children and young people: a research review. survey and statistical report series, 94. devitt, a., bray, a., banks, j., & ní chorcora, e. (2020). teaching and learning during school closures: lessons learned. irish second-level teacher perspectives. dublin: trinity college dublin. dhawan, s. (2020). “online learning: a panaceain the time of covid19 crisis”. journal of educational technology systems, 49(1), 5-22. doyle, o. 2020. covid-19: exacerbating educational inequalities? public policy. dublin: for all? second-level education in ireland during covid-19 (92). fredricks, j. a., blumenfeld, p. c., & paris, a. h. (2004). school engagement: potential of the concept, state of the evidence. review of educational research, 74(1), 59-109. green, f. (2020). schoolwork in lockdown: new evidence on the epidemic of educational poverty. centre for learning and life chances in knowledge economies and societies (llakes), research paper, 67. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 19 ingvarson, l., meiers, m., & beavis, a. (2005). factors affecting the impact of professional development programs on teachers’ knowledge, practice, student outcomes & efficacy. education policy analysis archives, 13, 10. littlefield, j. (2018). the difference between synchronous and asynchronous distance learning. https://www.thoughtco.com/synchronous-distance-learning-asynchronous-distancelearning-1097959 luborsky, m.r. & rubinstein, r.l. (1995). sampling in qualitative research: rationale, issues and methods. research on aging, 17, 89-113. morgan, hani. 2015. “online instruction and virtual schools for middle and high school students: twenty-first-century fads or progressive teaching methods for today’s pupils?” clearing house ,88 (2), 72–76. martin, j. e., & williams-diehm, k. (2013). student engagement and leadership of the transition planning process. career development and transition for exceptional individuals, 36(1), 43-50. mason, j. (2002). qualitative researching, 2nd edition. london: sage patton, m. q. (1990). qualitative evaluation and research methods (2nd edition). newbury park, ca: sage. perets, e. a., chabeda, d., gong, a. z., huang, x., fung, t. s., ng, k. y., & yan, e. c. (2020). impact of the emergency transition to remote teaching on student engagement in a non-stem undergraduate chemistry course in the time of covid-19. journal of chemical education, 97(9), 2439-2447 sorensen, chris. 2012. “learning online at the k–12 level: a parent/guardian perspective.” international journal of instructional media, 39(4), 297. silverman, d. (1993). doing qualitative research. sage. singh, v., thurman, a. (2019). how many ways can we define online learning? a systematic literature review of definitions of online learning (1988-2018). american journal of distance education, 33(4), 289–306 skinner, e. a., & belmont, m. j. (1993). motivation in the classroom: reciprocal effects of teacher behavior and student engagement across the school year. journal of educational psychology, 85(4), 571. trost, j.a. (1986). statistically non-representative stratified sampling: a sampling technique for qualitative studies. qualitative sociology, 9, 54-57. walker, c. o., greene, b. a., & mansell, r. a. (2006). identification with academics, intrinsic/ extrinsic motivation, and self-efficacy as predictors of cognitive engagement. learning and individual differences, 16(1), 1-12. wang, c., pan, r., wan, x., tan, y., xu, l., mcintyre, r. s., ... & ho, c. (2020). a longitudinal study on the mental health of general population during the covid-19 epidemic in china. brain, behavior, and immunity, 87, 40-48. wang, m. t., willett, j. b., & eccles, j. s. (2011). the assessment of school engagement: examining dimensionality and measurement invariance by gender and race/ethnicity. journal of school psychology, 49(4), 465-480. yardley, l. (2000). dilemmas in qualitative health psychology. psychology and health, 15(), 215228. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 62 book review social media wellness: helping tweens and teens thrive in an unbalanced digital world by ana homayoun (shekhar jain, research scholar, center for studies in science policy, jawaharlal nehru university, new delhi, email: jainshekhar.research@gmail.com) the book ‘social media wellness: helping tweens and teens thrive in an unbalanced digital world’ by ana homayoun is very relevant and much-needed text in the present time. the book, which largely stems from the author's personal experiences and long career as a counsellor, touches upon a subject which has been an issue for every teen and tween, who is using a smartphone or spending long hours at surfing internet. perhaps, it won’t be an exaggeration that the subject of the book is an issue for almost every smartphone user (i myself downloaded a few apps after reading the book to review my own smartphone usage and i did find things to feel concern about.). the book is largely written with a background where (smart) mobile devices find space in the day to day work plan of the tweens, teen and schools and discusses the mental wellbeing of the mobile phone users largely in relation to the social networking applications. the book further highlights that how over-reliance of the school on the digital devices and infrastructure further problematizes the issue. another important aspect of the book is that it beautifully highlights how the digital world, particularly the social networking sites, affect our day to day life, work efficiency and adds to our anxieties and insecurities. in terms of the design of the book, the book is divided into 8 chapters with first 3 chapters (page 1-80) being dedicated towards building an understanding of the subject while the rest of the chapters (page 81-186) are dedicated towards providing exercises and strategies which can be used to manage the social media wellness in different circumstances. further, the book is very much reader friendly and it largely appears as a selfhelp tool for schools, and children to assess their actions which are adding the problem of digital device addictions. in addition, book also provides tips to parents, school and teachers to surmount this over-dependence on the digital infrastructure, to improve the mental wellbeing as well as the work planning. considering the manner in which the exercises and selfhelp tips are given in the book, the book seems to be a must read for those who want to help anyone with the social media addiction. however, at the same time, despite so many positives, the book should be dealt with a caution because the author herself writes that “the strategies in this book may have little to no immediate effect when a student is struggling with a serious technology addition (page 99)”. although, the author provides a checklist to understand the severity of the addiction (page 173) but considering the psychological nature of the issue it becomes important to embrace the limitation of the book. although, even with the supposed limitation emerging due to the nature of the book as a selfhelp tool or being based exclusively on author’s personal experiences and hence lacking the academic rigor of presenting the entire sweep of scholarship in the field, the book is an important read not just for that part of the world having large technology dependence but even for developing nations like india. the book calls for a preparedness keeping the indian education system and conditions in mind. the need for digital technologies is very well indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 63 highlighted in the ncf 2005. however, it is conspicuous by the absence of any reflection on the safety of children while accessing these technologies. the book under review may perhaps give a clue to the policy makers to fill this important gap. the quest for reducing the bag weight of children (dutta, 2019) and known attempts of indian government to introduce smart devices for students (mea.gov.in, 2019), one can clearly see etching of our future. in addition, when we consider the upcoming market of e-learning platforms in india (christopher, 2019), and the numbers of e-learning platforms both private (jain, 2019) as well as government (mhrd.gov.in, 2019) which have emerged recently, the book does ring a bell for the policy makers. moreover, the falling price of smartphones and increased access for inexpensive (almost free) and fast data connection will only add to the problem the book has highlighted and positioned to deal with (mandavia, 2019 and economic times, 2019). besides, the book also points at the policy of having online portals as an alternate to regular education and demands to have appropriate measures in place to deal with such issues emerging from the over-usage of the digital infrastructure. to conclude, it can be said that despite being written as a self-help book for parents, school and children, it does leave a lot for policy makers and teachers in those countries where digital infrastructure is still making its space. the book gives a very subtle warning to have a system in place to deal with the issues which have emanated due to the excess use of the digital infrastructure in developed countries and pleads us to be cautious enough towards the metal well-being of our gen-next. references christopher, n. (2019), online education will be a $2 bn industry in india by 2021: google, kpmg. [online] available at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/services/education/online-educationwill-be-a-2-bn-industry-in-india-by-2021-googlekpmg/articleshow/58913744.cms?from=mdr [accessed 13 apr. 2019]. jain, n. (2019), these 7 startups are transforming the k-12 learning space in india. [online] yourstory.com. available at: https://yourstory.com/2018/04/7-startups-transforming-k12-learning-space-india [accessed 13 apr. 2019]. mea.gov.in. (2019), india launches "world's cheapest" tablet aakash. [online] available at: https://mea.gov.in/mediaadvisory.htm?dtl/16642/india+launches+worlds+cheapest+tablet+aakash [accessed 13 apr. 2019]. mhrd.gov.in. (2019), e-contents. [online] available at: https://mhrd.gov.in/e-contents [accessed 13 apr. 2019]. sukanya dutta, s. (2019), ncpcr issues new guidelines on reducing weight of school bags. [online] available at: http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2018/aug/03/ncpcrissues-new-guidelines-on-reducing-weight-of-school-bags-1852818.html [accessed 13 apr. 2019]. recently high court and then supreme court of india banned an app due to its bad effect on children, which quite prove the relevance of the book even in indian circumstances.; read the report about the app here mandavia, megha. 2019. “tiktok: sc stay on ban, government asks apple &amp; google to take down tiktok app.” the economic times, 2019. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/software/no-sc-stay-on-bangovernment-asks-apple-google-to-take-down-tiktok-app/articleshow/68898483.cms. vi editorial [to live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.] friedrich nietzsche much water has flown down under the bridge since the previous issue of this journal was published in january, 2020. a marauding tiny virus, which is known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (sars-cov-2) causing illnesses termed as covid-19, has taken over our lives. if not infected already then most of our attention is to keep the virus away. except a small group of islands in the northern hemisphere, there is not a single region in the world which has not been affected by the virus. first detected sometimes in december, 2019 in the city of wuhan in china, it soon spread to the other parts of the world including in india. as i write, more than 16 million people, worldwide, have been infected by sarscov-2, out of which 0.6 million people have died due to covid-19. about 10 million people have recovered already. in india, 1.3 million people have been infected by this virus, causing the death of more than 32 thousand people. india stands at the 3rd position after usa and brazil in terms of total number of covid-19 cases and deaths due to covid-19. india has seen 23 deaths per 1 million populations, while the world average is 83 deaths per 1 million of population. usa has 452 while brazil has 407 deaths per million of the population. while usa tests 0.16 million people per million of its population, brazil tests 23 thousand and india tests 12 thousand people per million of their respective population. it is in this context that schools, colleges and universities have been closed down to prevent the spread of the epidemic. what was initially for a few weeks has now been more than 4 months when schools and other educational institutions have been closed down. there is nothing to suggest that schools and other educational institutions will re-open soon. this is unprecedented. several studies point to very serious implications for learners. it has impacts on their learning behavior. it has ramifications on their socio-economic well-beings. students’ careers have been impacted. it has the potential to push a large number of children into abject poverty. once out of schools, the discriminations against the children have exacerbated. their mid-day meals have stopped. education of the children with special needs (cwsn) has been impacted negatively. education of a girl child has suffered serious setbacks. whatever we achieved through long and arduous struggles in the field of education may again be lost in the backdrop of new realities. in such a situation, governments and other agencies came forward to see that the learning curves of children don’t dip. they started leveraging technology for the best possible learning outcomes of the children in the given situations. in the beginning of the lockdowns, the emphasis was on optimal utilization of already existing edtech recipes such as swayam, swayam prabha, epathshala, nroer and diksha, etc. especially in the context of school education. online and remote learning became order of the day; both for school education and higher educavii tion. however, soon we started facing some serious shortcomings in the use of technology for education. one was at the level of technology itself in the sense that technology that was available was not adequate to meet the new challenges of lockdowns & etc. so to get the optimum output from technology, one had to tweak the educational goals, not the vice-versa. the second was at the supply side of the technology. the digital divide was so huge that imparting education with the help of technology did not yield desired results. and the third issue was the stress and the related physical health problems that the excessive use of technology was causing to children. as the economy opened up, the government of india announced an ambitious program, called pm e-vidya with an objective of taking learning to the doorsteps of children’s homes. it entails broadcasting/telecasting/podcasting all kinds of e-contents (audio/video/interactive/etc.) over all possible media such as radio, tv and internet using state of the art technologies available to us. so, instead of a few tv channels for school education, now there would be 12 tv channels (one each for class 1 to 12). extensive use of radio for broadcasting audio e-content is envisaged. universities have been encouraged to start online courses. manodarpan, an initiative to provide psycho-social and counselling services to students has been launched recently. a diksha (digital infrastructure for knowledge sharing) mobile app and portal will host all types of resources including energized textbooks (qr coded), e-contents, teaching-learning resources, practice items, etc. however, all such initiatives reinforce our collective learning that howsoever smart technologies might be, it cannot replace schools. they can at the best be used as supplementary to the learning at schools. schools too should adopt new technologies to face new realities. technology should be such that it frees us; doesn’t enslave us. in the words of shakespeare, “old fashions please me best; i am not so nice to change true rules for odd inventions.” however, in the times of covid induced lockdowns, it is the technology which has helped learning to continue unabated. in this issue, we have ten research articles encompassing various themes of et and ict ranging from teachers’ training to pedagogy integration of technology, mobile learning, film viewing, gamification and online courses to cyber security. we have one review article titled, media and visual subjectivity: senses and mediation and one general article on sustaining digital language resources and sign language. keeping in view the recent pandemic, we invited special correspondence on the topic ‘coping with covid 19: teaching-learning with technology’. the response from the academic fraternity was overwhelming and more than 50 articles were received. these were the short communications by practicing teachers of their reflections on using technology for teaching and learning during the lockdowns caused by covid 19. out of these, nine articles have been selected for publication after review. we also have a book review of the title, ‘the social photo: on photography and social media’. it gives me immense pleasure to take out the fourth issue of the journal on time viii despite the pandemic and related difficulties. we are thankful to the reviewers and members of the editorial board for taking their precious time out during the ‘new normal’ and helping in deciding appropriate manuscripts for the journal. the contributions to the journal under various article types have been even higher than the previous issue. we extend our thanks to all the authors as well. a large number of manuscripts could not be accepted for publication. we hope the journal is able to make a mark as a healthy and productive platform in the academic circle for its content and vigour. (abhay kumar) editor indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 44 general article television: no more an entertainment box only! (sunil kumar das, deputy director (programmes), electronic media production centre, indira gandhi national open university (ignou), email: sunilkdas100@hotmail.com) abstract television, introduced in india in 1959, has been taking care of both “instruction” and “social education” in the context of educational broadcast in india. television is still considered as one of the greatest inventions of mankind among thousands of other technological inventions made so far. it has gained popularity among the millions of people and made a central place in a wide spectrum of media including new media. apart from being a source of entertainment, it has evolved as one of the medium of educational technology. this article tries to give an overview of television in india with regard to its educational functions and also as an educational equaliser. an attempt has been made to give a picture of educational broadcast in india with special reference to distance education. few challenges that emerge while using television as an educational media alongwith few points of policy implications have also been discussed. keywords: television, educational television, educational media, swayam prabha introduction the literal meaning of television is, “vision at a distance.” nevertheless, it is a composite word derived from the greek tele which means, “at a distance”, and the latin verb video which means, “i see”. “television” has also been briefly defined as “vision by telegraphy” (dinsdale, 2000). the history of origin of television can be traced back to 26 january 1926, when john logie baird gave the world's first demonstration of true television before 50 scientists in central london ("bbc-history-john logie baird", n.d.). but, marconi was the first person who developed wireless transmission and without which invention of television could not have been possible. so, what was the reason behind the invention of ‘television’? was it for entertaining us? or for some other purpose? therefore, at the first place, it becomes important to understand the vision behind introducing television to the masses. "when television is good, nothing —not the theatre, not the magazines or newspapers — nothing is better. but when television is bad, nothing is worse. i invite each of you to sit down in front of your own television set when your station goes on the air and stay there, for a day, without a book, without a magazine, without a newspaper, without a profit and loss sheet or a rating book to distract you. keep your eyes glued to that set until the station signs off. i can assure you that what you will observe is a vast wasteland.”-newton n. minow, chairman, federal communications commission (fcc).” indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 45 minow in his speech, referred to american commercial television programming as a "vast wasteland" and advocated for ‘programming in the public interest’, "television and the public interest”, popularly known as ‘wasteland speech’ ("american rhetoric: newton minow-address to the national association of broadcasters (television and the public interest)", n.d.). this landmark speech for the medium of ‘television’ was delivered during the convention of the national association of broadcasters held on may 9, 1961. it was a time when there were only three networks in the united states. with the advent of large number of private owned television channels, this ‘wasteland’ increased manifolds. even after five decades, this speech has its own relevance and consequently, it sets the agenda for all of us to discuss few major issues: does television function in the public interest? does television spoils our children? has television made significant contribution so far towards educating the mass? in india, the prime objective of television broadcast was to ‘educate’ the masses through ‘entertainment’. but to our dismay, in due course of time, the ‘education’ has taken the back seat and the ‘entertainment’ has tried to overshadow the basic motto of television in india with one and only objective of generating revenue. however, effort is on towards motivating teachers, students and policy makers to exploit the strength of the television medium for lifelong learning. educational media in india the constitution of india has already guaranteed free and compulsory education for all children as fundamental right irrespective of religion, language, cast and creed. the right to education act, 2010 has been passed in the indian parliament to this effect. according to this act, every child in the age group of 6 to 14 years will have a right to free and compulsory education in a nearby school. with this, the role of educational broadcasting on radio and television and webcasting on internet has become important in order to reach the unreached. it also intended to cope with pressing educational needs while delivering a high standard of skill-oriented education (agrawal, 2000). although, “democratization of education” is an important issue with regard to the use of educational broadcast but, many researchers claim that limited evidence show that educational broadcasting has really helped in increasing either access or quality of education in india (agrawal, 2000). nevertheless, from the very beginning, both “instruction” and “social education” were included in educational broadcast in india. television was introduced in india in 1959. much before television came into existence in india, radio was the first electronic medium through which educational broadcasting was also attempted for almost three decades. as binod agrawal writes: “the year 1971 marked the beginning of concerted efforts for use of electronic media for improving the quality and reach of education” (agrawal, 2000). but unfortunately, it was never resolved by the academicians and educational policy makers “whether educational broadcast can be used directly without teacher intervention (agrawal, 2000)”. despite the fact that some standalone educational media (both broadcast and non-broadcast) have been created as private and public initiatives, the use of educational media has not been very impressive so far. we may all agree that such situation ought to happen in the absence of a clear-cut policy or direction. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 46 television vis-à-vis idiot box every moment of our life is facilitated by a new invention and the advent of a new technology. television is still considered as one of the greatest inventions of mankind among thousands of other technological inventions made so far. the popular connotation of being a distractor to education has been a major hindrance in popularising it as an educational medium. as someone has rightly said that “if you read too much books you are called good reader but if you watch too much tv you are not called good viewer” (tv is not an idiot box, 2013). television in our day to day life over the course of time, television has become an important part of human life. it has been catering to many of the day-to-day needs i.e. for entertainment, political news and for information on consumer goods etc. as jane root (root, 1986), the first woman channel controller of the bbc (british broadcasting corporation) describes in 1986: “television is very effective towards insulating ourselves from other people and their demands. interestingly, ‘it is time for bed’ can be easily ignored with the help of a television set”. does television influence children? television being a broadcaster of various types of information, has been found to influence many of our opinions and choices. but, does television influences children? as jane root writes (root, 1986): “claims for the powers of television become particularly exaggerated when the audience is composed of children.” cedric cullingford (root, 1986) writes, ‘children can understand the complexity of moral decisions by the age of five…they can talk about the concept of thinking and the meaning of death between five and seven’. therefore, tv can be considered to influence anyone’s life irrespective of, gender, age, caste, social background etc. but, it is important to note here that is has its own limitations with regard to its access, audience’s characteristics and other logistics (groucho marx quotes, 2013). what is educational television? in the recent year the concept of educational television has emerged with reference to educational technology. therefore, it becomes important to understand what is educational television? whether it should be referred to as educational or instructional? following are some of the meanings of the terminology (das, 2016): (i) programmes under site (satellite instructional television experiment) were classified into two broad categories i.e. (a) educational tele vision (etv), meant for the school children in the age group of 5-12 years and (b) instructional television (itv) for adult audience, primarily designed for neo-literates and illiterates (site, 1981). as far as etv programmes were concerned, they were meant for making education more interesting, creative, purposive and stimulating as well as for creating awareness in the changing society. whereas, itv programmes, primarily meant for adult viewers, were to cover incidents of national importance, improved practices in agriculture, health, hygiene, family planning, nutrition, etc. and some recreation programmes. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 47 (ii) educational television is also referred to ‘use of television programs in the field of distance education’ (educational television, n.d.). indira gandhi national open university (ignou) stands an example of this. it was established in 1985 by a special act of parliament “to advance and disseminate learning and knowledge by diversity of means, including the use of communication technology, to provide opportunities for higher education to a large segment of the population” (ignou, 1985). along with the rapid expansion, it has emerged as an international institution in the field of open and distance learning. it has adopted an integrated strategy for imparting instruction, consisting of printed materials, audio-video tapes, broadcast on radio, educational tv channels, teleconferencing, video conferencing as also the facetoface counselling (das, 2009). television (tv) to educational television (edtv) in 1932, state university of iowa, usa became the first university to use television as an instructional medium. but, the world war ii, slowed down the introduction of television in education. in spite of interest of educationists very few educational institutions got involved in using television as an instructional medium till 1948. understanding the potential of television for educational purpose, “the federal communication commission in usa reserved 242 frequencies for educational broadcast on no profit and non-commercial basis in 1952” (magnuson, 1965). various functions of television in delivering education through distance mode in supporting and enhancing teaching include; instructing; explaining, clarifying; motivating and encouraging; imposing study speed (determining rate of study); presenting a reference to large masses; changing behaviour; and presenting unreachable facts and events, have been presented (hizal, 1983). after a decade of hizal’s highlighting television’s educational potential, in 1993, a ten-day long first ignou-isro (indian space research organisation) teleconferencing experiment was done covering 525 participants. this experiment demonstrated that by using one-way live video (interactive television) with two-way audio, all students could view and interact with the teacher, and simultaneously the teacher could also listen to all participating students through phone at remote sites. it became a major landmark in the extensive and continuous use of teleconferencing for distance education. the success of this experiment prompted the university to include teleconferencing as a regular component of ignou’s student support system (khan & panda, n.d.). the u.k open university (ukou), a pioneer in the field of distance education, has already demonstrated the instructional power of television. parallel to ukou, ignou has been imparting education through the mode of open and distance learning (odl) by adopting a multiple media approach: transacting the course material through print, audio (radio) and video (tv) modes. from doordarshan to gyan darshan: a journey of indian television decades back, indian viewers were exposed to only few doordarshan's programmes, which most media analysts considered to be dull, non-commercial in nature and directed towards only education and socio-economic development with very few entertainment programmes. with serials like hum log (1984), and mythological dramas like ramayan (1987-88) and indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 48 mahabharat (1988-89) a big change came in the history of indian television which attracted very large number of viewers. the scenario changed further with the up-gradation from black & white to colour tvs, delivery of tv programmes via cable network in smaller towns apart from the metros. this resulted in a sudden increase in the purchase of tv sets (http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k12/apr/) and later, launching of various other channels. doordarshan, a division of prasar bharati, is one of the largest broadcasting organisations in the world in terms of studios and transmitters (door darshan, n.d.). it is an indian public service broadcaster which has started replacing its analogue transmitters to digital transmitters. as a result, it allows up to eight channels to be carried from a single transmitter. doordarshan has been rendering its services at three levels – national, regional and local. the national level emphasises on events and issues of interest to the entire nation and it includes news, current affairs, documentaries on science, art, culture, environment, social issues, serials, music, dance, drama and feature films. the regional level programmes are beamed on dd national at specific time and also on the regional language satellite channels. these programmes cater to the interests of a particular region with its native language. local programmes are area-specific and cover local issues featuring local people. doordarshan started as an experimental telecast in delhi on 15 september, 1959. nevertheless, the regular daily transmissions started in 1965 along with a five-minute news bulletin as a part of all india radio. in 1972, the television service was extended to bombay (now mumbai) and amritsar. television service was made available only at seven indian cities till 1975. on 1 april 1976, television services were separated from radio. finally, in 1982, doordarshan came into existence as a national broadcaster with krishi darshan as the first telecast program. till 1982, the transmission was mainly in black & white mode. it was the first turning point in the history of indian television when doordarshan introduced coloured tv during the asian games held in new delhi in 1982 and simultaneously started installing transmitters nationwide for terrestrial broadcasting. it is significant to note that, during that period no private enterprise was allowed to set up tv stations or to transmit tv signals. the second turning point came in the early nineties when foreign channels like cnn, star tv and domestic channels such as, zee tv and sun tv started broadcast of satellite signals (http://www.indiantelevision.com/ indian broadcast/ history/ historyoftele.htm). in this manner, television reached people of india through various regional, national and international programmes simultaneously. gyan darshan-a new face of indian television television has been perceived as an efficient tool for imparting education to primary, secondary and university level students. educational broadcasting in india is more than 40 years old and unesco has played an important role in promoting use of electronic media for education. though, educational broadcasting has suffered from a built-in contradiction i.e. whether it should be used to enhance classroom education or be used to enrich the knowledge of the learners (agrawal, 2005). with the introduction of open and distance education, the educational broadcasting has gained a greater momentum. the potential of electronic media, particularly television, has been recognised because of distance neutrality and simultaneous reach in covering large areas. the national policy on education (1986) indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 49 gave due emphasis to educational broadcasting in india. some major educational television projects undertaken in the country in the last three decades (1960-1990) are, secondary school television project (1961), delhi agriculture television (datv) project (krishi darshan) (1966), satellite instructional television experiment (site) (1975) (site, 1981), indian national satellite project (insat) (1982) and ugc-higher education television project (1984). gyan darshan (gd), a 24-hour educational television channel, was launched on january 26, 2000 in india (agrawal, 2005). it was considered to be a major milestone in the field of educational broadcasting in the country. it came as a joint venture between the ministry of human resource development (mhrd) and information and broadcasting, prasar bharati and ignou. gyan darshan, a fully digital exclusive educational tv channel, was a digital bouquet of 4 channels-gd-1 (prime channel), gd-2 (interactive distance education channel), gd-3 (ekalavya-technology education channel) and gd-4 (vyas-higher education channel). nevertheless, due to some financial, administrative and technical reason, it got off-air on june 4, 2014 but, was back on-air on october 4, 2017. educational broadcasts by ciet-ncert, nios & cec-ugc similar to that of ignou, the national institute of open schooling (nios) takes into consideration learning through printed self-instructional material, audio and video programmes, participating in personal contact programme (pcp), and tutor marked assignments (tma) (nios, 2016). besides ignou and nios, there are other educational institutions in india at the national level, committed to enhance learning beyond the classroom using various educational technologies. central institute of educational technology (ciet) national council of educational research and training (ncert) is one of such educational institutes which undertakes activities to widen educational opportunities, promote equity and improve quality of educational processes at school level (ciet, 2016). another important player is the consortium for educational communication (cec). it is one of the inter university centres set up by the university grants commission (ugc) of india. it has a goal of addressing the needs of higher education through the use of powerful medium of television along with the appropriate use of emerging information communication technology (ict) ("about cec pages about cec", 2016). in order to exploit the potential and power of television towards disseminating educational knowledge, ugc started the countrywide classroom programmes in the year 1984. since 1993, cec has been working as a nodal agency to coordinate, guide & facilitate production of educational programmes at the national level ("about cec pages-about cec", 2016), by setting up media centres at various universities and spread all over the country. swayam prabha the swayam prabha is a group of 32 dth channels devoted to telecasting of high-quality educational programmes on 24x7 basis using the gsat-15 satellite (swayam prabha, n.d,). the contents are provided by nptel, iits, ugc, cec, ignou, ncert and nios. the inflibnet (information and library network) centre maintains the web portal. the dth channels covers the following (swayam prabha, n.d,): a) higher education: indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 50 curriculum-based course (https://www.swayamprabha.gov.in/) contents at post-graduate and under-graduate level covering diverse disciplines such as arts, science, commerce, performing arts, social sciences and humanities, engineering, technology, law, medicine, agriculture, etc. all courses would be certification-ready in their detailed offering through swayam, the platform being developed for offering moocs (massive open online) courses (moocs, n.d.) (b) school education (9-12 levels): modules for teacher's training as well as teaching and learning aids for children of india to help them understand the subjects better and also help them in preparing for competitive examinations for admissions to professional degree programmes, (c) curriculum-based courses that can meet the needs of life-long learners of indian citizens in india and abroad and d) assist students (class 11th & 12th) prepare for competitive exams. educational functions of television the above discussion on television shows that it has been considered as a medium of imparting education. some of the key aspects of television with regard to its educational functions (das, 2016) may be highlighted here. (i) television and distance education: television in distance education fulfils the functions such as, supporting and enhancing teaching, instructing, explaining, clarifying, summarising, reinforcement, motivation and encouragement. use of television has been increasing in developing countries for various reasons and also for distance education. as saglik and ozturk (saglik and ozturk, 2001) point out, “……. in other words, the best technology to provide all individuals equal opportunities is radio-television technology. this is the main reason that television, a more advantageous technological tool than radio with its audio-visual facilities, is being used non-stop and is improving in each project of the open education faculty”. (ii) television and health education: in india, television has already been used to educate the masses with regard to hiv/aids education in the form of serials, quizzes, advertisements and awareness programmes (misra, n.d.). it can also be utilized through teleconferencing mode to provide information and counselling to school students to discuss hiv/aids issues openly with experts like medical practitioners, social workers and educationists (das, 2016). the spectrum of research study on educational broadcast in india (1975-2011) over a period of 50 years, educational school television broadcasting (1961), countrywide classroom educational television broadcasting (1984), and several other educational television broadcasts have been evaluated by a number of social scientists and other experts in the area of mass communication and educational technology. some key findings of those studies may be highlighted here (das, 2016). a) evaluation report on satellite instructional television experiment (site) the site programme was launched on 1st august, 1975 as a joint venture of nasa, isro and air with the objectives of (a) exploring the potential of satellite for nation-wide communication through the medium of tv and (b) broadcasting instruction programmes in the field of agriculture, family planning and education etc. a study, confined to those aspects of the indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 51 programmes telecast meant for adults, was conducted. the findings revealed that after the introduction of the site programme, about three-fourth of the respondents felt that the development programmes shown were useful and conformed to their local conditions (site, 1981). b) research report on national viewership survey on ugc-cec vyas higher education channel telecast through cable & satellite & dd dth in the year 2010, a research report was prepared based on the national survey which was conducted by the educational multimedia research centres of cec -ugc (vyas, 2010). the survey aimed to ascertain the viewership of educational programmes shown on vyasthe higher education channel and to know the usefulness of multimedia inputs in the programmes produced for the same. based on the feedback of the respondents, the results of the study may be summarised as follows (das, 2016): (i) 56% of them found the programmes are relevant, (ii) as far as format of the programmes are concerned, ‘video lectures’ have been rated ‘good’ by the majority of the students, (iii) with regard to the ‘attention span’, most prefer the duration of the programme to be of 30 minutes duration and (iv) in the context of preferential reference, it was noticed that there is a demand for all types of programmes with a variation in terms of preferences: enrichment programme (23.4%), syllabus-based question-answer programmes (19.4%), syllabus-based lecture programmes (16.6%) and utility programmes pertaining to health related issues, career counselling etc. (least preferred). c) ignou edusat, gd (gyan darshan) and gv (gyan vani) assessment study: 2007-08 ignou open and distance learning (odl) assessment study 2008 ignou study was an end user study to review the effectiveness and sustainability of interactive multimedia learning support system based on teleconferencing utilizing television, radio, edusat, web platforms and internet facilities (das, 2016). the key findings of the study based on students ‘feed in’ and opinion of other stakeholders were summarized as follows: (kumar & rai, 2007). (i) with regard to ignou’s slot in doordarshan, 47 percent students were watching ignou slot programmes telecast on doordarshan channel i (dd-1) (ii) 93 percent students who watched ignou programmes in doordarshan main channel were comfortable with the language of telecast (iii) 60 percent students who watched ignou slot in doordarshan rated the content quality of programmes telecast as good (iv) more than seven out of ten students said the programmes telecast on ignou slot in doordarshan was useful in learning process and (v) 60 percent students who watched programme telecast on doordarshan felt it helped them in understanding their programme topics better. students who found the ignou programmes telecast on doordarshan were useful, were further probed for the manner in which it helped them in learning process. the responses were as follows (table.1): indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 52 table 1: how it is useful in learning process in… percentages (%) understanding programme content 60 enhances knowledge of programme 16 clarification of programme related doubts 10 doing well in examination 8 solving programme related problems 6 response only of those who said it is useful (source: ignou edusat, gd and gv assessment study: 2007-08) suggestions a study on the educational aspect of television and its prospects leads to few suggestions for the policy makers towards an effective use of television for education: (i) etrp vs. trp: it is the era of trp (television rate points) i.e. the criterion that indicates popularity of a channel or programme (trp, n.d.). similar to that of private channels and their programmes a system of etrp (educational television rating point) can be introduced which would prove the credibility of a channel (including news and entertainment channels) in terms of its educational functions. (das, 2016). (ii) cross-channel broadcast: another point of suggestion is that education needs to be a common agenda across the channels, private or public. every channel should make a policy of dedicating a slot on their channel to broadcast an educational programme (das, 2016). if the channel cannot produce, a programme of gyan darshan/swayam prabha channels on a specific time may be relayed by them. gyan darshan/swayam prabha channels may reciprocate by carrying an educational programme (at least an enrichment programme on ‘voting rights’ and ‘protection of environment’ etc.) on its channel free of cost with a gesture to an education-friendly channel (who supports the cause of education) as a policy of cross channel broadcast. (iii) using television for self-learning: the discovery of hole-in-the-wall in 1999 by dr. sugata mitra, chief scientist at niit (national institute of information technology) was an eye opener event in the field of learning skills with some minimal (human) guidance (hole in the wall, 2015) the experiment implies that many a times, little or no inputs from teachers is required and children learn things on their own with the process of exploration, discovery and peer coaching. this also points out to a broader concept of minimally invasive education. it is defined as “a pedagogic method that uses the learning environment to generate an adequate level of motivation to induce learning in groups of children, with minimal, or no, intervention by a teacher (mie, 2015)”. taking these concepts as examples, an interactive television may be put up in public places to educate the masses particularly, children. conclusion television (tv) has truly emerged as an important medium to disseminate information to the students in various academic disciplines. over the years, it has been able to break the myth of indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 53 being only an entertainer. though it is yet to understand upto what extent the educational television (edtv) would help to demonstrate itself as an ‘educational equaliser’. but, the reach and potential it has, requires to be understood in order to serve the educational needs of the young audience. references about cec pages -about cec. 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(2012), headlines. retrieved on may 30, 2013, from http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k12/apr/ indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 40 research article academic achievement motivation: a comparative study of government and private secondary school students during pandemic online classes preeti saini1 & ankita gautam2 1assistant professor, faculty of education, dayalbagh educational institute, agra, u.p. email: prtdr57@gmail.com 2student, master of education, faculty of education, dayalbagh educational institute, agra, u.p. abstract the unexpected situation of uncertainty caused by covid-19 forced the indian education system to switch to online teaching mode to fill the gap created by the suspended formal offline mode of teaching across the country. the covid-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the secondary level school education. the present study is focused on the impact of online teaching on the academic achievement motivation of secondary level students during covid-19. academic achievement motivation reflects to the need for a student’s academic achievement and his/her readiness to accomplish important and valuable tasks to achieve perfect results. the data collected through a self-constructed questionnaire of academic achievement motivation relates to online teaching and learning. the sample of 200 secondary-level students, including boys and girls of private and government schools, was chosen by purposive sampling method in the present study. the data collected was analyzed on the basis of statistical measures such as mean, standard deviation, frequency polygon, skewness, kurtosis and cr test. the study reveals that during the covid-19 era, the academic achievement motivation of private school students was significantly higher than that of government school students at the secondary level. further, the academic achievement of secondary-level female students was significantly higher than boy students. keywords: covid-19, online teaching, offline mode of teaching, academic achievement motivation, secondary-level school education. introduction in 2020, the indian education system was switched to the online mode of education to alleviate the loss in studies of students because of the unintended situation caused by the covid-19 pandemic. there were many factors during covid-19 which affected student’s academic achievement at the school level. academic achievement motivation is the motivation attained by academic activities. academic achievement motivation significantly influences academic performance (pandey, s. et.al 2018). students who are motivated are likely to excel in their academic activities. in mothibi, g.’s 2015 study, the focus was on examining the connection between e-learning and students’ academic performance in higher education. the results of this research highlighted a notable and favorable influence of ict (information and communication technology) on students’ overall academic achievements. similarly, rajaee harandi, s. in 2015, delved into the realm of e-learning’s impact indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 41 on students’ motivation within higher education. the outcomes of this investigation corroborated that e-learning serves as a pivotal factor influencing students’ motivation levels. amidst the pandemic, the primary avenue for education was through online teaching, which demanded students embrace qualities of independence, responsibility, and persistence. these requirements inevitably influenced the motivational dynamics among students. in a study by elshareif et al. (2021), titled “effects of e-learning on students’ motivation to learn in higher education,” notable findings emerged. the research showcased noteworthy and positive correlations between the fundamental facets of e-learning and the motivation of students of ajman university to engage in learning. this study, which was conducted soon after the covid-19 pandemic lockdown aims to find out the impact of online teaching on academic achievement motivation among secondary-level school students during a pandemic. literature review the literature review of e-learning, achievement motivation and academic achievement is presented in the following two subsections. related work on e-learning & achievement motivation: in recent years, after covid-19 the impact of online education at different levels of education has been the subject of many researches. goswami, m. p. et.al. (2021) revealed in their study that student motivation (attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction) and student outcomes (knowledge, skills, and attitudes) are significantly affected by e-learning systems (technical and electronic requirements, personal requirements, perceived value, and credibility of e-learning) during covid-19 period. they also found that constraints of online education are associated with gender and caste. the quantitative findings of the study done by yahiaoui f. et.al (2022) revealed that personal requirements and the perceived value of e-learning have a significant effect on students’ motivation and outcomes. they investigated that there is an indirect significant effect of the perceived value of e-learning on student outcomes through student motivation. their qualitative findings validated the usefulness of e-learning systems in motivating students and increasing their outcomes, especially when used in conjunction with an in-person learning system. in a study done by kumar & bajpai ((2015) the factors of gender and socio-economic status (ses) produce significant differences in achievement motivation of college students of sikkim state in relation to e-learning. the interaction between gender and ses indicates the difference in achievement motivation of the students. they observed that male students have greater achievement motivation than females; the students of the upper ses group have a greater achievement motivation compared to the students of the lower ses group. harandi (2015) investigated that in higher education there is a significant relationship between e-learning and students’ motivation. her findings indicated that when teachers apply e-learning, more motivation is generated by students and vice versa. related work on achievement motivation & academic achievement: karlina et.al. (2021) studied the impact of achievement motivation (am) on learning achievement in accounting courses. the results indicated that there is an influence of am on achievement among economic education in accounting course students at the university of lampung, indonesia. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 42 sivrikaya, a.h. (2019) studied the relationship between am and academic achievement of the students. they found that according to gender, there was no significant difference in academic motivation scores and subdimensions. pandey, s. & singh, p. (2018) studied the effect of academic achievement motivation (aam) on academic performance of students. the study aimed to find out the effect of age, gender and aam on the academic performance of students. results revealed the effect of aam on academic performance. it was found that highly motivated students performed very superior in academic performance. in spite of this, the effect of age and gender on academic performance was found to be partially significant. arulmoly, c. & branavan, a. (2017) examined the impact of am on students’ academic achievement and learning outcomes in mathematics among secondary school students in paddiruppu educational zone in the batticaloa district, sri lanka. the findings of this study revealed the effect of gender difference when mathematics learning outcomes were compared and also the effect on am. it was also examined that academic achievement in mathematics is affected by the degree of motivation. kumar, a. & yadav, d. (2015) studied the academic achievement motivation (aam) of senior secondary students. they found that private school students had more aam than government school students at the senior secondary level. it was also found that girls had more aam than boys at senior secondary level. oyedotun (2020) suggested that during a pandemic, the rapid change to online pedagogy in developing countries created inequities in the education sector due to a lack of devices and internet access in rural areas and limited training among teachers to impart teaching on the online platform. in this study, the main aim is to examine the impact of online teaching on the academic achievement motivation of girls and boys students studying in government and private secondarylevel schools. definition of the term used extrinsic and intrinsic motivations stand as foundational pillars in the realm of achievement motivation. extrinsic motivation encompasses engagement that stems from external stimuli, such as incentives and rewards. conversely, intrinsic motivation involves undertaking activities driven by the inherent pleasure or satisfaction derived from the activities themselves. extensive research consistently demonstrates that extrinsic rewards frequently erode intrinsic motivation. as posited by experts in the field, a paramount element within the landscape of achievement motivation is the sense of self-directed competence. students’ academic success is heavily influenced by their academic achievement motivation. this motivation, encompassing cognitive, emotional, and behavioral aspects of their investment in education, plays a central role in academic engagement (tucker, zayco & herman, 2002). as stated by kumar, s. (2017), within an academic setting, achievement motivation embodies the passion for learning and the keenness to gain knowledge while fostering personal development. this dynamic factor ignites within a child the aspiration to excel and accomplish their goals. operational definition in the context of online classes, academic achievement motivation can be understood as the internal drive to excel in various academic pursuits, encompassing demanding assignments, exhaustive homework, virtual classroom engagements, indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 43 collaborative discussions, independent study, and online examinations. this motivation is rooted in one’s selfdetermination to thrive across these academic endeavours. objectives of the study the objectives of the study are: 1. to compare the academic achievement motivation of government and private secondary level students during online classes. 2. to compare the academic achievement motivation among girls and boys of secondary level schools during online classes. methodology & tool of the study the method used is a descriptive survey based on an ex post facto approach. in this method, information is collected without changing the environment (i.e., nothing is manipulated). this information is collected by using a selfconstructed questionnaire because there is no standardized tool available to measure the effect of online teaching on the aam of secondary-level students. the scale consisted of 30 items. the scale was classified into six dimensions and tabulated in table-1– table-1: dimensions of academic achievement motivation scale s.no. dimensions 1. persistence & engagement 2. eagerness 3. competitiveness 4. confidence in success 5. goal setting & status orientation 6. compensatory effort the scores range from 0-30. the first draft of the questionnaire was developed through discussion with the supervisor. item analysis and validation were done by the 7 experts in the field of psychology, education and language. the tool items rated by the experts on the preliminary draft helped in establishing the content validity. for establishing validity the researcher first calculated the item content validity index (icvi). then, the svi, that is, the scale validity index was calculated and found to be 0.82. the reliability of this tool was established by the test-retest method. the coefficient of the reliability of the full scale was determined by karl pearson correlation coefficient and the coefficient of reliability was 0.92. sample for this study, schools were selected on the basis of purposive sampling method whereas simple random sampling was adapted for selecting the students from government and private secondary schools. the survey was conducted just after the lockdown period when schools were re-opened. the sample size for analyzing the responses of the students was 200, in which 100 students (50 boys+50 girls) were taken from government schools and 100 (50 boys+50 girls) from private schools. to indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 44 calculate the data for finding out the effect of online teaching on the academic achievement of students, the sample was selected from the secondary level irrespective of their streams. results on the basis of statistical analysis of the collected data the following analysis and interpretation was drawn with reference to the objectives of the study. academic achievement motivation of secondary level students one of the objectives of the study was to investigate the academic achievement motivation of secondary-level students. in relation to this objective, the analysis carried out is detailed under the following headings nature of distribution of academic achievement motivation scores in order to scrutinize the nature of academic achievement motivation scores in the selected population of government & private secondary school girls and boys, the scores procured on the self-constructed academic achievement motivation scale were assorted in a tabular form. a frequency distribution of the scores was prepared, which is given in the table below: table-2: frequency distribution of academic achievement motivation scores class interval frequency smooth frequency 29-31 0 7.33 26-28 22 44.67 23-25 68 112.33 20-22 67 145.67 17-19 32 106.67 14-16 23 57.67 11-13 8 31.33 8-10 1 9 total 200 the above table-2 reveals that the scores of academic achievement motivation are normally distributed, as most of the frequencies are concentrated at the centre and gradually decrease towards both ends of the distribution. to further ensure the representativeness of the sample frequency a polygon curve of the obtained score was prepared and studied (vide figure-1). the pictorial representation of the obtained scores on the academic achievement motivation scale confirmed the normal distribution of the sample. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 47 it has been found that there is a significant impact of online teaching on academic achievement motivation among government and private schools secondary level students. it can be concluded that students of government and private secondary schools differ significantly in their academic achievement motivation. this result is inconsistent with the findings of pandey, s & singh, p (2018) who found that the significant effect of aam on academic performance and the findings of kumar, a. & yadav, d. (2015) who found that private school students had more aam than government school students at senior secondary level. comparison of the academic achievement motivation among girls and boys of secondary level schools hypothesis: 2 there is no significant impact of online teaching on the academic achievement motivation of secondary level girls and boys. table-6: academic achievement motivation among girls and boys of secondary school   n mean mean diff. sed cr df p interpretation boys 100 19.85 1.79 0.532 3.36 198 >.05 ho rejected girls 100 21.64 the above table-6 shows that the obtained t value i.e. 3.36 is more than the table value with df 198 at .05 level i.e. 1.96 and .01 level i.e. 2.59. it means boys and girls students of secondary school differ significantly in academic achievement motivation. hence, hypotheses no. 2, “there will be no significant impact of online teaching on the academic achievement motivation among boys and girls students of secondary schools” is rejected. table-7: mean and standard deviation values of academic achievement motivation of boys and girls of secondary schools mean standard deviation girls 21.64 3.36 boys 19.85 4.13 the mean value of achievement motivation scores obtained by girls and boys were 21.64 and 19.85, respectively. it is clear from the above table-7 and figure-3 that girls have a higher mean value than the boys group. the standard deviations of girls and boys were 3.36 and 4.13 which indicates more deviation in boys’ group from their mean value. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 49 students studying in private schools in comparison to the students studying in government schools. the availability of devices and internet access and training among teachers of private schools to impart teaching on the online platform as compared to government schools are the factors responsible for the difference in academic achievement motivation. the result also shows that girls have more academic achievement for motivation than boys. this might be because girls are more concerned about their studies as compared to boys. on the basis of the analysis of interpreted data, this conclusion has been drawn that online teaching was an effective and most important factor that affected the academic achievement motivation level of students during covid-19 lockdown. educational implications of the study teachers and students are the basic and essential units of the educational system whereas modes of teaching are fundamental spare parts. furthermore, no teaching mode works until students and teachers are willing to receive that knowledge, this would happen only if motivation is there. findings of the present study have a number of implications for stakeholders. y after covid-19 situation, there is need that the government should facilitate the alternatives of offline mode of teaching and learning in government schools. y teachers should use the appropriate teaching tools and soft skills in order to meet the needs, desires and requirements of the students. moreover, they should be welloriented towards the use of various digital tools and techniques of imparting information to the students. teachers should provide opportunities for learning with alternative sources or other materials. y teacher’s competencies and skills should be increased through teacher training programmes regarding the use of new technological methods of teaching so that they can be capable of catering for the needs of today’s learners. this incorporation of digital tools in teacher training programmes can enhance the teaching skills, knowledge and abilities of preservice teachers. y furthermore, in-service teachers should be more oriented towards the use of the latest tools and technology of teaching and learning by extension lectures by proficient educationist and other technical experts. they should be arranged frequently to impart upgraded knowledge about the new technological developments that can help the in-service teachers to enhance their teachinglearning strategies. y learners should be motivated to use computers and other digital tools for their basic requirements, for preparing assignments and projects, etc. this will enable them to understand the new technology in a better way. references arulmoly, c., & branavan, a. (2017). the impact of academic motivation on students’ academic achievement and learning outcomes in mathematics among secondary school students in paddiruppu educational zone in the batticaloa district, sri lanka. international journal of scientific and research publications, 7(5). retrieved from http:// www.ijsrp.org/research-paper-0517.php?rp=p656380 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 50 elshareif, e., & mohamed, e. (2021). the effects of e-learning on students’ motivation to learn in higher education. online learning, 25(3), 128-143. available at: https://doi. org/10.24059/olj.v25i3.2336 goswami, m. p., thanvi, j., & padhi, s. r. (2021). impact of online learning in india: a survey of university students during the covid-19 crisis. asian journal for public opinion research, 9(4), 331–351. available at: https://doi.org/10.15206/ajpor.2021.9.4.331 karlina, r., rizal, y., pujiati, p., & maydiantoro, a. (2021). the influence of achievement motivation on learning achievement of introduction to accounting course. international journal of educational studies in social sciences, 1(1), 7–15. available at: https://doi. org/10.53402/ijesss.v1i1.2 kumar, n., & bajpai, r.p. (2015). impact of e-learning on achievement motivation and academic performance a case study of college students in sikkim. 10th international caliber 2015, 370-382. retrieved from https://ir.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/1944/1877/1/38.pdf kumar, s., (2017). academic achievement motivation: concept and theory. global journal for research analysis, 6(9), 572-573. retrieved from https://www.worldwidejournals. com/global-journal-for-research-analysis-gjra/recent_issues_pdf/2017/september/ september_2017_1505391276__104.pdf kumar, a., & yadav, d. (2015). a comparative study of academic achievement motivation of secondary students. bhartiyam international journal of education & research, 4(3), 33-39. retrieved from http://www.gangainstituteofeducation.com/june/5.pdf mothibi, g. (2015). a meta-analysis of the relationship between e-learning and students’ academic achievement in higher education. journal of education and practice, 6, 6-9. retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ej1082408.pdf oyedotun, t. d. (2020). sudden change of pedagogy in education driven by covid-19: perspectives and evaluation from a developing country. research in globalization, 2, 100029. available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resglo.2020.100029 pandey, s., & singh, p. (2018). effect of academic achievement motivation on academic performance of students. international journal of indian psychology, 6(4), 42-56. available at: https://doi.org/10.25215/0604.086 rajaee harandi, s. (2015). effects of e-learning on students’ motivation. procedia social and behavioral sciences, 181. available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.04.905 sivrikaya, a. h. (2019). the relationship between academic motivation and academic achievement of the students. asian journal of education and training, 5(2), 309–315. available at: https://doi.org/10.20448/journal.522.2019.52.309.315 yahiaoui, f., aichouche, r., chergui, k., brika, s. k. m., almezher, m., musa, a. a., & lamari, i. a. (2022). the impact of e-learning systems on motivating students and enhancing their outcomes during covid-19: a mixed-method approach. frontiers in psychology, 13, 874181. available at: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.874181 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 180 research article status of science education and ict at secondary school stage in aspirational districts of north india: an analysis of nas 2021 district report dheeraj kumar1 & mohd mamur ali2 1phd scholar, department of teacher training and non-formal education         (institute of advanced studies in education), jamia millia islamia email-gyan0074u@gmail.com 2faculty of education, department of teacher training and non-formal education         (institute of advanced studies in education), jamia millia islamia abstract this study aimed to examine the status of science education and ict at the secondary school stage in the aspirational districts of north india. for this study, the districts report card of the national achievement survey (nas) district report 2021, which was considered a data source for 22 aspirational districts of six states and one union territory in north india. the secondary data were statistically analysed using frequencies, percentages, and averages. finding of the study reveals that (1) students’ performance level decreases as they progress from the basic level to the advanced level, and not satisfactory (2) aspirational districts of north india show positive up to some extent developments in science education for girls, (3) the current state of science education indicates that students are not achieving the expected learning outcomes, and (4) the status of ict is not in a good position in terms of accessibility to digital devices, particularly regarding internet connectivity and the adequacy of audio-visual resources in all aspirational districts of north india. study concluded that the status of science education and ict are not in good position in most of the aspirational districts of north india. therefore, more collective efforts are needed to improve science education and ict integration at the secondary school stage. keywords: aspirational districts, ict, science education, learning outcomes, girls education introduction ict in education is generally considered a discipline, a set of resources, and a key skill. within these three broad areas, ict offers enormous benefits to society (abdullai, 2013). the impact of technology on students’ achievement in science and the development of technological skills, pedagogical beliefs, and ict capabilities is increasing (lee et al., 2017). the use of digital simulations in learning earth sciences has been found to have a positive impact on understanding relative chronology concepts (nafid et al., 2018). ictrich environments provide a range of possibilities that enhance science learning (rocha fernandes et al., 2019). the use of technology in education can support the teaching-learning process at various stages (nep 2020). ict and learning outcomes in science education science education necessitates innovative techniques that enable students to grasp dynamic scientific concepts. conventional teaching indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 181 methods need technological updates to enhance learning efficiency through psychological features. therefore, the integration of ict in science widely embraced by teachers and students. technology is crucial for comprehending complex scientific terms and processes deeply. ict-integrated learning techniques motivate students, foster collaboration, and encourage innovative thinking by providing opportunities to develop their own ideas. furthermore, interactive multimedia learning applications enrich the learning process, improving the ability to present information systematically to achieve learning outcomes. for instance, augmented reality (ar) enhances motivation by integrating multimedia elements with theoretical concepts. ar merges virtual information with the real environment in real-time, enhancing user perception through visual, auditory, and tactile feedback, thereby exceeding traditional learning expectations (sinha & kumar, 2020). girls in science education science education should be leveraged as a tool for social change to reduce the socio-economic divide (national focus group on science education, 2006). in particular, providing quality education to girls from socio-economically disadvantaged groups will significantly enhance overall educational standards (nep, 2020). thus, understanding the progress of girls in science education at the secondary level is important. aspirational districts in north india to maintain and uplift the human development index and enhance the socio-economic conditions from the grass-root level to a higher level for national development (puri, 2020), niti aayog launched the aspirational district programme (adp) (undp, 2020). subsequently, an aspirational development programme aims to transform under-developed districts across india. the programme centre’s around five primary themes: health & nutrition, education, agriculture & water resources, financial inclusion & skill development, and basic infrastructure to directly impact the quality of life at different stages and integrate the socioeconomic productivity of citizens. an aspirational district involves 124 (16.91 per cent) out of 733 total districts of india (maps of india, 2021) which is the most under-developed district in phase-i & phase ii across the country (mymsme, n.d ). if we look into north indian states/uts excluding delhi, rajasthan, uttarakhand, uttar pradesh, punjab, himachal pradesh, jammu & kashmir and the haryana states having aspirational district(s) as shown in table 1. table-1: aspirational districts in north india region state total districts in state/ut total aspirational districts state wise % north india rajasthan 33 6 (baran, dholpur, jaisalmer, karauli, sirohi and barmer) 18.18 uttarakhand 13 2 (haridwar, udham singh nagar ) 15.38 uttar pradesh 75 8 (bahrich, balampur,chandauli, chitrakoot, fatepur, shraswasti, shiddarthnagar andsonabhadra) 10.67 punjab 22 2 (ferozpur, monga) 9.09 jammu and kashmir 22 2 (baramullah, kupwara) 9.09 himachal pradesh 12 1 (chamba) 8.33 haryana 22 1 (nuh) 4.54 (source data: nas-2021 districts report card, https://nas.gov.in/report-card/2021) indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 182 table 1 depict that rajasthan has the highest percentage of aspirational districts in north india. uttarakhand is the second highest 15.38 per cent of aspirational districts among all the north indian. while uttar pradesh, punjab, himachal pradesh, jammu & kashmir and haryana have a low percentage of aspirational districts(s) comparatively to rajasthan and uttarakhand. it can be state that including other aspirational districts in percentage of north india, districts of rajasthan, uttarakhand and uttar pradesh need to give more intervention programme or teaching-learning activities. hence, these aspirational districts need more academic, administrative, financial and other related resources and outcomes based activities. educational profile of the aspirational districts the schools and teachers in different management schools in aspirational districts of north india is presented in table 2. this data helps to understand the actual position of schools in the mentioned aspirational districts. table-2: educational profile of the aspirational districts state/uts total aspirational districts total no. schools total no. teachers sgs tsgs gas tgas cgs tcgs purs tpurs rajasthan baran 2123 13253 1594 8065 4 79 525 5109 dhaulpur 1816 13114 1144 7201 3 46 669 5867 jaisalmer 1626 7866 1302 5392 5 122 319 2352 karauli 2186 15462 1452 8203 2 54 732 7205 sirohi 1394 9353 999 6000 3 66 392 3287 barmer 5532 27472 4822 21075 4 110 706 6287 uttarakhand haridwar 2047 14549 946 4045 92 911 4 145 1005 9448 udham singh nagar 2129 16033 1137 4508 68 605 3 70 921 10850 uttar pradesh bahrich 3765 19588 2876 12672 57 646 4 38 828 6232 balampur 2336 10341 1850 7071 33 384 2 50 451 2836 chandauli 2056 14920 1230 7386 81 785 3 112 742 6637 chitrakoot 1685 8735 1295 5856 45 290 2 44 343 2545 fatepur 3628 19047 2189 9963 142 1027 2 25 1295 8032 shraswasti 1370 6890 1018 4248 19 239 2 24 331 2298 shiddarth nagar 3030 14783 2297 9387 78 835 2 33 653 4525 sonabhadra 2765 13876 2123 8075 16 210 4 100 622 5491 punjab ferozpur 1100 9322 841 4786 10 88 5 136 244 4312 monga 857 9308 595 4385 12 108 1 20 249 4795 jammu and kashmir baramullah 2401 14176 1975 8967 3 53 423 5156 kupwara 2177 11471 1844 7652 1 3 332 3816 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 183 state/uts total aspirational districts total no. schools total no. teachers sgs tsgs gas tgas cgs tcgs purs tpurs himachal pradesh chamba 1847 7880 1671 6219 7 157 169 1504 haryana nuh 1118 6886 941 4727 1 19 176 2140 total 48988 284325 36141 165883 653 6128 67 1506 12127 110724 (where, state govt. schools= sgs, tsgs= total no. of teachers in schools, govt. aided schools=gas, tgas= total no. of teachers in govt. aided schools, central govt. schools=cgs, tcgs= total no. of teachers in central govt. schools, purs= private unaided recognized schools and tpurs =total no. of teachers in private unaided recognized schools; note: means there is no govt. schools established in these districts and teachers were not appointed). (source data: nas-2021 districts report card, https://nas.gov.in/report-card/2021 ) table 2 shows that teachers, different management schools are available in the aspirational districts of north india. while less number of government aided and central schools available in these districts. it can be stated that teachers in these aspirational districts contributing their educational services in state government and private unaided recognized schools is more. in this scenario, state government can create the integrated approach of resource sharing with other management schools. educational indicators for aspirational districts out of all focused themes of aspirational districts, 30 per cent weightage was given to the education sector. the following eight key indicators have been identified for the improvement of education in aspirational districts: y indicator 1(a): transition from primary to upper primary y indicator 1(b): transition from upper primary to secondary y indicator-2: percentage of schools with functional girls’ toilets y indicator 3: learning outcomes (mathematics and languages from class three to eight) y indicator 4: female literacy y indicator 5: percentage of schools with functional drinking water facilities y indicator 6: percentage of schools with functional electricity facility at secondary level y indicator 7: percentage of elementary schools complying with right to education specified ptr y indicator 8: percentage of schools providing textbooks to children samagra siksha flagship programme for aspirational districts the samagra siksha flagship programme aims to transform aspirational districts through the implementation of ict and digital initiatives. these initiatives will specifically target students in grades six to twelve. hence, the ability to get hardware such as tablets, laptops, notebooks, and integrated teaching learning devices, along with open source operating systems, as well as hardware, software, training, and resource support. this would encompass assistance for digital whiteboards, intelligent classrooms, virtual classes, and dth channels, allocated proportionally based on the number of authorised schools. projects that involve community participation will be given priority, particularly those that are eligible for schools. therefore, the status of ict at the secondary stage in school is presented in terms indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 184 of accessibility of digital devices in the schools, internet connectivity and adequacy of audio-visual resources. literature review adeyemo (2010) investigated the impact of ict on the teaching and learning of physics, revealing significantly enhances the learning experience and makes the subject more engaging for students. byker (2014) highlighted the lack of empirical research on ict in indian elementary schools, which obstructs india’s efforts to provide education and prepare children with 21st-century skills. das (2012) emphasized the critical role of understanding and leveraging ict for social and economic progress, stressing the necessity of embedding ict-based resources in educational systems to equip students with necessary skills. paul and mondal (2012) analyzed the role of ict in enhancing the quality of school education and found that ict can predict future educational technologies and improve education quality, provided that proper infrastructure is in place. simin (2015) corroborated this by analyzing teachers’ perceptions of ict integration’s effectiveness, highlighting that well-equipped ict tools and professional development are crucial for successful technology-based teaching and learning. agrahari and singh (2013) focused on the impact of ict on student achievement in chemistry, revealing the necessity of lifelong education and the importance of modern educational technologies, in meeting the growing demand for scientific knowledge. ruiz et al. (2014) examined the influence of technologies in science teaching on gender differences and found that ict tools improved motivation and learning scores, particularly for women. shanmugam and balakrishnan (2019) also highlighted the positive impact of ict on student motivation in learning science. aboderin and bamisile (2021) examined ict skills significantly enhanced students’ perceptions of the influence of ict in science teaching and learning practices. sharma and sharma (2017) studied the effectiveness of ict in science teaching and found that students enjoyed ict in lessons and useful for teachers. roy and sehrawat (2018) conducted an experimental study on the effectiveness of ict-enabled classrooms for science students and showed that students taught through video modules performed better and improving academic achievement. mann and mohanty (2018) examined the status of technological infrastructure and training needs for ict among school teachers and noted that ict use was limited, with few motivated teachers using personal ict resources for teaching. kumar et al. (2020) analysed the socio-economic status of people in aspirational districts for inclusive growth and revealed the need for priority interventions. kumar et al. (2021) investigated the effectiveness of skill development training programs in aspirational districts and found that the majority of trainees perceived an improvement in their knowledge and skills. saha (2022) studied the issues and status of teacher management in the aspirational districts and revealing it is difficult task. finally, igboanugo et al. (2020) studied the efficacy of ict integration in teaching methods for effective chemistry curriculum delivery and showed that significantly enhanced curriculum delivery. based on a literature review, ict significantly enhances learning experiences and student engagement in science education. however, persistent barriers such as a lack of resources, training, and infrastructure hinder the effective implementation of ict in learning science. no study has been conducted on ict and science education in the aspirational districts. therefore, this study examined the indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 185 status of ict and science education at the secondary school stage, especially in the aspirational districts of north india. operational definition y science education: it means, the teaching-learning of science in classroom environment to cultivate knowledge, develop scientific temper, problem solving and critical thinking and ability to solve the problems in real life. y information and communication technology (ict): ict, in the context of present study, means employing technology and related resources for teaching-learning process. y aspirational districts: here, aspirational district can be defined as districts which are affected by poor socio-economic factors including education in different states/ uts of india. research questions y what is the status of science education at the secondary school stage in the aspirational districts of north india? y what is the status of ict at the secondary school stage in the aspirational districts of north india? objectives of the study y to examine the status of students in science at the secondary school stage in aspirational districts of north india. y to study the status of ict at the secondary school stage in aspirational districts of north india. delimitations y the present study comprises student data at the secondary stage from the national achievement survey 2021, district report card. y the present study comprises data on science education and ict in schools at the secondary stage from the national achievement survey 2021, district report card. y the present study comprises district reports belonging to aspirational districts of north india as given in the national achievement survey 2021, district report card. y in the present study, the performance of students and learning outcomes is considered as the status of their science education. methodology this study employs a quantitative research methodology, utilizing secondary data. data on science education and ict were collected from the national achievement survey 2021 district report card, prepared by ncert, through an online visit to the national achievement survey portal of the department of school education and literacy, ministry of education, government of india. the researcher subsequently organized, tabulated, and statistically analyzed the secondary data using descriptive statistics, including frequencies, percentages, and averages. status of science education at secondary school stage the status of science education at the secondary stage is categorized into the following three sections: performance levels of students in science education, performance levels of girls in science education, and learning outcomes of students in science education, presented in table 3, table 4 and table 5 respectively. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 186 table-3: performance of students in science education state/uts aspirational districts in north india district wise performance in science education (%) % of students by performance level in science education in aspirational districts bb bs pr ad rajasthan baran 37 66 23 11 0 dholpur 56 18 29 37 16 jaisalmer 38 64 21 13 2 karauli 43 46 32 20 2 sirohi 43 49 28 20 3 barmer 42 52 27 19 2 uttarakhand haridwar 34 75 17 8 1 udham singh nagar 33 80 13 5 1 uttar pradesh bahrich 29 90 9 1 0 balampur 31 87 9 3 1 chandauli 32 35 46 16 4 chitrakoot 43 30 35 22 12 fatepur 32 80 16 4 0 shraswasti 31 85 13 1 0 shiddarthnagar 33 80 15 5 0 sonabhadra 32 84 12 4 0 punjab ferozpur 50 34 25 33 8 monga 47 38 34 25 3 jammu and kashmir baramullah 60 69 22 8 1 kupwara 43 30 35 22 12 himachal pradesh chamba 32 64 26 7 2 haryana nuh 31 74 18 8 1 overall performance 37.36 60.45 22.95 13.27 3.22 where bb=below basic level, bs= basic level, pr= proficiency level and ad= advanced level (source data: nas-2021 districts report card, https://nas.gov.in/report-card/2021) this table 3 presents the performance in science education across 22 aspirational districts of north india. each district’s performance is broken down into four categories: below basic (bb), basic (bs), proficient (pr), and advanced (ad). the performance in science education across various aspirational districts varies from (31 per cent to 60 per cent). in the three districts, 16 per cent of students from dholpur, 12 per cent from kuphwara, and 12 per cent from chitrkoot demonstrated advanced performance in science education. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 187 while the performance levels in the other 19 districts ranged from (1 per cent to 8 per cent). student’s proficiency in science education varied between (22 per cent and 37 per cent) in the five aspirational districts. these were 37 per cent of students from dholpur, 33 per cent of students from ferozpur, 25 per cent of students from monga, 22 per cent of students from chitrkoot, and likely 22 per cent of students from kuphwara. in the other 17 districts, the percentage of students performing at the proficiency level ranged from 1 per cent to 20 per cent. in the five aspirational districts, students’ basic performance levels in science education ranged from (22 per cent to 37 per cent). these were 37 per cent of students from dholpur, 33 per cent of students from ferozpur, 25 per cent of students from monga, 22 per cent of students from chitrkoot, and likely 22 per cent of students from kuphwara. while the percentage of basic-level performance in the other 17 districts varied from 1 per cent to 20 per cent, respectively. as a result, the performance level of students in science education in the thirteen aspirational districts was below-basic (64 per cent to 90 per cent), three districts had a below-basic (46 per cent to 52 per cent), and six aspirational districts had a below-basic (18 per cent to 38 per cent). the table also show that overall performance of science education across various aspirational districts is 37.36 per cent. furthermore, the overall performance shows that 60.45 per cent students are at the below basic level, 22.95 per cent students at the basic level, 13.27 per cent students at the proficiency level, and 3.22 per cent students at the advanced level. the analysis above indicates significant differences in students’ performance in science education, ranging from basic level to advanced levels. the percentage of students at each performance level decreased as they progressed from the basic level to the advanced level. while it should be increased from below basic level to advanced level. it means that the overall status of science education in the aspirational districts of north india is not in a good position. it may be due to student’s attitude towards science education, teaching-learning process, and resources utilisation. chikendu & obikezie (2020) revealed that the attitude of students significantly impacts their science education. therefore, there is a special need to emphasise and identify the factors behind the low percentage of proficiency and the advanced level of science education. similarly, it needs intervention in the teaching-learning process as well as resource utilisation for better performance in science education at the secondary school stage. table-4: performance and progress of girls in science education state/uts aspirational districts in north india district wise performance in science education (%) % of performance and progress in science education at secondary school stage of girls % % progress indicators rajasthan baran 37 39 2% + dholpur 56 57 1% + jaisalmer 38 36 2% karauli 43 44 1% + sirohi 43 46 3% + barmer 42 44 2% + indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 188 state/uts aspirational districts in north india district wise performance in science education (%) % of performance and progress in science education at secondary school stage of girls % % progress indicators uttarakhand haridwar 34 33 1% udham singh nagar 33 32 1% uttar pradesh bahrich 29 28 1% balampur 31 29 2% chandauli 32 31 1% chitrakoot 32 31 1% fatepur 32 31 1% shraswasti 31 31 no change = shiddarthnagar 33 32 1% sonabhadra 32 31 1% punjab ferozpur 50 52 2% + monga 47 48 1% + jammu and kashmir baramullah 36 35 1% = kupwara 35 35 no change = himachal pradesh chamba 32 32 no change = haryana nuh 34 35 1% + (where, sign = progress decrease, + sign = progress increase, and = sign =no change in progress) (source data: nas-2021 district report card, https://nas.gov.in/report-card/2021 ) the table 4 highlights the performance and progress of girls in science education at the secondary school stage across various aspirational districts in north india. among the all aspirational districts, 3 per cent of progress in science education found in girls of one district sirohi district of rajasthan, 2 per cent of progress in the science education found in girls of five districts as baran, jaisalmer, barmer, balampur, and ferozpur, and 1 per cent of progress in science education found in girls of twelve districts as dhopur, karauli, haridwar, udham singh nagar, bahrich, chandauli, chitrkoot, fatepur, shiddarthnagar, sonabhadra, moga and baramillah, and there were no change found in progress in the science education in girls of five districts as kupwara, chamba and sharaswasti. based on above results, it can be interpreted that aspirational districts of north india yet more positive developments in science education for girls. the result of the study favoured by the some other studies and reveal that girls were underperforming and underrepresented in science education in developing countries worldwide indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 189 (ullah et al, 2021; roberts & huges, 2022; fussy et al., 2023). however, the absence of progress in kupwara, chamba, and shrawasti signals potential areas where educational strategies may need reevaluation and targeted interventions to foster improvement. therefore, policies and schemes for including students from sedgs should focus on girls by establishing a ‘gender-inclusion fund’ to enhance the nation’s ability to offer equitable, quality education for all (nep-2020). overall, the progress percentages indicate both successful and stagnant regions, highlighting the need for policy recommendations to address the unique challenges faced by each aspirational district in girls’ science education. table-5: learning outcomes percentage of science education los percentage of learning outcomes in science education d 1 d 2 d 3 d 4 d 5 d 6 d 7 d 8 d 9 d 10 d 11 d 12 d 13 d 14 d 15 d 16 d 17 d 18 d 19 d 20 d 21 d 22 lo1 43 58 42 50 49 48 37 36 31 33 35 34 36 36 35 34 55 50 36 38 33 35 lo2 38 53 38 44 48 41 37 34 34 36 34 33 33 35 34 34 49 49 36 36 33 39 lo3 44 64 44 52 51 48 36 35 33 32 33 34 34 35 36 34 61 52 38 37 35 42 lo4 37 63 40 45 45 45 34 33 30 30 31 33 34 30 34 33 52 50 38 37 30 34 lo5 31 35 33 34 31 34 28 30 26 31 28 28 30 28 32 27 30 32 34 31 32 33 lo6 28 35 27 30 30 26 27 28 25 26 31 31 26 26 29 29 34 29 27 25 26 27 lo7 45 70 44 50 51 50 36 33 30 30 37 36 39 33 41 36 56 57 45 41 30 32 lo8 34 56 36 40 38 41 33 30 27 29 32 31 29 28 31 29 49 47 32 29 27 31 lo9 37 59 38 45 44 42 35 35 29 33 32 33 33 30 34 32 51 48 37 37 37 35 lo10 31 54 33 33 38 32 27 26 24 26 24 24 24 23 24 25 44 39 28 26 24 27 (where d1= baran, d2=dholpur, d3=jaisalmer, d4=karauli, d5=sirohi, d6=barmer, d7=haridwar, d8=udham singh nagar, d9=bahrich, d10=balampur, d11=chandauli, d12=chitrakoot, d13= fatepur, d14=shraswasti, d15= shiddarthnagar, d16= sonabhadra, d17= ferozpur, d18= monga, d19= baramullah, d20= kupwara, d21= chamba and d22= nuh) and (source data: nas-2021 district report card, https://nas.gov.in/report-card/2021 ) and learning outcomes: lo1 to lo10 follows as lo1: differential material, objects, organisms, phenomena and processes based on properties and characteristics. lo2: classifies materials, objects, organisms, phenomena and processes based on properties and characteristics. lo3: relates processes and phenomena with cause and effects. lo4: explains processes and phenomenon. lo5: analysis and interprets data, graphs and figures. lo6: calculate using the data given. lo7: uses scientific conventions to represent units of various quantities, symbols, formulae and equations. lo8: applies learning to hypothetical situations lo9: applies scientific concepts in daily life and solving problems lo10: derives formulae, equations and laws table 5 reveals that only three out of the 22 aspirational districts show more than 50 per cent to 55 per cent achievement in learning outcomes (los) in science indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 190 (excluding analysis and interpreting data, graphs, figures, and calculations using the data) at the secondary school level, as in dhaulpur of rajasthan, ferozpur, and monga of punjab. in the secondary stage, the majority of students achieved less than 50 per cent success in science learning outcomes. similarly, learning outcomes of science students are still low (rizaki et al., 2022). students should cultivate their scientific development, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. nep-2020 also emphasizes the importance of cultivating a scientific mindset among learners. the current state of science does not indicate that students are achieving the expected learning outcomes, as their performance across most districts does not exceed the expected threshold of 50 per cent. therefore, educational institutions, researchers, and other stakeholders, such as teachers, teacher educators, and administrations, need to come together on a successive path to achieving learning outcomes in science for students in the secondary school stage. status of ict at secondary school stage in aspirational districts of north india. the following table 6 presents the status of ict at the secondary school stage in terms of accessibility to digital devices, internet connectivity, and adequacy of audio-visual resources. table-6: ict resources & adequacy in aspirational districts (source: nas-2021 district report card, https://nas.gov.in/report-card/2021 ) state/uts aspirational districts students have access to digital devices in the schools (%) students having internet connectivity at home (%) heads of school responses for adequacy of audio-visual resources (%) rajasthan baran 76% 50% 39% dhaulpur 67% 49% 48% jaisalmer 80% 62% 42% karauli 66% 46% 39% sirohi 87% 62% 42% barmer 74% 56% 42% uttarakhand haridwar 81% 61% 38% udham singh nagar 79% 62% 41% uttar pradesh bahrich 70% 49% 43% balampur 67% 44% 30% chandauli 64% 51% 29% chitrakoot 59% 41% 30% fatepur 64% 48% 27% shraswasti 72% 45% 28% shiddarthnagar 68% 47% 30% sonabhadra 66% 51% 31% indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 191 state/uts aspirational districts students have access to digital devices in the schools (%) students having internet connectivity at home (%) heads of school responses for adequacy of audio-visual resources (%) punjab ferozpur 97% 82% 90% monga 96% 77% 88% jammu and kashmir baramullah 76% 62% 24% kupwara 77% 60% 21% himachal pradesh chamba 82% 65% 43% haryana nuh 69% 52% 43% overall ict resources 74.41% 55.54% 40.36% table 6 depicts the ict resources in terms of accessibility of digital resources, internet connectivity, and adequacy of audio-visual resources at the secondary schools stage in aspirational districts of north india. in the case of aspirational districts of north india, 80 per cent to 97 per cent of students belonging to jaisalmer and sirohi of rajasthan, haridwar of uttarakhand, ferozpur, and monga of punjab, and chamba of himachal pradesh admitted that schools have digital devices. the 60 per cent to 82 per cent of students having internet connectivity at home belong to jaisalmer, sirohi, haridwar, udham singh nagar, ferozpur, monga, baramullah, kupwara, and chamba districts. in the others aspirational districts of north india, 44 per cent to 56 per cent of students admitted that they have less percentage in internet connectivity at home belongs to baran, dhaulpur, karauli, barmer, bahrich, balampur, chandauli, chitrakoot, fatepur, shraswasti, shiddarthnagar, sonabhadra and nuh. heads of schools of ferojpur and monga of punjab showed the highest 90 per cent and 88 per cent audio-visual resources available in their schools at the secondary level. while dhaulpur, jaisalmer, sirohi, barmer, udham singh nagar, bahrich, nuh, and chamba showed 41 per cent to 48 per cent availability of audio-visual resources, while the rest 12 aspirational districts heads admitted that schools had 21 per cent to 39 per cent audiovisual resources. furthermore, the overall ict resources availability and adequacy shows that 74.41 per cent students have access to digital devices in the schools, 22.95 per cent students have internet connectivity at home, 40.46 per cent heads of school admitted that adequacy of audio-visual resources in the respective schools. it can be stated that the status of ict not in good position related to accessibility of digital device, particularly for internet connectivity and adequacy of audiovisual resources in all aspirational districts of north india. similarly, lack of ict resources, coupled with limited internet connection and speed, has been found in the schools (mann & mohanty, 2018; sahoo et al., 2022; baruah & mohalik, 2022). nep-2020 states that teaching-learning should be ict integrated at various stages of teaching-learning multidimensional subjects or discipline. therefore, need on both ict resources and its integration in science at secondary stage. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 192 conclusion government of india has taken positive initiatives to uplift the education status of aspirational districts. according to the nas-21 district report, the status of science education among students at the secondary school stage in aspirational districts is not satisfactory. findings indicate that approximately 30-60 per cent more intervention is required to achieve 100 per cent performance in science education for students. furthermore, the performance of science education among girls at the secondary school stage is also not much improved. this study suggests that the available teaching-learning processes and applied resources are not student-centric. currently, there is a need to assess the holistic development of individual learners based on their learning outcomes. addressing this need is a major concern for various stakeholders including teachers, teacher educators, researchers, policymakers, and educational institution management. the study concludes that emphasis should be placed on an integrated approach to science education and ict which is not presented in the aspirational districts of north india to achieve global standards through quality education (nep, 2020). therefore, educational programs developed by government organizations should incorporate science teaching-learning interventions across different phases. initiatives in science education need to adopt an integrated pedagogical approach with ict at both the secondary school management levels in aspirational districts of north india, from grassroots to leadership. educational implications y ict based intervention studies can be conducted to enhance the status of science education in aspirational districts in north india and other aspirational districts. y there is a necessity for gender focused programs and related educational initiatives in aspirational districts to ensure equitable learning opportunities in ict and science education. y the low availability of ict resources, particularly internet connectivity and audio-visual aids, suggests the need for substantial investment in digital infrastructure to support modern teaching and learning practices in aspirational districts. y an ict-integrated science curriculum can be developed to enhance learning outcomes by providing students with access to interactive and engaging educational resources. y there is a need for continuous professional development programs for teachers in aspirational districts to equip them with effective pedagogical strategies and the skills to utilize ict for science teaching. y policymakers should 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(2021). students’ attitudes towards science education: evidence from secondary schools in onitsha south of anambra state. international journal of trend in scientific research and development (ijtsrd), 6(1), 144-150. https:// www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd47782 indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 14 research article technology mediated learning: learning from the case study of a government school (indrajeet dutta, assistant professor, maulana azad national urdu university, cte bhopal, bhopal, madhya pradesh, email: indraneet@gmail.com & sonal chabra, assistant professor, rawal college of education, faridabad, haryana, email: sonal.chabra77@gmail.com) abstract in the present dynamic milieu, innovation may well be the most important issue in any aspect of life. this holds especially true for education because it is intimately connected with different aspects of our life. information and communication technologies (ict), offer an array of technologies that can be used for multipurpose activities like research, teachinglearning process, assessment system, extension activities, governance, management etc. a critical role has been played by ict along with world wide web, in worldwide changes that have occurred in the last few decades. these developments have bridged gaps and resulted in learning. the present paper presents observations from the case study of a school which adopted ict as an innovation. the study is based on government higher secondary school in jehangirabad of bhopal, madhya pradesh where, microsoft sponsored digital learning classroom project had been adopted. this is the first such school in the state where, this project has been implemented. the researchers intend to study the experiences of adoption of tablets by both, students and teachers of the school after training. the aspects of study would focus on the change in attendance pattern, attitude of teachers towards using new technology, experiences of students and teachers regarding their experiences of integrating technology in teaching learning process. keywords: technology mediated learning, learning, government school introduction today, nearly every aspect of our lives, from working to socializing, learning to playing is getting influenced by information and communication technology. according to unesco (2005) document, there are four stages of technology i.e. emerging, applying, infusing and transforming. india has moved beyond emerging and is presently in the applying stage. what is needed is as quick transition to infusing stage and transforming stage. the urban digital natives are fast moving towards transforming stage but, the digital immigrants and rural population are still in applying stage and at this point digital divide needs to be bridged. with initiatives like, digital india, the gap will be bridged soon. the digital age has transformed the way young people communicate, network, travel, socialize, seek help, access information and ‘learn’. the role of ict in learning is taking a predominant form and needs to be accepted and appreciated well. the reasons for the same are pedagogical, motivational, economic, and social among others. researches have given enough evidences about the benefits associated with incorporation of ict in the teaching-learning situations (sangara and indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 15 sanmad, 2016). information and communication technologies tend to allow a higher quality lessons through collaboration with teachers in planning and preparing resources (ofs ted, 2002). students get to learn new skills: analytical, including improvements in reading comprehension. it also helps in developing some writing skills: spelling, grammar, punctuation, editing and re-drafting (lewin et al., 2000). further, new technologies encourage independent and active learning as well as, students’ responsibility for their own learning (passey, 1999). it has been established by studies that students, who regularly used technology, are motivated to learn (handley, 2016; harris, al-bataineh and al-bataineh, 2016), have increased selfconfidence (cakir, 2012) and are successful in academics (harris, al-bataineh and albataineh, 2016). it is also confirmed that many students found learning in a technologyenhanced setting more stimulating and much better than in a traditional classroom environment (pedretti and mayer-smith, 1998). moreover, links have been made between computer use and constructivist, collaborative, and inquiry-based learning and pedagogical change (scrimshaw, 2004). some researchers suggest that computer technology can overhaul education, serving as a panacea, or as an agent of change. generally, it is accepted that computers have the potential to enhance teaching and learning (roschelle et al., 2000) and provide students with a learning experience that other strategies cannot provide (wellington, 1990). further, from the perspective of the nation’s growth, disparities in the levels of ict readiness and use could translate into disparities in the level of productivities and hence, could influence a country’s rate of economic growth (cornelius, 2003). many theories and different forms of learning have evolved with the use of technology in learning. technology-mediated learning environments refer to settings in which computerbased applications and simulations, personal and mobile computing devices such as smartphones or tablets, web-based platforms, online or distance learning programs, video games, exhibits or installations that feature digital media, wearable technology, or other tools support participants’ engagement with new knowledge, skills, or practices. as technology becomes entwined in the culture of a society, the nation must provide its learners with relevant and contemporary experiences that allow them to successfully engage with technology and prepare them for a life after school. governments in most developing countries have responded to these challenges by initiating national programs to introduce computers in education. in 1984, the government of india while assessing the importance of computer in education initiated a project called computer literacy and studies in schools (class) wherein, almost 12,000 secondary and senior secondary schools were distributed computers. it aimed at, well acquaintance of students and teachers with new upcoming technology and revolutionizing the teaching-learning process of the classrooms. from then onwards, education system was experimented with various kinds of technologies. the significant role ict can play in school education is highlighted in the national school policy document called national curriculum framework (ncert, 2005). later, ministry of human resource development (mhrd) of goi with its national mission in education through ict has initiated an ict policy in 2009. the mission was to devise, catalyze, support, sustain ict and ict enabled activities and processes in order to improve access, quality and efficiency in the school system. it also promotes networking, research, evaluation indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 16 and experimentation in ict tools and ict enabled practices to utilize the potentials of ict in school education. later in 2012, national policy on ict in school education was adopted with an aim at preparing youth to participate creatively in the establishment sustenance and growth of a knowledge society leading to, all round socio-economic development of the nation and global competitiveness. the mission of the policy is to devise, catalyze, support and sustain ict and ict enabled activities and processes in order to improve access, quality and efficiency in the school system. the task of taking ict to all schools in all parts of india is a daunting task and would need monetary investment of large numbers, which could not have been handled easily considering the share of education in the total budget of india. strong partnerships between non-profit organizations, private sector and the government were suggested by arora (2007) to create meaningful and engaging ict-enabled content for children. so, the corporate sectors have been roped in through the corporate social responsibility (csr) programmes in the mission. several companies like tcs, infosys, hp india, microsoft, accenture, sap, dell and many other are contributing to different educational initiatives. the present paper is based on one such initiative of microsoft limited. literature review in the past couple of decades, there has been a large-scale change in the way technology has entered our lives and our youngest generation is the most adapted one. this goes well when green and hannon (2007) voice out that ‘our newest generation – currently in k-12 – is demonstrating for us the impact of having developed under the digital wave. these youth have been completely normalized by digital technologies—it is a fully integrated aspect of their lives’. technology has to be integrated and adapted well into the education system and particularly the teaching-learning process. in one of the policy documents, unesco (2008) highlighted that the lack of ict in classrooms means denying the opportunities to the learners to acquire skills and attributes that are necessary to participate in the 21st century. right from the inception of motion picture till mobile technologies, whenever technology is integrated with education it has changed the teaching-learning outcomes of education (lim et al., 2013). researches done on technology mediated learning across the world have yielded positive results as far as participation level of learners, learner motivation, performance among leaner’s, pedagogical and interactive, collaboration among learners and development of high order thinking skills are concerned. though, literature available in india is in scarce but, globally plenty of researches are available on technology mediated learning. according to alavi and leidner (2001), technology mediated learning means an environment wherein learner uses information technology while interacting with peer-groups, learning materials. technology mediated learning (tml) has numerous variations and often combination of several modes. gupta and bostrom (2009) have highlighted that tml could be of the form web-based or computer-based, asynchronous or synchronous, instructor-led or self-paced, individual-based or team-based. law, pelgrum, & plomp (2008) conducted a study on 28 countries across different continents which shows that, technology has been able to change the classroom practices and learning process. light (2009) used a case study approach to examine the impact of an ict tool called the intel teach essentials course in six indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 17 schools in india, chile and turkey. the impact of the course for teachers was with respect to a change in their knowledge, beliefs and attitudes, teachers’ greater understanding of studentcentred practices and an improvement in teachers’ ict knowledge and skills. with respect to students, the ict course influenced the students’ engagement with the course content, and resulted in collaborative relationships among teachers, students and parents. shifts in pedagogical paradigms were suggested not only with respect to the teachers but, also at the educational system level. goos et al. (2003) conducted a three-year longitudinal research in mathematics classroom at secondary level where, it was reported that technology can promote collaborative learning as well as develop better mathematical understanding. integrating technology in india is not new. as early as in 1975 when site experiment was conducted, educational technology was used for capacity building of teachers. later on, with the introduction of computers in the school under class scheme, students were taught and given hands-on experience on the subject. these initial experiments with technology yielded mix results for india. according to bhattacharya and sharma (2007) in kerala, a constituency vadakkekara, is poised to be the first fully integrated e-learning constituency in the state. all schools, including primary, upper primary, high school and higher secondary schools in the government and aided sectors, in the constituency would be brought under the project which is being implemented with the cooperation of the it@school project and keltron. a 50-cd library is proposed to be set up in all upper primary and lower primary schools as part of this project. objectives the objectives of the research were: • to observe the difference in attendance pattern of students enrolled in the school after the introduction of digital classroom project. • to study the perception of children regarding use of technology in teaching-learning process. • to study the experiences of principal and teachers after the introduction of technology in the classroom. methodology internship is the integral component of teacher education programme in india. as per the latest revised curriculum of ncte (2014), each pupil-teacher has to undergo intensive training for six months in schools to get acquainted with various functioning of schools, including teaching. because of this, researcher send a batch of seven students to one of the government school where, the technology mediated teaching-learning process was started. this school was selected for the pilot project in bhopal city, to see how technology helps the learner, teacher and teaching-learning process effectively. another aim was to understand how the underprivileged children coming into the government schools can be benefitted from technology mediated learning so that, 21st century skills can be developed among them. during student internship, this entire research was carried out. case-study method was chosen as an appropriate for the present research. all the information collected was done through classroom observations, as well as with interaction with teachers, students and from indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 18 the interview conducted by the researcher of principal and facilitator of the project. though data obtained from microsoft facilitator regarding training, development of animated topicwise module was corroborated from the students, teachers as well as from the principal while interacting with them. few classroom observations were also done by the researcher where, teachers were integrating technology during their classroom hour. observations on how students were actively engaged during the classroom while learning through technology was also done. microsoft facilitator was present there from july to december 2016 for assistance if any, during the classroom session either to the teacher or to the students. about the project the project is being run by nokia corporate social responsibility division, a wing of microsoft india. the project started in the month of january, 2016 when department of education, madhya pradesh government gave permission to start the project. it was a oneyear project and culminated in december 2016. initially, the project was started with equipping the school with lcd screen and computer with in-built projector. so, the school was connected with wi-fi system having online support system from microsoft technological division. the computer system was loaded with some pre-specified modules (programmes) prepared by the microsoft company from the text book of class vi, vii and viii. modules were mostly animated in nature with lots of additional inputs related to specified topics. teachers were trained to handle and operate the electronic gadgets. they were also trained to integrate the technology in their daily teaching. initially, mathematics and science teachers were trained but, later teachers of languages and social sciences were trained to integrate the technology in daily teaching. since, technology was initially handled by teachers only, tablets were later distributed to students. they were also given hands-on experience of using technology in the classroom to equip students with technological skills as well as to enable them to increase the ability of students to think creatively. in this manner, students were also trained to use tablets for self-learning. in the month of june, microsoft distributed 45 tablets to the school with pre-loaded textbooks of class vi, vii and viii in order to reduce the burden of carrying bags to the school. like many private schools, students were also given on-site training of use of technology for developing technological skills as one of the essential skills for 21st century. only one room was made technology enabled therefore, timetable of class vi, vii and viii was set in a manner where, per day one subject teacher took the classroom in technology enabled room. teacher started his/her classroom by presenting the topic to be taught on that particular day (modular and animated form). teachers encourage the students to ask questions related to the topic. further, teachers asked the students to seek and explore more about the topic using tablets and available wi-fi connections. both these processes helped the students to comprehend the topic more effectively. microsoft educational division has also developed an evaluation tool called rubrics through which, they measure various aspects of 21st century skills like, communication, technological, creative skills and thinking skills, etc. students not only explored the content but, also prepared projects, searched for words and meanings, videos related to the content, etc. in their period. later on, teacher prepared a powerpoint presentation or digital lesson plan in consultation with the microsoft facilitator. students were also provided with other resources in their tablet on the topic being taught in indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 19 the class. similarly, teachers were also provided with resources related to the topic by the microsoft, to make the content more comprehensible. presently, teachers and students are utilizing the technology for teaching-learning process. since one classroom is equipped with technology, therefore, school timetable is set in such a manner that once a week each class from class vix is taught through technology for a period of almost 90 minutes. as the project was initiated by department of education, m.p. government for its efficacy, therefore, all the material and resources given by the microsoft company to the school was the property of education department which can’t be shared with others as a matter of policy. so, details of the content could not be shared with the researcher, completely. the project got ended in december, 2016 and microsoft company facilitator was moved out of the school. as per the latest information project was not extended to other schools. though, school and its teachers were utilizing their training to teach students through technology as they had learned in the training and through their own experiences. about the school the government girls higher secondary school is located in jehangirabad at old bhopal. the school is located in a very congested place mostly inhabited by people of low socioeconomic status. the percentage of muslims has larger share in the total population in the area. if we look at the occupational status of the parents of the children studying in the school, majority of parents are found to be working as street vendors, motor mechanics, daily casual labourers, or working in some shops. recently, government of madhya pradesh has started english medium sections in some of the schools in bhopal and this school is one of them which is running a section of english medium along with hindi medium of instruction. main findings data collected from different tools and sources has been clubbed under several headings for the ease of understanding. • attendance pattern of students – attendance in classrooms is one indicator for knowing the effectiveness of teaching-learning process. a basic indicator of opportunity to learn, in elaine allen worth’s view is, student attendance. “if kids are not in school, they are not learning,” she observed, and proposed an indicator of, school attendance by age. data collected from the attendance register has been encapsulated in the following table: table 1: class-wise average attendance class total enrolment average attendance per month previous year july august september october november vi 50 30 39 42 44 42 45 vii 47 33 38 41 45 39 43 viii 55 37 42 45 49 43 47 indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 20 from the above table, it is easy to decipher that the attendance has improved since the introduction of the project in the school. attendance is often viewed as a trivial or low-level predictor, she added but, it is highly predictive of eventual educational attainment. this is because, it influences learning, grades, and graduation rates. thus, increase in attendance is promising for the teachers, the teaching-learning process and the project too. • experience of the learners – learners were excited to share their experiences of learning with ‘tablets’. they equivocally said that they are learning new things and they enjoy more when they are learning through tablets. it was reported that students tried to look for new information on tablets on their own also, which aids selflearning. students reported that absenteeism from the school was common. but, as teachers started taking classes with the help of technology and students were made to use tablets for learning process, they avoid taking leave from the school. now, they find learning to be joyful and enriching and they do not miss the school. these positive experiences of the learners pave a way for effective learning. poole and de sanctis (1990) suggest three dimensions that indicate appropriation: faithfulness, attitudes and level of consensus. this means, technology structures will only have their intended effect if the design principles are kept intact (faithfulness), if members do not react negatively to it (attitudes), and if members agree substantially over how structures are used (consensus). • experiences of the teachers – before understanding the experiences of the teachers, a short demographic detail of the teachers can be given. in all, thirteen teachers from the school, of different subjects, were trained by the microsoft trainer. out of these, four teachers were males and rest nine were females. all the teachers were trained teachers having at least graduation degree with either lt/b.ed./d.el.ed. degree. the average age of teachers in the school was 46.6 years. the seniormost teacher was 58 years old whereas, the youngest teacher was 40 years old. all the teachers had minimum 12 years of teaching experience in various government schools of madhya pradesh. during the focused group discussion with the teachers, the researcher observed that there was initial resentment or fear among them about the use of new technology in the teaching-learning process. during discussions with them it was said: ‘hum classroom mein blackboard par padhane wale log the aur achanak yeh technology – hum nahi chahte the ki hume padhane ke tarika badalna pade’. since it was a pilot project started by the state government with microsoft company, so it started in five different districts of madhya pradesh including, bhopal. they appreciated the role of microsoft trainer and their school principal who encouraged them to adapt to the new technology. the training was valued for making them learn the use of new technology. while talking to microsoft trainer, the school principal indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 21 reported that there were lot of apprehensions among teachers about learning and using technology and it took teachers six months (january to june, 2016) to get trained. this included, use of technological devices and integration of technology in teaching-learning process. microsoft trainer also helped teachers to develop small modules (lesson plan) on different topics. teachers had to be convinced that they can learn technology and use them for their own benefit and for the benefit of their students. microsoft trainer also ascertained that after the initial phase of training, teachers started using technology for themselves and for their students, making the teaching-learning process interactive and joyful. as one of the teachers among them said, ‘mujhe ab mazaa aata hai ab main class mein padhaane ke liye aati hun to bachhon ke chehre ki muskan mujhe khushi deti hai’. they further opined that learners were curious and eager to learn. they themselves felt that the process of teaching has become easier. teachers felt that a new environment has been created in the classroom. the attendance pattern of learners has changed and there is an increase in punctuality and attendance of learners in the classroom. they further showed their gratitude to master trainer of microsoft for helping them in learning technology the manner in which technology would be integrated in the classroom learning. from a teacher’s perspective, deghaidy and nouby (2008) have suggested a blended e-learning approach required for new pedagogic skills so that, the learner gains the most from the course. further, they have also highlighted the effectiveness of handling technology in different in-service programmes. they have further emphasized on hands-on experience and its benefits. • experience of the principal – the school principal was very optimistic about the project. the initial ‘excitement’ about technology among the learners and an initial ‘hitch’ among the teachers was felt at the beginning. but, the positive effects of technology integrated learning could be gradually seen in attendance, level of curiosity, punctuality, and the general confidence of the learners. the recent inspection of the school by an outside group also gave a positive feedback with regard to the performance of learners. the collaborative efforts of teachers and learners was appreciated in making the project a success. teachers, especially of urdu language were found to have well adapted to the technology. teachers have been able to use the lcd projector and other things comfortably for regular teaching exercise and the efforts of the microsoft team was lauded. • experience of the trainer – the training of teachers for use of technology for teaching and integration of technology in teaching-learning was found difficult by the trainer. the unfavourable attitude the teachers had regarding adoption of new technology was held responsible for this. however, gradually the teachers have been found adapting to these technologies and learning. the trainer was found to be more optimistic about the learners because, the amount of efforts put in by them was large to learn the use of new technology. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 22 the trainer opined that the adoption of new technology seems to have made the teachinglearning process more enjoyable especially, for learners. the team aimed at developing digital lessons for teachers which would further add impetus to the teaching-learning process. conclusion technology has the potential to support curriculum and policy reform. however, reform efforts alone will not cause the necessary change. there is a reciprocal relation between reform and technology. as means (1994) argued, technology drives reform in education, but also ‘education reform makes a school ripe for technology’ (p. xii). it should not be assumed in any case that once technology is introduced in schools, reform will automatically take place. reforms can happen only when technology is integrated in schools through in-service professional development of teachers, reform during pre-service training and reform of pedagogical practices from teacher-centred to student-centred approaches. this not only calls for increased efforts but, also financial assistance. it is an accepted fact that for successful technology integration, there needs to be a shift in pedagogical approaches which requires reforms of teacher education programmes. with the study of literature and the research on the concerned project, it can be argued that if technology has to be made an integral part of instruction in elementary and secondary schools, then changes need to be made in teacher education both, at pre-service and inservice stages. this would prepare the prospective teachers as well as practicing teachers for better integration of technology in the teaching-learning process. this further implies that emphasis needs to be placed on policy and curriculum reforms as, they relate to the use of information technologies for teacher education. references arora, p. 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(1990), the impact of it on the school curriculum: downwards, sideways, backwards and forwards, journal of curriculum studies, 22(1), 56-63. ebscohost. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0022027900220105 goos, merrilyn et al., (2003), perspectives on technology mediated learning in secondary school mathematics classrooms. the journal of mathematical behavior, 22, pp 73-89. 10.1016/s0732-3123(03)00005-1. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 1 research article documentation of sign languages of north east india (dr. melissa g. wallang, assistant professor, nerie-ncert, email: melissancert@gmail.com) abstract today, technological advancements offer much more solutions in ensuring accessibility for the d/deaf community in school education. computer tools and programs have made the task of documenting sign languages easier and more efficient. this paper describes the documentation of sign language varieties in the north east region (ner) of the indian sign language for wider and web-based dissemination of resources for the teachers and the students in classroom transaction. the nature of sign languages requires a visual database to be stored systematically and designed in a user-friendly manner for ease of access. documentation of sign language is a still a major necessity in india and particularly in the ner. this paper is not debating on what sign language is or how it differs from spoken language; rather, it focuses on how such documentation has resulted in a web-based app known as ‘nesl sign bank’. keywords: sign language; deaf; deaf; documentation; sign bank; north east region introduction technology has played a major role in every aspect of our lives and it is now, indispensable in the sphere of human connection and communication. it has proved to be more of a boon for the d/deaf* community who rely on visual media for communication, i.e. sign language (a language based on visual-spatial mode). with emerging technologies in a range of media services such as computer programs and applications, resource materials for education in sign language can be developed and designed with the aim of providing effective classroom transaction between teachers and students in an interesting manner. prior to the 1960’s, sign language did not receive any linguistic attention even though its existence had been documented in various literatures. sign language has similar grammatical features as any spoken language, the only difference is that, it is produced by the hands and indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 2 perceived by the eyes. the emergence of the concept of language in visual modality as propounded by stokoe (stokoe, 1960) triggered further linguistic research on the differences between spoken and sign language, and on empowering the linguistic status of sign language. his pioneering work, sign language structure: an outline of the visual communication system of the american deaf reveals that sign language operates in ways similar to spoken language. in the last 40 years, the field of sign linguistics has shown that sign language is a natural language that fulfils the same functions and has the same standards as any spoken language. attempts to study sign language and the deaf community in india started in the 1970’s by vasishta, woodward & wilson (vasishta et.al., 1978, 1980, 1985 and 1987). their findings indicated lexical variations in basic signs and they provided evidences of the existence of similar syntactic patterns of sign structure across india. they concluded that indian sign varieties in these four major cities (mumbai, new delhi, bangalore and kolkata) are one language, which is indian sign language (isl). their studies have been compiled and outlined in 4 dictionaries in book form. sociological studies were further carried out by jepson (1991a, 1991b and 1991c), and miles (2001). more attempts include the comparative study of isl with the pakistani sign language by zeshan (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003a, and 2003b) which is known as the indo-pakistani sign language grammar. zeshan (2000) suggested that ipsl may be operating all over india and pakistan with varying degrees of dialectical variation which require more research. linguistic analysis of isl has been initiated in india which provides an elaborate description of how the language works (sinha, 2003 and 2017). researches related to the lexicography of sign language have been published over the years. the first known dictionary of signs was produced by john bulwer in 1648. however, sign language lexicography did not actually begin until 1965 when the first sign language dictionary based on linguistic principles was published by stokoe, casterline and croneberg (stokoe et.al., 1976). it is widely known as the dictionary of american sign language on linguistic principles (dasl) which set off further development of sign language dictionaries all over the world. most of these sign language dictionaries developed around this era was in indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 3 book form. these dictionaries were developed on the basis of spoken language which was translated into signs for the hearing community. most sign language dictionaries that have been published in the 1970’s and 1980’s are uni-directional bilingual dictionaries (schermer, 2004). the most widely known bilingual dictionaries of sign language in book form are the gallaudet dictionary of american sign language (valli, 2006); the australian sign language dictionary (auslan) by johnston (johnston, 1989); and the dictionary of british sign language (bsl) by david brien (brien, 1992). there are various forms of sign language dictionary; some are developed for a specialized field, for example, legal terms, computer terms, medical, etc. there has also been development of a machine system for translation from speech to sign or viceversa for example spoken text to sign language. in india, several attempts have been made to document sign language in book form and many have begun to document isl for an online course as well as in web and mobile based applications such as the “talking hands” (deaf enabled foundation, bengaluru initiated in 2013). since 2000, the ramakrishna mission in coimbatore (2001) has also documented sign language according to different semantic categories derived from a project in collaboration with cbm international. wallang (2007, 2014 and 2015) has also attempted to analyse the situation of deaf education in shillong and document the language used by the deaf community in the form of a multi-media dictionary of shillong sign language (shsl). at present, the indian sign language research training centre, (under the ministry of social justice and empowerment, govt. of india) has recently launched an isl dictionary encompassing the varieties of sign languages operating in the country, with an entry of 3000 words. in this context, documentation of the sign language varieties in ner can contribute to their endeavor. at this point of development, a multi-media dictionary is not the main objective of the documentation since it almost feels impossible to produce work of the same level of quality and precision as seen in the sign language dictionary developed for the bsl by brien (1992). thus, the term ‘sign bank’ is adopted for this web based documentation to signify a collection of signs (at the lexical level) recorded from the native signers across the ner. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 4 considering the rich diversity of the region in terms of culture and languages, it is expected that the type of sign languages used in the states will also differ extensively from one state to another. at this point, lexical variants are being considered and incorporated into the sign bank. each sign-meaning collected has simply been translated into english as the majority of the schools use english as the medium of instruction. it does not describe the grammatical properties of each sign. there have been no linguistic studies that take into account the sign languages operating in north eastern india. the most striking feature of the ner is its linguistic situation where 70% of india’s spoken languages are found. as per the census, 2011 the ner is home to 122 languages, with arunachal pradesh having the highest number of 90 languages. amongst the 122 languages, 4 fall in the category of scheduled languages (goi, 2010). english is the official language in nagaland, mizoram, meghalaya and sikkim except in the states of assam and tripura. although all the tribal languages have the same equal status as a language, only 27 tribal languages have found a place in the school curriculum in their respective states. the d/deaf people co-exist with these varied linguistic communities who are themselves struggling to empower their own isl (collaborating with the national association of the deaf) and fighting for linguistic survival in the globalised world. as compared to the past, with today’s social media and instant communication access, the deaf communities existing in each state are more closely linked with each other. the native signers are constantly exposed to other sign language native signers. with the rapid development of isl, the contact of the deaf communities of the ner and isl native signers have become more frequent through various platforms such as deaf conventions, conferences, gatherings, and other interactive activities. such activities are conducted by ngos working for the welfare of the disabled. hence, there is a likelihood of finding cognates of isl in the sign languages used by the deaf community in this region. for example, the regional deaf conference organized by the ferrando speech hearing centre, shillong (with the national association of the deaf in october, 2017) indicates the existence of a larger deaf community and considering the varied numbers of spoken languages and culture found in this region, it is no surprise that different varieties of signs particularly at the lexical level was found, with the exception of nagaland. in meghalaya, indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 5 british sign language (bsl) was initially introduced, and then the american sign language (asl). at present, one school is using the isl mumbai variety while in another the sign language developed by the coimbatore team is being used. the types of fingerspelling used are the double-handed fingerspelling (isl) and the single-handed asl fingerspelling (wallang, 2014). isl is found in almost all the states in the north east, with the exception of nagaland where asl is used. this school (details available in the app) makes use of a different variety of signs and the sign system used in this school resembles the asl lexical items and as well as the word order. although, most signs denote the cultural aspects specific to their community in terms of food habits, dress, customs, etc. in mizoram a dictionary (2004) of mizo sign language (2004) has been published and it comprises of signs commonly used in the state, with the integration of the asl varieties. the term nesl adopted here refers to the collection of sign language varieties commonly used by the deaf community across the ner. nesl: a sign bank is a proto-type version consisting of a sign language database which is commonly used in the field of education. signs included in this web-app cover several areas which have been classified into different semantic categories i.e. basic words, question words, kinship terms, colour terms, food items, locations, professions, educational terms (of various subject areas), etc. besides these words, alphabets in english or fingerspellings, both single-handed and double-handed, along with numerals, have also been included. the nesl sign bank offers technological resources to teachers for enhancing communication access to the d/deaf children in an inclusive classroom. significance of the documentation over the past few decades, the accumulated research findings have brought forth significant breakthroughs that highlight the value sign languages have for d/deaf children in the context of the present education system. in india, however, despite the academic research that has already been initiated, a wide gap still exists between the academicians and school practitioners, and furthermore, the academic contributions are hardly visible in school education. misconceptions about the language and the deaf community still abound across indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 6 school educational programmes and policies due to the lack of substantial and useful academic resources. in the context of education, sign language in india still fails to make its way into the school curriculum and the classrooms that deaf children attend. as one of the priority areas in promoting inclusive education, the national curriculum framework (2005) states that “children with language-related impairments should be introduced to standard sign languages, which can support their continued growth and development to the fullest. a recognition of the linguistic abilities of learners would encourage them to believe in themselves and their cultural moorings” (ncert, 2005, p. 36). johnson et.al., (1989) highlighted the importance of natural sign language right from an early stage which is critical in second language learning development and discussed the incongruities that abounds deaf education around the world. further, they pointed out that the adoption of total communication method, which is an inclusive approach to deaf education, is actually ‘crypto-oralism’ where the use of sign language to learn english is simply a process of literal translation of words for signs, rather than using a natural sign language. they also stressed that it is only the d/deaf children’s natural sign language that is justifiable in being used in the school so as to make the curricular content more linguistically accessible. it is within such similar notions that the nesl sign bank was developed so as to ensure easy accessibility to resources in sign language (derived from the community members) for classroom interaction. at this point, however, the level of documentation has been initiated only at the lexical level, and the task of incorporating such lexical items structurally in a sentence remains a future endeavour. there is a dearth of sign language materials that can be used as educational reference materials in india, particularly in the context of ner. on this basis, there is a pressing need to document the sign language in the region and produce sign language resources that can support future developments. several studies have discussed the challenges faced by deaf communities around the world and they are no different from the deaf communities in the ner. this nesl sign bank is only a small step towards eliminating the language barriers in the educational context of indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 7 north east india. thus, in one of the most linguistically diverse regions of india, only a multi-lingual education model which can accommodate sign language as having an equal status with other spoken languages can truly minimize the barriers of education for the deaf. methods of documentation the process of documentation begins with the recording of selected data and the methods used are similar to the process of data collection used for linguistic documentation of any spoken language. however, because of the differences in modality in the transmission channel i.e. in the perception and production of sign languages, video recording was employed for the research to capture the accuracy of data. moreover, sign languages make use of space, movements, handshapes, etc. which significantly and uniquely define the linguistic structural system which only a video recording can capture. data was collected from native signers (d/deaf who are members of deaf communities in the states and the region) out of a random sampling of population from inclusive schools and special schools (both private and government schools) in the ner. further, deaf associations, deaf clubs and other ngos were consulted for data collection. data was collected through a series of video recordings, using a digital video camcorder. video recordings can capture the accurate descriptions of lexical signs in terms of all its specified features. the lexical items that were collected consist of a word-list and words capturing various semantic, grammatical categories and educational terms comprising of approximately 5000 words. compilation of nesl sign bank online access to sign languages is available around the world and a few exist in india which are mostly dedicated to fulfilling daily communicative needs. this nesl: sign bank provides online access to sign languages in the context of school education. it is an online educational resource that contains information regarding the types of sign languages used by the deaf community. this web app has been developed using free online software programs (open source) which aim at supporting the education of d/deaf people across the region. the application will be hosted in nerie-ncert website to cater to educational institutions in the ner. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 8 the web app contains information about how a particular english word is used in sign language. for instance, if a teacher teaching a d/deaf child in the classroom does not know how to sign the word ‘experiment’, he/she can use the app to access information about how it is signed. signs have been arranged in alphabetical order so that a user can simply click on the window containing the nesl: sign bank and either scroll down to the alphabet ‘e’ to look for the sign ‘experiment’ or simply type the word in the search window which is placed adjacent to the nesl: sign bank icon on the main window page. when a user clicks on the selected english word, the corresponding or equivalent sign is automatically displayed in video format. besides the lexical items, users can also access information about the research background and other materials which relate to how sign language works and functions. characteristic features of nesl web app 1. format: web based application that can be accessed offline as well as online. 2. technical information: this web app has been developed using free online software programs (open source) which aim at supporting the education of d/deaf people across the region. • software used: visual studio, xampp server, mysql, adobe premiere pro (for video editing). • web development using htm5, css,php a) html (hypertext markup language) for designing the web app. • a database is created using mysql. (standard query language) a particular word is linked to the particular video. the words are stored in alphabetical order in the database. each word is linked to a particular video by storing the path location of the video (for that particular word). indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 9 3. layout: nesl sign bank consists of five navigation tabs/windows in the vertical menu bar. the main sections of the app are presented in this section as follows: (i) homepage: the homepage of “nesl sign bank” contains the background of the webapp. it gives an introduction to the web app stating that it is a collection of signs that have been collected from different parts of the ner in order to facilitate teachers to use sign language for the benefit of the deaf children studying in the different states of the region. teachers in different government schools and ngo’s have expressed their difficulty in finding resources to help them communicate with the deaf students in their classrooms and thus, nerie-ncert has taken upon itself the task of providing context-based vocabulary specifically tailored for the academic needs of their classrooms. teachers can now simply, log on to the internet, type the word that they are looking for and a video of the sign will be displayed. this app not only provides the word list and signs, but also the grammar of the sign language along with background knowledge of the deaf community of the ner the process .of developing this sign bank is a continuous process that is regularly being improved upon by the developers through more research and the feedback given by the users. (ii) nesl sign bank: this tab contains the explanation of the question, “what is nesl?” it has a “dictionary” having words listed in alphabetical order which the user can access easily with a click of a button. examples of two variants of a single sign meaning have been found in two states. if a sign is found to be commonly used across the region, only one sign video citation is used. besides the dictionary, it also has a “fingerspellings” tab which consists of both the single-handed and double-handed alphabets in english. the single-handed finger spellings are based on the american sign language which is adapted within the indian deaf community. a tab representing the “numerals” in sign language is also available. (iii) educational resources: most often teachers teaching d/deaf children are unaware of how sign language works and how in the absence of sound, a language can be used in similar ways like any other language. therefore, the window/tab on ‘educational resources’ provides a glimpse into the nature of sign language and provides basic insights that will equip teachers with the grammatical properties of the language. the tab ‘contact us’ provides users a chance to send their comments and feedback and to contact the developers indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 10 for any further information that they may require for classroom transaction the tab/window ’the team’ consists of information about the team members responsible for the documentation and compilation of the database for nesl sign bank. instructions for installation (i) software requirements: web browser, mysql and xampp or wampp (provided in pendrive) (ii) instructions for installation: step 1: installation of mysql 1. install mysql (either 32 bit for 64 bit depending on the computer configuration). 2. open the folder named “software”, click on either “mysql-5.7.19-win32” or “mysql-5.7.19-winx64”. 3. after clicking on it, a window will pop out; click on “next”. 4. click on a checkbox “i accept the terms in the license agreement” 5. then click on “next” 6. click on “typical” 7. click on “install” 8. click on “yes”, and then click on “finish”. step 2: install xampp 1. click on “xampp-portable-win32-5.6.31-0-vc11-installer” 2. a window will pop up, click on “yes” 3. click on “next”, go “next” 4. click on “next”, again “next” indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 11 5. click on “next” 6. wait as it will take some time 7. when it is done, click on “finish” 8. choose the language, then click on “save”. 9. a window will pop up, go to step 3. step 3: go to xampp control panel 1. go to start menu, type xampp control panel 2. when the panel is open, click on start button near what it is written “apache” and also click on the start button near what it is written “mysql”. 3. now, click on admin which is on same row with mysql. 4. a screen will be displayed, do not close it, go to step 4 for importing database. step 4: importing database 1. click on “new” which is on the left hand side of the screen. 2. you will see “create database”, so create the database with the name “signbank” (note: all the letters of the word “signbank” are in small letters). 3. click on “create”. 4. click on “import” 5. click on browse; go to the location where the sql file is. (if it is in the pendrive, go to the pendrive and select the folder named “database” , click on “signbank”. 6. click on “go” which is below. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 12 step 5: the web app 1. go to the folder named “nesl” 2. copy the folder “nesl” 3. go to c drive, open “xampp” folder, go to “htdocs”, paste it here. 4. now, open your browse example, google chrome or microsoft edge or any browser. 5. type “localhost/nesl/index.html” 6. now the “nesl” web app is ready. future projections and conclusion at present this study has managed to incorporate data at the lexical level only. due to time constraints, most varieties could not be covered. therefore, there is a need to document more linguistic aspects of the sign languages in ner. the outcome of this research, as mentioned earlier, has been compiled in a web-based application and hence, the nesl signbank is proposed to be hosted in the official website of of north east regional institute of education. at present, the application has been sent to the national informatics centre, meghalaya state centre, for auditing and hopes that it will find a place in the official website of the institute. acknowledgement: the development of this database would not have been possible without the support of the deaf community in the region and particularly the schools and institutions working for deaf education. with the support of ncert (pac), this nesl sign bank will surely further the cause of promoting inclusive schools in the country and empower the deaf community here in the ner. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 13 references b. j. (1648). chirologia; or, the natural language of the hand. composed of the speaking motions, and discoursing gestures thereof. whereunto is added chironomia; or, the art of manuall rhetoricke. consisting of the naturall expressions, digested by art in the hand, as the chiefest instrument of eloquence: by historicall manifestos, exemplified out of the authentique registers of common life and civill conversation. london: printed by t.h. and are to be sold by fran. tyton. brien, d. (1992). dictionary of british sign language / english. london: faber and faber. indian sign language dictionary. (2000). ramakrishna mission vidhalaya. international human resource development centre, for the disabled, coimbatore. india. goi, 48th report on linguistic minorities (2010). the 50th report does not make any general observations and recommendations. report accessed online on february 3, 2017 from www.delhi.gov.in. p. 211, paragraph 38.10. (n.d.). indian sign language dictionary. (2000). ramakrishna mission vidhalaya, international human resource development center, for the disabled, coimbatore, india. johnson, r. e. and erting, c. j. (1989). unlocking the curriculum: principles for achieving access in deaf education. working paper 89-3. (n.d.). retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ed316978.pdf. jepson, jill. (1991a). two sign languages in a single village in india. sign language studies 20.70: 47-59. jepson, jill. (1991b). urban and rural sign language in india. language in society 20: 37-57. jepson, jill. (1991c).some aspects of deaf experience in india. sign language studies 20.73:453-459 johnston, trevor. (1989). auslan: the sign language of the australian deaf community. university of sydney. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 14 miles, m. (2001). signs of development in deaf south & south-west asia: histories, cultural identities, resistance to cultural imperialism. independent living institute. mizo sign language. (2004). society for rehabilitation spastic children, mizoram and gilzom offset. aizawl. ncert. (2005). national curriculum framework. ncert, new delhi. schermer, trude. (2004). sign language lexicography. dutch sign centre. http://www.gebarencentrum.nl/publicaties/upload/89_file1.pdf, accessed september 8. 2009. (n.d.). sinha, s. (2003). a skeletal grammar of indian sign language. unpublished m.phil. dissertation, jawaharlal nehru university, new delhi. sinha, s. (2017). indian sign language: an analysis of its grammar. gallaudet university press. stokoe, william c. (1960). sign language structure: an outline of the visual communication system of the american deaf. studies in linguistics, occasional papers 8. new york: university of buffalo. stokoe, w. c., casterline, d. c., & croneberg, c. g. (1976). a dictionary of american sign language on linguistic principles. linstok press. valli, c. (ed.). (2006). the gallaudet dictionary of american sign language. gallaudet university press. vasishta, m., woodward, j., & wilson, k. (1978). sign language in india: regional variation within the deaf population. indian journal of applied linguistics, 4(2), 66-74. vasishta, m., woodward, j., & de santis, s. (1980). an introduction to indian sign language:(focus on delhi). all india federation of the deaf. vasishta, m. m., woodward, j., de santis, s., & sharma, v. (1985). an introduction to the bangalore variety of indian sign language. gallaudet research institute. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 15 vasishta, m. m., woodward, j., de santis, s., & sharma, v. (1987). an introduction to the calcutta variety of indian sign language. gallaudet research institute. wallang, m. g. (2007). sign linguistics and language education of the deaf: a study of residential and day schools for the deaf in shillong. wallang m. g. (2014). introduction to sign language. a visual dictionary. lakshi publication. new delhi. wallang, m. g. (2015). the making of the shillong sign language multimedia lexicon (shsl mml). sign language studies, 15(3), 296-321. zeshan, u. (2000). sign language in indo-pakistan: a description of a signed language. john benjamins publishing. zeshan, u. (2001). mounting in indopakistani sign language (ipsl): regularities and variation.. in p. boyes-braem & r. sutton-spence (eds.), the hand is the mouth: the mouth as articulator in sign language. hamburg: signum zeshan, u. (2002). towards a notion of ‘word' in sign languages(pp. 153-179). cambridge: cambridge university press. zeshan, u. (2003a). indo-pakistani sign language grammar: a typological outline. sign language studies, 157-212. zeshan, u. (2003b). classificatory’constructions in indo-pakistani sign language: grammaticalization and lexicalization processes. perspectives on classifier constructions in sign languages, 41-113. *(note: the term 'deaf' is used with a capital 'd' referring to a group of deaf people whose first language is sign language having their own specific and unique culture and a community of their own, which is the contemporary trend in linguistic research. in this paper, the same convention is also followed.) indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 11 research article perception of teachers and students towards computer-based tests: an analysis in terms of gender, subject background and computer efficiency level ananya singh* and mayank k. singh** *guest faculty, department of education, university of allahabad, prayagraj **senior program associate, india action health trust, up-tsu, lucknow corresponding author: ananya singh, email: sananya31@gmail.com abstract this paper concerns about the perception of government intermediate teachers and biology intermediate students regarding the mode of examination as computer-based test (cbt) verses paper-pencil test (ppt). perception is very close to attitude and easy to measure by the intended behavior. the survey analysis highlighted the significant difference between the perception of intermediate teachers and intermediate students towards modes of examination with reference to their gender, subject background and computer efficiency level. it has been suggested that male teachers and male students perceived more positively about computer-based test and same with the science background and computer efficient participants. the effectiveness of computer-based test was also studied based on 16 parameters of effectiveness as perceived by the stakeholders, which supported that computer-based tests is more effective than paperpencil tests. keywords: academic achievement, computer-based test, paper-pencil tests, perception, computer efficiency level introduction in the mid twentieth century, frederic mather lord, who contributed significantly to the theory and applications of educational measurement, postulated computerbased and computerized adaptive testing (wainer, h., & stocking, m., 2000). according to frederic mather lord, computer-based tests are defined as tests or assessments that are administered by a computer in either a stand-alone or networked configuration or by other technology devices linked to the world wide web via the internet. there are strong interests in computerbased test and earlier researchers have identified many positive merits of this approach of assessment, including: efficient administration, students preference, self-selection options for students, improved writing performance, built in accommodation, immediate results, efficient items development, increased authenticity, etc. (noyes & garland, 2008). however, with computer-based tests (cbt), there are also potential negative unintended consequences. these may include the possibility of additional training for students with disabilities to interact successfully with computers and the challenges of determining the best way to present and accommodate indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 12 accessories like screen readers for visually impaired and other assistive technologies for students with other disabilities (ozden, m.y., erturk, i., & sanli, r. (2004). despite its popularity, computer-based tests face accessibility challenges also, which reduces the validity of the assessment results and exclude some groups of student from assessment participation. studies also reported the disadvantage of computer-based tests as students’ anxiety increases among those who are unfamiliar with use of computers (lim, et al., 2006) and such students agreed that they are “technophobic”. the challenge to test examinees by means of microcomputers demands appropriate software design but it also confirms that computerbased tests are not a cost effective and fully secured as compared to the paperpencil test method but studies of choi and tinkler, 2002; kim and huynh, 2007 reported that computer-based tests are fully secured and cost effective. a study conducted by peter, et al. (2004) advised that teachers with many years of traditional teaching experience do not want and support computer-based tests. they are more comfortable to facilitate traditional mode (paper-pencil test) of test over computer-based test. in contrast, a paper-pencil test (ppt) is a test where the problems or queries are penned, printed, or drawn and the answers are penned on paper. paperpencil test refer to a general group of assessment tools in which candidates read questions and responded on paper. in india, it has been the norm since the establishment of formal education and all the stakeholders are very well adapted with paper-pencil tests. many earlier studies strongly supported that computer-based tests are more effective compared to paper-pencil test in terms of flexibility, lesser chances of double answering, mock practices, immense set of question papers, lesser clerical mistakes, easy accessibility, immediate feedback, disable student friendly, cost effective, fully secured, time saver, user adaptive and curbs impersonations (lim, e. c., ong, b. k., wilder-smith, e. p., & seet, r. c., 2006). as computer-based tests began to be used for summative assessment in several examinations, it is important to establish whether computer-based testing is perceived equally to paperpencil test (powers, d.e. & o’neill, k., 1993; (anakwe, 2008). advancement in technology is forcing educational institutions to update and use educational technologies within its education system. several entrance tests and other annual test are now conducted as computer-based test therefore it becomes critical to ascertain teachers’ and students’ perception towards computer-based test for its efficient usage and paper-pencil test. many answers are still unanswerable especially the differences in perceptions to computer-based tests with respect to the gender, subject background and computer efficiency level of various stakeholders. finally, it is also necessary to evaluate which mode of testing is more effective in terms of parameters like cost effectiveness, easy to use, time saving and others. it will be helpful for government to fill up, if such gaps are identified. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 13 review of the related literature earlier studies have been done to develop the relationship between the impact of ict and academic performance. evidence based relationship were seen between the use of computer in assessment and attitude of teachers and students. although, many participants knew as they were part of an experiment, which affected their responses towards computer-based tests (elsaadani, 2013; varol, 2013; lal, 2014; nugroho, et al., 2018). perception is also very close to attitude and easy to measure by the intended behaviour. it is a process by which organisms interpret and organize sensations to produce a meaningful experience of the world (jimoh, r. g., shittu, a. j. k., & kawu, y. k., 2012). receptivity of the stimuli is usually decided by the person’s awareness and acceptability for the stimuli, a person’s existing beliefs, attitude, motivation, and personality, which are helpful to perceive (assael, 1995). attitude and perception towards the use of computers needs to be evaluated for effective implement of technological advancement in the classroom (stevens, 1982). elliott (2008) believed that computers, especially in teaching, are already playing a big role in achieving its target but the test is also an important part of teaching which should be conducted accurately and in a formative manner according to the latest instructions. drent and meelissen (2008) provided a broad discussion of those teachers and students having positive attitudes towards computer and ict uses in the classroom leading to purposeful and innovative practices in the teaching-learning process. if teachers’ attitudes are positive toward the use of educational technology, then, they can easily provide useful insights about the adoption and integration of ict into teaching-learning processes as supported by the study of keengwe, et al. (2008). cavas, et al. (2009) revealed that relationship between teachers’ attitude and factors which are related to teachers’ characteristics (gender, age, and computer efficiency) indicated that science teachers have a positive attitude towards ict uses although teachers’ attitude towards ict uses do not differ regarding gender, it differs regarding age and computer efficiency. a study of flowers, et al. (2011) reported that students perceived more to prefer the cbt to the ppt, and students believed they performed better using the computer. additional research that controls extraneous factors such as instructional time and familiarity with the testing environment is recommended to better evaluate the relationship between testing modes and academic performance. jamil et al. (2012) reported that teachers’ attitudes were positive towards computer-based tests but in some situations they preferred paperpencil tests. female and teachers who have computer training certificate and experiences were more positive towards computer-based test. jeong (2014) clarified that computerbased tests offer real-time scoring and immediate feedback, facilitate the use of individualised testing methods, improve test administration indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 14 and reduce test expenses. thus, most previous studies have tended to focus on the technical advantages and effectiveness of computer-based tests and implementation issues. there is a moderate and positive relationship between the age of participants and their attitude towards ict has been found thus, when considering attitude towards ict by teaching staff members, age is a significant factor (elsaadani, 2013). lal (2014) investigated that the vast majority of secondary school teachers have a positive attitude towards ict about their school teaching subjects for many reasons. sern, et al. (2017) suggested in their study that video technology is plausible to be used in teaching practicum evaluation. besides, their findings also reflect that the students possess a high level of flexibility and ability to adapt innovative technology in their works. a study on the topic “students perception on the use of computerbased test” concluded that there was significance difference between the paper-pencil test and computer-based test. practically, this result suggested that students with different test method prefer to have tests other than what they were having (nugroho, et al., 2018). billions of examinations and assessments are administered every year across. by delivering a test, one is aiming to use the information provided by the test in making a decision about the individual taking the test. tests have been traditionally administered through the paper-pencils tests methods but at advent of the twentieth century, researchers sought to find a more or rather convenient means of administering tests. thus with the introduction of the computer-based test, it continued to impress and has been seen by more and more institutions to adopt it as a reliable means of test administration (jawaid, m., moosa, f. a., jaleel, f., & ashraf, j., 2014). objectives of this study the goal of this study is to identify the perception of stakeholders towards computer-based tests and paperpencil tests as well as effectiveness of computer-based tests. in the current study the following research questions were addressed: 1. does the teachers’ perception differ towards computer-based tests in reference to their gender, subject background and computer efficiency level. 2. does the students’ perception differ towards computer-based tests in reference to their gender, subject background and computer efficiency level. 3. to measure the perception of teachers and students towards computer-based test based on several effectiveness parameters. method procedure to assess the perception difference regarding two modes of tests, a planned “perception rating scale for computerbased test” was constructed with high 0.71 reliability and validated by experts. this scale had consent letter indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 15 in front followed by two other sections. in the first section, participants were requested to fill about gender, subject background (science or non-science) and their computer efficiency level, ranging from very poor, poor, medium, good and excellent. second section had 26 perception-based statements for computer-based and paper-pencil tests. participants noted their responses as agreed; undecided and disagreed and recorded as +1, 0 and -1 respectively. quantitatively data was collected and analysed by its distribution (percentage) and using chi-square. out of the total 26 statements, 16 different statements were selected based on the previous studies for effectiveness parameter of computer-based tests. participants a list was prepared by purposive sampling method from target population followed by random selection from enlisted purposefully selected sample. random selection was made possible by lottery method. samples were chosen from the cbse board schools, kendriya vidyalaya, a central government regulated premiere school in uttar pradesh, india for the survey. 150 intermediate teachers were selected from kendriya vidyalaya schools of prayagraj and varanasi where 60 intermediate students were selected from kendriya vidyalaya (kv) school of prayajraj district in uttar pradesh (09 kvs from prayaraj and 03 kvs from varanasi for teacher sample). data was collected durng the end session of 20172018 (appendices a & b). the reason for selecting only kendriya vidyalaya was that these schools are supposed to be fully equipped with working computers with good internet facilities. therefore, it was supposed that the participant in the present study would be very much familiar with the use of computer and also have some experiences of computer-based test along with paperpencil test. result and discussion table-1 shows the results of intermediate teachers’ perception towards computer-based and paperpencil tests at an intermediate level in reference to their gender, subject background, and computer efficiency level. gender-wise comparison: significant differences were found between the perception among male and female teachers for the statement 3 (χ2 = 6.6381 > 5.991, α = 0.05, df = 2) and 5 (χ2 = 8.3672 > 5.991, α = 0.05, df = 2). the result showed that 74.4% male teachers and only 35percent female teachers agreed that students can practice mock test before final computer-based examinations (statement 3), while 62.2percent male and 41.7percent female teachers agreed that students waste their few minutes in redrawing any diagram on rough (statement 5). the probable reason for significant difference among male and female teachers regarding mock practices and wastage of time in redrawing the diagram in computer-based tests is that male teachers may be more exposed to ict and technology as compared to female teachers. the same finding was suggested by karamti, (2016); jegede, (2009). indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 16 comparison by subject background: significant differences were found between the perception among science and non-science teachers or the statement 1st (χ2 = 6.0135 > 5.991, α = 0.05, df = 2), 2nd (χ2 = 6.9382 > 5.991, α = 0.05, df = 2), 6th (χ2 = 8.9679 > 5.991, α = 0.05, df = 2), 16th (χ2 = 9.3870 > 5.991, α = 0.05, df = 2), and 24th (χ2 = 7.3920 > 5.991, α = 0.05, df = 2). results indicated that 89.9percent of nonscience teachers and 76.1percent of science teachers agreed that students can choose their schedule of tests as per their convenience in computerbased test (statement 1), hence it offered the students to appear in the test, whenever they were well prepared. flexibility in the test showed to motivate the students and resulted in their greater engagement in studies. this finding was strongly supported by the study of jamil, et al., (2012). similarly, significant differences were reported for statement 2, 6, 16 and 24. there are several possible explanations why teachers’ perception differs with respect to their subject background, not gender and computer efficiency level. science teachers largely agreed with these statements (1, 2, 6, 16 and 24) about computer-based tests because science teachers are more exposed to computer & ict and also familiar by administering the test more frequently in contrary to the non-science teachers. the present study suggested that teachers with science background and non-science subject background have different perception towards computerbased test in choosing the test schedule by students’ convenient (statement 1), making changes in answers before final submission (statement 2), preparing unlimited sets of question paper (statement 6), measuring psychological and biological changes during the computer-based test (statement 24) and cbt also needed very efficient teachers (statement 16), (heisele, et al., 2007). computer efficiency level-wise comparison: significant differences were found in the perception of computer-based tests among the different level of computer efficient teachers for the statement 6th (χ2 = 8.0818 > 5.991, α = 0.05, df = 2), 17th (χ2 = 7.1540 > 5.991, α = 0.05, df = 2), 20th (χ2 = 6.0903 > 5.991, α = 0.05, df = 2) and 23rd (χ2 = 6.9001 > 5.991, α = 0.05, df = 2). results showed that the majority of computer non-efficient teachers (65percent) agreed that unlimited number of question sets can be prepared in computer-based tests (statement 6). statements 17th, 20th and 23rd also indicated the significant differences among the both groups of teacher. these statements are as followed, students are prejudiced about computer-based tests (statement 17), students can access the question in a set order (statement 20) and screen resolution is also one of the major problems of computer-based tests (statement 23). johnson and green (2004) also mentioned the above listed disadvantages of computer-based tests as perceived by students. many statement of disagreement are higher among computer efficient teachers compared to their counterparts. it may be possible due to the more familiar with the advantages and disadvantages of utilization of computer among the computer efficient teachers. the perception of teachers does indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 17 not differ significantly for the rest of the statement in the questionnaire with respect to their gender, subject background and computer efficiency level. table –1: calculated χ2 value regarding teachers’ perception s. no. statements gender (χ2value) subject background (χ2 value) computer efficiency level (χ2 value) 1 students can choose their day and time of the computer-based test according to the slots available based on their convenience. 0.8741 6.0135* 0.7355 2 the correct answers marked can be changed before final submission with no error of double answering. 1.6755 6.9382* 0.5230 3 students can practice mock test before final computer-based examinations. 6.6381* 1.9842 2.5067 4 proper training is not provided for the computer-based approach of the exam. 2.3913 0.6260 5.6755 5 for several questions in maths and physics accompanying certain diagrams, students have to redraw in rough, this opportunity leading to a waste of 2 crucial minutes. 8.3672* 0.2170 1.6026 6 in computer-based examination, an unlimited number of question sets can be prepared. 0.6190 8.9679* 8.0818* 7 computer-based tests are easily accessible for students and teachers also. 2.0810 5.0151 3.5525 8 a computer-based test gives complete feedback about student performance immediately. 0.4489 0.5206 0.6723 9 disabled students can access the computer-based question paper easily. 0.5789 3.1580 0.7440 10 a computer-based test reduces the chances of leakage of question paper with full security of the question paper. 0.1270 0.5946 2.8881 indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 18 11 students with varying exposure towards technology perform differently in computer-based examination. 0.7739 2.2115 2.0372 12 a computer-based test is very economical. 0.3637 2.9480 4.7598 13 a computer-based test requires a lesser number of support staff during test time. 0.3231 0.8452 4.5328 14 once a computer-based question paper is prepared, it can be saved in the question bank for future concern. 0.1837 5.8449 1.9933 15 a computer-based test always needs good internet connectivity and an efficient power supply. 0.1837 1.8767 0.6577 16 a computer-based test needs very efficient and competent teachers. 4.2225 9.3870* 0.0969 17 students are prejudiced about computer-based examination. 0.0829 1.0487 7.1540* 18 a computer-based test is not very useful for lower classes. 0.5435 4.9614 4.0613 19 it is difficult to measure the creative writing skills through computerbased examination. 0.3169 4.2444 1.8042 20 in computer-based examination, students can access questions in a set order only. 6.0315 0.4749 6.0903* 21 a computer-based test allows more time to think on each question. 1.3445 0.8060 5.6631 22 a computer-based test is a time saver on the part of students as well as teachers. 0.9172 1.9327 0.4349 23 in computer-based tests computer screen resolution may create concentration problem. 4.7727 1.8974 6.9001* 24 in computer-based examination, students psychological & biological monitoring and their each movement can also be checked. 3.4003 7.3920* 0.8165 25 a computer-based test needs extra trained staff as administrator prior to test hours. 2.8347 4.3486 0.2074 26 only genuine students can appear in computer-based test without any fake identity. 5.9547 0.5390 1.1232 indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 19 table – 2 indicates the results of the intermediate biology students’ perception towards cbt & ppt at the intermediate level in reference to their gender and computer efficiency level. gender-wise comparison significant differences (χ2 = 6.1973 > 5.991, α = 0.05, df = 2) were found in the perception between male and female biology students for the statement 8 i.e. computer-based test gives complete feedback about student performance immediately. 44.4percent male and only 25percent of female students agreed for the above statement. the study of darrell, (2003) suggested that male students are getting more chances of exposure to ict which they utilize in learning and academic performances. similar results were concluded by the study of peter, et al. (2004), jimoh, et al. (2012). computer efficiency level-wise comparison results showed that 74.5percent computer efficient & 44.5percent computer non-efficient students agreed that their time gets wasted in redrawing the pictures from screen to paper in computer-based test, which is a drawback of computerbased test (ayebi-arthur, 2010). this perception between the different level of computer efficient students regarding the statement 5 is significantly different (χ2 = 8.9305 > 5.991, α = 0.05, df = 2). perception of students do not differ significantly for the rest of the statement in the questionnaire with respect to their gender and computer efficiency level and giving a mixed response which showed that there is not much difference in the perception of students about computer-based test and paperpencil tests. table –1: calculated χ2 value regarding teachers’ perception s. no. statements gender (χ2 value) computer efficiency level (χ2 value) 1 students can choose their day and time of the computer-based test according to the slots available based on their convenience. 0.3846 1.6290 2 the correct answers marked can be changed before final submission with no error of double answering. 0.2842 0.9637 3 students can practice mock tests before final computer-based examinations. 0.0277 1.5608 4 proper training is not provided for the computerbased approach of the exam. 0.1379 0.4614 indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 20 5 for several questions in maths and physics accompanying certain diagrams, students have to redraw in rough, this opportunity leading to a waste of 2 crucial minutes. 1.3599 8.9305* 6 in computer-based examination, an unlimited number of question sets can be prepared. 0.3175 1.3445 7 computer-based tests are easily accessible for students and teachers also. 0.2377 0.5977 8 computer-based test give a complete feedback about student performance immediately. 6.1973* 4.3001 9 disabled students can access the computer-based question paper easily. 0.9091 0.7130 10 a computer-based test reduces the chances of leakage of question paper with full security of the question paper. 0.4441 0.8285 11 students with varying exposure towards technology perform differently in computer-based examination. 0.2303 0.1778 12 a computer-based test is very economical. 0.6699 0.6988 13 a computer-based test requires a lesser number of support staff during test time. 0.2568 1.3164 14 once a computer-based question paper is prepared, it can be saved in question bank for future concern. 2.3243 1.9971 15 a computer-based test always needs good internet connectivity and efficient power supply. 1.6733 3.6770 16 a computer-based test needs very efficient and competent teachers. 2.500 2.3529 17 students are prejudiced about computer-based examination. 0.1648 5.1454 18 a computer-based test is not very useful for lower classes. 0.0956 3.9722 19 it is difficult to measure the creative writing skills through computer-based examination. 3.0952 0.6981 20 in computer-based examination, students can access question in a set order only. 5.4340 0.2941 21 a computer-based test allows more time to think about each question. 1.1902 0.8669 22 a computer-based test is a time saver on the part of students as well as teachers. 0.9173 1.4611 23 in computer-based test computer screen resolution may create concentration problems. 1.7411 1.8725 indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 21 24 in computer-based examination, students psychological & biological monitoring and their each movement can also be checked. 0.5258 2.3343 25 a computer-based test needs extra trained staff as administrator prior to test hours. 0.0608 1.5966 26 only genuine students can appear in computer based test without any fake identity. 0.6250 0.4412 effectiveness parameter for computer-based examination table-3 displays the perceived effectiveness for computer-based tests over paper-pencil tests among the teachers and students in different parameters. from the given table-3, it was depicted that the majority of sampled teachers (83.3percent) and intermediate biology students (86.7percent) strongly agreed that computer-based tests provide flexibility to students in choosing their test schedule. table 3 shows that nearly 74percent teachers as well as 71percent students agreed that double answering is not possible in computer-based test. it was further illustrated from the table that a chunk of stakeholders (68percent teachers and 72percent students) agreed that computer-based test provides mock practices to students before the test. likewise high percentage of teachers and students agreed for rest of the effectiveness parameter towards computer-based test as it has lesser clerical mistakes, immense set of question paper, easy accessibility, realtime quick report, disabled-students friendly, fully secured, cost-effective, less support staff requirements, futuristic approach, time saver, user-adaptive and curbs impersonation. study of de witte, and rogge, (2014); hismanoglu, (2012) showed that fewer students were found confident about computer-based tests before completing the assessment, while more number of students stated a preference for computer-based tests over paper-pencil tests. the benefits of computer-based tests are enormous over paper-pencil tests as corroborated by tinio (2002) and ommerborn, r & schuemer, r (2001) in their survey on computer use by disable students in germany, found that the cost of acquiring and using a computer in tests is the greatest barrier due to the lack of training opportunities which include lack of access to ict infrastructure, affordable connectivity with sufficient bandwidth, and a reliable supply of electricity. it may be inferred that computerbased test is certainly more effective as perceived by the teachers and students in providing more flexibility to the students, no chances of double answering issues, availed mock practices, saves time because majority of teachers and students agreed with these statements. in addition, computer-based tests free up the time of teachers which can be utilized in other constructive works or in-depth discussion (anakwe, 2008). moreover, computer-based tests easily provide the repeated testing opportunities for indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 22 practice purposes and multiple-choice, true or false, and matching items can be easily administered through it (anakwe (2008). in addition, the perception of teachers and students inferred that computerbased test to be more effective as compared to the paper-pencil test in enabling the immense set of question paper set, in its accessibility, giving realtime quick results, disabled-students friendly, needed less support staff, providing extra time during, efficient test and users adaptive (hosseini, m., abidin, m. j. z., kamarzarrin, h., & khaledian, m., 2013). this was also proved earlier that feedback plays a key role in assessment processes and is an important element of the learning process (anakwe, 2008; marriott, 2009). garland (2008), who also believed that the benefits of standardized computerbased tests, such as quick and objective results and the ease of comparing results with others make this method very popular. this result reflects the similarity with hewson (2012). table –3: effectiveness parameter towards computer-based examination s. no. parameters (statement no.) respondents (n) agree (n) % undecided (n) % disagree (n) % 1 flexibility (1) teachers (150) (125) 83.3% (16) 10.7% (9) 6% students (60) (52) 86.7% (4) 6.6% (4) 6.7% 2 no chance of double answering (2) teachers (150) (110) 73.3% (19) 12.7% (21) 14% students (60) (43) 71.7% (12) 20% (5) 8.3% 3 mock practices (3) teachers (150) (102) 68% (12 ) 8% (36) 24% students (60) (43) 71.7% (10) 16.7% (7) 11.6% 4 lesser clerical mistakes (4) teachers (150) (69) 46% (66 ) 44% (15) 10% students (60) (34) 56.7% (10) 16.6% (16) 26% 5 immense set of question paper (6) teachers (150) (69) 46% (36) 24% (45) 30% students (60) (20) 33.3% (28) 46.7% (12) 20% 6 easy accessibility (7) teachers (150) (60) 40% (47) 31.3% (43) 28.7% students (60) (33) 55% (17) 28.3% (10) 16.7% 7 real time quick report (8) teachers (150) (61) 40.7% (57) 38% (32) 21.3% students (60) (22) 36.7% (21) 35% (17) 28.3% 8 disabled students friendly (9) teachers (150) (64) 42.7% (53) 35.3% (33) 22% students (60) (33) 55% (12) 20% (15) 25% indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 23 9 fully secured (10) teachers (150) (50) 33.3% (51) 34% (49) 32.7% students (60) (23) 38.3% (19) 31.7% (18) 30% 10 cost effectiveness (12) teachers (150) (54) 36% (55) 36.7% (41) 27.3% students (60) (19)31.7% (21) 35% (20)33.3% 11 less support staff requirement (13) teachers (150) (62) 41.3% (42) 28% (46)30.7% students (60) (27) 45% (16) 26.7% (17) 28.3% 12 futuristic approach (14) teachers (150) (55) 36.7% (58) 38.6% (37) 24.7% students (60) (29) 48.3%) (13) 21.7% (18) 30% 13 provision of extra time during the test (21) teachers (150) (64) 42.7% (34) 22.6% (52) 34.7% students (60) (19) 31.7% (16) 26.6% (25) 41.7% 14 time saving (22) teachers (150) (92) 61.3% (9) 6% (49) 32.7% students (60) (24) 40% (5) 8.3% (31) 51.7% 15 user adaptive (24) teachers (150) (65) 43.3% (30) 20% (55) 36.7% students (60) (35) 58.3% (4) 6.7% (21) 35% 16 curbs impersonation (26) teachers (150) (72) 48% (17) 11.3% (61) 40.7% students (60) (32) 53.3% (4) 6.7% (24) 40% conclusions research finding showed that most of the participant from teachers and students groups perceived that computer-based tests was more effective as compared with the paper-pencil tests in providing immediate feedback, use of archival databank of questions, flexibility to students, no double answering, availed mock practices and saves time, making immense set of question paper, accessibility, disables students friendly, giving real time quick results, needed lesser support staff, providing extra time in examination, users adaptive. result suggested that acceptance of computer-based tests were higher among the male respondent compare to the female participants. result also suggested that computer efficient participants and science background teachers accepted computer-based tests more. government should focus more on these groups of non-science female teachers and students who are not efficient in computer and arrange the training program for more exposure in computer-based tests. in addition, computer-based tests need more advanced technology for the ease of stakeholders such as screen problems, accessing the question in fixed pattern and lower classes applicability which limits its use. (financial support: authors receives the fund from university grant commission; credit authorship contribution statement; acknowledgement: the author would like to acknowledge all the principals, teachers and students of kendriya vidyalaya schools in uttar pradesh, who participated in the present study.) indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 24 references anakwe, b. (2008). comparison of student performance in paper-based versus computer-based testing. journal of education for business, 84(1), 13-17. assael, h. (1995). consumer behavior and marketing action. south-western college publishing cincinnati, oh, 3rd ed. boston: pws-kent. ayebi-arthur, k. (2010). relationship between students’ attitudes toward ict and their achievement in ict at the university of cape coast, international journal of basic education, 1, 1-1 cavas, b., cavas, p., karaoglan, b., & kisla, t. 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(2000). obtuário frederic mather lord (1912-2000). estudos em avaliacao educational, (21), 197-199. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 27 appendices a: total number of kendriya vidyalayas in uttar pradesh no. of kendriya vidyalayas in india 125 no. of kendriya vidyalayas in uttar pradesh 80 no. of kendriya vidyalayas in prayagraj 975 no. of kendriya vidyalayas in varanasi 3 b: list of pgts in kendriya vidyalayas in prayagraj and varanasi districts name of kendriya vidyalaya no. of intermediate teachers no. of intermediate students prayagraj kv old cantt 19 4 kv new cantt 29 62 kv iiit jhalwa 7 12 kv naini 9 8 kv manauri 19 16 kv bamrauli 13 18 kv phulpur 10 10 kv chheoki 7 12 kv phaphamau no intermediate classes none varanasi kv cantt 12 10 kv bhu 14 8 kv dlw 14 12 151 178 b: list of pgts in kendriya vidyalayas in prayagraj and varanasi categories group (s) (n) percentage gender male / female (90) 60% / (60) 40% subject background science / non-science (71) 47.33% / (79) 52.67% computer efficiency level computer efficient / computer non-efficient (110) 73.33% / (40) 26.67% indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 28 d: group-wise percentages of overall sampled students categories group (s) (n) percentage gender male female (36) 60% (24) 40% computer efficiency level computer efficient / computer non-efficient (51) 85% (09) 15% indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 90 research article training in-service teachers in designing online lesson plans using instructional techniques based on learning theories sneh bansal1 & savita sharma2 1principal, chandigarh college of education, punjab email-sneh.bansal40@gmail.com 2assistant professor, school of education and humanities, manav rachna university, faridabad abstract this study draws on the authors’ first-hand experience of the pilot study focused on delivering a 6 weeks online training programme on ‘designing lesson plans’ in an online mode education for in-service teachers to improve their teaching competencies. the study aimed to evaluate the lesson plans designed by the participants using the innovative instructional elements based on the combined ideas and principles of three learning theoriesbehaviourism, cognitivism and constructivism in an online teachinglearning process. twenty-six indian school teachers participated in the study. the data was collected using the mixed methodboth quantitative and qualitative. the demographic profile of the participants was collected through the google form. a focused group interview form was used to determine the teachers’ perception of writing lesson plans in online teaching and possible concerns and needs while teaching. a selfdeveloped 16-item, 3-point rating scale was used to evaluate the online lesson plans drafted by the participants both at the preand post-training programme to determine the overall impact of the online training programme. against this backdrop, the study presents the findings of the in-service training programme conducted to improve the competencies of the teachers in designing lesson plans using the combined ideas of the three learning theories in an online learning environment in school education and its relevance in implementing nep 2020. keywords: in-service training, online education, learning theories, instructional elements, lesson planning, nep 2020 introduction the covid-19 pandemic has disrupted education and affected learners and teachers worldwide leading to adversely affecting the teaching-learning process (unesco, 2022). resources, money, and time are always restricted in the real world (mittal et al., 2021), and it is evident in the education system, too, where we have a shortage of trained and skilled teachers to meet the ever-changing demands of the school system. due to the abrupt shift from f2f teaching to online teaching, several difficulties faced by school teachers in creating an effective online learning environment and fulfilling the learning outcomes. in-service training programmes to enhance the competencies of the teachers in an online learning environment are essential due to the pandemic situation; therefore, many national and local educational bodies conducted numerous workshops and capacity-building programmes under the professional development of the teachers. resources, money, and time are always restricted in the real world, and this is applicable in the education indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 91 sector, too, where there is a shortage of teachers capable of providing effective digital education to students. in india, with the release of the new education policy (2020), much attention is given to the learning outcomes of the students, and this aroused interest in the instructional elements and the approaches used by school teachers in designing lesson plans in online teaching. lesson planning serves as an instrument for effective instruction, and enhancing the engagement level is an aspect of practice that serves as a lever for instructional improvement and engagement of the teachers in lesson planning may influence the quality of their instruction (bieda et al., 2020). specifically, knowledge of designing lesson plans with innovative instructional activities and elements using the blend of learning theories in online teaching is much required for optimum learning and achieving the desirable outcomes for the students. though the lesson plan is essential for successful teaching and learning, its practice and implementation have hardly been found after the outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic. learning theories, with their instructional techniques and strategies, are essentially important to address the needs of the learners. planning lessons in a variety of ways using interactive activities enhances the students’ satisfaction, learning needs and educational achievement (jamalia & heidari 2014; pang, 2016; chen 2019). educational psychologists have developed theories of learning based on three main paradigms – behaviourism, cognitivism and constructivism. to ensure a successful teaching and learning environment, it is vital to design a theory-based lesson plan and follow the instructional elements with a blend of three learning theories. theories-driven instructional strategies in behaviorism theory, villalba and romiszowski, 2001 stated, “instruction is designed to promote individual pacing and progress using a task analysis which breaks down the behaviour into a sequence of observable actions”. emphasis is to be given to selecting the reinforcements which are most effective to facilitate the learning and performances of the students. in online learning, lessons with explicit objectives in behavioural terms shall be shared with the students breaking the learning tasks into small chunks. proper feedback shall be provided to the learners so that they can monitor how they are performing and take corrective actions if required. for example, the teacher introduces the lessons with the structured objectives defined in behavioural terms, teaches the lesson, and monitors the students’ learning through formative assessment with proper feedback to examine the gaps where remediation is required. activities reminders, dashboards depicting deadlines for assignments, word cloud features, digital stickers and emoticons, and small breakout forums are some of the activities teachers can use in their teaching to reinforce the learning behaviour of the learners in an online setting. cognitivists emphasize the students and their abilities to make them engage actively to organize their knowledge. it focuses on the different learning styles and allows the students to incorporate new learning with the prior learning and reproduce the new learning through connections and associations. students are taught to think independently and analyse problems; the teacher acts as indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 92 a facilitator and enables the learners to discover new knowledge by assimilation and accommodation. graphic organizers and concept mapping can be used as introductory material to activate the previous knowledge of the learners, which enables them to recall and enable a linkage between prior and new knowledge. various instructional strategies such as framing, outlining, mnemonics, concept mapping and advance organizers can be used to activate the prior knowledge which enables the learners to make connections between existing and new knowledge to activate the prerequisite knowledge of the learners, pre-instructional questions and test questions can be included while teaching online. annotation and note taking skills, peer-assessment of learning and search engines promote the processing activities to teach the learners so as to acquire information or solve problems. jonassen et al., 1995 viewed, “constructivist principles provide ideas to help instructors create learner-centered and collaborative environments that support critical reflection and experiential processes”. constructivists believe that the purpose of education is to provide learning in a meaningful way to integrate knowledge with real-life settings and situations, which allows the learners to construct their own knowledge. provision for social activities on the net through participation in discussion forums and chats provides personal and meaningful learning experiences to the learners. cooperative and collaborative learning encourages reflective awareness and provides real-world experiences to the learners. marfuah, m., et al., 2022 analyzed the three learning theories closely. overlapping in the ideas and principles of the three theories – behaviourism, cognitivism and constructivism become apparent. hence the instructional strategies can include the principles from all three learning theories. to teach ‘what to learn’ (facts) – behaviourists’ strategies can be used, ‘how to learn’ (processes and principles) – cognitivists’ strategies can be used and ‘why to learn (deriving personal meaning) – constructivists’ strategies can be used. from the above discussion and literature it is clear that incorporating the ideas and principles of learning theories in instructions with the connected instructional strategies and activities can support the learning of the students effectively. for this, first and foremost, the teacher shall be professionally capable of designing the lesson plan to enhance the student’s learning with the prime focus on virtual classrooms. however, none of the research to date addresses the instructional perspectives of facilitating teachers to design theorybased lessons incorporating innovative instructional approaches in online educational environments. there is a paucity of research on lesson planning by school teachers in digital learning. due to the lack of literature and research on this area, the author has taken the initiative to assess the effectiveness of the training programmes in developing competencies of the existing school teachers in designing lesson plans based on the learning theories-driven instructional strategies and techniques in an online classroom environment. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 94 participants a google form was created and shared among the school principals of chandigarh and punjab, india, through whatsapp and school mail ids in which the clear purpose of the project was declared along with the consent of the participants who were asked to participate in the project. from 48 respondents, 26 teachers were the final part of the project. participants had agreed to attend the workshop session in a group twice a week as per the mutual time agreed by everyone. the participants were 26 school teachers (general and special educators) and principals of cbse-affiliated private schools situated in chandigarh and punjab, india. 65.3 per cent (17) were general teachers, 11.5 per cent (3) were special educators and 23 per cent (6) were coordinators of the schools. the participants were mixed groups teaching from elementary to higher classes, teaching different subjects (see table 1). all the participants had experience of teaching in the schools and taking classes in blended mode during the post pandemic. 46.15 per cent (12) of the participants had more than 15 years of experience, 15.38 per cent (4) had experience between 1315, 11.5 per cent (3) between 10-12, 7.6 per cent(2) between 7-9, 15.38 per cent (4) between 4-6 years 3.8 per cent (1) between 0-3years. table-1: presents the demographic details of the participants no. designation subjects taken classes experience general teacher english 6-12 10-12 years general teacher mathematics 6-8 more than 15 years general teacher science 8 to 10 more than 15 years special educator school counselor 6-12 0-3 years coordinator evs and science 4-7 7-9 years coordinator english science sst evs 1-5 more than 15 years general teacher punjabi 8-10 more than 15 years general teacher math, hindi 2nd 4-6 years general teacher biology, science, primary mathematics 4th -8th 10-12 years general teacher english, evs, maths 1st-2nd more than 15 years general teacher life skill &hindi 4th more than 15 years special educator economics 10th -12th 13-15 years special educator psychology, social science 3-7th 7-9 years general teacher physical education 11-12 13-15 years coordinator english 5 more than 15 years indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 95 no. designation subjects taken classes experience general teacher mathematics 7th -8th more than 15 years general teacher teacher i to 8th 10-12 years general teacher english 3rd,4th,5th more than 15 years general teacher computer 1-5 4-6 years general teacher sanskrit and hindi tenth ( 10) more than 15 years coordinator english,math. evs,hindi 1st-2nd 13-15 years general teacher social science 9 -10 13-15 years coordinator mathematics, computer 8th -10th more than 15 years general teacher science and maths 6th 4-6 years general teacher science n maths 6th 4-6 years coordinator mathematics, computer 8th -10th more than 15 years tools and data collection the qualitative data was collected through a semi-structured focused group interview which was conducted to explore the perception of school teachers about their knowledge of writing lesson plans in an online teaching and possible concerns and needs while online teaching. the interviews were conducted on google meet and were recorded with their prior consent. the narratives were coded and then categories with themes were devised. the 16-item rubric was designed to compare the components included in the online lesson plans drafted by the participants prior to and after the training programme. one lesson of each participant was scored on a threepoint scale – 3 points for adequate/ meets expectations, 2 points for need improvement and 1 for absent of that item in the lesson plan. relevant literature was reviewed to prepare the interview schedule and rubric. the data was analyzed with the content and descriptive analysis. ethical consideration ethical principles were considered by informing the respondents about the purpose of the study with their consent on the google form. procedure initial meeting: before data collection, an initial introductory meeting was conducted with the participants in one group on google meet for an analysis of the training programme to design online lesson plans. focused group interviews were conducted with the participants on the google meet platform due to postpandemic fear and limited mobility. in a focused group interview, participants were asked questions like “do you prepare an online lesson plan? if yes, what approach do you use?, “are you aware of the online teaching-learning tools? “which tools do you use often during online classes?” what specific learning outcomes do you address in your lesson?”, “how do you engage students during online teaching?”, “how indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 96 do you provide support and facilitate students in online classes to address their needs/ learning problems?”, “what major challenges do you face during online classes?” and “are you aware of the learning theories? how do you use it in your teaching?” google classroom was created to share the material, resources and discussions with the participants. the participants were asked to share the online lesson plan drafted by them before the training. the pre-drafted lesson plans were rated by using the 3 point scale rating scale covering components of instructional activities and strategies using the combination of three learning theories. development of training programme: a 6-week online training workshop (see table 2) was planned and designed by the researcher to make the in-service teachers competent in drafting and designing online lesson plans on instructional activities and strategies using the combined ideas and principles of three learning theoriesbehaviourism, cognitivism and constructivism in an online teaching-learning process. with the vast experience of conducting training programmes with school teachers for more than a decade under the capacity building programmes organized by the cbse board, india both in person and online along with experience as a head of teacher training programme, the researcher planned and designed a series of online in-service training programme for the school teachers. the researcher herself instructed the participants and conducted 16 sessions that lasted one to one and half hours at noon time between 3:00 to 4:30 ist ( wednesday and friday) for one and half months, excluding ice-breaking and follow-up sessions. the training was conducted in both synchronous and asynchronous modes. google meet, google classroom, oer common group, google features (drive, jam board), and online tools (paddles, meeting pulse, slide, thing link, book creator, wallet, ted-ed, edpuzzle, kahoot) were created to offer the sessions to the participants. the training was facilitated with case studies, hands-on activities through self-reflection exercises, visual presentations, questioning, assignments, supplementary material (available open educational resources), and discussion opportunities for the teacher participants to promote critical and collaborative skills in their subject domain. participants had enough time to practice learned skills during the workshop. the training was offered to the in-service teachers on writing lesson plans using the instructional strategies/ activities based on the combination of three learnings in their online teaching. reiser (1994) viewed that with the appropriate training, teachers can employ effective approaches and techniques in their instructional planning. table-2: online teacher training sessions s.no. topic hours 1. conceptual framework of learning theories: behaviorism, cognitivism and constructivism 1.5 2. bloom’s taxonony: writing learning outcomes using cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains 1.5 3. instructional strategies and techniques in behaviorism, cognitivism and constructivism 1.5 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 97 s.no. topic hours 4. oers in teaching learning and how to form oer common group 1.5 5. using free mind software 1 6. using white boards/ jam board for online teaching 1 7. sharing documents with the students through google drive, interactive tools (padlet, book creator, waklet, meeting pulse, slido, teded ) 2 8. creating videos with freecam and slideator 1 9. graphic organizers/ concept mapping/ mnemonics in online teaching 1 10. diversity in classrooms and ways to accommodate in online classrooms 1 11. competency based assessment (focus on designing rubrics) 1.5 12. online lesson elements/ components 1.5 post training: after the completion of the training progrmme, teachers were given the time from week 1 to week 2 to write one lesson plan from the subject taken and submit it on the google classroom. the post training lesson plans submitted by the participants were evaluated on the 3 points rating scale which was compared with the lesson plan submitted by the participants before the training. results and discussions objective 1: to explore the perception of school teachers about their knowledge of lesson planning in online teaching and possible concerns and needs while online teaching, the following results were drawn from the focused group interviews conducted with the participants: y majority of the teachers did not design any lesson plan for online classes. only an outline comprising the learning objectives covering the remembering and understanding component was included in the lesson plan. during online teaching, less significance was given to evaluation and creating skills. the affective domain was been ignored in the online classes. y participants showed concern in planning online lessons from moderate to very difficulty/ challenging with much need for the training in online lesson planning. they perceived themselves as less competent in planning online lessons than in face-to-face teaching. y teachers have heard about the blended and flipped approach to teaching but could not differentiate or imply it in their online classrooms. the majority of the teachers relied on the youtube videos, textbook exercises and google forms prepared by them. y majority of the lessons were teachers, and little evidence was noticed for the activities conducted online for students’ engagement, especially in secondary classes. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 98 y majority of the teachers had formed whatsapp groups of the students to interact and facilitate in clearing doubts related to learning needs. y majority of the teachers sent soft copy of the question papers for assessing the learning performances of the students. however few have created google form in an open ended question (paragraph/ short questions) for evaluation. y little evidence/ responses have been gathered from the participants on their awareness of learning theories. though they know about the theories in general their application in online lessons was not much evident during the interview and from the lesson plans. y lack of students engagement, limited peer interaction, insufficient digital literacy on the part of the teacher and infrastructural barriers were the major challenges that they encountered during the online instructions for example one of the teachers viewed: students are not interested in online classes; they simply complete the formality to get attendance done. students have list of excuses... students lack necessary digital devices like laptops as well as high-speed internet facilities, due to which many of them cannot attend the class. the above results indicated that overall, all 26 participants agreed that student engagement is an important part of online teaching, and they faced challenges in engaging them virtually. while participants seemed to be unfamiliar with the instructional activities and techniques online using the learning theories principles and ideas, they still generally understood the main ideas of constructivism theory and few instructional activities. but how it can be implemented in online teaching was they needed to learn through planning the instruction. objective 2: to evaluate the impact of the online training programme on the lesson plans designed by the participants using the innovative instructional elements based on the combined ideas and principles of three learning theoriesbehaviourism, cognitivism and constructivism in an online teaching-learning process, the descriptive statistics i.e. percentage and frequency were employed. results of the preand post-training programmes are depicted in table 3. table-3: percentage and frequency of the pre and post-training lesson plan designed by the participants evaluated on 3 point rating scale (adequate/ meets expectations=3 to absent=1) pre-training post-training s.no. statement adequate/ meets expectations needs improvement absent adequate/ meets expectations needs improvement absent 1 the lesson plan clearly describes the explicit goals and objectives with expected learning outcomes 15.3% (4) 65.38% (17) 19.32% (5) 76.9% (20) 23.0%ू (6) 0% (0) indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 99 pre-training post-training s.no. statement adequate/ meets expectations needs improvement absent adequate/ meets expectations needs improvement absent 2 use of interactive activities for self learning 11.5% (3) 46.15% (12) 42.30% (11) 34.6% (9) 57.6% (15) 7.6% (2) 3 presenting the information in steps 84.6% (22) 11.5% (3) 3.8% (1) 96.1% (25) 3.8% (1) 0% (0) 4 provide a scope for the students to seek information through search engines 34.6% (9) 57.6% (15) 7.6% (2) 88.4% (23) 11.5% (3) 3.8% (1) 5 use of discussion forums and chats 19.2% (5) 69.2% (18) 11.5% (3) 76.9% (20) 19.2% (5) 3.8% (1) 6 provision of emails/ social media to transfer their ideas amongst learners 7.6% (2) 34.6% (9) 5 7 . 6 % (15) 30.7% (8) 50% (13) 19.2% (5) 7 use of appropriate technology to address the learning goals 11.5% (3) 42.3% (11) 46.15% (12) 26.9% (7) 57.6% (15) 15.3% (4) 8 use of open educational resources including e-books, web page links, reference materials and other open sources 11.5% (3) 46.15% (12) 42.30% (11) 76.9% (20) 23.0% (6) 0% (0) 9 use of instructional strategies and techniques 7.6% (2) 42.3% (11) 50% (13) 88.4% (23) 11.5% (3) 0% (0) 10 varied opportunities for the students to engage in the online learning 11.5% (3) 50% (13) 42.30% (11) 42.3% (11) 38.4% (10) 19.2% (5) indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 100 pre-training post-training s.no. statement adequate/ meets expectations needs improvement absent adequate/ meets expectations needs improvement absent 11 teacher provides full support during online classes 30.7% (8) 42.3% (11) 26.9% (7) 46.1% (12) 34.6% (9) 19.2% (5) 12 connecting the concept/ topic of one subject area to other area 7.6% (2) 34.6% (9) 5 7 . 6 % (15 11.5% (3) 57.6% (15) 30.7% (8) 13 make connections of the concept/ topic to real world situation 11.5% (3) 38.4% (10) 50% (13) 53.8% (14) 23.0% (6) 23.0% (6) 14 integration of arts in the concept/ topic 7.6% (2) 34.6% (9) 5 7 . 6 % (15) 15.3% (4) 34.0% (9) 50% (13) 15 use of alternative assessments so as the students able to demonstrate their knowledge of concept/ skills 3.8% (1) 26.9% (7) 6 9 . 2 % (18) 38.4% (10) 46.1% (12) 15.3% (4) 16 students able to selfevaluate their progress and knowledge 0% (0) 7.6% (2) 9 2 . 3 % (24) 19.2% (5) 38.4% (10) 42.3% (11) the results demonstrate in table 3 reveal an increase in the participants’ usage of various theories driven instructional strategies in designing lesson plans for virtual classes. post-test sample lesson plan is given in appendix-a. 1. goals and objectives with expected learning outcomes the learning outcomes related to the content are the expectations, competencies, and skills which learners need to acquire in achieving holistic which cannot be achieved by focusing on the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains. while writing the online lesson plans, the teachers shall answer the following questions connected with the learning goal and objectives with expected learning outcomes answers the questions:  what will students experience and be able to do as a result of this lesson or project? what instructional goals would students need to achieve to demonstrate their understanding?  what specific curriculum learning outcomes will be addressed in the lesson or project? hence, by understanding the characteristics of the learners and their learning needs, the teachers indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 101 can define instructional goals and objectives in the cognitive, psychomotor and affective domains, keeping in view the topic to be taught. in the pre-training evaluation, among 26 participants, only 4 (15.3 per cent) of the participants described the goals and objectives with expected learning outcomes from the students, 17 (65.38 per cent) defined the goals however need improvement, and 5 (19.32 per cent) of the participants did not describe the goals and objectives with expected outcomes. however, after conducting sessions on bloom’s taxonony: writing learning outcomes using cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains during the training programme, the posttraining evaluation of lesson plans results indicated the majority of the participants wrote the goals and objectives representing the three domains i.e 20 (76.9 per cent) of 26 participants lesson plan scored under adequate/ meets expectation category, 6 (23 per cent) participants with needs improvement and interestingly, all the lesson plans had this component, and no one (0 per cent) scored under absent category. sample of the goals and objectives with learning outcomes defined by the participant after training 2. use of interactive activities for selflearning self-assessment is a process in which students criticize their own work according to clearly stated expectations, usually provided in the form of goals or criteria, and then revise their work (andrade & valtcheva, 2009). it helps students participate directly in learning objective activities (ozan, c., & kıncal, r. y. (2018) and check their own understanding of the lesson/ topic. it can be evaluated by the teachers by answering the question given question while lesson planning: what and how will i add interactive activities in my lesson components which support the learners in reflecting on what they have learned? students who can self-assess are poised to be life-long learners and use self-regulatory skills effectively. they are able to ask focused questions when they don’t understand or when they’re stuck (brookhart, s. m. (2016) in an online class as indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 102 well. cognitivism theory focuses on making knowledge meaningful and helping learners to be able to relate new information to existing knowledge. instructional activities that encourage the students to selfreflect on their learning assist the students in evaluating their learning. in online teaching, with the use of interactive activities almaiah (2020) study emphasized in online classes, “the content is either less or no opportunities are provided in terms of interactivity” and hence it leaves no scope for self-assessment of the learning. from the pre-training evaluation data, only 3 (11.5 per cent) of the participants mentioned selfassessment questions as interactive activities in their lesson plans, with 12 (46.15 per cent) of the participants needing improvement in this item, and 11(42.30 per cent) of the participants did not include any self-assessment questions. the post training data showed improvement in the lesson planning on using interactive activities (brainstorming) for the self-assessment. a session on various interactive activities in the learning material eg: using google drive, padlet, kahoot, waklet etc were conducted which supports in self-assessment. 9 (34.6 per cent) lesson plans were rated adequate, 15 (57.6 per cent) needed improvement, and only 2 (7.6 per cent) of the lesson plans did not mention this component. 3. presenting the information in steps the goal of instruction for the behaviorist is to elicit the desired response from the learner who is presented with a target stimulus. therefore, instruction is structured around the presentation of the target stimulus and the provision of opportunities for the learner to practice making the proper response (ertmer, 2013). from the pre-training data, it is evident out of 26, the majority of the participants (n=22 with 84.6 per cent) had mentioned the step-by-step description of learning materials in small chunks, 3 (11.5 per cent) lessons need improvement, with 1 (3.8 per cent) absent of this component. the posttraining lesson plan showed an increase in this component, i.e. 25 (96.1 per cent) out of 26 participants’ lesson plans indicated detailed descriptions of learning materials in small chunks,1 (3.8 per cent) need improvement, which showed they break down the tasks into small elements and teach one by one each element in online teaching. 4. scope for students to seek information through search engines seeking and collecting information independently allows the learners to develop their own knowledge and meaning. if the teachers provide scope to the students to seek information from the search engines, it will facilitate the learning that is based on task-based and hands-on activities. through this, the ideas and principles of constructivism theories are applied in online teaching. pre-training lesson plans indicated out of 26, only 9 (34.6 per cent) of the teachers scored with adequate, 15 (57.6 per cent) needed improvement and 2 (7.6 per cent) were absent. there was an improvement in the lesson plans of the participants submitted after the training programme, which is indicated by the post-training data. out of 26 participants, 23 (88.4 per cent) of the participants scored with adequate 23 indicated the use of search engines in their lesson plans and, 3 (11.5 per cent) with need improvement and 1 (3.8 per cent) absent in this component. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 103 5. use of discussion forums and chats the pre-training data showed only 5 (19.2 per cent) of the participants mentioned the use of discussion forums and chats in their lesson plan, 18 (69.2 per cent) of the participants thought mentioned but again it was not been reflected in the presentation part of the lesson and 3 (11.5 per cent) of the participants did not mention the discussion forum at all. however, post-training data successfully extended the use of discussion forums in online lesson planning, which is evident from the data with an increase in the rating to 20 (76.9 per cent) under adequate 5 (19.2 per cent) need improvement, and only 1 (3.8 per cent) lesson plan did not use the discussion forum. 6. provision of emails/ social media to transfer the ideas this component is the extension of the previous component related to the discussion forum which facilitates the ideas of constructivism learning theory. the use of social media and emails for teaching facilitates the learning activities for the students and enhances communication, participation and meaning. the pretraining data showed only 2 (7.6 per cent) of the participants mentioned a provision of emails and social media to transfer ideas among learners, 9 (34.6 per cent) participants needed improvement in this item, and 15 (57.6 per cent) did not mention this in their lesson plans. post-training showed a positive impact; out of 26, 8 (30.7 per cent) lesson plans were rated adequate, 13 (50 per cent) needed improvement, and 1(3.8 per cent) lesson plan did not mention social media for learning. 7. use of appropriate technology to address the learning goals the training programme benefitted the participants in planning and using technology in online lessons. the increase in the number of posttraining lesson plans indicating the use of appropriate technology to address the learning goals indicated the participants have additional skills to teach in remote classrooms. data revealed only 3 (11.5 per cent) of the participants had used the appropriate technology to address the learning goals in their lesson plans, with 11 (42.3 per cent) needing improvement and 12 (46.15 per cent) not mentioning this in the pre-training lesson plans. the posttraining showed 7 (26.9 per cent) lesson plans rated at adequate/ meet expectation, 15 (57.6 per cent) had mentioned the technology used but not in very clear terms, and 4 (15.3 per cent) did not refer to the technology. 8. use of open educational resources (oers) oers in the online learning environment can offer learning opportunities that are independent and self-directed and encourage lifelong learning (sommer et al., 2022). open educational resources include an extensive array of online formats, including youtube clips, online textbooks, video recorded lectures, web-based textual materials designed for independent study, animations and simulations, digital diagrams and graphics, some moocs etc. pre-training data showed only 3 (11.5 per cent) of the participants used open educational resources in their lesson plan, 11 (42.3 per cent) mentioned the other materials used from the internet, but sources were not cleared, and 12 (46.15 per cent) did not mention it. the post-training lesson plan indicated an increase in the use of oers in online teaching indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 104 which is evident from the increase in number to 20 (76.9 per cent) rated at an adequate level, surprisingly all lesson plans used oer with 6 (23 per cent) need improvement as it was mentioned in the lesson plan beginning as the teaching aid but its usage was not evident much in the further presentation part of the lesson plan. 9. use of instructional strategies incorporating effective visual, written, and animated content in a relevant and realistic context has a positive impact on students’ online learning experiences. pre-test data showed only out of 26 only 2 (7.6 per cent) participants mentioned the use of instructional materials such as mnemonics, concept mapping and advance organizers, 11 (42.3 per cent) mentioned but not very clear with 13 (50 per cent) of the teachers did not use any such instructional strategies in their online lesson plans. substantial increase in the use of mnemonics, advance organizers, videos, and note taking evident from the post-training workshop; out of 26, 23 (88.4 per cent) lesson plans included these strategies and rated them as adequate and only 3 (11.5 per cent) needed few improvements. 10. varied opportunities for the students to engage in online learning successful pedagogical practices help teachers actively engage online students synchronously and asynchronously. the online training programme included sessions in which the participants were taught engaging strategies. pre-training workshop lesson plans showed only 3 (11.5 per cent) of the participants mentioned such activities in the form of group projects or cooperative learning, 13 (50 per cent) of the participants needed improvement of such element in their lesson plans, and 11 (42.30 per cent) did not mention this in their lesson plans. the post training lesson plan was written by the participants adequately i.e. 11 (42.3 per cent) lessons covered the engaging activities for ex: in one of the lesson plans, a teacher added an activity to engage the students in which the students are required to post the their understanding about the topic in between the short breaks along with few questions are created. 10 (38.4 per cent) lesson plans needed improvement, and 5 (19.2 per cent) lesson plans did not mention any activities. 11. teachers’ support during online classroom regarding full support by the teachers during online classes, korhonen et al. (2019) viewed that teachers act not only as instructors but play various roles, including planners, facilitators, guides, supervisors, coaches and evaluators, to effectively enhance students learning in online learning. pre-training data showed only 8 (30.7) participants’ lesson plans mentioned this in the way of observing the progress of learners, 11 (42.3 per cent) of the lesson plans mentioned an outline only and rated as improvement needed, and 7 did not include references to ways of observing or checking the progress of individual students. post-training results showed 12 (46.1 per cent) lesson plans adequately indicated the support of the teachers, e.g., teachers mentioned clarifying the doubts/ queries, answering questions, providing learning materials, use of illustrations and addressing diversity, e.g. students with specific learning needs, conducting informative demonstrations, and providing valuable analogies. , 9 (34.6 per cent) indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 105 lessons need improvement, and 5 (19.2 per cent) lesson plans did not mention the teachers’ support during online classes. example: topic on working of institutions (political science) gifted learnerswill be guided to collect more information regarding the powers and functions of the president and the prime minister. struggling learnerschapter will be made easier for them with the help of the worksheet and the flow charts. 12. connecting the concept/ topic of one subject area to other areas research suggests that students connect knowledge most effectively in active social classrooms, where they negotiate understanding through interaction and varied approaches. pre-training data revealed only 2 (7.6 per cent) of the participant’s lesson plan lessonrelated topics in another content area. for ex, one of the lesson plans on parliament prepared by the teacher in social science was related to the language for article writing. 9 (34.6 per cent) of the participant’s lesson plans included the integration but were not clearly indicated in the presentation part of the lesson plan. 7 (26.9 per cent) of the participants did not include the connections of the topic with other topics. the posttraining results showed only 3 (11.5 per cent) of the lesson plans had adequately connected the concepts with other content /subject areas, with 15 (57.6 per cent) needing improvement, and 8 (30.7 per cent) did not mention this. it seemed the participants did not benefit much from this component. 13. making content or the topic connected with real-life/ world situations pre-training data showed, that only 3 (11.5 per cent) of the lesson plans related the content to life for ex: one of the teachers prepared a lesson plan on pollution, that was connected with real life by giving an example of climate change and its affect on the lifestyle of people, out of 26 participants, 10 (38.4 per cent) of the participants mentioned about the connections but not clearly indicated in their lesson plan methodology. , 13 (50 per cent) of the participant’s lesson plans did not include it. post-test results showed 14 (53.8 per cent) out of 26 lesson plans made the connection of the topic with real life, with 6 (23 per cent) lessons needing improvement, and the remaining 6(23 per cent) did not mention the connecting of knowledge to real life-situation. 14. integration of arts in the concept/ topic nep (2020) emphasized the integration of art in the pedagogical approaches for immediate and longlasting learning experiences. the training program covered sessions on online tools, e.g., book creator and thing links to add art to the lessons in the form of stories. the pre-training data showed only 2 (7.6 per cent) of the lesson plans included art in the way of pictures, 9 (34.6 per cent) lesson plans needed improvement, and 15 (57.6 per cent) did not mention it. the post-training data showed little improvement in the lesson plans on art integration. only 4 (15.3 per cent) of the lesson plans mentioned art integration, with 9 (34 per cent) needing improvement and 13 (50 per cent) did not include any form of art. it revealed the teachers need intensive training on the integration of art in their teachings in an online education. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 106 15. alternative assessments to assess the learning of the students in online teaching, various free technologies may be chosen by the teachers. for ex, kahoot may be used for formative assessment and review of the learning with fun activities, padlet for open responses, meeting pulse and slido for poll, open answers and objective question-based assessment, and book creator can used for presentation. pre-training data showed only 1 (3.8 per cent) of the participants lesson plans used informal and formal assessment in which both the student and teacher are involved, with 7 (26.9 per cent) incomplete on this item and 18 (69.2 per cent) participants’ online lesson plans did not indicate the use of alternative assessments. post training data revealed improvement in using the alternative assessments by the teachers in their lessons. 10 (38.4 per cent) lesson plans adequately included variety in assessment in the form of creating videos, posters , presentation, writing article , 12 (46.1 per cent) lesson plans mentioned but not clearly indicate the types of assessment to be utilized with 4 (15.3 per cent) lesson planned did not indicate the alternative assessments. 16. self-evaluate the progress and knowledge castro and tumibay (2019) viewed that “students should be encouraged to work independently in an environment that provides proper guidance and ample support”. pre-training lesson plans written by the participants did not adequately mention the selfevaluation techniques, 2 (7.6 per cent) mentioned the idea of selfevaluation in general in the lesson plan but did not clearly indicate it at a point in the lesson, and 24 (92.3 per cent) of the participant’s lesson plan did not mention about self-evaluation. the training session covered the topic of creating a rubric for the evaluation along with online tools. five lesson plans (19.2 per cent) adequately mentioned creating a rubric for self-evaluation along with self-regulatory strategies, 10 (38.4 per cent) lessons mentioned a few strategies, e.g. questioning, but how to use not clearly indicated, with 11 (42.3 per cent) lesson plans did not give any evidence of selfevaluation. participants’ feedback on the training programme post-training feedback also showed positive responses from the participants. the majority of the participants expressed gain in their capacities and skills – “learnt teaching pedagogies and strategies for effective teaching-learning process in virtual classes”, “improving teaching style in digital mode”,” being more competent in designing the online lesson plan”, “new ideas of integration and inclusion were interesting part to teach online”, “making teachinglearning process more innovative and interesting”, “effective lesson plan to teach online”, “understanding students needs”, “ knowing about oer was something new”, “ designing a rubric for evaluation “, “ freemind software for graphic organizer was new and really interesting” were the emerging themes. overall, the training programme enhanced the teachers’ competencies to design their lessons, keeping in view the evidence-based practices and phases of lesson plans based on life-based experiences, hands and mind activities, task-based, learner-centred, and hence making learning more meaningful. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 107 conclusion the goal of this study was to train school teachers in planning online lessons by embedding instructional strategies based on the blend of all the best features of three learning theories. in-service training is one of the elements of professional development (seffer & demirel, 2022). the data analysis results showed the training programme has the potential to equip teachers in using innovative instructional elements with ideas and principles of learning theories which can increase student engagement and their learning outcomes in the digital era. the ultimate goal of teaching is to foster critical thinking and skills acquisition— even to bring about a change in attitudes. strengthening teachers’ capacities to develop online lessons and awareness of innovative instructional strategies are highlighted and emphasized in the new education policy 2020. the author developed the connection between instructional approaches and learning theories in the light of available literature. keeping in view the time and scope of the study, it aimed to develop competencies among the teachers in designing online lessons however, the author left the scope for further research in this area. it would be beneficial and advantageous to explore the effectiveness of the designed lesson plan on student engagement and learning outcomes. the results of the study have the potential to empower inservice and pre-service teachers to plan and implement integrated theoriesbased instructional approaches in both online/ blended/hybrid and f2f classes as envisioned in nep2020. 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(2016). pedagogical reasoning in efl/esl teaching: revisiting the importance of teaching lesson planning in second language teacher education. tesol quarterly, 50(1), 246–263. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43893814). sefer, a., & demirel, m. v. (2022). online in-service teacher training: perspectives of turkish l2 lecturers. international online journal of educational sciences, 14(2), 419–431. https:// doi.org/10.15345/iojes.2022.02.010 sommer, m., ritzhaupt, a. d., kohnen, a., & hampton, j. (2022). instructional elements in an online information literacy open educational resource (oer) and their influence on learner achievement, satisfaction and self-efficacy. journal of information literacy, 16(1), 70–90. https://doi.org/10.11645/16.1.3113 unesco (2022). education: from disruption to recovery. retrieved 22 november, 2022 from https://www.unesco.org/en/covid-19/education-disruption-recovery. villablba c and romiszowski a j (2001). current and ideal practice in designing, developing and delievering web-based training in khan b h (ed) web-based training etp, englewood cliff, nj, 325-342. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 109 appendix-a post training lesson plan desinged by the particpant teacher:abc school:-1234 subject area(s):english grade level/ class:vii lesson title/topic: fight manju fight (lesson 4english literature) estimated duration:4 periods lesson goals/ objectives: after completion of this lesson, the students will be able to: y understand the message/ theme of the story. y know the importance of setting goals. y be more sensitive towards inclusion curriculum addressed: after completing the lesson, students will be able to: y develop reading and comprehension skills. y learn right values of being human first before being anything else. y students will be able to recognise and apply new words and frame sentences technology addressed: the blended learning initiative will: y extend students’ learning beyond the classroom. y provide students with the tools to understand the concept on a higher level. technology required: y ms teams y youtube video based on text y whiteboard y google forms y laptop/ mobile phone/tab/ desktop other materials/ resources: y you tube video : https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=a3ogm6stetu y textbook y notebook y pen/ pencil y textbook y youtube video y notebook y pencil/eraser student engagement y students will be asked about their future plans in the class. y they will also be asked if they have ever changed their mind in context of their choices. y students will be encouraged to look around them and apply inclusion as part of life indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 110 student exploration y students ask for clarity of meaning when they come across new words. y they share their own similar experiences. y students will put up a role play to understand the plot and characters with clarity explanation y various questions based on the story will be asked during the course of explanation to engage students and make them understand the lesson. y the lesson will be taught with emphasis on value education. y discussion and exploration about sdg 6,reduce inequality, will be taken up to provide the students with a global perspective elaboration y students share their own experience in the context of the chapter. y they understand the importance of mutual respect and dignity of living evaluation y students participating actively in brainstorming round taken with the help of whiteboard fi. y students assess themselves by means of test conducted through google forms. teacher self-assessment: y students understood the lesson well. y the learning outcomes were fully achieved. vii editorial [“humanity has the ability to make development sustainable – to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs…..” in our common future; the world commission on environment and development] like every year, the world environment day (wed) was celebrated across the globe on 5th june 2022 to create worldwide awareness of the environment. fifty years ago, on this day, the first united nations conference on the human environment was held in stockholm, sweden from june 5-16 in 1972. the date coincides with the first day of the landmark conference. this year’s theme of the wed was focused on #onlyoneearth, which was also the motto for the 1972 stockholm conference. even after five decades, the motto continues to be relevant – we have only one earth to live and we must do every bit at our command to save it and nurture it. we are living in times when automation is the trend. this automation is largely driven by digital technology. a very large amount of data transfer is the key to this technology. as i write there are 5.3 billion people in the world who are using the internet. we have more than 1.9 billion websites functioning worldwide. on an average, we send more than 3 million emails in a second. more than 4 billion videos are viewed on youtube in a day. more than 50 million images get uploaded daily on instagram. more than 3 billion people are using facebook actively. on an average, more than 4 lakhs computers get sold daily. more than 3 million smartphones get sold daily. on average, internet traffic consumes more than 7 billion gb of data daily. the internet alone leads to the consumption of more than 2 million mwh of electricity daily, which is equivalent to more than 2 million tons of co2 emitted globally daily. (https://www.internetlivestats.com/). in the last decade, digital technology’s energy consumption has increased by more than 70 percent. various studies have estimated that the digital carbon footprint is about 2.3 percent to 3.7 percent of the global co2 emissions, which is equivalent to theco2 emissions of the entire aviation industry. we have been made to believe that the digital is always green! one has to accept it with a pinch of salt. in these times of climate change, we cannot afford to let our guards down. demand side management can greatly ease the global co2 emissions on account of digital technology. according to a study, video streaming causes 75 percent of global traffic data. reducing video streaming and using audio files for song listening is a way forward in this direction. judicious purchase of devices and proper disposal of old devices continue to be the mantra for sustainable development. according to a study, more than 50 million metric tonnes of e-waste are generated every year globally. minimizing dependence on the cloud for data storage leads to lesser energy consumption (https://www.myclimate.org/information/faq/faqdetail/what-is-a-digital-carbon-footprint/). according to an estimate, a country like the uk could reduce its carbon output by over 16,433 tons, simply by each adult sending one less email per day (https://www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org/ resources/updates/data-digital-technology-and-the-environment/)! viii we are happy to carry 25 manuscripts consisting of research articles, general articles and book review in this issue. these relate to the topics such as creative commons, teaching-learning of different subjects using online methods, use of multimedia in teaching learning different subjects and effectiveness of online teaching for children with special needs. online teaching and learning especially during the covid times continue to generate a lot of research interest. in this issue too, there is a large number of such manuscripts discussing various aspects related to it. i hope these studies will contribute effectively in the academic discourse. (abhay kumar) editor vi editorial "freedom....it must be pursued constantly and responsibly. freedom is not an ideal located outside of man; nor is it an idea that becomes myth. it is rather the indispensable condition for the quest for human completion"......paulo freire in pedagogy of the oppressed. last year, on 19 september 2021, the world celebrated the birth anniversary of paulo freire. paulo freire is known for his seminal work, pedagogy of the oppressed, which he wrote in the portuguese language in 1968. its english translation was first published in 1970. pedagogy of the oppressed is a treatise on human freedom and liberation from exploitations. through this book, paulo freire expounds on the science, the art, and the philosophy of human emancipation through a pedagogy that gives importance to the people who have been at a receiving end of history. their views, their opinion, their activities, and their reflection provide the force for change. pedagogy of the oppressed is not only a conscious reflection of the conditions that fetters men and women in the bondage of all kinds but also a praxis for the own emancipation of the people. it is this critical pedagogy that paulo freire believed should be the hallmark of any educational system. a brazilian by birth, paulo freire begins this book by establishing the absolute necessity of making people free from the clutches of exploitation. such an act will not only be humanising for the exploited but for the exploiters as well. he then goes on to espouse the philosophical and educational contours of the critical pedagogy which will lead to human emancipation. he comes down heavily on what he described as the "banking model of education" which considered people as an empty account where teacher, acting as depositor, deposited the knowledge in the account. he called such a model of education as suffering from narration sickness. the banking model of education is slavery, he thought. instead, he vouched for an education system where students and teachers traversed together as collaborators in the pursuit of knowledge. trusting each other was the precondition for such pursuit of knowledge. establishing dialogues and communication between people with a problem-solving approach were the ways of such a pedagogy. even after more than five decades of the first publication of this book, the theory and analysis propounded in this book remain relevant. today, when technology is mediating how we learn and what we learn and there is a deluge of options that technology offers to the cultivators of education then freire comes to the rescue in terms of what is to be learnt. when one is in a maze of edtech choices and can't decide the best option then the only criterion to choose a technology is whether it frees the learners or enslaves the learners. in the case of the former, accept it. in case of the latter, reject it. the january 2022 issue of the journal delves into the zone of the use of edtech. it has twenty-one manuscripts under various categories: seventeen research articles, one review article and two general articles along with a book review. these manuscripts relate to use of edtech during the covid-19 pandemic, in pedagogy and analysing competency, for mooc and for cwsn. i would like to thank all the authors and reviewers for their contribution in taking out this issue. the guidance provided by the editorial board members on various occasions has been honourable. the seventh issue of the journal is considered to contribute positively to the area of research and academic discourse. (abhay kumar) editor indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 89 research article online learning during pandemic in india: parents’ perspective mohd. mamur ali1 & mouna gupta2 1assistant professor, department of teacher training and non-formal education (iase), jamia millia islamia, new delhi, email: mmamur@jmi.ac.in 2ph.d (education), jamia millia islamia, new delhi abstract covid-19 has impacted several economies globally, with most countries closing their academia resulting in the transition of face-to-face classes to online learning and later converted into the blended mode of education. this has affected over 320 million students in india. with self-initiative and parental involvement along with internet availability, online education has become a household function. “learning enhancement guidelines”, issued by mhrd, puts the focus on parents’ role in online learning. this paper is an attempt to understand the perceived role and contributions of the parents in the learning of their wards under online learning. parents contributed in various ways to online learning for their wards but they faced a lot of issues and challenges in the online mode of education for their children. for many parents, financial crunch, lack of infrastructure for online learning and lack of technological skills to help their wards in handling online classes and providing relevant educational resources, lack of subject content understanding to support the learning of their wards were major challenges in online learning during the pandemic. keywords: pandemic, online learning, parents’ perspective, introduction the covid-19 pandemic brought a sudden halt to all essential services including education. as the lockdown was eased in stages, essential services including the educational sector restarted in a phased manner. even though the quarantine and movement restrictions were relaxed in various economies, the track to normalcy and recovery is expected to be very slow and uncertain. online learning became the new custom. with the rise of the new online model, the education sector faced a new challenge of managing the schedule of such online learning. parents as well as teachers need to be well-versed in technology to adapt to this new format. online learning was not only the need of the hour but it is fully supported by nep 2020 also. nep 2020 recommends a multi-modal approach to learning including faceto-face learning, online learning and distance learning or virtual learning thereby focusing on online teachinglearning. online mode of learning not only gives round the clock facility but defeats the time limitation also. though there were many teaching methods available, with the sudden emergence of the pandemic, the online mode of learning came as “best of all worlds”. nep 2020 gives the flexibility to students to choose the activities which suit their circumstances, giving it a stature of “a la carte model”. “on 14 july 2020, mhrd proposed some guidelines for online classes under “pragyata”, recommending a cap on screen time for students with two online sessions of up to 45 minutes each for classes 1-8 and four sessions indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 90 for classes 9-12. it further proposed that the duration of online classes for preprimary should not be more than 30 minutes” (the economic times, 2020). to keep students busy at home and engage them in continued learning, the national council of educational research and training (ncert) has come up with an alternate academic calendar (aac) for various stages of school learning wherein the teachers will keep in touch with the parents through mobile phones and instruct them of the interesting activities to be conducted at home and also to supervise their children. this pandemic has brought with it many new challenges, for not only the teachers and students but also for parents at the same time. parents’ role is intensified to observe the emotional well-being of their wards by providing encouragement and support besides taking care of their physical health while keeping them busy with learning. parents and other family members need to be vigilant towards the emotional behaviour of children of primary and pre-primary levels. many parents were not happy with the decision of reopening the schools. “reopening of schools: parents not on board” clearly indicates the hesitancy shown by parents (times of india, 2021). on the other hand, some parents approached the supreme court for seeking direction from the centre and states on reopening of the schools claiming to end the deprivation of regular schooling in a congenial atmosphere for the underprivileged and disadvantaged sections of society (times of india, 2021). this indicated the wariness of parents towards both modes of teaching-learning, traditional as well blended. review of related literature singh (2018) explored the scope & challenges faced by developing countries in digital education including infrastructural bottlenecks, issues of language and attitude from a cultural viewpoint, lack of trained faculty and less tech-savvy parents. ali (2019) advocated the necessity and importance of ict in education, especially for the professional development of educators and opined that ict like massive open online courses (moocs) offer a potent stage with low cost and higher efficiency. the paper also suggested the ict options available include videoconferencing and various websites. kanvaria (2020) summarized that the confinement at home due to the lockdown has brought about distance learning through digital mode and discussed the factors affecting the teaching cum learning of educators, students and teacher educators. he, however, also commented that this boon of distance learning came together with a question mark over the quality of such education. olasile babatunde adedoyin & emrah soykan (2020) differentiated online learning from emergency remote teaching. crm methods are adopted without getting into the depth of theories and models of effective online education, and hence should only be taken as a platform for digital education. hodges et al. (2020) suggested online education during the pandemic to be “emergency remote teaching” which is lacking a prudent design and development process. strielkowski (2020) is the forerunner who branded the digital transformation during the covid-19 crisis as a ”saviour” rather than a disruptive process. he also reiterated that the innovations in the higher education field, which would otherwise take many years to come into existence, appeared in a very short indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 91 time, mainly due to the pandemic. wu et al. (2020) studied the effect of the national policy of home quarantine during the outbreak of covid-19 on the mental health of students’ parents in china and found that the mental health of parents was affected mainly by a variety of factors like good marital relationships, social support, harmony in family and history of mental illness. it was found that depression, anxiety and stress were significantly higher in the parents with conflicts in the family than those with a harmonious family. kapasia et al. (2020) enumerated challenges faced by college-going students in west bengal during the lockdown period and suggested interventions required to build a resilient education system. gupta (2020) studied the perspective of teachers of schools in the faridabad district towards hybrid learning during the pandemic and suggested recommendations for policymakers and schools. rationale of the study many guidelines have been issued by the government from learner’s and teacher’s perspectives with a focus on online learning of kids during their confinement at home due to lockdown. during this difficult time of the pandemic, the most general apprehension is about the quality of education provided by these online methods together with the capability and ability of educational institutions in adapting to them in a substantial manner. besides this, the covid-19 fear has brought about many new challenges for parents and families in the learning spectrum. in the current scenario, where alternative modes are being used for online learning, the parent’s role has become even more significant as they spend maximum time with the children’s waking hours. their behaviour, attitude and cooperation will have a mighty impact on their kids. parents therefore must support their children’s cognitive, affective and psychomotor development. parents’ role is crucial and needs to be further studied at length. hence the purpose of this study is to find the perspective of parents towards the online learning model during this covid-19 pandemic. research questions 1. are the parents aware of the guidelines issued by the government regarding online learning of children at home during the pandemic? 2. what role and contributions have the parents played/made in their ward’s online learning during the pandemic? 3. what are the challenges faced by parents in their ward’s online learning during the pandemic? objectives 1. to study the contributions of the parents in their ward’s online learning during the pandemic in india. 2. to find out the challenges faced by the parents in their ward’s online learning during the pandemic in india. sample the technique of purposive sampling was used to collect the data from 93 parents of school-going students for classes k -12 from faridabad. tools an online survey was conducted to collect the information. a structured questionnaire was designed by authors in google forms in consultation with indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 92 colleagues & experts from the field. on the basis of discussion and the opinion of experts, the dimensions were listed for opportunities and challenges in the questionnaire. the dimensions were technology, discipline, assessment & supervision, socio-economic factors, digital competency, compatibility, workload, health problems, digital divide, human & pet intrusion, flexibility, interactivity, autonomy etc. a rough draft consisting of 35 statements was prepared on the basis of the dimensions. after a try-out, 28 statements were finally shortlisted for the questionnaire. statements were then placed in logical sequence (dimension-wise). this structured questionnaire was sent to the parents through whatsapp and e-mail. the survey included some questions designed to reveal parents’ awareness of guidelines issued by the government regarding online learning during school closures at the time of the pandemic. two open-ended questions queried parents about their experience while children were being educated at home during covid-19 school closures. analysis of data descriptive statistics was carried out to understand the perspective of parents. analysis was done using google analytics. analysis of the data was done using statistical tools like a percentage. findings of the study nearly the majority (59 per cent) of the parents were aware of the alternative academic calendar (aac) and learning enhancement guidelines issued by ncert regarding online education and capping screen time for students. further, the parents (62 per cent) informed that their ward’s school was implementing ncert’s alternative academic calendar/guidelines for attending online classes. a large number (41 per cent) of the parents were not aware of aac as schools have not shared any such guidelines with them. most (88 per cent) of the parents told that their wards were using laptops and desktops for online learning at home during the pandemic. few (12 per cent) of them reported that their wards had to study through textbooks /books available at home during the pandemic. table-1: contribution in child’s online learning at home during the pandemic (n= 93) parameter frequency (n) percentage (%) i am able to contribute to my child’s online learning at home during pandemic through my ict skills in joining the class (while operating google meet, google classroom, youtube, youtube live, zoom meetings etc.) 32 35 by increasing my ict skills on my own 17 18 by updating my ict skills through learning support from my ward’s school 11 12 by increasing my subject knowledge 22 24 by providing dedicated study place to my child 38 41 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 93 by providing all the required resources in order to study online at home 49 53 by helping in completing home assignments given to my ward 47 50 by providing help from online material available for completing assignments 25 27 half (53 per cent) of the parents contributed to their ward’s online learning during the pandemic by providing all the required resources in order to study online at home and 41 per cent of the parents could provide a dedicated place for study to avoid any disturbances during online learning at home during the pandemic. some (35 per cent) of the parents could contribute towards their ward’s online learning in joining the class and handling the google meet, google classroom, youtube, youtube live, zoom meetings etc. few (18 per cent) of the parents accepted that they had to upgrade their ict skills on their own to help their wards in their online classes and studies at home during the pandemic, whereas 12 per cent of the parents got support from the school of their wards in updating their ict skills. half (50 per cent) of the parents contributed to the learning of their wards by helping in completing and submitting/sending assignments in online mode. while some (24 per cent) of the parents reported that they had to update their subject knowledge to contribute towards their wards’ online learning at home during the pandemic. some (27 per cent) of the parents had to search for online material to help their wards in their online learning at home during the pandemic. table-2: challenges faced by the ward during online learning at home during pandemic (n = 93) parameter frequency (n) percentage (%) all the subjects cannot be taught effectively during online classes specially subjects with practical and laboratory sessions 87 94 lack of physical proximity with peer group hampering emotional and mental well-being of the child 79 85 complements/encouragement by teachers do not seem to have same positive effect as in traditional teaching 32 35 background noise of announcement from teachers’ side while classes are being conducted 11 12 commands to pets and interruption from courier deliveries 14 15 disturbance by phone calls/messages while attending class through phone 19 21 added pressure as principal and parents are watching their live class performance 25 27 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 94 almost all (94 per cent) parents had the opinion that all the subjects cannot be taught effectively during online classes, especially subjects with practical and laboratory sessions. most (85 per cent) of the parents reported that lack of physical proximity with the peer group was the biggest contributor in hampering a child’s mental and emotional well-being. regarding the teaching–learning environment, they reported different kinds of issues and challenges faced by their wards in online learning such as disturbance by phone calls/messages while attending online classes through phone (21 per cent), background noise due to announcements from teachers’ side, commands to the pets and courier deliveries at home etc. some (35 per cent) of the parents also mentioned that compliments and encouragement by teachers did not seem to have the same positive effect as traditional teaching. some (27 per cent) of the parents felt that students were under added pressure as parents and teachers were watching their live class performances at home during the pandemic. table-3: contribution towards mental well-being while online learning during the pandemic (n = 93) parameter frequency (n) percentage i am able to contribute to my ward’s mental wellbeing by involving the child in fun-filled activities 54 58 by involving the child in physical activities 54 58 by keeping a check on posture while online studies 19 21 by educating/implementing a healthy lifestyle 49 53 by introducing a screen-free zone at home 30 32 by talking with my ward about responsible use of internet 38 41 by discussing with my ward netiquette 30 32 table 3 shows that the parents contributed to their wards’ mental well-being by involving them in some physical and fun-filled activities, educating and implementing a healthy lifestyle, continuously check on their posture while online studies, keeping out their wards for some time from mobile/laptops and talking to their kids regarding the responsible use of the internet and making aware of netiquette etc. it shows that some of the parents could contribute meaningfully in supporting their wards during the pandemic. there were parents who could not provide support to their wards to keep them mentally healthy so that the children can focus on learning in online mode. discussion it was found that more than half of the parents (59 per cent) were aware of the alternate academic calendar (aac) issued by ncert and their ward’s school conveyed the guidelines online through phone messages or emails. this clearly indicates that parents were concerned with the education of their wards even during the pandemic period to cut indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 95 down the learning loss created due to the sudden emergence of the covid-19 resulting in the closure of schools. some parents played a significant role in their wards’ learning during pandemic in india. they contributed by providing required resources to their children for online learning such as mobile/laptops with internet in order to study online at home. annual status of education report 2020, also highlighted that 54.29 per cent of the population was subscribed to the internet in 2019-20 and there was a substantial increase in the broadband subscribers/users in the year 2019-20 during the pandemic in india, which indicates that parents contributed in their ward’s learning by providing them infrastructure required for online classes at home during the pandemic. some parents also provided academic support in explaining the concepts and completing their ward’s online assignments. some parents had to upgrade their subject knowledge and improved ict skills to contribute towards their wards online learning at home. more importantly, parents contributed to their wards’ mental well-being by involving them in physical and fun-filled activities, educating and implementing healthy lifestyle keeping the child away from mobile/laptop for some time at home. some parents counsel their kids regarding the responsible use of the internet. this implies that some parents not only contributed by providing necessary infrastructure and technology to their wards but tried to maintain a positive attitude towards learning and looked into the emotional and physical wellbeing of the students which certainly works as a main driving force behind sailing through this tough time of pandemic. oecd skills outlook 2021 throws light on the significant role played by parents’ emotional support to students as a main driving force behind their learning achievements. a strong positive relationship between learning achievements and emotional support provided by parents was reported. while a positive attitude plays an important role in achieving learning goals during normal times, it becomes all the more significant during this challenging time, when students are facing challenges of online learning (oecd, 2021). though parents showed a positive attitude towards online learning for their wards and contributed to support the children in online education, they faced a lot of issues and challenges in the online mode of education for their children. some parents found the adverse effect on the discipline of the students as there was no face-to-face interaction with the teachers. the majority of parents felt that practical subjects which require laboratory sessions and activities could not be taught effectively online. the online assessment was also found to be a challenge. “offline assessment continues to retain its credibility” clearly shows that the integrity of online assessment is questionable (times of india, 2022). many parents found that the lack of proximity with the peer group was hampering a child’s mental and emotional well-being. some parents reported disturbance by phone calls/messages, courier deliveries and commands to pets and background announcement noise in the school as one of the challenges in online teachinglearning during the pandemic. though some of the parents were considering their presence in their wards’ classes as a support to their learning while others considered it as added pressure on their children as well as an additional responsibility of helping schools in teaching kids at home during the pandemic. abuhammad (2020) also observed that parents faced many indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 96 types of barriers like financial, technical and logistical to help their children with distance learning during the pandemic. conclusion the study found that some parents were not only restricted to their daily routine tasks but they had to shoulder the additional responsibility of helping their wards by providing the required resources to their children for online learning such as mobile/laptops with internet in order to study online at home, involving them in physical and fun-filled activities, educating and implementing healthy lifestyle keeping the child away from mobile/laptop for some time at home in order to keep their wards mentally healthy, supporting schools in various ways etc. the majority of parents contributed in various ways in online learning for their wards but they faced a lot of issues and challenges in the online mode of education for their children. for many parents, financial crunch, lack of infrastructure for online learning and lack of technological skills to help their wards in handling online classes and providing relevant educational resources, lack of subject content understanding to support the learning of their wards were major challenges in online learning during the pandemic. it is not sure  that we will have covid free scenario in the near future, which leads us to ensure covid-appropriate measures all the time and it should be non-negotiable. covid environment leads to the situation where blended learning  will stay so long as the pandemic lasts. we have to build on and strengthen family support by increasing parents’ ict skills, developing a positive attitude towards online learning and enhancing their awareness of judicious use of the internet with safety and security in order to make them able to counsel their wards for responsible use of the internet and making them aware of netiquette etc. implications based on the findings, school management can devise ways and means to bring parents into their fold for the enhancement of their contribution towards their ward’s overall growth. findings can help policymakers to incorporate and implement various plans of action under national-level policies to provide quality education to all the stakeholders including parents even during the time of the pandemic. reference abuhammad, s. 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(2018). digital education: scope and challenges of a developing society. paripexindian journal of research 7.5 strielkowski, w. (2020). covid-19 pandemic and the digital revolution in academia and higher education. preprints, 2020040290.https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202004.0290.v1 the economics times (14 july, 2020). hrd announces guidelines for online classes, recommends cap on number of sessions. economics times, new delhi, india https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/services/education/hrd-announces-guidelines-for-online-classes-recommends-cap-on-number-of-sessions/articleshow/76961155.cms?from=mdr times of india (13 august, 2021). reopening of schools: parents not on board (page 8).times of india, new delhi, india times of india (14 august, 2021). xii students in sc for phased physical reopening of schools . times of india, new delhi, india times of india ( 21 march, 2022). offline assessment continues to retain its credibility (page 6). times of india, new delhi, india wu, m., xu, w., yao, y., zhang, l., guo, l., fan, j., & chen, j. (2020). mental health status of students’ parents during covid-19 pandemic and its influence factors. general psychiatry, 33(4), e100250. https://doi.org/10.1136/gpsych-2020-100250 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 145 research article digital learning and digital divide: scaling the gap of access and equity among schedule tribe students during covid-19 pandemic: a case study approach hilal ahmad malla1, syed noor-ul-amin2 & rayees ahmad malla3 1ph.d. research scholar, department of education, university of kashmir, hazratbal, srinagar, j&k 2assistant professor on contract, department of education, university of kashmir, hazratbal, srinagar, j&k 3ph.d research scholar, department of library sciences, university of kasmir, hazratbal, srinagar, j&k abstract the study is grounded on a qualitative research approach conducted in rural kashmir to emphasize the challenges of the digital divide among scheduled  tribe students. it offers a critical examination of the prevailing techno-strategic debates and parental perspectives on digital learning. this study briefly explores the digital divide in virtual learning by analysing the ground situation among scheduled tribe students to identify and quantify the pattern and severity of the pandemic effect. it examines digital access, digital inclusion, and digital equity among the scheduled tribe students during a period when educational institutes were forced to stop on-campus classes and move to online classes owing to the spreading pandemic. furthermore, investigating strategies to provide educational content virtually in situations where technology  accessibility is limited or non-existent is a top research priority. the results revealed that the majority of presently enrolled st learners lacked access to basic digital infrastructure, they were academically stagnant, and the marginalisation among them was further worsened during the covid-19 pandemic. finally, the study recommends some simple policy directions toward the resolution. keywords: digital– divide, pandemic, schedule caste, equity, access. introduction what the pandemic brings to light, is the tight relationship between education and technology access. nonetheless, remote learning has become permanent in the field of teaching and learning and it will always be an important part of our educational landscape. while digitization is reshaping societies and powering the majority of digital economic growth of the world, some elements of society continue to lag. economic, societal, regional, and generational barriers frequently underpin digital disparity or unfair distribution and acceptance of digital goods and services (maceviciute and wilson 2018; van dijk 2012). this unequal access to technology and internet has dismal effects not only on quality education but also on the mental health and social well-being of students. the digital divide, also referred as the digital split, is a social issue that refers to the disparity that prevails among those who have access to contemporary information and communication technologies and those who do not. as the pandemic of covid 19 spreads, there has been a major shift towards online classes because of the closing down of indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 146 educational institutions for an uncertain period of time (martinez, 2020). education institutions have abandoned conventional in-class teaching in favour of remote teaching, which involves computers and the internet to connect students to teachers and educational sources. this unique and quick reconfiguration significantly altered the role of technology. as a result, a paradigm shift has emerged, with major ramifications for underprivileged students. there is a prevalent belief that there is a technological answer to every problem. this technical solutionism is ludicrous because it misses the most fundamental question: can technology solve the educational difficulties caused by lockdown? our recent experience with covid-19 demonstrates that technology-based schooling caused by the pandemic has increased academic complications. it has had a negative impact and is exacerbating already existing educational gaps of susceptible students. people who do not have access to icts are much more disadvantaged than previously. these digital technical gaps have farreaching consequences for educational access. they point to new hurdles in achieving the ideal of equal educational opportunity set in fundamental law over decades ago. concerns have also been expressed about how people who are already marginalized in terms of access to icts, notably scs, sts and girls, may suffer even more as a result of the current scenario. as a result, attempting to make online education a viable option in the aftermath of the covid-19 issue runs the risk of further lagging many students, particularly the socioeconomically disadvantaged (unesco 2020). therefore, when pupils were suddenly obliged to study from their homes, this disparity would have had a greater impact on the have-nots. literature review a widely discussed phenomenon, the digital divide, was unequivocally exposed by the covid-19 pandemic. as the covid 19 pandemic spreads, online services were among the earliest and simplest distance solutions brought out in south asia in reaction to the shutdown of educational institutes. unesco (2021) reported that the duration of closure of educational institutions in india has been amongst the lengthiest around the globe. however, estimates imply that only about 45 per cent of india’s population uses the internet. (hootsuite and we are social, 2021). no doubt, these disparities existed previously, the covid-19 contagion has highlighted this digital gap (jæger & blaabæk, 2020). the indian constitution lists tribal people as schedule tribes with a view to providing them basic support to overcome the issues of equity from the general population. according to the 2011 census, 10.43 corer people in the country belong to the tribal category, which means 8.6% of the total population. questions persist about whether online learning is successful, engaging, and sustainable, as well as if and how it can reach all students equally, particularly the most vulnerable populations. (unicef rosa, 2020a; biswas et al., 2020). low-income households in india, mainly in rural or semi-urban areas, are significantly affected by digital disparity (maceviciute and wilson 2018). furthermore, there are major disparities in ict adoption and utilization in india. the urban teledensity (about 160 per cent) is roughly three times that of the rural teledensity (approx. 59 per cent), despite the fact that around 70 per cent of india’s population lives in rural areas (census, 2011; trai, 2020). while the pandemic not only highlighted the significance of the digital economy but also revealed many types of digital indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 147 inequalities that exist between people in developed and underdeveloped nations. (tadesse and muluye 2020). lembani, gunter, breines, & dalu (2020) found that the digital divide existed on the basis of locale; rural students often do not have adequate facilities for icts. grishchenko (2020) also conveyed that the economically underprivileged often have insufficient access to digital technology. beaunoyer, dupéré, and guitton (2020) viewed that the digital divide existed before, but the covid-19 pandemic has aggravated it. since online and distant learning is considerably less successful than teacher-led, physical classroom learning, pre-existing learning inequities were amplified when students were forced to adjust to the “new normal” of online instruction. pandey, n., & pal, a. (2020) & calonge, d & m, aman (2016), the instant transformation to an online forum or virtual mode was possible and accessible to a sizeable population of students, however with many glitches. urban india swiftly acclimatized to this approach, but there are harrowing reports about how rural india’s digital divide has become a bottleneck in its passage towards virtual learning. research context the present study was carried out in the district kulgam of jammu & kashmir union territory. the northernmost part of india, jammu and kashmir, is known throughout south asia for its scenic beauty and charismatic nature. the state is mainly occupied by kashmiri-speaking people. however, the influence of other ethnic minority groups on the variegated total cannot be neglected. according to the census 2011, about 15 lakh sts were recorded in the state’s overall population of 1.25 crores, thus constituting 11.9 % of the total population. but as far as district kulgam is concerned, sts only comprised 1.78 per cent of the population (census, 2011). methodological framework phenomenological approach: qualitative in nature. the present study adopted a phenomenological approach. the phenomenological research approach  aims to better understand people’s views, perspectives, and knowledge of a phenomenon. as wertz (2005) puts it: “phenomenology is a low hovering, in-dwelling, meditative philosophy that glories in the concreteness of person world relations and accords lived experience, with all its indeterminacy and ambiguity, primacy over the known”. sample the sample for the present study consisted of 40 students, 20 of whom were from schedule tribe (st) category and 20 from the general category of rural students, in order to analyse the extent of accessibility of ict-based facilities. in addition, 20 interviews were conducted, which included a sample of 10 parents belonging to the schedule tribe and 10 teachers residing in the foothills of the pir panjal range in the kulgam district. tools / instrumentation the investigators used a checklist for quantitative assessment, and interviews were conducted to get indepth descriptions and interpretations of the variables under investigation. a checklist comprising a total of 10 items was developed by the investigators to assess the fundamental facilities utilized in online teaching and learning. the items, such as the availability of smartphones, laptops, or television sets, served as the foundation of the checklist. qualitative data was obtained through in-depth and unstructured interviews, which were recorded using recording devices and transcribed verbatim. the interviewees’ answers were mostly presented as direct quotes. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 149 were filled comprised of general and scheduled tribe students, their scores were summed up to find out the gape of access of ict facilities among the groups. it is indicated that there exists a wider gap between the general students and scheduled tribe students regarding the ict facilities. so it is obvious that st students were facing a lot of difficulty, and even most of the time they, were unable to learn anything during the covid-19 pandemic. based on the thematic analysis of interviews, some of the themes which emerged out, are as follows the themes emerging from the data were clustered under two categories: academic stagnation. the first theme, academic stagnation, highlights the underlying narratives gleaned from the interviews of parents. the second theme exacerbated marginalisation highlights the perspectives of secondary and senior secondary school teachers on what constitutes good e-learning experiences. i). academic stagnation following the covid-19 outbreak, educational systems switched to new learning techniques facilitated by the internet, but students in rural and underprivileged regions in india  were left behind. our results indicated  that during the covid-19 pandemic, respondents had a significant variation in their accessibility to remote learning possibilities. the major challenges found were the unavailability of phone credit and internet data; additional challenges cited by students include electricity and gadget access. this is not surprising considering the fact that internet penetration in india is only 45 per cent (hootsuite and we are social, 2021), reflecting that more than half of the population does not have access to the internet. in this manner, one of the parents viewed that “mobile phones play a critical part in accessing and equating e-learning opportunities around the system…..” this tacit separation of children from distressed households has resulted in academic stagnation among the majority of the students. people with higher incomes have a greater chance of embracing ict. income is a metric for determining one’s ability to buy ict devices (asrani, 2020). as reported by another parent “the major reason of educational stagnation among pupils is poverty; we cannot afford to have a separate mobile phone for every child…..” in addition, as compared to students from unreserved regions, students from scheduled tribal areas were less likely to be academically engaged. the majority of their children are enrolled into government-run institutions. moreover, not all students have equal access to and expertise in digital technologies. even those who did have access to gadgets were unfamiliar with online platforms, which hampered their education. one of the parents reported that …. “lack of awareness of smartphones and the internet is a major concern. additionally, the dearth of digital expertise of parents has made it more difficult for them to attend online education…...” so therefore inequitable use and dissemination of information and communication technologies have created new disparities and exclusion by replicating existing inequalities and social classes. this may result in a “matthew effect” in digital inclusion in india, with those who “have” broadening their opportunity set whereas those indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 150 who “don’t” become increasingly emasculated and omitted from the mainstream. ii). exacerbated marginalisation it is not new for the educational system in india to have marginalisation, and it does not appear to be slowing down (dar, 2021). the remote learning reachability report (2020) by unicef concluded that: “the learning gap is likely to widen across high, middle and low-income families, as children from economically disadvantaged families cannot access remote learning”. inequity in accessibility to ict-based education exacerbates existing learning inequities along socioeconomic and geographic lines. children from poor families have less access to icts, one of the teachers reported that, “our children received formal education until the novel coronavirus (covid-19) pandemic interrupted schools and required classes to be delivered digitally; they have fallen behind academically due to lack of basic facilities……” without careful consideration of how, by, and for whom technology is utilised, it has the potential to worsen existing disparities. this implies that, while pupils from better-off families can easily make the transition to virtual learning, students from less-affluent backgrounds are more likely to succumb to ineffectiveness and a lack of adaptation, either due to the unavailability of technology or the inability of their parents to steer them through techsavvy applications. the majority of learners from underprivileged families have been deprived of online classes due to the  digital disparity. another teacher reported that… “majority of the tribal students are always at a greater risk of abandoning their studies due to their poverty and familial illiteracy. furthermore, when classes were shifted online, the majority of the parents were not able to provide a separate smartphone to their children to follow online classes….” as a result, establishing an online education programme without attempting to address both the vast access gap and inequities in digital infrastructure will result in socioeconomically disadvantaged students being excluded from learning opportunities. most significantly, such exclusion may worsen the large and systematic socioeconomic inequities in learning  opportunities and outcomes, which affects their education, wellness, and capacity to have their views heard. discussion the study employs a phenomenological approach to emphasize the challenges of the digital divide among scheduled tribe students. it offers a critical examination of the prevailing techno-pedagogical debates and parental perspectives on digital learning. it was observed the prevailing context of social and educational marginalisation is exploited by both organization’s structure  and policy framework. the analysis reveals some vital information, a vast majority of presently enrolled st learners lacked access to basic digital infrastructure, such as a laptop or tablet with internet access. access to key e-learning  is incredibly limited among pupils from the poorest socioeconomic backgrounds. only pupils from the richest socioeconomic groups and those from privileged social groups have better access. what kind of learning and inclusiveness can online indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 151 education promote when only a few  students from sts and scheduled castes have access? a vast number of learners may be unable to fully participate in and benefit from virtual classrooms due to the twin whammy of limited access and a deep digital disparity. unfortunately, there is no magic potion that will set things right, and it is a well-known fact that one-size-fits-all thinking no longer works (bozkurt & sharma, 2020). before implementing strategies, we must consider a variety of factors, including the target population, age range, technology infrastructure, and social and economic backdrop. although it has been argued that developed nations have an edge when it comes to launching emergency remote teaching (saavedra, 2020), this is not true for all nations, it has been observed that the digital divide remains a problem, and many learners continue to be denied educational opportunities (bozkurt & sharma, 2020). recommendations the study recommends some of the policy directions toward the resolution to ensure that everyone has access to and uses information and communication technology, especially the most disadvantaged and marginalised groups. 1. specific consideration must be given to most disadvantaged populations, including sts, scs & girls. adopting an inclusive strategy must serve as the driving concept in bridging the gap of acess and equity among them. 2. education stakeholders and policy experts need to constantly liaise with governments and large corporations to increase funding to make it easier for schools, students, and teachers to utilise digital learning tools. 3. efforts are needed to put an emphasis on policies that lower the digital gap and bring the nation closer to reaching the goal of digital equity. 4. the “right to education” must be implemented in such a way that meets every student’s requirements for access to, mastery of, and use of technology as an effective instrument for participating fully in society. conclusion tribal education cannot be delegated to short-term plan tactics. e-learning will keep dominating the field of teaching and learning because of its potential benefits. therefore, it is critical that planners have a long-term perspective that is grounded in a sound policy framework. guaranteeing all-inclusive and equitable quality education for all should have paramount importance in our policy decisions.  case report india has the world’s second-largest educational system after china. during the covid-19 crisis, closing schools to preserve social distance was the most rational way to avoid community transmission. this extended shutdown has adversely impacted the most underprivileged pupils and has widened the educational opportunities among them. maldar area is a socioeconomically backward area of the devsar constituency of kulgam district. the hamlet is an averagely low economic status region. there are near about 220 students including secondary and senior secondary students. before the pandemic, the teaching-learning system was purely based on face to face traditional teaching system. during the pandemic of covid-19, when entire educational was shifted towards the indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 152 e-learning platforms, st students were facing a lot of difficulties to continue their education. on surveying, it was found that all the students were lacking basic ict facilities except the portable radio set. their low income forced them not to avail smartphones to their students, which resulted in academic stagnation among students. no doubt, the jammu and kashmir school education board had upgraded all the students through the process of mass promotion. but the matter of concern is that the gap of educational backwardness has widened enough, that if the pandemic continues for some more time, the widened educational gap is impossible to fill. the digital gap is so vast that many learners have never taken a single online class. even though the state government had  intended to broadcast lessons and educational activities on doordarshan for students, what about those who do not have even a television set, or an electricity connection, as a result, the majority of tribal learners were not addressed by either initiative references adam, d. 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(2012). the evolution of the digital divide-the digital divide turns to inequality of skills and usage. in digital enlightenment yearbook 2012 (pp. 57-75). ios press. wertz, f. j. (2005). phenomenological research methods for counselling psychology. journal of counselling psychology, 52(2), 167. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 72 research article gratification of film viewing in children sweety lakra* and sudhakar venu** *ph.d. (education), the english and foreign languages university, hyderabad **professor of education & dean, school of english language education, the english and foreign languages university, hyderabad,corresponding author sudhakar venu email: sudhakarvenu.efluniversity@gmail.com abstract the present study was conducted to understand children’s gratification of the english films 1. saving private ryan (spr) and 2. e.t.: the extra terrestrial (et). the study consisted of a sample of 93 school children of grade xi aged between 15-17 years. a film gratification instrument was designed drawing insights from the research studies conducted by oliver and bartsch (2010) and teasley and wilder (1997). the sample selected for pilot study was 40 school children taken from a government school of shamshabad district, telangana. for the film et the statistical exploration showed that the mean score was 42 and the standard deviation was 2.2 during the first pilot testing. in the second phase of pilot test the values are: mean score 43 and standard deviation 2.1. the reliability coefficient (r) was found to be 0.74. since the reliability coefficient (r) was found to be significant the test was finalized for the main study. for the film spr during the first pilot testing the statistics calculated are: mean score 45 and standard deviation 2.7. in the second phase of pilot test the mean score was 47 and the standard deviation was 2.5. the reliability coefficient (r) was found to be 0.77. since the reliability coefficient (r) was found to be significant the test was identified for the main study. the research study was quantitative in nature. it was found that the percentage of boys is more in the gratification of films spr and et in comparison to girls. the reason as to why the boys experienced high gratification in comparison to girls may be, both the films are male centric and not much of women and gender roles presented. keywords: film gratification, film interpretation, emotions, aesthetics, and film education introduction emotions play a major role in cognizing and interpreting the world. their role in understanding and interpreting films is mostly disputing and contesting. children express emotions in response to various forms of films, novels, television programmes, music videos or computer games. in recent times, media and media entertainment has become a significant part of one’s life. the interface of media and children has captured the attention of media researchers. abundant documentations have been found in the area of media psychology and not only that, it also assists the principal function of influence in media enjoyment. in indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 73 addition, it offers logical clarifications as to why emotional encounters can be worthwhile and fruitful for the consumers of media (bartsch, 2012). how do children enjoy and experience films? and what substance of films delights and gratifies children? these are some of the fascinating questions in the contemporary film education discourse. gratification is an emotional state experienced by people when their wishes and desires get fulfilled. it is a pleasurable, enjoyable and satisfying response. it is very challenging to cognize the manifestation of gratification in all pervading human existence and complex life forms. people’s behaviour is determined by neurobiological, social, cultural, spiritual, political and psychological factors and these factors play a critical role in constructing and development of human behaviour. therefore, the behaviour of gratification gets reflected in all such dimensions of human existence and life. gratification of sexual, social, cultural, aesthetic, moral and emotional needs motivate and create space for the growth and development of human beings. in the entire journey, from birth to death, humans struggle for experiencing gratification. gratification is the essence of human development. people differ and choose different paths to gratify their needs, desires and wishes. delay in gratification leads to frustration and abnormality. the need for gratification of needs, desires and wishes make human actions very complex and multidimensional. people search, explore and create new opportunities for gratifying their cognitive needs, affective needs, personal integrative needs, social integrative needs and tension free needs and desires. people involve and participate in various activities to fulfil their needs and desires. watching and interpreting films are such activities for gratification. in other words people use films as the medium for their own need and get satisfied when their needs are fulfilled. gratification theories argue that people use films and media to fulfil their needs and desires. this is very clearly evident in our everyday communication, routine and normal discourses, peer gossiping, considering characters in films as role models and symbols of modernity and fashion. involvement of youth in damaging the images of actors and celebrities, including living in fantasy and imagination represents their gratification levels of film viewing. films are used for communication and consumption. people interpret film images, symbols, meanings and content and also integrate them into their lives. according to the gratification theories individuals use films to fulfil other gratifications whether it’s to escape or divert from everyday life, relaxation and social interactions although this will also help increase knowledge. cupchik (1994) stated that gratification from movies could be of two classes, which are responsive and insightful. the gratification which is responsive takes place when one watches movie for instance for the impression of recreation or nostalgia throughout the experience of media (oliver 1993, zillmann 1998). the insightful level of gratification can be gained by the spectators through indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 74 the process of introspection or from the opinions of creative worth (oliver 2007). the insightful level of gratification may be stimulated through development of movie appreciation (lee, cha & nam, 2015). cupchik and winston’s (1992) reactive processing illuminates an addition of the composition-reaction pattern. for them it administers finest if the intention of a receiver in an artistic occurrence is to encounter enjoyment or fulfilment. the acquirer will concentrate on motivation aspects that produce enjoyment or stimulation. the receiver or recipient may choose precise linguistic patterns, which might be based on the past experiences, or on the other hand the receiver might observe properties, which collate for instance familiarity. the receivers combine stimulus configurations with pleasure and excitement through a learning process (cupchik, 1994). in this context cupchik (1994) says “stimulus configurations are closely linked to bodily reactions lying along pain-pleasure and arousal dimensions. since linkage implies association, this in turns opens the door to other learning mechanisms such as conditioning, habituation, and stimulus generalizations. thus, if conditioning serves to make a particular stimulus feature familiar and pleasurable, then repeated exposure to the stimulus should reduce its reward value through habituation. in this manner, bodily mechanisms can modulate both every day and aesthetic experiences” (p. 184, 185). cupchik and winston (1992) with regard to insightful handling assume the appropriate significanceemotional aspects of artistic exercise. the diversified landscape of the artistic labour is of vital significance. as a result, meaning is dependent on the harmony or associations among the diverse stages of bodies in the work. oliver and bartsch (2010) state that the on-going work from the viewpoints of functions and fulfilments has stressed a major devotion to the intricate fulfillments that are linked through the usage of media (considering impressions, grasp katz, blumler, & gurevitch, 1973; rubin, 2008; ruggiero, 2000). the authors further go on to say that gratifications are studied in view of the pleasure-seeking wish and consideration like the usage of recreation for the objective of conquering isolation (e.g., perse & rubin, 1990), for breaking away with problems (e.g., herzog, 1944), or purely frittering time away (rubin, 1983). nevertheless, additional fulfilments like viewing films for the objective of gaining particulars, enhancing the reputation, or civil relations (rubin, 1983) are no more easily elucidated in pleasure-seeking agreements and are thus deliberated to decrease outside the pleasure dimension. oliver and hartmann, (2010), knoblochwesterwick et al., (2012), bartsch, kalch, & oliver, (2014), eden, hartmann and reinecke (2014), studies support the view that the audience may engage with the challenges presented by the media content emotionally and cognitively. such self-reflective experiences enable viewers to explore their own self and the world around. unlike the hedonic perspective that concern to pleasurable media experiences, the eudaimonic indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 75 perspective focuses on very serious and heavy content. nevertheless, the welfare perspective on media enjoyment is different from the perspective of selfindulgent hedonism, which shows the engaged role of spectators in pursuing battles for the aim of self-improvement. the reactive type of gratification takes place when watching films for a thought of delight, enthusiasm, or melodrama in time of introduction to media (oliver 1993, zillmann, 1988). the audience can achieve the reasoning achievement of fulfilment through introspection or the opinions of aesthetic importance (oliver, 2007). the insightful achievement of fulfilment can be encouraged chiefly by growth of film acknowledgement (lee, cha & nam, 2015, p.87). therefore, it can be said that the film gratification can be referred as the insightful achievement of fulfilment through introspection or the notions of aesthetic importance, which takes place through the process of film appreciation. for the reflective gratification to take place the researcher chose two films e.t.: the extra terrestrial (et) and saving private ryan (spr). the researcher chose these two films as the researcher wanted to explore whether these two films gratify children or not. the plot of the film e.t.: the extra terrestrial (et) the story is about the friendship of two people et and elliott. elliott is 10 years old and is spending time with his brother, and his friends. a group of aliens visit the earth and one of them is left behind on planet earth. elliott finds the alien and soon they begin to communicate and elliott learns about the values of a true friendship whereas the alien learns about the life on earth. e.t. wants to go home but if he goes elliott will lose a friend (lakra and sudhakar, 2019, p. 64). the plot of the film saving private ryan (spr) the film is based on world war ii, june 1944. a mission is ordered to captain miller to find private james ryan and bring him back home as he has lost all his siblings in the war. captain miller and his company are given the task to get him from the war zone and bring him home (lakra and sudhakar, 2019, p. 64). objective of the study the objective of this study is to investigate children’s gratification of viewing the english films e.t.: the extra terrestrial (et) and saving private ryan (spr). methodology the study is carried out in shamshabad district of telangana. the sample comprised of 93 children aged between 15-17 years of age from standard xi. purposive sampling method was adopted to select the sample of the study. the approach of this study is based on a descriptive research design to obtain information about children’s film gratification. the film gratification instrument is designed drawing insights from oliver and bartsch (2010) and teasley and wilder (1997) studies. children are shown the films e.t.: the extra terrestrial (et) and saving private ryan (spr) and their responses are collected on a five-point scale. the indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 76 score 5 indicates “very highly agree”, 4 indicates “highly agree”, 3 indicates “moderately agree”, 2 indicates “less agree”, and 1 indicates “do not agree” on the scale. the minimum score is 32 and the maximum score is 160. the sample selected for pilot study was 40 school children taken from a government school of shamshabad district, telangana. the films et and spr were pilot tested. data presentation and interpretation for the film et the statistical analysis showed that the mean score was 42 and the standard deviation was 2.2 during the first pilot testing. in the second time of pilot test mean score was 43 and standard deviation was 2.1. the reliability coefficient (r) was found to be 0.74. since the reliability coefficient (r) was found to be significant the test was kept aside for the main study. for the film spr the statistical exploration showed that the mean score was 45 and the standard deviation was 2.7 during the first pilot testing. in the second time of pilot test mean score was 47 and the standard deviation was 2.5. the reliability coefficient (r) was found to be 0.77. since the reliability coefficient (r) was found to be significant the test was set aside for the main study. table1: distribution of children with respect to their gratification of films spr and et gratification of films for spr and et gender gratification of films for spr and et gratification of the film et low moderate high total low moderate high total boys count % within gender 5 17 24 46 5 18 23 46 10.9% 37.0% 52.2% 100.0% 10.9% 39.1% 50.0% 100.0% girls count % within gender 6 28 13 47 6 30 11 47 12.8% 59.6% 27.7% 100.0% 12.8% 63.8% 23.4% 100.0% total count % within gende 11 45 37 93 11 48 34 93 11.8% 48.4% 39.8% 100.0% 11.8% 51.6% 36.6% 100.0% from the table 1 it is observed that 11.8 percent of children expressed low level of gratification in the film spr, 48.4percent of children expressed moderate level and 39.8percent of children expressed high level of gratification of the film spr. for the film et, the data reveals that 11.8percent of children expressed low level of gratification in the film et, 51.6percent of children expressed moderate level of gratification, and 36.6percent of children expressed high level of gratification of the film et. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 77 the gender wise analysis of data in relation to the levels of gratification of the films spr and et is as follows: among boys 10.9percent of them expressed low level of gratification in the film spr, 37percent of them expressed moderate level and 52.2percent of them expressed high level of gratification in the film spr. among the girls 12.8percent who expressed low level of gratification in the film spr, 59.6percent expressed moderate level and 27.7percent of them expressed high level of gratification in the film spr. with respect to the film et 10.9percent of boys expressed low level of gratification, 39.1percent of expressed moderate level of gratification and 50percent of them expressed high level of gratification. whereas 12.8percent of girls expressed low level of gratification, 63.8percent expressed moderate level of gratification and 23.4percent of them expressed high level of gratification of the film et. the above table indicates that there are differences between the responses of boys and girls with respect to their gratification of the films spr& et. in order to know whether boys and girls differ statistically with respect to their levels of gratification of the films spr & et, it was felt desirable to examine the difference between boys and girls by applying appropriate statistical test. for this purpose, the following hypothesis is formulated. h1: boys and girls differ significantly with respect to their levels of gratification of the films e.t.: the extra terrestrial (et) and saving private ryan (spr). to test this hypothesis the following null hypothesis is formulated. ho: boys and girls do not differ significantly with respect to their levels of gratification of films e.t.: the extra terrestrial (et) and saving private ryan (spr). the above null hypothesis was tested with mann-whitney non-parametric statistical test. the results are furnished below. table2: distribution of children’s mean ranks & mann-whitney u with respect to gratification of the films spr & et distribution of mean ranks & mann-whitney u of spr & et gender n g-spr mean rank g-spr sum of ranks g-et mean ranks g-et sum of ranks boys 46 52.35 2408.00 52.79 2428.50 girls 47 41.77 1963.00 41.33 1942.50 g-spr g-et mann-whitney u 835.000 814.500 wilcoxon w 1963.000 1942.500 z -2.085 -2.272 asymp. sig. (2-tailed) .037 .023 indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 78 g-spr: gratification of film spr g-et: gratification of film et from table-2, it is observed that the mean ranks of boys for the films spr and et 52.35 and 52.79, respectively. the mean rank of girls for the film spr is 41.77 and for the film et is 41.33. from the mann-whitney statistical test it is found that the u values for the films spr and et are 835 and 814.500 respectively. the z score is -2.085 for the film spr and -2.272 for the film et. the p value is 0.037 for the film spr and 0.023 for the film et. the p value is a measure of the strength of the evidence of data against the null hypothesis. the smaller the p value the stronger the sample evidence for rejecting null hypothesis. the p value indicates that there are only 3.7percent and 2.3percent of chances that the null hypothesis is correct. hence, the results of the sample are not consistent with the null hypothesis. since the p value is small enough it is concluded that the sample is so incompatible with the null hypothesis that one can reject the null for the entire population. hence, it can be inferred that boys and girls differ significantly with respect to their gratification of films of spr& et. in other words on the basis of the strong evidence (p value <0.05 i.e. .0.037, 0.023) the null hypothesis is rejected and alternative hypothesis is accepted therefore, it is concluded that the difference between boys and girls with respect to the gratification of films spr & et is statistically significant. katz, blumler, and gurevitch (1973) in their study initiated that in extension to consuming media for the purpose of enjoyment and leisure, people further expressed consuming media as a process of encountering inspiration and establishing self-confidence. in the same way tesser, millar, and wu (1988) researched on movie gratifications, they pinpointed motivations similar to pleasure-seeking involvement (e.g., break free, enjoyment) and further found a supplementary inspiration, which they described as personal growth. it is evident in this study the boys expressed high levels of gratification in viewing both spr & et films in comparison to girls . conclusions this study shows that compared to girls the boys expressed high gratification in viewing spr and et films. why the boys expressed high levels gratification in comparison to girls may be attributed to the reason that both because both the films were male centric and there is no much representations of women. boys enjoy and experience happiness when they watch adventurous, risk-taking, and exploratory films. by watching such films they gratify their hidden desires and masculine power. since these two films are of explorative type, boys might have showed relatively higher levels of gratification compared to girls. as discussed above the focus of this study is not on the pleasure-seeking needs and concerns of children. its focus is not on the use of entertainment for the drive of overcoming loneliness for escape from difficulties or for just for the sake of passing time or for the purpose of information, status enhancement, or social interaction. the primary concern of this research study is on children’s film gratification experiences and measurement of it. future research indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 79 may focus on pleasure seeking needs and concerns of children and with more attention on the drives of overcoming loneliness, status enhancement and social interaction. the current limitation in this study is that it did not embrace college students, university students, diverse sample of cultures and age ranges. future research studies may focus on such dimensions in designing references arnheim, r. 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(1998). “does tragic drama have redeeming value?” siegener periodikum fu¨r internationale literaturwissenschaft, vol. 16, pp. 1-11. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 50 book review new technology and education: contemporary issues in education studies by anthony edwards, year of publication of the book2012, newgen imaging systems ltd., chennai, india (review byjagjit kaur, ph.d scholar, zakir husain centre for educational studies, jawaharlal nehru university, new delhi, email:) as can be seen, digital devices are increasingly encapsulating every domain of our lives. if one looks at the institutions such as schools, hospitals etc, the role of technology has increased over the years. in the context of educational institutions, especially schools, the usage of modern digital devices such as smart boards, digital computers and so on are being increasingly installed for administrative as well as academic purposes in the schools. there is plenty of research that emphasizes upon facilitating the innovation and quality of education through the means of digital technologies. in fact, technology is posed as the new solution for upcoming issues in the domain of education. in this context, it is important to ask some pertinent questions such aswhat is the meaning of technology? what is the role of technology in education? how has technology evolved in the realm of education? why are modern technologies like computers more important in education? what are the future predictions for the role of technology in education? the book“new technology and education” by anthony edwards elaborates upon these questions through discussions and examples. the further sections would discuss these questions by providing a summary of the chapters along with debates on these questions by various thinkers. what is technology and its role in the education system? the initial parts of the book discusses about the definition of technology and its meaning. the author traces the etymology of the word ‘technology’ to a greek word technologia. if the word if broken down into parts, the first part techno “relates to the arts” and the second part logia means the “writings on accumulated knowledge of the arts.” (edwards 2012: 3) this definition persisted from 17th to 19th century when the meaning of the word arts changed to incorporate indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 51 “growing application of science to manufacturing” from only referring to “painting or sculpture” earlier. (edwards 2012: 4) the debate on the meaning and purpose of technology has existed till date by not only different disciplinary traditions but also different institutions, organizations and thinkers belonging to different realms of the society. the united nations education, social and cultural organization(unesco) defines technology as “the knowledge and skills and creative processes that may assist people to utilize tools, resources and systems to solve problems and to enhance control over the natural and made environment in an endeavor to improve the human condition.” (edwards 2012: 5) finn (finn 1960 quoted in edwards 2012) refers to technology as “a particular way of thinking about a problem through which a broad range of issues, including economic values, should be taken into consideration.” (edwards 2012: 5) this means that technology should include “all human and non-human processes, systems, management and control mechanisms.”(edwards 2012: 5) mullis (mullis 2009 quoted in edwards 2012) describes technology as the “sort of science based devices that began to emerge in the nineteenth century.” (edwards 2012: 5) though there can be numerous definitions of the technology, one can simply state that technologies are the machines developed to aid humans by easing the work. also, it can’t be denied that the new economies are moving forward towards technological advancements in all spheres of life from industrial usage to markets to institutions among others. the education can’t remain devoid of these technologies and so, the ushering of new era of technology in education has taken place. these technologies need to be seen in “an intellectual and social context” as the processes involved in pushing these technologies in education are not neutral phenomena’s but, linked to the “cultural and environmental influences”. (luppicini 2005 quoted in edwards 2012: 6). the author further elaborates upon the aspects of the technology as not “tangible products” but “a series of interconnected activities” that are involved in the making of the technological product. so, it is not the just the hardware, but software, the content of the device and the agencies involved in making and usage of the device that form important parts of the technology and its system. the author skillfully traces the evolution of these devices from machines which required human intervention such as mining machines to machines with a brain such as robots and other devices being developed in the present context. these technologies aid the imparting of education in various ways such as “enabling access to the learning material”, catering to a indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 52 “range of individual habits”, innovation in the pedagogy, easy assessment procedures among many other benefits. (edwards 2012: 6) the theoretical context in which these technologies emerge too is important besides the socio-economic-political context in which these technologies emerge. on one side, there are thinkers who believe that technology is a “self regulating phenomenon shaping the future” and it is technology which drives social processes and happenings. there are thinkers like marx who can be placed towards this end as he “conceived social processes in technological terms.” (edwards 2012: 8) as the agency of humans can’t be discarded, this standpoint was critiqued and so, the soft version of technological determinism emerged. this version stated that technology has a vital role in social change but it is not the only agency for the change. this too has been critiqued as if there is no one definition of technology, how can one viewpoint be the leading ideology in understanding the relationship between the technology and the society. then, there are those thinkers who believe that it is the society which drives the changes in technology. this is also referred to as the ‘constructivist view of technology’ and has various sub-branches to it. how have technologies evolved in the realm of education and the importance of modern technologies like computers in the present context? the first three chapters of the book trace the evolution of technologies in education from language to books to pencils to the automation of education. edwards (2012: 23) argues that the first major technologies used by humans was language as it helped in performing the day to day tasks such as “exchange and test knowledge”, “facilitates the transmission of culture” and other interests of education. as the economies evolved from ‘simple artefacts’ to the complex artefacts, the language too became more extended and that’s how the language of diplomacy evolved. then, in order to give ‘permanency’ and ‘transferability’, books were required to be produced in mass numbers. this was further enabled by ‘mechanized printing’ and this lead to further spread of education among the masses. with the invention of new technologies, the variety of material which was printed for educational purposes and distributed too changed. all kinds of books were published such as drawing books, dictionaries etc to stimulate all the senses of the readers besides the written word. the evolution of these technologies also lead to changes in the surrounding environment-be it social, cultural or political. mcluhan (mcluhan 1962 quoted in edwards 2012) refers to printing as the evolution of “technology of individualism” indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 53 as reading can now be done in solitary places and this redefines the relationship between the teachers and the students. this importance of printed word over the spoken word also lead to various other socio cultural changes as elaborated by various scholars such as the separation between adulthood and childhood-of acquiring literacy. (postman 1986 quoted in edwards 2012) the author has situated technological evolution in the social context and thereby, established the linkages between the technological and social changes. so, the argument by various scholars that technology is a neutral entity has been challenged through such an analysis of looking at the evolution of the technology. also, the interplay between the self, society and the technology has been placed aptly. for instance, edwards highlights that the evolution of printing as a technology made knowledge “less vulnerable to the frailties of human memory” and ‘commodification’ of knowledge took place. in the late 19th century, there were more machines being invented by thinkers like thorndike, skinner and so on to overcome the challenges posed by printing such as thorndike invented a device to manage ‘personal instruction’ by print. this era also defined the usage of radio and television in the arena of education to make learning more interesting and engaging for the learners. edwards highlights that the notion of “open universities” became possible due to the advancement of these technologies in the arena of education. these technologies also made education more accessible for the deprived sections of the society. after that, in 1950’s, the programmed learning movement, the use of computers in education in late 1960’s further evolved the usage of technology in education. the use of computers in education was triggered by the challenges being faced by the devices earlier used such as ‘distancing of teachers from the pupils’, ‘inefficacy’ among many others. they were perceived to deliver many benefits such as “individualized instruction”, “easy recording”, easy use of “simulation and modeling” and so on. the computers brought in the information revolution and changed the manner in which information and knowledge could be accessed and used. this further changed the notions involving the capacities to interpret and understand complex systems. the challenges such as the role of teachers in the education system, the questions regarding the efficacy of knowledge systems emerged as the usage of computers in education increased. what are the future predictions for the role of technology in education? edwards highlights that it is important to locate and think about the future role of technology in indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 54 education to be able to analyze the direction in which we are going considering the present usage of the technology. the book, throughout the themes, has located technology along with the socio-economic-political factors. so, the author looks at the global trends of economic growth, working patterns, migration in the future to locate the place of technology in education in future. as the total fertility rate in the oecd countries has already decreased, this has repercussions for the education system as fewer children would mean less schools and less choice. also, the future trends needs to take into account the increasing globalization which would require newer skills to be imparted through the school system. with such many more socio-economic changes, the role of technology in the lives of the people would also increase. the era of artificial intelligence would arrive with the ‘invisible networks’ located in our clothes and skins as well. in the domain of education, this proliferation of technology would mean the increase in range of educational courses, “well equipped centers for vocational and educational training”, “invasive and non invasive interfaces between the brain and the machines” and thereby, the change from networked to ubiquitous computing. this would weaken the boundaries between the aspects of contemporary living and the definitions of work, leisure, employment and education would change considerably. though different theorists predict these changes with variations, the role of technology would invariably increase in accepted through the disciplines as technology would become “smaller, cheaper and faster.” the author engages with questions whether technological future is inevitable or desirable and then, pinpoints the importance of values underpinning the society which will decide the role technology would play in the society and the education system. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 111 research article exploring the use of technology and online resources in commerce and management education: a study of nep curriculum implementation in karnataka venkatesha nayak1 & kavya p hegde2 1assistant professor, department of pg studies in commerce, university evening college, mangalore email: nayakvn16@gmail.com 2assistant professor, department of commerce and international business, central university of kerala abstract the national education policy (nep) in india emphasizes the importance of integrating technology and online resources in education to enhance the quality of teaching and learning outcomes. this study aims to explore the extent to which faculty in commerce and management departments in karnataka are incorporating technology and online resources in their teaching methods as per the nep guidelines. the study also aims to identify the barriers and challenges faced by the faculty in the adoption of technology and online resources for nep curriculum implementation, examine the perceptions and attitudes of faculty towards the use of technology and online resources, and suggest strategies and best practices for effective integration of technology and online resources in commerce and management education in karnataka. the study will employ a mixed-methods approach, including a survey questionnaire and interviews with faculty members. the findings of the study are expected to contribute to the effective implementation of nep guidelines in commerce and management education and provide insights into best practices for the integration of technology and online resources. keywords: technology, online resources, commerce education, management education, national education policy (nep), curriculum implementation introduction the national education policy (nep) 2020, introduced by the government of india, aims to revolutionize the education system in the country by making it more flexible, inclusive, and technologydriven. the nep has emphasized the importance of incorporating technology and online resources in education to enhance the quality of teaching and learning. in particular, the nep encourages the use of technology and online resources for commerce and management education, which is vital for the growth of the economy. karnataka, a southern state of india, is a hub of commerce and management education with numerous colleges and universities offering various courses. with the introduction of nep, it becomes imperative for the commerce and management faculties in karnataka to integrate technology and online resources in their teaching methods as per the guidelines of nep. this study aims to assess the extent of the use of technology and online resources for nep curriculum implementation by the commerce and management faculties in karnataka. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 112 the integration of technology and online resources in education has been shown to have a positive impact on student learning outcomes (al-busaidi, 2019). studies have demonstrated that technology-based teaching methods such as online quizzes, video lectures, and virtual simulations can enhance students’ understanding and engagement in learning (chen et al., 2020; almahasees z et al., 2021; almusaed, a, et al, 2023). however, the adoption of technology in education is not without challenges. a study by al-busaidi (2019) identified the lack of technical support, inadequate training for teachers, and the digital divide as significant challenges in implementing technology in education. therefore, it is essential to assess the challenges faced by the commerce and management faculties in karnataka in the adoption of technology and online resources for nep curriculum implementation. moreover, the perceptions and attitudes of faculty and students towards the use of technology and online resources are crucial for the successful implementation of nep in commerce and management education. the study by almahasees z et al, (2021) found that students had positive perceptions of technologybased teaching methods, while faculty members had mixed perceptions. therefore, it is essential to examine the perceptions and attitudes of both faculty and students towards the use of technology and online resources in commerce and management education in karnataka. this study aims to explore the use of technology and online resources for nep curriculum implementation by the commerce and management faculties in karnataka. the study will assess the challenges faced by faculty in the adoption of technology, evaluate the effectiveness of technology-based teaching methods, and examine the perceptions and attitudes of both faculty and students towards the use of technology in education. based on the findings, the study will suggest strategies and best practices for the effective integration of technology and online resources in commerce and management education in karnataka. literature review technology and online resources have become essential tools for effective and efficient teaching and learning in today’s digital age. the national education policy (nep) of india emphasizes the integration of technology in education for improving the quality of learning outcomes. this policy encourages the use of technology and online resources for teaching and learning to create a more interactive and engaging learning environment for students. several studies have explored the use of technology and online resources in higher education and have shown positive outcomes for student learning. for instance, a study by ramesh and rani (2017) found that the use of multimedia and online resources significantly improved the academic performance of students in a management course. similarly, a study by sahai and thakkar (2018) showed that the use of technology-enhanced teaching methods improved students’ engagement, motivation, and critical thinking skills in a commerce course. however, despite the numerous benefits of using technology and online resources in education, several challenges hinder their effective implementation. a study by agarwal and purohit (2019) identified factors such as lack of infrastructure, inadequate training, and resistance to change among faculty as significant barriers to the adoption of technology in education. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 113 to address these challenges, several strategies and best practices have been recommended for the effective integration of technology and online resources in higher education. for example, a study by yildirim and ozmaden (2017) suggested that faculty should be provided with adequate training and support for incorporating technology in their teaching methods. another study by kaur and singh (2018) recommended the use of a blended learning approach, which combines face-to-face instruction with online learning to provide a more personalized and engaging learning experience for students. moreover, research by al-amin et al. (2021) underscores the importance of assessing preparedness and participation when transitioning to online classes, emphasizing the need to consider the perspectives of both students and faculty. yureva et al. (2020) offer insights into how faculty perceptions may influence technology integration efforts, highlighting the significance of understanding the attitudes of teachers toward digital transformation in higher education. in the context of unexpected challenges, such as the covid-19 pandemic, zhu (2022) emphasizes the importance of adaptable teaching models supported by digital technology in higher education. the study conducted by danchikov et al. (2021) provides a further understanding of the possibilities and limitations of online learning, aligning with the concept of integrating online resources into education. cohen et al. (2022) offer a broader perspective on student attitudes toward technology through an international comparison of students’ technology use and perceptions, which can be valuable when assessing the effectiveness of technology integration in different contexts. pandit and agrawal’s exploration of challenges in online education during covid-19 (2022) underscores the significance of technology integration during crisis situations, acknowledging its role in ensuring continuity in education. lastly, the conceptual framework for secure online exams presented by ngqondi et al. (2021) contributes to discussions on technology’s role in evaluations and assessments, a crucial aspect of technology integration in education. in summary, while the integration of technology and online resources in commerce and management education has shown significant potential for improving student learning outcomes, several challenges need to be addressed for their effective implementation. the literature suggests that strategies such as providing adequate training and support, adopting a blended learning approach, and addressing institutional policies and regulations can help overcome these challenges and promote the effective integration of technology in higher education. the findings from the mentioned studies will be instrumental in informing and contextualizing this research endeavor. research gap there is a lack of research on the extent to which faculty in commerce and indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 114 management departments in karnataka are incorporating technology and online resources in their teaching methods, as well as their perceptions and attitudes towards the use of technology for nep curriculum implementation. while previous studies have explored the benefits and challenges of technology integration in higher education, there is a need for more context-specific research in karnataka to identify the barriers and challenges faced by faculty in the adoption of technology and online resources for nep curriculum implementation, and to suggest strategies for their effective integration. therefore, this study aims to fill this research gap and contribute to the literature on technology integration in commerce and management education in karnataka. research questions what is the current level of technology and online resource integration in commerce and management education in karnataka? what are the barriers and challenges faced by the faculty in the adoption of technology and online resources for nep curriculum implementation? what are the perceptions and attitudes of faculty towards the use of technology and online resources for nep curriculum implementation? what are the strategies and best practices that can be suggested for the effective integration of technology and online resources in commerce and management education in karnataka, based on the findings of the study? objectives of the study to assess the extent to which the faculty in commerce and management departments in karnataka are incorporating technology and online resources in their teaching methods as per the guidelines of the national education policy (nep). to identify the barriers and challenges faced by the faculty in the adoption of technology and online resources for nep curriculum implementation. to examine the perceptions and attitudes of faculty towards the use of technology and online resources for nep curriculum implementation. to suggest strategies and best practices for the effective integration of technology and online resources in commerce and management education in karnataka based on the findings of the study. methodology this study employs a mixed-methods research design that includes both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis techniques. the study was conducted among faculty members of commerce and management departments in karnataka. research design: the research design for this study, a concurrent mixed-methods approach, combines both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methods to offer a comprehensive examination of technology integration in commerce and management education in karnataka. sample size the formula for calculating the sample indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 115 size for a study with a single population proportion is: n = (z^2 * p * q) / e^2 where: n = required sample size z = z-score for the desired level of confidence p = estimated proportion of the population with the characteristic of interest, q = 1 – p, e = desired margin of error assuming a conservative estimated proportion of 0.5 (i.e., p = q) and a desired margin of error of 0.05, and a confidence level to 90% (i.e., z = 1.645), the sample size can be calculated as: n = (1.645^2 * 0.5 * 0.5) / 0.05^2 / (1 + ((1.645^2 * 0.5 * 0.5) / 0.05^2 * infinity)) n = 267.8 therefore, a sample size is 285 participants to achieve the desired level of precision and confidence in this study. sampling technique the sampling technique employed for this study is stratified random sampling. stratified sampling was chosen because it allows for the division of the population of faculty members in the commerce and management departments in karnataka into distinct strata based on specific characteristics, such as years of teaching experience and academic rank. reliability and validity of the questionnaire pre-testing: before administering the questionnaire to the larger sample, a pre-test was conducted with a small sample of faculty members. this pretest aimed to identify any ambiguous or unclear items in the questionnaire and assess the overall comprehensibility and relevance of the questions. expert review: the questionnaire was reviewed by experts in the field of commerce and management education to ensure that the questions aligned with the research objectives and were appropriately framed. data collection the study used a self-administered online questionnaire to collect quantitative data from the faculty members. the questionnaire was designed to collect data on the extent of technology and online resource integration, barriers and challenges faced, and attitudes towards the use of technology and online resources for nep curriculum implementation. the questionnaire was pre-tested with a small sample of faculty members before being administered to the larger sample. data analysis: the quantitative data collected through the questionnaire was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, and frequency distribution. ethical considerations: informed consent was obtained from all participants before they participated in the study. the study will ensure the confidentiality and anonymity of the participants indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 116 data analysis table-1: demographic profile of respondents particulars responses percentage age under 25 15 5.26 25-34 101 35.44 35-44 111 38.95 45-54 44 15.44 55 or older 14 4.91 total 285 100 gender female 121 42.46 male 164 57.54 total 285 100 highest degree master's degree 235 82.5 doctoral degree 50 17.5 total 285 100 teaching experience 0-2 years 22 7.72 3-5 years 29 10.18 6-10 years 139 48.77 11-15 years 65 22.81 16 or more years 30 10.52 total 285 100 institution govt college 108 37.89 private college 21 7.37 public university 112 39.3 private university 44 15.44 total 285 100 specilzation accounting 53 18.60 finance 128 44.91 human resources 43 15.09 marketing 39 13.68 taxation 22 7.72 total 285 100 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 117 particulars responses percentage designation lecturer 132 46.316 assistant professor 100 35.088 associate professor 35 12.281 professor 18 6.316 total 285 100 students strength less than 20 students 15 5.26 20-40 students 74 5.26 41-60 students 94 5.26 61-80 students 72 5.26 more than 80 students 30 5.26 total 285 100 the majority of respondents in the study of nep curriculum implementation in karnataka were between the ages of 25 and 44 years old, comprising 74.39 per cent of the total sample. the largest age group was 35-44 years old, at 38.95 per cent, while the smallest age group was 55 or older, at 4.91 per cent. gender-wise, the majority of respondents were male, at 57.54 per cent. female respondents comprised 42.46 per cent of the total sample. the majority of respondents held a master’s degree, at 82.5 per cent, while respondents with a doctoral degree made up 17.5 per cent of the sample. in terms of teaching experience, the largest group of respondents had 6-10 years of experience, at 48.77 per cent. the smallest group had 0-2 years of experience, at 7.72 per cent. regarding institution, the majority of respondents were from public universities, at 39.3 per cent. respondents from government colleges made up 37.89 per cent of the sample, while those from private universities comprised 15.44 per cent. the smallest group was from private colleges, at 7.37 per cent. finance was the most common specialization, with 44.91 per cent of respondents indicating this as their area of expertise. accounting and human resources were the next most common specializations, at 18.60 per cent and 15.09 per cent, respectively. taxation was the least common specialization, at 7.72 per cent. the largest group of respondents were lecturers, at 46.316 per cent, while the smallest group were professors, at 6.316 per cent. in terms of student strength, the largest group of respondents had 41-60 students in their classes, at 33.33 per cent. the smallest group had less than 20 students, at 5.26 per cent. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 118 table-2: technology integration and its impact on commerce and management education table 2 use of technology in teaching never 07 2.46 rarely 42 14.74 sometimes 99 34.74 often 86 30.18 always 51 17.89 total 285 100 types of technology or online resources used in teaching methods interactive whiteboards or projectors 100 35.09 learning management systems (e.g. moodle, blackboard) 90 31.58 multimedia content (e.g. videos, audio recordings) 80 28.07 online assessments or quizzes 08 2.81 online discussion forums or chat rooms 07 2.46 total 285 100 incorporation of technology or online resources into lesson plans as primary means of delivering course content 44 15.44 as supplemental materials for in-person lectures 174 61.05 as tools for collaborative or group work 43 15.09 as tools for formative or summative assessment 24 8.42 total 285 100 familiarity with the guidelines of nep regarding the use of technology and online resources in education not very familiar 72 25.26 somewhat familiar 98 34.39 yes, very familiar 115 40.35 total 285 100 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 119 extent in use of technology or online resources enhances student learning in commerce and management education not at all 07 2.46 to a small extent 73 25.61 to a moderate extent 52 18.25 to a large extent 139 48.77 to a very large extent 14 4.91 total 285 100 refer table 2, based on the data, it can be inferred that the majority of the respondents (89.26 per cent) use technology or online resources in their teaching methods, with 30.18 per cent using it often and 35.09 per cent using interactive whiteboards or projectors. learning management systems and multimedia content were also commonly used. however, the use of online assessments or quizzes and online discussion forums or chat rooms were less frequent. incorporation of technology or online resources into lesson plans was mostly used as supplemental materials for in-person lectures (61.05 per cent). it was also used as the primary means of delivering course content (15.44 per cent) and as tools for collaborative or group work (15.09 per cent). only a small percentage of respondents used technology or online resources as tools for formative or summative assessment. most of the respondents were at least somewhat familiar with the guidelines of nep regarding the use of technology and online resources in education (74.74 per cent). among them, 40.35 per cent were very familiar. regarding the extent to which the use of technology or online resources enhances student learning in commerce and management education, the majority of respondents (53.68 per cent) believed that it enhances learning to a large or very large extent. only a small percentage (2.46 per cent) believed that it does not enhance learning at all. table-3: impact and effectiveness of technology in commerce and management education table 3 use of technology or online resources enhances student engagement in learning yes, significantly 131 45.96 yes, to some extent 154 54.04 no, not significantly 00 00 i am not sure 00 00 total 285 100 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 120 use of technology or online resources impact student achievement in commerce and management education significant improvement in student achievement 165 57.89 some improvement in student achievement 120 42.11 no significant impact on student achievement 00 00 negative impact on student achievement 00 00 i am not sure 00 00 total 285 100 use of technology or online resources improves the quality of teaching in commerce and management education yes, significantly 129 45.26 yes, to some extent 149 52.28 no, not significantly 00 00 i am not sure 07 2.46 total 285 100 specific technology or online resources found to be most effective in enhancing student learning outcomes learning management system (lms) 203 71.23 online tutorials or videos 190 54.04 web-based discussion forums 144 70.94 online quizzes or assessments 124 65.26 social media platforms 66 45.83 n= 285, responses recorded 666. therefore mrr 2.5509 measuring the effectiveness of technology or online resources in teaching methods student performance on assessments 138 48.42 student engagement in class 203 71.23 student feedback on technology use 138 48.42 teacher observations of student engagement 74 25.96 n= 285, responses recorded 666. therefore mrr 1.9404 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 121 use of technology or online resources enhances student engagement in learning: 54.04 per cent of the respondents believe that technology or online resources enhance student engagement to some extent, while 45.96 per cent believe it does so significantly. use of technology or online resources impact student achievement in commerce and management education: 57.89 per cent of the respondents believe that technology or online resources have a significant impact on student achievement, while 42.11 per cent believe that it has some improvement. use of technology or online resources improves the quality of teaching in commerce and management education: 45.26 per cent of the respondents believe that technology or online resources improve the quality of teaching significantly, while 52.28 per cent believe it does so to some extent. specific technology or online resources found to be most effective in enhancing student learning outcomes: the learning management system (lms) is considered the most effective technology or online resource for enhancing student learning outcomes with 71.23 per cent of respondents selecting it. online tutorials or videos were selected by 54.04 per cent of respondents, web-based discussion forums by 70.94 per cent, online quizzes or assessments by 65.26 per cent, and social media platforms by 45.83 per cent of respondents. measuring the effectiveness of technology or online resources in teaching methods: 71.23 per cent of respondents believe that student engagement in class is the best way to measure the effectiveness of technology or online resources in teaching methods, followed by student performance on assessments at 48.42 per cent. student feedback on technology use and teacher observations of student engagement were also identified as effective measures. thus, the data suggests that the use of technology or online resources is seen as beneficial for commerce and management education in karnataka, with respondents believing it enhances student engagement, impacts student achievement, and improve the quality of teaching. the lms is seen as the most effective technology or online resource for enhancing student learning outcomes, and student engagement in class is the most effective way to measure the effectiveness of technology or online resources in teaching methods. table-4: attitudes, comfort, and concerns regarding technology use in commerce and management education table 4 attitude towards the use of technology or online resources in commerce and management education very positive 160 56.14 somewhat positive 118 41.40 neutral 07 2.46 somewhat negative 00 00 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 122 very negative 00 00 total 285 100 use of technology or online resources impacts student learning outcomes in commerce and management education significantly improves student learning outcomes 114 40.00 improves student learning outcomes to some extent 164 57.54 no significant impact on student learning outcomes 00 00 negatively impacts student learning outcomes 00 00 i am not sure 07 2.46 total 285 100 comfortable with using technology or online resources in your learning or teaching yes, very comfortable 131 45.96 somewhat comfortable 116 40.70 neutral 38 13.33 somewhat uncomfortable 00 00 very uncomfortable 00 00 total 285 100 specific technology or online resources found most beneficial for your learning or teaching learning management system (lms) 188 65.96 online tutorials or videos 196 68.77 web-based discussion forums 108 37.89 online quizzes or assessments 123 43.16 social media platforms 51 17.89 n= 285, responses recorded 666. therefore mrr 2.3368 concerns or reservations regarding the use of technology or online resources in commerce and management education concerns about student engagement or motivation 136 47.72 concerns about accessibility for all students 189 66.32 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 123 concerns about reliability or technical issues 125 43.86 concerns about privacy or security 60 21.05 n= 285, responses recorded 510. therefore mrr 1.7895 the results suggest that the majority of respondents (97.54 per cent) believed that technology or online resources have a positive impact on student engagement in learning. furthermore, 57.89 per cent of respondents felt that technology or online resources have a significant improvement on student achievement, while 42.11 per cent believe that it has some improvement. regarding attitude towards the use of technology or online resources, 97.54 per cent of respondents had a positive attitude, with 56.14 per cent stating that their attitude was very positive. similarly, 98.94 per cent of respondents felt comfortable using technology or online resources in their learning or teaching, with 45.96 per cent feeling very comfortable. when asked about the most effective technology or online resources for enhancing student learning outcomes, 71.23 per cent of respondents believed that learning management system (lms) was the most effective, followed by online tutorials or videos (54.04 per cent). however, there were also concerns about technology or online resources, with 66.32 per cent of respondents having concerns about accessibility for all students. additionally, 47.72 per cent of respondents had concerns about student engagement or motivation. thus, the study suggests that the use of technology and online resources is seen as a positive development in commerce and management education in karnataka. however, there are also concerns about accessibility, reliability, and privacy that need to be addressed. discussion based on the findings of the study exploring the use of technology and online resources in commerce and management education in karnataka, the following discussion can be made: encourage the use of technology and online resources: the majority of respondents believed that the use of technology and online resources enhances student engagement, impacts student achievement, and improves the quality of teaching. therefore, institutions should encourage and provide support for faculty members to incorporate technology and online resources in their teaching methods.( shivakumar, m., & aithal, p. s. 2019) promote the use of the learning management system (lms): the lms was found to be the most effective technology or online resource for enhancing student learning outcomes. therefore, institutions should promote the use of lms and provide training to faculty members on how to use it effectively. (ministry of education. 2020) increase awareness of nep guidelines: while most of the respondents were familiar with the guidelines of nep regarding the use of technology and online resources in education, there is still a significant percentage of respondents who are not aware of it. institutions should increase awareness of nep guidelines among faculty members to ensure that they are incorporating the latest guidelines and recommendations in their teaching methods. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 124 use student engagement as a measure of effectiveness: student engagement in class was identified as the most effective way to measure the effectiveness of technology or online resources in teaching methods. therefore, institutions should encourage faculty members to monitor and evaluate student engagement when using technology or online resources in their teaching methods. (sujatha, s. 2013) provide support for faculty members with less experience: respondents with less teaching experience reported using technology or online resources less frequently than those with more experience. institutions should provide additional support and training for faculty members with less experience to ensure that they are using technology and online resources effectively. (borup, j., west, r. e., & graham, c. r. 2012) increase the use of online assessments and discussion forums: while the majority of respondents reported using technology and online resources in their teaching methods, the use of online assessments or quizzes and online discussion forums or chat rooms were less frequent. institutions should encourage faculty members to incorporate these tools into their teaching methods as they can improve student engagement and enhance learning outcomes. (keengwe, j., & kidd, t. t. 2010) overall, institutions should prioritize the use of technology and online resources in commerce and management education to enhance student engagement, improve student achievement, and enhance the quality of teaching. by promoting the use of effective technology and online resources, institutions can provide a more dynamic and engaging learning environment for students. suggestions comprehensive faculty development: establish a robust faculty development program that encompasses technical proficiency, pedagogical strategies, and alignment with nep guidelines. support both novice and experienced faculty members in effectively integrating technology and online resources. leverage learning management systems (lms): prioritize the adoption and optimization of learning management systems (lms) as central platforms for course content, communication, and assessment. offer extensive training to faculty members to maximize the potential of lms tools. promote student engagement metrics: emphasize student engagement as a vital metric for evaluating technology integration. encourage faculty to gauge engagement through real-time feedback, participation rates, and peer interactions to enhance learning outcomes. diverse online tools: encourage faculty to diversify their use of online tools, including assessments, discussion forums, and chat rooms. these tools enhance interactivity, foster collaboration, and offer alternative assessment methods for a richer learning experience. continuous improvement and recognition: establish a culture of continuous evaluation and adaptation for technology integration initiatives. recognize and incentivize faculty members who excel in innovative and effective technology integration. these five recommendations provide a concise yet comprehensive framework for institutions aiming to enhance technology and online resource integration in commerce and management education while addressing the findings and discussion from the study. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 125 conclusion the study exploring the use of technology and online resources in commerce and management education in karnataka found that the majority of respondents believed that the use of technology and online resources enhances student engagement, impacts student achievement, and improves the quality of teaching. the learning management system (lms) was found to be the most effective technology or online resource for enhancing student learning outcomes. while most of the respondents were familiar with the guidelines of nep regarding the use of technology and online resources in education, there is still a significant percentage of respondents who are not aware of it. institutions should increase awareness of nep guidelines among faculty members to ensure that they are incorporating the latest guidelines and recommendations in their teaching methods. student engagement in class was identified as the most effective way to measure the effectiveness of technology or online resources in teaching methods. therefore, institutions should encourage faculty members to monitor and evaluate student engagement when using technology or online resources in their teaching methods. (borup, j.,et.al 2012, sujatha, s. 2013, limbu, y. b., & rai, s. k. 2020). the study recommends that institutions should prioritize the use of technology and online resources in commerce and management education to enhance student engagement, improve student achievement, and enhance the quality of teaching. references agarwal, m., & purohit, a. (2019). barriers to the adoption of technology in education: a systematic review of the literature. journal of educational technology & society, 22(2), 47-58. al-amin, m., zubayer, a. al, deb, b., & hasan, m. (2021). status of tertiary level online class in bangladesh: students’ response on preparedness, participation and classroom activities. heliyon, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e05943 al-busaidi, k. a. 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(2019). use of technology in higher education in india. in proceedings of the international conference on recent developments in social sciences and business studies 104-110. sujatha, s. (2013). a study of effective classroom management techniques to enhance academic achievement in middle school social studies. international journal of social science and interdisciplinary research, 2(9), 31-38. yildirim, s., & ozmaden, m. (2017). faculty members’ perceptions on the use of technology in higher education. international journal of higher education, 6(4), 56-66. yureva, o. v., burganova, l. a., kukushkina, o. y., myagkov, g. p., & syradoev, d. v. (2020). digital transformation and its risks in higher education: students’ and teachers’ attitude. universal journal of educational research, 8(11 b). https://doi.org/10.13189/ ujer.2020.082232 indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 64 research article availability and usability of screen reading software by students with visual impairment – current scenario j.b. dheesha assistant professor in special education, faculty of disability management and special education (fdmse), ramakrishna mission vivekananda educational and research institute (rkmveri), coimbatore, tamil nadu, email: dheeshabojan@gmail.com abstract assistive technology plays a vital role in the education of students with disabilities and it also paves way for their independent living. students with visual impairment have difficulty in accessing visual materials. assistive technology helps students with visual impairment to access the general curriculum and improve their academic performance. the optical braille recognition (obr) software, job access with speech (jaws) software, non visual desktop access (nvda) software are available and they help the students with visual impairment to read braille documents, scan the braille documents, translate the text to braille and read text materials on the computer screen. the objective of this study is to find out the availability and usability of screen reading software by students with visual impairment. totally 30 students with visual impairment from integrated and inclusive schools from coimbatore district were selected as a samples. the result shows that availability and usability of software by students with visual impairment is very low. it may be because of the non-availability of screen reading software in the schools. it also shows that the special educators and general educators lack knowledge in using screen reading software to teach students with visual impairment. keywords: assistive technology, screen reading software, students with visual impairment. introduction individuals with disabilities (iwd) have unique needs and challenges. assistive devices are designed or adopted to support iwd for their development in terms of mobility, education and employment. govt. of india provides assistive devices to iwd at free of cost through assistance to disabled persons for purchasing / fitting of aids / appliances (adip) scheme. the main objective of this scheme is to assist the needy disabled persons in procuring durable, sophisticated and scientifically manufactured, modern, standard aids and appliances that can promote their physical, social and psychological rehabilitation by reducing the effects of disabilities and enhance their economic potential which improves their independent functioning. traditionally students with visual impairment use braille, abacus and taylor frame for reading, writing and doing arithmetic calculations. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 65 in this scientific era, many devices have emerged to help students with visual impairment for their education and mobility purpose. assistive technology helps students with visual impairment to access the general curriculum and improve their academic performance. the most important assistive device is screen reading software. the optical braille recognition (obr) software, job access with speech (jaws) software, non visual desktop access (nvda) software are available to read braille documents, scan the braille documents, translate the text to braille and read text materials on the computer screen. these softwares are helpful for the students with visual impairment to read and study the print version into braille version and vice versa. educational institutions such as schools and colleges should have the facilities including assistive devices, software and infrastructure to provide necessary concepts and skills among visually impaired students for academic, social and emotional development. this widens the scope to access the same opportunities and educational experiences for students with visual impairment like their peers. so, this study intended to know the availability and usability of the screen reading softwares by students with visual impairment studying at integrated and inclusive schools in coimbatore district, tamil nadu. review of literature international kelly (2009) conducted a study on use of assistive technology by students with visual impairment: findings from a national survey. this study investigated the use of assistive technology by students in the united states who are visually impaired through a secondary analysis of a nationally representative database. it found that the majority of students were not using assistive technology. the study done by stoop et al (2013) on reading and learning from screens versus print: a study in changing habits recommended that electronic screens are more appropriate for communication, information gathering and navigation. these electronic devices provide more fast and comprehensive delivery of learning materials and also encourage for learning among students with visual impairment. osiceanu & popa (2015) studied on access technologies for students with visual impairments. the aim of this study is to highlight the benefit of studying the optional information technology (ict) discipline, using access technologies (at), for children with visual impairments. the result shows that students with visual impairments are attracted to new technologies and it helpful for personal and interpersonal development. national verma et al (2012) mentioned that jaws is a popular state-of-art screen reader developed by freedom scientific. besides sequential access of web content, it has rich set of key shortcuts that can be used by visually impaired users to access the web. to use these shortcuts effectively, visually impaired user has to be trained properly. jaws is indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 66 not freeware and user has to purchase and install on a local computer. its cost may not be affordable for an average indian user. bhatt & kumari (2015) stated in their study that assistive technologies improved the educational outcome of the visually impaired children and for some children it is the sole means of independent living. they also mentioned the various barriers which likely to affect the adoption of the assistive technologies, such as high cost, reluctance of users, low availability. kurangi & jayakumar (2017) elucidated that education is a serious problem for persons with visual impairment. they also face difficult situations for accessing information. the application software transforms the information which accessible them. jindal et al (2019) stated that the screen reader is a type of assistive technology and it is useful to people who are visually impaired, learning disabled and illiterate by merging other assistive technology such as screen magnifiers. sadh (2020) explained that the screen reader is application software which is useful for persons with visual impairment to use computer without the help of sighted person. it provides detailed information which is presented in the screen to the persons with visual impairment. need and significance of this study many assistive devices such as braille, abacus, taylor frame, geo kit are available for students with visual impairment for learning. screen reading software is the technology based application that provides access to information on a computer for students with visual impairment and converts the information from the computer  screen  into speech and it enhance the accessibility among them. the students can search the characters, words and choose to repeat a given word and passage with their own speed control options. screen reading softwares help them to get more information and can develop the knowledge related to their content. educational institutions should ensure the accessibility to provide quality education for all students including those with visual impairment to meet their diverse needs by using the assistive devices and software. student’s participation and involvement in the education program is important to develop their knowledge and skills. many of the educational bodies like schools, colleges and universities do not have these facilities such as assistive devices and learning materials to ensure accessibility for students with visual impairment (sadh, 2020). hence the researcher intended to know the availability and usability of these screen reading software by students with visual impairment. methodology objective of the study • to find out the availability of screen reading software to students with visual impairment • to find out the usability of screen reading software by students with visual impairment. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 67 research design: survey method under descriptive research design was adopted for this present study. sample: 30 students with visual impairment from ten schools (five integrated and five inclusive) situated in and around coimbatore district, tamil nadu state were selected as sample for this present study through purposive sampling method. table 1: availability of screen reading software in selected schools s. no. type of school availability of screen reading software school 1 school 2 school 3 school 4 school 5 1 integrated yes no yes yes no 2 inclusive no yes no no no s. no. item number of swvi 1 type of school integrated school 5 24 inclusive school 5 6 total 10 30 variable • type of school – inclusive/ integrated research tool: a questionnaire on the various aspects of availability and usability of screen reading software was prepared by the researcher to collect the data. it consists of 15 questions with yes or no options. data collection procedure: the researcher obtained prior permission from the heads of the institutions before data collection. before collecting the responses, the objectives of this study and the instructions about the questionnaire were clearly explained to the samples. the questions in the questionnaire were asked by the researcher to the samples on face to face mode. the responses of samples were noted by the researcher. the collected data was then analyzed for further interpretation. findings and discussion the findings and discussion of this study were mentioned based on the objective such as availability and usability of screen reading software by the students with visual impairment. availability of screen reading software: indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 68 figure – 1: the percentage of availability of screen reading software in selected schools schools are the responsible authority for providing appropriate and accessible facilities to students with visual impairment. these students can make use of these materials to compete with their peer groups. most of the schools have the traditional learning materials such as braille slate, brailler, abacus, geo kit etc. the result shows that 3 integrated schools (60percent) and 1 inclusive school (20percent) have screen reading software – nvda (non visual desktop access) for the use of their students. usability of screen reading software usability can be assessed based on the availability. the study results show that, out of ten schools only four schools (3 integrated and 1 inclusive) have the screen reading software facility. totally 30 students with visual impairment were selected for this study. among them, twenty four students study in the integrated setup and the remaining six students were enrolled in inclusive setup. table2: usability of screen reading software in selected integrated schools s. no. integrated school number of swvi availability usability 1 school 1 7 yes 3 2 school 2 3 3 school 3 8 yes 4 4 school 4 4 yes 5 school 5 2 total 24 7 indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 69 table3: usability of screen reading software in selected inclusive schools s. no. inclusive school number of swvi availability usability 1 school 1 1 2 school 2 2 yes 2 3 school 3 1 4 school 4 1 5 school 5 1 total 6 2 from table2 and 3, it is evident that the integrated school number two, and five do not have the screen reading software and inclusive school number one, three, four and five also do not have screen reading software. the data shows that the 70percent of (21 students) students with visual impairment have the facility of screen reading software in their respective schools. remaining 30percent (9 students) of the students are not having this facility in their school. usability of screen reading software by students with visual impairment was calculated with these 70percent (21 students) of students. these 70percent of students with visual impairment have the opportunity to access the screen reading software. the result shows that only nine students with visual impairment are using screen reading software for their education purpose. the remaining twelve students are not using screen reading software though they have the availability. the reasons behind are: • the students those who are studying in primary class do not utilize the service. • few students are not interested to use screen reading software, because of the problem in understanding the pronunciation of the language which is supported by the study jindal et al (2016) in which it is mentioned that many of the screen readers do not have any option of speaking in indian languages. the fluency of speaking words needs improvement, so that it will be easy for a student with visual impairment to hear the words spoken by screen reading software. • teachers who are handling class for students with visual impairment are not practically sound in teaching with screen reading software. this result supported by the following study zhou et al (2011) reported based on their survey of 165 teachers of students with visual impairments in texas to examine their perceptions of their knowledge of assistive technology. the results showed that they lacked adequate confidence about teaching assistive technology to students. educational implications assistive technology is gaining a momentum in the field of education. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 70 the impact of assistive technology on students with disabilities particularly on visually impaired is noteworthy. the present study attempted to find out the availability and usability of screen reading software by students with visual impairment. the following are some of the implications of this present study. • teaching learning process: screen reading softwares are helpful for the teachers and students with visual impairment in the teaching learning process. it enhances the skills such as listening, reading and comprehension skills among the learners. • self-pacing learning: screen reading software provides the opportunity to the students with visual impairment to read and develop knowledge according to their own pace. • accessible to the learning materials: this software helps the students to access the e-materials into speech and braille format. • equal opportunities: students with visual impairment can learn the content like their peer group. recommendations of the study assistive technology is the key element in educational rehabilitation of students with visual impairment. the following recommendations are pointed based on the findings of the study. • each and every school should have the educational facilities such as assistive devices and software and infrastructure for students with visual impairment. • teacher should undergo training programmes on educating students with visual impairment with assistive technological devices, tools and software conclusions assistive devices play a major role in the life of individuals with disabilities. it helps them to be independent in education, mobility and employment. it is important to select what devices, tools and technologies will be appropriate to meet the student’s individual learning needs. screen reading software is the tool to help students with visual impairment to develop their knowledge. the availability of the screen reading software in their school environment itself is the big question mark to them. even if it is available, then the usability of the same is noticed as very nominal. so it is the responsibility of the school authority/ government to provide adequate facilities to meet their basic needs. it is also important that the teacher should update their knowledge based the up gradation of technology. when provided with adequate facilities and qualified professionals, the students with visual impairment will be able to use the assistive devices effectively and efficiently. this is in line with the recommendations of the study done by senjam et al (2019) that teachers should be trained in the use of various assistive technologies for reading, writing, maths, sciences, sports, mobility and activities of daily living indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 71 references bhatt, a., & kumari, a. (2015). assistive technology for the visually impaired children for their academic excellence. global journal of medical case report. 1, 1-9. retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/293821767_assistive_ technology_for_the_visually_impaired_children_for_their_ academic_excellence on 02.12.2019. jindal, s., singh, m., & singh, n. (2016). screen reading software for indian users: a challenge. international journal of engineering research & technology. 5 (12). 139 141. retrieved from https://www.ijert.org/research/screen-reading-software-for indian-users-a-challenge-ijertv5is120130.pdf on 02.12.2019. kelly, s. m. (2009). use of assistive technology by students with visual impairments: findings from a national survey. journal of visual impairment & blindness. 103(8), 470-480. retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ej858191 on 05.12.2019. kurangi, c. r. & jayakumar, s.k.v. (2017). an effective educational portal for visually impaired persons in india. international journal of pure and applied mathematics. 117 (19). 259-267. retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar. org/6a28/8728c66d37d32e7c300e74f9b37b66fbfa60.pdf on 03.06.2020. osiceanu, m. e., & popa, i. (2015). access technologies (at) for students with visual impairments. procedia social and behavioral sciences. 180. 1129-1136. retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277947999_access_technologies_ at_for_students_with_visual_impairments on 02.12.2019. sadh, a. (2020). assistive technology for students with visual impairments: a resource for teachers, parents and students. retrieved from https://easychair.org/publications/ preprint_download/qtfd on 03.06.2020. senjam, s.s., foster, a., bascaran, c., vashist, p., & gupta, v. (2019). assistive technology for students with visual disability in schools for the blind in delhi. disability and rehabilitation: assistive technology. 1-7. retrieved from https://www.tandfonline. com/doi/abs/10.1080/17483107.2019.1604829?journalcode=iidt20 on 05.12.2019. stoop, kreutzer, & kircz, j. (2013). reading and learning from screens versus print: a study in changing habits. new library world. 114. 371-383. 10.1108/nlw-04-2013-0034. retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262918447_reading_ and_learning_from_screens_versus_print_a_study_in_changing_habits on 03.06.2020. verma, p., singh, r., & singh, a. k. (2012). a framework for the next generation screen readers for visually impaired. international journal of computer applications. 47(10). 31-38. retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/ 258651309_a_framework_for_the_next_generation_screen_readers_for_ visually_impaired on 28.11.2019. zhou, l., parker, a., & smith, d.w., & shirley, n.g. (2011). assistive technology for students with visual impairments: challenges and needs in teachers’ preparation programs and practice. journal of visual impairment and blindness. 105. 197-210. retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1177/0145482x1110500402 on 25.11.2019. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 1 research article capacity building of teacher educators for e-learning tools: an experimental study (deepty gupta, assistant professor, central institute of educational technology (ciet), ncert, email: deepati12007@gmail.com) abstract the integration of technology in our education system has generated a necessity to place digital practices among teacher educators, who need to use computers more than anybody else as they help in shaping the future teachers. an experiment to study the effect of training on knowledge and acquisition of skills to use e-learning tools among teacher educators was conducted. the treatment was designed in form of a training programme. the analysis, design, develop, implement and evaluation (addie) model was designed. the results indicated the positive affect of training on the knowledge acquisition and on the skills to use e-learning tools by teacher educators. keywords: teacher education, teacher educators, e-learning tools, ict, addie introduction e-learning uses the various technological tools to reach and give information via internet for the learning process. these tools can make teaching and learning more efficient and productive by enhancing and facilitating the teachers and learners both. this can make the students more creative and independent if the teacher is not present in the classroom. there is wide range of e-learning tools which provide learner the opportunity to create their own digital environment and learn as per need. e-learning is designed for variety of learners and has given range of tools including e-mail, blogs, wikis, podcasts, screen casts, and video streaming etc. which makes the e-learning system more effective. government of india (goi) is increasing awareness about e-learning in tertiary institutions. this has been taken place as blended approaches before going into complete e-learning mode. blended e-learning involves a combination of the conventional face-to-face and online technology-based learning (wang, 2010). according to singh (2003) as cited in yushu (2006), “blended e-learning mixes various event-based activities, including face-to-face classroom, live e-learning and self-paced learning. teachers, being a part of this system, have to embrace technology, so that they can create skilled professionals for our digitized nation” (umoh and akpan (2014)). according to unesco (2010), “the training of teachers should remain a central focus for maintaining the quality though it is facing a challenge across the world. unesco facilitates initiatives related to the integration of ict in teacher education by supporting existing teacher development communities of practice, multi-stakeholder partnerships, capacity indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 2 building of policy-makers and the development of international standards on ict competencies for teachers.” ncte (2014) has come up with new curriculum frameworks, which have modified the complete structure of teacher education in terms of duration, curriculum, introduction of new courses, etc. ict has been included as a compulsory part of curriculum for the first time. as per teacher education planning handbook (2015-2016) “technology in teacher education is to be actively integrated in all te institutions. satellite transmission communication, content development, mis, interactive and self-paced learning should be the focus areas for bridging the divide digitally.” under the scheme of pandit madan mohan malaviya national mission on teachers and teaching (pmmmnmtt)various schools of education in the country has set up centres which are working in professional development of teachers. this has provided opportunity to teacher educators to get training at national level and enhance their competencies (pib on status of national mission on teachers training (2018). need and importance of study though many studies have reflected that the experiments and projects are beneficial for students and teachers but the studies on teacher educators are still negligible which has made the researcher to focus on this. different ways of experimentation including developing multimedia packages (khirwadkar, 2008), open source tools for mathematics (joshi and pandey, 2012), intel@teach essentials course for teachers (light, 2009), teachers training through odl by using moodle (kannan and narayanan, 2010), e-content for physics (gershom and mohanasundaram, 2008) and ict training module (gulhane, 2011) have been done to study the impact on teachers as well as on students. potchelve (2010) studied on various instructional approaches for instruction through ict and senapaty (2012) used tpack model for integration of technology which may be included in education system to improve learning. smith and greene (2013) conducted an e-learning programme during teaching practice of pre-service teachers and showed that it was helpful and successful. martin et al. (2013) also developed a multimedia instructional module based on the addie model which seemed to be effective on the learners. the studies show that the knowledge, attitude, skills were affected and they were ready to adopt technology for their professional growth. so, the need of conducting an experiment for teacher educators is preferred by the researcher. operational definition of key terms • e-learning tools –these are associated with e-learning for managing and handling synchronous and asynchronous forms of electronic communication.’ they may be chat, email, blogs, wikis, discussion forums, virtual classroom, testing tool, etc. • addie model the addie model of instructional design is a generic instructional model providing an organized process for developing instructional materials. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 3 • competency competency is referred to ‘a measurable pattern of knowledge, skills and other characteristics required to operate various e-learning tools successfully. objective of the study to study the effect of training on knowledge acquisition and skills to use e-learning tools. hypotheses of the study h01. there is no significant difference in the scores of teacher educators towards knowledge acquisition in pre and posttest. h02. there is no significant difference in the scores of teacher educators towards skill acquisition in pre and posttest. sample for the study thirty (30) teacher educators from teacher education institutions (teis) affiliated to guru gobind singh indraprastha university (ggsipu), delhi. the experiment was conducted in confronted situation at one teacher education institution (tei) only. delimitation of the study 1. experimental study was limited to only 30 participants randomly selected from the teis and conducted in confronted situation as one tei only. 2. this study focussed on selected e-learning tools for which training has been provided to teacher educators. 3. both the hypotheses were statistically tested at 0.05 level only. method and procedure before this experiment, at first, a study was conducted to analyse the level of competency of teacher educators towards e-learning tools. results of the study indicated that the competency for using the e-learning tools among teacher educators was less than average. for this research, single group pre-posttest design was chosen as the method which includes all those participants which were the part of survey. this design has been selected because random assignment of participant into experimental and control group was not possible to make. it is often termed as ‘compromise designs’ (kerlinger, 1970), an apt description when applied to such educational research where the random selection or random assignment of schools and classrooms is quite impracticable. the researcher has selected a preexperimental design i.e. the one group pre-test – post-test, in which data was collected on participants’ level of performance before the intervention took place (pre-), and after the intervention took place (post). researcher has selected a group of teacher educators of various teacher education institutions (teis) randomly, from those, who were the part of the survey for the treatment for knowledge acquisition and acquiring skills to use e-learning tools. a three (03) days (daily 9:30 am to 5:30 pm) face to face workshop was organized as the treatment. to study the effect of training in the form of treatment, a self-developed and indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 4 validated test was applied on the teacher educators as pre-test and post -test, titled “test for knowledge and skills (tks)”. this test has two parts: knowledge based multiple choice questions and skill based on three (03)-point rating scale. the researcher has planned the experimental by popular instructional design model i.e. addie model, "addie" stands for analyze, design, develop, implement and evaluate. procedure the addie model has been used in this research in the context of organization of a treatment for teacher educators and also for designing the content for the treatment. analysis 1. need analysis for training before the research, an analysis was done by the researcher to study the need of the training. the competency of teacher educators towards e-learning tools has been studied on four dimensionsbasic computer competency, advanced computer competency, basic internet competency and advanced internet competency (gupta & singh (2018)). the major outcomes indicated that in basic computer competency 66.09% teacher educators are competent, in advanced computer competency 42.83% teacher educators are competent, in basic internet competency 54.97% teacher educators are competent and in advanced internet competency only 18.09% teacher educators are competent. the results showed that teacher educators have very less competency to use e-learning tools. one of the factors was due to lack of training. these results indicated that the teacher educators need to be oriented and trained about elearning tools, so that they can become competent and use these tools on regular basis in their teaching and other academic work. 2. context analysis through survey, the researcher has identified that the teacher educators are negligible competent to use elearning tools. so, a workshop was planned to see the impact of training on teacher educators for usage of elearning tools. the institution for the workshop was selected once the permission by the head of the institution was sought. only one tei was selected which is affiliated to guru gobind singh indraprastha university, delhi. 3. user analysis the training was given to randomly selected teacher educators of various institutions teaching b.ed. course. it was provided by the results obtained through analysis of the scale developed for advanced internet competency. the training was implemented by the resource persons specialized in ict and who have earlier experiences and undertaking such workshops in various organizations. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 5 4. learner characteristics there were few characteristics of teacher educators, which were identified through the survey, i.e. age of teacher educators lies between 25 – 50 years approximately; they have some basic competency of using elearning tools. they were interested to join the training and to learn the skills of using elearning tools. it was also been identified that most teacher educators have internet access either on desktop at the office or personal laptops or mobile phones. almost all the teacher educators were comfortable in english medium which helped in the development of modules in english medium only but it was decided that care will be taken to deliver the instruction bilingual. 5. analysis of the content the researcher then analyzed the different e-learning tools for which treatment has to be provided to the teacher educators. the e-learning tools useful in the area of teacher education were identified and discussed with the experts. with the help of this analysis, the elearning tools for experiment were selected. the selected elearning tools were: 1) various applications of google i.e. gmail, google doc, google form, google sheet, google groups, google drive, google calendar & google hangouts. 2) creating and editing a wiki educator page. 3) creating a screen cast and making video tutorials. 4) conducting web conferencing/virtual meetings through skype, google hangouts and wiziq. 5) understanding lms, creative commons licenses and moocs. design 1. design for training the workshop was designed on the basis of need analysis. a three days’ workshop was planned on the theme ‘e-learning tools for teacher educators’ in one of the affiliated institution of ggsip university having the objectives: to orient teacher educators for usage of elearning tools in their teaching learning process, to help them understand the various e learning tools which may be used in education, to make them practice the usage of various e learning tools for communication, pedagogy and collaboration and to enhance their technological skills through elearning tools. various sessions of the workshop were designed for three days. 2. planned instructional strategies • lecture cum demonstration by the experts for the practice of various elearning tools. • discussion among the participants of the workshop and the experts (mentors) before and after each planned session. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 6 • discussion through online platform in which a google group was created for the threaded discussions among participants. • self-directed learning in which the participants saw the video tutorials made by the researcher and uploaded on social network. along with this, the video tutorial was e mailed to the participants for their learning at their own pace. • collaborative learning environment created through google docs for writing their opinions. some activities were also assigned to participants, for their completion and sharing it with other participants. 3. planned delivery methods • face to face and online mode (synchronous and asynchronous): presentations in the workshop through face to face mode by the experts in which they demonstrated the usage of various e-learning tools. various activities were also planned for the online mode like working on google groups, google docs, gmail, video lectures. • multimedia presentations face to face: some presentations along with the demonstrations were given in multimedia form explaining the usage of e-learning tools in education along with the conceptual understanding of e-learning tools. • multimedia presentations shared through online groups: multimedia presentations of all the sessions were shared though google group and participants were allowed to download them. • screencasts shared on social network: screencasts of all the tutorials were prepared through screencasting software and were uploaded on social network, which could be downloaded by the participants for future use also. • discussion groups on google: groups made on google for the threaded discussions to resolve the query (if any) remained unsolved in the face to face sessions. • modules shared through email: modules developed by the researcher were shared through mail and groups for the participants. various activities were planned during the sessions to give hands on learning to all the participants. 4. assessment strategies assessment was done through activities given after the instruction in the experiment. the experts and the researcher assessed the activities done by the participants simultaneously and resolved their problems, if any. 5. design for content design of the modules was planned according to the aims of the experiment. modules for the study were developed by the researcher and some modules were taken from the internet, indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 7 which were under creative commons (cc) license. modules for the e-learning tools created in the form of .pdf file by using screenshots along with the text and distributed to the participants in form of soft copy. along with this, the multimedia presentations and screencasts were also ready and shared through various online modes like gmail, google+, google group, etc. development of content in the development phase, the researcher created and gathered the content of experiment as was suggested by the design phase. two types of modules (textual and video tutorials) were developed by the researcher and the third type (multimedia presentations) was developed by the experts, who were invited as resource persons in the workshop. developed modules were content validated to ensure that the developed modules fulfil the aims of the experiment. table 1: content for the experiment along with instructional strategy and delivery method s. no. e-learning tool instructional strategy delivery method 1 gmail lecture cum demonstration, selfdirected learning face to face, screencasts, email 2 google group lecture cum demonstration, collaboration, self-directed learning face to face, screencasts, email, discussion groups 3 google calendar lecture cum demonstration, collaboration, self-directed learning face to face, screencasts, email 4 google drive, google doc, google sheets, google forms lecture cum demonstration, discussion, collaboration, selfdirected learning face to face, screencasts, email 6 open educational resources (oer) lecture discussion, self-directed learning, collaboration face to face, email, multimedia 7 wikieducator lecture cum demonstration, discussion, collaboration, selfdirected learning face to face, email, multimedia 8 virtual meeting skype, wiziq demonstration, discussion, selfdirected learning face to face, email 9 screencasting jing demonstration, discussion, selfdirected learning face to face, email 10 learning management system (lms) lecture discussion, self-directed learning face to face, email, multimedia 11 massive open online courses (moocs) lecture cum demonstration, discussion, self-directed learning face to face, email, multimedia indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 8 implementation (experimentation) experiment was conducted as per the schedule planned for the training programme. during the implementation phase, the experts delivered the content according to the modules and suggested instructional strategies. evaluation evaluation was also done in two phases i.e. before the treatment and after the treatment. for evaluation purpose a pre and posttest (test for knowledge and skills) was developed by the researcher. this was based on knowledge and skills for specific e-learning tools for which the training was provided to the participants. a pre-test was administered on the teacher educators (participants of workshop) on the first day of workshop and the same test was administered as post-test after the training. analysis of data the collected data was analyzed by applying the statistical technique t-test to study the effect of training on knowledge and skill of teacher educators. out of 30 sample only 26 participants responded completely to the tool. so, the analysis was done for the sample of 26 only. results and discussion the objectives of the study is to study the effect of training on knowledge and skill acquisition of e-learning tools among teacher educators and the hypothesis was further divided into two sub parts: h01: there is no significant difference in the scores of teacher educators towards knowledge acquisition in pre and posttest. h02: there is no significant difference in the scores of teacher educators towards skill acquisition in pre and posttest. table 2: summary of t-test for difference among pre& post -test (knowledge based) knowledge based test n mean s.d. t pre-test 26 12.88 17.07 5.94* post test 26 18.46 5.86 * p > 0.05 (significant at 0.05 level) results of t-test (table 2) shows that there is a significant difference in mean scores on knowledge acquisition dimension in pre-test and posttest. the difference between the pre phase (m=12.88, sd=17.07) and the post phase (m=18.46, sd=5.86) is statistically significant as tvalue is 5.94, p > 0.05 level, so the hypothesis (h01) ‘there is no significant difference in the scores of teacher educators towards knowledge acquisition in pre and post indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 9 test’ is rejected. this analysis shows that there is a significant difference between mean scores of knowledge acquisition of teacher educators in the training group. this clearly indicated that the knowledge of teacher educators for e-learning tools in the training group has improved due to the training provided to them and confirmed that training effects the knowledge of e-learning tools. figure 1: mean difference among pre& post -test (knowledge based) table 3: summary of t-test for difference among pre& post-test (skill based) skill based test n mean s.d. t pre-test 26 21.27 33.64 10.44* post test 26 35.31 13.34 * p > 0.05 (significant at 0.05 level) 0 10 20 30 40 pre-test post test mean difference among pre & posttest (skill based) mean indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 10 sd and t-ratio shown in table 3 is showing that there is a significant difference in mean scores of skill acquisition in pre-test and posttest of training group. the difference between the pre-phase (m=21.27, sd=33.64) and the post phase (m=35.31, sd=13.34) is statistically significant, as t value is 10.4, p > 0.05 level, so the hypothesis (h02) “there is no significant difference in the scores of teacher educators towards skill acquisition in pre and posttest” has been rejected. this analysis showed that there is a significant difference between mean scores of skill acquisition of teacher educators in the training group. this clearly indicated that the skill of teacher educators for e-learning tools in the training group is affected due to the training provided to them. figure 2: mean difference among pre& post-test (skill based) discussion on findings for effect of training in the experiment, training was provided to teacher educators for various e-learning tools and findings have indicated that the training has a significant impact on both knowledge and skills of using e-learning tools of teacher educators. this result is in tune with gulhane (2011), karthikeyan, shanmugaraja and jayaraman (2012) and parida (2010) who also found that training has a significant impact and it is a major factor affecting the usage of e-learning tools. many researchers suggested that training has impact on using technology mehra and mital (2007). demetriadis, et al. (2003) reached similar conclusions in their research study that training efforts are generally welcomed by teachers but consistent support and extensive training is necessary in order to consider them able to integrate ict in their teaching methodologies. summary and conclusion indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 11 the usage of e-learning tools is most important now a day in teaching learning process and with the development of blended and flipped learning strategies it could be enhanced. teacher education curriculum may include the latest topics on e-learning tools as per the requirement of next generation teachers and it may also be integrated in proper way. the policy makers may develop some guidelines in which the innovative approaches like blended, flipped learning; online learning in teacher education programmes may be elaborated. training plays a very important part in developing the skills and in a similar way ict component may be embedded in every training programme for teachers. though many teacher education institutions are lacking the necessary infrastructure, technical support and time but we should encourage teacher educators to integrate icts for implementing the curriculum and various other administrative works as well. they should be acceptable towards new approaches of teaching. they should inculcate positive attitude to accept the technology. references demetriadis et al. (2003), cultures in negotiation: teachers’ acceptance/resistance attitudes considering the infusion of technology into schools, computers & education, 41, pp 19-37. gershom j. p., & mohanasundaram, k. (2008), effectiveness of e-content in teaching of physics at tertiary level. paper published in journal of educational research and extension, vol. 45 (1), pp 1-8 gulhane, g.l. (2011), integrating ict in teacher education. mier journal of educational studies, trends and practices, 1 (2), pp 197-203. retrieved from http://www.mierjs.in/ojs/index.php/mjestp/article/view/54 gupta, d. & singh, g. (2018), competency of teacher educators and student teachers towards e-learning tools. journal of india education, vol. xliv, 2, pp 126-140 joshi, d.p., & pandey, j. (2012), use of e-learning in uttarakhand school education system: case study of open source e-learning tools for fundamental mathematics and sciences. ijcst, 3(1), pp 80-82. retrieved from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?rep=rep1&type=pdf&doi=10.1.1.219.46 98 kannan, k., & narayanan, k. (2010), ict enabled teacher training for human capital formation: a study of iit bombay initiative. retrieved from http://fgks.in/images/pdf/papers/135.pdf khirwadkar, a. (2008), integrating multimedia package at pre-service level: a techno pedagogy for smart schools. indian journal of open learning, 17(1), pp 25-33. retrieved from http://journal.ignouonline.ac.in/iojp/index.php/ijol/article/viewfile/465/342 light, d. (2009), the role of ict in enhancing education in developing countries: findings from an evaluation of the intel teach essentials course in india, turkey, and chile. journal of education for international development, 4 (2), pp 1-15. retrieved from http://www.equip123.net/jeid/articles/4_2/light.pdf martin, f., hoskins, o.j., brooks, r., & bennett, t. (2013), development of an interactive multimedia instructional module. the journal of applied instructional design, 3 (3), indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 12 pp 5-18. retrieved from http://www.jaidpub.org/wpcontent/uploads/2013/12/martinetal-jaiddec2013.pdf mehra, p., & mital, m. (2007), integrating technology into the teaching-learning transaction: pedagogical and technological perceptions of management faculty. international journal of education and development using information and communication technology (ijedict), 3 (1), pp 105-115. retrieved from http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/include/getdoc.php?id=2201 mhrd, (2011), report of the working group on teacher education for the 12th five year plan. retrieved from http://planningcommission.gov.in/aboutus/committee/wrkgrp12/hrd/wg_teacher1708.p df mhrd, (2014), teacher education planning handbook 2015-2016, centrally sponsored scheme of teacher education, 2012. retrieved from http://www.teindia.nic.in/files/awpb/201516/final%20annual%20work%20plan%2 0format%202015-16.pdf mhrd, (2015), scheme of pandit madan mohan malaviya national mission on teachers and teaching (pmmmnmtt) guidelines. retrieved from http://mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/documentreports/pmmmnmtt_guid elines.pdf mhrd pib, (2018), status of national mission on teachers training retrieved from http://pib.nic.in/newsite/printrelease.aspx?relid=180746 parida, s. (2010), utilization of information and communication technology (ict) tools by staff and students in universities. retrieved from http://www.inflibnet.ac.in/ojs/index.php/kjas/article/viewfile/1001/905 potchelve, e.t.e. (2010), inculcating technological know-how and integrating ict in curriculum in the teaching-learning process. indian educational review, 47 (2), pp 115-130. retrieved from http://www.ncert.nic.in/publication/journals/pdf_files/india_%20educational%20_revi ew_jul%202010.pdf senapaty, h.k. (2012), implementing pedagogy technology integration in teacher education. india journal: a quarterly refereed journal of dialogues on education, 1 (1), pp 3056. retrieved from http://www.educationindiajournal.org/journal/52vol.%201,%20issue%201,%20feb.% 202012..pdf shanmugaraja, j.j., karthikeyan, k., & jayaraman, k. (2012), a study of effectiveness of econtent on teaching zoology at higher secondary level. international journal of current research, 4 (9), pp 205-206 smith, j.j., & greene, h.c. (2013), pre-service teachers use e-learning technologies to enhance their learning. journal of information technology education: research volume 12, pp 121-140. retrieved from http://www.jite.org/documents/vol12/jitev12researchp121-140smith1223.pdf umoh, j.b., & akpan, e.t. (2014), challenges of blended e-learning tools in mathematics: students’ perspectives university of uyo. journal of education and learning, 3 (4), pp 60-70. retrieved from www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/jel/article/download/40176/23036 indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 13 unesco (2010), ict in teacher education: policy, open educational resources and partnership, proceedings of international conference iite-2010. unesco. (2011). unesco ict competency framework for teachers. paris: unesco wang, m. j. (2010), online collaboration and offline interaction between students using asynchronous tools in blended learning, australasian journal of educational technology, 26(6), pp 830-846. indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 73 research article use of computer assisted instruction as an innovative tool for remedial teaching of children with figure constancy type of learning disability ravindra kumar assistant professor, school of education (soe), central university of south bihar, email: ravikrishna010586@gmail.com surksha research scholar, department of education, meerut college abstract the national mission on education through information and communication technology (nmeict) have been envisaged as a centrally sponsored scheme to leverage the potential of ict, in teaching and learning process for the benefit of all the learners in primary level to higher education level in any time anywhere mode. for the enhancement of school education through information and communication technology, the study investigated whether educational games and videos as remedial teaching for children with image or figure constancy type of learning disability (fcld) among fifth grade students. the study adopted the pre-test-post-test-control group design. simple random sample of sixty four students were drawn from seven schools in meerut, uttar pradesh, india. the researcher coordinates the educational games and videos for children with fcld which was used as an instrument for experimental group while control group were exposed to traditional teaching method. the instrument for data collection was diagnostic test of learning disability dtld test. the t-test statistics was used to analyze the hypothesis. the findings revealed that experimental group performed better than the control group. the study found to be use of educational games and videos were better than traditional method on fifth grade fcld students. keywords: computer assisted instruction, figure constancy type of learning disability (fcld), diagnostic test of learning disability, innovative tool, remedial teaching. introduction the computer assisted instruction (games and videos) is interactive and can illustrate a concept through attractive animation, sound, and demonstration. they allow students to progress at their own pace and work individually or solve problems in a group. computers provide immediate feedback, letting students know whether their answer is correct. if the answer is not correct, then the program gives the correct answer to the question. computers offer a different type of activity and a change of pace indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 74 from teacher-led or group instruction. (http://www.readingrockets.org). the computer assisted instruction (games and videos) is new teachinglearning strategy in which the topics to be taught is carefully planned, written and programmed in a computer which could be run at the same time in several computer units and allows each student a computer terminal. the instructions are also programmed on a computer disc, which could be played using audio, video, drag & drop, gaming and simulation activity for the student to learn the topic at his/her leisure time and at his/her own pace. the potential benefit of computer games cannot be underestimated in the contemporary world. there is lot of established findings on the instructional value of computer, particularly in advanced countries. there are now several educational games & videos packages on different subjects. it is obvious that current trend in research all over the world is the use of computer facilities and resources to enhance students’ learning. chang (2000) and yusuf (2009) opined that ‘many exercises that depart from traditional method are now readily accessible on the web (p.521), even though teachers do not use these facilities’. jenk & springer (2005) opined that the way computer assisted instruction is delivered can affect its effectiveness, and that new studies are needed to clarify the effect of computer assisted instruction in contemporary student environment. instructional material and strategies through computer assisted instruction have been found to aid academic achievement and retention. orisebiyi (2007), who investigated the effect of computer assisted instruction package on student’s achievement in learning disability found computer assisted instruction with reference to games and videos to be effective on student’s achievement. however from reviews, it was observed that many of the studies were focused on some parts of mathematics such as algebra, statistics, word problem and quadratic equation, not much on geometry using computer assisted instruction package. the computer assisted instruction (games and videos) improve instruction for students with disabilities because students receive immediate feedback and do not continue to practice the wrong skills. computers capture the children attention because the programs are interactive and engage the children spirit of competitiveness to increase their scores. also, computerassisted instruction moves at the students’ pace and usually does not move ahead until they have mastered the skill. programs provide differentiated lessons to students with challenges. now-a-day the assistive technology or computer assisted instruction is available to help individuals with various types of learning disabilities i.e. pictures, shapes, graphics, symbols, letters & figures constancy disabilities. this research paper will focus specifically on computer assisted instruction (games and videos) for individuals with learning disabilities. the use of technology to enhance learning is an effective approach for many children. additionally, children indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 75 with learning disability often experience greater success when they are allowed to use their abilities (strengths) to work around their disabilities (challenges). disability: disability is more than a problem or difficulty with how our body works – a child with impairment may experience disability when functioning in an environment that impact the child’s successful performance at a task (ncert, 2006). a person with disability is one who has a long term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment which, coupled with different barriers around him, hinders his full and effective participation in society equally with others (rpwd act, 2016, pp-12). innovative tools: information and communication technology (ict) is a popular topic among many teachers and teacher educators today. there are many ict tools on the internet which are available in online and offline and many of them open up new possibilities of teaching & learning in the classroom. in this text the research reviewed one of the most important offline innovative tools with a lot of potential as computer assisted instruction (games & videos). learning disabilities: “learning disability is a generic term that refers to a heterogeneous group of disorders manifested by significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning or mathematical abilities. these disorders are intrinsic to the individual and presumed to be due to central nervous system dysfunction.” even though learning disability may occur concomitantly with other handicapping conditions (e.g., sensory impairment, mental retardation, social & emotional disturbance) or environmental influences (e.g., cultural differences, insufficient/inappropriate instruction, psychogenic factors) it is not the direct result of these condition or influences. figure constancy (fc): it is the subject’s ability to identify symbols, figures, shapes despite its apparent change in size, direction and position. it involves the recognition of pictures, shapes, graphics, symbols, letters and figures. it also entails the transfer of the visual imprint from a three-dimensional to a two-dimensional level (swarup & mehta, 2011). the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of computer assisted instruction (games & videos) package developed by researcher for use with primary school students, particularly fifth graders, for improving their image or figure constancy type of learning disability. follow up was gathered to determine the maintenance of computer assisted instruction (games and videos). objectives of the study 1. to compare the effectiveness of remediation of figure constancy type of learning disability with pre-test and post-test of traditional method of teaching. 2. to compare the effectiveness of remediation of figure constancy type of learning disability with pre-test and post-test of computer assisted instruction (games & videos) method of teaching. 3. to compare the relative effectiveness of remediation of figure constancy indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 76 type of learning disability with computer assisted instruction (games and videos) and traditional method of teaching. hypotheses of the study 1. there was no significant difference between the pre-test and post-test of traditional method of teaching in remediation of children with figure constancy type of learning disability. 2. there was no significant difference between the pre-test and post-test of computer assisted instruction (games and videos) method of teaching in remediation of children with figure constancy type of learning disability. 3. there was no significant difference between the effectiveness of computer assisted instruction (games and videos) and traditional method of teaching in remediation of children with figure constancy type of learning disability. scope of the study the study focused on the effect of educational games, videos and simulations as remedial teaching for learning disabled fifth grade students. it was limited to children with figure constancy type of learning disability of fifth grades of central board of secondary education (cbse) students. methodology the research design for this study was pre-test-post-test experimental group and pre-test-post-test control group design. at the preliminary stage 749 students selected as population. entire population selected from inclusive schools. from these population, with the help of behavioural checklist for screening the learning disabled (bcsld) filled by respective school teachers, only 202 students identified as possible learning disabled. in next step by administering diagnostic test of learning disability (dtld) only 102 students identified as learning disabled. as the experiment was to be performed in special setting so far the convenience, researcher administered non-verbal group of intelligence test (ngit). on the basis of score obtained by students only 64 students of medium range of intelligence were selected as final sample. so in this way after administering three level of screening finally 64 students considered as sample. this sample consist 43 boys and 30 girls fifth grade students. the target population was seven hundred and forty-nine (749) from seven (07) cbse schools in utter pradesh, india. the sample for this study was made up of 64 students using simple random sampling techniques. a breakdown revealed that the experimental group consisted of 32 students with a gender balance of boys (n=17) and girls (n=15), while the control group had a gender balance of boys (n=17) and girls (n=15) respectively. the experimental group was taught using educational games and video package which covered figure constancy type of learning disability, while control group was taught using traditional method. research instruments the following tools were used to conduct the study i.e. (i) behavioural checklist for screening the learning indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 77 disabled (bcsld), (ii) diagnostic test of learning disability (dtld) developed by swarup & mehta (2011) (iii) non-verbal group of intelligence test (ngit) developed by imtisungba ao [kohima] (2011), and (iv) computer assisted instruction (games and videos) package developed by researcher. computer assisted instruction (games and videos) package for children with figure constancy type of learning disability: in this package following games and videos were selected for remediation of figure constancy type of learning disability. 1. learning shapes videos: in this simulation children needs to select learning shapes and watching carefully. every shape describes itself in audio-video form. 2. shapes match game: in this game children needs to select the many shape according to question shape. there are many shapes arranged in this game as square, triangle, rectangle, oval, diamond, star etc. after completion of particular shapes children take reinforcement. 3. painting completion games-1: in this game children needs to make a complete picture by joining different part of the particular picture. this game provides five different pictures those are arranged as per difficulty order. 4. painting completion games-2: in this game children needs to make a complete picture by joining the different part of the particular picture. this game also provides five different pictures arranged in difficulty order. 5. ni-ni puzzle picture: in this game children needs to make the complete picture by rearranging the small pieces of the target picture showing on the screen. 6. fishing puzzle picture: in this game the difficulty level has been enhanced by increasing the number of pieces & their ability to turn in all direction. the computer assisted instruction is arranged as per order and children train to participate in the games, videos and simulations. these educational games and videos overcome figure constancy learning disabilities completely or to some extent. method of data collection the teachers in the sampled schools were trained as research assistants in the use of computer assisted instrcution (games and videos) package. the study period was of 45 classes for five months, twice a week. the classes were conducted in a computer institute with educational games and videos for remediation of figure constancy type of learning disability. there was an orientation between the researcher and the students who underwent the test from the selected schools. the experimental group students were exposed to computer assisted instruction package which had been installed in computer, while control group students were taught using traditional teaching method having the same content used for the experimental group. at the end of the experimental study, dtld was administered as the post-test to measure the outcome of learning disability of the students. the dtld test was administered in the indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 78 same manner for the post-test also. the test was conducted at the same time with the help of research assistants in each school and the script collected immediately for scoring. the ‘t’-test was used to test all the null hypotheses using statistical package for social sciences (spss) version 20 at 0.01 alpha level. results and discussion phase 1: remediation of learning disability through traditional method with reference of children with figure constancy type of learning disability. table no. 1: statistical values on the dtld sub test of figure constancy type of learning disability of group–a (control group) students on the pre-test and post-test. testing n m s.d. r t pre-test 32 2.03 0.89 0.68 5.35* post-test 32 2.65 0.70 * significant at 0.01 level a perusal of table no. 1 clearly stated that mean dtld scores achieved by group–a subject. taught through the traditional method, on the subtest of figure constancy type of learning disability on pre-test were 2.03 and 2.65 respectively. the difference in mean-scores was highly significant (t=5.35, p<0.01). the significant gain in scores on the post-test reveals that traditional method of teaching was significantly effective in improving figure constancy abilities in learning disabled fifth grade students. furthermore, the pre-test & post-test scores of the sample-subjects were positively & highly correlated (r = 0.68). thus, the students, who achieved higher on the pre-test were highachievers on the post-test as well and vice-versa. this indicates that the improvement in figure constancy abilities was almost equal among all the students regardless of their prior achievement on this sub-test of dtld. hence, it may be concluded that traditional method of teaching was equally beneficial in improving the figure constancy ability for all the learning disabled children or the selected fifth grade students. the result found that drill and practice method is more effective. kim (1998) also found similar result that drill and practice method was quite effective to improve in spelling difficulties of the learning disable students. phase 2: remediation of learning disability through computer assisted instruction (games and videos) method of teaching with reference to children with figure constancy type of learning disability. indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 79 table no. 2: statistical values on the dtld sub-test of figure constancy learning disability of group–b (experiment group) students on the pre-test and post-test. testing n m s.d. r t pre-test 32 2.12 0.90 0.52 13.75* post-test 32 4.15 0.84 * significant at 0.01 level an observation of the data displayed in table no. 2 shows that mean scores on the dtld sub-test of figure constancy type of learning disability yielded by group–b subjects, taught through computer assisted instruction (games and videos) methods, on pre-test and post-test were 2.12 & 4.15 respectively, the difference being 2.03. the obtained ‘t’ value (t=13.75, p<0.01) was highly significant. it concludes that educational games and videos are also beneficial in improving figure constancy abilities of fifth grade children with learning disabilities. also, the product moment correlation between pre-test and post-test scores on this sub-test of dtld was found to be highly positive (r=0.52). these finding are almost similar to those reported for the traditional method (refer table no.1). however, the value of ‘r’ for computer assisted instruction (games and videos) method (r=0.52) is much less than its value for traditional method. therefore, improvement in figure constancy abilities was more consistent among subjects taught through traditional method as compared to their counterparts belonging to computer assisted instruction (games and videos) group or experimental group. this finding is also in line with study of haberman (1977). in his study they found that computer assisted instruction is effective method for socially-emotionally disturbed children. cmi is an effective tool for the enhancement of learning but this effect was not found significant. phase 3: comparing relative effectiveness of computer games and videos instruction method & traditional methods in remediation of figure constancy type of learning disability. table no. 3. statistical values on the dtld sub-test of figure constancy type of learning disability of group–a and b students on the post-test. groups n m s.d. t group a 32 2.65 0.70 8.10* group b 32 4.15 0.84 * significant at 0.01 level indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 80 a look at table no. 3 indicates that mean scores on the dtld sub-test of figure constancy type of learning disability of group a and group b students on the post-test were 2.65 and 4.15 respectively. the ‘t’ value yielded (t=8.10, p<0.01) was highly significant. this infers that computer assisted instruction (games and videos) was better than the traditional method in improving the figure constancy learning abilities among the learning disabled students studying in fifth grade. summing up, the tables infer that computer assisted instruction (games and videos) as well as traditional method are effective in improving sample subject’s ability of recognizing an objectives figure constancy but computer assisted instruction (games and videos) was better than the traditional method. the result found that computer assisted instruction or computer based instruction was effective than traditional method of teaching for remediation of learning disability. lavin & kareev (1980) watkins & webb (1981), bukatman, (1981), chiang (1986), gleason, carnine & boriero (1990), vasanthal (1994), crute (2000), pandya & chaudhary (2000), maccini, gagnon, & hughes (2002), vaupel (2002), fuchs, hamlet, powell, et al. (2006), kundu (2008), seo & bryant (2009), scheid (2010), anyamene, nwokolo, anyachebelu et.al. (2012), singh & agrawal (2013), and kumar (2017) also found similar results that computer based instruction was quite effective than tradition method of teaching for removal of the learning disabilities of disabled children. graph 1: graphical presentation of post-test scores on the dtld sub-test of figure constancy type of learning disability of group–a (control group) and group-b (experiment group) students on the post-test indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 81 a look at graph no. 1 indicates that mean scores on the dtld sub-test of figure constancy type of learning disability of group a and group b students on the post-test. the graph shows that experimental group scores were better than traditional group scores. it is indicated that the computer assisted instruction better than traditional method of teaching. educational implications of the findings the findings of the study provide the awareness to the teachers, parents and guardians of learning disabled children. the educational implications of the findings of study are as follows: 1. the findings of the study may be used to develop the tendency of practices, trial and error habits in students. 2. all educational games and videos may be used for helping the learning disabled children because such type of games and videos are easily created by the open sources software i.e. h5p, timelinejs, presentation tube recorder, open shot video editor etc. also such games & videos can be downloaded and supported all the operating systems. 3. it was found that the computer assisted instruction package may provide to be effective but is not the panacea for students with learning disabilities. 4. the findings of the study that computer assisted instruction package may improves the thinking process of learning disabled children can also be useful in providing the ways to teach for learning disabled students. 5. the findings of the study reveals that the computer assisted instrcution (games and videos) package may be helpful in making teacher aware to consider them as teaching learning material. 6. various education institutions may be created such type of games and videos and upload on various web portals for users. these games and videos are useful as a teaching material to improving the performance of students. references anyamene, a., nwokolo, c., anyachebelu, f., & anemelu, v.c. 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(2009). effect of using computer assisted instruction on learning statistics in selected senior secondary schools in minna. niger state: unpublished m-tech thesis, federal university of technology, niger state, nigeria. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 82 research article cyber security awareness among in-service secondary school teachers of karnataka k v sridevi assistant professor, department of curriculum studies, ncert, new delhi, email: kvsridevi@gmail.com abstract teaching cyber  security to students in schools is necessary to assist students to stay safe while using technology. recently, a good amount of interest has been drawn towards understanding the concepts of cyber  security and effort has been made by institutions to help introduce the concepts of cyber safety to the teachers. guidelines were developed and disseminated and trainings were conducted for creating awareness about cyber  security by various academic bodies like ncert. in the present study an online survey  was  conducted  with an objective to study the awareness levels of teachers on cyber security where in 92 secondary school teachers of karnataka, india have participated. the findings indicate that the teachers were found to have medium level of awareness on cyber security and there is no significant difference in the cyber security awareness among the teachers with respect to gender& stream they belong to. it was found that the awareness levels on cyber security differ with respect to the age of the teachers. this study aims to open the possibilities for more research in this area in order to expand the arena for understanding the importance and usage of cyber security and how it could be implemented in the teaching environment. introduction with the everyday increased usage  of technology and internet in education in the form of e-learning platforms, videos and in general the changes in the society with response to online payments, applications, e-content, internet, etc., the need to protect our private data becomes a matter of concern. the manner in which we utilize the web has changed a lot in recent times. entering our own information online to join a learning site, pursue pamphlets, web based life records, or sell utilized furniture has become the standard. similarly, for teachers entering the data of students to calculate results or to assign tasks online on e-learning platforms has grown, along with the students’ usage in general. the information created accordingly is bewildering, and expected to twofold at regular intervals. this presents as an enticing monetary benefit for programmers who can bring in cash off individuals’ very own information. it has prompted numerous information penetrations as of now and there will be some more. understanding why organizations need our information, what they do with it and the suggestions for us is new fundamental information everybody needs. according to data security council of india, india is the second most cyber attacked country in the world after indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 83 us. there are hundreds of cybercrimes that are reported  on  privacy invasion and data misuse, students getting on unsafe sites, etc. as a result the role of understanding how to use the internet safely is essential, thus cyber  security needs to be understood and practiced to secure privacy of our own data and of the teachers as well as of the students in an educational setting. the awareness of children on using it is observed to be not adequate. as reported in a research study by tirumala et. al (2016), a survey was conducted on students of the age group 8-12 years  which consisted  of questions related to the students’ understanding and awareness of cyber  security along with information on their internet usage. the outcome of the study indicated that cyber security awareness among the students was commonly low with the  most reduced level in the 8-12 year age gathering. the students of 8-12  years  age group had the option to answer just 19% of review questions. moreover, the greater  part of the students was inexperienced with basic cyber  security terms and did not exhibit enough familiarity with normal cyber threats, for example, phishing. the outcome further show that most of the students didn’t know about cyber  security apparatuses for tablets and cell phones, which  are much of the time utilized gadgets for e-learning resources. importance of cyber security we are depending on innovations and thus creation of e material or content is being rapidly increasing. with the initiative of digital india, today, a lot of organizations and governments store this material or content or data on personal computers(pcs) and transmit it across systems to different pcs. institutions have introduced multiple e-learning resources that require the teachers and students to enter their personal information on online platforms which are prone to be hacked. students have increased their usage of the internet, online videos and games, etc. the internet capable technology, with its gift of resources for learning, communication, and collaboration comes with dangers of physical and emotional harm to its users, their data, and the organizations where they work and learn (berkman center for internet & society at harvard university, 2008; national center for missing & exploited children & cox communications, 2006; national cyber security alliance & norton by symantec, 2010).information penetration has a great scope of destroying ramifications for any business. it can lead to loss of organization data and in turn the trust laid on the organization. the loss of data can cost an organization higher, especially when students are involved, it becomes all the more a sensitive deal. going further, an information penetrate can affect corporate incomes due to resistance with information security guidelines. concept of cyber security cyber  ethics, cyber  safety, and cyber  security, also known as c3, are three overlapping domains of knowledge (pruit mentle, 2001). cyber ethics are the moral choices individuals make when using internet-capable technologies and digital media; which include copyright, online etiquettes, hacking, and online indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 84 addiction(s). cyber  safety consists of the actions individuals take to minimize the dangers they could encounter when using internet-capable technology; which include online predators and unwanted communications, viruses, and spyware. this domain also involves building an awareness of how a person’s behaviour can contribute to the spread of malware and ways individuals are tricked while using internet-capable technologies (e.g., phishing, pharming, and spoofing). cyber  security involves the technical interventions that protect data, identity information, and hardware from unauthorized access or harm. cyber security includes antivirus software, internet content filters, firewalls, and password protection. pruitt-mentle (2008) found that cyber  ethics is often seen as the responsibility of parents, whereas cyber security is the responsibility of the information technology (it) department. cyber  security refers to the act of guaranteeing the honesty, classification, and accessibility of data. cyber security also includes network security, prevention of information loss, cloud security, intrusion prevention which would help in smooth digital movement. this also includes use of verification mechanisms, encryption, antivirus or malware arrangement, etc. to prevent people from cyber threats or dangers. the digital dangers include malwares, ransom ware, phishing attacks, social building, and progressed persistent threats. in teacher education programs, preservice teachers learn about methods to integrate technologies with content and pedagogy to improve student learning. many presume that pre-service teachers have adequate knowledge to competently model and teach issues of safety when working with these devices as well. pusey, p. & sadera, a. w. (2011) investigated the current knowledge and understandings pre-service teachers have about cyber  ethics, cyber  safety, and cyber  security topics (c3 topics) and their beliefs about their ability to teach them. the pre-service teachers were asked  to rate their ability to model or teach c3 topics. the results indicated that the respondents were not prepared to model or to teach. it is reminded appropriately here that “with its gift of greater resources for learning, communication, and collaboration comes its dangers of physical and emotional harm to its users, their data, and the organizations where they work and learn although learning institutions have been quick to profit from the internet’s gifts, they have been slow to recognize their responsibility to educate their communities about cyber  ethics, cyber  safety, and cyber  security. this paper reports the results of a surveybased study designed to collect data regarding pre-service teacher knowledge about, and preparedness to teach, the c3 content in their future teaching. the results of this study will be the first to provide information about pre-service teacher knowledge of c3 topics and an understanding about where pre-service teachers stand in regard to teaching and modeling these topics in their own instruction. the results of this research will help teacher preparation programs to develop strategies for addressing these topics in their curriculum to better prepare preservice teachers to integrate c3 in their indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 85 future teaching. pruitt-mentle (2008) argue that c3 should be the responsibility of all, and addressing the dearth of knowledge and developing a sense of responsibility can start with teachers and teacher educators. in the past 10 years, many federal laws/acts have been passed (in united states) that affect k-12 education. • the children’s internet protection act (cipa) requires schools to have a clear internet safety policy and to protect students from contact with objectionable content through the use of internet filters. • the broadband data improvement act (2008) requires appropriate online behaviour to be taught in schools. • the national educational technology standards (nets) also require that c3 content be taught in schools (international society for technology education, 2008). however, these requirements are general and vague in their design and recommendations. the most significant research in this field to date is the c3 baseline study conducted with in-service teachers (pruittmentle, 2008). this large-scale study suggests that many schools, school systems, and districts across the laws and standards  ensuring  covering c3 content by addressing only plagiarism and cyber  bullying (pruitt-mentle, 2008). the c3 baseline study provides researchers a glimpse at c3 content integration that can be used for future comparisons with in-service teachers (pruitt-mentle, 2008). however, at the moment, we know very little about how colleges of education are preparing preservice teachers to fill their obligations to professional standards and legal requirements related to the c3. research studies indicate that malware, plagiarism, privacy, and the protection of identity data are some of the many issues confronted be school children (berkman center for internet & society at harvard university, 2008; lenhart, 2010; lenhart, ling, & campbell, 2010; west, 2009). in a recent study, cranmer and selwyn (2009) evidenced that, children in the age group of 7-11years lack a fundamental understanding of the risks to their personal safety and data. further many researchers (cranmer  &  selwyn, 2009;larose, rifon, & enbody, 2008; sharpies, graber, harrison, & logan, 2009), express an urgent need to help build student’s ability to use internet-capable technology in a more safe, secure, and ethical way. according to pruitt-mentle (2008), this cannot be done with the current c3 knowledge and confidence level of many in-service teachers. in the similar lines, in india, the national cyber security policy was developed in 2013, which  is a policy framework by ministry of electronics and information technology (meity) which aims to protect the public and private infrastructure from cyber-attacks, and safeguard “information, such as personal information (of web users), financial and banking information and sovereign data”.  this is basically to protect information and information infrastructure in cyberspace, build capabilities to prevent and respond to cyber threats, reduce vulnerabilities and indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 86 minimize damage from cyber incidents through a combination of institutional structures, people, processes, technology and cooperation. various organizations like national cyber security association of india, cdac, cyber peace foundation, data security council of india, etc. have been working in creating awareness on cyber security for various stake holders at various levels. in the field of education, ministry of home affairs (mha) developed a handbook for adolescents/students on cyber security, and recently ncert (2018) came out with cyber safety guidelines for schools. these guidelines were disseminated and were used in their in-service training programmes. role of teachers the covid-19 lockdown has forced the schools and universities to close and had to go for remote or online learning. the closure has placed unprecedented challenges on governments, institutions, teachers, parents and care givers around the world. with the development of ict in education, online video-based courses, e-books, simulations, models, graphics, animations, quizzes, games, and e-notes are making learning more accessible, engaging, and contextualized.  in the information technology era in general and in this lockdown context in specific, teachers’ use of cyber tools and need to be aware  of cyber safety and security is necessary for educational institutions.  the  students are more tech-savvy than  the teachers  envision. while numerous grown-ups depend on the periodic instructional exercise to figure out how to utilize another program or application, students are computerized locals. they naturally realize how to utilize applications, cell phones, and online stages, since they’ve been utilizing them their entire lives. this implies, with the correct inspiration, the students could most likely make sense of how to hack into others records, which may include teachers also. for instance, if a student wasn’t happy with the teacher’s evaluation, he/she may have the option to make sense of the secret key and change an evaluation or two. thus, the teachers need to be empowered  to shield both  themselves  and  their  understudies from digital assaults. sometimes, students may be the offenders of cyber  security issues in the classroom, however in others; they may be the people in question. while numerous youngsters can without much of a stretch learn computerized programs and may even hack data. they may not be sufficiently sharp to detect each cyber  security chance that they experience. as a teacher, it is possible to legitimately secure students and encourage them about cyber  security so they can all the more likely to defend themselves on the web. regardless of whether the students intend to or not, the students could put teachers, the school, and their other students in danger with their computerized propensities.  the students are regularly getting more educated than the teachers when it comes to internet usage. they likely have the ability to utilize each element of the most mainstream online projects and advanced gadgets. this could give them a huge favourable position over the teacher in the event that they needed to hack into the records. as an indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 87 instructor, one most likely has various online records.  today, the student’s marks, memos, progress reports, contacts, personal details, and another identifying information is all at risk of being exposed. the poor and disruptive network security poses a major threat to parents of school children whose personal records contain personal and sensitive information. the practical effects of these attacks require intervention or remedy to increase cyber security. the teacher has to be prepared and rather take all precautions by following security measures if the students approach  all the data put away on those records. they  need to be alert and prevent the misuse by students.  thus it is very essential to study in-service teachers’ awareness on cyber security at secondary schools. objectives of the study 1. to determine the awareness levels of teachers with regard to cyber security at secondary schools 2. to study the difference in the awareness of secondary school teachers on cyber security with respect to their • gender male and female teachers • teaching experience novice and experienced teachers • streams – subjects taught • age research questions 1. what are the levels of awareness on cyber security among secondary school teachers? 2. how do gender, teaching experience, streams and age account for differences in the awareness on cyber security among the secondary school teachers? methodology the design of the study was descriptive. a normative survey was carried out to explore the awareness of teachers on cyber security at schools. a questionnaire was formulated which consisted of multiple choice questions focussing on passwords, internet safety, cyber-attack, antivirus, threats to privacy in schools and on frequency of use, safety practices and management with the threats to cyber security at schools. data collection was carried out by administering the questionnaire online. description of the sample 92 teachers from karnataka have participated in the survey, out of which 39 teachers were from science stream (science and mathematics), 40 teachers from arts stream (social sciences and languages) and 13 others (physical education, art). sample comprises of 66 male teachers and 26 female teachers. teachers of different age groups were found in the sample – 4teachers with less than 25 years; 26teachers with age in the range of 25 to 35 years; 40teachers between 35 to 45 years; and 22teachers in the range of 45 years and above. tools used a questionnaire comprising of 26 indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 88 multiple choice questions designed and developed by the researcher after the review of the existing guidelines on cyber safety and security prepared by various organisations. thus prepared questionnaire was given for review to experts and tried out on a small sample of teachers. the finalised tool was administered through online mode. all the questions have only one correct answer; for each correct answer, one mark is given and for a wrong answer, zero is given. total score for each student is calculated and set for analysis. findings on awareness of teachers on cyber security total score obtained by each teacher on awareness test on cyber security was tabulated. then the average performance of the group i.e. mean (11.73) and standard deviation (3.13) were calculated. based on the mean and standard deviation, the levels are fixed as mean + sd i.e. above 14.86 as high, mean-sd i.e. below 8.60 as low and the between range i.e. 8.60 to14.86 as medium level of awareness. following the norms for the levels of awareness given above, it was found that 11(12%), 70(76.1%) and 11(12%) teachers were found to be with possess low, medium and high awareness of cyber security respectively. majority of the male (75.8%) and female teachers (76.92%) were found to have medium level of awareness and very few male (12.1%) and female teachers (11.54%) were found to have higher level of awareness. table1: awareness of teachers on cybersecurity – gender wise gender levels of awareness of cybersecurity low medium high total female teachers 3(11.54%) 20(76.92%) 3(11.54%) 26 male teachers 8(12.1%) 50(75.8%) 8(12.1%) 66 total 11 70 11 92 with respect to gender, there is no significant difference between the awareness of male and female teachers on cyber security, as the following table shows that t value (0.005) is not significant at 0.05 level, thus we can say that both male and female teachers do not differ in their awareness on cyber security issues. table2: t value for difference in the awareness of male and female teachers on cyber security gender n mean t-value significance female teachers 26 11.73 0.005 0.996 male teachers 66 11.72 further it was also found that irrespective of the stream the teachers belong to, majority of them were found to possess medium level of awareness. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 89 table3: awareness of teachers on cybersecurity – stream wise streams n mean t-value significance low medium high total science & mathematics 4(10.26%) 32(82.05%) 3(7.69%) 39 social science & languages 4(10.00%) 31(77.5%) 5(12.5%) 40 others (physical education, art education, etc.) 3(27.27%) 7(63.63%) 3(27.27%) 11 total 11 70 11 92 in order to understand the significance of difference in the awareness of teachers with respect to stream the teachers belong to, one way analysis of variance is carried out and the results are presented in table-4. table4: results of anova for awareness of teachers w.r.t. stream categories sum of squares df mean square f sig. between groups 13.078 2 6.539 .660 .519 within groups 881.128 89 9.900 total 894.207 91 teachers belonging to streams do not differ significantly with respect to cyber security (f=0.660, p>0.05) at 5% level of significance. hence, the null hypothesis “there is no significant difference in the awareness of teachers on cyber security with respect to the stream they belong to” is accepted. it means that, the teachers do not differ in their cybersecurity awareness irrespective of the stream they belong to. in order to find out whether the teachers differ in their awareness on cyber security with respect to their age, frequencies and percentages are calculated and presented in table-5. table5: awareness of teachers w.r.t. age age group of teachers levels of awareness on cyber security total low medium high less than 25 years 1(25%) 3(75%) 0 4 25 to 35 years 2(7.69%) 19(73.07%) 5(19.23%) 26 35 to 45 years 4(10%) 32(80%) 4(10%) 40 45 years and above 4(18.18%) 16(72.73%) 2(9.09%) 22 11 70 11 92 majority of the teachers were found to have medium level of awareness on cyber security irrespective of the age group. but none of the teachers from the age group of less than 25 years demonstrated high awareness, whereas indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 90 5(19.23%), 4(10%), 2(9.09%) teachers were found to have high awareness in 25-35 years, 35-45 years and 45 years and above age groups respectively. to find out whether this difference is statistically significant, one way anova is carried out and the results are tabulated below: table6: results of anova for awareness of teachers w.r.t. age categories sum of squares df mean square f sig. between groups 84.603 3 28.201 3.065 .032 within groups 809.604 88 9.200 total 894.207 91 teachers belonging to different age group differ significantly with respect to cyber security awareness scores (f=3.065, p<0.032) at 5% level of significance. hence, the null hypothesis “there is no significant difference in the awareness of teachers on cyber security with respect to their age” is rejected. it means that, the teachers belonging to different age group differ in their awareness on cyber security. further, to know the pair wise comparison of age with respect to cyber security awareness, tukeys hsd post hoc procedures were followed and the results are presented in table-7. table7: pair wise comparison of mean scores of cyber security awareness with respect to age of school teachers by tukeys hsd post hoc procedure variable age(in years) less than 25 25-35 35-45 45 &above cyber security awarenes mean 8.7500 12.7692 11.8750 10.7727 less than 25 4.01923 3.12500 2.02273 25-35 4.01923 0.89423 1.99650 35-45 11.8750 0.89423 1.10227 45 & above 10.7727 1.99650 1.10227 interestingly from the above two tables it can be observed that overall teachers belonging to different age groups differ significantly with respect to cyber security awareness( anova) but tukeys hsd post hoc procedure after pair wise comparison of mean scores indicate that there is no significant difference in the awareness of teachers to cyber security when individually compared age wise. further question-wise analysis revealed that • 64 (69.6 percent) of the participants knew how to create secure passwords taking care of different characters, length and avoiding mobile numbers and so on. but when asked how often do they use the same password for multiple accounts 37percent and 33.7 percent teachers responded as always and indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 91 never, which indicates that many know how to create passwords but still are using the same password in multiple accounts. • when asked “how often do you switch to incognito browsing for banking?”, 37 percent of teachers responded as ‘always’ where as 38percent responded as ‘never’. further 39 percent prefer to use auto fill-in mode for apps such as paypal, paytm, google pay etc. only 10percent avoid doing it. • 73 (79.3percent) of teachers knew that when they get a new pc, which has anti-virus software already installed, it is safe to use the internet by making sure that both anti-virus software and operating software are up to date, whereas some (8 (8.7 percent) still believe that the software that come inbuilt are obviously reliable. there was a mixed response on the updating of anti-virus software from the teachers, some 25 (27.2 percent) teachers were of opinion that when the system gets slow then it has to be updated. 78 percent of the teachers expressed that if antivirus software detects virus, then they delete that file permanently and 13percent of them treat that file through antivirus. • only 49 (53.3percent) of the teachers could make out that safe websites among the given and were able to differentiate https & http, whereas the others were not able to identify which one among them are safer to use while browsing. 60percent of the teachers were aware that before downloading any application one must check for the reliability of the resource.75 (81.5percent) of the teachers were aware that empty company messages of mails are threat to their devices but only 60 out of them knew the reason that they may have attached viruses. • 74 (80.5percent) of them were aware that downloading applications from a third party website harms device, out of which 56 (60.9percent) knew the reason as they need to give access for the application to work whereas the remaining teachers were of the opinion that the application is not from the authentic webpage • very few participants 16 (17.4percent) were aware that when a system becomes a target of a cyber-attack one can access someone’s computer and lock the user’s personal files and data, many of them 72 (78.3percent) were under the impression that they can access only data available on the system. only 45 (48.9percent) of the teachers knew that question papers saved in their phone can be leaked without their notice when the phone is hacked and others were not aware of it. • 86 (93.5percent) out of 92 teachers were aware that one must take backup and erase data before giving a pc for repair.62 (67.4percent) teachers were aware that updating os regularly help the devices away from viruses and hacking. others were not aware of it. further very few teachers i.e. 19 (20.07percent) indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 92 were aware of the procedure to be followed when the phone is lost. others were not sure of it. 40 (43.5percent) teachers expressed that leaving laptop on sleep mode while it is connected to internet threat as it is easy for the hackers to get access, others believed that nothing will happen. 83.7percent of them said that it is not safe to leave applications running on the background where as the remaining teachers contradicted on this opinion. majority of the participants (70.7percent) of the study indicated that the temporary files are to be regularly removed whereas 35percent of them felt that they need to remove them only when the disc is full. • only 33.7percent teachers were aware of free and open softwares and operating systems like ubuntu where as others were not at all knowing about it. they even believe that free wares are best to use. • when asked “how often do you give permissions to all the apps to access your device’s information after checking their privacy policy”, 28.3percent, 13percent, 25percent, 5.4percent. 28.3 percent of teachers responded always, often, sometimes, rarely and never respectively. out of 92, only20(21.7percent) teachers were aware that using gps facility on phone for apps such as maps or social media is threat to them and others hardly know about it. • 35.9percent of the teachers change the passwords of the computer promptly where as others hardly change. further, 44.6percent of the teachers never connect to public wifi by turning on the safety features where as others i.e. 26percent of them always turn on safety features. discussions ict and digital education has become an integral part of almost everyone’s life. although it provides immense opportunities, one should be aware of the associated risks too. as children need to utilise new technologies day by day, it is inevitable to keep themselves and the data safe and secure. in this regard the teachers’ efforts are of utmost importance when it comes to educating the students for cyber safety and helping them use the internet safely. with the increase in e-learning initiatives into the education system, it has become necessary to create awareness about cyber threats as well as possible approaches to overcome them. creating cyber security awareness among students especially for primary and secondary school is of great importance in the era of e-learning, e-commerce, e-medicine, etc. thompson et. al. (2018), points out the misconceptions students have with regard to cyber security and how this affects their safety on the internet. teachers can play a great role to eradicate their misconceptions and help the students use the internet safely and handle cyber threats. the results further suggest that the majority of teachers lack an understanding of the importance of cyber security and hence are not able to practice the same in their daily school routine, may it be indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 93 in maintaining the personal computers at schools or home. the present study also witnessed similar findings where in the teachers have moderate awareness on cyber security at schools. these findings were in consonance with the study conducted by baris sezeret, et. al (2015) found that the teachers had an average level of awareness on cyber bullying, in general and they differ in their awareness with respect to ranch, gender and frequency of internet use. similarly a study conducted on preservice teachers in haryana by taruna malhotra and m malhotra (2017) evidenced that most of them have comparatively moderate awareness level of cybercrimes. interestingly the qualitative analysis of the data also gave a clear picture that even though the teachers were aware of certain aspects like safe websites, do’s and don’ts they were not applying them when it comes to utility. as no one can afford an attack it is essential to develop awareness among teachers and students on cyber safety and cyber security and motivate them to apply in their daily life situations. references barissezer, ramazanyilmaz, fatmagizemkaraoglanyimaz (2015). cyber bullying and teachers’ awareness. internet research, retrieved from https://scholar. google. co.in/ scholar?q=cyber+security+awareness+among +teachers&hl =en&as_ sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart#d=gs_qabs&u=%23p children’s internet protection act, pub. l. no. 106-554. 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(2011). cyber ethics, cyber safety, and cyber security: preservice teacher knowledge, preparedness, and the need for teacher education to make a difference. journal of digital learning in teacher education, volume 28 number 2 taruna malhotra & m malhotra (2017).cyber crime awareness among teacher trainees, scholarly research journal for interdisciplinary studies, 4(31) 5249-5259. teens, social media & technology (2018). survey conducted from march 4april 10, 2018. thompson, julia d., herman, geoffrey l., scheponik travis,oliva linda, sherman, alan; golaszewski, ennis; phatak, dhananjay; and patsourakos, kostantinos (2018) “student misconceptions about cyber security concepts: analysis of think-aloud interviews,” journal of cyber security education, research and practice: vol. 2018 : no. 1 , article 5. available at: https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/jcerp/vol2018/ iss1/5 tirumala, s. s., sarrafzadeh, a., & pang, p. (2016).a survey on internet usage and cyber security awareness in students.2016 14th annual conference on privacy, security and trust (pst). doi:10.1109/pst.2016.7906931 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 54 research article models of e-learning readiness in higher education: a systematic review ishfaq majid1 & y. vijaya lakshmi2 1research scholar, school of education, central university of gujarat, sector-29, gandhi nagar, gujarat emailishfaq.majid@cug.ac.in 2assistant professor, centre for studies & research in education, school of education, central university of gujarat abstract the models of e-learning readiness (elr) are basically designed to understand the process of obtaining the basic information necessary for measuring elr among participants. they help organizations to identify the requirements for designing, developing and implementing e-learning. these models not only help the organizations to identify the degree of elr but also to identify the factors or areas where the organization is weak. the present study reviews the models of e-learning readiness (elr) with the help of a small-scale literature review on models of elr. the purpose of the current study was to make an analysis of the existing elr models in the literature. the researcher visited various online databases to collect studies. in addition to that, the researcher also did a manual search in the reference list of various studies in the related field for the addition of additional studies. by following an appropriate strategy, the researchers selected 07 elr models for the current study. the current study reveals that technology, skills, attitude, resources and human resources, infrastructure, flexibility, support, pedagogy, management, evaluation, continual improvement, culture, budgeting, curriculum, awareness, law and regulation, content and policy have been used on a larger scale for the development of the elr models. further, majority of reviewed studies have used various statistical techniques like regression analysis, confirmatory factor analysis (cfa) and exploratory factor analysis (efa) for developing the models. keywords: information and communication technology, e-learning, e-learning readiness, e-learning readiness models, higher education introduction the higher education system of india after independence has grown significantly and is now one of the world’s largest education systems. after independence, this sector has seen a remarkable increase in the number of universities and colleges (sheikh, 2017). according to the aishe report 2019-20, the total enrolment in hei stands at 3.85 crore as compared to 3.74 crore in 201819. this significant increase in enrolment leads to a high student-teacher ratio where the teacher is unable to cater to the needs of students and as a result, leads to significant deterioration in the quality of higher education. imparting quality education empowers the nation in each and every aspect. there are many ways through which quality education can be imparted, and technology is considered the best and most effective medium for delivering quality education and increasing the learner’s knowledge (mccombs and liu, 2007; gold, 2001; bates, 2005). without technology, the common masses and institutions indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 55 have very low chances of addressing the challenges and issues of the 21st century, like access to quality education, the increasing cost of education, the inability to communicate effectively, difficulties in collaborating with others, etc. technology has transformed our classrooms and has removed the limitations of time and space. the use of information and communication technology (ict) has reformed the process of teaching and learning. it has expanded the opportunities for learning and increased the access to the educational resources (talebian, 2014). its use is considered as a new era in the field of education. it has changed the thought pattern and has improved the quality of existing educational models and has provided new training models for improving the quality of education. these models have suggested new methods of learning where the learner is playing an active role and the main emphasis is laid upon self-directed, flexible, and independent learning (allahi & sanayei, 2009). ict consist of a set of technological tools and resources that are used in communicating, creating, disseminating, storing, and managing the information (toro & joshi, 2012; ansah, 2013; thamarana, 2015). it also help in recording and broadcasting the content, gathering, processing, storing, and presenting the information (lubbe and singh, 2009; ansah, 2013). ict enhances the learning environment and facilitates the active and collaborative learning. it is being recognised as a catalyst for change and has the ability to impact every aspect of the society (amutha, 2020). the ict based systems and various digital tools like discussion forums, digital portfolios, digital libraries, teleconferencing etc. has made e-learning a reachable approach to everyone today. e-learning is a flexible learning system suitable for distance learning, but it can be used in face to face mode also (pavel et al., 2015). the success of it depends on the self-motivation of the learners to study effectively. during covid19 pandemic especially in the lockdown period, the conventional mode of teaching was replaced by e-learning. e-learning played an important role in supporting the entire education system and became one of the best preferred approach for academics (samir et al. 2014). considering the time, location and health, e-learning was found to be the only feasible option during lockdown period. it increased the effectiveness of knowledge and skills by providing access to a massive amount of data, and by enhancing the collaboration and strengthening the teaching and learning (maatuk et al., 2021). e-learning e-learning is an innovative approach which is being used to provide well designed, learner-centered, interactive, and facilitated learning environment to anyone, anytime and at anyplace by using the resources and attributes of various digital technologies along with various forms of learning materials suited for open, flexible, and distributed learning environment (khan, 2005). it refers to delivering instructions and information through electronic means which is supported by digital tools and media (basak et al., 2018; hoppe et al., 2003; liu and wang, 2009; sharma and kitchens, 2004). e-learning is considered as the intentional usage of networked ict for learning purpose. “the term e-learning comprise of lot more than online learning, virtual learning, distributed learning, networked or web based learning” (naidu, 2003). “e-learning is an effective learning mechanism created by combing digitally delivered content with (learning) support and services” (mason & rennie, 2006). it is being considered as a new version of learning in distance education which is applied via internet technologies and involves the educational activities, which do not indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 56 require the physical presence of the teacher and learner at the same time and place (nehru, 2013). e-learning has changed the way teaching and learning takes place in universities. the university grants commission recently announced to allow hei’s to teach 40 per cent of the course syllabus through online mode even after the covid19 pandemic. for reshaping higher education, 900 autonomous colleges will be offering courses and degree in online mode from july 2022. the assessment for these courses will be carried out through online mode by national testing agency (nta). this increasing acceptance and adoption of e-learning has given rise to development of many e-learning readiness (elr) models. the theory of cognitive research suggests that e-learning and various other multimedia modalities has the ability to enhance learning. it empowers the universities to deliver the enhanced learning opportunities through a variety of modalities that help in increasing the student access to and the success in higher education (coopasami et al., 2017). e-learning has many features and components like “ease of use, interactivity, multiple expertise, collaborative leaning, authenticity and learner-control”. these components and features continue to improve with the advent of development in internet (khan, 2005). e-learning ensures that the learners are actively involved in the process of teaching and learning as the learning takes place with the combination of text, audio, video, collaborative sharing, and interactive graphics. it caters to a wide range of learning styles by employing a large amount of interactive content available on the internet (songkram et al., 2015). e-learning has led to lower the cost per student while enhancing the quality of teaching and learning (songkram, 2015). to improve the quality of teaching and learning and also to meet various challenges of higher education, the stakeholders should be ready to embrace e-learning. the readiness for e-learning i,e. e-learning readiness (elr) evaluates stakeholders’ preparedness for accepting and using for e-learning in their day to day activities. it includes various factors like technological, psychological, infrastructural readiness etc. e-learning readiness e-learning readiness (elr) refers to the physical and mental readiness of an organization for an e-learning experience (rohayani, et al. 2015; borotis & poulymenakou, 2004; nwagwu, 2019). it implies the capability of an organisation and capacity of educational stakeholders for participating in an electronic environment (khan, 2005). when introducing e-learning in an educational institution, it is expected that the educational institution should be prepared with adequate technological facilities, environmental and other facilities also (nwagwu, 2019). for measuring the elr of an institution, there are various factors that need to be assessed. rohayani, et al. (2015) revealed in their study that there are various e-learning factors that determine elr, i.e., technological, content, human, and the financial support. these factors should be taken seriously when an educational institution considers e-learning as a feasible choice for delivering the instruction and training (eslaminejad, 2010). e-learning enables educational institutions for making them capable of training learners and the workforce spread over remote areas. it capacitate higher education institutions (hei) with the dynamic knowledge and skills and increases efficiency that too at reasonable cost (bailey & chambers, 1996; lane et al., 2014). there is a need to have a proper guidance to managers of institutions of higher learning to conduct readiness assessment before indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 57 adopting e-learning (clark & mayer, 2008). before the institution starts to implement and take necessary benefits from e-learning, it should assess its readiness for e-learning (saekow & samson, 2011) and plan for training programmes that will help faculty members gain confidence in using this platform and increase their elr (vijaya lakshmi, et al., 2020). why models in elr? according to gage & berliner (1992), “a model is considered as a picture or visual aid where the main concepts and variables are highlighted in a process or a system”. it makes easy to understand a domain of knowledge on the basis of its visual expression because the models have the ability to provide useful and accurate representation of knowledge which is required to solve problems in an area. the models can be defined as the representation that helps to define, analyse, and communicate a set of concepts. chapnick (2000) states that a model helps in answering questions like “can we do this?”, “if we can do this, how…..are we going to do it?” & “what are the outcomes and how do we measure them?”. the e-learning models are basically a theoretical construction that helps practitioners to design effective learning experiences for their students taking part in e-learning courses (theriault, 2015).. the theory of e-learning is based on the cognitive science principles that describes the usefulness of educational technology in enhancing the effective learning (david, 2015; wang 2012). the models of e-learning play an important role for the development and enhancement of e-learning process (suryawanshi & suryawanshi, 2015). the learning theories and elr models have significantly influenced the implementation of e-learning (aguti, 2015) and they ensure the effectiveness of the educational process (shurygin et al., 2021). the models of elr are basically designed to understand the process of obtaining the basic information of participants necessary for measuring elr. they help the organizations to identify the requirements for the designing, developing and implementing e-learning. these models not only help the organizations to identify the degree of elr but also to identify the factors or areas where the organization is weak (napitupulu et al., 2019). identifying of the weak areas helps the organization to improve and to frame suitable policy and strategy for successful implementation of e-learning. the elr models not only differ as per the method of implementation, effectiveness, and efficiency of education but it also differs on the basis of economic factors (oketch, et al., 2014). objectives development of models to understand factors of elr helps in increasing effectiveness of e-learning. keeping this in mind, the purpose of the present study is to identify the factors of elr and to find out the statistical techniques used to develop and test the models of elr. the researchers studied the existing literature on elr models. methodology the keywords “models of elr” “e-learning models in higher education” were targeted on various research databases. these databases included google scholar, ssrn, researchgate, academia, jstor and eric. in addition to that, the researchers used snowball technique to explore more literature from references cited in various studies. by following this appropriate strategy, the researchers selected 07 elr models for the current study. the details of all these models in presented in table 1. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 58 table-1: models of e-learning readiness sl. no. author and year of publication title of the study 1. al-araibi et al., (2019) “a model for technological aspect of e-learning readiness in higher education” 2. alshammari & adaileh (2018) “e-learning readiness: a scale development in saudi higher education institutions” 3. wibowo and laksitowening (2015) “redefining e-learning readiness model” 4. oketch et al., (2014) “e-learning readiness assessment model in kenya’s’ higher education institutions: a case study of university of nairobi” 5. darab and montazer (2011) “an eclectic model for assessing e-learning readiness in the iranian universities” 6. onyait & lubega (2011) “e-learning readiness assessment model: a case study of higher institutions of learning in uganda” 7. aydin & tasci (2005) “measuring readiness for e-learning: reflections from an emerging country” discussion i. al-araibi et al., (2019) model of elr the researchers aimed to test and propose a model of elr and explore the technological factors that impact elr. for this purpose, they proposed a model of elr by conducting the study on 374 academic staff members of 06 malaysian public universities. for the development of the model, the researchers used 08 technological factors like software, hardware, security, cloud computing, connectivity, data center, flexibility of the system and technical skills & support. the researcher used systematic literature review (slr) and delphi technique for identifying the factors. upon testing the model, the researchers revealed that the final model consisted of 07 technological aspects i,e. “software, hardware, security, connectivity, data center, flexibility of the system and technical skills & support” which have significant effect on elr while the aspect of ‘cloud computing’ doesn’t have significant effect on elr. the developed model of elr will highlighted the technological factors which must be considered for assessing the elr. besides this, the model will be helpful for understanding the technological requirements for implementation of e-learning. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 59 figure-1 : elr model proposed by al-araibi et al., (2019) ii. alshammari & adaileh (2018) model of elr alshammari & adaileh (2018) developed a model of elr on the basis of attributes of teachers, students, and administrators. for the development of elr model, the researchers used various factors like “institutional policy and business strategy, pedagogy, technology, interface design, management, administrative and resource support, and evaluation and continual improvement”. for testing the model, a research tool was developed and to confirm its items “exploratory factor analysis (efa) and confirmatory factor analysis (cfa)” were conducted. besides that, they also calculated construct and discriminate validity, reliability and composed reliability, and average variance extracted (ave). the researchers also used kmo for sampling adequacy and bartlett test of sphericity. upon testing of the model and its factors, the researchers revealed that 05 dimensions i,e. “pedagogy, technology, interface design, management, administrative and resource support” are capable of measuring the elr in higher education institutions. these dimensions/factors serve as aspects for measuring elr. iii. wibowo and laksitowening (2015) model of elr wibowo and laksitowening (2015) proposed an elr model to identify factors of elr that need to be prioritized in the implementation of e-learning. for the development of the model, the researchers used 14 factors i,e. “administration, budgeting, business, culture, attitude, curriculum, hardware, human resource, learning content, learning method, management, policy, network and software.” for testing the model, 109 participants were selected consisting of faculties, education experts, policyholders and e-learning indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 60 enthusiasts. correlation analysis was used to see the relationship and interdependence among the factors of elr. the model categorizes elr factors into 05 domains and 03 layers based on institution. core layer included organization and academic domains, the supporting layer covered the financial domain and the presentation layer included the technology and content domain. this model of elr was tested by using product moment correlation and pearson correlation factor (pcf) was used to pair each factor with all other factors. pcf was tested in between “learning methods and curriculum”, “learning methods and learning content” and “culture and human resource”. the researchers claimed that when the institution starts to implement e-learning and prepares for one factor, it should also consider the readiness of correlated factors. the developed model of elr is effective to those institutions who have implemented e-learning but haven’t tested the effectiveness of e-learning in improving the quality of education. figure-2 : elr model proposed by wibowo and laksitowening (2015) iv. oketch et al., (2013) model of elr oketch et al., (2013) developed a model of elr for assessing the elr of faculties in hei’s of kenya. the university of nairobi was used as the sample of the study. the aim and objective was to carry out diagnostic assessment of elr among faculties and to determine the factors that influence elr. for development of the model, the researcher used four main parameters which are “technological readiness (chapnick ,2000) with sub factors as resources, attitude and skills; (aydin and tasci, 2005), culture readiness (borotis and poulymenakou, 2004; kaur and abas 2004), content readiness (borotis and poulymenakou,2004 ; chapnick ,2000; psycharis, 2005)”. the demographic variables include age, gender, and level of education. multiple linear regressions were used to develop the elr model. for testing the model, regression analysis, coefficient of determination and analysis of variance was used. according to the regression equation established, when technology readiness, content readiness, culture readiness, gender, age, and education level were a constant of zero, the elr was 2.082. further, while taking all the independent variables at zero, a unit increase in technological readiness, content readiness and culture readiness will increase the elr to 0.450, 0.000 and 0.163 respectively. at 95 per cent level of confidence and 5 per cent level of significance, technological readiness, content readiness and culture readiness had 0.000, 0.993 and 0.009 level of significance. the model revealed that technological and cultural readiness are important factors for determining elr. the content readiness and the demographic factors have no significance in determining elr. the developed model was found to be statistically significant in determining the elr of faculties. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 61 figure-3 : elr model proposed by oketch et al., (2013) v. darab and montazer model of elr darab and montazer (2011) developed a model to assess elr in hei’s of iran. the model was developed by reviewing various models in the literature. a comparison of models was carried out and a model was prepared. the elr model consisted of 08 factors divided into two sections i.e., educational processes and educational products. these 08 factors were “law and regulation readiness, management readiness, supervision readiness, communication network readiness, cultural readiness, content readiness, support readiness, assessment readiness, human resources readiness, educational policy readiness, standards readiness, financial readiness, security readiness and equipment readiness. the e-learning model developed by the researchers was sent to 100 national experts for the purpose of validation. the researchers developed a research instrument for testing the model which was tested for the reliability aspects and efa was also carried out to determine the value of each indicator for the proposed model. in the final phase of model development, the researchers determined the weight of each criteria and index for the model by applying fridman’s non-parametrical variance analysis. the proposed model was validated, and it was found that the factors significantly help in determining elr. however, the developed model has been tailored with the local characteristics of the country. figure-4 : elr model proposed by darab and montazer (2011) indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 62 vi. omoda-onyait and lubega (2011) model of elr omoda-onyait and lubega (2011) investigated the elr of ugandan heis. the researchers aimed at developing a model for elr assessment which will be benefiting the other developing countries which were exploring the use of e-learning. the model was developed by reviewing the existing elr models. to develop the elr model, the researchers applied a questionnaire having 04 attributes i,e. “availability of resources, attitude towards e-learning, resistance to change and usefulness of the new technology” on 100 respondents. these 100 respondents comprise of students and staff members selected from distance education and ict departments. for data analysis, wilcoxon signed rank test was used to identify interaction and interrelationships within the variables. the analysis of data and review of existing elr models led to the development of elr model. the developed model consisted of 05 factors of elr “content, pedagogy, technology, culture and awareness”. the developed elr model is five layered triangle, and its each layer represents an attribute which can be used to measure the readiness of an institution towards e-learning. the proposed model has awareness at the base which is considered as an important factor for elr. it is followed by culture of the educational institution. this is followed by technology available in educational institution then pedagogy which can match the technology and at the top of the model is content. the developed model has been found effective on ugandan hei’s. this model of elr assessment will work like a guide for institutions and organizations in embracing the e-learning technology. figure-5 : elr model proposed by omoda-onyait and lubega (2011) vii. aydin & tasci (2005) model of elr aydin & tasci (2005) carried out a study to measure the elr in companies of turkey. the study aimed at identifying the factors that can be used to assess the elr in the companies. to assess the elr of companies, the researcher’s used four factors i.e., technology, innovation, people and self development. further, each factor had three different constructs i.e., resources, skills and attitude. on the basis of these 04 factors of elr, the researchers developed a five point likert scale consisting of 30 items. the instrument developed by the researchers was used on 100 companies. the researchers identified 3.41 mean score as the expected level of indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 63 readiness. on the basis of the study, the researches generated an assessment model of elr which is coded into 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 as in a five point likert scale. the researchers reveal the mean score of respondents between 1 – 2.59 indicates ‘not ready needs a lot of work’, the mean score of 2.6 – 3.3 indicates ‘not ready needs some work’, the mean score of 3.4 – 4.1 indicate ‘ready but needs a few improvement’ and mean score of 4.2 – 5 indicate ‘ready go ahead’. figure-6 : elr model proposed by aydin & tasci (2005) the figure 7 provides a brief description of factors considered for development of elr models. from the 07 reviewed elr models, it was found that there are many factors which were considered for development of elr models. the studies used “ technology, innovation, people self-development, skills, attitude, human resource, infrastructure, flexibility, support, pedagogy, management, evaluation, continual improvement, institutional policy, business strategy, culture, budgeting, curriculum, awareness, law and regulation, content and policy” as various factors of elr. after reviewing the elr models, the current study concludes that technology, skills, attitude, human resource, infrastructure, flexibility, support, pedagogy, management, evaluation, continual improvement, culture, budgeting, curriculum, awareness, law and regulation, content and policy have been used on a larger scale for the development of the elr models. figure-7 : factors considered in elr models tech nology innova tio n, p eo ple an d se lf-d ev elo pmen t sk ills , a ttit ude a nd re so urce & in fra str uctu re infra str uctu re, f lex ibilit y a nd su pport pedago gy , m anage ment, e va luatio n insti tutio nal policy an d busin es s s tra teg y cultu re, budge tin g, curri cu lum, a ware nes s la w and regu latio n, c ontent a nd polic y 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 7 4 4 4 4 4 2 1 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 64 conclusion the current study was conducted to examine and review the existing models of elr. the elr models developed during the period of 2005-2019 were included in the present study. various statistical techniques like regression analysis, cfa, efa were used to develop the models. in these models, various dimensions like technology, innovation, people and self-development, organization, academic and financial, content, policy, culture, regulation, management, standards and security, administrative and resource support, assessment, supervision and environment, training and acceptance, business, resource and human resources and awareness & awareness were considered to be significant in studying the elr of stakeholders. references aishammari, a. f., & adaileh, m. j. 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(2012). understanding and promoting learning theories. international journal of multidisciplinary research and modern education, 8(2), 343-347. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 29 research article landscape of social networking sites in schools: an administrative perspective varish* and deepak sharma** *tgtmathematics, kendriya vidyalaya, dwarka, gujarat **tgt-science, directorate of education, govt. of nct of delhi corresponding author: varish; email: iamvarishdedha@gmail.com abstract social networking sites (sns) have become an integral part of an individual’s life. their potential is very well-acknowledged by the researchers in the field of teaching. effective school management and administration are central to better functioning of a school, and this needs a constant and frequent communication between the authorities and staff. this research work acknowledges this fact and aimed at bringing out an administrative view on the usage of sns in school. this study was conducted with 38 administrators (principal, vice-principal, academic coordinator, head of the department) through river sampling (social networking sampling). it was found that sns can help in massive communication, and sending information. the data revealed that effective coordination can be maintained and promoted in schools through sns but this seems to be a distal dream due to privacy issues and technological challenges. so, proper working and encouragement in schools toward sns can make it a cost-effective and accessible means for communication. this paper concludes that sns are potential platform and its usage by the administrators can bring more accountability and transparency in public dealing. keywords: administration, administrator, management, sns and transparency introduction in this era of ubiquitous communication, and technological advancement we are in constant interaction with new and improved forms of technology. this world is of virtual networks and communities (balalle, 2018). domination of technology is being felt in all realms of life and education is not an exception to this. over a period, social media and networking site has come into the reach of the majority of people and has led to the development of net communities. social networking sites (sns) have become prevalent and this is achieved because of the ease in accessibility of the internet in the recent years that helps in easier, faster and at times cheaper communication (kukreja & kanvaria, 2017). potential of sns for communication, interaction, exchange of ideas is well acknowledged by the researchers (jukic & merlak, 2017). our education system is using it as the platform for making the teachinglearning process (ellis & abreu-ellis, 2015) more effective and enriching but it is central in establishing the coordination within the staff which is crucial for productive functioning of the school. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 30 this paper attempts to look at the pattern of usage of sns in schools among the administrators of schools. over the years the whole landscape of schools has changed and there is great onus which lies on the people who are running them in an administrative capacity. principal, vice-principal, head of the departments, academic coordinators, etc. are at a varied administrative position in school, and this study tries to trace their perspective about using sns as a platform for enhanced functioning of the school. it also discusses the need, relevance and challenges these administrators face while using sns with their staff. review of related literature there are plenty of studies available concerning the changing trends of communication over the years. communication is very central to the efficient functioning of any workplace or organisation. in this present study, an attempt was made to look at the social networking sites as a potent communication platform for effective administrative work in the schools. balalle (2018) in her study tried to explore the relationship between social media usage by the students and their achievement. although there was no significant relationship between the two but it was revealed that students use social networking sites quite often and for many purposes. in their choice, the most popular site was facebook which was being used by around 68% of the taken sample size for maintaining social contacts. jukic and merlak (2017) found that facebook as sns in slovene state administration organisations has great potential in ensuring increased interaction between public administration and its users, but this usage is scarce. according to them an increased usage of sns in administrative purpose can bring transparency, and the image of an organization can be improved by this. it can also result in improved service delivery and inclusive policy processes. this potential of sns is commendable because of the large number of users; bigger reach of information can be communicated to them. it further serves as a marketing tool in the private sector organization. they also discussed that nowadays, in case of public administrator; sns is used in unidirectionalmanner like for making announcements or sending information only. stickel (2017) in his study tried to explore online harassment victimization by generational age through social networking sampling on facebook and linkedin. he found a strong association between frequency of sns usage and generational age stating that digital natives (born in the digital age, i.e. after 1980) are frequent user of sns as compared to digital immigrants (those who were born before 1980). also according to him, this usage was multiple times a day. sns is a key method of distal communication among youthful population. he also highlighted that there is a permanent adoption of interactive constructs globally. for him, sns usage is ubiquitous to online communication and hence it is in reach of a wider audience. powers and green (2016) conducted a study with school principals of texas school to bring out their perspective about the usage of social media in schools. it was observed by them that they were using sns such as facebook, twitter, instagram, pinterest, youtube, blogs and wiki etc. with stakeholders for instruction and disseminating information. principals also acknowledged the enthusiasm amongst teacher for using sns as an instructional indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 31 tool though it was a complex process. it was observed by them that sns is a robust platform for communicating with parents and communities. they also discussed that sns usage has some limitation and challenges like the majority of staff lack the skills to handle it also principals faced resistance from teachers due to technological problems. rudolph (2016) in his research explored how principals use sns (twitter) for effective personal and professional development purposes. in his study, there was a high correlation between the use of twitter for professional purposes and the key feature of effective professional development. zhang and leung (2015) in their review of the sns research in communication journals from 2006 to 2011 found that the focus of the majority of researches, nearly 25percent from a sample of 84 researches, was on the impression management and friendship performance which is a psychological domain of sns. they also found that other research themes were network and network structures; bridging offline and online networks and privacy. it was found that roles and impact of networking sites on the degree of its persuasiveness for the management was the most neglected part and hence need to be explored in future researches so that the true potential of sns can be explored. cox and mcleod (2014) conducted detailed interviews with 12 principals who were using at least two social media platforms such as blogs, microblog (e.g. twitter), sns (e.g. facebook), podcasts, and online videos with different stakeholders. the objective of the research was to bring out the communication experience of the principals on social media platforms. researchers found that there was greater reliance on social media by school principals because it allows greater interaction with stakeholders; helps them to establish strong connections with fellow educators; and hence results in personal and professional growth; and nowadays its usage is expected from them; it is no more a discretionary aspect of their work profile. cox (2012) in his work on social media as a communication platform used by school principals and superintendents found out that sns has changed and improved the way of communication in school. in his work he explored that sns allow for greater interaction between school administrators and their stakeholders; it provides stronger connections to local stakeholders, fellow teachers, and to the world; it leads to administrators personal and professional growth; its usage is more of an expectation and not an option. social customer responsibility management can be expanded by the usage of sns as they can help in focusing on relationships, trust, and two-way communication. winn (2011) reflecting on need and relevance of digital citizenship in schools felt the requirement of separate sns platform that has been developed exclusively for schools such as social engine, edmodo, & ning and for the particular school students to save them from cyber victimization. these sns provide a platform for teachers to connect with their students in an appropriate manner in a safe and secure ecosystem. according to the researcher if a school is using sns then they have an opportunity to shape students into responsible and informed digital citizens. mms education, edweb.net, iesd and mch strategic data (2010) in their research with school principals and sns in education tried to explore this unexplored dimension of sns in schools with educators. according to school indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 32 principals (who were understudy), sns such as ascd, what works, national school leadership networks etc. has value in education as they can be used for sharing information and resources. they can serve as professional learning platforms and can give a boost to schoolwide communication with students and staff. this study further supports the exposure of more educators to technology for effective management and coordination in school. it is quite evident that there are very limited research works related to the usage and impacts of sns (zhang & leung, 2015) in school specifically for the administrative purpose. effective administration is one of the keys for the effective working of a school. every administrator need to be in constant communication with all the stakeholders for the effective functioning of its organisation. sns has been projected as efficacious platforms for communications and building contacts with a wide audience. keeping this in mind the objectives of this research work were formulated. objectives of the study the objectives of this study were: • to look at the shift in the mode of communication in school. • to identify various categories of snss used by school administrators. • to explore the purpose and role of the usage of snss in school administration. • to examine the challenges and drawbacks of using snss. rationale of the study social networking sites have been in use amongst people nowadays. its usage is increasing in all spheres of life. technological advancement in sns has led to a reduction in its complex functionalities and has grown to engulf the globe (sharma & godiyal, 2016). people are aware of using these platforms for both personal and professional means. this increased audience and availability of several networking sites have transformed the way of communication. all workplaces are in some or other ways using social networking sites to connect with its workforce and in these schools are also not listed behind. researchers also understand the deep involvement of people with social networking site, and hence keeping this in mind the study tried to explore the usage of same in the school campuses. teachers use sns for gathering content and enhance their knowledge bank and this idea is reflected in a good deal of research done worldwide but administrative perspective in this regard has been neglected for quite long. the researchers acknowledge the fact that the person who holds any administrative position in the school need to connect with several people in and around the school. their work relies on good communication practices and effective coordination. there is a need to work and look at schools from their perspective so that we can understand schools and their functioning in a holistic manner. this need and paucity of researches about the work culture of school administrator and usage of snss amongst them can be an interesting area to explore. the understanding of the role of sns indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 33 in the school administration purpose can guide us in developing an effective communication network in schools and amongst the schools. this study can further help other stakeholders in exploring ways through which they can develop or adopt snss in a more efficient way. further, this study tried to figure out the major challenges involved in communicating through snss so proper solution of these pit holes can result in more effective functioning. definition of the terms and concepts researchers and scholars define a term or concept according to their perceptions and understanding. here are some definitions from some sources which reflect the same meaning in which these are being used in this research. social networking sites sns is a widely used term in media research and it is used interchangeably both as social networking sites or social networking services. hansen (2016) defines social media as a platform on the internet that connects people via social networking. according to her, social networking sites are websites and web applications to connect informally with other users, as well as finding similar interests. sns are technological features used in daily life and for the dynamic practice of social interaction. they provide communicative opportunities which are more synchronous with and parallel to real social life because of the features of instant updates, notifications and location specifications (zhang & leung, 2015). boyd and ellison (2007) consider social networking sites as the services which offer mainly three features to their users. the three features are 1) development of public or partly public profile; 2) insight into the list of users with whom one is sharing the contact; and 3) monitoring their own and other users’ list of connections. they further define them as a tool for electronic communication through which the users create online communities for sharing ideas, information, personal messages and other content. sns is not a static phenomenon or platform. they are in a state of flux and constant development not only in terms of technology but also in its usage patterns. today, sns are not restricted to desktop or personal computer browsing websites only. the development in mobiles/ smartphones with high-speed data transmission facilities on one go has made sns omnipresent on all kind of devices. this technological dynamicity of sns can be understood with most widely used sns such as whatsapp. earlier a simple application on phones now can be accessed on our personal computer through a transformed version called whatsapp web. one of the objectives of the study was to explore the categories of usage of sns amongst school administrators hence the definition of sns was kept broad. the present study on school administrators defines sns as an internet-based virtual platform (web or mobile-based) used by any person to communicate or connect, share content and collaborate with others. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 34 school administrators in this study school administrators are defined as the people who are engaged in the administrative setup pertaining to the functioning of the school. they are the staff at any institution that has the prime responsibility and duty of students-related administrative tasks (hansen, 2016). in the indian school system, they are directors, principals, vice-principals, coordinators (academic or co-curricular activities), head of the departments (hods) and incharges etc. administrative perspective administrative perspective is defined as the view or outlook which is presented by the people who are in the capacity of an administrative position or post. it is an ideology or vision of the administrators towards any issue. these administrative issues consist of the functioning of school affairs, day-to-day business of the school, coordination between teacher, parents and management of the school etc. this study has tried to bring out the usage of sns for the functioning of school from the viewpoint of these school administrators. delimitations of the study the purpose of this study was to look at the role of social networking sites on the school campus. this study tries to explore snss from the administrative lens and hence responses from the school administrators who hold any position concerning the school functioning and activities was taken into account. this study delimited itself to the administrators who have served at this position for at least three (03) years. methodology sample the idea of this study was to look for an administrative perspective on the use of snss in the functioning of the school. around 50 school administrators were invited by survey link but 38 received responses were analysed. the sample consisted of administrators like principals, vice-principals, head of the departments, academic coordinators, etc. they are serving at their respective positions from at least three years. figure1: sample description indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 35 years of experience of each sample at their current administrative position lie in the range of 3-23 years. sampling technique river sampling method (steber, 2018) was used by the researcher to gather data. in this online sampling technique, the researchers invite the respondent to take the survey via online banners, ads, promotions, and invitations placed on websites by providing links. once the respondent clicks on the link they are routed to the survey and surveyor is clueless about who will respond (researchspace, 2016; calegaro et. al., 2014). it is also called social networking sampling technique (stickel, 2017) because the data is collected with help of sns. in the present study, the responses were gathered through a mixed online survey made with the help of google forms and invites were sent through linkedin to persons who are at administrative positions. description of tool a mixed questionnaire was designed for data collection. the sample for the study was school administrators who are still working and has a busy schedule. their busy schedule and time constraint were considered and the tool was designed accordingly. this questionnaire consisted of 16 items. first, the tool was validated by peers, and then the link of survey was circulated through linkedin. table-1: items of the tool used for data collection s. no. theme number of items 1 demographic details 3 2 the trend in the present communication 2 3 reasons for using sns 2 4 purpose and role of sns in school administration 6 5 drawback and challenges of sns usage 3 out of these 16 questions, a question was kept descriptive to gather detailed feedback on drawback, issues and challenges faced while coordinating through snss. discussion and analysis the main idea behind the study was to explore the usage of social networking sites (snss) as a tool in the school administration and leadership. the objectives of this study were formulated so that this research work can explore any connection or relation which is possibly present between the usage of social media, and the functioning of school on a day-to-day basis. demographic details it was observed that the majority of the participants under study were currently serving at an administrative position in their respective schools. they work at different levels of school in some or other administrative capacity. in this study, around 58percent are serving as the principal in the school. this number was followed by the head of the departments which constituted around 11percent of the whole sample. further, taking the glimpse of the range of experience of all the samples then it was from 3 years to 25 years. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 36 trends in the present communication in response to the question about the shift in ways of communication over the decade, the entire group of participants agreed to the fact that there has been a shift over time. further the ways of establishing contact with the stakeholders whether they are parents, other teachers and academicians are completely different in many aspects. according to the respondents communication through virtual media is prevalent as the teachers receive frequent messages or emails from parents rather than a visit to the school. it was also asked whether school administrators encourage the usage of sns in their staff members. around 79percent of administrator agreed that they promote its usage with the staff. categories of sns used by school administrators it was observed that they are aware of the majority of online available platforms. there are multiple social media platforms and networking sites being used in schools. the sns which are in usage are both personal gadget (mobile phones, ipads) and desktop supported. in the survey, it was found that whatsapp is the most popular sns as it was in use by 32 participants (nearly 85percent) followed by facebook and linkedin by 11 users (29percent of sample size) in each case. a faction of it also mentioned about the other sites and media in usages such as blogs, twitter, google+, instagram, gmail, flinnt and youtube. thus it is observable from the responses that sns is quintessential communicative tool among the administrators and other parties of school. they are using different sns for both personal and professional exigencies. reasons for using sns when the reasons behind using the sns at the administrative capacity was discussed with the participants, then around 60percent of the sample cited that stakeholders such as parents, teachers, and school management are the principal drive behind using sns. around 21percent of the sample cited administrative concerns pertaining to allotment of duties and smooth functioning of the school as the factor for active usage of sns by the school administrators. the purpose of networking was amongst the least influential factor. in response to the audience with whom they interact or communicate the maximum were their staffs. around 95percent of administrators in this study agreed to the fact that they mainly communicate with the faculty or non-faculty member that constitute their staff through sns. the secondhighest choice (around 84percent) of administrators for establishing contact was their students’ parents and their family members & friends. there were around 26 administrators who use sns for establishing contact with students and school management body. least purpose or reason for using sns according to the participants was media coverage. role of sns in school administration six questions were included to learn about the participants’ opinions under the purview of the purpose and role of sns. out of these questions, five were on likert scaling of five (1-5) from never to frequently. based on the frequency of the discussion on sns, amongst administrators, the five purposes on which they were asked to rate were academic concerns, students’ achievement, teachers’ duty, parents’ events and school activities. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 37 table-2: the response of the sample on the purpose related to sns usage theme never (%) rarely (%) sometimes (%) very often (%) frequently (%) academic concerns 5.3 5.3 10.5 26.3 52.6 students achievement 10.3 26.3 63.2 teachers duty 10.5 5.3 26.3 57.9 parents events 5.3 5.3 5.3 21.1 63.2 school activities 10.5 89.5 it can be seen that most of the administrators use sns as a platform for frequent discussion about school activities which is followed by the discussion on the other events like parent-teacher meet and students’ achievement. academic concerns are the least discussed issue or matter of concern for the administrators on the sns. in response to the question about the role of sns in the school administration process, it was found that the motivation and zest of being connected to other on the personal and professional front is the principal factor for being on the social networking sites. apart from that the immediate feedback process and effective redressal mechanism are other decisive factors for using sns in the capacity of administrators. networking and being social was of least concern in terms of sns usage. drawback and challenges of sns usage in school technology is often considered as tricky by many and resistance towards its usage is conspicuous through their actions (powers & green, 2016). so, the need for understanding the issues and challenges related to the usage of sns in the administration was taken into consideration by the researchers. the data related to the drawbacks and challenges of using sns for school administration purpose was collected through open-ended feedback question. based on the analysis of detailed responses from the sample the following major themes emerged which are represented in table 3. table-3: the response of the sample to the issues faced in using sns s. no. issues responses (%) 1 time 10.5 2 accessibility with all 15.8 3 privacy at stake 52.6 4 teachers resistance 5 technological challenges 21.1 indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 38 it is observable from the responses collected on the above themes that privacy issues were central to the use of sns services. many administrators consider privacy as a major challenge while using sns (ellis & abreu-ellis, 2015) for administrative purpose as their private space seems to be breached while being available to everyone. it is observed that using sns on a professional platform leads to personal space exploitation of administrators as some of the parents demand quick responses and resolution of aroused issues. next to it are the technological challenges that also considered being a barrier to effective sns usage. one of the respondents believed that most of the senior teachers are digital immigrants and hence a resistance from them is observed as compared to the digital native teachers in the school (balalle, 2018). lack of awareness about technology was also highlighted by some of the administrators as a problem among the digital immigrant population which further gives a boost to their resilient behaviour towards snss usage in the school campus. some of the administrators believed that teachers sometimes use their phones and sns during class timing which impacts the teaching-learning process. contrary to the views cited above, some of the administrators in response to the open-ended question said that despite all these challenges sns has accelerated the communication and it is cost-effective as compared to other traditional methods of establishing contact with people. conclusions the study aimed at capturing the viewpoint of the people who are at an administrative position in the functioning of a school. these people incapacity of being an administrator have dynamic roles to play. their job profile is facing challenges every day and to these, innovation at the workplace is the only way out. it was observed in the study that usage of sns is quite popular amongst school staff and whatsapp is at the top of this sns list for making contact with all the stakeholders. participants under the study appreciated the potential of sns usage in school for many reasons. apart from using them as massive communication platform; they are using sns majorly for discussing school-related activities and student’s achievements. academic issues and teachers’ duties allotment was amongst the least discussed issues. this shows that sns is being used for active collaboration whether it’s related to school activity organization or students’ performances. it was also found that sns has improved the grievances and redress mechanism as compared to the traditional times. it was found in the study that apart from the benefits of sns there are some challenges like the hijacking of private space & privacy. technological issues are major barriers in making it an effective platform for quality communication and public dealing. it is very prominent from the fact that the key to quality administration lies in the constant and timely exchange of words with all the stakeholders. sns is helping administrators in maintaining that regularity and making it beneficent indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 39 for the functioning of the school, but sns as a tool for the good governance of the school is far from the reality due to some of its challenges. active cooperation and effective mechanism from these stakeholders can make it a success. references boyd, d.m., and ellison, n.b. 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(2017). social networking sites in the lives of university students: a study. the communications: a journal of applied research in open and distance education, 25(2), 67-73. mms education, edweb.net, iesd & mch strategic data. (2010). school principals and social networking in education: practices, policies, and realities in 2010. retrieved from https://www.edweb.net/fimages/op/ principalsandsocialnetworkingreport.pdf powers, k., & green, m. b. (2016). principal’s perspectives on social media in schools. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 40 the journal of social media in society, 5(2), 134-168. researchscape. (2016, october 11). river sampling [blog post]. retrieved fromhttp:// www.researchscape.com/blog/river-sampling rudolph, n. d. (2016). the merge of social sites and professional development: a case study of twitter usage among minnesota k-12 principals. culminating projects in education administration and leadership. retrieved from http:// repository.stcloudstate.edu/edad_etds sharma, s. &godiyal, s. (2016). a study on social networking sites usage by undergraduate students. online international interdisciplinary research journal, 6(3), 157-163. steber, c. (2018, february 15). river sampling vs. panel sampling: what’s the difference? [blog post]. retrieved from https://www.cfrinc.net/cfrblog/ river-sampling-vs.-panel-sampling-whats-the-difference stickel, l. h. (2017). digital natives and digital immigrants: exploring online harassment victimization by generational age. international journal of cyber criminology, 11(1), 39-62. winn, m. (2011). promote digital citizenship through school based social networking. learning and learning with technology, 10-13. zhang, y. & leung, l. (2015). a review of social networking services (sns) research in communication journals from 2006 to 2011. new media and society, 17(7), 1007-1024. retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar. org/80df/d66b21da29bfdd5b03b902c198aba1f36b69.pdf research article blended learning and social science at the secondary school level: a step towards engaged classroom deepa ldnani assistant professor, department of education, spm college university of delhi, new delhi, email: deepaidnani2000@yahoo.co.in abstract blended learning is emerging as one of the powerful tools in teaching across the world in recent times. the present paper tries to look at varied aspects of blended learning, and provide resources which can be used for a social science classroom at second­ ary level in the indian context. further, various examples and lesson plans from social science are developed to elucidate usage of blended learning in the classroom at the secondary level. it is an influential resource for teachers, and helps to enhance student engagement and participation. keywords: blended learning, social science, and lesson plan, pedagogy, technology in classroom. introduction blended learning is an approach that combines classroom teaching popularly referred to as faceto-face teaching with on line methods. it is a model which has gained momentum all across the world due to its flexibility, adaptability and helps one to master skills and aid in becoming lifelong learner. in the lecture style education, there is a possibility that it is passive and does not provides much scope for student's interaction or engagement; especially in the indian context which are characterised by large student strength in the classes. blended learning sessions may be synchronous or asynchronous which may be customised and can be used by students at their own pace. it is an intended 'synthesis of face-to-face and on line learning experiences' (garrison & 1111 vaughan, 2008). the greatest advantage of blended learning is that the learner can be at various places, they may or may not be at one place, it aids learning and provides flexibility to the learners. what is crucial is the accessibility and affordability it provides to the learners as well as the faculty, to have classes with learners from across the country or the globe. it is conducive for classroom environment to have diverse learners as it is helpful for group engagement. graham (2006) said that one of the crucial goals of blended learning is to advance pedagogy by merging the benefits of face-to-face instruction with the benefits of computer-mediated instruction (graham, 2006; horn & staker, 2015).while garrison and kanuka (2004) put forth that combining face-to-face learning with online indian journal of educational technology ivolume 3, no. 1, january 2021 indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 40 research article covid-19 scenario of online education: a study based on acceptance level of online learning among students of gujarat during lock-down sarika srivastava1 & anupama chirag dave2 1assistant professor, graduate school of management studies, gujarat technological university, india, email:ap2_cgbs@gtu.edu.in 2assistant professor, school of business & law, navrachana university, vadodara, gujarat, india abstract the pandemic covid-19 forced all the educational institutions across india to remain shut from mid-march 2020. the sudden lockdown in between the ongoing academic sessions created the opportunity to switch over to online teaching through digital platforms. the e-learning market was estimated to grow even in normal circumstances, but this pandemic has given a great lift to this online learning. various researches have been done on the usefulness of technology for online teaching but what is the level of acceptance among users i.e., students, should be understood. this study aims at understanding the acceptance level of students for online teaching. for this research data was gathered from 1,057 undergraduate and postgraduate students of gujarat who had attended online lectures during the lockdown period of pandemic. structural equation modeling (sem) was used to test the research model and based on analysis strategic options which could be utilized post covid-19 were suggested. the research identified that students had a favourable attitude towards using online mode of education. attitude in this research was considered as a result of perceived usefulness (pu) and perception about complexity of using internet (pci). the results highlighted that students perceived online classes as useful to them in terms of improving knowledge, solving doubts related to the subject, saving time as well as scoring good marks. if the technical glitches can be resolved then it can increase the effectiveness. this paper helps in identifying the behavioural intentions of students for accepting online platforms and making strategic decisions for upcoming academic sessions. key words: online education, elearning, technology acceptance model, covid-19 education, attitude towards online teaching introduction online education – pre covid-19 scenario the concept of learning online is not at all a new trend. the e-learning market has a history of 21 years by now. this market began in the 1960s when first computerized training courses were developed but owing to various barriers it did not take up then. later in the 1980s and 1990s various developments in the form of growth of pcs, few companies and educational institutions offering indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 41 courses online led to the beginning of a new era of education. the year 2000s saw an explosion in usage of e-learning methods. the revenue from e-learning industry has grown more than 900percent since 2000. the global e-learning market in the year 2015 was worth $107 billion (global industry analysts, inc., usa). in the year 2019 the adoption of education technology with global edtech investments had reached us$18.66 billion (metaari whitepaper). this trend was expected to grow owing to various economic development drives. the statistical figures for online education were very attractive even before covid-19 as it was projected to reach $350 billion by 2025. but, covid-19 has brought a change in the landscape of the education industry. education industry during covid-19 the educational institutions like schools, colleges, coaching centers and universities were shut down to curb the spread of covid-19 infections. while these educational institutions at global level were closed during different points of time according to the spread of covid-19 infections, if the statistical numbers are looked at, there were around 157 crore students across 191 countries who were impacted (unesco report). in indian context more than 32 crore students considering all school, college and university level were affected with the restrictions imposed to curb covid-19 infections. the major areas of concern for colleges and universities during this closure were completion of course, conducting examinations and placing final year students when most of the companies worldwide were cutting down from any form of expenditure. this pandemic forced educational institutions to adopt some safe means of reaching out to the students. online education during covid-19 the sudden closure of educational institutions was a huge challenge as it was affecting the life of many students and their parents. in response to this unavoidable circumstance, the majority of the educational institutions preferred adopting online mode of teaching. the objective of this unplanned shift was that online teaching could help educational institutions reach their students at their homes. however, in a country like india significant barriers were affecting this sudden shift in the teaching-learning process. the main barrier being the availability of necessary infrastructure to support the online teaching learning process as only 27 percent of households in india have some members with access to the internet (national sample survey as part of the survey on education (2014). students who were not having reliable internet access or technology had to struggle to participate in the digital learning process. this barrier was faced across countries as there was a gap between students who actually had required infrastructure/ technology and the number of students who were actually enrolled in different courses (oecd data). experts from the education industry believe that this unplanned, rapid shift from offline to online teaching with a very minimal time for both faculties and students to “accept-adopt-implement” the change indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 42 is going to bring a new hybrid model of education. literature review online education, as mentioned, has a history of more than a decade owing to which a lot of empirical research both at global and indian context has been done in the past in this area. this section of the paper highlights crucial findings from those researches. vijaya lakshmi y., das jaishree, majid ishfaq (2020) attempted to assess the elearning readiness of the stakeholders through a questionnaire from a sample of 12 lab administrators, 83 teaching staffs and 153 students belonging to 35 colleges of gujarat. results showed that e-learning helps to a lesser extent in maintaining transparency, face-toface contact and interactivity which hinder students and faculty members’ readiness towards e-learning. authors identified the need to plan for training programmes to increase their e-learning readiness. arora amit kumar, srinivasan r. (2020) assessed the adoption rate for virtual classes from 341 teachers of higher education institutions (heis) of ghaziabad region with two sets of respondents: who adopted and not adopted virtual classrooms, respectively. network issues, lack of training, and lack of awareness were stated to be the major challenges faced by them. lack of awareness was stated to be the most important reason by those who did not adopt virtual classrooms followed by lack of interest and doubts regarding the usefulness of virtual classes. less attendance, lack of personal touch, and lack of interaction due to connectivity issues were found to be the significant drawbacks of virtual classes. phutela, n. and dwivedi, s. (2020) employed interpretative phenomenological analysis (ipa) to scrutinize the respondents from delhi-ncr of india through semistructured interviews to understand the student’s perspectives on the impact of information and communications technology (ict) in education industry. drivers for e-learning adoption and inhibitors who restrict the adoption of e-learning were identified. aggarwal ritika (2017) in her research discussed the role of e-learning in the higher educational environment in the digital age and compared the economic costs associated with traditional faceto-face and e-learning methods. perceived usefulness (pu) and enjoyment were significant factors which contributed towards learners’ acceptance behaviour with web-based learning system (wls) while included motivational perspective into the technology acceptance model (zhang sheng, zhao jue, tan weiwei, 2008). in a survey of 400 post graduate students and their attitude towards e-learning was explained by perceived usefulness and intention to use. it was found that 76percent students were significantly positive towards e-learning, 82percent students found e-learning useful and 57percent intended to adopt e-learning (mehra v. and omidian f., 2011). e-learning experiences and perceptions of engineering students were investigated at two public libyan universities and the study demonstrated indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 43 that there was a statistically significant correlation between students’ attitude towards technology and their levels of access to various technologies. students who had better access to technology showed that the internet generated stronger positive attitudes (rhema, a. & miliszewska, i., 2014). the attitude of teachers towards e-learning was analyzed through the research conducted on 85 teachers of punjab university with factors related to feeling towards flexibility, performance of computer, self-efficacy, and anxiety towards computer /technology and significant impact of age was seen on teacher’s attitude towards computer and e-learning (suri gunmala and sneha sharma, 2017). the quality, reliability and medium richness are key technological aspects to be considered (sanders lopez and nagelhout, 1995). convenient remote access, minimal required time for the network to exchange documents and the quality of interface also play an important role (trevitt, 1995). mcintyre and wolff (1998, p.257) noted that one of the powers of interactivity in a web environment is the capability to engage by providing rapid, compelling interaction and feedback to students. engagement is also enhanced by problem-based presentation of educational material. an engaged student is a motivated student (neorman and spohrer, 1996). davis (1986) developed the technology acceptance model (tam) which is based on the theory of reasoned action (tra), to understand the causal relationships among users’ internal beliefs, attitudes, and intentions as well as to predict and explain acceptance of computer technology (davis et al., 1989). this model suggested that the user’s actual usage behavior (actual use or au) is directly affected by behavioral intention (intention to use or iu). in turn, behavioral intention is determined by both the user’s attitude and its perception of usefulness. two key parameters that were capable in influencing user’s attitude were identified as perceived usefulness (pu) and perceived ease of use (peou), and that these beliefs acted as mediators between external variables (e.g., design features, prior usage and experience, computer self-efficacy, and confidence in technology) and intention to use. furthermore, tam explained that peou indirectly affects iu through pu (davis et al., 1989; venkatesh & davis, 2000). research methodology research gap & research question the statistical data about e-learning or online education industry points out that even before covid-19, the growth prospects of this industry was high and now that covid-19 has forced educational institutions across the globe to accept online mode of teaching this industry is expected to grow as it has become a significant aspect of delivering education now. besides this, from the literature it is understood that a lot of work has been done in this area pertaining to awareness, factors that contribute to acceptance of online education. but now that students have actually used these online platforms during lockdown their perceptions might have changed and new issues/ problems would have come up. it is crucial for the educational system to indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 44 know their behavioural intentions of using these online platforms for getting education in future. any issues that they would be facing with regard to usage of online modes of teaching should also be looked into. this research shall be useful for making strategic decisions for upcoming academic sessions which remains uncertain as of now. based on this gap the following research question has been addressed in this paper – “what is the acceptance level of online learning among undergraduate and postgraduate students of gujarat who have attended online lectures during the lockdown period of covid-19?” objectives 1. to study the impact of perceived usefulness (pu) on attitude towards usage (atu) of online learning. 2. to examine the impact of perceived complexity in using the internet (pci) on attitude towards usage (atu) of online teaching 3. to analyze the impact of attitude towards usage (atu) on behavioural intention to use (biu) online learning 4. to propose the education continuity plan for online learning based on the acceptance level among students of gujarat research model the objective was to understand the acceptance level of online learning among students. the variables such as, perceived usefulness (pu) of online teaching, perceived complexity in using the internet (pci), students’ attitude towards usage (atu) of online teaching and their behavioural intention to use (biu) online learning were identified (fig.-1). figure-1: research model perceived usefulness (pu) attitude towards usage (atu) behavioral intension to use (biu)perceived complexity in using the internet (pci) source: compiled for research data collection this study employed the quantitative approach. the primary data for study were collected through a survey questionnaire. a 5-point likert scale was used for the items in the questionnaire. prior to the distribution of the questionnaire, a pilot study was conducted in order to test the reliability of the instrument. the data were collected from undergraduate indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 45 and postgraduate students of gujarat. total 1,575 responses were received and 1,057 questionnaires were considered final for this study after removing duplicate and vague entries. responses of only those students have been included who are currently enrolled in engineering, management, pharmacy, computer applications and other courses and have attended online lectures during lockdown period of covid-19 pandemic. period of data collection for this research was from 4-11 may, 2020. variable measurement the main objective of this study was to evaluate the acceptance level of online learning among students of gujarat during the lockdown period. the questionnaire comprised of two sections – section ‘a’ collected respondents’ demographic information (table-1) and section ‘b’ examined the identified variables perceived usefulness (pu), perceived complexity in using the internet (pci), attitude towards usage (atu) and behavioural intention to use (biu) online learning (table-2). table-1: demographic classification demography frequency gender male female 748 309 age group less than 20 years 20 – 23 years 2326 years 26 29 more than 29 years 395 617 040 004 001 educational qualification undergraduate post-graduate 863 194 discipline management engineering pharmacy computer application any other 240 777 007 009 024 attended online lectures during lockdown less than 10 10 – 20 20-30 more than 30 465 335 138 119 source: data analysis indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 46 hypothesis 1. h0: there is no significant impact of perceived usefulness (pu) of online teaching on attitude towards usage (atu) of online teaching 2. h0: there is no significant impact of perceived complexity in using the internet (pci) on attitude towards usage (atu) of online teaching 3. h0: there is no significant impact of attitude towards usage (atu) of online teaching on behavioural intention to use online learning table-1: demographic classification demography measured items perceived usefulness (pu) pu1: attending online classes improved my knowledge. pu2: online classes helped me in solving subject related doubts. pu3: i can score good marks by attending online lectures. pu4: online classes save my time which can be utilized in other productive activities. pu5: overall, online classes were very useful to me. perceived complexity in using the internet (pci) pci1: high internet data consumption is a major area of concern. pci2: poor sound quality / low speed during online lectures always irritates me. pci3: i face the issue of internet connectivity frequently. pci4: teaching through online platforms is not secured. pci5: it is very expensive to get an internet package for viewing online lectures. attitude towards usage (atu) atu1: i generally have a favourable attitude towards online education. atu2: i believe it is a good idea to use a digital platform for my coursework. atu 3: i like the idea of attending online classes. atu 4: attending the online sessions provided me a lot of enjoyment. atu 5: it is very boring / frustrating to attend the online classes. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 47 behavioural intention to use (biu) online learning biu1: i plan to attend online classes more frequently to continue my studies. biu2: i propose replacing classroom teaching with online classes. biu3: i will recommend the online classes to others. biu4: i intend to attend the online lectures in the future. biu5: now i know the mechanism and usefulness of online lectures; i would prefer to attend the same in the next semester / year. data analysis data collected through the structured questionnaire was analyzed using software’s like spss & amos 21 while for descriptive analysis excel was used. sem was performed on the collected data which included analysis of data at two levels i.e. the measurement model and the second being the structure model. the measurement model the model used for the study had four measured variables like: perceived complexity in using the internet (pci), perceived usefulness (pu), attitude towards usage (atu) and behavioural intention to use (biu) online learning. each of these latent variables were measured using various indicators. the measurement model was used to understand the relationship between these latent variables and indicators. the psychometric properties of the model with regards to reliability & construct validly (which included both convergent validity and discriminant validity) were calculated. to test the reliability and validity of measured model calculations were done in excel using the outputs derived from spss & amos 21.0 software. (table3 summary of reliability & validity for measured model) • cronbach’s alpha (internal consistency): using spss 21.00 cronbach’s alpha was calculated for the measured model; this value shows the consistency of items in a set in measuring the concept. this value usually ranges between 0 & 1, any value more than 0.70 is considered to be acceptable (gliem, j. a., & gliem, r. r., 2003). cronbach’s alpha for all the measured model used in this research were above 0.8 which indicates that items in the set were consistent in measuring the concept. (table3 summary of reliability & validity for measured model) • composite reliability (internal consistency reliability): composite reliability (cr), has a more retrospective approach of measuring overall reliability of consistency of framed constructs in terms of equivalence and stability. the acceptable value for composite reliability should be 0.70 or above indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 48 (hair et.al.2010). composite reliability for the measured model was greater than 0.70 and hence it can be concluded that the construct was having high internal consistency and reliability. (table-3 summary of reliability & validity for measured model) table-1: demographic classification construct items standardized cronbach’s composite reliability average variance extracted loadings alpha cr ave perceived complexity in using the internet pci5 0.624 0.822 0.7329 0.133225 pci3 0.805 pci2 0.775 pci1 0.73 perceived usefulness (pu) pu5 0.899 0.922 0.790561 0.1381122 pu4 0.768 pu3 0.86 pu2 0.831 pu1 0.831 attitude towards usage (atu) atu4 0.826 0.896 0.720944 0.155236 atu3 0.891 atu2 0.812 atu1 0.788 behavioural intention to use (biu) online learning biu1 0.799 0.91 0.797225 0.139445 biu2 0.712 biu3 0.882 biu4 0.863 biu5 0.835 source: amos 21.00, excel calculations construct validity: construct validity was calculated using convergent and discriminant validity for which data from amos 21.00 was extracted and excel was used for calculation of average variance extracted (ave) and correlations which are required for interpreting the validity of the instrument used to collect data. • convergent validity: this subset of construct validity aims at measuring the construct validity of the instrument that has been used to collect the data. two essential values that are used to check convergent validity are standardized factor loading and indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 49 average variance extracted (ave). the factors loading value of latent to observed variable and ave values should be above 0.05 to confirm convergent validity (hair et.al.2010). it was identified that the values of both ave and standardized factor loading for all latent and observed values were above the acceptable limit, thereby making our construct confirm convergent validity (table 3 summary of reliability & validity for measured model). • discriminant validity: this happens to be the second subset of construct validity with an objective of measuring the distinctiveness of each construct. this can be done by comparing square roots of ave with the correlation squared. to obtain discriminant validity, the square root of average variances extracted (ave) of the individual factors must be higher than the variances of constructs. the same was achieved in this research after doing analysis. (diagonal element in the correlation matrix) (table-4 discriminant validity). table-4: discriminant validity pu pci atu biu perceived usefulness (pu) 0.372 0.017956 0.0719 0.0651 perceived complexity in using the internet (pci) 0.365 0.0225 0.025921 attitude towards usage (atu) 0.394 0.08208 behavioural intention to use online learning (biu) 0.394 **. correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). source: amos 21.00, excel calculations the structure model the measured model above helped in understanding that the latent variables used for study had good reliability and validity. now the structure model of sem will help in measuring the relationships between the latent and observed variables and testing the hypothesis. structured model is performed in two parts; in the first section calculations of vital indices are performed to confirm the research model after which the results of hypothesis testing are revealed. model fit analysis the verification of the model has been done in this research by using 03 types of fit measures. (table-5). table-5: goodness-of-fit indices for indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 50 structural model fit indices recommended level of fit model value absolute fit measures x2 (chi-square) 358.67 df (degrees of freedom) 130 chi-square/df (x2/df) < 3 2.759 gfi (goodness of fit index) >0.9 0.926 rmsea (root mean square error of approximation) <0.08 0.066 incremental fit measures agfi (adjusted goodness of fit index) >0.80 0.823 nfi (normed fit index) >0.90 0.919 cfi (comparative fit index) >0.90 0.927 ifi (incremental fit index) >0.90 0.928 rfi (relative fit index) >0.90 0.905 parsimony fit measures pcfi (parsimony comparative of fit index) >0.50 0.788 pnfi (parsimony normed fit index >0.50 0.781 source: amos 21.0 gfi (goodness of fit index) and rmsea (root mean square error of approximation) values were obtained as 0.926 and 0.066, respectively which were also in the recommended level of gfi >0.9 and rmsea <0.08. among the incremental fit measures, the values of model for each fit were agfi 0.823> (0.80 recommended level), nfi = 0.919 > (0.90 recommended level), cfi = 0.927 > (0.90 recommended level), ifi = 0.928 > (0.90 recommended level) and rfi = 0.905 > (0.90 recommended level). the value of pcfi (parsimony comparative of fit index) was 0.788 and acceptance level is more than 0.50. similarly, the value of pnfi (parsimony normed fit index) was 0.781 against the recommended limit of higher than 0.50. so, both these values are in acceptable range. thus, the comparison of the fit indices for the model with the recommended fit values suggests the indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 51 fact that the hypothesized structural model fits the data well (table-5 goodness-of-fit indices for structural model). hypothesis testing the analysis revealed that there exists relation among all the variables used in the model (refer table 6. hypothesis testing result summary) perceived usefulness (pu) & perceived complexity in using the internet (pci) had an impact on attitude towards usage of online teaching. similarly, attitude had an influence on behavioural intention to use online learning, based on these suggestive measures for education continuity plans were suggested. table-5: goodness-of-fit indices for structural model source: amos 21.0 output table-6: hypothesis testing result summary path β s.e. c.r. p results perceived usefulness (pu) 🡪 attitude .960 .030 32.515 *** supported perceived complexity in using the internet (pci) 🡪 attitude .950 .0305 31.886 *** supported attitude towards usage 🡪 behavioural intentions to use online learning (biu) .948 .031 30.126 *** supported β = standardized beta coefficient, s.e. = standard error, c.r. = critical ratio source: data analysis amos 21.0 indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 52 suggestive measures for education continuity plan post covid-19 the research aimed at understanding the acceptance of online teaching among students of gujarat who had a recent experience of online sessions during lock-down of covid-19. the rationale of understanding acceptance was to know how far students intend to use online mode of teaching in the near future. educational institutions now have understood that a hybrid model or an alternative mode of teaching is a necessity. this research can help in identifying stakeholder’s perspective. from the research analysis it was observed that there existed a good relation between all the variables that were used for the proposed study. based on the analysis the following strategic perspectives have been identified (figure-3 for research model). students had a favorable attitude towards using online mode of education and they could enjoy this new change that was implemented for their safety. attitude in this research was considered as a result of perceived usefulness (pu) and perception about complexity of using internet (pci). the results highlighted that students perceived online classes as useful to them in terms of improving knowledge, solving doubts related to the subject, saving time as well as scoring good marks. the variable “perception about complexity of using internet” was included in the research as in indian context it is an important factor affecting effectiveness of online teaching as reported by several renowned research agencies. perceived complexity in using internet (pci) was considered in the research as indian students lack the basic infrastructure required for smooth transition from offline mode of teaching to online mode. from these variables few problems that were faced by students could be identified and the following strategic alternatives could be suggested: indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 53 table-7: proposed strategic options path strategic option connectivity issues, poor sound quality & low speed high data consumption platform for online teaching • development of indigenous platforms by universities • identification of common platform that can be used across university/institution/ subjects • identification of platform that are userfriendly with less data consumption delivering contents online • pre-planning about contents to be delivered through live online sessions • pre planning about certain contents that can be shared through mails • pre-recorded videos/presentations/voice overs of faculties • advance preparation for online classes & sharing contents with students • recording online sessions and giving access to students for future reference orienting students • providing training/orientation to students about modes to be used • creating manuals for usage of online tools and sharing with students specifications • specification of vas (data) plans can be shared with students in advance before start of online sessions • specification about basic infrastructure required by the student for adopting online mode the research identified that students had positive intentions of using online mode of teaching and they were even ready to recommend online mode of teaching to others. while if online mode of teaching can replace actual classroom teaching or not? – still remains an unanswered question. however, it seems that acceptance for this mode has improved due to this forced shift. if the technical glitches can be resolved from online mode of teaching then it can increase the effectiveness. conclusion this study makes a contribution in explaining the post-covid19 scenario with the help of suitable statistical tests where the researchers have proposed strategic options for policy makers to prepare the roadmap of indian education industry. the present study may be helpful for the higher education institutes in india in preparing themselves as a techno savvy institute, providing education in online mode to enhance learning experience indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 54 of students at convenient time, recording of online sessions for further use along with enhancing reachability, understanding the mind-set of students towards acceptance of online learning and coming up with the solutions to combat any such crisis in near future with an approach to become self-reliant country. references aggarwal ritika (2017). economics of e-learning in higher education: the indian case. prabandhan: indian journal of management, 10(6), 40. doi: 10.17010/pijom/2017/ v10i6/115374. retrieved from http://www.indianjournalofmanagement.com/index. php/pijom/article/view/115374 aggarwal, s. 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(1995), “interactive multimedia in university teaching and learning: some pointers to help promote discussion of design criteria”, paper presented at the computers in university indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 56 biological education virtual conference, citi liverpool, 30 january – 10 february.1995. retrieved from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/83431/. venkatesh v., & davis, f.d. (2000), ‘a theoretical extension of the technology acceptance model: four longitudinal field studies’, management science, 46(2), 186-204. vijaya lakshmi y., das jaishree, majid ishfaq (2020). assessment of e-learning readiness of academic staff & students of higher education institutions in gujarat, india. indian journal of educational technology 2 (1), pp. 31-45. retrieved from https://ncert.nic. in/pdf/publication/journalsandperiodicals/indianjournalofeducationaltechnology/ ijet_jan2020.pdf#page=38 volery t. and lord d. (2000). ‘critical success factors in online education’, the international journal of educational management, 14(5), 216–223.https://doi.org/10.1108/0951354 0010344731 zhang sheng, zhao jue, tan weiwei (2008), ‘extending tam for online learning systems: an intrinsic motivation perspective’, tsinghua science and technology, 13 (3), 312-317. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 152 communication social and emotional well-being amidst covid vineeta garg* and gunjan tomar ** *hod computer science, srdav public school, delhi ** activities coordinator, learning support and sel facilitator @dpsi edge, gurgaon corresponding author: vineeta garg, email: with the announcement of country lockdown by our prime minister on march 18, 2020, the nation’s activities came to a sudden halt. with no preparation time to combat the situation the teachers were struggling to impart lessons using online platforms. addressing social-emotional needs remotely seemed to be a distant goal for all. all these challenges made us reflect to devise a plan to address learning by incorporating the social-emotional component and making classrooms happy, inclusive and accessible for all. the sudden, forced adoption of remote learning affected the wellbeing of teachers and students alike. we created a wellness mantras series which contains six posters comprising of simple doable tips to keep oneself motivated. #1 are you digitally smart #2 are you emotionally smart #3 are you physical active #4 is your social connect empathetic #5 are we practicing occupational wellness routine #6 are we socially responsible l i n k : h t t p s : / / w a k e l e t . c o m / w a k e / eatvftbjiabn6gz8moyih wellness mantras empowered teachers and students to believe that they have the ability to contribute to each other’s wellbeing by staying motivated. they shared their stories on various aspects of wellness. their stories included a tiny contribution of calling their grandparents regularly to know their wellbeing, to help their friends stay fit by conducting collective online fitness sessions and learning simple diys using online platform. teachers shared their stories about how they are helping their peers in e-content development or using the online teaching platform effectively by incorporating the concept of train the trainer. remote learning times are challenging times for students with diverse needs in the classrooms. we created a video series “addressing diverse need in remote learning times” comprising of three videos to address their learning as well as social-emotional needs. our first video encompasses resources related to addressing challenges of reading, writing and math, executive functions and speech, language and communication challenges: link: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=9bnymz9sn4c our second video addresses the hearing, mobility and vision challenges of the students which comprised of various tools needed to accelerate the learning of students. link: https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=n3acacxhihk indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 153 not every disability is visible!!! variety of tools needed to enhance the learning of students with neurodiversity, multiply impaired/medically fragile and challenges related to mental health were collated in the form of a video to address their needs: link: https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=cjo9mmfwhpm these videos were shared with the larger community. this helped teachers to use free online tools to address students’ needs in a remote learning environment and for the parents to help their children in their learning at home. this also empowered students to access the content and personalise it according to their needs to stay at the pace of the online learning class. more than 1000 views of these videos collectively explains the impact and usefulness of this free resource in online classrooms. considering how life skills classes were impacted during pandemic due to the lack of resources for online delivery of these skills we have launched e-content of life skills. the content is made in the form of comic strip and supports audio, visual and text learning to address needs of the students and is aligned to cbse life skills syllabus. teachers had started using this e-content within a day of release of this. they found this content quite useful to address why life skills are important in remote learning classrooms. we had more than 447 views of our video in just 2 days. we received phone calls from teachers about how this e-content is proving beneficial in online classroom. we have received calls from the students and their parents that they like the character of super granny and were able to reflect on the importance of life skills in their life. link: https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=cakjos78uck to benefit the larger community all the resources created were shared via social media on the forums for educators and students. indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 84 review article integrating technology into classroom learning chetna arora assistant professor, department of education, lady irwin college, delhi university subhash chander assistant professor, department of education, central institute of education, delhi university; corresponding email: chetna.arora29@gmail.com abstract technology and education have been two sides of the same coin since mid-1600’s when picture technology was invented. in the last 30 years, there has been a marked interest towards integration of technology into every aspect of classroom learning. many research studies have proved that higher order thinking skills can be inculcated by integration of technology into the instructional design. many scholars have come out with various models and integration approaches towards building a blended learning environment. this review article covers details of some of the most popular technology integration models such as samr, loti, tpack, tripe e to name a few. despite having different approach towards integration, each of the frameworks puts learner at the center of focus and tries to improve learning experience & higher order thinking skills (hots). no single framework fits across all learning environments. as part of this review article, we look at some comparative assessment of these integration models. keywords: technology integration, blended learning, hots (higher order thinking skills), education, tpack, samr introduction it was during mid-1600’s that the first textbook was published titled ‘orbus pictures’ or ‘world in pictures’ (figure 1). this marked the beginning of printed text usage in education field. indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 85 figure – 1: snapshot from orbus pictures – first children textbook source: http://www.openculture.com/2014/05/first-childrens-picture-book-1658s-orbis-sensualium-pictus.html similarly, chalkboard came into existence in the 1800’s and that’s something that is still widely used in many classroom setups. it is very interesting to see how some of these technologies has had significant bearings on the educational settings and practices and transformed the field of learning and education. clearly, technology has been synonymous with education. more so in early 1900’s when motion pictures started to be used for educational purpose. this generated significant interest in the learners and educationists due to the nature of visual instructions. termed as ‘wonder technology’, radio truly transformed the nature of education with the establishment of educational radio station in 1920’s and 1930’s. during the 1990’s, there was a technology overload with its availability and ease of use. terms like, digital technology were introduced. information could be recorded, transformed and transmitted. this also included all educational content. things such as mobile and internet further accentuated the process of digital technology & its spread among the new generation or millennials. as seen in last 30 years, introduction of a new technology such as mobile, web technologies, virtual reality, etc. may initially help to engage students better and develop interest, but this may not be sustainable. in last 15 years, there has been a lot of attention being paid to integration of technology into education. in the united states of america, guidelines have been laid down on integration of technology for k-12 education. similarly, in europe, we are seeing a growing interest in technology integration in education and even across apac (asia pacific – india, australia, etc.) countries. the rapid growth of technological tools with their declining prices, spiralled the growth & indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 86 usage. the advantages of integrating technology into education are well documented and some of them being: • versatile education set up such as distance education, satellite classrooms, to name a few • many-fold increase in learning opportunities for learners • possibilities of massive information storage which helps to record & then transmit or teach again (repetitive learning) • low cost of building technology infrastructure with such a focus on educational technology, one of the major tasks of school is how technology could help transform the learning process. it is important that slowly schools’ transition from low-value use of digital technologies to high-value use of digital technologies. students who graduate should be technology literate and assumptions are that technology would have aided in the overall learning process. teachers and books, which were the authoritative source of all knowledge has completely been transformed. technology has enabled access to multiple sources of authentic knowledge which is verifiable. education has entered a new phase of profound disruption. any disruption changes the status-quo. role of teachers is going through a big change with this technological disruption. teachers are key to transforming this learning paradigm where technology is enabling the new learning process. however, as quoted by researchers roberto and miguel in the year 2013 (computers in human behaviour), teachers are lagging in the adoption of new technologies and unless significant time contribution is made towards it, its adoption will be slow and weak. but more concerning is the fact that many teachers still are afraid / reluctant to embrace technology to move from teacher centric learning approach to student centric learning approach and induce hots (higher order thinking skills) among students. even though many empirical researches in 1990’s to 2010’s seem to indicate a positive correlation between achievement in school and usage of technology, however, one critical thing that is missed is the long-term effect of such interventions. without structural reforms in school system, these changes may not have a long-term impact on students’ learning and achievement. if we look at modern pedagogy principles, they are based on some of these foundations: 1. learning builds on previous experiences 2. learning in a social activity 3. context is very important in how content is presented 4. content should be well-connected, organized and relevant. 5. feedback and active evaluation since the 1990’s there have been numerous technology frameworks that have been created which help in evaluation of the current state of technology integration and suggest on best approach on how to move ahead. in this paper we will look at some of these frameworks, their creation, philosophy, current usage & challenges. let’s look at some of the most popular indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 87 technology integration models. in this paper we will do our analysis on the following technology integration models 1. samr model 2. level of teaching innovation (loti) model 3. technology integration matrix (tim) 4. technology, pedagogy and content knowledge framework (tpack) 5. triple e framework (extend, enhance and engage) 6. t3 framework one thing to be watchful of is that technology integration models are theoretical models that are designed to help teachers, researchers, and others in the education field to think about technology integration in meaningful ways. the key advantage of using one of these frameworks is that it helps in better evaluation of technology integration efforts in learning and teaching process. samr model origin ruben puentedura in the year 2009 came out with this model, namely samr, which describes four levels of technology integration. this model has its origins in the year 2006 where ruben had worked on maine learning technology initiative. the main objective was to improve the quality of education using technology integration in the state of maine. the four levels of samr model proposed by ruben were: 1. substitution – technology substitutes what you might already be doing as-is. 2. augmentation – technology once again is a direct substitute, but there is a functional improvement as technology is now involved 3. modification – significant re-design of the task is enabled with technology 4. redefinition – something which could not be done earlier, is now achievable using technology and being redefined figure – 2: samr model by ruben puentedura, 2009 indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 88 technology integration and researches some of the areas where samr model has been used with success are in areas of vocational education. romrell, kidder, and wood (2014) explained that one of the frameworks to evaluate technology integration for instructional activities used is samr. according to romrell et al. (2014), samr can help to improve quality of classroom instructions by implementing technology. samr model draws many similarities to bloom’s taxonomy model since both share similar levels. another area where samr model has been used is to evaluate mlearning activities and in which of these four levels do they fall and finally trying to measure impact on quality of education. hockly (2013) used samr model in context of mlearning with special focus on english language teaching. to understand the concept in-depth, let’s look at the above four levels from the lens of mlearning vs conventional learning (table 1). table – 1: four levels from mlearning vs conventional learning substitution augmentation modification redefinition instead of giving lecture, the same is recorded and can be played as a podcast (audio podcast) or recording of a lecture being played for revision, instead of students creating flash cards or small notes, students are provided sms or small snippets on their mobile which summarize the same. using google groups and google docs for building a presentation on a topic and then sharing that using various collaboration features. instead of just a presentation being shared, it became a collaborative and highly enriched learning environment. using technology and augmented reality explaining the concept of a black hole or very abstract concepts clearly true potential of mlearning is realized with modification and redefinition levels and how samr models explains that so clearly. however, there are differing views on implementation of samr model and there are many challenges that are also cited. the biggest challenge is the adoption of technology tools. teachers are bombarded with so many technology tools such as vr experiences, laptops, tablets, smartphones, smartboards, etc. how do they find time to learn these tools and build their confidence in using these new tools? as a result, teachers indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 89 may choose the easy path out and keep focusing on levels – substitution and augmentation. these will also enhance learning but not to the degree the other two. cochrane et al (2014), also confirms that samr helps represent the evolution of new technology with its four phases of substitution, augmentation, modification and redefinition. as late as 2018, budiman et al have carried out research in the area of ict integration in english as a foreign language using samr model. the research concluded that ict integration can have profound effects on quality of education. in a research undertaken by hilton (2016) in case of ipad integration for social studies, between samr & technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpack), samr gives a better perspective on use of a technology to accomplish an instructional objective and since it helps teachers strive to achieve higher levels is a motivational factor. level of technology innovation (loti) model origin level of technology innovation (loti) framework was a conceptual framework that measured level of technology implementation and assist schools to include concept/processbased instructions, authentic uses of technology & qualitative assessments. it was conceptualized by cristopher moersch in year 1995. loti is aligned conceptually with the work of hall loucks, rutherford, and newlove (1975); thomas and knezek (1991); and dwyer, ringstaff, and sandholtz (1992). there are seven (7) discrete levels of technology implementation. as the teacher progresses from one to another, changes in how curriculum is taught can be observed and focus of teaching shifts from being teacher centred to learner centred. the seven levels as outlined in the loti model have been given in table2. table – 2: seven levels outlined in the loti model level category description 0 no use lack of know-how or time to pursue technology-based learning. 1 awareness use of computers via computer labs is prevalent. computer based learning apps have little to no use for the teachers at large. 2 exploration technology based tools supplement existing teaching methods. they aid in extension or enrichment activities. 3 infusion technology tools such as, multimedia application, graphics or spreadsheets are used when teaching. 4 integration technology tools are used to ensure that learners get rich context on the concept and their understanding improves. the scope is still limited to classroom only. indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 90 5 expansion the scope of technology integration expands outside of classroom. with technology application and networking from outside of classroom to enhance the learner’s learning. such as video conferencing with isro scientists on space related topics. 6 refinement technology scope increases to be the process, product and tool in hands of learners to achieve their learning and learner takes the center-piece and objective is to learn the best and use any technology means for the same. technology integration and researches loti framework has been used in many research publications to assess the impact of student achievement as technology integration happens in school. one such research is to assess the technology integration and impact off same in rural nigerian schools. loti questionnaire was used to measure the extent of technology integration in schools. the results were not conclusive to indicate that level of technology integration in schools was leading to better quality of education & students learning. but, one of the aspects that did come to light was around teacher’s phobia around technology and usage of technology. clearly an area to be addressed during teacher’s pre-service education and with regular in-service education programs that can address the same. in the year 2012, berkeley was able to prove a positive correlation indicating a relationship between teacher levels of technology implementation (loti) and student achievement scores on the texas assessment of knowledge and skills (taks) tests at the junior high level, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades for english language arts and mathematics. farsaii (2014) conducted a study on how administrators were sensitized on technology integration using loti framework. many other researches such as stoltzfus (2006) and lin janet mei chuen et al. (2010) have used the levels of technology implementation (loti) framework for assessing technology integration & how learners can move to higher order thinking skills and leads to better learning outcomes. loti framework has gone through a refresh to becoming the loti® digitalage survey that helps creates profiles basis nets technology standards. initially what was the level of technology implementation have become levels of technology innovation. instead of focusing on technology integration in teaching curriculum basis the new 21st century paradigm, it has been refreshed to focus on how across various levels we move from teacher-centred approach to a learner-centred approach. some of the marked changes in the new loti framework are: 1. moving from knowledge and comprehension at lower levels to evaluation, problem-solving and issues resolutions at higher levels. 2. moving from simple classroom constructs of providing feedback to building hypothesis & validating those indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 91 loti framework consists of two models. cip (current instructional practices) and pcu (personal computer use). cip focuses on how in a classroom teaching evolves from teacher or instruction led learning to student centric learning. pcu focuses on understanding the level of fluency in using various technology tools. a new framework that is increasingly being used is h.e.a.t. framework from chris. h.e.a.t.— higher-order thinking, engaged learning, authenticity, and technology use can significantly add value over loti framework (figure-3). figure – 3: h.e.a.t. framework; source: www.loticonnection.com several researches over the course of last decade have used loti and its new age survey to assess the technology integration in classrooms and areas to further improve the same. the recent one from 2017 is around k-12 schools indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 92 and analysis to assess the level of loti, cip and pcu usage and substantiate the findings with qualitative insights to arrive at areas to further improve the technology integration in school. the key findings are around professional development of school teachers and directing them towards elevated loti. in a study conducted in the year 2015 by roth, among various frameworks for integration of digital technologies focuses on loti and h.e.a.t (moersch, 1995; rielley, 2015) and how these connect to hots (higher-order thinking) and engaged learning. technology integration matrix origin technology integration matrix (tim) is a framework for using technology to enhance learning. the technology integration matrix (tim) (allsopp et al.) was developed by the university of south florida in conjunction with the florida department of education to identify the level of technology integration in the class. the tim is well accepted throughout the academic community as a valid instrument for this purpose (arizona k12 center at northern arizona university, 2012; allsopp et al., 2007; bruder, 2010; cozakos, 2013; rhode island department of education [ride], 2013; ulster boces school library system, 2011; the virginia department of education, 2008). tim is a framework which is 5x5 matrix. on one axis are five meaningful learning environments namely: • active • collaborative • constructive • authentic • goal-directed on the other axis are five levels of technology integration namely: • entry • adoption • adaptation • infusion • transformation together this creates a 5x5 multidimensional matrix consisting of 25 cells. the origins of tim framework are in florida center for instructional technology in the year 2005. indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 93 figure – 4: tim framework as with other models, the ideal state is to be at the highest level across both learning environment and technology integration. starting with active learning environment where technology integration is at entry level to being at a level where learning environment which is goal-directed and transformational technology integration. the final goal is to use higher order tools to plan and monitor students learning. technology integration and researches there have been numerous researches in which using tim framework, impact on student learning can be seen. in one study conducted in bangalore, for a physics experiment this test was done with students using traditional approach for measuring certain parameters manually versus using tim enabled science laboratory. the difference was huge and students learning and understanding of the concept was vastly different than in indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 94 traditional classroom. clearly, reaching to higher levels as mentioned in tim framework leads to higher order thinking skills. hornack (2011), jonassen, howland, moore & marra (2003) and barbour (2014) discuss how tim can be a great asset to improve student engagement by integrating technology in the classroom learning and improve from initially active to finally goal directed learning. in kansas (2010) for high school teachers when evaluation was done with tim framework, a good mapping of the current state helped the school and education administration at large to better understand what is required from professional development stand point to move the needle towards higher levels of attainment and to further improve the learning opportunities for students in these schools. likewise, teachers will be able to reflect on their individual practice, become aware of ways they can increase the level of technology integration, and facilitate increased student engagement. technology, pedagogy and content knowledge (tpack) origin tpack has its origin in 1986 work of shulman who focused on knowledge of pedagogy applied to teaching of specific content. shulman (1987) describes how understanding pedagogical knowledge needs to be combined with understanding content knowledge. he explained how teachers need to “understand deeply, not only the content that they are responsible for, but how to represent that content for learners of all kinds” (p. 202). shulman argues the most effective teachers knew more than their subject matter and more than just good pedagogy. he asserts teachers also know how students understand & misunderstand their subjects. figure 5 describes schulman’s model (1987). figure5: schulman’s model (1987) indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 95 effective teachers know how to check for these misunderstandings, and how to deal with them when they arise. in the year 2006, kohler and mishra proposed tpack by introducing the concept of technology in pck framework from shulman. they described an integrated connection between content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge & technological knowledge in order to aid with integration of ict tools in classroom environment for enhanced learning of students. the more interesting amalgamation which is part of this framework is the part where p (pedagogy), c (content) and t (technology) overlap. this framework can be very helpful tool in hands of educators to develop teachers’ competencies in school teaching and ict integration. in numerous case studies published on the success of tpack, the approach followed is mostly around 1. evaluation of the current teaching practice 2. figuring out which are the areas which are amiss from the perspective of tpack. 3. discussing and addressing those in the teaching pedagogy technology integration and researches during initial enquiry questions such as “i can adapt my teaching style to xyz” or “i frequently play around with the technology” help to gauge teacher’s confident on the seven domains defined in tpack. mostly tpack survey based investigations are good to get an overall understanding however things such as pedagogy are quite complex and involve planning, teaching, assessment or any other aspects which are hard to measure in a survey. in recent times, tpack model has further been refined from assessment to implementation perspective (figure-6). figure – 6: detailed tpack model indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 96 tpack as a conceptual framework gives good insights on how teachers can integrate technology into pedagogy and this has been validated in various researches such as chai et al., 2011; jimoyiannis, 2010. tpack has also been used as a framework to develop competencies of teachers in school teaching by doering et al., 2009; lee & tsai, 2009; voogt et al., 2009. in another study srisawaasdi (2012) where for pre-service physics teachers, tpack model was used to build best practices for physics teaching method. in the year 2011, wetzel et al. observed a middle school teacher and how they applied tpack theoretical framework and integrated technology with content (language arts) and pedagogy (project based learning). in last few years there have been multiple enhancements suggested to tpack model. another variant that has come out is tpack-21cql which considers aspects such as reflective learning, authentic learning, collaborative learning, active constructive learning, belied of new culture of learning, design deposition, design thinking efficacy & teachers as designers. these design beliefs are important for the 21st century teacher. triple e (extend, enhance and engage) framework origin triple e framework was developed in 2011 by professor liz kolb with the aim of bridging the gap between the researches on education technologies and teaching practice in classrooms. some of the key differentiators in triple e framework over other technology frameworks are as below: • focus is on learning goals rather than technology tools • significance of instructional strategies along with using technology tools • quality of technology usage rather than quantity • understanding that technology is an amplifier and cannot lead to higher achievement. it needs to be applied correctly along with other learning methodologies to achieve the same • technology is applied to lesson plans from the purpose on how it can add value to learning goals rather than applying the same to increase technology usage. triple e framework can aid earlier technology frameworks towards practically implementing technology for classroom lessons with focus on learning improvement and measuring the same (figure-7). indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 97 figure – 7: triple e framework (source: https://www.tripleeframework.com/) technology integration and researches in 2019, there have been two researches related to triple e framework. in one case, ibrahim et al. (2019) used hsp (html5 package) application in teaching architecture theory and history module to transform facts and dry content to a rich, fun & engaging learning activities based on triple e framework. its usefulness in tertiary education could be gauged easily by the increased student’s performance in the module. similarly, ruzaman et al. (2019) used mobile learning application for teaching science in a study titled ‘‘sim for science: scaffold in inquirybased learning’’. t3 framework origin the t3 framework is designed by sonny magana (2017) to disrupt the current application about educational technology by contextualizing its use into 3 stages: 1. translational 2. transformational 3. transcendent t1: translational refers to the act of transferring. when we translate a message from one language into another, we are really transferring a method of generating meaning to another language but keeping the original message as intact. when one engages in translational technology use, one is transferring or translating the task or experiences from an analog mode to a digital mode. the two stages of translational technology are: t1.1: automation – when teacher or the student uses technology to automate i.e. to translate from an analog to a digital mode. thus, saving indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 98 time, increasing the efficiency and accuracy. t1.2: consumption the teacher or the student uses the digitized content information in teaching learning experiences. as so much information is available in digitized form that the teachers have to consume it. thus, aiding the learner to consume content related text, images, videos, pictures or any combination. t2: transformational – a shift from translational stage to transformational use of technology in classrooms where the locus of control of learning experience, transforms from teachers to learners. when this shift happens there is an active learning reflection of the learner. the two steps of transformational technology use in education are shown in figure 8. figure – 8: stages of educational technology use t2.1 production – students use technology not only to experience new knowledge but to actively apply knowledge in the production of digital artifacts that represents what students know and how they came to know it. t2.2 contribution -students are given opportunity to use digital tools to teach others what they know, what they can do, and how they think about their knowledge being transformational. students’ role changes from that of student to teacher. thus, students will contribute not only to their knowledge but also to the knowledge of others. students get the opportunity to develop empathy and consideration for the way others interpret and experience. t3: transcendent -students use technology in transcendent ways that result in growth of knowledge, contribution, and value – generating performance. the students engaged in constructing and applying knowledge and skills in ways that transcend common curriculum standards. they contribute something of value to the society. the two steps in the transcendent stage of educational technology are indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 99 t3.1: inquiry design – students use technology tools to resolve a problem that matters to them t3.2: social entrepreneurship–students use digital tools to engage in the process of creating solutions to the problem that matters to them. technology integration and researches t3 framework is designed to support the classroom technologies to unleash student learning potential. teachers instructions should be based on t2 and t3 stages, pushing themselves to transform education by having students produce and contribute, and to “transcend” by using technology tools to facilitate inquiry and solve world problems that matter. recently, carpenter (2019) in her doctoral dissertation identified one of the areas which were lagging in tpack namely guidance or measurable standards to help teachers attain the actual knowledge, something which has been addressed as part of t3 framework. this guidance in tpack framework hinders self-assessment by teachers on their current knowledge and then improve. figure 9: timeline of technology integration models here (figure 9) is a timeline of the various technology integration models. post-2000, with increase in focus on technology and education at large, three new models have been introduced in a matter of 5 years. each unique and addresses aspect around technology integration and how to fill the gaps around the same. all these models talk about various aspects as described below: • student-centric learning • integrate technology into learning • induce higher order thinking skills for students comparative review it is difficult to compare one over the others. each of these have had researches and validated case studies in last 10 years. depending on the context of classroom, one or other technology integration model can be used. while the initial frameworks focused more in terms of what was the current level of technology integration for a classroom, lately most frame works have started suggesting how to improve this integration with focus being on learning for learners. for example, in case of smar model, the integration approach is across a single axis with focus being more on technology tools & how as one moves from one technology tool to another, one case see changes in learning. various levels indicated in loti model indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 100 also focused more on technology tools and their use but with the introduction of h.e.a.t. model in conjunction with loti, focus shifted from technology tools to learners’ ability to gain higher order thinking skills (indicated by h.e.a.t. intensity levels). tim model was one of the first few models which had two-dimensional view on technology and learning. on one axis, like smar model, it had technology augmentation levels but on the other axis the focus was on achieving higher learning and balancing out both technology and learning to achieve maximum in both. tpack, though one of the most widely used models, has its origin from pck model or pedagogy, content and knowledge model that was had its origin in year 1987 by shulman. typically, in classroom education, teachers prepare lesson plans which mention the pedagogy of teaching that lesson plan followed by content that would be covered and heavily relies on teacher’s knowledge on the subject. tpack brought in additional factor of technology into the existing pck framework. starting from how lesson plans need to be created to final evaluation methodology (learning to assessment), these new frameworks try and address this wide spectrum of classroom learning. figure11: triple e evaluation rubric indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 101 an example of triple e framework and rubric evaluation has been given in figure 11. against each lesson plan, rubric evaluation should be done with the thought through technology integration. on a total score of 18, the following is the way to evaluate if technology enhances learning for the learner for this lesson plan or it should not be used at all. if number of points are 10 or above, it means technology is leading to enhancements or extending the learning goals. however, if score is below 10 but above 7, the current technology tools thought through for lesson may not be helping to enhance or extend the learning goals, so either teacher should re-look at the tools being leveraged or should all together look at not using technology for this lesson. similarly, other frameworks offer an approach towards evaluating use of technology and considerations on lesson plans so that learning is significantly enhanced. from a learner’s perspective it is important to look at a model and see how it can be used in day-to-day usage from teacher’s perspective to improve learning experience. it may also become useful for faculty/teachers to form an inquiry group of few teachers to discuss and figure out next steps towards technology integration and their observations. lately, most popular frameworks have been tpack and triple e framework. another important aspect to consider with these frameworks is that an educationist should not make efforts to forcefully fit technology into a lesson plan. where ever technology can significant en hance the leaner experience, those are the areas of lesson plans where technology integration needs to be looked at. conclusion in conclusion, teaching with technology is about learning first and the tool second. aim for any technology integration must be learner’s ability to learn. most of the models that have been talked about have both positives and negatives. though samr and tim are both practical frameworks, but technology tool selection is the first aim followed by learning. tpack is going through number of changes to better showcase the practical aspect of the framework. triple e framework which has been introduced few years back addresses some of the concerns raised for other frameworks. the recommendation would be to use technology framework judiciously and integrate technology wherever it makes logical sense towards improving 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(2011). tpack goes to sixth grade: lessons from a middle school teacher in a high-technology-access classroom. journal of digital learning in teacher education, 28(2), 73-81. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 38 general article ict initiatives in school education of india (dr. alka singh, assistant professor, ciet, ncert, new delhi), email: alkasingh.edu@gmail.com) abstract the 21st century is known for creating and building knowledge wherein the information and communication technology (ict) plays the key role. in recent years, icts have been evolved as an outcome of globalisation and technological changes at national and international stage. the digital technologies satiate to transform and empower the society through implementing it in different areas. for the purpose, ‘digital india’ flagship programme of government of india was launched in 2015 with the motto of “power to empower”. the programme aims to transform the country into digitally empowered society & knowledge economy. in addition, the fast pace of ict development paved the way to utilise these technologies in all fields of education. the vision and pillars of digital india program enable the ict initiatives in school education of india. it includes creation, process, storage, display, transmission, exchange, monitoring as well as evaluation of information with the use of technology. it aimed to form a better school education system with access, equity and quality. thus, the present paper discusses the ict initiatives for school education in india within the framework of policy perspectives. it also explores the challenges of implementing these initiatives at ground level. key words: ict, school education, digital india, challenges introduction innovations in ict have transformed the way of working of educational institutions. ict has diverse utilities in education and as such it cannot be limited to ‘the transmission of a prescribed set of information from teacher to student over a fixed period of time’ (tinio, 2003). unesco (2006) recommends icts and their role in contributing to universal access, equity and quality in education. it further emphasized on teachers’ professional development, education management, governance and administration. these can be implemented through appropriate blending of policies, technologies and capacities in place. similarly, the incheon declaration (2017) on education accentuates that icts need to be harnessed to strengthen indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 39 education systems, disseminate & transmit knowledge, access the information, and provide effective and quality teaching & learning. in addition, ict use in education is considered as a two-way interaction rather than one-way reception that would make the technology more educational. also, the national curriculum framework (2005) expresses that teachers and students must be treated not merely as consumers of technology but also as active producers. the ict innovations and its comprehensive development need to be used in education. for the purpose, the policies and initiatives with better implementation are required. since independence, different educational policies have recommended the importance and use of ict in education. in 1986, the national policy on education (npe) promoted the use of computers in schools. as a result, computer was introduced in indian schools in 1986. the npe states that professional education is to be imparted through exposure to computers, training and computer literacy. hence, the computer literacy studies in schools (class) project was launched in 1984-85 to support computer literacy in schools at that time. however, the npe (1986), as modified in 1992, stressed the need to employ educational technology to improve the quality of education. till the end of 20th century, the ict component was integrated with the major policies and initiatives. later, the specific policies and initiatives on ict in education were launched in 21st century. in 2004, two major centrally sponsored schemes, namely, educational technology (et) and computer literacy and studies in schools (class) were merged for a more comprehensive centrally sponsored scheme – ict @ schools. the ict @ school scheme has been subsumed with rashtriya madhyamik shiksha abhiyan (rmsa). recently, the govt. of india has launched an integrated scheme for pre-nursery to class 12 i.e. samagra shiksha under the union budget of 2018-19. it is to be noted that samagra shiksha subsumes the three flagship schemes of sarva shiksha abhiyan (ssa), rmsa and teacher education (te). consequently, the above-mentioned ict @ school scheme is covered under new samagra shiksha for improving school effectiveness in terms of equal opportunities for schooling and equitable learning outcomes. ict @ school scheme aims to provide opportunities to students of secondary schools for capacity building in ict skills and learn indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 40 through computer aided learning process. the scheme is to bridge the digital divide and socio economic and geographical barriers. it provides support to states/uts to establish sustainable computer labs in schools. at the same time, universal secondary education report (2005) by the central advisory board of education (cabe) has figured ict as an important norm of schooling. additionally, the national policy on ict (2012) was framed specifically for school education. mhrd has already presented different drafts of this policy, one in 2009, and the revised draft dated 24 feb. 2011 and the final revised one in 2012. this policy initiative focuses on ict use in school education to devise, catalyze, support and sustain ict. it promotes the ict enabled activities and processes in order to improve access, quality, and efficiency in the school system. it emphasized that the educational resources need to be prepared in various media forms for widespread availability and extensive use. thus, the policy promotes digitization of educational resources. ict can support teachers’ capacity building as well as the school system. the implementation of this policy includes the school management information systems (school mis); digital repositories of tools, content and resources; professional development and continuing education platforms; and guidance, counselling and other student support services. moreover, the curricula for ict in education emphasised on the core educational purposes with broad exposure to technologies aimed at enhancing creativity and imagination of the learners. the e-content developed under ict curriculum should be available in various regional languages because it is the best way of understanding and articulation. hence, nmeict (2012) recommended that the e-content being developed for learners from preprimary to class 12 would also need to be made available in various regional languages. in 2015, the ministry of electronics & information technology, government of india, initiated the ‘digital india’ program ‘with a vision to transform india into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.’ this flagship program covers many initiatives related to infrastructure, governance & services and empowerment. it envisages to prepare future india through indian talent and information technology. it makes technology central, enabling change through this umbrella mission covering various departments, schemes and indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 41 ideas with efforts of synchronized implementation. digital india program is focused on nine pillars of broadband highways, universal access to phones, public internet access programme, e-governance, and e-kranti. it promotes electronic delivery of services, information for all, electronics manufacturing, it for jobs, and early harvest programmes. the ict initiatives in school education are linked with these pillars. it supports for better implementation of these initiatives. similarly, use of ict for access and quality improvement has also been emphasised in government of india's latest flagship programme on education ‘samagra shiksha abhiyan’ (2018) with the moto of “sabko shiksha achhi shiksha”. under this, various digital initiatives have been submerged which are presented further. ict initiatives in school education ict includes technologies of transmission such as radio and television, modern communication and networking tools like cellular phones, computer and network, hardware and software, satellite systems and so on. it covers various services and applications associated with the tools, such as videoconferencing, social networking, collaboration etc. thus, ict is encompassed with knowledge, comprehension and application part of education. further, it can also be classified in terms of various technologies as part of creation, processing, storage, display, transmission, exchange, and assessment as well as evaluation of information. under ict initiatives for school education, various ict tools and technologies are being implemented for delivering the best practices in schools of india. these initiatives can be classified in accordance with its objective/s such as improve access & services, data management, dissemination of resources, enhance quality of teaching & learning, and monitoring and evaluation. overall, the ict initiatives in school education is proposed for improving access, equity and quality of education. the initiatives under the discussed subheadings are presented below: 1. improve access and services geographic information system (gis) mapping of schools: for ensuring universal access within a reasonable distance of any habitation and without any discrimination, indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 42 the gis web enabled platform was developed. it is proposed for seamless visualization of school locations across the country (spatial and non-spatial). it has added value to the quality of planning and better utilization of resources available under different schemes. 2. data management shala darpan: this school automation application is a single integrated platform to provide school management systems’ services to students, parents and communities including school profile management, report cards, curriculum tracking system, sms alerts for parents / administrators on students and teacher attendance, employee information, student attendance and, leave management. shaala kosh: it is a repository of data related to schools which aims to integrate different databases existing at central or state levels to cater to data requirements of all stakeholders in the education ecosystem. it has enabled data consolidation, analysis and usage thereby capturing entire data value chain to empower teachers, headmasters, and administrators at block, district, state and central level for undertaking data decision making. student data management & information system: aadhaar based direct benefit transfer (dbt) is a major governance reform initiative of the government to ensure targeted delivery of benefits and services to the students. it enhanced the transparency and accountability with the services provided to the students. aadhar database of teachers and students: under udise, national institute of educational planning & administration (niepa) is capturing the data of teachers and students including their aadhar etc. aadhar enrolment of school going children in the age group of 5 to 18 years in the country would help in tracking of children so that they do not drop-out from school and also for monitoring their academic progress and for ensuring benefits to be disbursed to them in cash or kind under various schemes. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 43 3. dissemination of resources e-pathshala: central institute of educational technology (ciet), national council of educational research and training (ncert) has designed and developed ‘e-pathshala’ to showcase and disseminate ‘all educational e-resources including textbooks, audio, video, periodicals and a variety of other print and non-print materials through web portal and mobile app’. it is an effort to solve the challenges of digital divide and improve accessibility by offering quality content anytime anywhere. national repository of open educational resources (nroer): ciet, ncert is organising and monitoring the nroer. it is an initiative of mhrd which is a collaborative effort to develop a repository of multimedia resources for teaching and learning purposes. both online and offline platforms have been designed. different formats of resources such as audio, video, image, document, interactive, books including flip books, and multimedia are available on nroer platform. swayam platform: mhrd, govt. of india has launched a massive open online courses (moocs) platform popularly known as swayam (study webs of active learning for young aspiring minds). the portal is offering various online courses through educational institutes for school education and higher education. ciet has also launched courses related to school education. swayam prabha dth-tv channels: mhrd, govt of india has developed a learning plan for utilization of satellite communication technologies for transmission of educational econtents through 32 national channels i.e. swayam prabha dth-tv channels. these dth channels covers the curriculum-based course content of higher education. in addition, the programmes related to secondary and senior secondary school students and teachers are also included in the channels. besides, life-long learning and preparation for professional courses with competitive exams are also disseminated through these 32 swayam prabha channels. swayam prabha channel # 31 i.e. kishore manch is coordinated by ciet, ncert which proposed to disseminate content for secondary and senior secondary students as well as teachers. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 44 shagun portal – a web portal called shagun comprising ‘shaala and gunvatta’. it is a repository of good practices, photographs, videos, studies, newspaper articles etc on elementary education. these resources are developed by various states and uts. its purpose is to showcase success stories and also to provide a platform for all stakeholders to learn from each other. i-share for india: this initiative was announced in 2015 for developing educational resources for schools and teacher education. under the initiative, mhrd has invited the educational stakeholders to contribute digital enabled resources for school education and teacher education. it can be contributed in the form of mobile app or web-based ict platforms. 4. enhance quality of teaching & learning ict in education curriculum for school system: ict curriculum for teachers and students has been developed. ncert has launched a revised information and communication technology (ict) curriculum for schools across india which focuses on integrating ict tools as part of pedagogy instead of teaching computer as a separate subject. zia (2017) reported that the syllabus is revised on the basis of recommendations of national curriculum framework (2005) and the digital india campaign. students’ curriculum was piloted in 588 navodaya vidyalayas for one year. different states have initiated the efforts to develop draft curriculum and to implement it in their respective states with the help of ncert’s content. a course portal on moodle platform has been created for the country as well. diksha portal: mhrd launched diksha portal for providing digital platform to teachers, making them more digital. it will serve as national digital infrastructure for teachers enabling to equip them with advanced digital technology. also, it will enable, accelerate and amplify solutions in the realm of teacher education by providing a platform to learn and train themselves. the portal envisages to help teachers boost their teaching skills and create their own separate profile with their skills and knowledge. overall, it would help in improving quality of education with use of latest technologies in education. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 45 project e-prajna, e-classrooms, and digital language lab for kendriya vidyalayas: under these schemes, students of kendriya vidyalayas (kvs) have been given touch tablets, pre-loaded with e-contents of mathematics and science subjects to use it for classroom transaction. it proposed to promote flip-learning, reduce school bag burden, learning at own pace and effective assessment. in addition, 9711 e-classrooms have been established and 2300 e-classrooms are being delivered to promote blended learning, accelerated learning & better understanding of concepts and effective assessment. moreover, teachers have been trained for capacity building. digital language labs have been established in kvs across the country to improve spoken skills of students in english language with having 30 user capacity in each lab. these labs are equipped with desktop computers, language lab software, modular work stations and arm chairs. shaala sarathi: shaala sarathi is a portal to facilitate and link corporate social responsibilities (csrs), states, uts and non-governmental organisations (ngos). it enabled the partners for identifying and scaling innovative programmes under education reform initiatives. it endeavours to streamline engagement and create transparency around external stakeholders wanting to partner with states for improving quality of school education. 5. monitoring and evaluation saransh: in 2015, the central board of secondary education (cbse) have launched a decision support system i.e. ‘saransh’ with a vision to "improve children’s education by enhancing interaction between schools as well as parents and providing data driven decision support system to assist them in taking best decisions for their children’s future". it is also available in the form of mobile application for easy access. the app is focused on to review the results at school, state and national level by students as well as parents. this initiative was awarded as 'best government initiative in education' at e-india 2015 (mhrd, 2016). shaala sidhdhi: ‘shala sidhhi’ is developed by national university of educational planning and administration (nuepa) which is also known as ‘national programme on school indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 46 standards and evaluation (npsse)’. it is a platform for school evaluation aiming to ‘enable schools to evaluate their performance in a more focused and strategic manner and facilitate them to make professional judgments for improvement’ (mhrd, 2016). shagun portal: apart from repository, shagun is an online monitoring portal of the elementary education implemented by states and uts. the data is accessed by government officers at all levels using their specific passwords. these reports, along with the success stories in the repository, create an online platform which can be viewed by officers in the department, pmo and niti aayog etc., to see the status of implementation of elementary education in all states and uts. challenges of implementing ict initiatives in school education india has potential of affordability towards ict as a tool for education, but there are other challenges which hinder the implementation of above discussed ict initiatives in school education. globally, the information overload is an important challenge in front of teachers. they lack the skills to filter out the relevant information and organise these resources in terms of access, process and using the information (salehi and salehi, 2012). further, singh (2018) counted the challenges of digital education in a developing society such as, infrastructural hindrances, cultural issue i.e. language and attitude, lack of trained teachers, and technologically challenged parents. however, unesco (2017) reported limited access to computers with insufficient ratio of number of computers per student. there are advances of technological innovations, but ‘utilizing such advances of digital innovations for emerging markets in under-resourced areas remains a challenging issue’ (unesco, 2017). students from rural locations or impoverished communities do not have even basic access to ict. there are schools which do not even have appropriate classrooms, quality teachers, computers, telecommunication facilities and internet services. for them, ict continues to be a distant dream (ict in school education report, 2010). apart from above, several other challenges also hinder the proper implementation of ict initiatives in school education. inappropriate penetration of ict into the mainstream, lack of available technologies and its usability hinder the implementation process. similarly, negative attitude towards ict as alternative to face-to-face education is also an important indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 47 challenge to tackle. besides, the insufficient time for teachers to get trained with the latest available technological innovations and their best practices to integrate it in teaching and learning activities are notably the concerns with regard to teachers (oradini & saunders, 2008; goswami, 2014). additionally, for utilising ict and making it integral to teaching and learning, time commitment is a crucial part, which is overlooked by the teachers and policy makers. thus, a lot of time must be put into creating networks, sharing information and finding other people to communicate with. conclusion in terms of policy perspective, the ict initiatives are relevant and appropriate. here, it is to be noted that technology under ict initiatives are not so important, but the important thing is how we use it! the time has come that ict in education is something which is more than its relevance. it is a necessity of today’s education system. it is clearly about methodology not just tools, and it needs to be not about products, it needs to be more about practices. however, the role of teacher is nowhere going to diminish rather, it is going to be supported with digitalized backup. to bridge the access gap, new models of content creation, content delivery, learning management and planning need to be developed and promoted. the monitoring and evaluation system for creating cooperative, life-long and self-learning environment have to be developed. the e-content needs to be developed and translated in regional languages to improve grasp and enhance learning in all spheres of education in the country. today, the classroom is an interactive world where, the teacher as well as the student are engaged with technology. because today's young generation is hooked up and plugged, whether it is with text messaging, social networking, video calling or more. it is important that teachers and stakeholders find a way to engage them with the appropriate technology. technology in the classroom should keep the students stimulated by using the latest and greatest inventions in computers and digital media. with ict initiatives, india can improve access, process and output of our school education system through following strategic framework implementation with bottom-up approach. overall, ict has really improved the educational system across the globe and more has to be explored. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 48 references cabe (2005), universalisation of secondary education, new delhi. goswami, c. (2014). "role of technology in indian education.". in international proceedings of economics development and research. retrieved from http://www.ipedr.com/vol79/002-ic4e2014-1-003.pdf ict in school education report (2010). information and communication technology for education in india and south asia. retrieved from: http://www.infodev.org/infodevfiles/resource/infodevdocuments_1016.pdf mhrd (2016). major ict initiatives in school education. government of india. mhrd (2012). national policy on ict in school education. government of india. mhrd (2012). national mission on education through ict. government of india, new delhi. retrieved from: http://mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/missiondocument.pdf ncert (2005). national curriculum framework, new delhi. oradini, f. & saunders, g (2008). the use of social networking by students and staff in higher education. retrieved from: http://www.eifel.org/publications/proceedings/ilf08/contributions/improving-quality-of-learning-withtechnologies/oradini_saunders.pdf salehi, h., & salehi, z. (2012). challenges for using ict in education: teachers' insights, international journal of e-education, e-business, e-management and e-learning, 2(1), 40. singh, i. (2018). digital education: scope and challenges of a developing society. paripexindian journal of research 7.5. tinio, v. (2003), ict in education, united nations development programme. retrieved february, 12, 2013. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 49 unesco (2017), education 2030: incheon declaration: towards inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all. unesco institute for long-life learning, unesco (2006), using ict to develop literacy, unesco ict in education programme, bangkok. retrieved from: http://www2.unescobkk.org/elib/publications/088/using_ict_to_develop_literacy.pdf zia, s. (sep. 23, 2017). ncert launches revised student-teacher ict curricula. live mint. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 51 research article an empirical study analyzing selected strategies for school education in new normal sarika sharma1 & anamika sharma2 1principal, doon public shool, mandvi, bhuj, gujrat 2faculty of management, mba programme, rajasthan technical university, kota, rajasthan. email id: anysharma70@gmail.com abstract in the present time, the education system has faced several disruptions and challenges due to the pandemic, but coped with the assistance of advancing internet technology. to repair the damage and deterioration brought in education due to this largest disruption in the working of educational institutions all over the world, different strategies of learning and teaching were adopted by different countries. the present research work undertakes a systematic review of contemporary literature focusing on the major practices and strategies adopted by the different nations, during this challenging time of the new normal. it empirically explores and identifies the possible effective education strategies, which could be implemented by the indian education systems in the new normal. the findings of this study will be fruitful for educators, policy-makers and other stakeholders in the field of education, especially in coping with the challenges imposed on primary and secondary education systems and designing future courses of action adequately and aptly. keywords: learning strategies, teaching strategies, institutional strategies. new normal. teachers’ perception. students’ perception. introduction the covid-19 disease outbreak has led to the largest disruption in the working of educational institutions all over the world. it has adversely influenced roughly 1.6 billion students in more than 200 nations, irrevocably affecting 95 per cent of the world’s student population, by the closure of educational institutions and other learning spaces. the imposed social separation has resulted in some substantial legislative reforms in education that are geared toward an “online pivot” (george, 2020). there has been a movement from a face-to-face teaching paradigm to a wholly online one, for the first time in the history of the indian education system (zimmerman, 2020). at the same time, the global pandemic has brought tremendous changes in the educational system by introducing digitalization of educational practices, such as the introduction of several e-platforms like webex, zoom, google etc. during this span of the global pandemic, the education system in all the countries struggled and strove in different ways to deal with the inevitable challenges of the new normal like by incorporating virtual learning and by adopting innovative practices for educating their people. this research work has investigated numerous online research papers, newspaper reports, published documents and available literature by doing a systematic review of the selected published works and analysing distinct practices and innovative strategies adopted indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 52 by different countries for education during this period of new normal. in order to find out the suitability of these innovative strategies, the current study empirically examined these commonly used educational strategies in the indian scenario. the research suggests certain educational strategies which can be effectively implemented in this time of new normal in indian schools. review of related literature in recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the use of learning strategies, learning attitudes, learners’ emotions etc. to enhance learning satisfaction, which is a significant factor in evaluating the quality of learning (ahmed et al. 2013; mariza et al. 2015; obergriesser and stoeger, 2020), as learning strategies have been methods to produce, arrange or transform knowledge (alexander et al. 1998). the present research explores strategies to enhance educational achievement and learning satisfaction in times of crisis caused by covid-19. it studies by classifying learning strategies into three categories, i. e., learners-based strategies, educators-based strategies and institutional strategies, regarding the perception of learners and educators about the effectiveness of these strategies in the post-pandemic era. the pandemic wreaked havoc on the educational system, particularly among schoolchildren (vegas, 2020). children spent about half of their time on homework at home compared to what they would have spent in a classroom setting at regular times (thorn & vincent-lancrin, 2021).though indian learners find technology and social networking tools useful for learning and are inclined to use them (alvi, 2021), the biggest problem for indian teachers and learners was adapting technology in a short period of time during pandemic. several previous studies established that classroom dynamics and social activities lead to more successful, productive, and meaningful learning (hurst et al . 2013; carini et al . 2006), whereas online classes lack co-curricular activities (lall and singh 2020). furthermore, studies reveal that characteristics such as age, gender, learners’ computer skills and technology tolerance, learning habits, lack of awareness, interest, personal touch, and interaction, as well as connectivity challenges, have a significant impact on students’ perceptions of online learning (keller and cernerud 2002; arora and srinivasan 2020). studies also identified major issues in developing countries like india due to digital gap and infrastructural dimensions for online education platforms (mishra, 2020); many researchers have investigated and identified problems faced by teachers like their willingness to teach online and their resistance to change (gratz and looney, 2020); network troubles, a lack of training, a lack of awareness, a lack of enthusiasm, reduced student participation (arora and srinivasan, 2020; kaup et al., 2020); external interruptions and family disruptions, a lack of training, a lack of technical support,  ambiguity related to direction, an inadequate infrastructure, limited knowledge and understanding of online teaching platforms and security concerns,  lack of course integration with technology, and low motivation (joshi, a. et al, 2021); inappropriate behaviour of learners’ including playing music, making noise, writing derogatory remarks, eating, and playing games in many windows (punit and qz.com, 2020). despite all these challenges associated with online learning, indian educational institutions began using web-assisted online classes to provide students with learning opportunities (jain and ruby 2020; nandakumar 2020). several other research studies have suggested different strategies and development in education system to cope with the challenges including and indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 53 appropriate interface for learning and engagement, need of new paradigm, efforts for effective blended learning, enhancement of student teacher virtual communication (chaturvedi, et al, 2021); development of new learning infrastructure experimentation and micro innovations (schleicher, 2021a)); develop resilience perseverance collaboration, responsiveness and adaptability in the face of rapid changes and disruptions (png. and goh, 2021); health education, maintaining good hygiene, academic catch-up, remedial activities, parental engagement, developing essential skills and supporting social and emotional development (rigall et al., 2021); online and remote learning, developing teachers and students for online and remote learning (oecd, 2021c); investing for the development of educators (carver-thomas, et al. 2021) close the digital divide, strengthen distance and blended learning, supporting social and emotional learning (darling-hammond, et al. 2020); designing an appropriate policy for schools; identifying the contextual factors that matter, developing new strategies to face the crisis (goh & tuga 2021). considering all this previous research knowledge, this paper explores and analyzes the need to update and upgrade the education system towards online pivots and the digital mindset to cope with the problems presented before it in the recent time i. e. the post-pandemic new normal situation. objectives of the study the main objectives of a research paper are as follows: 1. to identify the challenges faced by learners and educators in the new normal. 2. to explore effective teaching strategies to be followed in the new normal. 3. to explore learning strategies that can be adopted in the new normal. 4. to analyse the difference between the perception of learners and educators about the selected teaching and learning strategies in the new normal. based on these objectives following hypothesis was formulated: h0: there is no significant difference between the perception of learners and educators about the select education strategies in the new normal. research methodology the present study aims to analyse strategies to impart education effectively in the new normal. it is an empirical study, which tries to understand different challenges faced by educators and learners in the new normal. through the review of contemporary literature, the researchers have identified various psychological and social problems, which are being faced by learners and educators in the present scenario. it studies by classifying learning strategies into three categories i. e., learnersbased strategies, educators-based strategies and institutional strategies, with the perception of learners and educators about the effectiveness of these strategies in the post-pandemic era. the research design for the current study was exploratory research design that investigates the areas of research which have been under-researched earlier (mason, 2002). the researchers used a non-probability convenience sampling method and took a sample of 102 respondents associated with school education. the research was conducted on a sample consisting of 78 teachers of primary and secondary education institutions and 24 students, belonging to two different schools in western india. the data was gathered using an indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 54 online questionnaire, during the month of february march 2022. it was the time when educators and learners were struggling to cope with the fear and challenges of reopening schools in the new normal. to enable the ease of data analysis the selected strategies were pre-coded. the statistical package (spss 23.0) was used to analyse the data obtained using a questionnaire. the selected strategies were pre-coded to facilitate the ease of data analysis. data were analyzed using descriptive statistics mean, standard deviation and z-test. data analysis and interpretation an overview of the demographic variables related to the gender, profession, income and domicile of the respondents participating in the present research study, is depicted in the table no. 1. the table shows the distribution of respondent according to gender is 34.3 per cent male and 65.7 per cent female, and so female respondents dominated the study. the sample consists of 78 (76.5 per cent) educators and 24 (23.5 per cent) learners, which clearly indicates that the educators are keen to take part and adopt challenges imposed on the education system in the new normal. the distribution of the sample on the basis of family income per month, as shown in the table, depicts that among the respondents70 (68.6 per cent) are from the lower income group, whereas 32 (31.4 per cent) are from the higher income group. thus the lower income group dominates the sample. the distribution of rural and urban respondents was 30 (29.4 per cent) and. 72 (70.6 per cent) respectively. it is clearly exhibited that most of the respondents belonged to urban areas as the selected educational institutions were from urban areas. table-1: demographic profile of the respondents description distribution total percentage gender male 35 34.3 female 67 65.7 category educators 78 76.5 learners 24 23.5 family income (per month) lower income group 70 68.6 higher income group 32 31.4 domicile rural 30 29.4 urban 72 70.6 the present study aims to analyse strategies for effective education in the new normal. the study primarily tries to explore and identify the major challenges faced by educators and learners in the new normal. they have mentioned problems such as frequent issues related to internet connectivity, maintaining social distance while coming to the institution, fear while interacting with colleagues and friends in the new normal, emotional insecurity, risk of getting covid while coming to an educational institution, lack of motivation, frequent interruption and lack of attention in online classes and keeping pace with the changing policies and technology during new normal. in indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 56 the study also explores the perception of educators and learners regarding a few feasible selected strategies which were based on an extensive review of recent research on this pandemic situation and strategies adopted by different countries to cope with challenges in imparting education. for the present research study, from the review of the previous literature, 11 educational strategies have been selected and studied for their appropriateness in the new normal for school education. these studied strategies for better adaptability and effective education in the new normal, include three learning (sl-1, sl-2, sl-3), two educators-related strategies (se-1, se-2) and six strategies related to institutional effectiveness (si-1, si-2, si-3, si-4, si-5, si-6). the respondents were asked to indicate their perception of the effectiveness and possible implementation of these studied strategies i.e. ‘dividing the learners into groups based on their accessibility to the internet’(sl-1), ‘dividing the learners on the basis of their approachability to the educational institution with low risk of exposure due to transportation etc.’(sl-2), ‘dividing the learners on the basis of their level of learning and ease of learning in online classes’(sl-3), ‘by categorizing educators on the basis of their ease of using technology for teaching’(se-1), ‘by categorizing educators on the basis of their willingness to be trained for adopting new methods of teaching’(se-2), ‘by providing online learning education more effectively and increasing the quality’(si-1), ‘by providing sports day, activity day etc. for learners to make deal with social learning and emotional development issues’(si-2), ‘by adopting continuous classroom evaluation methods for substituting exams’(si-3), ‘by adopting oral exams more effectively as a substitute of final examination’(si-4), ‘by developing technology for better proctoring of online exams’(si-5), ‘by emphasizing qualitative assessment instead of quantitative evaluation’(si-6). to enable the ease of data analysis the selected strategies were pre-coded. data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the results of the descriptive statistical analysis of the perception of educators and learners regarding selected strategies are presented in table no. 3. the table exhibits the mean and standard deviation of different selected strategies. the mean scores of most of the selected strategies are above 3 and near 4, which explains that the respondents find these educational strategies highly significant in dealing with challenges faced in imparting education in the new normal. it may be inferred from the analyzed data that sl1, i.e. dividing the learner on the basis of their accessibility to the internet, is the least significant of these strategies with a mean score of 2.77. it is also evident that si-2, with a mean score of 3.79, si-5, with a mean value of 3.78 and si-6 with a mean of 3.73, are considered the most appropriate strategies by both educators and learners. table-3: descriptive analysis of the perception of educators and learners strategies mean s.d. sl1 2.77 1.14 sl-2 3.13 1.06 sl-3 3.36 1.13 se-1 3.1 1.46 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 58 of their ease of using technology for teaching. similarly, for si-1 i. e. providing online learning education more effectively and increasing the quality, the z-test value is 1.99 (p<0.05), and for si-3, i.e. adopting continuous classroom evaluation methods for substituting exams, the score is z =1.99 (p<0.05). therefore, it is evident that i.e. there is a significant difference in the perception of educators and learners regarding these strategies. contrary to the difference in the perception of educators and learners regarding strategies, the results of sl-1 with (z=0.05, p <0.05), sl-2 with (z=0.67. p<0.05) and sl-3 with (z=0.73, p<0.05), show that there is no significant difference in the perception of educators and learners regarding these strategies. similarly, the z-test scores of se-2 with (z=0.42, p <0.05), si-2 with (z=0.09. p<0.05), si-4 with (z=0.04, p<0.05), si-5 with (z=0.52. p<0.05) and si-6 with (z=0.08, p<0.05) aptly depict that the perceptions of educators and learners regarding these other strategies do not differ significantly. therefore, it can be concluded that both, educators and learners find all the studied strategies significant for coping with the challenges of the new normal in school education. table-4: descriptive analysis of the perception of educators and learners strategy category mean s.d. z-value (2 tailed) sl-1 educator 2.65 1.11 0.05 ns learner 3.17 1.17 sl -2 educator 3.10 0.97 0.67 ns learner 3.21 1.32 sl-3 educator 3.38 1.01 0.73 ns learner 3.29 1.49 se-1 educator 3.54 1.34 2.74* s learner 1.67 0.76 se-2 educator 3.42 1.18 0.42 ns learner 3.21 0.98 si-1 educator 3.33 1.33 1.99* s learner 4.25 1.03 si-2 educator 3.68 1.27 0.09 ns learner 4.17 1.09 si-3 educator 3.73 0.89 1.99* s learner 2.00 1.02 si-4 educator 3.08 1.29 0.04 ns learner 3.71 1.40 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 59 strategy category mean s.d. z-value (2 tailed) si-5 educator 3.74 1.11 0.52 ns learner 3.92 1.18 si-6 educator 3.62 1.15 0.08 nslearner 4.08 1.10 discussion and conclusions the study aims to understand different learning strategies based on learners, educators, and institutions, which could be effective in the new normal. in order to explore, the effectiveness of selected educational strategies and how educators and learners perceive them, by using the structured instrument, the data was collected. the collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. the result of this study provides a clear understanding that there is a significant difference between the perception of educators and learners about these strategies. the research was carried out by adopting a descriptive quantitative, that used a questionnaire for data gathering. from the study, it can be safely concluded that the issues which have a greater impact and impose major challenges on all the educators and learners in the new normal, are mainly related to social distancing, managing emotional insecurity and dealing with internet connectivity issues. the present study also establishes that most of the studied strategies are found significant by both learners and educators for coping with the challenges of the new normal. both educators and learners are in favour of the adoption of the studied institutional strategies, to deal with the challenges of the new normal. among the selected strategies, learners based strategy i.e. ‘dividing the learners on the basis of their approachability to educational institutions with lower risk to exposure due to transportation’ and ‘dividing the learner on the basis of their level of learning and ease of learning in online classes’ was found more appropriate and acceptable, than ‘dividing the learner into groups based on their accessibility to internet’. it is established that both learners and educators believe that all learners should get better access to the internet. the outcomes of this study support the conclusions that students prefer mixed-mode learning to e-learning (tagoe, 2012), and students found blended e-learning, as suggested through some of the strategies in the current research, to be more appealing than web-assisted learning (sharma and alvi, 2021) adopted during a pandemic. the present study also establishes that educators and learners are growing more adaptable to innovative educational strategies. the result throws light that imparting education in the new normal requires immediate attention from educational institutions to cope with the challenges of the new normal. from the current study it can also be concluded that educational institutions need to immediately deal with the rapidly changing needs of educational services. the research revealed that in the new normal, educational institutions should implement the studied strategies as per the needs of the environment and should help in curbing the anxiety and fear of the learners and become more effective as well as efficient in delivering educational services. recommendations and suggestion in uncertain times appropriate indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 60 measures are needed to be undertaken by educational institute to promote the development of an effective education system. educational institutions should encourage for implementation of innovative learning strategies and assist in making them more successful. effective implementation of these learning strategies would help in filling the learning gaps created by the covid-19 situation and also assist in coping with the challenges imposed on the education system by the pandemic crisis. it is recommended that educational institution should empower their educators to take the initiative for the effective implementation of innovative learning strategies. a developed and effective education system is not only, needed to enhance knowledge and prepare learners mentally and professionally, but it is also required to maintain economic sustainability and global advancement. educational institutions and educators must undergo training programs to maintain the quality of education. de-limitations there are some restrictions of this study that need to be acknowledged. one significant constraint of the research is the limited number of respondents in the sample. the study requires further empirical analysis with a larger number of respondents for generalization of the inferences drawn from the study. secondly, the present research uses a self-rating questionnaire as measuring instrument, which might result in response bias as participants have a tendency to share socially appropriate responses instead of giving genuine responses. the study studies selected strategies to cope with the challenges in the new normal, but it did not throw much light on the other possible strategies which could be adopted and be a success. the study focuses on the challenges faced by indian schools which are struggling to provide quality education in the new normal. however, considering the indian scenario, all the educational institutions might not have suitable resources and infrastructure to implement these studied strategies. educational implications the present study will be advantageous for initiating successful learning strategies for students and educators as they are experiencing several challenges in the new. learners and educators need to attain educational goals for which they require a face-to-face class schedule to learn, teach and effectively practice, but are unable to achieve so due to the pandemic crisis. very few studies have empirically investigated the learning strategies, which can be successfully used by learners, educators, and institutions to deal with challenges imposed on the education system in the new normal. the present study aims to close this gap in the literature by taking a look at the use of these learning strategies and their impact on the perception of educators and learners. the finding of the current research would help in improving educational practices, as the basic objective of the study was to recognise successful learning strategies in copying these challenges. the study results will be useful to academicians, policymakers, teachers, psychologists, and research scholars in enhancing the educational achievements of learners in the present times of uncertainty due to this crisis. it will be beneficial in being prepared for such an unpredictable situation and in the effective implementation of innovative learning strategies for different types 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(2020). coronavirus and the great online-learning experiment. the chronicle of higher education. available at: https://www.chronicle.com/article/ coronavirus-and-thegreat-online-learning-experiment/ (accessed on april 2022). indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 139 general article sustaining digital language resources and sign language melissa g. wallang assistant professor, nerie-ncert, email: melissancert@gmail.com abstract this paper discusses the need of a multi-modal and multilingual sign language resource by providing insights from the experiences based on the development of digital based sign language resources which are the north east sign languages signbank (a variety of the indian sign language) in a web-based format and the meghalaya signbank (a variety of the isl), a mobile application. it raises the challenges and concerns of sustaining such language resource and its use, drawing upon the cross modal perspectives of archiving human languages, issues in education and the cultural and linguistic diversity of the deaf community in india and particularly the north east region. keywords: sign language, indian sign language, digital language resources, sustainability, mobile application, web-based introduction sign language, a natural human language used predominantly by the deaf communities of the world, has linguistic properties similar to any spoken language. the idea that just hand movements and facial expressions can form the basis of an entire language, a unique culture and a different understanding of the world is mind-boggling. the arbitrariness of signs and their permutations and combinations are no different from the arbitrariness of the sounds of spoken language and their meanings, and yet, they both evolved and continue to evolve naturally through our universal need to connect and communicate. embroiled in world of confusions and misconceptions, miscommunications and misunderstandings, it is easy to understand why a soundless language of a minority population of the people who cannot understand the spoken word would be conveniently overlooked and typecast as a disability. thus, the field of sign linguistics emerged with the ground-breaking work of william stokoe (1960) on sign language structure: an outline of the visual communication system of the american deaf, which engendered more studies that investigated the influence of modality of communication on its language structure (see brentari, 2002). thus, research studies mostly circled around the role of gestures in a language (see messing and campbell, 1999; liddell 2003). research into the mechanics of sign language use, with its intricate coordination of hand movements and facial expression as the modes of production, offers interesting opportunities to investigate and gain indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 140 insights into human language. hence, stokoe’s first ever linguistic description of sign language (see stokoe 1960; battison 1974; brentari 1998) generated a whole new perspective in our understanding of human languages. this has given rise to other studies that investigate how sign language relates to cognition and how it is processed in the human brain (see namir & schlesinger 1978; klima & bellugi 1979 and several others studies). consequently, documentation of sign language and its compilation into a dictionary is vital for the analysis and description of the linguistic configurations of sign language. in the context of deafness and the deaf community, a dictionary can also serve as a means of developing an unknown language that has emerged out of a human need to connect with one another, thereby inherently identifying them as a community having their own unique culture. a sign language dictionary also serves the purpose of propagation of the language (see lucas, 2003), where a corpus based analysis of sign language usually results in various printed dictionaries (see brien, 1992; johnston, 1989, and several others). in india, sign language dictionaries in printed form started in the 1970’s in the four major cities of india (see vasishta, woodward, & wilson (1978); vasishta, woodward, de santis, 1980; vasishta, woodward, de santis & sharma, 1985; and 1987). with technological advancements and the race towards a digital global world, it became much more feasible and viable to document visual language such as sign language in multi-media modes which have greatly improved in recent times. there are numerous digital based sign language resources, but only a few are mentioned in this paper. an online resource such as the british-sign.co.uk (https://www.british-sign.co.uk/) is a website which is available online where one can learn british sign language (bsl), fingerspellings and even online courses. it also provides free resources regarding bsl and contains many links for beginners. signing savvy (https:// www.signingsavvy.com/) is another online dictionary of american sign language (asl) displaying thousands of fingerspellings and signs common to both canada and america. it consists of tutorials and courses on how to use sign language for the users. auslan signbank (http://www.auslan.org.au/) an interactive dictionary of australian sign language (auslan) is also available online. links include the auslan archive and corpus, etc. users can interact online by providing feedback and reporting missing signs. further, many apps for translation have been developed around the world with the objective of breaking communication barriers for the deaf community around the world and improving the services dedicated towards d (the term ‘deaf’ is used with a capital ‘d’ referring to a group of deaf people whose first language is sign language having their own specific and unique culture and a community of their own, which is the contemporary trend in linguistic research. in this paper, the same convention is also followed.)/ deaf individuals in various public spaces. hand talk (www.handtalk.me), a virtual interpreter led by a by a 3d character known as ‘hugo’, offers digital indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 141 translation to brazilian sign language, a language used by the deaf community in brazil. it automatically translates text and audio to libras on smartphones and tablets. it can be used by individuals on their phones or by companies to translate website content that contain information which may not be readable. motion savvy’s (https://techcrunch. com/2014/06/06/motionsavvy-is-atablet-app-that-understands-signlanguage/) new sign language app is a real time translation technology that is able to track both hands and 10 fingers, and convert sign language to grammatically correct spoken language. this comes in a device (uni) which captures the voice of the speaker and displays it in text format so that the deaf can read. in india, however, very few sign language resources are available, these include an online course on isl which was developed in web and mobile based applications such as the “talking hands (https://www.talkinghands. co.in/)” (deaf enabled foundation, bengaluru initiated in 2013). since 2000, the ramakrishna mission in coimbatore (2001) has documented sign language according to different semantic categories derived from a project in collaboration with cbm international. wallang (2015) has also attempted to document the language used by the deaf community in the form of a multi-media dictionary of shillong sign language (shsl) and in printed form that contains phonological description of each sign (wallang, 2014). currently, the indian sign language research training centre, (islrtc (under the ministry of social justice and empowerment, govt. of india)) has recently launched an isl dictionary encompassing the varieties of sign languages operating in the country, with an entry of 3000 words (wallang, 2019). recently a def-isl app (https://play.google.com/ store/apps/details?id=in.eightfolds. deafenabled&hl=en_in) was launched in india on the month of april 2019, with a view to bridge communication barriers and enhances english language skills. it was developed in collaboration with larsen & tubro (l&t) and the deaf enable foundation and it can be used in phones using both android and ios. it comprises of 5000 + easy phrases and sentences in sign language. the app is categorised into semantic groups where users can use the search button to look for a particular sign citation. background of the digital sign language resources the nesl signbank: the nesl signbank (see wallang, 2019) comprises of a variety of sign languages commonly used by the deaf community across the north eastern (ne) states in india. this was developed at the north east regional institute of education (a unit of ncert in shillong) to promote and strengthen teacher education in regular and inclusive classrooms where d/ deaf students are available. hence, the database consists of lexical items of more than 5000 signs citation which are commonly used in the field of education. signs included in this webapp cover several areas which have been classified into different semantic categories i.e. basic words, question words, kinship terms, colour terms, food items, locations, professions, indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 142 educational terms (of various subject areas), etc. besides the lexical items, fingerspellings, both single-handed and double-handed, along with numerals have also been included. this webbased format also extends more information about the demographics of deafness in the region, and provides insights into the linguistic properties of the language. hence, it offers more understanding into the grammatical and organisational principles of the language in general, which supports the user while communicating in sign language. it is not simply listing of words, but it also takes into account the lexical variation that exists across the region by incorporating all variants. this was done to ensure that smaller deaf communities that exist in the region are not eliminated or dominated by major communities. the end product of the nesl-signbank was prepared to be hosted in the institutes’ website whereby users can simply access information through online mode and send questions and give feedback. the meghalaya signbank app: meghalaya signbank (meg signbank) app was launched during the observation of international day of pwds on the 3rd of december, 2018. the app already contains a list of approximately 3000 words. meghalaya sign language which is a variety of the isl is commonly shared across the deaf communities in the state of meghalaya. the development of this app symbolizes their strength as a linguistic entity and gives recognition and empowerment to the language and its users. it was developed to take precedence in the field of education and public institutions by ensuring communication access to all hearing or deaf and particularly for the deaf community where they can exercise equal opportunities in all spheres of their lives. every educational institution can adapt this app in its teaching and learning process to show respect for and adhere to the language of such communities. it was designed in a user-friendly manner, where english, khasi and garo languages (the official languages of the state) can be used to access sign language and it is portable since users can install it in their phones with minimal space requirements. the user can simply type a word in any of these languages and the corresponding sign will be displayed in a video format. a series of data collection through video recordings of each sign was carried out and collected from deaf native signers across the state following linguistic methods. each word in the meg signbank has been translated from sign language to english, khasi and garo. further, if there are two variants of a single word, both variants are included. in other words, if there happens to be two to three ways of signing a single word having a similar meaning in the three spoken languages, these variants are incorporated to ensure that the deaf communities in different parts of the state understand each other. words have been semantically cagtegorised and 17 categories have been identified so that users can simply click on the semantic category they want and then find a list of words relevant to that category. these are agricultural terms, animals & insects, apparels & clothing, calender, colour terms, indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 143 games & sports, greetings and simple phrases, health and medical terms, legal and government terms, places and institutions, relgious terms, sociocultural terms, local places, electoral terms and tools. there are two types of fingerspellings–the single-handed and the double handed spellings, which are simply the manual representation of the english alphabets. they are kept in two windows under the meg sl option which consist of hand images for each alphabet. the home window also consists of information about the developmental process of the app, the team involved, and instructions for using the settings of the app. users can simply click on any of these category to access a sign. regarding access and availability, this megsignbank (a variety of indian sign language) was developed with a team of engineers (nic, meghalaya), and it is currently available for android phones or tablets at google playstore for free. sustainability of sign language resources this section discusses a few challenges experienced in the development of nesl signbank and the meg signbank (both of which are varieties of isl), and highlights the need to build a more comprehensive resource in terms of sustaining the relevance of such language archives, dictionaries, etc. with the advent of computer applications and mobile apps, it is possible to store language resources for one’s own information. however, such digital resources are liable to become obsolete due to the on-going requirements of updating information in the emerging computer formats. further, besides the information update that is required from time to time, they also need conscious effort in different areas to gain wider acceptance in most hearing communities. it is yet to attain the vibrancy in education needed for its sustainability, and this is particularly the case in rural areas than in urban mainstream india. simons and birds (2008) pointed out that “a language resource is any physical or digital item that is a product of language documentation, description, or development or is a tool that specifically supports the creation and use of such products” (p.88). according to simons and bird (2008) language resources in discussing the ‘open language archives community’ and the dangers of extinction of knowledge, there are necessary and sufficient conditions for sustaining use of language. the sustainability model they pointed out has the following characteristic features– the extant, discoverable, available, interpretable, portable and relevant. they also discussed the roles of the creators, the archives (institutions that create long term language resources), the aggregators (institutions that gather data from multiple resources) and the users in sustaining these virtual language libraries. what is pertinent in their argument is the role of aggregators in providing technical infrastructure in sustaining language use which is responsible for accessibility, the ability to adapt in varied formats and availability. in the context of sign language, the viability of the sign language dictionaries needs to be taken into consideration. can signbanks or apps really support indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 144 communication and classroom teaching and learning? they are commonly used to learn individual signs, which is the equivalent of looking up a particular word of a spoken language in a dictionary. however, simply listing signs in a dictionary format with no linguistic description does not offer much to the users. it doesn’t help in opening one’s mind and ability to understand the role of spatial grammar and its implications on pedagogy and language learning. in other words, when one looks at a spoken language dictionary, one not only sees the meaning of words, but also learns how to pronounce the word according to the sounds pattern of that particular language. similarly, in a visual –manual language, apart from learning the meaning of a sign, one would also gain more information of how it is supposed to be produced. a user is simultaneously introduced into the phonological features involved in the production of each sign, for instance, which handshape, movement, location etc. are associated with it. rather than continuing to present sign language pictures and videos, this requires one to visually learn movement of hands and facial expressions. a user should be able to decipher the importance of the phonological features of a sign which is integral to its production and its grammatical structure. however, it is usually the case that users utilise such resources in classroom situations by signing a single sign or make use of fingerspellings within an english structure while communicating. hence, it becomes a word-by-word translation of a spoken form, which is usually inaccurate, since not every word has a sign correspondent and most of the grammatical features such as plural forms, pronouns, verb forms, tense, etc. of spoken forms are simultaneously expressed in the manner of movement of the hands, and spatial modification. this kind of signing muddles up with the sign language grammar, making it impossible for the deaf signer who has no access to english language to understand what is being signed. further, sign languages have a more spatial syntactic structure which gets disfigured due to use of the word-byword translations. when one simply incorporates sign language in their speech, the discourse that follows in the classroom is mostly lacking in meaning and content to the deaf listeners. this was observed (based on a study) much more closely when a teacher was teaching mathematics, and formulae and rules of calculation were simply fingerspelled. even if interpreters were present, they invariably have no clue as to the subject of teaching and would misunderstand the lesson, especially since there is no proper coordination between the interpreter and the teacher prior to the lesson. so, how relevant are dictionaries and apps? however advanced we may think our educational institutions are we cannot ignore the reality that d/ deaf children are still expected to learn english language or any other spoken language in many schools. teachers and instructors need technical support in terms of sign language training with special focus on the intricacies of spatial grammar. although the nesl signbank does provide information on the indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 145 grammatical features, it needs to extend to being able to provide naturalistic data that will support meaningful classroom instructions. hence, a multi-modal corpus on sign language needs to be considered so as to be able to render a natural discourse that will be more relevant to such classroom situations and thus, contribute to sustaining such languages. sign language corpus as a language resource several attempts have been made to build language corpora that thrive on collecting natural language data through rigorous recordings of actual language use in real world such as the brown corpus by kureća and francis, in the 1960’s and several others developed on the same lines such as the lancasteroslo/bergen corpus (see beale, 1985). these corpora have been collected from native speakers and have often been used to extract information related to word frequency; structural rules, phonological aspects of that language etc. and they have been instrumental in the creation of comprehensive grammar books. hence, corpus linguistics as a method for linguistic analysis is relevant for any discussion on the need for developing a multi-modal sign language corpus. in the context of sign language, a visual-manual mode of communication, the absence of a form of writing, the lack of consensus for a standardised notation system of transcription and the struggle for recognition of most sign languages, particularly in india, developing a corpus is more crucial than a dictionary, simply because the data and information in a corpus is more comprehensive. a corpus contains both spoken and written forms of language taken from real situations and stored in a machine-readable format. modern digital corpora however, are more flexible and more competent to store all forms of text in multi-media mode with suitable notation software and glossing. as johnston and schembri (2013) points out till 2008, sign language ‘corpus’ remains simply a list of video recordings with no linguistic descriptions with the exception of some which contain written forms of transcription. studies on isl and its variety have been initiated since the year 2000 (see zeshan, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003a, 2003b; sinha, 2017, wallang, 2014, 2015), and these are based on data collected from a selected group of informants, and not based on a larger corpora considering the cultural diversity in the country. a multi-modal corpus that draws natural language data from various sources is needed. as stated above, in india attempts have been made to incorporate sign varieties operating across india (indian sign language research & training (http://www.islrtc. nic.in/.) and yet this is only a dictionary which is accessible online. the online dictionary contains a variety of semantic categories which includes legal, medical, technical terms, english idioms, names of places, numerals, etc. nevertheless, these are all attempts that contribute towards understanding of sign language in india and thus manoeuvre more academic resources which support the deaf community and promote equity in education. johnston and schembri (2006) working on auslan, points out the difficulty in archiving sign indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 146 languages. he highlighted the issues in sustaining data which for the most part, involves time-consuming series of video recordings, and necessary annotation for linguistic analysis. today, creation of multi-modal sign language corpora is possible with the advent of multimedia software for example, the elan software (see crasborn & sloetjes, 2008) that can automatically annotate multimodal forms of language; and ilex (see hanke & storke, 2008) a database tool to transcribe sign languages. in india, the urgent need is to create an open source multi-modal sign language resource that could be productive for those sectors dealing with the deaf community and render better services that would contribute to its sustainability. sign language in education amidst diversity as pointed out above, a multi-modal based corpus on sign language is needed for larger understanding of its structure, the implications on language acquisition and the integration of pedagogy in classrooms. in education, attempts (ncert on barkha series, north east regional institute of education on ‘reading cards’, folktales, children stories, the nesl signbank, and several others) have been made to integrate sign language in school education by ensuring pedagogical materials are translated and represented in sign language. however, the status of sign language in language policy is yet to gain momentum particularly in the field of academics. by legislation, several provisions have been made to ensure sign language should be made accessible as per the rights of person with disability act (2016). although the united nations convention on rights of person with disability advocate for formal recognition of sign languages (see batterbury, 2012) yet in the rpwd act, (2016) sign language is still being reflected under the ‘augmentative and alternative communication’ in the context of ‘disability’, hence, it is not treated at par like any other spoken language which by constitutional rights (article 29, (1&2)) can be promoted like any other minor tribal languages. its status as a natural language with a diverse group of deaf community members is yet to be understood. thus a major corpus for linguistic archiving of sign languages drawn from multiple resources is necessary. although sign language may have minimal functions in the larger society as compared to the dominant languages in the country, its place in education right from school education needs much more than simple archiving of the language or integrating it in ict classroom materials for instance, by providing simultaneous translation of classroom instructions and materials. it is often the case that such translations cater to inclusive classrooms, but the sign language used in these materials may be of a variety that is different from the students or teachers who may not have the knowledge of other varieties of sign language used in different parts of the country. consequently, there may be possibilities of lexical and structural differences, or even the risk of losing the indigenous forms of sign language varieties by incorporating more borrowed forms from dominant sign languages. a multi-modal corpus in isl that takes consideration of indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 147 the varieties that exists in a cultural and diverse country will no doubt have extensive vocabulary with more intriguing structural features, which can contribute to the study of human languages. sign language in the context of inclusive education remains a setback. although, attempts have been made to integrate inclusive education in both pre-service and in-service teacher education, yet sign language within the concept of ‘total communication’ loses its stance as a natural language. in pre-service education, sign language does not appear to be incorporated seriously in most teacher education programmes, in the ne region. although diploma courses and short term trainings are available (rehabilitation council of india based institutions) and with the commencement of islrtc most courses on isl are regulated by the islrtc, which need to work collectively with teacher training centres. in mainstream education, in-service teacher training programmes and teaching learning materials in sign language are quite rare. d/deaf children are not commonly found in mainstream schools since most of them prefer to study in deaf schools where they can communicate with each other and even reside there. hence, rather than a sign language training of teachers, it is more viable to have awareness programmes on the basics of sign language and integrate it into the regular training programmes. although ncert has been providing exclusive trainings in this area in the ne region, the state educational functionaries have initiated similar trainings as well, particularly in meghalaya, nagaland and mizoram. based on these short term trainings, it has been observed that most teachers often learn the language quickly, but its actual utilisation in schools remains unknown and probably unused because of a lack of clear-cut guidelines and resources. even with the meg signbank, an initiative taken by the state government of meghalaya from the department on disability (rather than from the mainstream educational functionaries) failed to make a definitive impact as the app was not mandated as a resource for teaching and learning and perhaps, it is yet to build itself extensively for the purpose of education. however, the nesl signbank does contain information that can support teacher education even if it still requires incorporating more data and instructional materials. to ensure sustainability of such digital language resources, one needs to extend and ensure that the data is relevant for the users. therefore, relevance of a larger corpus is needed in order to develop and improve teaching-learning materials. the present scenario reveals that sign language is yet to make its way into the existing special schools in the ne states, let alone ‘mainstream education’. different schools have their own preferences for the kind of curriculum, method of teaching and the type of sign language used. one school may advocate for the use of isl while another may rely on whatever sign language resources and/or training are available for the children’s benefit. thus, there are many disagreements amongst schools, and more often than not, teachers would prefer to use indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 148 what is easily available and/or under the expertise of people from outside the region, while disregarding the deaf community’s perspective. the onus falls on the creators of these programmes and applications to address these issues. based on the development of the meg signbank, one has to take into account the need of the users, for example, the need to use the app in public institutions such as in hospitals, in legal matters, electoral duties (as part of the campaign on inclusive election), and so on. thus, simply listing signs may be productive to cater to short term trainings, but to sustain the app, it needs to incorporate more instances of natural language use in actual contexts and at the same time ensure that these are translated to the local languages as well so as to include those users (hearing) who may not understand english. additionally, one of the critical concerns in today’s world is the decreasing rate of linguistic diversity due to the rapid speed in information and technology and economic advancements. some may not agree to the link between economic advancements and language development and preservation, and perhaps it may be true in reference to spoken languages only. however, the ne states with its linguistic diversity, rich traditions, cultures, folklores and numerous oral history of distinct folktales present an interesting area to derive insights into deafness and the disconnect that the deaf community faces from the hearing world’s traditional knowledge and culture (this is not dealt in this paper). due to this varied nature, one expects diversity even within deaf communities existing in this region. however, deaf communities are not defined by geographical boundariesthey exist in places where deaf people congregate and often live together such as residential schools, deaf clubs and associations, or in small villages where families having hereditary deafness are present. schools are usually located in urban areas of the region and they mostly form the platform where most sign languages develop by virtue of having deaf students with the basic human need to communicate. homesigns (the signs used at home) are the initial forms of communication that children carry to such schools. in the context of deafness and sign language, it was observed that smaller deaf communities (while working on the database of both nesl signbank and meg signbank) tend to move towards mainstream languages which are considered to be more beneficial and more advanced as they meet the communication requirements particularly in academic and occupational spaces. in the context of the ne region, sign language variations at the lexical level and structural level across the region were observed particularly while documenting the nesl signbank. striking differences can be seen particularly in the state of nagaland, where the structural features of the sign language use in the deaf schools in nagaland is similar to the asl. further, while compiling signs for the meg signbank, disagreements as to what is considered the correct or standard form of single sign for a particular word emerged from those residing in urban indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 149 areas and rural interior parts of the state. however, the groups representing the urban areas predominate in most instances, as they are more exposed to isl and asl due to contact with different ngos and other national and international organisations that often relate to their programmes or in other social platforms. similarly, when these groups meet native signers from other states, they tend to borrow signs which result in loan signs, and often replace their own indigenous signs for many reasons. in view of the inherent nature of cultural diversity in india and particularly in the ne states, sign language dictionaries, archives, signbanks, and so on so forth ought to contain national and regional dialects. hence, the requirement of a multi-modal and multilingual corpus becomes indispensable particularly in the ne region. this is possible with the support of the institutions and functionaries and their active role in mainstream education (or as simons and bird uses the terms ‘archives’ and ‘aggregates’) for the sustainability of the sign language corpus and for it to be treated at par with the corpora of spoken languages. bearing in mind that such resource should have open access may not only be seen as language resources, but can also help one to understand the underlying structures of such languages in order to able to use and integrate in their daily lives, particularly in an academic environment. to sum up, the sustaining model as pointed out by simons and bird (2008) requires much more in building a digitally based sign language corpus than our efforts till date, and this is yet to be achieved. it is not enough to create resources in sign languages in the form of apps or dictionaries as a corollary of technological advancement in aiding data collection, storage, automatic annotation (transcription), accessibility (in multi-media or in print), availability, and relevance. sign language faces a great many challenges such as the dearth of materials, its status which is still not recognised as a natural language in our country, and its place in the curriculum at all levels of education. to truly sustain the growth of sign language resources, educational institutions can be the mechanism to provide a platform for building and updating such corpora for extensive research with long-term financial support and at the same time to ensure their continuity and relevance. students on the post-test. the graph shows that experimental group scores were better than traditional group scores. it is indicated that the computer assisted instruction better than traditional method of teaching. references batterbury, s. c. (2012). language justice for sign language peoples: the un convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. language policy, 11(3), 253-272. battison, r. (1974). phonological deletion in american sign language. sign language studies, 5(1), 1-19. beale, a. d. (1985, july). grammatical analysis by computer of the lancaster-oslo/bergen (lob) corpus of british english texts. in proceedings of the 23rd annual meeting indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 150 on association for computational linguistics (pp. 293-298). association for com putational linguistics. brentari, d. (1998). a prosodic model of sign language phonology. mit press. brentari, d. (2002). modality differences in sign language phonology and morphophone mics. modality and structure in signed and spoken languages, 35-64. brien, d. (1992). dictionary of british sign language / english. london: faber and faber. crasborn, o., & sloetjes, h. (2008). enhanced elan functionality for sign language corpora. in 6th international conference on language resources and evaluation (lrec 2008)/3rd workshop on the representation and processing of sign languages: construction and exploitation of sign language corpora (pp. 39-43). hanke, t., & storz, j. (2008, may). ilex–a database tool for integrating sign language corpus linguistics and sign language lexicography. in lrec 2008 workshop proceedings. w 25: 3rd workshop on the representation and processing of sign languages: construction and exploitation of sign language corpora. paris: elra (pp. 64-67). indian sign language dictionary. (2000). ramakrishna mission vidhalaya. international human resource development centre, for the disabled, coimbatore. india. johnston, trevor. (1989). auslan: the sign language of the australian deaf community. university of sydney. johnston, t., & schembri, a. (2013). corpus analysis of sign languages. encyclopedia of applied linguistics, 479-501. johnston, t., & schembri, a. (2006, december). issues in the creation of a digital archive of a signed language. in sustainable data from digital fieldwork: proceedings of the conference held at the university of sydney (pp. 7-16). klima, e. s., & bellugi, u. (1979). the signs of language. harvard university press. liddell, s. k. (2003). grammar, gesture, and meaning in american sign language. cam] bridge university press. lucas, c. (2003). the role of variation in lexicography. sign language studies, 3(3), 322-340. messing, l., & campbell, r. (1999). gesture, speech, and sign. namir, l., & schlesinger, m. (1978). sign language of the deaf. stokoe, william c. (1960). sign language structure: an outline of the visual communication system of the american deaf. studies in linguistics, occasional papers 8. new york: university of buffalo. simons, g.f., bird, s. (2008). toward a global infrastructure for the sustainability of language resources. in proceedings of the 22nd pacific asia conference on language, information and computation: paclic 22. pp. 87–100 sinha, s. (2017). indian sign language: an analysis of its grammar. gallaudet university press. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 151 vasishta, m., woodward, j., & wilson, k. (1978). sign language in india: regional variation within the deaf population. indian journal of applied linguistics, 4(2), 66-74. vasishta, m., woodward, j., & de santis, s. (1980). an introduction to indian sign language: (focus on delhi). all india federation of the deaf. vasishta, m. m., woodward, j., de santis, s., & sharma, v. (1985). an introduction to the bangalore variety of indian sign language. gallaudet research institute. vasishta, m. m., woodward, j., de santis, s., & sharma, v. (1987). an introduction to the calcutta variety of indian sign language. gallaudet research institute. wallang m. g. (2014). introduction to sign language. a visual dictionary. lakshi publication. new delhi. wallang, m. g. (2015). the making of the shillong sign language multimedia lexicon (shsl mml). sign language studies, 15(3), 296-321 wallang, m.g. 2019 documentation of sign languages of north east india, indian journal of educational technology vol.1. issue 1, january 2019 ciet, ncert, new delhi (vol. 1). new delhi. doi: january 2019, 1-15 zeshan, u. (2000). sign language in indo-pakistan: a description of a signed language. john benjamins publishing. zeshan, u. (2001). mounting in indopakistani sign language (ipsl): regularities and variation. in p. boyes-braem & r. sutton-spence (eds.), the hand is the mouth: the mouth as articulator in sign language. hamburg: signum zeshan, u. (2002). towards a notion of ‘word’ in sign languages (pp. 153-179). cambridge: cambridge university press. zeshan, u. (2003a). indo-pakistani sign language grammar: a typological outline. sign language studies, 157-212. zeshan, u. (2003b). classificatory constructions in indo-pakistani sign language: grammaticalization and lexicalization processes. perspectives on classifier constructions in sign languages, 41-113. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 1 research article attitude of college teachers towards virtual classroom during covid-19 pandemic mehraj ahmad bhat1 & shabnum ali2 1assistant professor govt. degree college bijbehara (j&k) e-mail: mehrajsc@gmail.com 2research scholar, department of education, aligarh muslim university, aligarh, u. p. abstract due to technological advancement important changes have been seen in the field of teaching and learning process. it is one of the tools that have emerged from information and communication technology, and during this pandemic, many schools, colleges and universities have been included in the teaching-learning process. in this paper, an attempt has been made to study the attitude of college teachers towards virtual classrooms during the covid-19 pandemic. a self-constructed scale was administered to 206 college teachers via online mode. item-wise analysis showed variations in attitudes towards virtual classrooms during the covid-19 pandemic. however, both genders showed average attitudes, but in certain items, both genders showed highly positive attitudes towards virtual classrooms during the covid-19 pandemic. the results also revealed that the teachers from different streams like sciences, social science, arts and commerce have not shown any significant differences in attitude towards virtual classrooms during the covid-19 pandemic. the research outcomes can be used as input for framing virtual classroom learning platforms in an educational setting through teachers. keywords: attitude; college teachers; virtual classroom; covid-19 pandemic introduction today, the world is facing a pandemic as the coronavirus (jamrozik et al., 2020) is sweeping around the globe, and its effect is going on. the pandemic has led to many deaths; lakhs of people have been quarantined and has led to a serious situation of thinking towards a global health emergency. the covid-19 pandemic has led to a total lockdown world over and india is no exception. during the lockdown, the education sector was impacted heavily and educational institutions had to move from the offline mode of teaching and learning to online mode. learning was rebooted during the covid-19 pandemic. this covid-19 was an ideal time to accept technological introduction and its latest offerings to make education delivery to students more efficient and make it more productive through online learning. the shutdown of educational institutions has led to many apprehensions among the students and teaching fraternity (gupta & goplani, 2020). however, the teaching fraternity has been adapting innovative methods to interact with the students with a focus on the curriculum. online learning also comes as an interesting and interactive additional resource as compared to the normal classroom. undoubtedly, the spread of covid-19 created huge challenges for the world’s educational systems. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 2 all the educational institutions cancelled their classwork, examinations and other allied activities and it led to many negative impacts. during the covid-19 pandemic educational institutions switched to a virtual mode of teaching, the body language and facial expressions are under restrictions as it is difficult to use these tools through online mode. however, the pandemic came with its own disadvantages and switching from traditional to modern methods of teaching and learning was not a simple task. therefore, in virtual teaching, the teachers used different social networking and educational applications/platforms, like, zoom, google meet, facebook, youtube, skype, etc., to restore their classwork and save the precious time of students. india was no exception to the global trend where every student is not well equipped with high-speed internet and digital gadgets. numerous advanced educational institutions in india are also not equipped with digital facilities right now to cope with sudden changes from the educational setup to the virtual education system (jena, 2020). due to this sudden transition from physical classes to virtual classes, many teachers and students faced difficulties in order to operate the platform as they were not ready for this sudden transition. the problem was compounded in areas that already were underdeveloped like j&k, where accessibility of modern gadgets was a herculean task for students from lowincome backgrounds. since the mode of teaching and learning during the pandemic changed, teachers had to adopt modern ways which were dominated by information and communication tools. this is a new area for both students and teachers, and assessments will probably have greater measurement errors than the normal teaching-learning process (upoalkpajor & upoalkpajor, 2020). in this context, the present work tries to analyse the attitude of teachers in higher education, particularly college teachers towards, adapting to modern methods of ict and virtual classrooms by using the questionnaire method distributed among 206 college teachers. relevant prior research a number of studies have been conducted on the attitude of teachers towards e-learning, learning through technologies, computers, the internet, online learning, etc. for instance, a study was conducted by panda & mishra, (2007) in which they came to the conclusion that frequent usage of computers and email is strongly correlated with favourable attitudes towards e-learning. similarly, mahdizadeh et al. (2008) found that teachers’ attitudes towards online learning may be affected by their perceptions of web-based activities, computer-assisted learning, and the additional value of online learning settings. however, kutluca (2010) found in his study a significant difference in the scores of attitudes towards computers based on factors like experience using a computer, degree of computer use, taking computer classes, owning a computer, frequency of use, and class of the scores. bakr (2011), did a study on egyptian public schools and found that teachers generally have a favourable attitude towards technology. in terms of gender and teaching experience, no significant differences were seen. similarly, suri & sharma (2017) indicated that no significant effect of gender or faculty on teacher attitudes toward computers and e-learning whereas a significant effect of age was seen on teacher’s attitudes towards computers & indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 3 e-learning. nachimuthu (2020) found that normal classroom practice does not affect the attitude of students towards online learning and there is no significant difference between the male and female attitude scores of students and teachers toward online learning practice in covid-19. besides, alhumaid et al. (2020) stated that there is a positive relationship between technology acceptance and e-learning during covid-19. to sum up, a number of studies have been conducted on the attitude of teachers, towards information and communication technology, computers, learning through technology, e-learning, computer competency, technology acceptance, etc., but none of the studies has been conducted on the attitude of teachers towards virtual classroom during covid-19 pandemic. therefore, the present work will be an addition to the already established knowledge of e-learning by filling the suitable gap of attitudinal variations among the teaching community of colleges towards virtual classrooms. the present study holds much significance as it is done in such a study area where levels of development are very low and adaptation of modern methods of teaching and learning is very slow. objectives of the study: 1. to study the attitude of male and female college teachers towards virtual classrooms during the video-19 pandemic. 2. to find out whether a significant difference exists between the attitude of college teachers in different streams towards virtual classrooms during the covid-19 pandemic. methodology descriptive survey research was used in the present study. the process of description as employed in this research study goes beyond mere gathering and tabulation of data. it involves an element of population/sampling procedure, tools for collecting the data, and interpretation of the meaning or significance of what is described. population of the study the population of the study consists of all the assistant professors of colleges of ut of jammu and kashmir. sample of the study in the present study, 206 college assistant professors currently posted in different colleges of ut of jammu and kashmir filled out the questionnaire and were selected through simple random sampling. out of the total 109 were male and 97 were female respondents. the researchers did not visit colleges personally due to the covid-19 restrictions; the data was collected through the google platform as the scale was distributed via mail and whatsapp groups. tool used to know the attitude of college teachers towards virtual classrooms during the covid-19 pandemic, a self-constructed scale was devised by the investigators to collect the information. the fivepoint scale consisting of 20 statements was developed to check the attitude of college teachers towards virtual classrooms. the response alternatives for each item were (1) strongly disagree, (2) disagree, (3) neither agree nor disagree, (4) agree and (5) strongly agree. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 4 validity to ensure the validity of the scale the researchers used two methods, face validity and construct validity. the face validity was evaluated by experts from the concerned field. furthermore, to evaluate the construct validity of the scale, the researchers used the correlation method i.e., to correlate the score of each item & total score of the scale. the results are shown in table 1. table-1: correlation between each item and total score items ‘r’ values sig. items ‘r’ values sig 1. .720** .000 11. .709** .000 2. .710** .000 12. .491** .000 3. .448* .045 13. .399** .000 4. .289** .000 14. .245** .000 5. .725** .000 15. .419** .000 6. .689** .000 16. .529** .000 7. .265** .000 17. .401** .000 8. .389** .000 18. .397** .000 9. .165** .043 19. .345** .000 10. .307* .032 20. 499** .000 **significant at 0.05 level the values found to be are .720, .710, .448, .289, .725, .689, .265, .389, .165, .307, .709, .491, .399, .245, .419, .529, .401, 397, .345, .499 which are significant at 0.05 level. reliability the reliability of the scale was calculated through cronbach alpha and was found 0.72. the scores of the scale are categorized into three categories i.e., low attitude (below 50), average attitude (50-75), and high attitude (above 76). statistical techniques used to analyse the data the researcher used percentages, descriptive statistics and one-way-anova. the tabulation and analysis of data was done by using spss software version 20. analysis and discussion of data: objective 1: to study the attitude of male and female college teachers towards virtual classrooms during the covid-19 pandemic. to analyse the attitude of male and female college teachers towards virtual classroom, all the items in the scale were analysed by using percentage. the description of each item with respect to male and female is shown in table-2. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 5 table-2: item-wise analysis of the attitude of male and female college teachers towards virtual classrooms during the covid-19 pandemic s.no. items percentage% male female 1. all goals of teaching are fulfilled through virtual classrooms. 45.73 43.71 2. quality of teaching is much better through virtual classrooms than actual ones. 41.47 41.71 3. interaction between the students and teachers is not good in virtual classrooms. 43.82 40.28 4. virtual classrooms are more inexpensive in terms of cost and time than the actual classrooms. 65.00 63.71 5. virtual classrooms are effective for all the types of students. 38.23 39.42 6. all students remain motivated throughout the session during online teaching. 37.05 37.14 7. individual attention is not paid to every student while teaching online. 37.79 34.57 8. virtual classrooms should be made as a part of curriculum. 66.47 69.71 9. all teachers do not have competency to teach virtually. 50.44 51.14 10. online teaching should replace actual classroom teaching. 36.76 42.00 11. effective learning takes place through virtual classrooms. 46.47 45.42 12. teaching online is much easier than teaching in actual classrooms. 54.85 51.42 13. problems of students are not addressed through virtual teaching. 46.02 44.85 14. online teaching and learning help students to become aware about online learning strategies. 77.05 78.57 15 virtual teaching help all the teachers to know the new ways of teaching. 74.85 73.42 16. performance of students are not assessed fairly in virtual classrooms. 40.44 36.28 17. there is a lack of coordination between students and teachers in virtual classrooms. 76.47 80.57 18. all the students do not attend the online classes. 35.44 32.00 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 8 y students can look at course materials and revisit courses from online classroom folders, which is one of the major advantages of a virtual classroom. they can access pre-recorded videos and lectures. y the flexibility of the virtual classroom enables both students and teachers to work and attend classes from anywhere. y virtual learning environments are cost-effective because they minimize the need for textbooks and travel. y teachers and students can both enhance their knowledge and skills by using a virtual classroom. it facilitates learning interactive online technologies like e-mail, online tests, homework drop boxes, collaboration tools, etc. y moreover, as information and communication technologies (ict) rule the globe, a new paradigm in education will emerge as a result of the combination of online and offline teaching and learning techniques. conclusion the perusal of results revealed that teachers of both genders showed average attitudes towards online teaching and learning, however, in certain items, both genders showed highly positive attitudes towards virtual classrooms during the covid-19 pandemic. the results also revealed that the teachers from different streams like sciences, social science, arts and commerce have not shown any significant differences in attitude towards virtual classrooms during the covid-19 pandemic. (acknowledgment: the authors are highly grateful to all participants (college assistant professor’s) for their collaboration and contribution in giving the responses through google form. the authors also acknowledge the support provided by their respective institutions.) references alhumaid, k., ali, s., waheed, a., zahid, e., & habes, m. (2020). covid-19 & elearning: perceptions & attitudes of teachers towards e-learning acceptance in the developing countries. multicultural education, 6(2), 100-115. bakr, s. m. (2011). attitudes of egyptian teachers towards computers.  contemporary educational technology, 2(4), 308-318. gupta, a., & goplani, m. (2020). impact of covid-19 on educational institution in india. purakala, 31 (21), 661-671. jamrozik, e., littler, k., bull, s., emerson, c., kang, g., kapulu, m., & selgelid, m. j. (2021). key criteria for the ethical acceptability of covid-19 human challenge studies: report of a who working group. vaccine, 39(4), 633-640. jena, k. p. (2020). impact of pandemic covid-19 on education in india. international journal of current research, 12 (07), 12582-12586. kutluca, t. (2010). investigation of teachers’ computer usage profiles and attitudes toward computers. online submission, 2(1), 81-97. mahdizadeh, h., biemans, h., & mulder, m. (2008). determining factors of the use of e-learning environments by university teachers. computers & education, 51(1), 142-154. nachimuthu, k. (2020). student teacher’s attitude towards online learning during covid-19. international journal of advanced science and technology, 29(6), 8745-8749. panda, s., & mishra, s. (2007). elearning in a mega open university: faculty attitude, barriers and motivators. educational media international, 44(4), 323-338. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 9 suri, g., & sharma, s. (2017). teachers’ attitude towards computer and e-learning: an exploratory study of panjab university, chandigarh, india.  pacific business review international, 9(8), 68-73. upoalkpajor, j. l. n., & upoalkpajor, c. b. (2020). the impact of covid-19 on education in ghana. asian journal of education and social studies, 9(1), 23-3 indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 55 general article use of free and open source software (foss) in content creation (monica nagpal, researcher & former assistant professor, ciet, ncert, email: nagpalmonica12@gmail.com) abstract information and communication technology (ict) has become a powerful tool and medium for anyone to use, explore and get benefitted from. it provides immense opportunities for teachers, students and the field of education to use the available digital resources for teaching and learning. it also opens up a window for using the ict to create and contribute the educational resources for the masses. browsing through google for searching any content is familiar to everyone today but awareness towards creating educational content/ resource is limited. free and open source software (foss) gives a platform to explore the software/ tools and use them for various purposes. it allows for active engagement of teaching learning fraternity. foss provides the freedom to use and make changes to the software itself by making required changes in the source code. this paper deals with the understanding of the foss, uses of foss for education and understanding of some of the tools available for content creation. keywords: ict, foss, education, technology in education introduction ict is the acronym for information and communication technology, and it is considered as an extension of it but it is broader than that. ict as explained by technopedia is the convergence of various technologies like audio-visual, telephone and computer networks. the meaning of ict gets complete when this convergence is used to create, store, manage and disseminate or communicate information. if any of the step is not possible in the medium then it may not be considered as ict. it has been observed that the technologies are being used for communication and information sharing and individuals are more towards being the consumers of information or educational content available through different mediums. very few have initiated themselves towards the content creation exploiting the available ict. the ultimate aim is to bring quality in education and ict can play a vital role in achieving so. according to national policy on ict in school education: ‘ict enabled teaching-learning encompasses a variety of techniques, tools, content and resources aimed at improving the quality and efficiency of the teaching-learning process’ this gives an idea about the need of ict in education, which makes it important to understand the way ict can be utilised to fufill the given need. teachers and students have already started using ict in personal lives through their phones and laptops but ict in education has still not taken front seat in india. use of various resources available on internet indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 56 has increased but initiative towards creating resources by teachers and teacher educators is still not visible. it is observed that lack of awareness amongst teachers and students about the ways of creating resources is the main concern. further the options available for creating resources seem to be complex as well as costly i.e. audio video production is a very complex, costly and tedious job. this needs professional expertise and equipment and it is difficult for a teacher to enter in the world of production. on the contrary practical situations show the ability of a teacher to handle a smart phone and create a video or capture an image, store it on the device and share it further. there seems a gap between the availability of the tools for creating educational resources and knowledge about those tools to the teachers. free and open source software (foss) is one such movement to give varied range of software in the hands of teachers to use. what is foss initially during the evolution of computers, software was taken only as an addon to the hardware and software was shared frequently by the developer. later certain restrictions were imposed by the developers or the vendors using software licences on the use of software or on sharing the software. richard stallman saw this imposition of restrictions on the use of software and established free software foundation (fsf) in 1985 and introduced the term free software (gnu operating system). the open source initiative and free software movement are two different movements. each of them has a specific philosophy (rao, s.c). free and open source software (foss) is an umbrella term which covers both free software as well as open source software. foss culture foss culture is all about sharing, whatever backend is used for creating is shared, and not just the outcome; the whole process or the recipe is shared. free software foundation (fsf) explains the basic philosophical difference between the free software and open source software. free software is a social movement and focuses on the freedom of the user without the constraints of copyright and not on being without any cost (wong & sayo 2004). "what is free software, 2019" says that "the users have the freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software." free softwares are seen licensed with gnu general public license (gpl) (scacchi 2007). on the otherhand, open source software is a practical developmental methodology in terms of making the software better (wong & sayo 2004). oss may or may not use gpl and adopt some other license allowing for the integration of other software which may not be free software (scacchi 2007). foss refers to software that is both free and as defined by fsf and open source as per the advocacy of osi (khan & rehman 2012). foss allows the users and programmers to access, edit/modify or reuse the source code of the programme for improving it further. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 57 in contrast, the proprietary software available in the market for use do not give any liberty to see the source code of the same (technopedia) and thus, prevent any useful change in the software. according to fsf a program is free software, when its users have these four freedoms: •the freedom to run the program as you wish, for any purpose (freedom 0). •the freedom to study how the program works, and change it so it does your computing as you wish (freedom 1). access to the source code is a precondition for this. •the freedom to redistribute copies so you can help others (freedom 2). •the freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others (freedom 3). by doing this you can give the whole community a chance to benefit from your changes. access to the source code is a precondition for this. (according to gnu operating system, 2019) it might be difficult for a subject teacher to make changes in the source code but a simple step a teacher can take is to start using those softwares and distributing copies of it to students and co-teachers for its maximum use and gather user's feedback which can later help developers to improve upon the software. fsf provides a list of software which can be used in place of the proprietary software. in this paper some software/ tools which are free and open source have been discussed which are helpful to teachers in creation of educational resources. foss tools according to gnu operating system, 2018" a teacher has multiple tasks at his/her disposal and teaching -learning is one major result-oriented task. a teacher uses variety of available resources for teaching-learning, some of those resources are created by others and sometime created by the teacher herself in hard forms and cannot be used during the coming years. foss opens a new window for teachers to create resources using easily available technology and with least infrastructure required. today windows is the most known operating system (os) to work upon with other added applications and software like microsoft office suite and many more. foss gives a possibility to shift to a linux based operating system which is simple to use and it has its own software store from where one can just install the required software. as a user, only a machine is required and then one can directly install any one linux based os like ubuntu, debian, fedora, mint etc (opensource.com). further, there are many tools to communicate with each other which are either proprietary or foss. it is important to be familiar with the open source tools also. starting from the browser, mozilla firefox which is an open source browser for accessing the internet. similarly, foss has many tools available for variety of resource creation (opensource.com, 2016). whether one wants to create a simple text document, edit an image, create an audio, indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 58 video resource or animate stories, there is a tool. but it is important to get familiarise with these tools and their usages. working on office suites: everyone has the need of an office suite having possibility of creating text document, spreadsheet or a presentation. libre office is one such suite offered as foss. libre office has six programs that provide everything needed from an office suite: • writer for creating word files • calc for creating spreadsheets • impress for presentations • draw for vector graphics • math for mathematical formulae • base for databases libre office can save and open many different formats, including microsoft file types like doc, docx, ppt, pptx, xls etc. it is ideal while working with users of various other office suites, or if one has recently shifted to libreoffice. note taking: notepad is considered an effective medium for taking notes but there is a possibility that notepad is either lost or not located at the time of need, here software can be of great help. anything once typed into the soft copy is easy to locate even if the file has not been saved properly. note taking apps automatically generates a date and time stamp and one can easily locate it and use it further. some of the tools available under foss are tomboy notes, red notebook. these note taking tools allows to take notes, close them without saving, retrieve it easily later and also to compile the similar notes together as a notebook and share it as an html file with others. mind map: a mind map can also be utilised for planning and creating the resources. it is a visual tool and gives a platform to link ideas in multiple ways. it allows to think in a divergent way rather just linearly. there are many foss tools available to create a variety of mind map having different features. some of the very simple tools are free mind, free plane, xmind for creating branches and having explanation. an advanced software is vue for creating mind maps with relation names. image and graphics: the mobile phone or smartphone is a technology which is easily available to masses in comparison to any other such technology which have evolved in recent times. the mobile phone allows to click images, record audio, record video and store it in device. if a teacher needs to create an image resource, it can be done using mobile phone and the same can further be modified using variety of tools. my paint is a tool which is simple and allows for creating expressive drawing and illustrations. for image manipulation, gimp is a useful program; it allows for basic graphic creation, and illustration. anyone can start using gimp by doing simple tasks like cropping and resizing images. after the basic familiarity, other functionalities of the tool can be explored. the output image/ graphic can be exported into different file formats. similarly, there is one tool indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 59 which is vector-based graphic design with many features. it can be used for creating simple graphics, diagrams, layouts, or icon art. pencil and krita are some more tools which can be used for creating and editing images or graphics. there are variety of other resources like newsletter, books magazines or any other print material which can be created using scribus. scribus is a powerful tool for page layout and publishing. music and audio editing: for creating audio resources first script need to be written then it can be recorded using mobile phone or audacity software. audacity is a simple sound recording and editing software which is available under foss. it allows for adding music file, sound effect file parallel to the audio file and apply variety of effects available in the software. video editing: video resources can be created using openshot video editor. it is a basic video editing tool and allows for chopping of the video, adding simple visual effects and also adding audio layer and finally preparing an mp4 for using and sharing at any and every place. there are other foss tools also for video editing like pitivi and shotcut. 2d and 3d animations: synfig studio, krita, scratch are tools for 2d animations. synfig studio is a 2d animation suite which is vector-based. it supports bitmap artwork and is tablet-friendly. for creating 3d models and resources blender is a powerful open source suite. it includes tools for modelling, sculpting, rigging, animation, rendering, realistic materials, game creation, and simulation compositing, and video editing. interactives: h5p (html 5 package) is an online platform for creating, sharing and reusing variety of interactive resources. it allows to create interactive videos, presentations, quizzes, hotspots many more and a mix of all. the resources can be used while teaching-learning and assessment and evaluation. it works through a web-based content editor and allows to add and replace multimedia files and textual content in all kinds of h5p content types. apart from this many more varieties of resources like simulation, animation, web blogs, websites can be created using various tools lika easy java simulation, easel.ly, blogspot, wordpress and many more. subject specific tools foss provides an array of software for dealing with different subjects. mathematics is considered a drysubjects by students but some tools for mathematics can make it very interesting and interactive. geogebra, tuxmath, matlab, matita which can make mathematics interesting and engaging for the students. these tools are easily available online for download or working online and creating new resources. these can be explored just by searching their names. language teachers and students can use audacity for pronunciation, praat, openculture etc for other language related learnings. stellarium, kalzium, phet simulations, avogadro all these tools can be explored for sciences, phet simulations can be used for mathematics social sciences and languages also. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 60 marble, school bhuvan, mapbender are tools for helping students to understand and engross in social sciences. apart from these, timelines can also be used in history for understanding the subject in more engaging way. the approach should be to start exploring the newly available technologies. foss tools specifically come with help tutorials which are available online as well as offline through help buttons. only need is to explore and learn and go beyond the traditional way of working, teaching and learning. management and pooling of resources: once resources are created they need to be managed well and shared with public for use. managing of the resources include giving proper information about the resources which is termed as metadata. metadata includes title, description, keywords/tags, file name, and mapping the resource with the concept it covers. then it can be uploaded or pooled on common platform like nroer or on other such online platforms for further access and sharing. conclusion a teacher or a learner has to start using the tools then only the potential of these tools can be judged. these tools are available with a lot of freedom for using as well as sharing. according to unesco “the free and open source software (foss) model provides interesting tools and processes with which women and men can create, exchange, share and exploit software and knowledge efficiently and effectively. foss can play an important role as a practical instrument for development as its free and open aspirations make it a natural component of development efforts in the context of the millennium development goals (mdgs).” time is the most required thing to be spend for engaging in new tools, or ideas. a teacher feels overwhelmed when a child learns and achieve something. foss provides a complete panorama for exploration and learning and it is high time now to engage with and create contents using foss. references khan, ma, & rehman fu, (2012), free and open source software: evolution, benefits and characteristics. international journal of emerging trends and technology in computer science vol1, issue 3. scacchi, w., (2007), free/ open source software development: recent research results and methods. advances in computers. doi: 10.1016/s0065-2458(06)69005-0. wong, k & sayo, p., (2004), what is free and open software. free/ open software, a general introduction pp 6-8. undp-apdip geogebra. (2019), geogebra math app. accessed from: https://www.geogebra.org/?lang=en. gnu operating system, (2019), what is free software. retrieved from: http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html gnu operating system. (2018), free software for education. retrieved from: http://www.gnu.org/software/free-software-for-education.html ministry of human resource development, government of india, (2012), national policy on information and communication technology (ict) in school education. retrieved indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 61 from http://mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/upload_document/revised_policy document of ict.pdf opensource.com, (2016), 34 open source tools for creatives. retrieved from: https://opensource.com/article/16/12/yearbook-top-open-source-creative-tools-2016 opensource.com, (2019). what is linux. retrieved from: https://opensource.com/resources/linux rainlender, (2019), rainlender, accessed from: https://www.rainlendar.net/cms/index.php technopedia, (2019), information and communications technology. retrieved from: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/24152/information-and-communicationstechnology-ict technopedia, (2019), free and open source software. retrieved from: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/24181/free-and-open-source-software--foss unesco, (2019), free and open source software (foss). retrieved from: https://en.unesco.org/foss indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 65 research article moocs adoption pattern during pre and prevailing pandemic periods in indian context – a comparative study grk murthy1, t. indradevi2, s. senthil vinayagam3 & seema kujur4 1principal scientist, education system management division, icarnational academy of agricultural research management, hyderabad 2young professional, education system management division, icarnational academy of agricultural research management, hyderabad email: tindrasaravanan@gmail.com 3principal scientist, education system management division, icarnational academy of agricultural research management, hyderabad 4phd scholar, agricultural extension, indian agricultural research institute, new delhi abstract covid-19 has impacted education globally. however, it paved the opportunity for online education practice. massive open online courses (moocs) became an effective mode of online education. this study attempted to quantify moocs comparative impact in terms of adoption across varying parameters like geographical distribution and gender. the study was conducted on 2 moocs-one conducted before covid-19 and the other during the covid-19 period. it is found that learners’ participation rose to 81.5 per cent during covid-19 as compared to 74.6 per cent during pre-covid. moocs were adopted by more learners from remote regions of the country during covid-19. there was a statistically significant association between region influence on learners and learners’ participation during the pre-covid and covid-19 periods with respect to the study variables. it is also observed that female participation has risen by 122 per cent during covid-19 as compared to their participation during pre-covid. the learner participation has significantly increased in all activities like assignments submission, learning resource access and participation in the quiz. the study suggested that moocs can help the education system as an effective model for reaching unreached people during this pandemic situation and also help increase inequitable gender participation. keywords: mooc adoption pattern, massive open online courses, disruptive technology, online education, participation and engagement pattern, educational technology introductıon education has taken a significant makeover with disruptive technologies like massive open online courses (moocs) in recent times all over the world. this is further accentuated by the unforeseen catastrophe like covid-19 which has forced everyone to stay home and explore the possibilities of learning online. the impact of the covid-19 pandemic was recorded across the world which caused major interruptions in students’ learning disruptions in the academic programmes, suspension of examinations, cancellation of internal & international conferences and created gaps in the teaching-learning process (jacob et al., 2020). the united nations educational, scientific and cultural organization (unesco) is continuously tracing the influence of the pandemic on education. around 87 per cent of indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 66 the world’s students are affected by the closure of educational institutions due to covid-19. in this regard, unesco has announced the launch of a global education alliance to support countries in expanding the best distance learning solutions and reaching children and youth (unesco, 2020). the pandemic situation challenged the education system across the world and forced educators to shift to an online mode of teaching overnight. a positive effect of covid-19 was also reported by adopting online learning strategies which progresses learning efficiency and performance (gonzalez et al. 2020). universities that serve formal education transferred their faceto-face education to distance education and started to reinforce it during the covid-19 period (vezne, 2020). moocs help educational institutions to make educational resources more accessible and affordable. all over the world, institutions are offering moocs to improve their distance education provisions (joo, so & kim, 2018; gameel, 2017). the outbreak of covid-19 influenced the digital revolution in higher education through online lectures and interaction in virtual environments, digital open books, teleconferencing and online examination (strielkowski, 2020; kumar, 2020). due to covid-19 crisis, teachers and students started using online learning platforms such as zoom, google hangouts, google meets, google classrooms, telegram, linkedin learning, learning management system (lms), sololearn, udemy, facebook, youtube and many more to widen their academic exposure (mishra et al., 2020). the combined mode of mooc microvideo was applied to the online training of nursing interns during the covid-19 pandemic period, and this achieved good results (shenoy et al., 2020; zhou et al., 2020). zayapragassarazan (2020) put forward a theory that the identification of appropriate digital platforms will help learners to involve themselves in an online teaching-learning environment. moocs are accepted as significant progress in higher education and millions of students are enriching their existing skill (gupta & gupta, 2020). alhazzani (2020) found a significant impact of mooc on student academic performance, learning skills and improvement in communication between students and faculty. xiao and ran (2020), investigated the effect of online teaching on student autonomous learning with mooc during the covid-19 pandemic and the result showed that the outcome of mooc proves fruitful during this period. also, mooc is an active attempt to use information communication technologies to improve students’ autonomous learning abilities. in india, university grand commission (ugc) has asked universities and colleges to consider the swayam moocs as credit courses (manash pratim gohain, 2020). thus, it can be seen that covid-19 has strongly influenced the education sector through the use of technology. it is very much essential to assess the extent of influence on education with its status in the pre-covid backdrop. a study was conducted to compare the adoption pattern of online courses during pre and covid-19 regimes with the following specific objectives. 1. to study the participation and engagement through moocs during the pre-covid and covid-19 regimes. 2. to identify the parameters influencing moocs adoption pattern during the pre-covid and covid-19 periods. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 67 method the study was conducted considering two benchmark courses viz. mooc on teaching excellence and designing e-learning content, each of which was offered during pre and covid-19 periods. data was analysed using standard data interpretation procedures which are described below. course selection for the study the dataset used in the study was obtained from moodle lms e-learning platform. institute provides various moocs through moodle lms platform. two different mooc courses were considered namely “teaching excellence” was conducted during november 1-30, 2019 (pre-covid mooc) and “designing e-learning content” was conducted during july 1-30, 2020 (covid mooc). the courses were divided into four weeks and mainly consisted of video lectures, reading materials, powerpoint presentation, discussion forums/doubt clarification from faculty assignments and quizzes. two topics were presented per week. each topic consisted of one video lecture, reading materials, powerpoint presentations and a discussion forum/ doubt clarification from faculty. a successful completion certificate was awarded to the learners who viewed the course contents and participated in the assignment submission, discussions and quiz participation with more than a 40 per cent score. data collection and analysis data was collected from moodle lms portal which has pre-defined functionalities of capturing learners’ login activities, participation in a discussion forum, assignment submissions, quiz participation and certification for the course. data for analysis of learners’ motivation to participate in mooc was taken from the learners’ feedback submitted through a google form. the number of learners registered during the pre-covid and covid-19 periods was 1,329 and 2,773 respectively. while collecting the data, the dataset includes some rows (basic information) with empty values, which were removed in the study as part of the data cleaning process. after the data cleaning process, the number of learners considered for this study during the pre-covid and covid-19 periods was 992 and 2,259, respectively. descriptive statistics were carried out to understand the region and genderwise distribution of the learners. simple frequency distribution was calculated to assess the learners’ registration, learners’ logs during the course period, learners’ participation pattern, assignment submission, quiz participation and certification. the chi-square test was carried out using statistical software r to determine the association between various parameters of the study with respect to the geographical area. analysis was also carried out on identifying the motivating factors for the participants to take part in mooc during both the pre-covid and covid-19 periods. chi-square test (χ2) where, o is the observed frequency and e is the expected frequency findings and discussion the present study was carried out for the overall assessment of the adoption pattern of learners during the pre-covid and covid-19 period with respect to the following parameters. analysis of learners’ participation in moocs during pre-covid and covid-19 period course registration patterns, active participation, assignment submission pattern, participation in quizzes and indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 68 learner certification were analysed during both periods of moocs. figure-1 shows learners’ overall participation in various activities during pre-covid and covid-19 periods. a total of 2,259 learners registered in the covid-19 period, which was 127 per cent higher than the 992 learners registered in the pre-covid period. this clearly shows that the learners have evinced more interest during the pandemic period to participate in online programmes like moocs to utilise their time at home more effectively. figure-1: learners’ participation pattern of mooc during the pre-covid and covid-19 periods the number of active learners during the pre-covid was found to be 714 as compared to 1503 during covid-19 periods, thereby indicating an increase of 111 per cent. a similar trend was observed for course completion, with 1,180 learners completing successfully during the covid-19 period as against 548 during the pre-covid period. this indicates 115 per cent increase in course completion. there was a significant increase in the number (more than 100 per cent increase) of learners’ participation in all activities during the covid-19 period. it further indicates that because of the covid-19 (lockdown) situation, the learner might have got more time to participate in all activities to complete the course successfully. the pandemic seems to have compelled the learners to attend online courses for their capacity development as they could not attend conventional training programmes. analysis of learners’ engagement in courses milligan et al., (2013) stated that understanding the learners’ engagement is critical to the success of any online education, with the requirements that the learner should self-motivate and self-direct their learning. they identified confidence, prior experience, and motivation as the key factors of learners’ engagement in moocs. an attempt was made in this study to quantify the engagement pattern of the learners in both moocs. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 69 table-1: week-wise analysis of learners’ engagement (through number of hits) in moocs during pre-covid and covid-19 period week number of hits during pre-covid number of hits during covid-19 change (%) 1 16,392 51,360 213 2 21,558 31,534 46 3 29,807 71,387 140 4 50,877 91,020 79 total 118,634 245,301 107 learners’ engagement in the course was analysed through the week-wise course login details i.e. viewing the course content, discussion forum participation, interaction with faculty, assignment and quiz submission etc. as shown in table 1, the learners’ participation was growing exponentially from week 1 to week 4 during both moocs except for the second week of the covid-19 period as this week contained fewer activities compared to the previous mooc. learners’ participation was highest in the final week of the 4 weeks because of more activities like completion of viewing course content, assignment submission and quiz participation. it was also observed that the covid-19 period had 107 per cent more participation compared to the pre-covid period. figure 2: day-wise analysis of learners interaction in moocs during precovid and covid-19 period as shown in figure-2, during the covid-19 period, there were more hits than the pre-covid period for 28 days out of 30 days. average hits per day during the pre-covid and covid-19 periods was 3,954 and 8,176, respectively. the maximum number of hits in a day was 11,059 and 20,531 during the pre-covid and covid-19 periods respectively. it is observed from figure-2, there was a peak in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th week of the pre-covid period and 3rd, 4th week of the covid-19 period which captures learners’ engagement in activities like assignments, doubt clarification or discussions which were planned towards the end of the week. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 70 region-wise learners’ engagement in moocs during pre-covid and covid-19 period india is a vast country with varying landscapes of cultural and sociological factors. hence, the study also considered identifying the demographic regions of the country which responded well to adopting online learning during the covid-19 period, with the benchmark of similar study for the pre-covid period. region-wise course registration pattern as seen in table-2, the participants’ registration had increased in all six regions of the country during the covid-19 period. in particular, the remote areas like the northeast region recorded the highest increase of 383 per cent. it shows that mooc is an effective model for reaching the unreached (difficult areas) people during this pandemic situation. it was followed by the south region which showed an increase in registration by 155 per cent during covid-19. this was followed by north, central, east and west regions. table-2: region-wise participants’ registration pattern in moocs during precovid and covid-19 period s.no. region pre-covid (numbers) covid-19 (numbers) change (%) 1 central 42 81 93 2 east 77 148 92 3 north 151 371 146 4 northeast 12 58 383 5 south 396 1011 155 6 west 314 590 88 total 992 2259 128 region-wise pattern of active participants mooc is known for high drop rates thereby resulting in low active participation in the course. this study focused on the “activity pattern” of those active participants across the different regions of the country. learners who participated at least in any one of the activities or viewing content were highlighted in table-3. the south region had the highest number of active learners among other regions and less number of active learners from the northeast region in both courses. even though the northeast region had less number of active learners, it showed the highest increase in percentage (425 per cent) during the covid-19 period. it indicates that northeast learners have more proactively participated during the pandemic situation. table-3: region-wise active participants in moocs during pre-covid and covid-19 period s.no. region pre-covid (numbers) covid (numbers) change (%) 1 central 29 51 76 2 east 53 95 79 3 northeast 8 42 425 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 71 4 north 104 229 120 5 south 282 725 157 6 west 238 361 52 total 714 1503 111 region-wise assignment submission pattern learners were expected to submit the assignment for successful course completion. results revealed that assignment submission of participants increased in all six regions during the covid-19 period compared to the precovid period. the northeast region had less number of assignment submissions. but, there was the highest percentage of increase that was asserting much improvement compared to pre-covid period. the west region had the least percentage of increase in the submission of assignments compared to other regions. the highest number of south region learners has submitted their assignments which was the second highest increase in percentage compared to the pre-covid period. table-4: region-wise assignment submission pattern of participants during pre-covid and covid-19 period s.no. region pre-covid (numbers) covid (numbers) change (%) 1 central 16 30 88 2 east 31 78 152 3 north 77 181 135 4 northeast 5 33 560 5 south 188 566 201 6 west 201 279 39 total 505 1034 105 region-wise participation pattern in quiz quiz is an important aspect of online learning as it gauges how much a learner learned from the course. it also helps to assess knowledge and understanding of the course content (kalantzis & cope, 2012). table-5 indicates a total of 125 per cent increase in quiz participation during the covid-19 period and also indicated that all regions have recorded more than 100 per cent increase in quiz participation during the covid-19 period except for the central and west regions. the northeast region had the highest increase in percentage of quiz participation whereas the west region recorded the least increase in percentage of learners’ participation in the quiz. table-5: region-wise learners’ participation pattern in quiz during pre-covid and covid-19 period s. no. region pre-covid (numbers) covid (numbers) change (%) 1 central 14 28 100 2 east 36 65 81 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 72 3 north 75 163 117 4 northeast 6 26 333 5 south 187 514 175 6 west 187 238 27 total 518 1167 125 region-wise learners’ certification course completion certificates were awarded to the learners who fulfilled the assignment submission, discussions and quiz participation with more than 40 per cent score. in the south region, the highest number of learners were awarded completion certificates during the covid-19 period. but in the precovid period, the south region had the second highest certified learners. in the northeast region, 4 times more learners were awarded certificates during the covid-19 period compared to the pre-covid period. more than double the number of learners got certificates compared to the pre-covid period in all regions except the east and west region. table6: region-wise learners’ certification in moocs during the pre-covid and covid-19 period s. no. region pre-covid (numbers) covid (numbers) change (%) pre-covid completion rate (%) covid completion rate (%) 1 central 18 32 78 3.3 2.7 2 east 37 78 111 6.8 6.6 3 north 78 183 135 14.2 15.5 4 north east 7 33 371 1.3 2.8 5 south 201 573 185 36.7 48.6 6 west 207 281 36 37.8 23.8 total 548 1180 115 association between region influence on learners and learners’ participation a chi-square test was carried out to check whether there is any association between regional influence on learners and learners’ participation during the pre-covid and the covid-19 periods with respect to registration, discussion, assignment submission, quiz participation and certification. null hypothesis (h0): there is no significant association between any region influence and learners’ participation during the pre-covid and the covid-19 periods in terms of registration, discussion, assignment, quiz and certification. alternative hypothesis (h1): there is a significant association between regional influence and learners’ participation during the pre-covid and the covid-19 periods in terms of registration, discussion, assignment, quiz and certification. data pertaining to during pre-covid and covid-19 period performance is given in table 6. the statistical analysis showed indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 73 that p-value and chi-square values are 0.001 & 20.06 for learners’ registration in the moocs, respectively. for active participants in mooc, the p-value and chi-square value is 0.001 & 31.32 respectively. p-value and chi-square value is 0.001 & 39.52 respectively for learners’ assignment submission in the mooc platform. in the case of quiz participation, the p-value and chi-square value is 0.001 & 46.13, respectively. for the mooc certification p-value and chi square value is 0.001 & 42.18, respectively. since, the p-value is less than 0.01 level of significance for all variables, it can be concluded that there was a significant association between regional influence on learners and learners’ participation with respect to registration, active participants, assignment, quiz and certification during the pre-covid and the covid-19 periods. gender-wise learners’ participation in mooc during pre-covid and covid-19 period the study also explored the gender influence on learner participation during both the periods. gender-wise course registration pattern the registration pattern of learners is given in table-8 which described that total 627 male participants registered in the pre-covid period whereas 1,364 (118 per cent increase) registered in the covid-19 period. female participants registered in the pre-covid and the covid-19 period were 365 and 895, respectively. male participants registered more than females in both courses during the pre-covid and covid-19 periods. this is in agreement with the findings of wu and chen (2017), who reported registrations of 59.1 per cent of male learners as compared to 40.9 per cent of female learners for moocs. another study by kaveri et al., (2016) who reported that 72 per cent of learners were males, also corroborates this fact. however, it was observed that the female learners had the highest increase in percentage (145 per cent) as compared to males (118 per cent). it shows that female learners actively registered during the covid-19 period more than male learners. gender-wise pattern of active participants results (table 8) indicated an overall 111 per cent increase in participation in the course like, viewing the course content, participating in the discussion forums, assignment submission and taking final quizzes during the covid-19 period. out of these, more percentage (122 per cent) of female learners actively participated in the covid-19 period compared to male learners. table-7: association analysis of regional influence on learners and learners’ participation s. no. variables chi-square value p-value 1 registration 20.06 <0.001** 2 active participants 31.32 <0.001** 3 assignment 39.52 <0.001** 4 quiz 46.13 <0.001** 5 certification 42.18 <0.001** ** significant at 1% level indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 74 gender-wise assignment submission pattern table 8 shows that male and female participants have equally submitted the assignments as a part of course completion. coincidentally both genders registered a 105 per cent increase in assignment submission during covid-19 period. gender-wise learners’ participation pattern in quiz table 8 indicates that nearly more than double of the learners of both genders were involved in attempting quiz during the covid-19. out of this 132 per cent and 122 per cent increase in female and male learners for attempting quiz during covid-19 respectively. gender-wise learners’ certification more number of male learners got the certificate in the covid-19 period but the increased percentage is less compared to females. it shows that during the covid-19 period more percentage of female learners participated to get the certificate. it may be interesting to note that healy (2017), had observed that female performance in online programmes was low probably because of differences in internet access, language and other psychological barriers. however, the covid-19 seems to have maintained a similar trend in accessing online courses for both genders because of equal opportunities to access the resources because of stayhome learning. table8: gender-wise participation in moocs during pre-covid and covid-19 period categories gender pre-covid (numbers) covid-19 (numbers) change (%) registration in mooc male 627 1364 118 female 365 895 145 total 992 2259 128 active participants in moocs male 447 911 104 female 267 592 122 total 714 1503 111 a s s i g n m e n t submission pattern male 309 633 105 female 196 401 105 total 505 1034 105 quiz participation pattern male 319 707 122 female 199 460 132 total 518 1167 125 learners’ certification male 338 715 112 female 210 465 121 total 548 1180 115 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 75 motivating factors to learners’ participation in moocs during precovid and covid-19 period data for this analysis was taken from the learners’ feedback submitted through a google form. figure-3 illustrates the different factors that motivated learners to enroll in the course during the pre-covid and covid-19 period. results revealed that in courses, knowledge purpose and career advancement were the important motivating factors. knowledge purpose (52.5 per cent) and career advancement (47.3 per cent) was the greatest influencing factor during the covid-19 and pre-covid periods, respectively. the second-highest motivating factor was career advancement (42.9 per cent) and knowledge purpose (43.8 per cent) during the covid-19 and precovid periods, respectively. it shows that personal development was an important influence for learners to enroll in moocs. seniors’ advice, lack of time for conventional courses and recognition as naarm alumni were the least (less than 5 per cent) stimulating factors for learners during these two moocs. this finding is in agreement with that of alario-hoyos et al., (2017) who indicated intrinsic goal orientation and self-efficacy as the strong factors for enhancing learning and performance in a mooc. figure-3: motivating factors for learners’ participation conclusions the study has emphatically established the fact that learners have actively moved towards online education in the form of moocs during the covid-19 period. the study on the geographic and gender distribution of learners has reinforced the fact that moocs can be an effective mode of learning to reach remote and unreached areas and also to encourage participation among both genders equally. the study has far-reaching relevance and impact for a country like india where there is a humongous magnitude of learners to be provided with the education, coupled with challenges like the covid-19 scenario. the practice of mooc can thus be institutionalised among all educational organisations for effective and inclusive education. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 76 implications and recommendations the findings reveal a positive shift towards adopting moocs, in the wake of covid-19. this augurs well in line with the national education policy (nep) 2020 which highlights the role of technology in online education. (acknowledgment: the authors acknowledge the funding support received for developing mooc content by the education division, indian council of agricultural research (icar), new delhi, india) references alario-hoyos, c., estévez-ayres, i., pérez-sanagustín, m., delgado kloos, c., & fernándezpanadero, c. (2017). understanding learners’ motivation and learning strategies in moocs. the international review of research in open and distributed learning,  18(3). https://doi. org/10.19173/irrodl.v18i3.2996 alhazzani, n. (2020). mooc’s impact on higher education.  social sciences & humanities open, 2(1), 100030. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2020.100030 gameel, b. g. (2017). learner satisfaction with massive open online courses. american journal of distance education, 31(2), 98-111. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923647.2017.1300462 gonzalez, t., de la rubia, m. a., hincz, k. p., comas-lopez, m., subirats, l., fort, s., & sacha, g. m. (2020). influence of covid-19 confinement on students’ performance in higher education. plos one, 15(10), e0239490. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0239490 gupta, s. b., & gupta, m. (2020). et al., s. b. g. (2020). technology and e-learning in higher education.  international journal of advanced science and technology,  29(04), 1320 1325. http://sersc.org/journals/index.php/ijast/article/view/5185 healy, p. a. (2017). georgetown’s first six moocs: completion, intention, and gender achievement gaps. undergraduate economic review, 14(1), 1. https://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/uer/vol14/ iss1/1 jacob, o. n., abigeal, i., & lydia, a. e. (2020). impact of covid-19 on the higher institutions development in nigeria. electronic research journal of social sciences and humanities, 2(2), 126135. joo, y. j., so, h. j., & kim, n. h. (2018). examination of relationships among students’ self-determination, technology acceptance, satisfaction, and continuance intention to use k-moocs. computers & education, 122, 260-272. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2018.01.003 kalantzis, m., & cope, b. (2012). new learning: elements of a science of education. cambridge university press. kaveri, a., gunasekar, s., gupta, d., & pratap, m. (2016). decoding engagement in moocs: an indian learner perspective. in proceedings of the 2016 ieee eighth international conference on technology for education (t4e), (pp. 100-105). https://doi.org/0.1109/t4e.2016.027 kumar, d. n. s. (2020, april 29). impact of covid-19 on higher education. higher education digest. https://www.highereducationdigest.com/impact-of-covid-19-on-higher-education/ manash pratim gohain, (2020, may 29). ugc asks universities to consider swayam moocs as credit courses. times of india. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/ ugc-asks-universities-to-consider-swayam-moocs-as-credit-courses/articleshow/76086788. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 77 cms?utm_source= contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst milligan, c., littlejohn, a., & margaryan, a. (2013). patterns of engagement in connectivist moocs. journal of online learning and teaching, 9(2), 149-159. http://jolt.merlot.org/vol9no2/ milligan_0613.htm mishra, l., gupta, t., & shree, a. (2020). online teaching-learning in higher education during lockdown period of covid-19 pandemic. international journal of educational research open, 1, 100012. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedro.2020.100012 rawal, v., kumar, m., verma, a., & pais, j. (2020). covid-19 lockdown: impact on agriculture and rural economy (sser monograph 20/3). society for social and economic research. shenoy, v., mahendra, s., & vijay, n. (2020). covid 19 lockdown technology adaption, teaching, learning, students engagement and faculty experience. mukt shabd journal, 9(4), 698-702. strielkowski, w. (2020). covid-19 pandemic and the digital revolution in academia and higher education. preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202004.0290.v1 unesco (march, 2020). unesco rallies international organizations, civil society and private sector partners in a broad coalition to ensure #learningneverstops. retrieved march 26, 2020 from https://en.unesco.org/news/unesco-rallies-international-organizations-civil-societyand-private-sector-partners-broad vezne, r. (2020). what do teachers as adult learners think about moocs? a case study. yaşadıkça eğitim, 34(2), 491-502. https://doi.org/10.33308/26674874.2020342218 wu, b., & chen, x. (2017). continuance intention to use moocs: integrating the technology acceptance model (tam) and task technology fit (ttf) model. computers in human behavior, 67, 221-232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.10.028 xiao, y. a. n. g., & ran, h. u. o. (2020). effects of online teaching on student autonomous learning with u-moocs: a case study of business english and communication.  journal of literature and art studies, 10(4), 307-312. https://www.davidpublisher.com/public/uploads/ contribute/5ec5f7552ba16.pdf zayapragassarazan z. covid-19: strategies for online engagement of remote learners. f1000research 2020, 9:246. https://doi.org/10.7490/f1000research.1117835.1 zhou, t., huang, s., cheng, j., & xiao, y. (2020). the distance teaching practice of combined mode of massive open online course micro-video for interns in emergency department during the covid-19 epidemic period. telemedicine and e-health, 26(5), 584-588. https://doi.org/10.1089/ tmj.2020.0079 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 167 research article effect of gamification on teaching-learning process: a descriptive study boney bose1, yohan philip2, ajay joseph3 & mathew abraham4 1assistant professor in commerce, newman college, thodupuzha, kerala, india emailboneybose@newmancollege.ac.in 2consultant, people advisory service, ey gds 3assistant professor in commerce, bharat mata college, kochi, kerala 4assistant professor in commerce, st. xavier’s college, vaikom, kerala abstract nowadays, education is going through a moment of methodological transformation. one of the active methodologies with excellent projection within the educational field is gamification. however, there is still a lack of awareness among educators about the acceptable implementation of the technique of gamification. this study analysed the effect of the gamification approach in teaching and learning, which covers students’ benefits, especially understanding level, engagement level, motivating factor, the significance of gamification as an assessment tool and also the barriers to using gamification. the research design was descriptive research with a sample of 509 from two developing and academically advancing countries, india and malaysia, which includes teachers, research scholars, and students. data is being collected with a questionnaire. the study findings reveal that gamification can be a useful tool for teaching and learning and can increase learner’s motivation and turn learning into an enjoyable process. we also find that gamified learning interventions have a positive impact on student learning. these findings will be of practical interest to teaching and learning practitioners working in a range of educational contexts; and at all levels of education; who wish to increase student engagement and enhance learning. the study also finds that gamification still has some barriers to implementation and acceptance all around, especially among age groups above 50. introduction nowadays, education is going through a moment of methodological transformation. the infusion of technology and education has seen its rise in practice, especially with the ease of access to technology-based equipments such as computers, laptops, tablets and even smartphones [1]. this has enabled the successful application of education technology among students. also, with the constantly changing landscape of education and the needs of the current generation of students, educational technology has to be adapted and improvised to cater to them diligently. one such improvisation in education is the use of games in learning [2]. games in learning or game-based learning have been touted as a method that not only engages students but also motivates them. the application of gamification to the teaching-learning process across different fields of knowledge constitutes an emerging practice applied across all levels of education, from primary school up to university. gamification of education is a strategy for increasing engagement by incorporating game elements into an educational environment. the goal is to generate levels of involvement equal to what games can usually produce. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 168 the main goals of gamification are to enhance certain abilities, introduce objectives that give learning a purpose, engage students, optimise learning, support behavior change, and socialise. the three breakdowns of games include digital games-based learning, serious games and gamification. digital gamebased learning is a form of learning incorporating games in the digital form [3]. it involves the use of games as the main medium of learning. meanwhile, serious games involve the game’s mechanics in learning something. it is deemed devoid of elements of fun as it plays with a serious purpose [4]. it is usually used in fields such as medicine and aviation [5]. the gamification approach is the use of game elements in a non-gaming context. this method has been used in other fields, such as corporate and marketing, and has recently seeped into education. with all these methods, in the present research we chose the gamification approach as it has a better application in a teaching environment [6]. the flexibility provided by gamification will not only help educators in creating gamificationbased learning but also allow the students to get easily acquainted with the system. gamification applies elements associated with video games (game mechanics and game dynamics) in non-game applications. it aims to increase people’s engagement and promote certain behaviours [7] based on the literature review findings, it can be assumed that although there is research that has seen the effects of gamification on students learning, the inconclusive findings on the contribution and effects of gamification on teaching-learning and its impacts are to be further looked into. theoretical background i.   gamification and learning games typically allow players to restart or play again, making mistakes recoverable. this freedom to fail allows students to experiment without fear and increases student engagement [8] gamification must not be mistaken for programmed learning or computerbased learning, even though some of the interpretations suggest the latter, only underlining the compatibility of the theory with the new technologies [9]. the essence of gamification does not lie in technology; but in the diverse learning environment and the system of decisions and rewards, all aimed at increasing motivation and reaching higher levels of engagement in the learning process [10]. massive amounts of feedback, tasks too complex for any one individual to solve alone, and environments that change in response to learners’ actions are availed through well-designed educational games. in literature and in practice, several attempts to introduce gamification into blended learning and e-learning can be found. ii.   gamification and teaching the gamification theory in teaching is that learners learn best when they are also having fun. not only this, they also learn best when they have goals, targets and achievements to reach for, of course in a way the learner still perceives as fun. because of the addictive features of video games that intrigue children (and adults) and get them hooked, it’s only natural that we see similar engagement results when these game-based elements are applied to learning materials. gamification in teaching  involves using game-based elements such as point scoring, peer competition, teamwork, and score tables to drive engagement, help students assimilate new information and test their knowledge. it can apply to school-based subjects but is also used widely in self-teaching apps and courses, showing that the effects of gamification do not stop when we are adults. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 169 objectives this research intends to see the underlying benefits of gamification in learning. to observe the change in the understanding and engagement level of students in the teachinglearning process through gamification. to identify the advantages of using gamification as a motivation factor and enjoyment tool. to understand the ease of use of gamification tools and usage of it as an assessment tool. the study also looks into the predominant barriers to using gamification. data and methods the study focused on india and malaysia as its selected sample areas. the choice of these countries is founded upon their status as developing and academically advancing nations. a random sampling method was employed, resulting in 309 samples drawn from india and an additional 200 from malaysia. the respondents encompass diverse categories, including faculties, research scholars, and students. the rationale behind selecting india and malaysia stems from their transition from traditional to advanced education systems while undergoing phases of technological advancement. these factors motivated the study’s focus on these countries, aiming to explore the impact of gamification within their evolving educational landscapes. this research seeks to analyse how gamification influences the teachinglearning process amidst the educational transformation in both nations. the questionnaire is developed based on the objectives, and the reliability of questions is tested using cronbach’s alpha. data are collected from each respondent separately and are analysed using various statistical tools like manova, t test, anova, and factor analysis. the tables given below show the categorisation of respondents and reliability test results.  table-1: category of respondents respondent category count faculty 264 others 10 research scholar 38 student 197 grand total 509 figure-1: respondents indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 170 table-2: cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient constructs cronbach’s alpha n of items understanding 0.9 5 engagement 0.884 5 enjoyment 0.898 5 motivation 0.903 5 easiness 0.881 5 assessment 0.896 5 barriers 0.919 5 result and discussion the following tables will illustrate the descriptive statistics of the research variables. table-3: gender wise classification in the usage of gamification as a teaching – learning tool ttest variable gender n mean std. error mean t sig. (2-tailed) understanding level female 314 4.3701 0.03379 -1.961 0.05   male 212 4.4783 0.04478 engagement female 314 4.3439 0.03346 -1.835 0.067   male 212 4.4453 0.04538 enjoyment female 314 4.3382 0.0381 -2.611 0.009   male 212 4.4896 0.04236 motivation female 314 4.3446 0.03569 -1.743 0.082   male 212 4.4453 0.04639 easiness female 314 4.1911 0.03704 -2.869 0.004   male 212 4.3623 0.04759 assessment female 314 4.2363 0.03797 -2.58 0.01   male 211 4.3905 0.04607 barriers female 314 3.9987 0.04677 -2.73 0.007   male 211 4.2019 0.05831 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 171 table 3 depicts that there is a chance for a difference in the gender-wise response since the p value is in the border for the manova test, so post hoc analysis is done using an independent sample t test to check out, whether there is any difference in attitude towards gamification in teaching-learning process. the result depicts that the gender-based difference is especially large for the variables easiness of use, barriers to use and enjoyment level. from the result, it is well clear that males have shown more interest in gamification and are of the opinion that gamification has a great impact on the teaching-learning process. table-4: category-wise classification in the usage of gamification as a teaching–learning tool multivariate analysis effect   value f hypothesis df error df sig. category pillai’s trace 0.028 0.705 21 1551 0.831 table-5: anova variables category n mean std. error f sig. understanding level       student 202 4.3653 0.0438 0.838 0.473 research scholar 42 4.5095 0.07535 faculty 272 4.4338 0.03876 others 10 4.44 0.2125 engagement       student 202 4.3396 0.04288 0.577 0.631 research scholar 42 4.419 0.08343 faculty 272 4.4118 0.03911 others 10 4.42 0.19425 enjoyment       student 202 4.3129 0.04704 2.212 0.086 research scholar 42 4.5429 0.07839 faculty 272 4.4397 0.04002 others 10 4.44 0.2247 motivation       student 202 4.3376 0.04199 1.253 0.29 research scholar 42 4.5429 0.08736 faculty 272 4.3985 0.04229 others 10 4.32 0.22549 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 172 easiness       student 202 4.2327 0.04803 0.553 0.646 research scholar 42 4.3762 0.08519 faculty 272 4.2647 0.0418 others 10 4.2 0.21499 assessment       student 202 4.2406 0.04771 1.066 0.363 research scholar 41 4.4098 0.08609 faculty 272 4.3199 0.04191 others 10 4.42 0.18962 barriers       student 202 4.0416 0.06063 0.275 0.844 research scholar 41 4.1268 0.12489 faculty 272 4.1044 0.05015 others 10 4.02 0.33393 table 5.3 depicted that there is no chance for difference in the categorywise response since the p value is 0.831 for the manova test, post hoc analysis is done using the anova test to check out; whether there is any significant difference in attitude towards gamification in teaching-learning process based on their category. the result depicts that category-wise, there is no difference in the attitude towards gamification table-6: age-wise in the usage of gamification as a teaching–learning tool. multivariate tests effect   value f hypothesis df error df sig. age pillai’s trace 0.075 1.409 28 2068 0.076 table-7: anova variable age category n mean std. error f sig understandinglevel         < 20 44 4.4364 0.11436 1.657 0.159 20-25 162 4.3494 0.04648 25-35 146 4.3973 0.05047 35-50 133 4.4391 0.0575 50+ 41 4.6195 0.06907 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 173 engagement         < 20 44 4.35 0.12167 1.636 0.164 20-25 162 4.3309 0.0427 25-35 146 4.3945 0.05102 35-50 133 4.3835 0.05866 50+ 41 4.6049 0.07761 enjoyment         < 20 44 4.3773 0.12746 1.821 0.123 20-25 162 4.2914 0.04957 25-35 146 4.4493 0.04635 35-50 133 4.4481 0.06308 50+ 41 4.5122 0.08753 motivation         < 20 44 4.4136 0.10927 1.83 0.122 20-25 162 4.3025 0.04601 25-35 146 4.4027 0.04986 35-50 133 4.391 0.06777 50+ 41 4.6 0.07225 easiness         < 20 44 4.3273 0.10824 1.553 0.186 20-25 162 4.1889 0.05304 25-35 146 4.3329 0.04802 35-50 133 4.206 0.06723 50+ 41 4.3854 0.09009 assessment         < 20 44 4.2636 0.11933 1.764 0.135 20-25 162 4.2173 0.05101 25-35 145 4.3531 0.04726 35-50 133 4.2872 0.06819 50+ 41 4.4976 0.08727 barriers         < 20 44 4.1727 0.13757 2.691 0.03 20-25 162 3.9963 0.06757 25-35 145 4.0014 0.06844 35-50 133 4.1338 0.07394 50+ 41 4.4195 0.09443 table 7 depicts that there is a chance for a difference in the age-wise response since the p value is in the border 0.076 for the manova test, post hoc analysis is done using the anova test to check out; whether there is any significant indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 174 difference in attitude towards gamification in teaching-learning process based on their age. the result depicts that age wise there is difference in the attitude towards gamification especially on the variable barriers. age group above 50 finds barriers in using gamification tools. figure-2: understanding level of gamification figure 2 shows that the majority of respondents (61 per cent) have strongly agreed that gamification has helped them to improve their understanding level. it helped them to make their learning fast and easier and also allowed for higher completion of subject matter. figure-3: engagement level of gamification figure 3 shows that the majority of respondents strongly agreed that gamification has helped them to improve their engagement level in teaching– learning process. this methodology of teaching-learning increases thinking capacity, more connection to the faculty and in-depth learning of the topic. figure-4: motivation factor of gamification indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 175 figure 4 shows that the majority of respondents strongly agreed that gamification has helped them to motivate better learning. it helped them to feel curious about learning the lecture content and feel inquisitive to learn higher order concepts; they also wish to share this methodology with others. figure-5: ease of use of gamification in teaching-learning figure 5 shows that the majority of respondents have agreed that gamification is easy to use. this methodology of teaching-learning can be customised according to users’ knowledge level, high proficiency is not required to use it. respondents also agreed that they can learn on their own using this methodology. figure-6: barriers in using gamification figure 6 shows that respondents are of the opinion that there are still certain barriers to using gamification as an effective tool in teaching–learning process like a perceived cost for accessing gamified learning content, lack of cultural appetite, scepticism from learners, lack of technical facilities like stable internet connection, uninterrupted power supply, adverse attitude to change into new teaching pedagogy and lack of knowledge of how to implement it. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 176 table-8: factor analysis of different variables total variance explained component total % of variance cumulative % 1. 17.515 48.652 48.652 2. 2.867 7.964 56.615 3. 1.644 4.565 61.181 4. 1.143 3.174 64.355 5. 1.088 3.022 67.377   1 2 3 4 5 improved understanding level 0.729         engagement achieved through this methodology leads to achieving the subject’s learning outcomes 0.725   0.356     useful in enhancing learning and development 0.71         allows higher completion rates of subject matter 0.678 0.313 0.36     in depth learning of the topic 0.677 0.301 0.325     more connection to the faculty and class is felt 0.672         learning is made easier 0.641       0.417 this methodology of teaching-learning increases thinking capacity 0.631         learning is faster 0.54 0.304     0.44 manipulation and malpractices can be avoided completely   0.737       personal bias of the evaluator is completely avoided   0.726       evaluation is error free and less timeconsuming   0.708       gamification is independent of proficiency in any language   0.705       results are uniform and independent of where it is administered.   0.69       high technical know-how is not required   0.688       indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 177 students can take the evaluation at their convenience 0.405 0.613       i can learn on my own using this methodology 0.347 0.597 0.378     speed of response is measured   0.543     0.507 customisation according to users’ knowledge level   0.524 0.372   0.316 i am immersed when learning is through gamification 0.309   0.712     i feel curious about learning the lecture content. 0.339   0.698     i feel inquisitive to learn higher order concepts 0.348 0.379 0.65     i have a heightened attention span due to the enjoyment i get from gamification 0.37 0.364 0.646     i wish to share this methodology with 4 too 0.41 0.323 0.624     i wish to employ gamification for all subjects and topics i learn 0.34 0.315 0.603     i feel happy when learning through gamification 0.365 0.31 0.6   0.331 i forgot the time when learning through gamification     0.531   0.328 i feel motivated to learn more 0.324 0.326 0.501   0.397 lack of cultural appetite, or scepticism from learners       0.859   perceived cost for accessing gamified learning content       0.843   lack of knowledge of how to implement it       0.839   lack of technical facilities like stable internet connection, uninterrupted power supply etc.       0.839   adverse attitude to change into new teaching pedagogy       0.805   learning through gamification makes me feel good.     0.515   0.606 creates more engaging experiences in learning 0.49       0.588 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 178 figure-7: factors that make gamification an effective teaching – learning tool table 7 shows the result of factor analysis. results show that the first nine factors are very important in showing the impact of gamification in the teachinglearning process, as it contributes 48.652 per cent of the variance. based on the analysis of this research, gamification is reliable and beneficial for teaching and learning mainly of nine factors: improved understanding level, engagement achieved through this methodology leads to achieving the subject’s learning outcomes, useful in enhancing learning and development, allows higher completion rates of subject matter, in-depth learning of the topic, more connection to the faculty and class is felt, learning is made easier, this methodology of teaching-learning increases thinking capacity and also learning is faster. conclusion based on the analysis of survey results, it has been established that gamification holds potential as an effective teaching tool for educating adolescents with diverse needs. it serves to not only enhance the learning experience for students across various academic levels but also make it more engaging and entertaining and improve the motivation level of students. furthermore, educators benefit from higher completion rates of subject material, fostering a stronger sense of connection among students, faculty, and the class community. despite its evident efficacy in the realm of teaching and learning, gamification does encounter specific barriers to successful implementation and acceptance like perceived cost for accessing gamified learning content, lack of cultural appetite, or scepticism from learners, lack of technical facilities like stable internet connection, uninterrupted power supply, adverse attitude to change into new teaching pedagogy and lack of knowledge of how to implement it. notably, certain challenges hinder its utilization as a learning tool. among these obstacles, it has been observed that females, particularly those aged above 50, encounter difficulties when incorporating gamification into the teaching-learning process. this challenge might stem from a lower level of familiarity and exposure to technology among older females. consequently, the study underscores the presence of hurdles hindering the adoption of gamification tools. given that gamification represents the emerging forefront of the teachinglearning paradigm, there is a universal call for nations to transition towards indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 179 this innovative approach. to facilitate such a transition, it is imperative to provide comprehensive training to both educators and students. this training should be particularly tailored to address the needs of older female learners, equipping them with an understanding of the intricacies, techniques, and strategies underpinning gamification. by integrating these insights into the teaching-learning mechanism, the objective is to facilitate a simplified, engaging, and captivating learning process. this approach acknowledges gamification’s potential to reshape the educational landscape and urges 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(2011). gamification in education: what, how, why bother? academic exchange quarterly, 15(2). biro, g. i. (2014). didactics 2.0: a pedagogical analysis of gamification theory from a comparative perspective with a special view to the components of learning. procedia social and behavioral sciences, 141, 148–151. kapp, k. m. (2012). the gamification of learning and instruction. pfeiffer publishing. ulrich, f., & helms, n. h. (2017). creating evaluation profiles for games designed to be fun: an interpretive framework for serious game mechanics. simulation & gaming. doi:10.1177/1046878117709841 indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 9 research article whatsapp enabled english language teachingimproving speaking skill through language tasks beena anil assistant professor of english sdnb vaishnav college for women, chrompet, chennai, india email: pbeenanil@gmail.com abstract technology is a boon in learning a language especially english as a second language. learning english is a difficult task for most second language learners (sll). introducing language tasks in the classroom help learners to develop competitive skill, collaborative learning, coordination, interactive skill, exploration and goal setting. in today’s world technology is synonymous with autonomous, collaborative and flexible learning. technology-based tasks bring color on multiple platforms to narrate, listen and understand the language usage in various playful ways as well as generate ideas and discussion for reflective thinking and writing. this paper explores the use of language tasks through whatsapp that are helpful for learners to develop their speaking skill and shares a few websites and applications for teachers of english to use for teaching purposes. keywords: tasks, second language learning, technology, learner-centric, flexibility introduction the dissemination of technology’s significance is unstoppable. technology integrated education has encouraged users to think differently and innovatively. technology-based language tasks are used by second language teachers in the classroom which echoes the idea of blended learning. technologybased learning is synonymous with autonomous, collaborative and flexible learning. the paradigm shift in learning is infusing user-friendly technology based tasks. educators are on the verge of understanding that what students study or how they study or where they study might be overboard or obsolete within a few years. in the fast-paced world, teachers should equip them with e-knowledge, as learners expect new knowledge from them. learning english language is a skill and developing the skill of second language learners is challenging as today’s learners are techno-enabled users. approximately, higher education learners in india use mobile phones more than three hours every day for leisure purposes. the addiction to mobile phones should be cashed on by converting their interest into a learning tool for learning english language. this paper has explored the possibility of using whatsapp on mobile phones to teach semi-rural second language learners of a college in tamil nadu, india. literature review there is sufficient literature available pertaining to learning english as a second language and for this paper it is indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 10 necessary to understand the literature of learning english through tasks. david crystal (david crystal, 2004, viii) in his book language and the internet mentions: an emphasis, which formerly was on technology, has shifted to be on people and purposes. and as the internet comes increasingly to be viewed from a social perspective, so the role of language becomes central. indeed, notwithstanding the remarkable technological achievements and the visual panache of screen presentation, what is immediately obvious when engaging in any of the internet’s functions is its linguistic character. if the internet is a revolution, therefore, it is likely to be a linguistic revolution. in today’s world, technology is knowledge and it is revolution. using technology in educational arenas is one of its kinds as every teacher and every student nurtures its presence in the teaching and learning process. technology has an attractive quotient even techno-cynic has a good say at one point of time. it is always a cognitive booster to teachers and learners due to its multimodal usages in the classroom. brinton (2001, p. 461) supposed that media tools serve as an important facilitator in the language teaching development because “media materials can lend authenticity to the classroom situation, reinforcing for students the direct relation between the language classroom and the outside world”. there are voluminous studies conducted to prove the good use of technology in teaching especially in language teaching and learning processes. bax (2003, p. 27) expresses: computer aided language learning (call) finally becomes invisible, serving the needs of learners and integrated into every teacher’s everyday practice… it will require change in attitudes, in approach and practice amongst teachers and learners; it will require fuller integration into administrative procedures and syllabuses. campbell (2003), bax (2003), godwin (2003), johnson (2004) and eastman (2005) explained the significance of technological advancement in the learning sector and the collaborative learning atmosphere prevailing among english second language learners (eslls). jackson et.al. (2006) say “students who used the internet more, got higher scores and grades’’. chandrasegaran and kong (2006) justify that argument forums on the internet would improve a learner’s challenging skills providentially. ahmad (2012) statistically proved that english as a second language, learner’s reaction towards using media based learning had improved absolutely. use of technology is extending its tentacles and enables new contexts for learning. in the world of uncertainty technology is very supportive in learning languages. many online educational games are in the anvil for students to benefit as it creates mobile learning environments (wong & looi, 2011). technology has empowered rural publics, information and rights cultures and democracy (jeffrey & doron, 2013). technology is a platform to encourage education, technologyenabled learning and technology mediated pedagogies indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 11 (yadav, 2015 p.69) from a traditional classroom to a virtual classroom or from classroom to smart classroom, games based learning is appreciable for the development of an educational landscape (selwyn, 2003, p. 2). task assisted learning gives equal specification to both teacher and learner. such collaborative learning activities uplift the learning qualities of learners according to the cultural and linguistic background (lama, 2006). this paper focuses on the importance of using tasks in the learning process of english as a second language. the e game based learning intends to develop both higher order skills and lower order skills (scrivener, 2007) and teaching practices require collaborative efforts (holmes, preston, shaw, & buchanan, 2013). technology provides a lot of opportunities for the personal and professional development of teachers and that was limited before the advent of web2.0 (carpenter, 2015). using technotools in the classroom makes teachers upgrade their techno-knowledge and they should be convinced that new technology is helpful for their professional development (holmes et al., 2013). the potential of social media in higher education has been widely recognized (alberth, mursalim, siam, suardika, & ino, 2018). though studies have proved that technology is always considered to be a positive quotient, the ground value point is that users are highly benefited as most of the language tasks and electronic tasks (e-tasks) are motivating and interesting. research questions communication is very important for learners as they explore to deepen their knowledge and develop their insightful thoughts for their future prospects. teachers play a predominant role in making them communicate in the classroom but, their academic compulsion to complete their syllabus handicaps them to spend ‘extra’ time to develop the communicative skills of students. etasks help students to develop lsrw skills. technology has mesmerized adult learners as they are connected on social media wherever and forever. teachers should convert students’ interest as an investment to make them learn english as a language rather than a subject. whatsapp is helpful to students in diverse ways. students are motivated to use any mode of presentation to be shown it to the group or the teacher. the time indicator in the message or video shows the participants’ agility. teachers can create or design interesting topics or relevant discussing questions to make students involve and participate in the online or e-task based learning process. based on this understanding, the researcher wanted to explore the following research question: do participants’ level of speaking skills increase through tasks using whatsapp? developing english language learning speaking skill through whatsapp based tasks tasks make learners understand their social responsibility and to monitor their socio-psychological and emotional skills. tasks evolve by themselves as they make students have good rapport with other students as well as with the indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 12 teachers. tasks help learners to develop life skills along with their communicative skills. for ages, teachers create their own tasks and in this techno world they involve technology to entertain, inspire, learn and teach. tasks make students to: • get feedback from teachers and colearners • encourage collaborative learning • have secure environmental learning • appreciate autonomous learning • reflect on one’s grammatical mistakes as well as on coparticipants as corrective measures • develop lsrw skills and help to explore and observe the learning processes there is no hard and fast rule to conduct or organize games in the classroom. how to use whatsapp for language tasks whatsapp can be downloaded on a smartphone from google store. the contacts on the phone with whatsapp application could get connected and viewed. more than 250 participants can be added to form a whatsapp group. this application is used to send messages, video, audio, photos and it has a voice converter and video caller. this learning tool is all in one. while whatsapping, users can share their files in the group and receive the feedback from the co-participants and the teacher quickly. whatsapp video calls can be done with four participants at a time. more than 100 participants can get connected for voice calls at a time. voice to word conversion is an easy task for participants who struggle in text messages. with the help of whatsapp, relevant websites or url links can be shared to be viewed on a public forum. websites and applications for english language learning as the researcher mentioned above there are many applications that create ripples by giving live streaming and group meetings, etc. youtube is a very creative application in which students can create their own video and upload it on their youtube channel and share it in the group to be viewed by their friends and classmates. even the same can be done by teachers to make students understand the concepts in learning english as a subject as well as a skill. there are few websites and applications like tesol resource center, british council’s learn english, doodlespell, fluentu, enguru, mondly, youtube kids etc., that can be used and examined by teachers for their teaching purposes. method the study was conducted in an arts and science college in chengalput district, tamil nadu. total 60 respondents were taken for the study which lasted for four months. all respondents had smartphones with whatsapp application. the researcher created a whatsapp group named, fun with english. the study was divided into three phases: 1. the first phase was a pre-test to understand the participants’ existing knowledge in english language 2. the second phase was the distribution of tasks 3. the third phase was to examine the level of improvement in english learning by conducting a posttest and to validate the research indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 13 question the respondents the respondents for this study were second year undergraduate students from the departments of economics and history (30 students from each department) from an arts and science women’s college, tamil nadu. the respondents were selected based on their interest in learning the english language. the demographic data of 60 respondents has been presented in table 2. table 2: demographic data of respondents variable variable f variable gender female 60 100 age 18-20 60 100 educational level under graduate ii year 60 100 duration of learning english as a subject 10-12 years 60 100 engaged in whatsapp for learning purpose yes no 0 60 0 100 techno-knowledge in using whatsapp medium high 60 0 100 0 frequency of using mobile phone rarely sometimes often 0 5 55 0 5 95 instruments pre-test framework, performance of tasks and post–test framework were used to evaluate the research question and for the statistical calculations, spss software version 17 was used. the pre-test framework pre-test was conducted to understand the existing knowledge of the participants in english as a language. two tests were conducted – paper based test and oral test. paper based test was conducted to evaluate the grammatical aspects, use of vocabulary, and sentence formation of the participants. the topic ‘self-introduction’ was sent to the whatsapp group and instructed the participants to write about themselves. time was set and within the stipulated time the participants handed over the paper to the researcher. oral test was conducted to test the speaking skill of the participants. this test was conducted to evaluate the participants’ attitude, confidence, choice of words and grammatical usage. for the oral test, 15 pictures (all the pictures were numbered from 1 to 15) were sent to the whatsapp group for the participants to narrate and the participants were asked to select the picture by its number. four participants indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 14 were asked to select one picture for narration making it 60 (15 pictures x 4) participants. the researcher selected simple 15 stories to avoid repetition while the participants performed their story. it is an individual task and all the participants narrated the picture in their own way and all the narration was recorded on a smartphone by the researcher. pre-test was helpful for the researcher to understand the capacity and ability of the respondents and accordingly e-tasks were designed for the participants as given in table-3 and figure-1. table-3: e-tasks designed for the participants objective tested items task paper based test: to test the writing skill of the participants in english language grammatical aspects like verb, tense sentence formation vocabulary self-introduction oral test: to test the speaking skill of the participants choice of words, grammatical usage, attitude story narration sample of story narration included: 1. boy who cried ‘wolf’ 2. the thirsty crow 3. the greedy milk woman 4. the ant and the dove analysis of pre-task framework the participants performed e-tasks on whatsapp individually as well as in group. the purpose of using e-tasks was to give exposure to the participants in using english in various real-life situations. the attitude and motivational factor could be improved because their performance could be seen by them many times and it would lead them to improve themselves. adding to this, their co-participants and well-wishers could analyze the progress of their positive attitude in learning english. the recorded videos are the testimonials of the participants. the assessment was done and it was categorized as weak, satisfactory, good and excellent. table-3: assessment of the performance assessment item no. of respondents percentage level choice of vocabulary 60 20 weak confidence and attitude 60 30 weak improvement in speaking 60 30 weak the researcher felt that the participants’ level of using english while performing the tasks was weak but elicited their interest in learning english as a language. a whatsapp application was used to motivate the participants to indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 15 learn english so as to improve their speaking skill. distribution of tasks the respondents were divided into small groups of three each and all the tasks were performed on whatsapp video call. all the participants of each group had an opportunity to perform the task individually as well as in a collaborative way. participants’ creativity and speaking skill were developed by performing the given tasks. the researcher used warmup tasks and later, introduced tasks to the participants. warm-up tasks were performed by all the participants as team work. these tasks helped them to accustom with the whatsapp-centric learning and presenting within a stipulated time. two warm-up tasks were performed by the participants and the researcher only observed them and no score was given for the performance. the given tasks were: a. click and explain in three sentences b. my friend is special because……......– five sentences table-4: options for click and explain in three sentences aim to break the reluctance preparation time 2-5 minutes resource smartphone camera (some of the participants were reluctant to perform but managed to do the tasks) this warm up task made participants talk for two minutes about a picture that they clicked with their smartphone. participants were divided into a group of three each. each participant was asked to click a photo and asked to explain in three sentences. a whatsapp video group call was made and the researcher randomly added three participants for the performance. on the group video call three participants along with the researcher were made to perform the task and the response was average. table-5: my friend is special because aim to break the reluctance preparation time 2-5 minutes resource smartphone with internet another warm up task (table-5) made participants feel better and they could talk on a topic that was very close to their heart. this task too was performed as a team. the researcher connected a whatsapp video call randomly with three participants and asked them to perform the task. the response was satisfactory. after the warm-up session, six tasks were introduced to the participants for assessment. all the participants got connected on whatsapp and these six tasks were performed with the help indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 16 of group video calls. the respondents were saved as number 1, 2 3…. and not by their names. the researcher had the list of students with the number so that she could make note of the graph of their performance. the six tasks were: • e-play with emojis • meaning the memes • questions please • act an advertisement • narrate a story –spin the yarn • movie review • e-play with emojis emojis are very interesting elements on whatsapp and most of the users use emojis to express their feelings. it is a psychological assistance as many who never want to express themselves in words always use emojis. emojis exist in living and nonliving forms like facial expression, weather, fruits, vegetables, figurines, objects, animals. table-5: my friend is special because aim to enhance speaking skill to encourage critical thinking preparation time flexible resource smartphone with internet procedure • researchers instructed the participants to copy more than three emojis of their choice to create a story. • asked the participants to draw the emojis on a paper and describe the select emojis after due preparation. the researcher instructed them to show the paper while narrating their story on whatsapp video call. • later connected three participants on video call whatsapp randomly and asked them to narrate the story using emojis. the interest to speak in english was improved among the participants. the assessment (table-6) was done and it was categorized as weak, satisfactory, good and excellent. the table below shows the assessment components. table-6: assessment of the performance assessment items no. of respondents percentage level choice of vocabulary 60 30 weak confidence and attitude 60 40 satisfactory improvement in speaking 60 40 satisfactory connecting to real life sit-uations 60 60 good meaning the memes a meme is used or spread on social media with macro images fusing with concept and catchphrase. most of the memes are created with misspellings and usage of incorrect grammatical aspects. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 17 table-7: aspects used in memes exercise aim to enhance speaking skill preparation time flexible resource smartphone with internet procedure • researcher numbered all 20 memes that was collected from whatsapp messages • 20 memes with numbers were shared on the whatsapp group and instructed participants to select one meme of their choice • time was given for preparation and whatsapp voice call was connected with random three participants • each participant presented her choice of memes by referring to its number the assessment can be summarised as given in table-8. table-6: assessment of the performance assessment items no. of respondents percentage level choice of vocabulary 60 40 satisfactory confidence and attitude 60 45 satisfactory improvement in speak-ing 60 40 satisfactory connecting to real life situations 60 40 satisfactory questions please in this task the participants were asked to frame questions for no answers. the participants were advised to frame wh-type questions and yes or no type questions (the summarization of the questions can be seen as in table-9). the same teams were formed but, all the participants performed individually and watched their teammates perform on group video call. table-9: the summarization for question please task aim to enhance speaking skill preparation time flexible resource smartphone procedure • the participants were divided into a group of three each • instructed each participant to frame 10 questions 5 wh type question and 5 yes or no type questions • though performed individually other team members were watching their teammate perform • corrective measures were done at the end of each video group call the assessment of performance can be summarised as given in table-10. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 18 table-10: assessment of the performance assessment items no. of respondents percentage level choice of vocabulary 60 50 good confidence and attitude 60 50 good improvement in speaking 60 50 good connecting to real life situations 60 50 good act an advertisement using advertisements in teaching english is an interesting way to make learners engage in learning. the respondents were divided into a group of three each. the names of the products were posted in the group and instructed each team to select a product to create an advertisement and act on whatsapp video call. the idea behind it can be summarised as given in table-11. table-11: the idea behind act an advertisement activity aim to enhance speaking skill to enhance creativity preparation time flexible resource smartphone procedure • the class was divided into small group of three • 20 names of the products-1. television, 2.mobile phone, 3.cement, 4.noodles, 5.car, 6.bike, 7.computer, 8.furniture, 9.chocolate, 10.hair oil, 11.tiles, 12.soft drinks 13.health drinks 14. face cream, 15.detergent soap, 16. washing powder, 17. dhotis 18. shirt 19. saree 20.toys-shared on the whatsapp group • each team had to select a product indicating the number and time was set for preparation • researcher made a whatsapp group video call and connected all the three members of a team and the performance duration was given as 5 minutes • each member performed her part with the available limited resources the assessment of performance can be summarised as in table-12. table-12: assessment of the performance assessment items no. of respondents percentage level choice of vocabulary 60 50 good confidence and attitude 60 50 good improvement in speaking 60 50 good connecting to real life situations 60 50 good indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 19 narrate a story – spin the yarn story narration develops one’s creativity as well as communicative skill. this task helped the participants to unleash their creativity while narrating their story in free style. the idea behind this activity can be summarised as given in table-13. table-13: idea behind narrate a story – spin the yarn activity aim to enhance speaking skill to enhance creativity preparation time flexible resource smartphone procedure • the participants were divided into small group of three (random ) • each participant was asked to click two pictures with clarity and post it to the group • the researcher selected thirty pictures and numbered them • each participant was asked to narrate a story using the selected picture • though it was an individual performance, each participant presented on whatsapp group voice call along with other two teammates table-12: assessment of the performance assessment items no. of respondents percentage level choice of vocabulary 60 50 good confidence and attitude 60 70 excellent improvement in speaking 60 60 excellent connecting to real life situations 60 50 good movie review today’s youth watch movies with an integrated interest to analyze and review it beyond merely watching. binge watching is an entertaining quotient for many. reviewing a movie is a challenging task but this made participants comfortable to share their views about their favorite movie. the plan behind this activity can be summarised as given in table-13. table-15: the plan behind movie review activity aim to enhance speaking skill preparation time flexible resource a movie procedure • the participants were divided into small group of three and were made to select their favorite movie • each participant was instructed to review her favorite movie and indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 20 was advised to use single tense – present or past or future tenseto review the movie the assessment results for this activity can be seen in table-16. table-16: assessment of the performance assessment items no. of respondents percentage level choice of vocabulary 60 50 good confidence and attitude 60 70 excellent improvement in speaking 60 65 excellent connecting to real life situations 60 50 good data analysis of tasks all the respondents learnt english as a subject till class x and their medium of instruction was english in class xi, xii and at the college level. as their exposure to english language was limited, the researcher used them for the study to understand how whatsapp applications could be used to enhance their speaking skill. whatsapp application is a very common tool used by college-students in tamil nadu. converting the popular platform to teach english language as well as boosting the confidence of semirural students in learning english as a skill language was a worthy attempt. the researcher analyzed all the performances of 60 participants by recording the presentations on her mobile cloud and maintained a reflective diary to understand the progress of participants in learning english language. the study was conducted to understand the importance of e-tasks using whatsapp mobile application. the study also helped the researcher to have an insight into the participants’ learning behaviour i.e. they could perform well in pairs. curiosity is the key motto of learning english through technoenabled tasks. all the respondents were zealous while performing the tasks. initially, the respondents were showing the high frequency level of memorization of vocabulary. but, later regular practice of using e-games with meta cognitive factors encouraged them to show good interest in english language learning process. all the respondents were in unison to acknowledge that tasks were helpful for them to learn english as a language without any pressure or stress. the whatsapp group acted as the platform for all the respondents to react and learn from their co-participants. they were made to share their doubts, accept their mistakes, interact, think and create avenues to learn while performing tasks. the researcher observed that the respondents were: • learning as well as playing not bothering about others as they perform in a small group • interacting with whatsapp facilitated collaborative learning without inhibitions • attempting hands-on for better communication • understanding their level of knowledge in performing tasks and tried increasing their level of speaking skill indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 21 the post-test framework in this post-test, the researcher examined the development of the participants’ speaking skill in english. as in the pre-test, the researcher used the same 15 stories and the participants narrated the same story as in the pretest. for the evaluation process, the researcher used the same storyboard. this test was conducted in person similar to that of the pre-test. all the 15 stories were simple and known stories to the participants and the stories boosted their morale too. the points examined in the post-test are given in table-17. table-17: points examined in the post-test objective tested items task oral test: to test the speaking skill to examine the presentation skill choice of words, grammatical usage, attitude story narration the story narration had these stories: the hare and the tortoise, 2. the fox and the stork 3. the fox and the grapes analysis of the post-test the researcher felt that the participants’ level of using english got improved and their interest in learning english also got enhanced satisfactorily. the assessment was categorized as: weak, satisfactory, good and excellent. table-18 shows the assessment components table-18: assessment of the performance assessment items no. of respondents percentage level choice of vocabulary 60 70 good confidence and attitude 60 80 excellent improvement in speaking 60 80 excellent result analysis of pre-test and posttest in this study, tasks were used to enhance the speaking skill of participants. to evaluate the existing knowledge a pre-test was conducted using story narration. 60 participants were given 6+2 tasks to improve their speaking skills. after this phase, a post-test was conducted using the same storyboard. the post-test task was used to test the speaking skill of the participants and the scores were analyzed for correlation to check whether the participants’ scores were increased in the post-test result. the result has been given in table-19, 20, 21and 22. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 22 table-19: results of tests correlations pre-test post-test pretest pearson correlation 1 .354** sig. (2-tailed) .000 n 60 60 posttest pearson correlation .354** 1 sig. (2-tailed) .000 n 60 60 **. correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). table-20: results of tests paired samples statistics mean n std. deviation std. error mean pair 1 pretest 2.0100 60 .81023 .08102 posttest 4.4600 60 1.21788 .12179 table-21: results of tests paired samples correlations n correlation sig. pair 1 pre-test & post-test 60 .354 .000 table-22: results of tests paired samples test paired differences t df sig. (2-tailed) mean std. deviation std. error mean 95% confidence interval of the difference lower upper pair 1 pretest posttest -2.450 1.20080 .12008 -2.68826 -2.21174 -20.403 99 .000 the correlation coefficient strength shows that the pre-test and post-test output are correlated (spss software version 17). the result of the output of the participants is high as it shows that the respondents speaking skill got developed using tasks on whatsapp application. discussion language is one of the sources of expression as most of the human beings are e-communicators and the indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 23 level of proficiency in engaging effective verbal performance by the speaker is notable and appreciable. good exposure time to the language improves learners’ communicative competence. in a densely populated classroom, evaluating the language skills of each student is not practically possible. technology integrated tasks are the source of opportunity with positive reflection. these tasks help learners of all levels to update and improve their knowledge for their professional and social inclusive situations. conclusion this paper has explored how whatsapp based tasks help learners to integrate classroom and virtual learning. in this techno advanced world, learners themselves are good at designing their own e-tasks or as part of a small team of students with similar interest. teachers should encourage students to familiarize themselves with both the strength and weakness of tasks (e-tasks) and ensure that technology is important in making a good learning atmosphere and improve intervention outcomes. despite this assurance, students should know that in the absence of technology, it is possible to work collaboratively and innovatively to improve their learning. tasks develop competition and collaboration. competition may be a motivating factor for some of the learners and for some, competition may be a stressful and de-motivational factor. sometimes competition leads to learners’ intention to win the game rather than learning from it. therefore, collaboration can be built as a prime factor in task based learning. language tasks enhance subject knowledge and problem solving skills of learners. teachers who introduce tasks to students should consider a few important points. teacher should: • consider tasks that support language learning • check the level of graphical quality relevant to learners • understand the support system provided for students to learn using tasks • understand the mechanism of tasks and check the content • check the collaboration opportunities for learners that come in the way of developing language skills there are many task based websites that are in the market purely for commercial purposes. facilitators should support learners on selecting appropriate tasks for learning in higher education. teachers can spend 20-30 minutes looking for good websites which offer language games or try to search on websites so that everyday learning becomes interesting to learners as well as for the teachers. references ahmad, j. (2012). english language teaching (elt) and integration of media technology. procedia: social and behavioral sciences, 47, 924–929. doi:10.10 16/j.sbspro.2012.06.758 indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 24 alberth, mursalim , siam, suardika.k, & ino, la. (2018).social media as a conduit for teacher professional development in the digital era: myths, promises or realities? teflin journal, 29(2),293-306 bax, s. (2003). call: past, present and future. system, 31(1), 13–28. doi:10.1016/ s0346-251x(02)00071-4 brinton, d. m. (2001). the use of media in language teaching. in m. celce-murcia (ed.), teaching english as a second or foreign language (pp. 459–475). boston, ma: heinle and heinle. campbell, a. p. (2003). weblogs for use with esl classes. the internet tesl journal, ix, 2. assessed tesl-ej.org/ej35/m1.html carpenter, j. (2015). preservice teachers’ microblogging: professional development via twitter. contemporary issues in technology and teacher education, 15 (2), 209-234. chandrasegaran, a., & kong, c. k. m. (2006). stance-taking and stance-support in students’ online forum discussion. linguistics and education, 17 (4), 374– 390. doi:10.1016/j.linged.2007.01.003 crystal, d. (2004). language and the internet. online isbn: 9781139164771, cambridge: cambridge university press. godwin-jones, b. (2003). blogs and wikis: environments for online collaboration. language learning & technology, 7(2), 12–16. holmes, k., preston, g., shaw, k., & buchanan, r. (2013). “follow” me: networked professional learning for teachers. australian journal of teacher education, 38(12), 55-65. jackson, l. a., von eye, a., biocca, f. a., barbatsis, g., zhao, y., & fitzgerald, h. e. (2006). does home internet use influence the academic performance of low-income children? the british journal of developmental psychology, 42(3), 1–7. pmid:16756435 jeffrey, robin, & doron, assa. (2013). cellphone nation: how mobile phones have revolutionized business, politics and ordinary life in india. gurgaon: hachette india. johnson, a. (2004). creating a writing course utilizing class and student blogs. the internet tesl journal,10(8). assessed http://iteslj.org/ lama, d. (2006). using ict to support young learners who are non-native speakers of english. iatefl young learner newsletter, 26-27. scrivener, j. (2007). learning teaching (2nd ed.). london: macmillan. selwyn, n. (2003). ict in non-formal youth and adult education; defining the territory. presented at the ncal/oecd international roundtable. assessed http://www.literacy.org/ ictconf/oecd_selwyn_final.pdf indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 25 wong, l.-h., & looi, c.-k. (2011). what seams do we remove in mobile-assisted seamless learning? a critical review of the literature. computers and education, 57, 2364-2381. yadav, a. (2015). information and communication technologies (ict) literacy for sustainable development in j. singh, a. grizzle s. j. yee & s. h. culver (eds), media and information literacy for the sustainable development goals (pp. 67– 76). nordicom: international clearinghouse. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 43 research article digital divide: a comparison of undergraduate female student’s use of social media platforms in urban and rural areas nivetha r1 & b. radha2 1phd research scholar, department of communication, manonmaniam sundaranar university, tirunelveli 2associate professor, department of media and communication, central university of tamil nadu, thiruvarur email – radhacutn@gmail.com abstract the covid-19 pandemic has contributed to the increase in online education and subsequent social media use among the student communities globally. the use has drastically changed the everyday life patterns concerned with their education, communication, and entertainment needs. research shows that social media platforms provide formal and informal learning opportunities influencing higher education. they offer a space for collaborative learning, sharing, and communicating with not only friends but also teachers. however, access and use vary among student communities based on gender, class, nationality, and language. understanding students' experiences using social media platforms is vital beyond the barriers mentioned above. in the given context, the study contributes to understanding female students’ engagement and participation with social media platforms. it tries to determine if there are differences in access use and purpose of use of social media platforms among urban and rural women students. this study identifies the digital divide in terms of urban-rural and locates the need to empower rural female students by requiring knowledge and skills as part of their educational curriculum in higher education institutions. keywords: social media platforms, digital divide, women students, rural-urban divide, digital literacy introduction internet use, particularly social media platforms, is growing more widespread among student groups worldwide in the post covid-19 context. social media platforms include wikis, video-sharing sites, photo-sharing sites, bookmarking sites, and social networking websites (chugh and ruhi 2019, chugh, grose, & macht, 2021). students’ engagement with social media platforms is found to contribute positively and negatively to their academic performances. initially, social media engagement of student communities was not welcomed and was seen as a hindrance to their academic performances. however, the scope of these platforms is increasing in terms of catering to not only the social networking of its users but also their education, information, and entertainment needs. today, it isn't easy to find a youngster who does not have a gmail, facebook, or twitter account, which they use to communicate with friends, express or share their thoughts, and utilize for other purposes. social networking platforms primarily enable students to engage in both formal (like studying course material) and informal (like searching everywhere for valuable indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 44 information) learning environments (zachos, paraskevopoulou-kollia, & anagnostopoulos, 2018). the impact of social media on universities is currently the subject of an increasing number of studies (hamadi, el-den, azam, & sriratanaviriyakul, 2022). in the post-covid-19, the usage is increased adoption of online technologies in teaching and learning processes. they are used extensively among academicians to interact, collaborate and connect further. the research findings by khan, ashraf, seinen, khan, and laar (2021) indicate that social media played an essential role during the pandemic because it provided opportunities for students to enhance collaborative learning. in an era when social media is an inherent part of academic communities, it is crucial to understand the nature of engagement of students, their usage patterns, purpose, and existing barriers against access and use. the present study aims to identify if any differences exist in terms of access, use, and purpose of use of social media platforms by women students from rural and urban regions. literature review the increasing demands of communication and information needs have enhanced the use of online platforms. according to the digital 2022 global overview report, out of the 1.40 billion population of india as of january 2022, it is estimated that 658.0 million internet users, which is 47 per cent (datareportal, 2022). in india, the top 5 social media platforms (including messaging applications) are whatsapp, with 534.30 million active users; instagram, with 503.37 million active users; facebook, with 491.53 million active users; telegram, with 374.40 million active users, and facebook messenger, with 324.39 million users (the global statistics, 2022). in this context, the covid-19 pandemic has contributed to the increase in online education and subsequent social media use among the student community globally. social media platforms are used more in educational settings (busque & mingoia, 2021). social media offers a platform for learning that makes it simple for students to communicate with their peers and topic experts and benefits their collaborative learning (khan, ashraf, seinen, khan, & laar, 2021). much of social learning takes place in social media networks, contributing to the informal learning of student communities. according to research by hamat and hassan (2019) of 6085 students at a malaysian university, writing, communication, vocabulary growth, and reading were the areas of proficiency the students benefited the most from social networking. a study by madhusudan (2012) on exploring the use of social networking sites by research scholars of the university of delhi states that they are used in their communication for research work, and most respondents preferred the social media platforms facebook and researchgate for academic purposes. in a review of social media usage in higher education from the 77 articles published from 2010 onwards, zachos, paraskevopoulou-kollia, & anagnostopoulos ( 2018) find that facebook and twitter were identified to be the essential online social media platforms for educational purposes. according to the literature, students naturally and frequently utilize social media platforms as an informal academic tool to collaborate with classmates, plan class projects, and exchange course-related information (bosch, 2009; madge, meek, wellens & hooley 2009; selwyn 2009, hamadi, el-den, azam, & sriratanaviriyakul, 2022). the incorporation of social media in higher education classrooms is motivated by a desire to improve student learning outcomes, particularly indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 45 by encouraging pedagogical approaches like collaborative learning (hamadi, elden, azam, & sriratanaviriyakul, 2022). this has created a paradigm shift in higher education, altering teaching, learning, and research. as a result of these technological advancements, many higher education institutions (and educators) are now under pressure to keep up with the world of social media users and applications (selwyn, 2012). however, not all students have similar social media experiences regarding access and use based on gender, race, nativity, and other related socioeconomic and cultural factors. significance of the study the gap between people who have access to and ability to use technology and those who do not is known as the "digital divide." students who used computers and associated technologies growing up have an edge since they have the necessary technical abilities to take advantage of technology for learning. as per neilsen's bharat 2.0 internet study, almost 60 per cent of the rural population still does not actively use the internet. urban india continues to lead the world in the percentage of people who use the internet actively, with a share of 59 per cent, leaving behind rural india with 41 per cent (dey, 2022). due to the digital divide, the adoption of technologies has not achieved the desired results (faloye & ajayi, 2021). basharat, ahmad, & ahmad (2019) observed the existence of the digital divide among college students in the kashmir district of jammu and kashmir in a study. according to the survey, students from metropolitan backgrounds use digital content more frequently than students from rural areas. however, globally access to technology by students was not equal since the lack of infrastructures, such as broadband and wireless internet, as well as lack of knowledge and the absence of training institutes in rural areas as compared to metropolitan areas, create a disparity in access to the internet. a study in afghanistan found that inadequate internet/wi-fi, electricity, technological gadgets, infrastructure, time, and confidence towards use primarily hinder the use of icts in a university (hashemi, na, noori, & orfan, 2022). jones, johnson-yale, millermaier, & p'erez (2022) found differences in internet usage among american college students based on race and gender in the study. college students use social networking websites for discussion, learning activities, and fun (dhanyasree & sharma, 2019). compared to men and boys, there is a significant difference in the adoption and usage of digital technology among women and girls (oecd, 2018). considering rural female students, access to digital gadgets has improved during the covid-19 period. this is an increase compared to previous years; however, the reason and purpose of the access are to be explored. the access to online platforms for education by female students, more specifically from rural regions, is low compared to urban male and female students. gender discriminatory practices impact access to technology. this gender digital divide can have broader consequences in ensuring equal learning opportunities for women students. however, it is essential to understand the online social media usage patterns and purpose of use by rural women students compared to urban women students. this can pave the way to impart structured digital literacy programs to rural female students based on the observed trends. objectives of the study 1. to determine if there are any differences between urban and rural women students' access to social media platforms. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 46 2. to compare the usage patterns of social media platforms by urban and rural women students. 3. to determine if there are any differences between urban and rural women students' purpose of using social media platforms. hypotheses h01 there is no significant difference in the mean score of social media usage for education and information purposes by women students in relation to their urban-rural nativity. h02 there is no significant difference in the mean score of social media usage for entertainment purposes by women students in relation to their urban-rural nativity. methodology the study uses a quantitative survey method to collect data from the samples taken for the research. the study's primary objective is to compare female students' access and use of social networking sites in rural and urban regions. using purposive sampling, rural college students (60) studying in tirunelveli, tamil nadu and urban college students (60) studying in chennai, tamil nadu, a total of 120 students were involved in the study. a self-made closed-ended questionnaire was used to collect data from the samples. it consisted of two scales to measure the usage frequency of social media platforms and the related purpose of use. the scale measuring social media usage for education and information purposes contains 13 items with cronbach’s alpha = 0.791, and the scale measuring social media use for entertainment needs consists of 8 items with cronbach’s alpha = 0.836 each with 5 alternative responses measuring the frequency of use. using the statistical package for the social sciences (spss) the collected data are analysed through frequency and percentages along with a t-test for measuring mean differences between the urban and rural women students using independent samples ‘t’ test. findings and discussion analysis of objective 1 according to the data presented in table 1 (n=120), access to the internet by means of smartphones is high (91.7 per cent) among rural female students. however, the use of the internet through laptops/desktops is high (18.3 per cent) among urban women students compared to rural. table-1 : frequency of access to internet by the respondents access to internet gadgets used in internet access nativity total rural urban smart phone 55 49 104 91.7% 81.7% 86.7% laptop/desktop 5 11 16 8.3% 18.3% 13.3% total 120 100.0% indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 47 the data presented in table 2 (n=120) shows the internet usage per day by the respondents. it is observed that internet usage for more than two hours per day is high among urban women students (71.7 per cent) compared to rural women students (43.3 per cent). table-2 : frequency of internet access hours per day nativity internet access hours per day total less than 1 hour 1-2 hours more than 2 hours rural 12 22 26 60 20.0% 36.7% 43.3% 100.0% urban 2 15 43 6 0 3.3% 25.0% 71.7% 100.0% table-3 : frequency of average amount used for data recharge per month recharge amount nativity total rural urban below 100 2 3 5 3.3% 5.0% 4.2% 101-200 14 16 30 23.3% 26.7% 25.0% 201-300 43 17 60 71.7% 28.3% 50.0% 301 & above 1 24 25 1.7% 40.0% 20.8% total 120 (100%) according to the data presented in table 3, affording high monthly data charges is limited among rural women students, in terms of 71.7 per cent recharging within rs. 300 per month. most urban women students, 40 per cent, state they recharge above rs.300 per month. in a post-covid-19 pandemic scenario, the increase in smartphones and onlineclasses have enhanced the access of smartphones in rural regions. however, personal desktops or laptops are beyond affordability for rural women students. access is by means of shared smartphones, where a single phone is used by the entire family. this impacts the usage time and time of use of the gadgets. the duration of use depends on the type of gadgets used, the strength of the network, data quality, and recharge capacity. female students in rural regions state that problems of the poor network in their villages reduce their usage hours. many times, they had to wait for their parents’ indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 48 table-4 : usage of social media platforms media type percentage not using percentage of respondents using social media platforms less than 1 hr 1-2 hours above 2 hours rural urban rural urban rural urban rural urban whatsapp 0.00% 0.00% 47.20% 20.00% 27.30% 27.70% 25.50% 52.30% instagram 41.80% 7.70% 34.50% 23.10% 16.40% 32.30% 7.30% 36.90% youtube 9.10% 1.50% 56.30% 43.10% 20.00% 21.50% 14.60% 33.90% facebook 72.80% 15.30% 10.90% 13.80% 1.80% 1.50% 14.50% 69.40% twitter 78.20% 21.50% 12.70% 10.80% 0.00% 0.00% 9.10% 67.70% telegram 70.90% 13.80% 16.40% 23.10% 1.80% 1.50% 10.90% 61.60% sharechat 52.70% 10.80% 25.50% 13.80% 7.30% 3.10% 14.50% 72.30% moj 78.2% 23.1% 7.3% 1.5% 1.8% 0.0% 0.0% 46% mx takatak 80.0% 23.1% 3.6% 3.1% 0.0% 1.5% 16.4% 72.3% josh 80.0% 23.1% 3.6%t 1.5% 0.0% 1.5% 16.4% 73.8% youtube, whatsapp, and instagram use are high compared to popular social media platforms like facebook and twitter. the use of social media platforms is high among urban women students and this indicates more communication, opportunities, collaborative learning and development. in a study among a sample of 3000 students in the usa, dahlstrom, boor, and grunwald (2011) report that 90 per cent of them use facebook, whereas 37 per cent use twitter as a communication tool. the majority of rural women students 72.8 per cent do not use facebook for several reasons like fear of security, lack of adequate knowledge and skills, language barriers and social stigma based on gender. also access of youtube is high compared to other social media platforms among rural women students. youtube usage towards accessing entertainment content can have its own consequences good or bad. navigating entertainment content with adequate knowledge and skills is a dire requirement owing to the trends in addiction and diversion of young people. phones in the evenings. data recharge is not a priority for women students in rural regions. analysis of objective 2 the data presented in (table 4) shows several differences in social media usage patterns of rural and urban women students. the rural women students who do not use facebook are (72.80 per cent). twitter is (78.20 per cent), moj is (78.2 per cent), and josh is (80 per cent). on the contrary, the number of urban women students who use social media platforms is high: sharechat (72.30 per cent), facebook (69.40 per cent), and twitter (67.7 per cent) for more than two hours per day. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 49 analysis of objective 3 table-5 : social media use for education and information purpose constructs never rarely sometimes often very often mean sd i see online course contents 12.5% 17.5% 25.8% 23.3% 20.8% 3.23 1.306 i watch education contents 8.3% 15.0% 34.2% 23.3% 19.2% 3.30 1.185 i send educational content to my friends 5.8% 13.3% 32.5% 29.2% 19.2% 3.43 1.120 i watch online news 7.5% 10.8% 49.2% 20.0% 12.5% 3.19 1.040 i search for employment details 10.0% 21.7% 37.5% 22.5% 8.3% 2.98 1.088 i see competitive exam details 13.3% 17.5% 36.7% 22.5% 10.0% 2.98 1.159 i see personality development details 12.5% 12.5% 25.8% 38.3% 10.8% 3.23 1.184 i see nutrition and health tips 7.5% 10.8% 33.3% 37.5% 10.8% 3.33 1.056 i see beauty tips 10.8% 20.0% 26.7% 30.8% 11.7% 3.13 1.185 i see cooking contents 7.5% 13.3% 28.3% 30.0% 20.8% 3.43 1.179 i chat with my friends 7.5% 5.8% 25.8% 27.5% 33.3% 3.73 1.200 i find new friends 32.5% 25.8% 24.2% 8.3% 9.2% 2.36 1.269 i keep in touch with family abroad 26.7% 9.2% 19.2% 19.2% 25.8% 3.08 1.548 according to the data presented in table 5, the use of social media for educational and informational needs is high among students, with a mean score greater than three. usage of online platforms for educational needs like accessing online course content (mean =3.23), watching education content (mean =3.30), and sending education content to friends (mean =3.43). the use of online platforms in accessing online news (mean=3.19), accessing nutrition and health tips (mean =3.33), accessing beauty tips (mean =3.13), and accessing cooking content (mean =3.43) is high above three. the use of online platforms for communication purposes among women students includes chatting with friends, with a mean value of 3.73 and keeping in touch, with the family, with a mean value of 3.08. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 50 table-6 : social media use in education and information nativity n mean sd t-value sig (2-tailed) urban 60 44.12 8.614 -3.449 0.001 rural 60 38.67 8.746 h01 testing – table 6 shows that urban women student’s mean score of social media use in education and information is 44.12 and the mean score of rural women students is 38.67. it is also seen that the calculated value of t (120) =-3.449 and the associated significant value is 0.001 (p,0.05). thus, t is significant at 0.05 level and the null hypothesis h01 is rejected. it is concluded that there is a statistically significant difference between the mean values of urban and rural students’ use of social media platforms for education and information purposes. table-7: social media use for entertainment purpose constructs never rarely sometimes often very often mean sd i use filmrelated content 20.0% 13.3% 25.0% 15.8% 25.8% 3.14 1.457 i watch web series 12.5% 16.7% 30.0% 22.5% 18.3% 3.18 1.268 i play online games 53.3% 11.7% 22.5% 1.7% 10.8% 2.05 1.346 i hear songs/ music 5.8% 5.8% 25.8% 25.0% 37.5% 3.83 1.172 i upload short videos 10.8% 14.2% 35.0% 13.3% 26.7% 3.31 1.302 i upload posts/ status 9.2% 15.8% 25.8% 24.2% 25.0% 3.40 1.273 i watch celebrity’s details 23.3% 18.3% 27.5% 12.5% 18.3% 2.84 1.402 i watch sports 20.8% 22.5% 25.8% 11.7% 19.2% 2.86 1.392 as per table 7, the use of online platforms for accessing film-related content (3.14), watching web series (3.18), and watching/listening to film songs/music (3.83) are found to be higher, with a mean score greater than three in each case. table-8 : social media use in entertainment nativity n mean sd t-value sig (2-tailed) urban 60 27.53 7.043 -5.242 0.000 rural 60 21.67 5.055 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 51 h02 testing – table 8 shows that urban women student’s mean score of social media use in entertainment is 27.53 and the mean score of rural women students is 21.67. it is also seen that the calculated value of t (120) =-5.242 and associated significant value is 0.001 (p,0.05). thus, t is significant at 0.05 level and the null hypothesis h02 is rejected. it is concluded that there is a statistically significant difference between the mean values of urban and rural students’ use of social media platforms for entertainment purposes. educational implications and conclusion the study contributes toward understanding the nature of engagement and participation of urban and rural women students on social media platforms. the education sector is witnessing increased use of information communication technologies in teaching, learning, and administration processes. knowledge and skills in using these technologies by student communities can enable them to explore more learning and development opportunities. the study shows that access and use of social media platforms for education and development are not equal for all, especially rural women students. the barriers in the poor network, lack of individual gadgets, and higher data costs impact access and use. though similar levels of undergraduate education, urban-rural demography determines the nature of access and related opportunities. this creates the need for digital literacy, ensuring safe and informed navigation on online platforms. another significant finding of the study is that social media platforms are highly used for entertainment and communication compared to educational purposes. this necessitates appropriate digital literacy programs for students to use digital skills for education and development. structured digital literacy programs based on the needs of both urban and rural women students will serve the 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(2018). social media use in higher education : a review. education sciences. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 108 research article analysis of recent trends in higher education in india using information communication technology (ict) shailla draboo research scholar, department of political science, jamia millia islamia university, new delhi, email: drabushella@gmail.com abstract in the era of digitization, technology and knowledge have taken center stage in all national and international discussions. education is a fundamental tool for socioeconomic development and progress of the country. higher education is an important area of focus, which needs to be modernized in order to make it more efficient and impactful. information communication technology (ict) can make this happen. teaching and learning process have evolved from being one-sided activity to an active process involving exchange of ideas, introduction of creative tools and techniques has made the whole exercise a collaborative initiative. ict is crafting the role of future education in india by emerging as one of the most efficient means used by both learner and teachers. the use of ict in higher education works towards content generation, building research in critical areas imparting education and integrating knowledge with the advancement of technology. this article is divided into three sections. the first section explains the role of ict in higher education system of india. it gives the macro-level analysis of recent initiatives taken by government in higher education sector using information technology, particularly those which have arisen due to covid-19 pandemic. the second section reviews the importance of ict in three key areas teaching and learning, research, and education planning and administration. the final section highlights the role of ict in addressing current challenges like those created by covid-19 pandemic and suggests some policy solutions in implementing ict in higher education. key words: ict, higher education, digital technology, e-learning, innovation. introduction information communicatio technology (ict) has become an integral part of most of the sectors including education, where it acts like a catalyst of change. use of ict in education is rapidly improving the landscape of education in terms of the teaching and learning process. traditionally, these two processes have been one-sided activities. however, with the advent of ict, these are changing to active processes which involve exchange of ideas, introduction of creative tools and techniques, thereby making the whole exercise a collaborative initiative. in the present times, the role of ict can be defined as a tool to maintain balance between the areas of knowledge, content creation, expansion of multidisciplinary research, dissemination of information linking the stakeholders associated with education sector. this paper analyzes all these contours of discussion and brings insights into the higher education scenario in india and its patterns of growth. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 109 india’s education system is a major contributor in building its economy. the rise of all sectors based on advanced technologies and globalization has bought a paradigm shift in the knowledge requirements. continuous competition has enhanced pressure on all individuals to acquire specialized skills. technology has facilitated increasing the reach of education to various sections of society. as a result, the higher education system has witnessed tremendous growth in many aspects like improving equality, enhancing operational efficiency, enrolment numbers, teacher student ratio, institutional capacity, etc. the inception of ict has transformed and expanded the conventional boundaries of education. new technologies and education software are not only changing the approach of students, they are also revolutionizing the role of educators, creating philosophical shifts in approaches to teaching and role modelling in classrooms (bernard, 2017). technology based learning system allows flexibility in terms of time and space. technology solutions such as virtual classrooms can be accessed from anywhere across the world. ict contributes in dissemination of information irrespective of the geographical boundaries (oliver, 2002). the use of ict in higher education has facilitated lifelong learning opportunities that allows people of continue their studies besides busy working hour schedules through distance and open learning. (das, 2017) traditional learning environment, bound to rigid time frame and location, has been replaced by web-based education. ict generates a number of opportunities to enhance improvement of academic processes and coordination in higher education. it is mainly intended to improve education access so as to provide education for all. trends in the growth of higher education in india india’s higher education system is the world’s third largest in terms of students, next to china and united states (manoj, 2019). higher education in india gained momentum with the establishment of ancient universities in nalanda, takshashila, vallabhi, kanchipuram and some other cities. however, the foundation of western education was laid by britishers. one of the main purposes of western education was to establish english as a medium of instruction. higher education in modern india covers education beyond 10+2 levels. it comprises of colleges and universities, which produce undergraduate, postgraduate, diploma, certificate, doctoral and post-doctoral courses in india. university grants commission (ugc) is a pioneer institute established by central government for promoting and coordinating university education and is also responsible for regulating and maintaining the standards of teaching, examination and research conducted by the universities. the national policy of education npe, 1986 has laid emphasis on the importance of higher education, due to its potential to contributing to national development through dissemination of specialized knowledge. acknowledging the demand for technology in education, the government started using it since the period of 1970’s. after the major reforms in the year 1991, the relevance of technology in education was realized indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 110 in various policies and projects. the reforms of 1991 attracted large number of people towards entrepreneurship, which in-turn opened doors for privatization. education was not only regarded as a symbol of status but also as a way to move ahead of others. this accelerated the establishment of large number of institutions and centers of excellence. the right to education act rte, 2009, which is often seen as a watershed moment in the education sector, stipulates compulsory and free education to all children in the age group of 6-14 years. this act heavily relies on ict to make education accessible to all. privatization and globalization of higher education seeks to establish global prospective on education and sensitize youth for understanding the technological changes in the multicultural world. higher education in india has also undergone a significant change as a result of technological innovations (mishra, s & r.c. sharma, 2005). the present trend prophesizes that the foundation of higher education system will primarily continue to be in the conventional classroom halls. it will get enhanced with new technologybased tools and integration of modern techniques of education, specialized trainings and advanced analysis thereby extending the scope of learning opportunities. ict enabled education has provided a competitive edge by offering enhanced services to the students, flexibility driving greater efficiency and creating enriched leaning experiences. it is about a new way, in which people can communicate, inquire, learn, make decisions, and solve problems. the use of audio-visual aids like television, radio and internet for the dissimilation of information is not new. the integration of first satellite in education as satellite instruction television equipment (site) was launched in 1975-76. this led to the formation of central institute of educational technology (ciet) and state institute of educational technology (siet) studios for production and transmission of school-oriented programs. cec was the nodal agency for creating educational media and resource centers and audio-visual centers in number of universities. later with the launch of internet in 1995, computer and multimedia were introduced in teaching and learning process. india has taken up major step towards content delivery and fostering education based on ict through the launch of a satellite named educast on 20 september 2004, to bring a revolution in education. at present, a national mission on education through information communication technology (nmeict) was introduced in 2009 by the ministry of human resource development (mhrd) with an aim to provide an opportunity to every teacher and expert to expand knowledge collaboration for helping every individual learner, thereby reducing the technological divide. the national mission on education focuses to create a balance between knowledge creation, content dissemination, research analysis in important area of imparting education and enhanced integration of best use practices globally with local practices. ict helps in manifesting the capacity building of educational institutes. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 111 national knowledge network (nkn) and nmeict provide digital connectivity across all national and other colleges for the purpose of resource sharing and to establish country wide virtual classrooms. it has also helped to bridge the gap by proving e-content to students who fall short of resources. similarly, ugc-consortium for educational communication (cec) and indira gandhi national open university (ignou) were entrusted with responsibility to develop e-resources for both regular and distance learning courses. digitalization has not only provided easy access but also low costs, affordable and highquality resources to students and teachers. number of new initiatives like global initiative of academic networks (gian), study webs of active learning for young aspiring minds (swayam), spoken tutorials, national digital library, national programme on technology enhanced learning (nptel), national academic depository (nad) and digilocker app for storage of academic documents are some of the series of programs and initiatives started by the government in recent times. their focus is to extend academic and research support by creating high quality e-content, teaching and learning material to develop collective learning experience role of ict in the times of covid-19 pandemic perhaps the biggest proof of the utility and scope of ict in education had emerged from the challenges created due to the covid-19 pandemic. the crisis which has gripped the country and the world since the start of 2020 has been unprecedented in many ways. when it comes to the education sector, most states in india started closing down schools since march, 2020. as per an estimate by unesco, the current pandemic has affected about 70 percent of the children worldwide out of which, around 300 million children are in india (unesco, 2020). the disruption has affected more than 90 percent of the students in india (mhrd, 2020a). to mitigate the losses of students, ict has been the key instruments in the hands of the government and private institutions. the educational institutions are heavily relying on online delivery of class lectures, webinars, online group discussions and online assessment of student’s learning. in india, the previous decade has shown a significant penetration of mobile and broadband connectivity. although, the country was not fully prepared for such a huge shift from offline to online mode of education, concerted steps are being taken to make the process easier for both students and teachers. some states like chhattisgarh have launched a dedicated portal called ‘padhai tuhar dwar’ (education at your doorstep) which allows the teachers to deliver online lectures using mobile technology. as per the official data more than 1,80,000 teachers and more than 20 lakh students have registered on the portal. in some union territories like jammu and kashmir where highspeed connectivity is a problem, the schools are using recorded videos through social media apps like whatapp and google drive to deliver the lectures. similarly, other higher educational universities have moved indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 112 all the academic requirements like ph. d. defense presentation and academic conferences, etc. to online mode (see for example jamia millia islamia university, 2020). the ministry of human resource development in india has recently launched a web-portal named yukti 2.0 (young india combating covid with knowledge, technology and innovation) to give better inputs for policy planning in covid-19 pandemic and monitor the activities effectively (mhrd, 2020c). further, the government is extensively using swayam prabha, a group of 34 dth tv channels, and radio including community radio to provide education to the students in the remotest parts of the country. in addition to this, many new ict-based initiatives have been taken by the government to address the challenges due to the pandemic. a comprehensive initiative called “pm e-vidya” is going to be launched which will integrate all the digital modes of education like diksha (one nation-one digital platform), swayam, tv and radio (mhrd, 2020b). as per the assessment of the world bank, indian education sector has brought out many tools based on ict technology. digital apps like e-pathshala (which provides ncert material online) and the national repository of open educational resources (nroer) portal are few such examples (the world bank, 2020). in education sector, 100 top ranked universities have been selected to provide full-fledged online programmes. this will be augmented with the already operational swayam moocs courses covering the curriculum of many universities. the results in the past few months have been positive as the official data suggests that “about 50,000 people have accessed swayam since 23 march, 2020” (mhrd, 2020d). nevertheless, these efforts cannot be assumed to have solved the problems in online education completely and there are many challenges which still exist. these will be discussed subsequently in this paper. ict in teaching and learning ensuring universal access to ict has been one of the prime objectives of government. the major teaching and learning challenge faced in higher education resolves around the student’s diversity which includes academic excellence, language and schooling background. ict enabled education has the potential to promote the development of student’s decision making, problem solving, data processing skills and communication capabilities. technology application is not limited to classroom but these sessions are being replaced with virtual sessions also. critical thinking, deepdive into a subject, cross-analysis and multi-angle approach has become very important as the sources of information are varied and the issues at hand complex. bringing ict in the field of higher education has fulfilled the educational requirements of nation through parttime and distance learning schemes. implementing online pedagogy across various universities and colleges has increased over the period of time. the installation of wi-fi enabled system has resulted in education system getting upgraded with easy accessibility, accountability and availability of subject indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 113 matter for the students. introduction of ict in the field of academics depends upon teacher’s ability to keep in pace with the developments since teachers are responsible for the aggregate development of learning process. ict-based education makes use of new innovations like power point presentation, video clips, lcd projectors, animation modelling and stimulations, based on collaborative learning practices. ict generates student-centered learning processes, where teacher acts a facilitator or mentor to promote learning among students based on interactive teaching strategies. seminars, conferences and group discussion further builds up the learning capabilities of students through use of electronic devices and tele communication equipment’s like projector, cd-rom, lcd and other display services connected to internet. virtual learning practices include assimilation of different set of network system and information infrastructure for promoting education. broadband, educast, education and research network (ernet), digital libraries and electronic resource programs serve different institution in different disciplines designed to enhance students learning experience. collaborative learning based on the means of teleeducation system supported by chain of networks system like educast, wifi and v-sat promotes better teacherstudent interaction. according to zhao (2001), there are three conditions necessary for teachers to introduce ict into their classrooms – firstly teachers should believe in the effectiveness of technology, secondly teachers should believe that the use of technology will not cause any disturbance, and finally teachers should believe that they have control over technology. most distance learning programs include a computer-based training (cbt) system and communications tools to produce a virtual classroom (pingle, 2017). the implication of ict has fundamentally challenged the basic structure of higher education in india. the government of india has formulated national ict policy implemented through various institutions like university grants commission, all india council for technical education (aicte), department of science and technology, national informatics centre (nic) throughout the country (singh & sharma, 2010). such initiatives strengthen teaching and learning practices enabling both teachers and students to gain direct access to technology, communication and better learning. ict in research the growth of higher education sector in india has rapidly moved way forward after diversifying technology in the field of education. ict in learning process acts as a support system to generate knowledge from various interrelated aspects of education. communication systems make it possible for the researcher to stay connected to all over the world than being confined to one single institution. the combination of both communication links and digital resources generate online expansion and equalize the access to academic resources. it establishes link across indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 114 all subject matter and social media networks. the collection and analysis of data has become much easier through the application of various softwares. the cumbersome task of analyzing data manually is reduced as it facilitates quick and accurate analysis of huge data. another important dimension of ict is to provide use of online text base and online resource centers, which are directly the outcome of tele-communication network and technology. these databases provide provision of online access to e-books, journals, articles and other sources (young, 2012). the new paradigm in the field of research calls for the development of national policies for ict in higher education to establish joint information system linking all the higher education institutions. hannafin & girasoli (2008) explains the use of asynchronous computer-mediated communication to promote student selfefficacy and hence improve academic performance ict in academic research calls for mindsets that are adaptive towards change (pingle, 2017). ict in education planning and administration during past two decades ict has fundamentally changed the basic shape and the working of higher educational institutions. the demand for integration of ict across various universities and colleges calls for the development of effective educational management practices with comprehensive set of functional administrative measures. with the readily available data for analysis, the administrators can make quick decisions about improvement in education and as well as improvement in the functioning of institution. by simplifying the administrative tasks and making efficient utilization of resources, it has reduced the cost of paper work and replaced the traditional system of maintaining records. the student administration driven by electronic methods helps in easy revival of information. e-learning provides online discloser of assignments, course material, online tests and open educational resources. other software like learning management systems (lms) allows the best planning of change management by enabling students to apply for courses directly online, pay fees using digital mediums and also get access to academic material and courses online itself. thus, ict can virtually end the physical boundaries by enabling students from across all geographical spectrums to interact and facilitate the rise of global education. institutional information systems provide tools for management of human resources including students, teachers and staff and make it easily available to parents and administrators. this provides a muchneeded facility to administrators for planning and allocation of resources, work distribution, supervision and performance analysis. this also includes relevant communication to and from the institutions and among peers. staff administration use information and communication technology (ict) for processing of voluminous records in a quick, meticulous and impeccable manner thereby making data retrieval easier. the difficult task to track the teachers as well as student’s movements indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 115 and progress at college/university, state and central level and to keep the record of the assets has ultimately an impact on financial planning and budgeting (meenakumari & krishnavani, 2010). joshi (2012) highlighted the usage of ict for administration in higher education institution in terms of general administration, payroll and financial accounting, administration of the student’s data, personal record maintenance and library systems. challenging factors affecting utilization of ict in higher education the emerging role of ict in higher education provides prospects and trends of integrating technology into education activities. technology-based education has shown a significant progress with regard to better quality, greater access and equality across the country. the availability of ict has helped create a digital india and strengthen its technological capabilities in the recent decades. ensuring equal access to technology means that the digital divide between the urban and rural students must be reduced and the students coming from educationally backward areas must be give tools to access information. the need is to articulate training and computing skills to bring awareness and reduce ruralurban divide which is one of the major challenges faced in implementing ict in domain of higher education. the inaccessibility of ict resources may be due to the lack of personal access for the teachers, poor quality hardware, poor resource organization and software not being appropriate (becta, 2004). ict based education provides government an opportunity to reach more isolated groups. berner (2003) found that the faculty’s belief in their computer competence was the greatest predictor of their use of computers in the classroom. therefore, lack of awareness about the ict facilities and absence of skills to use the new technologies in teaching and learning is a major impediment (sultana & haque, 2018). another factor which is a challenge to ict is financial crises and absence of political will. india has one of the largest higher education systems in the world with majority of students studying in various colleges and universities. not enough has been done by the education technology providers to integrate pedagogy behind the use of technology. most of the state universities and colleges are running short of infrastructure and funds. ict supported systems like hardware, multimedia, audio visual aids of teaching demand for huge funds. the demand to meet the technological needs cannot be provided by stakeholders. the use of ict in education depends upon the political will. management of the india’s education system faces challenges of centralization, rigid bureaucratic structures, lack of accountability, transparency and professionalism. as a result, the burden of carrying the administrative functions have increased and the focus on academics and research has diluted (kumar & ambrish, 2015). many universities and higher educational institutes do not have adequate funds to purchase books and other printed material for their students. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 116 development of digital content enhance adaptive learning at personalized space allows learner to work in its own pace. linguistic barrier is also a major challenge to ict’s success. india’s linguistic diversity necessitates for the development of content in multiple language (pegu, 2014). as english is dominant medium of instruction as well as the one most in use a large proposition of education software produced worldwide are in english. it limits the scope of information access to people who lack the ability to understand english language. standardization of local language is necessary to lift the barrier between technology and common man. professional development of the teacher is the key factor to the successful integration of digital technology in teaching. quality professional training programs help the teachers to a great extent in implementation of technology in education and in transformation of teaching practices (brinkerhoff.j, 2006). the teachers should meet the demands of learners and provide them with the relevant curricula. unavailability of technical support within the institutions results in ineffective use of resources. another factor of consideration is the teacher’s readiness to accept the change to promote critical thinking skills and collaborative learning practice in the students. lack of confidence can also be due to the teachers’ lagging in latest knowledge about technology and this leads to resistance in using ict in education. extending support towards technical education is a very important necessity. majority of educational portals show that much work has been done in the discipline of science and technology and not in humanities, social science or commerce. according to oecd (2014), the percentage of students enrolled under humanities and social science is comparatively lower than that of science and technology as a result lack of availability of e-content in such disciplines. in terms of technical support many institutions like iits, iims and nits are well equipped with the advanced technological devices including high speed networking devices whereas non-science institutions are not at par. this gives a false perception that social science and humanities do not require technology. the technical problems faced while implementing ict can “impede the smooth delivery of the lesson or the natural flow of the classroom activity” (sicilia, 2005). as a result, these disciplines remain deprived from technology due lack of technical support like latest software and techniques used in research as well as academics. lack of ict support infrastructure and resources is another issue which needs to be tackled. the higher education system in india is facing chronic shortage due insufficient it system and infrastructure. the logistical needs and technical support to such institutions can be addressed through proper action plan. further recurrent cost of software license like application for main information systems, specialized application, database platform and desktop application should be considered. this helps in strengthening system and norms of indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 117 higher educational institutions, thus increasing transparency. another important barrier in integrating ict in higher education requires balance between the educational goals and economic realities. wims (2008) found that lack of developmentally-appropriate software (das) is one of the difficulties faced by teachers and students. the reason for human resource constraint at present is due to the lack of manpower for teaching and low motivation levels among the educators to integrate ict in teaching and learning (khan, hasan, & clement, 2012). education system based on ict requires the establishment of infrastructure facilities, acquisition of technologies and their periodic upgradation, management and professional support system. the other significant challenges rise from various external factors like environment, cultural and education aspects faced by policy makers, educational administrators and students which can be overruled by induction of innovative models collaborating with existing ones. ict contributes in disseminating information irrespective of geographical boundaries. it disjoints information from physical location boundaries and thus, integrates rural and remote communities in the global network of knowledge and culture. conclusions digital revolution is a shift from mechanical and physical mediums to digital medium that focuses on various aspects of socio-economic parameters of society. in the present context of education, it is not possible to improve or disseminate knowledge without the help of technology. internet has become the integral part of day today activates, integrating technology, content and various stakeholders involved. ict in higher education is relevant in facilitating effective and quick decision making, aiding and analyzing data, facilitating information and improving skill acquisition. distance and open learning using virtual classrooms, internet and satellite medium provides quick mode of course delivery. a multidisciplinary approach in higher education is required so that students’ knowledge may not be restricted only to their own subjects. administrative support systems like enterprise resource planning (erp) system, implemented in universities help in maintaining the complete record of students. the government needs to increase investment in education through ict, formulate policies that are adequately funded both at center and at state to ensure democratization of education. the gap between demand and supply of education needs be fulfilled with technological innovations. in order to bridge this gap, it is necessary to facilitate the involvement and cooperation of public and private players in higher education. in addition to this, there should be proper control and licensing, quality assurance, accreditation of technology to reduce complexities in implementation. community participation and selfsustainability also adds a step forward towards adoption of technology. government should take initiative to ensure a joint effort with software companies and teachers for preparing indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 118 quality content to support academic circular and language diversity. there is a need for government authorities to extend support to higher education institutions for better communication and integration of ict in education for a successful process. references becker, h. j. 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(1), 5-30. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 1 research article effect of branching programme on achievement of primary students on l.c.m and h.c.f subodh kumar1 & lalima2 1director, bhartiya shiksha shodh sansthan, lucknow 2assistant professor, department of education, babasaheb bhimrao ambedkar university lucknow email-id: dr.lalima@bbau.ac.in abstract mathematics as a subject is very important and a strong foundation in mathematics ensures better academic performance and a confident personality. a strong foundation of computation skills and understanding of mathematical concepts must be developed during primary school. to achieve this goal the teaching should be individualized so that students can learn, understand, and practice mathematical concepts at their own pace and using their specific learning styles. mathematics learning can be made an individualized and joyful experience for students by using the branching programme as a teaching-learning strategy. the present paper presents the research done to study the impact of the branching programme on the learning and understanding of two basic concepts of mathematics-l.c.m. and h.c.f. the researcher has developed the branching programme and tested its efficacy of it on students' achievement. the finding shows that the programme was found to be effective for grade five children. presentation of the concepts of l.c.m and h.c.f. in the form of small frames along with practice questions and providing immediate reinforcement and remedial material proved to be beneficial for the students.content and comes out with a significant sprucing up of student’s achievement.  keywords: programmed instruction, intrinsic programming, achievement, primary education introduction primary education is the most important stage in a child’s education as it lays the foundation of skills, capabilities, and interests that will help build the career of the child, considering its relevance curriculum, methodology, pupil-teacher relationship, and learning environment must be all designed in such a way that they provide freedom to students and give him practice in hiking abilities and other various skills. any fears, phobias, or negative conditioning if developed in this stage will have a damaging effect on the child's future so the teachers, parents, and educationists have to build a positive, cordial atmosphere in the primary classrooms and save the child from developing any negative attitude. primary education mainly emphasizes the three r's -reading writing and arithmetic. education commission (1964-66) suggested that mathematics should be taught as a compulsory subject at primary level. mathematics is an important subject due to its professional, disciplinary, intellectual utilitarian and aesthetic value from ancient times to present times. mathematics is a fundamental subject needed for students to learn along with languages. the aims of mathematics teaching at the primary level areindian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 2 y to initiate their interest in learning mathematics y to develop a conceptual understanding of the basic concept and terminology of mathematics. y to inculcate a love for mathematics. y to introduce them to mathematical games, puzzles, recreations, hobbies & activities. y to develop and sustain their confidence in solving mathematical problems y to ensure their efficiency in fundamental processes. y to make them aware of the practical relevance and use of mathematics in daily life. y to make them aware of language & symbols of mathematics. y to provide a proper framework for learning mathematical concepts in higher classes. y to cultivate in them the qualities like punctuality, persistence efforts, tolerance autonomy in doing their work sincerely and dedicatedly. status of teaching mathematics at the primary level primary mathematics generally introduces students to the number system, and four basic skills addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. in addition to this as we move further on the ladder, students are made familiar with the concepts of fractions, multiples, factors, decimal numbers, lowest common multiple, highest common factors, simple interest, and basic geometry. the teaching in indian schools is group classroom teaching generally applying a deductive approach involving the presentation of examples by teachers on a blackboard and students following the teacher's steps and doing lots of practice in their practice books. with the recent emphasis on child psychology use of manipulation in mathematics has increased but students are not getting the freedom to move at their own pace and little scope is there for exploration and, experimentation. they are forced to follow a set pattern and if mistakes are made either they are scolded for it or they are told the correct responses without explaining to them where they are wrong. our classrooms and evaluation system are not flexible enough to cater to individual differences. with inclusive education coming into force we more urgently need to have teaching methods that help meet the individual needs of learners and help each child to learn using his style, learning by his mistakes, and moving at his own pace. in the words of b.f. skinner's "mistakes are the gateway to student's mind". we need methods that explain to the child how he is thinking and what needs to be rectified. in one of his articles, b.f. skinner stated his experience in a mathematics classroom he visited. he found the problem in the classroom was that students were making their efforts and solving the problem given by teachers but they were not getting immediate reinforcement. this was one of the causes that students lose interest, their errors accumulate, and due to lack of remedial teaching, their achievements decrease. we need a process to provide immediate feedback to students' efforts that helps them to feel motivate on moving towards the right path and understand their mistakes and learn from them if they are wrong. such a process and mechanism is not possible in traditional classroom with inappropriate pupil teacher ratio. it is essential that we adapt individualized learning. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 3 we need strategies that follow the given principles y principle of freedom y principles of immediate reinforcement y principles of self-pacing y principle of self-evaluation y principle of learning by doing to improve the present status programmed instruction can prove beneficial. the material in programmed instruction can be arranged in different ways leading to different styles of programming linear, branching, and mathetics. concept of programmed instruction in programmed instruction a logical sequence of information is presented in the form of small units at a time to individual units, students make an active response to each unit and they get immediate knowledge of whether their result is correct. in programmed learning each student works at his own best pace, which makes the learner's experience an individual affair. programmed instruction makes the learning an interesting and motivating activity by providing immediate feedback and it boost student’s confidence on his abilities and skills. as defined by markle programmed instruction is the strategy of individualized learning in which material is prepared in a way to provide small content to the students at one time that is easy to comprehend and then assessing his/her learning of that content. programmed instruction makes learning individualized as every student is able to learn at his/ her own pace and feel motivated due to its self-evaluation feature programmed instruction cans be provided to students in the form of books, self-learning modules or in e-form. various formats of programmed instruction are available like linear programming, branching programming and mathematics. branching programme in the present study researchers have developed a branching programme for teaching a topic on mathematics because branching programme is well suitable for learning of mathematics because it does not ignore student’s mistakes but try to make students understand the mistake and learn from them. it provides the features of sublooping and sub branching similar to hyperlink feature of html language. it helps the students to comprehend and practice the previous concepts that are necessary to learn the new concepts. statement of the problem the study aims to develop teachinglearning strategies for selected topics in mathematics at the primary level which will aid to understand the concept more clearly and make the teaching-learning environment more conducive. more specifically the problem is stated as under “effect of branching programme on achievement of primary students on l.c.m and h.c.f” objectives the objectives framed in the present study are : y to develop programmed material (branching programme) for teaching l.c.m and h.c.f. y to apply programmed material (branching programme) developed in the real classroom situation. y to test the efficacy of programmed material (branching programme) on l.c.m and h.c.f. y hypotheses y for the third objective of study five null hypotheses were framed. y review of related literature y wangila m.j, martin w & ronald m. ( 2015) studied the impact of indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 4 programmed learning material instruction developed on the topics of atom and periodic table on the attitude of students towards these topics. instructional software was developed and a students’ attitude determination questionnaire (sadq) was constructed. the sample included 300 students. the results indicated a significantly higher attitude in the experimental group after the intervention programme. y sambasivarao, rachumallu. (2020) study reveals that the use of a programmed instruction strategy improves achievement in mathematics. the study was conducted in andhra pradesh, india on students of the class eighth. the study was quasi-experimental. this study also indicated the positive effect of programmed instruction material on achievement in mathematics y kurbanoğlu, i̇zzet & taskesenligil, yavuz & sozbilir, mustafa. (2006) researched to compare the success of programme instruction and the traditional approach to teaching stereochemistry. the sample included forty chemistry teacher trainees from a state university in turkey. the tools included programmed frames on the topic of stereochemistry and a stereochemistry achievement test. results indicated the effectiveness of the prepared programme. bhatia (1992) did a research to identify and remediation of learning issues in mathematics with the help of programmed learning material . the sample included fifty class-five students. the results revealed that students who received programmed instruction performed better in posttest and programmed instruction worked effectively as a remedial tool. a review of related literature supports the view that programmed instruction is an effective teaching strategy and helps enhance conceptual understanding and improve achievement. the review also shows that there are few studies related to the development of programmed instruction material for mathematics at the primary level and many fundamental topics in mathematics need to be included in such studies so the researchers undertook the study. methodology the present study is experimental and a randomized pre-test post-test controlgroup design was used. design of the study: the design employed during the implementation and evaluation of the strategy is a randomized pre-test posttest control-group design experimental group r o1 x o2 control group r o3 o4 where o1o3 pretest o2o4 -posttest, x -intervention programme sample and samplingsample and sampling the sample was selected in two phasesphase 1during field testing for the preparation of the final draft of branching programmes developed on l.c.m and h.c.f sample of 51 students of the class fifth were selected. phase 2in this phase sample was selected to test the effectiveness of the branching programme on l.c.m &h.c.f was 80. for the selection of samples in the second phase, two-stage sampling was done 1st stage – in the selection of schools 2nd stage – in the selection of students and allotment of groups in selected schools in the first stage, as the programme was developed in the english language so two english medium schools dabble college and delhi public school were selected indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 5 through a purposive sampling procedure. in the second stage, random sampling was done. the two groups were divided in the class by odd, even method. then lottery method was used to decide the groups. tools the tools constructed for the presented research are y branching programme on l.c.m & h.c.f y achievement test 1 & 2 on l.c.m and h.c.f (pre-test and post-test) statistical techniques employed: the statistical techniques employed were mean, standard deviation, correlation, and c.r value. results and interpretation the main purposes of the present study were to develop the teachinglearning strategies for mathematics at the primary level & test their efficacy. the teaching-learning strategy selected was "branching programmed instruction". the branching programme was developed and then the experimental design was implied to test its efficacy. five null hypotheses were framed for each programme and subjected to tests to find the results. the level of significance was considered at .05. ނ hypothesis 1 “there is no significant difference between mean scores of pre-test of control and pre-test of the experimental group.” table-2 : ‘t’ test of mean scores of pre-test and post-test of control group sl.no control group n m s.d r sed c.r value 1. pre-test 40 13.325 2.44307 .568776 3.535896 .11312 * 2 post-test 40 12.925 4.29990 *not significant table 1 indicates that the critical ratio value calculated between the mean scores is not found significant at a .05 level of significance. hypothesis 1 is accepted. this is attributed to the fact that the students were randomly selected for both groups. ނ hypothesis 2 “there will be no significant difference between the mean scores of pre-test and post-test of control group” table-1 : ’t’ test for the mean scores of pre-test of experimental group and pre-test of control group sl.no group n m s.d sed c.r 1. control{pre-test} 40 13.325 2.44307 .57778039 0.302883 * 2. experimental {pre-test} 40 13.5 2.717465 *not significant table 2 shows that mean of the posttest scores is slightly lower than the mean of the pre-test scores but the calculated cr value is not significant. therefore hypothesis no. 2 is retained. ނ hypothesis 3 “there will be no significant difference between mean scores of pre-test and post-test of the experimental group" indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 6 table-3 : ‘t’ test of mean scores of pre-test and post-test of experimental group sl.no experimental group n m s.d r sed c.r value 1. pre-test 40 13.5 2.717465 .683996 1.96361098 2.4826 *2. post test 40 18.375 2.467091 *significant table 3 shows that the mean of the post-test score of the group that received intervention is more than the mean of its pre-test scores and the calculated c.r value (2.4826) is found significant. therefore hypothesis no. 3 is not accepted. it shows that the programme developed on l.c.m and h.c.f has helped to enhance the understanding level of students. ނ hypothesis 4 “there is no significant difference between mean scores of post-test of the control group and mean scores of post-test of the experimental group" table-4 : ‘t’ test of mean scores of post-test of experimental group and post-test of control group group n m s.d sed c.r value 1. experimental {post-test} 40 18.375 2.467091 .7837083 6.95411 * 2. control{post-test} 40 12.925 4.299900 *significant table 4 shows that the difference in the means of above-stated groups is found statistically significant. therefore hypothesis no.4 is not accepted. it can be concluded that the group that received the intervention programme scored higher compared to the group that was taught by the traditional method. this can be attributed to the fact that the experimental group studied the programme developed on l.c.m and h.c.f which resulted in a better understanding of the concepts. ނ hypothesis 5 “there is no significant difference between the mean of ‘d’ scores of the control & experimental group.” table-5 : ‘t’ test of mean of ‘d’ scores of experimental group and ‘d’ scores of control group group n m s.d sed c.r 1. experimental ‘d’ scores 40 4.95 1.907475 .59646398 8.55039 * 2. control ‘d’ scores 40 -.15 3.254583 *significant indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 7 table 5 shows that the mean of the 'd' scores of the group that received intervention programme is significantly higher (c.r value =8.55039) than the mean of the 'd' score of the control group. therefore hypothesis number 5 is rejected. it reflects that the group that received the intervention programme developed a better comprehension of the concept and was able to apply the understood concepts in solving the related problems. according to the results, it can be said that the branching programme developed on l.c.m and h.c.f was found beneficial for the children in comprehending the related concepts. discussion the topic of l.c.m and h.c.f is important in primary and elementary mathematics. factors and multiples are generally introduced in class three or some schools in class four along with the concepts of prime numbers and co-primes. later on, l.c.m. and h.c.f. were introduced and different method to calculate them is included in the syllabus of class five. the l.c.m. and h.c.f. form the basis of calculations that the students study in higher classes so students must get good practice in computational skills in l.c.m. and h.c.f. researcher has come across only one study by shah (1981) who developed a programmed learning material on the same topic. to test the efficacy of these programme five null hypotheses were framed. the findings of the study concerning hypothesis number 1 show that the initial level of both groups was the same. the pre-test was administered before classifying the students in both groups and this classification was done using random methods. only nineteen students from eighty students secured more than 60 per cent marks in the pre-test and the highest score gained was nineteen which was secured by only two students. this shows that the computation of l.c.m. and h.c.f. by students involves lots of errors and they need more practice in it. for hypothesis number 2 results signify that students who did not receive the intervention did not show any improvement in the achievement of concerned concepts. this is because the control group was taught the topic by the traditional method. nearly fifteen students out of forty gained fewer marks in the post-test. this can be attributed to the fact that as there was a difference of only a fortnight between pre-test and post-test so students were not enthusiastic about doing the similar test again. it was found that although students have studied the topic in their regular classes their achievement in the test was very low. only two individuals in the pre-test and four in the post-test achieved more than 70 per cent marks. the minimum score gained was five. this indicates that students do not well understand the methods to calculate l.c.m. and h.c.f. the results of the study concerning hypothesis number 3 imply that the students who received the intervention gained significantly more in the posttest than in the pre-test. this can be attributed to the fact that they were given the intervention programme. the gain in post-test supports the fact that programmed learning material developed in the study is effective in making students understand the topics of l.c.m. and h.c.f. the results can be correlated with the results of shah (1981) who developed the programmed material on l.c.m. and h.c.f. and the results revealed favourable reactions from both the students and teachers. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 8 the analysis of scores shows that the maximum gain of ten marks was achieved by the student who was one of the low scorers in the pre-test this supports the fact that programmed instructional material is beneficial for the low achievers also. though there is a gain of marks in the post-test but none of the students secured 100 per cent marks this may pertain to the fact that students were asked to study the programme in their classroom only and for a specific period. if the students are allowed to study the programme as and when suited to them in their favourable conditions their achievement will surely be higher. in all nearly 72 per cent of students i.e. twenty-nine students out of forty secured above 70 per cent marks in the post-test. regarding hypothesis number 4 findings reveal a superior performance on the part of the experimental group in comparison to the control group. the experimental group gained higher in the post-test because they studied programmed instructional material. this result is also in favour of the positive role played by the branching learning material in making the pupil better understand the methods to calculate l.c.m. and h.c.f. and in helping them gain proficiency in the skills to calculate l.c.m. and h.c.f. the results for hypothesis number 5 prove that the students who studied through developed programmed learning material on selected topics showed significant improvement in their performance in comparison to the students of the control groups. as the experimental group studied the programmed learning material so there is an enhancement in their post-test scores. this enhancement in the posttest led to a rise in the mean of the "d" scores whereas the control group performed almost the same in the pretest and post-test. thus it can be said that the branching programme developed was effective in helping the students to conceptualize the concepts and developing their skills to solve the sums related to the topic. the result of the study can be correlated with many studies by winnle, sharma (1981), davies (1982), inamdar (1981), mehta (1985), rao (1983), prabha (1992), and bharitya. all of them developed programmed learning material to teach various topics on mathematics at different levels and found it effective; students involved benefited from the programmed learning material. educational implications and recommendations the result of the research indicates that the branching programme is effective in improving the student's achievement in mathematics and developing interest in the subject. further research can be done by developing the intrinsic programme for other topics of mathematics at the primary level and also extended to the secondary level. the researcher developed the intrinsic programme in the form of a module; the research can be forwarded by developing e-modules or computer games based on the concept of a branching programme. conclusion branching programmed learning material prepared on the topic l.c.m. and h.c.f. have been found effective for grade five children. post-test scores comparison of the experimental group with their pretest scores revealed that students gain efficiency in calculating l.c.m and h.c.f. by different methods. presentation of the concepts of l.c.m and h.c.f. in the form of small frames along with practice questions and providing immediate reinforcement and remedial material proved to be beneficial for the students. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 9 (acknowledgement: the researchers forward their sincere thanks to the students who participated in the research and the principals of the institutes for willingly giving acceptance to collect data from their institutes. the researchers are also forwarded to the experts that helped in the validation of the tools and intervention programme.) references bhartiya, a. (1979). the effectiveness of mathetics in mathematics in relation to certain students characteristics. m.b. buch’s(ed), fourth survey of research in education. (1983-88). 1. ncert, 775-776. davies, j. l. e. (1982). effects of different modes of pairing in programmed learning of mathematics on the performance of underachievers. m.b. buch’s third survey of research in education. (1978-1983). ncert, 628. ediger, m. & rao, d. b. (2004). teaching mathematics in elementary schools. discovery publishing house. lee. c. deighton( editor in chief). (1971)6, encyclopedia of education. macmillan company and the free press the essentials of teaching and learning. in kaushik, vijay kumar, and sharma, s.r. (eds).(1997). encyclopedia of educational learning and teaching technology anmol publications pvt. ltd. freeman, s. f.(1971). theory and practice of psychological testing (3rd edition.) oxford and ibh publishing company. inamdar, j. a. (1981). a study of the effectiveness of the programmed learning strategy in the subject of mathematics for standard vii in relation to some psychological correlates. m.b. buch’s third survey of research in education. (1978-1983). ncert, 630. markle, s. m. (1969). good frames & bad. a grammar of frame writing. (2nd edition). john wiley and sons inc. maurya, r. p. history of mathematics teaching and place of mathematics in curriculum. prathmik shikshak, vol-4, oct’2003. ncert, 11-17. mehta, j. m.(1985). construction of different types of programme on the unit of interest in mathematics of standard ix and study of their relative efficiency. m.b. buch’s(ed), fourth survey of research in education. (1983-88). ncert, 788 prabha, r. (1992). an investigation into the effectiveness of programmed mathematics in relation to some socio-academic variables. j.p. sharma’s (ed). fifth survey of educational research. (1988-1992), vol. ii. ncert, 1288. prathmik shiksha ke mudde. part (1), may-june. 2001, tsg, district primary education programme. rao, t. g. (1983). a comparative study of programmed learning methods in the instruction of mathematics – a psycho logical approach. m.b. buch’s(ed), fourth survey of research in education. (1983-88). i. ncert, 706. rowntree, d. (1966). basically branching. macdonald & company. sharma, m. m. (1981). a comparative study of teaching mathematics by the method of programmed instruction and conventional classroom method. m.b. buch’s third survey of research in education. (1978-1983). ncert, 564. sidhu, k. s. (2003). the teaching of mathematics. sterling publishers, indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 10 william, smith and william, moore.j. programmed learning, theory and practice. new york: d.van nostrand company, inc princeton new jersey, 2-33,89-109. winnle, k. d. s. the application of computer assisted learning to enhance the basic arithmetic skills amongst children with learning disabilities http://www.ied.edu.hk/seminar/ actionresearch.htm. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 121 review article media and visual subjectivity: senses and mediation sujith kumar parayil assistant professor, centre for media studies, jawaharlal nehru university (jnu), new delhi, email: sparayil@gmail.com this paper is an attempt to understand the formation of media subjectivity in the intermediary domains of visual media practices in india. the article emphasises to examine the historical formation of visual subjectivity while conceptualising forms of various visual-media practices such as painting, photography, cinema, and new media, to argue that the formation of visual media subjectivity is entrenched to the sensorial aspects of the individual and society. further, it is being argued here that the formation of the visual subjectivity is often mediated by the realms of ‘sensorial continuity and break’ created though our own direct or indirect interactions with various forms of media technologies and their mechanisms of deliverances.   here, the idea of ‘continuity’ points out the way visual subject enunciates their subject position in tune with the secular the narrative structure of modernity, and ‘break,’ on the other hand, indicates an inevitable narrative break proposed by the forms of new media visuality. the paper, therefore, explores the phenomenological existence of the visual subject, in a larger context of technology, media, and sensorial perception, and then points out that the visual subjectivities are constitutive of discursively defined and technologically enhanced entities. they emerge out of a composite site of various practices, involved in technology, media, society, and culture. key words: media subjectivity, visuality, technologies of the self, secular narrative, grounded aesthetic, modernity, new media subject, technology , sense and perception. introduction how do we understand the historical constitution of media subjectivity in the present era of ‘digital media turn’ or    within the intermediary domain of web 2.0 technologies in our everyday life?  primarily, this question leads us to understand the subjectivity in two rather overlapping epistemic structures of knowledge production; the social and technological formation of the subject.  in this context, media subjectivity, like media text, makes it’s processual presence in the intermediary domains of the social and the technological. media subjectivity here implies an inside-out entity belonging to the broader field of cultural technologies, in which it is impossible to delimit it either to the social or to the technological experience of the subject. in other words, the enunciation of media subjectivity by and through any form of media encounter or experience is constitutive of both the social and technological practices of the self. the practices of self, as foucault observes, “are not nevertheless something that the subject invents by himself. they are patterns that he finds in his culture and which are proposed, suggested and imposed on him by his culture, his society and his social group” (foucault 1987:11). media, indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 122 as one of the technological apparatus of the culture, has the power to determine, alter and modify this subjective consciousness. it often invents new signs, symbolic and gestural narrative forms to mediate this generative consciousness of the subject. media here not just passively represents the subjectivity, but often actively invokes, invents and disseminates experience and presence of the agency of the subject. hence, subjectivity is not to be deduced as something static instead it always attempts to communicate and signify multiple forms of experiences and negotiations through the act of sensorial mediations involved in both the analogue and digital media, such as the act of listening, hearing, seeing, tasting and touching. in fact, the enunciation of subjectivity through media encounter is in a way connected to the foucauldian idea of the ‘technologies of the self’, which permits individuals to “affect by their own means or with the help of others a certain number of operations on their own bodies and souls, thoughts, conduct and way of being, so as to transform themselves in order to attain a certain state of happiness, purity, wisdom, perfection or immortality” (foucault 1988:18). undoubtedly, one can argue that media represents or mediates subjectivity as the way in which cultural technologies envisage or constitute them (media representations of subjectivity are ‘subjective in the sense that they constitute instances of media attempting to represent experiences that are necessarily exclusive to the inner realms of a character (or person), and there are representational because they attempt to medially transform the complex interactions of subjective intentional states into inter-subjectively comprehensible external forms of representation (reinerth and jan-noel 2017:3, original emphasis). however, in the context of communicative modernity, and related interactive digital media era, it is imperative to understand the sensorial affective dimensions of the media subjectivity and their perceptional enunciations instead of simply looking at representational elements of the subject. in this age of converging media and ‘convergence culture’ (jenkins 2006, cited bakardjieva and georgia 2012), the enunciations of the subject “are tightly intertwined with technologies of sign systems such as the mass communication media, the cultural industry, and the multisensory discourse they propagate” (bakardjieva and georgia 2012, 160). media subjectivity, therefore, is not only connected to the historically formed multi-faceted narrative techniques of media to accurately represent the subjective perceptual experience of the character but is also intensively attached to the active, affective and embodied sensory actions and reactions of the recipient—listening, viewing, reading, observing or interactive subject—of the media text. it is in this context that this paper attempts to analyze the formation of the visual subject in the domain of early modern indian visuality (painting, photography, and cinema) and also to understand the conjectural rupture created in the sensorial perception of the subject by new media visuality. the first part of the paper proposes that it indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 123 is a secular visual narrative structure that predominantly idealises the visual perceptions of indian modernity. however, the domain of new media visuality is a contested site where, on the one hand, it shows continuity or a superimposition of secular narrative structure, but on the other hand, there are daunting images of victims, the act of violence and bare life that tries to disrupt this secular imaginary and attempts to cater to a new visual subjectivity. however, the former narrative structure and the resultant humanitarian perceptions emerge out of a visual encounter and its affective promises but the latter narrative structure depends not only on the images and its immediate affects, but goes beyond the specific referent and trying to resurface with certain mythical morals, as against the ‘universal subjectivity’, through the violent and disruptive images. in both of these visual acts of social and political enunciation, the visual subject not only bears the ‘presence’ in the given space and time but also emphasises features of the ‘cultural agency,’ whereby, the act of seeing itself becomes the act of being in the world. the paper, therefore, intends to analyze the phenomenological existence of the visual subject, in a larger context of media and sensorial perception. media and visual subjectivity social sciences and humanities discussions on sensation and perception, in conjunction with visual mediation, are highlighted with two major perspectives. the first gives an account that the visual media, including new and social media practices are reproducing forms of historical, cultural and social sensibilities and mentalities of the society hence there is continuity in sensorial perception. the second strand, while agreeing with these notions of reconfiguration of social and cultural elements in visual media practices and its enduring forms, announces a radical shift in perception and sensation. this shift is mainly attributed to the ‘affective turn of visual media’ in terms of its forms, content, circulation and redistribution, which provides new spectatorial perception and sensation that simultaneously have the power to generate new ethical and political questions, even for a noncontextual reader, viewer or listener. as it provides a sense of (dis) embodied information, this affective intensity involved in visuality, does not necessarily follow a strict historical continuity in its mediation of the senses. however, one of the common concerns for both these stands is the ways in which visuality shapes and reshapes the perception and sensation of the subject. in the era of photographic flow and communicative modernity, or global visual experience, the visual subject has been defined as “a person who is both the agent of sight — regardless of his or her biological abilities to see — and an object of certain discourses of visuality”, whereby the ‘body stubbornly refused to be in more than one place at once, a networked visuality allowed us a measure of real-time global experience’ (mirzeoff 2006: 22).the visual subject is not only subject to discursive domains but also subject to technologies and related experiences. in the context of indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 124 the photographic perceptional image, the subject is located both inside and outside of the frame, whereby the former indicates the subject as an object of photographic act and latter indicates subject as a viewer, observer, or an active interlocutor. the photographic visual subject is an ‘inside-out’ entity, located in technologies, structures and meaning-making practices. alternatively, it is located in the dialectical process of ‘subjects making objects making subjects’ (pinney 2005:269). this position of the subject is not necessarily reduced to the imperatives of technological determinism but that of a fleeting subject; it is concurrent with visual literacy imparted by various technological disjuncture and social mediations, such as the affective, sonic, and performative aspects. as photographs not only represent but also evoke, the visual subjects are never passive, they think, they experience and are always active, even in the most dehumanizing situations of colonial anthropometric photography or at the times of bare-body experiences (edward 2009). the idea of media subjectivity or visual subjectivity cannot be restricted solely to media structure, forms or various institutional apparatus connected to its production, dissemination or consumption. rather, the subjectivity should be understood as the ‘space of the self’ both at ‘conscious and unconscious levels and the various factors contributing to the self’s constitution and agency within the world’, the forms of mediation—technological and social—are integral elements of such formation of the subjectivity (corner 2011, 87). in other words, the subjectivities are constitutive of discursively defined and technologically enhanced entities. they emerge out of a composite site of various practices, involved in media, society, and culture. john corner elaborates these points while stating that: it has levels of agency that are formative of sociality and it is formed by the social in ways that exceed the activities of the institutionalised media. media processes bear upon the social in ways that are carried through into consequences for subjectivity but they also bear upon subjectivity directly in ways that have consequences for the social. activities both at the social and the subjective level carry consequences for the operations of the media, even if in many research accounts the media are often seen to be ‘dominant’ in the relations that involve them, either in their own terms or in the terms of the elites whose power they are seen to reflect (corner 2011, 90) it is interesting to note that like the way the ‘media text’ has been defined as ‘assemblage,’ ‘pastiche,’ or ‘allegorical,’ media subjectivity reflects a compositeness of myriad forms and mentalities as well as social and cultural dispositions embedded in technology and culture. when forms of tenacity, authority, popular opinion, and a priori, as well as the aesthetic and presentable rationality of the media, enunciates the experience of the subject, this process is also being over-determined by the senses of cultural tastes, political self and civic self of the mediated subject indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 125 (gaines 2010, 16-19: corner 2011, 87). this, mutually inclusive and interactive relation between media and selfhood not only has both cognitive and affective implications in the process of formation of subjectivity but is also highlighted by an overtly mediadependent aspect of consciousness and action of the subject (corner 2011). the manifestation of the subjective action and reaction, articulation of affective intensities are shaped and reshaped in this intermediary site of media and selfhood. hence, the site can be considered as an assemblage space where various forms of media effects and affects are being manifested. however, several correlating factors are included in these two domains of media and selfhood, which in fact simultaneously function to enhance the sense and perception of the subject. as mentioned earlier, popular politics, cultural tastes, ethical and political concerns, grounded aesthetics, and fantasies along with dependent media ecology and symbolisms are some of the factors that mould the position of the subject in the everyday culture. ‘the subjective is centrally implicated in any engagement with the production and circulation of knowledge and, perhaps even more obviously, with an exploration of pleasure. it is a site of imagination, of desire and of fear as well as of practical rationality’ (corner 2011). what needs to be understood in this symbolic environment and its logic of interactivity is the way it creates a sense of action, reaction or sensorial perception in the subject: the enunciation of affective, ethical and politically responsiveness of the subjectivity. like the way the formation of subjectivity is in the process, and as the way it often tends to negotiate with various forms of existing knowledge, the position of the said subjectivity belongs to a cognate area between the local and the global. local here refers to the ‘contexts’, in which the historically informed subject is located or the discursive contexts of the subject, which is also conditioned by the forms of institutional apparatus as well as cultural impulses and sentiments of the time. on the other hand, global refers to an imaginative and universal realm construed through the forms of mediated experience and technologies. it is the combination of materiality of media and mentality of culture that constitutes the worldviews of the media subject. in a way, neither is fixed, and the identity of the subject is always transposed from one to another through appropriation, alteration and modification of knowledge and perception available in this symbolic environment. when it encounters with forms of media, as a dynamic entity, it always tends to show the potential to traverse from the local to the global and vice versa. the identity of the subject is not completely fixed by cultural essentialism or by mediated experience –rather, it always transcends in between culture and media. in this situation, to understand visual subjectivity, we need to study the nature of the affective intensities and the sensorial dimensions of the subject, enticed by and through the encounteral intermediation between media and culture. the next question that automatically follows is how do we understand the visual subject? undoubtedly, one can argue that the visual subject came into indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 126 existence within ruptural domains of the visual turn of the contemporary society. in other words, visual turn of the society is a contemporary realization, which indicates a perpetual break from the conventional perception, and simultaneously announces the formulation of a new subjectivity, in conjunction with the visuality and forms of visual practices and embodied experiences. in this domain, the ways of seeing and ways of being are collated as a single performative entity, which is an active ‘bodily sense-impressions’ of the visual subject. the visual subject simultaneously becomes an object of certain visual discourses (visuality) and also an active agent having the potentiality of self-reflexive action and reaction (see armstrong). the visual subject, in this phenomenological proprioception, cannot belong exclusively to the visual sense but also dwells in the experiences of kinesthesia senses or embodied sensorial perceptions, through which the visual is performed and understood (edward 29: paterson 27). in the context of visual media and process mediation, the sensory experience cannot be compartmentalized on the basis of any single faculty of senses. there are overlapping or collective sensorial experiences—the perception that becomes instrumental in the production of visual media content, its circulation and the consumption of the ‘real’. thus, media’s encounter with the senses has the power to rediscover not only the feeling and emotion but also the knowledge of history, memory, experience, political subjectivities, social and cultural embodiments, and fantasies of the human subject. the visual media re/activation of senses manifested through a systematic and sometimes strategic redeployment of sign languages, signified practices and objectified values, work together to trigger cognition, sense perception, bodily and emotional engagement. narrative structure and cultural agency in these propositions, the visual subject is interlinked not only with a network of social relations and various technological mediations but also an object, which embodies multiple affective sensibilities and emotions entrenched to the discourses to which it belongs. it doesn’t mean that the visual subject is an outcome of specific temporalities of modernity or postmodernity and the contextual visual turn, rather the formulation of the visual subjectivity is connected to the historicity of the myriad forms of social mediation as well as technologies of the visual mediation. hence, the senses of the subject have been constitutive of historical experiences and also—the way what crary pointed out—touched with the ideological apparatus and its optical devises, institutions of visual techniques and image-making practices (1990). let me explain the ways in which these historical and cultural perceptional experiences of the visual subject have been rooted not only in the ruptural domains of contemporary new media visuality but also in the formative period of the modern indian visuality. considering the early visual practices (painting, photography and cinema) it has been argued that the visual indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 127 subject has symbolically been recruited into a larger narrative structure of the longue duree. this narratological form of longue duree encompasses the connoted articulation and sequencing of the conjunctural affective moments and events of oral tradition, history, myth, traditional views and fantasy; quantifiable values and skills involved in the arena of dominant political, economic and cultural order (rajadhyaksha 1993, 54-67). the iconic and frontal encounters, which are set up in this narrative structure, provide perceptual sense to the visual subject: all indian art traditionally places an iconic articulation as central to it: this is elaborated into a series of elliptical, narrational encounters. as we are drawn into the discourse of universal configuration, we repeatedly encounter the icon; even we find our place in the world our seeing, mediated by several social exchanges, converge into the discourse contained by the iconic presence. now, almost inevitably the iconic presence is placed frontally before us: our encounter with it is what sets off the discourse (rajadhyaksha 1993, 54 emphases added). cultural references, mnemonic memories, icons and the ‘series of perceptive shifts’ that might occur through a visual encounter became constitutive of this narrative, and which intends to reactivate a historically specific cogitative experience. this narrative, therefore brings the past conjectures into the present, with all its value loaded cultural references— as a pre-text within the domain of modern—providing a ‘standpoint from which, against which, the image could be mediated into the present’ for visual consumption (rajadhyaksha 1993, 54). what is so significant in this visualnarrative pattern and its intermediation process is that it is profoundly grounded within the linguistic imaginary to prefigure a visual image. for instance, as in the case of early indian films, ‘the filmic image exudes an inevitable lure’, in order to fulfil the desire of the visual subject, whereby the reciprocal gaze, mediated by the narrative signs of the popular aesthetic (linguistic), which is now resurfaced into the cinema, sought in the realization for images ‘it already knew and now saw, kinetically transformed’ (rajadhyaksha 1993, 69). the act of seeing here resonates with the idea of the act of being, and what is perceived in the image is not a psychological fact, but a phenomenological one. “it is “reduced,” that is, the reality is “bracketed out.” the image is always an image “of something”; it is intentional, pointing to a reality beyond itself…” (buck-morss, 1996; 46). though the affective feeling generated by the image is an outcome of the spontaneous and momentary encounter, the ‘reality’ of the image is happening in the sphere of ‘elsewhere,’ beyond the frame and connected to the larger visual economy of consumption. performative space and corporeal dimension of performance, posthumous memory, oral history, paraphernalia of presentation and theoretical propos, and the like, constitute the sphere of the visual economy of consumption (frietag, 2001). the linguistically mediated symbolic indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 128 apprehension of the real, as well as its technological interpretations, was not always filled with any unique visual convention or semiology, rather displays an unequal flow of sign-image and its inappropriate presence, however united by the discursive context. for instance, colonial studio photographic practices and their visual semiology articulate the sameness through a unity of civil style, while simultaneously showcasing the differences through a set of behavioral and moral authority. it involves semiology of indication and concealment, and a new ‘civil’ style of behaviour on the part of the subjects’ (udayakumar 2002, 166). backdrops help to conceal the ‘real’ at the same time supplementing a new fusion of performative and theatrical space for body and subjects to enact their subjective imaginary, or in other words, what kant calls ‘subjective universality’ (kant 1998, 70). so, the meaning included in the photographic mediation of the social and social mediation of the photograph cannot be understood through the mere lenses of visual contents or codes, but only through various practices, experiences and embodiments that are generated by this medium. in this context of linguistic flow of signs, the visual subjects and their perceptions ‘are interpellated or ‘recruited’ by the symbolic’ (prasad 1998, 10). in other words, the subject has been interpellated and enunciated by the ideologically sutured visual language and grounded perceptions. it means that “ideology involves a process of selfrecognition by which the subject comes to acknowledge the truth or naturalness of its conditions of existence. the ideological process is unconscious and inescapable: there is no position outside ideology” (ibid). similarly, it is also been argued that the formation of the visual subject has depended on the specific discursive context, and it is the discursive context that makes meaning for the visual subjectivity; there is nothing outside the discourse, and hence claims that it is the context which needs to be studied to understand the visual subjectivity. psychoanalytical perspective, on the other hand, placed the yet to be completely formulated subject into the signs, which is a constitutive domain of linguistic, visual and symbolic. nevertheless, the visual perception is always mediated by the transaction between the conscious and unconscious drives. the cultural codes and imaginary institutions play a crucial role in these transactions, whereby subjectivity is culturally as well as psychically constructed. the identification of the subject in this exchange with the real and imaginary or ideal, and its symbolic existence not only creates a sense of a traumatic separation from intimacy with referents but also produces a sense of alienation. the formation of the visual subject in this dialectical split between the real and the imaginary then involves an act of self-recognition misrecognition and self-fragmentation. it should be understood here that the above conceptual interpretations do not necessarily position the visual subject as a normative or linear entity to be recognized instantaneously as something which is determined by culturalism. on the contrary, the indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 129 subject is more active and agential, while appropriating and rearticulating the self in the intermediary domains of technological and cultural representation. this involves an art of appropriation enmeshed in the judgment of popular aesthetics. therefore, visual practices involve an art of appropriation, the logic of inclusion and dissemination of a signified set of ideas, practices, things, commodities and their signified values and politics. appropriation of the visual language, either as legitimised or as counter signifiers and their inclusion and exclusion in the frame can be defined as ‘grounded aesthetics.’ grounded aesthetics are not only the yeast of common culture but also the intermediary and inter-textual visual media practices, and through which the ‘cultural agency’ is expressed in the popular and political aesthetics of the time. in many ways, the visual subject here endures the markers of ‘cultural agency’ either through embodied cultural expression and performativity or the refractory visual excess manifested through proprioception imaginary. ‘cultural agency’ connotes a ‘feel that exceeds both conventionally conceptualize(d) ‘politics’ and ‘culture’, an extended field of intervention, the world in which the spectatorship and appropriation of commercial cultural artefacts play a central role’( pinney 2001,17). there are many ways in which these dispositions of cultural agency of the visual subjects and bounded sensibilities have been deployed in the domain of visual narratives. they may address, on the one hand the powers of the image that dismantle the ever existing binary between linguistic and visual language through its powerful and affective visual syntax and, on the other hand, may assert and claim a disruption in the dominant form of visuality. however, all these disruptive codes and powerful images never managed to overcome or create a narrative/epistemological break in the existing visual mode of production and hence the perceptions of the visual subject either. rather it encompasses all heterogeneous perceptions, disruptions and subversive ideas into a unique visual narrative; a secular visual narrative, as part of a larger narrative project of universal secular visibilities. let me explain this narrative technique while pointing out the ways in which how the dalit and subaltern visual subjectivity has been integrated into these secular visibilities, which were formulated during the time of colonialism or what usually called as in the epistemic structure of colonial modernity. secular aesthetics the colonial and nationalist discourses invariably produce complex and hybrid visual practices, which had its genesis in the western philosophical tradition of aesthetic as well as the artistic realism invented by the colonial art school. as pinney writes, “colonial realism becomes xeno-real, which claims its power from its closeness to that reality that lies within the truth of colonial power” rather than from a connection to any objectively extant reality—that is, it is “mimicry of what colonialism (rather than nature) authorizes as ‘real’ indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 130 ” (2004:31). the visual figure and subject collate a realism popularized by the dominant and mutually inclusive system of representations. these aesthetic formulation had its superimposition on elements such as the convention imposed by academic realism, ideological substances of brahmanical cultural rituals, signs, objects and they foregrounded the spiritual recurrence of popular hinduism as ‘the natural assets of the entire nation’. the modernism project of indian art was filled up with these pictorial codes of indian nationalist modernity and their deepseated affiliation to certain sociological constructions of cultural identities, and hence failed to produce any alternative perspective or spectatorial sensibility to critique the nature of its own structural formulations. “social identity in the modernist space gets blurred as the issue of identity was already fixed in the brahmanical nationalist context’ (alone, 2013). in other words, by reframing gopal guru’s formulation of the language discourses of the nation, it can be said that the visual language of the beyond and its grounded aesthetic is deeply entrenched within the visual perceptions of the ‘derivative’ and ‘desi’ discourses, whereby the socially and culturally conditioned visual reflexes have been predominantly used in order to characterize ‘the conditions and consciousness’ of the dalit and subaltern groups (guru, 2011). in these blurred fields of visual economy, theirs is mere presences which can be easily identifiable as a distinct identity of the other, or as ‘a part apart’ category, however nevertheless a part. visual conventions, thus supplemented with the social normative of caste hegemony where subalterns are caricatured with visual simulacra of negative, stereotype and atemporalize them as having no visual synonyms of political consciousness. what is significant here is that the visual subject’s embodied perceptions are conditioned by the social binaries; and hence, the secular narrative structure gives an adequate space to these binaries without disrupting each other social positioning. visual subjects are born; they live and lose in this imaginary symbolic order construed by the larger narrative scheme of secular visibility, its continuity and its aesthetical dictum. the visual mediascape (painting, photography, cinema and new media), continuously reproduce culturally coded and politically meaningful visual signs without bemoaning any radical shift or reconfiguration of this narrative strategy. the meaning of the sign and the ways in which it is arranged in the visual spaces or surfaces may change due to the technological apparatus. however, it addresses a visual subject whose visual consumption desires and pleasures, or the embodied sensorial perceptions are conditioned to fit into a narrative order of the secular visibility. here the visual subject’s action and reactions, and affective sensibilities are connected to the visual literacy (secular) which produces both rational and irrational experiences and excesses such as social responsiveness, scopophilia, whistling fans and enthusiastic communities (srinivas, 2013 and prasad, 2009). in this context, the position of the visual subject can be identified in a space between social and psychological, between sacred and political. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 131 new media visuality: assemblages and visual subjectivity the epistemological domain of the secular narrative was, therefore, generated with a composite space to accommodate and fulfil the historical embodied sensory experiences, negotiations and reactionary elements of the visual subject. this secular narrative remains as a formidable visibility till recent times, without showing any epistemological break. however, it was new or social media visuality in the context of digital-visual turn and media convergence, which gave a narrative break in the visual perception of the subject. in india, especially after the ‘technological modernity’ there are genres of photographs (new media texts or assemblages) which are being widely circulated in the new media spheres, and these visuals photographs, images, videos—are in a way representing visualreality of the specific events of violence, tragedy, horror, human right violation, disaster, trauma, pain and suffering of the people. but, at the same time, these interactive visuals, as a new media text or assemblage, has the power to invite the attention of the visual subjects while activating their affective embodiments and sensorial intensities. it creates sensory affects, during the encounter with these new media texts. for instance, these recurring photographic or new media visual genres include the visual narratives of the disastrous industrial gas-tragedy in bhopal, and the subsequent photographic campaign demanding justice for the victims, photographs of indian partition and the resultant violence. similarly we come across disturbing images of civil right activistirom sharmila and her struggle and the on-going hunger strike demanding the indian government’s repeal of armed forces special power act (afspa) of 1958. one may also mention here the photographs of the shocking and disturbing visuals of gujarat genocide in 2002, images of mass movement against the water plunder of the coco cola company in plachimada, kerala, the photographs of agitation against kudamkulam nuclear plant and police atrocities, the pricking pictures of the deformed victims of the endosulfan chemical pesticides, as well as photographs of mob lynching, conditions of refugees and migrants. images of natural disastrous, caste violence and the like are some of the instances where genres of photographs powerfully disseminate the affective dimension. such visuals arrest the consciousness of the visual subject and simultaneously these photographs articulate awareness about the captured event. indeed, these are visual testimonies of icons of pitiless events and suffering in the past and present; they can be treated as an evidence of the notion ‘ things have been there’, or what existed (barthes, 1982); they could also be treated as examples of interpretation of the real (sontag, 1979). nevertheless, the question here is not the one about ‘evidence’, ‘framing’ or ‘staging’, rather the manner in which these discursively arranged photographs or new media assemblages are able to produce an affective relationship between the suffering body and the viewer or the digital-citizen? indeed, it can be said that traumatic visual signs, foregrounded indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 132 verbal or voice narratives are generative to create specific affective sensibilities or mental traumas (of both image and the viewer), which function as a medium or tool to raise certain critical political and cultural apprehensions about humans, their conditions and rights. in other words, the visual subject’s (interactive viewer’s) encounter with the surfaced ‘bare body’ in the spheres of digital visuality and the entrenched affective signifiers instigate a political question about one’s own subject position as ‘precarious life’ within the political ideology of the present. the new media visual assemblage, on the other hand, involves all sorts of disruptive and haunting visual signifiers, political aesthetics, and overall a narrative text filled with emotions and politics. the digital interactions, and subsequent visual encounters and embodied experiences of the visual subject quite often have the power to transpose the consciousness and ethical perception of the subject. in this context, these digitally illuminated photographs are the sites where the subject’s ethical and political positions encounter his/ her own subjective apprehension about the subjectivity – as a being—belonging in the ideology of the contemporary. seeing, in this context, is a sense of activism of the being and hence an act of becoming; seeing is not only believing but also being and becoming in the world. here, i am not looking at the indexical ‘meaning of a single frame’ or its symbolic attributions toward the real. my interest is largely foregrounded with the contested political connotations and implicit political consciousness of the visual subject (viewer), that these photographic or visual genres are able to mobilize, where the new media visual sites – genres of photographsfunction as a ‘public screen’ to apprehending the real (pain, trauma and suffering) and recognizing justice or rights. though the genres and its diverse visual effects could provide thematic impressions, which potentially provoke the ethical and moral positioning of the observer or visual subject, each frame of the new media visual assemblage or genres of photographs has its own implicated dimension to stimulate the sight of the viewer. frames embody the conventional aesthetic principles as well as artistic quality; however, it renders the scenes of deformed body, tortured victims, pain and tenderness of bare life and its vulnerability. therefore, in such photographs, there is an element of simultaneity as the appeal of artistic quality as well as solid engagement with the ethical position. the resultant recurrence of a deep paradox between the aesthetic sensibility and the affective engagements create a dialectical relation between the pleasure and pain in perceiving, which need further analysis. as fischer wrote aesthetics of “bare life” engage us on an affective level that remains deeply ambiguous. the unsettling subject matter of the photographs and their striking artistic quality work against each other, where one operating as a limit on the other (fischer, 2007: 15). on the other hand, the systematic genre formulation based on disturbing contents of the photographs, and its diffusion in multiple popular and new media sites are drawing popular indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 133 attention not because of their striking aesthetic quality but its efficacy to activate the political consciousness based upon human virtues. indeed, it is the discursive genre effect which combined the reflection of everyday life of the victims and epitomized emotions and irrecoverable suffering conditions which necessitate the look. on the other hand, it is also true that the effective nature of photographic genres and “their disturbing subject matter works against any feeling of aesthetic pleasure” (fischer, 2007: 15). however, while rendering an aesthetic of catastrophe, the element of visual pleasure is an unavoidable component of these genres. the traumatic evident and its realism documented in the photographs or new media visuality may not be treated as an art, but “art” cannot be kept at a proper and secure distance from this atrocity. apart from the “surplus enjoyment” or jouissancethe pleasure and pain principle, how could one define the aesthetic appreciation of sufferings or catastrophe? the common epistemic content of these digital frames of traumatic visual assemblages (victims of riots, lynching, state brutality, war or natural disasters) are that they induced with arbitrary violence and injustice inflicted by the state or the dominant on the vulnerable life of the human (human but not qualified as human!) and the stark visual exposures demanding an intervention of the state to protect their lives, “they appeal to the state for protection, but the state is precisely that from which they require protection”(butler 2009, 26). these new media visual frames and their depiction of ever haunting suffering have a discursive political context and it is through which it presents the excessively fragile, decomposed, deceased and victimized figures to pose the idea of social ‘responsiveness’, and recognizability (butler 2009, 66). these digital visual assemblage of new media always attributed to function as a public screen to diffuse ‘shock waves’, which render public reaction and action; the way in which visual consumptions of shock, act of violence and distracting visual signifiers and their affectivity transmit certain sensibilities of social and political righteousness. these images in the digital public sphere can be considered as an ‘action-image’ as its signifiers, figural excess and feeling always tend to produce certain perceptual experiences to the senses, and to incite subjective action and reaction. these subjective actions and reactions are not necessarily confined to the limited geographical or essentialist cultural context of the subject, rather the new visual media transpose its visual subject into a deterritorial and imagined context to invoke justice and social responsibility of the human. butler says: accordingly, our capacity to respond with outrage, opposition, and critique will depend in part on how the differential norm of the human is communicated through visual and discursive frames. there are ways of framing that will bring the human into view in its frailty and precariousness that will allow us to stand for the value and dignity of human life, to react with outrage when lives are degraded or eviscerated without regard for their value as lives (butler 2009, 66). indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 134 in the new media visual assemblage and its circulation to point out suffering, it is the act of cruelty and torture, which mediates the affect. the shock in sight, the affective reactions, would further necessitate to be spoken about what is moral/immoral, justice/injustice and finally alert one to take a judgment on who is ‘considered as human and inhuman’. this is a political judgment where one is dragged in to a query against the subjective conditioning of political discourse as well as against the normative coherence of the political narratives, and indeed a reorganization of one’s own sensibility and the subjective position. visual subject as speaking subject the technological ruptures and disjuncture (oil painting, analogue photography and digital simulations) and parallel social transformations and experiences, simultaneously announces the emergence of the visual subject, who does not merely represent an passive spectator, observer, or subject of any particular discourse, rather portrays an active agent who can be part of the interactive domains of the global visual imaginary, while using suitable signifiers, and symbolically recruiting himself or herself into it. here, the sense of belongingness in the world is made possible through the symbolic significations available in the spheres of visual literacy. the visual culture and the technological dissemination of visual literacy generates particular individuals, as well as socio-cultural subjectivities, instead of visual cultures being created or established by individuals or through a cultural collective (fuery and fuery, 2003: 43). however, visual subjectivity and its activities are ‘not just about dominant notions of subjectivity, but also about negotiations of selfhood and identity from various gendered, classed and ethnically constituted subject positions’ (doy, 2005: 49). the visual image or new media assemblage moves across historical experiences, so does the visual subject. various technological interventions and interpretations, as well as bounded social and cultural significations, stimulate the shift in subjectivity from an uncritical and unaware spectating position to a conscious and selfreflexive positioning with respect to an image (doy, 2005:7). this shift in subjectivity equally articulates the subject’s position and involvement in signification as well as their insertion into the symbolic order. this position of the fragmented and flexible subject is what julia kristeva (1986) termed as ‘speaking subject’: the speaking subject is conceptualized as a formation of subjectivity and its multiplicity in the system of significations as well as in a social sphere. according to her, speaking subject involves aspects of reproduction and this is why a focus on the processes and effects of visual cultures and its language is so crucial (the speaking subject is a fundamental element that kristeva works through in her theories on and about language with regard to signification and psychoanalysis. for her, the speaking subject is a fragmented subject, exposed to and compelled by freudian drives (psychical energies) and regulated by social and cultural institutions (kristeva, 1986)). in this insertion, interaction and negotiation, the body—the speaking subject— indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 135 moves across all cultural spaces and is part of both the symbolic language, the language of visual cultures, new media visuality, and spaces of resistance and negotiation. theoretically speaking, in the context of visual encounter and affective intensities, these reactionary videos or new media visual assemblages and their circulation help to gather ethical and political consciousness against such violent and barbaric acts. nevertheless, such critically bounded humanitarian visual perception of the visual subject might help to develop an antithetic position against the visuals and the event of violence, but even then, the critical judgment of taste is an outcome of the secular visual narratives. it means the value judgment or the rational sensibility to define what is ugly, beautiful, violent, good or bad, as well as what pertains to atrocity and trauma are part of the visual literacy promulgated by and through the secular visual narrative structure of modernity. undoubtedly, these disruptive visuals and their interactions not only generate an affective feeling against the visual act-event but also, try to help the visual subject to build ethical responsiveness and resistance against those inhuman acts of violence or disastrous insecure conditions of the human. it is conceptualized that the affective encounters and their intensities will also provide a promise; a shimmering inventiveness as affect is a promise for something. nonetheless, in a visual encounter, these disruptive visual images and videos refuse to give any promises to the visual subject rather they decline to address the subjective consciousness and phenomenological experiences of the subject in the secular visibility. it means that these disruptive images are made for cognitive consumption not based on the immediate content or subject matter, not even based on the referent, rather based on ‘absent centre’ which is either metaphysically connected to the ethical and moral discourses of the universal secular visibility of modernity or the mythically connoted morals, ethical perception of any dominant religion or an ideology. hence, the latter always challenges the former to disrupt its narrative structure to create a break in its secular perception through ever increasing violent signifiers and new media visual assemblages.  the visual subjectivity enunciates its conscience in this contested paradox of secular and non-secular narrative paradigms of the contemporary. conclusions the article attempted to conceptualise the formation of the visual media subjectivity in conjunction to various visual media technologies and their schemas of representations. while looking at various forms of visual media articulations and their appropriations by the masses, it is argued that the formation of the visual media subject is not only connected to the historically formed multi-faceted narrative techniques of media but also intensively attached to the active, affective and embodied sensory actions and reactions of the recipient—listening, viewing, reading, observing or interactive subject—of the media text. media technologies and their visual apparatus indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 136 have a decisive role in shaping the sensory worldviews of the people.  in other words, the mutually inclusive and interactive relation between media and selfhood has both cognitive and affective implications in the process of formation of subjectivity, however it is also highlighted by an overtly mediadependent technologically defined aspect of consciousness and action of the subject. if we look at visual subjectivity in the domain of analogue and new media technologies, it is observed here that one of the crucial aspects of the historical formation of the visual subjectivity is that its transition from the passive subjective position to an interactive sensorial subjective position of the contemporary. the visual subject is more active and agential, while appropriating and rearticulating the self in the intermediary domains of technological and cultural representation, and hence it is called as speaking subject: the one who is both the object and subject of certain discourses of technology and culture, however always enunciated to act according to the ethical imperatives of the present. the agency of this visual subject—or the sense of being in the world—is more prone to the social responsiveness and affective embodiments of the subject, however overtly determined by mediating technologies and their power of dissemination or significations connected to the media text. it depends on the way technologies enhance the sensorial effect of the subject for an effective action and reaction. 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period chetna arora1 & subhash chander2 1assistant professor, department of education, lady irwin college, university of delhi email: chetna.arora29@gmail.com 2assistant professor, department of education, university of delhi abstract a qualitative study was conducted among delhi private and government school teachers on how they have been adopting to online education during this covid-19 pandemic. views of the teachers were captured on the impact on the quality of education, role of ict/technology and adaptation from all three – parents, children, and teachers in this new format of teaching. another aspect that was explored has been a blended mode of learning. even though the perception is positive towards online teaching, there is a fear of the quality of education and how students, teachers and parents have been coping with some of the challenges that online teaching brought about. online teaching in all its glory cannot be removed altogether and a fine balance between offline and online (blended) learning would need to be established over a period as things return to normalcy. keywords: covid-19 pandemic, online education, blended learning, impact on teachers introduction in the year 2019, we had a traditional teaching system i.e., 35 or more students in a classroom with subject teacher teaching (some ict being leveraged by a fraction of teachers in a classroom). teachers have fixed time schedules, and a number of classes to attend social gatherings in the school arena. students were also somehow, on the same learning path in school, sitting with their friends, doing physical activity, and a timetable to follow. schools have some functions like the republic day celebration, independence day, school foundation day, sports day, and other co-curricular activities to make the students physically as well as mentally active. the examination was held in school, mock practices, and practical lab examinations. come 2020 and a global pandemic break. with covid-19, online learning came to the forefront. overnight, education moved from the traditional teaching system to online based teaching. zoom, google meet and microsoft teams became the new buzzwords of school education. suddenly the internet and mobile became the most important utility in a household. mental health, steep learning curve and socio-economic status differences, were just some of the prominent issues that came to the forefront. there was a lack of unavailability to the internet in many areas. the impact can be seen after 2 years of online classes. the monotony of online classes has been affecting both students and teachers which lead to a reduction in interest levels affecting students’ performance in the classroom. this has also been affecting their mental and physical health. kamal & iiiiyan (2021) in their study on ‘‘school teachers’ perception and challenges towards online teaching during covid-19 pandemic in india: an indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 45 econometric analysis’’ showed positive perception of virtual teaching during covid-19 for reducing the learning gap and shaping pupils’ future during the crises. though many of the delhi school teachers encountered obstacles in online teaching such as technical obstacles, difficulties in online exams and assessments etc. as we come out of the pandemic, it is important to understand the impact of the pandemic on schoolteachers as they adopt online education. this research paper takes a view of how teachers adapted to online education over the last 2 years. review of literature according to jung, there are 12 teacher personas that any teacher can corelate to. these are – ruler, artist, sage, innocent, explorer, rebel, hero, wizard, jester, orphan, lover, and caregiver. each of these could be identified in an offline teaching mode and with online teaching mode and reduction in interest levels across both teachers and students, it becomes hard for teachers to be one or a mix of these personas in the classroom. teachers and their personas greatly influence children towards higher goals of learning. as per piaget, there are sequences of stages of cognitive development that are influenced by the environment. even though vygotsky indicated that children’s learning is determined by a term namely “zone of proximal development”, it is the environment that is introduced that eventually brings up that ideal mix of learning and development towards students’ higherorder thinking skills. patricia, aguilera and hermida (2020) in their research found that motivation, self-efficacy, and cognitive engagement decreased among students post transition. it was felt that face-to-face education had an ecosystem to support learners and it would take significant time to find such an ecosystem for online teaching. one thing that the researchers did point out was the fact that online teaching was a response to an emergency circumstance which showcases creativity and flexibility at that point in time. driessen (2020) in his research observed socio-economic status differed across students and teachers which impacts levels of financial stability. as a result, the use of technology may be different among different students. bali and lui (2018) conducted research on the topic of student perception towards online vs face-to-face classroom teaching before the pandemic hit us. this study though does not truly represent the education situation as in covid where online was the only option. surprisingly, the study concluded that there was not a significant difference among online and face-toface learning across different levels of education levels. patson, et al (2021) found significant differences between students and one size fits all approach would not work. some students were more adaptive in comparison to other students. martin, a. j. et al (2021) found that online and parental learning support and background attributes were significantly associated with the role of adaptability in students’ online learning of mathematics during periods of remote instruction. adaptability played an important role in students’ online learning during covid-19 and beyond. but one thing that muthuprasad (2021) confirmed was that there was a positive attitude towards online learning as it provided flexibility to learn at their own pace by recording the sessions and having the on-demand ability to view the content despite challenges in access to technology for a portion of the student community. mercer, hennesy and warwick (2017) in their research on the topic of methods which can improve the quality of classroom interactions among teachers and students. their indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 46 work included important aspects of the role of digital technology and its use in supporting classroom dialogue. the results were positive which has a direct impact on classroom pedagogy and practices. research objectives the objectives of this research were: 1. to analyse the perception and challenges of teachers for online classes and whether it has impacted the nature of education quality and standards. 2. to determine the adoption strategies that schools have adopted 3. to evaluate the role of technology in delivering quality education research methodology nature of research qualitative in nature. sample size and sampling technique this research is qualitative in nature (limited study) with a sample size of 40 teachers aged between 30-50 years. of these 40 teachers, 20 were from private schools and 20 were from government or government-aided schools confined to the delhi region only. the primary sampling techniques used for this research were purposive and snowball sampling techniques. as per vehovar et. al. (2016), purposive is a non-probability sampling where selection is based on characteristics of the population and the objective of the study and snowball is also a non-probability sampling where participants are contacted through referral. research methods and tools there were primary three research methods leveraged as part of this research for data collection: 1. questionnaire, 2. semi-structured interviews, and 3. classroom observations. the major theme of the questionnaire is outlined below: • experience and perceptions of online teaching • challenges faced by teachers and students • assessment techniques alongside online teaching the major areas of investigation as part of semi-structured interviews were: • adapting to online teaching • perception on the impact on quality of education. • conducting online classes techniques. • role of technology the major areas of investigation as part of observations were: • classroom participation and engagement • quality content of education • use of technology during class mode of interview conduct the model for conducting interviews was telephonic as this research study was conducted during the summers of 2021. research questions / hypothesis the researcher has tried to answer the below questions through these observations, questionnaires and interviews were: 1. does the teacher have a positive indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 47 perception of leveraging online learning? 2. does the teacher believe that the quality of education is suffering on account of online learning vis-à-vis traditional learning? 3. does the teacher believe that the journey towards online learning was easy for all teachers, students, and their parents? 4. does the teacher believe that technology has played a pivotal role and can be leveraged once traditional learning begins? data analysis and observations experience taking online classes for the majority of teachers, taking classes online was a new experience and it took the teacher some time to get acquainted. only a few had prior knowledge of online teaching because of which they acquired skills at a better pace. various teachers were using different teaching platforms such as google meet, zoom, microsoft teams and others. most teachers voiced that school authorities were very supportive in this transition to online classes by extending technical help where required. some of the feedback shared by teachers on their experience is captured here. “where to adapt right now, i think everyone is adapting. now according to the class schedule that we do, we must watch the whole day. and whatever extra work is done, they also do it at home. as far as children are concerned, i have seen that children are active in the morning class, and in the later classes, the response is not so much. according to me, children are also adapting’’. most teachers had similar feedback about adopting the technologies and how fatigue sets in the students as the days passes and months have passed. perception of online teachinglearning process pre-pandemic, teachers were not comfortable with the online teaching process and seemed to believe that it was a distraction. the perception of teachers has gone through a significant shift with many teachers voicing a shift in attitude towards leveraging technological advancements and online classes even when schools open. they are thankful for the online education systems because these changes have set a new pedestal in these times. some of the teachers did feel that online learning has been forced onto them and this is the new normal and it would be hard to move students back to offline mode fully. “the pandemic has changed the education sector; it has pushed optimization in delivery methods. schools and educational institutions have been forced to move online. a new normal has been created and it is teaching online.” for sure, the use of ict has added a new dimension to learning where many students find the lessons more stimulating and engaging as compared to traditional classroom environments. “ict tools can improvise the teaching process of a teacher, a blend of traditional and modern teaching tools would have a more practical impact on brains of students, with powerpoint, audio-visual aids, and knowledge updates with a single click of a mouse.” another teacher remarked that ict and blended modes of learning enable a better learning experience, especially catering towards the diverse needs of various learners. “i prefer the blended mode more as compared to offline and online learning indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 48 as it caters to the diverse needs of students, as in if a student is not doing well in a particular subject matter, he can be provided with hand notes and various other videos and presentations in order to enhance his or her learning and eventually he or she will be able to perform better thereafter.” challenges faced by teachers and students one of the biggest challenges that students indicated was the lack of resources on teachers’ end due to which subject matter clarity was many times a challenge. lack of resources could be in terms of tools required to explain a concept or in some cases internet connectivity that could lead to content being taught but clarity not emerging for students. “teachers mostly face challenges like lack of it support, continuous technological changes, unequal access for all students, optimized software for mobile devices and security issues because of adaptability struggle, technical issues, computer literacy, time management, and self-motivation.” many times, connectivity on the student’s end was also seen as a major challenge. a teacher responded, “these are now, yes of course, new terms for us. they are useful for the new generation but not for us. proper infrastructure should be there to use appropriately like we should have our own personal computer systems in the school, but the facilities are not there (talking in consideration of traditional means). big and false promises are made haywire. we are not able to practice it. our school is very much lacking to include such concepts. but, from the time the system has shifted to online mode of education, we now acquire our own personal laptops or systems but need to become familiar with various online teaching-learning applications to make the classroom become more efficient and effective.” maintaining discipline in the classroom was also becoming a challenge and the easy online way was to mute all participants or manage host controls such as disabling chat, mic and share options for students when they joined. another common problem observed has been the tendency of students to turn off the video which could be due to the preference of the student or a genuine connectivity issue. attendance has also been a challenge seen more in government school students. “कोई फायदा नहीं होता उसका भी, माँ-बाप तब भी नहीं बोलते अपने ब�ों को, कईं ब�ों की फीस पूरी न होने की वजह से भी वो ऑटोमेटिकली पीछे से �ॉक हो जाते हैं, तो �ास ले ही नहीं पाते, इस मामले में तो टीचसर् भी हे�लेस हो जाती हैं |” (“it is of no use, even when parents do not speak to their children, due to nonfulfilment of fees for many children, they are automatically blocked from behind, so they are unable to take classes, in this case then teachers also become helpless’’). from a student’s perspective, having the class material recorded or shared post the class on the choice of tool (google classroom, whatsapp group, microsoft teams or others) became a norm. “in the case of poor connectivity issues even teachers cannot help it out, the students eventually have to leave the meeting and thereafter they learn through the notes provided, youtube videos and various other learning platforms like vedantu, byju’s learning app.” one teacher put out the advantage and challenge well with this remark, “online classes have a broader perspective. when you are confined in a classroom, you only learn what is limited indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 49 to the books/syllabi, but with an online class, you can google everything more about the ongoing topic, broadening the scope. online classes don’t give you the opportunity to raise doubts. this is a big disadvantage, and i believe unless a person raises questions while learning, his learning is incomplete.” quality of education quoting what one of the teachers said, “िशक्षा में गुणवता तो होनी चािहए और मेरे िहसाब से िशक्षा का बेिसक �ल यही है िक ऐसी िशक्षा होनी चािहए जो िक सावर्जिनक हो, सबको समझ में आए और सरल हो | संक्षेप में सरल �प में होनी चािहए | जहाँ तक एफे� होने का सवाल है, तो हाँ ये ऑनलाइन िशक्षा से काफ़ी �भाव पड़ा है, ब�े को समझ आया या नहीं ये हम पता नहीं कर सकते|” (“there should be quality in education and according to me the basic rule of education is that there should be such education which should be public, easy to understand and easy to understand. in short, it should be in a simple form. as far as the effect is concerned, yes it has been affected a lot by online education, we cannot know whether the child understood it or not.) as per psacharopoulos & woodhall (1985), quality of education is a process that imparts knowledge, skills and capabilities to the learners which aid in the social and economic development of the nation. another teacher echoed the sentiment were in, “quality of education has decreased drastically; only 50 per cent of teachinglearning is being done now.” education is not only about subject knowledge but participation in interschool and intra-school activities form a critical component towards students’ learning. with the online way of learning/ teaching, outside-the-classroom activities were a major causality. assessment of students assessment is a complex process where the cbse (central board of secondary education) has set certain norms and principles. based on these guidelines, teachers create different methods of assessing students and various work assignments that can be used for student evaluation. the end goal of these assessments is to assess a student’s understanding of a given topic or subject. especially for practicalbased subjects like science, there has been a significant shift in how practicals are conducted and their assessments. instead of live practicals, the teachers are recording videos of the experiments and then play them for students. “in the previous year i found it difficult to conduct activity classes but as of now, i conduct activities by making a video of myself doing that practice, sharing it with students and asking them to write their observations and understanding from that activity.” another teacher put forward her viewpoint in a manner“होम बे�ड सामान से ही एि�िवटी करवाती हूँ मैं | जैसे मैं फूड्स का चै�र पढ़ा रही हूँ तो घर में से ही सामान आ जाता है | इससे एक और चीज़ आसन हो जाती है, ब�े भी आराम से उस एि�िवटी को परफॉमर् कर लेते हैं | most teachers acknowledged that assessments have moved to students uploading their work online (word documents or paper-based writing with scanned copies) being used majorly. practicals saw a drop due to limitations among students to conduct the same. however, teachers had mixed opinions on assessment methods being used with cheating and chaotic assessment methodology leading to a lot of problems. “the uploading of answer sheets’’ scenario makes everything chaotic. some upload the sheets on the portal, indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 50 some mail them to the teacher and some even break the protocol and send them on whatsapp. hence, it is very difficult for the teacher to collate the response sheets.” classroom observations done as part of this research echoed many of the statements shared by teachers as remarks or other tooling used. few that were observed consistently across 20 classrooms that were observed online are mentioned below: • few students didn’t respond, and, in many cases, there was a lack of interest in students as seen from them feeling sleepy during classes. • many times, the classes which did not use ict in the classroom content led to less interest from students. • engaging students in group activities and group submissions resulted in a high degree of interest from students. adoption strategy towards online learning regarding the adoption strategy, teachers and students in a school were primarily using one of the online learning platforms such as zoom, google classroom, and microsoft teams to carry forward with the teaching-learning process. over a period, technical support became a key enable towards adoption of these new technology platforms in the online teaching world. selvaraj, a. et al study indicates the teachers’ and students’ adaptation during covid-19 to the change of emergency remote learning platforms using various online collaborative tools in hand, without any pre-planned course structure and training. a good summary of the adoption strategy is summed up in this response from the teacher, “these are now, yes of course, new terms for us. they are useful for the new generation but not for us. proper infrastructure should be there to use appropriately like we should have our own personal computer systems in the school, but the facilities are not there (talking in consideration of traditional means). big and false promises are made in haywire. we are not able to practice it. our school is very much lacking to include such concepts. but, from the time the system has shifted to online mode of education, we now acquire our own personal laptops or systems but need to become familiar with various online teaching-learning applications to make the classroom become more efficient and effective.” teachers also emphasized the role that school has been playing towards helping teachers adapt to the new ways of learning with in-service teacher training programs. “school authorities have arranged training programs for teachers through diksha app and chocolate app. also, they’ve arranged educational programs on teaching strategies. yes, these played a significant role in my learning as i came to know about making google forms and excel spreadsheets and made us capable of making audio video files of educational topics and concepts.” role of digital technology in this new learning process technology and its related aspects have been a major contributor towards the progress and development of the education sector. continuing with the old traditional methods of teaching are nowadays not much prevalent in today’s scenario. teachers as well as students have become tech-savvy and demand change in the modes of delivering subject matter content. as one teacher summed up, “online classes have a broader indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 51 perspective. when you are confined in a classroom, you only learn what is limited to the books/syllabi, but with an online class, you can google everything more about the ongoing topic broadening the scope.’’ however, from the responses of various teachers, the opinion is divided among teachers on whether digital technology has been helpful or not. an example shared by a teacher is quoted below, “only and only one difficulty comes, that is not all students are habitual of giving online exams that are going to affect their performance and also the speed issue is going to be the main for the subjective exams as most of the students face this problem.” conclusion teachers, students, and parents all three have played a pivotal role towards education during this pandemic. teachers form the centre of the education process and are the indispensable vehicle towards the good quality of education. “educate” in the real sense of that word is not to transmit from teachers to students some information about mathematics or history or geography, but in the very instruction to bring about a change in the mind of human beings. the study explored teachers’ perception of education shifting from a traditional classroom environment to an online way of teaching imposed by the covid-19 pandemic. teachers who were part of the sample set for this study brought in both their past and present experiences of teaching, challenges they have faced, an impact on the quality of education and how they foresee education once offline classrooms start operating again. the respondents were happy about the fact that despite a pandemic which completely shut down traditional classroom education overnight as we knew it, online teaching brought a new life into education and teaching. teachers did share their worries and anxiety towards fulfilling parents’ expectations about the quality of education being imparted alongside learning and coping with the new teacher-learning processes. most teachers acknowledged that online education and the new way of teaching brought all of them out of their comfort zone and they had to unlearn and learn new ways of teaching and engaging with students. there were many challenges that were faced by teachers, students, and parents but despite some of these challenges, students’ learning continued through the 2 years of the pandemic. quality of education brought in different perspectives from different teachers and respondents. for sure the teacher’s exceptional and creative personality and ability to handle classroom situations had a big impact on the quality but for sure across all types of learners in a classroom, ensuring the same quality being delivered became very hard. national council of educational research and training (ncert) on its part mapped all online materials available through the ministry of education’s (moe) online platforms with curricular standards. diksha, an online national teacher platform, was leveraged to provide teacher training and resources, including lesson plans and worksheets linked to the curriculum (ncert, 2020a). in august 2020, the moe and ncert released a new set of learning guidelines for students and teachers. these guidelines were a significant departure from the initial aac (alternate academic calendar) as they recognized the diversity of the country and varying degrees of ownership of technical devices and opportunities available to students, stating that “following only one model of teaching and learning will not work” (ncert, 2020c, p.3). indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 52 these steps by the government helped the teacher adapt to the online mode of teaching. the use of epathshala (e-school) and guidelines for studying at home for teachers, parents and school principals were some of the initiatives which were helpful for teachers to cope as they transitioned to online teaching as part of adaptation. most teachers did share that the future of education, once things got back to normalcy, is neither offline nor online teaching but a fine balance of blended learning for students. bashir, a. et al, highlighted the adaptability during the pandemic as it had prepared students to work remotely and reflected global adaptations made by many organizations to evolve. therefore, lessons learned are to create opportunities for hybrid teaching, learning and assessment approaches. hybrid teaching, learning and assessment bring in good aspects which have come out with online teaching (bringing about interest and spark among students, collaborative in nature to name a few) would need to be continued alongside offline or classroom environments of teaching. references (2019). forever jung: 12 teacher archetypes. advancement courses. a wiley company. https:// blog.advancementcourses.com/articles/teacher-archetypes/ (2020). alternative academic calendar for students primary. ncert. (2020). eight week alternative academic calendar for the primary stage part ii. ncert. (2020). student’s learning enhancement guidelines. ncert. (2020). union hrd minister releases alternative academic calendar for classes 9th and 10th in new delhi. ministry of education. https://pib.gov.in/pressreleasepage.aspx?prid=1620455 aguilera-hermida, a. p. (2020). college students’ use and acceptance of emergency online learning due to covid-19. int. j. educ. res. 1:100011. doi: 10.1016/j.ijedro.2020.100011 bali, s., & liu, m. (2018). students’ perceptions toward online learning and face-to-face learning courses. journal of physics: conference series, 1108, article id: 012094. bashir, a., bashir, s., rana, k., lambert, p., & vernallis, a. (2021, august). post-covid-19 adaptations; the shifts towards online learning, hybrid course delivery and the implications for biosciences courses in the higher education setting. in frontiers in education  (vol. 6, p. 711619). frontiers media sa. driessen, e., beatty, a.e., stokes, a., wood, s. & ballen, c. (2020). learning principles of evolution during a crisis: an exploratory analysis of student barriers one week and one month into the covid-19 pandemic. ecology and evolution. kamal, t., & illiyan, a. (2021). school teachers’ perception and challenges towards online teaching during covid-19 pandemic in india: an econometric analysis. asian association of open universities journal. kurt, s. (2020). vygotsky’s zone of proximal development and scaffolding. educational technology. https://educationaltechnology.net/vygotskys-zone-of-proximal-development-and-scaffolding/ martin, a. j., collie, r. j., & nagy, r. p. (2021). adaptability and high school students’ online learning during covid-19: a job demands-resources perspective. frontiers in psychology, 3181. mcleod, s. (2022). piaget’s stages of cognitive development. simple psychology. https://www. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 53 simplypsychology.org/piaget.html mercer, n.,henessey, s. & warwick, p. (2019). dialogue, thinking together and digital technology in the classroom: some educational implications of a continuing line of inquiry. international journal of educational research. muthuprasad, t., aiswarya, s., aditya, k. s., & jha, g. k. (2021). students’ perception and preference for online education in india during covid -19 pandemic. social sciences & humanities open, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2020.100101 patston, t. j., kennedy, j., jaeschke, w., kapoor, h., leonard, s. n., cropley, d. h., & kaufman, j. c. 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(2016). the sage handbook of survey methodology (1st ed., pp. 329-346). sage. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 11 research article effectiveness of ict on online mathematics teaching and learning in secondary schools of mizoram during covid-19 pandemic l.thangmawia1, l. p. lalduhawma2 & jamal hussain3 1department of mathematics, pachhunga university college, aizawl 2department of mathematics, pachhunga university college, aizawl 3department of mathematics and computer science, mizoram university, tanhril abstract since ict has become such an important feature in everyday life, it is no wonder that it has also burrowed through the teaching and learning scenario making its presence felt in more ways than one. the coming of the covid-19 pandemic, though a calamity in itself, provided an opportunity to find out the true effectiveness of ict on online mathematics teaching and learning. the population under consideration was secondary teachers teaching mathematics. the findings clearly outlined the status of mathematics teachers when it came to teaching mathematics using ict. it was discovered that mathematics educators did not consider ict adequate to replace offline teaching, but they considered that it could supplement it. besides, it was also observed that students themselves enjoyed teaching enhanced with ict. keywords: mathematics, ict, online learning, pandemic, secondary education. introduction ict is an important part of today’s world. in the world of education, regardless of the subject being taught, it is gaining importance with each passing year. especially, in the light of the fact that teaching is a profession that needs professionals, who can impart the needed resources for the nation. ict must become a part of teaching from the lowest levels so that students are exposed to technology from an early stage. for the early stage of development and possibility, teachers should be ready to make available modern technology, and within itself have to be made available. but, another important part of this is that even students, who are at receiving ends have to be ready to accumulate and impart knowledge through this medium, meaning they needed to be aware, of need to have the much-needed facilities, if, ict is used in a remote manner, and connectivity also have to be enabled, so that, two-way communication is enabled. mizoram is one of the states in india, situated in the northeastern region sharing 404 km and 318 km long international borders with myanmar and bangladesh, respectively. the geographical location of mizoram is 92o.15’ e to 93o.29’ e longitude and 21o.58’n to 24o.35’n latitude. aizawl is the capital city of mizoram. there are 11 districts, 23 sub-divisions and 26 rural development (rd) blocks. its area covers 21,081 square kilometres. according to the 2011 census, there are 830 villages, 2,22,853 households, 10, 97,206 population and a literacy rate of 91.33 per cent. school education in mizoram is categorised broadly as elementary and secondary. elementary covers classes 1 to 8 and secondary covers classes 9 to 12. high school covers classes 9 and 10 and higher secondary school covers classes 11 and 12. as per udise plus 2020-21 data, there are 712 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 12 high schools with 4,306 teachers and 40,037 students, 198 higher secondary schools with 1,900 teachers and 24,966 students. due to covid -19 pandemic, schools have been totally closed in mizoram. there are no other alternatives and so teaching and learning during this pandemic can be carried out using online mode only. with all these factors in mind, state-wide research was done with the following objectives: objectives of study 1. to study the challenges faced by the students and teachers in teaching and learning mathematics during the covid-19 pandemic. 2. to find out the effectiveness of ict on online mathematics teaching and learning at the secondary level of education in mizoram during covid-19 pandemic. research questions the study was guided by the following questions: (i) what is the effectiveness of using ict for the online teaching process of mathematics in the secondary school of mizoram during the covid-19 pandemic? (ii) what are the barriers of using ict for online mathematics teaching in secondary school of mizoram? review of literature there are a lot of problems and confusion on the parts of the students as well as the teachers in online teaching during covid-19 pandemic, as this is done without proper training, for smooth functioning of online learning will need proper training and resources. so, the teachers are in a stage of experimenting and trying their best for their students (mishra et al. 2020). students experienced  a dramatic  change  in mathematics education during the enforced covid-19  lockdown and there needs to be quality support for students and teachers in the  transition (cardel et al., 2021). the training received for online teaching, the mismatch between pedagogy and learning styles of students, work-life balance pressure and assumptions about home life conditions, connectivity and availability of devices are the constraints to online teaching and learning (singh et al., 2021). the lockdown situation is certainly an obstacle to the progress of education and mathematics education since most students do not have enough necessary devices (das, 2021). during the covid-19 pandemic, students had a positive mathematics self-concept, mathematics anxiety was at a moderate level, and already had mathematics self-regulated learning at a low level (delima & cahyawati, 2021). digital learning environments will be with us forever, such that professional development and teacher preparation programs in mathematics education must focus on the implementation of the digital learning environment (chirinda et al., 2021). instructional technology, as a research field with several subdivisions, has played a major role in cushioning the effect of this pandemic on educational activities by serving as the only platform for instructional design, delivery and assessment platforms (olasile babatunde adedoyin & emrah soykan, 2020). covid-19 crisis ushered in digital teaching and learning experiences that clearly spelt out the existence of digital instructional and pedagogical gaps in mathematics education (leckson & deonarain, 2021). the covid-19 pandemic has severely hit the academic sector due to the lack of proficiency in online teaching mode due to the technological and infrastructural lacuna (biswas & rahaman, 2021). the governments must ensure the availability of reliable communication tools, high-quality indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 13 digital academic experience, and promote technology-enabled learning for students to bridge the disparities originated in the education system before and after covid-19 catastrophe which is also inevitably necessitated for uninterrupted learning (mishra et al., 2020). before using digital platforms for mathematics learning, students need to be encouraged to practise and engage collaboratively within digital platforms (jayaluxmi naidoo, 2020). there is a need for secondary schools, with the help of the government and other stakeholders to promote the establishment of e-learning facilities countrywide (mukuka et al., 2021). methodology this part of the research was descriptive. the population included secondary school teachers teaching mathematics within the state of mizoram. the information schedule and opinionnaire were sent out to the entire population. out of these, 348 teachers responded. since there were a total of 774 mathematics teachers at the secondary level and 71 mathematics teachers at the higher secondary level in mizoram, the responses made up 41.1 per cent of the population and were thus considered more than adequate for research. since no selection was made, samples were completely random. given the research objective, the researcher opted for an information schedule and opinionnaire as the main tools. the opinionnaire had a total of three dimensions; each having a set of items in which respondents simply had to opt for a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’. the data received was analysed in a qualitative manner making use of descriptive statistics. overview of the profile of teachers at the secondary level of education in mizoram based on the information schedule that was administered by the researcher himself, it was found that out of the 348 responses that came, male teachers made up 80.2 per cent and only 19.8 per cent of them were females. this in itself proved the disparity that still exists in a state like mizoram, which is a state in the northeastern part of india, that a subject like mathematics which is a highly abstract subject, is still favoured by the male of the population. out of these, 23.9 per cent of urban and 76.1 per cent of rural teachers were identified, and since the data was collected through the online mode using google form, it showed that both localities had teachers who could deal with online technology. this in itself was a positive finding, strongly giving evidence that rural teachers were not far behind in dealing with ict at least at this level. secondary school teachers made up 91.1 per cent of the responses and 8.9 per cent were from higher secondary schools. findings regarding ict compatibility of teachers the tool was subdivided into three dimensions in keeping with the research objectives and the pandemic situation which necessitated the use of an online platform for teaching. on the dimension of ict and teacher, there were 10 items. the results obtained were separately analysed in table-1. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 14 table-1: a summary of findings of the result sl. no yes no no. % no. % ict and teacher 1 i have my own computer 193 55.5 155 44.5 2 i have my own smartphone 347 99.7 1 0.3 3 i do not know how to use computers 42 12.1 306 87.9 4 i know how to use software for making e-content like pdf/slides/word etc. 274 78.7 74 21.3 5 i use readymade e-content like pdf/slides/ word etc to teach my students 208 59.8 140 40.2 6 i can prepare my own teaching videos for student 268 77 80 23 7 i use readymade videos to teach my students 214 61.5 134 38.5 8 i can make e-content using my phone 228 65.5 120 34.5 9 i have received in-service training in ict 188 54 160 46 10 it is difficult to carry on teaching using ict 185 53.2 163 46.8 55.5 per cent of the sample mathematics teachers had their own computer. a small minority of 0.3 per cent among the sample teachers still did not have their own smartphone. an unexpected 12.1 per cent of the sample teachers did not know how to use computers, which is an essential part of ict. a majority of them, i.e. 78.7 per cent of the sample teachers could use their software for making e-content. a small majority of 59.8 per cent of the sample mathematics teachers could make use of readymade e-content to teach mathematics. among the mathematics teachers who responded, 77 per cent of them claimed to be able to make their own teaching videos. another 61.5 per cent simply made use of ready-made videos. a healthy 65.5 per cent of them could make use of their smartphones to make e-content. it was noted that only 54 per cent of the sample teachers had received ict training. more than half of the sample teachers i.e. 53.2 per cent still found it difficult to teach using ict. discussion the study found that teachers were in very different positions in their compatibility to use ict. while a good 65.5 per cent of the sample teachers could make their own e-content on their smartphones, there is still nearly 12 per cent of them who do not know how to use a computer. let alone create their own e-content. th fact that only around 54 per cent of the sample teachers had received ict training revealed the huge backlog when it came to ict training. since 53.2 per cent of them still found it difficult to use ict for teaching and learning, it was clear that ict could not be used as a mandatory part of teaching. given the high percentage of teachers who still do not know how to make use of this technology, the majority of indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 15 77 per cent of the teachers who could even make their own teaching videos put the state in a good position, but also highlighted that teachers were in very different positions when it came to ict compatibility. also, nearly half of the teachers still do not have their own computers at their service and convenient time. strongly, indicated that they did not consider an investment in computers as necessary or wise. this in itself was rather disheartening, because it brought into light the lack of education even among teachers themselves, on the utility of ict. findings on the status of mathematics teaching during covid -19 pandemic according to teachers the second part of the opinionnaire was concerned with the teaching of mathematics in an online mode which was a necessity during the covid-19 pandemic (table-2). table-2: findings on the status of mathematics teaching sl. no. yes no no. % no. % teaching during covid-19 pandemic 1 i do not take an online class at all due to the non-availability of the internet or some other reason 90 25.9 258 74.1 2 during the covid-19 pandemic, classes are taken through online mode only 243 69.8 105 30.2 3 i use learning management system (google classroom, moodle, teachmint etc.) for online class 179 51.4 169 48.6 4 i use google meet for taking an online class 120 34.5 228 65.5 5 i use zoom for taking online class 109 31.3 239 68.7 6 i use whatsapp for content delivery 333 95.7 15 4.3 7 i use facebook for teaching-learning 25 7.2 323 92.8 8 i shared video materials using youtube 200 57.5 148 42.5 9 i give home-works through emails and whatsapp 329 94.5 19 5.5 10 i use online classes to teach according to the school timetable (regularly) 244 70.1 104 29.9 11 i enjoy using ict for teaching mathematics 227 65.2 121 34.8 12 the teaching of mathematics through online mode is preferable to classroom 27 7.8 321 92.2 13 teaching mathematics using ict should be continue to supplement normal classroom teaching even after covid-19 pandemic 228 65.5 120 34.5 14 covid-19 pandemic is a barrier for mathematics education 280 80.5 68 19.5 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 16 the following were the findings in various aspects of online mathematics learning: it was found that still 25.9 per cent of the sample teachers could not carry on online teaching due to connectivity and other issues. a majority of 69.8 per cent could take online classes, but still, the remaining 30.2 per cent had to resort to other means. it was revealed that slightly more than half of the teachers, 51.4 per cent of the sample teachers, could make use of online apps like teachmint, google classrooms and moodle. a minority of the teachers, 34.5 per cent of them used google meet to teach, which is a free internet application available with good connectivity. it may also be bought and the bought variety carries some packages along with it. a slightly lower 31.3 per cent of the teachers used the zoom application to teach mathematics. a solid majority of 95.7 per cent of the teachers use whatsapp, a free online service, to teach. a small 7.2 per cent of the teachers use the facebook platform to teach. a good 57.5 per cent of the teachers shared teaching videos through youtube. another resounding majority of 94.5 per cent of the teachers give homework through emails and whatsapp. a good but certainly not cent per cent, 70.1 per cent of the teachers could carry on teaching through the online mode regularly. a fairly good 65.2 per cent of them enjoyed using ict to teach during the pandemic, but only 7.8 per cent of them preferred online teaching to offline mode. a small majority of 65.5 per cent of the teachers wanted to supplement offline teaching with online mode even when the pandemic is over and online mode will no longer be a necessity. a large 80.5 per cent of the teachers thought that covid-19 is a huge barrier to the teaching of mathematics. discussion while it was perfectly acceptable and even accepted that the majority of the teachers could make use of various online apps to teach mathematics, it is worrisome to find 25.9 per cent that still could not make use of the online mode of teaching due to connectivity issues. although 70.1 per cent of the teachers thought that they could continue classes regularly, a larger 80.5 per cent of them still felt that the covid-19 pandemic was a huge barrier to the teachings of mathematics. indicating that although they could manage online classes, they still preferred offline classes. it was not surprising that only 7.8 per cent of them thought that online mode was better than offline mode. although 94.5 per cent of them gave homework and assignments through online mode, only 65.2 per cent of them enjoyed using ict for teaching. this strongly supports the fact that knowledge is not necessarily meant for learning and enjoyment, due to a lack of ict knowledge. a small majority of 65.5 per cent were of the opinion that online teaching should be used as a supplement to offline teaching, many persons in this group belong to the ones who were of the opinion that covid-19 is a barrier to the teachings of mathematics. all of these responses point to the fact that the majority of the teachers, even though they could carry on online teachings, still preferred the traditional classroom teachings and do not consider the online mode of teaching as worthwhile, if the situation did not demand it. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 17 findings regarding teachers’ opinion of students learning through ict during covid-19 pandemic the third dimension in the present study covered students who are the most important judges to find out the effectiveness of ict in the teaching of mathematics. table-3: effectiveness of ict in the teaching of mathematics sl no yes no no. % no. % students’ ability to use ict 1 all my students can access to internet facility 154 44.3 194 55.7 2 all students have at least one mobile phone at home for attending online classes 226 64.9 122 35.1 3 all students know how to use emails, whatsapp and online classes 251 72.1 97 27.9 4 all students attend online classes regularly 140 40.2 208 59.8 5 no student has a problem with online classes 93 26.7 255 73.3 6 students’ achievements have gone up after online teaching (looking at term exams) 137 39.4 211 60.6 7 students feel it difficult to understand by teaching mathematics through the internet 298 85.6 50 14.4 8 students prefer online classes to offline classes 107 30.7 241 69.3 9 there is no difference in the achievement of students before and after online teaching 59 17 289 83 10 students enjoy ict-enhanced teaching aids even in offline classes 239 68.7 109 31.3 the following are the findings: a slight minority of 44.3 per cent of the teachers felt that all their students could access the internet and a larger section believed the opposite. teachers revealed that 35.1 per cent of their students could not access online teaching due to the unavailability of at least one mobile phone at home. a large 72.1 per cent of them thought that students knew how to use emails, whatsapp and online classes. only 40.2 per cent revealed that students attended the online classes regularly. a small 26.7 per cent of them thought students did not have a problem with online classes. looking at term examination results, only 39.4 per cent of the teachers were of the idea that students achieved better with online teaching. a large 85.6 per cent of them could opine that students did not respond well to the information given through the internet. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 18 surprisingly enough, 30.7 per cent of the teachers still believed that students preferred online teaching to offline teaching. nearly half of the teachers, i.e., 40.2 per cent of them believed that students’ achievement improved after online classes. a huge majority of the teachers 83 per cent indicated that online and offline teaching modes did not have much of a difference on students’ performance. yet, 68.7 per cent of the teachers indicated that students enjoyed teaching through ict. discussion teachers themselves felt that less than half of the students have good internet facilities. there are still 35.1 per cent of students who do not have at least one mobile phone at home. this meant that these students had to either blindly study on their own or go to their friends who have mobile and internet connectivity when classes were carried out. it did not take deep thinking to deduce that this was the situation in most rural areas where parents are at lower economic levels and internet connectivity is low and weak. it was 30.7 per cent of the teachers’ opinion that students preferred online to offline classes. but the larger 69.3 per cent of the students were not in favour of it. keeping in mind that nearly 35.1 per cent of them do not have a mobile phone at home, it was natural for this group of students to prefer offline teachings to online teachings. since online classes were necessitated by the pandemic, it was inevitable, but it was clear that 73.3 per cent of the students, even among the ones who have good connectivity, have a problem with online classes. the students’ achievement, looking at their examination marks, however, did not indicate any downward or upward change because of online classes. it was surprising, looking at their opinion in other questions, that 39.4 per cent of them felt that students’ achievement improved after online classes. and students also enjoyed ict-enhanced classes according to teachings in line. the only thing was that they did not want it to replace offline teaching. about 85.6 per cent of the mathematics teachers could see that their students did not understand mathematics through the internet. conclusion it was a rewarding endeavour to undertake a study that could reveal the situation of mizoram when it came to the effectiveness of online mathematics teaching and learning through ict. it was clear that technology development in the state was not at par with the needs of the situation. moreover, the disparity was seen among rural and urban schools when it came to the availability of facilities (biswas & rahaman, 2021). however, it was seen that, even in an amenable situation, teachers themselves were not wholly convinced about the use of ict to teach, although a small percentage of them felt that students fared better after online teaching was initiated. teachers have varying opinions regarding their compatibility with ict. some of them could even make their e-content while others did not even own their own computer, clearly indicating that ict training has not reached 100 per cent of the teachers (singh et al., 2021). it was felt that teachers themselves understood rather little about the many applications of ict. since this was the situation, it would be good if all teachers, regardless of their localities, were given training in ict along with proper incentives to induce teachers to undergo training (mishra et al., 2020). since ict is going to gain importance each day, it is important that students must not get disoriented when they indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 19 come to the world of work. students should make ready to compete with the rest of the world and bring up the state of our nation to a situation where there will be a constant flow between technology and education as visualised by the national education policy 2020 itself. references adedoyin, o.b., & soykan, e. (2020): covid-19 pandemic and online learning: the challenges and opportunities. interactive learning environments, https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2 020.1813180 biswas, b., & rahaman, a. (2021). the impact of covid-19 pandemic on the education sector: a case study from mizoram, india. ensemble, 1(1), 149-158. https://doi.org/10.37948/ ensemble-2021-sp1-a018 calder, n., & jafri, m. & guo, l. (2021). mathematics education students’ experiences during lockdown: managing collaboration in elearning. education sciences, 11(4), 191. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11040191 chirinda, b., & ndlovu, m., & spangenberg, e. (2021). teaching mathematics during the covid-19 lockdown in a context of historical disadvantage. education sciences, 11(14), 177. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11040177 das, k. (2021). digital technologies on mathematics education at the covid-19 lockdown situation in india. indonesian journal of innovation and applied sciences, 1(2), 95-104. https://doi.org/10.47540/ijias.v1i2.197. mishra, l., lalrinzuali, f. & gupta, t. (2020). primary educationin mizoram during covid-19 pandemic. journal of critical reviews, 7(14), 3389-3393. mukavhi, l., & brijlall, d. (2021). digital instructional and pedagogical gaps in mathematics education during covid-19: apos theory based laboratory methodology in higher education. universal journal of educational research, 9(6), 1134-1147. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2021.090603 mishra, l., & gupta, t., & shree, a. (2020). online teaching-learning in higher education during lockdown period of covid-19 pandemic. international journal of educational research open, 1(2020), 10012. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedro.2020.100012. mukuka a., & shumba, o., & mulenga, h.m. (2021). students’ experiences with remote learning during the covid-19 school closure: implications for mathematics education. heliyon, 7(7), e07523. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07523 naidoo, j. (2020). postgraduate mathematics education students’ experiences of using digital platforms for learning within the covid-19 pandemic era. pythagoras, 41(1), a568. https://doi.org/10.4102/pythagoras.v41i1.568 pillay, a.s., & naidoo, j. (2020). context matters: science, technology and mathematics education lecturers’ reflections on online teaching and learning during the covid-19 pandemic. journal of baltic science education, 19(6a), 1125-1136. https://doi.org/10/332225/ jbse/20.19.1125 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 10 research article investigating socially mediated educational communication through whatsapp and telegram: perception and preference of students and teachers sunita saikia1, mohammad asif2 & yeasmin sultana3 1research scholar, department of education, tezpur university, assam emailsunitasaikia2015@gmail.com 2assistant professor, department of education, tezpur university, assam 3assistant professor, department of education, tezpur university, assam abstract the covid-19 pandemic has compelled the academic community to choose various social networking applications as an important avenue for interaction with students and teachers. whatsapp and telegram applications have emerged as efficient tools in the education process. with this background, the present study aimed to explore the perception and preferences of students and teachers towards the use of whatsapp and telegram as educational tools. the study used the descriptive quantitative method to collect data from 150 samples (100 ug students and 50 ug teachers) through a convenience sampling technique. a self-developed perception questionnaire with a cronbach alpha value of 0.917 was used to gather data. the percentage analysis indicated that the majority of the teachers have a favourable perception of the use of whatsapp and telegram as educational tools. however, the majority of the students have a favourable perception of the use of whatsapp and a neutral perception of the telegram application. the result found that both students and teachers mostly prefer whatsapp as an effective tool in the education process. keywords: perception, preference, social networking applications, whatsapp, telegram, educational tool introduction the covid-19 pandemic has led to internet-based communication as an important avenue for interaction with students and teachers. various communication platforms like facebook, whatsapp, telegram, and other applications are universally used in the world of education for interacting, sharing information and knowledge, networking and conducting research. the use of these applications is an innovative teaching and learning style in the 4.0 education era (susilo & amirullah, 2021). social networking applications facilitate the creation of virtual communities for sharing common interests or exploring new ones. this allows for both realtime and asynchronous educational communication, promoting student collaboration, global knowledge exchange, and personalised learning. the rate of use of such platforms in education has increased significantly over the past few years. whatsapp is the most used app in india, with over 53 crores of users and instagram has 21 crores of users (chakravarti, 2021). as reported by the statista business data platform, “whatsapp, with 2,000 million users, became the most popular messenger in the world as of january 2021 and telegram with 500 million users” (statista, 2021a) indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 11 (as cited by prokopyev, 2021). hence, understanding the perceptions of students and teachers on educational communication platforms is a valuable source of information for educators and researchers. literature review the integration of whatsapp into classroom learning can result in an easier, more fun and more useful way of learning (susilo & amirullah, 2021; bansal & joshi, 2014). nitza and roman (2016) elucidate that whatsapp has a significant positive impact on students’ learning outcomes and satisfaction with learning activities. lazzamkhraiwish, bataineh, and alzyod (2021) and sari (2018) recommended the necessity of implementing whatsapp as a strategy for improving students’ english speaking skills. gutierrez-colon plana, gimeno, appel, and hopkins (2013) found that whatsapp increases their satisfaction and willingness to learn resulting in positive impacts on students’ reading habits, regularity and confidence. it simulates a socially constructive environment for learning (naidoo & kopung, 2016). telegram can be an effective medium for sharing information and learning experiences for students and teachers (mahdiuon, salimi, & raeisy, 2020). ebrahimpour et al. (2016) found most students use and prefer telegram for educational communication. xodabande (2017) claimed that apart from using telegram as an instant messaging application, it can also be used for improving language learning purposes and vocabulary learning (alakrash, razak and bustan, 2020). telegram promotes students’ critical thinking skills and expands their knowledge with immediate feedback from the instructor turns out to be an important contributor to learning (habibi et al., 2018). purpose of the study earlier literature reviews identified that whatsapp and telegram applications emerged as efficient tools in the education process. with this view, the researcher believed that discovering teachers’ and students’ perceptions about the use of whatsapp and telegram as educational tools will help to make versed decisions for improving the educational potential and effectiveness. based on this purpose, the following research questions were formulated: rq 1. what is the perception of the teachers teaching at the ug level about the use of whatsapp and telegram in the educational context? rq 2. what is the preference of the teachers teaching at the ug level regarding the use of whatsapp and telegram in the educational context? rq 3. what is the perception of undergraduate students about the use of whatsapp and telegram in the educational context? rq 4. what is the preference of undergraduate students regarding the use of whatsapp and telegram in the educational context? research methodology this study investigated teachers’ teaching at the ug level and undergraduate students’ perceptions and preferences towards the use of whatsapp and telegram applications. a descriptive quantitative research method was indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 12 adopted to obtain the perceptions of the respondents. the study population included undergraduate students pursuing bachelor of arts (ba) and the teachers involved in the teaching of bachelor of arts (ba) at the college level. a total of 100 undergraduate students and 50 teachers teaching at the ug level from 3 different colleges in the sonitpur district participated in the study. table-2: reliability statistics cronbach’s alpha cronbach’s alpha based on standardized items n of items .917 .919 10 the researchers employed a convenience sampling technique for this study. the selection process for respondents involved choosing participants who willingly agreed to participate in the survey and subsequently completed the questionnaire using google forms. the data was gathered within the timeframe of the covid-19 pandemic spanning from january to march 2021. the questionnaire was developed to collect the perceptions and preferences of both teachers and students regarding the use of whatsapp and telegram applications as educational tools. the questionnaire consists of 10 items that measure the use of the application within the context of teaching and learning, as well as the individual’s communication skills, interpersonal relations, and any potential barriers encountered. the questionnaire underwent a process of validation conducted by experts specializing  in the field of educational technologies. a pilot study was undertaken to assess the questionnaire’s reliability and internal consistency. the cronbach alpha coefficient for the entire dataset was determined to be 0.917, as presented in table 2. the data were systematically collected, recorded,  and subsequently analysed using excel software. results the results of the study are presented in tabulation and graphical representations in four sections as per the objectives. rq 1. perceptions of teachers about the use of whatsapp and telegram in the educational context table-1: demographic profile of the samples s.no no. of students no. of teachers 1 40 23 2 35 15 3 25 12 total 100 50 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 13 table-3: frequencies and percentage (n=50) of perceptions of teachers about the use of whatsapp and telegram in the educational context items whatsapp telegram f n u f n u effective tools of education as it provides immediate feedback 28 (56%) 13 (26%) 09 (18%) 22 (44%) 12 (24%) 16 (32%) improve interaction between students and teachers 27 (54%) 18 (36%) 05 (10%) 23 (46%) 14 (28%) 13 (26%) improve students learning and work productivity 28 (56%) 17 (34%) 05 (10%) 22 (44%) 13 (26%) 15 (30%) enhances the retention power of students. 30 (60%) 16 (32%) 04 (8%) 20 (40%) 16 (32%) 14 (28%) improves communication skills. 31 (62%) 12 (24%) 07 (14%) 19 (38%) 19 (38%) 12 (24%) connecting with colleagues 35 (70%) 06 (12%) 09 (18%) 15 (30%) 21 (42%) 14 (28%) distract students from the learning content 39 (78%) 06 (12%) 05 (10%) 11 (22%) 22 (44%) 17 (34%) fulfills emotional support 31 (62%) 15 (30%) 04 (8%) 19 (38%) 21 (42%) 10 (20%) ease in storing and sharing materials 34 (68%) 08 (16%) 08 (16%) 16 (32%) 18 (36%) 16 (32%) improves the quality of education as it integrates all forms of media 30 (60%) 16 (32%) 04 (8%) 20 (40%) 19 (38%) 11 (22%) overall total 63% 25% 12% 37% 35% 28% *f= favourable, n=neutral, u=unfavourable indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 15 in figure 2, it has been presented that about 56 per cent of teachers mostly prefer the use of whatsapp, again 26 per cent of teachers prefer both whatsapp and telegram and around 18 per cent of them prefer using telegram in terms of educational context. rq 3. perceptions of students about the use of whatsapp and telegram in the educational context table-4: frequencies and percentage (n=100) of perceptions of students about the use of whatsapp and telegram in the educational context items whatsapp telegram f n u f n u effective tools of education as it provides immediate feedback 72 (72%) 19 (19%) 09 (9%) 28 (28%) 42 (42%) 30 (30%) improve interaction between students and teachers 73 (73%) 21 (21%) 06 (6%) 27 (27%) 41 (41%) 32 (32%) improve students learning and work productivity 61 (61%) 22 (22%) 17 (17%) 39 (39%) 47 (47%) 14 (14%) enhances the retention power of students 69 (69%) 18 (18%) 13 (13%) 31 (31%) 38 (38%) 31 (31%) improves communication skills 71 (71%) 22 (22%) 07 (7%) 29 (29%) 46 (46%) 25 (25%) connecting with peers 73 (73%) 23 (23%) 04 (4%) 27 (27%) 49 (49%) 24 (24%) distract students from the learning content 79 (79%) 17 (17%) 04 (4%) 21 (21%) 48 (48%) 31 (31%) fulfills emotional support 81 (81%) 15 (15%) 04 (4%) 19 (19%) 55 (55%) 26 (26%) ease in storing and sharing materials 79 (79%) 18 (18%) 03 (3%) 21 (21%) 40 (40%) 39 (39%) improves the quality of education as it integrates all forms of media 74 (74%) 20 (20%) 06 (6%) 26 (26%) 52 (52%) 22 (22%) overall total 73% 20% 7% 27% 46% 27% *f= favourable, n=neutral, u=unfavourable indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 17 in figure 4, it has been presented that about 65 per cent of students mostly prefer the use of whatsapp, again 19 per cent of them prefer both whatsapp and telegram and around 16 per cent of them prefer using telegram in terms of educational context. discussions perceptions of students and teachers about the use of whatsapp and telegram in the educational context the results of the present study corroborate with the findings of singh et al., (2020) oteyola et al., (2021); abubakar (2021) where it was found that teachers and students have a favourable perception towards using whatsapp and telegram in the teaching-learning process. in the studies of wiranegara and hairi (2020); aghajani and adloo (2018) it has been verified that whatsapp and telegram application provides us with immediate feedback. aburezeq and ishtaiwa (2013) and durgungoz and durgungoz (2021) concluded that whatsapp and telegram are effective tools for interaction between students and teachers. hamad (2017) and singh et al., (2020) remarked that using whatsapp and telegram in the teaching-learning process enhances students’ learning, and retention (kufre & abe, 2017; ashiyan & salehi, 2016), communication skills (kufre & abe, 2017) and efficacious way of interacting with colleagues and peers (shahkat ali & kootbodien, 2017). the present study found that the majority of teachers and students believed that although these applications are an effective tool in the education process, still there is a chance that they might distract students from the learning content. this is supported by the studies of kushwaha and jhawar (2018) yeboah and ewur (2014), where teachers and students felt that whatsapp and telegram could adversely affect their learning as students waste their time using it for other reasons as well. maske et al. (2018) stated that messages such as wishes, prayers, and appreciation create discomfort and distraction among students and teachers while learning (as cited by durgungoz and durgungoz, 2021). a similar conclusion was drawn in the study of cansoy (2017) durgungoz and durgungoz (2021), where it was asserted that social media applications develop a sense of belongingness among students and teachers, fulfilling their emotional needs. even derks, fischer and bos (2008) proclaimed that there is no such evidence that a digital media learning environment was less emotional than face-to-face classroom learning. these applications help in storing and sharing materials widely as supported by the findings of munir, erlinda and afrinursalim (2021) and mtega (2021). whatsapp and telegram have the potential to improve the quality of education as they integrate all forms of media (alakloby, 2019). preference of the students and teachers toward the use of whatsapp and telegram in educational context the result of this study indicates that the majority of students and teachers mostly seem to prefer whatsapp as an educational tool. similar results have been addressed in the studies conducted by reeves, alkhalaf and amasha (2019); gasaymeh (2017) and cetinkaya (2017). this is in line with the fact that whatsapp is one of the most predominant social networking applications that enables users to send and share instant messages. many researchers articulated that at present, whatsapp has more advantages over other social networking applications employed by the education system. gasaymeh (2017) reported that the integration of whatsapp into education would enable students to access learning and educational material, assist indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 18 student-teacher and student-student interaction, and facilitate collaborative learning. reeves, alkhalaf and amasha (2019) posited that the accessibility, usability and relative simplicity of whatsapp in comparison to other applications make it the most favoured application among students and teachers. these studies strengthened our research findings that whatsapp is the most preferred and effective delivery of information-sharing applications. educational implication and limitations of the study based on the research findings, the present study suggests that educational institutions should consider incorporating platforms such as whatsapp, telegram, and other socially mediated educational communication channels into their curriculum and pedagogical strategies. the favourable perception of teachers towards these platforms suggests that educational institutions should prioritize the implementation of professional development programmes to guide teachers on the most effective strategies for incorporating these applications into their teaching methods. consequently, our study proposed the need to educate students on digital literacy, promote appropriate online etiquette (netiquette), and cultivate responsible use of messaging platforms within the educational context. educational institutions need to ensure robust guidelines for both teachers and students regarding data sharing and communication on these platforms. it is mandatory to establish a harmonious equilibrium between technology and pedagogy to effectively shape significant learning experiences for students. while this research provides valuable insights into perceptions and preferences regarding the use of whatsapp and telegram in educational settings, it also has some limitations. the methodology of this study was significantly impacted by the constraints imposed by the covid-19 pandemic. as the study was conducted between the time frame of january-march 2021, the researchers had to collect responses from the sample using google forms, which limited the sample size. additionally, this study had a limited focus on the use of whatsapp and telegram, overlooking other platforms that may be used or preferred in academic settings. thirdly, the study specifically focuses on undergraduate students who are pursuing a bachelor of arts (ba) degree, as well as the teachers who are involved in teaching the bachelor of arts (ba) programme at the college level. as a result, the findings of this study may not be generalized to other sectors such as universities or different academic disciplines. these limitations highlight the need for additional, more thorough research to build on these findings and provide a broader perspective. conclusions in this study, we attempted to examine students’ and teachers’ perceptions and preferences regarding the use of whatsapp and telegram as educational tools. the study’s outcome proposes that whatsapp and telegram were perceived positively by the teachers for educational communication with their students. however, students have a positive perception of the use of whatsapp and a neutral perception of telegram. in view of preferences, both students and teachers prefer whatsapp as an educational tool. although from the above discussion of the data and the previous literature on the use of whatsapp and telegram, we can see the strengths of using this social networking application in enhancing academic learning expeindian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 19 riences, connecting with knowledge and information shared instantly by instructors and peers along with building rapport with students and teachers. in the coming years, due to the advent of the use of ict in the 21st century, the influence of these applications in teaching-learning environments is welcomed substantially. references abubakar, a. i. 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(2020). conducting english learning activities by implementing telegram group class during covid-19 pandemic. journal of english for academic and specific purposes, 3(2), 104-114. doi:10.18860/jeasp.v3i2.11122 xodabande, i. (2017). the effectiveness of social media network telegram in teaching english language pronunciation to iranian efl learners. cogent education, 4(1). https://doi.org/ 10.1080/2331186x.2017.1347081 yeboah, j., & ewur, g. d. (2014). the impact of whatsapp messenger usage on students performance in tertiary institutions in ghana. journal of education and practice, 5 (6), 157-164. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 76 research article technological anxiety in the post-pandemic era: a study among higher secondary students of kerala mary vineetha thomas1 & k. thiyagu2 1assistant professor, central university of kerala, kasaragod email: maryvineetha@cukerala.ac.in 2assistant professor, central university of kerala, kasaragod abstract we live in a world where technology is making a mark in every niche and corner. the educational sector is also evolving along with the changing technological advancements for the sake of betterment. online education has become an integral part of the educational system. online courses, online exams, digital textbooks and learning resources have taken over the teaching-learning process. though this new phase sounds interesting, effective and efficient in strengthening the quality of education, there are still some challenges that need to be addressed. the present paper throws light on these aspects and the technological anxiety of students with respect to online learning, internet and social media usage, devices and gadgets, general problems and in total. it also attempts to find out if demographic variables influence technological anxiety. a descriptive survey was conducted on a sample of 300 higher-secondary students. it was found that 15.3 per cent of students have a low level, 69.4 per cent have a moderate level, and 15.3 per cent have a high level of technological anxiety. keywords: technological anxiety, online education, post-pandemic and higher secondary students introduction modern technology has helped people achieve great things in just a short period by making their lives easier. it is simply impossible to ignore the tremendous impact that modern technologies have on the new generation of students. students start using mobile phones, laptops, tablets, and other digital gadgets from a very young age. they have to use technology to learn and complete their academic tasks. in short, technology has become an integral part of the teaching-learning process. the educational sector has also completely adapted and adjusted to digitising all its activities, especially teaching and learning. however, there are some dark sides of technology too, and one such aspect is the anxiety associated with it, especially among children. technology-related anxiety occurs when a person feels fear and anxiety while interacting with a computer, any technology source or gadget that may not be a real threat. it is a person’s discomfort or aversion to any technological device or app, especially computers. technological anxiety is common because everyone experiences tension, fear or anxiety while confronted with new technology or digital devices. it’s natural for all to initially feel discomfort or uneasiness while getting introduced to new things. it’s just that the levels of this tension, fear, or anxiety might vary. some might feel higher levels of anxiety, while some might feel less. it is said that approximately onethird of our population is affected by some degree of technological anxiety. though this term might sound familiar indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 77 to many, it gained significance in the 1960s when the information age gained momentum and is now inclining up at a breakneck pace. this anxiety does not just affect the technology-related aspects of learners. still, learners’ overall scholastic and co-scholastic achievements will be negatively affected, so it needs to be addressed with utmost care. according to bozionelos (2001), the negative emotional state or negative cognition encountered by a person while they use technology or technology devices is what we define as technological anxiety. hasan & ahmed (2010) define technological anxiety as a negative emotional response, which can be the fear or discomfort they face or experience while they think about using technology. review of literature though technological anxiety is a growing concern, few studies have been conducted explicitly on technological anxiety among school students. a perusal of related studies reveals the following. kjerulff  et al.  (1992) compared nurses with the highest and lowest technology anxiety. it was found that job satisfaction was lower among nurses with high technology anxiety and more work stress than others. high anxiety also leads to lower adaptability and autonomy and develops a less positive attitude towards computers. it also made them older than those with less anxiety and less favourable towards the people they were working with. alkhawaja, halim & afthanorhan (2021) studied technology anxiety, the instructor’s self-efficacy and the e-learning system’s actual use in problem-solving. it was found that technology anxiety moderated the relationship. people with low levels of technological anxiety used e-learning systems on a higher basis than those with higher levels of technology anxiety. bolliger & halupa (2012) conducted a study on eighty-four online health education doctoral program students. their anxiety concerning computers, the internet, and online courses and overall satisfaction were studied. it was found that there was a significant negative correlation between anxiety and student satisfaction with their course. according to fuller et al. (2006), computer anxiety plays a substantial role in learning. people with high computer anxiety will mainly continue to be in the same state in the future, which may lead to a higher state of anxiety if they are continuously exposed to computers. there is a chance for such people to develop repellence towards using computer technology and will be unable to gain learning benefits from an e-learning environment. studies have found that demographic variables, personality and situational variables, along with the cognitive style of learners, influence their computer anxiety. this also affects their attitudes toward computers (igbaria & chakrabarti,1990; igbaria & nachman, 1990). however, a study by suryanto et al. (2022) found that only a few lecturers at the nipa school of administration felt worried, uncomfortable or doubtful while using technology in distance learning activities. the reason for this was mentioned as the familiarity of lecturers in using technology in work tasks and also because of their technology socialisation and availability of the it team to assist them always.  studies also show that ict anxiety will affect individual productivity, welfare, and social relationships (saadé & kira, (2009); bai, 2019). it can be seen from literature perusal that studies directly related to the variable of the present study are very limited. it was mainly in the health sector and with respect to the work sector. studies specifically on technological anxiety in schools and its indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 78 relation to demographic variables like gender in the indian context could not be spotted by the investigators. most of the studies are done at higher levels and abroad. however, existing studies from different sectors and countries indicate that anxiety concerning all aspects of technology affects the productivity and potential of people and enhances their stress. serious contemplation on the relevant subject and a requirement to engage in research endeavours, particularly at the school level, are necessary. this is crucial due to the dominance of technology in our education system, which has become more pronounced following the advent of the pandemic. need & significance of the study the educational sector is one such area that has been under the influence and impact of this rapidly changing technology, especially since the pandemic times. it was pivotal in supporting the educational system during the pandemic and helped carry out all educational activities online. though people embraced this new change in education, there persist some problems concerning the same. not all students are well equipped and adapted with the skills to handle technology and its devices. many have apprehensions and fear towards technology and its instruments, preventing them from giving their best output. it results in poor academic performance and behavioural changes. adapting to technology is not simple. ict anxiety is an umbrella term, and technological anxiety studied in the present paper is a part of ict anxiety. increased ict anxiety can increase work disorders since the lack of individual self-confidence and increased fear and discomfort when using technology can hinder work activities (celik and yesilyurt, 2013;  meuter et  al., 2003). saadé and kira (2009)  also explain that ict anxiety will affect individual productivity, welfare, and social relationships. an individual with high ict anxiety can cause problems in daily work productivity due to ineffective and inefficient performance (bai, 2019). therefore, it is essential to understand learners’ apprehensions and help them overcome them. the present study is a step taken in this regard and studies the technological anxiety of students with respect to online learning, internet and social media usage, devices and gadgets and general problems. the variable in the present study forms a part of the umbrella term of ict anxiety. this study will provide information about the anxiety students face while using technology with respect to its dimensions. it will pave the way for finding measures and remedies for tackling technological anxiety among learners. objectives of the study the following are the objectives of the study. 1. to study the level of technological anxiety among higher secondary students with respect to dimensions like online learning, internet and social media usage, devices and gadgets, general problems and in total. 2. to study the statement-wise anxiety level among higher secondary students. 3. to study the significant difference in the mean scores of technological anxieties among higher secondary students with respect to gender. research questions 1. what is the level of technological anxiety among higher secondary students with respect to dimensions like online learning, internet and social media usage, indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 79 devices and gadgets, general problems, and in total? 2. what is the statement-wise anxiety level among higher secondary students? 3. is there any significant difference in the mean scores of technological anxieties among higher secondary students with respect to gender? operational definition technological anxiety: in the context of this study, technological anxiety refers to the emotional and physiological responses experienced by students when interacting with various technological tools and platforms. it encompasses feelings of tension, fear, and physical uneasiness arising from the use of technology in both educational and personal contexts. the present study focuses on the technological anxiety of students with respect to online learning, internet and social media usage, devices and gadgets and general problems. methodology a descriptive survey method was used to fulfil the objectives of the study. in this study, all the higher secondary students of kasaragod district form the population for the study. 300 higher secondary students were selected as the sample from the kasaragod district through a simple random sampling technique. tool of the study technological anxiety scale was the tool used for this study. it was developed based on the technological anxiety of students with respect to the six dimensions like online learning, internet and social media usage, devices and gadgets and general problems. the tool was constructed and validated by the investigator. in the present study, the investigator employed cronbach’s alpha method to establish the reliability of the tools. cronbach’s alpha value was 0.82. the tool was validated for its content by various subject experts. the scores were 3 for always, 2 for sometimes and 1 for never. data was analysed using mean, standard deviation, percentage analysis and t-test. analysis and interpretation of data research question 1: what is the level of technological anxiety among higher secondary students with respect to dimensions like online learning, internet and social media usage, devices and gadgets, general problems, and in total? table-1: level of technological anxiety with respect to dimensions dimensions low moderate high f(%) f(%) f(%) tech anxiety online learning 59 (19.7) 194 (64.7) 47 (15.6) tech anxiety internet & social media 49 (16.2) 198 (66) 53 (17.7) tech anxiety devices & gadgets 59 (19.7) 181 (60.3) 60 (20) tech anxiety general problems 50 (16.7) 196 (65.3) 54 (18) tech anxiety total 46 (15.3) 208 (69.4) 46 (15.3) indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 81 research question 2: what is the statement-wise anxiety level among higher secondary students? table-2: statement-wise anxiety level among higher secondary students. no. statement never always sometimes f % f % f % 1. i feel compelled to use online learning platforms. 116 38.7 40 13.3 144 48 2. i am scared when i use online learning platforms. 232 77.3 12 4 56 18.7 3. i feel reluctant to turn on the camera in online classes. 16 5.3 208 69.4 76 25.3 4. my voice does not come out when the teachers ask me to turn on the audio and talk during online classes. 116 38.8 42 14 141 47.2 5. i am not able to speak during group discussions while working online 91 30.4 44 14.8 164 54.8 6. i am more comfortable in offline classes. 13 4.3 262 87.4 25 8.3 7. it is difficult for me to learn from online learning applications and websites. 44 14.7 98 32.6 158 52.7 8. i find it challenging to take seminars online 64 21.3 152 50.7 84 28 9. i am unable to submit my school works in online platforms on time. 222 74 7 2.3 71 23.7 10. i feel discomfort when teachers tell me to submit an assignment online. 111 37 25 8.3 164 54.7 11. i often neglect reading privacy policies and terms while installing online applications due to fear. 61 20.3 73 24.3 166 55.4 12. i feel that my friends will avoid me if i stay away from using online gaming apps. 78 26 52 17.3 170 56.7 13. i am afraid to use the internet. 61 20.3 91 30.3 148 49.4 14. i am worried about the complicated form of the internet. 80 26.7 74 24.6 146 48.7 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 82 no. statement never always sometimes f % f % f % 15. i am afraid that the use of the internet could have a negative impact on my academic achievement. 89 29.6 101 33.7 110 36.7 16. i get a sinking feeling when i think of trying to use its. 153 51 27 9 120 40 17. i fear the genuineness of the content i access through the internet. 200 66.7 29 9.6 71 23.7 18. while making internet searches, pop-up links related to pornography, gambling and gaming worry me. 59 19.7 43 14.3 198 66 19. cyber-crime news haunts me when i use the internet. 136 45.3 69 23 95 31.7 20. i worry about becoming an internet addict and wasting most of my time. 109 36.3 44 14.7 147 49 21. i have difficulty finding the exact information for academics via search engines. 69 23 103 34.3 128 42.7 22. i feel that life would be more happy and joyful without the internet and technology devices. 99 33 68 22.7 133 44.3 23. it’s difficult for me to use email as the primary communication tool with my teachers and classmates. 51 17 119 39.7 130 43.3 24. i get happy when i use the computer. 81 27 110 36.7 109 36.3 25. i prefer face-to-face communication to communicating with mobile phones. 116 38.7 64 21.3 120 40 26. i find it challenging to learn how to operate new gadgets. 48 16 85 28.3 167 55.7 27. i get the feeling that life would be more peaceful without ict. 49 16.3 144 48 107 35.7 28. i get scared when i use the computer in front of my parents 169 56.3 22 7.3 109 36.3 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 83 no. statement never always sometimes f % f % f % 29. i fear sitting alone in front of the computer while the teacher takes it practical classes. 156 52.2 19 6.4 124 41.5 30. i am worried about what to do if something goes wrong while using the computer. 150 50 68 22.7 82 27.3 31. friends often mock me for not knowing how to use the new game application / social media. 64 21.3 43 14.3 193 64.3 32. i worry about my family time due to the overuse of social media. 146 48.7 61 20.3 93 31 33. internet access attracts me more towards social media usage. 37 12.3 101 33.7 162 54 34. i am unaware of the privacy terms and conditions of social media and online applications. 45 15 107 35.7 148 49.3 35. i do not know enough about the technologies to handle it satisfactorily. 21 7 220 73.3 59 19.7 36. i feel others know more about the technology than i do 144 48 13 4.3 143 47.7 37. i feel inferior when my friends talk about online games. 31 10.3 137 45.7 132 44 38. it’s difficult for me to communicate using online platforms. 97 32.3 76 25.3 127 42.3 39. i am afraid about the new technologies emerging every day. 251 83.7 6 2 43 14.3 40. i often find myself outside the digital world. 211 70.3 28 9.3 61 20.3 41. i am worried that getting carried away by technology will cause problems in my social relations. 160 53.3 57 19 83 27.7 42. i feel i need to update my technology skills. 191 63.9 23 7.7 85 28.4 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 84 no. statement never always sometimes f % f % f % 43. i feel that life would be more stress-free without technological devices. 239 79.7 6 2 55 18.3 44. i often feel that the use of technology has drained my skills and confidence 52 17.3 50 16.7 198 66 45. when friends talk about new technologies, i feel like escaping from there. 121 40.3 34 11.3 145 48.3 the above statements comprehensively overview students’ perceptions, emotions, and attitudes towards technology across multiple dimensions. these findings shed light on students’ complex relationship with technology, revealing both areas of comfort and concern. we can better understand how students navigate the digital landscape and their underlying emotions by investigating these findings. the following factors-based results are discussed below. online learning and engagement: a sizable proportion of students appear to be drawn to online learning platforms in varying degrees. a moderate majority admits to feeling compelled to use them, while a smaller percentage admits to having a consistent aversion or fear of using these platforms. this reflects the changing dynamics of education in the digital age, with some students welcoming the change while others grappling with it. privacy and security concerns: concerns about privacy and security emerge as recurring themes throughout the statements. students are concerned about turning on cameras during online classes, navigating complicated internet forms, and accessing content of questionable authenticity. this suggests a greater need for increased awareness and education about online privacy, digital literacy, and responsible technology use. communication and interaction: the findings highlight students’ preferences for face-to-face communication and offline classes, indicating a desire for more direct and personal interactions. many students also report having difficulty using digital communication tools such as email and online platforms. this suggests a potential gap in digital communication skills, which may limit their ability to participate effectively in the digital world. peer influence and social relations: the data show students’ emotions related to peer influence and social acceptance. some students feel compelled to participate in online games and applications due to fears of social exclusion or ridicule. this highlights the impact of peers on their technology choices and behaviours and the possibility of technology-related anxiety caused by social dynamics. balancing technology use: the findings show that technology is deeply embedded in students’ lives. despite various concerns, most people do not want to abandon technology entirely, recognising its benefits in communication, information access, and learning. this tension between embracing technology and retaining control suggests that students attempt indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 85 to achieve equilibrium in their digital experiences. implications and next steps: incorporating these findings into educational strategies is critical. educators and policymakers must address the identified issues while encouraging positive technological engagement. this includes providing comprehensive digital literacy education to students so they can navigate online spaces safely and confidently. awareness campaigns can alleviate students’ privacy and security concerns, allowing them to use technology responsibly. efforts should also be made to create an environment where students feel comfortable discussing their concerns and seeking help. this can aid in the prevention of technology-related stress and the promotion of mental well-being. encouraging face-to-face interactions in addition to technological interactions can assist students in developing a more comprehensive set of communication skills. the findings highlight the importance of recognising and responding to students’ complex emotions and perceptions of technology. educators and policymakers can work together to create a digital landscape that empowers students while addressing their concerns, resulting in a generation that can navigate the digital world confidently and resiliently. research question 3: is there any significant difference in the mean scores of technological anxieties among higher secondary students with respect to gender? table-3: t-table of technological anxieties among the higher secondary students with respect to gender gender n mean sd df t p-value remarks female 187 88.93 9.858 298 4.714 0.000 significant male 113 83.41 9.795 the analysis revealed that female students’ mean technological anxiety score was88.93, with a standard deviation of 9.858. in comparison, male students had a mean score of 83.41, with a standard deviation of 9.795. the t-value calculated to compare the difference in means was 4.714. the corresponding p-value was found to be 0.00, less than the predetermined significance level of 0.05. the results indicate a statistically significant difference in the mean technological anxiety scores between male and female students. the obtained p-value (0.00) is well below the significance threshold of 0.05, suggesting strong evidence for rejecting the null hypothesis. therefore, the research question is answered positively: there is indeed a significant difference in the technological anxiety experienced by male and female students. the findings suggest that female students exhibit higher levels of technological anxiety compared to their male counterparts. this insight has implications for educational institutions and policymakers aiming to create a supportive and inclusive learning environment. addressing this genderbased disparity in technological anxiety could involve targeted interventions such as providing additional resources, workshops, or counselling to female students to enhance their confidence and comfort with technology. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 86 major findings and discussions of the study the study investigated the level of technological anxiety among 300 highersecondary students across various dimensions. the results revealed notable trends in the distribution of technological anxiety levels within each dimension. online learning anxiety: in terms of online learning, 19.7 per cent of students exhibited low levels of technological anxiety, while the majority (67.7 per cent) fell within the moderate range. a smaller percentage (15.7 per cent) showed high levels of anxiety related to online learning. this indicates that the majority of students experience moderate levels of anxiety in the context of online learning environments. internet and social media usage anxiety: regarding internet and social media usage, 16.3 per cent of students reported low levels of technological anxiety, while a significant portion (63.0 per cent) demonstrated moderate anxiety levels. a notable proportion (17.7 per cent) exhibited high levels of anxiety concerning internet and social media usage. this suggests that a substantial number of students experience moderate technological anxiety in their online interactions and activities. devices and gadgets: concerning devices and gadgets, 19.7 per cent of students indicated low levels of technological anxiety, while a majority (60.3 per cent) reported moderate levels. a notable 20 per cent of students expressed high levels of anxiety related to devices and gadgets. this implies that a considerable portion of students feel moderately anxious when dealing with various technological tools. general problems: in the dimension of general problems, 16.7 per cent of students displayed low levels of technological anxiety, while a significant majority (65.3 per cent) fell within the moderate range. around 18 per cent of students exhibited high levels of anxiety when confronted with general technological challenges. this suggests that a substantial proportion of students experience moderate levels of anxiety when dealing with various technological issues. total technological anxiety: when considering the overall technological anxiety, 15.3 per cent of students showcased low levels, 69.4 per cent had moderate levels, and 15.3 per cent exhibited high levels of anxiety. the cumulative data indicates that a majority of students experience moderate levels of technological anxiety across various dimensions. furthermore, the study identified a significant difference in the mean scores of technological anxieties based on gender. female students were found to exhibit higher levels of technological anxiety compared to their male counterparts. this finding underscores the need to address gender-related disparities in technology-induced emotions, potentially leading to more inclusive and supportive technological environments. the study’s findings underscore the prevalence of moderate technological anxiety levels among higher secondary students across dimensions such as online learning, internet and social media usage, devices and gadgets, and general problems. the research further highlights the significance of gender in influencing technological anxiety levels. these insights can inform educational strategies and interventions aimed at fostering more confident and welladjusted technology users, particularly in the context of online learning and digital interactions. clark (1997) conducted a study on computer anxiety and the nursing indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 87 informatics needs of graduate nursing students. it was found that these students have mild computer anxiety. another survey of computer anxiety in e-learning conducted by saadé & kira (2009) reported that nearly fifty per cent of adults have computer-related fear. the present study found that most students have a moderate level of technological anxiety with respect to online learning, social media usage, devices and gadgets. tuncer, dogan & tanas (2013) conducted a study on the computer anxiety of vocational high-school students. it was found that gender did not make any meaningful difference in computer anxiety. however, their grade, type of education received, prior computer education and having personal computers make meaningful differences in computer anxiety. according to the findings obtained in the present study, there is a significant difference in the mean scores of technological anxiety with respect to gender. conclusion the findings of this study reveal that among higher secondary students, technological anxiety is a nuanced phenomenon influenced by various dimensions of technology use. across the dimensions of online learning, internet and social media usage, devices and gadgets, and general problems, a consistent pattern emerged. the majority of students displayed moderate levels of technological anxiety, indicating that they experience a certain degree of tension and unease when interacting with technology. specifically, within the context of online learning, a significant proportion of students exhibited moderate levels of anxiety, suggesting that adapting to digital learning platforms and tools might evoke mixed emotions. similarly, internet and social media usage evoked moderate levels of anxiety, underscoring the complexities of navigating the online realm. concerns related to devices and gadgets, as well as general technological challenges, contributed to similar moderate levels of anxiety among students. notably, a gender-based difference in technological anxiety levels was evident. female students reported higher levels of technological anxiety compared to their male counterparts. this gender discrepancy calls for targeted interventions to create a more inclusive technological environment that supports both genders in their interactions with technology. in conclusion, this study sheds light on the diverse technological anxieties experienced by higher secondary students. the prevalence of moderate anxiety levels across dimensions underscores the need for educational institutions to address and alleviate these concerns. by implementing strategies that promote digital literacy, provide guidance on technology use, and foster a supportive technological culture, educators and policymakers can empower students to navigate the digital landscape with greater confidence and ease. additionally, addressing gender-based differences in technological anxiety is crucial for cultivating an equitable and positive technology experience for all students. technology has become part and parcel of our lives, so we need to develop a technological anxiety-free environment for our students. using technology without proper preparation, evaluation and digital skills and the advent of other technology use disorders will cause barriers to implementing online learning systems (oliveira et al., 2021). in conclusion, this study contributes valuable insights into the prevalence of moderate-level technological anxiety among students and underscores the importance of recognising indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 88 and addressing this phenomenon within educational contexts. the predominance of moderate anxiety levels implies academic institutions and policymakers need to design strategies that foster a healthier and more confident relationship with technology. according to rosen et al. (2018), metacognition in using technology in the classrooms and taking tech breaks will help reduce technological anxiety among students and professors. furthermore, the genderbased differences in technological anxiety necessitate a more nuanced approach to support and intervention, accounting for diverse perspectives and experiences. ultimately, this study is a stepping stone for future research and initiatives to cultivate a more harmonious coexistence between students and technology. references alkhawaja, m. i., halim, m. s. a., & afthanorhan, a. (2021). technology anxiety and its impact on e-learning system actual use in jordan public universities during the coronavirus disease pandemic. european journal of educational research, 10(4), 1639-1647. bai, j. (2019). the spectrum of the divine order: goodness, beauty, and harmony. soundings: an interdisciplinary journal, 102(1), 1-30. bozionelos, nick. (2001). computer anxiety: relationship with computer experience and prevalence. computers in human behavior. 17. 213-224. 10.1016/s0747-5632(00)00039-x. bolliger, doris & halupa, colleen. (2012). student perceptions of satisfaction and anxiety in an online doctoral program. distance education distance educ. 33. 81-98. 10.1080/01587919.2012.667961. celik, v., & yesilyurt, e. (2013). attitudes to technology perceived computer self-efficacy and computer anxiety as predictors of computer-supported education. computers & education, 60(1), 148-158. clark, m.e. (1997). “computer anxiety and nursing informatics needs of graduate nursing students”.fiu electronic theses and dissertations. 2374. cochran, j. d., campbell, s. m., baker, h. m., & leeds, e. m. (2014). the role of student characteristics in predicting retention in online courses. research in higher education,  55, 27-48. fuller, r. m., vician, c., & brown, s. a. (2006). e-learning and individual characteristics: the role of computer anxiety and communication apprehension.  journal of computer information systems, 46(4), 103-115. hasan, b., & ahmed, m. u. (2010). a path analysis of the impact of application-specific perceptions of computer self-efficacy and anxiety on technology acceptance. journal of organizational and end user computing (joeuc), 22(3), 82-95. igbaria, m., & chakrabarti, a. (1990). computer anxiety and attitudes towards microcomputer use. behaviour & information technology, 9(3), 229-241. igbaria, m., & nachman, s. a. (1990). correlates of user satisfaction with end-user computing: an exploratory study. information & management, 19(2), 73-82. kjerulff, k. h., pillar, b., mills, m. e., & lanigan, j. (1992). technology anxiety is a potential mediating factor in response to medical technology. journal of medical systems, 16, 7-13. meuter, m. l., ostrom, a. l., bitner, m. j., & roundtree, r. (2003). the influence of technology anxiety on consumer use and experiences with self-service technologies.  journal of business research, 56(11), 899-906. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 89 oliveira, g., grenha teixeira, j., torres, a., & morais, c. (2021). an exploratory study on the emergency remote education experience of higher education students and teachers during the covid‐19 pandemic. british journal of educational technology, 52(4), 13571376. rosen, l. d., carrier, l. m., pedroza, j. a., elias, s., o’brien, k. m., lozano, j., kim, k., cheever, n. a., bentley, j., & ruiz, a. (2018). the role of executive functioning and technological anxiety (fomo) in college course performance as mediated by technology usage and multitasking habits.  psicologia educativa,  24(1), 14–25. https://doi.org/10.5093/ psed2018a3 saadé, r. g., & kira, d. (2009). computer anxiety in e-learning: the effect of computer selfefficacy. journal of information technology education: research, 8(1), 177-191. suryanto, a., fitriati, r., natalia, s. i., oktariani, a., munawaroh, m., nurdin, n., & ahn, y. h. (2022). study of working from home: the impact of ict anxiety and smartphone addiction on lecturers at nipa school of administration on job performance.  heliyon,  8(12), e11980. tuncer, m., dogan, y., & tanas, r. (2013). investigation of vocational high-school students’ computer anxiety. turkish online journal of educational technology-tojet, 12(4), 90-95. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 64 conference proceedings proceedings of two days national workshop on basics of e-content and e-learning through massive open online courses (moocs) 3rd & 4th december 2018 (monday & tuesday) (sangeeta solanki, assistant professor, institute of professional excellence and management (ipem) and workshop coordinator, email: drsangeetasolanki4@gmail.com, dr.sangeeta.solanki@ipemgzb.ac.in) aiming to provide an intense training on e-content, a two days national workshop on ‘basics of e-content and e-learning through massive open online courses (moocs)’ was recently organized by the centre for teacher education of institute of professional excellence and management (ipem) group of institutions, ghaziabad on 3rd and 4th december, 2018. the objective of the workshop was to enable the professionals to get basic information on e-learning, electronic content creation, to gain the practical insights into the e-content and mooc development and delivery. the workshop was inaugurated by dr. nisha singh, deputy director, inter university consortium, ignou, new delhi and dr. yashpal sharma, assistant professor, central institute of education technology, ncert, new delhi, dr. a. b. bhatnagar, former head, department of education, nrec college khurja, dr. anupam goel (secretary, ipem), col. (dr.) a.s. malhotra, (director general, ipem), ms. sugandha goel (dean academic, ipem) and dr. nishi sharma (principal, centre for teacher education) and workshop coordinator dr. sangeeta solanki. there were approximately 40 participants representing various reputed teacher training institutes, renowned public schools, research scholars from delhi and ncr region. there were three technical working sessions on each day. the workshop provided an extensive hands-on training to the participants on creating e-content, e-learning and learning management system including online real time evaluation strategies. it was really a successful workshop catering to the needs of the professionals in the field of education. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 68 research article effectiveness of flipped classroom technique in enhancing academic achievement of b.ed students: an action research sashapra chakrawarty1 & pratima pallai2 1associate professor, department of education, tezpur university, tezpur, assam emailsashapra@gmail.com 2assistant professor, department of education, tezpur university, tezpur, assam abstract the flipped classroom appears to be one of the contemporary fashions in teachinglearning process. this very concept is based on the idea of active learning and student engagement. the objectives of the present paper are to investigate the overall effectiveness and perception of flipped classroom technique in enhancing the academic achievement of b.ed. 1st semester students. the instructional tool used in this present study was flipped classroom technique. achievement test was used to collect pre and post-test data to assess the student’s achievement in the subject contemporary indian education (ce), which is being taught in 1st semester b.ed., department of education, tezpur university, assam. the result of the study concludes that the flipped classroom technique is more effective in enhancing the overall academic achievement of b.ed. 1st semester students with regard to mean level pre-test and post-test scores. further, in terms of perception most students responded favourably to the fact that the flipped classroom supported their learning. keywords: flipped classroom technique, academic achievement, perception, effectiveness, contemporary indian education, pre-test and post-test. identification of the problem we have consistently observed for the last three years that most of the students in our department were not technofriendly during the teaching-learning process. as a result, we have mostly been using the lecture cum discussion methods during the teaching-learning process. however, we found that only through this method were the students not interactive and participated in the classes. students were not able to answer during the questionanswer session. they remain passive throughout the class. being a teacher education department, we offer a twoyear b.ed. program. the main objective of this program is to prepare teachers with all requisite knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviour. this objective can only be fulfilled through effective two-way teaching-learning experiences. we found traditional lecturer and other similar methods were not equipped with the requisite skills, which resulted in a lack of motivation and an inability to develop their teaching skills, which further led to unsatisfactory academic achievement. keeping in mind different teaching pedagogy, investigators thought to adopt flipped classroom technique as a teaching pedagogy in 1st semester of two year b.ed program to motivate these students towards the use of technology as their learning style, which may result in a stepping stone to increase their academic performances. therefore, researchers decided to undertake an action research study on the topic titled “effectiveness of flipped classroom technique in enhancing academic indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 69 achievement among 1st semester b.ed. students of education department, tezpur university, assam”. theoretical perspectives of the flipped classroom digital expansions in india have extended a great thrust in the last decade. the indian government has taken indispensable steps to digitise the campuses of higher education. this will smooth the field for all learners in relation to internet connectivity. india’s initiative to make web-based resources available for the higher education segment started in the 1990s. some top institutions of higher education, like iit, ugc, nptel, cec were the early contributers to web-based education (dangwal & mishra, 2020). however, with the advent of web 2.0 tools and high penetration of internet services, there is a rapid increase in the web resources created by indian contributors. these developments set the stage for making it possible to implement technology dependent vibrant and pertinent teaching learning techniques like flipped classroom model. as per the study conducted by (srinivasan, s. & kumar, h., 2020) suggests that flipped classroom model has been effective in creating excitement and motivation in students. most important observation from the research is that flipped classroom model is not just changing the sequence of teaching but it calls for a mindset change in teachers and students to implement it at a curriculum level. similarly, in one study it was also found that the flipped learning model can empower instructors to make the move from educator driven guideline to student focused learning (syam, 2014). for learners who couldn’t attend the class live video recordings and screen casting software was means to record lectures, demonstrations, and slide presentation with annotations and posted them for the learners to watch and deliver (hamdan et. al., 2013), this concept of flipped classroom was first introduced by jonathan bergmann and aaron sams. the flipped classroom seems to be one of the latest fashions in teaching-learning process. flipping the classroom refers to another form of blended learning where a student is tasked with homework usually via a video or audio file. the classroom time is spent clarifying and applying new knowledge through problem solving and discussion method. flipped instruction is also known as backwards classroom, reverse instruction or reverse teaching. the conception of flipped classroom is developed on the idea of active learning and student engagement. the classroom becomes a workshop where interaction among educator and students takes place. students are encouraged for individual inquiry and collaborative effort. class time is no longer used to discourse, but instead is used for activities and problem solving (tucker, 2012). according to bishop and verleger (2013), “communication between teachers and trainees will occur and will create an active learning in the classroom”. moreover, (wilson, 2013) also agreed that the practice of flipped classroom will upsurge learners communication skills and progress their performance. likewise, another study conducted by (gurpreet, k., 2018) titled effect of flipped classroom model and problem solving strategies on achievement and student engagement in mathematics in relation to critical thinking. in the study he found that the achievement of groups taught through flipped classroom model, problem solving strategies were found significantly higher than that of group taught through traditional teaching strategy in mathematics. the flipped classroom is the antithesis of the traditional classroom transaction. according to bergmann and sams indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 70 (2012) “lecturers use video lectures outside the classroom and use in-class time for doing assignments or active learning activities such as problembased learning”. kim et al. (2014) also stated that “flipped classrooms are also considered blended learning environments, using both online and face-to-face methods in teaching and learning”. however, it is seen that the online element of blended classrooms usually occurs during class time, along with student-teacher collaboration (torrisi-steele & drew, 2013). objectives 1. to investigate the overall effectiveness of flipped classroom technique in enhancing the academic achievement of b.ed. 1st semester students. 2. to know the perception of students towards y using the web-based instructional videos. y using e-contents for better understanding of the content. y activities during flipped classroom session increase students understanding of key concepts hypothesis there will be no significant mean scores difference between the achievement scores of the experimental groups at pre-test and post-test level (i.e. before and after intervention). methodology as per the nature of study the investigators used experimental method. this is an experimental type of research. sample and sampling technique the study was conducted on students of b.ed. (1st semester), department of education, tezpur university, assam. sample is representative to the population, but in action research is limited to single class. whole class which constitutes forty-four students was taken for the action research. purposive sampling techniques was undertaken in the present study considering the lack of motivation and unsatisfactory academic achievement among learners as observed by investigators. design of the study the paradigm of the present study is given in table 1. table-1: paradigm of the design of the study purposively assigned treatment groups pre-test independent variable post-test experimental group p1ce teaching through flipped classroom technique (fct) p2ce the details of the abbreviations used in the above table are given below: fct – flipped classroom technique p1cepre-test (contemporary indian education) p2cepost-test (contemporary indian education) variables of the study flipped classroom technique (fct) was taken as independent variables. in the indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 71 present study, academic achievement of the paper contemporary indian education among b.ed. (1st semester) students were considered as dependent variables. tools used the study, being an experimental one, necessitated two types of tools as follows: i. instructional tool and ii. testing tool the detailed descriptions of such tools are given below: i. instructional tool the instructional tool was used to impart instruction to the treatment group. the instructional tool used in this present study was flipped classroom technique. ii. testing tool 1. testing tool is based on selected concepts from ce paper. the selected items were not only convergent in nature but also were seeking divergent answers. the following test was administered. 2. achievement test was employed to collect pre and post-test data, to assess the students’ achievement in the subject contemporary indian education (ce) which is being taught in 1st semester b.ed. an extendedresponse essay test was used having five items. scoring was done through analytical scoring method by giving suitable weightage to all learning outcomes. five categories were decided to evaluate the answers; all the elements were given equal importance. a model answer along with a suitable scoring key was provided to all evaluators. 3. observation was also conducted to gather supporting evidence to students’ response. the researchers kept a dairy of observation notes and discussions. after each informal observation the researcher recorded their observation in their dairy. the perception scale students’ perception scale towards flipped classroom was constructed following likert type to study the perception of students regarding flipped classroom technique to teach the subject contemporary indian education. approriate steps were followed for standardization of the tool. a total of 25 items were prepared initially. however, finally 10 items were retained after consulting experts in the field of tool construction. results and discussions objective no. 1 to investigate the overall effectiveness of flipped classroom technique in enhancing the academic achievement of b.ed. 1st semester students with regard to pre-test and post-test scores. table-2: depicts the effectiveness of flipped classroom technique in enhancing the overall academic achievement of b.ed. 1st semester students with regard to mean level pre-test and post-test scores no. of b.ed. students test mean sd ‘t’ value 44 pre-test 12.9 1.32 9.31 44 post-test 17.1 2.70 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 72 from the above table no. 2, it is observed that the mean score of the pre-test is 12.9 and the standard deviation (sd) of the pre-test score is 1.32. the mean score of post-test is 17.1 and the standard deviation (sd) of the post-test is 2.70. hence, in the post-test the academic achievement scores of 1st semester b.ed. students is increased by 4.2, the ‘t’ value is 9.31 which is significant at 0.05 level which indicates that there is a significant difference between pre-test and posttest score. the academic achievement of b.ed. 1st semester students is improved significantly after teaching through the flipped classroom technique intervention programme. hence the hypothesis as done previously is rejected. discussion of the result (objective no. 1) the above result states that the fct is more effective in enhancing the overall academic achievement of b.ed. students. thus findings from this study shows that active learning strategies through flipped classroom technique increases student academic achievement while promoting important 21st century skills such as collaboration, communication, and critical thinking. the flipped or upturned classroom is a novel and prevalent instructional model, which promotes activities traditionally conducted in the classroom (e.g., content presentation) transfer to home assignments and activities (bergmann & sams, 2012; sohrabi & iraj, 2016). since classroom time is not used to transmit knowledge to students by means of lectures, the teacher is able to engage with students by means of other learning activities such as discussion, solving problems proposed by the students, hands-on activities, and guidance. result of the present research is also line up with that of prior literature like sedraz, erik, lins, cavalcanti, and fernando-da, (2018) showed “flipped learning to be the cause behind increased self-regulation in learning among students”. similarly research conducted by (jwair, 2018) also expressed that the fct is dominant to improve students’ self-regulation than traditional method. they supported that students’ self-regulation gained higher scores after they experienced fct. almost 80 per cent of students reported that their interactions with peers and teachers during class time were more positive in flipped classes than in traditional courses. unlike traditional teacher-centered instruction, in which students were treated as empty vessels that passively absorb information (betihavas et al., 2016), flipped classrooms are centered around the students – not the teacher (bergmann & sams, 2012). therefore, many researchers agree that studentcentered learning theories (e.g., active learning, collaborative learning) can be more fully utilized in the flipped classroom (betihavas et al., 2016; lai & hwang, 2016; sohrabi & iraj, 2016). the very cause of flipped classroom technique is more effective maybe use of video contents in teaching learning process, which was well supported by (bishop and verleger, 2013), who stated that to meet the flipped classroom criterion, out-of-class activities must include video lectures. the present study is also very much adeptive in the use of video content by teachers and students. further according to smith (2013), it is better to use video lectures, since students prefer streaming content as an out ofclass activity. similarly, battaglia and kaya (2015) reported that students mainly focus on videos rather than text readings during out-of-class study. to illustrate the effectiveness of the flipped classroom model, (janotha, 2016) studied to what extent fct affected the academic achievement of scholars. the test scores of the experimental group gained from the national standardized test were compared to those of the control group, and it was seen that the indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 73 students in the experimental group achieved higher academic performance than the students in the control group (janotha, 2016). conversely though, the results of related studies in the relevant literature reflect that the flipped classroom model increases students’ academic accomplishment (janotha, 2016; pierce & fox, 2012; talley & scherer, 2013; zengin, 2017). objective no. 2: to know the perception of students towards: (a) using the web-based instructional videos table3: use of web-based instructional videos strongly agree (sa) agree (a) undecided (un) disagree (d) strongly disagree (sd) 21(47.73%) 23(52.27%) 0 0 0 figure-1: perception of students towards using the web-based instructional video responding to objective 2a, 21 participants (47.73 per cent participants) out of 44 participants strongly agreed that they learned more from webbased instructional videos using flipped classroom technique. further 23 participants (52.27 per cent participants) also agreed that they learned more from web-based instructional videos using flipped classroom technique. there were no single respondent in other response categories. e-contents useful to help students better understand the content. table-4: e-contents useful for better understand the content sa a un d sd 18 (40.91%) 24 (54.54%) 2(4.54%) 0 0 figure-2: perception of students towards e-contents useful to help students better understand the content indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 74 responding to statement against 2 b, it was found that18 participants (40.91 per cent participants) out of 44 participants strongly agreed that e-contents was useful to help them better understand the content taught through flipped classroom technique. further 24 participants (54.54 per cent participants) out of 44 participants also agreed that that e-contents was useful to help them better understand the content taught through flipped classroom technique. under undecided category there were only 2 (4.54 per cent) responded. additional there were no single respondent in other two response categories i.e. disagree and strongly disagree. activities during flipped classroom session increase students understanding of key concepts table-5: activities during flipped classroom session increase students understanding of key concepts sa a un d sd na 11(25%) 18(40.91%) 9(20.45%) 4(9.09%) 0 2(4.54%) figure-3: perception of students towards activities during flipped classroom session increase students understanding of key concepts above objective 2 c, depicts that 11 participants (25 per cent participants) strongly agreed that flipped classroom session increased their understanding of key concepts in teachinglearning of subject contemporary indian education. it was found that 18 participants (40.91 per cent participants) out of 44 participants also agreed that flipped classroom session increased their understanding of key concepts in teaching learning of subject contemporary indian education. under undecided category there were 9 (20.45 per cent) respondents. and under disagree category there were 4 participants (9.09 per cent) and under strongly disagree there were no responded. in this particular item it was also found that 2 participants (4.54 per cent) student didn’t respond. discussion of the result (objective no. 2) from the above result it was found that majority of the students liked using the web-based instructional videos as their teaching learning means. technology and social media work in hand-in-hand in the flipped classroom. to create learning materials educators develop video using numerous technologies that is then uploaded to social media sites indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 75 such as whatsapp and youtube. the use of video to deliver content has become gradually more visible for educators in various courses. franciszkowics (2008) argues that visual media is critical in courses where there are multiple steps that go into problem solving. videos can be used to provide scaffolding for students through problems by modelling expert problem-solving strategies (franciszkowics, 2008). again it was found that more than majority of students strongly agreed that the e-contents provided to them were useful to develop their understanding of the content. in subjects like contemporary indian education, where content is structured in an order, it is obligatory that students have a robust comprehension on the pre-requisite skills (overmyer, 2010). one of mastery learning’s utmost flaws is that it takes major classroom time to implement (guskey, 2007). teachers have conventionally valued the principles of mastery learning since its inception in the last 1960’s by benjamin bloom, but have not ever been practiced effectively. the flipped classroom provides learners with proper time to develop improved understanding of the content. furthermore, it was also found that the e-contents materials helped students to learn at their own pace. students also report that in a flipped course they are more likely to engage in collaborative decision making with other students; use class time to engage in critical thinking and problem solving; and have greater opportunity to work at their own pace. in the flipped classroom pupils have amplified flexibility to pace the sequencing and delivery of their instructions. students have the facility to pause, rewind, replay, and even fast forward their video lessons delivered in the course. copley (2007) found that undergraduate and master level students often listened to podcasts of discourses they had already attended. the findings exhibited that majority of the participants responded positively that the flipped classroom supported their learning. students found that they had further opportunities to communicate with their classmates and teacher, finish their homework in class, and to engage in meaningful classroom events. educational implications the effect of flipped classroom technique on academic achievement is a considerate topic with implications for instructors, students, parents and society, as a whole. the significant difference between the academic achievement test performances of the students widens the scope of flipped learning’s effectiveness as applied in institutional settings. the study draws attention of parents, as almost all the students at school or university level are engrossed with usage of technology even at home also. devotion of large number of hours with technology can be blended along with academic purposes. thus especially, parents should be trained to monitor their kids’ interaction of multimedia for the academic uses. the positive result of this study may also help students to engage in collaborative decision making with other students, use class time to engage in critical thinking and problem solving, and have greater opportunity to work at their own pace anytimeanywhere. conclusion the raid growth of technology has sparked a revolution in the world of education, and india is of no exception. (flumerfelt and green, 2013) stated that nowadays the use of technology plays an important role in teaching and learning. similarly in context of present indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 76 study research done by (herreid and schiller, 2013) showed that flipped classroom is generally seen as capable of improving students’ achievement, improve communication and promote teamwork. it is true that the flipped learning model is not the only way to facilitate good teaching. however, effective teaching is better enabled and flourishes more readily in flipped classrooms which support the 21st century education where students are active learner. the flipped classroom is a significant shift in the way students traditionally function in a classroom. the general focus of the flipped classroom in this study was to make the learning environment more students centered by moving the learning from a passive format to an active one. students in a flipped classroom are able to work at their own pace which is great for differentiated learning and engage with their peers in a more interactive, meaningful way when they’re in the classroom. this strategy is effective in making teaching and lecturing more exciting and interesting form the one hand, and making the learner positive and responsible for the learning process from the other hand. flipped instruction produces a learning atmosphere where mastery learning feedback and corrective measures can be used to enhance academic achievement for all students. references battaglia, d. m., & kaya, t. (2015). how flipping your first-year digital circuits course positively affects student perceptions and learning. international journal of engineering education, 31(4), 1126–1138. bergmann, j., & samas, a. (2012). how the flipped classroom is radically transforming learning. retrieved from: http://www.chronicle.com/article/how -flipping-the-classroom/130857/. bergmann, j., & sams, a. (2012). flip your classroom: reach every student in every class every day. usa: international society for technology in education. betihavas, v., bridgman, h., kornhaber, r., & cross, m. (2016). the evidence for ‘flipping out’: a systematic review of the flipped classroom in nursing education. nurse education today, 38, 15–21. bishop & verleger. (2013). the flipped classroom: a survey of the research. 120th asse international conference and exposition. cambridge, ma: harvard university press. bishop, j. l., & verleger, m. a. (2013). the flipped classroom: a survey of the research. paper presented at the 120th asee annual & exposition, atlanta, usa. copley, j. (2007). audio and video podcasts of lectures for campus-based students: distance education, 10(4), 9-11. dangwal, k. l., & mishra, d. (2020). educational web portals of higher education and their problems. universal journal of educational research, 8(2), 387–392. https://doi.org/10.13189/ ujer.2020.080207 flumerfelt, s., & green, g. (2013). using lean in the flipped classroom for at risk students. educational technology & society, 16 (1), 356–366. franciszkowicz, m. (2008) video-based additional instruction, journal of the research center for educational technology, 4(2) 5-14. gurpreet, k. (2018). effect of flipped classroom model and problem solving strategies on achievement and student engagement in mathematics in relation to critical thinking. unpublished doctoral dissertation panjab university, chandigarh, india. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 77 guskey, t. r. (2007). closing achievement gaps: revisiting benjamin s. bloom’s “learning for mastery”. journal of advanced academics, 19(1), 8-31. hamdan, n., mcknight, p., mcknight, k., & arfstrom, k. (2013). a review of flipped learning. retrieved from the flipped learning network, 19/3/2014, http://flippedlearning.org/cms/ lib07/va01923112/centricity/domain/41/litreview_flippedlearning.pdf herreid, c., & schiller, n. (2013). case studies and the flipped classroom. journal of college science teaching, 42(5), 62-123. janotha, b. (2016). improving student achievement with flipped classroom pedagogy. nursing research, 65(2), e100-e101. retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=t rue&db=a9h&an=113905419&site=ehost-live jwair, a. (2018). using self-regulated learning strategies in a flipped learning to improve students metacognition. association for the advancement of computing in education aace, waynesville, nc. kim, m. k., kim, s. m., khera, o., & getman, j. (2014). the experience of three flipped classrooms in an urban university: an exploration of design principles. the internet and higher education, 22, 37–50. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2014.04.003. lai, c.-l., & hwang, g.-j. (2016). a self-regulated flipped classroom approach to improving students’ learning performance in a mathematics course. computers & education, 100, 126– 140. overmyer, g. (2010). the impact of mastery learning and video podcasting on learner performance in secondary mathematics: pre-vodcasting and the reverse classroom. content preliminary examination, school of education, colorado state university. pierce, r., & fox, j. (2012). vodcasts and active-learning exercises in a “flipped classroom” model of a renal pharmacotherapy module. american journal of pharmaceutical education, 76(10), 196. doi: 10.5688/ajpe7610196. sedraz, s., erik, z., lins, r., cavalcanti, r., & fernando-da, s. (2018). effect of learning analytics on students self-regulated learning in flipped classroom. international journal of information and communication technology education, 14(3), doi: 10.4018/ijicte.2018070108. smith, j. d. (2013). student attitudes toward flipping the general chemistry classroom. chemistry education: research and practice, 14(4), 607–614. sohrabi, b., & iraj, h. (2016). implementing flipped classroom using digital media: a comparison of two demographically different groups perceptions. computers in human behavior, 60, 514–524. srinivasan, s. & kumar, h. (2020). flipped classroom model – a possibility in the indian higher education system. journal of critical review, 7(15), 1486-1490. syam, m. i. (2014). possibility of applying flipping classroom method in mathematics classes in foundation program at qatar university (syam, m. i, pp. 180–187). proceedings of socioint14international conference on social sciences and humanities. talley, c. p., & scherer, s. (2013). the enhanced flipped classroom: increasing academic performance with student-recorded lectures and practice testing in a “flipped” stem course. the journal of negro education, 82(3), 339-347. doi: 10.7709/jnegroeducation.82.3.0339. torrisi-steele, g. and s. drew, (2013). the literature landscape of blended learning in higher education: the need for better understanding of academic blended practice. international journal for academic development, 18(4): 371–383. doi 10.1080/1360144x.2013.786720. tucker, b. (2012). the flipped classroom. education next, 12(1), 82-83. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 78 wilson, s. g. (2013). the flipped class: a method to address the challenges of an undergraduate statistics course. teaching of psychology, 40(3), 193–199. zengin, y. (2017). investigating the use of the khan academy and mathematics software with a flipped classroom approach in mathematics teaching. journal of educational technology & society, 20(2), 89-100. retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/90002166. indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 46 research article effectiveness of computer based instructional package in terms of achievement in educational psychology sarita chaudhary assistant professor, school of education, mahatma gandhi antarrashtriya hindi vishwavidyalaya, wardha, e-mail: saritashireesh@gmail.com) abstract this is technological era in which every facet of life has been transformed by computer technology. education too, has not remained untouched by the advent of modern ict. a whole new spectrum of ict based technologies have thrown up many new innovations in teaching and learning such as use of open resources, digital lectures, educational software, blogging, social media etc. learning based on books and lectures by teachers is now being blended with innovative methods of teaching learning based on ict. education remains no more confined to black board, chalk, and teachers talk but various new inventions like computer multimedia have become integral part of modern educational system. the use of computers, multimedia, simulation, and audio/video presentations makes education live and vibrant by involvement of learner’s multiple senses in the process of learning. computer based educational technology has many advantages over the conventional system of instructional delivery in teaching learning process. in the present research, investigator developed computer based instructional package in educational psychology and assess the effectiveness of package in terms of achievement of pupil teachers in educational psychology. achievement is also compared on the basis of gender & intelligence of prospective teachers. key words: cbi package, achievement, educational psychology. introduction technology is an integral part of our day to day life. today it affects every part of our life from shoe making to making indigenous aircraft career like vikrant. the concept of technology in education was dreamt many centuries ago when, plato prophesised that someday in the distant future our grand children will develop a new equivalent of our class rooms. they will spend many hours in front of boxes with fires glowing within. they may have the wisdom to know the difference between light & knowledge? the dream of plato comes true with the invention of computers and other related inventions in the field of education. students now spent hours sitting before electronic device called computer and use it to convert, store, indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 47 protect, process, transmit and securely retrieve information. thus, new era of education through technology has started in which technology and education are going together hand in hand. information and communication technologies have become one of the major constituents of contemporary society within a very short time. understanding ict, concept of ict and mastering over the key skills of ict is now concerned as a core part of the education, alongside reading, writing and numeracy by many countries (daniels, 2002). ict is not generally referred to computer and computer related activities, other systems and technologies also consist of the phenomenon that is commonly regarded as icts. near the end of 1980s, the term computers were replaced by ‘it’ (information technology), which is followed by the introduction of the term ict (information and communication technology) around 1992 (pelgrum & law, 2003). united nation report (1999) stated that icts embrace internet service provisions, telecommunication equipment services, libraries and documentation centre, commercial information providers, network-based information services and other information and communication activities. according to unesco (2002) ict may be regarded as the fusion of information technology with other related technology, specifically communication technology. the entire fields of education including teaching, learning, and research have been greatly influenced by ict. on the basis of the use of ict in education, it has been categorized into two broad categories: ict in education and ict for education. ict in education intend teachinglearning process with ict. it involves the adoption of general components of ict like hardware, software, data, information procedures and human resources in the teaching learning process. studies shown (chaudhary & sharma, 2012; ruhee, wani & bilal, 2011; shivkumar & arunachalam, 2012; rajasekar, 2009) that integration of ict in teaching learning process and in curriculum has positive and significant impact on student’s achievement in different subjects such as mathematics, science and social sciences specifically in knowledge and understanding domain of objectives, practical’s & presentation skills. the use of ict in educational context, act as a catalyst for change in this field and because of having the variety in nature, it encourages and support individual and independent learning. as more and more students use icts for their learning as information resources and cognitive tools, the impact of the technology on students’ learning affect their learning significantly (reeves and jonassen, 1996). according to duffy and cunningham (1996), contemporary learning theory is based on the notion that learning is an active process of constructing knowledge by individuals rather than acquiring and stored knowledge and that instruction is the process by which the knowledge construction is supported rather than a process of knowledge transmission. indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 48 contemporary learning approaches using ict as a tool, may provide many opportunities to constructivist learning through active efforts and support for context-related and student-centred learning. computer based instructional package may contain graphics, text pictures and animations which can cover a specific part or whole of the lecture or concept with no provision of providing support from any other medium. it consists of a little more than an ordinary class room lecture or notes. in this mode of instruction computers are used as primary means of knowledge exposition. thus, computer based instructional packages may present any topic in a lively & an interactive mode. the studies related to ict are excessively conducted on relative effectiveness of computer based instructions and comparative analysis with traditional and other methods or strategies of teaching. however, researcher found that in india most of the researchers are conducting researches to assess the attitude and awareness of students and teachers towards use of information and communication technology. in this area researchers namely karen (1990), collins (1990), dede (1990), david (1990), kolderie (1990), fletcher, flin, & gravatt, (1995), trilling, bernie, hood & paul (1999), saxena and gihar (2009), halverson, richard, conducted researches and explored this area of study. chaudhary & sharma (2012), ruhee, wani & bilal (2011), shivkumar & arunachalam, (2012), rajasekar (2009) conducted studies on effectiveness of information and communication technology and it has been found that ict significantly improves effectiveness of teaching learning process. similarly, sarangi (1992), singh (1991), studied effectiveness of educational television programme, shinde (2002), singh (2001) studied effectiveness of computerised programme on achievement. patel (2011), ajmera (2002), sharma (2014) studied effectiveness of video instructional material and conducted researches and explored this area of study but no study conducted on how ict and computer based instructional package improve our teachers effectiveness and students achievement in specific subject like educational psychology and no attempt has been made to develop computer based instructional package on educational psychology. from the review of related literature, it has been found that most of the researches related to ict have been conducted on primary and secondary school students and teachers. but only few researches have been conducted on b.ed. pupil teachers. investigator explored the area but it is found that no computer based instructional package on educational psychology has been developed at b.ed. level which may help pupil teachers in enhancing the comprehension of the contents. this computer based instructional package developed especially for pupil teachers or future teachers to provide insight in to educational psychology. it will hopefully be helpful for future teachers to identify, understand and nurturing their abilities with the help of study of educational psychology. indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 49 objectives of study the present problem endeavours for the realization of the following objectives: 1. to compare adjusted mean scores of achievement in educational psychology of b.ed. students taught through computer based instructional package and traditional method of teaching by considering pre achievement in educational psychology as covariate. 2. to study the effect of treatment, gender and their interaction on achievement in educational psychology of b.ed. students by considering pre-achievement in educational psychology as covariate. 3. to study the effect of treatment, intelligence and their interaction on achievement in educational psychology of b.ed. students by considering preachievement in educational psychology as covariate. hypotheses the hypotheses of the present study were as follows: 1. there is no significant difference in the adjusted mean scores of achievement in educational psychology of b.ed. students taught through computer based instructional package and traditional method of teaching by considering preachievement in educational psychology as covariate. 2. there is no significant effect of treatment, gender and their interaction on achievement in educational psychology of b.ed. students by considering pre achievement in educational psychology as covariate 3. there is no significant effect of treatment, intelligence and their interaction on achievement in educational psychology of b.ed. students by considering pre achievement in educational psychology as covariate. methodological orientation sample as the purpose of this study was to find out the relative effect of the computer based instructional package in enhancing the comprehension of educational psychology by student teachers, therefore researcher selected a total no. of 127 student teacher by the purposive method of sampling, wherein 75 students of b.ed. and b.ed.-m.ed. (integrated) were selected as an experimental group and 52 students of b.ed. were taken as control group. since intact group of students were selected, therefore quasi experimental design was adopted by the researcher. however, the treatment was randomly assigned and both experimental and control group compared on the basis of treatment. variable wise distribution of sample is given in the table -1. indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 50 table 1 variable wise distribution of sample sr. no. variable groups n 1 treatment experimental group 75 control group 52 2 gender male 55 female 72 3 intelligence above average 29 average 62 below average 36 the intelligence of students was assessed by administrating the verbal intelligence test developed and standardised by r. k. ojha and k. ray chowdhery. intelligence quotients were awarded on the basis of final score which was matched with table value provided in manual. responded were categories in to three categories as above average (all the combined categories listed above average), average and below average (all the combined categories were listed below average). research design present research was quasi experimental in nature. in this study researcher followed non-equivalent pre-test post-test control group design. it is a type of quasi experimental design by campbell and stanley. the researcher uses quasi experimental design because the experiment and control group were not made equivalent by assigning the individual in two groups randomly. although the group to whom treatment is given was randomly assigned but, the groups that were intact were taken. the layout of the design is as follows: o x o ………………… o o where x denotes the treatment, o before x denotes the pre-test & o after x denotes the post test. the dotted line means the group were not made equivalent before experiment. there were two groups; one group designated as experimental group and the other as control group. experimental group was taught by computer based instructional package in educational psychology and control group was taught by traditional method (table -2). table – 2: research design group pre-test treatment posttest testing effectiveness control group n=52 o conventional method of teaching o experiment group n=75 o computer based instruction package o indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 51 analysis of data data was analysed objective wise with the help of following statistical techniques: 1. for comparing adjusted mean scores of achievement in educational psychology of b.ed. students taught through computer based instructional package & traditional method of teaching by considering preachievement in educational psychology as covariate one-way ancova was used. 2. for studying the effect of treatment, gender and their interaction on of achievement in educational psychology of b.ed. students by considering preachievement in educational psychology as covariate 2×2 factorial design ancova was used. 3. for studying the effect of treatment, intelligence and their interaction on of achievement in educational psychology of b.ed. students by considering preachievement in educational psychology as covariate 3×2 factorial design ancova was used. results and interpretation analysis and interpretation of results has been done objective wise as follows: 1. comparison of adjusted mean scores of achievement in educational psychology of experimental and control group by considering pre-achievement in educational psychology as covariate. the first objective of the study was to compare the adjusted mean scores of achievement in educational psychology of b.ed. students taught through computer based instruction package and traditional method of teaching by considering pre-achievement in educational psychology as covariate. there were two groups based on treatment, namely, experimental group and control group. for comparing the adjusted mean scores of achievement in educational psychology of the two groups by taking pre-achievement in educational psychology as covariate, the data were analysed with the help of one-way-ancova. the results are given in table 3. table 3: summary of one way ancova of achievement in educational psychology of b.ed. students by taking pre-achievement in educational psychology as covariate sources of variation df ssy.x mssy.x fy.x sig. (p) remark treatment 1 711.686 711.686 22.495 0.00 p< .01 error 124 3923.110 31.638 total 125 table 3 shows that adjusted f value for treatment is 22.49 whose probability of significance with df = (1, 124) is .000 which is less than 0.01, hence significant at 0.01 level of significance. it indicates that the adjusted mean scores of indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 52 achievement in educational psychology of experiment group and control group by considering pre-achievement in educational psychology as covariate differ significantly. hence the null hypothesis, there is no significant difference in the adjusted mean score of achievement in educational psychology of experimental group and control group by considering pre achievement in educational psychology as covariate, is rejected. table 4: group-wise adjusted mean scores of achievement in educational psychology treatment n adjusted means experimental 75 34.43 control 52 29.62 further, it can be observed from table – 4 that the adjusted mean scores of achievement in educational psychology of the experimental groups is 34.43 which is significantly higher than that of traditional method group whose adjusted mean scores of achievement in educational psychology is 29.62. it may, therefore, be concluded that the adjusted mean scores of achievement in educational psychology taught through computer based instructional package was found to be significantly higher than that of traditional method group when the groups were matched with respect to pre-achievement in educational psychology. 2. effect of treatment, gender and their interaction on achievement in educational psychology of b.ed. students by considering pre achievement in educational psychology as covariate. the second objective of the study was to study the effect of treatment, gender and their interaction on achievement in educational psychology of b.ed. students by considering pre achievement in educational psychology as covariate. there were two levels each of the treatment and gender. thus, the data with respect to this objective was analysed with the help of 2 * 2 factorial design ancova. the results are given in table 5. table 5: summary of 2×2 factorial design ancova of treatment, gender and their interaction on achievement in educational psychology of b.ed. students by considering pre-achievement in educational psychology as covariate source of variance df ssy.x mssy.x fy.x sig (p) remark treatment 1 703.005 703.005 21.900 .000 p< 0.01 gender 1 3.176 3.176 .009 .754 p > 0.05 treatment * gender 1 5.056 5.056 .157 .692 p > 0.05 error 122 3916.350 32.101 total 125 indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 53 2.1. effect of treatment on achievement in educational psychology by considering pre-achievement in educational psychology as covariate table shows that adjusted f value for treatment is 21.900 whose probability of significance with df = (1, 122) is .000 which is less than 0.01, hence significant at 0.01 level of significance. it indicates that the adjusted mean scores of achievement in educational psychology of experiment group & control group by considering pre-achievement in educational psychology as covariate differ significantly. hence the null hypothesis, there is no significant difference in the adjusted mean score of achievement in educational psychology of experimental group and control group by considering pre achievement in educational psychology as covariate, is rejected. in order to find out which group of students have performed significantly better, the adjusted means of experimental group & control group are given in table 6. table 6: group wise adjusted mean scores of achievement in educational psychology treatment adjusted means experimental group 34.43 control group 29.50 from the table, it is evident that the adjusted mean score of achievement in educational psychology of the experimental group is 34.43 which is significantly higher than that of traditional method group whose adjusted mean score of achievement in educational psychology is 29.50. it may, therefore, be concluded that the adjusted mean score of achievement in educational psychology taught through computer based instructional package was found to be significantly higher than that of traditional method group when pre-achievement in educational psychology was taken as covariate. 2.2. effect of gender on achievement in educational psychology by considering pre-achievement in educational psychology as covariate table shows that the adjusted f value for gender is .009, whose probability of significance with df = (1,122) is 0.754, which is greater than 0.05, hence not significant at 0.05 level of significance. it indicates that adjusted mean scores of achievement in educational psychology of males & females do not differ significantly by taking pre-achievement in educational psychology as covariate. hence the null hypothesis, there is no significant influence of gender on achievement in educational psychology by considering pre-achievement in educational psychology as covariate is not rejected. it may therefore, be concluded that achievement in educational psychology of males and females was found to be equally enhanced, when both the groups were matched with respect to pre achievement in educational psychology. 2.3. effect of interaction between treatment & gender on achievement indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 54 in educational psychology by considering pre-achievement in educational psychology as covariate the adjusted f value for interaction between treatment & gender is 0.157 whose probability of significance with df = (1,122) is 0.692 which is greater than 0.05, hence not significant at 0.05 level of significance. it indicates that there is no significant effect of interaction between treatment and gender on achievement in educational psychology by considering pre achievement in educational psychology as covariate. hence the null hypothesis, there is no significant effect of interaction of treatment & gender on achievement in educational psychology of b.ed. students by considering pre achievement in educational psychology as covariate, is not rejected. it may, therefore, be concluded that achievement in educational psychology of males and females was found to be equally enhanced when taught through computer based instructional package by considering pre-achievement in educational psychology as covariate. 3. effect of treatment, intelligence and their interaction on achievement in educational psychology of b.ed. students by considering pre achievement in educational psychology as covariate. the third objective of the study was to study the effect of treatment, intelligence and their interaction on achievement in educational psychology of b.ed. students by considering pre achievement in educational psychology as covariate. there were two levels of treatment and three levels of intelligence. thus, the data with respect to this objective was analysed with the help of 2×3 factorial design ancova. the results are given in table 7. table 7: summary of 2 * 3 factorial design ancova of treatment, intelligence & their interaction on achievement in educational psychology of b.ed. students by considering pre-achievement in educational psychology as covariate source of variance df ssy.x mssy.x fy.x sig (p) remark treatment 1 673.972 673.972 24.929 .000 p < 0.01 intelligence 2 430.633 215.317 7.964 .001 p < 0.01 treatment * intelligence 2 130.872 65.436 2.420 .093 p > 0.05 error 120 3244.338 27.036 total 125 3.1. effect of treatment on achievement in educational psychology by considering pre-achievement in educational psychology as covariate table shows that adjusted f value for treatment is 24.929 whose probability of significance with df = (1, 120) is .000 which is less than 0.01, hence significant at 0.01 level of significance. it indicates that the adjusted mean scores of achievement in educational psychology of experiment group and control indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 55 group by considering pre-achievement in educational psychology as covariate differ significantly. hence the null hypothesis, there is no significant difference in the adjusted mean score of achievement in educational psychology of experimental group & control group by considering pre achievement in educational psychology as covariate, is rejected. in order to find out which group of students have performed significantly better, the adjusted means of experimental group and control group are given in table 8. table – 8: group wise adjusted mean scores of achievement in educational psychology treatment adjusted means experimental group 34.68 control group 29.71 from the above table, it is evident that the adjusted mean scores of achievement in educational psychology of the experimental group is 34.68 which is significantly higher than that of control group whose adjusted mean scores of achievement in educational psychology is 29.71. it may, therefore, be concluded that the adjusted mean scores of achievement in educational psychology taught through computer based instructional package was found to be significantly higher than that of traditional method group when pre-achievement in educational psychology was taken as covariate. 3.2. effect of intelligence on achievement in educational psychology by considering pre-achievement in educational psychology as covariate from the table, it can be seen that adjusted f value for intelligence is 7.964 whose probability of significance with df = (1, 120) is .001 which is less than 0.01, hence significant at 0.01 level of significance. it indicates that the adjusted mean scores of achievement in educational psychology of three groups namely above average, average and below average by considering pre-achievement in educational psychology as covariate differ significantly. hence the null hypothesis, there is no significant effect of intelligence on achievement in educational psychology by considering pre achievement in educational psychology as covariate, is rejected. to study as to where the difference in achievement in educational psychology lie, pairwise comparison of the three intelligence groups were undertaken, the results of which are given below in table 9. indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 56 table – 9: pairwise comparison of achievement in educational psychology of the three intelligence groups by considering pre-achievement in educational psychology as covariate intelligence pairs mean difference (i j) standard error sig (p) remark (i) ( j) above average average 3.01 1.21 .04 p< 0.05 above average below average 5.44 1.36 .00 p < 0.05 average below average 2.42 1.13 .10 p > 0.05 it can be observed from the table 9 that out of three pairs of intelligence groups, the difference in mean scores of achievements of students in two pairs are significant where as in third pair this difference is not significant at 0.05 level of significance. the difference in mean scores of achievement in educational psychology between the above average intelligence group and average intelligence group is 3.01 (the mean score of achievement in educational psychology above average being the higher one) is significant at .05 level of significance. this means that the achievement in educational psychology of above average intelligence group was found to be significantly higher than average group. thus, above average intelligence group was found to be more effective in terms of achievement in educational psychology. likewise, the difference between mean scores of achievement between above average intelligence group and below average intelligence group was found to be 5.44 which is significant at .01 level of significance. it means that the above average intelligence group was found to be superior to the below average intelligence group in terms of achievement in educational psychology. further, the difference in mean scores of achievement of average intelligence group and below average intelligence group was found to be 2.42 which are no significant at 0.05 level of significance. this means that the two groups were not found to be different from each other as far as achievement in educational psychology of students is concerned. 3.3. effect of interaction between treatment and intelligence on achievement in educational psychology by considering pre achievement in educational psychology as covariate. table-7 shows that the adjusted f value for the interaction between treatment and intelligence is 2.420 whose probability of significance with df = (1,120) is .093 which is greater than 0.05, hence not significant at 0.05 level of significance. it indicates that there is no significant effect of interaction between treatment and intelligence on achievement in educational psychology by considering pre-achievement in educational psychology as covariate. hence the null hypothesis, there is no significant effect of interaction of treatment and intelligence on achievement in educational psychology of b.ed. students by considering indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 57 pre-achievement in educational psychology as covariate, is not rejected. it may, therefore be concluded that achievement in educational psychology was found to be independent of the interaction between treatment and intelligence when taught through computer based instructional package by considering pre achievement in educational psychology as covariate, and it may also be concluded that irrespective of level of intelligence, achievement in educational psychology can be equally enhanced when taught through computer based instructional package. findings and discussion the following were the findings of the present research: • computer based instructional package in educational psychology was found to be effective in terms of achievement in educational psychology • computer based instructional package in educational psychology was found to be significantly enhance the achievement in educational psychology of the pupil teachers as compared to the traditional method of teaching • there was no significant effect of gender on achievement in educational psychology by considering pre achievement in educational psychology as covariate. • there was no significant effect of interaction between treatment and gender on achievement in educational psychology by considering pre-achievement in educational psychology as covariate. achievement in educational psychology of males and females was found to equally enhance when taught through computer based instructional package. • achievement in educational psychology of the three groups namely above average intelligence, average intelligence and below average intelligence by considering pre-achievement in educational psychology as covariate differs significantly. it was found that the achievement in educational psychology of above average intelligence group was found to be significantly higher than average group intelligence. thus, above average intelligence group was found to be more effective in terms of achievement in educational psychology. likewise, the difference between mean scores of achievement between above average intelligence group and below average intelligence group was found to be significant. it means that the above average intelligence group was found to be superior to the below average intelligence group in terms of achievement in educational psychology. achievement of average intelligence and below average intelligence group was found to be not significant. it indicates that the two groups were not found to be different from each other as far as achievement in educational psychology of students is concerned. • there was no significant effect of interaction between treatment and intelligence on achievement in educational psychology by considering indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 58 pre achievement in educational psychology as covariate. achievement in educational psychology was found to be independent of the interaction between treatment and intelligence by considering pre-achievement in educational psychology as covariate, and it may be concluded that irrespective of level of intelligence, educational psychology can be taught equally well through computer based instructional package discussion of findings findings of the study are being discussed below objective-wise: 1. achievement in educational psychology of students taught through computer based instructional package computer based instructional package in educational psychology was found to be enhanced the achievement of b.ed. students in educational psychology. the finding was supported by sheingold (1990), collins (1990), dede (1990), idayani (1991), singh (1991), sarangi (1992), pandya (1994), flinn & gravatt (1995), shinde (2002),kanwaria (2010), gurtu (2011), cornelius & gordon (2012), banerjee, murthy & iyer (2011), khare (2015), johnson (2010), patel (2011), nikolas (2012), fard et al. (2014), sultan (2013), sharma (2016), shinde (2016) who found that video instructional material and other audio-visual program enhanced the achievement of students in different subjects while not supported by sarangi (1992), singh (2001), gupta (2008), sultan (2013), jhariya (2014), sharma (2016), who found that video instructional material and other ictbased instructional material was not found to be effective in terms of achievement. further, the computer based instructional material was found to be effective as well as superior to traditional method when groups were matched with respect to preachievement. this finding was supported by james(1998), idayani (1991), kaimuthu (1991), singh (1991), sahoo (1994), lal (1996), behera (1997), shinde (2002), ajmera (2002), shukla (2003), hancer & tuzeman (2008), singh & sansanwal (2009), aqd et al. (2011), celikler & aksan (2011), serin (2011), sang et al. (2012), sharma (2013) and jhariya (2014) who found learning through viewing of the video films and other ict related instructional material was more effective than learning through traditional method. computer based instructional package in educational psychology was prepared on the basis of scripts which were developed after going through content analysis and reviewing researches concerned to this topic. investigator used a variety of internet resources to make the package comprehensive and interesting. computer based instructional package covers the whole content comprehensively & appropriate graphics and animations were used to illustrate experiments and theories related to the specific content. the classroom climate was active and students thoroughly enjoyed studying educational psychology with the help of developed cbi package. students were felt free of fear while studying through cbi package in comparison to their traditional classes. in traditional method, students cannot talk and feel passive in classroom while teacher is indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 59 active. students learn according the pace of teacher and could not clear their all doubts in traditional method and most of the time repletion of content is not possible. but students who were studied through cbi package in educational psychology were free to see any part of the package as many times as they like and they were free to stop the content at any point of time. they also had the freedom to discuss among themselves as well as with the teacher since think & reflect questions were also there in cbi package to give opportunity to students to reflect. these might be the reason for present findings. 2. effect of gender on achievement in educational psychology both, males and females were found to achieve equally in terms of achievement in educational psychology when the groups were matched with respect to pre-achievement in educational psychology. this finding was supported by pandya (1994), behera (1997), singh (2001), shukla (2003), shinde (2007), gupta (2008), serin (2011), sharma (2013), sultan (2013), jhariya (2014), shinde (2016), and sharma (2016) who found that gender has no significant effect on achievement in educational psychology when students were taught through different kind of ict based instructional material while in a very few researches, males were found to be superior in terms of achievement on a specific topic of subject research methodology (shinde, 2007) and females were found to be significantly superior in terms of achievement (patel,2011). in present scenario, both males and females have not been discriminated and they both are getting equal opportunities to learn and excel in every field. since the cbi package was same in terms of content and presentation irrespective of gender and all the activities carried out in classroom for teaching were same for males & females. they both got equal opportunity to discuss & reflect. thus, this might be the reason for the present findings. further, there was no significant effect of interaction of treatment and gender on achievement in educational psychology by considering pre achievement in educational psychology as covariate. in other words, cbi package was found to be equally effective in terms of achievement for both males and females by considering pre-achievement as covariate. this finding was supported by singh (2001), sultan (2013), shinde (2016) & sharma (2016) who found that gender was not significantly related to achievement when different methods of teaching were used. this finding reveals that gender may not be kept in mind while developing cbi package. the cbi package was same for males and females with respect to content, sequence, illustration & use of graphics and animations etc. there was no gender bias while teaching through cbi package in classroom and the freedom to ask questions was same for males and females while studying through cbi package. both male and female b.ed. students might have satisfied with the reply given by teacher. these might be the reason for present findings. indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 60 3. effect of intelligence on achievement in educational psychology intelligence effect significantly the achievement of students in educational psychology by considering pre achievement in educational psychology as covariate. this finding is supported by few researches, shinde (2007), sharma (2016), shinde (2016) which also reveal that students belonging to the above average group and average intelligence group were found to be significantly superior to students belonging to below average intelligence group in terms of achievement in educational psychology while not supported by lal (1996) who found that low intelligence students were superior to high intelligence students when taught through video instructional material in home science. the reason for the present finding might be that above average intelligence students are fast learners and concentrate more while learning. they have strong grasping power, problem solving ability and reasoning ability. they can understand the abstract content easily and instead of cramming, they focus to understand the matter that helps them to retain the subject matter for longer time. effect of interaction between treatment and intelligence on achievement of students in educational psychology in present study, achievement in educational psychology was found to be independent of interaction between treatment & intelligence by considering pre-achievement as covariate, and it may be concluded that irrespective of level of intelligence, students belonging to all the three groups namely above average, average and below average were found to be benefitted equally when taught through computer based instructional package in educational psychology in comparison to traditional method. this finding are supported by lal (1996), sharma (2013), jhariya (2014), sharma (2016), who found that instructional material alone as well as combination with other method of teaching was found to be equally benefitted in terms of achievement for different level of intelligence but the findings are not supported by sharma (2016) and shinde (2016) who reported that intelligence and achievement have a significant and positive relationship when taught through instructional material alone as well as combination with other method of teaching. the reason of the present finding might be that the content was presented through computer based instructional package was in simple and routine language, and daily life examples were also given that helped to understand the subject matter easily. graphics and animations were used to make content interesting and effective. freedom was also given to the students to stop the instructional package and rewind it where needed. this might have helped the students to make better understand the subject matter and all these might have helped average and below average intelligent students to get achievement quite close to above average intelligent students. thus, there was no significant effect of interaction of treatment & intelligence on achievement in educational psychology when groups were matched with respect to pre-achievement in educational psychology. indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 61 conclusions the present study revealed that the computer based instructional package in educational psychology was found to enhance and strengthen the subject clarity and achievement in educational psychology of b.ed. students irrespective of their gender, intelligence, academic discipline, personality & socio-economic status. this computer based instructional package can be very useful for teachers to gain better insight to access different e-resources in order to make them competent with respect to content and pedagogical approach required for this 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applications from many different doorways. social networking has become a salient feature of social life. social networking sites are one of the most important means of communication among students. most of them are not aware of the fact that how posting something improper can harm their security. the present study investigates the victimising cyber stalking of higher secondary school students and its relation with gender, frequency of login into cyber media and period of using social media. data collected from 160 higher secondary school students using social media have been analysed with the help of the cyber stalking scale. independent sample t-test, anova and chi-square tests were used to test the significance of difference. study reveals that cyber stalking among higher secondary school students is high and there is no significant difference in the cyber stalking based on the frequency of login cyber media and duration of using social media, but difference is seen based on gender. key words: cyber stalking, social media, social networks introduction it is almost impossible to see a single individual without a mobile phone in any part of the world now. it became a life partner of every individual. the smart phone has turned our life knowledgeable and information friendly. the various applications in the smartphone lead us, guide us and motivate us. social medias like face book, youtube and twitter have turned our life online and offline. this online technology including internet helped people far and near to connect together. it enables us to build relationships among people and has paved way for speedy communication with each other even in different continents. it helps us to listen to our lovable music, read our favourite books, look at the photos of our dear and near and much more. during the time spent on sites we go into connections and get the chance to speak with a number of individuals especially the youngsters. younger generations are the predominant users of social networks. east (2016) is of the opinion that social networks have negative impact especially on the teenagers, as they often build the impression that love indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 54 and friendship can easily be built and destroyed. many educational institutions restrict students to access social networks within the campus in order to help them concentrate on studies. these restrictions actually hinder students from accessing resource materials for their academic purpose. social networking has become a salient feature of student’s social life. they can access the internet and social media applications from many different entry points. it is true that social networking sites enrich the platforms of learning of any individual. in the early development of childhood children learn by observing others and through social interaction. some socio-cultural theories suggest that children learn in the context of their social and cultural environment (green field, 2009). social media has, in fact, an influence on the learning environment of children. social media also performs an important developmental task for adolescents by opening avenues for social learning and identity formation. social media has redefined the ways through which social ties are created among individuals and between individuals and the organisations that serve them. stalking has been differently defined by researchers and legal systems around the world. both of them accept the elements of stalking as repetitive conduct by the perpetrator that induces a concern to harm to the victim. the behaviour of the perpetrator can involve different tactics and patterns of use. these include, surveillance (follow, watch and wait, etc.), life invasion (calling up, messaging, entering premises, bothering acquaintance of victim, etc.), intimidation (implicit or explicit threats to victim and their close ones and damage to property, etc.), and attack (running reputation, road rage and sexual assault etc.). the pattern of stalking depends on the duration, intensity and its frequency. the awareness of surveillance generates anxiety in the victim. cyber stalking, sometimes referred to as internet stalking, e-stalking or online stalking is a criminal practice where an individual uses the internet to systematically harass or threaten someone. it can be perpetrated through email, social media, chat rooms, instant messaging clients and any other online medium. cyber stalking can also occur in conjunction with the more traditional form of stalking, where the offender harasses the victim offline. there is no unified legal approach to cyber stalking, but many governments have moved toward making these practices punishable by law. the internet usage provides new avenues for self-disclosure. it helps to develop relationships based on common interests and values. internet allows anonymity which can be used for bullying, sexual exploitation, and spreading unverified information. thus stalking behaviour is now moved to virtual space. cyber stalking is different from offline stalking because of anonymity maintained by the stalker until cyber experts and legal agencies get involved. physical proximity between the victim and stalker is not necessary in cyber stalking. the victim may not be aware of the surveillance. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 55 based on the severity cyber stalking has been classified into hyper intimacy, threat, sabotage, and invasion. hyperintimacy type involves affection, expression, ingratiation and hypersexual communications. threats include implicit or explicit harm intended on person’s reputation by real or falsified information, and also threats of physical harm to the person, their close ones, or their property. sabotage involves attack on the person’s character by spreading rumours or gossips to their colleagues, friends, or family.  invasion  involves access to victims’ device via spyware or other means, which enables stalkers’ complete access to the victims’ digital activities.the stress and anxiety perceived by victims of cyber stalking is similar to that experienced by those from physical stalking.  these include social withdrawal, disturbances in sleep pattern, and changes in social habits. apart from that, cyber stalker perceives them to be emotionally closer to their victims than that would be expected from the physical stalker. social networking sites are one of the most important means of communication among students. most of them are not aware of the fact that how posting something improper can harm their security. the boom in mobile technology paved the way to easy access to smart phones. there is incessant growth of technologies which attracts students to instagram, pinterest and 9gag, etc. which caught the fancy of adolescents. adolescents are keen to try out new social networking methods. these apps have given them the right tools to enter into new social networks with both existing friends and new virtual friends theoretically stalking is conceptualised from symbolic interactionism. major proponents of this theory are blumer (1969), charon (2001) and hewitt and shulman (2011). blumer states that symbolic interactionism is built upon the premises that: 1. humans act towards objects, including people, situations and whatever they have to deal within their world, on the basis of the meanings such objects have for them; 2. these meanings arise out of social interactions and 3. the meanings are conveyed through the interactive process adopted in dealing with the objects encountered by the actors. according to charon (2001), how people interpret a situation affects and guides their action in that situation and although there may actually be a reality out there, their definition is far more important for what they do. thus from a symbolic interactionist perspective, the way in which students interpret and explain social interaction patterns have been conceptualised as stalking and how they encounter such situations. as per the new sociology of childhood, children and adolescents are not passive recipients but active agents in their socialisation process. they are moulded by structure and at the same time act as agents acting in and upon structure. they are not simply internalising the world but strive to make sense of their culture and to participate in it. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 56 according to corsaro (2005) children create and participate in their own unique peer cultures by creatively taking or appropriating information from the adult world to address their own peer concerns. therefore, it is necessary to investigate how they make sense of social situations, phenomena as well as how these understandings or perspectives are related to societal norms and discourses in order to understand their actions and interaction pattern. social networking through online media is nowadays very common and deep-seated among the youth worldwide, and majority of the users are students. outside straightforward communication, many students occupy in highly creative activities on social networking sites. through words, simile, music, photos and videos students are expressing themselves by creating, and sharing content online. in addition to these some uses the internet to systematically harass or threaten someone. the present study is an attempt to understand the level of use of online social networking services and cyber stalking among the higher secondary students in kerala. objectives of the study 1. to know the extent of cyber stalking among higher secondary school students in kerala. 2. to find out the significance of difference in cyber stalking based on duration of usage, frequency of login and gender of the respondents. hypotheses formulated 1. there is no significant difference in the victimising of cyber stalking of higher secondary school students based on gender. 2. there is no significant difference in the victimising of cyber stalking of higher secondary school students based on frequency of login per day. 3. there is no significant difference in the victimising of cyber stalking of higher secondary school students based on duration of usage. method of study as we penetrate our inquiry towards the frequency of victimising cyber stalking, the subject under study is a survey type of research, because it is concerned with the collection of data for describing and interpreting existing conditions of victimising cyber stalking. cyber stalking is most convincingly related with the adolescent population. hence the population selected – the higher secondary students of kerala, is the most suitable population. a total of 160 higher secondary school students from two schools in thiruvananthapuram district, kerala have been selected as the sample. for which two batches consisting of 40 students were randomly selected from each school. to measure the level of cyber stalking among higher secondary school students, likert-type scale consisting of 10 statements were used as a tool for data collection. the tool was experimented to a small group of 30 students from another school as a trial and corrective measures of modifying statements was done. inferential statistics was used indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 57 for summarizing the properties of a population from the known properties of the sample of the population. analysis preliminary analysis was carried out to identify cyber stalking and to determine the association of cyber stalking with gender and frequency of use of cyber media. data were collected from the 160 higher secondary school students. the socio-demographic profile of the students is given in table 1. table 1 profile of the respondents variable group n % gender male 57 35.6 female 103 64.4 class +1 80 50.0 +2 80 50.0 locality of the school rural 80 50.0 urban 80 50.0 income of the family (yearly) below rs-20000 54 33.8 rs 20001-30000 47 29.4 rs 30001-40000 41 25.6 above rs-40000 18 11.3 family type nuclear 129 80.6 joint 31 19.4 total 160 100.0 it is evident from the above table that 35.6 percent of the students belong to male and the majority (64percent) of the respondents belong to the female categories; 50percent each of the respondents fall in plus one and plus two and rural and urban categories; 33.8percent students belong to the family income category below rs. 20000, 29.4percent students between rs. 20001-30000, 25.6percent student come under rs. 30001-40000 income group and 11.3percent fall in above rs. – 40000 annual income of the family. based on the family type, 80.6percent come from nuclear families and 19.4percent from joint families. frequency of login cyber media frequency of login cyber media refers to the number of times login was done per day or per week. the respondents were asked to mark one of the choices depending on their frequency of login cyber media as -many times in a day, once in a day, few times in a week, once in a week and rarely. the number of respondents that marked each frequency and their percentage based on gender is presented in table 2. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 58 table – 2: frequency of login cyber media frequency male female total many times in a day 26 (45.6%) 24 (23.3%) 50 (31.2%) once in a day 10 (17.5%) 22 (21.4%) 32 (20.0%) few times in a week 9 (15.8%) 13 (12.6%) 22 (13.8%) once in a week 6 (10.5%) 9 (8.7%) 15 (9.4%) rarely 6 (10.5%) 35 (34.0%) 41 (25.6%) total 57 (100.0%) 103 (100.0%) 160 (100.0%) pearson chi-square = 14.38; df = 4; p = 0.006 the above table presents distribution of respondents in the selected schools according to the frequency of login cyber media. the highest proportion of higher secondary school students (31.2percent) usually login cyber media many times in a day. frequency of login many times in a day is more in males (45.6 percent) than in females (23.3 percent). twenty percent of students login once in a day. here the percentage of female is more than male. one fourth of the students (25percent) rarely login cyber media. from the table it is clear that the number of female students (34percent) is more than the number of male students (10.5percent). students log in cyber media few times in a week or once a week are 13.85percent and 9.4percent, respectively. the data highlights that majority of the higher secondary school students log in cyber media many times a day or at least once in a day. the number of male students logging in many times in a day is more than female students. a marginal proportion comes under once in a week to login cyber media. pearson chi-square test score is 14.38. it shows that there exists significant difference in the frequency of login based on the gender, since the p-value (0.006) is less than 0.05. it is clear from the table that the frequency of login cyber media is high among the male students than the female students. duration of cyber media usage duration of cyber media usage refers to how long the respondents are using the cyber media. the respondents were asked to mark one of the choices depending on the duration of login cyber media as below one year, 1-2 years, 2-3 years, 3-4 years and above 4 years. the number of respondents that marked each frequency and their percentage based on gender is presented in table 3. table 3: period of using cyber media period male female total below one year 3 (5.3%) 19 (18.4%) 22 (13.8%) 1 – 2 year 6 (10.5%) 51 (49.5%) 57 (35.6%) 2 – 3 years 20 (35.1%) 26 (25.2%) 46 (28.8%) indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 59 3 – 4 years 12 (21.1%) 5 (4.9%) 17 (10.6%) above 4 years 16 (28.1%) 2 (1.9%) 18 (11.2%) total 57 (100.0%) 103 (100.0%) 160 (100.0%) pearson chi-square = 52.86; df = 4; p = 0.000 when the data was analysed on the basis of duration of usage of cyber media, it is found that 35.6 per cent of higher secondary school students have been using the social media for 1-2 years. among this group the percentage of female students using cyber media (49.5percent) is much greater than the percentage of male students (10.5percent) using it. 28.8percent of students are being used cyber media for two to three years in which the male students dominate the female students. the percentage of students using cyber media for three to four years is 10.6 and 11.3percent students are using for more than four years. apart from this only 13.8percent of higher secondary school students are using cyber media within one year only. here the female dominate the male students. pearson chi-square test shows that the calculated chi-square value (52.86; p = 0.000) is greater than table value. hence, there exists significant difference in the duration of usage of cyber media based on the gender victimising cyber stalking victimisation of cyber stalking takes place when there is acceptance of communication from anonymous persons. various ways of victimising cyber stalking of higher secondary students are presented in table 4. table 4: frequency of victimising cyber stalking of higher secondary students statement gender never rarely some times often total accept unknown friend request m 24 (42.1) 16 (28.1) 13 (22.8) 4 (7.0) 57 (100.0) f 79 (76.7) 15 (14.6) 9 (8.7) 0 (0.0) 103 (100.0) total 103 (64.4) 31 (19.4) 22 (13.8) 4 (2.5) 160 (100.0) initiate online conversation with unknown friends m 20 (35.1) 16 (28.1) 18 (31.6) 3 (5.3) 57 (100.0) f 67 (65.0) 21 (20.4) 11 (10.7) 4 (3.9) 103 (100.0) total 87 (54.4) 37 (23.1) 29 (18.1) 7 (4.4) 160 (100.0) communicate online friends against your will m 37 (64.9) 12 (21.1) 6 (10.5) 2 (3.5) 57 (100.0) f 74 (71.8) 17 (16.5) 10 (9.7) 2 (1.9) 103 (100.0) total 111 (69.4) 29 (18.1) 16 (10.0) 4 (2.5) 160 (100.0) enable security / privacy setting of the account m 16 (28.1) 16 (28.1) 12 (21.1) 13 (22.8) 57 (100.0) f 35 (34.0) 16 (15.5) 26 (25.2) 26 (25.2) 103 (100.0) total 51 (31.9) 32 (20.0) 38 (23.8) 39 (24.4) 160 (100.0) indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 60 change passwords of cyber media m 17 (29.8) 16 (28.1) 15 (26.3) 9 (15.8) 57 (100.0) f 31 (30.1) 30 (29.1) 34 (33.0) 8 (7.8) 103 (100.0) total 48 (30.0) 46 (28.8) 49 (30.6) 17 (10.6) 160 (100.0) feel uncomfortable with online conversation m 23 (40.4) 14 (24.6) 11 (19.3) 9 (15.8) 57 (100.0) f 43 (41.7) 32 (31.1) 23 (22.3) 5 (4.9) 103 (100.0) total 66 (41.2) 46 (28.8) 34 (21.2) 14 (8.8) 160 (100.0) feel frightened in online conversation m 26 (45.6) 13 (22.8) 10 (17.5) 8 (14.0) 57 (100.0) f 53 (51.5) 19 (18.4) 25 (24.3) 6 (5.8) 103 (100.0) total 79 (49.4) 32 (20.0) 35 (21.9) 14 (8.8) 160 (100.0) receive porn photographs or texts from cyber friends m 37 (64.9) 13 (22.8) 2 (3.5) 5 (8.8) 57 (100.0) f 84 (81.6) 5 (4.9) 7 (6.8) 7 (6.8) 103 (100.0) total 121 (75.6) 18 (11.2) 9 (5.6) 12 (7.5) 160 (100.0) receive late night texts m 24 (42.1) 14 (24.6) 13 (22.8) 6 (10.5) 57 (100.0) f 74 (71.8) 15 (14.6) 12 (11.7) 2 (1.9) 103 (100.0) total 98 (61.2) 29 (18.1) 25 (15.6) 8 (5.0) 160 (100.0) experience problem due to online relationship m 32 (56.1) 11 (19.3) 12 (21.1) 2 (3.5) 57 (100.0) f 75 (72.8) 12 (11.7) 14 (13.6) 2 (1.9) 103 (100.0) total 107 (66.9) 23 (14.4) 26 (16.2) 4 (2.5) 160 (100.0) (values in parentheses are percentages) the analysis of victimising cyber stalking of higher secondary students was done on the basis of the primary data. the table shows that 64.40percent of the higher secondary school students never accept unknown friend requests. the female students are ahead in not accepting (76.7percent) unknown friend requests than the male students (42.1percent) 54.40percent higher secondary school students never initiate online conversation with unknown friends. here also, the girls are ahead in not initiating online conversation. 69.40percent of students never communicate with online friends against their will. 41.30percent of higher secondary students never feel uncomfortable with online conversations. another 49.4percent feel frightened of online conversations. 75.60percent never receive porn photographs or texts from cyber friends. 61.3percent never receive late night texts and 66.90percent never experienced problems due to online relationships. in all these case the girls were found to be ahead in not responding than boys. table reveals that sometimes the higher secondary school students are being victimized of cyber stalking incidents. comparison of victimizing cyber stalking based on gender gender difference in victimizing the cyber stalking incidents and frequencies is compared using the independent sample t-test and it is presented in table 5. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 61 table 5: comparison of victimizing cyber stalking based on gender gender n mean sd t-value p-value male 57 19.61 4.97 3.595 .000* female 103 16.89 4.35 * p < 0.05, significant at 0.05 level. the analysis on the basis of gender indicate that there is significant difference between the mean scores of victimizing cyber stalking of higher secondary school students based on gender (t = 3.595, p <0.01). thus it can be inferred that there is significant difference between the mean score of higher secondary school students based on gender. since the mean score of the male students (m= 19.61) is greater than that of the female students (m = 16.89), it can be concluded that higher secondary school male students are more victimized for cyber stalking compared to female students. comparison of victimizing cyber stalking based on frequency of login per day comparison of victimizing cyber stalking based on frequency of login per day by the secondary school students is done using analysis of variance and it is presented in table 6. table 6: victimizing cyber stalking based on frequency of login per day frequency n mean sd f-value p-value many times a day 50 18.7800 4.79494 1.635 .168 once a day 32 17.7813 3.89983 few times a week 22 17.8636 5.01707 once a week 15 18.9333 4.84719 rarely 41 16.4146 4.97984 total 160 17.8625 4.75366 analysis of variance (f-value = 1.635, p = 0.168) presented in the table 6 reveals that there is no significant difference among higher secondary school students in victimizing cyber stalking based on frequency of login per day at 0.05 level of significance. cyber stalking did not influence the frequency of using social media by the students. comparison of victimizing cyber stalking based on duration using social media victimizing of cyber stalking based on duration of using social media by higher secondary school students is presented in table 7 indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 62 table 7: victimizing cyber stalking based on duration using social media duration n mean sd f-value p-value 6 months 22 17.5000 4.50132 0.606 .659 1 year 57 17.3509 4.40167 2-3 years 46 18.0870 4.64196 4-5 years 17 19.2941 6.76170 above 5 years 18 18.0000 4.37909 total 160 17.8625 4.75366 the table (7) discloses that, as per the f value obtained from the analysis of variance (f = 0.606; p = 0.659) there is no significant difference among higher secondary school students of being victimized of cyber stalking based on duration of using social media at 0.05 level of significance. duration of using social media has no significant role in victimizing cyber stalking among higher secondary school students. findings of the study in this study cyber stalking among higher secondary school students in kerala an attempt was made to investigate to find out the frequency of login, duration of using social media and level of cyber stalking. study reveals that there exist significant difference in the frequency of login and duration of using social media based on gender. mean cyber stalking score of the male students (19.61) is significantly greater (t = 3.595, p < 0.01) than that of the female students (16.89) and it can be concluded that higher secondary school male students are more victimized of cyber stalking compared to the female students. analysis of variance (f-value = 1.635, p = 0.168) reveals that there is no significant difference among higher secondary school students in being victimized of cyber stalking based on frequency of login per day. duration of using social media has no significant role in higher secondary school students being victimized of cyber stalking. conclusions the study investigates the victimisation in cyber stalking of higher secondary school students and its relation with gender, frequency of login cyber media and period of using social media. study reveals that majority of higher secondary school students have login cyber media many times a day or once a day. half of the higher secondary students are using cyber media for more than two years. study reveals that there exist significant difference in the frequency of login and gender wise difference is seen in the duration of using social media and frequency of login per day. study discloses that sometimes the higher secondary school students victimizing the cyber stalking incidents and male students have more victimizing cyber stalking compared to the female students. duration of using social media and frequency of login per day has no significant effect on the victimizing cyber stalking. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 63 suggestions it is essential to give proper awareness to the higher secondary school students regarding the cyber stalking and apt way of practice in the cyber world. necessary guidelines may be provided to make use of cyber media for regular learning. students may be made aware about the cybercrimes and cyber misuses and immediate action need to be taken to rescue from such situations. references blumer, h. 1969. symbolic interactionism. berkley, ca: university of california press. berkely. charon,j.m. 2001. symbolic interactionism: an introduction, an interpretation and interro gation.7th ed. upper saddle river: prentice hall. corsaro, w. a. 2005. the sociology of childhood (2nd ed). thousand oaks. pine forge press. california. glancy gd, newman aw, potash mn, tennison j. 2007. cyber stalking. in: pinals da, editor. stalking: psychiatric perspectives and practical approaches.: oxford university press, new york. henry n, powell a. 2018. technology-facilitated sexual violence: a literature review of empirical research. trauma violence abuse. 2018 april 19(2). hewitt, j. p and d. shulman. 2011. self and society: a symbolic interactionist social psychology. 11th ed. boston, ma: pearson. usa logan tk, walker r. 2017 stalking: a multidimensional framework for assessment and safety planning. trauma violence abuse. april 2017. 18(2). miller l. 2012. stalking: patterns, motives and intervention strategies. aggression and violent behaviour. 17(6): 495-506. mullen p e, pathé m, purcell r, stuart gw. 1999. study of stalkers. am j psychiatry; 156:1244-9.  myers d.g. 2016. a social psychology of the internet. int. forum teach study; 12:3-9.   national center for victims of crime. 2007. the model stalking code revisited: responding to the new realities of stalking. washington, dc: national centre for victims of crime.   nicastro a. m., cousins a.v., spitzberg b.h. 2000. the tactical face of stalking. j crim justice; 28:69-82. sheridan lp, boon j. 2002. stalker typologies: implications for law enforcement. in: boone j, sheridan l, editors. stalking and psychological obsession: psychological perspec tives for prevention, policing, and treatment. chichester, uk: wiley. p. 63-82.   thornberg, robert., delby, hanna. 2019. how do secondary school students explain bullying? educational research, 61(2). routledge. uk. indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 1 research article an exploratory study on internet use and its application by underprivileged school girls sandhya rajasekhar associate professor, m.o.p. vaishnav college for women (autonomous), email: sandhyarajasekhar@gmail.com, s. jaishree associate professor, m.o.p. vaishnav college for women (autonomous), email: jaicvs@yahoo.co.in abstract not knowing how to use the internet continues to be a significant barrier to digital inclusion in developing countries, reports world wide web foundation (2017). their digital gender gap audit (2016) reveals that half the world’s population is still offline and most of these 3.9 billion people are women in developing countries. mitigating the digital literacy gap is important to lessen the digital gender gap to ensure inclusive and equitable growth as proposed in the sustainable development goals. the focus now includes has the access to the internet resulted in potential changes, permeated the social layers and benefitted the gen z at the lower social economic strata too? has it resulted in empowerment, development, and knowledge gaining at the grassroots level? since the focus is on access, applications, and outcomes of use of the internet among underprivileged girls, the survey was conducted in tamil nadu government schools and chennai corporation schools for girls. more than 800 girls were administered the survey questionnaire. the number of filled in questionnaires was 805. the study finds that the underprivileged school girl is aware, ready and motivated to be part of the information society. keywords: internet, access, application, outcome, underprivileged girls. introduction internet use has recorded a dramatic increase in developing countries with 45.3 per cent of people online in comparison with 7.77 percent 13 years ago, reveals the united nations. “by the end of 2018, we will surpass the 50/50 milestone for internet use” declared the itu (international telecommunication union, the un agency for information and communication technologies) chief zhou. he added that it represents that we are moving towards a more inclusive global information society, yet “far too many people are still waiting to reap the benefits of the digital economy”. the use of computers, internet and mobile phones are set to hasten the process of making the world a global community but the social, cultural and economic factors determine the uses & values of technology in any society. the evolution of information and communication technologies (ict) & its rapid adoption is seen as thebackbone of globalisation. indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 2 as technological changes set to redefine and reshape societies in fundamental and unexpected ways, technology is believed to be the gateway to accelerate social & economic change in developing nations. according to a government of india press release (2016), digital literacy refers to the knowledge to handle digital devices such as computers, tablet, pcs and smart phones, and internet usage. digital literacy is the usage and comprehension of information in the digital age, describes gilster (1997) in his book, digital literacy. digital literacy is the set of competencies required for purposes of communication, expression, collaboration & advocacy, thereby ensuring full participation in a knowledge society, according to wikipedia (2017). a digitally literate person, say hunt and miller (2015), will possess a range of digital skills, knowledge of the basic principles of computing devices, skills in using computer networks, an ability to engage in online communities and social networks while adhering to behavioural protocols, be able to find, capture and evaluate information, an understanding of the societal issues raised by digital technologies & possess critical thinking skills. it is increasingly seen as a powerful development tool, used in the global battle to hit child and youthfocused targets in global education, livelihoods and health. according to the un report, women 2000 and beyond, (2005), digital divide is often characterized by low levels of access to technologies with poverty, illiteracy, lack of computer literacy and language barriers being the factors impeding access to ict infrastructure, especially in developing countries. as castells (1997) observes, the gaps in the network society will be defined less and less by geography or by transnational economic structures but rather by a digital divide, those with access to cyber space and others without such access (melkote, 2001). united nations secretary-general ban kimoon in december 2015 stated that the focus on bridging the digital divide lies in inclusive internet access for all in order to enable the implementation of agenda 2030 for sustainable development & called for intensifying and building an open, reliable, safe, secure, stable and inclusive internet. the president of the united nations general assembly thomson in july 2017 called for targeted policies and resources to develop the digital skills of today’s youth, as well as specific programmes to ensure that women and girls have access to education, health and employment opportunities, at an event held at un headquarters in new york on the theme ‘skills for the future of work’. the international telecommunication union’s (itu) ict facts and figures 2017 shows great strides are being made in expanding internet access through the increased availability of broadband networks. the report finds that 71% of the world’s population of internet users falls within the 15-24 age category. in developed countries, 94 per cent of the youth population use the internet, while the proportion is 67 per cent in developing countries and only 30 % in least developed countries. icts continue to be a key enabler of establishing an inclusive digital society. indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 3 review of literature according to a review on gender digital divide (antonio and tuffley, 2014), though women in developing countries have fewer opportunities, they show a great desire and capacity to use icts & benefit from doing so. livingstone & helsper (2007) in their study among uk 9-19 year olds propose a continuum of digital inclusion. gradations in frequency of internet use (from non and low users through to weekly and daily users) are found to map onto a progression in the take-up of online opportunities among young people (from basic through moderate to broad and then all-round users), thus indicating why differences in internet use matter, contributing to inclusion and exclusion. also, demographic, use and expertise variables played a significant role in accounting for variations in the breadth and depth of internet use. shenglin, simonelli, ruidong, bosc & wenwei li (2017) in their policy brief digital infrastructure: overcoming digital divide in emerging economies identify four major challenges the lack of digital infrastructure and services, the lack of affordable network services, devices and applications, more importantly, the lack of digital skills to create or add value, most importantly, the lack of coordinated efforts to foster social and economic equality. their recommendations include 1) at the g20 level, general principles should be set for emerging economies, supporting their economic development to close the digital divide globally, thus reducing gaps between poor & rich countries; 2) at the national level, governments should elaborate general policy guidelines and take action to reduce socio-economic inequalities across national populations. these guidelines should also clearly indicate specific measures and strategies to design innovation-friendly policies that every country should follow to sustain their economic growth. as per a world bank report, 1.063 billion people in india are still offline. manzar (2017) founder of digital empowerment foundation states that in india, 1.4 million government schools, 7-10 million teachers & several millions of children, as per official figures do not have access to the internet. the article ‘what will it take to bring india’s children online’ (manzar and chaturvedi, 2018) reveals that with a computer-student ratio of 1:89 in india (national aggregate), digital inequities are exacerbated. the authors insist on the need to focus on optimal utilization of ict resources. in today’s world, mobile technology, computers and internet, social media and online communities shape the way the younger generation learn, communicate and develop. the millennial generation is the largest age group to emerge since the baby boomer generation. buchanan, (2010) in his book meet the millennials states that they are masters of digital communication being highly-skilled and savvy in technology and believe in giving back to society and being civically engaged. their successors, fondly called gen z can aptly be called digital monarchs. a study conducted by tcs (2013) among chennai’s 1218 year old students to find out how tech -savvy they were, reveals that 68 per cent of the respondents use the indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 4 internet for finishing assignments, students like to remain connected constantly at home and elsewhere, and they follow celebrities and sports stars on social media. the digital lives of gen z (children born after 1995) boys revolves around gaming consoles and girls prefer e-book readers. they also enhance and exhibit their ideas innovatively & creatively with the use of digital technology. research reiterates that access to the internet at home or access at more locations increases the tendency to benefit out of internet usage. internet skills has a positive impact on academic performance overall, finds the study by pagani, argentin, gui, and stanca (2016) who held performance tests of internet skills for tenth-grade students with an aim to find out the ‘effects of digital literacy on educational outcomes’. the study also revealed that students who showed low academic performance or were from a low family background seemed to have benefitted more; and this was similar for students in technical or vocational schools. the study on 21st century skills and digital literacy among rural school children in india by morrin, huang & whalen (2014-2015) using qualitative methods in rural government schools in the states of delhi, himachal pradesh and rajasthan found that, among other things, while students had access to the computer, there was limited access to the internet. students did learn to operate the computer, but used them rarely to find, analyse, and use information. mobile phones were used by some students to access the internet, though not for educational purposes. kim, buckner, kim, makany, taleja, and parikh (2011) conducted a study among 210 children, aged 6-14 in 6 marginalized communities in india. their study revealed a highly portable and relatively low cost mobile learning technology is a potential means to ignite self-directed and exploratory learning & a child-centred model may be beneficial for future ict4d planning. considering the socio – economic constraints that any developing nation faces but with the determination to steer forward, the government of india has launched several initiatives. the digital india programme is a flagship programme of the government of india with a vision to transform india into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy, the vision digital india power to empower. pradhan mantri gramin digital saksharta abhiyan with an outlay of rs. 2,351.38 crore to make 6 crore rural households digitally literate by march 2019 is one of the largest digital literacy programmes in the world reports hindustan times, with the objective that digitally literate persons would be able to operate computers and digital access devices like tablets, smartphones etc.), send and receive emails, browse internet, access government services, search for information, undertaking cashless transactions, etc and hence use it to actively participate in the process of nation building. national digital literacy mission (ndlm) is a national mission on education using ict in higher education institutions, to provide digital literacy to every indian, aiming to make one person in every family digitally literate it is one of the indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 5 integral components of the prime minister’s vision of digital india. also known as the digital saksharta abhiyan (disha), the scheme has been formulated to impart it training. online labs (olabs), swayam, epathshala are some initiatives to address the dual challenge of reaching out to a diverse clientele and bridging the digital divide (geographical, socio-cultural and linguistic). the platform offers to its concerned stakeholders (students/ teachers/ educators/parents) access to e-resources through multiple technology platforms, mobile phones, tablets, computers. national career service portal, a national ict-based portal has been developed primarily to connect opportunities with the aspirations of the youth. the efforts of rashtriya madhyamik shiksha abhiyan (rmsa) is commendable in organising professional development workshops for teachers of government and corporation schools to implement better teaching methodologies using ict and have greater engagement with students in classrooms. with the government focused on ushering in digital literacy, the nongovernmental organizations are doing their bit towards inclusive digital literacy through multitude of projects. for example, a trendsetter & a major contributor, the digital empowerment foundation aims to connect unreached and underserved communities of india in an effort to bring them out of digital darkness and empower them with information access through last mile connectivity, digital literacy and digital interventions. def has its presence in 150 locations spread across 80 districts of 22 states in india. it has digitally empowered 50,00,000 people including 25,00,000 women, and through its 345 digital resource centres it has also trained more than 15000 people in digital content creation and dissemination. a survey conducted across 200 districts of india by local circles, a social media platform in which 20,000 parents participated, 8 out of 10 respondents felt that the current school curriculum needs to be upgraded focussing on hands on learning life skills, technology based learning and inclusion of real issues. self-awareness, digital fluency and good communication skills are imperative to remain relevant for the future workplace, reveals the white paper by quest alliance, an ngo which is working with students in various states. tamil nadu has emerged as one of the states at the forefront of providing digital content to students & teachers. in a revolutionary measure, the curriculum framework committee while revising the syllabus for state board schools in tamil nadu (for the year 2018-19) has given a special focus to ict in the draft syllabus in a way that it is embedded into the subjects and used in everyday classroom learning. the draft state board syllabus, within a week of its release saw 1.6 lakh downloads from 17 countries, highlighting the imminent role of ict based teaching and learning. tamil nadu for the fiscal year 2018-19 allocated rs. 333 crore towards high tech laboratories in 3090 high schools and 2939 higher secondary schools with 10-20 computers each, the indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 6 proposed cost being rs. 462.60 crore, set aside rs. 758 crore for providing laptops to school students and sought rs.200 crores from centre to provide tabs (computers) to the children in government schools. according to the syllabi of classes i, vi, ix and xi, all textbooks have qr codes that link to the digital resources and the audio and video resources to be hosted on mhrd’s digital platform diksha. every lesson has an ict corner which will link students to portals to understand concepts better through maps and simulations. the initiative received massive response with 9.38 lakh views in the initial ten days of the schools’ reopening. a senior official from the education department attributes this to the fact that basic parameters like reasonable e-literacy, exposure to online content amongst students and teachers, network connectivity etc. are quite strong in the state the recent data from june 2018 to end of february 2019 reveals over 2.1 crore qr code scans, 1.79 crore content downloads & over 6 lakh plus hours spent so far on digital content. the numbers lesson from the class vi mathematics textbook has received over 41 lakh scans and is the most popular online resource as per the data. to ensure effective implementation of the new syllabus, hi-tech labs with printers, tablets, projectors and computers with internet connectivity along with a command control centre to monitor and manage the labs and training for five teachers from each school under the auspices of the centrally sponsored ict scheme have been initiated by tamil nadu government across 3090 high schools and 2939 higher secondary schools. to strengthen the teachers’ abilities with icts, under the tamil nadu innovation initiative, the state council of educational research (scert) has been conducting workshops on the use of free and open source software (foss) to encourage teachers to adapt and use technology. 2880 teachers have been trained to use several tools and applications to make their classrooms more interactive and learner-centric. equity in digital literacy still remains a challenge. the annual status of education report (aser), 2017, that studied 1000 young adolescents aged 14-18 in 60 villages in rural tamil nadu indicates that while students have access to laptops because the state government has provide them to higher secondary school students, the young adults used it to watch movies rather than for education. oliver, state head of the pratham education foundation states that while infrastructure in the schools in the state had been steadily improving over the last few years, learning outcomes in both students of government and private schools were found to be nearly the same. aser rural survey, 2018 carried in 750 schools in 31 districts finds only a little increase in the number of computers available in the schools, 58.4 per cent in 2016 to 58.9 per cent in 2018. with the importance for ict in the revised syllabus and the plan for hitech labs in the implementation phase, it will have to be a wait and watch situation. while all efforts to usher in a digitally literate and digitally secure young indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 7 india are being made, it is imperative to assess if we are doing enough in terms of reach and scope. equipped with knowledge and resources, the information elite have better access to new technologies and have in fact been overwhelmed by its dynamic nature. the focus now includes has the access to the internet resulted in potential changes, permeated the social layers and benefitted the gen z at the lower social economic strata too? has it resulted in empowerment, development, and knowledge gain in at the grassroots level? methodology the policy brief on digital literacy in education (2011) states, “digital literacy has become much more than the ability to handle computers – just like traditional literacy and numeracy, it comprises a set of basic skills which include the use & production of digital media, information processing and retrieval, participation in social networks for creation and sharing of knowledge, and a wide range of professional computing skills”. (karpati, 2011). the present study will focus on internet and online media access, competency of use, its applications and outcomes among underprivileged school girls. definitions access: for the study, access was studied in terms of availability and use of computer and the internet on the computer & or smartphone. frequency of access and place of access is also considered. competency: competency will be studied using the constructs manage, integrate and evaluate (cetf ict digital literacy initiative – consensus document, 2008). these include degree of comfort and assessing capability in performing internet activities like search, surfing websites, selecting relevant information, verifying reliability of information, uploading and downloading information, using email, social media and other. application: the california ict digital literacy assessments and curriculum frameworkusing the constructs create and communicate (2008)forms the basis for defining application which is studied in terms of digital skills like identifying, creating & communicating informationfor example, to complete projects, create documents or a presentation; here, it will be done in terms of using the internet and online media. outcomes: this is studied in terms of the benefits of using the internet and other online media; specifically, acquiring knowledge, networking, entertainment & personal enrichment. objectives the objectives of the study are: • to find out access to internet among underprivileged girl students • to identify competency levels of use of internet among underprivileged girl students • to find out the application of internet by underprivileged girl students • to understand outcomes of the use of the internet and online media among underprivileged girl students indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 8 design and sampling methodology used is survey among girls aged 1318 in chennai. since the focus is on underprivileged girls, the survey was conducted in tamil nadu government schools and chennai corporation schools for girls. more than 800 questions were administered the survey questionnaire. the number of filled in questionnaires was 805 (table-1.1). part one of the questionnaire dealt with demographics that was considered relevant for the study. age was considered important because this could mean more opportunities to go online using the mobile phone or / and the computer as age increased. class in which the student is studying is equally important because most schools have a computer lab with at least 2-3 computers which can be accessed more frequently by girl studying in higher classes. girls of the age group13 to 18 years, studying in classes ranging from viii to xi were respondents of the study. part two comprised questions that helped answer research objectives. to understand applications, competencies and outcomes of use of the internet among underprivileged girls, the california ict digital literacy assessments & curriculum framework (cetf ict digital literacy initiative consensus document-november 2008) was used. analysis and findings underprivileged girls from the lower socio-economic strata studying in tamil nadu government and chennai corporation schools, studying in classes viii to xi, in the age group of 16 to 18 were administered the questionnaires in their respective class rooms. the total number of completed questionnaires was 805. the response to the survey was extremely positivewhether they had access to the internet or not, all of them were aware of the internet, and were excited to be part of the survey. table 1: profile of the respondent categorisations levels of education viii std. ix std. x std. xi std. xii std. total no. no. no. no. no. no. age group 13 years to 15 years 128 117 169 24 20 458 16 years to 18 years 0 0 108 123 116 347 total 128 117 277 147 136 805 family size 1 3 members 12 17 57 23 25 134 4 6 members 109 92 213 118 101 633 7 and above members 7 8 7 6 10 38 total 128 117 277 147 136 805 indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 9 family income less than rs. 15000 102 81 161 73 83 500 rs. 15001 to rs. 30000 21 23 51 42 36 173 rs. 30001 to rs. 45000 2 5 12 7 3 29 rs. 45001 to rs. 60000 3 5 30 17 8 63 above rs. 60000 0 3 23 8 6 40 total 128 117 277 147 136 805 n = 805 respondents were from public schools run by thetamil nadu state government or the chennai city corporation. most were from low income families62.11 per cent of the girls were from families with less than an earning capacity of 15000 rupees per month, and only 8.9 per cent were from a high income background (table 1). 56.8 per cent were girls from the age group 13-15 years, and the remaining 43.10 percent were from the age group 16 to 18 years, studying in the tenth, eleventh and twelfth classes. smaller families were only 16.64 per cent of the respondents; very few, that is, just 4.2 per cent were from large families of 7 and more members. table 2: devices used by respondents to access the internet device always sometimes rarely never laptop/tablet 66 141 99 499 desktop 87 69 68 581 smartphone 326 213 70 196 n = 805, figures are in numbers the smartphone is a great leveller a whopping 75 per cent of the respondents use the smartphone to access the internet (table 2). 326 of them claim to use the smartphone always, to access the internet (table -2). not owning a computer was the reason why 45 per cent of respondents accessed the internet rarely, or never. table – 3: place and frequency of internet use device every day 4-5days a week 2-3 days a week once a week fortnightly rarely never school 13 22 20 33 4 77 636 home 184 51 54 127 9 158 222 internet café 11 8 20 51 11 122 582 n=805, figures are in numbers indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 10 seventy nine per cent have never used the internet at school-most schools do not encourage the use of internet at school time. 72 per cent of them accessed the internet at home either at least once a week, fortnightly or rarely (table 3). 184 of them accessed the internet every day at home. the computer centre was also a less popular place for accessing the internet. while all were curious and excited to use the computer and the internet, lack of access to computers, not having enough time in school and lack of wifi at home, were main reasons for accessing the internet rarely, or never. table – 4: online platforms used by respondents 3.1 search engines and websites platforms often sometimes rarely never 1 use search engines like google 172 281 73 279 2 go on websites and download information for project and school work 211 276 100 218 3 go on websites for information other than school needs 131 178 109 387 4 access e-learning sites 39 76 134 556 3.2 interactive platforms 1 use the mail (like gmail, yahoo mail, rediff) 46 109 97 553 2 chat online 152 103 126 424 3 use internet call apps like skype 86 98 138 483 3.3 social media platforms 1 access/use sites like facebook, twitter 124 132 89 460 2 videos on you tube 157 223 92 333 3 follow blogs 42 92 99 572 4 write your blog 38 75 117 575 3.4 other platforms 1 apps for uploading photos 136 179 94 396 2 apps for downloading photos 151 199 92 363 n=805, figures are in numbers more than half the respondents (56.27 percent) use search engines like google either often or sometimes and a few more, that is, 60.49 percent access websites online, for school work either often or sometimes (table – 4). also, more than half the number of respondents have never used interactive platform like the email, chat or internet call apps. using social media platforms like facebook, twitter and blogs is also rarely or never done by indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 11 more than half the number of respondents. the least popular activity on the internet is blogging. other popular uses are accessing videos on youtube (47.20 per cent), downloading photos (43.47 per cent) and uploading photos (39.13 per cent), either always or sometimes. table – 5: degree of competency in using the internet to perform different online activities sr. no. online activities good somewhat good average somewhat poor poor 1 using appropriate words to search for information using search engines 257 190 99 23 236 2 opening websites by keying in the url 121 158 154 32 340 3 selecting relevant information on websites or in search engine results 115 88 213 37 352 4 verifying reliability of information 157 83 151 57 357 5 surfing websites or multiple pages 93 68 155 55 434 6 downloading/copy pasting text files 302 130 105 15 253 7 uploading text files 159 96 144 57 349 8 downloading photos/ audio visual files 326 93 134 19 233 9 uploading photos/ audio visual files 242 96 133 26 308 10 bookmarking websites 91 84 162 53 415 11 using words that are hyperlinked 47 65 151 99 443 12 completing and submitting online forms 91 83 101 110 420 13 using email 104 48 103 91 459 14 registering & accessing social media sites 105 46 91 108 455 15 accessing and writing blogs 42 50 106 91 516 16 using the help option 111 52 107 83 452 17 using the troubleshoot option 44 31 78 117 535 n-805, figures are in numbers indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 12 the number of students who are poor at performing internet activities increases with the complexity of the process. comfort areas are downloading text files, photos and audio visual files. an almost equal number feel that they are good (31.92 per cent) or that they are poor (29.31 per cent) at using appropriate words to search for information using search engines (table 5). competency levels in sending emails, following or writing blogs, are low. 64 per cent of the girls felt they were poor at blogging or accessing blogs, and 56 per cent did not know to register and access social media sites. more than 50 per cent of the girls lacked the competency to make use of offline options like bookmarking, troubleshooting and using help. lack of practice, either because they could not access the computers or internet often were given as reasons by the respondents for the poor competency, which means that it is a case of lost opportunities for the underprivileged girls. table – 6: application of the use of internet sr. no. application number 1 you have used the internet to gather, evaluate and use information 265 2 you have used the internet to complete a project using digital tools and resources 313 3 you have identified and mentioned your sources 112 4 you know about the safe use of the internet 337 5 you are aware of your privacy options on the internet 187 6 offline, you have put together different file types to create a document or a presentation 164 7 you have sorted small software and hardware problems 145 n=805, figures are in numbers while 41.8 per cent of the respondents were confident of the safe use of the internet, a little less than a quarter of them (23.22 per cent) were aware of the privacy options of the internet (table 6). about 40 per cent of them have used the internet to gather, evaluate & use information, to complete projects. but, only 13.91 % of them identify and mention sources. table – 7: outcomes of using the internet sr. no. outcomes no. 6.1 knowledge outcomes 1 helped improve the quality of assignments 298 2 helped submit better projects 359 indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 13 3 helped perform better in examinations 259 4 helped gain instant information and updates on news/ events 261 5 educated through online education portals like tutorials, so that i learn more 152 6 helped acquire skills like fitness, baking, hairstyling, make up etc. 256 6.2 networking outcomes 1 helped to express and maintain relationships on social networking sites 246 2 helped keep in touch with teachers to clarify doubts, seek advice or submit assignments 269 3 helped coordinate and work on group assignments and projects 247 4 helps in participating with likeminded social or cultural groups/communities 202 5 helps to keep posted on what others are doing with their lives 142 6.3 entertainment outcomes 1 spend leisure time 265 2 use the internet play games by oneself/with others 367 3 access free downloading audio/visual sites on the internet 379 4 listen to music/watch videos/archives at no cost 350 5 access free do-it-yourself videos/tutorials on youtube etc. 222 6. 4 personal enrichment outcomes 1 helped improve self-confidence and personal esteem 292 2 identify how to use the internet safely, legally and responsibly 209 3 keen to get updated with new digital technologies 132 4 given opportunities to take part in social causes/campaigns/ events/public forums 183 5 helped discover inner capabilities, skills and talents 275 6 helped showcase talent/skills 243 7 created an awareness of various opportunities in education and occupation 186 8 sharpened goals for the future 194 9 given confidence to aspire for higher socio-economic levels 178 10 widened understanding of different cultures and people 140 n=805, figures are in numbers indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 14 the true success of digital and internet literacy among the underprivileged is the kind of impact it has on their overall growth. while entertainment-based use was the most popular with 47.08 % going online to access free audio-visual sites for downloading, 45.59 per cent playing games on the internet, and 43.47 per cent going online to listen to music or watch videos at no cost (table 7). the other most important outcome was knowledge based44.59 per ent of the respondents said that the use and application of the internet helped them submit better projects in school, 37.001 per cent felt that it helped improved the quality of assignments and 32.17 per cent even claimed that it helped them perform better in their examinations. 36.27 per cent of the respondents felt that accessing the internet helped improve self-confidence and personal esteem, and an almost equal number (34.16 percent) were able to discover their inner capabilities, skills and talents. 13.39 per cent found that it helped widen their understanding of different cultures and peoples. conclusion four important observations can be made from this study: 1. the mobile phone or the smartphone is the most important device used to access the internet, making it an important tool in education. 2. the internet is being used for study purposesto make better projects, to submit better quality assignments and to some, to do better in examinations, to network with teachers for school related information. 3. the internet is used for entertainment on youtube, gaming sites, and photography apps. 4. social media participation is low, this could be due to the lack of access to computer, lack of time spent on the internet and also, importantly, lack of linguistic competency. what was unmistakable was the awareness and excitement about computers, smartphone, the internet and its immense possibilities. internet access the smartphone has replaced the computer as the preferred device used to access the internet, with 75 per cent of the underprivileged girls surveyed using it for this purpose. the revolutionary growth of the mobile phone technology, easy access to people across all classes to the mobile phone at reasonable prices has made it a ubiquitous device that is used to go online anywhere, anytime, helping narrow down the digital divide. mobile phone technology in developing countries now accounts for four out of every five connections worldwide. in a recent report by the gsma (mobile for development programs ) into m-learning, more than half of all young people surveyed in ghana, india, uganda & morocco who had accessed the internet, had done so on a mobile device (https://www.theguardian.com/ sustainable-business/technologye m p o w e r c h i l d r e n d e v e l o p i n g countries). indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 15 most students were not allowed to go online while using computers in school, and a large number of the younger respondents were not allowed by their parents to go to cyber cafes, thus reducing their opportunities to use the internet. even among those who use the internet, almost 64 per cent of the respondents used the internet less than ten hours a week. online platform use among respondents popular platforms were search engines, websites for information, youtube and photo downloading and uploading platforms. interactive platforms and social media were least accessed or usedless time spent on the internet or lack of competency in language could well be the reasons for this. internet competence competency decreased with an increase in the complexity of the application. most respondents were good or somewhat good at using search engines, downloading text and audio visual files. most respondents were not comfortable networking online through social media. however, respondents insisted that poor competency was because of lack of access to the computer or the internet, and not because they found the applications difficult to use. internet application almost half the numbers of respondents (41.08 per cent) are aware of the safe use of internet, but most have to be taught about the privacy options available on the internet. according to an article on technology empowering children in developing countries in the guardian (https://www. theguardian.com/sustainable-business/ t e c h n o l o g y e m p o w e r c h i l d r e n developing-countries) a unicef study in developing countries found that up to a quarter of children in urban areas and one in every five children in rural areas surveyed in vietnam had shared personal information such as their phone number or name of their school with someone online. in south africa, more than 70 per cent of users on an online social networking site talked to strangers at least once a week. in vietnam 49 per cent of urban children had been exposed to indecent content online, while 20 per cent of rural children reported having been bullied, threatened or embarrassed online. internet usage outcomes the most important gratification seems to be in the area of entertainment, followed by positive educational outcomes from submitting better projects and homework to doing better in examinations. networking outcomes are mentioned mainly for schoolwork with 33 per cent getting in touch with teachers, and 30 per cent networking with classmates for group assignments and projects. using the internet has personally enriched 36 per cent of the girlsit has helped discover their inner capabilities, skills and talents. 20 per cent of them feel that the internet has sharpened their goals for the future. to conclude, it was found that the underprivileged girl is aware, ready and indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 16 motivated to be part of this information society. lack of regular access which a significant number of them are facing may result in stunted personal growth and enrichment. in the information age where the millennial and generation z are considered digital natives, inclusiveness is the need of the hour for the underprivileged girls. recommendations for further research the study focused on underprivileged girls in chennai government/ corporation schools. the study could be made more complete by including focus groups with underprivileged girls, in-depth interviews with teachers of government/corporation schools, and some case studies of underprivileged girls especially in the higher classes, who made an efficient and effective use of internet to improve their performance and achieve higher goals. a survey among underprivileged boys is also recommended. also recommended is a study among the urban middle and upper classes, who have a clear advantage of better access to the internet, as a comparison group. references 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(2015, march 2). assessing digital literacya framework for developing a general measure. retrieved from https://www.td.org/insights/ assessing-digital-literacya-framework-for-developing-a-general-measure. mobile broadband subscriptions on track to hit 4.3 billion in 2017. (2017, july 31) 2017. un report. retrieved from http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?newsid=57283#. wgukwfwwam8 shenglin, b, simonelli, f, ruidong z, bosc r, &wenwei li. (2017, april 3). digital infrastructure: overcoming the digital divide in emerging economies. retrieved from https://www.ceps.eu/system/files/digital_overcoming-digital-divide.pdf technology can empower children in developing countries if it’s done right. the guardian retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/technology-empower-children developing-countries the/ nudge. (2017, january 9). meet the organisations and people using digital literacy to uplift india’s underprivileged (tbi blogs). retrieved from https://www.thebetter india.com/80994/digital-literacy-need-hour-india-digital-revolution/ the digital divide is widening – especially for women. (2017, march 3) retrieved from http://webfoundation.org/2017/09/why-its -time-to-prioritise-digital-literacy un general assembly. as ‘drivers’ of innovation, youth need skills and capacity (2017, july 17) retrieved from http:// www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?newsid=57197#. indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 20 wgujliwwam8 www.digitalindia.gov.in www.techinasia.com www.msbcindia.org www.sais-jhu.edu/sites/default/files/publishable aser deliverables.pdf indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 192 research article evolving trends in computer availability in indian schools and households: a state-level comparative study sanjay kumar1, nidhi singh2 & ranjan kumar singh3 1assistant professor, department of geography, mmv, bhu, varanasi email: sanjay7jnu@gmail.com 2academic consultant, ciet-ncert, new delhi 3senior research fellow, deptt. of education, central university of south bihar, gaya abstract the education system across the world has undergone major transformations in the technological domain of knowledge. as a result, computer education, in its own way, has managed to make a permanent place for itself in our daily life and education sector. yet, our schools, mainly government schools, are not well-equipped in terms of infrastructure facilities. the present study focuses its analysis on access and use of computers and internet facilities in schools and households of india using various data sources such as district information system on education (dise) 2014-15, 202122 and 71st and 75th rounds of national sample survey (nss) data. this study tries to capture the spatial pattern of the use of computers in schools and households across the country. as per dise 2014-15, only 26.4 per cent of schools in india had computers, which increased to 47.51 per cent in 2021-22. out of this, about two-fifths of them were found non-functional. the possession of any type of computer and internet connection by households in india has also been found to be very low. in rural india, only 6 per cent of households had any type of computer, and 16 per cent had internet connections, as per 71st round of nss data. the conditions in urban areas are better than those in rural areas. variations were found at the level of gender and location, i.e. rural-urban. the proportion of urban males (aged 14 years and above) with the ability to use computers for various purposes is more than three times of their rural counterparts. in rural areas, the proportion of females are almost half of that of males for different types of abilities to use computers. apart from this, regional variations have also been observed regarding the ability to use computers for various purposes. keywords: use of computers, internet, elementary school, household, spatial pattern of use of ict. introduction the use of computers and the internet is growing day by day at high speed. almost all businesses, companies, and schools use computers for various official operations. the it sector at the global and national levels has generated massive employment in the past and continues the trend of providing jobs. with online shopping, social media and cloud computing flourishing more than ever before, there is great demand for it professionals in e-commerce and business. the majority of the employment is in the organized sector. southern states, including maharashtra account for 73 per cent of all jobs in computers and its related activities (nss, 2009-10). the internet industry in india is likely to double to reach us$ 250 billion by 2020, growing to 7.5 per indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 193 cent of gross domestic product (gdp). the number of internet users in india is expected to reach 730 million by 2020, supported by the fast adoption of digital technology, according to a report by the national association of software and services companies (nasscom, 2012). national policy on information and communication technology (ict) in school education (2012), department of education and literacy, mhrd, govt. of india had a mission to devise, catalyse and sustain ict and ict-enable activities and processes in order to improve access, quality and efficiency in the school system. its goal is to create an environment to develop a community knowledgeable about ict. objectives y with the growing industry of computers and its related activities, are indian schools, particularly elementary schools and households equipped with computers adequately? y is the common population able to operate computers comfortably with ease? database the secondary databases used for the study are: district information system on education (dise), 2014-15 and 202121 and national sample survey report no. 575 (2015). these are the data sources used widely across the country. it also helps in getting the trend in the use of computers and provides a larger perspective with data under various heads, i.e. school-level, household-level, gender and location. literature review sinha et al. (2020), in their paper, conducted a comparative study among five government schools in urban areas and five rural schools located in the ranchi district of jharkhand, india. the objective of their study is to highlight the effectiveness of computer learning among school-going teenagers, with the help of various statistical analyses such as student t-test, fisher-exact test, and chi-square test. they observed differences in attitude, awareness, and effectiveness of computer education among boys and girls ranging from 11 to 17 years of age group. the results of the study showed that most of the students achieved basic computer knowledge at the age of 13 years. however, it was observed that girls achieved basic computer education better than boys, but boys achieved advanced computers much better than girls. this situation dramatically changed as both boys and girls registered low scores on computer studies as they had to assist their parents in the family earnings and work. moreover, the study depicted that there is a huge gap between governmental recommendations and advertisements on the one hand and the growth of computer education in our country on the other. a significant difference in interest towards computer education between the teachers of rural and urban areas was stated by gupta and patel (2016). a significant difference was also observed between the students of rural and urban areas towards computer education, in which the interest of the students of urban areas was more significant. the role of computer and information technology in the field of education and how it makes teaching-learning processes enjoyable to readers has been discussed by dabas, n. (2018). she also made a sharp demarcation between classroom teaching guided by computers in earlier days and today’s computer education system. this paper presents that computers and their related techniques have completely indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 194 changed our present quality of education and become an indispensable part of our lives. distance learning, online examination, monitoring, and computer-aided learning are some of the benefits of computers in education. nonetheless, computer and information technology not only provide successful learning programs but also increase the retention capacity of students. kumar and kumar (2020), on the basis of their study, say that computers are mostly used by students and teachers in universities, libraries and other academic pursuits, with the majority of respondents being men, indicating gender discrimination, which still needs further improvement. the majority of the male respondents used a computer every day compared to female respondents. the study recommends that the university authority needs to provide a congenial environment for female respondents by providing free hostel facilities on the campus for the optimum use of computers and other ict facilities. most of the respondents have a highly positive attitude towards the use of computers. in this context, it is suggested that the concerned university authorities need to provide more computer facilities with internet connections and ict-based learning programmes to the students and faculty members so as to enhance their academic activities. raja and naga subramaniumi (2018) say technology has a positive impact on education and at the same time may also pose negative effects. teachers and students should take advantage of this in a good light and eliminate the drawbacks which are pulling back many students as well as schools from achieving excellence. it is thus time for every country to introduce a more technologically equipped education sector in the future. upadhyay, p. (2016), in his paper, surveys the research work done on the theme: the advent of information and communication technology at the school level in the contemporary period as well as the effectiveness of information and communication technology at the primary level in the indian context. with the help of many references, he shows that ict brings benefits to the teaching-learning style and provides rich educational materials for students, teachers, and schools. he revealed that despite the immense importance of ict in teaching-learning processes, india faces major drawbacks whether in terms of access to ict facilities or capabilities of teachers, and infrastructural facilities at schools. he reported that even after launching two educational programs such as ‘gyanvani’ and ‘gyandarshan’ for students from primary to university levels, the adaptation of modern techniques in teaching-learning processes is a big question in india. he used the dataset from 1984-85 to 2007 to assess the quality of learning aided by ict in various indian states and thereby concluded that although the government has invested millions of rupees in strengthening computeraided learning, most of the schools are lagging behind in achieving the target. to ameliorate this adverse situation, he urged modification in teaching skills and responsibilities of schools to enhance the successful implementation of ict in schools. yadavet al., (2016) in their paper documented the challenges and experiences encountered by computer science teachers of the usa in their schools to meet the growing demand for computer science education. not only in the united states of america, the push for introducing computer science education is a common phenomenon even in the curriculum of primary and secondary classes all across the indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 195 world. they selected twenty-four high schools from across the united states of america to understand the challenges faced by computer science teachers in their classrooms. they interviewed 24 teachers with the help of a questionnaire to address the challenges. they arranged the interviews to put it to qualitative analysis software called dedoose, which generates 58 codes from the raw data. the codes were broadly divided into eight conceptual themes and then categorized into three classes: all-embracing challenges, professional needs, and factors affecting teaching in a computer science classroom. the study suggests that computer science teachers should indulge themselves in community teaching, which develops habits of practice teaching with each other and provides opportunities to reflect on their thinking as well as gain pedagogical perspectives. the importance of ict integration to support teaching-learning processes in schools of malaysia was described by ghavifekr, s., and rosdy, w. a. w. (2015). the main aim of their study is to analyze the effectiveness of ict integration for both teachers and students through teachers’ perceptions. random sampling was done with the help of a survey questionnaire from ten public secondary schools in kuala lumpur, malaysia. raw data were obtained from 101 teachers and a quantitative method was followed for this research. the data were analyzed using spss software for both descriptive and inferential statistics. the results show that professional training programs for teachers played a key role in enhancing quality learning among the students and also helped in strategic planning and educational policymaking for the country. methodology in the present study, both qualitative and quantitative works have been done in this study. this comprehensive study is descriptive in nature, encompassing all the relevant facts and figures based on secondary data sources. some graphical representations have also been used to represent the data more meaningfully. analysis electricity in schools in india the use of ict has some prerequisites, and the availability of electricity is one of them. so, apart from being an essential part of our day-to-day life, electricity is required as the basic infrastructure for running electrical equipment and, here, computers. but, all the schools in india do not have the provision of electricity. in india, only 60 per cent of schools had electricity in 2014-15. some states performed poorly, and some states had a percentage more than the national average. some of the northern states like jharkhand, assam, bihar, jammu & kashmir (j&k), madhya pradesh (m.p.), odisha, uttar pradesh (u.p.), rajasthan and west bengal had figures below the national average. jharkhand and assam had figures below 20 per cent. some states/uts, like kerala, karnataka, gujarat, punjab, chandigarh and delhi, had more than 90 per cent of schools with electricity connections. the situation improved by 2021-22 (as seen in fig-1), with the majority of the states and uts of india having more than 80 per cent of schools having electricity. the national average was found to be 89.34 per cent. the northeastern states and some of the states/uts like m.p and j&k still had many schools with no electricity connection. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 196 fig.-1 (source: udise 2021-22) availability of computers (and functional computers) and internet in schools the use of computers has become a part of the curriculum in the school system of india. it not only helps generate the required skills among the students for using computers, but it also helps in incorporating ict into pedagogy in teaching-learning practices. nep 2020 also suggests adequate use of computers in teachinglearning at various stages of education (nep 2020). udise+ (unified district information system for education plus) reports of 2014-15 and 2020-21 show that in india, the percentage of computer facilities available in schools was 25.2 per cent in the year 2014-15, which increased to 41.25 per cent in 2020-21. there were spatial variations, with some of the southern and western states/uts like gujarat, kerala, tamil nadu, etc. having higher percentages of computer availability. on the other hand, northern states and northeastern states performed poorly. apart from the availability of electricity and computers, it is also important to have functional computers available for use by learners. udise reports of 2014-15 and 2020-21 show that in the majority of the states/uts, a large percentage of schools did not have functional computers. some larger states like chhattisgarh, jharkhand and rajasthan were found to have improved their conditions from 2014-15 to 202021. the figures for the year 2021-22 (fig.-2) still show that except kerala, punjab, haryana, gujarat, chhattisgarh, jharkhand and sikkim that had more than 80 per cent schools with functional computers, the majority of the states/ uts performed poorly in this parameter as against the national average of 95.25 per cent. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 197 fig.-2 (source: udise 2021-22) all these figures point out the poor maintenance of computers and their use at school, even if their availability is there as an infrastructure. even though the schools now have made computers available as an infrastructure, they are not available for use in the teachinglearning process. fig.-3 (source: udise 2021-22) indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 198 the availability of the internet at schools can be considered as another indicator to determine the level of use of ict in schools. as fig-3 shows, barring delhi, rajasthan and kerala, the majority of the states/uts of india average to have poor availability of internet facilities in schools. the national average was found to be around 33 per cent, meaning only this high percentage of schools had internet facilities in them. the western and southern states performed better than the eastern and northeastern states. internet facilities not only ensure easy communication of the school as a unit with other organizations but also good connectivity within the school. it also helps in the use of internet for pedagogical use in teachinglearning. availability of computers at the household level apart from schools, the availability of computers at home for the use of households is also an important variable to determine the use of computers. as the data source (nsso) shows, about 6.2 per cent of households had computers in their home in rural areas, which decreased to 4.4 per cent (a decline of 2.2 per cent) till the survey year of 201718. in the case of urban households, the percentage was 29.2 per cent which also decreased to 23.4 per cent, i.e. by about 5 per cent till the survey year 2017-18. states like chattisgarh, odisha, bihar, jharkhand, west bengal, madhya pradesh, tripura, up, assam, karnataka and manipur had lower percentages of availability of computers in rural areas than that of the national average. on the other hand, states like maharashtra, tamil nadu, punjab, himachal pradesh, puducherry, daman & diu, a & n islands, nagaland, sikkim, mizoram, kerala, delhi, chandigarh, lakshadweep and goa had a higher percentage in rural areas than the national average. it must be noted here that the report does not capture the availability of smartphones and other handheld devices. availability of internet facilities at the household levelrural the availability of the internet is related to the use of computers but makes an important aspect while assessing the use of ict. the national average of internet access in households came to nearly 24 per cent till the survey year 2017-18. the figures were 15 per cent in the case of rural and 42 per cent among urban households. from the previous year, the decline in internet availability was noticed by 1.1 per cent and 6.7 per cent in rural and urban households, respectively. table-1: households with internet facilities for different states of india range of categories (%) rural urban < 40 poor andhra pradesh, assam, bihar, chhattisgarh, delhi, gujarat, haryana, jammu & kashmir, jharkhand, karnataka, madhya pradesh, maharashtra, odisha, punjab, rajasthan, tamil nadu, telangana, uttarakhand, uttar pradesh, west bengal andhra pradesh, bihar, chhattisgarh, jharkhand, karnataka, madhya pradesh, odisha, tamil nadu, west bengal indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 199 41-80 average himachal pradesh, kerala assam, delhi, gujarat, haryana, himachal pradesh, jammu & kashmir, kerala, maharashtra, punjab, rajasthan, telangana, uttarakhand, uttar pradesh >80 good none none all india 14.9 42 (source: nsso 75th round 2017-18) the distribution of states/uts as per the availability shows that the majority of the states in india had low, i.e. less than 40 per cent, availability of internet facilities in rural areas. only two states namely, himachal pradesh and kerala, had access to internet facilities in 4180 per cent of households. however, households in urban areas had better access to internet facilities and northern as well as western states seemed to perform better (average level) as compared to other parts of the country. none of the states had more than 80 per cent of households with access to internet facilities. details on tools used on computers and the internet are given in the tables given in the appendices. conclusion in the present times, when the world and even the indian government are working extensively for digital transformation, many schools and households of india are still deprived of basic infrastructural facilities like availability of computers and internet facilities. it is important here to note that the samagra shiksha scheme of the government of india, launched in 2018, ensures the availability and use of ict-related infrastructure in schools. this scheme is an integrated scheme for school education covering all the stages, i.e. from pre-school to class xii. the scheme treats school education as a continuum and is also in accordance with  the sustainable development goal for education (sdg-4). the scheme provides support for the implementation of the right of children to free and compulsory education act, 2009 (rte). along with this, it has also been aligned with the recommendations of  national education policy (nep) 2020. the ict and digital initiatives component of samagra shiksha covers all the government and aided schools having classes vi to xii. under this component, financial assistance is provided for establishing ict labs and smart classrooms in schools. the nonrecurring and recurring grants under ‘ict and digital initiatives’ are available to the states and uts for proper implementation of this scheme. despite such schemes launched by the government, though the availability of computers in schools all across india has increased, the availability of functional computers is another point of concern. there seem to be large variations in the availability of these facilities across the country at various levels. internet access at school was also found to be below 60 per cent of schools in most parts of the country. variations were also found at the state and ut levels, where western and southern states seem to perform better than some of the northern and eastern states. similarly, access to computer and internet facilities at the household level was poor in most parts of the country. as compared to the schools, the performance of households was poorer in the availability of the two ictrelated infrastructures. the schemes (samagra shiksha and schemes prior to this) launched by the government to ensure ict facilities at schools can be the reason behind this. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 200 the it and ite sector has generated massive employment in the past and continues to provide jobs. however, the percentage of properly functional computers, even at schools in some of the states of the country, is as low as 40 per cent. there is a big gap between rural and urban households having computers and their knowledge of operation. such situations pose a question mark on the efforts made at the level of formulation policy and program and at the stage of implementation. infrastructures related to computer education in schools need an enhancement in the present, times for which the availability of basic infrastructures related to that is a prerequisite. basic knowledge of computers of common people also needs to be enhancedat the household level. these pose a few questions: having such variations in the availability of computer-related infrastructures at the school and household level, how does india aim to bring digital revolution and transformation in society? what sort of impact have campaigns like digital india made on the availability of infrastructure related to computer education? whether the availability of computers in households should also take into consideration the availability of handheld devices like smartphones and tablets? the present study, therefore, generates these questions, which can be further analysed. references gupta,n. and patel d.l.2016. a study of the necessity of computer education at higher secondary level. international journal of science and research (ijsr), vol .6.14.pp.601-603. kumar,b. and sampath, b.t.k. 2020. computer usage in teaching and learning indian academics: exploring the gender disparity. library philosophy and practice (e-journal) at university of nebraska-lincoln, vol.4596. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac raja,r. and nagasubramani,p.c.2018.impact of modern technology in education.journal of applied and advanced research, 2018: 3(suppl. 1) s33 s35 https://dx.doi.org/10.21839/ jaar.2018.v3s1.16 dabas, n. (2018). role of computer and information technology in education system. international journal of engineering and techniques, 4(1), 570-574. ghavifekr, s. and rosdy, w.a.w. (2015). teaching and learning with technology: effectiveness of ict integration in schools. international journal of research in education and science (ijres), 1(2), 175-191. sinha, k., sambhav, s., singh, s., and sinha, t. (2020). effectiveness of computer technology in education system for indian students. international journal of advanced science and technology. vol. 29, no. 8s, pp. 1391-1399. upadhyaya, p. (2016). teaching-learning with ict at primary level. international education and research journal (ierj). 2(2), 23-25. yadav, a., gretter, s., hambrusch, s., and sands, p. (2016). expanding computer science education in schools: understanding teacher experiences and challenges. computer science education, taylor and francis group, 1-20. nasscom (2012): the it-bpo sector in india: strategic review, new delhi. nsso report 575, education in india, 2016, based on nss 71st round on social consumption: health and education, ministry of statistics and programme implementation, national statistical office, government of india. key indicators of household social consumption on education in india, nsso 75th round, july 2017-june 2018, ministry of statistics and programme implementation, national statistical office, government of india. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 201 appendices table-1: persons aged 14 and above having knowledge of word, search and email (rural & urban) states/uts rural urban total word search email word search email word search email andhra pradesh 7.3 6.7 6.3 25.6 24.7 23.5 13.2 12.5 11.8 arunachal pradesh 11.8 10.8 9.5 28.4 25.1 23.2 14.5 13.2 11.8 assam 6.1 5.6 4.6 28.6 27.3 26 9.1 8.4 7.4 bihar 3.3 3.5 3.3 19.1 19.3 17.3 5.1 5.3 4.9 chattisgarh 2.5 2.2 1.8 17.8 17.2 15.5 5.5 5.1 4.5 delhi 27.3 28.2 26.8 39.8 40.1 39.3 39.4 39.7 38.9 goa 34.5 28.9 26 40 34.8 32.5 37.7 32.4 29.9 gujarat 10.3 8.6 7.9 29.2 26.1 24.3 18 15.8 14.6 haryana 12.1 11.1 8.7 33.4 31.3 29 19.2 17.8 15.4 himachal pradesh 18.3 17.3 15.9 39.6 38.4 37.9 20.6 19.6 18.3 jammu & kashmir 8 8.6 6.5 23.6 24.6 21.7 11.3 12 9.7 jharkhand 4 3.8 3.4 21.8 21.8 20.4 7.9 7.8 7.1 karnataka 9.1 7.7 6.8 31.4 29.4 28 17.8 16.1 15 kerala 29 25.3 22.7 37.9 34.2 32.5 33 29.3 27.2 madhya pradesh 41 4.1 3.6 23.5 24.1 21.7 9.5 9.7 8.6 maharashtra 11.4 10.9 10.3 34.6 35.1 33.1 21.7 21.6 20.4 manipur 4.6 6.6 4.7 8.6 12.9 9.6 5.9 8.6 6.3 meghalaya 11.9 9.2 5.2 41.3 37.4 33.1 17.2 14.3 10.3 mizoram 21.4 14.6 11.1 35.9 28.6 24.1 28.2 21.2 17.2 nagaland 39.8 34.6 37 48.3 44.7 43.7 41.8 37 38.6 odisha 4.5 4.3 4.2 21.4 21.2 19.6 7.5 7.3 6.9 punjab 14.4 12.7 11.2 32.7 31.3 29.2 21.2 19.6 17.9 rajasthan 8.3 8.1 7.1 24.7 24 21.1 12.8 12.5 11 sikkim 19 19.1 19 45.4 47.1 46.3 24.2 24.7 24.4 tamil nadu 14.7 12.9 12 29.1 27.1 25.7 21.9 20 18.8 telangana 8.7 8.7 8.5 28.8 27.6 27 16.3 15.9 15.5 tripura 2.4 2.3 2.1 13.4 10.8 10.3 4.9 4.3 4 uttar pradesh 5 5.2 4.1 21.7 21.6 20.1 9 9.1 7.9 uttarakhand 10 10.6 10 33.9 33.9 33.2 15.6 16.1 15.5 west bengal 5.8 4.7 3.9 21.7 19.7 18 10.9 9.6 8.5 a & n islands 14.6 12.1 11.3 27.9 22.6 19.2 19.6 16.1 14.3 chandigarh 30.5 28.9 27.1 48.6 43.8 42.4 47.9 43.3 41.8 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 202 d & n haveli 5.6 5 5 42.8 41.2 41.2 24.1 23 23 daman & diu 26.8 32.1 17.3 30.2 30.5 27.7 29.6 30.8 25.7 lakshadweep 32 32.5 26.3 39.5 36.5 36.3 37.9 35.7 34.2 puducherry 32.8 34.5 31.4 33.3 33.1 31.4 33.1 33.5 31.4 india 7.8 7.3 6.5 28.1 27.1 25.4 14.2 13.5 12.4 source: nss report no. 575, 2016 table-2: persons aged 14 and above having knowledge of word, search and email (male & female) states/uts male female word search email word search email andhra pradesh 18.1 17.5 16.6 8.3 7.5 7 arunachal pradesh 18 16.2 14.5 10.6 9.8 8.6 assam 11.3 10.4 9.6 6.6 6.2 5 bihar 7.2 7.5 6.9 2.9 3 2.7 chhattisgarh 7.4 7.2 6.3 3.6 2.9 2.7 delhi 43.7 44.8 43.7 34 33.2 32.9 goa 44 39.7 35.9 31.5 25.3 24 gujarat 23.1 21.1 19.7 12.7 10.2 9.3 haryana 23.1 22.5 20.1 15 12.8 10.5 himachal pradesh 25.5 24.4 23.2 15.8 15 13.6 jammu & kashmir 14.5 15.4 12.8 7.9 8.2 6.3 jharkhand 11 10.9 9.9 4.7 4.4 4.1 karnataka 22 20.6 19.4 13.7 11.7 10.7 kerala 36.5 34.6 32.7 30 24.8 22.4 madhya pradesh 12.6 13 11.6 6.2 6.1 5.5 maharashtra 26 26.7 25.1 17.1 16.4 15.5 manipur 8.2 11.2 8.6 3.4 6 3.9 meghalaya 18.1 15.9 11.4 16.4 12.8 9.3 mizoram 30.7 23.4 19 25.8 19 15.4 nagaland 48.4 45 44.1 35.4 29.2 33.3 odisha 10 9.9 9.5 5 4.6 4.2 punjab 25.4 24.1 22 16.5 14.5 13.2 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 203 rajasthan 18.2 18 15.9 7.4 69 6 sikkim 25.5 26.3 25.9 22.7 22.8 22.8 tamil nadu 25.9 24.5 23.4 18 15.7 14.5 telangana 22.1 21.8 21.3 10.6 10 9.8 tripura 6.6 5.9 5.6 3.3 2.6 2.4 uttar pradesh 11.7 12.1 10.4 6.1 5.8 5.2 uttarakhand 21 21.7 20.7 9.9 10.1 9.9 west bengal 13.7 12.4 11 8 6.7 5.9 a & n islands 19.3 17.7 15.1 19.9 14.5 13.4 chandigarh 51.2 48.2 46.4 43.6 36.8 35.8 d & n haveli 28.2 27.8 27.8 19 16.8 16.8 daman & diu 30.5 32 27.7 27.9 28.7 22.1 lakshadweep 47.2 44.6 43.8 27.8 25.9 23.7 puducherry 39.1 40.7 37.6 27.3 26.6 25.4 india 17.7 17.3 16 10.6 9.5 8.7 source: nss report no. 575, 2016 indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 1 research article rethinking program evaluation in educational technology david devraj kumar professor of science education, college of education florida atlantic university, united states of america (u.s.a.), email: david@fau.edu abstract ideas for rethinking program evaluation in educational technology in order to make informed decisions to reform teaching and learning are explored. the complexity of program evaluation when dealing with complex educational technology systems involving various subject disciplines, grade levels and the degree (e.g., how, where) to which it overlaps and/or integrates with each individual discipline and grade demands more comprehensive approaches to evaluation. a comprehensive evaluation model placed in real-world supportive and contextual factors with insights from classic evaluation methods is suitable for gaining a detailed layout of educational technology programs. keywords: program evaluation, educational technology, context, comprehensive, teaching , learning introduction program evaluation in educational technology is an essential area of inquiry with considerable impact on almost every aspect of education, especially teaching and learning in this twenty-first century. reforming educational technology remains a priority in the united states, canada, india, europe, australia, and many countries worldwide because of its significant role in developing a technology-literate workforce. an apparent ongoing rush to implement educational technology is evident in almost every sector of education from k-12 to post-secondary levels. however, adequate program evaluation methods suitable for evaluating educational technology are still lacking. this lack of sufficient program evaluation methods originates primarily due to a lack of a clear understanding of educational technology, and a scarcity of strategies to fully integrate educational technology in education. often, conventional program evaluation methods developed for single discipline evaluations are arbitrarily applied to evaluate educational technology because of a push for educational technology integration in teaching and learning from businesses especially computer and software industries. in this context, further discussion will address how to think about developing program evaluation methods for educational technology. before proceeding further, it is necessary to define operationally the terms program evaluation and educational technology in the context of this paper.. program evaluation program evaluation is a complex, but systematic method of gathering and analyzing qualitative and quantitative indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 2 information (data) to determine the value (efficiency and effectiveness) of a group of related educational activities aimed at achieving the intended educational outcome (cdc program evaluation, 2018, stufflebeam and shinkfield, 2007, weiss, 1997; fitzpatrick, sanders, and worthen, 2004; altschuld and kumar, 2002). often mistakenly used interchangeably with classroom testing, the term evaluation is defined and used in many different ways in education. in earlier days, quantitative methods were dominant in the evaluation scene. however, as weiss (1993) said, compared to previous days, “evaluations are making effective use of a wider array of methods and techniques. perhaps the most notable difference from earlier days is the more frequent use of qualitative methods of study. evaluators today engage in intensive interviewing, observation, review of documents, and other such techniques. they often spend enough time on-site to observe changes in the environment, program, and participants and to develop insights about conditions associated with beneficial change. they have more to say about “how” of programs and the “why” of consequences” (p. 108). the earlier days weiss was referring to was a period when the “effectiveness of social science in general, and evaluation in particular, for guiding the improvement of antipoverty policies and programs’’ during the “war on poverty” in the sixties and seventies in the united states (p. 107). in this twenty-first century, what we as a society across the world encounter is somewhat similar in nature, not hunger, but an apathy for education. educational technology educational technology refers to a family of technological (software, hardware and associated technologies) tools mostly based on computer technology devoted to promoting more engaging, interactive and individualized learning experiences. laptops, desktops, multimedia, interactive media, the internet, world wide web, whiteboards, icloud, videoconferencing, cellphones, ipads, virtual/augmented reality, robotics, artificial intelligence, and software systems are examples of educational technology (international society of technology in education, iste, 2021; lazaro, 2020). the iste has created standards for students, educators and education leaders. as handal and herrington (2003) argued, how to use educational technology in teaching and learning should be one of the highest priorities in its implementation. following discussion will explore ways to think about program evaluation in helping stakeholders of education understand educational technology in order to make informed decisions to improve in teaching and learning. program evaluation in educational technology as a primer to exploring program evaluation in educational technology, an understanding of the ways in which educational environments (e.g., classrooms) implementing educational technology differ from traditional educational environments is necessary. the goal for using educational technology in classrooms is to emphasize student-centered indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 3 approaches to higher order thinking and problem solving skills with real-world connections (tata trusts, 2019). on the other hand, traditional classrooms tend to be textbook-centered and teacher-centered, where lower level (e.g., memory recall) skills are often the focus. since there are considerable differences between educational technology classrooms and traditional classroom environments it is obvious that there is a need for developing program evaluation methods tailored to educational technology with respect to teaching and learning, and it is not an easy task. because, if not carefully developed and implemented, a program evaluation plan purposed for evaluating educational technology programs might be skewed to evaluating the technology and not the educational processes of teaching and learning and thereby considerably deviating from evaluating the education program that is implementing educational technology in its entirety. it should be emphasized that educational technology and program evaluation are complex in their own terms; therefore program evaluation in educational technology is a much more complex and challenging task. insights from classic program evaluations insights from classic program evaluation models generally suitable for single discipline evaluation might, in sum, help in realizing the challenges in developing evaluation models for complex educational technology environments. the context, input, process, product (cipp) model (stufflebeam, 1983) is suitable for evaluating program components such as the plan, implementation, and outcomes. pre and post-tests, survey instruments, and interviews are part of the evaluation methods. the cipp model is simplified by shavelson, mcdonnell, and oakes (1989) in their approach to evaluating the state of us science and mathematics education by looking at input – student backgrounds and teacher quality, process – the quality of the curriculum and teaching, and output – achievements and attitudes. according to odden (1990), some of the limitations of this model are the loosely defined input-process-output connection, absence of process variables, and a lack of socio-demographic indicators that are more valid and reliable. therefore, while dealing with program evaluation in science education, altschuld and kumar (1995) noted that “mere input-output approaches may not be sufficient to determine the success of an educational reform. rather, process variables and gaining an understanding of the interactions amongst variables are essential for assessing the nature and effectiveness of reforms” in education (p. 14). also, “carefully evaluating development, studying process variables, evaluating outcomes along the way rather than just at the end of product [project] development, and analyzing supportive and contextual variables generates a comprehensive understanding of the overall effectiveness of science education programs and, to a degree, the interface between levels” (p. 13). this is the rationale for the contextual program evaluation model for science education developed by altschuld and indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 4 kumar (1995) and field-tested (kumar and altschuld, 1999). the guiding principles of the contextual program evaluation model developed by altschuld and kumar (1995) based science education program evaluation model with adaptations to educational technology programs follow. formative evaluation of the development of an educational technology product or program should be the main focus. the evaluation framework should emphasize the process of gaining knowledge and understanding in educational technology. the significance of the context in which educational technology programs and their support system exist should be recognized. the evaluation should take into consideration the interface between the micro and macro levels, and the subject disciplines that are addressed with educational technology, without which much of the program level data may not be interpretable. the model should also take into consideration the current societal press for accountability. overall, the model emphasizes that the development of the program (and/ or product) is placed in real-world supportive and contextual factors. the supportive factors are learning environment, teacher preparation, instructional materials, administrative support, fixed facilities, and community involvement (exline and tonelson, 1987). the contextual factors are characteristics of students, parents, the nature of the community, features of the program, specific school, school district, and society (field and hill, 1988). it could be argued that since the context of educational technology itself is rich enough to complement any subject discipline it is aligned with in the teaching and learning process, the context stands to provide invaluable insights into education programs in terms of curriculum, instruction, teachers, students and testing useful for making informed evaluative decisions, and should be an integral part of program evaluation in educational technology (altschuld and kumar, 1995; fitzpatrick, sanders, and worthen, 2011; field and hill, 1988; kumar and altschuld, 2003; altschuld and kumar, 2010). in program evaluation, the context refers to the culture, environment or climate in which the program is conceptualized, developed and implemented and a supportive context is essential to program or project success (kumar and altschuld, 2003). “if a context is not supportive of change, if policies are not there to foster and reinforce change, if resources in the form of time and training besides finances are not provided, if the environment does not afford the opportunity to try out ideas and to learn from failures, and if other aspects of a conducive, open atmosphere are not present, the probability of institutionalizing successful new programs will be extremely low” (kumar and altschuld, 2003, p. 605-606). (see kumar and altschuld (2003) and altschuld and kumar (1995) for details and discussions about the context based evaluation model.) this is the condition of many well intentioned educational technology programs. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 5 complexity of educational technology and the complexity of evaluating educational technology programs the complexity of educational technology creates a need for more comprehensive approaches to program evaluation methods. ideally, when distinct disciplines such as science, language, social studies, mathematics, and arts are represented individually or in some combination using educational technology, the resultant teaching and learning process is complex. the role and nature of educational technology will change depending upon the degree (e.g., how, where) to which it overlaps and/or integrates with each individual discipline. most approaches to program evaluation in educational technology ignore this basic difference in overlaps and integration and end up adapting evaluation methods that are developed for single discipline educational settings. therefore it is necessary that program evaluation should be made comprehensive enough to include multiple methods and through their use should enable it to capture an indepth picture of large-scale educational technology programs and projects in teaching and learning. from this perspective, it is worth reviewing how three different approaches to evaluating an interactive multimedia-based science teacher education project in sum provided a comprehensive view of the project, which is impossible to obtain otherwise. this example is used due to the availability of published research and reports on the project in addition to familiarity with the project. sample comprehensive evaluation a review of three different approaches used in the evaluation of the project “improving science education: a collaborative approach to the preparation of elementary school teachers,” and the findings from the three different approaches may help to gain an understanding of a comprehensive approach to program evaluation. the reason for using this example is that this project has developed interactive multimedia technology-based cases of effective and ineffective elementary school science teaching strategies suitable for science methods courses taught at vanderbilt university. as discussed earlier this project integrated educational technology with science and science teaching methods. science educators from the college of education, science faculty from the college of arts and sciences, and teachers from grades 4-7 from the local school district have collaborated. the three evaluation methods used and their respective findings follow (kumar and altschuld, 2003). 1. traditional evaluation conducted by project staff (barron et al., 1999) method onsite observations, tests, surveys and follow-up interviews. findings – significant gains in teacher competency (e.g., section of learning e x p e r i e n c e s and materials which stimulate student curiosity and scientific investigations). student behavior (e.g., student involvement in lesson) and other activities (e.g., hands-on discovery). indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 6 2. traditional evaluation conducted by an external agency (u.s. congress, office of technology assessment, 1995) method observation of science methods class, review of project publications and software and interviews of project investigators. findings – strong faculty development and research effort, theoretical foundation, incentives for faculty involvement, “expensive infrastructure.” 3. context evaluation conducted by external evaluators (kumar and altschuld, 1999) methods onsite and in-school observations, document reviews and semis t r u c t u r e d interviews of faculty, staff and administrators on university campus, school administrator interviews, university teacher education students and graduates’ interviews. findings strong administrative support, technical support, conducive organizational environment, a critical mass of interest by project participants in the project, mutual permeation in science and education departments, methods students perception of project benefits to understanding pedagogy on campus and in teaching situations in schools. it is obvious that the findings of the three distinct evaluations summarized above have generated a comprehensive picture of the project with a comprehensive evaluative outcome that is not possible to obtain by a single evaluation alone. also, this evaluation was for evaluating an undergraduate elementary teacher preparation program involving interactive multimedia technology in science education methods, and should not be applied without needed adaptations to evaluating educational technology programs that involve other subject disciplines in other grade levels. final thoughts in terms of program evaluation in educational technology, an argument could be made that models for evaluating educational technology in a single discipline like science have limited fit to the spectrum of disciplines in education programs. obviously when it comes to evaluating educational technology with reference to a wide variety of subject disciplines, there is no one universally accepted model of program evaluation. as factors embedded in the context of the educational setting prescribe the adaptation and implementation of educational innovations, program evaluation of “educational innovations should involve not only whether change occurred but also issues such as why change did or did not occur as a result of a program and its meaning to the participants. these issues can be addressed by expanding evaluation plans to include the context in which an innovation is embedded” (altschuld, kumar, smith and goodway, 1999, p. 66). indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 7 therefore, a compelling need for developing comprehensive program evaluation models quite suitable for context-specific educational technology applications will continue to exist as education reform becomes more innovative with the development of newer technologies. rethinking existing program evaluation models for educational technology in teaching and learning in science, languages, social studies, mathematics, and computer science, and conceptualizing and developing models for individual educational technology situations has merit, and program evaluation for educational technology remains a fertile field for research and development. (acknowledgments: editorial assistance provided by jessica mcnair, florida atlantic university is thankfully acknowledged.) references altschuld, j. w. and kumar, d. d. (2010). needs assessment: an overview. (isbn-13: 978 1412975841; isbn-10: 1412975840). ca: sage publications. altschuld, j. w. and kumar, d. d. (eds.) (2002). evaluation of science and technology education at the dawn of a new millennium. mill ennium (isbn-13: 978-0306467493; isbn-10: 0306467496). new york: kluwer academic/plenum publishers. altschuld, j. w., kumar, d. d., smith, w. d., and goodway, j. d. (1999). the changing countenance of context-sensitive evaluations: case illustrations. family and community health, 22(1), 66-79. altschuld, j. w. and kumar, d. d. (1995). program evaluation in science education: the model perspective. new directions for program evaluation, 65, 5-17. barron, l. c., joesten, m. d., goldman, e. s., hofwolt, c. a., bibring, j. b., holladay, w. g., and sherwood, r. d. (1993). improving science education: a collaborative approach to the preparation of elementary school teachers. a final report to the national science foundation under grant number tpe-8950310. nashville, tn: vanderbilt university. cdc program evaluation. (2018). https://www.cdc.gov/eval/index.htm. (retrieved 3-92021) exline, j. d. and tonelson, s. w. (1987). virginia’s program assessment model resource guide. national science teachers association science education suppliers. field, s. l. and hill, d. d. (1988). contextual appraisal: a framework for meaningful evaluation of special education programs. remedial and special education, 9(4), 22-30. handal, b., & herrington, a. (2003). re-examining categories of computer-based learning in mathematics education. contemporary issues in technology and teacher education [online serial], 3(3). 275-287. https://citejournal.org/issue-3-03/volume-3/ mathematics/re-examining-categories-of-computer-based-learning-in mathematics-education (retrieved 3-9-2021) international society for technology in education. (2021). iste standards.standards. portland, or: author. retrieved march 9, 2021 from https://www.iste.org/standards. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 8 kumar, d. d. and altschuld, j. w. (2003). the need for comprehensive evaluation in science education. in kumar, d. d. and altschuld, j. w. (eds.), science education policy: a symposium. the review of policy research, 20(4), 561-645. kumar, d. d. and altschuld, j. w. (1999). evaluation of interactive media in science education. journal of science education and technology, 8(1), 55-65. lazaro, h. (2020). what is edtech and why should it matter to you? general assembly blog. retrieved march 9, 2021 from https://generalassemb.ly/blog/what-is-edtech/. odden, a. (1990). educational indicators in the united states: the need for analysis. educational researcher, 19(5), 24-29. shavelson, r. j., mcdonnell, l. m., and oakes, j. (eds.). indicators for monitoring mathematics and science education. (isbn-13: 978-0833009722; isbn-10: 0833009729). santa monica, ca: rand. stufflebeam, d. l. (1983). the cipp model for program evaluation. in g. f. madaus, m. scriven, and d. l. stufflebeam (eds.), evaluation models (pp. 117-141). (isbn-10: 0898381320; isbn-13: 978-0898381320). new york, ny: springer. stufflebeam, d. j. and shinkfield, a. j. (2007). evaluation theory, models and applications (isbn-13: 978-0787977658; isbn-10: 1118870328). san francisco, ca: jossey-bass. tata trusts. (2019). technology in education. india: author. retrieved march 9, 2021 from https://www.tatatrusts.org/our-work/education/deepening-learning/ technology-in-education. u.s. congress, office of technology assessment. (1995). teachers and technology: making the connection, ota-her-616. washington, dc: us government printing office. retrieved march 9, 2021 from https://www.princeton.edu/~ota/disk1/1995/9541/ 9541.pdf weiss, c. h. (1997). evaluation, second edition. (isbn-13: 978-0133097252; isbn-10: 0133097250). nj: prentice hall. weiss, c. h. (1993). politics and evaluation: a reprise with mellower overtones. evaluation practice, 14(1), 107-109. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 26 research article attitude of teachers and students towards online examination during the covid-19 period: a study monjusree bora assistant professor, department of education, raha college, nagaon, assam e-mail: monjusree1@gmail.com abstract covid-19 pandemic had paused our day-to-day life for a while when the whole world was shuttered by its devastation. for every country, the economy and education have remained the utmost priorities in matters of development. it is of no exception for our country that the most prominent sectors affected by covid-19 were the economy and education. the most vulnerable was the student community because the offline classes were stopped and its related issues. due to this, the mode of examination was online only. several kinds of problems came to the forefront while analysing the advantages and disadvantages of online examination. the present study attempts to know the attitude of students and teachers towards online examinations. the investigator, by using a purposive sampling method, selected 256 undergraduate students and 80 teachers from different colleges in the nagaon district of assam. the data were analyzed by using a simple frequency percentage, mean, and sd. keywords: covid-19, online examination, students, teachers, attitude. introduction the covid-19 pandemic was caused by a virus named corona, which has affected all the people of the universe irrespective of gender, culture, race, socio-economic status, region, occupation, community and so on. it is one of the biggest pandemics regarding the number of people affected worldwide. the virus was first detected in wuhan city, hubei province, china and the first detected case was discovered on 17th october 2019. india was no exception, and it took no longer for her to be affected by covid-19 within a very short period of its inception. as a result, the indian government announced the first lockdown phase from 25th march 2020 to 14th april 2020 and its second subsequent one from 15th april to 17th may 2020. as a result, all the businesses, industry along educational institutions from pre-primary to higher education were shut down. though online learning is not a very new concept in our education system, the closing of educational institutions gave a strong reason to implement and use online education as the only alternative left to be adopted both for teachers and learners. various online platforms like whatsapp, google classroom, webex, telegram, zoom, etc, were used for the very first time largely for conducting classes, examinations, evaluations, seminars, conferences, workshops, orientation programmes, refresher courses, and faculty development programmes (fdp) etc. the teachinglearning process was quite affected for various reasons like poor connectivity, lack of electronic gadgets, untrained teachers to conduct online classes, lack of motivation, interest, attention, etc. conducting examinations online is not very old, especially in countries like india. the entire setup had to be designed in a newer and separate way. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 27 the question papers were available online, and the students within the given time frame had to write and complete their answers, then upload them online and also submit hard copies of the answer sheets to their educational institutions if required and instructed by the respective institutions. moreover, some institutions conduct examination through multiple choice questions (mcqs), which the students had to attempt online only. some educational institutions (specially the privately run institutions) made very effective attempts to let the students easily handle the entire process of online examination by giving tutorials (online) and mock test and the final examinations were conducted in the same way as they were practised previously. the higher educational institutions had even to conduct viva-voce and internal assessment examinations by online mode. various universities in india conducted m.phil ad ph.d viva-voce during covid-19 period through online mode, which gives a new dimension to shift teachinglearning and research from offline to online mode. review of related literature bachhar, anindita and das mitu (2021) in the study found that there existed no difference in the attitude of students (gender, qualification, and habitat). some insufficient technical structure makes the offline examination more comfortable and reliable than online mode. mondal rimi (2021) conducted a study to know the attitude of college and university students towards online examination. the study reported that there was no difference between the attitudes of college and university students towards online examination. but, significant differences were found between the attitude of boys and girls of colleges towards online examination. however, the attitude of university boys and girls showed no difference. khan, m et al. (2020), made a study on students’ perception towards e-learning during covid-19 pandemic in india. the study reveals the preferences of students for e-learning as it provides them much freedom to connect with their teachers, fellow students and engage with their study materials at the comfort and flexibility of space and time .this findings is based on usefulness, self-efficacy, ease of use of students as regards e-learning. therefore, necessary measures should be adopted for improving the quality of e-learning to help with better learning of students during the phase of covid-19 pandemic. elsalem, lina et.al (2020) in the study found that online examination had more benefits than offline traditional examinations. it was found efficient regarding time, effort and money spend on the entire process of the examination. elzainy, et.al (2020) made a study to know the experience of e-learning and online assessment during covid-119 pandemic. the samples were selected from college of medicine, qussim university. e-learning was found to be very effective and beneficial. digital learning environment was found very impressive and students were highly satisfied regarding online assessment. adanir, gulgun. afacan. et.al. (2020) found learners’ changed perceptions according to gender, major and prior online course experience variables. the turkish learners found online examination less stressful, reliable and fairer than the kyrgys students. needs and significance of the study covid-19 is the largest pandemic ever faced by humanity. the teachinglearning process was affected badly by it. examination is the process to evaluate students’ academic progress and achievement. it is also necessary to promote them from one standard to another. the covid-19 pandemic along indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 28 with other aspects of teaching-learning also left no exception to convert the traditional offline examination to online, which was not very obvious both for students and teachers to accept easily. therefore, to know the attitude of students and teachers towards online examination is very important as it will open various positive and negative aspects of the same. this will be helpful to wipe out the negative impacts and work on them to make online examination as fruitful and useful as offline. if we are able to do it, conducting online examination in better ways in near future (whether any pandemic situation will be there or not) will be possible. this will also make online examination as a substitute of offline examination in its true sense. with these things in mind, the investigator conducted the present study. objectives of the study 1. to know the attitude of students towards online examination. 2. to know the attitude of teachers towards online examination. 3. to know the challenges faced by students and teachers regarding online examination. hypotheses h1: the attitude of students towards online examination is positive. h2: the attitude of teachers towards online examination is positive. methodology of the study descriptive survey method was used for conducting the study. the sampling method selected by the investigator was purposive sampling method. the total undergraduate population of the selected colleges were 1280. among them, 650 were boys and 630 were girls. the investigator selected 20 per cent students i.e., 256 students as samples for the study. 20 per cent boys (130) and 20 per cent girls (126) were taken. moreover, 80 teachers’ samples were selected for the study. an attitude scale was prepared by the investigator for conducting the study. it was a likert type scale having 20 statements to know the attitude of both students and teachers. there were alternatives namely strongly agree, agree, undecided, disagree and strogly disagree against each statement. the respondents had to put tick mark in any one alternative in every statement. 5,4, 3,2 and 1 marks were given in the alternatives strongly agree, agree, undecided, disagree, and strongly disagree respectively and the reverse pattern that is 1,2,3,4,5 marks were given in the alternatives strongly disagree, disagree, undecided, agree and strongly agree respectively. moreover, a questionnaire was prepared to know the challenges faced by students and teachers. a total 32 questions were incorporated and every question had two (2) options‘yes’ and ‘no’. the respondents had to select any one option from the two. for the response ‘yes’ 1 mark and for ‘no’ 0 mark was given and the number and percentage of positive and negative attitude were determined. before finalising the questionnaire and attitude scale, a pilot study was conducted on samples of students who were of same nature selected for the study. the questionnaire included 45 questions of closed form and 50 statements. in order to test the content validity of the questions and statements, it was applied on 100 students before final execution. after getting responses from that group, the tools were given to experts and on the basis of suggestions, modifications were done and final form was prepared. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 29 scoring weightage of the attitude scale for interpretation of attitude levels, raw scores were converted into z-scores and attitude levels were determined accordingly and that procedure was made similar to that one adopted in scoring the items of the try-out attitude scale. table-1 : assignment of attitude levels 1. range of z-scores attitude level 2. +.22 to +2.60 positive 3. -.80 to -4.53 negative reliability co-efficient of the attitude scale was calculated with the help of split-half method and test-retest method which were found 0.92 and 0.86 respectively. table-2 : gender-wise frequency and percentage of the sample (students) sl. no respondents’ demographic information frequency percentage gender 1. male 130 50.78 2. female 126 49.22 3. total 256 100.00 figure-1: gender-wise distribution of the sample (students) table-3 : locality-wise frequency and percentage of the sample (students) sl. no respondents’ demographic information frequency percentage locality 1. urban 150 58.59 2. rural 106 41.41 3. total 256 100.00 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 30 figure-2: locality-wise distribution of the sample (students) table-4 : gender-wise frequency and percentage of the sample (teachers) sl. no respondents’ demographic information frequency percentage gender 1. male 34 42.50 2. female 46 57.50 3. total 80 100.00 figure-3: gender-wise distribution of the sample (teachers) table-5 : locality-wise frequency and percentage of the sample (teachers) sl. no respondents’ demographic information frequency percentage locality 1 urban 42 52.50 2 rural 38 57.50 3 total 80 100.00 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 31 figure-4 : locality-wise distribution of the sample (teachers) analysis and interpretation of data analysis of data for the present study were done objective wise. different statistical methods like simple frequency percentage (per cent), mean and standard deviation (sd) were used. objective 1: to know the attitude of students towards online examination. h1: the attitude of students towards online examination is positive. table-6 : attitude of students towards online examination (gender wise) sl. no. statements sa a ud da sd m sd m f m f m f m f m f m f m f 1. online examination is easy to appear than offline examination. 55 52 37 30 13 10 15 18 10 16 3.86 3.67 3.56 3.44 2. there is no need to maintain discipline of examination hall in online examination. 57 50 39 30 10 12 14 18 10 16 3.91 3.28 2.08 3.46 3. it is difficult to clear doubts in online examination. 45 52 34 30 20 21 20 17 11 10 3.63 3.86 3.36 3.52 4. online examination is only suitable to colleges of urban areas. 20 23 25 27 20 22 45 43 20 11 2.84 3.06 2.65 2.76 5. conducive home environment is needed for online examination. 50 55 37 35 18 10 15 25 10 1 3.78 3.55 3.49 3.65 6. online examination makes students nervous. 40 38 37 32 23 20 20 25 10 11 3.59 3.48 3.31 3.23 7. getting enough confidence in online examination is tough. 45 50 37 36 23 20 15 10 10 10 2.01 3.93 3.64 3.52 8. result of online examination is not satisfactory. 25 35 20 12 25 10 35 10 25 11 2.88 2.25 2.72 2.71 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 32 9. internet connectivity is very crucial in online examination. 70 76 27 35 18 10 10 4 5 1 4.13 4.44 3.76 3.99 10. good ict tools are needed for online examination. 68 70 36 35 20 10 4 9 2 2 4.26 4.28 4.43 3.76 11. online examination is costly. 42 38 38 28 10 12 20 20 20 28 3.47 3.06 3.28 3.12 12. online examination is suitable to bright students. 52 45 28 34 15 8 15 18 20 21 3.59 3.51 3.40 3.17 13. online evaluation of answer scripts is not easy. 45 50 23 42 17 8 10 15 35 11 3.25 3.83 3.16 3.54 14. online examination can not take the place of offline examination. 70 67 35 43 15 10 10 4 5 2 4.30 4.34 3.76 3.91 15. online examination is very erratic. 55 60 35 42 10 10 18 7 12 7 3.79 4.12 3.52 3.76 16. cheating can be easily done in the online examination. 70 75 45 43 8 5 5 2 2 1 4.35 4.5 3.97 4.04 17. prior instructions are needed before appearing online examination. 76 80 45 41 5 3 2 1 2 1 4.46 4.57 4.01 4.09 18. online examination is time consuming. 60 65 44 42 10 5 12 7 4 7 4.10 4.20 4.18 3.83 19. it is easy to conduct online examinations at any time of the academic year. 70 65 35 39 10 17 11 4 5 1 4.20 4.29 3.83 3.86 20. online examination saves the money and energy of college administration. 45 50 23 42 17 8 10 15 35 11 3.25 3.83 3.16 3.54 * strongly agree (sa), agree (a), undecided (ud), disagree (d) and strongly disagree (sd) from table 6 it is revealed that regarding easiness to appear online examination than offline examination maximum number (male 55, female 52) students are strongly agree with mean 3.86 (male) and 3.67 (female) and sd 3.56 (male) and 3.44 (female). 57 male and 50 female students strongly agreed with the fact that there is no need to maintain discipline in the examination hall during online examinations, with mean values of 3.91(male) and 3.28 (female) and sd 2.08 (male), 3.46 (female). 45 male and 52 female students also strongly agreed that it is difficult to clear doubts in the online system of examination (mean of males 3.63 and 3.86 for females; sd of males 3.36 and for females 3.52). regarding the fact that online examination is suitable for colleges of urban areas, the highest number of responses are found in the disagree category (45 males and 43 female students with indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 33 a mean of 2.84 for males and 3.06 for female students; sd 2.65 (males) and 2.76 (female). the statements in which students strongly agreed apart from the above mentioned are requiring a conducive home environment for online examinations (males 50, female 55), becoming nervous to appear online examination (male 30, female 38), tough to get enough confidence in online examination (male 45, female 50), how crucial internet connectivity for appearing in online examination (male 70, female 76), need of ict tools (male 68, female 70), costliness of online examination (male 42, female 38), suitability of online examination for bright students (male 52, female 45), online examination which can not take the place of offline examination (male 70, female 67), erratic nature of online examination (male 55, female 60), easy use of cheating (male70, female 75), need of prior instructions to appear in online examination (male 76, female 80). on the other hand students have agreed in some statements like timeconsuming nature of online examination (male 60, female 65), easiness of conducting online examination in any time of the academic year (male 60, female 65) and money and time saving nature of this form of examination (male 40, female 45). table-7 : attitude of students towards online examination (locality wise) sl. no. statements ha a ud da sd m sd u r u r u r u r u r u r u r 1. online examination is easy to appear than offline examination. 65 40 59 25 11 10 17 16 8 15 4.42 3.55 3.72 3.35 2. there is no need to maintain discipline of examination hall in online examination. 67 40 40 25 10 10 23 16 10 15 3.87 3.56 3.58 3.35 3. it is difficult to clear doubts in online examination. 65 42 34 25 20 21 20 15 11 7 3.81 3.87 3.52 3.49 4. online examination is only suitable to colleges of urban areas. 25 15 25 24 20 22 55 40 25 5 2.80 3.04 2.58 2.74 5. conducive home environment is needed for online examination. 60 45 40 30 20 10 20 20 10 1 4.37 3.92 3.42 3.58 6. online examination makes students nervous. 45 28 47 30 23 20 25 20 10 8 3.61 3.47 3.35 3.18 7. getting enough confidence in online examination is tough. 55 40 40 30 25 20 17 6 13 10 3.71 3.79 3.43 3.49 8. result of online examination is not satisfactory. 30 32 30 10 25 5 45 7 25 7 3.07 2.22 2.83 2.75 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 34 9. internet connectivity is very crucial in online examination. 85 66 30 30 18 5 12 4 5 1 4.19 4.47 3.82 4.03 10. good ict tools are needed for online examination. 75 57 46 30 20 12 4 5 5 2 4.21 4.27 3.81 3.86 11. online examination is costly. 25 15 40 25 10 12 50 30 25 24 2.93 2.78 2.76 2.63 12. online examination is suitable to bright students. 20 15 30 30 15 8 60 40 25 13 2.73 2.94 2.54 2.73 13. online evaluation of answer scripts is not easy. 55 40 30 40 17 8 13 10 35 8 3.38 3.89 3.25 3.66 14. online examination can not take the place of offline examination. 80 55 40 37 15 12 10 1 5 1 4.20 4.59 3.82 4.26 15. online examination is very erratic. 21 10 37 32 10 12 57 55 12 5 2.73 3.10 2.58 2.69 16. cheating can be easily done in online examination. 76 65 50 35 8 3 7 2 7 1 4.17 4.52 2.81 2.71 17. prior instructions are needed before appearing online examination. 86 70 50 31 5 3 3 1 6 1 4.38 4.58 3.96 3.99 18. online examination is time consuming. 68 55 45 32 10 5 15 7 6 13 3.91 4.20 3.64 3.79 19. it is easy to conduct online examination in any time of the academic year. 78 55 40 29 12 17 11 4 10 1 4.30 4.25 3.75 3.83 20. online examination saves the money and energy of college administration. 55 45 33 32 17 8 10 10 35 11 3.42 3.85 3.28 3.57 * strongly agree (sa), agree (a), undecided (ud), disagree (d) and strongly disagree (sd) from table 7 it is revealed that regarding easiness to appear online examination than offline examination maximum number (urban 65, rural 40) students are strongly agree with mean 4.42 (urban) and 3.55 (rural) and sd 3.72 (urban) and 3.35 (rural). 67 urban and 40 rural students strongly agreed with the fact that there is no need to maintain discipline in the examination hall during online examinations with mean values of 3.87 (urban) and 3.56 (rural) and sd 3.58 (urban), and 3.35 (rural). 65 urban and 42 rural students also strongly agreed that it is difficult to clear doubts in the online system of examination (mean of urban 3.81 and 3.87 for rural; sd of urban 3.52 and for rural 3.49). regarding the fact that online examination is suitable for the colleges of urban areas, the highest number of responses are found in the disagree category (55 urban and 40 rural students with a mean of 2.80 for urban indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 35 and 3.04 for rural students; sd 2.58 (urban) and 2.74 (rural). the statements in which students strongly agreed apart from the above mentioned are requiring a conducive home environment for online examinations (urban 65, rural 40), tough to get enough confidence in online examinations (urban 55, rural 40), and also strongly agree category (urban 40, rural 30), how crucial internet connectivity for appearing in online examination (urban 85, rural 66), the need of ict tools (urban 75, rural 57), online examination which can not take the place of offline examination (urban 85, rural 55), easy use of cheating (urban 76, rural 65), the need of prior instructions to appear in online examination (urban 86, rural 70), timeconsuming nature of online examination (urban 68, rural 55), easiness of conducting online examination in any time of the academic year (urban 78, rural 55) and money and time-saving nature of this form of examination (urban 55, rural 45). most students agreed (urban 47, rural 30) regarding becoming nervous about appearing online examination, along with those in the strongly agree category (urban 45, rural 28). in some statements, students disagreed regarding the costliness of online examination (urban 50, rural 30), the suitability of online examination for bright students (urban 60, rural 40) and the erratic nature of online examination (urban 57, rural 55). so, analysing all the statements and responses towards them by both students regarding gender (male and female) as well as locality (urban and rural), it can be concluded that students have positive attitude towards online examination as in maximum number of statements they either strongly agree or agree towards the facts incorporated in the statements and that is why the hypothesis formulated for objective 1 is proved. objective 2: to know the attitude of teachers towards online examination. h2: the attitude of teachers towards online examination is positive. table-8 : attitude of teachers towards online examination sl. no. statements sa a ud da sd m sd n % n % n % n % n % 1. online examination is easy to appear than offline examination. 35 43.75 20 25 5 6.25 10 12.5 10 12.5 3.75 3.53 2. there is no need to maintain discipline of examination hall in online examination. 40 50 20 25 0 0 10 12.5 10 12.5 3.87 3.64 3. it is difficult to clear doubts in online examination. 45 56.25 20 25 8 10 2 2.5 5 6.25 4.22 4.37 4. online examination is only suitable to colleges of urban areas. 23 28.75 20 25 5 6.25 20 25 12 15 3.27 3.06 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 36 5. conducive home environment is needed for online examination. 40 50 23 28.75 4 5 10 12.5 3 3.75 4.08 3.74 6. online examination makes students nervous. 35 43.75 21 26.25 10 12.5 12 15 2 2.5 3.93 3.60 7. getting enough confidence in online examination is tough. 43 53.75 20 25 2 2.5 10 12.5 5 6.25 4.07 3.76 8. result of online examination is not satisfactory. 43 53.75 23 28.75 3 3.75 5 6.25 6 7.5 4.15 3.81 9. internet connectivity is very crucial in online examination. 65 81.25 10 12.5 0 0 2 2.5 3 3.75 4.2 4.26 10. good ict tools are needed for online examination. 56 70 10 12.5 2 2.5 8 10 4 5 4.32 3.98 11. online examination is costly. 34 42.5 23 28.75 5 6.25 10 12.5 8 10 3.81 3.55 12. online examination is suitable to bright students. 34 42.5 24 30 6 7.5 10 12.5 6 7.5 3.87 3.58 13. online evaluation of answer scripts is not easy. 47 58.75 24 30 3 3.75 4 5 2 2.5 4.37 3.96 14. online examination cannot take the place of offline examination. 43 53.75 23 28.75 5 6.25 5 2 4 5 4.2 3.83 15. online examination is very erratic. 45 56.25 24 30 4 5 3 3.75 4 5 4.28 3.90 16. cheating can be easily done in online examination. 46 57.5 26 32.5 2 4 4 5 2 4 4.37 3.96 17. prior instructions are needed before appearing online examination. 46 57.5 23 28.75 2 4 6 7.5 3 3.75 4.28 3.91 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 37 18. online examination is time consuming. 34 42.5 24 42.5 5 6.25 6 7.5 11 13.75 3.8 3.55 19. it is easy to conduct online examination in any time of the academic year. 54 67.5 21 26.25 0 0 2 4 3 3.75 4.51 4.09 20. online examination saves the money and energy of college administration. 43 53.75 23 28.75 2 4 10 12.5 2 4 4.18 3.82 * strongly agree (sa), agree (a), undecided (ud), disagree (d) and strongly disagree (sd) from table 8 it is revealed that regarding easiness to appear online examination than offline examination maximum number 35 (43.75 per cent) teachers are strongly agree, 20 (25 per cent) agree, 5 (6.25 per cent) undecided, 10 (12.5 per cent) disagree and 10 (12.5 per cent) strongly disagree with mean 3.75 and sd 3.53. 40 (50 per cent) teachers are strongly agreed, 20 (25 per cent) agree, 10 (12.5 per cent) disagree and 10 (12.5 per cent) strongly disagree with mean 3.87 and sd 3.64 with the fact that there is no need of maintaining discipline in examination hall during online examination. 45 (52.65 per cent) teachers are also strongly agreed, 20 (25 per cent) agreed, 8 (10 per cent) undecided, 2 (2.50 per cent) disagreed and 5 (6.25 per cent) strongly disagreed that it is difficult to clear doubts in online system of examination (mean 4.22 and sd 4.35). regarding the fact that online examination is suitable to the colleges of urban areas, 23 (28.75 per cent) strongly agree, 20 (25 per cent) agree, 5 (6.25 per cent) undecided, 20 (25 per cent) disagree and 12 (15 per cent) strongly disagree with the mean of 3.27 and sd 3.06. the statements in which the teachers strongly agreed apart from the above mentioned are requiring conducive home environment for online examination 40 (50 per cent), online examination makes students nervous (35, 43.75 per cent), tough to get enough confidence in online examination (43, 53.75) getting not enough satisfaction in online examination results (43, 53.75 per cent), how crucial internet connectivity for appearing in online examination (65, 81.25 per cent), need of ict tools (56. 70 per cent), costliness of online examination (34, 42.5 per cent), suitability of online examination for bright students (34, 42.5 per cent), tough to evaluate online examination (47, 58.75 per cent), online examination which cannot take the place of offline examination (43, 53.75 per cent), erratic nature of online examination (45, 56.25 per cent), easy use of cheating (46, 57.5 per cent), need of prior instructions to appear in online examination (46, 57.5 per cent), time-consuming nature of online examination (34, 42.5 per cent), easiness of conducting online examination in any time of the academic year (54, 57.5 per cent) and money and time saving nature of this form of examination (43. 53.75 per cent). so, analysing all the statements and responses towards them, it can be concluded that teachers have positive attitude towards online examination as in all the statements the number is highest in the categories of strongly agree and agree regarding their responses and that is why the hypothesis formulated for objective 2 is proved. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 38 objective 3: to know the challenges faced by students and teachers regarding online examination. to analyse this objective, a questionnaire was prepared by the investigator to know the challenges faced by teachers and students regarding online examination. separate questions for teachers and students were incorporated and number and percentage of yes and no responses against each question were determined and presented in table 8. table-9 : challenges faced by teachers regarding online examination sl no. questions yes no n % n % 1. do you find out the real achievement of students through online examination? 56 70 24 30 2. is online examination is cheating free? 67 83.75 13 16.25 3. do you find bandwidth problem to conduct online examination? 46 57.50 34 42.50 4. do you find enough it resources for smooth conduction of online examination? 56 70 24 30 5. do you find it difficult to evaluate answer scripts of online examination? 58 72.50 22 27.50 6. do you find problem to get connected with online examination appearing students? 32 40 48 60 7. is there any problem to clear doubts of students during online examination? 50 62.50 30 37.50 8. are you satisfied with the results of online examination of students? 54 67.50 26 32.50 9. is it easy to conduct internal assessment of students through online mode? 56 70 24 30 10. is it easy to take viva-voce and presentations of students through online mode? 49 61.25 31 31 table 9 shows that 56 (70 per cent) teachers replied yes and 24 (30 per cent) no regarding getting the real achievements of students through online examination. 67 (83.75 per cent) thought that online examination is cheating free and 13 (16.25 per cent) did not. 46 (57.50 per cent) teachers found bandwidth problem to conduct online examination and 34 (42.50 per cent) have not found the same. 56 (70 per cent) teachers found enough it resources for smooth conduction of online examination, whereas 24 (30 per cent) have not found. 58 (72.50 per cent) teachers found it difficult to evaluate the answer scripts of online examination and 22 (27.50 per cent) did not find it difficult. 32 (40 per cent) teachers found it difficult to get connected with online examination appearing students and 48 (60 per cent) did not find it difficult. 50 (62.50 per cent) teachers found it problematic to clear doubts indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 39 of students during online examination and 30 (37.50 per cent) did not find it difficult. 54 (67.50 per cent) teachers were not satisfied with the results of online examination of students and 26 (32.50 per cent) teachers were satisfied. 56 (70 per cent) teachers found it easy to conduct internal assessment of students through online mode and 24 (30 per cent) found it difficult. 49 (61.25 per cent) teachers thought that it was easy to take viva-voce and presentations of students through online mode and 31 (38.75 per cent) teachers replied negative. table-10 : challenges faced by students regarding online examination sl. no. questions yes no n % n % 1. is it easy to appear in online examination in remote areas? 167 65.23 89 34.77 2. do you find any problem to appear in online examination due to poor internet? 150 58.60 106 41.40 3. do you have time shortage in online examination? 130 50.78 126 49.22 4. is there any problem of clearing doubts of question papers from teachers in online examination? 159 62.11 97 37.89 5. do you feel confident to appear in online examination? 56 21.87 200 78.13 6. do you have lack of proper home atmosphere to appear in online examination? 100 39.06 156 60.94 7. do you get enough instructions to appear in online examination from college authority? 126 49.22 130 50.78 8. are you satisfied with the results of online examination? 210 82.03 46 17.97 9. do you find any problem during online submission of answer scripts? 180 70.31 76 29.69 10. do you concentrate in online examination? 189 73.83 67 26.17 11. is online examination a costly affair for students? 210 82.03 46 17.97 12. do you get connected with your teachers during online examination? 180 70.31 76 29.69 13. do you face any problem to appear in online examination due to the lack of knowledge to use technology? 176 68.75 80 31.25 14. do you get proper motivation to appear in online examination? 211 82.42 45 17.58 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 40 table 10 shows that 67 (65.23 per cent) students replied yes and 89 (34.77 per cent) no regarding the ease of appearing in online examinations in remote areas. 150 (83.75 per cent) found problems appearing in online examinations due to poor internet and 106 (58.60 per cent) did not. 130 (50.78 per cent) time shortages in online examinations, and 126 (49.22 per cent) had not found the same. 159 (62.11 per cent) had problems clearing doubts about question papers from teachers in online examinations, whereas 97 (37.89 per cent) did not. 56 (21.87 per cent) replied yes regarding feeling confident to appear in an online examination, and 200 (78.13 per cent) replied negative. regarding the lack of a proper home atmosphere to appear in the online examination,100 (39.06 per cent) replied yes 156 (60.94 per cent) replied no. 126 (49.22 per cent) got enough instructions to appear in the online examination from college authorities and 130 (50.78 per cent) did not find it difficult. 210 (82.03per cent) students were satisfied with the results of the online examination, and 46 (17.97 per cent) replied no. 180 (70.31 per cent) students found a problem during the online submission of answer scripts and 76 (29.69 per cent) students replied that no. 189 (73.83 per cent) students replied yes regarding concentrating in online examination and 67 (26.17 per cent) replied no. 210 (82.03 per cent) replied yes regarding whether online examination a costly affair for students and 46 (17.97 per cent) replied negatively. 180 (70.31 per cent) students replied yes regarding getting connected with teachers during online examinations and 76 (29.69 per cent) replied no. 176 (68.75 per cent) students replied yes regarding facing any problem appearing in online examinations due to the lack of knowledge to use technology and 80 (31.25 per cent) replied no. conclusion and suggestions the covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the normal living styles of all categories of people. from business to marketing, health practices to hygiene, celebrations to public gatherings, all these have experienced a changed outlook. people in every respect have to face depression, anxiety, and tensions etc, that cause mental disturbances. the students and teachers are the biggest victims as they are involved in the teaching-learning process. but the fact is that we have to face reality and there is no way out. despite having so many difficulties, we have to take online education as an alternative way to carry on our teaching and learning. if so happens, then there will be very little mental tension to take our teaching-learning process even in the time of the pandemic. but, for this, the need of the hour is to redesign the entire process to cope up with online education. the first and foremost thing is to train our students and teachers for online learning. they should be trained enough to appear and to evaluate students. for students who will appear in the online examination should be given mock practices before the final examination. various educational institutions release videos including instructions for students on how to give online examinations right from logging in to submitting papers online. similarly, such practices for teachers to check the examination papers online and give marks, grades etc, will be of great use. the online examination can be conducted by including both multiplechoice questions and open-ended questions. especially for the lower grade students, mcqs are very helpful. for reading comprehension, spelling test etc., online platform like zoom is very helpful. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 41 poor network is a great issue for most of the students in remote areas. the students, in due course of time are unable to submit their answer scripts online. in such cases, there should be a gap of time between writing the answers and submitting papers. moreover, there should be an alternative way to submit the papers both online and offline submission of hardcopies in the respective educational institutions. the educational institutions themselves should open helpline numbers to help students especially during the time of submitting online papers. due care should be taken so that every possible instruction can be given in that direction. (acknowledgements: the author acknowledges all the sample students and teachers for providing the necessary information and data. the authorities of the visiting educational institutions for giving permission to collect data also need special mention. the author also likes to acknowledge the authors of various literature which were reviewed for writing the research article.) references akcil, u., altinay, z., & altinay, f. (2016). assessing the effects of managers in the digital age on the management process of digital citizenship roles. the anthropologist, 23(1-2), 209-217. https://doi.org/10.1080/09720073.2016.11891943 akcil, u., altinay, z., dagli, g., & altinay, f. (2019). the 15th international scientific conference elearning and software for education bucharest, april 11-12. angoletto, r., & queiroz, v. c. (2020). covid-19 and the challenges in education. the centro de estudos sociedade e tecnologial (cest), 5, 2. bachhar, a. & das, m. 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(2020). learners’ perceptions of online exams: a comparative study in turkey and kyrgyzstan. vol. 21, no. 3. pp. 20-25. https://www.irrodl.org. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 42 khan, m. a., et al. 2021. students’ perception towards e-learning during covid-19 pandemic in india: an empirical study. sustainability. vol. 13. pp. 1-14 https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ su13010057. mondal, r. (2021). attitude towards online examination of college and university students. international journal of creative research thoughts. volume 9, issue 2, pp. 326-331. https:// www.ijcrt.org. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 164 communication teaching-learning with technology navneet kumar tgt (maths), k.v. adra, email:navneetchrs9211@gmail.com the covid-19 pandemic has affected education system worldwide leading to the near total closure of the schools, colleges, universities. to attenuate its impact on education, teachers all over the world are making a remarkable effort through online classroom to let their students learn staying at home. though in india where most of the teachers and students are not so savvy with the use of technology, we are inspiring one another to comprehend the situation in a positive way. primarily as a matter of jest i started online class with sharing pdf related to the topic on google classroom with 22 students registered out of 93. students also showed interest in online classroom by registering and replying at my post. they used to say “good morning sir”, “how are you sir?” in attractive fonts and smiley. reading their comments! i used to feel their warmth, affability and ebullience. more number of students started joining my class using the code generated by me, sooner the attendance rose to 78 out of 93. i believe lack of access to technology and internet access refrained the remaining to register in google classroom attributing to their necessitous family background. but alas! what happened? in a couple of days, the good morning wishes and the replies to my posts declined rapidly inferring that mere sharing pdf of related topics couldn’t help them in mathematisation. conceptual notes were shared to intrigue them in subject but their distrait behaviour made me realise that they seek my presence in the google classroom. i decided to record an audio on introduction of “integers” to fascinate them, keeping in mind that not only students but their parents, family members are also going to listen it and anticipate my capability, competence, and potential as a teacher. unlike actual classroom, it was very difficult to record an audio imagining students are sitting in front of me. after much trial, deleting and editing for several hours, my intense earnestness led to successful cessation with a 7.26mb audio. on that very day i, with full excitement, shared the audio and sat back with satisfaction, until a notification popped with message “couldn’t send, something went wrong”. i resend the audio and moved my phone in air but these efforts were in vain. audio later edited in smaller clips and sent successfully at midnight. no doubts or counter questions were posed by them. quiziz.com, google forms were used to make stimulating questions for their inquisitiveness. as we proceeded in the lesson, videos were required to make them understand the mathematical logics and concepts. inadequate internet speed coerced me to share youtube links instead of sharing my own videos. i asked some students for their feedback through google form and got indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 165 few responses: four point rating scale i.e. even numbered rating scale is used to avoid apathetic response as many students have the tendency to choose the average one. most of the students were able to ask their doubts and despite of the slow internet access, were cleared most of the students prefer online classes through videos or live classroom, which is onerous for me in such internet speed. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 166 i used strategically placed prompts, cues, question, direct explanations and modelling to guide their thinking and facilitate an increased responsibility for the completion of a task. however, covid-19 has become a catalyst for educational institutions worldwide to search for innovative solutions in a relatively short time period, we have to evolve our prowess in ict and assimilate it in teaching learning process with insightful contents for their enduring involvement. by the time actual classroom begins learning outcomes ought to be reoriented to horizontal mathematisation instead of vertical and the focus should be on learning, rather than testing for scores. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 157 communication challenges of online teaching in the wake of covid-19 pandemic suman nehra principal, r. c. institute of technology, (affiliated to ggs ip university), najafgarh, new delhi, email: sumannehra@gmail.com schools and colleges have never been locked down nationwide in the past as it happened in present time due to deadly covid-19 pandemic. under the circumstances, shifting from conventional instruction-based classroom teaching to online teaching is undoubtedly an obligation for teaching as well as learning. there are numerous online teaching technologies/software/ apps such as skype, zoom, webex-cisco and google meet etc. to adopt while moving on this new path during the gigantic educational crisis but it is not so easy to be well accustomed with these in a short span of time. my hands-on experience with an intent to provide effective learning experiences to my students, i have included many online tools and applications in my teaching pedagogy like use of audio-video clips in lectures, giving weekly assignments online or sharing of lessons on whatsapp groups, e-mails or google drive for self-learning. it is my firm belief that the present adverse situation has not only provided us with many innovative ideas but also provided opportunity to build our professional competencies on digital platform. students’ feedback the feedback was obtained from students while attending their classes online and after classes on google feedback form about e-learning. as expected, a larger number of students believe that online classes are very enriching for them. with more convenient timings of the classes, absence of the need of travelling, freedom to sit in a more comfortable and homely environment, overall is a good experience. however, a few other students faced difficulty in using this digital platform due to lack of resources. also some students are not enough competent to use e-learning technologies. still majority of the students are satisfied with this new way of learning. on the other hand, my experiences on using technology while teaching acclaim that: • this crisis has brought all teachers together and they work as a team instead of individuals to provide students the best support system. • education is not only about classroom teaching but it also involves interactions, free flow of ideas, open discussions and mentoring of students; so ample opportunities are provided on digital platform by organising debates, discussions etc. • with academic growth it is also important to take care of affective and psychomotor domain indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 158 therefore to connect emotionally with students along with digital connectivity, special weekly classes are organized for their well-being, where the students can discuss even about their anxiety and fear because of lockdown. • to give students the feeling of a normal classroom, socratic method of dialogue should be used. firstly, the content is explained for 15 to 20 minutes, followed by students’ discussions and questions. • grounded on the student feedback and my own experiences as a teacher in using these technologies, i would like to make following observations reflecting challenges to the use of technology in our present education system. • students are from diverse economic background where every student does not have resources like laptop, tablet, smartphone to attend online classes; • issues related to internet connectivity pose a hurdle in effective teaching; • it is really a difficult task to keep students involved and keep a check on their distractions during teaching learning process; and • conducting internal assessment is another tedious task as students have to use their own devices and nobody is there to have an eye on them. in a nutshell, although online classes are need of the hour, but replacing the traditional classroom teaching is next to impossible. therefore, in future we expect to return back to the same buildings of school or colleges for real teaching learning experiences. indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 106 general article new media: subject, media literacy and educational technologies sujith kumar parayil centre for media studies, jnu, new delhi, email: sparayil@gmail.com abstract the essay is an attempt to understand the constituent elements of new media educational technology while traversing through various definitions and possibilities of new media and educational technology. the paper argues that it is not just appropriation of the code or programme of the new media, but a reappropriation and reconceptualisation of the new media forms for educational purpose that is the chief quest of the new media educational technologies. in order to make this educational new media proactive, one needs to have not only the familiarity with the computer or new media technology but also needs to have certain knowledge in the field of new media literacy, especially when new media educational technologies are proven to give a space for automation and autono my for its user. it is in this context that the paper attempts to conceptualise the ‘processual’ formation of new media text and its subjectivity, in conjunction with the contemporary digital turn of educational technology. keywords: new media educational technology, new media text, digital literacy, interactive subject, convergence, sensory experience introduction the emergence of the computational apparatus in the field of everyday life has substantially brought not only some new generative changes in the appropriation and reappropriation of educational technologies but also facilitates a salient move toward new media educational initiatives in india. this transitional phase of educational technology may be best understood as the digital or new media turn in the field of the teaching and learning cultures across india. undoubtedly, this turn or the integration of new media into the field of educational technologies is dynamically widening the scope of the digitally mediatised pedagogical practices (singh, 2019). nevertheless, the transition is also marked by certain conceptual ambiguities over the very definition of the constituent elements of new media form as well as the nature of the mediated text and the enunciation of the interactive, but decentralised, subject (user) of the new media (ncert 2006). it is in this context that the paper attempts to conceptualise the ‘processual’ formation of new media text and its subjectivity, in conjunction with the contemporary digital turn of educational technology. indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 107 new media the pervasive influences of the electronic digitality to transfer data, provide interactive information, pleasure, and knowledge is one of the distinguishable features of the present, which has its resonances in the spheres of educational technology, without radically destabilising or rejecting the forms and residues of analogue media practices. the technological and mediatised experiences of the latter— analogue—is indivisible from the ubiquitous flows of the digital mediation or networked communication of the present. in other words, there is no radical or complete rupture between ‘old’ and ‘new’ media. in fact, as lister et al. (2003) states, ‘net worked media distribution could not exist without the technological spine provided by existing media routes of transmission, from telephone networks to radio transmission and satellite communications’ (p.30). ‘old’ media systems of distribution are reconfigured into the logic of convergence of new media as essential and integral to it (lister et al, 2003).this convergence of the analogue and digital united by computational language and optical fiber networks to transfer coded data in various formats for production and mediated consumption of the generative text or its alteration and modification through a hyperlink always makes it a difficult task to reach a unique definition about the new media forms. there are a number of conceptual schemes being used to define the constitutive ‘epistemic technological and cultural regimes’ of new media in relation to the ‘digital’ and the ‘post-digital era’ of the technology. it refers to new media as digital, innovative, convergent, everyday, appropriative, networked, global, generational, and unequal. in addition to this, interactivity, interconnectivity, and the formation of networked public and intersubjective communication are the major defining features of the new media (samuels, 2009). dispersal is yet another key characteristic that distinguishes new media from the existing form of mass media. as traditional analogue media is epitomised by standardisation of content, distribution and production processes, ‘dispersal is the decentralisation that created a non uniform media that sends non-limited number of messages to a heterogeneous mass’ (lister, 2003). all these definitions primarily address two significant aspects of new media: the first one is related to the computational language and the processual formation of the new media text and the second one, indicates the nature of digital mediatisation, which is united by the technology and culture. these definitions are grounded in the basic idea that the internet’ explosion’ and the era of networks in the late 1990s, the sprawling assimilation of computer-generated digital modalities and media convergence as well as their transcoding and transcending power to code and decode data, text and image not only created a new sense of perception but also radically changed the existing field of technology and culture. it opens up a new era of ‘new media’ whereby individuals and masses immersed within the logic of indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 108 icts (hassan, 2004, p. 15). hence, the ‘new’ in new media refers to both the technological and perceptional change that has occurred as well as anticipate an optimistic utopian and progressive ideological change along with this technological rupture. however, the second sort of definitions, which focuses on the proliferation of new media activities such as new media art, education, popular culture, and politics, points to an emergence of a new interactive media subject (user) who is not only active & decentralised but also articulates embodied sensibilities that itself became an integral element of the new media practices. this approach, on the one hand, helps us to think of new media as something which is not entirely attached to the computational algorithms and data/codes. rather they are, in some sense, ‘a project that is not just static text on a screen but a temporal structure that has a past, a processing present and a futural orientation to the completion of a computational task’ (berry, 2014, p.185). on the other hand, it stresses the extended materiality of new media and its power to activate and reactivate the multicultural and multisensorial embodiments of the subject or user. this latter idea is crucial to understand the realms of new media educational technologies in india where it is becoming a tool to disseminate or signify knowledge and learning practices to impart and incite the affective senses of the user (student/ teacher/practitioner). in the post-digital era, new media educational technologies are often concerned with the processing present of the media text to converge the past experiences and future orientation, rather than completely sticking to the computational logic and its language. it is not just appropriation of the code or programme of the new media, but a reappropriation & reconceptualisation of the new media forms for educational purpose that is the chief quest of the new media educational technologies. in the context of educational technology and the process of remediation of a media text, the processual media text itself functions as a digital medium for educational communication & further interaction and modification. so, in the context of educational technology, ‘functioning digitally’ is the key aspect of new media. however, in order to make this educational new media pro active, one needs to have not only the familiarity with the computer or new media technology but also have certain knowledge in the field of new media literacy, especially when new media educational technologies are proven to give a space for automation and autonomy for its user. hence, when used or appropriated for a multicultural context to disseminate or symbolically signify educational knowledge, either through a new media visual, verbal, or sound text, or through any specific infotainment forms, both the sender and the receiver (student, teacher, practitioner, user, etc.) should be aware of the historical preludes associated with the new media representations such as eurocentric, stereotype imaginaries or the bounded ideological implication of the digital capitalism. the next section of the paper will indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 109 further elucidate the existing—both conventional & new characterisations of new media to understand the aspects of new media literacy or digital literacy in the context of educational technologies. new media: some preludes in general, what we understand today as new media can probably be described best as a seamless convergence of media and computers. the two trajectories had been born around the same time, with charles babbage’s analytical engine as the prototype of computers and louis daguerre’s daguerreotype as the first prototype of a photographic device. the former evolved into the modernday computer and found large scale use in recording and storing the database of the population, while media expanded in prolific directions and made possible dissemination of images, music, and motion pictures across the mass society. mass media & data processing are complementary technologies which appear together and develop alongside one another, making modern-day mass society possible (manovich, 2001, p. 20). they travelled separate trajectories until around 1936 when german engineer konrad zuse came up with the first working digital computer. this invention allowed media as a whole, with all its audio-visual elements to be read, written and stored electronically in the form of binary code (manovich, 2001). therefore we are locating the newness of new media at a particular moment in modern human history where the birth of a new form of technology announced with new forms of consciousness. new media are those forms of media that are native to and restricted to computers, are computational in their interface, and rely on computers for redistribution. they perform by the strict system of binary coding that reduces any material information to a series of binary compositions. some examples of new media are computers, virtual worlds, single media, website games, human-computer interface, computer animation, and interactive computer installations. it might help to understand the newness when contrasted to “old media” such as television, radio, and print media, although scholars in communication and media studies have criticised rigid distinctions based on oldness and novelty. new media does not include television programs (only analog broadcast), feature films, magazines, books,– unless they contain technologies that enable digital generative or interactive processes. however, as we have already discussed the features of new media are processual and function digitally as well as have the potential to enact the user’s sensibility. these preliminary and strict distinctions are sometimes not adequate to understand the new media educational practice, as it often used only as a converged digital text in a classroom to explain or signify a concept, theory or scientific or a mathematical formula. here, it is the digital simulations and convergence of the forms as well as their bounded aesthetic & technological competence to enhance the listening, learning, and indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 110 sensing capacity of the student that could be assessed as the features of the new media education technologies. it is not the networked interconnectivity or interactivity that could be read as the main essence of new media. rather, it is the digitally enabled media form that makes the new media as a tool or framework for educational resources and pedagogic practices. interactivity, in this context, is not necessarily idealised as merely a physical engagement, rather it is enmeshed in and activated through the convergent and digitally-enabled new media program; interactivity is embedded in the form itself and activated by sonic, visual, verbal, or symbolic signifiers. this aspect is explained in the last part of this paper. it is imperatives here to go back to manovich’s classifications to get some earlier conceptualisation of new media. the following seven propositions by manovich (2003) help us understand some specificity of new media: i) new media does not mean cyber culture: the former deals with new cultural objects that are made possible by network communication technologies and computing in general. cyberculture is concerned with the social and on networking and not on cultural and computing. ii) new media as a distribution platform: this specifically and exclusively uses computer technology for distribution and exhibition. other cultural objects such as tv programs, feature films, magazines, etc. which might use computing for production & storage but not distribution, thus do not fall under new media. iii) new media, as digital data controlled by software: this form of media, by the principle of variability, can exist in potentially infinite different states. however, fundamentally it is digital data that can be manipulated by software just like any other data, which allows a multiplicity of media operations to be performed and the variability to be affected in the first place. this software being culturally coded, through data structures and algorithms, computers today model reality. iv) new media as a hybrid of cultural and software conventions: despite technological possibilities, cultural impediments or checkpoints often come in the way of a total and often culturally irresponsible proliferation of new media outputs. the creative industry is probably the most skeptical with regards to entirely giving in to the automated modularity of evolving media technologies, e.g. film making. computer games, on the other hand, have almost wholly responded to technological changes and incorporated them to the best of effects. besides altering the dynamics of production, this shall profoundly impact the way users interact with the automated interfaces. the interactive module that continuously learns from the actions of the user and builds onto itself is an exemplary and ideal image of what new media automation is. for this reason, there is a massive demand for media literacy, which must catch up indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 111 with the ever-evolving trends of the media mechanism. v) new media as early stage of every new modern media technology: some authors have suggested that rather than trying to seclude new media as an utterly novel phenomenon, it is helpful to look at common aesthetic techniques and ideological tropes that have accompanied the introduction and dissemination of any modern media technology as photography, telephone, cinema, television, etc. the advantages of such ideological attitudes include better democracy, more realistic representation and greater representation in general. pessimistic takes on such novelties are abundant, the most common being the erosion of moral values, destruction of the human-world natural relationship by obliterating the distance between the observer and the observed. aesthetic similarities in the structure are many, where the general trend is towards a loosening up of media conservatism, towards capturing more immediate and realistic depictions. vi) new media allows for faster execution of algorithms which earlier would be required to be done manually. in a world determined by capitalist clock time, speed has undoubtedly been a factor behind the popularity and purchase of new media across the world. vii)new media as metamedia manovich suggests that with the coming of new communication techniques in the 1920s that became embedded in the commands and interface metaphors of computer software, new media did represent a new stage of the avant-garde. this aimed to filter the visible reality in new ways, with artists trying to represent the outside world with seeing it in as many different ways as possible. decades of analog media archives became the raw data to be processed, re-articulated, mined and re-packaged through digital software, reformulating the accumulated, rather than trying just to represent the world in new ways (manovich, 2003, p. 13-25). manovich’s model is extremely resourceful in trying to understand new media as a phenomenon distinct from its predecessors. he lays down five characteristics by which we can make sense of the codes and languages in which new media works (manovich, 2002, p.49-65). they are numerical representations, modularity, automation, variability, & transcoding (ibid). in short, it is the numerical representation or digital figurations and its cultural transcoding while using appropriate imaginary, symbolic or simulation, which makes new media a consumable media object or digital image. hence, new media focuses on culture and computing rather than a simple convergent reconfiguration of media and computational logic. most significantly, new media’s transcoding itself involves the facets of reconceptualisation of culture. new media, therefore, is a medium for conceptual transfer. indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 112 the field of remediation & reconceptualisation what we find in manovich is a rather restrictive and water-tight description of what is and is not new media. other theorists have tended to be more accommodative in their definition of new media, to include a wider variety of virtual actions by populations that are facilitated by computation. a lot of them even reject the absolute novelty of the phenomenon and subscribe to the opinion that it is merely a fashionable refurbishment of the old collectibles. jay david bolter, for instance, says “if there is already a field of new media studies, it is a combination of strategies established for understanding and working with earlier media” (bolter, 2003, p.15). he goes as far to say that the new interest in the field and all the brouhaha about it is because of a great deal of money that is expended in the development of new media forms as computer games, websites, computer graphics for film and television. similarly, if we look back to the lister’s (2003) and rogers’ (1998) theorisation of new media, we can find certain parallel connections with the conceptual schemas followed by manovich. for instance, apart from giving specificity to digital, interactivity, hypertextuality, and virtuality as the kernel of new media, what lister proposes is the idea of ‘dispersion’ (see the previous sections of the paper), which is similar to the concepts such as ‘demassification’ and ‘asynchronousity’ proposed by rogers. according to them, new media does not transfer homogenous messages to large groups of people; ‘demassification is the transfer of unique and personalised messages to every user in a heterogeneous mass.’ (roger, 1998 cited in tingöy & barbaros, p. 235). asynchronousity, according to rogers, indicates that sending and receiving messages in new media does not need to be synchronous processes. ‘anyone can transfer any knowledge anytime; and the response will likely be transferred when the receiver desires it to be’ (ibid). these characterisations of new media articulated by lister and rogers are significant. they are pointing out a highly decentralised, fragmented and heterogeneous user or receiver—new media subject—of new media forms. it also opens up another critical aspect to the idea of mass mediation. as it always opens to the digital modification through a connective interaction or hyperlink, both the production and distribution of new media have become decentralised, highly individuated, ‘and woven ever more closely into the fabric of everyday life. this dispersal is the product of shifts in our relationships with both the consumption and production of media texts’ (rayner, wall & kruger, 2004, p. 221). when production and distribution are fragmented in nature along with the multiplicity of messages and sources, the consumable audience is also heterogeneous but selective. in other words, the new media determine a heterogeneous and selective audience that, ‘although massive in terms of numbers, is no longer a mass audience in terms of simultaneity and uniformity indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 113 of the message it receives. the new media are no longer mass media in the traditional sense of sending a limited number of messages to a homogeneous mass audience’ (castells, 1996, p. 339). in practice, the automation and autonomy of new media text further deepen the idea of segmentation of those who connect or intend to be connected with the specific or nonspecific content of new media text. this foregrounded mechanism of new media, thus creating a profound contradiction within the network society, as castells points out, deepens our interconnectivity with each other, then so too does it fragment and alienate us (castells, 1996, p. 3). as the internet reduces time and space, it also creates a sense of alienation. in one way, new media superimposes a sense of being and belonging in the world or always been there though its ubiquitous interconnectivity and signified communication. however, on the other way, it creates a sense of individualism, fragmentation, alienation or a misrecognised subjectivity. indeed, this dialectic is crucial in the context of the technological dissemination of knowledge and hence needs to be addressed within the instructional design of new media educational technologies. it is imperative because, as neil man argues, we perceive the world through the tools and technologies we use. however, technology comes preencoded with its values, its own ‘embedded ideology.’ technical development[s], for instance, is ‘neither good, bad, nor neutral’ but that, acting as part of a system, they create the technological and ideological environments that condition or ‘predispose’ (not compel) us to act in a certain way (postman, 1993: 13 cited in hassan 2004,p. 16). new media educational technologies are not exceptional from theses ideological blindness & their acts of predisposition through certain homogenise stereotypes, values, and moral perceptions. to overcome this embedded ideology and blind spots in technology, a critical new media literacy needs to be imparted in relation to production and consumption of new media educational technologies. the next section of the paper will further elucidate this point. new media subject and new media literacy when forms of tenacity, authority, popular opinion, and a priori, as well as the aesthetic and presentable rationality of the media, enunciates the experience of the media subject, this process is also being over-determined by the senses of cultural tastes, political self and civic self of the mediated subject (gaines, 2010, p. 16-19: corner, 2011, p. 87). this mutually inclusive and interactive relation between media and selfhood not only has both cognitive and affective implications in the process of the formation of the subjectivity but also highlighted with a highly mediadependent aspect of consciousness and action of the subject (corner, 2011). new media subject, in this context, can be referred to as a person, who is either passively or actively engaging or indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 114 interacting with the new media product. as we have seen, new media provides certain degrees of autonomy to the subject, at the same time the formation of subjectivity is also conditioned by the technological predisposition as well as cultural embeddedness of the user. the fragmented and disembodied subject who enmeshes in the convergence logic of new media could reflect only a passive agency, which indirectly poses challenges to all initiatives taken by the new media educational technologies, to activate both the rationality and cultural sensibilities of the user. as the new media product and its grounded aesthetics often tend to reproduce certain stereotypes modularities, gestural politics and commodity spectacles and certainly some homogenous ideals involved in the historical prelude and embedded ideology of the medium itself. nevertheless, recent researches on the extended fields of new media such as educational technology, new media theatre, new media art, and popular culture argue that the new media forms and technologies help to create a situation where individuals enter into a multicultural environment that stresses the social, dialogical, and interactive foundations of knowledge, communication, and education (samuels 2009, p. 10). in this regard, let us take new media art as an example. in particular, with regard to its characteristics of interactivity, non linearity, immateriality, & ephemerality, and its intricate interrelation between artist, artwork, and spectator, new media art proposes an absolute reformulation in ways of doing art. despite this feature finding increased resonance in other forms of art today, digital technologies exceptionally allow artists to develop interactive artworks, as in internet art and virtual art, which provide the spectator with specific freedom of (aesthetic) choice. in other words, although it is the artist who assesses the framework and the particular context for the action and participation of the spectator, the aesthetic object is—in a majority of new media art—ultimately created by the spectator as a “user.” (grau, 2011). on one hand, these new media practices, indicating a new era of t e c h n o l o g y — a u t o m o d e r n i t y — a dialectical combination of automation and autonomy, which ‘integrates a new ontology – literally a new way of being – both in the physical world and in the network of networks’ (hassan, 2004. 6). on the other hand, as a result of an encounter with these innovative new media products or texts, a new media subject has emerged, whose individual autonomy is seen as something that has to be constantly negotiated and revised and is thus not a finished product (samuels, 2009). this new media subject is not someone who lost the self while floating through the network to network transit, rather the one who articulates phenomenological experiences, affective and tactile sensibilities through the new media interactions and negotiations. here, new media or new media educational technologies are considered as a project (digit text, program, & product) replete with symbolic communication to enact the embodied sensibilities of the subject. the body-sense-impressions indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 115 are being ‘modified through interactions facilitated by digital technology’ (lenoir, 2004, xx). new media, in this perspective, not only represents but also invokes senses of the subject (user, student, practitioner); ‘technologies alter the very basis of our sensory experience and drastically affect what it means to live as embodied human agents. they accomplish this by reconfiguring the senses at a precognitional or even paracognitional level (not to privilege one level over the other) prior to conscious perception and assimilation to language’ (ibid). as pointed out above, new media necessitate a reorganisation or reactivation of the human sensorium, and this results in a restructuring of human subjectivity. ‘furthermore, it is introducing new practices for the user, who will have to be taught, and in many cases presented with, quite different ways of consuming and interacting with these new media forms (berry, 2014, p.73). in other words, to interact, apprehend, and use the new media technologies, a new kind of critical literacy is required. it is precisely at this moment that a crucial and challenging task of educational technologies is envisaged. it is not only to provide new media educational tools & programmes but also to disseminate a new media literacy to the subject, or what berry calls ‘iteracy’, and ‘which needs to draw back the screens and interfaces, and develop a deeper critical disposition to the underlying materiality and agency of the computational (ibid, p. 169). new media literacy being literate in the 21st century must shift from its operation category of being able to read something that is more comprehensive of its virtual engagements. literacy in the age of new media can no longer remain confined to the words on paper or otherwise but must take into account the variety of media forms of which its content is made up. this has to heavily incorporate an informed understanding of the visual sphere, where engaging with visuals online automatically demands of us a knowledge of the semiotic vocabulary in which they convey meaning. one must also examine the roles that educational institutions and universities have to play in the fostering of such literacy. as noted by samuels (2008) the challenge for educators and public policymakers in the period of automodernity is first to recognise the dominant combination of autonomy and automation and then employ this new cultural order in a more selfcritical and social way. for example, educators can create learning spaces where students engage in creative filesharing activities; however, these same students need to be given critical thinking tools to reflect on the social and public aspects of their activities. this process will require the development of critical technology studies as a central core to auto modern educational systems, and essential to this new form of education will be a constant effort of forming a dialogue between “old” school and “new” home models of media and technology (p.236-37). media literacy, which is often discussed within the realms of media studies, indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 116 deals with a renewed investment in new modes of reading and writing that is taught to students. while reading media now incorporates semiotics, discourse analysis and genre study, writing media is profoundly concerned with the ways of production using technologies that complement the new reading of media. in general, media literacy provides a framework and skill to access, analyse, evaluate and create messages in a variety of forms – from print to video to the internet’ (kalogeras, 2014). it also includes skills in search & retrieval, ability to identify sources and authorities, to check facts and evaluate accuracy and relevance of any form of media contents (meikle, 2016). as mentioned above, there are many interpretations that are available on various aspects of media literacy, especially new media literacy to warn us about hallucination and fantasy effects propelled by the media technologies and their hegemonic discourses. mostly, it asserts to demystifying or dematerialising media messages through critical inquiry is an important starting point for media literacy (kellner and jeff share, 2005, 6). media literacy enables students to read and analyse media its contents and their strategies symptomatically and enhances thought through active engagement for further apprehension and critical rendering. according to zettl, ‘media literacy is concerned with helping students develop an informal & critical understanding of the nature of mass media, the techniques used by them, and the impact of these techniques…, (i) t is education that aims to increase students’ understanding and enjoyment of how the media work, how they produce meaning, how they are organised, and how they construct reality. media literacy also aims to provide students with the ability to create media products.’ (zettl, 1998, 90 cited in kalogeras, 2014, 72). new media literacy and new media educational technologies are not to be considered as two different entities; rather it is to be understood that both share a common epistemic order—to enrich knowledge through critical pedagogical practices and technologies. in this backdrop, the new media educational technologies’ must meet the dual challenges of teaching media literacy in a multicultural society and sensitising students and the public to the inequities and injustices of a society based on gender, race, and class inequalities and discrimination’ (kellner and jeff, 2005, p. 370). this, on the one hand, helps to create a new critical perception for students and educators to adequately understand what appears to be a deeply computational economic and cultural environment. on the other hand, it offers the framework and insights to help students become subjects in the process of deconstructing injustices, expressing their own voices, and struggling to create a better society (ibid, p.382). thus, literacy in the 21st century no longer remains confined to the traditional paradigm of a literate population receiving institutional education but demands accommodation of a much more diverse and democratic access to knowledge, according to personal interests and background, facilitated indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 117 by the internet. with instruction itself being disassociated from confines of institutional spaces, there automatically comes into question the demand for large-scale evaluation and assessment distinct from those of the past, and more fitted to the emerging technologies, which shall include multimedia exercises and virtual reality simulations (bennett, 1998). for students to perform well on such kinds of new assessments, they will be required to develop a critical understanding of their position as readers with respect to both print and non-print texts, within different social, cultural and historical contexts (alvermann and hagood, 2000). this work, therefore, compels us to look at literacies outside of school, at the possibility of any choice of virtually made available. this idea is further exemplified in a book edited by marsh on popular culture that takes into account a series of papers providing empirical work on contemporary technological transformations, with their impact on literacy. the main focus is on how contemporary childhoods are shaped by and in turn, help in shaping communicative practices of the century. the term popular culture with relation to children requires examination in that it is often understood as cultural texts distinct and far removed from what is ‘high art.’ popular culture for children usually refers to those cultural texts, artefacts and practices which attract large numbers of children and which are then also mass-produced on a global scale. this finds its proliferation across a wide variety of platforms, and it is this “transmedia intertextuality” which children find very appealing, for encounters with the same narrative in different forms across a diversity of media platforms enable them to integrate various parts of their experiences and thus enhance, their ‘narrative satisfaction.’ as much as global meta-narratives determine to a fair degree pattern of popular consumption, it must also be noted that culture is not merely consumed but also simultaneously produced. thus marsh talks about the localised practices through which global consumer products and cultures are appropriated across the world. this makes it vital to not only look at the globalised production of children’s popular culture but also the complex and dynamic interplay whereby children adopt more localised themes and texts that are specific to their cultural contexts(marsh, 2005, p. 2). thus screen-based technologies have to be dealt with in conjunction with children’s meaning-making practices, how they interact with the available media, and how they make sense of their own subjectivities with respect to media. the concept of media literacy needs to be stretched beyond its conventional locus of print and audio-visual media to incorporate the internet and other new media, both in academic and policyoriented discourses. livingstone (2010) defines media literacy as “the ability to access, analyse, evaluate and create messages across a variety of contexts” (livingstone, 2010, p.1). this is then examined for its applicability to the indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 118 internet. thus there is an intrinsic logic of skill or ability that underlies such approaches to literacy. the article further goes on to examine three interlinked processes in media literacy that is also crucial for our current endeavour. the processes are “(i) the symbolic and material representation of knowledge, culture and values; (ii) the diffusion of interpretative skills and abilities across a (stratified) population; and (iii) the institutional, especially, the state management of the power that access to and skilled use of knowledge brings to those who are ‘literate’.” (livingstone, 2010, p.1) alternatively, media literacy has also been attempted to be studied as a reactionary mechanism against the harmful and ill effects of popular culture and mass media. jim potter, for instance, argues that media literacy is a response to the “wide range of potentially negative effects on individuals” and positions it as “helping people protect themselves” from potentially negative effects (2010, p. 681). he then goes on to discuss a bunch of literature on parental intervention and mediation, which he posits as a form of media literacy. concerns about a materialistic, hypersexualised, hyper-violent mass media culture are not to be trivialised, as digital media and technology come to increasingly encompass children’s lives resulting in an impact on personal and social identity. in new media productions, because of the lack of critical media literacy, there is always a representation of racial, gender, religious and ethnic stereotypes representation as cultural normative, even though people claim that we no longer live in a period structured by racism, sexism, and ethnocentrism, while they appropriate and remix social stereotypes (samuels, 2009, 42). however, positioning media literacy simply as an antidote to popular culture exposure limits the wider range of possibilities and complexities of the field, thereby missing out on crucial evidence and studies that contribute to the growth of digital media literacy across the world (hobbs, 2011). while all of these studies pay an unprecedented amount of importance on the effects of transforming new media on literacy, focusing on the changes that the latter has to bring about in order to adapt, there has been little that talks about how media itself is evolving in response to the literate audience of today. the landscape of new media has changed drastically with the coming of new media technologies as ict, its modularities & automated algorithms, and they demand new forms of cultural practice in working, learning and personal domain. these make media more significant and influential than at any point in human history, making it an absolute necessity for individuals to be new media literate to be able to fully function and interact in a society where everyone has a virtual presence and influence. in a short piece of work on media literacy, ivanovic traces the importance of inculcating the values and ethos of media communication among beneficiaries of education on a school level. in a work that is admittedly theoretical, she speculates that students today are often exposed to indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 119 opposed value judgments of family, school and media and they are faced with a situation of crisis wherein an integration of all three seems impossibly difficult. the social system faces a challenge of how to successfully integrate all forms of media disclosure and how to alter the educational system adapted to the period in which students are developing and the one they are preparing for. she identifies the huge influence of media exposure on the young maturing minds of the students and that the period of school education is formative in a lot of long-standing life values. therefore it is important to form a critical attitude towards media content which can be offered as a part of the school curriculum. acquiring media literacy can be truly successful only if we consider that relationship between specificity of media and the way those specificities are understood by those getting educated, which can then translate into evolved social values. (acknowledgement: icssr-impress grant for an on-going project titled “new media visual culture: ethics, rights & formulation of a new visual media policy”) references alvermann, d.e., & hagood, m.c. (2000). critical media literacy: research, theory, and practice in “new times.” journal of educational research, 93,193–205. berry m. david. (2014) critical theory and the digital. new york: bloomsbury. bolter, jay david, et al. (2006). new media and the permanent crisis of aura. convergence 12(1): 21-39. bolter, jay david. (2003). theory and practice in new media studies. in digital media revisited: theoretical and conceptual innovation in digital domains: 15-33. castells, m. (1996). the rise of the network society. cambridge: blackwell. coiro, julie, et al., eds. handbook of research on new literacies. routledge, 2014. corner, john. (2011). theorising media: power, form and subjectivity, new york: manchester university press gaines, elliot.( 2010). media literacy and semiotics, new york: palgrave macmillan. hassan, robert. (2004). media, politics and the network society. london: open university press. grau, oliver. (2008) virtual art: from illusion to immersion. london: the mit press ivanović, marina. (2014). development of media literacy–an important aspect of modern education. procedia-social and behavioral sciences 149: 438-442. kalogeras, stavroula (2014). transmedia storytelling and the new era of media convergence in higher education. london: palgrave macmillan. kellner douglas and jeff share. (2005). toward critical media literacy: core concepts, debates, organisations, and policy. discourse: studies in the cultural politics of education. 26( 3), pp. 369-386. retrieved from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/ download?doi=10.1.1.469.1475&rep=rep1&type=pdf lenoir, tim. (2004). forward. in hansen, mark b n. new philosophy for new media. cambridge: mit press lister, m., dovey, j giddings, s., grant, i. and kelly, k. (2003). new media: a critical indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 120 introduction, new york: routledge. livingstone, sonia. (2004): media literacy and the challenge of new information and communication technologies. the communication review 7(1): 3-14. manovich, lev. (2003). new media from borges to html. the new media reader 1: 13-25. manovich, lev. (2001). “what is new media”. the language of new media: 18-41. manovich, lev. (2002). the language of new media. cambridge, mass: mit press. marsh, jackie, ed. (2005).popular culture, new media and digital literacy in early childhood. london: routledge. meikle, graham. (2016). social media: communication, sharing and visibility. london: taylor and francis. ncert. (2006). position paper: national focus group on educational technology. national council of educational research and training, retrieved from http://epathshala.nic. in/wp-content/doc/ncf/pdf/educational_technology.pdf postman, n. (1993). technopoly. new york: vintage. potter, j.( 2010). the state of media literacy. journal of broadcasting and electronic media, 54(4): 675–696. [taylor & francis online], [web of science ®] rayner, philip, p. wall & s. kruger. (2004). media studies: the essential resource. new york: routledge rogers, e. m., frederick, m., rice, r. e. (1988). research methods and the new media. london: the free press. samuels, robert. (2009). new media, cultural studies, and critical theory after postmodernism. new york: palgrave macmillan samuels, robert. (2008). auto-modernity after postmodernism: autonomy and automation in culture, technology, and education. in digital youth, innovation, and the unexpected. edited by singh, alka. (2009). ict initiatives in school education of india. indian journal of educational technology, 1 (1), 38-40. retrieved from https://ciet.nic.in/pages.php?id= journal tingöy, özhan & barbaros bostan. future of new media, towards the ultimate medium: presence, immersion and mmorpgs. retrieved from https://www.academia. edu/795476/future_of_new_media_towards_the_ultimate_medium_presence_ immersion_and_mmorpgs zettl, h. (1998). contextual media aesthetics as the basis for media literacy. journal of communication. winter, 81–95. retrieved from doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.1998. tb02739.x indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 57 research article readiness towards using blended learning approach for teachers preparation shireesh pal singh professor, department of education mahatma gandhi antarrashtriya hindi vishwavidyalaya (a central university) wardha, maharashtra, india email: shireeshsingh1982@gmail.com abstract blended learning is viewed as an integrated combination of traditional face-to-face learning with web-based online approaches, the combination of media and tools employed in an e-learning environment and amalgamation of a number of pedagogic approaches irrespective of learning technology used. the various learning management systems (lms) and online learning platforms provide an opportunity to connect learners and teachers and equip teachers to provide assistance for students to engage in collaborative and cooperative learning activities even beyond classrooms. it is believed that collaborative learning leads to better student involvement, better performance and higher productivity. investigator of this paper is involved in developing a package based on a blended learning approach for teacher’s preparation (internship activities) which will be used in pre-internship activities of pupil teachers. in the present paper, the investigator has explored readiness of various stakeholders of teacher education towards using a blended learning approach for pre-internship activities. key words: readiness, blended learning, teachers preparation theoretical background blended learning which is mostly termed as open, flexible, hybrid and distributed learning, is a formal education program in which a learner learns, at least in part, through online delivery of content and instructions with some elements of learners control over time, pace and space, and at least with some part of offline or face to face instruction (graham, 2006). blended learning is known for integrating instructional modalities, instructional methods and amalgamating online and face-to-face instruction (rooney, 2003; orey, 2002; singh & reed, 2001; thomson, 2002; rosset, 2002). the rapid usage of such advanced educational technologies has resulted in changing perceptions of students, teachers and educational administrators (whitelock & jefts, 2003). rainie (2010) reported that in the 21st century, the teaching and learning has become more effective with wide use of smart devices, internet and low-cost technology. technological devices have been significantly enhancing the learning of students through online lectures and distance learning effectively. the students who depend only on indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 58 online mode for learning may not be able to understand such content in real context; hence, there is a need to depend on other modes of learning too. in this context, the role of a teacher cannot be ignored. teachers have to provide a learning platform where various activity-oriented learning environment could be created as well as ample time for assessment and feedback can be provided to know the learning growth of the learners. the teacher’s role is to provide hands-on experience in order to comprehend content so that the contextualized knowledge and understanding could be gained by students. all the learning has to be contextualized for meaningful learning and students should gain sensory experiences to make learning real and contextual. moreover, there are many process skills that can be developed only through direct experience and hands-on activity. it is in this juncture that the technology alone fails to contextualize any content and also fails in developing subject specific skills, especially the process skills. hence, the role of a teacher cannot be disregarded if any learning has to be meaningful. the concept of ‘blended learning’ brings together the advantages of both online as well as face-to-face learning. blended learning can be applied at various levels of learning in school education, higher education and in professional courses etc. where a blend of online and face-to-face learning can be used in a meaningful manner. learners are important partners in any learning process and therefore, their backgrounds and characteristics affect their ability to effectively carry on with learning. selim (2007) has listed three main factors that affect blended learning i.e. effectiveness of instructor, technology and students’ characteristics. hence, every student may not be able to use technology in an appropriate manner for appropriate results. the teacher’s characteristics include teacher’s knowledge, understanding and use of ict skills, how well the teachers can integrate technology in classroom teaching-learning, along with having ict skills, teachers’ characteristics also include their technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (tpck). these all factors or proficiencies play an important role in determining their attitude towards using ict. the teacher’s knowledge on the recent developments in technology can help them to use blended learning in their classroom teaching. the learners who participate in blended learning should also be aware of using different technology for learning but not to be totally dependent on technology alone. the students’ needs to be motivated to learn from the real environment through different perceptual performing activities and gaining real life experiences in order to develop various subject specific skills. hence, blending of online and faceto face mode of learning can be a more useful pedagogical approach in the 21st century where every teacher has to be trained in using blended learning in their classroom. need and significance of study from last one year we have seen a drastic paradigm shift in teaching learning from offline to online mode of education due to covid-19 pandemic conditions. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 59 now we all are familiar and are using various online platforms and learning management systems for delivery of content and interacting with learners. in the national educational policy, 2020 it is clearly mentioned that while promoting online and digital different learning, the significance of face-to-face in-person learning should be fully recognised. subsequently, different efficient models of blended learning should be identified for appropriate application in different subjects. blended learning is effective, interesting and offers better satisfaction to the learners (muniyandi, 2016; chitra & singaravelu, 2016). blended learning is indeed proven to be an efficient measure to develop learning gains among learners to a great extent (cross et. al., 2014). it is also seen that blended learning has significantly contributed to the learning of a particular subject in blended learning settings. in the present research, the investigator has explored the readiness of various stakeholders of teacher education towards using a blended learning approach in teacher preparation (pre -internship activities). the results of this research will help in developing a package based on blended learning for developing various teaching and managerial skills in pupil teachers. objectives of the research the present problem endeavours for realization of the following objectives: 1. to study the readiness of teacher educators, research scholars and pupil teachers towards using blended learning approach for teachers’ preparation. 2. to compare mean readiness scores of male and female participants towards using a blended learning approach for teachers’ preparation. 3. to compare the mean readiness score of rural, urban and semiurban participants towards using a blended learning approach for teachers’ preparation. 4. to compare mean readiness scores of teacher educators, research scholars and pupil teachers towards using blended learning approach for teachers’ preparation methodological orientation research design the purpose of this study was to explore the readiness of teacher educators, research scholars and pupil teachers towards using a blended learning approach for teachers’ preparation. the research title itself indicates that a descriptive approach of research is best suited for this kind of studies. therefore, a descriptive survey method has been used for conducting the present research. sample and sampling since this research was conducted in the pandemic condition of covid-19, the investigators decided to collect data through online mode. a total of 490 participants were selected through convenient sampling techniques. tool for data collection to assess the readiness of teacher educators, research scholars of education discipline and pupil teachers indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 60 towards blended learning approach, a readiness scale was developed and standardised with eight dimensions of blended learning generally stated in available literature. the initial draft of readiness scale towards blended learning approach was developed and applied on 383 respondents (86 teacher educators, 76 research scholars of education discipline and 221 pupil teachers) for standardisation and establishing reliability and validity of the scale. final draft of the scale has 35 items in total representing 8 dimensions of readiness. results and interpretation analysis and interpretation of the results has been done objective wise as follows: to study the readiness towards using a blended learning approach for teacher’s preparation. after scoring, the scores of all the 35 items were added to obtain the total score of an individual on the scale. the range of the total score was 35-105 as the scale was constructed with 35 items on 3-point likert scale. therefore, the level of readiness was considered from score of the answers and was classified into 3 levels to the best’s criteria (1977) which use the range of highest score and lowest score which is further described by levels of readiness. table-1: percentage of participants against each level of readiness towards using blended learning approach for teachers preparation s. n. range of scores n percentage level of readiness towards blended learning approach 1. 83-105 458 93.46 high 2. 59-82 32 6.54 average 3. 35-58 00 00 low total 490 100 from table-1, it is evident that 93.46percent participants have high readiness towards blended learning approach so, it can be concluded that participants were found to have high readiness towards using a blended learning approach for teacher’s preparation. table-2: mean, standard deviation and coefficient of variation of all the participants towards using blended learning approach for teachers preparation criterion variable n mean standard deviation coefficient of variation readiness towards blended learning approach 490 2.73 0.22 8.00% indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 61 from table-2, it is evident that the mean scores of readiness towards blended learning approach was found to be 2.73 and standard deviation was 0.22. the mean readiness scores of all the respondents towards blended learning approach is (2.73/3)*100=91.00percent favourable with 8.00percent deviation which is quite low. hence it reflects that participants have high readiness towards using blended learning approach for teachers’ preparation. the results also indicate that as a group, the readiness towards blended learning approach was almost irrevocable and favourable. it may, therefore be concluded that all participants of teacher education have high readiness towards using a blended learning approach for teachers’ preparation. readiness of male and female participants towards using blended learning approach for teachers preparation the second objective of the investigation was to compare mean scores of readiness on the basis of gender towards using blended learning approach for teachers preparation. the investigators selected a total no of 490 participants (236 male and 254 female) associated with teacher education in different capacity with the help of purposive sampling technique. a self-made standardized blended learning approach readiness scale was used to collect data from these participants. for comparing the mean scores of readiness of the male and female participants the researcher decided to use an independent sample t-test, before applying t-test, statistical assumption of normality of the scores of dependent variables was tested with the help of kolmogorov-smirnova test. table-3: tests of normality for readiness scores of male and female participants towards using blended learning approach for teachers’ preparation criterion variable: readiness towards blended learning approach gender kolmogorov-smirnova shapiro-wilk statistic df sig. statistic df sig. readiness scores towards blended learning approach male .112 236 .000 .938 236 .000 female .133 254 .000 .917 254 .000 from table-3 it is evident that the statistical value of kolmogorov-smirnov test of the readiness scores of male and female participants towards blended learning approach is 0.112, 0.133 respectively, whose probability of significance at df (236) and df (254) is 0.000 which is less than 0.01, hence significant at 0.01 level of significance. in this perspective the null hypothesis “the given distribution of the readiness scores of male and female participants towards using a blended learning approach for teachers’ preparation does not differ significantly from the normal distribution” is rejected. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 62 therefore, it can be concluded that the assumption of normality of readiness scores of male and female participants towards blended learning approach is not satisfied or it can be concluded that readiness scores towards blended learning approach were not normally distributed. therefore, the data was analysed with the help of mann whitney u test (alternative non-parametric statistics). further before applying mann whitney u test, all the assumptions of this test were also tested. the assumptions related to mann whitney u test with the results of test are given below: assumption#1independence of the groups according to this assumption, there should be independence of observation in collecting samples i.e., there should not be any relationship between the observation in each group of the independent variable. it is clear from the observation of independent variable that all the selections of male and female group participants do not affect each other i.e., independent of each other. assumption#2the scores of dependent variables must be at least on ordinal scale according to this assumption the dependent variable should be measured at least on an ordinal scale. on the basis of observation of the scores of dependent variables, it is clear that these scores are on interval scale. assumption#3uniformity of distribution of dependent variable at both levels of independent variable this assumption holds whether the distribution of scores of dependent variables for both the groups of independent variables (male and female) has the same shape or a different shape. for testing it, graphical representations (fig-1) were used. figure-1: readiness scores of male and female participants towards using blended learning approach for teachers’ preparation indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 63 further, from the observation of histograms of readiness scores of male and female participants it is clear that the density of distribution is located more at the right side of both the graphs along with the tail skewed negatively. therefore, it is clear that scores of dependent variables at both the groups of dependent variables are negatively skewed in the same manner. assumption#4equality of variances (non parametric) for testing this assumption, non parametric levene’s test for equal variance was used. in non-parametric levene’s test, absolute deviation of rank of each score from average rank of group is calculated and then f value is obtained applying anova on distribution of these deviations. if this f value is not significant at the decided level of significance, it is assumed that assumption of equality of variances is satisfied. table-4: anova to check the assumption of equality of variances (non-parametric) on the basis of gender criterion variable: readiness towards blended learning approach sum of squares df mean square f sig. between groups 189.179 1 189.179 .038 .845 within groups 2428492.766 488 4976.420 total 2428681.945 489 100 table-4 shows that the fvalue of anova test is 0.038 whose probability of significance (df=1, 488) is 0.845 which is greater than 0.05, hence not significant at 0.05 level of significance. the null hypothesis “the readiness scores of male and female participants towards a blended learning approach indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 64 do not significantly deviate from nonparametric variance” is not rejected. therefore, it can be concluded that the assumption of equality of variance (non-parametric) is satisfied. assumption#5assumption of sample size this assumption holds that sample size should not be less than four in both the groups of iv. in the present study sample size is more than 4 in each group of iv, hence the fifth assumption of mann whitney u test is also fulfilled. after testing and fulfilling all the statistical assumptions, the data related to the second objective was analysed with the help of mann whitney u test. the results are presented below through the figure-2. figure-1: readiness scores of male and female participants towards using blended learning approach for teachers’ preparation it is evident from the above columnar that both the groups (male and female) can be considered uniform because of excess similarity in the distribution of dependent variables in both the groups. therefore, it can be undoubtedly said that pvalue obtained from the mann whitney u test is reliable, further it is evident from the above table that the test statistics of the readiness scores of male and female participants towards blended learning approach is u= 32250.00 whose probability of significance is 0.145 which is more than 0.05, hence not significant at 0.05 level of significance, therefore the null hypothesis “there is no significant difference in mean rank of readiness scores of male and female participants towards blended learning approach” is not rejected. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 65 table-5: summary of mann whitney u – test for mean rank readiness scores of male and female participants towards blended learning approach ranks gender n mean rank sum of ranks sig. remark between groups male 236 235.85 55660.00 0.145 not significant within groups female 254 254.47 64635.00 total total 490 further, it is clear from the mean ranks shown in the above figure that mean rank of readiness scores of male participants towards blended learning approach is 235.85 which is similar to that of female participants where mean rank of readiness scores is 254.47. hence, it can be said that male participants have similar readiness towards using a blended learning approach than that of female participants. readiness of rural, urban and semi urban participants towards using blended learning approach for teachers’ preparation the third objective of the present research was to compare readiness of rural, urban and semi urban participants. for this researcher selected 490 participants (224 rural, 213 urban and 53 semi urban) associated with teacher education using convenient sampling techniques since, in this objective three groups of participants are compared therefore anova was used for analysis of data. but before using anova, the first assumption of normality of the score of dependent variables for each level of iv was tested using kolmogorovsmirnov test. table 6 shows statistical tests of normality at different levels. table-6: tests of normality for readiness scores of rural, urban and semi urban participants towards blended learning approach criterion variable: readiness towards blended learning approach locale kolmogorov-smirnova shapiro-wilk statistic df sig. statistic df sig. readiness scores towards blended learning approach rural .127 224 .000 .929 224 .000 urban .123 213 .000 .926 213 .000 semi urban .125 53 .037 .920 53 .002 a. lilliefors significance correction indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 66 from table-6 it is evident that the statistical value of kolmogorov-smirnov test of the readiness scores of rural participants and urban participants towards blended learning approach are 0.127, 0.123 respectively, whose probability of significance at df (224) , df (213) is 0.000 which is less than 0.01, hence significant at 0.01 level of significance. in this perspective the null hypothesis “the given distribution of the readiness scores of rural and urban participants towards a blended learning approach do not differ significantly from the normal distribution” is rejected. therefore, it can be concluded that the assumption of normality of readiness scores of rural and urban participants towards a blended learning approach is not satisfied or it is violated. further, the above description indicates that the readiness scores of rural and urban participants are not normally distributed and readiness scores of semi urban participants are normally distributed. because the first assumption of the normality of data of one-way anova is not satisfied at all the levels of dependent variables, hence we use kruskal wallis h test for further analysis which is an alternative non parametric statistics technique of oneway anova. further, before applying kruskal wallis h test, all the assumptions related to kruskal wallis h test were also tested which are given below: assumption#1independence of the groups according to this assumption all the three samples (rural, urban and semi urban) should be independent of each other i.e. selection of subjects of one sample should not be affected by the selection of subjects of another sample. it is clear from the observation of independent variable, there is independence of the observation in collecting rural, urban and semi urban groups. assumption#2 the scores of dependent variables must be at least on ordinal scale on the basis of observation of the scores of dependent variables, it is clear that these scores are on interval scale. therefore, the second assumption of kruskal wallis h test that the scores of dependent variables must be at least on ordinal scale, is also fulfilled. assumption#3 uniformity of distribution of dependent variable at both levels of independent variable this assumption holds whether the distribution of scores of dependent variables for all the groups of independent variables (rural, urban and semi urban) has the same shape or a different shape. for testing it, graphical representation was used and uniformity found. assumption#4 equality of variances (non parametric) for testing this assumption non parametric levene’s test for equal variance is used. the results of anova related to this assumption are presented in the following table -7. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 67 table-7: anova to check the assumption of equality of variances (non-parametric) on the basis of locale criterion variable: readiness towards blended learning approach sum of squares df mean square sig. remark between groups 2147.204 2 1073.602 .217 .805 within groups 2410459.850 487 4949.610 total 2412607.053 489 table-7 shows that the fvalue of anova test is 0.217 whose probability of significance (df=2, 487) is 0.805 which is greater than 0.05, hence not significant at 0.05 level of significance. hence, the null hypothesis “the readiness scores of rural, urban and semi urban participants do not significantly deviate from nonparametric variance, is not rejected. therefore, it can be concluded that the assumption of equality of variance (non-parametric) is satisfied. assumption#5 assumption of sample size this assumption holds that sample size should not be less than four in all the three groups of iv. in the present study sample size is more than 4 in each group of iv, hence the fifth assumption of kruskal wallis h test is also fulfilled. after testing and fulfilling all the statistical assumptions related to kruskal wallis h test, the collected data were analysed with the help of kruskal wallis h test. the results have been presented through figure-3. figure-1: readiness scores of male and female participants towards using blended learning approach for teachers’ preparation indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 68 table-8: summary of kruskal wallis h test for mean rank readiness scores of rural, urban and semi urban participants towards blended learning approach ranks locale n mean rank sig. remark readiness scores towards blended learning approach rural 224 248.66 0.765 not significant urban 213 240.36 semi urban 53 252.82 total 490 it is evident from the above columnar that both the three groups can be considered uniform because of excess similarity in the distribution of dependent variable in both the three groups. therefore, it can be undoubtedly said that pvalue obtained from the kruskal wallis h test is reliable, further it is evident from the table that the test statistics of the readiness scores of rural, urban and semi urban participants is k= 0.536 whose probability of significance is 0.765 which is more than 0.05, hence not significant at 0.05 level of significance, therefore the null hypothesis “there is no significant difference in mean rank of readiness scores of rural, urban and semi urban participants” is not rejected, it is clear from the above figure that the mean rank of readiness scores of rural participants is 248.66 which is similar to that of urban and semi urban participants whose mean rank of readiness scores is 240.36 and 252.82. hence, it can be said that rural, urban and semi urban participants have similar readiness towards using a blended learning approach for teachers’ preparation. readiness of teacher educators, research scholars and pupil teachers towards using blended learning approach for teachers’ preparation the fourth objective of the present research was to compare readiness of teacher educators, research scholars and pupil teachers towards using a blended learning approach. for this, 490 participants (106 teacher educators, 105 research scholars and 279 pupil teachers) associated with teacher education were selected using convenient sampling techniques. since, in this objective we were comparing three groups so it was suggested to use anova for the analysis of data. but before using anova, the first assumption of normality of scores of dependent variables for each level of independent variable was tested. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 69 table-9: tests of normality for readiness scores of teacher educators, research scholars and pupil teachers towards blended learning approach criterion variable: readiness towards blended learning approach category designation kolmogorov-smirnova shapiro-wilk readiness scores towards blended learning approach statistic df sig. statistic df sig. teacher educators .126 106 .000 .919 106 .000 research scholars .135 105 .000 .923 105 .000 trainee .117 279 .000 .929 279 .000 a. lilliefors significance correction from table-9, it is evident that the statistical value of kolmogorov-smirnov test of the readiness scores of teacher educators, research scholars and pupil teachers is 0.126, 0.135 and 0.117 respectively, whose probability of significance at df (106), df (105) and df (279) is 0.000 which is less than 0.01, hence significant at 0.01 level of significance. in this perspective the null hypothesis “the given distribution of the readiness scores of teacher educators, research scholars and pupil teachers towards a blended learning approach differ significantly from the normal distribution” is rejected. therefore, it can be concluded that the assumption of normality of readiness scores of teacher educators, research scholars and pupil teachers is not satisfied or it is violated. the above description indicates that the readiness scores are not normally distributed. because the first assumption of the normality of data of one-way anova is not satisfied at all the levels of dependent variables, hence we use kruskal wallis h test (alternative non parametric statistics technique). further before applying kruskal wallis h test, all the assumptions related to kruskal wallis h test were also tested, which are given below: assumption#1independence of the groups it is clear from the observation of independent variable that there is independence of the observation in collecting rural, urban and semi urban groups. therefore, the first assumption of kruskal wallis h test of independence of the groups is fulfilled. assumption#2 the scores of dependent variables must be at least on ordinal scale it is clear that these scores are on an interval scale. therefore, the second assumption of kruskal wallis h test that the scores of dependent variables must be at least on ordinal scale is fulfilled. assumption#3 uniformity of distribution of dependent variable at both levels of independent variable indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 70 this assumption holds whether the distribution of scores of dependent variables for all the groups of independent variables (teacher educators, research scholars and pupil teachers) have the same shape. for testing it, graphical representation was used and uniformity found. assumption#4 equality of variances (non parametric) for testing this assumption non parametric levene’s test for equal variance was used. the results of anova related to this assumption are presented in the following table-10. table-9: tests of normality for readiness scores of teacher educators, research scholars and pupil teachers towards blended learning approach criterion variable: readiness towards blended learning approach sum of squares df mean square f sig. between groups 1927.727 2 963.863 .194 .823 within groups 2416070.186 487 4961.130 total 2417997.913 489 table-10 shows that the fvalue of anova test is 0.194 whose probability of significance (df=2, 487) is 0.823 which is greater than 0.05, hence not significant at 0.05 level of significance. hence, the null hypothesis “the readiness scores of teacher educators, research scholars and pupil teachers’ participants towards blended learning approach do not differ significantly from non-parametric variance. is not rejected. therefore, it can be concluded that the assumption of equality of variances (non-parametric), is satisfied. assumption#5 assumption of sample size this assumption holds that sample size should not be less than four in all the three groups of iv. in the present study, sample size is more than 4 in each group of iv. hence, the fifth assumption of kruskal wallis h test is also fulfilled. after testing and fulfilling all the statistical assumptions related to kruskal wallis h test, the data related to the second objective were analysed with the help of kruskal wallis h test. the results are presented below through fig-4. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 71 figure-4: summary of kruskal wallis h test for mean rank readiness scores of teacher educators, research scholars and pupil teacher it is evident from the columnar that both the three groups can be considered uniform because of excess similarity in the distribution of dependent variable in both the three groups. therefore, it can be undoubtedly said that pvalue obtained from the kruskal wallis h test is reliable, further it is evident from the table that the test statistics of the readiness scores of teacher educators, research scholars and pupil teachers towards blended learning approach is k= 0.009 whose probability of significance is 0.996 which is more than 0.05, hence not significant at 0.05 level of significance, therefore the null hypothesis “there is no significant difference in mean rank of readiness scores of teacher educators, research scholars and pupil teachers towards blended learning approach” is not rejected, indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 72 table-12: summary of kruskal wallis h test for mean rank readiness scores ranks designation n mean rank sig. remark readiness scores towards blended learning approach teacher educators 106 246.09 0.996 not significant research scholars 105 246.26 pupil teachers 279 244.99 total 490 it is also clear from table-12 that the mean ranks shown in the figure of readiness scores of teacher educators towards blended learning approach is 246.09 which is similar to that of research scholars and pupil teachers where mean rank of readiness scores is 246.26 and 244.99. hence, it can be said that teacher educators, research scholars and pupil teachers have similar readiness towards a blended learning approach. findings of the research the following are the findings of the present research: 1. the mean readiness scores of all the participants towards using a blended learning approach for teacher’s preparation found to be favorable. further, the standard deviation shown relatively small variations and coefficient of variance is quite low, hence it reflects that teacher, research scholars and pupil teachers have high readiness towards using blended learning approach for teachers’ preparation. the results also indicate that, as a group the readiness towards using a blended learning approach was almost irrevocable and favorable. it may, therefore be concluded that all the participants of teacher education have high readiness towards using a blended learning approach for teachers’ preparation. 2. the mean readiness scores of participants towards using blended learning approach in teachers’ preparation do not differ significantly when compared on the basis of gender, hence the null hypothesis “there is no significant difference in mean readiness scores of male and female participants towards using blended learning approach for teacher’s preparation” is not rejected. it may therefore be concluded that readiness of male and female participants was found to be equally positive. 3. the mean readiness scores of participants towards using blended learning approach in teachers’ preparation do not differ significantly when compared on the basis of locale, hence the null hypothesis “there is no significant differences in mean readiness scores of rural, indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 73 urban and semi urban participants towards using blended learning approach for teachers preparation” is not rejected. it may therefore be concluded that readiness of rural, urban and semi urban participants found to be equally positive. 4. the mean readiness scores of participants towards using blended learning approach in teachers’ preparation do not differ significantly when compared on the basis of level, hence the null hypothesis “there is no significant difference in mean readiness scores of teacher educators, research scholars and pupil teachers towards using blended learning approach for teachers preparation” is not rejected. it may therefore be concluded that readiness of teacher educators, research scholars and pupil teachers were found to be equally positive. discussion on findings the objective wise findings of the present study have been discussed. to study the readiness of teacher educators, research scholars and students towards using blended learning approach for teachers’ preparation. it is clear from the above results that the mean readiness scores of participants towards using blended learning approach for teachers’ preparation found to be favourable. the results also indicate that, as a group, the readiness towards using a blended learning approach were almost irrevocable and favourable. this is a positive finding. these findings were supported by korkmaz & karakus (2009); adas & shmais (2011); alseweed (2013); nordin & alias (2013); aldalalah & gasaymeh (2014); gyamfi & gyaase (2015); ja’ashanl (2015); angadi (2016); khan (2016); qiang (2016); bakeer (2018); birbal, ramdass & harripaul (2018); sari (2019). thus, the above description reflects that using a blended learning approach may prove beneficial for teachers’ preparation. to compare the mean readiness score of male and female participants towards using a blended learning approach for teachers’ preparation. the mean readiness scores of participants towards using blended learning approach in teachers’ preparation did not differ significantly when compared on the basis of gender, it may therefore be concluded that readiness of male and female participants found to be equally positive and both are ready to incorporate blended learning for internship activities. this finding has been supported by korkmaz & karakus (2009); adas & shmais (2011); alseweed (2013); angadi (2016); khan (2016); qiang (2016); bakeer (2018); birbal, ramdass & harripaul (2018). thus, the above description reflects that using a blended learning approach may prove beneficial for teachers’ preparation and gender have no effect on its effectiveness. to compare the mean readiness score of rural, urban and semi-urban participants towards using a blended indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 74 learning approach for teachers’ preparation. the mean readiness scores of participants towards using a blended learning approach in teachers’ preparation did not differ significantly when compared on the basis of locale. it may therefore be concluded that readiness of rural, urban and semiurban participants found to be equally positive and all are ready to incorporate blended learning for internship activities. this finding has been supported by adas & shmais (2011); alseweed (2013); nordin & alias (2013). thus, the above description reflects that using a blended learning approach may prove beneficial for teachers’ preparation and locality has no effect on its effectiveness. to compare mean readiness scores of teacher educators, research scholars and pupil teachers towards using blended learning approach for teachers’ preparation the mean readiness scores of stakeholders (teacher educators, research scholars and pupil teachers), towards using a blended learning approach in teachers’ preparation do not differ significantly and found to be equally positive. they are ready to incorporate blended learning for internship activities. this finding is supported by adas & shmais (2011); alseweed (2013); nordin & alias (2013). thus, the above description reflects that using a blended learning approach may prove beneficial for teachers’ preparation and experience have no effect on its effectiveness. (acknowledgement: author is thankful to icssr impress scheme for the financial support for conducting this research study successfully) references alseweed, m. a. (2013). students’ achievement and attitudes toward using traditional learning, blended learning, and virtual classes learning in teaching and learning a t the university level. studies in literature and language, 6 (1), 65-73. alkış, n., & temizel, t. (2018). the impact of motivation and personality on academic performance in online and blended learning environments. journal of educational technology & society, 21(3), 35-47. retrieved june 4, 2020, from www.jstor.org/ stable/26458505 adas, d. & shmais, w.a. (2011). students’ perceptions towards blended learning environment using the occ. an najah univ. j. res. (humanities), 25 (6), 1681-1710. angadi, g. r. (2016). student-teacher’s perceptions towards blended learning approach in critical understanding of ict in education. international journal of research in economics and social sciences, 6 (3), 77-82. aldalalah, o. a. & gasaymeh, a. m. (2014). perceptions of blended learning competencies nd obstacles among educational technology students in light of different anxiety levels and locus of control. contemporary educational technology, 5(3), 218-238. birbal, r., ramdass, m. & harripaul, c. (2018). student teachers’ attitudes towards indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 75 blended learning. journal of education and human development, 7 (2), 9-26. bakeer, a. m. (2018). students’ attitudes towards implementing blended learning in teaching english in higher education institutions: a case of al-quds open university. international journal of humanities and social science, 8 (6), 131-139. chew e., jones n., turner d. critical review of the blended learning models based on maslow’s and vygotsky’s educational theory’ in hybrid learning and education. berlin, springer verlag publ., 2008, pp. 40–53. doi: 10.1007/978-3-540-85170-7_4. chitra.p.s., & singaravelu.g. (2016). potency of blended learning in learning science. global journal for research analysis, 5(9), 48-50. graham c.r. blended learning systems: definition, current trends, and future directions. the handbook of blended learning: global perspectives, local designs. san francisco, pfeiffer publ., 2006, pp. 3–21. grgurović, m. (2011). blended learning in an esl class: a case study. calico journal, 29(1), 100-117. retrieved june 4, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/ calicojournal.29.1.100 gyamfi, s. a. & gyaase, p. o. (2015). students’ perception of blended learning environment: a case study of the university of education, winneba, kumasi-campus, ghana. international journal of education and development using information and communication technology, 11 (1), 80-100. ja’ashan1, m. n. h. (2015). perceptions and attitudes towards blended learning for english courses: a case study of students at university of bisha. english language teaching, 8 (9), 40-50. korkmaz, o. & karakus, u. (2009). the impact of blended learning model on students attitudes towards geography course and their critical thinking dispositions and levels. the turkish online journal of educational technology, 8 (4), 58-63. kuh, g. d., & hu, s. (2001). the relationships between computer and information technology use, selected learning and personal development outcomes, and other college experiences. journal of college student development, 42(3), 217-23. khan, s. h. (2016). attitude of prospective teachers towards blended learning technology: a normative approach. international journal of english language, literature and humanities, 4 (6), 194-203. muniyandi, d. (2016). effectiveness of blended learning approach in teaching of psychology among b.ed. trainees, international journal of development research, 5(9), 5558-5561. nordin, a. b. & alias, n. (2013). learning outcomes and student perceptions in using of blended learning in history. procedia-social and behavioural sciences, 103 (2013), 577-585. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 76 qiang, h. (2016). learners’ perceptions of blended learning and the roles and interaction of f2f and online learning. oregon teachers of english to speakers of other languages, 33, 14-33 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 20 research article effect of augmented reality-based science content on learning achievement among secondary level students shweta bhardwaj assistant professor, education, netaji subhash chandra bose government girls pg college aliganj, lucknow, up email: shweta2411@gmail.com abstract today teachers are dealing with generation alpha, the most technology-supplied generation ever. generation alpha is a cohort born entirely in the 21st century and therefore a confident group of digital natives. this means for dealing with them teachers must be prepared for learning how to adopt new technologies and blend them into teaching as these students prefer digital resources and the gamification of education. using digital resources play an important role in dissolving the boundaries of classrooms and providing an opportunity for students to have experiential learning and promoting problem-solving. in the present paper epathshala ar (augmented reality) mobile application has been used to teach ar-based science content to students of class ninth of dholpur district, rajasthan to study its effectiveness upon achievement in science. this mobile application is an initiative of ncert under the aegis of the ministry of education, with the caption making education experimental. the method employed for the study was experimental with two groups of randomised matched subject pre-test and post-test design. the study was done on 74 ninth-grade students. results of the study indicated that students in the experimental group not only showed their interest in learning with this application but also a significant effect has been found in their achievement in science as compared to the control group. considering these findings, the investigator supports the use of epathshala ar mobile application for a better understanding of scientific concepts among students. keywords: augmented reality, generation alpha, learning achievement, epathshala ar application, mobile application introduction learning by doing is considered one of the best methods of knowledge construction and gaining insights into abstract concepts in science. when students read science textbooks they encounter several two-dimensional figures and illustrations of different scientific concepts, processes etc. which require imagination to visualize the concept, as some complex concepts require the third dimension to gain a better understanding. technological advancements in recent years have modified and broadened learning and teaching methods. augmented reality (ar) technology digitally enhances the content of the book by superimposing threedimensional simulated models over existing figures of the textbook and making it interactive which naturally catches the attention and interest of learners. with this technology students not just read or memorise content in a book but also interact and learn concepts by directly experimenting. the present study used ncert’s epathshala ar mobile application to teach arbased science content to ninth-grade students. generation alpha students have a indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 21 natural inclination towards digital gadgets and technology-embedded learning models (prensky, 2001) so, with them using ar based textbooks is an additional advantage for holding their interest and attention in class. in the present study the investigator attempts to use an experiential, student-centric and interactive approach to teaching science via epathshala ar (augmented reality) mobile application. this mobile application has selective ar content for class ninth and tenth only. class ninth has been selected by randomly drawing a lottery for the present study. from class ninth science textbook content from five chapters has been incorporated in this mobile application, out of which three chapters one each from biology, physics and chemistry have been included in the study. since this epathshala app uses ar technology with an english medium science textbook of class ninth, so present study was delimited to ninth class students of english medium schools of dholpur district. during teaching the concept the students of the experimental group were demonstrated how to use ar application via mobile over different figures provided in the textbook that showed the data linked to these figures from the ar database uploaded on the application and enabled them to gain better visualisation and digital experience of the concept. this study intended to determine how science content designed with arbased applications affected students’ learning achievement before and after treatment. review of literature a number of studies have revealed that ar-based applications affected teaching learning in various disciplines ranging from mathematics which require abstract visualization of concepts, promoting reading and comprehension skills and to science courses including several simulated activities and experiments (munoz et al, 2015; chao and chang, 2018; abas & zaman, 2011; billinghurst & dunser, 2012, chen & wang, 2015). ar technology is more effective as compared to traditional book-based learning (sin et al, 2010). lindgren et al (2011) in their study found that ar-based content when compared with computer-based teaching also showed positive results towards the effectiveness of ar technology in education. chang et al (2011) concluded that the learning process holds more attention for students after using ar technology. chiang et al (2014) supported the use of ar based mobile learning systems for science content with students in grade fourth in taiwan. when employed with primary-level students ar-based applications have been found to increase the academic achievement of learners (contero & lopez, 2013; petrov & atanasova,2020). muhammad et al (2021) investigated the effectiveness of ar-based learning materials for primary school children in terms of learning performance, motivation, attitude and behaviour towards different methods of learning, the findings favoured ar-based learning techniques enhanced students’ learning motivation and performance compared to the non-ar learning methods. khan et al, 2019 analyzed the impact of an ar application on the learning motivation of undergraduate health science students and established that using an ar mobile application increased the learning motivation of students. ar based applications also establish a positive attitude towards learning (karagozlu et al, 2019; sahin and yilmaz, 2020). cetin & turkan (2021) investigated the effect of ar-based applications on achievement and attitude towards science courses in distance education and found a significant increase in both. eldokhny & drwish (2021) tried to study the effectiveness of ar in indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 22 online distance learning at the time of covid-19 pandemic and reported that ar was more effective in promoting academic achievement as well as skill acquisition in virtual classrooms as compared to virtual classrooms that did not use ar in online distance learning. objectives of study the present study purports to fulfill the following objectives – • to study the effect of ar-based science content on the learning achievement of ninth-class students. • to study the effect of ar-based science content on different cognitive areas of learning achievement of ninth-class students. hypothesis of study the following null hypotheses have been stated • there is no significant difference between the mean scores of science learning achievement of students of control and experimental groups. • there is no significant difference between the mean scores of different cognitive areas of science learning achievement of students of control and experimental groups. material and methods the present study employed an experimental method with two groups of randomized matched subjects, pretest–posttest design to test the effect of the ar-based science content using ar epathshala app on the science learning achievement of students. pretest was administered to both control and experimental groups to find out the homogeneity between the groups. the experimental group was exposed to treatment with ar-based science content via ar epathshala mobile app while the control group was treated with a traditional book-based method of teaching. post-test was applied to determine the effectiveness of the treatment. experimental design patterns followed in the study and variables included in the study have been depicted in table 1 and 2. table-1: experimental design of the study randomly assigned groups after matching pre-test independent variable post test experimental self-made achievement test of science teaching ar-based science content via ar epathshala mobile app self-made achievement test of science control self-made achievement test of science teaching through traditional method self-made achievement test of science indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 23 table-2: variables of the study independent variable dependent variable intervening variable controlled moderate exposure to ar-based science content traditional teaching • grade • age • intelligence • socio-economic status • duration of instruction • teacher • content gender data gathering tools the following standardized tools have been used in study: • socio-economic status scale (rl bhardwaj, 2006): this scale envisages to determine nine types of statuses namely social status (ascribed), social status (achieved), social status (as a whole) consisting 7 items (areas) like family, social, education, professional, property, monthly income and caste perspective. the reliability of the test has been calculated by the test and re-rests method. the scale was administered on a sample of 200 students and was re-administered on the same sample. the correlation between the two scores was calculated by the spearman brown formula and was found to be 0.76. • culture fair test of intelligence (scale 2, form a) prepared by rn singh and sd kapoor (1999) (indian adaptation of cattell’s culture fair intelligence test): this is a nonverbal test of intelligence where the subject has to perceive relationships in shapes and figures. it has four sub-tests, consisting of incomplete progressive series, classification, matrices and conditions. the reliability of the test is 0.76, calculated using the split-half method. the validity is calculated by calculating direct correlations with other tests of general intelligence and is found to be 0.81. • self-made achievement test of science: for measuring learning achievement in science a selfmade achievement test in science has been used. the test has been prepared by the investigator in line with the opinions of subject experts. the final test consisted of 40 items after preliminary tryouts and item analysis. the blueprint of the test is given in table 3. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 24 table-3: blue print of self-made achievement in science objectives knowledge understanding application total type of question content objective short ans objective short answer objective e a a e a d e a d e a d marks questions building blocks of living organism 2(1) 1(1) 3 2 prokaryotic cell 1(1) 1(1) 2 2 animal cell and its organelles 1(1) 1(3) 1(1) 5 5 plant cell and its organelles 1(1) 2(1) 1(1) 4 3 colloidal soln & tyndall effect 1(1) 2(1) 3 2 separation of components of mixture 1(1) 1(2) 2(1) 5 4 evaporation, sublimation 2(1) 2 1 distillation, chromatography 2(1) 2(1) 4 2 separation of components of air 1(1) 2(1) 2(1) 5 3 water works water purification system 1(1) 1 1 production & propagation of sound 1(1) 1 1 sound needs a medium to travel 1(1) 2(1) 3 2 sound waves are longitudinal 1(1) 1(1) 2 2 characteristics of sound wave 1(2) 1(1) 3 3 reflection of sound 1(1) 1 1 applications of ultrasound 1(2) 1(1) 1(1) 4 4 sonar 1(2) 2 2 total (marks) 1(8) 1(1) 2(1) 1(5) 2(1) 1(6) 2(1) 1(1) 2(1) 2(1) 2(3) 2(1) 1(1) 1(4) 1(4) 2(1) 50 40 total questions 9 1 14 5 11 e = easy item (difficulty index 0.61 to 0.75) a = average item (difficulty index 0.4 to 0.60) d = difficult item (difficulty index 0.25 to 0.39) indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 25 • reliability and validity of test: splithalf reliability of test is calculated, which was found to be 0.712 showing fairly good reliability of the test. the face and content validity of the test was assured while preparing the test. adequate weightage is given to content, learning objectives and difficulty level (table 4). the opinion of subject experts was taken into consideration while preparing the test and necessary modifications were made accordingly. table-4: weightage given to different areas in self-made test of science achievement s.n. area of weightage total number of items percentage 1 content biology (the fundamental unit of life) 12 30.0 chemistry (is matter around us pure?) 13 32.5 physics (sound) 15 37.5 2 cognitive area knowledge 09 22.2 understanding 15 37.5 application 16 40.0 3 difficulty level easy 17 42.5 average 14 35.0 difficult 09 22.5 data collection a total of 74 students from the cbse board-affiliated english medium school of dholpur district of rajasthan constituted the sample of the present study. table 5 provides details of the sample. for conducting the experiment prior permissions were sought from the school authorities. firstly, students were randomly assigned to an experimental and control group after matching for intelligence and socioeconomic status. according to the time schedule, a two-month programme was given to the experimental and control group. 32 students were assigned in both experimental and control groups. in the experimental group 21 boys and 11 girls were there while the number of girls and boys in the control group was 20 and 12, respectively. investigator has provided training and necessary guidance to subject teachers to use ar epathshala mobile application to teach different ar-based science concepts involved in the study. the teacher demonstrated the experimental group about application usage by presenting demos on a projector screen. students were motivated to practice the science content with this application. the control group performed learning by conventional book-based method, with the guidance of the same teacher. prior to and after the experiment the self-made test of achievement was administered and the data was collected for further investigations. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 26 table-5: sample of the study name of school students in experiment group students in control group boys girls boys girls avm convent school 21 11 20 12 total 32 32 74 analysis and interpretation of data to test the significance of the stated hypothesis the mean, standard deviation, t-value and significance were calculated (table 6). from the table, it can be noticed that the calculated t-value of 7.75 is higher than the tabular value of 2.66 (p<0.01) at 72 degrees of freedom. this rejected the null hypothesis of no difference between the learning achievement of the control and experimental group. thus, we can say that the experimental group performed better in the posttest of achievement test of science after being exposed to ar-based science content. table-6: details of t-test conducted for science achievement in different groups s.n. mean scores of groups compared n mean difference df sd t value 1 pretest control pretest experimental 37 37 2.01 72 3.12 2.96 1.06 2 pretest experimental posttest experimental 37 37 13.38 72 2.96 3.33 7.11** 3 posttest control posttest experimental 37 37 14.57 72 2.79 3.33 7.75** 4 pretest control posttest control 37 37 0.81 72 3.12 2.79 0.43 ** values significant at 0.01 level of significance table 7 provides the analyses for the effect of ar-based science content on different cognitive areas of learning. the t values for knowledge t (72) = 4.14, p<0.01), understanding t (72) = 3,5, p<0.01) and application t (72) = 3.79, p<0.01) areas of learning is found to be significant when the mean scores for control and experimental group was compared. it can be concluded that learning with ar-based science content affected knowledge, understanding and application areas of the cognitive domain of learning. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 27 table-7: t values for different cognitive areas of learning for the experimental and control group cognitive area of learning group n mean sd sed t value knowledge control 37 4.28 2.06 0.871 4.14** experiment 37 7.89 1.75 understanding control 37 8.03 1.45 1.40 3.5** experiment 37 12.93 3.12 application control 37 5.62 2.97 2.30 3.79** experiment 37 14.34 3.24 conclusion and discussion literature studies revealed that the scope of exploring the effectiveness of mobile ar on students’ learning is very vast as the area is insufficiently worked out (lin et al., 2013 and ibanez et al., 2014). this study tried to investigate whether ar-based science content has an effect on learning achievement in science of secondary-level students. for studying this science content via ar epathshala has been presented to experimental group students. from the analyses of data gathered it has been found that ar-based science content affected students’ scores positively in science achievement in knowledge, understanding and application areas of the cognitive domain of learning. the results of the study are consistent with previous studies which also found that ar-based instructional approach proved effective in concretizing the abstract concepts of science. (walczak et al., 2006; sayed et al., 2011; özdemir, 2017; tulgar, 2019) besides affecting achievement the instructions based on the ar approach also kept high motivation levels among students (singhal et al., 2012; chiang et al., 2014; huang & liaw, 2014; ibanez et  al., 2014; torregrosa et  al., 2015; solak & çakır, 2016; khan et  al., 2019). the effectiveness of ar epathshala in this study can be attributed to the reason that the students involved in the study were digital natives when they were exposed to treatment with ar-based science content via the mobile application, they showed interest in knowing the concept and the interactivity allowed by this type of content motivated students to concretize the concept by interacting with it. ar-based content provides a high sense of reality to the content so this technology helps in concretizing the concept (ozdemir, 2017). in this study, students of the experimental group got the opportunity to see an interactive three-dimensional model of different content which held their interest and prepared them ready to learn. this study strongly supports using ar epathshala app for teaching different content to students. this concept of augmented reality and its usage in education is still not very popular so there is a need to popularize these types of mobile applications that can be easily used by pre-service and in-service teachers to teach abstract concepts to the alpha generation. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 28 references abas, h. & zaman, b.h. 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(2006). dynamic interactive vr network services for education. proceedings of acm symposium on virtual reality software and technology (vrst 2006), 277–286. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 127 research article digital citizenship, internet attitudes and computer selfefficacy: mapping factors influencing middle school students’ online participation diksha kukreja1& m. rajendran2 1 research scholar, department of education, university of delhi emaildkukreja@cie.du.ac.in 2 assistant professor, department of education, university of delhi abstract today’s technology, transcending barriers of space and time, has increasingly allowed our younger generations to enter a digital world and form online communities in their personal, social and educational lives. digital citizenship is the norms and standards for appropriate and responsible online behaviour ensuring a positive, optimal, ethical, and safe use of technology. this study aims to understand middle school students’ levels of digital citizenship and its relation to their internet attitudes and perceived computer self-efficacy. it also analyses factors affecting students’ level of digital citizenship. a survey of 385 middle school students studying in grades 6, 7 and 8 of private schools in delhi was conducted. the results reveal that students’ grade level but not gender influences their digital citizenship level. students’ internet attitudes and computer selfefficacy were positively correlated to their levels of digital citizenship. the paper ends with educational implications for educators and curriculum designers. keywords: digital behaviour; digital citizenship; middle school; digital practices; computer self-efficacy; internet attitude; digital literacy; online participation; digital access; digital welfare introduction advancing information and communication technologies are transforming the world we live in into a small yet global village. technology today has made it possible for us to overcome barriers of space and time. in the current century, humans use technology for a variety of reasons including working from home, searching for information online, payment of utility bills, casting votes, lodging complaints online, attending virtual classes, and communicating with friends and family, shopping and so on. the restrictions posed by governments across the globe to contain the impact of covid-19, has further pushed more and more people to go digital in different spheres of their life. this participation in the networked society (van dijk, 1991) is not only at a personal or professional level but also civic level, say casting votes, sharing one’s public opinion, signing petitions, and organisation and participation in public protests, etc. this citizenship in the digital world is more global and more dynamic in nature (reynolds & scott, 2016). the communicative functions of digital technologies indicate new and dynamic forms of engagement with democracy (baddeley, 1997; moore, 1999) as well as conducting one’s citizenship irrespective of the boundaries of the nation-state, for instance, the #metoomovement #blacklivesmatter, #farmersprotest, etc. more than the adults, it is nowadays the younger generations, also popularly indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 128 known as the digital natives (prensky, 2010), who engage regularly with these digital technologies. with increased exposure to these technologies, yet little or incomplete knowledge about these digital communities and the consequences of one’s actions online, our younger generation is left vulnerable to technology disuse, misuse (miles, 2011) and the evils of the cyber world (feinberg & robey, 2008; mitchell & ybarra, 2007; vanfossen & berson, 2008). social media and technology access among middle school students compared to primary school students has increased significantly over the past years. according to a 2015 survey conducted by assocham, about 95% of teens surveyed used the internet, about 81% of them were active on social media with about 72% logging into social media more than once a day (ians, 2015). middle school is also a time when citizenship education is introduced in the form of civics (political science, a separate subject) in many schools. with continuously increasing online engagement in the personal, social and educational lives of our younger generation, it becomes pertinent to first understand their online digital preparedness, behaviour and practices. this can then help better plan and equip them with relevant skills to actively participate as efficient citizens of the digital world (ribble, 2004). achieving ‘civic efficiency’ or ‘good citizenship’ based on social and political participation in one’s community is one of the primary aims of education (dewey, 1916). thus, the present work aims to understand middle school students’ preparedness for and participation (i.e., citizenship) in the digital world. it seeks to understand the relation of their internet attitudes and perceived computer self-efficacy on their digital citizenship. review of related literature traditional, critical and digital citizenship traditionally, the concept of citizenship is understood as a “legal status/ membership” (banks, 2008) or a “nationally-bounded membership” (fischman & haas, 2012). the phrase ‘citizen of a nation-state’ has a nationalist rightand responsibilitiesbased connotation, i.e., the people who are citizens of a nation enjoy certain civil, political, economic, and social rights and responsibilities (castles & davidson, 2000). therefore, a good citizen, from this perspective, obeys laws, follows rules and regulations, and knows and performs their rights and responsibilities, such as voting, paying taxes, preserving national civic culture, heritage, etc. this traditional notion was challenged by many scholars in the late 1990s and 2000s to pave the way for critical conceptions of citizenship. the critical perspective on citizenship recognises the need for expanding the traditional understanding of citizenship by including phenomena like multiculturalism and globalisation, thereby, voicing the inclusion of many ethnically, religiously, linguistically, and culturally marginalised groups to get full citizenship rights (abu el-haj, 2007; agbaria, 2011; banks, 2008; ong, 1996; pike, 2000). critical citizenship is a critical form of citizenship wherein a ‘good’ citizen recognises local, national and global identities and cultural backgrounds and is active and empowered enough to challenge the existing power structures and pursue social equality and justice (banks, 2008; westheimer & kahne, 2004). the prevalent and pervasive use of the internet in human life paved the way for a new form of citizenship – digital indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 129 citizenship. digital citizenship is the “norms of acceptable behaviour with regard to technology use” (nordin et al., 2016; ribble, 2004) in social as well as educational environments (nosko & wood, 2011). farmer (2011) explains that digital citizenship is the “ability to use technology safely, critically, productively and civically”. it is the users’ ability to participate in the online society which in turn requires regular and effective access to the internet and the skills for technology use (mossberger, tolbert & mcneal, 2011). this concept emphasizes the internet’s empowering capacity for the exercise of economic, political, and social rights and other opportunities often associated with citizenship (jenson, 2008; marshall, 1992). for this research, the term digital citizenship is operationalised as norms and standards for appropriate and responsible behaviour (iste, 2000; ribble, 2014) by the users to use technology in an effective, safe, ethical, sensible, critical, reasonable, and productive manner (farmer, 2011; miles, 2011), hence, ensuring a positive and optimal use of technology (alqahtani, alqahtani & alqurashi, 2017). furthermore, education for digital citizenship can offer ways to deal with variegated issues arising from technology use, thereby, also preparing the younger generations with enough knowledge and skills to participate as effective citizens of the twenty-firstcentury digital world (ribble, 2011). the sections below elicit the knowledge, actions and skills that encompass digital citizenship and the factors that influence digital citizenship behaviours. elements of digital citizenship bailey, ribble and ross (2004) offer a comprehensive framework of nine elements (or skills) of digital citizenship. these elements can be super classified into 3 main themes: 1) respect oneself and others; 2) educate oneself and others; and 3) protect oneself and others. together, these are popularly known as rep. each of the themes further consists of 3 basic elements (see figure 1). the first theme respecting oneself and others in a digital environment involves i) digital etiquette (electronic standards for conduct or procedure and being mindful of consequences of one’s digital actions on others); ii) digital access (extent of individual’s participation in society and equitable distribution of technology and e-resources) and iii) digital law (electronic responsibility for owning up one’s actions and deeds viz. rules and policies that are meant to address digital issues). the second theme educate oneself and others about the digital world, its advantages, limitations, etc. also involves 3 basic elements: i) digital literacy (being fluent in using technology and being critical of different platforms and information available online); ii) digital commerce (ability to engage in e-buying and selling of goods, net banking, etc.); iii) digital communication (exchange of information electronically). the third theme protecting oneself and others from the dangers of the digital world comprises another 3 basic elements (abilities): i) digital rights and responsibilities (being aware of the rights and responsibilities extended to every member in the digital world); ii) digital health and welfare (psychological and physical wellbeing in a digital world; maintaining a healthy balance); iii) digital security (precautions, prevention, privacy and safety in a digital world). together, these become a set of nine elements of digital citizenship behaviour. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 131 significance of the study over the past few years, digital penetration, especially for mobile technologies has significantly increased in india. the availability of cheaper and high-speed internet packages due to intense corporate competition and the push from the government policies has further accelerated the adoption of internet, mobile and other digital technologies in urban and rural india. this is true more so in the context of urban and metropolitan cities like delhi ncr. in the educational sphere, the government of india is undertaking several measures to integrate technology into teaching-learning practices at all educational levels, thereby, making learning equitable and accessible to all. examples of such initiatives include subsidies to technology companies (especially start-ups), publicprivate partnerships to strengthen national digital infrastructure, grants to educational institutions for the purchase of technological equipment and the development of several online teaching-learning platforms such as diksha portal, nroer, swayam, swayam prabha, etc. in addition to this, the national education policy (nep, 2020), encourages greater use of aibased technologies and other disruptive technologies in education in the present and the coming future (mhrd, 2020). the nep (2020) views bridging the digital divide, imparting digital literacy skills, and preparing our students and teachers to tackle the downsides of using technology as prerequisites to realising its vision of technologyenhanced education, governance, and economy (mhrd, 2020). these issues are key to the concept of digital citizenship. additionally, the nep (2020) envisages the purpose of our education system to produce “engaged, productive and contributing citizens for building an equitable, inclusive and plural society as envisaged by our constitution” (mhrd, 2020, p. 5); a core aim of digital citizenship education. as a result, one could see greater adoption of technology both at school and at home in the coming years. keeping this in view, the present study contributes to the academic and professional interest in digital citizenship and education at 3 levels. first, it provides insights into urban middle school students’ digital behaviour, attitudes and notions about their digital capacities, rights and responsibilities. second, it provides future researchers with a foundation to further understand, in an urban indian context, how different factors impact one’s experiences in the digital world and, thus, their participation and citizenship thereof. third, the study provides practical educational implications for policymakers, curriculum designers and teachers seeking to integrate digital citizenship education as part of the wider education system. research questions the current study adopts the digital citizenship framework by ribble (2014) to gauge middle school students’ levels of digital citizenship as well as study the relation of students’ age, grade, internet attitudes and their computer-self efficacy with their digital citizenship. the following are the research questions for this study: 1. what is the level of middle school students’ digital citizenship in terms of respect, educate and protect (rep)? 2. does students’ gender level influence their level of digital citizenship? 3. does students’ grade influence their level of digital citizenship? 4. does students’ internet attitude influence their level of digital citizenship? indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 132 5. does students’ perceived computer self-efficacy impact their level of digital citizenship? hypotheses following are the hypotheses to support the research questions for this study. hypothesis 1 (h01): there exists no significant relationship between students’ gender and their level of digital citizenship. hypothesis 2 (h02): there exists no significant relationship between students’ grade (class) level and their level of digital citizenship. hypothesis 3 (h03): there exists no significant relationship between students’ internet attitudes and their digital citizenship levels. hypothesis 4 (h04): there exists no significant relationship between students’ computer self-efficacy and their levels of digital citizenship. method this study utilizes a quantitative research design. the design was conceptualised in two phases. phase i dealt with students’ internet attitudes and self-efficacy towards digital technologies while phase ii focused on understanding students’ level of digital citizenship through a series of choices they make and the views they hold on different issues arising out of one’s digital participation. since regular exposure to technology is a prerequisite to being a digital citizen (mossberger, tolbert & mcneal, 2011), the study focuses on middle school students studying in private schools in delhi. this is because the students studying in private schools in india comparatively have far greater exposure and access to digital technology both at school and at home than their counterparts in government schools (education quality foundation of india, 2019). additionally, the probability of students’ exposure to and independent use of the internet, social networking sites and other digital platforms are higher during their adolescent (teen) years than in children and adults (lenhart, 2015; madden, 2013; martin, et. al., 2018; nazir, 2014; raj, et al., 2018). therefore, the study used a purposive sampling technique to select the school type and grade level to better serve the research objectives. upon selecting the schools and grade levels, individual participants (students) were selected randomly. as a result, a total of 385 middle school students (males = 209, females = 176) participated in the present study (see table 1). table-1: sample for the study number of students number of students total school type male female total grade 6 grade 7 grade 8 total private 209 176 385 121 162 102 385 385 the study utilised a survey design wherein a structured (self-reporting) questionnaire constituting three likert scales – internet attitude scale (ias), computer self-efficacy scale (ces) and digital citizenship scale (dcs) was developed. the scale used for internet attitude was a modified version of al-zahrani (2015) who modified the internet attitude scale by sam, othman and nordin (2005) that was originally adapted from the 20-item computer attitude scale developed and validated by nickell and pinto (1986). the ces indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 133 and dcs were adapted from alzahrani (2015) and were appropriately contextualized and adapted as per the indian context and the level of participants. the cronbach alpha coefficient for al-zahrani’s (2015) tool was 0.92. the digital citizenship scale developed for this study was available for rating on five points (5 = strongly agree and 1 = strongly disagree) that required the participants to mark their agreement or disagreement with a statement. the internet attitude scale was also available for rating on five points (5 = absolutely yes; 4 = yes; 3 = not sure; 4 = no; 5 = absolutely no). the computer selfefficacy scale included items on three levels of computer proficiency: basic, intermediate and advanced level, as per the guidelines of the national policy on ict in school education (mhrd, 2012). the respondents were expected to rate their perceived abilities on a scale of 5 points (5 = i can do it and can also teach it to a friend; 4 = i can do this by myself; 3 = i don’t know if i can do this; 2 = i can do this with someone’s help; 1 = i can’t do it, i need a lot of help). in the case of the negative items, the procedure of reverse scoring was utilized. these scales were also translated into the hindi language to avoid any possible language barriers. the tool was subjected to a team of experts to establish its validity (viz. its relevance, content, context, and construction). only those items in the questionnaire, whose lawshe’s content validity ratio (cvr) value was found to be above 0.99 (miller, mcintire and loyler, 2011) were included as part of the final tool. the remaining items were either dropped or modified appropriately as per the experts’ suggestions. the final tool comprised 46 items spread across three scales (see table 2). the internet attitude scale (ias) consisted of a total of 6 items that included issues of students’ comfort with the internet; their views on possible uses of the internet; responsible use of the internet; the role of the internet in making individual’s lives easy and comfortable; and its role in improving individual’s standard of living and bringing us to a newer, brighter era. the computer selfefficacy scale (ces) consisted of 14 items revolving around students’ confidence in performing computer-related tasks (at basic, intermediate and advanced levels) such as understanding terms and concepts regarding computer hardware and software; using hardware devices of computers, performing tasks on a computer such as creating backups, troubleshooting computer problems, protecting one’s own information, etc. the digital citizenship scale (dcs) further consisted of three subscales (reps): a) respect yourself/respect others, b) educate yourself/connect with others and c) protect yourself/protect others. in total, the dcs consisted of 26 items. these items, under the three subscales, belonged to the issues of digital access, law and etiquette (respect subscale); digital literacy, commerce and communication (educate subscale); and digital rights and responsibilities, health and wellness and security (protect subscale). the reliability of the tool was established through an internal consistency test (cronbach’s alpha coefficient) wherein the alpha value was found to be 0.80, i.e., above 0.7 (see table 2). it also must be noted that the data from the protect yourself/others category must be taken with a pinch of salt. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 134 table-2: reliability statistics for the tool scale sub scale α no. of items internet attitude scale (ias) 0.729 06 computer self-efficacy scale (ces) 0.858 14 digital citizenship scale (dcs) respect yourself/respect others educate yourself/connect with others protect yourself/protect others 0.763 0.756 0.510 14 06 06 digital citizenship scale (total) 0.766 26 total questionnaire 0.800 46 delimitations of the study the study delimits itself to middle-grade students from private schools located in the delhi-ncr region. the variables, such as students’ socio-economic status that may affect their views and use of digital technologies, were not considered as part of the present study. results students’ internet attitude and computer self-efficacy the total mean of students’ responses was calculated to gain a general sense of students’ internet attitudes and perceived computer self-efficacy, respectively (see table 3). table-3: descriptive statistics for students’ internet attitude and computer self-efficacy (n = 385) scale no. of items mean s.d. total internet attitude 6 4.18 0.561 total computer selfefficacy 14 4.11 0.55 it is clear from table 3, that overall, the students had a good level of attitude towards the internet (m = 4.18, sd = 0.561) and good level of computer selfefficacy (m = 4.11, sd = 0.55). thus, it can be said that the students had an overall positive attitude towards the internet and were confident in using computer technology. students’ digital citizenship the mean of students’ responses on the digital citizenship scale was calculated to gain insights into students’ level of digital citizenship. this was done in terms of rep (respect, educate and protect: the three sub-scales) as well as the total digital citizenship scale (see table 4). indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 135 table-4: descriptive statistics for students’ digital citizenship (n = 385) scale no. of items on the scale mean standard deviation dcs respect 14 3.88 0.47 educate 6 3.57 1.15 protect 6 3.62 0.71 dcs total 26 3.75 0.47 table 4 represents the overall descriptive statistics for each of the subscales and the overall digital citizenship scale. for a 14-item respect subscale, the mean is 3.88 with a standard deviation of 0.47. for a 6-item educate subscale, the mean comes out to be 3.57 with a standard deviation of 1.15. for a 6-item protect subscale, the mean comes out to be 3.625 with a deviation of 0.71. it can be observed that the digital citizenship practices with the highest mean score value, as table 4 represents, are concerned with their practices of respecting oneself and others in a digital environment. this is followed by practices of protecting oneself and others (m = 3.62) and educating oneself (m = 3.57). overall, the students showed good levels of digital citizenship (m = 3.75). students’ gender and their digital citizenship: a two-tailed t-test was performed to test whether any significant differences exist between students’ gender and their level of digital citizenship. no significant differences were found between students’ gender and their level of citizenship (t = 1.55 with p = 0.121 > 0.05; not significant) (see table 5). hence, we accept the 1st null hypothesis, i.e., there exists no significant relationship between students’ gender and their level of digital citizenship. table-5: t-test results for students’ digital citizenship with respect to gender variable gender n m s.d. t sig. (p) male 209 96.72 12.62 1.55 0.121 female 176 98.72 11.96 *: significant at 0.05 level (2-tailed) students’ grade (class) level and their digital citizenship: to address the second hypothesis, a one-way anova test was conducted to investigate the link between students’ class/grade level and their digital citizenship. table 6 summarises the results from the oneway anova test. table-6: one-way anova results for students’ digital citizenship with respect to the class variable grade (class) n m s.d. f sig. (p) grade 6 121 94.60 13.50 5.731 0.004** grade 7 162 98.57 11.99 grade 8 102 99.86 10.67 total 385 97.60 12.36 **: significant at level 0.01 (2-tailed) indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 136 since p = 0.004 < 0.01 level of significance, hence, we say that our f-value is significant, and therefore, we reject the 2nd null hypothesis. the grade level of students does influence their level of digital citizenship. furthermore, assuming equal variances among groups, tukey’s hsd post hoc test revealed that there is a statistically significant mean difference in the digital citizenship level of grade 6 and grade 7 [p = 0.019] at a 0.05 level of significance (see table 7). in other words, grade 7 students have a significantly better level of digital citizenship than grade 6 students. the post hoc test also revealed a statistically significant mean difference in the digital citizenship level of grade 6 and 8 students [p = 0.006] at a 0.05 level of significance. therefore, we can conclude that grade 8 students had better digital citizenship levels as compared to grade 6 students. table-7: tukey’s hsd post hoc test results for students’ digital citizenship with respect to the class variable dependent variable (i) class (j) class mean difference (i-j) sig. (p) digital citizenship tukey hsd 6 7 -3.97* 0.019 8 -5.26* 0.006 7 6 3.97* 0.019 8 -1.29 0.698 8 6 5.26* 0.006 7 1.29 0.698 *: significant at 0.05 level (2-tailed) relationship between internet attitude, perceived computer selfefficacy and digital citizenship to address the third and fourth hypotheses, pearson’s product-moment correlation analysis was used to investigate the relationships between students’ internet attitude, computer self-efficacy and digital citizenship, respectively. the test revealed several positive correlations (see table 8). table-8: pearson’s correlations for students’ internet attitudes, computer self-efficacy and digital citizenship respect yourself/ respect others educate yourself/ connect with others protect yourself/ protect others overall digital citizenship internet attitude (n= 385) pc (r) sig. 0.165** 0.001 0.272** 0.000 -0.22 0.667 0.233** 0.000 computer self-efficacy (n= 385) pc (r) sig. 0.229** 0.000 0.271** 0.000 0.160** 0.002 0.330** 0.000 **: correlation is significant at 0.01 level (2-tailed); pc: pearson product-moment correlations indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 137 from table 8, it can be concluded that students’ higher levels of internet attitude are associated with their higher levels of respect for themselves and others [r = 0.165, n = 385, p = 0.001] and practices of educating oneself and others [r = 0.272, n = 385, p = 0.000], respectively. however, no correlation was found between students’ internet attitudes and their practices of protecting themselves/others in online setups. finally, students’ overall digital citizenship was found to be positively correlated with their internet attitude [r = 0.233, n = 385, p = 0.000]. similarly, it can be concluded that students’ higher computer self-efficacy is strongly (positively) correlated with higher levels of respect [r = 0.229, n = 385, p = 0.000], with practices of educating oneself/others online [r = 0.271, n = 385, p = 0.000] as well as protecting oneself/others online [r = 0.160, n = 385, p = 0.002]. finally, higher levels of computer self-efficacy were strongly linked to higher levels of overall digital citizenship [r = 0.330, n = 385, p = 0.000]. discussion and educational implications most participants were regularly exposed to technology both at home as well as at school. at school, however, students only accessed the digital facilities provided by the school itself, i.e., in their respective classrooms and computer labs and were not allowed to carry their own digital devices to the school. mossberger, tolbert, and anderson (2017) argued that having access to mobile devices and broadband is statistically significant in influencing an individual’s digital citizenship and their online economic (latino communities), political and civic activities (afro-american). though the students with greater digital exposure had greater digital literacy and computer self-efficacy they were not necessarily critical of the digital technologies and their online practices. this could be because students are using digital devices in a more self-centred manner without giving much thought to the deeper issues and social impact they cause. hence, there is an urgent need to incorporate critical discussions and analyses of digital technologies and their usage patterns in students’ curricula and classrooms. the results also revealed that middle school students had an overall good level of perceived internet attitude (see table 3). this means that students are comfortable using the internet and are also confident and motivated to integrate it into their daily lives. these students perceive the internet as a potentially useful tool and that if used appropriately and responsibly, the internet can help provide easy, rich, and enjoyable sources of information. the students also believed that the internet can help them in eliminating a lot of boring work from their lives. furthermore, the learners perceive the internet as being responsible for many good things that they enjoy (such as their ability to access a lot of information at their fingertips, videos, and games). hence, they seemed positive that the internet is bringing them to a new and brighter era. the students correspondingly showed good levels of computer self-efficacy (see table 3), i.e., they were confident in using the ict tools for performing tasks such as understanding computer hardware, working on, and shutting down a computer, etc. students were confident in installing and uninstalling any program on their digital devices and using those programs for creating files, reports, presentations, print outs and other outputs. in addition, students were confident about keeping their personal and important information safe in password-protected files and folders. however, the students were indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 138 not very confident about understanding terms related to computer software and learning advanced skills within a specific program. moreover, they also perceived themselves to be unable to troubleshoot computer problems on their own. this could be because their ict curriculum deals more with the day-to-day functional use of digital technology to accomplish a variety of tasks but does not teach them how those technologies are developed and ways to troubleshoot problems that arise while working with these technologies. due to a fear of permanently damaging the digital device, students are often discouraged to experiment with or attempt to troubleshoot a problem on their own (like opening the nuts and bolts of a cpu or disconnecting wires, etc.) and are advised to seek technical support from a lab assistant or an adult even for the smallest problems encountered by them. in this study, the students also showed good levels of digital citizenship, especially in terms of their practices pertaining to respecting oneself as well as others in the online digital world. in the previous literature, al-zahrani (2015) and roh (2004) confirmed that in the online world, it is becoming easier than ever to infringe on others. therefore, respect has become vital in digital societies. the present study also indicates that respect is the foremost important issue for students when participating in the online digital world. clearly, students preferred to participate only in those environments where they felt respected by their fellow participants. it appeared that the students valued respecting one’s and other’s identities, cultures rights and responsibilities in the digital communities and that they rejected the acts of cyberbullying, trolling, identity theft, online phishing, and mockery. parallelly, it can be said that a feeling of lack of respect for oneself in an online community may lead these students to withdraw from or completely stop participating in those communities. however, valuing the idea of respecting others may not necessarily translate into practice. thus, there is a need to further explore students’ actual online practices and behaviours along with making relevant changes in the curriculum that can offer opportunities to practice respecting and protecting oneself and others in a safe online environment. according to kassam (2013), it is this ability and skill to respectfully participate and argue in digital communities that can be taught in twenty-first-century classrooms. on further comparison of the respect, educate and protect themes of the digital citizenship scale, it was found that the students felt confident in their education of and respecting behaviours online. however, protecting oneself and others online was an idea that students subscribed to but felt significantly underconfident in taking actions to protect themselves or others when faced with adverse situations online. they also seemed unaware of the various online grievance redressal mechanisms and steps to take when faced with dangerous or risky online situations. thus, there is a need to also offer opportunities within the mainstream curriculum to discuss and practice ways to protect oneself and others online. the study revealed that the gender of the students is not related to their digital citizenship practices. such a finding also suggests that even though girls may (or may not) have greater access to technology than boys (indiatimes, 2017), still they can be equally sensitive and aware of the issues of digital citizenship. however, this finding might be especially true only in the case of boys and girls from relatively well-todo families residing in urban, welldeveloped areas. further probes in this regard are required. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 139 furthermore, it was found that the higher the student’s class level, the higher their digital citizenship levels. grade 6 students did not show as much good digital citizenship levels as grade 7 and 8 students did. students from grades 7 and 8 appeared to be more aware of several skills and issues around ict than the grade 6 students. however, an interesting point to this interpretation is that there were no significant differences in the digital citizenship practices of grade 7 and grade 8 students. rather it was only the grade 6 students whose performance differed significantly from the rest of the two grades. such a finding can be explained with the background information that the students of grades 7 and 8 were active members of social networking sites while grade 6 students were not as active on social media. the finding can also be explained by the rising level of complexity and variety of topics catered to in the ict curriculum of these grades. however, more studies on curriculum analysis and classroom and home practices may be required to study such a pattern in greater detail. through the correlational analysis, it was found that students’ higher levels of internet attitude are related to their higher levels of digital citizenship, especially with regards to their respecting and educating behaviours online. this implies that the students with higher levels of internet attitude are likely to be the ones who respect each other in the online world as well as take part in activities for educating themselves and others online. such a person is likely to be an intelligent online consumer and creator who can efficiently and effectively use online digital services for different purposes. these results correspond with the results of alzahrani (2015) and shelley et al. (2004) who found a direct correlation between students’ technological attitude and their digital citizenship. however, it was found that student’s attitude towards the internet is not related to their practices of protecting themselves and others from the prevailing online risks and dangers. rather this relation was found to be negative, though not statistically significant. this implies that if a person has a highly positive and non-critical attitude toward the internet, they may tend to ignore the potential risks and dangers (physical, social, and psychological) of the online digital space. hence, might end up falling prey to and being victims of the numerous evils of the online digital world. thus, there is a need to develop critical attitudes towards the internet and newer technologies through carefully planned educational interventions. furthermore, the study results revealed that the students’ computer selfefficacy is positively related to their digital citizenship behaviour, viz., their respecting behaviour towards others in the online world and their efforts to educate and protect themselves and others. it implies that a person with higher levels of computer self-efficacy is likely to be highly motivated and confident to respect others in the online environment, participate in learning and sharing activities that involve themselves and protect oneself and other fellow members in a digital community. while these results contrast with the findings of al-zahrani (2015), they correspond with the findings of wangpipatwong, chutimaskul and papasratorn (2008) who found that computer self-efficacy positively influences participants’ intention to participate in internetbased virtual societies. finally, given the relationship between internet attitude, computer self-efficacy and digital citizenship behaviour, teachers and school administrators can work towards developing programs that can help improve students’ critical attitude towards the internet and ict as well as educate them and make indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 140 them confident about their abilities for utilising and synthesising ict-based technologies to fulfil their needs, and hence, fully participating in the online digital communities, thereby, also contributing towards making the younger generation better digital citizens. conclusion the study revealed that the private school students indicated good levels of digital citizenship. these digital citizenship practices are concerned more with their practices of respecting oneself and others in a digital environment. students prefer to participate only in those environments where they feel respected by their fellow participants and can display their respect for others. however, they do not feel confident in protecting themselves or others when faced with an adverse situation online. additionally, it was found that students from grades 7 and 8 were more aware of several skills and issues around digital technologies and used social networking sites more proactively than the grade 6 students. this indicates that the higher the students’ class level (in other words, their exposure), the higher their positive digital citizenship practices. furthermore, it can be concluded that students’ gender does not influence the digital citizenship practices undertaken by them. one of the objectives of the study was to investigate the relationship between students’ internet attitude and computer self-efficacy with their digital citizenship levels, respectively. it was found that students’ internet attitude is positively related to their digital citizenship practices. similarly, students’ high computer self-efficacy leads to their higher levels of digital citizenship. these two factors play an important role in also enhancing students’ digital citizenship attitudes and behaviours. since students must be responsible digital citizens at school and at home, it is, therefore, imperative to nurture their critical attitude toward the internet, raise their computer self-efficacy, and digital literacy and promote consciousness and self-reflection of one’s digital behaviours. addressing issues of the digital world as and when they arise would not serve a much greater purpose. rather there is a need for integrating practical digital citizenship education into the mainstream curricula as soon as they start engaging with technology. the curricula and pedagogy of the different subjects should in themselves be technology-laden to increase students’ overall technology attitudes, expertise, and self-efficacy about their expertise. thereby, also facilitating the use of technology as an effective learning tool for self-directed lifelong learning. to foster positive digital citizenship practices in their day-to-day digital life, students, at all levels must be continuously educated about the different facets of digital engagement while addressing their context-specific different needs. finally, more researches are required in the area to study students’ actual online behaviours and experiment with ways to educate and nurture conscious, proactive, ethical, and critical digital citizens. ethical considerations this research was carried out after the ethical clearance of its methods by the research committee at the university where the researchers work. permission to conduct research with the children was sought from the students themselves, their parents, teachers, and school heads. at all points during the study, it was ensured that participants and their guardians were fully aware of the objectives the nature of the present study and their role in the research process. it was ensured that throughout the research process, the participants were treated with the indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 141 utmost care, respect and sensitivity, and their comfort was ensured. participants’ identities and choices were kept strictly confidential. 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(2004). educating the good citizen: political choices and pedagogical goals. political science and politics, 37(2), 241-247. doi: 10.1017/s1049096504004160. editorial the world celebrated 150th birth anniversary of mahatma gandhi on 2nd october, 2019. the occasion was used to reflect on gandhi ji’s relevance in the modern world. while a lot can be learnt from the life and works of mahatma gandhi, it is in the realm of technology that mahatma gandhi appears to us in all his contradictions and dichotomy. by all imaginations mahatama appears to be far aloof from technology. his frugal lifestyle can be substantiated by minimal artifacts or devices around him in all the pictures or images. the way he led his life appears to be anti-modernist. however, when one gets to understand his views on technology, we get to see a different gandhi ji. in 1929, he organized an all india competition for the best machine to spin clothes. the prize money was kept as rs. one lakh. the terms and conditions of that machine contest were most interesting and revealing. gandhi ji wanted a machine to be light-weight enough to be carried to the field by anyone in the family and low cost so that, any farmer could buy it. the advertisement further asked innovators to make machine which was durable with usual maintenance of 20 years and efficient enough to spin certain minimum yarns for fabric. the advertisement also said that at the end of any dispute, words of gandhi ji will be the final. although many applied, none was found to be suitable to innovate such a machine. this contest revealed gandhi ji’s view on technology and how technology should be used in our society. he wanted technology to be feasible and really contributing to the indian economy. he wanted technological solutions to be efficient, durable, light-weight, low cost and sustainable. gandhiji was equally concerned about the use of technology for employment generation. while the world grapples with the issues related to technology and innovations, gandhi ji foresaw its implications. so, in the realm of technology, gandhi ji appears to be not an anti-modernist but, a pro-modernist and he is not a bridge between traditional and modernity as some claims to be but, he comes to us as someone who transcends time and space. today, when we face many challenges related to technology, gandhi ji’s views seem to be the most practical & relevant for the people of our country. no wonder, when we decide to use technology in education, we must learn from what mahatma said about it; which is any technological solution that we offer in the field of education must be for the great majority of people, should be valid for women as well and should help in enhancing the learning of the children. this issue of the indian journal of educational technology comprises of ten articles where, six are research articles, one review article, one general article, one communication and one book review. though all these articles come under the broader umbrella of educational technology but, they vary in their focussed theme ranging from, use of ict, the attitude of users towards its use to the impact of using ict. it is a pleasure to take out the third issue of the journal within the timeframe. we are thankful to the reviewers and members of the editorial board for giving their precious time in deciding appropriate manuscripts for the journal. the contributions to the journal under various article types have taken a quantum leap from the previous issue. for this, the whole fraternity of academicians; authors, reviewers and readers, all are to be acknowledged. we hope the journal is able to make itself a vibrant platform of discussions related to the theme of educational technology. (abhay kumar) editor indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 64 research article interactive effect of meta-cognitive strategies-based instruction in mathematics and user experience on student-outcomes meenakshi ingole assistant professor, department of education, university of delhi, india, email: meenakshi.ingole21@gmail.com) abstract this paper attempts to ascertain the interactive effect of meta-cognitive strategies based instruction in mathematics and learner (user) experience design. this study focuses more on meta-cognitive experiences than meta-cognitive skills. for this purpose, an intervention programme based on meta-cognitive strategies of about 35 hours was developed for students of standard eighth spreading over eight weeks. the aim of the research was to ascertain whether meta-cognitive strategies-based instruction facilitates the academic achievement of students and user experience and interaction design decisions significantly affect how well on users (students) learn through meta-cognitive strategies. structured tools were used in study. the participants of the study included 62 and 60 students in the experimental and control groups respectively. students were found to be significantly influenced by the intervention programme as well as to help user interface in a way that supports and enhances the cognitive domain. the effect size of the intervention programme on academic achievement of students was found to be 1.30 and mathematics anxiety 1.084 was high in magnitude. keywords: meta-cognitive strategies, user experience, academic achievement, mathematics anxiety introduction according to george polya, we can think of two kinds of aims for school education: a good and narrow aim that of turning out employable adults who (eventually) contribute to social and economic development; and a higher aim, that of developing the inner resources of the growing child. with regard to school mathematics, the former aim specifically relates to numeracy. it affects the usability, simplicity and clarity of content. it also affects the way users conceive of interactive possibilities. since usability is known to be an important factor in how deeply, how easily, and how successfully a user moves through the content of an environment, the more usable learning environment is the more successful it will likely be. according to indian national curriculum framework: problems in teaching and learning of mathematics following are the four problems which have been deemed to be the core areas indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 65 of concern: 1. a sense of fear & failure regarding mathematics among a majority of children 2. a curriculum that disappoints both a talented minority as well as the non-participating majority at the same time 3. crude methods of assessment that encourage perception of mathematics as mechanical computation 4. lack of teacher preparation and support in the teaching of mathematics. these problems encourage us to think about how we enhance students’ academic achievement and reduce anxiety towards mathematics. there is a reason, rarely if ever mentioned, why good visual design can facilitate learning. it can improve metacognition. that is my main objective here. it is not standard to associate visual design with meta-cognition. metacognition, in its most basic form, is the activity of thinking about thinking. since thinking is often taken to be a mental activity, largely a matter of manipulating internal representations, there has been little reason to look to the structure of the environment as a factor in thinking. according to alben (1996) all the aspects of how people use an interactive product: the way it feels in their hands, how well they understand how it works, how they feel about it while they’re using it, how well it serves their purposes, and how well it fits into the entire context in which they are using it. in principle, uxd (user experience design) is not different from hcd (human centre design). however, uxd adds important dimensions to the challenge of implementing hcd in a mature form. these additions are not trivial. the main dimensions distinguishing uxd from a traditional view of hcd include ux factors; methods, tools and criteria used in ux work; representation of the ux idea; and ux positioning in the organization. ux matters, encompasses all aspects of a digital product that users experience directly—and perceive, learn, and use—including its form, behaviour, and content. learn ability, usability, usefulness, and aesthetic appeal are the key factors in users’ experience of a product. according to mcnamara & kirakowski (2006), the user experience considers the wider relationship between the product and the user in order to investigate the individual’s personal experience of using it. what are user experiences? user experiences are the methods that have the objective of improving user satisfaction with achieving both pragmatic and hedonic goals. ux is a consequence of a user’s internal state (predispositions, expectations, needs, motivation, mood, etc.), the characteristics of the designed system (e.g. complexity, purpose, usability, functionality, etc.) and the context (or the environment) within which the interaction occurs (e.g. organizational /social setting, meaningfulness of the activity, voluntariness of use, etc.). obviously, this creates innumerable design and experience opportunities. indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 66 review of literature according to kirsh (1995), the way visual cues are structured and the way interaction is designed can make an important difference in the ease and effectiveness of cognition and metacognition. documents that make effective use of markers such as headings, callouts, italics can improve students’ ability to comprehend documents and ‘plan’ the way they review and process content. interaction can be designed to improve ‘the proximal zone of planning’ – the look ahead and apprehension of what is nearby in activity space that facilitates decisions. this final concept is elaborated in a discussion of how e-newspapers combine effective visual and interactive design to enhance user control over their reading experience. (howe at all, 2000); lucangeli, coi and bosco (1997) found that fifth graders viewed problems containing large numbers as more difficult than problems with smaller numbers in their study examining the meta-cognition of mathematics difficulty in elementary school children. in this study, students who were classified as poor problem solvers showed lower meta-cognitive awareness and made more errors when solving problem. such learners keep planning in mind during the learning activity and assess their performance against them. during the learning activity, teachers can encourage learners to share their progress, their cognitive procedures and their views of their conduct. the emphasis is on the affective character of me, which has received little attention in the past, efklides (2006). unlike online task-specific knowledge, which is conscious and analytic, the other me are products of nonconscious, non-analytic inferential processes. because of their nature, me can trigger either rapid, non-conscious control decisions or conscious analytic ones. however, me can make use of both the affective and the cognitive regulatory loops, and this has a series of implications for learning. evidence is presented regarding the relations of me with affect and cognition, and the implications of the lack of accuracy of me for the self-regulation of learning. particular emphasis is given on judgment of learning, feeling of difficulty, and feeling of confidence. the challenges for future research on meta-cognition are underscored. need of the study prior research, especially on indian students from lower socio-economic background and with an average ability has not been conducted with a view to enhance such students’ knowledge about cognition and knowledge about regulation. meta-cognitive awareness forms a cognitive doctrine and meta-cognition could begin when cognition fails. it is essential to study the interactive influence of meta-cognitive strategiesbased instruction and user experience of student outcomes in mathematics. meta-cognition enables students to benefit from instruction (carr, kurtz, schneider, turner & borkowski, 1989; van zile-tamsen, 1996) and influences the use and maintenance of cognitive strategies. in the present research, there is an indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 67 attempt to study the effect of metacognitive strategies-based instruction in mathematics on students’ levels of knowledge about cognition (procedural knowledge, declarative knowledge and conditional) in terms of user experience on student academic achievement and mathematics anxiety. operational definition of the terms • meta-cognition:meta-cognition refers to learner’s awareness of their own knowledge & cognitive processes & their ability to understand control and manipulate their own cognitive processes. • user experience: every aspect of the user’s interaction with a product, service, or company that makeup the user’s perceptions of the whole. ue works to coordinate these elements to allow for the best possible interaction by users. • meta cognitive strategies :metacognitive strategies refers to methods used to help students understand the way they learn and refers to the processes designed for students to manage, monitor and evaluate their learning and ‘think’ about their ‘thinking’. statement of the problem interactive effect of meta-cognitive strategies-based instruction in mathematics and user experience on student-outcomes scope and delimitations of the study in the present study, english medium schools from the greater mumbai affiliated to the ssc board have been included. it excludes schools with other media of instruction such as marathi, hindi, urdu, gujarati etc. the present study includes eighth standard from english medium schools situated in greater mumbai. students from other primary and secondary classes have been excluded. it also excludes schools affiliated to icse or cbse boards. aim of the study the aim of the study was to ascertain the interactive effect of the intervention programme as user experience on academic achievement & mathematics anxiety of student. research questions 1. do meta-cognitive strategies & user experiences effect on academic achievement of eight standard students? 2. do meta-cognitive strategies & user experiences effect on mathematic anxiety of eight standard students? 3. what is the effect size of the intervention programme (ux) on the academic achievement and mathematics anxiety in the subject of mathematics? methodology of the study mixed method approach has been used for collecting a data, qualitative data has been collected through classroom observations and quantitative data has recorded through experimental research which is called as, embedded design. according to pandya (2011), the study has adopted the quasiindian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 68 experimental method. in the present research, the quasi-experimental design of the pre-test post-test, non-equivalent group type was used. it can be described as follows: the pre-test-post-test non-equivalent groups design: o1x o2 o3 c o4 where, o1 and o3: pre-test scores & o2 and o4: posttest scores x: experimental group & c: control group tool of the study: in the present study, following tools were used by the researcher to collect data quantitatively: 1. mathematics anxiety rating scale (mars-i) (karimi, 2008) 2. academic achievement test (ingole, 2013) prototype/intervention programme the duration of the intervention programme is 35 hours. the control group was taught using the traditional method. the experimental group was taught using intervention programme, which was divided into two levels. the first level included knowledge about cognition, which was ascertained through achievement test and kwl chart. the second level included regulation about cognition which consisted of three steps, namely, planning (understanding the problem, devising a plan, carrying out the plan & looking back), monitoring (self awareness of one’s thought processes), control (self-monitoring of one’s thought processes, beliefs and intuitions about one’s cognition) and evaluation (problems on the topic and self -reflection sheet).the three step process is explained further using the following questions: (a) planning: what is the nature of the task? what is my goal? what kind of information and strategies do i need? how much time and resources do i need? in term of user experience this is ideat (b) monitoring: do i have a clear understanding of what i am doing? does the task make sense to me? am i reaching my goals? do i need to make changes? in terms of user experience, this is prototype (c) evaluating: have i reached my goal? what worked? what didn’t work? would i do things differently the next time? the metacognitive strategies included in the study were (a) knowledge about cognition, (b) regulation about cognition, (c) ask questions, (d) foster self-reflection, (e) encourage selfquestioning, (f) think aloud & (g) selfexplanation. the teaching units were selected from the syllabus prescribed for the schools affiliated to the ssc board for the state of maharashtra and included the topics on cube, indices, construction of quadrilateral, joint bar graph and discount and commission. in term of user experience this is test/ evaluate. while working with meta-cognitive strategies in form of user experience or interactive product are given below. 1. initiate – what are challenge faced by students while learning mathematics? 2. investigate – personas will be eight standard students & will investigate actual problems of mathematic anxiety. 3. inspire & ideate – do a benchmarking analysis & define the user scenarios indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 69 (benchmarking is inform of instructional design in this case meta cognitive strategies where ideate for making mathematics content more fragmented and simpler) 4. prototype lesson plan are based on meta-cognitive strategies like think aloud, kwl charts, concept map, graphic organizers & self-reflection sheets. 5. evaluate and reflect – for evaluation reflection of think aloud sheet, self-reflection sheet were used. initially, researcher focus on the selection of the right resource and the actions to be carried out are decided together with the faculty members interested in the project. activities have been conducted for 8th standard enact class. techniques of data analysis: the present research used statistical techniques of ancova and wolf’s formula. a) data analysis: null hypothesis 1: there is no significant difference in the pre-test scores of students from the experimental and control group on the following variables: a) academic achievement b) mathematics anxiety this hypothesis was tested with the objective of comparing the initial status of the experimental and control groups on dependent variable viz. academic achievement and mathematics anxiety of students. the technique used for testing the null hypotheses is the t-test. table-1 shows the relevant statistics of the scores of academic achievement and mathematics anxiety of students of control and experimental group table 1: relevant statistics of pre-test on the dependent variables of cg and eg no. variable group n mean sd t p (two-tailed) los 1. aas cg 60 5.316 2.266 0.03 0.98 n.s eg 62 5.306 2.236 3. mans cg 60 79.23 19.881 0.41 0.682 n.s eg 62 80.62 19.881 null hypothesis 2: there is no significant difference in the posttest scores of students of experimental group and control group of following variables. a) academic achievement b) mathematics anxiety table 2 shows the post-test aas of eg and cg after partialling out effect of pre-test aas. table -2: post –test aas of eg and cg groups observed mean adjusted mean experimental 14.61 14.61 control 9.61 9.61 indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 70 table-3: ancova for posttest mean of aas of eg and cg sources of variation ss df ms f-ratio p adjusted a 762.45 1 762.45 96.14 <0.0001adjusted b 6.51 2 3.25 adjusted a×b 92.85 2 in table-3 it can be seen that the ‘p’ value is <.0001, hence a significance difference is found between the eg and cg. thus, the null hypothesis is rejected. it can be stated that there is a significant difference in the post-test scores of students’ academic achievement of experimental group and control group. mean aas of students from eg is significantly greater than that of cg. table 4: post –test mans of eg and cg group observed mean adjusted mean experimental 49.56 49.34 control 61.76 61.99 ancova determines whether these two adjusted post-test means differ significantly from each other. table-5 shows the relevant statistics of ancova for post-test mean mans of eg and cg. table 5: ancova for posttest mean of mans of eg and cg sources of variation ss df ms f-ratio p adjusted a 4874.17 1 4874.17 36.97 <.0001adjusted b 96.4 2 48.2 adjusted a×b 1268.16 2 table 6: effect size of the treatment and la on the dependent variables dependent variables effect size academic achievement 1.30 mathematics anxiety 1.084 qualitative data analysis: observation was tool used for collecting qualitative data, as approach was embedded design, during a quantitative experiment, the researcher may collect qualitative data to examine how participants in the treatment condition are experiencing the intervention, behavioural and attitudinal metrics of usability (i.e. users’ performance and satisfaction). indeed, different attempts indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 71 have been undertaken to demarcate or even dismiss the boundary between usability and ux at the conceptual as well as operational level (e.g. law et al., 2008). mainly two themes that come from observation are: first, usability is subsumed by ux; second, ux is an elaborated form of satisfaction, which was checked through self-reflection sheets and think aloud sheets in mathematics. conclusion implications for the learning outcomes students of the experimental group are found to have a higher academic achievement and reduced mathematics anxiety as compared to those from the control group. in other words, the meta-cognitive strategies-based intervention programmed in mathematics has been effective in enhancing academic achievement and reducing mathematics anxiety among students of standard eighth. discussion in the experimental group, user (learner) experience about metacognitive strategies such as think aloud strategies, kwl charts, concept map, planning and monitoring and selfreflection sheets. these are expected to facilitate awareness of personal success, beliefs for factors that influence academic performance in mathematics, knowledge of ways for effective learning, knowledge of strategies that should be used. this in turn would have enhanced students’ confidence in learning mathematics, thereby enhancing their problem solving ability. this ultimately could have facilitated higher academic achievement and reduced mathematics anxiety in students of the experimental group as compared to those from the control group. having outlined the affective and cognitive modes of regulation through which ux (learner) effect behaviour, we come now to some intuitive or counterintuitive implications the functioning of ux (learner) has for the learning outcomes. there are two issues that are of importance here: the accuracy of ux (learner) & the effects of the particular ux (learner) on learning. the response of ux (learner) is a very important issue because it has a bearing on the efficiency of the control decisions in learning situations with respect to effort allocation, time investment, or strategy use. there are various possible reasons why a metacognitive judgment is not accurate. the first one is that me are based on non-conscious, heuristic, inferential processes that make use of various cues, which regard the task and its presentation or the fluency of processing (koriat, 1997; see also whittlesea, 1993). this user experience does not only include usability, but also other cognitive, socio-cognitive and affective aspects of users’ experience in their interaction with artefacts(metacognitive strategies), such as users’ enjoyment, aesthetic experience, desire to repeat use, positive decision to use a digital artefact and enhanced metacognitive experiences. furthermore, finding was user indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 72 experience (ux) manifests as quality in design, in interaction and in value, with diverse measures from many methods and instruments. while observation of class researcher faced challenges related to ux is how to select appropriate measures to address the particularities of an evaluation context. according to effie (2010), the necessity and utility of ux measures is apparent, because such measures enable professionals to benchmark competitive design artefacts & to select appropriate design options. however, both the construct validity and predictive power of some ux measures are of particular concern. consequently, modelling users’ experience – as a basis for producing design guidance – is especially important. references chick, n. meta-cognition, centre for teaching, venderbelt university, retrieved from blog https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/metacognition/ denzin, n. k. and lincoln, y. s. (edt) (1994) handbook of qualitative research. thousand oaks, ca: sage efklides, a. (2006). meta-cognition and affect: what can meta-cognitive experiences tell us about the learning process? educational research review 1(1) 3-14retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/s1747938x06000029 effie, l, low, c., paul van schaik (2010) modelling user experience – an agenda for research and practice. interacting with computers, 22, (5), 313–322 retrieved from https:// academic.oup.com/iwc/article/22/5/313/682089 law, e.l.-c., nguyen-ngoc, a.-v.(2008). fostering self-directed learning with social software: social network analysis and content analysis. in: proceedings of european conference of technology-enhanced learning (ec-tel’08), maastricht, the netherlands, 203–215 kirsh, d. (1995). “the intelligent use of space”. artificial intelligence, 73, (1-2), 31-68 kirsh, d. (2004). meta-cognition, distributed cognition and visual design, cognition, education and communication technology, retrieved from http://adrenaline.ucsd.edu/ kirsh/articles/metacognition/metacognition.pdf marchitto, m. and cañas, j. (2011). user experience as a challenge for cognitive psychology and ergonomics human technology an interdisciplinary journal on humans in ict environments, 7(3), 268–280 mcnamara & kirakowski. (2006). retrieved from http://www.allaboutux.org/ux-definitions pandya, s. (2011). educational research: new delhi, himalaya publication. polya, g. (1969.). “the goals of mathematical education”, in communicator, the magazine of the california mathematics council weimer, maryellen. (2012). deep learning vs. surface learning: getting students to understand the difference. retrieved from the teaching professor blog from http:// www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-professor-blog/deep-learning-vs-surface learning-getting-students-to-understand-the-difference/. uxpa, usability body of knowledge, glossary. retrieved from https://uxpa.org/resources/ definitions-user-experience-and-usability indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 155 research article factors affecting online teaching: teachers’ perspective aiyaz ahmad khan1 & p. d. subhash2 1assistant professor, department of education, aligarh muslim university centre murshidabad (amucm), west bengal email: aakhan_co@myamu.ac.in 2associate professor, education in planning & monitoring, national council of educational research and training (ncert), new delhi abstract online teaching, a method where educators deliver content through virtual classes using digital resources, gained widespread usage during the global covid-19 pandemic to sustain educational activities worldwide. this study focuses on the perspective of university teachers on factors affecting online teaching. a total of 111 respondents were selected as a sample through the technique of purposive sampling. a self-developed online questionnaire was used to collect data. both inferential and descriptive statistics were used for analyzing the data that was collected. the study concludes that key variables internet issues and limited technical expertise significantly and negatively impacted the effectiveness of online teaching. however, other constructs, such as resource issues, limited class engagement, disciplinary problems, and uncooperative family were not deemed significant in this study, suggesting no substantial impact on online teaching. the study sheds light on the challenges faced in online teaching, highlighting the critical factors influencing its success or hindrance. the focus on specific variables provides valuable insights for educators and policymakers seeking to enhance the quality of online education. keywords: factors, affecting, online teaching, teachers’ perspective introduction the global covid-19 pandemic prompted the widespread closure of educational institutions, affecting a substantial portion of countries and diverse societal groups. the repercussions on the field of education have been profound, as evidenced by the closure of schools and higher education institutions for over 90 per cent of the global student population (unesco, 2020). unesco’s estimates for the impact of the pandemic on education are staggering, indicating that more than 1540 million students across 191 countries were affected by the closure of educational institutions. in india alone, approximately 320 million students felt the impact of these closures during the pandemic (unesco, 2020). this unprecedented disruption to traditional modes of education highlighted the need for innovative approaches and adaptive strategies to ensure the continuity of learning in the face of such global challenges. addressing the educational needs of students under these circumstances presented a considerable challenge. in response to the imperative and future requirements of students, the entire teaching process had to transition to an online mode. the national education policy (2020) recognized the significance of online teaching and envisioned it as a substitute for traditional or face-to-face education indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 156 during crises. however, online teaching poses distinct challenges compared to traditional methods, particularly in ensuring the delivery of quality education (dhawan, 2020). additionally, it was perceived as less productive than offline teaching (pandey & kiran, 2021). however, in traditional teaching approaches, students benefit from inperson interactions with teachers and peers. this enables the acquisition of various life skills, such as teamwork, leadership, communication, patience, time management, decision-making, problem-solving, and acceptance of diversity (kandpal, 2021). consequently, online education has been criticized for lacking the development of these essential life skills. online teaching is an instructional approach where educators utilize digital resources to deliver content through virtual classes. this method offers intriguing possibilities for enhancing the learning experience for diverse student populations. it provides a flexible and alternative option, allowing individuals to learn at their own pace and from any location, enabling education over time (smith et al., 2005). moreover, online teaching is recognized for its time and costsaving benefits for both educators and students (harini & varghese, 2021). it offers students various means to access materials, facilitates communication with teachers, and fosters the development of selfdirected learning skills (limniou & smith, 2010). commonly, video conferencing platforms like microsoft teams, google meet, zoom app, skype, and cisco webex, among others, are encouraged for conducting online classes and providing comprehensive support for student learning (hasan & khan, 2020). given students’ familiarity with technology, there is a higher likelihood of active engagement in digital learning (dua et al., 2016). consequently, online platforms have gained immense popularity in education in recent years. the progress in information and communication technologies has rendered web-based education a viable and widely embraced choice for both learners and educators (cojocariu et al, 2014; wu, 2016). to facilitate high-quality online teaching, both teachers and students require essential digital resources such as smartphones, computers or laptops, internet connectivity, and networks. however, a significant digital divide exists between rural and urban populations in india, as highlighted by a national statistics office (nso) survey. the survey indicated that only 4.4 per cent and 14.9 per cent of rural households possessed computers and internet facilities, respectively, whereas 23.4 per cent and 42 per cent of urban households had access to the same resources (toi, november 25, 2019). this clear digital gap in india, as noted by beniwal (2020), results in a substantial portion of the population lacking access to computers and the internet, leading to disparities in learning opportunities for online education. to address this digital disparity and ensure quality online learning for all, the indian government initiated the swayam educational platform in 2017. additionally, the university grants commission (ugc) has made various e-books & journals, and web-based tv channels accessible. recognizing the importance of digital resources, the national education policy (2020) rightly emphasizes, “the benefits of online/ digital education cannot be leveraged unless the digital divide is eliminated through concerted efforts, such as the digital india campaign and availability of affordable computing devices”. in the context of this study, the authors indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 157 aim to investigate the different factors influencing online teaching. review of literature a growing body of literature delves into the diverse challenges associated with online education, particularly in the context of india where a significant portion of the population faces economic challenges. pokhrel and chhetri (2021) underscored in their research that internet penetration in economically disadvantaged nations is relatively low, and data packages are costly compared to people’s incomes, thus limiting learners’ capacity for online education. hasan and khan’s (2020) study identified unreliable networks and connectivity as the primary drawbacks of online teaching and learning. they also noted factors such as a lack of interaction, inadequate clarification of doubts and queries, difficulty in understanding concepts, and time constraints as additional challenges in online teaching. in a case study focused on oman, slim (2020) highlighted network issues as a major obstacle to online teaching, given the generally poor internet connections in the country. oyedotun (2020) pointed out that the abrupt shift from offline to online classes because of the global covid-19 outbreak exacerbated disparities in the education systems of developing countries. this included issues like, scarcity of devices, limited internet access in rural locations, and insufficient teacher preparation for online teaching, leading to poor quality online education in these regions. similar trends were observed by sadikul et al (2018), who identified crucial factors affecting student participation in online education, such as limited access to personal computers or smartphones, lack of internet access, poor study habits, deficient technology skills, and unfamiliarity with technology. mahyoob (2020) echoed these findings, reporting that technical difficulties posed significant obstacles for english language learners. arora and srinivasan (2020) identified major technical challenges during the pandemic’s digital education phase, including the lack of reliable internet, connectivity issues, and a shortage of laptops and microphones. further, they highlighted challenges faced by teachers in higher education institutions, such as network issues, insufficient training, a lack of interaction, awareness gaps, low interest, and doubts about the utility of virtual classes, low attendance, and a deficiency of personal touch in virtual classes. these multifaceted challenges underscore the complex landscape of online education and the need for comprehensive strategies to address the various obstacles faced by both learners and educators. assareh and bidokht (2011) conducted an in-depth analysis of the barriers to online teaching and learning, categorizing them into four main groups: (a) challenges faced by learners, encompassing financial issues, motivation, progress evaluation, isolation from peers, insufficient knowledge and experiences, and social and emotional domains; (b) challenges faced by teachers, including limited expertise in e-teaching and difficulties in assessing progress across various domains; (c) curriculumrelated challenges, taking into account variables such as ambiguity, quality, resources to support teaching, teaching methodology, and evaluation; and (d) challenges related to the school, encompassing organizational and structural variables. harini and varghese (2021) highlighted challenges faced by educators during online teaching, including gadget access, network issues, electricity access, technophobia, distractions, psychological and physical issues, and indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 158 online abuse or misuse. rana and kumari (2021) identified challenges with online teaching faced by teachers, such as shortage of devices and slow internet, expense of internet access, non-responsiveness of students, lack of hands-on experience, distractions, absence of parental support and a feeling of isolation. pandey and kiran (2021) reported common issues in online teaching-learning, including technical problems, distractions, difficulty following a course, difficulty staying motivated, ineffective time management, lack of interaction, difficulty adjusting to change, and uncertainty about the future. gond and gupta (2017) outlined key obstacles to online education, including lack of resources and internet connectivity, scarcity of qualified teachers, lack of funding, and inadequate maintenance of technological equipment. verma and verma (2022) investigated challenges during switching from traditional to online teaching-learning, identifying lack of interaction, adaptability, and self-motivation as significant challenges. however, they observed a decline trend in the proportion of challenges related to infrastructure, computer skills, and discipline. besides, joshi et al (2020) explored the teacher’s perspective on online teaching in higher education institutions, revealing various difficulties encountered by teachers, such as insufficient technological resources, lack of technical knowledge, family disruptions, inadequate training, and a lack of clarity and direction. however, in a study on teachers’ satisfaction with web-based teaching experiences post-lockdown, malhi et al (2022) identified difficulties such as inadequate training for utilizing online platforms, higher expenses, lower teacher-student engagement, lack of basic online teaching resources, limited internet connection plans, unstable power supply, and uncertainty about how effectively students were using e-platforms to learn. the variations in findings across different studies underscored the intricate and multifaceted nature of challenges in online teaching, which helped authors in designing the present study. objectives 1. to examine the digital tools utilized by university teachers. 2. to study the perspective of university teachers on factors affecting online teaching. 3. to establish the relationship between key variables and online teaching. methodology the descriptive survey method was used by the authors in the present study. sample the sample for the present study was selected through the purposive sampling method from aligarh muslim university, aligarh, and uttar pradesh. there were 111 responses from university teachers, 86 of them were from males and 25 were from females. among these, 30 responses were from professors, 15 from associate professors, and 66 from assistant professors. regarding the level of instruction, 41 teachers taught exclusively at the undergraduate level, 18 at the postgraduate level, and the remaining 52 taught at both levels. in terms of teaching experience, 21 teachers had less than 5 years, 27 had 5 to 10 years, 23 had 11 to 15 years, and 40 had over 15 years of teaching experience. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 159 research instrument an online survey was employed for data collection. the authors constructed a structured questionnaire in google forms by reviewing relevant literature on online education. the questionnaire consisted of 31 items and was divided into four sections (a, b, c & d) i.e. demographic profile, digital tools utilized, the effectiveness of online teaching, and factors affecting online teaching. the tool was designed in such a manner that responses could only be submitted before moving on to the next section. the first section comprised four questions of demographic profile, including gender, designation, class taught, and teaching experiences. based on digital tools used by teachers during online classes, section b of the tool contained four items i.e. devices, internet connection, web conferencing apps, and digital platforms used for sharing messages. five items, easily accessible, convenient mode, the flexibility of nature, enhanced ict knowledge, and developed professional skills, were included in the third part (section c) that addressed the effectiveness of online teaching. in section d, eighteen items covered factors that affect digital pedagogy. these factors included lack of necessary devices, power cuts/ load shedding, expensive digital tools, lack of internet access, poor network connectivity, costly internet data, technical difficulties, lack of technical skills, technophobia, feeling bored in a virtual classroom, poor participation, the limited scope of interaction, online abuses, indifferent attitude of students, students causing destruction, parental inattention, lack of parental support, and family-related disruption. the responses of two sections (c & d) were recorded on a 5-point likert scale ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree (1 for strongly disagree, 2 for disagree, 3 for neutral, 4 for agree, and 5 for strongly agree). the tool was validated by five academics who had been using online teaching for more than two years during the covid-19 pandemic. statistical techniques the collected data were analyzed with the help of descriptive and inferential statistics to realize the objectives of the present study. descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage were carried out to summarise data and understand the perspective of university teachers. inferential statistics such as linear regression was used to establish the relationship between key variables and online teaching. ms excel was utilized to tabulate the data, and spss statistical version 20 was used for analysis of data. procedure of data collection a google form was created for the online survey. the authors distributed a link to the form among faculty members of aligarh muslim university through their official email id. one hundred and eleven academic professors responded to the online survey between august to october 2023. analysis and interpretation this section summarises the data collected from the above-mentioned tool. the analysis and interpretation of the data are presented in three parts viz. digital tools utilized by the study sample, the perspective of university teachers on factors affecting online teaching, and the relationship between key variables and online teaching. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 162 suggest that whatsapp is the preferred platform for sharing information and educational content with students. the ease and convenience of google meet and whatsapp, particularly in their smartphone-operable formats, likely contribute to their popularity among university teachers for online teaching in higher education. perspective of university teachers on factors affecting online teaching table-1: response of university teachers on factors that affect online teaching (n=111) sl. n. factors strongly disagree disagree neutral agree to some extent strongly agree 1. lack of necessary devices 9.01 % 10.81 % 16.22 % 31.53 % 32.43 % 2. power cuts/load shedding 4.50 % 5.41 % 08.11 % 33.33 % 48.65 % 3. expensive digital tools 14.42 % 18.92 % 22.52 % 24.32 % 19.82 % 4. lack of internet access 7.21 % 7.21 % 11.70 % 36.94 % 36.94 % 5. poor network connectivity 3.60 % 4.50 % 5.41 % 29.73 % 56.76 % 6. costly internet data 5.41 % 10.81 % 10.81 % 32.43 % 40.54 % 7. technical difficulties 4.50 % 12.61 % 13.52 % 33.33 % 36.04 % 8. lack of technical skills 8.11 % 14.42 % 11.70 % 37.83 % 27.94 % 9. technophobia 9.91 % 18.92 % 26.13 % 23.42 % 21.62 % 10. feeling bored in a virtual classroom 3.60 % 9.01 % 11.70 % 36.94 % 38.75 % 11. poor participation of students 5.41 % 12.61 % 18.92 % 33.33 % 29.73 % 12. limited scope of interaction 2.70 % 4.50 % 6.31 % 29.73 % 56.76 % 13. online abuses 4.50 % 13.52 % 30.63 % 33.33 % 18.02 % 14. indifferent attitude of students 2.70 % 5.41 % 21.62 % 36.94 % 33.33 % 15. students causing destruction 4.50 % 9.91 % 7.21 % 29.73 % 48.65 % 16. parental inattention 5.41 % 9.91 % 20.72 % 31.53 % 32.43 % 17. lack of parental support 2.70 % 8.11 % 20.72 % 36.04 % 32.43 % 18. family-related disruption 1.81 % 10.81 % 12.61 % 37.83 % 36.94 % source: research survey indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 163 as already discussed, there were a variety of issues with teaching through digital platforms. table 3 shows university teachers’ perspectives regarding factors affecting online teaching. it was observed from the responses of 111 respondents, that 63.96 per cent agreed that lack of necessary devices and 81.98 per cent agreed that power cuts/ load shedding were found as factors that affect online teaching. however, it is interesting to note that mixed responses were received regarding the expensive digital tools affect online teaching. the majority of the university teachers (73.88 per cent) agreed that lack of internet access impacts virtual classes. approximately 87 per cent of respondents agreed that poor network connectivity influences teaching via online platforms. most of the university teachers (72.97 per cent) expressed that costly internet data is influential and affects online teaching. 69.37 per cent of university teachers faced technical difficulties during online teaching. university teachers seem to agree that online teaching is affected by a lack of technical skills (65.77 per cent). while one-fourth of university teachers (26.13 per cent) responded that they aren’t sure about technophobia’s impact on online teaching. further, the majority of university teachers (75.69 per cent) feel bored while taking classes through virtual platforms. around 63 per cent of university teachers are upset due to the poor participation of students in virtual classrooms. most of the respondents (86.49 per cent) accepted that online teaching affects the interaction between students and teachers, which showed that teachers and students kept their videos off during online lectures. a considerable section of university teachers (51.35 per cent) faced online abuse while teaching through virtual mode. most of the respondents (70.27 per cent) felt indifferent attitude of students during online teaching. a large section of university teachers (78.38 per cent) reported destruction during online teaching on the part of students. in addition, most of the university teachers reported that parental inattention (63.96 per cent), lack of parental support (68.47 per cent), and family-related disruption (74.77 per cent) posed as important factors to online teaching. relationship between key variables and online teaching initially, the authors identified the key variables that affect online teaching. the literature review revealed several common factors, like lack of necessary devices, power cuts/load shedding, expensive digital tools, lack of internet access, poor network connectivity, costly internet data, technical difficulties, lack of technical skills, technophobia, feeling bored in virtual classroom, poor participation, limited scope of interaction, online abuses, indifferent attitude of students, students causing destruction, parental inattention, lack of parental support, and family-related disruption, that have an impact on online teaching. however, it was found that many factors are interrelated. the authors have taken into account several factors within a major variable, such as lack of necessary devices, power cuts/ load shedding, and expensive digital tools have been considered as variable resource issues. lack of internet access, poor network connectivity, and costly internet data have all been categorized as one variable in internet issues. one variable of limited technical expertise has been identified as technical difficulties, lack of technical skills, and technophobia. similarly, feeling bored in a virtual classroom, poor participation of students, and limited scope of interaction have been linked to limited class engagement, while online abuses, indifferent attitude of students, and students causing destruction have all been linked to disciplinary problems. further, a variable uncooperative indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 164 family has been considered as one that includes parental inattention, lack of parental support, and family-related disruption. thus, six key variables such as resource issues, internet issues, limited technical expertise, limited class engagement, disciplinary problems, and uncooperative family have been taken for analysis. hypothesis the following six (06) hypotheses were developed to establish the relationship between key variables and online teaching: h01: there is a significant impact of variable resource issues on online teaching. h02: there is a significant impact of internet issues on online teaching. h03: there is a significant impact of limited technical expertise on online teaching. h04: there is a significant impact of limited class engagement on online teaching. h05: there is a significant impact of disciplinary problems on online teaching. h06: there is a significant impact of uncooperative families on online teaching. the stated hypotheses were tested by computing linear regression. the results of the analysis are given in table 2. table-4: results of regression analysis dimension beta (ß) p value result resource issues 0.188 .86 h01 : rejected internet issues -0.292 .021 h02 : accepted limited technical expertise -0.508 .000 h03 : accepted limited class engagement -0.202 .099 h04 : rejected disciplinary problems -0.011 .935 h05 : rejected uncooperative families -0.033 .791 h05 : rejected source: computed data table 2 shows the results of linear regression that establishes the relationship between key variables and online teaching. the value of r square is .321 which shows that the independent variable all together explains 32.1 per cent of the dependent variable. the proposed model demonstrates significant goodness of fit (df=6, f=8.190, sig=0.000). the second hypothesis, namely h02, “there is a significant impact of internet issues on online teaching”. the results of the study revealed that internet issue has a negative impact on online teaching (ß=-0.292 & p<0.05) at a 5 per cent significance level. similarly, the third hypothesis, namely h03, “there is a significant impact of limited technical expertise on online teaching”. the results of the study revealed that limited technical expertise has a negative impact on online teaching (ß=-0.508 & p<0.01) at a 1 per cent significance level. the authors conclude that internet issues and limited technical expertise have a negative impact on online teaching. the study’s findings align with the conclusions of several indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 165 prior research studies, including those conducted by gond & gupta (2017), hasan & khan (2020), slim (2020), oyedotun (2020), arora & srinivasan (2020), harini & varghese (2021), pokhrel & chhetri (2021), and malhi et al (2022), all indicating that internet issues have a negative impact on online teaching. this consistency is also noted in earlier research by mahyoob (2020), and joshi et al (2020). however, the study’s results diverge in terms of other constructs, such as resource issues, limited class engagement, disciplinary problems, and uncooperative family, which did not significantly impact online teaching. interestingly, this contradicts the findings of gond & gupta (2017), sadikul et al (2018), joshi et al (2020), harini & varghese (2021), and rana & kumari (2021), who reported that a lack of gadgets or resources was a key variable affecting online education. moreover, arora & srinivasan (2020) and pandey & kiran (2021) emphasized the importance of the variable of lack of interaction, while joshi et al (2020) and verma & verma (2022) highlighted the crucial role of discipline in online teaching. additionally, joshi et al (2020) found in their study that family disruption impacts virtual classes. conclusions the effectiveness of online education is influenced by a myriad of factors, and these factors can vary based on the specific context, such as the educational institution, geographic location, technological infrastructure, and the socio-economic background of the students. the study findings indicate that most university teachers possess multiple devices and have access to both wi-fi and mobile data for online teaching. google meet and whatsapp are the preferred platforms for conducting virtual classes and communicating with students. the study identified six key variables as focal points, which include resource issues, internet problems, limited technical expertise, low-class engagement, disciplinary challenges, and uncooperative family. empirical results reveal that internet issues and limited technical expertise significantly and negatively impact online teaching. however, resource issues, limited class engagement, disciplinary problems, and uncooperative family were not deemed significant in this study, suggesting no substantial impact on online teaching. recommendation the dynamic nature of online teaching, coupled with the diverse backgrounds and circumstances of students and educators, contributes to the complexity of the challenges faced. as a result, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and addressing the effectiveness of online education requires context-specific approaches. educational institutions, policymakers, and practitioners need to consider the unique characteristics and challenges of their context when designing strategies and interventions for successful online teaching. the study underscores the existence of influential factors affecting online teaching, prompting authors to propose recommendations for improvement. these include government financial aid to bridge the digital divide for students lacking devices and internet access, thereby ensuring equal opportunities for all. additionally, teachers are encouraged to enhance online engagement by turning on cameras, using audio-visual aids, asking questions, and employing various technology tools for personalized learning experiences. furthermore, the authors advocate for teacher training to create an engaging online learning environment, collaboration among government, ngos, and academic institutions to educate parents about indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 166 online education, and the establishment of a supportive home environment for students participating in virtual classes. references arora, a. k., & srinivasan, r. (2020). impact of pandemic covid-19 on the teachinglearning process: a study of higher education teachers. prabandhan: indian journal of management, 13(4), 43-56. assareh, a., & bidokht, m. h. (2011). barriers to e-teaching and e-learning. procedia computer science, 3, 791-795. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2010.12.129 beniwal, v. (2020). as the digital divide widens, india risks losing a generation to pandemic disruption. the print, 17 december. https://theprint.in/india/education/as-digitaldivide-widens-india-risks-losing-a-generation-to-pandemic-disruption/568394/ cojocariu, v. m., lazar, i., nedeff, v., & lazar, g. (2014). swot analysis of e-learning educational services from the perspective of their beneficiaries. procedia-social and behavioral sciences, 116, 1999-2003. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.01.510 dhawan, s. (2020). online learning: a panacea in the time of covid-19 crisis. journal of educational technology, 49(1), 5-22. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/ pdf/10.1177/0047239520934018 dua, s., wadhawan, s., & gupta, s. (2016). issues, trends, and challenges of digital education: an empowering innovative classroom model for learning. international journal of science technology and management, 5(5), 142-149. gond, r., & gupta, r. (2017). a study on digital education in india: scope and challenges of indian society. anveshana’s international journal of research in regional studies, law, social sciences, journalism and management practices, 2(3), 12-18. http://publications. anveshanaindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/a-study-on-digitaleducation-in-india-scope-and-challenges-of-an-indian-society-2.pdf harini c., & varghese, a. l. (2021). offline to online: a long way to go. indian journal of educational technology, 3(2), 106-120. hasan, n., & khan, n. h. (2020). online teaching-learning during covid-19 pandemic: students’ perspective. the online journal of distance education and e-learning, 8(04) 202-213. https://tojdel.net/journals/tojdel/articles/v08i04/v08i04-03.pdf joshi, a., vinay, m., & bhaskar, p. (2020). online teaching amidst covid-19 in india: an outlook. asian journal of distance education, 15(2), 105-111. https://files.eric.ed.gov/ fulltext/ej1285307.pdf kandpal, k. (2021). online shikshan: shikshaarthiyon ke liye sikhne ke awsaron mein badhta antar (janpad bageshwar ke vishesh sandarbh main). bhartiya adhunik shiksha, january, 41(3), 69-82. limniou, m., & smith, m. (2010). teachers’ and students’ perspectives on teaching and learning through virtual learning environments. european journal of engineering education, 35(6), 645–653. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03043797.2 010.505279 mahyoob, m. (2020). challenges of e-learning during the covid-19 pandemic experienced by efl learners. arab world english journal (awej), 11(4), 351-362. https://files.eric. ed.gov/fulltext/ej1287713.pdf malhi, p., bharti, b., gupta, a., & sindhu, m. (2022). post covid-19 challenges of online teaching in higher education institutes: teacher’s experiences and satisfaction. indian journal of educational technology, 4(1), 11-21. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 167 national education policy. (2020). ministry of human resource development. government of india, new delhi. oyedotun, t. d. (2020). sudden change of pedagogy in education driven by covid-19: perspectives and evaluation from a developing country. research in globalisation, 2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resglo.2020.100029 pandey, p., & kiran, u. v. (2021). covid-19 outbreak: elearning resources and online classes, advantages and disadvantages. indian journal of educational technology, 3(2), 220-229. pokhrel, s., & chhetri, r. (2021). a literature review on the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on teaching and learning. higher education for the future, 8(1), 133-141. https:// journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/2347631120983481 rana, p., & kumari, s. (2021). inside online classrooms: teachers’ online teaching experience during covid-19 pandemic. indian journal of educational technology, 3(2), 77-91. sadiku, m. n. o., adebo, p. o., & musa, s. m. (2018). online teaching and learning. international journals of advanced research in computer science and software engineering, 8(2), 73-75. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324821090 slim, z. (2020). online learning and teaching during covid-19: a case study from oman. international journal of information technology and language studies (ijits), 4(2), 4456. https://journals.sfu.ca/ijitls/index.php/ijitls/article/view/135 smith, p. j., coldwell, j., smith, s. n., & murphy, k. l. (2005). learning through computermediated communication: a comparison of australian and chinese heritage students. innovations in education and teaching international, 42(2), 123-134. https://www. tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14703290500062441?journalcode=riie20 times of india newspaper. november 25, 2019. https://timesofindia.indiatimes. com/india/nso-survey-finds-big-rural-urban-divide-in-computer-internet-use/ articleshow/72215450.cms unesco. (2020). education: from school closure to recovery. https://www.unesco.org/en/ covid-19/education-response verma, v., & verma, r. (2022). the transition from traditional to digital teaching-leaning due to covid-19: a comparative study. indian journal of educational technology, 4(1), 1-10. wu, b. (2016). identifying the influential factors of knowledge sharing in e-learning 2.0 systems. international journal of enterprise information systems, 12(1), 85-102. https:// doi.org/10.4018/ijeis.2016010105 indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 16 research article faculty @ facebook students’ perspective for educational scaffold (ajita deshmukh, ph.d research scholar, hansraj jivandas college of education, university of mumbai, maharashtra, e-mail: ajitadeshmukh13@gmail.com) abstract social media is an integral part of the lives of students. inspite of its popularity amongst the student community, not many studies have been conducted to investigate its use as an educational scaffold. this sequential explanatory mixed method research, which is a part of a larger study, explores students’ perceptions of the usability of facebook group as a scaffold to face-to-face chemistry education. the data of the study was collected from 75 students who were a part of specific facebook group. these students were appearing for higher secondary (hsc-maharashtra state board) and competitive exams at national level. the study communicates students’ perceptions of how the interactions on the facebook group enhance their learning of subject chemistry. regular educational posts, including videos, quizzes, discussion scaffolding to the classroom teaching of chemistry and the interactions in the group were a regular feature of the group for 6 months. an online survey of the members of the facebook group using google forms was conducted to examine the student perceptions about the usefulness of such a group. the results indicate positive student reactions for such a scaffold and points out the need for better utilisation of facebook in learning situations. keywords: social media, educational scaffold, connected learning, facebook introduction today’s students have grown up in a technology-saturated environment. they have never known the world without personal computers, mobile phones, internet, videos on demand and now, the web 2.0 tools. prensky (2001b, pp.1-3) introduced two terms “digital natives” and “digital immigrants”. he expounds that these people, are ‘native speakers’ of the language of the internet and the digital world. it is only natural for them to utilize it to solve indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 17 their immediate problems. these range from exchange of interesting information, notes, exam schedules, important notifications to seeking doubt-solving for an assignment. as educators, it is necessary to recognize that digital natives do not necessarily learn in a linear manner but by processing random, hyperlinked resources available. it is also prudent to remind ourselves that their learning is neither confined to classroom nor to textbooks. the participatory media often known as web 2.0 tools is a prime source of communication for constructing knowledge for digital natives. the theory of connectivism (siemens & downes, 2008) elucidates the human and non-human components which could be ‘system’, ‘field’, ‘nodes’ in learning in a digital era and marks the connections between them as a vital link for learning . siemens underlines the ever changing landscape of knowledge and thus recognizes the skill of decision making itself as a step of learning. the web 2.0 tools have promoted a culture of social learning. the social media seems to provide a platform for increasing collaboration, initiating interaction and enabling resource sharing and critical thinking. as noted by maloney (2007), interactions of students on social media lead to building relationships around shared interests and building knowledge communities. bugeja (2006) suggests that this informal channel of communication offers the opportunity to re-engage learners actively and promote critical thinking, a goal of education. social media has become an embedded aspect in a student’s life to a great extent. studies (selwyn, 2009) on facebook have shown that it helped students settle in university life and be socially accepted thus also impacting their academic performance. at the same time, studies also point out that despite the popularity of facebook amongst students, there has been not enough thought out effort by the stakeholders to harness the characteristics of social media platform into teaching learning process, thus may be losing out on a cost effective, learning platform. though there are many social media platforms, facebook and lately whatsapp in particular has been found to be the most used social media by the students. this study tries to investigate the perception of students of social media in general and facebook in particular as a supplementary tool for communication and a scaffold for enhancing collaborative learning. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 18 theoretical framework the digital and social tools incorporated in the learning process provide opportunities to view the social learning with a lens of connectivism. the social constructivism theory put forth by lev vygotsky, a russian developmental psychologist underlines that the cognitive processes often occur on the social level before they are internalized and transformed at individual level. thus, learning is embedded in social interaction with parents, teachers, peers and anybody else who has more knowledge than the learnerthe more knowledgeable other(mko). vygotsky emphatically states that actual learning takes place in this interaction whereby the learner traverses the spectrum from inability to achieve the task to achieving the task independently with timely help from mko. this mid area of the learning spectrum was named as zone of proximal development (zpd). in today’s era, with the boundaries of real and virtual world being, the physical proximity of belonging to the same educational institute can no longer define the zpd. in fact, the social media can be leveraged to expand this zpd to create more avenues of collaboration for effective learning and creation of knowledge in a global context, a need of knowledge based society. the popularity of facebook as a social media can be adjudged from the number of users which seem to be constantly rising. the students as well as teachers are adept to using this social media platform with more and more educational institutes having facebook pages in a bid to reach out to the students and teachers and stay connected and pass information. though research studies have been conducted in the west about the use of social media tools in educationboth as a part of classroom activities or for out of the class activity, it seems that this potential of social media has largely remained unexplored in india. this study aims at exploring this very potential of facebook being an informal, collaborative, cost-effective platform for learning and tries to investigate students’ perception to use social media, particularly facebook as a pedagogical scaffold. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 19 review of literature the evolution of ict is taking place at an unprecedented pace and educators are trying very earnestly to incorporate them. there is some evidence that internet and social media applications play an important role in education (guzm_an-sim_on, garcía-jim_enez, & l_opez-cobo, 2017). the emergence of social media and the way people connect and interact on social media have provided an avenue to educators to figure out and utilize the interaction towards fostering collaboration and contribution in learning. (gunwardena, et. al., 2009). students communicate in their facebook teaching groups not only about social events, but also about courses and experiences. facebook as a means of social communication can affect the motivation of students. the otherwise shy students could often be seen part in ‘heated discussions and arguments’ which they would avoid in a face to face interaction. this meant that social media could be more inclusive in nature-open and democratic making it more participatory across a wider spectrum. (stacey &gerbie, 2007). the motivation of students to use facebook for purposes other than just social networking, directing towards formal learning, is reported to have increased (aydin, 2014; erdem&kibar, 2014). an investigative study on the use of social media by learners reported the need of support and pedagogical interventions for optimal use of social media as a learning tool. (cigognini, pettenati and edirisingha, 2011). literature suggests that the use of facebook extends from the realm of social communication into work. about half of the students in that study indicated that they use facebook for formal learning purposes like assignments and exams (towner& mu~noz, 2011). similar findings were reported for high school students in the usa (mao, 2014). a few examples of the beneficial attributes of facebook groups as a formal learning tool can be derived from recent studies. yunus and salehi (2012) deduced that university students perceived facebook groups to be helpful in promoting their writing skills. similar research findings of social media has been successfully utilised for professional collaboration have been reported (lampe, et. al., 2012). social media can successfully used to extend the period of learning other than the classroom or face-face to interaction and provide a platform for self paced learning. greenhow (2011) summarized that the use of social media for learning promotes a more student centered approach to learning. overall, research suggests that social media is used increasingly as a indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 20 tool for developing formal and informal learning. social media platforms evolve into socially mediated knowledge systems that empower learners with a sense of constructive ownership of knowledge in the learning process. (dabbagh & reo, 2011a;). hamid,waycott, kurnia, and chang (2015) surmised that students perceived the use of online social networks as beneficiary to engagement, improvement of skills and mastery of course content, enriching knowledge development of critical thinking and analytical skills, among others . similar findings for serbian, egyptian and american students, respectively are reported (milo_sevi_c, _zivkovi_c, arsi_c, and manasijevi_c (2015), sobaih, moustafa, ghandforoush, and khan (2016) and gikas and grant (2013)). the flexibility and the reach of social media is of great value that educators can make the most use of. the ubiquitous nature and informational function has led to acceptance of social media in educational settings. (barness& jacobsen, 2012). social media show the attributes of being convergent needed for collaboration and hence can be used effectively in educational settings. (freidman & freidman, 2013). such interactive scaffold enables egalitarian and participatory practices that set the basis of self motivated learning opportunities. (selwyn, 2011). flexibility, convenience and accessibility are the positives of using social media in education. (zaidieh, 2012). one of the crucial aspects, which makes facebook an appealing tool for students, is the immediate feedback, instant communication, and interaction that it provides (erdem & kibar, 2014). objectives of the study the major objectives of this study were: 1) to explore the utilization of facebook group for academic interactions with peers 2) to explore the utilization of facebook group for academic interactions with mentors 3) to examine the extent of use of facebook group for assignments and other related activities. 4) to investigate the perception of students towards the use of facebook as a scaffold to face-to-face chemistry education. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 21 research methodology this sequential explanatory mixed method study uses a survey for quantitative data collection followed by individual unstructured interview with few student members of the sample for qualitative data and analysis. this method is chosen because the responses obtained by the survey mandate digging deeper in a bid to explain the perceptions. the interview was conducted of male and female students chosen according to activity range of least active (lurkers) to the most active in the facebook group. sample a purposive sampling was carried out. the sample comprised of 75 students appearing for class xii science from mumbai who were a part of a specifically created facebook group. these students were a part of a larger classroom environment and hence the facebook group was the scaffold of the face-to-face or classroom teaching-learning for these students. the membership to the group was voluntary and the members were oriented regarding the duration and purpose of the group no attempt was made to make ‘friends’ with the members though a few students were already ‘friends’ of the researcher. data collection a questionnaire of 23 items was constructed as a tool to collect the responses using google forms. the questionnaire was adapted from the online tools like nsse and blended learning toolkit was validated by three experts of education. the tool was reviewed by the feedback obtained from the pre-survey of 10 selected students. the questionnaire broadly deals with major aspects: a) personal information with their social media behaviour and prior academic achievements b) use of facebook group for academic interaction with peers and mentors c) use of facebook group for collaborative academic work like assignments d) perception regarding facebook group as a scaffold to classroom teaching. the survey was followed by individual unstructured interview with members of the group. the participants were suitably coded to ensure confidentiality. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 22 findings and discussions use of facebook: the survey indicated most participants were members of 1-3 social media networks and 18.5% having more than 5 social media networks. the survey revealed multiple access on daily basis (figure 1). the responses indicate that whatsapp is the most popular followed by facebook, instagram and then twitter. almost all the students have reported to access social media through their mobile phones giving us an insight that this hand held device holds a huge potential for anytime access to learning, acing on the parameters of cost-effectiveness and ease of use. figure 1: access of social media while doing homework or studying the fact that almost 50% of students acknowledged that they accessed social media at least once every hour while doing their homework substantiates the embedded position of social media in their lives. nevertheless, 42.3% students attested having never accessed social media in the classroom while around 38.8% admitted accessing social media occasionally (1 to 3 times) during the class. this could be attributed to various factors that could be another research area and definitely out of the scope of this paper. qualitative data: “i login to facebook on my mobile phone. multiple times also.”(m1) this generation of digital natives seem to have considerable netiquettes as suggested by the responses where 46.9 % of students responding that they would never ping their mentors on social media after 10 pm. this refutes the apprehension – ‘unnecessary disturbance’ that mentors have while sharing the social media platform. the responses also show that students indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 23 do feel that the teacher is more approachable when he/she is on social media with 43% very strongly agreeing with this and the same percentage of students very strongly agreeing that they would prefer using social media to communicate and resolve their doubt with their mentor. this suggests that the shy or introvert students who might not be vocal in the class can be more communicative using social media, thus enhancing their learning. it could be posited that social media is a very effective communicative tool for educational purposes. figure 2: use of social media to share notes and other academic work facebook as a scaffolding tool almost all students, good 73.9 % affirm using social media frequently to share notes and have discussions with peers on academic matters – clarifying, solving some doubt, being the major ones (figure 2). all the members agreed that videos, quizzes and other resources shared on the facebook group helped them clarify concepts, revise their learning and also generated discussion and deliberations. the group was their emergency solution provider for a wide range from sharing some notification to knowing a reference material and directed their learning. this is in agreement with the earlier research of ‘ability to plug in resources when needed’(siemens, 2005). the responses indicated that only 14.3% feel that sharing of such notes and discussion on social media defies attending class. this signals that the teachers need not feel insecure about being replaced or becoming redundant. though maximum of students affirm use of social media for notes-sharing, doubt solving and 62% agree that social media can be a good educational tool, around 53% expressed that use indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 24 of social media during work negatively affects the quality of work. this is somewhat in agreement with the findings that indicate negative impact on academic achievement (junco, 2012) qualitative data: • ‘the videos uploaded help in clarifying the concepts’ (m4, f3) • ‘the videos help in reinforcing what i have learnt. i usually do it while travelling making better use of my time’(f5,44) • ‘i could ask the doubts related to a topic. i could also ask some clarification. the mentor or sometimes the peers would answer. the mentor is also available on chat.’(f4,m3) • ‘sometimes, the post leads to discussion and these diverse discussions are then extended in our classroom. we then discuss it with our teachers and there is in depth discussion related to the topic.’(f5,m6,m5) • ‘i was earlier very excited with the quizzes and tests. they were not particularly stressful. but i’d rather not use facebook to take a test. that is not what i log in for.(m18, 21, 45, f34,52,58) • ‘the quizzes were good. i wanted my name to feature there in the comment section as the top scorer.’(m25,64, f44, 47) facebook for educational communication figure 3: participation in social media groups made by mentors communicationasynchronous and synchronous enabled easy collaboration and gave them the needed control to design and develop their own pace. it is interesting to note that communication with mentors is more preferred on whatsapp rather than facebook chat (figure 3). indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 25 it is heartening to see that more than 50% of the students were a part of social media groups formed exclusively for educational purposes by their teachers/professors/mentors. this surely can be seen as a signal of the change; the adaptation and integration of social media by educators is slowly taking place in teaching-learning process. figure 4: students’ opinion on use of social media by educators in classroom to increase student engagement the responses (figure 4) reveal that only 14.3% of the students strongly disagree on using facebook to increase student engagement. only 37.6% of the students indicate that teachers and mentors should not use social media in classroom giving us a sneak peek into what the current generation wants with respect to the delivery of instruction and thus provide us an insight to adapt our instruction and pedagogy. social media as an educational scaffold possesses the most important characteristic of being collaborative. hence seeing some of the members remaining purposely non-responsive is contradictory in nature. another contradiction springs up when the members have responded ‘no interaction with peers from other schools’, while in fact they have had discussions in the comment section. this is in agreement that these are ‘weak ties’ explained in connectivism. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 26 this study reveals that students perceive social media as a scaffold to learning experiences, especially more as one out-of-class learning resource. implications /recommendations given the ease of use of social media and its entrenchment in daily life, stakeholders of education should take advantage to enhance learning experience and critically practice the same. the shared videos, podcasts, blogs etc, on facebook and other social media suggest an enriched scaffold for learning. the onus lies on the educators to design effective strategies to integrate social media as a scaffold while developing teaching-learning situations. the findings may be a useful insight to the educators on directing the interactions towards collaborative learning. the responsibility of curating content on social media increases manifold and would need requisite skills. the educator has to ensure proper content analysis of the varied resources to be shared and devise a proper schedule of scaffold. it should be ensured not to make it another online testing platform. the educator has to deftly arrange the resources in view of the students’ responses so as to enable learning. the educator has to remember to maintain the fine balance of restricting the discussions and keeping the platform democratic and open for the students to voice their concerns. it should be recognized that educators might need training in this aspect to make effective case of social media scaffold in education. the social media scaffold can effectively expand the learning beyond the classrooms. additionally, like all social media, facebook group is characterized by ‘information overload’. accessing older posts though, using the modified search option and use of strings in facebook makes it easier compared to other social media. educators should acknowledge the fact that teachers and students still do not consider ‘friend’ing each other, trying to keep their personal virtual lives private. thus, assurance of non-invasion in their respective private lives is mandatory and clarity of ‘privacy’ can avoid discomfort to both. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (1), january 2019 27 limitations the most important limitation of this study is that it is restricted to students of mumbai and its suburbs. it would be worthwhile to investigate students’ perception of social media as an educational scaffold in different geographical areas and academic years. though the group consisted of more than 75 members, responses could be elicited from 50 members in the time period of 1 month. thus the response rate is approximately 66.67%. this could be due to being ‘off’ social media due to approaching exams. it could also be attributed to the tendency of ‘lurking’ or remaining passive, a major drawback of social media communication. to summarize, it can be concluded that social media, especially facebook has the potential to promote collaborative learning. appropriate use of the social media tools with a in-depth understanding of its social dimension can make them a 21st century educational scaffold to support educational goals and outcomes. references aydin, s. 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(2005) an introduction to connective knowledge. http://www.downes.ca/cgibin/page.cgi?post=33034 erdem, m., & kibar, p. n. (2014). students' opinions on facebook supported blended learning environment. the turkish online journal of educational technology, 13(1), 199e206. friedman lw, friedman hh 2013. using social media technologies to enhance online learning. journal of educators online, 10(1): 1-22. greenhow, c. (2011). youth, learning, and social media. journal of educational computing research, 45(2), 139. gunawardena, c.n.,hermansa, m.b., sancheza, d., richmonda, c., bohlea, m & tuttlea ,r. (2009). a theoretical framework for building online communities of practice with social networking tools. educational media international, vol. 46, no.1, pp 3-16. guzm_an-sim_on, f., garcía-jim_enez, e., & l_opez-cobo, i. (2017). undergraduate students' perspectives on digital competence and academic literacy in a spanish university. computers in human behavior, 74, 196e204. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.04.040. hamid, s., waycott, j., kurnia, s., & chang, s. (2015). understanding students' perceptions of the benefits of online social networking use for teaching and learning. the internet and higher education, 26, 1e9. junco r (2012). the relationship between frequency of facebook use, participation in facebook activities, and student engagement. computers and education , 58(1): 162-171 learning toolkit, b. (2011). blended course student survey. retrieved april 03, 2016, from http://blended.online.ucf.edu/evaluation-resources/survey-instruments/ maloney, e. j., (2007). what web 2.0 can teach us about learning. chronicles of higher learning , 53 (18), 26. mao, j. 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(2012).the use of social networking in education: challenges and opportunities. world of computer science and information technology journal, vol.2,no. 1, pp. 18-21. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 54 research article 21st century skills perception of college students towards e-learning j.b. dheesha assistant professor, faculty of disability management and special education, ramakrishna mission vivekananda educational and research institute, coimbatore campus, tamil nadu email: dheeshabojan@gmail.com abstract digital education is an innovative approach in the present education era. e-learning is known as the use of digital tools, devices and technologies in the teaching-learning process. it depends upon the technological devices, applications and internet facility. different kinds of educational platforms and tools are available, which are used by the teacher to deliver the content through online learning. the objective of this present study is to find out the perception of college students on e-learning, particularly skills required for 21st century learners. 109 students studying in ug and pg programmes were selected as samples. a questionnaire was used to find out the perception of e-learning among the samples. the study results revealed that the samples are having good perception of e-learning. they also shared that the skills such as communication skills, presentation skills, critical thinking, technical skill and time management are improved through e-learning. keywords: e-learning, college students and 21st century skills introduction web-based learning is referred to as e-learning. allencom company (2018) describes that e-learning  is an instructional method that utilizes digital assets  to  deliver content to grow knowledge, shape behaviours, and increase motivation. in these learning systems, electronic devices such as computers, mobiles, tablets and the internet play a major role in the teaching-learning process. live lectures, video conferencing and webinars are the various modes to transfer the content and knowledge. e-learning enhances the ability to learn and implement the learned content among the learners. the audio-visual materials help in remembering knowledge for a longer time. this e-learning system allows the teachers to cover the curricular content easily and regularly. students can also avail the learning materials at anytime and anywhere. review of literature abooki & kitawi (2014) examined the impact of methodology, ideologies, output and ecology of information and communication technology (ict) strategies and their students’ performance. the finding shows that the e-learning strategies adopted at the university positively impacted students’ academic performance. zare et al (2016) conducted a study to investigate the effect of using selfdirected e-learning among students learning on basic chemistry and creativity. the result indicates that the self-directed e-learning group achieves better marks in chemistry and their creativity is higher than the traditional group. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 55 elfakil et al (2019) explained that there is a significant difference in learning outcomes besides positive attitudes between online and traditional learners which can be a viable alternative learning method for higher education. need and significance of this study e-learning includes information such as syllabus, course materials, teaching, evaluation and progression status, which are helpful for the students to understand the content and to check their performance also. this e-learning system allows the students to learn the content at their own pace (anywhere & anytime). but this system of learning requires electronic devices, technical knowledge, computer literacy, time management skills, interest and motivation among the learners to undergo the programme effectively. switching from the traditional classroom with face-to-face instructor training to computer-based training in a virtual classroom makes the learning experience entirely different for students (kumar, 2015). 21stcentury learner requires the following skills, namely critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, information literacy, media literacy, technology literacy, flexibility, leadership, initiative, productivity and social skills. so, this study intended to find out the perception of college students about e-learning about the enhancement of 21st century skills through e-learning. methodology objective of the study to find out the perception of college students towards e-learning related to the enhancement of 21stcentury skills. research design a survey method under descriptive research design was adopted for this present study. sampling method and sample size 109 students studying in ug and pg programmes of various higher education institutions from coimbatore district, tamil nadu were selected as a sample for this present study through the convenience sampling method under the non-probability sampling technique. table-1: sample details based on gender & programme programme ug programme pg programme 59% 41% gender male female 32% 68% research questions 1. what is the status of the availability of e-learning resources among samples? 2. can students follow the teaching in the e-learning process? 3. does e-learning improve 21st century skills among college students? research tool a questionnaire with 20 questions about the various aspects of e-learning namely availability of resources, teaching-learning process and enhancement 21stskills was developed indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 56 by the researcher to collect the data. data collection procedure the objective of this study and the instructions about the questionnaire was spelt out with the samples. the questionnaire was circulated to the students through google form. the collected data were then analyzed for further interpretation. findings and discussion the findings and discussion of this study are explained based on the following aspects such as the availability of ict facilities, the teaching-learning process and various skills required for 21st century learners. finding and discussion based on availability of ict facilities the e-learning system works based on ict devices and the internet. 96.3 per cent of the samples informed that they have ict facilities (mobile/ tablet/ laptop/ desktop) at their home and the remaining 3.7 per cent of the samples do not have these facilities. 91.7 per cent of the samples shared that they have an internet facility (mobile network/ lan). the remaining 8.3 per cent of the students were not having an internet facility because of staying in the remote area. figure-1: availability of ict facilities findings and discussion based on teaching-learning process success in the teaching-learning process depends on the interest and motivation of the students. 91.7 per cent of the samples pointed out that e-learning creates interest and motivation for learning and also they stated that it provides an opportunity to enhance their knowledge. 87.1 per cent of the samples were able to follow the instructions given by the teachers during the e-learning classes. method of learning: 11 per cent of the samples stated that they prefer the interactive learning type, 19 per cent of the students preferred the self-learning type and the remaining 70 per cent of the students preferred both types of learning. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 57 figure-2: method of learning preferred by students mode of e-learning: different learning platforms are available and used by the teachers for e-learning. 51.37 per cent of students preferred google meet, 24.77 per cent of samples preferred zoom, 6.42 per cent of samples preferred go to meeting and 17.43 per cent of students preferred google classroom. figure-3: mode of learning preferred by students teaching learning materials: teaching learning materials (tlm) play a significant role in the teaching process. it makes learning. 33.94 per cent of the students preferred video and audio content, 10.09 per cent of the students preferred powerpoint presentations, 7.33 per cent of the students preferred animation materials and 48.62 per cent of the students mentioned that they preferred the combination of all. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 58 figure-4: tlms preferred by students evaluation: 34.86 per cent of students preferred to participate in a quiz and 26.6 per cent of students preferred the assignment method for evaluation and the remaining 38.53 per cent preferred both quizzes and assignments. 80.73 per cent of students opined that the assessment and evaluation in e-learning were useful to enhance their learning. 88.07 per cent of students expressed that they were satisfied with the grading procedure. figure-5: evaluation strategy findings and discussion based on 21st century skills in the education process, it was believed by the educators that 21st century skills are important for students to succeed in life. the 21st century skills were classified into three areas, namely learning skills, literary skills and life skills. learning skills that are mentioned in this study include critical thinking, creativity and communication. the literary skills are indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 59 information literacy, media literacy and technology literacy. flexibility and social skills are considered life skills. learning skills: these skills are related to mental processes. learning skills are important to develop knowledge which includes critical thinking, reasoning, problem-solving, analyzing, research skills and communication. in this study, most of the students have agreed that the e-learning system improves their learning skills. literary skills: literacy skills include the ability to access digital information through different media and technology. it is also to understand different aspects of content and information without any confusion. the majority of the students agreed that they can access different media and technology devices through e-learning and at the same time they can understand the information. the result was supported by the research done by suresh et al (2018) stating that e-learning has a positive influence on the academic performance of undergraduate students. they also mentioned that e-learning offers an alternative that is faster, cheaper, and potentially better. e-learning has to be implemented and made available to everyone easily. life skills: in the present study, life skills refer to flexibility and social skills, which students learned through e-learning. the students opined that they can use different apps and devices for communication purposes. figure-5: (a,b,c) – 21st century skills 5a. learning skills 5b. literacy skills indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 60 5c. life skills educational implications successful e-learning depends on the students’ interest in searching for information in different media. e-learning has the following implications, namely • it promotes active and independent learning among the learners. • it also creates the possibility for the students to make use of self-paced learning and they can choose their learning environment. • this digital education system helps both teachers and students to share and equip their knowledge which makes the teaching-learning process more effective. conclusion e-learning is one of the fastest growing systems in higher education. through e-learning, teachers can incorporate 21st century skills where they can create and manage a learners group effectively. students can improve these 21st century skills such as self-directed learning, critical thinking, analytic reasoning, effective communication and technical skills through digital education. the online education platform accumulates students from different environments and it integrates solutions to meet the educational needs of all learners which enhances the quality of learning among students. the online resources and materials are always available and reachable to the students at anytime and anywhere. the present study was supported by the research done by wani (2013) that argues that the development of new technologies and the use of e-learning in teaching and learning are of great benefit for integrating digital technology into the educational environment. their skills and competencies to work effectively with digital technologies are pre-requisites for successful and responsible solving and presentation of scientific problems and cases. the development of new technologies and the use of e-learning in teaching and learning are of great benefit for integrating digital technology into the educational environment and can increase the efficiency and the quality of the education system. their skills and competencies to work effectively with digital technologies are pre-requisites for successful and responsible solving and presentation of scientific problems and cases. the development of new technologies and the use of e-learning in teaching and learning are of great benefit for integrating digital technology into the educational environment and can increase the efficiency and the quality of the education system. their skills and competencies to work effectively with indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 61 digital technologies are pre-requisite for successful and responsible solving and presentation of scientific problems and cases. the development of new technologies and the use of e-learning in teaching and learning are of great benefit for integrating digital technology into the educational environment can increase the efficiency and the quality of the education system references abooki, p.n. & kitawi, a.k. (2014). impact of e-learning strategy on students’ academic performance at strathmore university, kenya. makerere journal of higher education. 6 (1). 99-108. retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/majohe.v6i1.6 on 09.06.2020. allencomm. (2018). what is e-learning? retrieved from https://www.allencomm.com/resource/what-is-elearning/ on 08.06.2020. elfaki, n.k., abdulraheem, i., & abdulrahim, r. (2019). impact of e-learning vs traditional learning on student’s performance and attitude. retrieved from https://www.ijmrhs.com/medical-research/impact-of-elearning-vs-traditional learning-on-students-performance-and-attitude.pdf on 05.06.2020. kumar, s. (2015). 5 common problems faced by students in e-learning and how to overcome them. retrieved from https://elearningindustry.com/5-common-problems-faced by-students-in-elearning-overcome on 06.06.2020. levy, y. (2006). assessing the value of e-learningsystem. information science publishing. reterieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ed508865 on 06.06.2020. suresh, m., priya, v., & gayathri, r. (2018). effect of e-learning on academic performance of undergraduate students. retrieved form http://jprsolutions.info/files/final-file 5b69226173a1e0.35075172.pdf on 07.06.2020. wani, hilal. (2013). the relavance of e-learning in higher education. jurnal kajian pendidikan, 3(2). 181-194. retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312146845_ the_relevance_of_e-learning_in_higher_education on 10.1.2022. zare, m., rahele, s., mostafa, s., & vahid, m. (2016). the impact of e-learning on university students’ academic achievement and creativity. journal of technical education and training. 8 (1). 25-33. retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305262604 on 09.06.2020. indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 21 research article impact of ict based tools on teaching learning system a case study s. k. singhal, jagruti b. bheda, j. k. jogi, p.k. rathod & r. s. damor general department, lukhdhirji engineering college, morbi amit badola ibdp, sgia, batam, indonesia corresponding author email: s_k_singhal@yahoo.co.uk abstract information and communication (ict) based teaching and learning technologies including simulations, animations, physics cinema classic videos and virtual lab etc. along with the traditional learning methodologies have been relatively new concepts in current scenario. in this concept, the tasks of the educators and the students both are manifold as the educators have to make sure that the concept is clarified in many ways and the students have to practice not only inside the class but outside the class as well. self-motivation and responsibility of both the students and the teachers are equally important. in this paper we have studied the impact of technology initiated learning in the courses of physics-1 and physics-2 along with traditional learning methodologies on the development of interest, performance and result of same group of students in sem-1 and sem-2 respectively of b. tech first year. we found that technology initiated learning tools are substantially effective in improving the clarity of concept and subsequently the result of the students. keywords: ict, technology enabled learning, traditional learning, simulation and animation etc. introduction educational technology is becoming an additional tool of interaction between educators and learners along with traditional teaching-learning system in improving the quality of education. additional tools can make fair teaching superior and fine teaching excellent but it can’t make awful teaching outstanding. technology assisted teachers cannot be the drivers of improved education until they themselves are primarily very well learned (roblyer & hughes, 2018). modernization and globalization are mostly accepted to impose challenges to individuals and societies (schleicher, 2012). teachers are expected to enable citizens, workers to acquire those functional and critical thinking skills. this indicates that teachers have to be competent to use information and communications technology (ict). they need to be prepared to provide their students with technology supported learning opportunities to enrich student learning. pedagogies within indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 22 technologically rich environments are linked to teacher’s pedagogical knowledge, technological knowledge and content knowledge (chai et. al., 2011). the task of teacher as instructive, collective, decision-making and technological measures, building a broad assessment for public communication base, is to comprehend the add-on learning, teaching process (maor, 2003). we have to consider the strength and weakness together of technology enabled teaching & learning techniques. in conventional classroom education, teacher and students gather at a meticulous time & teacher delivers the lecture using traditional methods while technology enabled learning allows teacher and student to integrate themselves with additional tools. technology enabled learning education entail endurance, enthusiasm, confidence, keenness & understanding of computer in general and various softwares like java, flv and qtm etc as well. furthermore, the success of technology enabled education is based on individual’s learning approach and activities type (katrina, 2003). for this study, physics-1 and physics-2 courses were offered to one particular group of students in sem-1 and sem-2 respectively during two consecutive semesters by the same teacher to the same students. we investigated the effects of ict based learning on variety of students. it presents mathematical information on students who had studied in conventional classroom and other from technology enabled classroom. the accomplishment of the group of students using technology enabled education depends on different aspects as shown in table 1. a comparison between these two education methodologies is made and discussed in analysis and results section. though ict based education seems to have a number of advantages when used along with conventional classroom for enhancing the teaching and learning process. comparisons between ict based education and conventional learning table 1 sums up various opinions to make a comparison between conventional learning and ict-based education. table -1: comparison between conventional education and add on learning based on the pattern of jha et al, 2012 categories traditional education technology initiated learning education process it is not group or individual study as learning is conducted with the entire class the learning process takes place with whole class as well as in group or by individuals classroom discussions students are generally mum and teacher talks most of the time the students & teacher both talk equally indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 23 subject matter the course structure is fixed and the teacher delivers the lesson plan numerous sources of information are needed inspiration the learners are passive and their motivation is less. the students participate and their motivation is high educators’ role the role of an educator is authoritative. the students are directed for expected results in the simulation location of learning education is within the classroom and the college education is within the classroom as well as outside the classroom on java simulations. time of learning education happens within the given time-frame education happens within the class as well as out of the class on java, qtm. expectation and fulfilment of students from technology initiated education are high when compared with conventional learning, which seems to be true based on the performance of the students in final exam result. technology initiated learning includes lots of merits over traditional education such as : instants for grabbing the information and answering, better communication between the learners, knowledge being obtained and transferred amongst the learners themselves (can, et. al., 2007). review of literature information and communication technologies (icts) are a diverse set of hi-tech apparatus and assets used to correspond and to generate, dispense, stockpile and supervise information as these actions largely used at the spirit of education. the research model & its components as shown in figure -1(aslan & zhu 2018) has been used to study add on ict based learning system. the representation illustrates the contents that give ict base-education background and the items can be stirred among this mechanism. indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 24 figure 1: research model of add on based ict learning system in this study, both quantitative and qualitative research was used to investigate the participants’ integration of ict into their teaching practices as the research questions aimed at investigating the different dimensions of ict integration into education. in this respect, the quantitative and qualitative research was conducted respectively to comprehensively understand the issue in multiple dimensions. number of students preferred to take classes in the active learning classroom (alc) rather than conventional classroom are more (gordy et al, 2019). the analysis of student’s grades suggested that gpa was one of the strongest predictors for both courses. final grades in the traditional class rooms was better but had weaker predicting significance in the alc setting. overall, the majority of students enjoyed taking classes in the alc due to its physical charm and dynamic collaboration. amorphous nature of technology is shown in figure 2 (mishra & koehler, 2006) and concluded that there is no single best way to make educational design for technological integration but that design should consider subject and classroom contexts. indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 25 figure 2: technological pedagogical content knowledge model this means that unlike content and pedagogy that may be largely stable over extended periods of time, technology is continually changing and evolving, creating a shifting landscape that is challenging for teachers to master. traditional learning system motivated by knowledge is a variety of all things of information flow involving learners and teachers including content of knowledge, its path & its compactness (jha et al., 2012). flow of knowledge is generally divided into an organization of three components educators, knowledge and students. the interacting structure of e-learning system and the knowledge flow has been used (jha et al., 2012). materials and methods this research is carried out at faculty of science & technology, icfai university, dehradun for teaching the physics-1 (ph-111) & physics-2 (ph-121) courses at the time when the main author was working as a faculty in charge of physics there. these courses are for the sem.-1 and sem.-2 respectively of first year students of b.tech. program. the task students taken for this research work belong to sem-1 & sem-2. for this study, physics-1 and physics-2 courses are offered in two different semesters by one professor using identical syllabi based on the books of physics, vol. 1 & 2, 5th edition authored by resnick, halliday and krane of wiley publication and same assessment instruments indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 26 have been employed except utilizing technology enabled learning in sem-2. two examples taken from world press (2019) and physics classroom (2019), are been shown here; the reflected wave at the soft boundary does not get phase change while there has been a change of 180 degree phase of reflected and no change of phase in transmitted wave as shown in figure 3 at hard boundary when a wave passes through a medium of low density to a medium of high density; figure 3: wave behaviour at soft and hard boundary second one is to make understand the concept of gauss law as shown in figure 4 as it will be difficult to understand it but when seen in fig. 4 of pearsonhighered (2019) in which the angles between electric field lines with different surfaces, the law becomes quite clear and understandable. figure 4: integrable surfaces in gauss law similarly the following figure 5, taken from colorado university (2019) shows the production of travelling waves in which students can vary the parameters such as amplitude, frequency and string thickness also. rarefactions and compressions and the production of sound by a tuning fork is demonstrated in figure 6 taken from amrita university (2019). indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 27 figure 5: travelling wave figure 6: production of sound by tuning fork the two courses of physics-1 (resnick, halliday and krane,5th ed. vol.1) and physics-2 (resnick, halliday and krane, 5th ed. vol.2) in sem-1 and sem-2 respectively are differentiated only in the presentation format: one was a conventional classroom employing chalk duster method with exercises in sem-1 while the other was delivered with additional tools of videos on physics cinema classics, simulations and animations in sem-2 as shown by few similar examples given above, however the assessment methodology remains the same. here, videos on physics cinema classics are primarily obtained from american physical society and ztek company, usa while simulations and animations used by us are mostly from wiley and thomson publication. various aspects of handling the simulations and animations during the course were familiarized in the very first class of the semester. in both the semesters student sample is same that is 63. all the students were generally usual, residential b. tech first year college students. the details of the sex and age of the students are shown in table 2. table 2: gender and age of participating b.tech. first year students, icfai university, dehradun categories number percent (%) gender female 05 7.93 male 58 92.07 total 63 100 age 16 18 30 47.61 18 20 25 39.69 20 22 08 12.70 total 63 100 indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 28 animations are shown in qtm and flv player while java is used to run the simulations. animations are straight forward and do not provide variation in physical parameters while in simulations the physical parameters can be controlled. the students are allowed to play the various parameters of simulations & rerun the animations as per their choices. evaluation methodology, results and analysis the results of students are measured by grades obtained by them. the grading formulae adopted here is same in both the semesters. students were accessed constantly during both semesters. the continuous evaluation was done by giving tests in which 2 tests were of 15 marks each while mid sem. test was of 20 marks and one quiz of 10 marks making a total of 60% weightage. final evaluation was done by taking the comprehensive examination which was given 40 percent credence. the weighted final marks are calculated as below; weighted final marks = 0.50 × class test + 0.10 × quiz test + 0.40 × comprehensive exam the weighted final marks of all the students in both the semesters were calculated after the comprehensive examination. a range of mathematical values like mean, standard deviation, maximum and minimum marks for both the sections are calculated and shown in the table 3. table 3: descriptive statistics of weighted final marks semester teaching methodology adopted maximum marks minimum marks average standard deviation sem-1 traditional classroom 62 10 29.07 8.1 sem-2 ict based learning 62 12 31.86 9.6 comparison of marks and grades obtained by the students has been done in table 4 and it is found from the mathematical analysis that average and minimum marks for the students of conventional classroom teaching learning system (sem-1) are little lower than the students of add on learning environment of system (sem-2). table 4: explanatory information of weighted final grades grades sem-2 sem-1 a (≥60) 2 0 b(50-59) 12 10 c (25-49 ) 30 28 indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 29 d (15-24) 10 12 e(10-15) 4 6 f(≤9) 5 7 therefore, it is quite clear that modern addition tools involved with traditional tools in teaching learning environment are impressive in creating the interest of the students in the subject and improving their results and grades. conclusion in this student oriented study, we analyzed and compared how additional technical tools like videos, simulations and animations in teaching learning environment along with traditional teaching learning impact on the understanding of the students. it has been established from our results and analysis that add on tools when involved with traditional class room teaching procedures can make a significant contribution in manifold development of the students. knowledge flow with the support of computer technologies not only clears the concepts in a better way but also give a chance to the student to use his or her intellect in performing and understanding the concept. from this analysis, it appears that students of sem-2 gain more amount of information and knowledge by using add on learning tools as compared to students of sem-1 who had been delivered with conventional class room methodologies. most of the students of sem-2 were much comfortable and enjoyed moreover due to their understanding or their changed study habits. therefore, new ict based techniques and old teaching systems must be used together for improving the teaching -learning process. india has a huge budding market of add-on educational tools such as videos, animations, simulations and virtual lab. only few universities and industries have started it. ict based addon educational projects have bright business scenario but it has been growing as a subject rather than an industry. therefore, industrialization of ict based add-on learning projects are required to be promoted. references amrita learning (2019), retrieved from http://aven.amritalearning.com/index.php?sub=102&brch =303&sim=1548&cnt=3638. aslan, a. & zhu,c. 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(2006). technological pedagogical content knowledge: a framework for teacher knowledge. teachers college record, pp. 1017-1054. pearsonhighered (2019). retrieved from https://www.pearsonhighered.com/content/dam/ region-na/us/higher-ed/en/products-services/course-products/young-freedman-14e info/pdf/sample-chapter--ch22.pdf/page 732 & 735. physics classroom (2019). taken from https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/waves/ lesson-3/boundary-behavior. roblyer, m. d., & hughes, j.e. (2018). integrating educational technology into teaching: transforming learning across disciplines, new york: peasrson usa. schleicher, a. (2012). preparing teachers and developing school leaders for the 21st century: lessons from around the world. oecd publishing, paris. worldpress (2019). retrieved from https://danboak.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/hult physics.pdf page 362. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 34 general article community radio and its prospects in education (archana kapoor, community broadcaster, radio mewat, filmmaker and founder of smart, email: archana.smart@gmail.com # with inputs from ashfaaque e.j., researcher and filmmaker) abstract radio is a powerful mass medium that informs, educates, is inclusive, preserves the local identity of communities and helps reach out to and empower marginalized sections of society. in developing countries, it can add value in several ways, particularly in areas where information, knowledge and technology come at a cost. it has the potential to fill the gap that exists in schools by providing quality education, vocational and skill training to disadvantaged students. the article begins by tracing the history of radio with a focus on the experiments of radio in education across the globe. this ranges from, the bbc’s schools broadcasting services in 1924, and programmes for underprivileged children by air madras, to the educational fm channel gyan vani being launched in india in 2011. steering towards the importance of community radio and its potential to reach out to underprivileged communities, the paper highlights the educational initiatives launched with community radios by national council for science and technology communication (ncstc) in india. the paper also addresses interactive radio instruction (iri) a teaching methodology that makes learning fun and evaluating its success stories in india and abroad. various local-level efforts that have helped in reaching out to the marginalized sections in lieu of improving education has also been discussed. key words: community radio, community radio in education, role of radio in education, radio mewat, radio media village german playwright and author bertolt brecht wrote, “radio is one sided when it should be two. it is purely an apparatus for distribution, for mere sharing out. so, here is a positive suggestion: change this apparatus over from distribution to communication. the radio would be the finest possible communication apparatus in public life, a vast network of pipes. that is to say, it would be if it knew how to receive as well as transmit, how to let the listener speak as well as hear, how to bring him into a relationship instead of isolating him. on this principle the radio should step out of the supply business and organise its listeners as suppliers (thomas, 2011). the playwright’s words highlight the sole purpose of communication as participatory when radio and all other mediums were treated by the state as a source for distribution of information. citizens are reduced to passive audiences who lend out their ears to mere propaganda and news about various welfare schemes. their voices are ultimately absent or get lost. this is exactly what can change if radio serves as an interactive and collaborative medium for communication a tool for education. radio is a powerful mass medium that informs and educates, is inclusive, and preserves the local identities of communities and helps reach out to and empower marginalized sections of society. in particular those, who have missed out on access to opportunities on account of not indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 35 having adequate resources both financial and social. in developing countries, the radio can add value in several ways, particularly in those areas where information, knowledge and technology come at a cost. if we look at the status of education in india, even today in most of the rural areas, schools are without teachers, training tools, lab equipment, libraries and other basic facilities. radio has the potential to fill this gap by providing quality education, vocational and skill training, particularly, to the disadvantaged students. as an important instrument of mass media, it can complement the formal system of education. on february 9, 1995, in a historic verdict, the supreme court of india said that airwaves are public property and their use “has to be controlled and regulated by a public authority in the interests of the public and to prevent the invasion of their rights” (https://mib.gov.in/document/supreme-court-judgement-airwaves). the apex court’s judgment rejected the government’s monopoly on broadcasting and democratised the broadcasting space. the court made it clear that “the right to impart and receive information is a species of the right to freedom of speech and expression guaranteed by article 19 (1) (a) of the constitution” (https://mib.gov.in/document/supreme-court-judgement-airwaves). this was a major turning point for radio in india that saw a spurt in action to make community radios a reality in the country. a community radio station owned by the people, of the people, and for the people could become a possibility. in 1996, the bangalore declaration (noronha, june 1998) of media was signed in the presence of 60 people from various sectors including radio broadcasters, policy makers, academicians, media professionals and activists. the declaration proposed the democratisation of media and focused on many aspects apart from entertainment. the discussions, which suggested a liberal policy for radio broadcasting, stressed to establish a democratic, dynamic and community-oriented communication system at the earliest. the bangalore declaration proposed the institutionalisation and expansion of the concept of community radio stations. in the year 2000, the pastapur initiative on community radio broadcasting emerged out of a unesco sponsored media workshop in telangana. in december 2002, the government of india approved a policy for the grant of licenses for setting up of community radio stations to well established educational institutions, including the premier indian institutes of technology (iits) and indian institutes of management (iims). anna radio, at emmrc, anna university, chennai, the first community radio in india, was launched in 2004. the policy was revised in 2006 when grass-roots organisations and other not-for-profit organisations were also granted permission to set up community radios in india. today, there are approximately 258 community radio stations operating across india. the evolution of community radio is the result of years of struggle and media activism. rather than acting as the mouthpiece of the system, community radio lends power to the people. the effort to access the radio communication technology by the communities started just before the first world war (king, g., 2017, pp.18–36). during this period, many community radio practitioners challenged the state and contested the private domination of airwaves. in north america, many community radio lobbyists and activists jammed the radio dial on uscanada border. most of these radio activists pirated the broadcast law and continued as unlicensed broadcasters challenging the monopoly. while several histories of community radio exist here is a brief overview: by the 1940s, the community radio indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 36 practitioners started to set up their own permanent infrastructures. latin america's 'radio sutatenza', was considered as the world's first community radio. it was established in 1947 by a roman catholic priest, jose joaquin salcedo, in colombia. during the late 1940s, bolivia witnessed a revolution in the communication field. ‘radio mineras’ was launched in bolivia in 1949. the station was maintained by the mining workers of bolivia and it advocated their cause. by 1952, at least 26 community radio stations were maintained by the miners’ trade union and workers in bolivia. the radio stations soon became the political voice of the bolivian miners who openly talked about their harsh living conditions and aired news related to union meetings. the radio stations played a key role in organizing the labourers and boosted the working class’ resistance. most of these community radio stations operated with funding from the community itself. the ownership of the channel that vested in the hands of workers changed the social fabric. the bolivian model inspired the media activists, lobbyists and dreamers alike all around the world, to start similar initiatives (fraser et al., 2002). community radio is something that “emerges from within the community and which couldn't and shouldn't be imposed from above” (jallov, 2017). the radio programmes should be designed on the basis of community access and it should reflect the necessity and interest of the community it serves. community radio stations should focus on the local language and should design programmes that take into consideration the local context, and promote local culture, identity, diversity and aesthetics. advocates of community radio have argued that the role of community radio is to: 6) empower communities by giving them control of running the radio 7) promote and build local identity, preserve local dialects, culture and music by focusing on local content 8) encourage participation from all sections of society and create opportunities for diversity of voices, opinions, dialogues and discussions and strengthen democratic processes 9) become an agent of social change, inclusion and development 10) increase awareness about rights and responsibilities, bring about transparency, and promote good governance (singh, 2018) the use of radio for educational purposes was piloted with the bbc’s schools broadcasting services as far back as in 1924. but, it started playing a pivotal role in education in india only since 1929, when the radio club of bombay started to run children-oriented informal educational programmes on radio. this was followed soon by air madras that started broadcasting a special programme for underprivileged students in 1930. in november 1937, calcutta air started broadcasting systematic educational programmes on a special request from calcutta university and the educational department of bengal government. in 1937, the school broadcast project was experimented in four metro cities (delhi, calcutta, madras and bombay). the experiment was quite a success and fuelled similar initiatives (kurrien, 2008). indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 37 in 1956, adult education and community project (radio forum project) was tested in 144 villages of maharashtra with the help of unesco. the villagers could listen to a thirtyminute radio programme on agricultural or community development, then discuss and decide regarding its adoption in their own village. the participatory project became a huge success. following this landmark project, the first higher education programme was tried out under the university broadcast project in 1965. the school of correspondence studies of the university of delhi and the ciefl, hyderabad, designed the education programmes for air. the programme was mainly of two types'general' & 'enrichment'. the general programmes covered public interest topics and the enrichment programmes focused on correspondence education offered by universities. the ‘language learning project, that started in 1979-80, was another landmark project in the educational sector. it was a joint venture of the all india radio and the education department of rajasthan government to teach hindi to school going children. the project was implemented in 500 primary schools of jaipur & ajmer districts on an experimental basis. vocabulary skills of many students improved on account of this project. (vyas, v & sharma, ramesh & kumar, ashwini, 2002). there is no doubt, however, that amongst all the available means of communication, radio has the maximum reach in india, as in most developing countries. in countries where basic infrastructure is lacking like roads and electricity, and facilities like that of sanitation, equipment and teachers are absent, radio can play a major role in providing low cost education to children. (there are several examples particularly that of radio mewat, which are discussed later.) while, television is rapidly expanding in urban and rural areas, access to radio networks and ownership of radios is far more widespread, as 97% of india’s population can access radio stations. moreover, attempts were started globally in the early 1970s to apply major developments in applied learning theory, particularly active learning methods, to educational radio for schools, leading to the development of interactive radio instruction (iri) (kurrien 2008). during the 1990s, indira gandhi national open university (ignou) started using radio extensively for direct class teaching and for school broadcasting. in 1992, ignou collaborated with air stations of mumbai, hyderabad and shillong to start broadcast of educational programmes. ignou started the interactive radio counselling (irc) project in 1998. irc bridged the gap between institutions and students by instantly responding to their queries and providing academic counselling. 186 stations air the interactive radio counselling on every sunday for one hour (4:00 pm 5:00 pm). a toll-free telephone facility is available from 80 cities which enables students to talk to experts and clarify their queries. (vyas, v & sharma, ramesh & kumar, ashwini, 2002). in november 2011, ignou launched the educational fm channel ‘gyan vani’. it covers different aspects and levels of education including primary and secondary education, adult education, technical and vocational education, higher education and extension education. the programmes are designed by various educational institutes, ngos, government and semigovernment organisations, un agencies and ministries. gyan vani also covers topics such as women empowerment, consumer rights, human rights, child rights and adivasi issues. (roy & ghosh, 2013). however, all india radio stopped operation of all 37 stations of gyan vani indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 38 fm channels from october 1, 2014, due to discontinuation of payments from april 1, 2013 onwards by ignou, accumulating outstanding payment of rs. 21.64 crores (shashidhar, 2015). it was only in april 2019 that ignou reactivated 13 gyan vani stations after carrying out the necessary repairs and maintenance works on the aging equipment. (enarada.com, april, 2019) the interactive radio instruction (iri), a low educational technology has shown a very positive impact in developing countries. it is a distance education system that combines radio broadcasts with active learning to improve educational quality and teaching practices. in an iri classroom, students and teachers can be heard reacting verbally and physically to question and exercises asked by the radio characters and participating in discussions, experiments and other activities as instructed by the radio programmes. the world bank noted it as a successful experiment in developing countries, declaring, “there is consistent and significant evidence that iri can increase learning across subject matter, age, gender, and rural or urban location. students show progressively greater learning with time,” (world bank, 2005). iri is a teaching methodology that makes learning a fun. learners sing, ask questions, listen to stories and play games in this method. iri, which only requires a radio and a facilitator, made education accessible to large number of student community especially in remote areas. iri consists of 20-30-minute teaching and learning exercises designed for daily classroom activity. the radio lessons are designed around the learning criterion at different levels of science, mathematics, language and other subjects. (chandra, 2003) various researches carried out around iri showed that mathematics can be effectively taught by radio. the nicaragua radio mathematics project, funded by united states agency for international development (usaid) is a successful example of iri (lliott, & lidon,2017). each mathematics lesson consists of two parts, the broadcast portion and the teacher-directed portion. students are given a worksheet. the broadcast lesson is turned on. during the broadcast lesson, the radio characters sing, play and talk mathematics, inviting the students to join. the children can respond orally, physically and in writing. after the broadcast session, the teacher continues the lesson. students are made to respond in the worksheet provided to them. the worksheets are later collected and sent for evaluation. the study reports revealed that students who were taught through iri achieved significantly higher scores than those taught through formal classroom interaction. the study also found that radio lessons were particularly effective in raising the level of knowledge of students who knew least. there are many other successful stories of iri. kenya’s nationwide weekly radio programmes “giving birth and caring for your children” combined entertainment, humor and instruction. it was effective in educating the audience about modern child care practices (hostetler,1976; jamison & mcanany,1978). the study indicated a general recognition of child care, and most of the community members were able to recall the topics covered by the programme. pre and post broadcast surveys in civic education project, organised in botswana by a community college, which provided villagers with basic information about the government and its procedures about citizens' rights and responsibilities, showed a definite increase in people's knowledge and awareness of government (nwareundu & thompson, 1987). indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 39 in his article “using community radio for non-formal education” author thomas j. (thomas, 2001) stated that community radio (cr) can be used as an effective medium for education due to its accessibility, availability and affordability. the closeties with the communities allow community radio stations to know the listener’s requirement and give good access to the resource pools. radio programmes also can use different methods such as radio drama, songs, interview, documentary, panel discussion to educate the people. in india too, community radios, despite the limitations of reach, receivers and quality content as well as that of capacity to teach complex subjects, stations have experimented with broadcasting educational programmes for different sections of societies students, women, farmers, youth, domestic workers, and factory workers. they broadcast programmes on math and science, taught languages like english and urdu, and worked hard to produce educational content for their listeners. there are many successful stories of community radio’s role in education, some of which are mentioned here. the year 2012 was declared as the year of mathematics by the government of india (pandit, 2011). as a result, the national council for science and technology communication (ncstc), a department of the government of india, mandated to communicate science and technology to masses, stimulate scientific and technological temper and coordinate and orchestrate such efforts throughout the country, collaborated with four community radio stations to pilot a project to teach mathematics through radio. mathematics is considered as the language of the universe and its application in daily life made it an important subject for all sections of society. with the programme’s huge success, the project was then expanded to 12 cr stations in the first phase and another eight in phase two. with an effort to promote scientific and logical thinking and introduce mathematical concepts in everyday life, 180 programmes were developed by each of the 20 stations. the programme was broadcast every alternate day and was repeated at least twice on other days. the radio mathematics project mainly targeted areas where students have poor access to quality education. the partner stations chose their target audience which varied from pre-primary, primary, secondary and higher education students to factory workers, domestic workers, self-help groups, rag pickers, weavers, farmers, and agriculture labour. the impact was evaluated by a third party and the result was found to be more than satisfactory. 'science for women's health and nutrition' programme was another landmark in using the radio for educational purposes. the project, once again initiated and supported by the ncstc, intended to improve health awareness among women as well as that of their families. ncstc collaborated with 63 community radio stations across the country in four phases for the execution of the project. a total of 365 programmes were produced by each community radio station in one year. the programmes besides promoting healthy eating habits and motivating listeners to lead active lifestyles, disseminated knowledge on health and science. the stations experimented with different formats of programming and included information on the need for a balanced diet, knowledge about nutritious yet inexpensive and locally produced foods, benefits of seasonal fruits and vegetables, healthy cooking styles, recipes, and lifestyle changes that could help women and children reach their full potential. the programmes also emphasised on the need for institutional delivery, pre and post-natal care, importance of immunization, addressing communicable and non-communicable indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 40 diseases and more. the programme prioritised issues of tuberculosis, infant mortality rate, mother maternal mortality, low birth weight, communicable/non-communicable diseases, hiv-aids and health & sanitation. the effort was to simplify everyday science to ensure a significant and measurable behaviour change in the target groups. as part of the outreach activities cooking competitions, best recipe and quiz competitions, health and nutrition camps, poster competitions etc. were organized on a quarterly basis. innovative approaches were adopted by the community radio stations to reach out to their audiences and educate them about the need to adopt a scientific approach towards health and nutrition. radio tuition, is one of the most innovative programmes initiated by radio mewat, a community radio, licensed to a non-governmental organization, seeking modern applications for real transformation (smart). the idea of this programme was inspired by the abysmal results of the class x examinations, held by haryana board of secondary education in 2017. faring lowest in haryana were the districts of mewat and neighbouring faridabad, where only 4 out of every 10 students passed the examination. the situation was far worse in most of mewat’s government schools where only 1 or 2 students had passed (kumar, 2017). a survey (unpublished) by, radio mewat, was able to uncover the probable reasons behind this which were non-existent educational infrastructure, unavailability of qualified teachers especially in mathematics, science and english, poor sanitation and lack of clean drinking water. the radio mewat surveyors found that there were schools that had a teacher-student ratio of 1:300, with no subject teachersonly physical education teachers were present. moreover, the private schools (with also poor quality of teachers) were expensive and out of reach for majority of mewatis, whose livelihood depended on agriculture and allied activities. in an attempt to find alternative solutions to these issues, radio mewat launched its free radio tuition programme in august 2017. with the stations reach extending to about 170 villages and an active audience of around 28% of the residents within its geography, the radio started a 4 hour ‘education only’ broadcast every weekend. teaching-learning modules were developed with the assistance of ‘star’ (in mewat qualified and efficient teachers are called star teachers) teachers from government and private schools as well as college students. with a mission to cover the entire syllabus of english, mathematics, science and social studies, the radio started broadcasting the class capsules for grade 6 to grade 10. clarifications were provided over phone. students started walking into the studio to seek answers to their problems. seeing the impact and popularity of the programme, the district elementary education officer (deeo) began promoting the initiative and encouraged the students to listen to radio tuition. in 2018 march, the deeo hosted a meeting with the principals of all government colleges and the team of radio mewat. he told the principals to encourage the children to listen to the radio and also asked them to send their ‘star’ teachers to assist in programme production. the performance of the students of mewat in the class x board exams of 2019, is an endorsement of radio mewat’s efforts. a total of 57.40% students passed the class x exam and mewat ranked fifth in haryana (inputs received from radio mewat 90.4). whereas, in districts that could not benefit from programmes like radio tuition, the results continue to be worrisome. (seth, 2019) indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 41 radio media village (rmv) 90.8 fm is the first community radio station in kottayam district of kerala. it is run by the prestigious st. joseph college of communication (sjcc) which holds a unique reputation of being the first university affiliated media college in south india. rmv broadcasts 17 hours a day, and covers over 80% of the population in the districts of kottayam, alappuzha and pathanamthitta and has an estimated listenership of around 8 lakhs. at any given point of time, there are over 5 lakhs listeners, claims the radio station. majority of its programmes are on the themes of agriculture, health, education, environment, social welfare, community and cultural development. in 2012, the state institute for educational technology (siet), department of education, government of kerala, signed up with radio media village as a partner to broadcast all the educational programmes produced by vidya vani fm, of siet. the programmes reached the most vulnerable communities and impacted the results. this was a huge endorsement of the potential, reach and popularity of the radio station (inputs received from radio media village 90.8). jyotirgamaya 91.2 mhz community radio station, licensed to the punjab university, in its effort to reach out to the less privileged population, started a new initiative of recording and broadcasting the textbooks for visually impaired students enrolled in the university and living in the neighbourhood. student volunteers record the text, edit the programmes and then handover the same to the visually impaired students. the effort is to record the entire curriculum for both undergraduate and post graduate courses in both hindi and english. the content is distributed through pen drives and dvds as well as broadcast on radio. though the text books are available in braille, but is not easy to access them and sometimes it is not easy to read them as they become voluminous and are not user friendly. the audio programmes (books) are distributed free of cost to students of government schools and colleges and are much appreciated. till date 15 textbooks have been converted into audio books and close to 500 hours of radio time have been devoted to this effort (inputs received from radio jyotirgamaya 91.2). these are just a few examples of the role that community radio has played in education. according to the dictionary of education “listening is the art of paying close attention to the conversation of another person or persons in order to obtain selectively verbal and nonverbal clauses to behavioural patterns explicit or implicit.” listening is an important factor in the process of learning. it is an active knowledge guided process. also, reading is a fairly new skill for humans on the earth, thus the human mind appreciates the spoken words more than letters. due to the low unit cost, wide popularity and vast coverage, community radio has proved to be an effective educational medium, as it not only speaks but also listens. further, radio is also a blind medium that compels its listeners to use their imagination to support the sound message. it has the power to stimulate the abstract thinking of the listener and to enrich his or her power of imagination. it functions in real time; and its codes are purely auditory, consisting as they do of speech, music, sounds, noises and silences (duby, 1990). similar to radio programmes, teaching is also basically an oral communication method. ancient education system mainly depended on listening and speaking. thus, radio broadcasts not only have the potential to complement teachers in classrooms but, can also be used as their substitutes in their absence. they can promote both -a formal and informal system of learning. community radio in particular, has the ability to expand the capabilities indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 42 of its listeners, add value to what they are doing by delivering content that is useful, need based and makes sense to them. it has the potential to inform, educate and transform their lives. references aliza duby (1990), the effectiveness of radio as an educational medium, educational media international,27:3, 154-157, doi: 10.1080/0952398900270303 chandra, r. 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(n.d.). retrieved from http://siteresources.worldbank.org/extafrregtopdisedu/resources/wbiritoolk it_05.pdf march 15, 1. i. (2013, march 12), by rejecting state monopoly on airwaves, supreme court opens door for private broadcasters. retrieved from https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-the-arts/media/story/19950315-byrejecting-state-monopoly-on-airwaves-supreme-court-opens-door-for-privatebroadcasters-806996-1995-03-15 supreme court judgement on airwaves mib.gov.in. (n.d.). retrieved from https://www.mib.gov.in/document/supreme-court-judgement-airwaves community radio in india. (n.d.). ignou gyan vani fm radio station begins its transmission in bengaluru. (2019, april 20), retrieved from https://enarada.com/gyan-vani-fm-radio-station-begins-itstransmission-in-bengaluru/http://oasis.col.org/handle/11599/35; commonwealth of learning supreme court judgements on airwaves, ministry of information and broadcasting, https://mib.gov.in/document/supreme-court-judgement-airwaves. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 229 research article a tale of two cities: exploring factors affecting online learning equity sunrita dhar-bhattacharjee1, aarti srivastava2, ekta chopra3, sujata sarkar4, muzammil akhlaq5, anjoo upadhayay6, prof priyankar upadhayay7 & dr. obehi sule8 1associate professor, school of management, faculty of business and law, east road, cambridge, cb1 1pt email-sunrita.dhar-bhattacharjee@aru.ac.uk 2professor, department of higher and professional education, niepa 3phd scholar, department of psychology, university of delhi 4doctoral scholar, org/cipod/sis, jawaharlal nehru university 5research scholar, department of educational studies, faculty of education, jamia millia islamia, new delhi 6global fellow, prio; distinguished professor, mit world peace university, deptt of peace studies, mit world peace university, pune 7unesco chair professor, malaviya centre for peace research, banaras hindu university, varanasi 8academic developer and senior lecturer, anglia learning and teaching, east road, cambridge, cb1 1pt abstract the covid pandemic has caused a significant shift in the education sector, pushing for rapid integration of technology in education worldwide. this has resulted in a move from traditional classroom learning to online and blended modes of learning, which is likely to continue. though access to technology is crucial for driving innovation and equity in education, regional disparities have been widely pervasive, affecting overall educational governance at national, regional, and local levels. this paper delves into the problem of equity in online learning in delhi and varanasi, with a total of 2,563 responses and data analysis based on regression charts identifying key trends and patterns affecting equity in learning. our findings show that students enrolled in private schools had better access to online education in both cities. the study also revealed the significance of cultural inclusivity in online learning. the diversity of students’ cultural backgrounds affects the process and outcomes of online learning. the findings from this research can serve as valuable guidance to enhance pedagogical designs that adapt better to online learning practices for school students during the covid-19 pandemic or any future unexpected crises. we provide recommendations for policymakers and educators to promote inclusivity in online education. keywords – learning equity, online education, delhi, varanasi, covid-19, digital divide, educational policy, cultural inclusivity. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 230 introduction online learning in school education: emergence and equity challenges in recent years, online learning has burgeoned as a central component of primary education worldwide, primarily facilitated by its ability to grant unrestricted access to educational content and instructions, irrespective of time and geographical limitations (ali et al., 2020). ‘online learning’, deciphered as the usage of technology in education evolved and led to the creation of new challenges and opportunities during covid-19 (kidd and murray, 2020). it encompasses remote learning, distance learning as well as e-learning (singh and thurman, 2019; shahzad et al., 2021). well-built online learning programmes can impart qualitative, affordable, flexible and equitable access to education (castro and tumibay, 2021; dhawan, 2020). technology has fundamentally altered the landscape of learning by facilitating interactive and immersive experiences that foster both engagement and effective outcomes. however, attaining global equity in online learning is a complex endeavour, with empirical studies underscoring a gamut of factors influencing its efficacy. a primary concern is students’ satisfaction, perceived effectiveness, and preferences regarding online learning platforms, which have been found to be intricately tied to familial, school, and individual factors, hence necessitating these factors’ integration in strategies to augment the online learning experience for primary school students (zheng et al., 2022). ict literacy emerges as another significant factor, notably in regions grappling with limited technological access, posing barriers to the holistic development of students’ digital skills. teachers’ proficiency in computer usage and the tangible accessibility to technological tools are critical aspects to be addressed (alshmrany & wilkinson, 2017; mogwe & balotlegi, 2020). professional development programs aimed at bolstering teachers’ computer literacy and strategic partnerships to augment ict infrastructure in schools could serve as potential countermeasures. cultural responsiveness is vital to ensuring inclusivity, negating the possible dominance of western educational paradigms, and embracing the diversity of students’ cultural backgrounds globally (smith & ayers, 2006). in parallel, understanding and addressing the determinants influencing parental choices and intentions towards online learning is pivotal. some of the most frequently used technologies during covid 19 for online learning were zoom, private learning management systems (turnbull et al., 2021), social media (kara et al., 2020; bordoloi et al., 2021) etc. concerns have also been raised about the compromised quality of online learning as compared to traditional classroom teaching (palvia et al., 2018; korkmaz and toraman, 2020) due to lack of academic rigour, passiveness and disengagement (coman et al., 2020; ferri et al., 2022; duki’c and krzic, 2022). most importantly, the digital divide due to lack of device or internet access, especially in the global south (ghazisaidi et al., 2020; ndzinisa and dlamini, 2022), as well as gender disparity in access to online education (shahzad et al., 2021) has been found to be pervasive. despite the challenges, the transition to online learning during covid led to nouvelle learning opportunities, experimentation, and an overall boost to digital infrastructure worldwide (almarzooq et al., 2020; greenhaw et al., 2022) the pandemic also provided the opportunity globally to experiment with rapid innovations and trials with technology to facilitate access to remote indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 231 learning (unesco, 2020; unicef, 2020). however, different research findings before 2020 had reflected only moderate learning gains through digital learning techniques; and may be considered as a supplement rather than substitution to imparting education and learning (allen et al., 2004; us doe, 2010; eef., 2019). in the context of developing countries, muralidharan et al. (2019) find that welldesigned learning programmes utilizing technology as a learning aid bring favourable outcomes. the rapid shift to online learning has highlighted equity challenges, particularly in regions with diverse socio-economic backgrounds such as delhi and varanasi. this study aims to explore these challenges further, focusing on the impact of factors such as technological access, digital literacy, and cultural inclusivity on learning equity during the covid-19 pandemic. regional insight – delhi and varanasi in delhi, one of india’s largest metropolitan cities with a significant young population (census of india, 2011), the literacy rate among students is a remarkable 86.2%, far exceeding the national average of 25 per cent (economic survey of delhi, 2020). this reflects the city’s robust education system and its successful integration of technology into educational practices, especially critical during the covid-19 pandemic (hindu, 2021; dayal 2023). contrastingly, varanasi, an ancient city and a significant cultural center, faces distinct educational challenges. with a population of over 3.6 million, varanasi grapples with limited internet access and a noticeable disparity in digital literacy, issues that are particularly acute in its surrounding rural areas (isp news, n.d.). the economic impact of the pandemic has further exacerbated these challenges, hindering the accessibility of digital devices necessary for online education (singh 2020). this juxtaposition of delhi’s progressive educational environment against varanasi’s struggle with technological integration underlines the digital divide in india. despite national efforts like the pm e-vidya and diksha programs aimed at enhancing digital literacy (department of school education & literacy, n.d.), the pandemic has laid bare the necessity for more targeted support and resources, especially in areas like varanasi where barriers to online learning remain significant (bailey, 2020). in the next sections, we present the methods and results of our study which aims to uncover the key factors impacting online learning equity in delhi and varanasi. our analysis seeks to contribute valuable insights to the discourse on online learning and offer evidence-based recommendations for enhancing equity and inclusivity in online education. methodology  research funded by anglia ruskin university’s ‘global challenges research fund’ in collaboration with, banaras hindu university (bhu), jamila millia islamia university1 (jmi) and the national institute of educational planning and administration (niepa) looked at gendered impacts on access to education and technology during covid-19 in india. the study rooted itself in the horizon of inequalities within the supply of education, which has been further widened following the pandemic due to a sudden need to transition towards face-to-face to online learning. the present study undertakes quantitative research design to study the inequity in access to education and technology between and within two populous cities e.g., in delhi and varanasi, which come under different categories. as of 2023, delhi is an x-class, which comes under tier 1, whereas varanasi is a y-class which comes under a tier 2 city 2. both cities present indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 232 unique characteristics, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities for online learning equity. sample the data in the present study was collected from 2,554 students from both delhi and varanasi. a random sampling approach was used to select the schools under study. this was done using the udise data, from where a total of 105 schools were filtered for varanasi and 45 for delhi. the final appointment of schools from both regions was made by the principals’ confirmation. within these schools, a convenient sampling method was appointed for the data from students who studied in classes 6-12th. the demarcation of data includes 1389 student respondents from delhi who studied in ten schools in delhi from both the southeast and southwest regions within the capital. from varanasi, 1165 student respondents participated from six schools in the region. the students in the present study belonged to both government, government-aided and private schools, which were co-educational and senior secondary by nature. most of the students in the present study belonged to schools in urban locations while only a few belonged to schools in a rural region. with respect to gender, 1510 were males while 1022 were female students in the study. region-wise data of the students on school type, location type and gender can be further seen in table 1. table-1: demographic profile of the respondents demographic category sub-category city n % school type government schools delhi 338 13.2 varanasi 678 26.5 government aided schools delhi 618 24.1 varanasi 65 2.5 private schools delhi 430 16.8 varanasi 416 16.3 missing data delhi 9 0.4 varanasi 6 0.2 location type urban delhi 1290 50.4 varanasi 1165 45.5 semi-urban delhi 28 1.1 varanasi 0 0 rural delhi 50 2.0 varanasi 0 0 missing delhi 27 1.1 varanasi 0 0 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 233 gender male delhi 824 32.5 varanasi 686 27.1 female delhi 558 22.0 varanasi 464 18.3 others delhi 2 0.1 varanasi 0 0.0 data collection and tool development a structured survey was conducted on students to gather insights into their experiences, perceptions, and challenges related to online learning. the survey questionnaire was designed to capture the inequity in access to education and technology, with respect to online classes on six parameters such as access to online classes, access to digital infrastructure for online learning, student’s digital preparedness, access to the conducive learning environment at home, institutional support, stress and well-being and academic self-efficacy. these items were tapped analytically through a self-composed scale, which incorporated 20 items which were answered by the students along with the questions on demographic features. the reliability of the scale conceptualized in the study has a cronbach alpha value of 0.91, which makes it a reliable and valid measure. data analysis the collected data were subjected to a rigorous analysis. since the data from the survey aimed to explore the factors affecting learning equities, regression analysis was performed as a multivariate method of analysis to locate the primary interplay of the variables undertaken. according to ter braak & looman (1995), regression as a statistical method can be effectively used in investigating the relationship between variables a functional measure to identify the interplay of variables in a causal way, which successfully predicts the responses without great error. regression analysis for the present study was performed on jamovi software (version 2.3), which used the r core team package for its statistical computing. this approach enabled the identification of key trends and patterns, as well as the emergence of critical factors affecting online learning equity. comparative analysis between the regions were analysed similarly. findings and discussion delhi (n=1389) results from the regression analysis of data from delhi obtained that school type was a single factor contributor to the overall variability in students’ access to online learning and education with a significant p-value of less than 0.001. it varied the score to upto 17.4 per cent (table 2), where students from private schools were found to have better access to online learning and education (table 3). table-2 : regression model fit measures model r r² adjusted r² 1 0.419 0.175 0.174 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 234 table-3:model coefficients on the total score on scale of “online learning equity” predictor estimate se t p intercept 63.7 1.05 60.6 < .001 school type: private – public 15.9 1.32 12.0 < .001 represents reference level figure-1: residual plot of the regression model note. figure 1 shows that there is a positive relationship between school type and learning equity of the students, such that students from private schools have better access to online learning and education. varanasi (n=1165) regression analysis on the data from up found that 7.1 per cent variation in learning access was found (table 4) for two predictor variables, such as school type and gender. it can be seen from table 5 that with respect to school type, students who belonged to private schools had greater learning equity than those from government schools. in terms of gender, female students were found to have better access to online learning, education, and technology as compared to male students. table-4:regression model fit measures model r r² adjusted r² 1 0.271 0.0736 0.0712 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 235 table-5:model coefficients on the total score on scale-“online learning equity” predictor estimate se t p intercept 54.06 0.931 58.04 < .001 school type:   govt. aided – govt.   private-govt. -4.14 2.698 -1.53 0.125 8.99 1.257 7.15 < .001 gender:   female-male 5.93 1.234 4.80 < .001 figure-2: residual plot of the regression model note. the figure shows a strong relationship between school type, gender and learning equity, such that female students and those belonging to private schools had greater learning equity. compiled data from delhi and varanasi results from the regression analysis of the complete data represented up to 18 per centvariation (table 6 see below) in the results with respect to the school type, annual income and region type on access to online learning. it can be seen from table 7 that in terms of school type, students from private schools had more access to education and technology for online classes as compared to those studying in government schools. it was also obtained from the analysis that students whose families belonged to upper-income groups had greater access to online education and learning. the results found a stark contrast between those whose monthly income was less than five thousand indian rupees and those earning up to eighty thousand and above monthly. with respect to the region type, students from delhi were found to have greater learning equity than students from varanasi. the results were significant on a 0.001 level of significance. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 236 table-6:regression model fit measures model r r² adjusted r² 1 0.429 0.184 0.180 table-7: model coefficients on the total score on scale-“online learning equity” predictor estimate se t p intercept a 63.380 1.410 44.955 < .001 school type:         govt aided-govt. -1.497 1.551 -0.965 0.335 private – govt 9.698 0.988 9.812 < .001 monthly income: (5k-10k) – below 5k 0.499 1.377 0.362 0.717 (10-20k) – below 5k 2.856 1.462 1.954 0.051 (20-40k) – below 5k 3.321 1.583 2.098 0.036 (40-60k) – below 5k 4.948 1.704 2.905 0.004 (60-80k) – below 5k 6.177 1.897 3.257 0.001 above 80k – below 5k 8.389 1.732 4.844 < .001 region type: varanasidelhi -10.276 0.835 -12.310 <.001 figure-3: residual plot of the regression model indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 237 note. figure 3 shows a strong relationship between the school type, monthly income, region type and learning equity, such that students from the private schools and greater monthly household income and those from delhi schools had greater learning equity. conclusion the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on education has been especially severe in india, and the pandemic has exposed existing fault lines in the education system and exacerbated greater learning inequalities. the government responses in these two cities have been different in varanasi and delhi and this has generated a larger divergence in learning equity. the analysis based on regression charts in the two regions unravels varied convergent and divergent patterns regarding technological access, digital literacy, cultural factors, and parental attitudes. due to the continuous efforts by the delhi government in the sector, the literacy rate of the students has increased to 86.2%, which is more than the average 25 literacy rate of indian students. one of the prominent reasons for this growth can be attributed to the continuous efforts made by the delhi government authorities who invested a sum total of 25.3%, which is a quarter of its budget into education (economic survey of delhi, 2020). similar initiatives were missing in varanasi. students in delhi also had greater online learning equity compared to students in varanasi, with delhi being a national capital and an x-class city, implying better educational and technological infrastructure and capacity-building initiatives. similarly, students who were enrolled in private schools had better access to online education in both cities. the study also revealed the significance of cultural inclusivity in online learning. the diversity of students’ cultural backgrounds affects the process and outcomes of online learning. for instance, in varanasi, students from private schools and higher-income families experience greater educational equity compared to their peers. the study recommends enhancing teachers’ computer proficiency and providing them with technological table-8: summary of factors affecting the online learning equity data type factor affecting predictors for better online learning equity delhi school type students studying in private schools had greater online learning equity. varanasi school type students studying in private schools had greater online learning equity. gender female students had more online learning equity than male students. total data compiled school type students studying in private schools had greater online learning equity. monthly income students with monthly income greater than five thousand a month had better online learning equity region type students from delhi were found to have greater learning equity than students from varanasi. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 238 tools to overcome barriers to digital skill development in regions with limited technological access. professional development programs and partnerships to improve ict infrastructure in schools are also essential to address this issue including greater fiscal allocation towards school education, external financial & social audits of fund utilisation in government departments schools, and building robust digital infrastructure in government & government-aided schools. overall, the study reveals that limited access to technology impedes digital skill development, making ict literacy a crucial factor. indeed, policymakers should work with schools, students, parents, public and private partners, and civil 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(2019). ending learning poverty: what will it take?. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 122 research article happiness curriculum: experience during the online scenario alka singh1 & aerum khan2 1research scholar, department of teacher training & non-formal education (iase), faculty of education, jamia millia islamia, new delhi emailalkas0915@gmail.com 2assistant professor, department of teacher training & non-formal education (iase), faculty of education, jamia millia islamia, new delhi abstract happiness is a leading concern in everyone’s life, having different connotations for every individual. there can be no universal definition of happiness, as it is relative to everyone in their journey of life. in this era when people especially, children are witnessing several man-made and natural crises having a great impact on their impressionable minds, it is the need of the hour to underline the need of teaching happiness. furthermore, the fierce competition to be “career ready” has led to increased pressure on both the child and the parents. the relationship between happiness and education can be understood in the sense that one is the means to achieve the other and vice-versa. they both are continuous processes in themselves. there is a global need to develop curricula that are accommodative of the psycho-socio development of the children as well as to truly accomplish the purpose of education. the present paper is based on a study related to analyzing the effectiveness and ease of implementation of the innovative practice of the happiness curriculum during the pandemic in an online methodology. keywords: happiness curriculum, school education, psycho-socio development, well-being. introduction every child across the world is a creation of their conditioning which is interdependent on their upbringing and immediate setting. the constantly changing socio-economic dynamics of the families have serious and direct impacts on the physical, social and mental well-being of the children. in addition to this, students come to school with stressors arising from countless sources like “peer-interaction conflicts”, “socio-cultural components”, and “vulnerabilities” to physical and mental health risk factors. the recent report by ncrb has also pointed towards the ever-increasing suicide rate after 2019 among students in india. ergo, presently the challenges before the education system have gone beyond poor learning standards and academic results and emphasis has to be laid on the achievement of the true purpose of education. education systems around the world are facing challenges in preparing students to deal with the demands of unpredictable environments. however, with the onset of the present pandemic, the world in general and students in specific are facing a plethora of unprecedented issues and concerns. the rate of orphan children has increased substantially with the death of primary caregivers which in itself raises several social and emotional concerns for children across the country. consequently, in light of recent developments, the need of the hour is to understand the coherence between indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 123 the pre-pandemic happiness curriculum framework and the existing situation. happiness classes – scope of curriculum the rationale behind the happiness curriculum was the need to enhance and expand the scope of the true purpose of education. it is set against the backdrop of increasing stress among students throughout the global education system and india’s low ranking on the happiness scale on the basis of the world happiness report. teaching happiness in schools will increase “their ability to manage stress, self-awareness and emotional awareness”. this will further help in the true purpose of education by creating a confident, happy, mindful, and responsive generation which in turn leads to happiness and peace in society in general. the scope of the curriculum initially when it was launched in 2018 was for the nursery to grade 8 students across delhi government schools. discussions are now being held to extend this to private schools as well. the key objectives aimed to be achieved through the happiness curriculum besides a holistic approach towards education, amongst learners were: figure-1: objectives of the happiness curriculum key components of the happiness curriculum the elementary approach of the happiness curriculum rests on the happiness triad proposed by philosopher agrahar nagraj in 1999. it is a model for happiness concerning the four elements which are “material”, “behavioural”, “intellectual” and “experiential” aspects of human life. when these are clubbed together they can be converted into the three pillars of the happiness triad. the three pillars are learning, feeling and awareness are depicted in figure-2. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 124 figure-2: happiness triad this happiness triad shows that the first pillar of happiness which can be achieved through our senses and is highly enjoyable but momentary, and thus the term momentary happiness. the second pillar of feeling depicts deeper happiness as feelings such as affection, empathy, love, trust, etc. make us content and peaceful. they have a longer impact on humans. lastly, the pillar of learning and awareness depicts sustainable happiness in the sense that happiness can be yielded by experiencing and learning by an individual. the happiness curriculum aims to bridge the existing gap between pillars of happiness. furthermore, the framework of the happiness curriculum is depicted in the following figure; figure-3: framework design of the happiness curriculum indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 125 challenges posed by the covid-19 pandemic – a study the curriculum was introduced in the pre-pandemic school setting in 2018. wherein the first class (ranging from 25-35 mins) was scheduled as the happiness class. however, with the onset of the pandemic, the schools were shut for almost a period of two years. therefore, in order to examine the effectiveness of the happiness curriculum during the pandemic the researcher has conducted the present study. objectives of research • to study the effectiveness of the happiness curriculum during the pandemic. • to study the implementation of happiness classes during the covid-19 pandemic. • to understand the major challenges faced by the students during the pandemic. research methodology the study was planned to find results through an empirical research methodology with primary and secondary methods of data collection. an empirical research approach is selected because the concept of this research was concerned with interactions, experiences, perceptions & behaviour and understanding these is more important than looking for a quantifiable outcome. a tool with 15 items was prepared to comprise openended and multiple-choice questions, this was disseminated through a google form. the tool was validated by experts, but for its scalability, it will be improved in future. this is a preliminary paper which will be utilized as a pilot in my research. population: the teachers who have conducted happiness classes in delhi government schools. sample and sampling technique: the participants were selected through nonprobability sampling techniques for this study from schools within the territory of delhi. the sample comprises 30 teachers who are conducting happiness classes in delhi government schools. demographic variables • the research consisted of 80 per cent female individuals and 20 per cent male individuals. • the age group (26-35 years) of the research participant have maximum participation in the study • the research participants were teaching the flowing subjects depicted by figure 4 figure-4: depicting the teaching subjects of research participants indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 126 analysis of the data ނ item 1 was designed to ask the teachers their viewpoint about happiness classes and how much advantageous did they find those when they were introduced, the analysis of the collected data revealed the percentages of various viewpoints of the respondents, which are depicted by the pie chart shown in figure 5; • 77 per cent of the respondents had the opinion that point a, says that happiness classrooms are a good initiative by govt. • 13 per cent of the respondents had the opinion that point b says that happiness curriculum helps in developing awareness among teachers, parents and students. • 10 per cent of the respondents had the opinion that point c says that happiness curriculum develops emotional value and brings positive change in curriculum. interpretation and discussion the analysis of the data related to item 1 reveals that most of the respondents (77 per cent) had the opinion that the happiness classroom is a good initiative by the govt., which improves the level of concentration of students, enhances their creativity, helps students to express themselves better, and is interesting for all the students. this opinion indicates the positive aspects added by this curriculum in the life of many people. ނ item 2 was designed to inquire about the training status of teachers with respect to their training for effectively conducting the happiness classes and mode of training. the analysis of the collected data revealed the percentage of how respondents got trained for happiness classes, which is depicted in figure 6: figure-5: percentages of respondents with various viewpoints figure-6: percentages of respondents about how training was conducted indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 127 • 80 per cent of the respondents had admitted that they got requisite training through both modes. • 20 per cent of the respondents had admitted that they do not get any sort of training and were directly given the classes to conduct. interpretation and discussion the analysis of the data reveals that the majority of the respondents (80 per cent) answered in the positive, that they were trained for happiness classes in online and offline mode and the rest of the participants were not trained. this is indicative of the training status and highlights the need to have fully trained teachers to successfully conduct happiness classes. ނ item 3 was designed to ask the teachers about activities (if any) that were conducted before happiness classes started in their schools, the analysis of the collected data revealed the percentage of activities conducted and those are depicted infigure 7: figure-7: percentages of respondents about any activity conducted before happiness classes • 53 per cent of respondents responded that no such activities were conducted before the implementation of happiness classes. • 47 per cent of respondents answered that the various activities were conducted before the happiness classes were started in their school. interpretation & discussion the data reveals that more than half of respondents had responded that no such activities were conducted before the implementation of happiness classes and the rest of them answered that the various activities were conducted before the happiness classes were started in their school. ނ item 4 was designed to ask teachers about the mindfulness activities conducted in school during happiness classes, the analysis of the collected data revealed about various activities undertaken during these classes are as follows: storytelling, focus-increasing activities like observing sounds around, observing the pattern of your breath, motivational story, etc. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 128 interpretation and discussion during the analysis, 100 per cent responded with the affirmation that mindfulness activities were conducted during the happiness curriculum. ނ item 5 was designed to ask teachers the response received from students while practicing the various activities related to happiness both in the offline and online modes of classes. the analysis of the data collected from the respondents revealing the student responses to the happiness classes is depicted in figure 8. figure-8: responses of students towards happiness classes both in offline and online mode • 93 per cent of the respondents answered that students actively participated in happiness classes in both offline and online mode. • 7 per cent of the respondents answered that no responses were received in the happiness classes. interpretation & discussion the analysis of the data revealed that the majority [93 per cent] of the teachers answered that positive responses were received in the happiness classes from the students. the responses are very encouraging, indicative of the connectivity and strengthened relationship amongst students as well as between teacher and students. the majority of the responses pointed towards the eagerness of the students for the happiness class and their readiness to share their feelings. they opined that a lot of positive changes were noticed in the students and students seem less aggressive. a very small segment of the respondent (7 per cent) opined that there were no responses from students for the activities conducted. the analysis clearly indicates that activities conducted during happiness classes have a wide scope of positive impact on the students, achieving its intended objective. ނ item 6 was designed to enquire from the teachers about the differences they have noticed in conducting happiness classes during pandemic, the collected data showed the per cent of respondents on various statements as depicted in figure 9. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 129 figure-9: percentages showing the differences in conducting happiness classes during the research scenario • 47 per cent of the respondents stated that children enjoyed online happiness classes • 37 per cent of the respondents stated that some students faced difficulty in joining the classes • 16 per cent of the respondents stated that some of them are not interested in online classes interpretation & discussion the data showed that most of the respondents (47 per cent) stated that children enjoyed online classes and these classes helped the student in overcoming the stress and made them feel happy and relaxed. around 37 per cent of the respondents stated that some students faced difficulty in joining the classes due to some technical error or connectivity issues. therefore, due to the ease of access to offline classes they were not inclined to online mode of happiness classes. another segment of respondents (16 per cent) stated that some of them are not interested in online classes due to several problems at their end. ނ item 7 was designed to ask the teachers about the challenges faced by them while conducting the happiness class in situation, the data collected revealed the percentage of respondents depicted in figure 10: figure-10: percentage of respondents stating the challenges faced by them indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 130 • 73 per cent of the respondents had the opinion that most of the students have the problem of non availability of devices at their home and connectivity issues • 17 per cent of respondents had the opinion that short attendance was also a challenge • 10 per cent of respondents had the opinion that some students did not pay attention interpretation & discussion 73 per cent of respondents opined that most of the students have the problem of non-availability of devices at their home and connectivity issues like no data recharge or limited data. another 17 per cent of respondents had the opinion that short attendance was also a challenge as a student often does not have devices to join from home which is the continuing reason for the firstmentioned problem. around 10 per cent of the respondents also opined that children lacked attention and made it difficult to have a conducive environment to conduct online classes. this brings under the spot the major three issues that were faced by the teacher and consequent need to develop enough resources to overcome these issues. ނ item 8 was designed to ask the teachers conducting happiness classes whether classes in the digital mode were more interesting or in the offline mode, the data revealed the percentages of respondents depicted in figure 11. figure-11: percentage of respondents sharing their view about conducting happiness classes • 57 per cent of the respondents had the opinion that it was not interesting to conduct the classes digitally. • 43 per cent of the respondents had the opinion that it was interesting to conduct class digitally. interpretation & discussion the analysis of the data revealed that more than half of the respondents 57 per cent were of the opinion that it was not interesting to conduct the classes digitally due to several problems faced by them as well as students. while the rest of the 43 per cent of respondents indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 131 had the opinion that it was interesting to conduct class digitally. this is indicative of the prevalent resistance in conducting online happiness classes as the types of activities would be restricted and ease of conducting them in offline mode. ނ item 9 was designed to ask the teachers their preferred method of happiness classes, the percentage of respondents revealed the following modes of taking classes (figure 12). • 67 per cent of the respondents shared their view that they are comfortable in taking classes offline only. • 20 per cent of the respondents shared their view that they are comfortable in taking classes both online as well as offline. • 13 per cent of the respondents shared their view that they are comfortable in taking classes both online and offline. interpretation & discussion the analysis of the data revealed that most of the respondents 67 per cent were of the opinion that they are comfortable taking classes offline as compared to 13 per cent of respondents who were more comfortable conducting online classes. around 20 per cent of the respondents shared their view that they are comfortable in taking classes both online as well as offline. the opinions herein are indicative of the inclination of teachers for conducting happiness classes in offline mode as their preferred method. ނ item 10 was designed to ask the teacher about their opinion regarding the changes that should be introduced into the happiness curriculum to keep it up to the date. the data collected revealed that the majority of the respondents were satisfied with the happiness curriculum and its framework. some cumulative feedback was increasing the number of stories or activities provided in the curriculum to achieve its objectives conclusive remarks the happiness curriculum makes it vital to recognize the relationship between education and happiness in contemporary times in order to figure-12: mode of taking happiness class preferred by teachers indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 132 inculcate the latter into the former. therefore, the researcher herein through the present study intended to identify the effectiveness of the happiness curriculum and its role during the pandemic. on the basis of the analysis done, it can be concluded that the implementation of a happiness curriculum is a good transformation in the traditional schedule of the students as it is free from the limitations of any subject, period, or evaluation criteria. the classes were welcomed by the students and the study shows the positive impact of the classes on the lives of the students. it has proved to be advantageous in multiple ways for the students by shifting its approach from the traditional teaching style. these classes have facilitated making the students more “thoughtful” and “mindful”. however, there are certain underlying issues that are needed to be pondered over like: • unavailability of the resources to join classes and consequent damage to the mental health of the students in the pandemic situation; • due to the lack of physical contact, there is a hesitancy amongst teachers for conducting happiness classes online mode; and • need to strengthen teacher training programs for better implementation of happiness classes and curriculum. implications of the study therefore, there is a need to further the positive impacts of the curriculum by paving a way for better implementation of happiness classes in contemporary times. the students are now coming back to school after a significant period of two years; this will further have deleterious consequences on the mental well-being of children. ergo, happiness classes should now be conducted keeping in mind the abovementioned issues and to the utmost sincerity. references care, e., talreja, v., ravindranath, s., & sahin, a. (2020). development of student and teacher measures of happiness curriculum factors. retrieved 1 february 2022, from https://www. brookings.edu/research/development-of-student-and-teacher-measures-ofhappiness-curriculum-factors/ gupta, k. (2020). the challenges before delhi’s ‘happiness’ teachers, during covid and otherwise. retrieved 16 january 2022, from https://citizenmatters.in/delhi-aap-schooleducation-happiness curriculum-covid-21824 happy schools: a framework for learner wellbeing in the asia pacific. (2016). retrieved 20 march 2022, from https://bangkok.unesco.org/theme/happy-schools hindu, t. (2021). happiness curriculum helped students during lockdown. retrieved 18 march 2022, from https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/delhi/happiness-curriculum-helped students during-lockdown/article34187039.ece hindu, t. (2021). private schools to adopt delhi govt.’s flagship curricula. (2022). retrieved 15 march 2022, from https://www.thehindu.com /news/cities/delhi/private-schools-to-adopt delhi-govts-flagship-curricula/article65202157.ece?homepage=true hindu, t. (2022). student suicides go up. retrieved 14 march 2022, from https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/hyderabad/student-suicides-go-up/article37729564.ece mittal, r. (2019 a). from learning happiness to happiness while learning: reflections on the happiness curriculum. retrieved 20 december 2021, from https:// thenewleam.com/2019/03/ indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 133 from-learning-happiness-to-happiness while-learning-reflectionsonthe-happiness-curriculum/ mittal, r. (2019a). searching for happiness in happiness curriculum, retrieved 20 december 2021, from https://expressionsindia.org/images/journals/chapters/2019/1.pdf narula, a., & kalra, m. (2019). exploring in-service teachers’ beliefs about happiness curriculum. retrieved 20 march 2022, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335676185_exploring_inservice_teachers’_ beliefs about_happiness scert, d. (2019). happiness curriculum framework (pp. 1-28). delhi: state council of educational research and training, new delhi. why india‟s ranking on happiness index has been falling. (2021). retrieved 16 march 2022, from https://www.governancenow.com/news/regular-story/why-indias-ranking-on-happinessindex-has-been-falling indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 377 book review technology assessment in a globalized world: facing the challenges of transnational technology governance (editors: leonhard hennen, julia hahn, miltos ladikas, ralf lindner, walter peissl and rinie van est) publisher: springer isbn 978-3-031-10616-3 isbn 978-3-031-10617-0 (ebook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-10617-0 monica nagpal visiting assistant professormit-adt university pune emailnagpalmonica12@gmail.com technology has brought radical transformations to the world and has broken the barriers of national borders. this book explores the complex issues around the global impact of technology and technology governance in detail. edited by a team of experts, this book is a valuable resource for understanding the critical role of technology assessment (ta) in addressing global challenges. the book, at the beginning, acknowledges the fast-paced technological advancement and its far-reaching implications for society, the environment, and international relations. it argues that technology is no longer confined to individual countries but has become a global phenomenon, mandating a parallel shift in governance mechanisms, bringing out the need for a transnational approach to technology governance that transcends national boundaries the structure of book is properly organized into three parts or volumes covering ta in a globalised world, challenges of global ta and global challenges and ta, with chapters in each part dedicated to a specific aspect of transnational technology governance. the contributors have dealt with diverse topics, including the relevance of ta in international governance, technological challenges, fundamental, ethical & societal considerations, ta for developing countries, regulatory frameworks, health issues, environmental implications, and the role of international organisations. this comprehensive coverage allows readers to gain an overall understanding of the challenges posed by globalised technology and the different strategies employed to address them. the chapters are coherently organised and well-structured, making it easy for readers to follow the arguments and concepts presented. part 1 deals with tracing ta activities internationally and clustering them for reflection according to the key identified areas of science, politics and public. it covers multilateral cooperation in ta to enhance the outcome and impact of strategies targeted towards global challenges. part 2 draws its basis from the interdependence of globalisation and technological change while discussing ta. it establishes a need for global awareness of the global character for the upcoming challenges of globalisation and responsibility for taking joint action on a global scale to overcome those challenges. the globalisation of science and technology affects people, and the need to address the relationship between public spheres and technology indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 378 has been established. further, the relevance of ta in developing countries has been discussed taking examples from the developing country. part 3 discusses the major global challenges: climate change, biotechnology, artificial intelligence and the pandemic disease and the role of ta in dealing with them. it sheds light upon the applicability and effectiveness of models and frameworks of ta being applied in these fields of study. the outlook, while summarising establishes the need for global ta to resolve the global challenges, promote international development and regulate technologies. further case studies from countries have been presented towards the end. the chapters emphasise the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and collaboration among nations and international organisations. the authors have acknowledged the diverse perspectives and interests and brought out the need for inclusive and participatory approaches to technology assessment. this emphasis on collaboration aligns with contemporary calls for responsible and inclusive technology development. the focus on real-world case studies and practical examples is a notable strength of the book. the authors have examined specific instances of transnational technology governance from different regions and industries and provided concrete insights into the opportunities and limitations of existing approaches. this empirical approach utilising real-world examples has added depth and relevance to the theoretical discussions, making the content relatable to a broad audience, including scholars, policymakers, and practitioners. while the book presents a comprehensive overview of the challenges and solutions related to transnational technology governance, the fast pace of technological change may become one potential limitation. considering the rapid evolution of technology, a few aspects of the book may become outdated comparatively early. however, this remains a common challenge in the field of technology assessment, and the book’s strength lies in its framework and principles for addressing transnational technology governance challenges. conclusively, the book “technology assessment in a globalized world: facing the challenges of transnational technology governance” is a good resource for scholars, practitioners and policymakers interested in technology and governance on a global scale. it gives an insightful exploration of the challenges presented by today’s globalised technology and a roadmap for addressing these challenges along with tapping the opportunities buried in them. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 282 research article exploring 21st century digital literacy skills among the prospective teachers for holistic learning jijo varghese1 & anand kumar arya2 1assistant professor, department of elementary education, jesus and mary college, university of delhi 2associate professor, regional institute of education, ajmer, rajasthan emailanandarya2001@yahoo.com abstract the research study presents the status of 21st century digital literacy skills among prospective teachers including media literacy, ict literacy, and ability to access, assess, and share information. the investigations on the perception levels of digital literacy skills with the demography of prospective teachers, their gender, locality, educational qualification and specialized subject have highlighted. the reflection of prospective teachers on their teacher education curriculum emphasizing the techno-pedagogical integration, technology enabled hands on experiences opportunities and adaptability as per changing educational needs have also explored for holistic learning. kerala, is being recognized as model state in the country effectively implementing the ict curriculum for school education. as a sample for data collection, the 860 prospective teachers of five districts of northern part of kerala have taken. the multiple sources of data, including a likert scale and a closed ended questionnaire have used to gather data. the various descriptive and inferential statistical techniques and tests such as independent sample t-test, anova, and percentage analysis have used to calculate and interpret the obtained data. the findings revealed that the prospective teachers have an average level of digital literacy skills. it has also been reported that present curriculum for teacher education does not provide enough opportunity for fostering the digital literacy skills. the findings have also discussed in the light of the relevant literature. keywords: digital literacy skills, prospective teachers, techno-pedagogy, ict literacy, 21st century skills introduction the national education policy 2020 recognises the need of optimizing the technological advantages and underlines the benefits of online/digital education. to address the present and future difficulties of delivering quality education for all, it is essential to optimize and expand existing digital platforms and ongoing ict-based educational initiatives. in this context, it is essential to understand the perceptions of the future teachers about the digital literacy skills as it is one of the prominent skills enlisted in 21st century skills set. technological proficiency is considered to be one of the key indicators of quality education in the prospective teachinglearning scenario (maderick, zhang, hartley, & marchand, 2015) and the quality of the teachers is assessed on the basis of their level of perception and degree of awareness of digital literacy skills and related competencies and extent to which they are easily integrate them into their classroom practices (ata & yıldırım, 2019). it is essential to investigate whether prospective teachers of the present time, even indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 284 programs must focus on preparing the teacher trainees with digital literacy (agyei & voogt, 2011; gudmundsdottir & hatlevik, 2018). research on the enhancement of digital competencies revealed that the teacher trainees feel that their teacher education programme inadequately and inefficiently integrated digital technologies (instefjord & munthe, 2017). therefore, the present study aims at investigating the very significant question that to what extend do prospective teachers possess digital literacy skills. to answer this question, it is necessary to check how far teacher education program really prepare the prospective teachers with these skills. for exploring the answers, the following objectives were formulated and accordingly the hypotheses were framed: 1. to understand the status of 21st century digital literacy perception levels of prospective teachers? 2. to analyze if there exists any significant difference in the mean scores of digital literacy skills among prospective teachers based on their gender, locality, educational qualification and specialized subject 3. to understand the views and opinion of prospective teachers about current teacher education programme in preparing them with digital literacy skills? based on the above objectives, certain hypotheses were framed: 1. there is no significant difference in the mean scores of digital literacy skills among prospective teachers based on certain demographics (gender, educational qualifications, types of institution, locale) 2. there is no significant difference in the mean scores of digital literacy skills of prospective teachers belonging to various subjects. methodology the present study adopted descriptive survey method to assess the status and issues of the digital literacy of the prospective teachers of kerala. being one of the recognized as model states in the country, kerala effectively implement the ict curriculum for school education and hence it is used as sample reference. participants the survey involved 860 prospective teachers (male n=157 and female n= 703) from five districts of northern part of kerala who were enrolled in three state universities of kerala and their affiliated teacher education colleges. purposive sampling was carried out for the selection of the sample. there were 860 participants (male= 175 female=382; studying in government institutions= 359, private colleges= 501; under graduates = 274, post graduates= 586; living in urban areas= 463, rural= 397) who responded to the data collection tools during the data collection. the participants were all in the second semester of their course belonging to five subject specialization (n= language= 146, social science=312, mathematics= 126, science=232, and commerce=44). data collection tool the researchers constructed digital literacy scale based on the p21 century skills framework and oecd framework of 21st century skills and was used for data collection. the scale was prepared to cover three dimensions of digital literacy skills (“information literacy”, “media literacy” and “ict literacy”). ten teachers who are expert in the area of ict and educational technology indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 285 were identified and asked to evaluate the scale and revisions were made on the items as per their guidance. it is a 5-point likert-type scale ranging from 1 (“strongly disagree”) to 5 (“strongly agree”). the cronbach’s alpha was found to be .78 and ensured the content validity of the tool. a questionnaire was also developed by the researchers to analyse the opinion of the prospective teachers related to their views and opinion about the teacher education programme that we have today in preparing and enabling them with digital literacy skills. the questionnaire contains 10 items related to their views regarding how far the present mode of transaction of curriculum is enhancing digital literacy skills among them. the draft questionnaire was given to 10 subject experts and modified as per their corrections and modifications. the items and the responses of the participants (in percentage) are presented in table 4. data analysis both descriptive and inferential analysis were carried out for the analysis and interpretation of the obtained data. the assumptions about the statistical analysis were tested before a analysis. in this context, the normality of the distributions of the responses were examined by calculating skewness (.328) and kurtosis (.447) and since these values were in the ranges specified by george & mallery (2010), it can be said that the normal distribution assumptions were met. to analyse prospective teachers’ perception of digital literacy skills on the basis of various demographic variables, independent sample t-test and one-way anova were applied. data analysis and interpretation this section presents the major findings of the study on the existing level of digital literacy skills among prospective teachers and whether those skills significantly differ on the basis of gender, type of institution, subject specialization, locality, and educational qualifications. hence the collected data are analysed as per the objectives and hypotheses constructed for the study. what are the perceived levels of digital literacy among prospective teachers? the obtained data have been analyzed by using frequency and percentage and the result is presented as table 1. table-1: digital literacy level of prospective teachers frequency percentage low 113 13.1 average 616 71.6 high 131 15.2 total 860 100 table 1 as well as figure 2 indicate the digital literacy skills level of prospective teachers. from the table 1, it is evident that the 13.1 per cent of prospective teachers have a low level of digital literacy skills, 71.6 per cent have average and 15.2 per cent have high level of digital literacy skills. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 287 teachers’ scores of digital literacy skills t (858) =1.21, p=0.22”. furthermore, the mean scores of the prospective teachers for digital literacy skills on the basis of educational qualifications were 95.62 and 94.67 for undergraduates and postgraduates respectively. furthermore, the independent sample ‘t’ test value was 1.53 with the ‘p’ value 0.12 which was not significant at 0.05 level of significance. hence it is found that “there was no significant difference between undergraduates (m=95.62 sd=8.03) and postgraduates (m=94.67, sd=9.36) prospective teachers’ scores of digital literacy skills t (858) =1.53, p=0.12”. in the similar fashion, mean scores of the prospective teachers for digital literacy skills on the basis of locality were found to be 95.44 and 95.17 for urban and rural respectively. furthermore, the independent sample ‘t’ test value was 0.47 with the ‘p’ value 0.63 which was not significant at 0.05 level of significance. hence it is found that “there was no significant difference between urban (m=95.44, sd=8.89) and rural (m= 95.17, sd=7.99) prospective teachers’ scores of digital literacy skills t (858) =0.47, p=0.63”. again, the mean scores of the prospective teachers for digital literacy skills on the basis of type of institution were found to be 95.70 and 9.05 for government and private institutions respectively. furthermore, the independent sample ‘t’ test value was 1.11 with the ‘p’ value 0.26 which was not significant at 0.05 level of significance. hence it is found that “there was no significant difference between government (m=95.70 sd=8.35) and private (m= 95.05, sd=8.58) prospective teachers’ scores of digital literacy skills t (858) =1.11, p=0.26”. to find out whether there is any difference in the perception of digital literacy skills among the prospective teachers based on the subjects they have opted in their teacher education course, the hypothesis was formulated as there exists no significant difference in the mean scores of digital literacy skills among prospective teachers based on subjects. hence, to check whether the prospective teachers who have opted for commerce, languages, mathematics, science, and social science differ significantly in terms of mean scores of digital literacy skills, one-way analysis of variance was applied and results are presented in table 3. table-3: anova test of digital literacy skills and subject specialization of prospective teachers sources of variance sum of squares df mean square f level of significance between groups 443.728 4 110.93 1.54 .18 within groups 61458.97 855 71.88 total 61902.70 859 as shown in table 3, the mean scores of perceptions of digital literacy skills prospective teachers belonging to various subjects opted such as commerce, languages, mathematics, science, and social science were compared using one-way anova. the f (4, 855) = 1.543, p> .05, which is statistically not significant at 0.05 level. this suggested that there is no significant difference in the mean scores of digital literacy skills of prospective teachers belonging to various subjects. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 288 how far the present modes of curriculum transaction enhance digital literacy skills? the investigators tried to identify how far the present modes of transaction is effective for enhancing digital literacy skills. the details are given below in table 3. table-4: percentage of responses of prospective teachers for the analysis of how far the present modes of transaction effective for developing digital literacy skills sl.no. items yes (%) no (%) 1. does the syllabus encourage the student to learn with the help of digital technology? 46 54 2. does the transaction mode create an atmosphere for e-learning in your classroom? 42 58 3. do you think that the present modes of transaction enhance the level of digital skills in the prospective teachers? 38 62 4. do the you able to apply various ict tools and techniques used in today’s classrooms? 57 53 5. do you get enough support from the teachers for making any ict tools/ e-resources for learning 35 65 6. do you encourage others to make e-resources? 62 38 7. do the students get the opportunity to show their digital literacy skills during classroom transaction? 51 49 8. do you think that whether the prospective teachers receive enough preparation for developing digital literacy skills through the syllabus? 55 45 9. do you think that teacher education curriculum stresses only the acquisition of specific facts, ideas, concepts related to teaching? 44 56 10. does the teacher education curriculum of your university provide activities for improving the digital literacy skills? 35 65 the feedback and the responses of the prospective teachers on the items in the questionnaire reveal that only 46 per cent were of the opinion that the syllabus encourages students to learn with the help of digital technology. only 42 per cent of the teachers opinioned that the transaction modes create an atmosphere for e-learning in their classroom. only 38 per cent of the prospective teachers think that the present modes of transaction enhance the level of digital skills in the prospective teachers. about 57 per cent of the prospective teachers opinioned that they are able to apply various ict tools and techniques used in classrooms. only 35 per cent of the prospective teachers opinioned that they get enough support from the teachers for making any ict tools/ e-resources for learning. around 62 per cent prospective-teachers opinioned that they encourage others to make e-resources and 51 per cent were of the opinion that they get the opportunity to show their digital literacy skills during classroom transaction. about 55 per indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 289 cent of the prospective teachers feel that they receive enough preparation for developing digital literacy skills through the syllabus. only 44 per cent of the prospective teachers feel that teacher education curriculum stresses only the acquisition of specific facts, ideas, concepts related to teaching. around 35 per cent of the prospective teachers were of the opinion that teacher education curriculum of your university provides activities for improving the digital literacy skills. discussion and recommendations the results showed that the digital skills of the prospective teachers is average and they do have an average level of opinion about the current teacher education curriculum in enhancing digital competence. the present study also correlated with the literature stating that there is general view among the prospective teachers that they do have a low level of competence in the areas of digital literacy skill (gutiérrezporlán & serrano-sánchez, 2016; hinojolucena et al., 2019). unlike the studies of keskin & yazar (2015); estevemon et al. (2020); casillas-martín et al., (2019), and guillén-gámez et al. (2020), the present study state that there is no significant difference in the perception level of digital literacy skills among the prospective male and female teachers. it is, may be, and due to the equal educational and technological opportunity received by the students of kerala irrespective of their gender. the study recommends following suggestions and for enhancing the digital literacy skills of prospective teachers; y the digital competency is a set of skills which need to be developed at early age and fostered throughout life. for providing the relevant training during the teacher education programme, the curriculum must encourage to learn with the help of digital technology. y along with the theory, the transaction mode must create an atmosphere for e-learning for fostering digital literacy skills of prospective teachers. y although, study reveals equal digital literacy levels among the prospective teachers in spite of their gender, educational qualifications, type of institutions they study, and the subject of specialization, the technology must be integrated contextually. y there must be instructional strategies for the transaction of teacher education program which may develop the digital competency among prospective teachers. y the educational planners and policy makers should make digital literacy skills as part of the requirements for teachers’ employment at all levels and curriculum planners must make it as point to consider digital literacy into every subject in the curriculum at teacher education curriculum. y there must be continuous training programme, workshops, and awareness programmes arranged for prospective teachers on digital literacy to understand and update digital competency among them. conclusion digital literacy skill is of great demand and an essential requirement for the present century education. educationists who are interested in digital technologies have pointed the significance of using the potential of digital competency in the classroom practices in the 21st century. it is revealed from the findings that prospective teachers have an average level of digital literacy skills; however, it was observed in the questionnaire that indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 290 they do have an average level of opinion about the curriculum transaction mode for enhancing digital competency among the prospective teachers. references agyei, d. d., & voogt, j. m. 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(2009). framework for 21stcentury learning. http://www. p21.org/documents/p21_frameworkdefinitions.pdf indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 24 review article modalities for successful language learning and teaching in the digital age: a critical review of language learning software and applications (diksha kukreja, associate development editor, cambridge university press, research done and paper written as a research scholar during affiliation to the department of education, university of delhi, email: dikshakukreja100@gmail.com) abstract one of the main factors influencing the effective learning of a second or a foreign language among students is the language learning style and strategy followed by them (oxford, 2003). however, in recent years’, the advent of information and communication technology has essentially changed the way people communicate and the way languages are learned, thereby also affecting our students (ncert, 2005). this is specifically true in the case of the wide range of a second or a foreign language learning applications and software programs that are available online or in the downloadable format offering multiple ways for learning a language. therefore, in order to ensure quality upgradation in language learning and the development of a multilingual society, the traditional way of teaching and learning language might not be enough. however, before mindlessly adopting these new technologies for learning a language, it is important for educators to critically assess their utility. the current paper aims to identify the five most used language learning software or applications through various online and offline ratings, user base and review boards. the paper also aims to critically examine and present a comparative review of these language learning tools basis the number of languages offered; learning strategies applied, styles and skills in focus; users’ reviews; and the cost of their premium packages. a ‘language learning skills and strategies’ checklist was developed to collect data. the data so collected was thematically organized and analysed in the light of contemporary theories of language teaching and learning. finally, the paper concludes with the modalities required for efficient and effective teaching and learning of language in this digital age. the current paper also encourages teachers, teacher educators, parents, and students to experiment in teaching and learning of a second or a foreign language with these softwares and applications. keywords: applications, digital age, language learning, language skills, multilingual society, educational technology introduction in response to the challenges posed by the 21st century, education struggles to re-shape itself with the help of technology, thereby fundamentally changing the way we teach and learn. learners, today, are increasingly motivated by their personal needs and situations such as the need of greater mobility from one place to another, and hence find themselves in a position to engage themselves in educational activities on-the-go, that is spontaneous and sometimes also have ‘life-long learning' as an ambitious goal. this leads to the use of a variety of technologies by these learners, both inside and outside classrooms. at their very first appearances, many new media technologies; such as dictionaries, grammar books, audiotapes, television programs, dvds and cd-roms, the internet and mobile technologies; indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 25 seem to have great potential for assisting in language learning (sharples, 2000). some of these technologies, commendably fulfilled their promises while others failed to do so (salaberry, 2001). many linguists and language experts attribute several reasons for the failure of language-learning technology. some of the reasons can be the inappropriate or insufficient use of technology, questionable pedagogy that is sometimes a step backward than being a step forward (warschauer & healey, 1998). also, there is often little attention paid to the behaviours and attitudes of language learners with regard to the technology that they are using (pemberton et al, 2005). foreign language learning, as well as second language learning, are arguably well suited for learning through technology and also with life-long learning. language learning, in itself, is an everyday learning activity that is integrated with individual's lives and as this activity changes, one can also see the transformation in how languages are learned and also what challenges these changed ways presents. this paper presents a comparative analysis of software and mobile applications available for language learning in terms of their popularity, the number of languages offered, cost-of premium packages, design functions and the strategies and styles of language learning infocus for a learner-centred approach for language learning. with such a comparative analysis, the paper presents various modalities for effective and efficient teaching and learning of language in the digital age to the readers. theories of language learning while reviewing different theories of adult language learning, mitchell and myles (1998) point out that the researchers haven't yet arrived at a comprehensive and unified view of second language learning among adults. language learning in itself isn't a unified activity. it has been conceptualized as an amalgamation of different activities of listening, speaking, reading and writing and at times also comprehension. various theoretical orientations for second language learning exists today, however, as per the scope of this study, this section only discusses the constructivist view and the creative constructionist approach. the constructivist approach towards language learning asserts that learning of language is a socially interactive, creative and active process wherein learners construct new ideas on their own, on the basis of their current and previous knowledge (bruner, 1990). this philosophy or orientation of language learning is indeed the force behind many interactive, computerassisted language learning initiatives. this orientation is also often seen as to be closely knit with a communicative teaching approach. learners construct their knowledge through negotiating the meaning of their dialogues and socio-cultural expressions in the target language. this implies that it is only through the learners' exposure to and interaction with the target language and its contexts that successful language learning can occur. according to pemberton et al (2005), in a constructivistinspired program for language learning, learners are required to solve problems, perform different tasks involving different skills, thereby ensuring high levels of interaction in terms of listening, speaking, reading and writing in the target language. the second orientation is that of the creative constructionist approach. this approach is mainly associated with the works of krashen (1981). according to krashen, the learners or acquirers of language usually are not aware of their learning of a language. rather, such indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 26 learners intuitively acquire the second language while they are engaged in the process of receiving and comprehending inputs in the second language. these inputs can be received from various sources of the same, lower or slightly higher level than that of the learner's current level of competency. such inputs directly contribute towards the incidental or implicit acquisition, comprehension and subsequent fluency in the second language. this acquisition takes place internally through hearing and reading of that language, and the learners are not required to actively speak or write in that language because it is assumed that speech in that language would emerge as a natural consequence of repetitive hearing of samples in the language to be acquired. according to krashen (1981, 1982) and trueba (1987), the learner's motivation to learn a language is also an important determinant of its successful learning and therefore, it is important to ensure that the environment in which learning is occurring are highly motivating in nature and the fact that any deliberate language learning is occurring should be seamless. objectives the current study aims to achieve the following objectives: • to identify the five most used language learning software or applications. • to critically examine and present a comparative review of these language learning software and applications on the basis of the number of languages offered; learning strategies, styles, and skills in focus; users' reviews; and cost of the premium package. methodology in order to identify the top five language learning software or mobile applications, an indepth review of various online and offline ratings, user base and review boards were conducted. such sources for such review ratings included bloomberg pursuits (ekstein, 2017), western union (timothy, 2017), the balance (fisher, 2017), digital trends (hill, 2017), pcmag.com (duffy, 2017), beebom.com (beebom, 2017), and lingualift (krzeminska, n.d.). after reaching at the list of top five language learning programs, further review of each of those was undertaken. for this, a ‘language learning skills and strategies' checklist was developed. in addition to the in-focus skills, the checklist also contained several program-based basic indicators such as format, till-date user base, number of languages offered, the average duration of the lesson, cost for access to the full package and other additional features offered by the program. the data so collected was thematically organized (in the form of a comparative table) and analyzed in the light of contemporary theories of language teaching and learning. results many language learning programs appeared in the review boards' list of best language learning apps/software/programs. these included programs such as (in alphabetical order): 24/7 tutor apps, accella study essential apps, babbel, busuu, clozemaster, coffee break, drops, duolingo, fluenz, google translate, hello talk, hinative, how to (pronounce), leaf, lingua.ly, lingvist, living language, memrise, mindsnacks, mondly, mosa lingua, rocket languages, rosetta stone, simon & schuster pimsleur comprehensive, tandem, transparent language online, triplingo, yabla. out of these language learning programs, indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 27 the ones that were found to be most recurring are (in an alphabetical order): babbel, busuu, duolingo, memrise, rosetta stone (beebom, 2017; duffy, 2017; ekstein, 2017; fisher, 2017; hill, 2017; krzeminska, n.d.; timothy, 2017). an in-depth review analysis of each of the top five language learning programs will follow in the following sections. these sections are arranged not with respect to any particular hierarchy of popularity or effectiveness of a learning program, but with respect to alphabetical order. throughout this paper, no attempt has been made to suggest that one language learning program is better than the other. babbel babbel, founded in 2007, is a language learning program available both as a website and as a mobile application for both android and ios devices. the user base of babbel (at the time of writing this paper and as reported by its official website) is of about one million active paying users and has an approximate growth rate of thirteen hundred new users per hour. this program offers learning courses for a total of fourteen languages including german, spanish, italian, french, portuguese, swedish, turkish, dutch, polish, indonesian, norwegian, danish, russian, and english. this program uses a didactic method for teaching language which is combined with strategies from cognitivism, and constructivism. the program starts by exposing the learners to a lot of new vocabulary at once, which, at times, can be overwhelming for some learners. however, the program uses the cognitive principle/technique of ‘space repetition' which ensures that each new vocabulary introduced to the learner is repeated several times, at different occasions/intervals thereby helping the newly acquired information to move from the short-term memory to the long-term memory of the learner. the vocabulary introduced to the learners is largely based on the real-life native conversations in the target language such as greetings of ‘hello', ‘good morning', ‘how are you?'. according to the developers of this program, such an approach can help learners to start conversing in the target language right away. although the program focuses on listening, reading, writing and speaking skills in a language, there seems to be a skewed focus on listening and writing skills of the learner. apart from offering flashcard style vocabulary, the program also offers quiz style course elements, pronunciation and grammar training exercises. although the amount of lessons available for each of the languages offered varies greatly, the lessons that are designed are presented to the learners keeping in mind the context of the learner, specifically the native/instruction language of the learner, over which the learner already, assumingly, has a greater level of mastery. this means that the presentation, of course, is done keeping in mind the overlapping grammatical structures and mutual words of the native and the target language and also the mutual. however, if the language complexity is considered, this program offers courses only for the beginner's level and not much content available for upper intermediate and beyond levels of proficiency in the targeted language. some of the additional features offered by this program include speech recognition tool (tests learner's pronunciation), review manager tool (keeps track of vocabulary practiced by the learner), social media tool (helps learners to interact and connect with other learners). babble’s method of learning does not offer any real-time web classes. critics also reveal that such a method of learning can at times be monotonous for the learners and may end up losing its effectiveness in new language learning. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 28 busuu busuu, founded in 2008, is a language learning program available both as a website and as a mobile application for both android and ios devices. busuu is basically a social network for learning languages that is based on a freemium business model, i.e. it has two versions, free and the premium version. the free version gives access to only flashcards and the premium version, that is paid, includes, in addition to flashcards, adaptive vocabulary trainer, grammar exercises, quizzes, podcasts, videos, other multimedia material, speaking-writing assignments, personalized feedback from other users, offline mode, travel courses, and mcgraw-hill certification. this program offers learning courses for a total of twelve languages including arabic, chinese, english, french, german, italian, japanese, polish, portuguese, russian, spanish, and turkish. busuu provides tools such as chat-window that enables different learners to network amongst each other. this platform also encourages collaborative learning with a growing community of native speakers. one feature of this program is that the users can act as both learners (of a target language) and tutors (of their own mother tongue) and hence correct each other’s work. busuu courses are offered at different levels of proficiency, i.e., a1, a2, b1, and b2, which indeed are based on the common european framework of references for languages (cefr) standards. at the very beginning, this program also offers to take up a base-line proficiency test called as the ‘placement test' for those learners who already have some level of proficiency in the target language and thus the program suggests level appropriate courses to the learner. these courses focus upon the four main skills of language learning (i.e. reading, writing, speaking and listening). the course contents are well organized on the dashboard allowing the users to see exactly where they are and choose to either move sequentially from one level of proficiency to another or pick up courses/topics that best suit their needs or continue practicing the tasks/courses they have already completed. the courses are designed as such that each new learning builds upon the learner's previous knowledge, thereby allowing easy scaffolding rather than exposing learners to random, disconnected, and decontextualized content such as vocabulary flash cards or grammar lessons. each lesson is designed around a communicative focus (such as greeting someone, introducing oneself, ordering food at a restaurant) so that the learners can apply their learning immediately in writing or conversation. once the learners have completed one set of tasks/course, they can also take fill-in-the-blanks, mcq, sentence-completion and other quiz-like tests to test their knowledge. for each test taken, the learners get stars based upon their performance. some exercises also require the learners to record, speak, type an answer and submit it to the native community for correction and feedback. as a tutor, one can also provide cultural notes to other learners, thereby further enriching a learner's experience of learning a language and building communities of learners in a real sense of the term. however, a drawback of this approach is that since the tutor and the learner may not know each other personally or be aware of the exact level of each other's proficiency, the comments given by one person may not be understood by the other at a different (usually lower) level of proficiency. one important thing to note here is that this program would work best for learners who are selfmotivated to learn a language. indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 29 duolingo duolingo, launched in 2011, is a language learning program available both as a website and as a mobile application for both android and ios devices. this program is completely free without any hidden charges or premium packages. this program offers learning courses for a total of twenty-seven languages including spanish, french, german, italian, english, portuguese, dutch, irish, danish, swedish, high valyrian, russian, swahili, polish, romanian, japanese, greek, esperanto, turkish, vietnamese, hebrew, norwegian, ukrainian, hungarian, welsh, czech, and korean. this program runs on a core principle of making learning fun with the help of gamification of the content to be learned. languages are split into bite-sized skills that feel like games. players/users gain points when they complete a lesson and lose a life (heart) when they answer incorrectly. the learners can also buy certain powerups from the ‘lingot store' in exchange for the lingots (duolingo's virtual currency) gained by them after completing challenges/levels. the length of these lessons is completely customizable by the learner depending upon the amount of information they can absorb from a single lesson. each lesson focuses on reading, writing, speaking and listening skills by including a variety of translation, mcq, listening and speaking skill-based challenges. the lessons are designed on certain "skills" (as conceptualised by the program), i.e., the learner will get lessons on food, animals, phrases, accusatives, plurals, adjectives, possessives, occupations, numbers, locatives among many more. for those learners who don't perform so well on a challenge, the program further guides them for improvement. one feature that really helps in keeping the learners motivated (apart from the gamification) is the program's feature ‘streak count' feature which keeps a track of the number of consecutive days a learner spends for learning a language. apart from the free language learning content, this program also offers its users to undertake an online duolingo english test (det) that testifies and certifies the users' english language proficiency. the det has been accepted by various leading institutions such as tufts university, harvard graduate school of design, harvard extension school, california state university, nyu, ucla and many more. the program also gives its users’ access to the duolingo labs where the learners can expose themselves to the duolingo's experimental projects such as ‘duolingo stories', ‘duolingo events' etc. the ‘duolingo incubator’ feature enables bilinguals to share their knowledge and hence contribute towards the courses. memrise memrise, launched in 2010, is a freemium language learning program available both as a website and as a mobile application for both android and ios devices. this program offers 10 languages (french, german, spanish, korean, italian, japanese, russian, chinese, arabic, and turkish) along with other computer languages like javascript and python. the courses focus on making learning joyful and offer courses not just belonging to language learning but also to other disciplines such as arts & literature, maths, science, natural world, history, geography, entertainment, trivia and so on. the main attraction of this program is that this program is a user-generated and supported program, i.e., it utilizes its community of learners to improve and also teach language to other users. it uses a multimedia approach of presenting the course content and also stresses on memorization of vocabulary based on audio and image flashcards that help the learners with easy association of words. along with word association, other memorization techniques and strategies such as ‘mnemonics', indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 30 ‘elaborate encoding' (new words are actively linked with words that the learners are already familiar with) are also frequently used by the program. rosetta stone founded in 1992, this program is a proprietary program aimed at providing language learning courses across 19 languages. one of the main features of this program include ‘dynamic immersion'. it further includes the use of multimedia exercises for vocabulary building, speaking, listening, reading and writing. it also offers the learners to delve into the world of literature, thereby encouraging them to learn by reading stories and also immerse themselves into the culture of the target language. also, through the feature of ‘rosetta world,' the users can play games and speak with other learners. another striking feature that is not offered by any other programs discussed so far is that of ‘live tutoring' under the name of ‘rosetta studio'. hence, an attempt is made to completely immerse the learner into the world of the target language. as a result of this, the learners absorb the language along with the culture, without any deliberate attempt (similar to the creative constructionist approach). table 1 presents more information on this program. it also presents a comparative view of all the five language learning programs discussed so far. table 1: comparison of language learning programs babbel busuu duolingo memrise rosetta stone format website, mobile app (ios, android) website, mobile app (ios, android) website, mobile app (ios, android, windows) website, mobile app (ios, android) website, amazon, mobile app (ios, android) user base 1300 new users per hour in its sixth year and 1,000,000 active paying subscribers 70 million registered users, growing at an average of 25,000 per day 150 million (guliani, 2016) 26 million data unavailable for the year 2017 (over 9 million in 2014) cost of full package (premium version) $6.95 per month, per language, for a period of twelve months € 5.83 per month for a period of twelve months free (det certification fee is $49) $ 4.90 per month $ 10.75 per month for a period of twelve months number of languages offered 14 12 27 10 (excluding computer languages) 19 the average duration of each lesson (mins) 5 10 minutes per day 4 customizable 30 indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 31 skills/areas in focus pronunciation, listening, reading, writing, speaking for both visual and auditory learning types (mostly only at beginner’s level) reading, writing, listening, speaking (from beginner to intermediate level as per the cefr standards) conventional skills of reading, writing, listening, speaking duolingo skills: food, phrases, plurals, adjectives, numbers, etc. reading, writing, speaking, listening, grammar, pronunciation reading, writing, speaking, listening, grammar, pronunciation strategies used didactic method combined with cognitivist, behaviourist and constructivist strategies real-life conversations spaced repetition building each course on learner’s native language and personal interests collaborative, cooperative learning communicative focus of each lesson variety of tasks and tests in multimedia formats personalized feedback system builds upon learner’s previous knowledge gamification of learning reinforcement in terms of gaining of virtual currency or loosing of lives community involvement memory strategies such as mnemonics, elaborate encoding spaced repetition gamification of learning community involvement reinforcement (in terms of level and ranks) choreographed testing dynamic immersion multimedia learning approach additional features speech recognition tool review manager tool social media tool social networking tool offers placement test offers placement test streak count offers det offers access to duolingo labs duolingo incubator social media tool offers scheduled reminders offers computer languages (javascript, python) offers courses in other school and university subjects humorous chatbots rosetta studio rosetta world indian journal of educational technology vol.1 (2), july 2019 32 conclusion it is clear from the above cases and their comparison (as presented in table 1) that all these five language learning programs (in alphabetical order), i.e., babbel, busuu, duolingo, memrise, and rosetta stone, do not support individualised instructions as the content material is largely the same for all learners. four out of five of these programs run on a freemium business model and offers around ten to nineteen languages. the languages offered by these programs are usually the ones that belong to the more dominant and powerful regions of the world or are widely spoken across the world. a separate and different discussion is required to establish this point, which currently is not under the scope of this paper. most of these programs (babbel, busuu, duolingo, memrise) divide the act of language learning into constituent skills/components that can be covered/mastered through bite-sized lessons. thereby following the constructivist view of language learning whereby the learner is consciously aware of his/her act of learning a language and actively construct their knowledge through interacting and negotiating the meaning of their dialogues and socio-cultural expressions in the target language. rosetta stone, on the other hand, seemed to operate on the creative constructionist approach whereby the learners are not outwardly aware of their learning of a language, rather, they acquire the target language as a result of immersion into the linguistic environment while being engaged in the process of receiving and comprehending inputs in that language. the strategies used by all these programs also vary. it was realized that more analysis needs to be done in this area to better understand the implications of using each of these or any other language learning programs. future researches in the area can further look at learner's experiences and the implications thereof. therefore, the paper encourages teachers, teacher educators, parents, and students to experiment teaching and learning of second or foreign language with these programes and further contribute to the discourse of modalities required for efficient and effective teachinglearning of foreign languages in the digital age. (disclaimer: the views expressed in this paper are personal to the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the author's employer, organisation, committee or other group or individual.) references beebom.com (2017, july 28), 8 best language learning apps for android you can use [blog post]. retrieved from https://beebom.com/best-language-learning-apps/ bruner, j. (1990). act of meaning. cambridge, ma: harvard university press. duffy, j. (2017, july, 19), the best language-learning software of 2017 [blog post]. retrieved from http://in.pcmag.com/education-reference/77480/guide/the-bestlanguage-learning-software-of-2017 ekstein, n. (2017, july 21), here is the best language learning app for you [blog post]. retrieved from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-21/five-languagelearning-apps-tested-and-reviewed fisher, s. 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(n.d.). 10 best language learning apps [blog post]. retrieved from https://www.lingualift.com/blog/best-language-learning-apps/ mitchell, r. & myles, f. (1998), second language learning theories. london, uk: oxford university press. national curriculum framework 2005, national council of educational research and training (ncert) 2005, new delhi. oxford, r.l. (2003), language learning styles and strategies: an overview. gala, pp. 1-25. retrieved from http://web.ntpu.edu.tw/~language/workshop/read2.pdf pemberton, l., fallahkhair, s., & masthoff, j. (2005), learner centred development of a mobile and itv language learning support system. educational technology & society, 8(4), pp 52-63. salaberry, m. r. (2001), the use of technology for second language learning and teaching: a retrospective. the modern language journal, 85(1), pp 39-56. sharples, m. (2000). the design of personal mobile technologies for lifelong learning. computers and education, 34, pp 177-193. timothy, n. (2017, march 9), the 8 best language learning apps and websites [blog post]. retrieved from https://www.westernunion.com/blog/language-learning-apps/ trueba, h. t. (1987), success or failure. cambridge, ma: newbury house publishers. warschauer, m., & healey, d. (1998), computers and language learning: an overview. language teaching, 31, pp 57-71. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 54 research article an assessment of challenges faced by educators in online education for higher secondary classes in kerala ralphy joseph c j1 & nikita gopal2 1research scholar, kerala university of fisheries & ocean studies, panangad, kochi, kerala e-mail: cjralphyjoseph@gmail.com 2principal scientist, icar-central institute of fisheries technology, kochi, kerala abstract the closure of schools with the global pandemic covid-19 affected the education system across the world. digital education through the internet emerged as a possible solution to classroom education, including in countries like india. a cross-sectional study was carried out among higher secondary school teachers in kerala, india. the main objectives of the study were to assess the challenges faced in online education by educators of higher secondary classes in the state. a total of 220 teachers were included in the study by simple random sampling. a self-administered questionnaire was used to measure impediments and challenges faced by the teachers. among the study population, half of them experienced a high level of impediments and challenges. in general, teachers mostly faced challenges like lack of it support, continuous technological changes, and unequal internet access due to locality and geographical factors. language teachers experienced higher levels of impediments and challenges compared to other teachers. keywords: online education, digital divide, covid-19, connectivity, e-assessment tools. introduction the covid-19 pandemic has been one of the biggest crises faced by people across the world. various measures by the authorities to prevent the spread of the pandemic such as social and physical distancing, lockdown of business and commercial establishments and closure of schools and religious institutions deeply interrupted every regular aspect of people’s life. the education system has faced a huge challenge for the reason that most governments around the world have temporarily closed educational institutions to arrest the spread of the covid-19 pandemic (schleicher, 2020). digital education emerged as a possible solution to faceto-face regular classroom education. education plays an imperative role in the modern, technological world as it is the most dynamic element in its evolution. it brings economic and social prosperity and strengthens the foundation of society. education stimulates the members of society with extensive knowledge and skills, and a better understanding and perspective of cultural norms and values. recognising the importance of education for the overall progress of humanity, the united nations sustainable development goal 4 (sdg-4) aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” by 2030 (boeren, 2019). in india, the system of education during ancient times was way different from what it is today. in the beginning, gurukul was the place where a student had to go to learn and gain knowledge, and education was provided by a indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 55 guru (teacher). the students used to stay at the guru’s house and the kind of education they received was closely linked to nature and life. as time passed, the system of education has also undergone a transformation. the introduction of information and communications technology (ict) in education led to better teaching methods and improved student learning. according to unesco (2002) “ict is a scientific, technological and engineering discipline and management technique used in handling information, its application and association with social, economic and cultural matters”. ict is similar to information technology (it), but emphasises mostly communication technologies which include the internet, wireless networks, cell phones and other communication mediums (ratheeswari, 2018). educational quality can rise with the appropriate use of ict and it also helps to connect learning to real-life situations (lowther et.al, 2008; weert & tatnall, 2005). simultaneous interaction with both learner and teacher takes place in the teleconferencing classrooms with ease and convenience (sánchez & alemán, 2011). the availability of the internet and the flexibility of online courses have made online education an essential part of higher education (li & irby, 2008; luyt, 2013; lyons, 2004). online education is electronically supported learning that relies on the internet for teacher–student engagement and the delivery of class materials. research outcomes point out that the efficiency of educational processes can improve through the proper implementation of e-learning in education (singh, 2016). the absence of physical boundaries, more learning engagement experience than traditional learning and its cost-effectiveness make digital learning a more supportive tool for students to learn in the confines of their comfort zone. on the other hand, digital learning has its own limitations and challenges, as face-to-face interaction is usually perceived as the best form of communication compared to the rather impersonalised nature of remote learning (seema & nangia, 2020). it is very difficult to transform the teaching process to online learning since there are many impediments that teachers face in finding suitable approaches to teach learners through online teaching (xhaferi & ramadani, 2020). online teaching can be even thought of as problematic for the reason that the responsibility for making an online course an interactive and exciting experience, both for the students and the instructor, lies on the instructor (lyons, 2004). in a study from jordan, a little more than half of the teachers reported increased difficulties with remote teaching due to intermittent internet connectivity and online fatigue (tuma et al., 2021). oyedotun (2020) suggested that the rapid change to online pedagogy due to the pandemic in developing countries has brought to the fore the inequities in the education sector of developing nations, including lack of devices and internet access in rural areas, limited training among teachers to impart teaching on the online platform. now that technology has become a building block of the lives of individuals, it becomes imperative for teachers to be comfortable with its handling in the education system as well. the present education system also consists of oldergeneration teachers. hence, sufficient orientation needs to be done to make them accustomed to the needs of the technological world and meet the ict demands (singh, 2016). the instructor may be faced with strange situations while starting to teach online such as finding students in the class who are not signed in his/her class, and students may act inappropriately during casting the lecture (hassan, 2021). educators also face a lot of trouble while working indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 56 on the updated online devices in the form of how to start using them, when to use them, how to reduce distractions for students, and how to hone students’ skills in the online platform (dhawan, 2020). online learning created new responsibilities and demands thereby increasing the time teachers need to spend preparing classes, ensuring better internet connectivity, and following up with their pupils in various formats. hence, it requires trained and empowered teachers who are able to make decisions based on the type of resources that can be used and where it is possible, and also have the right information to make decisions about their use (cepal, 2020). all these called for the need to ensure digital equity as one of the main factors that should be considered in online learning. the unavailability of proper digital tools, devices and internet or wi-fi connections can cause a lot of trouble in online learning. a country like india has marked digital inequalities in terms of access to technology, and the sudden shift to online education led to a major disruption in education for many students and teachers. hence, online learning can become more effective only by reducing the digital divide (dhawan, 2020). although online education was present in the education system, it became more essential with the onset of the pandemic to facilitate teaching and learning. the present study is based on a cross-sectional study measuring the impediments and challenges faced by higher secondary school teachers in conducting online classes in kerala, india. the main objectives of the study were to assess the impact of digital devices and internet connectivity in imparting education through the online platform, to assess the need for teacher training in utilising the available digital technology, to evaluate the impact of the teacher’s personal and domestic environment on his/her professional conduct in a work from home situation, and to gauge the level of professional satisfaction among educators in the era of online education. the study has found that among the study population, half of them experienced high levels of impediments and challenges in online education. all of the teachers faced at least some challenges in delivering education digitally, lack of it support, continuous technological changes, and unequal internet access. language teachers experienced higher levels of impediments and challenges compared to other teachers. methodology the cross-sectional study was carried out among higher secondary school teachers in kerala, india. after obtaining informed consent, teachers were selected by simple random sampling out of a population of 20,000, maintaining high confidentiality at all stages of the study. the sample size consisted of a total of 220 teachers aged 40–56 years. a self-administered questionnaire was used as the study tool to measure impediments and challenges faced by higher secondary school teachers. the questionnaire had three parts consisting of the sociodemographic profile, measurement of impediments and challenges faced by the teachers. socio-demographic details such as gender, subject, school type and residing area were collected. a total of 16 questions each with five options such as strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree or strongly disagree were asked for estimating the level of impediments and challenges. each of these options was given a score of 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1, respectively. out of these 16 questions, one question was negatively stated; therefore, the scores were reversed on this question. scores were greater indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 57 than the mean score (50) for severely affected groups. the data collected were tabulated using ms excel and analysed using spss 20.0. descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage and mean were used to summarise the data. percentages were generated for the qualitative variable and compared by chi-square test. variables such as mean and standard deviation (sd) were computed after checking for normal distribution and compared by using a t-test for quantitative analysis. p-value of < 0.05 was taken as statistically significant. limitations the universe of the study conducted was restricted to the higher secondary school teachers following the state syllabus in kerala. hence, the teachers who are working in the private sector schools and following the central board of secondary education (cbse) and indian certificate of secondary education (icse) were not covered in the study. however, it needs to be mentioned that they are a minority when compared to the teachers following the state syllabus. results the higher secondary education sector in kerala includes classes 11 and 12, involving students in the age group of 15 to 18 years. schools in the government, government-aided and private sectors provide higher secondary education in the state. kindred subjects are categorised into groups of four along with english as the first and second language of the student’s choice. the students could opt for any group according to their aptitude and skill sets and pursue their education. a. distribution of study population according to socio-demographic variables the majority of the respondents were female (77.27 per cent) as given in table 1. while 33.6 per cent of respondents were science subject teachers, 22.7 per cent were language teachers. most of the respondents (56.4 per cent) were teaching in aided schools. about 55 per cent of respondents were residing in rural areas. table-1: distribution of respondents according to socio-demographic variables (n = 220) variable category number percentage gender female 170 77.3 male 50 22.7 designation higher secondary school teacher (hsst) 163 74.1 high school teacher (hsa) 4 1.8 post graduate teacher (pgt) 7 7 principal 6 2.7 teacher 34 15.5 trained graduate teacher (tgt) 6 2.7 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 58 subject language 50 22.7 science 74 33.6 commerce 27 12.3 computer science 55 25 social science 14 6.4 school type aided 124 56.4 government 48 21.8 unaided 48 21.8 residing area rural 121 55 urban 99 45 b. distribution of the study population figure-1 shows the factors related to impediments and challenges for educators. figure-2 shows that scores of impediments and challenges are between 30 and 80. the mean score was 56.74 (7.39); the histogram shows it is normally distributed. table-2 shows that impediments and challenges are categorised into two by using a mean score. while 51.8 per cent of respondents experienced high levels of impediments and challenges, nearly 60 per cent of the participants reported a lack of professional satisfaction in imparting education through the online medium. figure-1: factors related to impediments and challenges for educators indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 59 figure-2: histogram showing impediments and challenges table-2: assessment of impediments and challenges variables frequency percentage 95% ci impediments and challenges (< 56) 106 48.2 54.41–73.66 impediments and challenges (> 56) 114 51.8 59.17–78.64 c. factors associated with impediments and challenges table-3 shows the different factors associated with impediments and challenges. they are gender, subject, school type and residing area. subject and school type are statistically significant with a p-value less than 0.05 for these factors. language teachers experienced higher levels of impediments and challenges compared to other teachers. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 60 table-3: socio-demographic factors associated with impediments and challenges variable category score chi-square pvalue low high gender female 82 (48.2) 88 (51.8) 0.001 0.977 male 24 (48) 26 (52) subject language 16 (32) 34 (68) 14.16 0.007 science 35 (47.3) 39 (52.7) commerce 13 (48.1) 14 (51.9) computer science 37 (67.3) 18 (32.7) social science 5 (35.7) 9 (64.3) school type aided 77 (62.1) 47 (37.9) 34.01 <0.001government 23 (47.9) 25 (52.1) unaided 6 (12.5) 42 (87.5) residing area rural 58 (47.9) 63 (52.1) 0.007 0.935 urban 48 (48.5) 51 (51.5) d. distribution of study population according to variables table-4 shows that only 39 per cent of teachers have the availability of online teaching tools. while 60 per cent of teachers don’t have availability of online assessment tools, 67.3 per cent did not receive correct guidelines for online teaching. the majority of the teachers are using apps in online teaching. the data also show that only 4.5 per cent of students dropped out of school due to the non-availability of ict equipment. table4: distribution of respondents according to the availability of e-teaching/learning tools variable category number percentage availability of online teaching tools yes 87 39.5 no 133 60.5 availability of online assessment tools yes 88 40 no 132 60 availability of the right guidelines for online teaching yes 72 32.7 no 148 67.3 use any apps in online teaching yes 173 78.6 no 47 21.4 any dropouts from your school due to lack of availability of ict equipment yes 10 4.5 no 210 95.5 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 61 the study was conducted through 220 school teachers and the required information was sought from them. statistical analysis of that data yielded some results. calls were made and interactions were done with the respondents to find out the reasons behind the results. the results are as follows: language teachers vs computer teachers: language teachers were not at ease with using digital platforms and it reflected in the transaction of information. computer teachers transact through computers even in offline classes. hence, the shift in medium does not have much of an impact. language is learnt and taught best through faceto-face communication. gestures and body language also play a significant role. these elements are lost in online classes. government vs aided vs unaided: unaided school teachers with their meagre remuneration find it difficult to make arrangements for gadgets and internet data packages. the pressure from the school management for better results further added to their difficulty. aided teachers also often face such pressure tactics from school management. however, their access to gadgets and technology is equal to government school teachers due to parity in remuneration. discussion the covid-19 pandemic had an immense impact on the education sector all over the world. schools, colleges and universities discontinued face-to-face teachings and adopted online mode. both teachers and students faced many issues during online education. accessibility, affordability and flexibility are the broadly identified challenges with e-learning. there are several studies that have concluded nonavailability of technical infrastructure and irregularly interrupted internet connectivity as the biggest challenges for both students and teachers. many countries have substantial issues with reliable internet connection and access to digital devices (murgatrotd, 2020). for instance, in the case of india, according to the key indicators of the household social consumption on education in india report, based on the national sample survey (nss) 75th round 2017– 18, fewer than 15 per cent of rural indian households have internet access. teaching numerical subjects like math, financial accounting, cost accounting, etc. or numerical problems are difficult, and sometimes tedious, in online teaching as compared to classroom teaching. in online teaching methodology, it becomes difficult for teachers to motivate students and they face the problem of keeping records of students’ progress, especially in higher education institutions where the number of students is large (gurung, 2021). studies by gurung also revealed that many challenges were faced by teachers during online teaching such as difficulties in teaching numerical subjects, monitoring discipline, reaching students in remote areas, the problem of electricity/internet connectivity, lack of technical/software knowledge, and more time requirement in preparing course content. further, they also faced other problems like lack of time, lack of confidence, difficulty to assemble all the students for the class, lack of concentration, lack of cooperation from the parents and difficulty to follow up on the learning of students (seema & nangia, 2020). the same trends were observed in this study also. teachers faced educational institutionbased support barriers such as the budget for purchasing advanced technologies, technical difficulties as well as lack of training, limited awareness of online teaching platforms, indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 62 security concerns and lack of clarity and direction (rawal, 2020). other than the technological issues various other hurdles too were faced during online classes. they included issues of figuring out online class etiquette, parents hovering during online classes, difficulty in maintaining discipline online, etc. the educators experienced a lack of appropriate materials and resources for online teaching as well as service training. proper training and support have not been provided to instructors who are transitioning course content from face-to-face to online mode (kyeiblankson & keengwe, 2011). teachers mostly face challenges like lack of it support, continuous technological changes, unequal access for all students, unoptimised software for mobile devices and security issues. some other challenges include no clarity in voice due to low internet signal, lack of electricity, sudden electricity shut down and lack of technical and software knowledge. the availability of electricity is a significant challenge to taking advantage of education online. in a survey conducted in 2017–18 by the ministry of rural development, government of india, found that only 47 per cent of indian households receive more than 12 hours of electricity and more than 36 per cent of schools in the country operate without electricity (rawal, 2020). from a gender perspective, women tend to dominate the teaching profession, especially at the school level in several countries in both public and private sectors (seema & nangia, 2020; aytaç, 2021; uis, 2018). the same trend seems to be reflected in this study as well. the current study highlighted that impediments and challenges faced by educators in online education for higher secondary classes in kerala were high. it showed that half of the respondents experienced high challenges followed by the medium and low categories of challenges during online teaching. the challenges faced by the educators in online teaching in the present study has already been reflected in studies of rawal, 2020; seema & nangia, 2020; gurung, 2021; murgatrotd, 2020; kyeiblankson & keengwe, 2011 and aytaç, 2021. conclusion impediments and challenges in online education are very high. among the study population, half of them experienced a high level of impediments and challenges. it has been observed that all of the teachers faced at least some challenges in delivering education digitally. teachers mostly faced challenges like lack of it support, continuous technological changes, and unequal internet access. language and social science teachers are more likely to face a high level of impediments and challenges. problems were mostly faced by unaided school teachers when compared to another type of school teachers. online teaching and assessment tools were a big problem in the area of online education. there were no right guidelines available for imparting online education. the majority of the study 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(2020). teachers’ experiences with online teaching using the zoom platform with efl teachers in high schools in kumanova. seeu review, 15(1), 142–155. https:// doi.org/10.2478/seeur-2020-0009 indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 1 research article technology – pedagogy integration by pre-service teachers during internship programme: an analysis with special focus on science teaching rashmi sharma associate professor, regional institute of education, bhopal email: rashminerie666@gmail.com abstract the quality of school education has a positive relationship with teachers’ training programme in the country. in the era of technological advancements, many strategies and pedagogical practices have been replaced by the technology driven practices. a reflection of this shift has been realized in most of the teachers training programmes; both; pre-service and in-service. however, the extent of integration of content with technology and pedagogy still needs to be studied in details. also, there is a need to explore the ways of blending content, technology and pedagogy by the teachers in order to provide timely corrective measures. the paper analyses the current status of technological pedagogical content knowledge integration in four years integrated teachers training programme namely b.sc. b.ed. of regional institute of education (rie), bhopal. it also recommends more synergy towards inclusion of technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpack) in pre-service teachers training programmes besides suggesting ways for the same the analysis is based on lesson plan diaries of pre-service teachers maintained during internship period. results of the study reflect that the pre-service teachers incorporate technology – pedagogy integration in the 30percent lessons during the internship programme. none of the pre-service teachers uses this integration for assessment purpose. analysis reflects that the prospective teachers need to be made more equipped with the skills of technological pedagogical content knowledge integration. also, tpack should be a compulsory component in the curriclum of teachers training programme. at the end, paper discusses difficulties faced by pre-service teachers for integrating technology with pedagogy during their intership programme. findings of the paper may be used for improvement of pre-sevice teachers training programme with respect to technology pedagogy integration. keywords: pre-service teachers, technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpack), internship in teaching, science teaching introduction progress and prosperity of any nation has positive relationship with the quality of education and teachers’ training programme of the country. welldesigned teachers training programme leads to the assurance of quality teachers for school education. the very famous quote of kothari commission has got its relevance always in the school indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 2 education system of the country; ‘the future of the country is being shaped in its classroom’. as command of the classroom lies with the teachers, it is mandatory that teachers are equipped with all essential skills for designing meaningful learning experiences for 21stcentury learners. effective use of information communication technology is one of them. many research studies advocates that the adequate use of ict in teaching learning processes positively affects students’ learning (bullet, 2011 & costley, 2014) on the other hand it also mentions a number of barriers associated with the teachers in the way of using ict for classroom teaching (becta, 2004). literature review also reveals that use of technology in education is strongly affected by teachers’ personal factors (jimoyiannis & komis, 2008) and personal entrepreneurship is a key factor in a teachers’ ability to use technology in teaching and learning (draper, 2010).in the present context, teachers are required to equip with the essential skills to make best use of technology by integrating it with suitable pedagogy for specific content area (tpk). in the present context teachers are supposed to possess essential skills for integration of content with adequate pedagogy (pck) and content with suitable technology (tck). still, there is a challenge ahead which demands adequate blend of technology with pedagogy and content knowledge. this integration of technology, pedagogy and content knowledge is referred as tpack (technological, pedagogical content knowledge) (mishra & koehler, 2006). the tpack is not a simple combination of technology, pedagogy and content. rather it demands interactions and connections of technology with pedagogical content knowledge (koehler & mishra 2009). the idea of tpack has got emergence in the year 2006 by punya mishra and matthew j. koehler in their work titled “technological pedagogical content knowledge: a framework for teachers knowledge” (mishra & koehler, 2006). according to the tpack framework, specific technological tools (hardware, software, applications, associated information literacy practices, etc.) are best used to instruct and guide students toward a better, more robust understanding of the subject matter. the three types of knowledge – tk, pk, and ck – are thus combined and recombined in various ways within the tpack framework (kurt, 2018). figure 1: technological pedagogical content knowledge model need and significance of the research work it is observed that teachers have initiated the integration of technology with content and pedagogy at various levels of schooling through their own ways. however, the extent of technology, pedagogy, content integration is not clear. in the same manner, pre-service teachers also have been found to take indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 3 care of this integration during internship programme. there is an urgent need to realize the extent of content, technology, pedagogy integration being practiced by the teachers so that the required input can be provided for further improvement in this area. further, there is a need to identify the difficulties felt by the teachers and address them timely. research studies conducted in this area also suggest the need of exploring the current trends of tpack in the field of science education (setiawan, 2019). objectives • to find out the status of technology – pedagogy – content knowledge integration in science subject (at upper primary and secondary level of school) by pre-service teachers during internship programme. • to find out difficulties faced by preservice teachers for technology – pedagogy content knowledge integration in science subject during internship programme. • to provide suggestive measures for technology – pedagogy content knowledge integration in science subject for pre-service teachers. methodology the study analyses the present status of technology pedagogy integration in pre-service teachers training programme. this analysis is based on randomly selected 25 lesson plan diaries of pre-service teachers (maintained for internship in teaching programme during july – september, 2019) in the subjects namely; teaching of physical science and teaching of biological science at upper primary and secondary level of schooling. the lesson plan diaries were analysed with the intention to identify the lessons where teacher trainees have tried to integrate technology with the pedagogy with the help of a self-prepared tool. further, extent of technology pedagogy integration was analysed with special focus on mode of integration and type of technology used. pre-service teachers were interviewed to know about the difficulties they face in order to practice the idea of technological pedagogical content knowledge. samples after the completion of internship programme, pre-service teachers are required to submit their learning situation notes (lesson plan diary) in the institute. a number of 25 lesson plan diaries were randomly selected for this study. randomly selected 25 lesson plan diaries of pre-service teachers (students of b.sc. b.ed. course of regional institute of education, bhopal, madhya pradesh). 20 pre-service teachers for focus group discussion (regarding difficulties faced by them for integration of technology, pedagogy and content knowledge) were randomly selected. result and discussion internship is an important activity of preservice teachers training programme of regional institute of education, bhopal. all essential theoretical inputs for real classroom teaching are provided from first semester onwards to the preservice teachers. as a requirement of syllabus, pre-service teachers (b.sc. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 4 b.ed. students) in their seventh semester (4th year) are required to create a total of 40 learning situations in the identified schools. prior to this, students are exposed to rigorous preparation for teaching in real classroom situation through core training programmes i and ii. during fifth semester (third year), they are exposed to various activities of the schools under ‘school exposure programme’. in the sixth semester they are provided opportunities for development of essential skills for integration of pedagogy with content knowledge. in semester vii (fourth year) students are again exposed to pre internship training programme before they actually go to the schools for internship. as a requirement of syllabus, students maintain 02 lesson plan diaries; one each in their 2 selected pedagogical subjects (ref.; syllabus for four year integrated b.sc. b. ed. course, rie, bhopal). an analysis of such 25 randomly selected lesson plan diaries (in teaching subjects namely; teaching of physical science and teaching of biological science) having 20 learning situation notes in each diary was done. table-1 shows the practices adopted for technology, pedagogy and content integration by pre-service teachers in the schools during internship. table-1: practices adopted for technology, pedagogy and content integration in the learning situations s. no. content class practices adopted for technologypedagogy integration 1 crystallization (separation method) ionic compound vii video on purification of salt video showing transfer of valence electrons from metal to non-metal 2 thunderstorm & cyclone vii video of thunderstorm & cyclone destruction caused by cyclone vii images on after effect of destruction by cyclone 3 climate, adaptation vii photographs of different regions (polar, desert) & of penguins 4 nervous tissue ix animation of working of nerve system 5 cell viii comparative image of animal & plant cell 6 tissue vii images of types of tissue 7 structure of atom ix animation showing structure of atoms and spins of electrons 8 friction : a necessary increasing & reducing friction viii video on how friction works 9 soil profile vii images of layers of soil 10 percolation rate of soil vii video on percolation, how soil absorbs or holds water indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 5 11 blood vessels, heart vii video on how blood flows in heart and vessels 12 digestion in human: mouth & buccal cavity vii images of interior of mouth and buccal cavity 13 cell : introduction viii image of first cell discovered, microscopic image of cork cell 14 some plant fibres: cotton, jute, spinning, cotton yarn vi video on how different fibres are obtained 15 plastics: characteristics of plastics viii video on how we can use plastics efficiently & why should we avoid using plastics 16 evaporation and condensation process vi videos on process of condensation and evaporation 17 saturated solution vi videos of solution preparation 18 water cycle vi videos on water cycle 19 molecule and ion ix video on how molecule and ions are formed 20 daltons & atomic theory ix powerpoint presentation 21 sources of water vi images of different sources of water 22 methods of separation vi videos on different methods of separation 23 magnesium vii video of burning of magnesium 24 method of separation vii video of winnowing 25 thunder storms & cyclone viii pictures of the natural calamities 26 wind, storm & cyclone viii video of cyclone 27 story of coal viii images of natural resources 28 types of coal viii images of different types of coal 29 polar regions vii images of animal living in polar regions 30 tropical rainforest vii images of animals 31 conservation of plants & animals viii images of area of forest before and after 32 conservation of plants & animals viii ppt & video of national parks & animals living there 33 climate, whether & adaption vii videoanimals adopted to particular area 34 climate, whether & adaption vii video – animal living in tropical region 35 body movement vi video regarding movement of earth worm, fish & snail indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 6 the outcomes of the analysis of lesson plan diaries and discussions with students are presented in the subsequent paragraphs. review of lesson plan diaries the pedagogy and content are the indistinguishable part of each other (shulman, 1986). for each piece of content, pedagogy is must for teaching. pck (pedagogical content knowledge) of pre-service teachers is found satisfactory. after analysis it is found that all the pre-service teachers (100percent) have tried to incorporate technology with content (tck) during their internship programme. however, this integration is observed only in 30percent learning situations which mean that out of total 20 learning situations, integration is practiced only for 6 learning situations. also, the finding reflects that extent of technology content integration is not very appropriate. for example, while teaching about separation methods, a video on crystallization of salt was shown. it is found that video was shown in the isolation after the explanation of the concept. in this case it is expected that after the completion of video, teacher will hold a discussion about crystallization and relate it with various known examples from students surrounding. also, video may be paused in between and students may be given opportunity to share their understanding about the concept. further, pausedtime may be used by teacher to provide additional inputs to the students. in the same manner, teacher has explained the concept of ionic compounds and after that she shown the video about transfer of valence electrons from metal to non-metal. in this case also an adequate blend of technology with pedagogy is lacking. another example of inappropriate timing of use of technology in the class includes a video on burning of magnesium. video was shown in the beginning of the lesson. in the later part of lesson, during discussion about the properties of metal, teacher fails to establish a connection between the video shown and the concept (properties of metals). in this case too, teacher was not able to establish a strong connection of used technological means with pedagogically 36 dell structure & function viii ppt for comparison b/w plant & animal cell 37 living organism & their surrounding vi video (animals and their surroundings) 38 reproduction in animals viii ppt male reproductive system 39 reproduction in animals viii ppt female reproductive system 40 transportation in humans x circulation of blood (video) 41 plastids & vacuoles ix video showing plastids & vacuoles 42 plant tissue ix video showing types of tissues 43 animal nervous system x video of conduction of nerve indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 7 appropriate timing and with content. further, pre-service teachers are not able to select an appropriate technological tool for a specific content and blend it with appropriate pedagogy. this is another important area which needs to be addressed by pre-service teachers. power point presentation (without any animation) is used for class ix students for teaching of dalton’s atomic theory which is not very appropriate to the content and to the cognitive level of learners. instead, some other more effective tools have been used at this stage where students are just introduced about atom and other related sub-concepts. although students have used some power point presentations, videos, etc. during the teaching of a particular concept but they fail to establish a connection of that concept with slide presentation or video at appropriate time. it is found that various technological means were used in isolation during teaching and were not integrated with the concepts properly. in most of the cases, it was observed that various technological means were used only for the sake of using technology during teaching. majority of students use images, gif images, power point presentations, animated videos and videos of real life situations (selfrecorded), etc. for integrating content with pedagogy. none of the students has used technology for assessment purpose. with respect to tpack (technology, pedagogy and content knowledge), it was found that preservice teachers fail to integrate and interrelate technology and pedagogy with content knowledge meaningfully. findings of the focus group discussion a discussion with the prospective teachers brings their difficulties on the surface. it has emerged from discussion that they are not able to understand the complex interrelationship between the technology used by a teacher, instructional methods and understanding of subject matter. majority of pre-service teachers are well versed with the existing technological advancements but they find it difficult to establish a meaningful interrelationship between technology, pedagogy and content to be taught. though preservice teachers use technology in several ways such as video, presentation and images, etc. however, they fail to relate these effectively with the content. another important point which has emerged from discussion is about identification of appropriate timing to use technological tools during teaching learning processes. sometimes they use the technology during teaching just for sake of using. most of the pre-service teachers have technical knowledge and understanding of pedagogical aspects of science teaching but they lack the knowledge to integrate technology, pedagogy and content knowledge (tpack). majority of pre-service teachers consider lack of proper guidance for integration of technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge as a major difficulty. another barriers point to lack of training for creating their own technological teaching-learning resources, lack of infrastructure in majority of schools during their internship period, shortage of timing during pre-internship phases and difficulty in selection of suitable indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 8 pedagogical strategy for a specific content. in a nut shell, it is reflected from the analysis that 100percent pre-service teachers try to integrate technology with pedagogy in their class during internship programme in the schools. teachers having internships in kendriyavidyalayas and navodayavidyalays reflect better evidences for integration of technology with pedagogy and content knowledge. this may be because of better infrastructural facilities and guidance of teaching staff of these schools as mentors and cooperative teachers... further, pre-service teachers tried the idea of integration in very less number of learning situations (6/20 which is 30percent). this seems more disappointing when viewed in relation with science subject which provides many opportunities for utilizing the idea of tpack. extent of technology – pedagogy integration is also not very appropriate. though pre-service teacher use technology in their teaching but are not able to integrate it with pedagogy and content knowledge. majority of pre-service teachers treat technology separately from pedagogy and content. all of them use images, gif images, power point presentations, animated videos, videos of real life situations etc. for integrating knowledge with pedagogy. but they fail to integrate their content knowledge with technology. science teaching provides very vast scope for integrating technology for assessment purposes. in the present analysis such integration is nil. conclusions the analysis reflects the demand for more concrete efforts on the part of science teacher educators in the direction of tpack. there is a strong need to incorporate the concept of tpack in the teachers training programme in order to equip prospective teacher to meet with the future challenges in class rooms. analysis reveals that pre-service teachers are able to integrate technology with content up to some extent (30percent only). however, they fail to integrate technology and pedagogy with content for effective classroom experiences for their students. technological tools used by pre-service teachers are also common. majority of them used images, gif images, power point presentations, animated videos and videos of real life situations (self-recorded), etc. in their classes. the prospective teachers need to be more sensitized and equipped with required skills to practice technology, pedagogy and content knowledge integration in the classroom settings. way forward in this technological driven society, not only teachers are required to be aware of latest technological advancements but to be able to integrate pck (pedagogical content knowledge) with the upcoming technology. for this purpose, tpack should be incorporated in the syllabus of teachers training programme (apau, 2017). pre-service teachers need to be provided adequate learning opportunities to internalize concept of tpack (technological pedagogical content knowledge) not only theoretically but to practice it properly before they placed for internship in indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 9 various schools. also, there should be proper opportunities to develop required set of skills to design learning experiences using technological, pedagogical content knowledge in the routine classrooms in schools. science teacher educators should model tpack in such a way so that pre-service teachers have better opportunities for learning through observation throughout the entire course. the greatest value to the science teaching in the class rooms can be added only when the teacher has a high technological pedagogical content knowledge. expectations and training needs of pre-service teachers are also to be taken into consideration for designing syllabi comprising tpack components and for identification of training strategies teacher training programmes are considered as the backbone of education system in india. future of country depends on the quality of education in the schools. quality of education is directly proportional to quality of school teachers. in order to meet the future challenges of the classrooms and the demands of the new age learners, teachers should be able to design adequate learning experiences by generating technological, pedagogical content knowledge integration for their learners. training on tpack should be incorporated in the curriculum of teachers training programme. an analysis of difficulties faced by teacher educators related to tpack may also be done. this analysis can help the science teacher educators for better understanding of their learners’ difficulties. identification of grey areas in this regard will provide focused directions for better use of tpack for science education. references apau s. k. (2017). technological pedagogical content knowledge preparedness of student teachers of the department of arts and social sciences education of university of cape coast. journal of educational practice, 8(10) pp167 181. british educational communications and technology agency (becta) (2004). a review of the research literature on barriers to the uptake of ict by teachers. august 13, 2008 retrieved from http://www.becta.org.uk buleet, o. & delen, e. (2011), the relationship between students’ exposure to technology and their achievement in science and math, the turkish online journal of educational technology, 10(3), 311-317 costley, c. (2014) “the positive effects of technology on teaching and student learning” published on october 30, 2014, retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ ed554557.pdf, on june 16, 2020 jimoyiannis, a. & komis, v. (2007). examining teachers’ beliefs about ict in education: implications of a teacher preparation programme. teacher development, 11(2), 149 173. published online 01 / 05 / 2008 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi abs/10.1080/1366453070 1414779 kim draper (2010), understanding science teachers’ use and integration of ict in a indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 10 developing country context, submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement of the degree of doctorate in education, university of pretaria, https://www. semanticscholar.org/paper/understanding-science-teachers%e2%80%99-use-and integration-draper/b8b850d39695aac9c032c271b9b984b047205853 koehler m. (2011), the tpack image, retrieved from http://tpack.org koehler m. j. & mishra p. (2009) what is technological pedagogical content knowledge? contemporary issues in technology and teacher education, 9(1), 60-70. kurt, s. (2018) “technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpack) framework,” in educational technology, may 12, 2018. retrieved from https://educationaltechnology. net/technological-pedagogical-content-knowledge-tpack-framework/ mishra, p. & koehler, m. j. (2006). technological pedagogical content knowledge: a framework for integrating technology in teachers’ knowledge. teachers college record, 108(6), 1017–1054 setiawan, h & at al (2019) “current trends in tpack research in science education: a systematic review of literature from 2011 to 2017”, journal of physics: conference series, volume 1317, the 3rd international conference on mathematics, sciences, education and technology 4-5 october 2018, padang, indonesia shulman, l. s. (1986). those who understand: knowledge growth in teaching. educational researcher, 15(2), pp 4-14. zhang, z. and martinovic, d., (2009). ict in teacher education: examining needs, expectations and attitudes. canadian journal of learning and technology, 34 (2). indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 31 research article assessment of e-learning readiness of academic staff & students of higher education institutions in gujarat, india y.vijaya lakshmi assistant professor, school of education, central university of gujarat, gandhinagar, gujarat jaishree das associate professor, department of education, faculty of education & psychology, the maharaja sayajirao university of baroda, vadodara ishfaq majid research scholar, school of education, central university of gujarat, gandhinagar, gujarat; corresponding author email: vijaya.lakshmi@cug.ac.in & jayayanduri@gmail.com abstract gujarat has many prestigious higher education institutions which are inclined towards using e-learning platform. the present cross-sectional study is an attempt to assess the elearning readiness of the stakeholders of these institutions. for this, data was collected (physical/e-form) through a self-developed questionnaire from a sample of 12 lab administrators, 83 teaching staff and 153 students belonging to 35 colleges of gujarat which are using the e-learning practices. frequency, percentage and intensity index were used to analyze the data. majority of the stakeholders have a positive perception towards concept of e-learning and believe that it has many benefits. however, they feel that e-learning helps to a lesser extent in maintaining transparency, face to face contact and interactivity. these factors may hinder their readiness towards e-learning. also unreliable technology and lack of faculty members’ confidence and expertise to use this platform in teaching environment are seen as biggest barriers in e-learning. hence, there is an immediate need to plan for training programmes which will help in improving the confidence of faculty members in using this platform and would increase their e-learning readiness. keywords: e-learning readiness, e-learning, higher education introduction indian higher education is one of the world’s largest educational system which faces many challenges despite making significant progress. educational technologies especially e-learning is proving to be a good solution and of highest priority in addressing some of the challenges in higher education. e-learning is opening new opportunities of transforming the educational indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 32 process. if well designed and managed, e-learning can overcome many barriers associated with traditional learning (hijazi et al., 2003). it is a concept which encompasses students, faculty members, and e-learning managers (persico et al., 2014). the challenges posed by e-learning are better understood and addressed when there is an understanding about its stakeholder’s readiness towards it (kaur & abas, 2004). however, the increasing trend of adoption of e-learning in higher education institutions is raising questions like: what is the opinion of the students, faculty members towards e-learning, its advantages, disadvantages and challenges? how far the faculty members are ready in terms of their skills to ensure that the powers of these growing technologies are harnessed? the evaluation of e-learning readiness can be done from (a) the point of view of its various stakeholders (students, teachers, e-learning experts/lab administrators etc. (agboola, 2006; persico et al., 2014) (b) the point of view of various factors like technological, organizational, environmental, nature of course offered etc. (kaur & abas, 2004). from the perspective of stakeholders, most of the times faculty members perceive e-learning to be positive and useful. however, they also had many issues which reduced their readiness towards e-learning (siphamandla et al., 2014; fathimath. t, 2016). on the other hand, majority of the students also perceived that e-learning is useful and effective (fageeh, 2011). however, studies also showed that student’s satisfaction was less in e-learning platform than in traditional system or they were still not ready for e-learning (fathimath. t, 2016; kaur & abas, 2004; keller & cernerud, 2002). studies also suggested that institutions, policy makers and regulatory bodies have to play a more concrete role in enhancing the e-learning facilities and programmes (kaur & abas, 2004). in india, a fair amount of literature on e-learning studies dealt with aspects like e-learning quality (agariya & singh, 2012), perceptions, readiness, attitude towards e-learning (azimi, 2013). however, majority of these studies are focused to study the readiness or perceptions from a single point of view like that of teachers or students or administrators. moreover, these studies confine to very micro level with single university or an institution (azimi, 2013). gujarat state is witnessing a tremendous growth in higher education and many of them are moving towards harnessing the benefits of e-learning. hence, there is a strong need for doing this study. theoretical framework e-learning readiness is the level of mental & physical preparedness of an organization in terms of technological skills, online learning style, equipment/ infrastructure, attitude, human resources, financial etc. (mutiaradevi.r, 2009; parlakkiliç, alaattin, 2015).the critical success factors for e-learning identified by various researchers include: instructor; student; information technology; university support, financial, infrastructure, human resources, content, environment, psychological, indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 33 social etc. (hasan, 2007; khan, 2012; tubaishat and lansari, 2011). from the perspective of stakeholders, most of the times faculties perceive e-learning to be positive and useful. however, they also had many issues which reduced their readiness towards e-learning (siphamandla et.al, 2014; fathimath .t, 2016). on the other hand, majority of the students also perceived that e-learning is useful and effective (fageeh, 2010; wattakiecharoen & nilsook, 2013; ngampornchai & adams, 2016) however, studies also showed that students satisfaction was less in e-learning platform than in traditional system or they were still not ready for e-learning (keller & cernerud, 2002; kaur & abas, 2004; fathimath.t, 2016). studies also suggested that institutions, policy makers and regulatory bodies have to play a more concrete role in enhancing the e-learning facilities and programmes (kaur & abas, 2004; darab and montazer, 2011; nasrudin md rahim et.al, 2014; edumadze, j.k.e et.al, 2014). objectives the following are the objectives of the present study: • to study the infrastructure available in the institutions adopting e-learning practices • to study the opinion of stakeholders regarding e-learning, its benefits, disadvantages and challenges. • to study the familiarity of faculty members and lab administrators with respect to use of various e-learning tools. operational definition of terms in the present study stakeholders refer to faculty members, students and lab administrators of the higher education institutions and e-learning is defined as an electronic medium which is manifested in form of a. digitalized course outline\lecture notes outline b. official use of e-mail c. official use of online discussions/blogs etc. e. digitalized assessment f. digitalized projects announcements & submissions g. virtual classrooms (vcr) h. video conference i. web based trainings (wbt) j. fully online courses and used in teaching-learning, training, skill enhancement, evaluation etc. either through internet or intranet. research design and methodology sample all those higher education institutions which have their website listed on commissionerate of higher education, government of gujarat database (website) were contacted through email. a mail clarifying them the definition of e-learning was sent and was asked if their institutions were adopting e-learning practices or not. to respect the rights, values, and sentiments of the research participants, we informed them about the purpose of the study and confidentiality and assured them of maintaining the anonymity regarding their institutions names. 35 colleges responded that they were using e-learning practices. out of these, investigators personally visited and collected data from 22 colleges which indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 34 did not show acceptance to respond to e-tool. the stakeholders of remaining 13 colleges who showed positive response to fill the e-tool were sent the same. thus, in all 12 lab administrators, 83 teaching staff & 153 students from various programmes like, medicines, engineering, management, education etc. of 35 colleges participated in the study (figure 1). therefore, the sample for the present study is based on accessible population rather than on target population. figure 1: participants in the study instrument this cross-sectional study involved a random sample of faculty members, students and lab administrators from above mentioned 35 colleges. data was gathered with the use of self-made questionnaire consisting of a combination of items like yes/no and rating scale items which was developed by the investigators after going through extensive literature (agboola. a.k, 2006; aydin & tasci, 2005; hasan, 2007; khan, 2012; mutiaradevi. r, 2009; tubaishat and lansari, 2011). the tools included items related to aspects like infrastructure readiness; opinion regarding e-learning, its benefits, disadvantages, barriers etc.; familiarity with e-learning tools etc. separate questionnaire for students, teachers and lab administrators was developed to collect data in both e-form and hard copy. data analysis intensive care was taken to ensure that the participants respond to all the questions of the tool. the collected data was analyzed using percentages, frequencies, intensity index (here after, ii). ii indicates exact point of intensity indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 35 preferred by the sample for each item in a likert scale. by transforming the data into a single number, it is easy to make a decision about the response of the participants to the given statement (chaudhari, pinkal, 2016; khirwadkar.a and chaudhari.p, 2019; kothari.c.r, 2004; lakhera himangani, 2017; sunil kumar, 2016). in the present study, ii was calculated using the following formula for an item in a five point scale arranging from higher intensity to lower intensity. ii = ((f1*5)+ (f2*4)+ (f3*3)+ (f4*2)+(f5*1)) /(f1+f2+f3+f4+f5) where, f1, f2, f3, f4 and f5 are the frequencies from higher intensity to lower intensity (chaudhari, pinkal, 2016; khirwadkar.a and chaudhari.p, 2019; kothari.c.r, 2004; lakhera himangani, 2017; sunil kumar, 2016). the analyzed data was then synthesized & presented. results and discussion findings related to facilities/resources available for adopting e-learning practices connectivity & physical communication infrastructure is the foundation of electronic-readiness for a country (aydin & tasci, 2005; eze et al., 2013). from the findings it was observed that, many of the higher educational institutions have wi-fi connectivity in their campus and the institutions which did not have wi-fi connectivity in the campus had a minimum 2 & maximum of 4 computer labs. the ratio of computers to students in all the institutions is around 1:2 and around in 80 percent of the computer labs, all the systems have internet connection. as high as 73 percent of faculty members responded that they have individual personal computers for them in their staff rooms. among them, 90percent of participants responded that their personal computers are connected to internet. around 63.64 percent lab administrators expressed that their institutions have software specialists for the purpose of adopting e-learning practices, and around 54.55 percent of them expressed that they have the authoring tools which are required for the purpose of adopting e-learning practices. 100% of them expressed that their institutions have high bandwidth connectivity & much secured network connectivity. 90 percent of them expressed that they have free and unlimited internet access. with respect to connectivity with digital libraries, around 72.73 percent of them said that their network has connectivity with the digital libraries of their institutions and also other pay and use digital libraries. a higher percentage of i.e. around 72.73percent of them said that latest software were available with them. however, only 36.36percent of lab administrators expressed that they used lms (learning management system) for providing e-learning practices. mutiaradevi. r, 2009, siphamandla ncube, et al., 2014, parlakkiliç, alaattin, 2015 support the point that facilities/ resources available for adopting e-learning practices play an important role in determining the e-learning readiness. the above findings show that majority of institutions are well equipped in terms of network and indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 36 connectivity. however, majority of them are using basic e-learning technologies, a very few of them are using features like, lms/content management system (cms) in their e-learning platform. findings related to opinion regarding e-learning individual readiness & positive perception about e-learning significantly improve the effective use of e-learning (aydin & tasci, 2005; sadik, 2007). in our survey, the respondents were asked about their opinion regarding e-learning and it was found that, around 24.1 percent of the faculty members felt that e-learning is very valuable while 71.08 percent of them felt that it is a valuable practice. 83.13 percent of the faculty members felt that gender was not significant for responding to e-learning (aydin & tasci, 2005; parlakkiliç, alaattin, 2015) which is in contrast to findings of agboola, a.k, (2006), proctor & burnett (2006). moreover, 50.6percent of the faculty members expressed that academically well prepared students responded more positively to e-learning practices than academically less prepared students. around 58.3 percent of the lab administrators felt that e-learning is a very valuable practice. it is clear that stakeholders have positive opinion regarding e-learning which is a good sign for the institutions which are using the e-learning practices and also for the institutions which are planning to use e-learning practices in the near future as attitude toward e-learning directly affects individuals readiness (akaslan, d.,& law, e, 2011;aydin & tasci, 2005; sadik, 2007) findings related to benefits of e-learning positive culture is created in the institute if all the stakeholders realize the benefits of e-learning (sadik, 2007). stakeholder’s belief and appreciation towards the benefits of e-learning has a major impact on e-learning readiness. faculty members the ii regarding personal benefits of e-learning as perceived by faculty members ranged from 2.26 to 3.23 (table 1). most of them felt that spreading of information becomes easy and faster in the e-learning and it also becomes easy to update the student’s records and it helps students to learn at their own pace at any time and in any place. re-use of the content is also seen as one of the benefits of e-learning. in terms of professional benefits of e-learning, according to them, reaching more students in less time and ease of providing additional information regarding the course to the students are the highest advantages of e-learning. indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 37 table 1: percentage wise distribution of ranking for the personal and professional benefits of e-learning as marked by faculty members along with intensity index (ii) personal benefits particulars 1st 2nd 3rd 4th ii spreading of information related to the content becomes easy and faster. 47.14 34.2 12.86 5.71 3.23 students can learn at any place, pace, and any time 34.25 17.8 24.66 23.2 2.63 re-use of content 17.57 21.6 29.73 31.0 2.26 easy to update the students records 35.62 21.9 21.92 20.5 2.84 professional benefits assist in maintaining transparency 19.12 19.1 30.88 30.8 2.26 re-use of content 26.39 26.3 20.83 26.3 2.38 easy to provide additional information regarding the course 29.85 40.3 19.40 10.4 2.90 can reach more students in less time 52.70 25.6 10.81 10.8 3.20 these findings confirms the assertion made by various researchers that e-learning is not limited by time, space and location and many other benefits (siphamandla ncube, et al., 2014; smedley, 2010; unneberg, 2007). however, “assist in maintaining transparency” benefit of e-learning was rated least. during the process of data collection the investigators could observe that some faculty members were using e-learning platform effectively for academic and administrative purposes. lab administrators table 2 shows the ii for benefits of e-learning as ranked by lab administrators. just like faculty members, even they felt that spreading of information becomes easy & faster in the e-learning platform & it enables learning at any place, pace and at any time. the benefit which is ranked 3rd by them is that “e-learning helps in development of professional skills” and thus it enables them to be upto date with professional needs. ease of communication, flexibility of time, place and pace are the most important benefits of e-learning (smedley, 2010; wagner et.al, 2008). indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 38 table 2: percentage wise distribution of ranking for the benefits of e-learning as expressed by lab administrators along with intensity index (ii) particulars 1st 2nd 3rd 4th ii spreading information becomes easy and faster 66.67 16.66 16.67 0 2.50 helps in being upto date with professional needs 33.33 22.22 44.44 0 1.89 assists in development of professional skills 33.33 44.44 22.22 0 2.11 enables learning at any place, pace and any time 33.33 50.00 16.67 0 2.17 students they felt that the most important benefit of e-learning is that it enables learning at any time and at their own pace (table 3). moreover, just like faculty, even students feel that ability of e-learning in maintaining transparency is less. table 3: percentage wise distributions of ranking for the benefits of e-learning as ranked by students along with intensity index (ii) particulars 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th ii ease of access of information related to the course 27.21 17.6 21.3 28.7 5.15 3.33 students can learn at their own pace 22.56 20.3 35.3 15 6.77 3.37 enables learning at any time 25.55 38 24.1 10.2 2.19 3.74 enables learning at any place 22.6 15.1 12.3 26.7 23.3 2.87 assist in maintaining transparency 8.462 6.92 9.23 18.5 56.9 1.92 other studies showed that students did not regard access to e-learning as a benefit as compared to personal interaction (keller & cernerud, 2002) & preferred hybrid learning to complete online learning (eldeeb, 2014). in some places where face-to-face mode was not available or it was not according to their convenience, students opted for e-learning only (huss and eastep, 2013). all stakeholders felt that access to information related to the course content becomes easy and fast in the e-learning platform and further it is easy to reach more students in less time. also, they all felt that e-learning platform provides the scope for learning at own pace, at any time. indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 39 findings related to disadvantages of e-learning the ii for disadvantages of e-learning as expressed by the faculty members ranged from 2.55 to 3.77 (table 4). most of the faculty members perceived that e-learning is not a costly affair (abu-hassan-assari, 2005) which is in contradiction to the study by (akkoyuklu & soylu, 2006). table 4: percentage wise distribution of the ranking for the dis-advantages of e-learning as ranked by faculty along with intensity index (ii) particulars 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th ii it is a costly affair 21.9 15.07 12.3 16.4 34.25 2.55 handling and management of content is a technical affair 10.8 24.32 24.3 28.3 12.16 2.93 it reduces face to face contact and interactivity 40.0 22.67 18.6 12.0 6.67 3.77 as the content is available online for a long time, it reduces students interest 16.4 31.51 17.8 20.5 13.70 3.16 in e-mode, it is difficult to trace the students' actual learning. 26.0 20.29 27.5 14.4 11.59 3.35 the biggest disadvantage as perceived by them was that it reduces face to face contact and interactivity (young, 1997). faculty members also felt that in e-mode, it is difficult to trace the student’s actual learning (arkorful & abaidoo, 2014). they also felt that availability of content for long time online reduces student’s interest in it. some faculty members even felt that handling and management of content in the e-learning platform is a technical affair. lab administrators: most of them felt that availability of content for long time online reduces student’s interest in it. they expressed that e-learning reduces face to face contact and interactivity. the two aspects of e-learning, i.e., ‘it increases their workload’ and also ‘effective\real learning does not happen’ were rated the least. students students also felt that e-learning reduces face to face contact and interactivity and rated it as biggest disadvantage. they expressed that tracing the students’ actual learning in the e-mode is very difficult (table 5). indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 40 table 5: percentage wise distribution of the ranking for the dis-advantages of e-learning as ranked by students along with intensity index (ii) particulars 1st 2nd 3rd 4th ii e-learning reduces face to face contact and interactivity 31.75 31.75 14.29 22.22 2.73 as the study modules are available online for a long time, e-learning reduces students interest towards the modules 28.80 16.00 28.80 26.40 2.47 in e-mode, it is difficult to trace the students' actual learning. 21.77 27.42 33.06 17.74 2.53 often, effective\real learning does not happen 23.02 24.60 23.81 28.57 2.42 all the stakeholders felt that e-learning mode reduces face to face interactivity and it is very difficult to trace the actual performance of the students. they also said that availability of e-learning modules for a longer time reduces students’ interest towards it as they develop the tendency of postponing their tasks. further, a few faculty members felt that handling and management of content in e-learning mode is a technical affair & considered it as one of the disadvantage of e-learning. however, the positive sign came from lab administrators who felt that adopting e-learning practices does not increase the work pressure. findings related to challenges/barriers to e-learning faculty members the intensity indices obtained for statements which described the challenges/barriers to e-learning varied from 3.15 to 4.06 (table 6). according to faculty, “lack of knowledge on how to use the e-content on the part of students” is perceived to be the least causing barrier in promoting e-learning practices. further, faculty members also expressed that adopting e-learning practices would not increase their work load (lloyd et.al, 2012). table 6: percentagewise distribution of the ranking given by faculty members for the challenges/barriers to e-learning along with intensity index (ii) particulars 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th ii students lack knowledge about how to use the e-content 10.67 13.33 13.33 28.00 12.00 22.6 3.15 network access/ usage problems (unreliable technology) 27.78 15.28 22.22 9.72 19.44 5.56 4.06 indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 41 students lack self-motivation in using e-content 27.40 16.44 15.07 19.18 9.59 12.3 3.96 faculties lack interest and confidence to use this technology in teaching environment 30.14 19.18 12.33 8.22 19.18 10.9 4.00 increasing work load on the part of faculties 12.70 20.63 22.22 14.29 19.05 11.1 3.60 however, unreliable technology and lack of interest and confidence on the part of faculty members to use the e-learning practices were found to be biggest challenge in adopting e-learning practices (agboola, 2006; mutiaradevi, r, 2009; parlakkiliç, alaattin, 2015). lab administrators according to them, lack of sufficient infrastructure to promote e-learning, technical nature of handling and managing the content in e-learning platform, lack of pre-training were considered to be the biggest barriers in implementing the e-learning platform. unreliable technology was considered to be the least barrier in adopting e-learning which is in contrast to the opinion expressed by faculty members. the findings in this section show a positive point that faculty members believe that students have sufficient knowledge to use the e-learning practices. data also indicates a need for increasing the technical consistency of the e-learning platform. also, a point of concern is about lack of confidence and interest of the faculty members in using this platform. this should be addressed immediately. findings related to familiarity with e-learning tools when an institution decides to adopt e-learning, the stakeholders need to be familiar with tasks like development of instructional system, use of software and hardware etc. (driscoll, 2002). in terms of working with computers, as high as 69 percent of the students said that they were very comfortable in working with the computers. more than 45 percent of the students work for more than 20 hours in a week on computers and around 19percent of them work between 20 and 10 hours in a week on computers. around 35 percent of the students use computers between 1 to 9 hours in a week. in terms of using the internet, a majority of students consider themselves as experienced users. around 23percent of students consider themselves as very experienced users and around 9 percent of the students consider themselves as champions in using internet (fathimath, t. 2016). most of the students have medium and advanced expertise in using computer and internet. when it comes about familiarity of e-learning tools by faculty members and lab administrators, the ii obtained for faculty members with respect to learning software/virtual tutorials, computer based assessment, virtual learning environment (e.g. webct, indian journal of educational technology vol. 2 (1), january 2020 42 blackboard), video conferencing, authoring web pages (for specific learning outcomes), electronic white boards were 2.51, 2.4, 2.01, 1.98, 1.96, 1.94 respectively. these figures show that, faculty members look familiar with learning software/virtual and they have a very less familiarity regarding all other e-learning tools. the ii for these tools reveal that most of the faculty members have not used them at all or have tried these tools hardly once. a very meager percentage of faculty members claimed that they were expert users with reference to their familiarity with the mentioned e-learning tools. this finding is in tune with the studies of alenezi (2012), edu madze, j.k.e et.al (2014), rogers (2000). this scenario is observed to be better with lab administrators because in most of the institutions managing the e-learning platform is considered as a technical task and hence it is mostly handled by them. thus, expertise on behalf of students is not an issue in implementing e-learning, however, if the higher education institutions want to reap maximum benefits from the e-learning practices, they should create a platform where their faculty members are trained, exposed & motivated towards e-learning platform. directions for future study and conclusion the use of e-learning platform is still at infancy stage and hence deeper studies to evaluate the objectives/ mission/goal of the institutions in adopting the e-learning practices can be done. qualitative studies focusing on the pedagogical aspects of e-learning can also be carried out. the number of institutions in india adopting fully online mode of e-learning are increasing and hence research studies in this direction can also be carried out. the present study reveals that stakeholders believe positively in e-learning, however, they have apprehensions that e-learning also has some disadvantages. a point of concern is also about expertise of faculty members in using various e-learning tools. this again puts forward the point that institutions have just begun this initiative of using e-learning practices and have made least efforts in training the faculty members in these e-learning tools. hence, this should be 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(1997). rethinking the role of the professor in an age of high-tech tools. the chronicle of higher education, 44 (6). technology whether as an end in the pursuit of human happiness or a tool to achieve a human purpose has come to play a seminal role in the field of education. just as the modern world today is unthinkable bereft of technology, education too would fall short of an “enlightening experience” without the use of technology. in order to understand the full impacts of technology on learning, it is of great consequence to understand the nature of technology itself. technology is perhaps as diverse as the life forms on the planet earth. the way evolution helps to explain the diversity of life forms, technology as a system can best be understood in terms of the way it has evolved through the march of human civilization. for the sake of convenience, one can distinguish three distinct stages of technological development in the human history. they are (i) tools, (ii) machines and (iii) automation. tools were the earlier stage of artifacts used by human beings to gather/ hunt food. they primarily used mechanical properties of materials to achieve the desired functionalities. by combining several tools, machines were invented, thereby increasing the efficiency of the work done. it took less time to do a work using a machine. while enhancing the efficiency, it reduced the human involvement further. period of industrial revolution can be described as an example of machine phase. the modern world belongs to an era of automation driven by the digital technology. while efficiency of doing a work has increased manifold, the involvement of human being is primarily in the development of technology and not in the operations of technology as such. in the most systematic way, technology can be portrayed as a system having several sub-systems/ components with the capacity to harness one or the more natural phenomenon to achieve a human purpose. the oxford dictionary tells us that the technology is “the collection of mechanical arts that are available to a culture to make its economy and society function.” in the simplest way, technology can also be described as the projection of human body. what a human body cannot do due to its sheer limitations as ordained by nature can be achieved by the use of technology. quite clearly technology, which has contributed significantly in enriching the material culture of the human civilizations, has also moved in tandem with other efforts in achieving educational outcomes of the human beings. blackboards were perhaps the first instance of the technological use in the classroom. digital technology is now defining the contours of technological interventions in the field of education. artificial intelligence (ai) is on the cusp of revolutions in learning. given the importance of information and communication technology (ict) or more broadly educational technology (et) in education and its bourgeoning integration in school education and teacher education in recent times, the need for a journal of educational technology has been necessitated which would provide a platform for sharing of ideas on different themes in the area of educational technology (et). this would not only create more avenues for researches in et but may foster innovations as well in et. by initiating a journal of educational technology, central institute of editorial from blackboard to artificial intelligence: technology in the service of education v educational technology (ciet), a constituent unit of national council of educational research and training (ncert) with a mandate to create and disseminate audio, video and multimedia contents in school and teacher education along with research, training and extension in the area of educational technology, proposes to promote research work and facilitate effective usage of et in educational systems. this journal is being conceived as online, biannual journal in english providing theoretical perspectives and methodological developments through quality empirical researches that validate the applications of educational technology leading to improvements in the learning at all levels of education from early years to senior secondary level including vocational education and teacher education comprising in-service professional development of teachers. we are happy to bring out the first issue of indian journal of educational technology. we did receive ten manuscripts in different categories. since the journal is a peer reviewed one, out of these, five manuscripts have been selected for publication after three rounds of review i.e. one at the editor’s level and two rounds at the reviewer’s level. a double-blind methodology was adopted for review of these manuscripts for final selection. after going through review process the five manuscripts selected for publication were: “documentation of sign languages of north east india”, “faculty @ facebook students’ perspective for educational scaffold”, “professional development of teachers with ict”, “ict initiatives in school education of india” and “new technology and education: contemporary issues in education studies”. the first two articles are research articles whereas, next two are general articles followed by the last one which is a book review. we hope to receive an enthusiastic support from the academic fraternity working in the area of educational technology. we express our sincere thanks to the reviewers who took time out from their busy schedule to do the reviewing. we are also thankful to the authors who responded to our call for submitting the articles. last but not the least, we also thank a very small team of dedicated members of the editorial board for agreeing to be part of this venture. abhay kumar akumarabhay@gmail.com vi indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 340 research article exploring the integration of artificial intelligence in lesson planning for pre-service teachers vinod kumar kanvaria1 & ritika2 1associate professor, department of education, university of delhi, delhi 2m.ed. student, department of education, university of delhi, delhi emailsinghritika10032000@gmail.com abstract the use of artificial intelligence (ai) in pre-service teachers’ lesson planning is covered in detail in this abstract. with the revolutionary changes in education, artificial intelligence has become a useful tool for improving instructional design. pre-service instructors can gain from the examination of student performance data by utilizing ai tools, which enable customized and adaptive lesson plans. in addition to streamlining the planning process, the ai-driven strategy makes it easier to implement focused interventions that are tailored to each learner’s needs. the combination of ai and preservice teacher education has the power to upend established paradigms and create a dynamic, adaptable learning environment. the need to integrate ai into pre-service teacher preparation is emphasized in this abstract, which also highlights how it might improve student outcomes and better equip teachers for the intricacies of contemporary classrooms. keywords: artificial intelligence, lesson planning, pre-service teachers introduction artificial intelligence has many definitions .ai is a machine that thinks, understands languages, solves problems, and diagnoses medical problems. ai is often defined as a computer system. nowadays, ai has become a very crucial part of our education system. if we want our k -12 learners to become ai-friendly, we need to train our teachers. this research project aims to explore the integration of lesson planning in preservice teachers. here, ai integration means how a teacher can make his or her lesson planning easy with the help of ai. when teachers will deliver this lesson plan, what kind of changes will they find? ai assistants reduce routine teaching burdens, ai provides teachers with recommendations for their student’s needs and extends their work with students and ai that helps teachers to reflect, plan, and improve their practice. integration of ai in lesson planning examples of ai tools for lesson planning include gooru, edmentum, and carnegie learning. these tools utilize algorithms to analyze student data, develop personalized learning paths, and produce insightful reports for teachers. by leveraging ai, teachers can create and deliver more effective lessons tailored to each student’s unique learning style.ai is a helpful tool for lesson planning. it can provide ideas, write lesson goals, suggest activities, and save you time. however, ai doesn’t replace your creativity, judgment, and expertise. always review and adjust any ai-generated content to fit the needs. the incorporation of artificial indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 341 intelligence (ai) has started to transform the way educators produce educational materials. artificial intelligence is being used by a lot of schools to assist streamline administrative work and improve productivity. in order to guarantee that every student is engaged and receives an education that is more tailored to their abilities and learning style, others are using it to design more customized lesson plans. research questions the basic research questions for the present study were: y how does the integration of artificial intelligence (ai) in lesson planning impact the effectiveness of preservice teachers’ instructional strategies? y what are the perceived benefits and challenges of using ai in lesson planning among pre-service teachers? significance of research first, pre-service teachers are at the center of their education, transforming from learners to teachers. understanding how to effectively integrate lesson plans at this stage lays the foundation for their future teaching practices. this topic is important because it directly affects the quality of education of these future teachers. well-designed lesson plans are essential to creating interesting and effective learning experiences for students. pre-service teachers who are able to integrate lesson plans are better equipped to provide wellstructured and organized instruction that promotes a positive and effective learning environment. in addition, research into the integration of ai into lesson plans touches on the evolving landscape of teaching methods. as educational approaches continue to incorporate technology and innovative pedagogy; pre-service teachers must be familiar with modern lesson planning techniques. brief literature review a plan of action is only a course’s draft. for instructors to use in their classes, lesson plans are essential (ball & cohen ,1996). learning objectives, which outline what participants should learn; learning activities, which describe how teaching and learning are done; and materials, which are resources used during instruction, should all be included in these drafts. another study conducted about implementing technology in lesson plans shows that pre-service teachers expect to get support on what they need to learn for their future careers (janssen & lazonder,2015), the development of web technologies, there are websites and software that provide lesson plans for teachers. cairncross and mannion (2001) noted that the utilization of technology proved beneficial for aspiring educators in addressing the challenges encountered during the process of crafting lesson plans. similarly, pratiwi et al. (2020) discovered that lesson planning software was beneficial for both novice and seasoned educators across different types of educational institutions. furthermore, a cursory online search reveals the existence of paid websites offering lesson plans, including powerschool.com, commoncurriculum.com, and planbook. com. ai has the potential to transform special education by offering students customized learning experiences and helping teachers address each student’s unique needs. however, it’s crucial to remember that ai cannot replace human interaction and support. teachers, parents, and caregivers will remain essential in assisting students with special needs (li et al., 2021; yufeia et al., 2020; pedro et al., 2019). indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 342 gaps in the literature while considerable research has been conducted on the effectiveness of ai in the teaching and learning process and its integration with various disciplines, there is a notable gap in the literature regarding the use of ai by pre-service teachers, specifically in the context of lesson planning. current studies do not adequately address whether pre-service teachers are utilizing ai in their lesson plans or the type of training they receive, if any, to support this integration. this research project aims to fill this gap by investigating the extent to which preservice teachers incorporate ai into their lesson planning and examining the nature of the training they receive to use these technologies effectively. methodology research design this study used a mixed methods research design to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. this approach allows for a holistic understanding. quantitative data were collected through google form, while qualitative data were collected through a google forms survey, while qualitative data were gathered via semi-structured interviews. sample selection d. el. ed. pre-service teachers have been selected for this data collection tools y closed-ended questionnaire closed-ended questionnaire: designed to capture quantitative data on the familiarity, usage, and perceptions of ai in lesson planning. y semi-structured interview schedule semi-structured interviews: conducted to obtain qualitative insights into the experiences and opinions of pre-service teachers regarding ai integration in lesson planning results y data analysis and interpretation there are 49 responses obtained from google forms, and 91.8 per cent of preservice teachers are familiar with the term ai. the data indicates a high level of familiarity with ai among pre-service teachers, with 91.8 per cent recognizing the term. this widespread awareness suggests that ai is a well-known concept within the educational community. interestingly, 67.3 per cent of pre-service teachers have actively used ai tools in their lesson planning. this significant adoption rate implies that many preservice teachers see value in leveraging ai technology for educational purposes, reflecting a trend towards integrating advanced technologies in teaching practices. 67.3 per cent have used this tool in their lesson plans. despite the high adoption rate, only 40.8 per cent of respondents believe that ai is very effective in enhancing the learning experience for students. this disparity suggests that while many pre-service teachers are willing to use ai, there is some scepticism or uncertainty about its overall impact on education quality. it could indicate a need for more effective ai tools or a better understanding of how to utilize these tools optimally. 40.8 per cent have this belief that it is a very effective tool in enhancing the learning experience for students. a notable 83 per cent of pre-service teachers report improved student engagement since incorporating ai tools in lesson planning. this significant majority highlights one of the key benefits of ai integration: its potential to make lessons more interactive and engaging for students. enhanced engagement is a crucial factor in effective learning, suggesting that ai can positively influence the indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 343 educational experience. 83 per cent of pre-service teachers believe that there has been an improvement in students’ engagement since incorporating ai tools in lesson planning. despite the benefits, 53 per cent of pre-service teachers express concerns about using ai tools, primarily related to privacy and security. this highlights an important barrier to widespread ai adoption. addressing these concerns through robust data protection measures and clear privacy policies will be essential to gaining the full trust of educators.53 per cent of people have concerns related to ai tools which is majorly related to privacy and security concerns. 73.5 per cent of pre-service teachers didn’t get any professional training during their teaching program. a significant finding is that 73.5 per cent of pre-service teachers did not receive any professional training on using ai tools during their teaching programs. this lack of formal training is a critical gap that needs to be addressed. effective integration of ai in education requires that teachers are adequately trained to use these tools confidently and effectively. discussion according to the study results, aigenerated lesson plans were found to be adequate for classroom use. these lesson plans effectively met desired learning objectives, incorporated suitable activities, outlined teachers’ roles, and included appropriate assessment methods. specifically, the learning objectives and activities aligned well with the course topics, demonstrating that ai can satisfactorily produce lesson plans. this supports previous findings by tlili et al. (2023), indicating that ai tools can match classroom applications in these aspects. teachers should get proper training in ai integration so that they will be able to solve the problem of privacy-related concerns. pre-service teachers are using it, but still, they have some issues. the lesson plan-making process can be easy and effective with the use of ai. most of the pre-service teachers also observed it. comparison with existing literature the existing literature primarily discusses the role of artificial intelligence in enhancing the teaching and learning process. however, there is a lack of research focusing specifically on how pre-service teachers utilize aiintegrated lesson plans to improve their teaching practices. this research aims to address this gap by examining how pre-service teachers incorporate ai into their lesson plans and the effectiveness they observe in the teaching and learning process as a result. the study will explore the specific ways in which ai integration influences lesson planning and identify any noticeable improvements in educational outcomes when these ai-enhanced lesson plans are employed. implications and limitations of the study the teacher educator able to know all those challenges which are preservice teachers are facing, and after knowing it policymakers will able to do something regarding the same and teacher education program teacher educators may come to know about the challenges pre-service teachers face in their lesson plans and they will come to know the importance of the ai training ai based integrated training which are the essential part of the today’s learning, and it can be implied only the research studies only just related to d. el. ed. trainees. the area can be broader, and we can be very specific about the tool, but in spite of these limitations, it plays a significant role in teacher education programs. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 344 conclusion summary of key findings the integration of ai in lesson planning significantly improved the efficiency of pre-service teachers, reducing the time spent on routine tasks and allowing for more focus on pedagogical considerations. ai-powered tools demonstrated a notable impact on personalizing learning experiences. the adaptability of lesson plans based on individual student needs resulted in increased engagement and improved comprehension across diverse learning. the study revealed challenges related to bias in ai algorithms, emphasizing the need for careful consideration and continuous monitoring to avoid reinforcing stereotypes and inequalities in educational content. contribution to the field this research is an excellent guide for teacher education programs, highlighting the need for comprehensive training in ai tools. this gift addresses a gap in teacher preparation and ensures that teachers have the skills and knowledge to take advantage of ai while meeting its challenges. this study, which focuses on issues related to bias in ai algorithms, highlights the need for more ethical considerations in the development and implementation of ai tools in education. this contribution informs policymakers and developers of the importance of technology design that promotes fairness and equity. recommendation for future teacher future recommendations include expanding and improving teacher training programs to include comprehensive ai integration modules. these programs should address not only the technical aspects of using ai tools but also ethical considerations and strategies to mitigate potential biases. references ball, d.l. & cohen, d.k. (1996). reform by the book: what is-or might be—the role of curriculum materials in teacher learning and instructional reform? educ researcher, 25(9), 6-14. cairncross, s., & mannion, m. (2001 interactive multimedia and learning: realizing the benefits. innovations in education and teaching international, 38(2), 156–164. https://doi. org/10.1080/14703290110035428 janssen, n., & lazonder, a.w. (2015). implementing innovative technologies through lesson plans: what kind of support do teachers prefer? j. sci educ technol, 24, 910–920. https:// doi.org/10.1007/s10956-015-9573-5 li, y., li, s., & wang, l. (2021, august). the integration development of artificial intelligence and education. in 2021 16th international conference on computer science & education (iccse) (pp. 994-997). ieee. pedro, f., subosa, m., rivas, a., & valverde, p. (2019). artificial intelligence in education: challenges and opportunities for sustainable development. paris: unesco. pratiwi, d., susilo, h., & rohman, f. (2020). teacher competency and perception in lesson planning using a software prototype. international journal of innovation, creativity and change, 13(3), 811-828. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 345 tlili, a., shehata, b., adarkwah, m.a., bozkurt, a., hickey, d. t., huang, r., & agyemang, b. (2023). what if the devil is my guardian angel: chatgpt as a case study of using chatbots in education. smart learn. environ, 10, 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-023-00237-x yufeia, l., salehb, s., jiahuic, h., & syed, s. m. (2020). review of the application of artificial intelligence in education. integration (amsterdam), 12(8), 1-15. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 29 research article online education during covid-19 in punjab: a study on perception of teachers hardeep kaur1 & ishu chadda2 1assistant professor, r r bawa dav college for girls, batala (143505), punjab, 2assistant professor, department of management studies, amritsar group of colleges, amritsar, punjab email: ishuchadda@gmail.com abstract the closure of various educational institutions during the covid-19 pandemic resulted in an unplanned shift from the offline mode to the online mode of education. this shift created various perceptions amongst teachers as well as students. in this context, the present study aims to explore the perceptions of teachers regarding this transition. the teachers from various educational institutes of punjab i.e. from schools, colleges and universities, were asked to give their opinion on the online teaching-learning practice. the structured questionnaire was framed and administered through google form and drawn online on 250 teachers of punjab during the period from 13-31 january 2021 (more than two weeks), using a snowball sampling technique. the present study deployed descriptive statistics and factor analysis. .the positive factors that impacted this transition were teacher’s characteristics, technical support from institutions, a supportive educational environment for students, social support, and a life-long learning process. the challenges faced by teachers are hedonic motivation, personal problems, and technical problems. the paper outlined that teachers preferred the regular and blended mode of education instead of the entire online system due to various constraints. keywords: covid-19, teacher’s perception, cross-sectional data, factor analysis, online education introduction during the covid-19 pandemic, the whole world is disturbed. the pandemic was unexpected and forced the world towards a sudden and disruptive transformation. academics also faced huge difficulties and the massive transformation worldwide during the covid-19 outbreak from face-to-face learning to online teaching platforms. consequently, online teaching-learning practice has taken a surge without which the education system would have become ineffective and could collapse. one of the main priorities of the education system is to provide flawless education to the students. the government does not want to make any compromise with the study of students whether they belong to elementary or higher-level education. these circumstances pushed the classroom teaching of the whole world towards the online/virtual classrooms along with challenges. since march 2020, everything was shut down for a long time due to lockdown; the only feasible and viable solution to the problem was online education. technology plays an important role in it. the technology-based teaching-learning process has started a revolution in the field of education with manifestation in reality. although online learning was not a new phenomenon, it was not adopted formally hitherto. this sudden indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 30 transformation from regular classes to online education put an impact on both the teachers and students. it requires consistent efforts on the part of both. imparting education in the digital mode has many advantages as it is free from physical boundaries, cost-effective, flexible, and has more retention power (sareen and nangia, 2020). but online teaching is not free from problems and its challenges and limitations. these problems are internet connectivity, increased work, complexity, accessibility, and monitoring of the student’s progress (thomas, 2020). in the light of this scenario, an attempt has been made to study the impact of covid-19 on education. teachers are the key drivers; who are engaged in building the future of the students. the present paper studies both qualitative and quantitative approaches which help in analysing the perception of teachers on sudden online shifts in teaching-learning practice. for this purpose, an online survey (google form) was conducted to study the opinion, perceptions, and challenges faced by the teachers during this period. a total number of 250 teachers from various educational institutions have participated in this online survey. objectives of the study: in this light of the above-mentioned details, the objectives of the study are: • to study the various modes of online teaching-learning adopted by teachers during the covid-19 pandemic. • to study the perceptions of teachers on this sudden shift to online/virtual classes. basic framework and data design of the present study: the teachers of punjab from various educational institutions, i.e. from schools, colleges and universities, were asked to give their perception of online teaching-learning practice. sample of the study: the structured questionnaire was framed and administered through google form and drawn online on 250 teachers of punjab during 13-31 january 2021 (more than two weeks), using a snowball sampling technique. tools of the study: the questionnaire consisted of openended and closed-ended questions. the questionnaire consists of the socio-demographic details of the teachers, the information related to the teaching-learning tools used, types of devices, internet platforms used by teachers, and duration of classes. the next section of the questionnaire delineated the respondents’ perception of virtual classes. for this purpose, all the statements were measured using a five point likert scale. a five-point likert continuum was used to rate the statements on the scale of strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, and strongly disagree (malhotra et. al., 2006). the teacher’s opinions and perceptions were sought on 24 statements about the sudden change from regular classes to virtual classes due to the pandemic. methods of the study: the data were transcribed through a deductive encoding-decoding method and analyzed with the help of spss software. the data collected were analysed by employing descriptive statistics and factor analysis. descriptive statistics: the percentage analysis of the socio-demographic profile of respondents and online platforms and tools used by respondents was done. cronbach’s alpha: the reliability indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 31 of the statements was checked by employing cronbach’s alpha method. cronbach’s alpha is a coefficient of internal consistency or reliability check (cronbach, 1951). in the present study, cronbach’s alpha is calculated as follows: here, α is cronbach’s alpha; n is the number of statements; x_ is the average covariance between statements-pair; v_ is average variance. factor analysis: the participants were asked to rate the 24 statements on a five point likert-continuum. to extract the factors from these statements, factor analysis statistical technique was adopted. factor analysis is a method to explore the factors from the mentioned number of statements/variables (malhotra et. al., 2006). the detailed model of factor analysis of the present study is as follows: x1=ß1 (0) + ß1 (1) f1+ ß1 (2) f2+ ---------ß1 (8) f8+e1 x2=ß2 (0) + ß2 (1) f1+ ß2 (2) f2+----------ß2 (8) f8+e2 .................................................................................................... x24=ß24 (0) + ß24 (1) f1+ ß24 (2) f2+-------ß24(8) f8+-e8 here, x1, x2,………x24 are the 24 statements asked from the teachers. f1, f2..............f8 are the 8 components extracted. ß12 is the loading of variable x1 on factor f2. e1, e2, and e8 are the error terms, present to indicate that the hypothesized relationships are not accurate. ethics approval: informed consent was obtained from the respondents. the respondents were informed about the aims and implications of the study. the respondents were assured of confidentiality, security, and anonymity of information. the response rate of the respondents was 100 per cent and only one response was obtained from the participants to avoid duplication. no payment or reward was provided to any of the respondents. results and discussion this section explains the results of the present study based on details obtained from the 250 questionnaires surveyed. the data were encoded-decoded first and then it was analyzed using spss version 21. the results related to each section are explained below separately. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 32 table-1: socio-demographic profile of teachers demographic details frequency percent age-groups 20-30 years 32 12.8 30-40 years 136 54.4 40 years & above 82 32.8 gender male 85 34.0 female 165 66.0 qualification diploma 2 0.8 bachelor’s degree 16 6.4 master’s degree 140 56.0 ph. d. 92 36.8 classes taught grade1-grade 12 53 21.0 diploma 55 22.0 bachelors and masters 142 57.0 teaching experience less than 5 years 145 58.0 5-10 years 61 24.4 10-15 years 12 4.8 more than 15 years 32 12.8 type of educational institution pre-primary and primary schools 0 0 secondary and higher schools 63 25.2 colleges 163 65.2 universities 24 9.6 total 250 100.0 source: computed from primary data table-1 portrays the socio-demographic profile of the teachers of punjab. this section is devoted to the personal information of the sampled respondents regarding their age, gender, qualification, classes taught, number of years they taught along with the type of educational institutions. most of the respondents, i.e. 136 (54.4 per cent) teachers were in the age group of 30-40 years, 82 (32. 8 per cent) teachers were in the age group of 40 and above category and 32 (12.8 per cent) teachers were in the 20-30 years age group. among the participants, 165 (66 per cent) teachers were female and 85 (34 per cent) respondents were male. the majority of the teachers (56 per indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 33 cent) have post-graduate qualifications, followed by 36.8 per cent who have a doctorate, 6.4 per cent have bachelor’s degree and 0.8 per cent have done diploma courses. it is clear from table-1 that approximately 57 per cent of faculty members have the experience to teach bachelor’s and master’s degree classes; 21 per cent and 22 per cent of the faculty respondents have taught class 1 to class 12 and diploma classes respectively. the faculty respondents (58 per cent) have teaching experience of fewer than 5 years, 24.4 per cent have teaching experience of 5-10 years, 4.8 per cent have 10-15 years experience and 12.8 per cent of teachers have more than 15 years of teaching experience. the results of the survey analysis showed that around 9.6 per cent of the faculty had come from the different departments of the universities. about 65 per cent of the teachers were from the colleges, and approximately 25 per cent of teachers were from the secondary and higher secondary schools. table-2: accessibility of technology by the respondents frequency percent preference of the teachers online teaching 96 38.4 regular teaching 154 61.6 devices used smartphone 112 44.8 tablet 17 6.8 laptop 121 48.4 online platforms zoom 84 33.6 google classroom 49 19.6 you tube 24 9.6 webex 15 6.0 whatsapp 66 26.4 cisco 12 4.8 duration of classes <1 hr/day 104 41.6 1-2 hr/day 58 23.2 2-4 hr/day 69 27.6 >4 hr/day 19 7.6 teaching-learning tools live video conferencing tool 95 38.0 social media live streaming 26 10.4 social media without live streaming 18 7.2 audio recorded presentation 15 6.0 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 34 online teaching-learning apps 37 14.8 videos made by teachers 42 16.8 e-platform owned by institutions 17 6.8 source: computed from primary data the findings of the survey given in table-2 indicate that 61.6 per cent of the teachers preferred face-to-face interactive classes and 38.4 per cent of faculty members favoured online classes. the majority of the participants (48.4 per cent) used their laptops to teach, 44.8 per cent of faculty used their smartphones to take classes and 6.8 per cent of teachers used tablets to take online classes. it is clear from table-2 that the majority of the faculty (33.6 per cent) used zoom application, followed by whatsapp (26.4 per cent), google classroom (19.6 per cent), youtube (9.6 per cent), webex (6 per cent) and cisco (4.8 per cent) for imparting education amongst students. about 42 per cent of the respondents took classes for less than 1 hr/day, 23.2 per cent of teachers 1-2 hr/day, 27.6 per cent of faculty took classes for 2-4 hr/day and 7.6 per cent of teachers took more than 4 hr/day classes as depicted in table 2. several teaching-learning tools were adopted by the faculty to disseminate the knowledge to students as shown in table 2. the results of the survey, as shown in table 2 reveal that among the various tools, around 38 per cent of the teachers used live video conference tools to teach the students. about 16.8 per cent prepare videos first and send them to students and 14.8 per cent of the teachers use online teachinglearning apps respectively to impart the knowledge. further, 10.4 per cent and 7.2 per cent of the teachers mentioned that they used social media live streaming and live streaming methods respectively to teach students. audio recorded presentations (6.0 per cent) and methods of e-platforms owned by the educational institutions (6.8 per cent) were adopted by the teachers. table-3: cronbach’s alpha reliability statistics cronbach’s alpha coefficient no. of items 0.8778 24 source: computed from primary data in the present study, the cronbach alpha coefficient was used to check the internal consistency/reliability of the statements asked in the questionnaire. table-3 indicates that 24 statements had the value of overall cronbach alpha coefficient of 0.8778, indicating good reliability. table-4: kmo and bartlett’s test kaiser-meyer-olkin measure of sampling adequacy 0.857 bartlett’s test of sphericity approx. chi-square 3628.194 df 276 sig. 0.000 source: computed from primary data indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 35 table-4 shows the kaiser-meyer-olkin (kmo) measure of sampling adequacy and bartlett’s test of sphericity. kmo value of the continuum is 0.857 (df=276, chi-square=3628.194, sig.=0.000), with a great structural validity. the values of kmo hovered between 0.8 and 0.9 and are considered to be great to run factor analysis. bartlett’s test with a p-value of 0.000, is significant (field, 2009). table-5: total variance explained components initial eigen values total % of variance cumulative % 1 5.113 21.303 21.303 2 3.706 15.440 36.743 3 2.060 8.582 45.325 4 1.728 7.201 52.526 5 1.524 6.351 58.877 6 1.281 5.339 64.217 7 1.138 4.744 68.960 8 1.082 4.508 73.400 source: computed from primary data extraction method: factor analysis after kmo and bartlett’s tests, the next step was to apply factor analysis to afore mentioned 24 statements. table-5 displays that eigen value is greater than 1 and a total of 8 factors were extracted with the cumulative contribution rate of the variance reaching 77.64 per cent and 22.36 per cent of lost information content. table-6: factor analysis results: rotated component matrix s. no. factors statements factor loadings 1 teacher’s characteristics availability of teachers to discuss the topic asked by the students 0.791 you provide well-prepared, precise and summative lectures 0.732 easy to interact with students while teaching online 0.794 online teaching positively affected your teaching style 0.688 2 technical support by institutions institutions provided proper guidance and operative manuals to teachers as well as students 0.611 proper infrastructure provided by the institutions 0.587 institutions provide online portals to access materials 0.512 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 36 3 supportive educational environment for students virtual presentations increase the learning of students 0.562 online classes reduce financial costs 0.467 students can attend online classes from any location 0.419 4 social support social and physical distancing is possible due to online classes 0.840 interactive teaching between teachers and students 0.757 5 life-long learning acquired new teaching skills 0.824 increased meta-cognitive skills 0.764 6 hedonic motivation difficult to motivate students 0.606 difficult to reach students belong to remote areas 0.490 difficulty in monitoring the progress of students 0.408 difficulty in maintaining discipline 0.372 7 personal problems require more time to prepare course material 0.841 difficult to teach the numerical subjects through the online mode 0.707 increased household-related chores 0.676 off-campus increased academic work also 0.594 8 technical problems problems related to internet connectivity 0.603 problems related to electricity 0.565 source: computed from primary data notes: extraction method: principal component analysis. rotation method: varimax with kaiser normalization. rotation converged in 11 iterations. table-6 reveals that the rotated matrix of factor loadings for each statement is extracted from each rotated factor. in total 24 statements were presented to the respondents for their views/ opinions. these statements loaded on 8 key factors and these factors reflected teachers’ characteristics, technical support by institutions, supportive educational environment for students, social support, lifelong learning hedonic motivation, personal problems, and technical problems during the online teaching-learning process. factor 1 has a high coefficient for the statements like availability of teachers to discuss the topic asked by the students, teachers provide well prepared, precise, and summative lectures, easy to interact with students while teaching online, and online teaching positively affected the teaching style. this factor has been labelled as a teacher’s characteristics. verma and priyamvada (2020) revealed that some faculty members found the virtual process beneficial, and also had positive results. the teachers stated that teaching virtually is much easier on some of the topics, as the content was indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 37 presented in a more effective model to the students. students could revisit the lectures if required. factor 2 has high factor loadings for statements like institutions providing proper guidance and operative manuals to teachers as well as students, proper infrastructure provided by the institutions and institutions providing online portals to access materials. factor 2 was labelled as technical support provided by institutions and the attitude of teachers was positive towards this factor. bao (2020) highlighted that institutions had been providing adequate support to faculties to impart knowledge during the virtual classes effectively and efficiently. the study also concluded that to improve the teaching-learning process, six institutional strategies must be followed. these strategies included preparation of some contingency plans for unexpected situations, imparting the online classes in smaller units, providing proper infrastructure facilities to teachers as well as students, focusing more on voice clarity, and promoting online as well as offline self-learning among students efficiently. factor 3 is named as a supportive educational environment for students, accounting for statements like virtual presentation increases the learning of students, online classes reduce financial costs and students can attend online classes from any location. lepp et. al. (2021) highlighted those factors like maintaining interactive sessions with students, supporting the students, and discussing potential and practical implications with students in such emergencies by motivating both students and teachers positively. social support being factor 4 has recorded items like social and physical distancing is possible due to online classes and interactive teaching between teachers and students. the virtual classes made the teachinglearning experience more interesting and enriching for both teachers and students. online mode is the only means to assure the effective teaching-learning process. during the time of the covid-19 outbreak, virtual classes served as saviours and valuable additions to the formal education sector (yagnik and chandra, 2020). factor 5 labelled as life-long learning for teachers and registered the items like acquiring new teaching skills and increased meta-cognitive skills. this sudden online transition impacted the teachers professionally as well as personally in both positive and negative ways. the positive aspects covered the learning of new methods, modes, and platforms to teach students. this transition process increased the ability to plan, monitor, regulate and promote self-regulatory skills among the teachers (verma and priyamvada, 2020). factor 6 has high factor loadings for items like difficulty to motivate students, difficulty to reach students belonging to remote areas, difficulty in monitoring the progress of students, and difficulty in maintaining discipline among students. therefore, this factor is labelled as hedonic motivation. students often get bored when e-learning courses consist of long text. the lack of interest of students also affects the feedback in the form of multiple-choice questions as most of the questions are answered wrongly. to safeguard the students from this boredom it is necessary that the online courses should be interactive, dynamic & includes some fun. mishra et al., (2020) mentioned that lengthy use of interaction virtually impacted both teachers and students. even students who belonged to remote areas and with low socio-economic ground could not attend online classes because of the unavailability of resources. some teachers still preferred the traditional method of teaching because indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 38 of difficulties regarding maintaining discipline in online classes and following up on the progress of students. factor 7 has high loadings for statements, namely requiring more time to prepare course material, difficulty to teach numerical subjects through online mode, increased householdrelated chores, and increased offcampus academic work. mainly personal problems were considered in this factor. the swivelling from regular classes to virtual classrooms makes the teaching-learning gap more. the resistance to change amongst some of the teachers does not allow them to adapt to the online teaching-learning environment. sareen and nangia (2020) also stated that teachers faced many problems while taking online classes. this sudden transformation from regular mode to virtual classes raised many issues like lack of appropriate infrastructure availability, lack of inservice training, lack of knowledge regarding e-resources, and lack of efficacy. factor 8 has loaded the items like problems related to internet connectivity and electricity and labelled them as technical problems. when we talk about online learning, technical difficulties cannot be ignored and these difficulties are the main stumbling block in online learning. there are so many issues i.e., operating system, browser, etc. these issues again add to a lack of interest. these issues can be solved by making online learning simple. one should keep in mind that learning does not require a high speed of connectivity. attention should be paid to sound quality. sakshi and sharma (2020) also highlighted that virtual class’s created anxiety and stress among teachers and students. problems related to electricity and network connectivity hampered the flawless teaching-learning process, making the online mode not effective as face-to-face classes. thus, the impact of covid-19 can be seen in the educational system. virtual teaching is the need of the hour. however, every aspect has its certain merits and demerits. on the one hand, the virtual teaching-learning process did wonders to facilitate the process of imparting education, whereas, on the other hand, there are certain issues such as network connectivity problems, unavailability of resources, and existing infrastructure. educational implications of the study: • issues related to network connectivity create a hurdle in the effective teaching-learning process. it is difficult to reach the students who belong to remote areas. proper technical, infrastructure support and training should be provided to students as well as teachers. • it is really difficult to monitor the progress of the students and keep them involved during the teaching-learning process. realtime monitoring systems should be developed and adapted as may be applicable to different levels. • teachers and students should be encouraged and administrators should motivate teachers and students for the proper implementation of online education. conclusion based on the above discussion, we can conclude that due to this sudden transition the demand for online learning platforms increased significantly. this transition has certain positive results like teaching the concepts more interestingly; enhancing the knowledge regarding online education, saving travelling time and cost, and increasing the meta-cognitive skills. this unplanned and rapid shift toward online learning indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 39 had created many challenges for the teachers too. the teachers admitted that lack of equipment and resources, a lack of training among teachers, a lack of social interaction, increased workloads, and also difficulty in explaining certain concepts. moreover, technological issues also posed many problems. however, we can say that the blended form of education will certainly prove a boon to the education system. this transition promoted the concept of digitization and undoubtedly teachers have learned to live and survive the complexities of online education. even the government supported and promoted technology-enabled learning for students so that the disparities that emerged in the education system should be buckled. at last, it can be concluded that we still have to go a long way to change the education system in virtual mode, whereas in the present circumstances, a blended form of education is one of the best options. references bao, w. (2020). covid-19 and online teaching in higher education: a case study of peking university, human behaviour and emerging technologies, 2(2) pp1–3. available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/hbe2.191. cronbach, l. j. (1951). coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests, psychometrika, 16(3) pp 297-334. field, a. (2009). discovering statistics using spss, sage publications. lepp, l.; aaviku, t.; leijen, l.; pedaste, m.; saks, k. (2020). teaching during covid-19: the decisions made in teaching, education sciences, 11 (2) pp 1-21. available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11020047. malhotra, n. k., hall. j., shaw. m. & oppenheim, p. (2006), marketing research: an applied orientation, pearson education. mishra, l., gupta, t. and shree, a. (2020). online teaching in higher education during lockdown period of covid-19 pandemic, international journal of educational research open, 1. available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedro.2020.100012. sakshi, and sharma, c. (2020). impact of covid-19 and digital education on teachinglearning process, acta scientific computer sciences, 2(9) pp 31-33. sareen, s. and nangia. a. (2020). online teaching during covid-19: attitude and challenges faced by school teachers, international journal of disaster recovery and business continuity, 11 (1) pp 3012-3018. thomas, c. j. (2020). coronavirus and challenging times for education in developing countries, brookings. downloaded from https://www.brookings.edu/blog/ education-plus-development/2020/04/13/coronavirus-and-challengingtimes-for-education-in-developing-countries/ verma, g. and priyamvada. (2020). covid-19 and teaching: perception of school teachers on usage of online teaching tools, mukt shabd journal, 9(6) pp 24922503. yagnik, j. and chandra, y. (2020). teaching with technology: educator’s experience, indian journal of educational technology, 2(2) pp 169-170 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 90 research article exploring the role of social media in adolescence ecology chetna arora1 & subhash chander2 1assistant professor, department of education, lady irwin college, university of delhi emailchetna.arora29@gmail.com 2assistant professor, department of education, university of delhi abstract a qualitative study was conducted in delhi/ncr to understand the role of social media in adolescence ecology. the objectives of the study were to study the change in parenting and teaching styles due to social media, to explore the usage of social networking sites among adolescents and to explore the positive and negative aspects of social media and how it impacts adolescents/students. for the same, research was conducted across adolescents in the age group of 15-19 (questionnaire), few teachers (detailed interviews) and few parents (detailed interviews). the key findings highlighted that most adolescents find that social media has positive effects on their lives as it helps them academically, maintains social relationships and is a good leisure activity. most parents think that social media has helped their children in their studies owing to youtube educational channels and quite a few educational sites. teachers had mixed opinions on social media usage with the preference being given to conventional classrooms, but they do agree it helps to motivate students. one flip side being observed is the rigour of doing research is reducing among students as social media becomes the norm for research. keywords: social media, adolescents, education, technology, teachers introduction adolescence is the period of development and growth that occurs between childhood and adulthood. any individual between the ages of 10 and 19 is considered an adolescent by the world health organization (who). this age group falls within the who’s definition of young people, which includes those aged 10 to 24. adolescence may be a period of confusion as well as discovery. as teenagers develop their sense of self, they may have to make tough decisions concerning academics, friendship, sexuality, gender identity, drugs, and alcohol. most teenagers have an egocentric outlook on life, which often fades as they become older. they are frequently preoccupied with themselves and assume that everyone else, from a closest friend to a faraway crush, is also preoccupied with them. insecurities and emotions of being judged may be prevalent. peer groups, romantic interests, and appearance, which teenagers regard as increasingly essential during this period, typically take precedence over parental relationships. the goal of adolescence is for a child to grow into a young adult mentally and socially. breaking out from their childhood bond and stability helps youngsters to grow independently and form their own distinct personalities by gaining freedom and responsibility and differentiating themselves from their parents and upbringing. commitments, personal objectives, motives, and psychological well-being are all important parts of forming self and identity during adolescence. adolescents crave autonomy, especially indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 91 from their parents, as well as growing commitments to social aspects of identity and increased needs for peer relationships. similarly, across roles and relationships, self-evaluations become more diverse and nuanced. adolescents also frequently report greater self-consciousness and are more concerned with and interested in others’ perceptions of self (pfeifer & berkman, 2018). whether for personal usage, business, education, or job prospects, social networking is the next wave of communication. individuals or groups in any part of the world can now access someone’s information and communicate through social networking sites thanks to technological advancements (sns). the number of people who utilise social networking sites is steadily increasing. according to the nielsen company, global consumers spent more than five and a half hours on social networking sites like facebook and twitter in december 2009, an increase of 82 per cent from the same time the previous year when users spent just over three hours. there are positive and negative aspects to everything. even when it comes to social networking, there are benefits and drawbacks to using the sites. some of the benefits of using social networks include the ability to communicate with someone who is located thousands of miles away in a matter of seconds if they have an internet connection and a networking device such as a computer, cell phone, netbook, tablet, or game consoles such as the xbox or wii. another advantage is that a message can be simply communicated to a large audience. one can also send a private message to a single individual or to a specific group of people. one of the most significant disadvantages of utilising social networking websites is that most people are unaware of the risks they face when they disclose personal information on these sites. strangers, stalkers, and hackers may be able to use personal information for malicious purposes (miah et al., 2013). here is the current landscape of social media, as described by bhusan and kumar (2018). social media can be categorised into four broad areas, namely social networking on platforms such as facebook, whatsapp, instagram, etc. micro-blogging platforms such as twitter, photo-sharing apps, and finally video sharing platforms such as youtube. adolescents’ learning and daily experiences have been profoundly altered by social media (lu, hao, & jing, 2016), posing enormous difficulties and opportunities in terms of health and education (radesky, schumacher, & zuckerman, 2015). according to a recent meta-analysis, current studies all indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 92 pointed to a minor deleterious impact of social media on adolescent academic achievement (huang, 2018). however, this finding may not be universal or cross-cultural (e.g., greenhow & lewin, 2016; junco, 2012b; junco, heiberger, & loken, 2011). for example, a recent study found that facebook participation had both positive and negative effects on asian college students’ academic engagement (luo et al., 2020). according to sebre & miltuze in 2021, erik erikson, known as the “godfather of identity theory,” developed his theories on identity development after working with traumatized war veterans who had lost their sense of psychological completeness, coherence, and consistency—in other words, their identity. erikson then applied his findings from his work with war veterans to the adolescent’s desire for identity formation (erikson 1959). “the conscious sensation of having a personal identity is founded on two simultaneous observations: the perception of oneself sameness and continuity in time and space, and the awareness that others recognize one’s sameness and continuity,” he speculated (erikson 1968, p.50). james marcia (1966) operationalized erikson’s theoretical framework, developing a model that can be tested in empirical investigations and is based on two specific elements of identity development: self-exploration and commitment. self-exploration is the process of considering and evaluating many ideas and alternatives. commitment is defined as having a somewhat steady sense of one’s own self-defining ideas, values, and ambitions, which are frequently examined in relation to one’s professional aspirations. the period of exploration that precedes commitment is known as a “moratorium,” and it is during this time that one can explore and experiment with several potential identities. the impact of social media on youth extends to a crucial aspect of adolescent development: the building of one’s own distinct identity. as a result, social media gives adolescents a place to practice skills relevant to identity development. researchers discovered that students who voiced their thoughts on social media were happier, according to a longitudinal study of 219 freshmen at a state university. another study discovered that adolescents who communicated more online had more “self-concept clarity,” or a better understanding of who they were. this self-awareness is beneficial to one’s mental health. because social media gives teens the “autonomy to explore and experiment with their identities in a space of their own, where they have control over what, how, and with whom they share information,” a 2020 research article on teens and social media concluded that it had the potential to be especially important during covid-19, when reallife opportunities for identity formation were limited. many of the technologies that adolescents use is connected to social media, which can be divided into two categories: social networking (e.g., facebook) and virtual communication (e.g., twitter) (e.g., gaming). “a growing body of research has provided support for reciprocal links between media use and user characteristics (which can include developmental phases),” as per bronfenbrenner (1977), child development can be divided into 5 ecological systems namely microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem and chronosystem. as per this model of child development, microsystem has the most profound impact on a child (in this case adolescent) which includes family members (parents, siblings), school and most importantly teachers and nearby environment. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 93 figure-1: bronfenbrenner ecological systems for child development according to zhou et al., in 1970, through seamless access to information in learning groups and other educational institutions, social media platforms played a critical role in education (greenhow & robelia, 2009). even while the personalisation of these services got ‘little’ or ‘no’ research to impart soft and practical skills to freshmen teens, the usage of social media platforms like facebook and youtube for learning has attracted attention. several studies have found a beneficial link between social media use and academic achievement (kolhar et al., 2021; lavuri et al., 2019). ecological system theory provides a conceptual framework to organise and understand the role of social media in adolescent ecology. ecological framework is a prerequisite of the techno-subsystem to explore the role of internet usage during childhood. recent research conclusions support the ecological assumption that childhood internet use varies as a function of context. murphy and beggs (2003) concluded that home–based computer use was child-centred, gave space for exploration, resulted in incidental learning, also gained expertise in some areas, and occurred in a context with consistent access to technology . whereas school–based computer use, in contrast, was teacher–directed , which did not allow for exploration, as it was focused on purposeful learning as there was limited access to technology. in the recent times of pandemic, children engagement in online communication increased manifolds. figure-2: ecological techno-subsystem indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 94 the ecological techno – subsystem, emphasizes the role of technology in child development, encourages holistic exploration of the use of internet . this will provide a theoretical framework for examining the role and impact of technological advances especially after pandemic times in the coming years. rationale of the study social media has become an important component of today’s generation’s daily lives social media has both beneficial and negative effects on a teen’s identity, academics, and relationships; it is up to future generations to ensure that it does not become a dominating force. during covid time, social media became a norm in the lives of adolescents and as we are coming out of the covid pandemic, it is very hard to disassociate it from the life of children now. hence, the present study will try to find out the role of social media in adolescence ecology now that we are coming out of covid-19 pandemic. operational definition for the study, the age of adolescence is defined as 15-19 years. research objectives y to study the change in parenting and teaching styles due to social media. y to explore the usage of social networking sites among adolescents. y to explore positive and negative aspects of social media. primarily, the focus of research and the lens for adolescence is on micro-system affecting child development where researchers have interviewed students themselves, their parents, and teachers in school. research hypothesis these were some of the primary research hypotheses that were evaluated using the research. y adolescents do not realize the negative effects of social media and feel that it has had only a positive influence. y teachers have a strong belief that social media has a lot of negative effects on adolescent students. y parents have a cautious approach to social media, and whether it is helpful or not still needs a lot more exploring. research methodology for the study, adolescents were defined as individuals in the age of 15-19 years. the study investigated the usage of social networking sites by adolescents and the positive and negative aspects of social media. the study also explores the change in parenting and teaching styles due to social media. this research is a qualitative study where data was collected and verbatims analysed. description of sample the sample consisted of 30 adolescents, irrespective of their gender, in the age group of 1519 years; 05 parents and 05 teachers were selected from delhi and ncr. the total sample size constitutes 40 participants. the schools chosen for this study were primarily private schools in the delhi/ncr region. the adolescents should have used social media, irrespective of whether they sign in through their parents’ id or any other family member or any known. the participants from the higher and middle-income groups are selected for the study. this research was conducted at the beginning of the year when primarily students were studying from home or partially going to school. most data collection has been influenced by the same and leverages online indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 95 interviews and questionnaire filling up by the participants (adolescents, parents, and teachers). pilot study prior to the full research study being undertakwas a short pilot study was undertaken, which helped standardise the interview and questionnaire guides. this was conducted on a small sample of 3 students, one teacher and one parent. tools used for data collection interview schedule: to collect the data for the present study, two structured interview schedules were developed for the parents and teachers respectively. for the parents, 10 questions were framed to study the changing pattern in parenting style due to social networks to fill the generation gap. 8 questions were prepared for the teachers to study the change in teaching strategies due to social media influence. these were qualitative questions where in answers were sought from the teachers and parents respectively. questionnaire: a questionnaire was made containing two sets of questions. section one contains questions related to demographic and usage of social networking applications among adolescents while the second set of questions were related to how social media affects (positive and negative impacts) adolescents and their surroundings. the data was collected through google form (no sign-in needed) by adolescents ranging from 1519 years. online mode was primarily used for data collection. observations and interpretation in the present study, an attempt has been made to understand the role of social media by gathering information from adolescents, parents and teachers using interview schedules and questionnaires. the present study was designed to study several variables related to adolescents in a sample of 40 participants where 30 were adolescents in the age range of 15-19 years, 5 were parents and 5 were teachers, irrespective of their gender. the data was analyzed qualitatively, and the findings were categorized below. adolescents adolescents can use social media to establish online identities, engage with others, and form social networks. these networks can be a significant source of support for teenagers, especially for those who are excluded. social media is also used by teenagers for entertainment and self-expression. furthermore, the platforms can educate teens on a range of topics, including healthy behaviors, by exposing them to current events, allowing them to interact across geographic barriers, and exposing them to current events. humorous or distracting social media, as well as social media that gives a genuine connection to peers and a large social network, may even help young people avoid many mental illnesses (staff, 2022). table-1: reactions of adolescents to some questions to assess their viewpoint on social media s. no. statement strongly agree agree disagree strongly disagree didn’t respond 1. do you think social networks helps you in some studies? 12 (40%) 6 (20%) 9 (30%) 3 (10%) indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 96 2. do you think using social networks has any positive impact on your life? 18 (60%) 3 (10%) 3 (10%) 6 (20%) 3. do you think social media impact your life negatively? 6 (20%) 9 (30%) 15 (50%) table above gives reactions of adolescents to some of the questions around the social media. specifically, their agreement or disagreement to statements such as “social media impact on students, life and any side effects or negative effects students may have noticed”. section below covers this area in more detail. dependency on technology most of the participants responded that they spend around 4-5 hours on social media. more than 50 per cent responded that they mostly use instagram among other social media apps. the other social media application among adolescents which is very popular is whatsapp. most of the participants (50 per cent) responded that they don’t get affected when they don’t use social media while some responded (30 per cent) that they feel relaxed and use social media as leisure. only 20 per cent responded that they feel anxious when they don’t use social media. awareness among parents great advancements and unforeseen challenges have come with modern technology. one of the most difficult of these challenges is ensuring that our children understand how to use the internet in a safe and productive manner. in this process, the question of whether parents should supervise their children’s internet usage is important (capriola, 2019). most of the participants said that their parents are aware of which social media applications they operate. reasons for usage of social media social media is a platform for socially connecting with friends and family. social media not only plays a role for entertainment but also plays an important role in academics. most of the participants responded that they use social media for academic purposes as well. 60 per cent of them responded that social media does help them with their studies as well; however 30 per cent of them disagreed with this aspect of social element. positive impact of social media most of the participants responded positively to this part. they strongly agree that social media has positive effects on their life. they all agreed on the following statements: y meeting new people helps you socialize y keeping in touch with friends is convenient y learning technology becomes easier and flexible y you are never alone and have a social presence. negative effects of social media most of the participants responded that social media has not affected them negatively while six participants agreed indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 97 that social media has negative effects too. the following are the statements that they have agreed on to: y reduction in focus y decreases/ destroys social skills y there is no concept of privacy y mental health issues y over-reliance on social media identity and loss of self-identity y social media addiction teachers the relationship between a teacher and a student was generally defined as a formalized interpersonal association between an authority figure and a subordinate who interact on nearly a day-to-day basis (larson, wilson, brown, furstenberg, & verma, 2002; bartlett, 2005). in the past two decades, classroom management has gone from a r e c o g n i t i o n a n d p u n i s h m e n t intervention-based paradigm to a focus on prevention through the development of classroom communities in which norms are established, and academic routines promote constructive work. the present study has examined the five aspects of teachers’ point of view regarding teaching style and the effects of social media on adolescents’ identity. preference of classrooms in traditional classrooms, studentteacher interaction is more, and the classes have more hands-on activity while in online classes, face-to-face interaction does not take place, and the classes are less engaging. according to the teachers, conventional classrooms are more preferred with the use of technology in physical mode instead of solely depending on the online classrooms. positive effects of social media social media plays an important role in today’s world. it has impacted society positively, and as far as adolescents are concerned, social media has a positive impact on them as well. the teachers feel that students get motivated and fostered to learn. one of the teachers believes that social media improves the creative element among students. according to the teachers, social media adaptation in learning helps boost the academic performance of students. negative effects of social media regardless of the positive effects, social media affects students negatively on a larger scale. teachers feel that social media causes distraction as students lose their concentration on their studies and enjoy browsing social media. two of the teachers believe that social media reduces the learning and research capacity of students as students use social media extensively and gather information instead of looking for it in books and journals. in addition, it affects the health of the students as well (both physical and mental health). student-teacher relationship for engaging and interactive classrooms, a positive student-teacher relationship is a key factor. also, adolescents who share a positive bond with teachers may interact more freely and comfortably with them. according to the teachers, social media has a negative impact on student-teacher relationships in terms of interaction, as well as student behavioural and learning outcomes. one of the teachers feels that social media impacts the student-teacher relationship positively, as out-ofclass communication and support are present through social media. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 98 safeguard measures for students measures suggested by teachers to safeguard students from getting influenced by social media include: y encourage non-media activities/ plan more physical activities. y accompanying and discussing the media content (including sensitive issues such as substance abuse and other inappropriate content) with adolescents. y limiting the time duration for usage of social media by adolescents. y connect physically (face-to-face) with adolescents and have meaningful interactions. y conduct self-appreciation activities to boost adolescents’ confidence. parents parenting styles and the qualities of parent–child relationships have long been researched areas in developmental and family psychology. parenting styles, according to a previous study, are important family context elements that are linked to parent–adolescent relationships (shek, 2002). the present study has examined the five aspects of parents’ points of view regarding the effects of social media on adolescents’ identity. awareness about child-friendly networking sites in today’s environment, it’s difficult to avoid social media. everyone, from children to the elderly, uses social networking sites. social media sites are now mostly used to scroll through for entertainment and information. people built social networking sites to enable them to communicate and interact more with one another through the internet. it has since been proven to be a vital instrument for global communication. all five parents were aware of the social networking sites that their children use. positive effects of social media the availability of social media has a positive impact on adolescents according the parents. they said that during covid-19, social media helped their children to continue their studies. two of the parents mentioned that their children get help from youtube when they have doubts in any topic. one of the parents mentioned that social media helps their child to gain knowledge and create awareness of the world. negative effects of social media even with its positive effects, social media can have a negative effect, too. according to the parents, their children are neither negatively impacted by social media nor do they feel they are missing out on their parenting while comparing it to social media. they think that social media may have a negative impact in the following aspects: y less quality time with family y less concentration in studies y more screen time, as some of the social sites are very engaging parent-child relationship the parent–adolescent relationship is one of the most important relationships in the life of an adolescent. during this stage, many changes take place in the parent–adolescent relationship. differences in opinion may at times exacerbate conflict between adolescents and their parents. most of the parents reported that their relationship gets affected with their children due to social media. the reasons added by them are (a) advancement in cognitive skills so parents have to have more knowledge to overcome the gap, (b) parents indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 99 themselves remain busy in social media, (c) adolescents themselves get involved in social media and give less time to the family. safeguard measures for adolescents measures given by the parents to save their children from excessive use of social media are as follows: y a schedule should be made for every family member to use social media as the leisure time y check their phones on a regular basis y educate children the difference between real and fictional world y set an age-limit for children to use social media y keep one-dialogue with the children about their daily life, romantic relationships, peer relationship, social media sites and app usages conclusion in this research, the role of social media in was examined and facts related to the positive and negative effects of social media on adolescents, change in parenting and teaching styles due to social media and the usage of different social media networks by adolescents were looked at. according to the data collected, it can be concluded that with the evolution of social media and technology, a varied range of change could be seen in parenting styles, teaching styles and children’s preferences. though parents and teachers do not promote extensive use of social media among adolescents, they themselves use it for various purposes. both the research hypotheses of teachers and parents namely, “teachers have a strong belief that social media has lot of negative effects impact adolescent students” and “parents have a cautious approach to social media and whether it is helpful or not still needs lot more exploring” both stand true and there needs to be more observations and time gapped studies to truly understand the impact social media has on students. adolescents use social media extensively and with no time as a limitation for other purposes such as social media scrolling, entertainment, etc., rather than study. the use of social media for long hours may distract their focus from their studies, and eventually affect their academic performance. as per the research, the hypotheses “adolescents do not realize the negative effects of social media and feel that it has had only a positive influence” stands false and there are a few students who do realize the negative effects of social media though the degree of the realization may be different. some ways to safeguard adolescents from getting influenced 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(1970, january 1). harnessing social media to improve educational performance of adolescent freshmen in universities. igi global. retrieved april 17, 2022, from https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/harnessingsocialmedia-to-improve-educational-performance-of-adolescent-freshmen-in-universities/291357 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 133 research article reflection of pre-service teachers on usage of information and communication technology during the school internship of bachelor of education programme p. c. agarwal principal, regional institute of education, ncert, bhubaneswar emailpcagca@yahoo.com abstract this paper analyses the knowledge and practice of information and communication technology (ict) of pre-service teachers and explores their experience of using ict during their school internship in a 2-year bachelor of education (b.ed.) programme. a descriptive survey design was employed. the sample consisted of 107 pre-service teachers from the regional institute of education, bhubaneswar, sampled through the convenience sampling technique. the achievement test, observation schedule, and focus group discussion were used to collect the data. an independent sample t-test and percentage analysis was applied to analyse the data. findings of the study revealed that both male and female pre-service teachers were found to have uniform ict knowledge as well as practice. in other words, the results of this study showed gender equality in terms of ict knowledge and practice. pre-service teachers benefitted significantly from ict use during their school internship. the paper concludes with educational implications. the outcomes of the study will be useful in the implementation of ict for quality training for pre-service teachers as well as in-service teachers of the country. keywords: teacher education, pre-service teachers, ict, school internship, gender introduction an internship is essential in the bachelor of education (b.ed.) programme as it links theoretical knowledge with practical applications (gupta, 2020). an internship gives pre-service teachers real-world teaching experience, allowing them to apply pedagogical strategies appropriately. these experiences provide invaluable insights into the dynamic and multifaceted nature of education for aspiring teachers. this hands-on experience helps pre-service teachers better understanding of classroom dynamics, school students’ needs, and effective instructional methods. furthermore, it prepares them to adapt to various learning environments. the direct interaction of pre-service teachers with school students helps to enhance effective communication, classroom management, and the ability to tailor teaching-learning approaches. interns learn how to navigate the challenges and rewards of teaching while developing resilience and problem-solving skills. the school internship period serves as a period of reflection for b.ed. students, encouraging them to evaluate and refine their teaching philosophy. interns can identify their strengths and weaknesses related to various teaching methodologies in different educational settings (ncte, 2014 & 2017). according to the national policy on education (1986), an internship model for teacher training may be adopted, as it is firmly based on the primary value of actual field experience in a realistic situation and on developing teaching skills through practice over time. according to the yashpal committee report on learning without indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 134 burden (1993), these programmes should emphasise enabling trainees to develop the ability for self-learning and independent thinking. further, the national education policy (2020) states that “the inclusion of research and internships in the undergraduate curriculum, faculty career management systems that give due weight to research, and the governance and regulatory changes that encourage an environment of research and innovation—these aspects are extremely critical for developing a research mindset in the country (p. 46)”. at the same time, the pandemic has forced us to enter the digital realm. allo (2020) reported that students had a positive attitude towards online learning during the coronavirus pandemic, considering it helpful and valuable during the crisis created by the pandemic. furthermore, huang et al. (2020) identified seven essential aspects that form the foundation of online education and play an important role in optimising learning during the pandemic situation. sun et al. (2020) found that students believe teachers should know how to continue their lectures in the online environment rather than simply transferring the information that was previously taught traditionally and that they should provide an adequate number of projects and assignments. furthermore, e-learning is very important in the e-learning process to personalise and adapt courses to their needs (babu & sridevi, 2018). online learning saves time and money (sadeghi, 2019). today, information and communication technology (ict) has a major impact on our society. the use of ict as a teaching tool has grown so necessary for teachers that many regard it as an extraordinary teaching sidekick capable of shaping teaching and learning in the digital age (akaadom & gorni, 2023). according to the united nations division for the advancement of women (2005), gender equality is one of the important concerns regarding the use of ict in various fields across the world. the use of ict must be appropriate for addressing the difficulties and reducing the inequalities and injustices that shape impoverished people (donnell & sweetman, 2018). the utilisation of ict to achieve gender equality in education and employment may start a never-ending process of positive reinforcing impact feedback between gender equality in employment and economic growth, leading to even more progress in both (mishra & kiran, 2015). the status of indian women in terms of access, utilisation, and consequences of ict technologies has been reported, where a large gender digital divide is evident in women’s lower level of access and usage of ict compared to men due to socioeconomic factors related to structure, psychological nature, and political impediments (singh et al. 2019). rationale teachers require ict skills and knowledge in this age of information explosion. teachers who can grasp the use of ict will reap enormous benefits and, of course, deepen their interest in technology issues. school internships are an opportunity for the younger generation of pre-service teacher educators to acquire knowledge and competency through rigorous practice of their knowledge and skills (sumintono et al. 2012). when compared to male secondary school teachers, female secondary school teachers had less ict knowledge, skills, and applications (mustafa, 2014). the researchers reported very minor disparities in ict literacy between males and females in middle adolescence (gnambs, 2021). recently, shah and krishnan (2023) reported that over the years, there have been correlations between ict, gender inequality, and wealth inequality. from the above rationale, it indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 135 may be noticed that less research has been undertaken to study the influence of gender on the ict knowledge and practice of pre-service teachers of b.ed. programme. thus, the existing research gap motivated the researchers to conduct the research to determine the knowledge and practice of ict of pre-service teachers during their school internship in a 2-year bachelor of education (b.ed.) programme. further, an attempt is made to study the influence of gender on the knowledge and practice of ict by the participants. pre-service teachers are provided ict knowledge and practice during the preservice teacher education programme which can be applied during their school internship. for this study, the following objectives and hypotheses were formulated: objectives i. to compare mean score of ict knowledge of male and female pre-service teachers ii. to compare mean score of ict practice of male and female preservice teachers iii. to study the overall experience of pre-service teachers using ict during their school internship iv. to find out the pre-service teachers' challenges in implementing the syllabus during their school internship hypotheses i. there is no significant difference in mean score of ict knowledge of male and female pre-service teachers ii. there is no significant difference in mean score of ict practice of male and female pre-service teachers methods design: descriptive survey research was employed in this study. population and sample: all pre-service teachers of the regional institute of education, bhubaneswar, a constituent unit of ncert, were selected as population. the sample for this study comprised 107 pre-service teachers (male = 33 and female = 74) of third semester of 2-year b.ed. programme selected through convenience sampling technique. tools and techniques used for capturing the data: following tools and techniques developed by the researchers were used for collecting the data. i. an achievement test: comprised of 50 multiple-choice items with one mark for each correct response and zero for each wrong response. its reliability coefficient of 0.85 was computed by the split-half method. ii. observation schedule: after establishing the categories and codes, an observation schedule was developed. the structured rubric was scored based on the level at which the sample was performed. iii. focus group discussion (fgd): in this case, thematic analysis was used. the steps were transcribing and analysing the fgd data to uncover themes, patterns, and insights. to interpret the information gathered, employ qualitative analytic tools. coding, categorising, and summarising the data. iv. interview and feedback from the cooperating teachers and institute supervisor: these were used for data legitimation and cross-validating what came from the other sources. procedure of data collection: preservice teachers of the third semester indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 136 of the 2-year b.ed. programme of rie bhubaneswar during the session 20212023 completed a school internship programme for 16 weeks during the third semester at different jawahar navodaya vidyalayas under the jurisdiction of regional institute of education, bhubaneswar. for assessing the ict knowledge of pre-service teachers, an achievement test comprising of 50 multiple-choice items, each with one mark for correct response and zero mark for wrong or no response, with a reliability of 0.85, was administered to the participants before going to the internship programme. an observation schedule was applied to them to assess their ict practice in the classroom during the internship. focus group discussion (fgd) was used for collecting information about their experience acquired during the school internship after returning from the internship. institute supervisors and cooperating school teachers were also interviewed to triangulate the information. by engaging in a face-to-face conversation, researchers established a rapport with interviewees, creating a comfortable and open environment conducive to sharing personal experiences and insights. the researcher deeply realized the same as the interviews of the visiting faculties (supervisor-teacher from regional institute of education, bhubaneswar) conducted many issues that did not open starkly on the surface and lay hidden cropped up along with the other challenges the students faced and the learning outcomes being established. techniques used for data analysis: assumptions underlying the normality were tested and data were seemed to be normality distributed. for analysing the data, an independent sample t-test and percentage analysis was applied through spss and excel, respectively. results (i) gender-wise comparison of mean scores of ict knowledge of pre-service teachers the first objective was to compare the mean scores of ict knowledge of male and female pre-service teachers. the data were analysed with the help of an independent sample t-test, and the results are given in table 1. table-1: gender-wise mean (m) , sd, n and t –value of pre-service teachers in ict knowledge gender m sd n t-value remark male 28.67 9.12 33 1.2 not significant female 30.93 8.48 74 from table 1, it can be seen that the t-value is 1.2, which is not significant. it indicates that there is no significant difference in mean scores of ict knowledge between male and female pre-service teachers. thus, the null hypothesis, that there is no significant difference in mean scores of ict knowledge between male and female pre-service teachers, is not rejected. therefore, it may be said that ict knowledge of pre-service teachers were found to be gender independent. (ii) gender-wise comparison of mean scores of ict practice of pre-service teachers the second objective was to compare the mean scores of ict practice of male and female preservice teachers. the data were analysed with the help of an independent sample t-test, and the results are given in table 2. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 137 table-2: gender-wise mean (m) , sd, n and t –value of pre-service teachers in ict practice gender m sd n t-value remark male 34.91 2.47 33 1.48 not significant female 34.24 1.99 74 from figure 1, it is evident that the majority of respondents, 73 per cent, had a very positive internship experience. this suggests that a significant proportion of pre-service teachers found the internship to be not only satisfactory but also noteworthy. this category’s high percentage indicates that participants have a generally positive attitude. a sizable but smaller proportion (15 per cent) of respondents rated their internship experience as “good.” while not as high as the “very good” category, many preservice teachers had a positive overall experience during their internship. almost 7 per cent of respondents selected the option “can’t say.” this could indicate that this group of pre service teachers is experiencing uncertainty or mixed emotions. it could be due to various factors, such as a lack of a clear-cut positive or negative experience from table 2, it can be seen that the t-value is 1.48, which is not significant. it implies that there is no significant difference in the mean scores of ict practice between male and female preservice teachers. thus, the null hypothesis, that there is no significant difference in mean scores of ict practice between male and female preservice teachers, is not rejected. therefore, it may be said that both male and female preservice teachers were found to have uniform ict practice. (iii) overall experience of preservice teachers using ict during their school internship the overall experience of preservice teachers has been reflected in two parts: part i: responses of pre-service teachers using ict during their school internship has been given in figure 1. figure-1: responses of pre-service teachers for practising ict during their school internship indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 138 or a neutral perception of their internship. a smaller proportion of respondents (5 per cent) had a less favourable experience, classifying it as “not good”. while this is a small sample, it does highlight a subset of pre-service teachers who encountered difficulties or concerns during their internship that influenced their perception. a small proportion of 1 per cent rated their internship experience as “not at all good”. this suggests that a very small percentage of pre-service teachers had an overwhelmingly negative impression of their internship, implying that the experience fell far short of some expectations. hence, from the above discussion, it can be said that most of the pre-service teachers had acquired positive experience from school internship. part ii: the experience of the pre-service teachers regarding various aspects has been presented in figure 2. figure-2: the experience of the pre-service teachers regarding various aspects from figure 2, it can be seen that 85 per cent of pre-service teachers reported that the host school cooperated during internship. this indicates that the vast majority received support, collaboration, and a welcoming environment from the school where they completed their internship. a notable high percentage, 93 per cent, expressed satisfaction with availability of classes for transaction of lesson. this indicates that the majority of students found the class schedule and accessibility to be beneficial to their internship experience. a 96 per cent positive response indicates that the cooperating teachers provided significant guidance during the internship. this high level of supervision and mentoring is critical for preservice teachers’ professional development. a remarkable 99 per cent indicates that pre-service teachers accessed and used ict during their internship. this reflects a modern, technologyenhanced approach to teaching and learning. the majority, indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 139 78 per cent, reported positive experiences participating in scholastic activities during internship. this suggests that a sizable proportion of pre-service teachers had the opportunity to participate in other curricular activities at school, enhancing their overall educational experience. as a result, it can be summarised that most preservice teachers had a positive internship experience. (iv) challenges of implementing the syllabus by pre-service teachers during school internship the parameter-wise percentage of positive responses collected from pre-service teachers has been displayed in figure 3. figure-3: parameter-wise percentage of positive responses collected from pre-service teacher from figure 3, it can be observed that the exceptionally high percentage (95 per cent) indicates a strong consensus among pre-service teachers that classes were readily available during their internship. this suggests that the scheduling and organisation of classes were well-structured and accessible, facilitating a conducive learning environment. the positive response reflects a vital aspect of a successful internship, where pre-service teachers can actively engage in classroom activities and gain practical teaching experience. furthermore, the 50 per cent rating for essential requirements suggests a mixed perception among pre-service teachers regarding fulfilling necessary elements during their internship. this could imply an equal division of respondents who feel that basic requirements were adequately met and those who think otherwise. further investigation is needed to identify specific elements categorised as “essential requirements” and understand the factors contributing to the perceived satisfaction or dissatisfaction. the 80 per cent rating for ict infrastructure indicates a relatively positive perception among pre-service teachers regarding the availability and usability of ict during their school internship. this suggests that a significant majority had access to technological tools and resources that can contribute to indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 140 effective teaching practices. the positive response underscores the importance of integrating technology into education, aligning with contemporary teaching methods. discussions findings of the present study revealed that male and female pre-service teachers were found to have the same ict knowledge. their knowledge of ict was noticed to be independent of gender. ict practice seemed to be similar in the case of male and female pre-service teachers as evident from the study. these findings are consistent with the previous studies (alkhasawneh & alanazy, 2015; koohang, 1986 and unegbu et al., 2019). findings from the study indicated that pre-service teachers acquired positive and enriching professional development experiences during the internship. further, it was also found that the use of ict knowledge and practice contributed to improve their teaching skills and competencies, which are consistent with the earlier studies (bhat & bashir, 2018; sharma, 2022). the high percentages across various aspects, from host school cooperation to ict use and guidance by cooperating teachers, indicate a generally positive and enriching professional development experience during the internship. delimitations this study was delimited to students of b.ed. programme of regional institute of education, bhubaneswar, odisha, a constituent unit of ncert. students in the third semester of b.ed. (session: 2021-2023). school internships were conducted at jawahar navodaya vidyalayas under the jurisdiction of the regional institute of education, bhubaneswar. only two levels of gender, namely male and female, were considered in the present study. educational implications findings of this research demonstrated that for developing effective teachers, ict knowledge and practices are of significant importance in terms of planning, monitoring, assessment, and evaluation of various activities undertaken during the school internship. effective practices of ict may be implemented for improving the learning environment in schools as well as in teacher education institutions for teaching and learning abstract concepts of various subjects through animation, simulation and other innovative strategies. practices of ict might be used in organising different curricular and other curricular activities efficiently and keeping their records for the future. further, knowledge and practices of ict may be applied for survey research in the field of teacher education as well as for the accountability of all institutions. moreover, the skills of ict might be implemented for providing research and innovations on various dimensions of teacher education. conclusion the outcomes of the study revealed that both male and female preservice teachers were found to be independent of gender in terms of ict knowledge and practice during their school internship. in other words, the findings  of this study revealed gender equality in terms of ict knowledge and practices, which is one of the most important concerns in the world. the school internship facilitates pre-service teachers performing their best in ict usage. as a result, the internship enables students and teaching staff to monitor student-teachers and track emerging technologies and their live applications. internship experiences help in evaluating the teacher’s ability, promote socialisation within the profession, stimulate the development indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 141 of teaching-learning concepts, provide a safe field for experimentation, allow insight into new perspectives, and increase motivation to continue learning and reflecting. the results of this study therefore recommend that internship programmes are essential for preparing teachers with the skills and competencies of the modern world. thus, effective knowledge and practices of ict might be implemented in monitoring and coordinating various teacher education programmes regarding its development at the national and international levels. (acknowledgement: the authors of this article acknowledge their heartfelt thanks to pre-service teachers of the two-year b.ed. programme (session: 2021-2023) of the regional institute of education, bhubaneswar, odisha, for showing their interest and cooperating during the data collection.) references alkhasawneh, s., & alanazy, s. (2015). adopt ict among academic staff in aljouf university: using utaut model. mediterranean journal of social sciences, 6(1), 490–494. akaadom, b.w., & gorni, d. (2023). basic school teachers’ ict knowledge and skills in integrating technology into teaching and learning. international journal on data science and technology, 9(2), 20-27. allo, m.d.g. (2020). is the online learning good in the midst of covid-19 pandemic? the case of efl learners. journal sinestesia, 10(1), 1–10. babu, d.g.s., & sridevi, d.k. (2018). importance of e-learning in higher education: a study. international journal of research culture society, 2, 84–88. bhat, s. a.,& bashir, m. (2018). measuring ict orientation: scale development & validation. education and information technologies, 23(3), 1123–1143. donnell, a.o., & sweetman, c. (2018). introduction: gender, development and ict. gender & development, 26(2) , 217–229. gnambs, t. (2021). the development of gender differences in information and communication technology (ict) literacy in middle adolescence. computers in human behavior,114, 106533. gupta, m. (2020).role and challenges of school internship in b.ed. program. jagannath university research journal, i(i), 64-67. huang, r., tlili, a., yang, j., chang, t.-w., wang, h., zhuang, r.,& liu, d. (2020). handbook on facilitating flexible learning during educational disruption: the chinese experience in maintaining undisrupted learning in covid-19 outbreak; smart learning institute of beijing normal university: beijing, china. https://iite.unesco.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/ handbook-on-facilitating-flexible-learning-in-covid-19-outbreak-slibnu-v1.2-20200315. pdf koohang, a.a. 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(2020). gender influence on the use of information and communication technology by lecturers in library schools in south-east and south-south zones of nigeria. international journal of academic library and information science studies, 7(5), 112-117. united nations (2005). women 2000 & beyond: gender equality and empowerment of women through ict (2005). united nations division for the advancement of women department of economic and social affairs.https://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/public/w2000-09.05ict-e.pdf indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 22 research article designing and validating technological pedagogical content knowledge strategies for teaching mathematics vrinda vijayan1 & v.p. joshith2 1former research scholar, department of education, central university of kerala, periye (p.o), kasaragod, kerala 2assistant professor, department of education, central university of kerala, periye (p.o), kasaragod, kerala, email: getjoshith@gmail.com abstract the ultimatum of the twenty-first century for preparing teachers in technology-rich mathematics classrooms emphasizes an approach in mathematics teaching that makes use of effective choices in teachers’ use of technology when teaching a particular content. technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpck) is a theoretical knowledge construct enlightening a way to integrate content-specific knowledge and pedagogical strategies while teaching with technology. the major goal of the research was to understand and describe how technological pedagogical content knowledge strategies can be designed and validated for guiding mathematics teaching. technological pedagogical content knowledge strategies were designed by adopting the methodology of design-based research. these strategies include technological pedagogical content knowledge strategies framework that covers intervention in nine phases for framing the tpck-based lesson transcript (tpck script). the tpck strategies were evaluated using the tpck strategies framework evaluation proforma. the central theme of this instructional strategy is that it emphasizes the establishment of knowledge–building community learning environments. considering and applying new instructional strategies can help instructors to understand the uses of pedagogical content knowledge, as well as to reflect the role of technological content knowledge and technological pedagogical knowledge that can be adapted in mathematics teaching in all educational levels and environments. keywords: technological pedagogical content knowledge strategies, instructional strategies, technological pedagogical content knowledge, teaching mathematics, mathematics education introduction significant shifts in the views on teachers’ knowledge required for effective teaching have transcended from pck (pedagogical content knowledge) to a more technically specialized tpck (technological pedagogical content knowledge) in the 21st century. teachers of the 21st century are confronted with expanding their knowledge for teaching with the multitude of recent and emerging technologies, technologies which they have inadequate experience with, much less for integrating them as learning tools in their classrooms. to address this intricacy in the blending of knowledge and experience, they actively search for experiences to assist in reframing their knowledge for teaching with technologies. this knowledge was described as technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpck), a dynamic, theoretical construct for designing, implementing, and evaluating curriculum and instruction with technology. mathematization of one’s thinking is promising by imparting mathematics education. mathematics education nurtures cognitive abilities and attitudes indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 23 to make life more meaningful. it is a process of human enlightenment and empowerment aiming at achieving a better and higher quality of life. in this era of science and technology, there is a need for more and more mathematical knowledge to confront the challenges of modern technological society. mathematics has its language with signs, symbols, terms, operations, etc. it helps in drawing conclusions and interpreting various ideas and themes. mathematics has its tools lay intuition, logic, reasoning, analysis, individuality, generality, and construction, etc. the teaching of everyday mathematics has become an indispensable part of general education. with the recent emphasis on using technologies in education, particularly in mathematics instruction, the need has emerged to prepare mathematics teachers with effective classroom technology integration skills. the challenge is to design an appropriate strategy for teachers of mathematics by which they can relearn, rethink and redefine teaching and learning as they confront their current conceptions of teaching. new technologies are advancing into many aspects of our lives, and this progression is evident in the development of technologies to support the teaching and learning of mathematics. a teacher who teaches mathematics should possess the knowledge for integrating different pedagogies and technologies into the content areas. the notion of teachers orchestrating their students’ collaboration in mathematics affords new ways to conceptualize teacher pedagogy. teacher knowledge is never stable, but always changing based on the technologies of the discipline. therefore, designing strategies grounded in the tpck framework which promotes teaching with technology as a process of developing knowledge that becomes teacher actions in practice supports the development of contentcentric pedagogies for teaching with technology. background determining an appropriate design for a teaching-learning progression that blends both theoretical and practical experiences in tpck must draw from multiple research results. technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpck) is a supportive knowledge framework for the design of technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpck) strategies. tpck promotes teachers’ teaching content as a complex interaction among content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and technological knowledge, guiding them in the strategic thinking of when, where, and how to guide students’ learning with technologies. tpck frames teachers’ knowledge as the intersection of these three knowledge bases, promoting the intersection as the desirable knowledge upon which teachers rely when designing and implementing curriculum and instruction while guiding students’ thinking and learning with technologies in specific content areas. technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpck) mishra and koehler (2006) describe the tpck as an amalgam of three knowledge bases: content knowledge (ck), pedagogical knowledge (pk) and technological knowledge (tk), in essence indicating the importance of content-specific instructional design. their model is built upon shulman’s (1986) well-established construct of pedagogical content knowledge (pck). koehler and mishra (2008) conceptualized the tpck framework as an integration of seven domains of knowledge, which is unique from the other existing individual knowledge forms. they are1) content knowledge, indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 24 2) pedagogical knowledge, 3) technological knowledge, 4) pedagogical content knowledge, 5) technological content knowledge, 6) technological pedagogical knowledge 7) technological pedagogical content knowledge technological pedagogical content knowledge framework as depicted by koehler and mishra (2008) is shown in figure1. figure-1: technological pedagogical content knowledge framework as depicted by koehler & mishra, 2008 the knowledge components of tpck the seven knowledge components of tpck are described by koehler and mishra (2008) as follows. 1) content knowledge (ck): content knowledge represents the knowledge of the disciplines proposed to be taught or learned. the level of content knowledge varies according to different instructional situations like the differences between the content of mathematics at the school level and graduation level. content knowledge signifies knowledge of the content area they teach. for example, knowledge about the content of 8th grade mathematics. 2) pedagogical knowledge (pk): pedagogical knowledge deals with the knowledge of the methods, strategies, activities, processes, and practices that encourage learning. for example, knowledge about how to use brainstorming in teaching. 3) technological knowledge (tk): technological knowledge refers to the knowledge of affordances of technologies that help in learning. according to koehler and mishra (2008), educational technology is all of the tools, techniques, and collective knowledge applicable to education including analog technologies like chalkboard, pencil, and microscope, etc., and digital technologies like the computer, blogging, and internet. for example, knowledge about how to use the web 2.o tools like wikis, blogs, podcasts, etc. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 25 4) pedagogical content knowledge (pck): it is the intersection of pedagogical knowledge (pk) and content knowledge (ck). some contents cannot be taught to the students using merely an individual pedagogy alone. it emphasizes the importance of the particular type of pedagogies for teaching particular content areas. pedagogical content knowledge is a term coined by shulman (1986), which refers to the transformation of content into pedagogically sound forms and to the elucidation of subject matter to be grasped by students in new ways. for example, knowledge of using discussion methods when teaching a social issue. 5) technological content knowledge (tck): technological content knowledge refers to the combination of technological knowledge (tk) with content knowledge (ck). technological content knowledge is the technological depiction of content knowledge without any account to teaching (cox & graham, 2009). tck conceptualizes teachers’ understanding of how technology can facilitate student skill development in a given subject. that is, teachers must be intimately familiar with the content as well as have the capacity to effectively choose and appropriately leverage technology to support their students’ learning. technology provides extensive representational opportunities for teachers to display content to their students. these representations exist independent of the teacher’s knowledge about their use in a pedagogical context. for example, knowledge about using online dictionaries. 6) technological pedagogical knowledge (tpk): it is the interaction of technological knowledge (tk) and pedagogical knowledge (pk).tpk is the knowledge of using technologies for pedagogical purposes with no reference towards a specific content area. tpk conceptualizes knowledge about how technologies may be used to meet pedagogical aims in the classroom (koehler & mishra, 2008).in other words, teachers deeply consider how technologies influence or are influenced, by their pedagogical style and their students’ learning styles. tpk is considered to be independent of specific content or topic. it means, tpk can be applied in any content domain. further, niess (2008) asserted that teachers with tpk should consider students’ learning styles when choosing a particular technology. for example, knowledge about how to use wikis for collaborative learning. 7) technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpck or tpack): technological pedagogical content knowledge is the interaction of pck and tck and tpk.tpck is the knowledge required by teachers for using pedagogical techniques that constructively incorporate technologies to teach content. tpck illustrates teachers’ ability to engage in a transactional negotiation among their content, pedagogy, and technology knowledge domains (mishra & koehler, 2006). teachers implement new skills and understandings when they combine these knowledge domains while teaching with technology. thus, the tpck construct includes using pedagogical techniques that constructively and continuously incorporate technologies to teach content. for example, knowledge about how to use youtube facilitates collaborative learning in teaching the application of physics laws. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 26 context knowledge of the surrounding educational context includes knowledge about the school, the school social networks, students, parental concerns, the available infrastructure, etc. for example, teachers may be limited to integrating technology into their teaching due to a shortage of technological accessibility. the researchers identified and proposed technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpck) as a path that can be applied in designing technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpck) strategies for teaching mathematics with technologies. definition of key terms the key terms expressed in the statement of the problem are defined further. technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpck) technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpck) entails an emergent body of knowledge consisting of three knowledge components of content, pedagogy, and technology and is also supplemented by the interactions among these domains. technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpck) strategies operationally, technological pedagogical content knowledge strategies are the instructional strategies involving the integration of three different domains of knowledge of technological knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and content knowledge on mutual integration of two it becomes technological content knowledge (tck), pedagogical content knowledge (pck), and technological pedagogical knowledge (tpk) and finally, all the three mutually integrates to form technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpck). in the present study, technological pedagogical content knowledge strategies include technological pedagogical content knowledge strategies framework and tpck script. the researcher benefited from the nine phased technological pedagogical content knowledge strategies framework-based lesson planning for framing lesson transcripts (tpck script). objectives 1. to design technological pedagogical content knowledge strategies (tpck strategies) for teaching mathematics 2. to validate the technological pedagogical content knowledge strategies (tpck strategies) for teaching mathematics methodology the researcher used the design-based research methodology over the three years (2016-2019).in design-based research (dbr), development and research take place through iterative cycles of design, enactment, analysis, and redesign. edelson (2002) stated that dbr is conducted “through a parallel and retrospective process of reflection upon the design and its outcomes; the design researchers elaborate upon their initial hypotheses and principles, refining, adding, and discardinggradually knitting together a coherent theory that reflects their understanding of the design experience”. in dbr, the content, structure, and instructional approaches of intervention are first identified in the analysis and exploration phase of a design project through a literature review and the input of experts and practitioners. this information is then used to design the first iteration of the intervention. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 27 a preliminary literature review is conducted to identify draft design principles that have the potential to address the problem the intervention is being designed to solve. tpck strategies for teaching mathematics were designed according to three core processes of dbr outlined by mckenny and reeves (2012) as (a) analysis and exploration, (b) design and construction, and (c) evaluation and reflection and adopted a qualitative approach in dbr. through designbased research iterative cycles, system prototypes were created with enhanced design features, more sophisticated functionality, and less complexity. tools and materials designed for the study the following tools and materials were designed for the present study. 1. technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpck) strategies framework (vrinda vijayan & joshith v. p., 2018) 2. tpck-based lesson transcript (tpck script) (vrinda vijayan & joshith v. p.,2018) 3. tpck strategies framework evaluation proforma (vrinda vijayan & joshith v. p., 2018) description of the tools and materials used the following tools and materials were very carefully selected for conducting the present study after having a deep study regarding the suitability and appropriateness of the tools. a detailed discussion of every tool used in the present study is given below: 1. technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpck) strategies framework technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpck) strategies framework was designed by the researcher with the guidance of the research supervisor. tpck strategies framework was developed for higher secondary school students of mathematics. the major aim of preparing the tpck strategies framework was to enhance the mathematical ability of students at higher secondary school in the science stream. it was developed based on the theoretical notions of punya mishra and matthew j. koehler on technological pedagogical content knowledge (koehler & mishra, 2008). it involves the integration of content, pedagogy, and technology systematically as in five-step curricular-based teaching (harris & hofer, 2009). the framework included 33 learning points following certain tasks, which cover a range of topics from conic sections, introduction to threedimensional geometry, limits, and derivatives. during the conduct of the experiment, a scheduled amount of forty periods was uniformly fixed to complete the material. it was prepared following ten distinct types of exercises for each learning point: 1) content 2) pedagogy 3) technology 4) learning objectives 5) anticipated mathematical ability 6) introduction 7) tpck narration 8) pupil activity 9) modification 10) enrichment. the teacher used a variety of pedagogies and technologies merged for teaching the selected content. phases of tpck strategies framework tpck strategies framework was designed to enhance the mathematical ability of higher secondary school students regarding instructional objectives conceptual understanding, procedural knowledge and problem-solving. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 28 tpck strategies framework covers nine phases-content-objectives phase, pedagogical decision phase, technological infusion phase, ability streaming phase, foundation phase, task management phase, sharpening/boosting phase, final plenary phase, and enrichment phase as shown in figure 2. figure-2: phases of tpck strategies framework the details of each phase in the development of the technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpck) strategies framework are given below. phase i content-objectives phase: in the first phase of the tpck strategies framework, the teacher selects the content to teach and defines target behavior in terms of the desired behaviour. i.e.: content-objectives phase includes (a) selecting content to teach (b) defining the target behavior/ learning outcome of a content (a) selecting content to teach: the teacher selects the content area for teaching. for the present study, the teacher selected topics from the chapters’ viz. conic sections, introduction to three-dimensional geometry, limits and derivatives. (b) defining the target behavior/ learning outcome of content: the teacher lists out the instructional objectives to be attained at the end of the content area selected. phase ii pedagogical decision phase: in the second phase of the experiment, the teacher takes decisions regarding the pedagogy to be used and activities to be combined. i.e.: the pedagogical decision phase includes (a) fix an apt pedagogy (b) formulate the activity/ discourse types to combine indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 29 (a) fix an apt pedagogy: the teacher determines the pedagogy that is more suitable to teach the selected topic and to attain the learning objectives. for the present study, the teacher used pedagogies like demonstration, simulation, discussion, digital storytelling, laboratory method, collaborative learning, inquiry learning, seminar and problem-solving tasks, etc (b) formulate the activity/discourse types to combine: teacher plans about suitable activities or discourse types to be included and assures learner participation. the number of tasks and time for each task are set well. phase iii technological infusion phase: emerging trends and developments in technology that are most relevant for the topic/content considering its utility and practicability is infused at this phase. i.e.: technological infusion phase includes (a) selecting appropriate technology/software (b) evaluating practicability of the technology selected (a) selecting appropriate technology/ software: the teacher selects the most appropriate software or technology according to selected pedagogy and content. for each content area, the teacher used different instructional devices like a laptop and projector for making use of web 2.o tools, videos, blooket, geogebra, and other application software in mathematics. (b) evaluating practicability of the technology selected: the teacher verifies whether the selected technology or software is practicable in the actual classroom situation. phase iv ability streaming phase: the teacher anticipates mathematical ability to be acquired through the integration of technology, pedagogy, and content. i.e.: ability streaming phase includes (a) mathematical ability to be inculcated (b) specifying the anticipated mathematical abilities (a) mathematical ability to be inculcated: by teaching a particular content using selected pedagogy and technology, the anticipated mathematical abilities namely conceptual understanding, procedural knowledge and problemsolving formed are identified. (b) specifying the anticipated mathematical abilities: the teacher specifies the mathematical abilities for teaching a particular content using different pedagogies and technologies. phasev foundation phase: at this phase, the teacher directs students about the new way of learning the lesson. the teacher introduces a problematic situation interestingly either visually or orally and assesses the students’ entry behaviour. i.e.: foundation phase includes (a) orienting the lesson or induction (b) introducing a problematic situation (c) testing the entry behaviour indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 30 (a) orienting the lesson or induction: the teacher orients students about the new way of teaching. (b) introducing a problematic situation: the teacher introduces a problematic situation to students in an interesting manner and allows space for students’ independent thinking. (c) testing the entry behaviour: by the problem presented, the teacher assesses students’ previous knowledge in the respective area. phasevi task management phase: the phase at which the teacher incorporates the activities by distributing and supplying systematically to those units which have to perform with the decision of the tasks assigned and then presented. i.e.: task management phase includes (a) a presentation focusing on the desired behaviour (b) progression/ distribution of task (a) a presentation focusing on the desired behaviour: the teacher presents the content integrated with suitable pedagogy and technology (b) progression/distribution of task: the learning progresses with the activities assigned. phasevii boosting/sharpening phase: boosting is done by adopting the principle of reinforcement. by this, the teacher ensures an enhancement of mathematical ability and then reinforces this with the integration of technological pedagogical content knowledge. also, the teacher clarifies students’ doubts. i.e.: boosting phase includes (a) boosting up through tpck (b) reach solution/sharpening outcome (a) boosting up through tpck: the teacher boosts the students with reinforcement. (b) reach solution/sharpening outcome: students can solve the problem and ensure the enhancement of mathematical ability. phaseviii final plenary phase: in the eighth phase, the newly learned thing becomes an integral part of the learner. this is made clear by feedback, reflection, and evaluation. i.e.: final plenary phase includes (a) assessment /evaluation (b) reflection /closure/feedback (a) assessment/evaluation: the teacher measures the attainment of the desired behaviour. (b) reflection/closure/feedback: teacher collects feedback from students. phaseix enrichment phase: in the last phase, the learned behaviour is enriched and followed up by the assignments given. i.e.: enrichment phase includes (a) follow-up/assignments (b) resources (more) (a) follow-up/assignments: the learned ability is enriched by assignments or follow-ups given. (a) resources: more resources connected with the content are accessed by giving instructions regarding the sources. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 31 description of phases of tpck strategies framework is given in figure 3. figure-3: description of phases of tpck strategies framework 2. tpck script (tpckbased lesson transcript) the researcher prepared lesson transcripts based on tpck strategies framework for the selected chapters from xi standard mathematics ncert textbook prescribed for kerala. it incorporated 33 learning points of 40 lesson scripts. tpck script followed the nine phases of the tpck strategies framework developed by the investigator. tpck scripts were prepared following ten distinct types of exercises for each learning point: 1) content 2) learning objectives 3) pedagogy 4) technology 5) anticipated mathematical ability 6) introduction 7) tpck narration 8) pupil activity 9) modification 10) enrichment. these exercises are included in the nine phases of the tpck strategies framework. 3. tpck strategies framework evaluation proforma indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 32 the teacher prepared tpck strategies framework and tpck script and they were given to the experts for validation. the tpck strategies framework was evaluated using an evaluation proforma. the evaluation proforma for experts was developed by vijayan, v. & joshith, v.p., (2018) on a 5-point rating scale. the qualities of good strategies were listed out for preparing the evaluation proforma and the most essential qualities were selected with experts’ opinions. it was developed by considering the following 12 components like objectives, content, pedagogy, technology, presentation, sequencing, motivation/ curiosity, evaluation/ feedback, practicability/ usability, learner participation, teacher role, and integration. the investigator prepared 40 items based on the above aspects. on consultation with experts in the field and the supervising teacher, some items were modified and some were rejected. the final form of evaluation proforma consists of 20 items. the number of items in various components of the evaluation proforma (final) is given in table 1. table-1: break up of number of items in various components of evaluation proforma sl. no. components no. of items 1. objectives 1 2. content 2 3. pedagogy 2 4. technology 2 5. presentation 3 6. sequencing 1 7. motivation /curiosity 1 8. evaluation/feedback 2 9. practicability/usability 2 10. learner participation 2 11. teacher role 1 12. integration 1 total 20 administration of evaluation proforma for validating tpck strategies framework & tpck script the investigator consulted 12 experts including mathematics teacher educators, research officers, technical experts, higher secondary school teachers, and subject experts to evaluate the developed tpck strategies framework and tpck script. the evaluation proforma was given to indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 33 them for their feedback regarding the framework. the experts were requested to indicate their opinion regarding the framework by putting a tick mark (√) in the appropriate column. the responses were collected and scored. all the statements were rated on a five-point scale of excellent / good / moderate / satisfactory/ poor. individual criterion score excellent good moderate satisfactory poor = 5 points = 4 points = 3 points = 2 points = 1 point analysis of tpck strategies evaluation proforma the collected data were analysed using percentage analysis. the response patterns of the experts concerning the components are given in table 2. table-2: the ratings of experts on the tpck strategies framework (in percentage) sl. no. components item no. expert rating in percentage excellent good moderate satisfactory poor 1. objectives 1 75 25 0 0 0 2. content 2 50 50 0 0 0 3 41.67 25 33.33 0 0 3. pedagogy 4 83.33 8.33 0 8.33 0 5 33.33 50 16.67 0 0 4. technology 6 66.67 33.33 0 0 0 7 66.67 33.33 0 0 0 5. presentation 8 50 41.67 8.33 0 0 9 58.33 33.33 8.33 0 0 10 66.67 33.33 0 0 0 6. sequencing 11 75 25 0 0 0 7. motivation / curiosity 12 41.67 33.33 25 0 0 8. evaluation/ feedback 13 50 41.67 8.33 0 0 14 33.33 66.67 0 0 0 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 34 sl. no. components item no. expert rating in percentage excellent good moderate satisfactory poor 9. practicability/ usability 15 50 50 0 0 0 16 58.33 33.33 8.33 0 0 10. learner participation 17 33.33 66.67 0 0 0 18 50 33.33 16.67 0 0 11. teacher role 19 33.33 66.67 0 0 0 12. integration 20 50 33.33 16.67 0 0 from table 2, it is clear that the observed frequencies of the opinions-excellent and goodwere very much greater than their counterparts for most of the statements in the evaluation proforma. so it can be assured that the developed tpck strategies satisfy all the criteria of good mathematics learning giving importance to mathematical abilities. the tpck strategies are flexible and so can be modified according to the requirements of the users if necessary. evaluation report on tpck strategies framework a report on the evaluation by the experts in the concerned areas on technological pedagogical content knowledge strategies was made. the major dimensions considered for evaluation were objectives, content, pedagogy, technology, presentation, sequencing, motivation/ curiosity, evaluation/ feedback, practicability/ usability, learner participation, teacher role, and integration. the inclusion of learning objectives in the tpck strategies framework and tpck script was accomplished. the content selected for teaching using tpck strategies framework with the support of tpck script was apt and it was logically progressing from simple to complex or concrete to abstract. suitable pedagogies for each content area were adopted and facilitated collaborative learning. most of the suitable technologies were selected according to the content and animations were processed to provide clarity of concepts. the presentation can provide a visual experience to learners and activities were coined for mathematical abilities; the arrangement of phases was excellent in their opinion. there was also provision for motivation to students. multiple methods to assess student performance were included in the framework and there is a provision for feedback. the practicability of the activities included in the framework and usability for mathematics teachers were ensured. it is learner-focused and offers situations for creativity among students’ key role for teachers while using the framework. the overall design of the framework was excellent. the content validity and face validity of the framework and tpck script were established by the evaluation proforma. inter-rater reliability (inter judge reliability) refers to the consistency of two or more independent scores, raters, or observers. from table 1, the consistency in the rating of different experts is verified. hence the inter-rater indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 35 reliability was ensured. findings the iterative nature of the design-based research process over the three years (2016-2019) produced a rich description and clarification of the instructional activities, tasks, forms of interaction, and methods of evaluation supporting the mathematics community of learners as a knowledge-building community in mathematics. upon the completion of the design for the teaching of mathematics, key instructional strategies emerged in support of the identification of the tpck strategies. the validity and reliability of the designed tpck strategies were established. features of tpck strategies framework tpack strategies framework covers intervention through nine phases like content-objectives phase, pedagogical decision phase, technological infusion phase, ability streaming phase, foundation phase, task management phase, sharpening/boosting phase, final plenary phase and enrichment phase. the phases have well defined syntax which can self-direct the teachers to create instructional designs in various domains of learning. the objectives stated are specific to the context to apply, here the focus is kept on the practical context rather than theoretical notions and the activities listed are properly sequenced with the phases. the teachers’ knowledge in managing activities was vital in focusing the strategies in this framework. it involves the integration of content, pedagogy, and technology and their interactions systematically which offers a motivating environment for practice allowing visual demonstrations, interactions to support learning activities. finally, as an instructional strategy, tpack is one of the most flexible frameworks in terms of content, pedagogy, and technology. discussion and conclusion the strategy evolved through research on the design of tpck in mathematics teaching. the important features of the strategy include intervention on nine phases namely content-objectives phase, pedagogical decision phase, technological infusion phase, ability streaming phase, foundation phase, task management phase, sharpening/ boosting phase, final plenary phase, and enrichment phase. all phases are clearly defined and systematic with well-defined objectives and properly sequenced activities. the teacher‘s role is that of a facilitator and classroom management was student-centered. the findings of the research reinforced the importance of instructor actions in creating an environment using technological pedagogical content knowledge where different types of knowledge components are integrated. references american association of colleges for teacher education (aacte) committee on innovation and technology (eds.). (2008). handbook of technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpck) for educators. new york, ny: routledge. cox, s., & graham, c. r. (2009) diagramming tpack in practice: using an elaborated model of the tpack framework to analyse and depict teacher knowledge. tech trends, 53(5), 60-69. doi:10.1007/s11528-009-0327-1 edelson, d.c. (2002).design research: what we learn when we engage in design. journal of the learning sciences, 11(1), 105-121. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 36 harris, j., & hofer, m. (2009). instructional planning activity types as vehicles for curriculum based tpack development. in c. d. maddux, (ed.). research highlights in technology and teacher education 2009 (pp. 99-108). chesapeake, va: society for information technology in teacher education (site). http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/1626/2710 https://edtechbooks.org/studentguide/design-based_research koehler, m.j., & mishra, p. (2008). introducing tpck. aacte committee on innovation and technology (ed.), the handbook of technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpck) for educators (pp. 3-29). mahwah, nj: lawrence erlbaum associates. mckenney, s., & reeves, t.c. (2012) conducting educational design research. new york, ny: routledge. mishra, p., & koehler, m. j. (2006). technological pedagogical content knowledge: a framework for teacher knowledge. teachers college record, 108(6), 1017-1054. niess, m. l. (2008). guiding pre-service teachers in developing tpck. in aect committee on innovation and technology (ed.), handbook of technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpck) for educators (pp. 223-250). new york: routledge niess, m. l. (2016). technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpack) framework for k-12 teacher preparation: emerging research and opportunities: emerging research and opportunities. usa: igi global. shulman, l. (1986). those who understand: knowledge growth in teaching. educational researcher, 15(2), 4-14. vijayan, v. (2019).technological pedagogical content knowledge strategies for enhancing mathematical ability of higher secondary school students (doctoral dissertation). retrieved from https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/handle/10603/304706# vijayan, v., & joshith, v. p. (2018). technological pedagogical content knowledge: a framework for 21st century teacher cognition, international journal of research and analytical reviews, 325-329. research article effectiveness of ict based learning material in science learning faiza altaf* and jessy abraham** *assistant professor, manuu, hyderabad **professor, jase, jamia millia lslamia, new delhi email: ltaffaizasweet@gmail.com abstract in the present study researchers developed an /ct based learning material. it was a self­ /earning material, which was based on the principles of programmed learning. in the present study, an /ct based programmed learning material was developed on the topics "matter in our surroundings" and "is matter around us pure" based on the content of the ncert science textbook for class ix students. the sample for the present study comprised of 180 students of class ix. a quasi-experimental research design was adopted for the study. this study involved the dependent variable as -treatment groups (experimental group vs. control group} and an independent variable asachievement scores of students. an /ct based programmed learning material, pre, and post achievement tests developed by the researchers were used. the data were analyzed by using the mean, s. d., and analysis of variance. analysis of data revealed that teaching with an /ct based programmed learning material is more effective for the students as compared to the conventional method of teaching. keywords: ict, programmed learning, self-learning introduction information and communication technology (ict) has made great progress towards the improvement of quality of education. also to meet the increasing demands in the educational context of digital india, it is imperative to use technological devices in the teaching-learning process. the technological devices are expected to enhance the academic performance of students by the application of better techniques of educational technology in the system of education. the significant role of technology in school education has been highlighted in the national curriculum framework 2005 (ncf, 2005). according to ncf-2005, i indian journal of educational technology volume 3, no. 1,january 2021 there is an urgent need to convince the educational system, which should play an important role in engineering the teaching-learning situation and to make it a more meaningful experience for both teachers and their pupils. ncf -2005 also focuses that it is necessary to enable students to access sources of knowledge and interpret them, and to create knowledge rather than acting as passive users. at this level it is required to promote a flexible model of curriculum transaction, promote individual learning styles. in national curriculum framework focus group on educational technology emphasized that "recognizes the potential of ict and the internet, promote universal ii access, facilitate participatory forums, and develop communities and interest groups and enable students to access sources of knowledge and interpret them and to create knowledge rather than be passive users. to promote flexible models of curriculum transaction and also promote individual learning styles" {ncf, 2005). the use of ict for personalized learning enables and empowers young people to pursue their knowledge. the applications of ict make possible new and better ways of student learning {kolderle & mcdonald, 2009).ict pol icy {2008) spotted a light on the role of ict in education. there are many advantages and constraints in the applications of ict. the use of ict aids in education has plenty of resources to enhance teaching skills and learning ability. lct as a learning tool has provided immediacy to education. through ict students can learn any time anywhere. shah {1964) developed and validated linear programmed learning material on equation solving and also evaluated its effectiveness against the conventional lecture method. desai {1966) developed a programmed learning material on "the types of compound". the results revealed that the programmed learning approach was more effective than the conventional method of teaching. desai {1985) made an investigation into the efficacy of different instructional media in the teaching of science to the pupils of class viii. the major findings of the study revealed that the programmed learning approach was more effective than the traditional way of teaching science. mohanty {2010) find out the effect of programmed instruction on achievement of secondary school children in life science and found that ill students learn through programmed learning material achieved more as compared to the traditional approach in life science. tabassum {2015) revealed that there is an improvement in student achievement when they are taught with the use of ict tools. devaki {2015) explained the multimedia teaching improves the understanding and achievement of students. solanki {2015) suggested that teachers should uptake the use of a new multimedia module in the teaching-learning process. singh & husain (2015) used multimedia content in teaching of science and found it effective in improving the achievement level of students in hard spots of science. need of the study since it was established by many pieces of researches that every student has different learning preferences, thus course material must be presented in such a way that no student unfairly gets disadvantaged. often due to various circumstances, teachers may adopt a specific teaching method without considering the individualized needs of the group being taught. it may result in an unsatisfactory learning outcome from some students. thus, when presenting learning material to students, all student learning styles must be supported. further, the interaction between the learners and the learning material should be taken into consideration to improve the quality of educational outcomes {alharbi, et.al., 2011 ). accommodating instruction to students with differences is one of the most fundamental problems of education since earlier to till date. the problem of indian journal of educational technology i volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 accommodation ofi ndividual differences is very important as many educators have suggested that instruction should be completely individualized so that the learners can work independently at their own pace. children of today are the future citizens and they are going to be the pillars of the country. hence, it is essential, that each pillar is as strong as the other (balasubramanian & meera, 2002). somehow the problem of accommodation of individual differences in the learning of students can be overcome by the use of technology in education. when we focus on the contributions of technology in education, programmed learning seems like one of the most important contributions of educational technology for individualized instructions. programmed learning may be viewed as a standardized selfinstructional system, in which the learner interacts with each step in a program presented through instructional material. programmed learning is a method of presenting the new subject matter to students in a graded sequence of controlled steps. students can work through the programmed material by themselves and after each step test their comprehension by answering an examination question or filling in a diagram. they are then immediately shown the correct answer or given additional information. computers and other types of teaching machines are often used to present the material. computer-assisted instruction and computer-based instruction can be regarded as sophisticated extensions of programmed instruction theory and concept. it is also evident that computer-mediated instructions are i indian journal of educational technology volume 3, no. 1,january 2021 based upon programmed instruction theory and research (lockee et.al, 2001 ). bangert drowns (1985) concluded that computer-based delivery systems have a valuable role in supporting instruction. according to satyarthi (2015), learning modules and programmed learning have many features in common. the main principles of the module are self-explanatory, self-contained, self­ directed, self -motivated, and self­ evaluated as programmed learning is also based on these principles. shikhare (2007) design and construct a multimedia instructional system on educational technology and revealed that the multimedia instructional system was found quite effective than the conventional method. vellaisamy (2007) seems that multimedia has a favorable impact on the learning of science. anderson (1996) developed a programmed lesson unit on 'acids, bases, and salts' using a branching program and found this form of instruction is effective in improving the degree of learning accomplished by the students. later, he developed a program on stoichiometry in chemistry in 2001. desai (1966) developed a program on ''types of compounds" and program text on "structure of atom" developed by john (2012). here, in the present study researchers tried to develop an ict based programmed learning material on web page www. selflearnonline.com, which can be easily accessed by students anytime anywhere according to their pace and time. this program also provides an opportunity for remedial teaching which is helpful for the students who are getting their education from open education resources or distance mode. ill purpose of the study 1. to prepare the ict based programmed learning material on "matter in our surroundings" and "is matter around us pure" based on the content of the ncert science textbook for class ix students. 2. to evaluate the effectiveness of ict based programmed learning material (plm) as compared to the conventional method of teaching (cmt) on the performance of class ix students. research methodology research design: a quasi-experimental design was adopted for the study. this study involved the dependent variables as -treatment groups (experimental group vs control group), one independent variable as achievement scores of students. samplefor the present study 180 students of class ix who were studying in two private co-educational cbse affiliated english medium schools were selected in the month of april 2017 by random sampling technique. tools 1. ict-based programmed learning material developed by the researchers. 2. the pre and post achievement tests were developed by the researchers. description of ict based programmed learning material this ict based programmed learning material was based on the two chapters ill of class ix ncert science textbook namely "matter in our surroundings" and "is matter around us pure". linear style as well as branched style of programming had been chosen for this study. this ict based plm was divided into two parts. part -1 is based on "matter in our surroundings". part -2 is based on "is matter around us pure". part-1 divided into 7 subunits and part-2 divided into 8 subunits. these subunits were divided into frames. there were a total of 55 frames in this ict based plm. there were 21 frames in part-1 and 34 frames in part-2. these frames were arranged in sequence to allow learners to learn on their own. after reading with each frame the learners get immediate knowledge of their learning. in any programmed learning material, the frame is the smallest unit of a program in which the learning material is presented in a small step. there are three different components in a frame stimulus, response, and reinforcement. in the present programmed learning material, each frame was presented in such a way that it had a stimulus in the form of information; the response part was presented in the form of multiple choice type questions in each frame after the stimulus. the immediate information about result given in the form of the correctness of answer that worked as a reinforcer for the learners. the prompts were given in each frame in the form of animated pictures to elicited correct responses from the learners. initially, it was prepared in powerpoint by using hypertext, pictures, visual basics, and animations, etc. this ict based programmed learning material was uploaded on the website www. indian journal of educational technology i volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 selflearnonline.com with the help of technology asp.net, net framework4.0 ide: visual studio 2010, and database: sql server2012. in this ict based plm firstly, students were instructed to do their registration. after registration process they were able to continue with their login. after opening of learning material students read each frame carefully and after reading the frame they answered the multiple choice questions given in each frame. after answering the questions students immediately got the responses like "congratulation" or "try again". if the students found their answer correct they continued their learning towards the next frame. if the students attempted the wrong answer then they continued with reading the frame again or students get back to the required frame where they can learn again. students verified the correct answers and proceed to the next item or frame. the counting of responses was done mechanically. at the end of ict based programmed learning material students got their result reports. execution of experiment and collection of data the execution of the experiment and the collection of data for the present study took approximately one month's period that was fifteen days in each school. the first step was the administration of the pre-test. the pre-test administered to access the prerequisite knowledge of the students and also for the equivalence of control and experimental groups. in the second step, the experimental group taught through ict based programmed learning material and control group taught through the conventional method of teaching. after the completion of the learning of both groups' experimental and control groups the post-test administered on both groups. analysis of data to analyze the effectiveness oflct based plm and cmt on the achievement scores of the students of experimental group and control group, the following hypothesis was formulated. hypothesis there is no significant difference in the performance of students who taught through ict based programmed learning material as compare to the performance of the students who taught by the conventional method of teaching. to test this hypothesis, the f-ratio for the main effect of treatments was computed. to see the difference between the control and experimental group, the mean and standard deviation of post achievement scores were also computed. table-1: the f-value and level of significance for the main effects of ict based programmed learning material (plm) and conventional method of teaching (cmt) source of variance df treatment groups 1 i indian journal of educational technology volume 3, no. 1,january 2021 comp. f-ratio level of significance 15.781 0.01 d programmed learning material (plm) is more effective than the conventional method of teaching (cmt). findings and conclusion in the present scenario in this pandemic situation, we are moving towards digital india and online education is acting as the most important tool in the progress of a country. it is the necessity of our country in the present time to use digital, ict, computer­ based devices in our education system. digital india demands to do some fruitful contribution to digital content. thus, in the present study researchers developed an ict based programmed learning material on the topics 'matter in our surroundings' and 'is matter pure around us'. letina & dikovic (2012) conclude that programmed based teaching develops critical thinking; programmed teaching has the potential to produce positive learning environments that are supportive, structured, and, most importantly, directed towards training students for independent lifelong learning. ict based programmed material is also recommended for gifted students because it requires independence in their work and allows them to skip familiar content, but also it can be prepared for students with d isabilities as a part of their individualized curriculum. sozcu, lpek & taskin (2013) also discussed that conventional cbi generates new learning environments with instructional design approaches and e-learning technologies. today, i indian journal of educational technology volume 3, no. 1,january 2021 traditional cbi has extended to knowledge management systems to develop web-based learning, e-learning, distance education, and online systems, from face to face to virtual classrooms. the results of the present study are also supported by gupta (1976), debi(1989), thatte (1998), etc. developed programmed learning material and found that the programmed learning materials are more effective in the learning of students as compared to traditional methods of teaching. from the result of the present study and previous studies, researchers concluded that these kinds of ict based programmed learning material can be used as a supplement with conventional method of teaching as spradlin (2009) also found that students performed equally well when receiving traditional classroom instruction and traditional classroom instruction supplemented with computer-assisted instruction. thus, these kinds of ict based programmed learning material can be used with conventional classroom learning to enhance the learning of students. from the present study, researchers concluded that in the making of digital india program and online education this kind of ict based self-learning material can be used by the teachers to enhance the learning of students. it is also suggestive for researchers and teachers to develop more such kind of ict based learning material for science and also for other subjects. ii references alharbi, a., paul, d., henskens, f., & hannaford, m. (2011 ). an investigation into the learning styles and self-regulated learning strategies for computer science students in ascilite. australia: the university of newcastle. retrieved november 11, 2011 from www.asci lite.org.au. altaf. f. (2018).development of programmed learning materia l on matter in chemistry and evaluate its effectiveness at the secondary level, ph.d. thesis, n.delhi:jmi. anderson, k.e., & edward,a.j. (1962).the educational process and programmed instruction. the journal of educational research,55(10),537-543. balasubramanian .n., & meera.s. (2003). relative effectiveness of different modes of computer-based instruction in teaching biology.edutracks, 1 (6), 12-15. bangert-drowns, r.l., kulik, j.a. & ku lik, c.c., (1985).effectiveness of computer-based education in secondary schools. journal of computer-based instruction, 12(3), 59-68. debi, m.k.(1989). development and testing the effectiveness of programmed learning material (plm) in the syllabus of principles of education in the b.t. course of guwahati university. fifth survey of educational research (1988-99), ncert. devaki. n. (2015).efficacy of e-content for mathematics.int.edu. conference learning technologies in education, n. delhi: excel india pub. desai, k.y. (1985).made an investigation into the efficacy of different instructional media in the teaching of science to the pupils of class vi ii in relation to certain variables. phd.edu.thesis., spu. desai, u.r. (1966). programmed learning versus traditional approach in the teaching of gujarati in standard ix. survey of research in education (1974), ncert. gupta, m.c. (1965). adaptation of programmed learning material.survey of research in education (1974), ncert. ict policy (2008).retrieved january15,2016fromhttp://www.tn.gov.in/documents/policies/ ictpolicy2008.pdf john.t.j. (2012). development of programmed instructional material on 'structure of atoms' in chemistry at secondary level and study of its effectiveness at different levels of intelligence.phd.edu.thesis, shillong: northeastern hill university. kolderle,t., & mcdonald ,t.(2009). how information technology can enable 21st century schools. the information technology & innovation foundation. retrieved sept 4 2012 from http://www.itif.org/files/education_ltif. letina.a. & dikovic. m. (2012). problem-based teaching vs. programmed teaching: 1111 challenges for the future of education. international conference the future of education 2nd edition. thailand: bangkok. indian journal of educational technology i volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 lockee, b. moore, d. & burton, j. (2001 ).foundations of programmed instruction. virginia tech, 560. mohanty. k. (2010). effect of programmed instruction on the achievement of secondary school children in life science. school science a quarterly journal of science education, 48, 3a. ncf (2005). a national curriculum framework for school education (2005). new delhi; ncert. satyarthi. g. (2015). use module as a learning technology in education.int.edu. conference learning technologies in education, n. delhi: excel india pub. shah, m.s. (1964). a programme on equation solving, dept. of psychological foundations, new delhi:ncert. shikhare.v.p.(2007).development of multimedia instructional system on educational technology for b.ed. pupil teachers.phd.edu. thesis, kolhapur: shivaji university. singh, v.p. & husain, a.(2015). multimedia for learning and teaching of science at the elementary level.int.edu. conference learning technologies in education., n. delh i: excel india pub. solanki, r. (2015). effect of courseware instructional multimedia module in life sciences on the achievement of senior secondary students.int.edu. conference learning technologies in education. n. delhi: excel india pub. sozku. f.o., lpek.l., & taskin.e. (2013). instructional and technological developments based on the history of computer-based instruction. european researcher, 59(9-2). spradlin, k.d. (2009) the effectiveness of computer-assisted instruction in developmental mathematics, ph.d.edu. thesis, liberty university: the faculty of the school of education. tabassum.z. (2015). ict tools in teaching-learning of chemistry: a study of the impact on the students at senior secondary level. ph.d.edu.thesis, n. delhi: jamia millia lslamia. thatte, c.h. (1998).an experimental study of the relative effectiveness of programmed learning and learning through audio-visual aids with reference to certain selected topics from the syllabus of science or std. v to vii in greater bombay.phd.edu. thesis, mumbai:university of bombay. vellaisamy, m. (2007). effectiveness of multimedia approach in teaching science. indian educational review, 43(1 ). i indian journal of educational technology volume 3, no. 1,january 2021 iei indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 11 research article student teachers perception towards the self-blend model of the blended learning approach maria josephine arokia marie1 & m.t.v nagaraju2 1assistant professor of education, indira gandhi national tribal university, amarkantak (m.p) 2dean, faculty of education, indira gandhi national tribal university, amarkantak (m.p) emailmtv.nagaraju@igntu.ac.in abstract recognizing the self-blend model (sbm), this paper is an attempt to report improved student teachers’ perception through implementing the blended learning approach (bla). odm allows students to work at far-flung places and materials are primarily delivered through the online platform with the assistance of teachers. students are allowed to interact with teachers in the regular classroom and on online platforms too if they have doubts. the online learning management edmodo (ed-lms) was used and the intervention lasted for eight weeks. 54 student teachers were used as samples for the study and the methodology used was the experimental method (awad soliman keshta, ismail ibrahim harb 2013). a quantitative analysis non-parametric test was used to analyze the student teachers’ perception towards sbm by blended learning approach (bla). the perception scale was comprised of the following dimensions gen (general), ii (improved interactivity), kd (knowledge design), mu (material used), ta (technology assistance), and ps (predominant satisfaction). the student teachers showed approving perception in the direction of the use of bla for the sbm. the experimental group students of college xxx1 of education showed higher positive performance than the control group students of college xxx2 of education from pondicherry, india. the result of the study shows that student teachers developed a positive perception of bla. hence the study recommends that stakeholders implement bla in the teaching and learning process. keywords: perception, self-blend model, blended learning approach introduction according to unesco, 1998 report teacher is the source of revamping the world with new innovative technologies that enhance pupil-based learning rather than teacher-focused method. in pupil-based learning interactive learning and active learning is practicable. to meet the demands of the learning community of the present generation it is necessary to integrate powerful pedagogical practices. the powerful pedagogical practices include the integration of new technical knowledge in the field of education to enhance the learning process which is a continuous process. technology undergoes continual changes every day according to the needs of society. therefore, new changes appear in society as well as in the education system also. designing and implementing educational programs through information and communication technology is widely accepted for successful reforms in the field of education. at the same time, a teacher cannot be substituted by any newer electronic gadgets. electronic gadgets can play a supplementary role indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 12 along with the teacher to enhance the learning experiences. the teacher can even teach more effectively without using technology in a conventional classroom. nowadays students are called “digital natives” because they think and process information differently, and they learn (prensky, 2001). so it is necessary to effectively integrate the technology into the conventional classroom which will help to develop and design an innovative teaching method called the blended learning approach (bla) it includes the blend model (sbm) which has the advantage over a single way of teaching (cabero almenara & marin-diaz, 2018). in this current science study, the subject was used to teach student teachers using various technological tools to bring out their improved pedagogical performance (charles r graham, 2006). to encourage independent learning in science, the inquiry aspect of science should be related to the structure of scientific knowledge and the investigative strategies of science. the teaching-learning process in the teaching of science has to be designed in such a way that student teachers should recognize conflicts and inconsistencies in their thinking (bellefeuille, 2006). this study analyses the perception of student teachers towards learning by sbm. so student teachers should connect the relationship between the new science and technology about everyday living with the immediate surroundings so that students will develop engrossment towards safety sustainability. the inclusion of technology-enhanced learning with the assistance of teachers. this can be attained through bla without a complete loss of direct participation and online learning. literature review literature related to the blended learning approach (bla) and perception towards the blended learning approach was collected and tabulated below. table-1 : studies related to bla and perception towards bla area author and year study area findings blended learning approach (bla) riffell and sibley (2003) hybrid course formats to increase attendance in undergraduate environmental science courses this research mainly focuses on increasing students’ enrollment and attendance for natural science courses. in this study, the researcher taught science courses by a hybrid method which contains traditional passive lecture classes and online assignments simultaneously. the result reveals that the completion of assignment rate is high through online mode compared to passive lectures. the study also shows that student attendance was effective in the bla method. robinson (2004) interpreting the teaching and designing experience of teachers in the bl course the study recognized that when faculties experienced bla three major benefits of bla were noted classroom time was effectively used; the barriers of students were easily resolved; both teachers and students easily met their needs. the study also observed a positive correlation between bla and university administration support. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 13 lim and morris (2009) bl environments impact on learning outcomes. the researcher examined how students’ learning in a blended learning environment is influenced by learning styles, instructional design, and learning involvement. the findings of the research reveal that the blended instruction method improved pedagogical practices in learning communities, the study also reveals that students perform effectively when the presence of a teacher was included. perception towards bla leh (2002) action research based on hybrid courses. the students who studied in a hybrid course acquired knowledge in a better manner, online discussion messages were used as data in this study along with interviews and surveys. to analyze the data both quantitative and qualitative methods are used. the study shows that students and teachers both were highly motivated. humbert and vignarein (2005) case study for students learning through bla. students’ perception of towards bla is viewed positively in this study. the study reveals that students are more comfortable learning through bla and are satisfied with the teacher’s performance. judy drennan & jessica k (2005) students’ attitudes towards flexible ol in management education. students’ satisfaction with the direction of online learning was examined in this study, the technology acceptance model was developed to collect data from the students to identify the positive perception of technology as an innovative learning style. this study is closely related to the present study. the result of the study suggests that students’ satisfaction is influenced by positive perceptions towards technology and self-learning mode. buket and meryem (2006) students’ views on bla the performance of students of ict conducted in this study was satisfactory and they enjoyed taking part in the bla. their performance and participation in bla affected their views about bla. delialioglu and yilderum (2007) interactive learning in bl environment and perception of students. it shows that the presence of the internet will enhance the student’s performance in hybrid learning. also, meta-cognition and the inclusion of collaborative learning will bring an authentic learning environment. robert g. farmer (2009) use of wiki as an effective online learning tool. the use of an online tool called wiki was used as a collaborative learning tool in this study. the effectiveness of knowledge creation was evaluated and also interactivity was analyzed. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 14 dhanya krishnan (2011) effect of bl on science process skills and science achievement. the study revealed that blended learning is more effective than the conventional method in enhancing science process skills and science achievement among secondary school students. sreekala, maria jam, arul t.s (2015) transforming pedagogy through the social learning platform the researchers examined the bla on m.ed. students of pondicherry university, india, and reveals that students’ perception towards integrating technology in the classroom is benefited more when compared to the traditional teaching method. student teachers perception learning experiences acquired by student teachers through bla were evaluated through factors like ii (improved interactive), kd (knowledge design), mu (material used), ta (technology assistance), and ps (predominant satisfaction). ii refers to the learning experience gained by students’ teachers as the interaction between student and student and between students and teachers also includes social interaction. learning activities undergone by student teachers are referred to as kd. ta refers to the significant usage of technology integration during the learning process in bla. the student teachers benefited and gained learning experiences in bla are referred to as ps. therefore, in this study, the term perception refers to the improved learning experiences attained by student teachers riffell and sibley (2003). self-blend model self the blend model (sbm) provides an opportunity for student teachers to gain knowledge beyond the classroom teaching-learning process. they should attend traditional classes and also select related courses by an online method which will enhance their learning. according to trust et al., 2016 this method is different from the online driver model as the students can learn from remote places and their learning materials will be distributed online mode also the contents will be clarified by the teachers to students if they have any trouble learning. purpose of the study the objective proposed for this study is y the perception towards bla was studied in both experimental and control group student teachers earlier and subsequent execution of bla with dimension gen (general), ii (improved interactivity), kd (knowledge design), mu (material used), ta (technology assistance), and ps (predominant satisfaction). hypotheses framed are the pre-test and post-test scores of students’ perceptions in the experiment group will be significant in their mean difference. the pre-test and post-test scores of students’ perceptions in the control group will be significant in their mean difference. methodologies and techniques research design for quantitative research analysis, a quasi-experimental design was used. the experimental and control groups were taken as intact groups for this study. in this study, two groups are not randomly selected and routine class indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 15 schedules will be distributed to the two groups. bla and student teachers’ perceptions of bla were the variables used. bla was used as an experimental method to teach science and the conventional method was used for the control group. the same teacher taught both the experimental and control groups for about two months. student teachers of teacher education colleges from pondicherry were the population of the study. perception scale on bla a perception scale on bla was constructed and validated by the researcher for the present study. this tool was developed by (robert g. farmer, 2009) and modified appropriately for use in the present study to seek student teachers’ perception of bla. the dimension of the tools is retained as such. the number of questions and the wording of some of the items under each dimension were changed. the perception scale on bla was developed to understand the perception of student teachers’ on bla. it described the design and validation of a perception scale to meet the assessment need in education. hence in the present study, the researcher constructed and validated a perception scale to seek perception towards bla. the dimension of the perception scale was explained below. y some items related to the general usage of computers and integrating technology for bla were used as dimension g (general), y ii (improved interactivity) refers to the perception of students towards interaction between teacher and students and peer to peer. y kd (knowledge design) refers to the students learning activity during bla, y u (material used) refers to the student’s perception of the material used in bla, y ta (technology assistance) is the use of technology during the course and y ps (predominant satisfaction) refers to the student’s participatory level and how much they are convinced with learning through bla. a total of 50 items were present in the perception scale and each item was assigned a five-point scale in the limits of 15 viz., strongly disagree (1), disagree (2), neutral (3), agree (4) and strongly agree (5). content validity was established by experts from pondicherry university and teacher education institution who were exposed to online learning platforms. based on their suggestions, seven items were deleted and 43 items were retained in the perception scale. this scale was administered to student teachers of teacher education institutions to check the average time taken for the test and its reliability. since the average time taken by the student teachers to complete the perception scale is 30 minutes, the duration was fixed to be 30 minutes. ‘t’ value for each item in the perception scale was calculated and presented in table 2 below. table-2 : the t-value for each item in the perception scale item number t-value significance item number t-value significance 5.674 0.01 5.835 0.01 7.536 0.01 9.014 0.01 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 16 7.815 0.01 7.1 0.01 5.95 0.01 9.466 0.01 4.337 0.01 6.81 0.01 3.56 0.01 8.128 0.01 6.527 0.01 7.991 0.01 9.033 0.01 11.825 0.01 6.625 0.01 7.535 0.01 4.365 0.01 6.039 0.01 4.572 0.01 5.744 0.01 6.171 0.01 6.414 0.01 7.132 0.01 7.599 0.01 6.901 0.01 6.941 0.01 5.183 0.01 8.144 0.01 3.991 0.01 7.713 0.01 7.427 0.01 8.158 0.01 5.777 0.01 7.677 0.01 6.603 0.01 8.795 0.01 4.624 0.01 10.314 0.01 7.246 0.01 7.99 0.01 6.967 0.01 table 2 represents the tt-value for each perception item from items 1 to 43 and each value is significant at 0.01 level (p-value is 0). hence the items are significant and restored for the study. reliability the reliability of the developed tool was found to be 0.972 which was tested using cronbach’s alpha coefficient the perception scale was an excellent measure of reliability and a total of 43 items were restored. validity the tool with 50 items was presented to a panel of experts which included teacher educators and internal and external doctoral committee members. the panel of experts was requested to give suggestions and comments on the structure and appropriateness of items. the panel scrutinized the tool and expressed satisfaction with the content of the tool. based on their suggestions, seven items were deleted and 43 items were retained in the perception scale. some of the items were restructured and refined based on the suggestions of the experts. hence face validity and content validity were established by experts. implementation the constructed perception scale was administered as a pre-test to indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 17 assess their perception of bla for the experimental group and the same tool was administered to the control group to assess their perception of bla. the duration of the test was 2 hours. all the necessary directions were given to the students before administering the test. the scores obtained are termed pretest scores of student teachers in the experimental and control groups. the intervention was carried out for thirty-one classes each comprising one hour. the intervention was carried out for two months. the schedule and time allotment for bla and conventional learning are given below. table-3 : bla schedule schedule face-to-face activities online learning activities week 1 (5 hours) unit – 7 facil equipment and materials for teaching science structure and design of general science laboratory-physics and chemistry laboratoryorganization and maintenance of laboratory 3-hours lecture. introduction to edmodo learning platform and common mail id. structure and design of general science laboratory. 2-hour online activity. demonstration (to sign up for edmodo), discussion week 2 (5 hours) unit – 7: preparation of indents-stock – registers to be maintained, storage of chemicals, and apparatus organization of practical work. 3-hours lecture. indent preparation, stock registers, storage of chemical apparatus. 2-hour online activity. audio-visual presentation. reflection and review of week 1 face-to-face lecture. week 3 (6 hours) unit –7: improvisation of apparatus and use of science kitsdiscipline in the laboratory – accidents and first-aid. 3hours lecture. 2-hour online activity. brainstorming method, discussion, demonstration, and quizzes. week 4 (5 hours) unit-9: evaluation in science purpose of evaluation – achievement tests .written and practical construction and use of testsdiagnostic test remedial teaching. 2-hours lecture. purpose of evaluation – achievement tests written and practical construction and use of tests. diagnostic test remedial teaching. 3-hour online activity. audio-visual presentation (cd, powerpoint presentation, flip chart, and web-based training) on standardized and teacher-made tests. reflection and review of week 3 activity. week 5 (4 hours) unit-9: written and practical construction of a good test and use of tests, diagnostic test remedial teaching 2-hours lecture. written and practical construction of a good test and use of tests. diagnostic testremedial teaching 2-hour online activity. discussion group, audiovisual presentation, reflection on week 4 activities. reflection and review of week 4 faceto-face lecture. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 18 week 6 (4 hours) unit 10: science pedagogue science teacher – academic qualifications, professional growthspecial qualities required of a science teacher education of science teachersin–service training 3-hour lecture. science teacher – academic qualifications, professional growth, special qualities required of a science teacher education of science teachers– inservice training 2-hour online activity. mobile teaching. audiovisual presentation for the science teacher. demonstration and discussion. reflection and review of week 7 face-to-face lecture. week 8 (2 hours) unit-10: evaluation of a science teacher – self-evaluation – evaluation by the pupils 1-hour lecture. evaluation of a science teacher – self-evaluation – evaluation by pupils 1-hour online activity. discussion and quizzes. reflection and review of week 5 face-to-face lecture. to execute the bla and to teach science ed-lms was used. the teachinglearning process will be safe and secure for teachers and students on this platform. the mostly constructivist approach of learning different activities is possible in this online platform (anders, 2018). students and teachers can post files, videos, photos, and links on the platform; it is a secure platform due to the secret code given by the teacher to the students. teachers can even fix assignments. quizzes online and assessments were also made and badges were also awarded to the students based on their progress. figure-1 : snap shot of online interaction between students and teacher the figure-1 shows the teachinglearning interaction in online mode for both teacher and students. improved interactivity used will be one of the main components of bla. it provides an opportunity for all the participants to interact with the teacher in a safe and secure platform and the teacher’s interaction with the students regarding the next class she is going to take. the teacher doing blended teaching is bound to be constantly in touch with the students and other stakeholders related to teaching (snodin, 2013). before starting the class, the teacher gives a gist of what she is going to teach, what activities are to be done, and what her expectations are from the students indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 19 to attend a scheduled class. after and before teachers upload reading materials for the students in ed-lms. immediately after the intervention posttest was administered on the perception of the experimental and control group students. the scale for the pre-test and post-test remains the same. the test administered is scored and named as post-test scores of perceptions of blended learning. data analysis and discussions non–parametric tests of variable perception non-parametric tests distribution-free statistics and used for small samples. hence the sample size was small in this study wilcoxon signed rank test equivalent to the paired sample t-test and mann whitney u test which is equivalent to the independent sample t-test are used. wilcoxon signed-rank test is found to be more powerful when compared to paired sample t-tests for small samples. in this study, the investigator used these tests because of a small sample and it satisfies the following assumption. 1. small sample size 2. ordinal level of measurement. 3. rank ordering of data 4. unequal variances across groups 2.  non-parametric test for experimenta    group to find out the remarkable difference between the pre-test and post-test for both the experimental and control groups, wilcoxon signed rank (wsr) test is used. in this type of analysis, the results of the two groups are ranked as positive rank and negative rank. the rank cannot be assigned for the smaller of two sums and rejected if the difference scores of 0. hypothesis 1 to find out the remarkable difference between the pre-test and post-test both alternate and null hypotheses were formulated for the experimental group. h01: the pre-test and post-test scores of students’ perceptions in the experiment group will have no significance in their mean difference for bla using sbm. h1: the pre-test and post-test scores of students’ perceptions in the experiment group will have significance in their mean difference for bla using sbm. the null hypothesis indicated that pretest and post-test scores of students’ perceptions in the experiment group will have no significance in their mean difference for bla using sbm and is tested and findings are tabulated in table-4. table-4 : experimental group perception scores test group rank n mean rank sum rank z value significance p pre-test post-test experimental group negative 0a 0 0 4.7 0.00 positive 29b 15 435 ties 0c total 29 (a. post-test < pre-test. b. post-test > pre-test. c. post-test = pre-test) indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 20 the value of test statistics (z) according to the wsr test for perception scores in the experimental group is 4.703 and its associated p-value is (0.000) which is less than (0.05). consequently, the null hypothesis is rejected. therefore, the study concludes that the performance of the experimental group was improved in the post-test when compared to the pre-test. discussion from this study, it is shown that the incorporation of innovative technology like bla using sbm has improved the performance of the students. the experimental group which underwent treatment for bla has shown remarkable improvement in the perception towards bla when compared to the control group which was taught through the conventional method. many research findings support that the perception towards bla for teaching and learning purposes is high when compared to the conventional method. the result of this study is closely related to robert g. farmer (2009) implemented study on the use of an online tool called wiki was used as a collaborative learning tool in this study, the effectiveness of knowledge creation was evaluated and also interactivity was also analyzed. the study reveals that the learning outcomes of the students were increased based on their interactivity and perception towards online collaborative learning tools. figure-2 : radar chart of experimental group perception scores from the graphical representation using a radar chart, the scores are represented from 0 to 250 and the number of students was also distributed around the circle from 1 to 29 from the graph it is clear that the scores of posttest are high when compared to the pretest. therefore, from the radar chart, it is concluded that the performance of the experimental group was improved in the post-test perception when compared to the pre-test perception. figure-3 : box plot of experimental group perception scores indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 21 (x-axis = experimental group pre-perception and post-perception yaxis = perception scores) the box plot diagram representation was used to compare the mean scores of the pre-test and post-test groups of the experimental group. from fig. 3 it is also represented that the perceptions of students towards bla were high in the post-test when compared to the pre-test. nonparametric test for control group hypothesis 2 to find out the remarkable difference between the pre-test and post-test both alternate and null hypotheses were formulated for the control group. h02: the pre-test and post-test scores of students’ perceptions in the control group will have no significance in their mean difference for bla using sbm. h2: the pre-test and post-test scores of students’ perceptions in the control group will have significance in their mean difference for bla using sbm. the null hypothesis indicated that pretest and post-test scores of students’ perceptions in the control group will have no significance in their mean difference for bla using sbm and is tested and findings are tabulated in table-5. table-5 : control group perception scores test group rank n mean rank sum rank z value significance p posttest pre-test control group negative 10a 8.8 88 1.77 0.07 positive 14b 15.14 214 ties 0c total 24 (a. post-test < pre-test. b. post-test > pre-test. c. post-test = pre-test) the value of test statistics (z) according to the wsr test for perception scores in the control group is -1.77 and its associated p-value is (0.07) which is greater than (0.05). consequently, the null hypothesis is accepted. therefore, the study concludes that the performance of the control group does not have a remarkable improvement in the post-test when compared to the pre-test. discussion for the control group, only conventional indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 22 classroom teaching was used for the teaching and learning process. it is shown that the student’s perception towards bla is not improved in the posttest when compared to the pre-test (z = -1.77 and p= 0.07 greater than 0.05). hence, it is concluded that the control group does not have a remarkable improvement in the perception scores in the post-test as compared to the pretest. this result is supported by riffell and sibley (2003). the result reveals that the completion of assignment rate is high through online mode when compared to passive lectures. further, the study also reveals that student attendance was effective in the bla method. figure-4 : radar chart of control group perception scores. the perception scores of the pre-test and post-test of the control group are shown diagrammatically in the radar chart. the scores are marked from 0 to 200 starting from the central point to the outer line of the web. the number of students is distributed from 1 to 24 around the circle. from fig. 4 it is shown that the student’s perception towards bla is not improved in the post-test when compared to the pre-test. the radar graphical representation shows that there is no significant difference between pre-test and post-test perception scores. delimitations if the study would have been conducted for the wider samples of different regions it would have given generalized results which would have given scope for comparison with other results. the study is confined to a few topics in the teaching of physical science at b.ed. level. the same study can be extended to other topics in the teaching of physical science and other subjects at indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 23 different levels like schools and other higher education institutions also (thai et al., 2017). as blended learning programme describes learning events or activities in two different situations in which e-learning is integrated into traditional forms of teaching, it allows the utilization of many methods and resources that are derived from multiple information sources. the teacher adopts the material and method according to the situation. therefore, it unstructured learning environment, which characterizes bla and it allows students to learn in the way that best suits them. so the attempt to study is objective in nature. recommendation and educational implications from the study, it is revealed that the integration of sbm improved the perception rate of the student teachers in the experimental group. moreover, in the present scenario, the learning communities are well-developed to learn more comfortable with the integration of technology into their dayto-day life. therefore, the teachers in the classroom should prefer different learning strategies like small group interaction, discussion, debate, video conferencing, mobile learning, mobile apps, and reflective practices to make learning more interesting. nep 2020 also suggests using a blended learning approach as the blend of online and face-to-face learning will ensure active engagement of students and teachers in the learning process. conclusion the study concludes that statistical analyses carried out for the experimental group revealed that bla using sbm is more effective than the conventional method of teaching for improving student teachers’ perception of the teaching of physical science. in this method, the role of the teacher was transferred from teacher-specified practice to learner-specified practice. the incorporation of appropriate and suitable technology in the conventional classroom empowered every student teacher as an active participant in learning (garcía-martín & garcíasánchez, 2013). therefore, educational institutions should look beyond the traditional boundaries of classroom teaching by integrating all possible pedagogical practices with new technologies to maximize educational achievement. the study concludes that the technologies used in classrooms by teachers by not effectively integrating them with pedagogical practices may not bring out the expected results of teaching. the technology used in bla provides more information to the students. information acquired through online resources cannot fully replace the teacher and their relationships in the teaching and training process. teaching is only replaced by learning through active engagement and interaction. therefore, bla using sbm is intended to allow them to develop their basic cognitive concepts as well as their practical skills in the teaching and training process. references anders, a. d. (2018). networked learning with professionals boosts students’ self-efficacy for social networking and professional development. computers and education. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.compedu.2018.08.009 awad, s. k., ismail, i. h. (2013). the effectiveness of a blended learning program on developing palestinian tenth graders’ english writing skills. education journal, 2(6), 208-221. buket, a. & meryem, y. s.. (2008). a study of student’s perceptions in a blended learning environment based on different learning styles. educational technology and society, 11(1), 183-193. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 24 bellefeuille, g. l. (2006). rethinking reflective practice education in social work education: a blended constructivist and objectivist instructional design strategy for a web-based child welfare practice course. journal of social work education. https://doi.org/10.5175/ jswe.2006.200303153 cabero, a, j. & marin-diaz, v. 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(2005). factors affecting student attitudes toward flexible online learning in management education. the journal of educational research, 98(6), 331-338 leh, amy sc (2002). action research on hybrid courses and their online communities. educational media international, 39 (1), 31-38 lim, dh, & morris, ml (2009). learner and instructional factors influencing learning outcomes within a blended learning environment. educational technology & society, 12 (4), 282–293. picciano, ag, (2006). blended learning implication for growth and access. journal of asynchronous learning networks, 10 (3). prensky, (2001). digital natives and digital immigrants. from on the horizon (mcb university press. 9(5). 1-6. riffell, s.k., & sibley, d.h. (2003). learning online: student perceptions of a hybrid learning format. journal of college science teaching, 32(6), 394-399. robert g. farmer. (2009). the effectiveness of a wiki as an online collaborative learning tool within a face-to-face course in higher education. doctoral thesis. tui university, california. snodin, n. s. (2013). the effects of blended learning with a cms on the development of autonomous learning: a case study of different degrees of autonomy achieved by individual learners. computers and education. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.10.004 sreekala, maria jam, arul t.s (2015). transforming pedagogy through social learning platform. retrieved from http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in:8080/jspui/simple-search?location=%2f &query=effectivenes+of+a+blended+learning+program+on+achievement&rpp=10&sort_ by=score&order=desc indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 25 thai, n. t. t., de wever, b., & valcke, m. (2017). the impact of a flipped classroom design on learning performance in higher education: looking for the best “blend” of lectures and guiding questions with feedback. computers and education. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. compedu.2017.01.003 trust, t., krutka, d. g., & carpenter, j. p. (2016). together we are better: professional learning networks for teachers. computers and education. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. compedu.2016.06.007 unesco. (1998). world declaration on higher education for the twenty-first century: vision and action. world conference on higher education. wiersma, w., & jurs, g.s. (2009). research methods in education. new delhi: dorling kindersley (india) pvt. ltd. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 63 research article a conscientious literature review of flipped learning strategy as a means of enhancing student engagement mansi chowdhry1 & hemant lata sharma2 1senior research fellow, department of education, maharshi dayanand university, rohtak email-mansichowdhry86@gmail.com 2professor, department of education, mdu, rohtak abstract researchers and educators have often searched for alternative strategies and methods to teach students according to the needs of the 21st century. developing higher-order skills among learners has become the need of the hour and new pedagogical approaches are required for the same. among such approaches, the inverted classroom strategy, popularly known as the “flipped classroom” is one such innovative pedagogical strategy where learning is student-centered. under this inductive approach, classroom instruction is done at home with the help of videos and interactive lessons, and work done outside the class is now done in class with the teacher as a guide. since flipped classroom aims at providing higher-order skills to students which is possible when students engage in activities that include interaction between students and staff and between students thus related to the concept of student engagement. student’s participation in active learning and conditions favorable for higher-order skills is recognized as student engagement by coates (2008). in order to gain a deeper understanding of how flipped classroom learning strategy affects students, a need was felt to review different studies and steer through comprehensive quantitative and qualitative data. keywords: flipped classroom approach, innovative pedagogical strategy, student engagement, higher-order skills, active learning. introduction “we need technology in every classroom and every student and teacher’s hand, because it is the pen and paper of our time, and it is the lens through which we experience much of our world.” david warlick (2015) for ages, our education system has been based on the central pillar of the traditional teacher-centred approach to learning. the entire focus is on establishing the expertise of teachers in embedding the essential pedagogical skills and methods. this historical lecture method is being questioned nowadays by educationists because they are of the opinion that through this, the students are less attentive, mere passive learners and moreover, the courses are not delivered according to the individual learning needs. also, it becomes difficult to teach higher-order thinking skills such as application and analysis using this age-old practice. students often cram up before exams which results in attaining just the superficial knowledge rather than understanding the grassroot level.  recent educationists have advocated a change in the teaching-learning process using technology to provide active indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 64 learning and holistic engagement, which is the essence of the constructivism theory of learning. this has led to a push to discover new student-centred teaching and learning methods where the teachers and students have new roles. flipped learning strategy is one of such methods which provides an active learning environment for both the teachers and the learners (sharma & chowdhry, 2021). this technological strategy includes a large variety of activities both inside and outside the class, also may embrace a wide range of approaches, such as debates, discussions, quizzes, and presentations. the flipped classroom model seems to cater to the challenges faced by the traditional learning methods and does the groundwork for using classroom time for engaging in higher levels of skills as mentioned in bloom’s taxonomy.  flipped learning-an active learning strategy, tends to engage and encourage students to enhance their knowledge and advance their skills (prince, 2004). student engagement has often been associated with improving the learning environment as it enables the students to actively participate in classroom activities. it broadly refers to student’s engagement in various inside and outside classroom activities that contribute to their learning achievements and their sense of belonging in the academic community. here flipped classroom strategy plays a significant role. keeping this in view, it becomes invariably essential to study the effects of the flipped learning strategy on student engagement and how it helps the learner develop higherorder thinking skills. outlining the flipped learning strategy  the flipped learning strategy is often referred to as a type of blended learning which makes use of both the traditional and modern technological aspects of education. in this type of strategy, the students have to watch videos or listen to audio lessons at home and then have to respond actively to the discussions, quizzes, and brainstorming sessions in the class (sharma & chowdhry, 2018). munir, baroutian, young, and carter (2018) state that “students can watch from mobile devices at any time and come back to class with questions for the teacher, so they have more flexibility and the opportunity to learn independently. keeping up with the class is no longer an issue for students who process ideas slowly while faster-thinking students can avoid boredom”. a flipped classroom enables students to be pre-prepared for the class by already going through the topic before class and then utilizing the face-to-face interaction time in the class for discussions, problem-solving, application, and analysis of the content learned. here, the students can start doing the exercises as soon as the class starts, and the lecturer supervises their progress and addresses their queries. as a result, students get more engaged and are less likely to give up due to frustration.  outlining student engagement  student engagement is the extent of engrossment, eagerness, certainty, interest, and devotion that students exhibit in the process of teaching and learning. kuh, kinzie, buckley, bridges & hayek (2007) defined engagement as a form of partaking in educationally effective practices to result in several assessable outcomes. student engagement is primarily associated with the student’s interest, attention, and zeal during the learning process. they are highly motivated to learn when they are curious, interested, and engrossed in the learning process.  according to blumenfeld, phyllis & paris, indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 65 alison. (2004), “student engagement is a multidimensional (multifaceted) construct that can be measured with all the dimensions dynamically interrelated. its major three dimensions are: y behavioral engagement refers to students’ participation in class, such as their attendance and concentration levels, along with their participation in social aspects of learning and whether or not they participate in extracurricular activities, all fall under the category of behavioural engagement. y emotional engagement refers to the feelings that students have, particularly in relation to the topic or class that they are currently enrolled in, their instructor, their classmates, and  their entire academic experience. y cognitive engagement refers to the enthusiasm and effort that students put into their own education. it also includes how much they take responsibility for their own learning, how well they can regulate themselves, and how much effort they exert to reach their own educational goals. the involvement of educational technology has established a favorable environment for the students to learn and attain higher-level skills, thus giving them more opportunities to engage themselves in other learning processes. various studies like danuri, dwee, jamari, and samad (2017) and gilboy, heinerichs, and pazzaglia (2014) have advocated that teachers must apply flipped learning strategies to enhance student engagement in the learning process.  engaging in the flipped classroom the flipped classroom strategy makes use of an active learning and problemsolving approach where the learners familiarise themselves with the course being taught beforehand to facilitate discussions in the classroom. mason, rutar, teodora, and cook (2013) in their studies found flipped classrooms an effective approach and performed better in their academics. studies have shown that a positive and supportive relationship with the lecturers can lead to better behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement. white et al. (2017) have also suggested a preference for flipped classroom instruction in their studies. students have shown a synergistic relationship between preparation for class and in-class learning, which is visible in the higher results after student assessment. flipped classroom learning connects both the previous and current learning experiences and keeps students mentally engaged in the topics. this is an essential element of student engagement that the flipped classroom strategy depicts. the flipped classroom proved a boon in the current pandemic situation. therefore, it becomes essential to study further its effect and relationship with various aspects of education. keeping all this in mind and to gain insight into the impact of flipped classroom strategy on multiple dimensions, the related studies were surveyed to analyse the relationship between student engagement and flipped classroom instruction.  the variables of research are flipped classroom instruction and student engagement. rationale of the study in the midst of a pandemic, the flipped classroom proved invaluable. as a result, it is critical to better investigate its impact and link with many components of schooling. with this in indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 66 mind, and in order to obtain insight into the influence of the flipped classroom method on several dimensions, various associated research were surveyed in order to examine the relationship between student engagement and flipped classroom instruction. students in a flipped classroom have more opportunities to interact with course materials outside of class, which improves their active learning and, in turn, their ability to retain and apply what they’ve learned. by analyzing the impact of this approach on student engagement, teachers can better cater their lessons to students’ unique requirements and interests, ultimately improving the quality of their students’ educational experiences. educators can create a stimulating and interactive classroom where students can think critically and have a deeper understanding of the material if they have a firm grasp of the effect this method has on student engagement. by analyzing the impact of the flipped classroom strategy, educators can evaluate its efficacy and make the necessary adjustments to improve student engagement and learning outcomes. this assessment will facilitate the continuous development of instructional practices, ensuring that students receive the most effective and engaging learning opportunities possible. objectives of the study y to assess whether the flipped classroom approach enhances students’ intrinsic motivation to learn and participate actively in the learning process thereby leading to improved student engagement in the class. y to determine if the flipped classroom strategy leads to improved academic performance in terms of grades, test scores, or mastery of key concepts. y to determine if the flipped classroom method promotes increased student collaboration, peer-to-peer interaction, and cooperative learning experiences. y to identify whether the flipped classroom approach increases students’ active engagement in class discussions, group activities, and other interactive learning experiences. y to analyse whether the flipped classroom method enhances students’ ability to take responsibility for their own learning, self-regulate their study habits, and develop lifelong learning skills. y to examine the effectiveness of the flipped classroom strategy in promoting critical thinking and problem-solving skills among students. review of related literature the research done in the past 17 years (2023-2007) was collected in order to survey the literature on the variables i.e. flipped classroom learning strategy, student engagement. for this study, the researcher gathered related study reports, various periodicals, published reviews and research abstracts. the researcher mainly focused on the studies that established a relationship or analysed the effect of the flipped learning strategy on student engagement and academic achievement. obtaining pertinent data, categorising, and evaluating it took a lot of time. an extensive review of the flipped learning strategy was done in order to gain more insight into the topic. some of the shortlisted comprehensive reviews have been discussed here for reference. the following inclusion criteria were applied during the study’s selection process: indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 67 y research published in academic journals. y academic research (in schools, colleges, and universities). y studies examining the influence of flipped classroom strategy on student performance. y studies with measurable outcomes of student performance (e.g., academic achievement, test scores, grades). y scholarly works that are published in english. naik (2023) assessed the effectiveness of the flipped classroom strategy on student performance. this literature research suggested that the flipped classroom approach improves student achievement. the flipped classroom paradigm improves students’ academic achievement, involvement, critical thinking, and retention. moreover, it also encourages active involvement, collaboration, and self-guided learning, which improves subject understanding. the study also suggested that the flipped classroom model has the potential to improve educational equity, foster a more welcoming learning environment, and better equip students for the challenges of the modern workplace. the effectiveness of the flipped classroom strategy in improving the student’s learning outcomes was assessed by paramita (2023). the main aim was to determine whether the flipped classroom learning method was able to effectively improve student learning outcomes, especially in english lectures. the research was quantitative descriptive research with a quasiexperimental design. there was a significant difference in the average mean gain scores of the control and experimental groups showing the positive effectiveness of the flipped classroom strategy in improving the english skills of students. sarker, pramath; siddique, md; sultana, sabina; and pal, subrata. (2023) conducted a study to examine the impact of the reversed classroom learning environment on student engagement and satisfaction relative to the traditional classroom. using a 5-point likert-scale questionnaire, a cross-sectional study was conducted to measure student engagement and satisfaction with both the traditional classroom and the reversed classroom. data were received from 79 participants in the traditional classroom and 61 participants in the flipped classroom. the study revealed a significant difference between traditional and flexible classrooms in terms of student engagement and satisfaction. students were more engaged and satisfied with flipped classrooms than with traditional classrooms, according to the results. in a quasi-equivalent, non-randomized factorial design, nja and anari (2022) assessed flipped classroom students’ chemistry and academic performance attitudes. the study of 100 students employed a 30-item chemistry attitude questionnaire. pretests were given to controls and experiments. the control group was taught traditionally, whereas the experimental group was flipped. experimental group students took a post-attitude test. the post-attitude score was much higher than the preattitude score. academically, students outperformed the average. these findings imply that flipping the classroom may improve students’ chemistry attitudes and performance. the flipped classroom strategy enabled students to review lecture videos at home in order to fully comprehend the material. rehman (2022) conducted a pilot study indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 68 at a local secondary school to determine the efficacy of digital literacy in terms of flipped classroom instruction. a seventh-grade science class was inadvertently flipped and compared to a traditional classroom setting to evaluate the student’s academic achievement. the study population consists of all 259 male and female pupils in seventh grade during the first semester of the 2019-2020 academic year. the results indicated that  there is a statistically significant difference between the achievement scores of students in the flipped classroom and those of students in the traditional classroom. students in flipped classrooms performed better than those in traditional classrooms. in a flipped  classroom environment, student responses to a likert scale survey revealed increased engagement, interaction, and depth of learning. the impacts of the flipped classroom on 4th-grade students’ academic progress and motivation were examined by erbil and kocabas (2020). to conduct the study, they used three experimental groups and one control group. they look at the results of using both flipped classrooms and cooperative learning at the same time and separately. the experimental method of research was adopted by forming four groupsthree experimental and one control group. the findings of the study revealed that the flipped classroom approach, collaborative learning method, and both methods together have a positive impact on students’ academic performance. hakimzade (2020) carried out a study to see the effect of the flipped classroom method on student engagement and academic performance of high school students. traditional lectures and flipped classroom training were used to teach 56 randomly selected students for experimental research for a period of 20 weeks. the results of the experiment show that the experimental group’s academic performance improved significantly, and student involvement across all four dimensions, i.e., behavioural, cognitive, emotional, and factor engagement, was higher than average, demonstrating the beneficial effects of flipped classroom education. stratton, chitiyo, mathende, and davis (2020) compared flipped classrooms versus one-to-one classrooms in middle school scientific accomplishment and student perspective. during the study, 7th-grade students’ academic performance and attitudes toward flipped classrooms were evaluated. eighty-one students were taught in the traditional manner, while the remaining 73 were taught using a flipped learning model. in terms of academics, there wasn’t much difference between the two groups. a surge in student engagement and motivation in the flipped classroom was observed. alamri’s (2019)  carried out research on students’ academic success, performance, and satisfaction in a flipped classroom environment. mixedmethod research was employed to obtain data through surveys, interviews, and achievement assessments. the findings showed that nearly all students improved their academic standing and overall happiness as a result of the research. online resources, peer group conversations, and the teacher’s role all led to better levels of learning and active participation. a research study by soler et al. (2019) described the implementation and results of applying a flipped classroom strategy for teaching-learning. a sample of around 3000 students was taken in 17 different subjects at the university level. their results revealed an increase in students’ motivation and class attendance. also, a comparison of final exam results of traditional and flipped classrooms revealed a decline in students’ failure rate, proving that flipped classrooms improve students’ learning.  indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 69 sun, hu, wan, fu, and wu did research in 2019 “to find out how pre-service teachers’ ideas about engagement change in the flipped classroom.” the study was done with 53 teachersto-be in china who were taking classes on curriculum development. it was concluded that the flipped classroom could help students become more interested. the t-test results demonstrated that flipped learning had a positive effect on student performance regardless of the student’s cognitive style. the study is regarded as a reliable resource for anyone interested in implementing the flipped classroom method in their courses. “a qualitative study of student engagement in a flipped classroom” was done by utheim and foldnes in 2018. twelve students were asked in-depth questions about how they learned with and without flipped classrooms. the first semester, they taught by flipping the classroom, and the second semester, they taught by giving lectures. the results showed that the flipped classroom had a strong effect on the emotional side of student engagement, in addition to improving the cognitive and behavioural sides. in their 2017 study on exploring students’ engagement in writing using the flipped classroom approach was conducted by danuri, dwee, jamari, and samad. the study was conducted on 118 student volunteers with the help of a self-made questionnaire. most of the students agreed that the flipped classroom approach forced them more likely to use the online platform as a source of information and helped them to do their assignments in a more interactive way. respondents were of the opinion that the flipped classroom method made their learning easy and engaged them on all three levels: behavioural, emotional, and cognitive. rani and muniandy’s (2017) studied the effect of flipped classroom strategy on student engagement. the sample of the study comprised of 43 computer science students chosen through “purposive sampling” and given a “quasiexperimental” test. the results showed that the experimental group, i.e., the students who were taught in the flipped classroom, were more engaged and were able to apply academic  concepts to a real-world situation. smallhorn (2017) studied flipped classrooms to boost student participation. to gauge student participation, 110 university students took part in a flipped classroom session. the entire course was on moodle. students prepared for class by watching internet videos and resources.   for analysis, surveys, student attendance, learning data records, and formative outcomes before and after flipped classroom methods were employed. results showed a surge in positive attitude and student engagement. 95 per cent of kids found flipped classrooms positive and lively. in an experiment involving 57 junior high school students, mian (2016) examined the impact of student involvement on the flipped classroom. flipped classroom education was also part of their research. to better understand student engagement, they looked at how students behaved as well as how they thought. according to the research, flipping the classroom increased both the behavioural and general levels of student involvement. an increase in the amount of time spent interacting between students and teachers, as well as between students in the same peer group, was discovered to be associated with a positive outcome in the study’s findings. mohanty (2016) conducted a study on the efficacy and applicability of flipped classroom instruction by comparing 8th graders’ learning outcomes in history indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 70 and science under flipped versus regular education. 90 odisha primary school children were divided into control (conventional) and experimental (flipped) groups.   after one month, post-test scores were compared to study instructional treatments. the resulting “t” values of both groups’ posttest scores were  significant at p 0.01 and confirmed the difference between control and experimental groups. the significant difference between flipped and traditional instructional groups’ mean scores proved the favourable influence of the flipped model on history and science learning outcomes. in a secondary mathematics classroom, the effects of the flipped model of instruction on student engagement and performance were researched by clark (2015). pre and post-surveys, unit tests, interviews, and focus group sessions were used to assess the changes in students’ perceptions. results revealed that students were more engaged and involved in the flipped classroom as it allowed for optimum utilization of class time and used hands-on activities and project-based learning strategies. in comparison, there weren’t any significant changes in the academic performance of students.  jamaluddin, md osman & md osman (2014) investigated the use of the flipped classroom approach to enhance engagement and promote active learning.” a quantitative descriptive survey was conducted on 24 undergraduate students. the results showed the effect of flipped classroom on engagement in the following sequence, with emotional engagement being the highest, followed by behavioural, cognitive, and agentic engagement. the results showed that flipped classrooms helped lecturers achieve their goals and helped in making the teaching-learning process more engaging, active, and studentcentred. the study also revealed that flipped classroom learning improved active learning both inside and outside the class.  tsimerman (2014)  did a conference paper on the flipped-classroom approach to analyze its effect on future learning. the study investigated students’ assessments of the flipped classroom approach in an undergraduate course at the college for academic studies in israel. the learners prepared for classes by watching videos in out-class activities, allowing the classroom to focus on discussion, exercises, and dialogue. the students stated that watching videos between lessons aroused interest, lessened boredom, and improved learning. they also reported that it increased their participation in learning, understanding of the learning material, and confidence in their capability to understand it.  bishop and verleger (2013) conducted a survey on flipped classrooms to analyze student perception of the same. the results of the survey showed that students had a positive perception of the flipped classroom. but as far as video lectures are concerned, they preferred in-person lectures, whereas they preferred interactive classroom activities over lectures. evidence suggests an improvement in learning for the flipped classroom as compared to a traditional class. they recommend carrying out controlled experimental research to analyze the learning outcomes of the flipped classroom.  another study, namely,” the flipped classroom: cultivating student engagement” by tetreault (2013), examined the research on the flippedclassroom approach to education. here, three case studies were reviewed, which served as exemplars of the flipped classroom approach. in conclusion, the benefits of flipped classrooms as evident in these three case studies, included increased engagement, indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 71 individualized education, enhanced higher-order thinking skills, and active and supportive learning by sharing of resources. they insisted that the flipped classroom approach should make use of simple, accessible, and familiar technology to be beneficial for both learners and educators.  marlowe (2012) investigated the effect of the flipped classroom on student achievement and stress. students were made to watch their lectures outside the class and were asked to do their second-year college assessment in the class. students showed improvement in their semester results and reported lower stress levels. students found this approach exciting and displayed positive feelings towards the treatment. a study, namely,” flipping the classroom to explore active learning in a large undergraduate course,” was conducted by zappe, leicht, messner, litzginer, and lee (2009). the traditional lecture was replaced by watching online videos so that more active learning, such as problem-solving, happens in the class. assessment data were collected to examine students’ perceptions of the flipped classroom for active learning and better understanding. they only preferred that half-course should be taught through a flipped classroom and half through the traditional classroom. a research to study the effects of classroom flip on the learning environment was conducted by owens and strayer (2007). the study was conducted in the statistics class at the college level to compare traditional lecture/homework structure to the flipped classroom approach. the study suggested that though students felt more engaged in the flipped classroom, they were somehow less satisfied and showed unsettledness. it was advised not to implement a flipped classroom in any introductory class session. significant understanding gained from the scrutiny of the literature y several investigations have led researchers to the conclusion that the flipped classroom model is directly responsible for the rise in the level of student engagement; furthermore, this model and the rise in student engagement are closely interrelated. research has indicated that using a flipped classroom method can make students more engaged in the material being presented in class. y at both the secondary school and the senior secondary level, there is a continuing demand for psychometrically sound instruments that are both valid and reliable in order to quantify the level of student engagement. y the process of digitalization and deciding on active learning methodologies can take a significant amount of time. for efficient implementation, adequate assistance is required, and this assistance must come from educational technology centres and technical instructional designers. y stimulation of affective dimension in the flipped classroom leads to a pleasant learning experience, which may be attributed to a feeling of being involved and of being noticed. this may be the case because the student feels like they are being acknowledged. y blended learning strategies, such as flipped classrooms, can be used in the medical and computer science fields to captivate students, encourage them to actively participate in problem-based learning sessions, and improve the quality of learning through the use of videos, flashcards, and many other similar aids. this can help students learn more effectively. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 72 y students’ writing abilities can also be strengthened by engaging them in the flipped classroom model, in which videos and assignments are kept to the point, and students are aware of the specific learning goals they are working towards. y learners’ motivation and interest can be piqued through the use of short and relevant videos, interactive sessions, and conversations. students may have the opportunity to engage in meaningful learning with the implementation of the flipped classroom approach, especially  the virtual flipped classroom approach (sharma & chowdhry, 2020). y for enhanced student learning, teachers need to reflect on technical resources, professional needs, email accessibility, and students-focused pedagogy. y many studies have been conducted at the university and higher level. there still needs a lot of work to be done at the school level at high, middle, and elementary levels. the effect of the flipped classroom at the school level still needs to be explored. y a number of studies have shown that students of the millennial generation have a preference for teaching methods such as the flipped classroom and that they are aware of the advantages of being presented with a variety of visual inputs, as well as more hands-on and practical approaches. conclusion in conclusion, the flipped learning strategy has indeed shown positive effects on student engagement. by flipping the traditional model of instruction students become more actively involved in their learning process. one of the main advantages of flipped classroom learning is that it promotes active engagement and participation among students. by allowing students to review the lecture materials at their own pace and ability, they can deepen their understanding of the content and come prepared to engage in meaningful discussions and activities during class time. this not only encourages critical thinking and problem-solving skills but also fosters a sense of ownership in their own learning journey. moreover, the flipped learning strategy enables students to personalize their learning experience. they can adjust their learning to their individual needs and preferences. this autonomy and flexibility in learning create a more inclusive and engaging environment for students, as their unique strengths and learning styles are taken into account. another positive effect of the flipped learning strategy is the enhanced teacher-student interaction. teachers can dedicate more time to providing individualized support and guidance to their students. this personalized attention helps build stronger relationships between teachers and students, leading to increased student motivation, confidence, and overall academic performance. furthermore, it encourages collaborative learning and communication skills. by engaging in group discussions, problem-solving activities, and project-based tasks during class time, students learn how to effectively communicate, collaborate, and negotiate with their peers. overall, the flipped learning strategy has proven to be an effective way to boost student engagement. by promoting active learning, personalization, teacherstudent interaction, and collaborative skills, it empowers students to take ownership of their education and prepares them for success in a constantly evolving world. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 73 references alamri, mahdi. 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(2023). assessing the effectiveness of flipped classroom strategy on student performance. european chemical bulletin. 12. 2883-2896. nja, cecilia & orim, richard & neji, hope & ukwetang, john & uwe, uduak & anari, mary. (2022). students’ attitude and academic achievement in a flipped classroom. heliyon. 8. e08792. 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e08792. owens, d.t., & strayer, j.f. (2007). the effects of the classroom flip on the learning environment: a comparison of learning activity in a traditional classroom and a flip classroom that used an intelligent tutoring system. paramita, i. (2023). the effectiveness of flipped classroom in improving students’ learning outcomes. soshum: jurnal sosial dan humaniora. 13. 193-203. 10.31940/soshum. v13i2.193-203. prince, m. 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(2018). looking for students’ enthusiasm: flipped classroom. 888-895. 10.21125/iceri.2018.1209. stratton, e., chitiyo, g., mathende, a. m., & davis, k. m. (2020). evaluating flipped versus face-to-face classrooms in middle school on science achievement and student perceptions.  contemporary educational technology, 11(1), 131 142.  https://doi. org/10.30935/cet.646888 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 75 sun, fu-rong & hu, hong-zhen & wan, rong-gen & fu, xiao & wu, shu-jing. (2019). a learning analytics approach to investigating pre-service teachers’ change of the concept of engagement in the flipped classroom. interactive learning environments. 1-17. 10.1080/10494820.2019.1660996. tétreault, l. p. 2006, “the flipped classroom: cultivating student engagement.” a project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of master thesis, simon fraser university, canada. tétreault, p.l. (2013). the flipped classroom: cultivating student engagement. tsimerman, alexandr. (2014). the flipped-classroom approach: the answer to future learning?. european journal of open, distance, and e-learning. 17. 171-181. 10.2478/ euro del-2014-0027. white, p. j., naidu, s., yuriev, e., short, j. l., mclaughlin, j. e., & larson, i. c. (2017). student engagement with a flipped classroom teaching design affects pharmacology examination performance in a manner dependent on question type. american journal of pharmaceutical education, 81. https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe5931 zappe, sarah & leicht, robert & messner, john & litzginer, thomas & lee, hyeon woo. (2009). “flipping” the classroom to explore active learning in a large undergraduate course. proc am soc eng educ ann conference exhibition. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 188 research article the experiences of student-teachers’ on virtualschool internship programme: a qualitative study shefali jashvantbhai dhimmar1& r. c. patel 2 1research scholar department of education email: shefali.dhimmar@gmail.com 2 head, department of education faculty of education and psychology, maharaja sayajirao university of baroda, vadodara, gujarat abstract the internship is the heart of the teacher education programme. student teachers understand the role of the teacher in the real situation during the school internship. ncte (2014) has changed the curriculum and increased the duration of the internship programme as many commissions and committees recommend. as we know, due to the pandemic situation all colleges and schools were closed. so slowly we adopted online teaching. student teachers also experienced virtual school internships. so researchers studied the experience of the student teacher in a virtual school internship. this qualitative study also explored the benefits and limitations of virtual school internships and recommendations for the virtual school internship programme. the semi-structured in-depth interview was conducted with a small selected group of final year b.ed. student teachers at the maharaja sayajirao university of baroda. the findings of the research will provide rich insights into virtual experiences which in turn will benefit student teachers, school teachers, and educational institutions. keywords: virtual school internship, student-teachers, experience introduction the internship is an important element of the teacher education programme. it provides real experience to the student teachers for teaching so that they can develop teaching skills. an internship provides opportunities for the student teachers to link and implement theoretical knowledge in a real classroom. it provides a variety of field experiences under the guidance of a mentor and supervisor. it builds confidence among the pupil-teachers. it enhances the student’s knowledge regarding different professional ethics. but due to the covid-19, all schools and colleges were closed. so, teachers and teacher educators found a new way of teaching. gradually all familiarized themselves with online teaching and adopted it. so that student teachers got an opportunity for a virtual school internship. virtual school internship a virtual internship is an example of a computer-based classroom simulation. it offers learning tasks that require students to think and act as professionals and simultaneously familiarize them with the culture and community of (teaching) occupation (shaffer, 2007). a virtual internship is a work experience that student teachers can do from home or any other place. students and teachers communicate with each other through email, microsoft team, and google meet during the internship. the interns can discuss this with their teachers related to assignments and projects. it is also called a remote indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 189 internship where interns are not physically present at the location. importance of virtual school internship through virtual school internships, student teachers can teach students who are enrolled in a different district. they can explore the different types of schools. it can lead to various career opportunities. a virtual school internship builds the skills for remote work. they learn how to use different platforms for teaching and evaluation like zoom, google classroom, and microsoft teams. student teachers can arrange their lecture on sunday for the doubting session. it also saves time and money. student teachers can also expand their network virtually. objectives of virtual school internship the following are the objectives of the virtual school internship: • to enhance student teachers’ awareness of technology • provide an opportunity to student teachers to explore online applications for teaching • development of the technopedagogy skills • understand the role and duties of the teachers • apply theory in a real classroom • aware of the online assessment student teachers can develop communication skills because virtual internships are different from face-toface. so student teachers will have to master the art of conversation. they learn how to write content and give responses through email. they can also build networks with other educational institutions and understand their culture. review of related literature cheong, a. (2014) conducted a study on internship experience: an in-depth interview among interns at a business school of a malaysian private higher learning institution. the objective of this study was to better understand the experiences that the students went through during their internship and to recommend ways in which the educational institution could further enhance this experience. this in-depth interview study was conducted with a small selected group of final year business students at a private university in malaysia. the findings were: the interns benefitted from their internship experience. they were able to see ‘the bigger picture’ and can develop their presentation and people skills. they also learn to be more independent. overall, the participants were satisfied with the support provided by their immediate supervisors and co-workers and also the assistance was given by the university. jeske, d. (2019) conducted a study on virtual internships: learning opportunities and recommendations. the objective was to study learning opportunities and recommend the successful implementation and organization of virtual internships. the present paper draws on the author’s online interviews with 13 internship providers as well as interns and the results of several surveys conducted with virtual interns over the span of several years. the interviewees were located across the usa, the uk, ireland, romania and india. interns need to have the opportunity to develop their skills by also receiving meaningful feedback. virtual internship schemes require a significant organizational commitment in terms of time, resources (staff and remuneration) and careful recruitment and selection efforts. the managers will need to have the required technical, interpersonal and time management skills to provide interns indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 190 with clear deliverables, instructions and constructive as well as frequent feedback to support their learning experience theelen, h. (2020) investigated to what extent virtual internships in teacher education were able to reduce preservice teachers’ (psts) professional anxiety and how virtual internships in blended learning environments were evaluated by psts in terms of technological, social and educational affordances. a mixed method design was employed. the questionnaire, focus group interviews and individual interviews were used for data collection. the findings were: a significant decrease was found in psts’professional anxiety after having followed virtual internship 2. psts reported that they obtained a more realistic image of teaching and felt better prepared for teaching in practice. furthermore, regarding technological affordances, system usability was considered between acceptable and good. concerning social affordances, psts appreciated collaboration within the virtual internships. as an educational affordance, it appeared that learning from videos with authentic classroom events is a good preparation for the professional teaching context. according to the psts, the scenarios within virtual internships could be improved in terms of authenticity and personalization by offering more details and background information. the results of this study imply that virtual internships can be useful assets for teacher education. rationale the acharya rammurti committee (1990) in its review of the npe 1986 observed that an internship model for teacher training should be adopted because the internship model is based on the primary value of actual field experience in a realistic situation, on the development of teaching skills by practice over a period of time. as we know due to the pandemic situation we adopted online teaching. so student teachers also experienced virtual school internships. they can learn new applications for online teaching and assessment. so the researcher wants to study the experience of the student teacher in a virtual school internship. objectives of the study the objectives of this study were to study the experiences of student teachers who had done the virtual internship. research design the study utilized qualitative research and specifically thematic analysis to examine the experiences of student teachers who participated in the virtual school internship program. participants this study drew on the responses of four student teachers (interns) who were experienced virtual school interns. the internship is undertaken in schools of vadodara, with the interns taking full responsibility for their classes during the four-week term. each intern is assisted by two support personnela mentor and a supervisor. a mentor is a subject teacher appointed by the school and a supervisor is a university teacher appointed by the department. researchers selected student teachers randomly. they were informed about the purpose of the study and that their participation would be entirely voluntary. data collection researchers sent messages to student teachers related to this study. student teachers are voluntarily ready for the interview. the researcher took a telephonic interview. it took 45-50 minutes. to ensure the confidentiality of potential participants, i did not indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 191 have access to the report at any point throughout or after the study. data analysis braun and clarke (2006) provided a six-phase guide i used in my study as a foundation for conducting thematic analysis. this research enables the participants to voice out their internship experience through an in-depth interview. from analyzing the interview transcriptions, a few themes emerged. the themes describe the participants' experience during the internship at their respective schools. a selected sample of the participants’ responses is presented with verbatim quotations. the main themes uncovered from analyzing the data are presented as follows: figure-1: provides a brief description of the themes; a detailed discussion of the themes follows the figure virtual school internship school support department support advantages of vsip limitations of vsip challenges faced by student-teachers development of professional skills strategies development of skills students develop skills of technopedagogy. they explored different applications for online teaching. intern a, developed the following skills: “i increased my confidence level and developed presentation skills. i came to know about the different online apps such as quizzes, zoom, and google meet. i learned to make videos on youtube”. intern b, intern c and intern d shared similar types of experiences: “i came to know about the different online apps such as quizzes apps and mathematical application geography. i improved my language skill and built up confidence. i built up confidence. in the beginning, i had feared that if i couldn’t answer any quarry of students”. strategies intern a, described strategies as follows: “i used a probing skill and demonstration method to make an interactive class”. intern b used different strategies: “i taught the first lecture through a simple lecture method and the second lecture through video. after indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 192 that, i orally asked questions and realized that they understood the topic. students in 8th class were more interactive than class 9th students. i made an interactive class through a demo and video”. intern c who was completed her internship in a government school used following strategies: “video on air pollution and a demo were shown to students. i have shown them new videos to make students attend classes regularly. and i also organized a quiz in google form so students felt it as a game, as a result of that they took interest in class. intern d used different strategies as follow: “i used apps such as elab, colab, padlet, jamboard, quizizz. with the help of these apps, the student’s interest and performance were increased. there were few mock students, so i permitted them to respond through the chat box. as a result of that, they began to respond well. i also used 3d video and demonstration strategies. as a result of that, students connect with the study”. student support intern a described as follows: “students regularly attended the class. they gave answers to all the questions but a few students never communicated with me. only one student gave a response from 11th standard students. they joined the class for the sake of learning and did not learn anything”. intern b shared her experience: “they took b.ed teachers lightly. they did not give a response in the beginning and left the meeting. and also didn't go on video mode when asked. when i asked a question to “define the particular” in the exam, they wrote “i don’t know” as an answer”. intern d described “in the beginning, students did not turn on the video but after one month our bond grew so strong that they requested me to teach them regularly. few students did not answer the questions in the beginning. probing skill did not work. it seemed time consuming. but they gave a response after being friendly”. mentor support intern a verbalized the following: “school teachers joined regularly. but they didn’t check the lesson plan regularly and feedback was given only when asked”. intern b mentioned: “mentor was observing lectures but didn’t give feedback. as my annual test lessons would be held in upcoming days i messaged him for feedback so that i came to know to improve myself but didn’t receive any response from him”. intern c narrated the following experience: “microsoft link was sent from time to time and also added to the whatsapp group. the school teacher joined, observed and gave feedback regularly. feedback was given on a content basis. even student teachers can teach through whiteboard and also use lab instruments”. intern d spoke the following: “mentor teacher did not observe any indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 193 lecture. i believed that they should give feedback at the end even though they did not observe any lecture. there was no interaction between us”. department support overall, the participants were satisfied with the support provided by their supervisors and co-workers and also the assistance was given by the university. intern a shared following: “supervisor joined the meeting for 5-10 minutes because she/he had to observe another student teacher at the same time. he/she gave feedback regularly. he/she said that today you took less content and also told you to use a new tool next time”. intern b experience with her supervisor is as follows: “supervisor gave feedback on a daily basis and properly. the timing was 3 pm to 4 pm for the same”. here intern c had shared different experience: “supervisor didn’t observe and give feedback because her school internship was from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and my supervisor was in charge of four schools so they gave general instructions related to teaching”. intern d expressed his positive view on the support provided by the supervisor. she said, “supervisor observed lectures daily and also took meetings after class and gave feedback regularly”. advantages of vsip intern a said the following: “the school allotted to me was far from my home so due to online teaching, there is no unnecessary stress to reach school timely”. intern b told that: “i can deliver innovative content through online teaching”. similar sentiments told by intern c: “i learned new apps such as kahoot, quizzes, google meet and zoom. if i have done offline teaching, i did not get a chance to learn it”. intern d mentioned: “education can be given through 3d models and animation models. assessment can be done easily and speedy and with ppt, teachers can use it in a better way for teaching”. limitations of vsip intern a who interned at grant in aid school, spoke the following: “few chapters of mathematics were not taught effectively by her although there are many applications for it. she also mentioned that there are only forty minute lectures for teaching. during that time we have to join and give instructions. so sometimes it creates more distraction and is also time consuming. due to this sometimes i cannot use achieving closure skills. sometimes students do not switch on their video so i cannot see their expressions and understand them”. students became quite careless during online class”. similar sentiments were also shared by intern b, she mentioned: “there was a network connectivity issue and 9th standard students did not switch on the video so i cannot see their expression. she also mentioned that “when we join school then we have to teach faceindian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 194 to-face mode so at that time we have to speak in front of 50-60 students without fear that we missed”. i faced network issues in the annual test lessons. i couldn’t figure out what students were doing, whether students came to know about the topic and see expressions of students. one can see faces if one uses a laptop for online teaching. but, i was using a mobile so i had to use two mobile phone devices to properly interact. otherwise i had to change the screen again and again to interact and present the screen which is a time-consuming process. another student teacher intern d verbalized the following: “sometimes students did not join the meeting and gave responses. due to online teaching, the interaction between students and teachers was quite less. many times, they left the meeting”. challenges faced by student-teachers student-teachers faced challenges related to networking and related to students’ responses. students did not give answers to questions and sometimes left the meeting. they faced problems related to time management. intern a, described the challenges faced by her as follows: “it was difficult to find a teaching app. it was difficult to take a lecture back-to-back after 40 minutes. i couldn’t use blackboard work skill as i was using only one device. i couldn’t achieve the closing skill as the lecture was automatically over after 40 minutes”. intern c shared a different experience “the timing of the school internship was 6 pm to 8 pm so sometimes tv and other noise disturbed me. only 10 students joined the meeting because others didn’t have mobile or any other instrument to join. many times, i had to teach repeatedly as their concepts were not clear. as a result of that i couldn’t follow the lesson plan accurately”. intern d narrated her experience “few students had network issues. i organized a patriot song competition but students shared funny videos in between. i gave strict warnings to those students but they kept on doing it. so, i left them from the meeting. i did not have data of a total number of students so i did not get an idea about which students did not join the class. school teachers did not respond to us”. suggestions in this study, student teachers also provided some suggestions to improve the internship program. after the internship, student teachers have to prepare an internship report and submit a softcopy online to the university. intern a commented: “offline internship should be conducted in future because we can build up more confidence with it”. "department should provide laptops. offline internship should be conducted in future because we can teach through laptops and various other apps”. (intern b) “offline internship should be conducted in future because in online teaching only 10 students joined the meeting but in offline teaching 50-60 students can attend. i faced network issues so if the department provided wifi then i could deliver lectures in a good manner. it is worthless to indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 195 do an online internship as indian education is such that it provides only offline education”. (intern c) “online and offline, both internships should be there for future student teachers. animation can also be shown in online teaching. generally, only teaching aid and charts can be used in offline teaching. doubts can be cleared on even sunday or holidays in online teaching. schools are time bound but in online teaching, lectures can also be organized after school. the system should be such that the student-teacher can observe the teaching method of other students who belong to different groups. supervisors should be changed on a rotation basis so that we can receive their feedback also”. (intern d) conclusion in this study generally, the student teachers' responses indicated that they learnt technopedagogy skills and benefited from the virtual school internship. student teachers have said that they explored different applications for online teaching. supervisors gave proper guidelines and feedback. a few students did not give responses for questions and left the meeting. the student teacher used different strategies for making interactive classes such as animation, 3-d video, and demonstration methods and connected with real life. references armendariz,c. (2017). a thematic analysis of the excel pre-collegiate program as an avenue of successful postsecondary enrollment for latina/o students. colorado state university fort collins, colorado. cheong, a., yahya, n., shen, q. & yen, a. (2014). internship experience: an in-depth interview among interns at a business school of a malaysian private higher learning institution. procedia social and behavioral sciences. (333 – 343). rowe,w., oy, t. (2004). a qualitative study of the student internship experience. american society for engineering education annual conference & exposition. sheffield hallam university, uk. theelen,h., willems,m., beemt,a., conijn,r. and brok,p. (2020). virtual internships in blended environments to prepare preservice teachers for the professional teaching context. british journal of educational technology. vol (51) 194–210. weaven (2007). pre-teachers' views about an inclusive education internship: a qualitative study.special education perspectives. vol(16)1. 18-35. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 143 research article role of ict in improving quality of education: perception of head teachers of secondary schools of kamrup (metro) district, assam ali bordoloi1, amit choudhury2 & subhas chandra roy3 1research scholar, pqh school of education, university of science and technology, meghalaya emailoleesaikia@gmail.com 2dean, school of business science, university of science and technology meghalaya 3nerie, ncert, umiam, ri bhoi, meghalaya abstract digital dominance has been making significant differences in human life since the 1990s. we are now deeply influenced by this digital habitat in the 21st century, be it education or any other field of life. the use of ict in teaching and learning has been highly recommended and greatly implemented in our education systems in the recent past. the present study has been conducted to gauge the perception of head teachers of secondary schools on the role of ict in improving the quality of education. the descriptive survey approach has been used to conduct the study. a sample of 50 head teachers, selected randomly, was chosen from the provincialised secondary schools of kamrup (metro) district of assam. opinionnaire prepared on a 5-point likert-type scale, and an open-ended questionnaire were used as tools. frequency and percentage were used as statistical techniques to analyse quantitative data, and content analysis was done to analyse the qualitative data. the study revealed that ict helps in enhancing the teaching-learning experiences, makes the teaching-learning process interesting, promotes self-learning, promotes collaborative exercises amongst teachers, promotes innovations, develops the skill of critical thinking, provides exposure to vocational skills, promotes active learning, etc among head teachers, teachers and students. however, some challenges were also perceived, such as lack of adequate infrastructural facilities, lack of sufficient numbers of properly trained teachers, etc. keywords: information and communication technology, quality, perception, head teachers introduction a properly decoded and arranged data can be considered as information and the exchange of information through different ways as communication. the success of the teaching-learning process, to a great extent, depends on proper communication between the sender and the receiver of the information. due to advancements in the field of information and communication technology (ict) in the present era, the sharing of information has become rapid due to its accessibility on our fingertips. ict combines both the information technology and the communications technology. during covid pandemic the online mode of teaching-learning was adopted by most of the teachers due to its suitability in different ways. quality in education is related to a high degree of personnel interaction of a teacher with learners. in the modern age of technology, ict has proven to be an integral part of the teachingindian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 144 learning process. ict contains radio, television, mobile phones, computers, internet, satellite, etc (choudhary, 2020). all the tools which are used for the better processing of information and communication are included in ict. the representation of information in a rich way can change the perception and understanding of the context of the teachers and learners, and ict can also provide support for innovations in education. ict provides a platform for teachers to professional development as per the demand of the time. ict can also improve the quality of education in various ways (gupta, 2018). ict earmarks innovative dimensions of the human mind, contributes to producing a new global culture and opens up a wide range of perspectives in their use in improving the quality of education. in improving the quality of education, ict plays a significant role as it promotes the active participation of both teachers and learners in the teaching-learning process (sekhar, 2016). tremendous changes are being witnessed to take place in the field of education with the introduction and, later, the wide use of technology in education, mobile phones, digital libraries, e-books, internet, etc. enhancing critical thinking and smart decision-making ability in the educational profession seems to be augmented by the wide field of ict at present (sharma, 2019). the smartness of a teacher is reflected in the smart use of ict in the process of education. due to the ability to integrate multiple media into simple educational applications and the flexibility of use of ict at present, it is proving to be more powerful than the technologies used before. new and fundamentally different options in education have been opened as a result of the adoption of ict in education (sharma, 2021). integration of technology in teachinglearning provides an enhanced learning environment for the students and also provides scope for the teachers to improve their teaching by playing the role of facilitator of learning, knowledge manager, designer of curriculum, trainer and so on and so forth. the teaching profession at present is shifting towards being more student-centred and creating a more interactive learning environment (malhotra, 2014). ict initiatives in the schools of assam to achieve the vision of the digital india campaign, the government of assam also recognised the importance of educating teachers in the use of ict as well as the students in a holistic manner. some of the significant ict initiatives in the schools of assam are computeraided learning in elementary schools, information and communication technology in schools, rajiv gandhi computer literacy programme with the purpose of providing computer education to students of government schools free of cost, introduction to integrated approach to technology in education to improve teachinglearning process using technology, ict integrated subject teacher forum to create digital learning resources and network, implementation of smart classroom in govt./prov. secondary/ hr. secondary schools across assam to transform teaching and learning in more attractive and meaningful way with the help of ict, implementation of diksha (digital infrastructure for knowledge sharing), assam for creating and exchanging e-resources to bring qualitative changes in teachinglearning process, implementation of the selected energized textbook (qr code incorporated ) at elementary, secondary and higher secondary level to help students and teachers to access digital content by scanning the qr code, swayam prabha dth and door darshan program to streamline all the academic efforts of the state and bridge the academic gap of students in the line of academic calendar 2020, pm e-vidya one class one channel, etc. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 145 besides these, during the covid-19 pandemic, to continue with the process of teaching-learning, different online initiatives were taken up. some of such initiatives were imparting lessons in different subjects for students of classes ix and x, engaging subject experts through ‘bidyarthee anusthan’ of all india radio, guwahati, silchar, kokrajhar etc, followed by interactive sessions between the subject experts and the students, extending support to different tv channels in imparting the live classes in different subjects, taking up online classes in different subjects, giving assignments to the students in any convenient way to make the assignments available to the maximum number of students, developing e-learning app for the benefit of the students so that teachers can upload their videos in different subjects, introducing youtube channel etc. review of related literature nchunge, sakwa and mwangi (2012) in their study revealed that the pace of adopting ict in public and private secondary schools was slow and the change in the perception is delayed due to insufficient technical and psychological preparedness and insufficient policy guidelines. the study recommends more investment to improve and also to equip the schools with facilities related to training on ict for teachers and students. mumcu, usluei (2013) conducted a study to develop a scale to determine the perceptions of teachers related to levels of ict implementation based on levels of technology implementation framework, and the study suggested defining the integration of ict into teaching-learning process by the teachers in five levels including organisation of activities to develop the basic ict skills of students, preparing lesson plans, developing higher order thinking skills of students, communication among teachers, students and experts by means of networks beyond the four walls of a classroom, use of ict resources and application by the students in solving problems of the real world, etc. charles and issifu (2015) in their study found that the usage of ict by students to support their learning was low, and they used ict to contact peers through collaborative and inquiry-based learning and also revealed that the perception of students’ use of ict was positive and the value, expectancy of success and the cost perceived by the students were high. differences were also found between male and female students on perceived value and cost related to ict usage. gebremedhin, fenta (2015) in their study found that due to a shortage of resources majority of the teachers were not able to use hardware in teachinglearning process but the teachers were found to have strong positive perception to use ict in the teaching-learning process. the study also revealed that the encouragement of the use of ict increases the perception of teachers in the integration of ict in the teachinglearning process. lack of technical knowledge on the part of the teachers and shortage of resources were pointed out as barriers by the respondents in the implementation of technology as revealed by the study. verma, khaliq and kumar (2016) in their study mention that teaching of computer science and the absence of curriculum for computer science at the primary level are some of the challenges related to ict implementation in education. the study concludes that in solving some complex problems related to the real world, scientific principles of computer science can be applied. the students should be motivated to use computer science as a tool in solving problems in their disciplines which will contribute in improving the quality of education and research, according to the study. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 146 satveer (2017) in his study, expressed that the shortage of infrastructural facilities to enable the use of ict in school education is a serious matter of concern in rural areas and resistance to implementing the technological change by a section of the teaching community, shortage of power supply, shortage of faculty member to teach computer, faculty members with lack of computer knowledge, lack of staff for maintenance and support for the equipments, etc. are some of the challenges in implementing ict in rural areas. suniya, lhungdim (2017) in their study found the students to have a positive attitude towards ict. a significant difference in attitude was also found in the study between the students of government and private secondary schools. no significant difference was found in the attitude of students on ict with respect to gender and race as revealed by the study. the study suggested making students more aware of the benefits of ict integration in education. gupta (2018) reveals that ict-based projects significantly influence the framing of objectives, preparing and processing different lesson plans, selecting and presenting contents and evaluating and selecting methods of teaching. unfavourable attitudes developed among teachers and students towards ict programmes due to the lack of infrastructural and training facilities as revealed by the study. the study suggests flexibility in the framework of syllabus and curriculum to have maximum use of ict, arrangement of proper training and support facilities to use ict in education. the study concludes that the process of education is significantly affected by ict-based projects. chakraborty, dhara & santa (2018) found in their study that the most notable factor having an impact on the effectiveness of ict is the cost of ict. in instructing, ict can support a few plans of action or procedure identified with educating and learning through the transmission of data and assistance of information and ict also changes the job of the educators in some cases. sharma (2019) in the study conducted on the use of ict in enhancing teachinglearning process in professional courses mentions that the exposure provided by the ict in particular has compelled the institutions of professional education to enhance the ability of critical thinking and decision making smartly. the study found that in enhancing the teachinglearning process in the professional course ict is playing a significant role as it helps in introducing innovative ways of teaching, learning and training and the use of ict also helps the learners in placement in local as well as international market; as use of ict helps in producing skilled and competent professional manpower. choudhary (2020) expressed in the study that ict plays a significant role in social development; as it improves the teaching-learning process by providing an atmosphere of learning in which the transmission of knowledge is faster and in some cases simpler also and for the advancement of education ict is considered as an efficient method as it provides different facilities through online mode in learning, evaluating, reading books, paying fees, appearing in examination, etc. sharma (2021) in the study on challenges and barriers in integrating ict in indian schools and the role of a teacher mentions that lack of proper infrastructural facilities, lack of sufficient funds, lack of trained teachers, mental blocks in some students and teachers in using ict who consider it as a difficult task are some of the challenges in implementing ict integrated education. the review of the related studies helped the researcher in framing the objectives and research questions, developing indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 147 the design of the research, developing the research tools and also selecting techniques for analysing the data. objectives of the study 1. to study the perception of head teachers about the facilitative and creative role played by ict in the efficacy of teachers’ and learners’ roles in learning; and 2. to study the challenges faced by the head teachers of secondary schools in implementing ict in the teaching-learning process to improve the quality of education. research questions 1. what is the perception of head teachers about the facilitative and creative role played by ict in the efficacy of teachers and learners’ role in learning? 2. what are the challenges faced by the head teachers of secondary schools in implementing ict in the teaching-learning process? methodology of the study the descriptive survey method was used in the present study. a sample of 50 head teachers was selected randomly for the study from the provincialised secondary schools of kamrup (metro) district of assam. both primary and secondary data related to the study were used in the study. opinionnaire and openended questionnaires were used as tools to collect data. the opinionnaire was prepared on a 5-point likert-type scale with five categories of responses ranging from strongly agree (s.a.), agree (a.), undecided (un.), disagree (d.a.) to strongly disagree (s.d.). to determine the reliability of the oppinionnaire, the test-retest method was used. the reliability coefficient was found to be 0.73. according to the comments and suggestions received from the experts in the related field, the content validity of the tools was determined. both qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques were used in the study. frequency and percentage were used as statistical techniques to analyse and interpret quantitative data. to present the data in a graphic way a pie diagram was used. results and discussion table-1: ict enhances the teaching-learning experiences (statement 1) responses s.a. a. un. d.a. s.d. total (n=50) frequency 34 16 0 0 0 50 percentage 68 32 0 0 0 100 graph-1: ict enhances the teaching-learning experiences (statement 1) indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 148 on average, ict enhances the teachinglearning experiences as 68 per cent of respondents strongly agreed and 32 per cent of them agreed as shown in table-1 and in the pie diagram (graph-1). this indicates that according to most of the respondents the use of ict helps in enhancing the teaching-learning experiences. table-2: the school has adequate access to ict tools (statement 2) responses s.a. a. un. d.a. s.d. total (n=50) frequency 0 14 10 21 5 50 percentage 0 28 20 42 10 100 graph-2: the school has adequate access to ict tools (statement 2) the data shown in table-2 and graph-2 indicate, according to 28 per cent of the respondents, the schools have adequate ict tools, whereas according to 52 per cent of the respondents, the schools lack adequate ict tools. table-3: teachers are well versed in classroom transaction using ict (statement 3) responses s.a. a. un. d.a. s.d. total (n=50) frequency 10 16 13 11 0 50 percentage 20 32 26 22 0 100 graph-3: teachers are well versed in classroom transaction using ict (statement 3) the data in table-3 and graph-3 depict that nearly half of the teachers are wellversed in using ict. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 149 table-4: students find classroom delivery through ict interesting (statement 4) responses s.a. a. un. d.a. s.d. total (n=50) frequency 27 18 5 0 0 50 percentage 54 36 10 0 0 100 graph-4: students find classroom delivery through ict interesting (statement 4) 54 per cent of the respondents strongly agreed and 36 per cent of the respondents agreed that the students find classroom delivery through ict interesting. table-5: ict makes the process of communication more effective (statement 5) responses s.a. a. un. d.a. s.d. total (n=50) frequency 44 6 0 0 0 50 percentage 88 12 0 0 0 100 graph-5: ict makes the process of communication more effective (statement 5) all the respondents (88 per cent strongly agreed and 12 per cent agreed) agreed that ict makes the process of communication more effective, which are very vivid in table-5 and graph-5 respectively. table-6: ict promotes self-learning (statement 6) responses s.a. a. un. d.a. s.d. total (n=50) frequency 26 23 1 0 0 50 percentage 52 46 2 0 0 100 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 150 graph-6: ict promotes self-learning (statement 6) almost all the respondents (52 per cent agreed strongly and 46 per cent agreed) agreed that the use of ict promotes self-learning among teachers and students, which is reflected in table-6 and graph-6. table-7: ict promotes collaborative exercise amongst teachers (statement 7) responses s.a. a. un. d.a. s.d. total (n=50) frequency 24 21 5 0 0 50 percentage 48 42 10 0 0 100 graph-7: ict promotes collaborative exercise amongst teachers (statement 7) on the statement ‘ict promotes collaborative exercise among teachers’, the majority of the respondents (48 per cent strongly agreed and 42 per cent agreed) agreed to it. table-8: ict promotes innovations amongst teachers (statement 8) responses s.a. a. un. d.a. s.d. total (n=50) frequency 44 6 0 0 0 50 percentage 88 12 0 0 0 100 graph-8: ict promotes innovations amongst teachers (statement 8) indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 151 almost all the respondents agreed that ict promotes innovation among teachers, as is evident from thetable-8 and graph-8 respectively. table-9 : ict tools are effective in sharing teaching-learning materials (statement 9) responses s.a. a. un. d.a. s.d. total (n=50) frequency 12 32 6 0 0 50 percentage 24 64 12 0 0 100 graph-9: ict tools are effective in sharing teaching-learning materials (statement 9) from the table-9 and the graph-9, it is evident that ict tools are effective in sharing teaching-learning materials. table-10: pool of multimedia content enhances the uniformity of classroom interaction in teaching-learning (statement 10) responses s.a. a. un. d.a. s.d. total (n=50) frequency 15 24 11 0 0 50 percentage 30 48 22 0 0 100 graph-10: pool of multimedia content enhances the uniformity of classroom interaction in teaching-learning ((statement 10) table-10 and the graph-10 that the pool of multimedia content enhances the uniformity of classroom interaction in teaching-learning to a great extent (78 per cent of respondents). table-11: ict is effective in professional development of teachers (statement 11) responses s.a. a. un. d.a. s.d. total (n=50) frequency 32 18 0 0 0 50 percentage 64 36 0 0 0 100 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 152 graph-11: ict is effective in professional development of teachers (statement 11) from the table-11 and the graph-11 it is clear that according to the head teachers, ict is effective in the professional development of the teachers. table-12: there is sufficient provision of providing training to the teachers on the use of ict in education (statement 12) responses s.a. a. un. d.a. s.d. total (n=50) frequency 0 11 19 17 3 50 percentage 0 22 38 34 6 100 graph-12: there is sufficient provision of providing training to the teachers on the use of ict in education (statement 12) from the table-12 and the graph-12 it is evident that sufficient provision of providing training to the teachers on the use of ict in education is lacking according to 40 per cent of the respondents. table-13: ict develops the skills leading to critical thinking (statement 13) responses s.a. a. un. d.a. s.d. total (n=50) frequency 17 20 7 6 0 50 percentage 34 40 14 12 0 100 graph-13: ict develops the skills leading to critical thinking (statement 13) indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 153 ict develops the skills leading to critical thinking. a good number of respondents (40 per cent agreed and 34 per cent strongly agreed) agreed to it, as indicated in the table-13 and graph-13 respectively. table-14: use of ict improves students’ motivation (statement 14) responses s.a. a. un. d.a. s.d. total (n=50) frequency 17 28 5 0 0 50 percentage 34 56 10 0 0 100 graph-14: use of ict improves students’ motivation (statement 14) the majority of the respondents (56 per cent agreed and 34 per cent strongly agreed) confirm that use of ict improves students’ motivation, as is reflected on the table -14 and the graph-14, respectively. table-15: ict promotes collaborative learning amongst students (statement 15) responses s.a. a. un. d.a. s.d. total (n=50) frequency 10 10 26 4 0 50 percentage 20 20 52 8 0 100 graph-15: ict promotes collaborative learning amongst students (statement 15) 52 per cent of the respondents were found to be undecided, 8 per cent of respondents disagreed and 40 per cent respondents agreed on whether ict promotes collaborative learning among students as is clear from the table-15 and the graph -15 respectively. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 154 table-16: ict promotes innovations amongst students (statement 16) responses s.a. a. un. d.a. s.d. total (n=50) frequency 25 25 0 0 0 50 percentage 50 50 0 0 0 100 graph-16: ict promotes innovations amongst students (statement 16) adoption of ict in the teaching-learning process contributes to promoting innovations among students. all the respondents (50 per cent strongly agreed and 50 per cent agreed) answered positively that ict promotes innovations among students, which is clear from table-16 and graph-16, respectively. table-17: ict promotes creativity amongst the students (statement 17) responses s.a. a. un. d.a. s.d. total (n=50) frequency 20 26 4 0 0 50 percentage 40 52 8 0 0 100 graph-17: ict promotes creativity amongst the students (statement 17) regarding the statement ‘ict promotes creativity amongst the students’, the majority of the respondents (52 per cent agreed and 40 per cent strongly agreed) are in favor of it. it is evident from table-17 and graph-17 respectively. table-18: ict promotes active learning environment in the classroom (statement 18) responses s.a. a. un. d.a. s.d. total (n=50) frequency 40 10 0 0 0 50 percentage 80 20 0 0 0 100 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 155 graph-18: ict promotes active learning environment in the classroom (statement 18) the learning environment in the classroom should be active and supportive. almost all the respondents (80 per cent strongly agreed and 20 per cent agreed) confirmed that ict promotes an active learning environment in the class. the data on this statement are presented in table-18 and graph-18, respectively. table-19: ict enables students to focus better on learning (statement 19) responses s.a. a. un. d.a. s.d. total (n=50) frequency 19 27 4 0 0 50 percentage 38 54 8 0 0 100 graph-19: ict enables students to focus better on learning (statement 19) regarding the statement ‘ict enables students to focus better on learning’, the majority of respondents (38 per cent strongly agreed and 54 per cent agreed) confirmed it. the data is presented in table-19 and graph-19, respectively. table-20: ict provides exposure to vocational skills (statement 20) responses s.a. a. un. d.a. s.d. total (n=50) frequency 20 21 9 0 0 50 percentage 40 42 18 0 0 100 graph-20: ict provides exposure to vocational skills (statement 20) indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 156 the development of vocational skills is one of the significant aims of education. ict, through different means, provides exposure to vocational skills. a majority of the respondents (40 per cent strongly agreed and 42 per cent agreed) confirmed this in the study. the data is presented in table-20 and graph-20, respectively. challenges faced by the head teachers of secondary schools in implementing ict in the teachinglearning process the majority of the respondents expressed that ict plays a significant role in improving the quality of education. use of ict makes the teaching-learning process more effective. ict motivates the learners. however, regarding the challenges faced by the head teachers of secondary schools in implementing ict, some issues cropped up clearly. the lack of infrastructural facilities as per requirement emerged as a major challenge, which has also been highlighted by some other studies (malhotra, 2014, sharma, h.k. 2021). some of the other challenges mentioned by head teachers are: lack of sufficient number of smart classrooms, network issues, lack of sufficient number of ict tools etc., in implementing ictintegrated education in schools. the parents/guardians play a significant role in the holistic development of the child. according to the majority of the respondents, the income of the family, parent’s level of education, number of children in the family, priority in the family, neighbourhood and beliefs related to ict education affect a lot of the integration of ict in education. if the income of the family is not sufficient enough to provide some kind of learning facilities like learning by using smartphones or internet facilities then their children may not be able to go with the system as per expectations. also, the number of children in the family and getting priority in the family should be considered as some of the challenges opined by the majority of the respondents. according to 80 per cent of the respondents, the level of education of the parents/ guardians also has an effect on learning process of the child in using ict tools as sometimes parents may not be able to know in what way the child is using the facilities. most of the respondents shared that some parents use to discuss the habit of using smartphones with their kids most of the times of the day, but to fulfil what kind of purposes they are using is also a matter of concern, which is difficult to know for some parents. lack of sufficient number of trained teachers and qualified hardware technicians are also challenges in implementing ict integrated education as opined by majority of the respondents (sharma, 2021). regarding the utilization of online learning facilities by the students, most of the respondents expressed that proper utilization of online learning facilities by the students can be expected under the guidance of teachers, parents or any other person in the family who is familiar with the system otherwise it is difficult to know in what way the students are using the digital devices in the teaching-learning process. major findings 1. ict helps in enhancing the teaching-learning experiences 2. ict makes the teaching-learning process interesting 3. ict promotes self-learning 4. ict promotes collaborative exercises among teachers 5. ict promotes innovations 6. ict develops the skill of critical thinking 7. ict provides exposure to vocational skills indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 157 8. ict promotes active learning among head teachers, teachers and students. 9. ict provides exposure to vocational skills 10. ict is effective in the professional development of teachers 11. lack of adequate infrastructural facilities, lack of a sufficient number of properly trained teachers are some of the challenges in the integration of ict in education. 12. income of the family, parents’ level of education, number of children in the family, priority in family, neighboruhood and beliefs related to ict education affect a lot in the integration of ict in education. conclusion improving quality in education by using ict in the teaching-learning process and also creating awareness among the stakeholders is the need of the hour to have digitalized india with the implementation of ict-integrated education in schools. the perception of the head teachers of the school has a great role in improving the quality of the school. in this study, it is found that most of the head teachers of secondary schools are of the opinion that ict enhances the teaching-learning experiences, makes the teachinglearning process interesting, promotes self-learning, promotes innovations, develops the skill of critical thinking, provides exposure to vocational skills, promotes active learning, etc. due to a lack of properly trained teachers, lack of adequate infrastructural facilities, lack of awareness amongst some of the teachers on proper utilization of facilities related to ict, and lack of proper skill of guiding and monitoring the children on the use of smartphones by the parents are some of the major challenges in improving quality of education by integrating ict in education. as evident from the findings of the study it may be suggested that hands-on training followed by regular orientation programs on ict for teachers is required to keep pace with changing technology in the teaching-learning process, creating grid-connected solar power generation facilities in schools to meet the need of required power supply, creating awareness amongst teachers on the effectiveness of ict in teaching-learning process, guidance and counselling services to parents on use of ict tools especially smartphones by their children effectively should also be organized to improve the quality of education by integrating ict in the teaching-learning process. references assam, scert. retrieved on august 28, 2022, from scert.assam.gov.in: https://scert.assam. gov.in/about-us/detail/activities-of-ict-department chakraborty, d., dhara, s.k., & santra, a. (2018). effectiveness of ict in strengthening the process of higher education system in india. amity journal of management research, 3 (1), 40-53. retieved on 25.7.2022 from https://amity.edu/userfiles/admaa/3b0a0paper%204.pdf charlesa, b.a., & issifub, y. (2015). innovation in education: students’ perceptions of implementing ict in learning in second-cycle institutions in ghana. procedia social and behavioral sciences, 197, 1512 – 1519. retieved on 10.8.2022 from https://www.sciencedirect. com/science/article/pii/s1877042815040975/pdf?md5=4ab1dce9958ee6c424e9358007ac7 6a9&pid=1-s2.0-s1877042815040975-main.pdf indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 158 choudhary, s. (2020). effectiveness of ict in education quality assurance: a theoretical perspective. parichay:maharaja surajmal journal of applied research, 3 (2), 54-62. retieved on 25.7.2022 from https://msi-ggsip.org/msijr/papers/vol3issue2/3_2_10.pdf gebremedhin, m.a., & fenta a.a. (2015). assessing teachers’ perception on integrating ict in teachinglearning process: the case of adwa college. journal of education and practice, 6 (4), 114-124. retieved on 10.8.2022 from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ej1083759.pdf gupta, s. n. (2018). a study of influence of various ict based projects on education. lucknow: department of education, unversity of lucknow. retieved on 25.7.2022 from http://hdl. handle.net/10603/221785 https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/ malhotra, p. (2014). integration of ict in teaching and learning. international journal of research , 1 (10), 198-209. retieved on 25.7.2022 from https://www.researchgate.net/ publication/299774725 mumcu, k. f., & usluel, y.k. (2013). teachers’ perceptions related to levels of ict implementation. procedia social and behavioral sciences, 83, 729 – 733. retieved on 10.8.2022 from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/s1877042813012044/pdf ?md5=09f7f837c78574dc0c6abb03019cf97f&pid=1-s2.0-s1877042813012044-main.pdf nchunge, d.m., sakwa, m., & mwangi, w. (2012). user’s perception on ict adoption for education support in schools: a survey of secondary school teacher’s in thika district kenya. international journal of humanities and social science, 2 (10), 17-29. retieved on 10.8.2022 from https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.1060.1929&rep=rep1&type=pdf satveer. (2017). challenges in the implementation of ict (information and communication technology) in rural areas. international journal of engineering sciences and research technology, 6 (8), 357-359. retieved on 29.7.2022 from http://www.ijesrt.com/issues%20 pdf%20file/archive-2017/august-2017/54.pdf sekhar, p. (2016). use of ict in enhancing leadership qualities among secondary teacher educators in andhra pradesh: a study. visakhapatnam: andhra university. retieved on 25.7.2022 from http://hdl.handle.net/10603/386081 https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in sharma, b. (2019). study of the use of information and communication technology in the enhancement of teaching learning process in proffessional courses of punjab university(chandigarh), punjabi university (patiala) and guru nanak dev university (amritsar). chandigarh: panjab university. retieved on 25.7.2022 from http://hdl.handle. net/10603/271199 https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/ sharma, h. k. (2021). challenges and barriers to integration of ict in indian schools and role of teachers. scholarly research journal for humanity science & english language,, 9 (46), 1124911255. retieved on 29.7.2022 from https://oaji.net/articles/2021/1201-1629789771.pdf suniya, l., & lhungdim, t. (2017). students’ attitudes towards the use of ict in secondary schools in arunachal pradesh. international journal of creative research thoughts, 5 (4), 37253729. retieved on 11.8.2022 from https://ijcrt.org/papers/ijcrt1704498.pdf verma, d.k., khaliq, m., & kumar, s. (2016). challenges and importance of ict in quality improvement of higher education. international research journal of engineering and technology, 3 (10), 888-891. retieved on 2.7.2022 from https://www.irjet.net/archives/v3/ i10/irjet-v3i10166.pdf indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 159 research article evaluating effectiveness of ict tools in school internship programme kaushlendra singh assistant professor, department of b.ed., arya mahila p.g.college (b.h.u.), varanasi emaildrksbhu@gmail.com abstract school internship programme (sip) is essential part of b.ed. programme. it provides opportunity to teacher internee (ti) to practice in real classroom at schools. new technology and information communication technology (ict) has very crucial role to enhance the learning ability of students at schools. it is high time to analyze our traditional pedagogical aspects at school level to make it more effective for all students. advancement in technologies has also produced a digital divide in our society. we have to think about this situation so as to make it easily available for all students. the investigator has tried to reflect the views of student teachers about effectiveness of ict tools during their teaching practice in schools. the data was collected from the student teachers of semester iv after completing their school internship programme. keywords: sip, mte, mst, ti, ict introduction the profound shifts undergone in the field of education due to ict require a pedagogical shift. traditional teaching and learning paradigms have been shaken by the impact of ict on educational practices. one of the greatest challenges which we need to overcome on our way to the 21st century is to enable teachers and students to achieve competency and mastery in the use of technology. the challenge is to use ict in teachinglearning, and if this is to happen, then the change has to begin from the roots of education, i.e., the teacher education system. teacher education institutions must provide leadership for pre and in-service teachers and model new pedagogies and tools for teaching learning. teacher educators should expose pre-service teachers to regular and pervasive modelling of ict. unless and until teacher educators model effective use of ict in their own classes, it will not be possible to prepare a new generation of teachers who effectively use ict in their teaching. the main aim of the school internship programe is the development of a broad repertoire of perspectives, professional capacities, teacher dispositions, sensibilities and skills among the teacher interns (ti) to cater to the diverse needs of learners in schools through a prolonged engagement of teacher interns with school as a regular teacher and participation in all the school activities. in order to achieve the main aim of sip, the following goals should be accomplished by teacher intern: y develop competence and professional identity as a reflective teacher. y inculcate and demonstrate the necessary skills in different roles to excel as a professional teacher. y develop skills and competencies for working diversities in school and indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 160 community; hence, learn to operate successfully and develop an inclusive society. y demonstrate ability to reach and liaison through collaboration with the school community and off-school campus community, interdisciplinary colleagues/experts and teacher education institutions. ict has very important and significant role in achieving above mentioned goals of sip. during classroom interactions interventions of new technologies have affected different domains of teachinglearning process. need of the study the internship provides opportunities to interns for individual as well as professional development through various activities of the school internship programme. different committees have also recommended including an internship in b.ed. programme. the acharya rammurti committee (1990) recommended that internships should be included in teacher training programme because it provides actual field experience in realistic situations. the yaspal committee (1993) has also laid emphasis on internships because they enable trainees to acquire the ability for self-learning and independent thinking. during the internship a ti perform all activities like a teacher of the practicing school. she/he takes part in all academic and administrative work performed by a school teacher. while teaching in the classroom various pedagogical practices are used. in the modern era of ict, there are various tools and techniques available to enhance the teaching-learning experience during classroom interaction. a teacher should be competent to use such tools and techniques to boost her/ his teaching experience. the intent of this study is to find out the impact of ict tools in the school internship program. review of the literature 1. pant, pooja(2019), in her study entitled “a study of the impact of the use of ict in pedagogical practices by mathematics student teachers on problem-solving and critical thinking abilities of elementary school students” finds that the use of technology by mathematics teachers can greatly aid the process of mathematical exploration and wiser use of such aids can help to engage the students. ict can be a great aid for this purpose. 2. dhara, hans (2018) conducted a “study of ict-related stress knowledge and attitude of tertiary level teachers and barriers in using ict in teaching-learning process” find that the ict barrier that tertiary teachers face on the awareness dimension is a lack of knowledge for introduction of ict in the pedagogy where 58 per cent teacher agreed, lack of awareness of technical skills to use ict in teaching 58.3 per cent unavailability of technology content in the curriculum 53.1 per cent resistance towards the intervention of technology 52.8 per centged gets 49.9 per cent . 3. kurian, simmy (2018) has conducted a “study on the impact of information and communication technology on schools of education in kerala from the teacher’s perspective”. the finding of the study tells that there can be infinite use of computers and new age technology, but if teachers themselves are not able to bring it into the classroom and make it work, then it fails. 4. basha, f shaikanwar (2017) conducted a study on “integration indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 161 and utilisation of information and communication technologies in school at vellore district”. this study reveals that all the higher secondary school teachers who are involved in the survey as a sample of the entire population were of the unanimous opinion of agreeing to the integration and utilization of ict and felt the need to utilize those technologies at higher secondary schools. 5. altaf shaikh saheen (2012) conducted a “study of the effectiveness of information and communication technology model of curriculum transition for teacher educators”. in this study, he finds that there is a shift in the field of education due to a pedagogical shift using ict. operational definitions sip: school internship programme. it comprises a total of 18 weeks spread over semesters i, ii &iii. mte: mentor teacher educator who provides guidance during the entire school internship programme. mst: mentor school teacher. a school teacher is assigned the responsibility of mentoring. ti: teacher intern or pupil teacher ict: information and communication technology objectives of the study 1. to study the effectiveness of ict tools in lesson planning and strategy making. 2. to study the effect of ict tools on cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains of learning. 3. to evaluate how ict tools help to explore a particular concept in different ways. 4. to evaluate the impact of ict tools on the teachinglearning process and effective communication. 5. to assess the issue of the availability of ict tools for students. methodology: this study was based on descriptive survey method to get the opinion of teacher interns about the effectiveness of various ict tools during the school internship programme. sample: for this study, a purposive sampling technique was used. all b.ed. teacher interns were involved actively in collecting the required data. tools: the self-prepared questionnaire was used for this study. the questionnaire was shared through google forms, and data was collected successfully. analysis of the data: graph-1: ict tools in lesson planning and making strategy indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 162 this pie chart shows that 46.3 per cent strongly agree while 51.9 per cent agree and 1 per cent disagree that ict tools are helpful in planning and making strategy. this shows that most of the student teachers are in favor of using ict tools during their practice teaching. graph-2: ict tools affect cognitive domain of learning this result shows that 66.7 per cent agree, 24.1 per cent strongly agree, 1.19 per cent disagree and 7.4 per cent are neutral that the cognitive domain of learning is affected through the use of ict tools. this shows that the use of ict tools enhances the cognitive level of learning. graph-3: ict tools affect affective domain of learning this pie chart shows that 64.8 per cent agree, 20.4 per cent strongly agree and 14.8 per cent are neutral about the effect of ict tools on the affective domain of learning. the result tells that some tis are not sure about the effect of ict tools on the cognitive domain of learning. graph-4: ict tools affect psychomotor domain of learning indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 163 the above pie chart shows that 25.9 per cent are strongly agree , 64.8 per cent are agree , 1.19 per cent are disagree and 7.4 per cent are neutral that psychomotor domain of learning is affected through the use of ict tools in practice teaching. this result shows that most of the tis are in favour that psychomotor domain is affected by the use of various ict tools in practice teaching. graph-5: ict tools make teaching-learning process more students centric this pie chart shows that 25.9 per cent strongly agree, 53.7 per cent agree, 18.5 per cent are neutral and 1.19 per cent disagree about the opinion that ict tools make more student-centric teaching-learning. this result shows that students’ involvement is enhanced through the use of ict tools. graph-6: communication becomes more effective through ict tools this pie chart shows tha 55.6 per cent agree, 25.9 per cent strongly agree, 13 per cent neutral and 5.6 per cent disagree about the view that communication becomes more effective through ict tools. graph-7: classroom learning enhances through the use of ict tools indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 164 the above pie chart shows that 61.1 per cent agree, 35.2 per cent strongly agree, 1.9 per cent neutral, and 1.8 per cent disagree that classroom learning is enhanced through the use of ict tools. graph-8: ict tools make demonstration part more interesting in classroom teaching this pie chart shows that 61.1 per cent agree, 37 per cent strongly agree, and 1.19 per cent neutral about the view that ict tools make the demonstration part more interesting in classroom teaching. graph-9: ict tools make easier to explain the complex topics this pie chart shows that 63 per cent agree, 35.2 per cent strongly agree and 1.19 per cent neutral that ict tools make it easier to explain complex topics. graph-10: use of ict tools in teaching practice makes a teacher more competent this pie chart shows that 68.5 per cent agree, 22.2 per cent strongly agree. 7.4 per cent are neutral and 1.19 per cent disagree that the use of ict tools in teaching practice makes a teacher more competent. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 165 graph-11: availability of ict tools is an issue for students this pie chart shows that 61.1 per cent agree, 22.2 per cent disagree, 9.3 per cent strongly agree, and 7.4 per cent are neutral that the availability of ict tools is an issue for students. conclusion the findings of this study show that ict tools are helpful in various ways during the school internship programme. it helps in planning and making proper strategies during classroom teaching practice. ict tools positively affect cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains of learning. various ict tools make complex topics simple and interesting for students. it enhances the student’s ability to explore complex topics in different ways. student involvement increases through the use of ict tools in the classroom teaching-learning process. there are various tools available that enhance students’ communication abilities. it is evident that students learn in a better way when a topic is explained through demonstration. ict tools help them in this process. when ti explains a complex topic in a simple and interesting way, it boosts her confidence level. this study also reveals that the availability of ict tools for all is a challenging issue, but this challenge can be overcome in a phase-wise manner. the digital teaching-learning process should be strengthened to make our future generation of teachers competent enough to face all kinds of challenges smoothly. suggestions this study was focused on the effectiveness of ict tools in school internship program. further, such studies may be carried out at different levels, such as pre-primary level, higher secondary level, and higher education level. comparative studies may also be done for male-female groups in rural and urban areas. references antony gracious, f.l. (2009). e-training the future world of education. edutracks, december, 9(4) broadbear jt (2003). essential elements of lessons designed to promote critical thinking. j. scholarsh. teach. learn., 3(3): 1-8. chauhan, s. s. (2004). innovations in teaching-learning process. new delhi: vikas publishing house pvt. ltd. goel, d. r. (1999), ict in education, changes and challenges in ict in education. m. s. university, baroda hans, dhara (2018). study of ict related stress knowledge and attitude of tertiary level teachers indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 166 and barriers in using ict in teaching learning process, central university of himachal pradesh (http://hdl.handle.net/10603/263275) kamalnayan, b., parmar. (2008). implications of information technology for teacher education and research. edutracks 7(8). nachimathu, k. & vijayakumari, g. (2007). modern ict trends in teaching technology. edutracks, 6(6) pant, pooja (2019). a study of the impact of use of ict in pedagogical practices by mathematics student teachers on problem solving and critical thinking abilities of elementary school students, amity university, noida (http://hdl.handle.net/10603/345477) shaik anwar basha f(2017). integration and utilization of information and communication technologies_icts_in schools at vellore district, bharathiar university(http://hdl.handle. net/10603/237146) shaikh,shaheen altaf(2012). study of the effectiveness of an information and communication technology ict based model of curriculum transaction for teacher educators, savitribai phule pune university(http://hdl.handle.net/10603/222158) simmy kurian(2018). study on the impact of information and communication technology on school education in kerala the teachers perspective, bharathiar university (http://hdl.handle. net/10603/234362) indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 261 research article public debate on ncert history textbooks: analysing tweets on mughals seema shukla ojha professor of history, department of education in social sciences, ncert email: seema.ojhancert@gmail.com abstract in april 2023, ncert brought out rationalised textbooks, which generated heated debate on social media. the present study examined this recent public debate on twitter (now x) over the supposed removal of mughal history from ncert history textbooks by analysing tweets for nearly a month. the study sought to find out how x was used to share information and opinions. the findings show that x posts have both a direct and immediate effect on the perception of public opinion and that a better understanding of how different viewpoints shape the debate on x is highly important. the findings also bring forth a possibility to identify potentially misleading information on the platform. how all this puts greater responsibility on organisations like ncert in bringing textual material or in anticipating responses to changes/modifications made in its textbooks or its future textbooks and in responding to them effectively are other aspects highlighted in the paper. keywords: history debates, textbook controversy, twitter, x, rationalisation, mughals introduction the cambridge dictionary defines ‘debate’ as ‘a serious discussion of a subject in which many people take part’ (cambridge university press, n.d.). among all disciplines, the history curriculum, syllabus and textbooks invite the most controversies. this is because history deals with issues of nationality, culture, and identity. in the past, these debates took place in books, media, and academia, but they now also take place online and on social media. social media has brought a phenomenal shift in public debate and in also influencing people. this makes social media important for researchers to provide insight into how it engages the public in controversies. it can also inform policymakers because while social media can be used to encourage democratic participation, it can also be used to spread misinformation. we can provide insight into how information is exchanged, how people connect on social media and the outcomes of those efforts by looking at platforms like twitter. in july 2023, twitter was rebranded as x. therefore, except in a few places, where context demanded, x has been used throughout the paper instead of twitter. history textbooks and public debate in india, the national council of educational research and training (ncert) has been entrusted with designing the national curriculum frameworks and syllabuses for all school stages and preparation of model textbooks. these textbooks are adopted and adapted by different states. however, many states prepare their own textbooks. however, several indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 262 state boards consider the ncert syllabuses as guidelines for developing their syllabuses and textbooks. the ncert textbooks in history have been at the forefront of public discourse since the first textbooks were brought out in the 60s. however, there have been debates over some state textbooks. this kind of public debate, though, is not limited to india. the world over, curricula, syllabi and textbooks in history have been in discussion over the interpretation of certain facts, events, personalities, the presence or absence of some historical facts, overemphasis on certain things, errors, outdated information etc. botero (2009) states that, because of their public nature, history and social science textbooks are always open to debate as “many people feel they have the right to give their opinion about them regarding the information that is present or absent, the interpretations they make of historical facts or processes”(p.471-472). danino (2016) says that no nation can escape historical controversies because history defines our identity. he also draws attention to the irony of indian history, which, on the one hand, has often been despised by school children but, on the other hand, is very much alive in public space through numerous debates, often kept alive by the media, which brings daily reports of claims and counter-claims about historical distortions, ‘controversial’ topics and scholars, writing, and rewriting of history textbooks and so forth (danino, 2016). there have been efforts to look at some of these debates. banerjee (2007), in ‘west bengal history textbooks and the indian textbook controversy says that school history curricula and textbooks have always reflected power politics, where the ruling party exercised influence over the entire exercise of teaching school history. the paper ‘conflicts in indian history textbooks: between avoidance and abundance’, highlights the indian textbook controversy between 1998 and 2004 and elaborates on how history textbooks during this period interpreted certain events as conflicts and included or omitted these (guichard, 2009). ‘politics and the writing of textbook’ highlights that history textbooks developed after independence exhibited a particular ideology (danino, 2015).in ‘textbook controversies and the demand for a past: public lives of indian history’, author of the chapter ‘clothing: a social history’ in the class ix ncert history textbook mentions one such controversy, which created a huge uproar (nair, 2016). history is an interpretative subject. botero (2009) says that “textbooks have so many different facets that they can be analysed from various angles and perspectives” (p.467). sometimes textbooks are criticised because they are politicised because they include certain contents and eliminate others because they include distortions or half-truths (botero, 2009). sometimes, controversies erupt over not mentioning the source or reference of a claim or historical fact (bharath and bertram 2008).in ‘understanding public discourse on history textbooks in india’ ojha (2022) considers the lack of multiple viewpoints and perspectives in history textbooks as one of the reasons for controversies. besides these, no attempt has been made to date to analyse a public debate over textbook content in history on social media. this study seeks to expand our understanding of the way the public responds to such debates by analysing tweets regarding recent rationalised content on mughals. studying social media is a valuable way to analyse the public as a whole. examining communication on x provides us with a mirror to examine the ways people share information, especially in regard to controversies over history textbooks. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 263 rationalisation of history textbooks and recent public debate: context and chronology during the pandemic covid-19, students struggled to complete their education through online and other methods. many children were unable to make much progress. the ncert responded to these needs by undertaking several initiatives, like online sessions on swayam prabha, alternative academic calendar, etc. studies reveal that learning gaps have developed (kuhfeld et al.2020; the center for research on education outcomes, 2020). in such a situation, if students were given the same textbooks without any change, it might have been detrimental to their further education. concerns related to curriculum load were already raised by the parliament standing committee (rajya sabha, 2021) and other stakeholders. in this context, ncert rationalised textbooks to facilitate a speedy recovery. a general understanding of the term ‘rationalization’ means ‘making a change in something to make it more efficient’ (oxford university press, n.d.).  the criteria used for rationalisation by experts and teachers were: a. overlapping of similar content in other subjects of the same class. b. similar content in the lower or higher class in the same subject. c. high difficulty level d. easily accessible content that does not require much intervention from the teachers and can be learned through self-learning or peer learning. e. content not relevant in the present context or outdated (ncert, 2022). using these criteria, some chapters/ topics were dropped, some were merged, and some parts/sentences were modified. in the case of history, experts ensured that the chronological framework of textbooks and important concepts were not disturbed. this exercise took place in 2020-2021. the details were made public in 202223. however, rationalised textbooks came out on the market in 2023. no sooner than the textbooks came, the rationalised content drew the attention of social media, especially the portrayal of the mughals in history textbooks. it became one of the most debated topics in recent indian history public debates. this debate began on april 2, 2023 with news on x informing the uttar pradesh (u.p.) government’s decision to drop the mughals from its history textbooks. soon, it started trending on x with hashtags #mughals #historytextbooks #ncert #mughalhistory etc. supporters and critics began sharing information and opinions on this. social media was crucial at the start of this discussion, as well as how it was maintained, and ultimately it became a mainstream media topic. history textbooks: before and after rationalization presently, indian history is taught at the upper primary and higher secondary stages. the syllabus for secondary and higher secondary levels says that “lessons have been introduced to chronologically ordered histories of india in classes vi to viii. these histories will not be repeated within the same format in classes xi and xii. instead, the focus would be on certain select themes, which will be examined in some depth” (ncert, 2005, p.93). at the higher secondary stage, a thematic approach has been adopted while maintaining a broad chronological framework. the table (1) on the history textbook for class vii, our pasts-ii, shows the broad changes following rationalisation. this textbook now has eight chapters, of which the mughals are discussed in three chaptersone, four and ten (ncert, 2022). indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 264 table-1: chapters in the history textbook for class vii, our pasts ii s.no. our pasts ii (before rationalization) our pasts ii (after rationalization) 1. tracing changes through a thousand years introduction: tracing changes through a thousand years 2. new kings and kingdoms kings and kingdoms 3. the delhi sultans delhi: 12th to 15th century 4. the mughal empire the mughals: 16th to 17th century 5. rulers and buildings rationalized 6. towns, traders and craftspersons rationalized 7. tribes, nomads and settled communities tribes, nomads and settled communities 8. devotional paths to the divine devotional paths to the divine 9. the making of regional cultures the making of regional cultures 10. eighteenth-century political formations eighteenth-century political formations the class xii history textbook themes in indian history is available in 3 parts (ncert, 2022). the table (2) shows the broad placement of themes in 3 parts: table-2: themes (retained and rationalised) in the history textbook for class xii, themes in indian history, part i, ii & iii s.no. themes in indian history, part i themes in indian history, part ii themes in indian history, part iii 1. bricks, beads and bones the harappancivilisation through the eyes of travellers perceptions of society (c. tenth to seventeenth century colonialism and the countryside exploring official archives 2. kings, farmers and towns early states and economies (c.600 bce-600 ce) bhakti-sufi traditions 140 changes in religious beliefs and devotional texts (c. eighth to eighteenth century) rebels and the raj 1857 revolt and its representations indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 265 3. kinship, caste and class early societies (c. 600 bce-600 ce) an imperial capital: vijayanagara (c. fourteenth to sixteenth century) colonial cities urbanisation, planning and architecture (rationalized) 4. thinkers, beliefs and buildings cultural developments (c. 600 bce-600 ce) peasants, zamindars and the state agrarian society and the mughal empire (c. sixteenthseventeenth centuries) mahatma gandhi and the nationalist movement civil disobedience and beyond 5. kings and chronicles the mughal courts (c. sixteenthseventeenth centuries) (rationalized) understanding partition politics, memories, experiences (rationalized) 6. framing the constitution the beginning of a new era originally, part i of the textbook had 4, part ii had 5 and part iii had 6 themes. however, this arrangement and selection of themes didn’t go unchallenged. an analysis of letters received in ncert from 2005-2020 shows many stakeholders accusing ncert of omitting important themes and periods of indian history like the entire vedic and post vedic period (2000-1500 bce), 6001000 ce and the period of the growth of nationalist consciousness (1858-1915) and omitting personalities like shivaji, maharanapratap, prithviraj chauhan and others (ojha, 2022). now the rationalised textbooks have 4 themes in each part. the chief advisor (2014) of history textbooks stated that the “class xii syllabus is formulated in such a way that each chapter becomes an exploration of one particular kind of source” (p.108). the syllabus for secondary and higher secondary levels mentions sources for each theme (ncert, 2005). it mentions ain i akbari for theme 8 and akbarnama and padshahnama for theme 9. it’s important to note that ain i-akbari is one of the three books of the chronicle akbarnama, written by akbar’s court historian abu’lfazl. thus, both themes 8 and 9 focused on similar sources, i.e. chronicles. the syllabus document (ncert, 2005) further says, “each theme in class xii will also introduce the students to one type of source... through such a study, students would begin to see what different types of sources can reveal and what they cannot tell” (p.93). unlike other themes in the textbook, theme 9 did not discuss the limitations of the chronicles akbarnama and padshahnama as a source. themes 8 and 9 discussed the same time period, the c. 16th-17th centuries. theme 8 discusses society and economy, while theme 9 discusses the political history of the mughals. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 266 social media: sharing of information and its impact social media platforms serve as significant information gateways and public opinion formation agents. since its founding in 2006, x has drawn millions of users. on x, users write their thoughts in 280 characters each, called ‘tweets’. x has methods of connecting tweets to larger themes, specific people, and groups. messages can be connected to one another by using a hash symbol called “hashtag” (murthy, 2011). this links all messages into a searchable list, where individuals can visit the main x page and search for a hashtag to find all tweets containing that tag. on x, users have their own usernames called ‘handles’, which are used with an ‘at’ symbol (e.g. @abcd). any tweet using the said symbol then features on the user’s timeline as a ‘notification’ for further conversation. by “following” other x users, users can build a live feed of tweets. every time a person posts a new tweet, it is immediately visible in their feed and can be read, “retweeted” or reacted to in a direct tweet. members thus establish a network of contacts via which they send or receive information. gaisbauer (2021) says “due to its open platform design, user interactions on twitter might, of all major social media platforms, come closest to what is commonly referred to as ‘public debate”(p.1). x is a public forum where users share other people’s ideas, publish their own, and collaborate to form public and draw in new followers. he says that prominently featured standpoints on this platform are reinforced in traditional media because journalists often incorporate social media, especially twitter, as an established news source in their daily routine; journalistic content or events on television are discussed on the platform in parallel and twitter content is often explicitly used to represent the public opinion (gaisbauer, 2021). several studies tried to study the impact of social media on public opinion. the study twitter use in iranian, moldovan and g-20 summit protests presents new challenges for governments by ems (2009) found that twitter was used to “organise protests, get information to media outlets about the protests, or to avoid police in the streets during protest” (para.9). regarding the usage of twitter in protests and its effects on protest participants, grossman (2009) notes that in addition to promoting democratic engagement, twitter may also be utilised to disseminate false information or to locate and intimidate dissidents. murthy (2011) contends that individuals might use twitter to record noteworthy occurrences using photos and videos and to share information. in this context, he talks about the 2008 mumbai blast, when eyewitness stories posted on twitter attracted so much traffic that the indian authorities asked twitter to cease updating the feed, fearing that terrorists were utilising it for planning. politics and twitter revolution by john h. parmelee and shannon l. bichard (2012) discusses how quickly tweets grow in number and how they connect with their intended audience in local, national, and global political contexts. it examines the reasons behind the rising use of twitter and how it affects people. the study opinion formation on social media: an empirical approach by xiong and liu (2014), investigated how opinions evolve on twitter. they discovered that the public’s view on twitter frequently fluctuates quickly, then quickly settles into an ordered state, and once the public’s opinion has stabilised, change becomes difficult. they found that twitter users are more prone to try to influence others’ ideas than they are to acknowledge changes in their own opinions (xiong & liu, 2014). social media: usage and impact by hana s. noor al-deen and john allen hendricks (eds.) (2012) is an important book indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 267 which examines several social media channels. it addresses various ways in which social media might be used to persuade individuals. socialmedia and political change:capacity, constraint and consequences by p.n. howard and m.r. parks (2012) highlight that social media impacts society as a whole. talking about the role of social media in history, catherine fletcher (2020), in history today, says that “social media favour the quirky, the visual, the gruesome, salacious or conspiratorial. there’s a certain tabloid headline quality to it all and, while that can be fun, it has real problems” and cautions historians while using this platform by saying that, “under pressure to promote an exciting piece of research, it can be all too easy for historians – even those with the best of motivations – to buy into social media’s more worrying tendencies”(para 3). thomas cauvin (2022), author of public history: a textbook in practice, echoes the same concern, “paradoxically, in proportion to the level of interest in the past, the presence of trained historians in public space is relatively limited. even worse, the public space is full of readyto-use statements and opinions about the past that reflect a general lack of historical understanding”(para 2). objectives of the present study the study attempts to understand the recent public debate over ncerts rationalised history textbooks by critically examining x responses and offers insight into the various sides of this discourse. it attempts to bring out the extent to which public opinion could be influenced through such debates, as the image created on the platform not only affects how public opinion on certain issues is perceived by its users, but by society in general. for this, public activity on x for one month i.e. april 2023, was taken into account. methodology the researcher first drew up a list of several topics significant with their public participation on x in april 2023 related to the rationalization of ncert history textbooks and then selected the topic of the removal of mughals from history textbooks. this topic was ‘trending’ on x for some days and had significant public participation. x does not permit the publication of substantial volumes of raw data. the researcher used the software tool trackmyhashtag to extract tweets based on search terms and dates. hashtags #mughals #mughalhistory #ncert #ncerthistorytextbooks were used to identify these. the content analysis method was used for critical evaluation of the discussion. a purposive sample of x response for the first three days (3rd, 4th and 5th april) was selected. a total of 1500 tweets were obtained by selecting the latest 500 responses from each given day for study. each tweet was looked at as a separate unit of analysis. a few tweets have more than one phrase. some had nothing but single words, hashtags, or hyperlinks. these were taken into consideration because they were all related to the subject. the researcher developed a list of categories for tweets on the topic. these were general information sharing, referral, opinion sharing, public outreach, and linguistic and visual sharing. general information sharing included information regarding the complete removal of mughal history from history textbooks. the referral category focused on tweets that referred to outside information like urls/hyperlinks (of articles), pictures, or videos. any opinion stated in the tweet was considered to be part of the opinion sharing. tweets with public outreach were those that targeted followers or media and famous people for attention indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 268 (often in the form of requests for retweets). lastly, linguistic and visual features included things like imagery, jokes, memes and other similar things (fig.3). figure-3: some memes shared on x using #ncert over supposed removal of mughals from history textbooks the researcher performed a theme unit analysis in addition to a referential unit analysis and developed three themes. these were: expressing anger over the removal of content on mughals (#removing mughal history could limit students’ understanding of indian history, #by removing mughals, you can’t erase history. where will you hide lalqila and other monuments?, #removal of mughal history will bring a glaring gap from the early 16th to the mid 18th century), expressing satisfaction over the removal of content on mughals, expressing displeasure over erasure (#mughals should not be deleted but corrected. #mughal history should be taught in detail to bring out the truth). result and discussion using the previously described categories, the researcher examined tweets. first, the researcher looked at the tweets’ format, e.g. their originality, contrasting original content with user-retweeted content. the analysis revealed that 61.2 per cent of tweets were retweeted, suggesting that most users prefer to resend other people’s messages rather than write their own. this suggests that users repurposed content from other people’s posts in their own network of followers because they could relate to it. they rely on other community members to provide them with stuff to share with their followers instead of creating their own messages. a second category examined was that of targeting. in targeting, a user can choose to send an open message to their followers or a directed tweet to another user using their screen name. 68 per cent of the messages in this category were directed or meant for other users. the researcher looked through the tweets for any references that contained links to websites, images, or videos. there were several referrals in a few tweets. a total of 581 tweets (38.8 per cent) included a referral of some kind. referrals to videos (13.9 per cent) and urls or hyperlinks to other websites (24.4 per cent) were the most common types of referrals. it is evident that x was used as a means for information indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 269 sharing because general information about the removal of content on the mughals accounted for 24.5 per cent of all tweets shared. public outreach was mentioned in 16.2 per cent of all tweets. 10.6 per cent of tweets were directed towards celebrities or members of the mainstream media, pleading with them to take notice. this suggests that x can be employed as a means of attracting attention. the presence of opinions in each tweet was also examined. the findings showed that opinion sharing was present in one-third (38.2 per cent) of all tweets. when it came to the removal of the mughals, the majority of x users had negative opinions (22.9 per cent), which were followed by positive opinions (7.3 per cent). the findings imply that the great majority of thoughts about the mughals that were shared through different hashtags were opposed to their removal. when paired with the theme analysis, this suggests that, at least when it comes to using structured hashtags, people who support the erasure are not nearly as active as those who oppose it. the tweets’ verbal and visual elements, including jokes, sarcasm, and memes, were evaluated. 20 per cent of the tweets had some combination of visual and verbal elements. slang was the most prevalent language element (11.3 per cent), with humour coming in second (8.9 per cent). these findings suggest that there is a particular lingo that members of the community on x utilise. the essential frame in the tweet was found with the aid of thematic analysis. the primary goal and content of each tweet were determined by the researcher through careful examination. viewing the primary idea of each tweet regarding the erasure of the mughals was made easier by comparing the themes. anger was the most prevalent theme in the tweets (28.5 per cent). there was a reference to news articles or other tweets with clear opinions expressed in them. this suggests that rather than using x as a means of spreading knowledge, those debating the erasure of the mughals mainly utilised it as a forum for their opinions. expressing satisfaction (24 per cent), which would include favourable impressions of the erased, was the second most popular theme. displeasure (22.1 per cent) was the next most popular theme. as evidenced by the significant number of stories that emerged in newspapers or portals (ramakrishnan 2023; thapar 2023; roy 2023) following the debate on x and echoing the same critical thoughts, x seems to have an influencing role. according to the study’s overall findings, x is largely a tool primarily used for sharing information, along with opinions, to create a unified community and mobilise individuals to see an issue in a particular way. limitations to begin with, the accuracy of the information shared in the tweets cannot be guaranteed. furthermore, there are no assurances that the people posting are who they claim to be or are carrying out their stated activities. it is impossible to find out if users responded to tweets until you get in touch with them oneon-one. the date range and sample of 500 tweets every day represent another constraint. subsequent studies ought to examine a more extensive time period and a greater number of tweets. additionally, tweets that were pertinent to the subject matter might have been accidentally excluded by the hashtag selection. even if we employ a variety of hashtags, using online social media always carries the danger of missing important information. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 270 conclusion as stated earlier, the ncert prepares model curricula, syllabi and textbooks, which are available for adoption or adaptation by states. in the past few years, the u.p. government has started adopting ncert textbooks. the public debate on the removal of mughals from the history textbooks of the state grew so huge that the state education minister had to clarify that they have not made any change in the history textbooks as they follow ncert textbooks. whatever change is being reported has been made by ncert. suddenly, the debate shifted to ncert and people in general and the media in particular started questioning ncert. director, ncert, in a number of interviews explained the rationale and context of the rationalization. an article, ‘textbooks for the times’, by ncert, also appeared in the newspaper the indian express (sridhar et al., 2023), which explained the idea behind this exercise and responded to the queries raised recently on the removal of mughals. it stated that allegations about deleting the mughal period are completely wrong as “the textbook for class xii themes in indian history, part-ii, has another theme on the mughals covering the same empire and time period… based on identical sources of history… the mughal rule is also covered in the history textbook for class vii, our pasts -ii, under the themes of ‘introduction: tracing changes through a thousand years’, ‘the mughals (16th to 17th century)’, and ‘the 18th century political formations”. the article suggests seeing the content of textbooks from classes vi to xii in totality. however, this clarification didn’t stop the debate and a number of articles and editorials, appeared daily in mainstream media and other news portals. this indicates that social media has great power to influence people. the analysis of the debate on x in reference to rationalised history textbooks shows that the allegations levelled against ncert of the complete erasure of mughals from history textbooks are not true. a major section on mughals is still part of the textbooks. however, users’ continuous engagement with the topic and its frequent coverage in the mainstream media by journalists and some historians raises some pertinent questions on the credibility of this social media platform and also on the role of some historians, who echoed the reaction to the x against the complete removal of the mughals in their articles. in such cases of controversies, the voices of historians are critical in providing an honest assessment based on evidence. millions of users currently access historical content on social media. few people explore an issue further by reading books or articles. this is apparent in this debate also, where, from politicians to journalists to common people to celebrities, many people got involved in this discourse, without going into the detail or trying to find out the truth. the rationalised textbooks are available in the public domain for anyone to cross-check and see. the findings show that some historians selectively took up issues and presented their views partially with lots of twists and wrong claims. the study reflects the general understanding of people, too, with regard to the content of history textbooks. many who lamented the erasure of mughals mocked ncert and the government by saying that in the absence of mughals, mention of personalities like shivaji and maharana pratap would automatically disappear. it shows that people, in general, believe that textbooks cover contemporary history and rulers, whereas the fact is that there has been hardly any mention of these personalities in these textbooks. the finding also tells us about the perception of people in general who consider textbooks as the only source of knowledge and seem to believe that history cannot be understood without indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 271 specific segments. the findings raise some questions about the role of ncert in communicating these changes. the ncert made public rationalised tables in 2022 but did not provide a specific explanation for those rationalised chapters/sections, and that’s why when this debate started, people didn’t have ready reference material to look for. though ncert immediately clarified and explained by that time, it was too late. this requires bodies like ncert to publish full information on any effort to choose, revise, or modify curricula, syllabi, or textbooks and offer an opportunity for informed public debate and discussion whenever such a situation arises. it will help in checking the spread of misleading/ false/distorted information. overall, the findings of the study show that social media, in this case, x, have great power to influence people as it provides instantaneous communication between spatially separate individuals. but as we have seen, it spreads misleading information also. therefore, whatever is appearing on social media requires careful analysis so that facts can be filtered from perception. references al-deen, hana s. noor and john allen hendricks (eds.) (2012). social media: usage and impact. lexington books. plymouth banerjee b. (2007) west bengal history textbooks and the indian textbook controversy. internationaleschulbuchforschung. vol. 29. no. 4. textbook controversies in india and pakistan / schulbuchkontroversen in indien und pakistan, pp. 355-374, berghahn books. stable url: https://www.jstor.org/stable/43056795. accessed: 18-03-2020 10:19 utc bharath p. & bertram, c. (2018). analysing historical enquiry in school history textbooks. perspectives in education, 36(1). 145-161. retrieved from https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index. php/pie/article/view/3589 bhattacharya, n. (2009). teaching history in schools: the politics of textbooks in india. history workshop journal. 67. spring: 99-110. botero w.m. (2008). what criticisms are made to the content of history and social science textbooks? in international seminar history and social science textbook. santiago de chile. cambridge university press. (n.d.).debate. in cambridge dictionary. retrieved june 6, 2023 from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/debate danino m. (2015). politics and the writing of textbook, teacher plus. danino m. (2016). the strange irony of indian history, the new indian express ems, l. (2009) twitter use in iranian, moldovan and g-20 summit protests presents new challenges for governments. chi 2010 workshop on microblogging: what and how can we learn from it? feixiong and yun liu (2014). opinion formation on social media: an empirical approach. chaos: an interdisciplinary journal of nonlinear science, retrieved from https://www.researchgate. net/publication/261369470_opinion_formation_on_social_media_an_empirical_approach fletcher c.(2020). is social media good for history?. history today. vol.70.ii. gaisbauer f. et al. (2021) ideological differences in engagement in public debate on twitter. plos one 16(3): e0249241. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0249241 grossman, l. (2009) iran protests: twitter, the medium of the movement. time. http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1905125,00.html indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 272 guichard s. (2009) conflicts in indian history textbooks: between avoidance and abundance, working papers in international history and politics. 2. graduate institute of international and development studies. geneva. howard, p.n. and parks, m.r. (2012) social media and political change: capacity, constraint, and consequences. journal of communication, 62, 359-362. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2012.01626.x kuhfeld, m. et al. (2020). projecting the potential impacts of covid-19 school closures on academic achievement. retrieved from annenberg institute at brown university, (edworkingpaper: 20-226). https://doi.org/10.26300/cdrv-yw05; mahalaxmi, r. ((2023, april 7). history textbook deletions:why ncert argument that it is trying to reduce pressure on students is weak. the indian express. https://indianexpress. com/article/opinion/columns/history-textbook-deletions-ncert-argument-weak-8542044/ murthy d. (2011). twitter: microphone for the masses?. media, culture & society 33(5) 779–789 nair j. (2016). textbook controversies and the demand for a past: public lives of indian history, history workshop journal. 82, autumn:235-254. national council of educational research and training. (2022).our pasts ii. in list of rationalized content in textbooks for class vii. new delhi: ncert. 17-18. national council of educational research and training. (2022). our pasts ii. textbooks for class vii. new delhi: ncert. national council of educational research and training. (2022). themes in indian history part ii. in list of rationalized content in textbooks for class xii. new delhi: ncert. 55. national council of educational research and training. (2022). themes in indian history part ii. history textbook for class xii. new delhi: ncert. national council of educational research and training. (2005). the syllabus for secondary and higher secondary levels. new delhi: ncert. ojha, seema s. (2022). understanding public discourse on history textbooks in india. voices of teachers and teacher educators. vol. xi. issue i. 28-38. oxford university press. (n.d.).rationalization. in oxford learner’s dictionaries. retrieved june6, 2023 from https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/rationalization parliament of india. rajya sabha. (2021). report no 328. rajya sabha secretariat, new delhi. https://rajyasabha.nic.in/rsnew/committee_site/committee_file reportfile16/ 144/328_2021_8_15.pdf parmelee, john h. and shannon l. bichard (2012). politics and the twitter revolution, lexington books, plymouth roy, kumkum (2023, may 3).cleansing the past, creating the future? do (history) books matter?.the india forum. https://www.theindiaforum.in/education/cleansing-past-creatingfuture-do-history-books-matter sridhar et al.(2023, april 24). textbooks for the times. the indian express. thapar, romila (2023, may 2).if ncert has its way,the study of indian history will move entirely outside of india. the wire https://thewire.in/history/ncert-history-textbooks-mughals-india the center for research on education outcomes. (2020). estimates of learning loss in the 2019-2020 school year. stanford university. https://credo.stanford.edu/sites/g/files/ sbiybj6481/f/short_brief_on_learning_loss_final_v.3.pdf; thomas cauvin. (2022). public history: a textbook in practice. routledge. new york. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 102 research article relationship between attitude towards ict and techno-pedagogical skills of rural secondary school teachers of west bengal board chiranjit setua1 & manvi yadav2 1research scholar, department of education, central university of jharkhand 2assistant professor, department of education central university of jharkhand emailmanaviy2006@gmail.com abstract the present study mainly investigates the relationship between attitude towards ict and techno-pedagogical skills of rural secondary school teachers of west bengal board. in this study 210 rural secondary school teachers were randomly selected and research design adopted was descriptive survey. for collecting data, “scale to assess technopedagogical skills” (satps), standardized by the researcher with content validity and reliability co-efficient of 0.56, and “ict attitude scale for secondary school teachers”, standardized by saini, s. (2015) were used. the results revealed that the attitude towards ict of rural secondary school teachers is positive and it doesn’t differ significantly with respect to their area of discipline, but it differs significantly with respect to their teaching experiences. on the other hand, the techno-pedagogical skills of rural secondary school teachers are at moderate level and don’t differ significantly with respect to their area of discipline and teaching experiences. finally, a positive correlation between attitude towards ict and the techno-pedagogical skills of rural secondary school teachers has been found. so, as per the present study, it can be said that the techno-pedagogical skills positively depend upon the attitude towards ict of rural secondary school teachers of west bengal board. keywords: attitudes towards ict, rural secondary school teachers, technopedagogical skill, west bengal board. introduction now-a-days, technology is playing a pivotal role in every aspect of human life so much that even a moment of our life seems lame without technology. as the education system is an integral part of our life so at present technology is immensely unavoidable for the education system. on the other hand, present generation learners, considered as digital natives, always want to be in front of technology and they enjoy dealing with technology. so, it is the need of hour that teacher must have appropriate knowledge of an adequate use of technology in the teachinglearning process. a framework was developed in 2006 by punya mishra and mathew j. koehler, known as technological pedagogical and content knowledge (tpack) framework, which includes three broad knowledge areas, these are technological, pedagogical and content. when it comes to an integrated form, it is called tpack which is different in nature from those knowledge bases in isolated form (mishra and koehler,2006). technopedagogical skills has been originated from this concept of tpack. we know that when teachers apply knowledge in a practical field, they perform skills. that’s why, at the time of application of tpack in a real classroom situation, indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 103 teachers perform techno-pedagogical skills. according to subasini and jeyanthi (2019) “techno pedagogy is the art of incorporating technology in designing teaching-learning experiences so as to enrich the learning outcomes.” also, they considered it as “hybrid approach of meta-teaching.” as per rao and jalajakshi (2021) when a teacher integrates technology and pedagogy into the classroom then “it’s made him or her a techno pedagogue” and there is an extreme need of techno pedagogues as per the present scenario for an effective and enjoyable learning environment. also, they believed that technology only can promote universal access to education. according (buabeng-andoh, 2012; thappa and baliya, 2021; hew and brush, 2007), there are many factors of teachers’ personal level that influence them to use ict in the teaching-learning process, and one of those factors of personal level is teachers’ attitudes towards ict. ‘attitude’ is lexically considered as “a settled way of thinking or feeling about something.” that’s why, hogg and vaughan (2005) defined attitude as “a relatively enduring organization of belief, feelings, and tendencies towards socially significant objects, groups, events or symbols.” according to saul mcleod (2009) there is an attitude structure of human beings and it has three (3) components; a, b and c. that is, ‘a’ for the affective component, ‘b’ for the behavioural component and ‘c’ for the cognitive component and it is known as abc model of attitude. figure-1: abc model of attitude on the other hand, we know that there are three (3) types of attitudes i.e., positive attitude, negative attitude and neutral attitude. a positive attitude is favourable to people, situations, objects or events. a negative attitude is unfavourable and people with a neutral attitude don’t give so much importance to people, situations, objects or events. here ignorance takes place. the present study mainly deals with two variables i.e., attitudes towards ict and techno-pedagogical skills of secondary school teachers. as the previous studies (buabeng-andoh, 2012; thappa and baliya, 2021; hew and brush, 2007) showed that attitudes towards ict affect the teachers’ use of ict in teaching-learning indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 104 process, it can be predicted that there should be an effect of attitudes towards ict on techno-pedagogical skills of secondary school teachers. therefore, a typical effort has been made by the researcher to attempt a study on the level of techno-pedagogical skill in relation to attitudes toward ict. review of related literatures in teaching profession, teachers’ attitude is one of the most important factors for providing quality teaching (bhargava and pathy, 2014; cate and glock, 2019; dkhar, 2014; nagase et al., 2020; parvez and shakir, 2013; sivakumar, 2018; singh, 2021). so, to find out whether any relation exists between attitudes towards ict and techno-pedagogical skills, some related literatures were reviewed. these are as follows: bhargava, (2021) revealed no significant difference was observed in techno pedagogical competency between male and female secondary school teachers. but ict teaching attitudes of male and female secondary school teachers significantly differed from each other and finally, there was no significant relationship between techno pedagogical competency and ict teaching attitude among secondary school teachers. manikandan (2021) found that there was an influence of ict awareness and attitude towards ict on the skill of using ict among secondary school teachers. also, the level of attitude towards ict among secondary school teachers was favourable and the level of ict skill among secondary school teachers was high. beri and sharma (2019) revealed the statistically significant difference in techno-pedagogical and content knowledge (tpack) competencies of teacher educators were observed with respect to the locality of college i.e., rural and urban. guru and beura (2019) revealed that the techno pedagogical competency level of urban higher secondary school teachers is higher than rural higher secondary school teachers. parkash and hooda (2018) found that the techno pedagogical competency of urban government and private higher secondary school teachers is better than rural school teachers because the facilities are available more in urban schools as compared to rural schools. daling (2017) recognised that the teachers who are more experienced in ict, had greater confidence, and effective performance in teachinglearning process and the level of ict skills also influenced the teachers’ attitude towards using the information and communication technology. yerdelen-damar et al. (2017) found that the teachers who had more positive attitudes towards technology had higher self-efficacy beliefs about tpack. avidov-ungar & iluz (2014) showed that attitude of teacher educators towards the use of ict was positive and the level of their technological pedagogical knowledge was relatively high. i̇pek et al. (2014) found that the teacher candidates who have more interest in using computers have more positive attitudes than those who are not interested in using the computer. sethi (2014) recognised that if the teachers can develop a positive attitude towards technology and they will become friendly with the technology integrated teaching-learning environment. whyte (2014) organized a course on digital technologies for language teaching on 24 pre-service teachers to make them techno-pedagogically competent. after attending the course, pre-service teachers felt that they learned new ict skills and they understood the utility of ict clearly indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 105 for language teaching. their attitude towards the integration of ict into the teaching-learning process had also changed. rastogi and malhotra (2013) revealed that there is a strong positive relationship between the possession of ict skills by teachers, their attitude towards ict and the actual implementation of ict in classroom teaching. it means the implementation of a new curriculum with ict strongly depends upon the attitude of teachers. so, not only the ict knowledge and skills are sufficient but also teachers have to develop and imbibe the right attitude towards ict. sathiyaraj (2013) showed that the maximum number of teachers (97.0 per cent) had a neutral attitude towards using new technology. but there was a significant and positive relationship between techno-pedagogical competency and attitude towards using new technology. after reviewing the aforesaid related literatures, it must be undoubtedly admitted in a word that somehow attitudes towards ict play a critical role in teachers’ technology integrated teaching performances in a real classroom situation. but there was no study found so far which combined the variables attitudes towards ict and techno-pedagogical skills of secondary school teachers together as well as there is no study found which dealt to find out the relationship between attitudes towards ict and technopedagogical skills of rural secondary school teachers. previous studies, like beri and sharma (2019), guru and beura (2019), parkash and hooda (2018), yieng and daud (2018) showed that rural teachers are less competent in techno-pedagogical skills than urban teachers and also, they found the less availability of ict equipment as well as less use of ict in education purposes in the rural institutions. so, there is a need to conduct a study to find out the attitudes toward ict of rural secondary school teachers, and its relation to their technopedagogical skills. again, the present study differs from the rest of the previous studies in terms of population and sample. objectives of the study 1. to find out the attitude towards ict among rural secondary school teachers with respect to the background variables; area of discipline (language / social science / science) and teaching experience (below 5 years / 5 to 10 years / above 10 years). 2. to find out the level of technopedagogical skills among rural secondary school teachers with respect to the background variables; area of discipline (language / social science / science) and teaching experience (below 5 years / 5 to 10 years / above 10 years). 3. to find out the relationship between attitude towards ict and techno-pedagogical skills of rural secondary school teachers. hypotheses of the study h0-1: there is no significant difference in attitude towards ict among language, social science and science rural secondary school teachers. h0-2: there is no significant difference in attitude towards ict among rural secondary school teachers with respect to their teaching experiences i.e., below 5 years, 5 to 10 years and above 10 years. h0-3: there is no significant difference in techno-pedagogical skills among indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 106 language, social science and science rural secondary school teachers. h0-4: there is no significant difference in techno-pedagogical skills among rural secondary school teachers with respect to their teaching experiences i.e., below 5 years, 5 to 10 years and above 10 years. h0-5: there is no significant relationship between attitude towards ict and techno-pedagogical skills with respect to the area of discipline of rural secondary school teachers. h0-6: there is no significant relationship between attitude towards ict and techno-pedagogical skills with respect to the teaching experience of rural secondary school teachers. research design to fulfil the objectives of the present study, the researcher adopted a descriptive survey design for conducting research. population for the study all the rural secondary school teachers of west bengal board of secondary education (w.b.b.s.e.) of kharagpur subdivision, west bengal were considered as the population for the present study. sample for the study in order to find out the results of this study, 210 rural secondary school teachers of w.b.b.s.e. boards from the kharagpur sub-division, west bengal were selected as a sample through random sampling method. tools used 1. to assess the level of technopedagogical skills of rural secondary school teachers, a self-made five (5) point likert-type scale was developed, named “scale to assess technopedagogical skills” (satps). it was standardized by using content validity and using the split-half method with a reliability coefficient of 0.56. this scale contains 52 items. the maximum value of this scale is 260. the level of techno-pedagogical skills with very low, low, moderate, high and very high was calculated for those teachers who scored 52 to 93, 94 to 135, 136 to 177, 178 to 219 and 220 to 260 respectively. 2. to assess the attitude towards ict of rural secondary school teachers, a tool titled “ict attitude scale for secondary school teachers” was used. it was standardized by sunanda saini in 2015. the items of this scale are 34 and the maximum value of this scale is 170. the score of negative, neutral and positive attitude was calculated for those teachers who scored 34 to 80, 81 to 125 and 126 to 170 respectively. data analysis and interpretation to find out the results of objective 1, the mean value of the attitude towards ict of rural secondary school teachers was calculated which is mentioned in table 1 and to find out the significant differences in attitude towards ict among rural secondary school teachers concerning the background variables; area of discipline and teaching experience were calculated by using f-test, mentioned in table 2 and table 3. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 107 table-1: nature of attitude towards ict among rural secondary school teachers variable nature of attitude no of teachers (n) percentage of teachers mean value of attitude (m) remarks attitude towards ict positive (126 to 170) 168 80% 137.00 positive attitude towards ict neutral (81 to 125) 42 20% negative (34 to 84) 00 0% table-2: difference in attitude towards ict among rural secondary school teachers with respect to their area of discipline variables n mean sd f-value remarks background dependent area of discipline language attitude towards ict 78 134.87 13.24 1.98 h01 is accepted at a 0.05 level social science 68 137.32 13.85 science 64 139.25 12.19 the results in table 2 clearly indicate that the calculated f-value is 1.98 which is less than the table value at a 0.05 level of significance. thus, the null hypothesis is accepted. it can be interpreted from the results that there is no significant difference in attitude towards ict among language, social science and science rural secondary school teachers. so, the area of discipline is not a factor that affects the attitude towards ict of rural secondary school teachers. table-3: difference in attitude towards ict among rural secondary school teachers with respect to their teaching experience variables n mean sd f-value remarks background dependent teaching experience <5 years attitude towards ict 70 138.91 13.09 3.47 h02 is rejected at a 0.05 level 5-10 years 50 139.24 13.45 >10 years 90 134.26 12.77 the results in table 3 clearly indicate that the calculated f-value is 3.47 which is higher than the table value at a 0.05 level of significance. thus, the null hypothesis is rejected. the results in table 1 clearly indicate that there are 80 per cent and 20 per cent of rural secondary school teachers with positive and neutral attitude towards ict respectively. the overall attitude of the teachers is positive with a mean value of 137. one thing that is remarkable, there is none with a negative attitude towards ict. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 108 it can be interpreted from the results that there is a significant difference in attitude towards ict among rural secondary school teachers with respect to their teaching experience. so, the teaching experience is a factor in the present study that affects the attitude towards ict of rural secondary school teachers. to find out the results of objective 2, the mean value of the level of technopedagogical skills of rural secondary school teachers was calculated which is mentioned in table 4 and to find out the significant differences in techno-pedagogical skills among rural secondary school teachers concerning the background variables; area of discipline and teaching experience were calculated by using f-test, mentioned in table 5 and table 6. table-4: level of techno-pedagogical skills among rural secondary school teachers variable level of tps no of teachers (n) percentage of teachers mean value of tps (m) remarks technopedagogical skills (tps) very high (220 to 260) 10 4.76% 147.45 moderate level of tps high (178 to 219) 62 29.52% moderate (136 to 177) 46 21.90% low (94 to 135) 52 24.76% very low (52 to 93) 40 19.05% the results in table 4 clearly indicate that there are 4.76 per cent, 29.52 per cent, 21.90 per cent, 24.76 per cent and 19.05 per cent of rural secondary school teachers with very high, high, moderate, low and very low levels of techno-pedagogical skills. the overall level of techno-pedagogical skills of rural secondary school teachers is moderate. table-5: difference in techno-pedagogical skills among rural secondary school teachers with respect to their area of discipline variables n mean sd f-value remarks background dependent area of discipline language technopedagogical skills 78 144.79 50.62 0.19 h03 is accepted at a 0.05 level social science 68 149.53 49.33 science 64 148.46 45.22 the results in table 5 clearly indicate that the calculated f-value is 0.19 which is less than the table value at a 0.05 level of significance. thus, the null hypothesis is accepted. it can be interpreted from the results that there is no significant difference in techno-pedagogical skills among language, social science and science rural secondary school teachers. so, indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 109 the area of discipline is not a factor that affects the techno-pedagogical skills of rural secondary school teachers. in table 7, the calculated coefficient of the correlation values between attitude towards ict and techno-pedagogical skills of language, social science and science rural secondary school teachers are 0.73, 0.86 and 0.78 respectively. it can be interpreted from the results that there is a highly positive correlation between attitude towards ict and the techno-pedagogical skills of rural secondary school teachers with respect to their area of discipline. table-6: difference in techno-pedagogical skills of rural secondary school teachers with respect to their teaching experience variables n mean sd f-value remarks background dependent teaching experience <5 years technopedagogical skills 70 152.88 49.62 1.93 h03 is accepted at a 0.05 level 5-10 years 50 153.40 48.53 >10 years 90 139.91 46.91 the results in table 6 clearly indicate that the calculated f-value is 1.93 which is less than the table value at a 0.05 level of significance. thus, the null hypothesis is accepted. it can be interpreted from the result that there is no significant difference in techno-pedagogical skills of rural secondary school teachers with respect to their teaching experience. so, the teaching experience is not a factor that affects the techno-pedagogical skills of rural secondary school teachers. to find out the results of objective 3, the correlation between attitude towards ict and techno-pedagogical skills of rural secondary school teachers, the mean value of the attitude towards ict and techno-pedagogical skills were calculated. also, the correlation between the two means was calculated by using pearson’s product moment method. the results are given in table 7 and table 8. table-7: correlation between attitude towards ict and techno-pedagogical skills of rural secondary school teachers with respect to their area of discipline area of discipline n variables co-relation (r) remarksattitude towards ict techno-pedagogical skills mean sd mean sd language 78 134.87 13.24 144.79 50.62 0.73 positive social science 68 137.32 13.85 149.53 49.33 0.86 positive science 64 139.25 12.19 148.46 45.22 0.78 positive indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 110 in table 8, the calculated coefficient of the correlation values between attitude towards ict and techno-pedagogical skills of below 5 years, 5 to 10 years and above 10 years teaching experienced rural secondary school teachers are 0.84, 0.86 and 0.69 respectively. it can be interpreted from the result that there is a highly positive correlation between attitude towards ict and the techno-pedagogical skills of rural secondary school teachers with respect to their teaching experience. thus, it can be said that the technopedagogical skills of rural secondary school teachers mainly depend upon their attitude towards ict, and it can be assumed that with a positive attitude towards ict, rural secondary school teachers perform in the teaching-learning process as more techno-pedagogically skilled persons concerning the background variables; area of discipline as well as teaching experience. major findings y a positive attitude towards ict of rural secondary school teachers of west bengal board has been found. y attitude towards ict among language, social science and science rural secondary school teachers of west bengal board doesn’t differ significantly. y attitude towards ict among language, social science and science rural secondary school teachers of west bengal board differs significantly with respect to their teaching experience. y techno-pedagogical skills of rural secondary school teachers of west bengal board is at moderate level. y techno-pedagogical skills among language, social science and science rural secondary school teachers of west bengal board doesn’t differ significantly. y techno-pedagogical skills of rural secondary school teachers of west bengal board doesn’t differ significantly with respect to their teaching experience. y a positive correlation between attitude towards ict and the techno-pedagogical skills of rural secondary school teachers of west bengal board has been found with respect to their area of discipline. y a positive correlation between attitude towards ict and the technopedagogical skills of rural secondary school teachers of west bengal board has been found with respect to their teaching experience. table-8: correlation between attitude towards ict and techno-pedagogical skills of rural secondary school teachers with respect to their teaching experience teaching experience n variables co-relation (r) remarksattitude towards ict technopedagogical skills mean sd mean sd <5 years 70 138.91 13.09 152.88 49.62 0.84 positive 5-10 years 50 139.24 13.45 153.40 48.53 0.86 positive >10 years 90 134.26 12.77 139.91 46.91 0.69 positive indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 111 educational implications as per the recommendations of nep 2020 and the needs of the modern digital era, technology integrated quality teaching-learning process is required for quality education. so, for quality in learning outcomes at the school level, techno-pedagogical skills are an important measure to the secondary school teachers as well as to all those stake holders who are related to the present education system. even, though the attitude towards ict is playing a vital role in the technology integrated teaching-learning process, a favourable attitude of secondary school teachers is also required at present. y while implementing various educational policies related to ict integration in education, all the stakeholders should focus on the appropriate and quality implementation of technology in education for quality in learning outcomes. y the different orientation programs must be organised to maintain the positive attitude towards ict of secondary school teachers on a regular interval. y at the time of developing curriculum, the curriculum planner must plan and develop the updated technology integrated lessons and activities keeping in mind the opportunities for ict accessibility by the teachers and learners. y at the time of implementing the curriculum in a real classroom situation, teachers must plan the appropriate and updated technologyoriented lessons and activities as per the individual differences of the learners. y conduction of different training programs related to ict integration in education for school teachers should be made mandatory for enhancing their techno-pedagogical skills. y the adequate opportunity to use the ict must be provided to the students to clear the concept about their lessons, anytime and anywhere. y technology mediated teachinglearning process should be provided to the students on a regular basis to involve them as active participants in the present teaching-learning process. • as a professional, a teacher shapes the learners through his/her instruction. by the use of modern technological tools, resources and devices teachers make the learners aware of the use of technology along with its advantages and disadvantages. so, there is a need to teachers to improve their technopedagogical skills as they are the role model to the learners in this context. conclusion the present study mainly aimed to find out the attitude towards ict and the level of techno-pedagogical skills as well as to find out the relationship between attitude towards ict and technopedagogical skills of rural secondary school teachers. it was an important survey in the rural context. the findings of this study indicate that rural secondary school teachers need to be more techno-pedagogically skilled for being competent teachers. also, attitude towards ict should be made more positive, as the relationship between attitude towards ict and technopedagogical skills is positive. thus, it can be said that with an appropriate attitude and adequate techno-pedagogical skills, rural secondary school teachers will become able to provide sound teachinglearning situations as per the present scenario. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 112 references avidov-ungar, o., & iluz, i. e. 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(2017). mediated effects of technology competencies and experiences on relations among attitudes towards technology use, technology ownership, and self efficacy about technological pedagogical content knowledge. journal of science education and technology, 26(4), 394–405. https://doi. org/10.1007/s10956-017-9687-z yieng, w. a. & daud, k. (2018). ict competencies among school teachers: a review of literature. journal of education and learning (edulearn), 12(3), 376-381. https://doi. org/10.11591/edulearn.v12i3.5579 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 114 research article gis in school: geography teachers’ perceptions towards geographic information system ansar ahmad assistant professor, department of teacher training & non-formal education (iase), faculty of education, jamia millia islamia, new delhi emailaahmad19@jmi.ac.in abstract the use of information technology and communication in general and gis in particular is an important tool that is used to understand today’s complex world and help to solve the problems related to spatial interaction. today gis has penetrated different aspects of life and it is the result of extensive acquisition of digital computers by business, trades, schools, institutions, universities, researchers, teachers, teacher educators, policy makers and households. the use of gis as a pedagogic tool in geography classroom enables students to better understand the spatial interaction and relationship that exist on the surface of the earth by using technology. a sample of 20 post graduate teachers (pgts) teaching geography at senior secondary level was purposively selected through questionnaire and interview schedule. the result shows that majority of the teachers were interested to get trained in gis, so that they could be able to incorporate gis in their teaching learning process with proper command. the paper highlights that time to time in-service training programmes need to be organized in gis for the teachers to enhance their learning and also up to date with latest technology in the field of gis. keywords: geography, geography education, gis, pedagogic tool, perceptions, spatial interaction introduction “this is a call for geography and environmental educators to think critically about the value of gis.” (bednarz, 2004, p.192) geographic information system (gis) is a computer based medium through which geographic information in a map is stored, visualized, manipulated and analyzed. it is a means of assembling and analysing various kinds of spatial data that is available on the surface of the earth. ‘many systems have been evolved for naturalresource management and land-use planning at the different levels such as, regional, urban, state and national levels of government agencies. ‘most of the systems rely on data that comes from existing maps or on data that is mapped readily’ (shelton & estes, 1981). the function of gis is one of the most important contributions of the latest technology used by the teachers to create, manage, analyze and display natural as well human phenomenon or geographic data on the map. one of the important exciting uses of gis in classroom occurs when teacher collect, create and manage their own geographic data with their students. the collected data then compiled and use with the help of gis to analyse and display the results. gis is used in geography classroom and it enables students to indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 115 comprehend the spatial relationship that exist on the surface of the earth. spatial interaction and analysis such as selection of location in terms of site and situation change over time and influence and impact the environment that play an integral part in gis use in geography classroom.gis was first time introduced in indian school curriculum as a part of geography at senior secondary stage under the flagship of national curriculum framework for school education-2000 (ncfse-2000). existing ncert syllabus for secondary and senior secondary classes’ volume-ii (ncf-2005) on geography education at senior secondary stage suggests that there seems to be a lesser focus on gis as a core objective and it needs to get more coverage in the coming days. gis applications play an important role and may help teachers how to implement constructivist and inquirybased learning environment in the classroom. despite its potentials, most of the schools still lack of the essential infrastructure and resources and teachers fail to use gis effectively in their class with proper command and effective skills. nevertheless, it is very difficult to process of geographical data and gis is difficult to use without proper understanding and skills of the computer and at the same time it also needs sound understanding about different packages of the gis like erdas, arc view etc. the interest in the incorporation of gis into senior secondary school is mushrooming as teachers can learn multiple benefits and use of gis in school education. “its display of spatial data helps students to recognize and comprehend spatial patterns, while the variety of data and subject matter demonstrate real world complexities (kerski 2003)”. gis is a very useful pedagogic tool for the teachers willing to use more student-centred approach for teaching students who play pivotal role in the teaching-learning process, inspiring and motivating students so that they can think critically (fitzpatrick & maguire 2000). due to its interactive nature, gis makes geography and other subjects interesting and informative for the students. gis keeps students motivated for asking questions, creating, managing, analyzing, displaying and interpreting map on the basis of information available to them. review of literature siljeg, s., milanovic, a. and maric, i. (2022) aimed to explore teachers and students attitudes towards the possibilities to implement gis in secondary schools in croatia. 96 teachers who taught geography and 611 students who opted geography were chosen for the study from croatia. the results of the study highlight that both students and teachers showed positive attitudes towards implementation of gis in their geography classes while teachers perceived higher importance of introducing gis in their classes as compared to the students. incekara, s. (2012) conducted a study entitled “do geographic information systems (gis) move high school geography education forward in turkey? a teacher’s perspective”. 183 geography teachers were chosen for the study from 50 different provinces in turkey. the result reveals that most of the respondents know about gis but they did not have sound understanding how to use gis as a pedagogic tool in their geography classes. pandey, a. (2011) explored the role of gis in geography teaching in schools. she explained that there was lack of connectivity between schools and university level related to gis and without these linkage most of the teachers of geography failed to understand how to adopt gis effectively as a pedagogic tool in their classes. she suggested that for the effective implementation of gis in schools, there is an urgent need to have indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 116 a proper connection and coordination between schools and universities. demirci, a. (2009) examined geography teachers’ attitudes towards gis and how these teachers approach new technology in their teaching learning process in 200 private secondary schools in turkey. he found that geography teachers had positive attitudes towards gis. study revealed that understanding of gis and its used by the geography teachers in the classroom was minimal which shows that there is an urgent need to train their geography teachers, so they can integrate gis in their geography classes in turkey in the future. lam, c.c., lai, e. & wong, j. (2009) explored the use of gis in geography curriculum at secondary level in the schools of hong kong. they had conducted 28 geography teachers’ interviews from different secondary schools in hong kong. despite the fact that gis was found to be an important geographical skill for the teachers, the study also reveals that in hong kong the use of gis in geography teaching was very low. significance of the study there is even more compelling reason for concern with regards due to the lack of understanding and skills of computers among teachers. due to this the teachers are not in the position to make teaching-learning process interesting, informative and innovative as such there is no meaningful learning to get to know more about gis. it is generally observed that some of the geography teachers of government schools do not have working knowledge of computer with proper command. in the absence of adequate knowledge of computer, it’s a matter to reflect how can teacher deals/teaches gis that is completely based on the system i.e., computer. due to ignorance and reluctance towards modern technology, indifferent attitudes of the geography teachers and lack of required physical infrastructure the geography teachinglearning process becomes a boring activity of the classroom and generally not getting attention from the side of the learners. the kothari commission (1964-66) emphasized the professional training of teachers for the qualitative improvement of education but very few concrete steps have been taken till date in this regard (nfg-teacher education, ncf-2005). ncert has been taking great initiative towards imparting in-service education programmes for the teachers in all subject areas in general and geography in particular through face to face mode and also through distance education mode with the help of edusat. in this backdrop, it is essential that geography teachers need to have sound understanding to deal with gis with a fundamental skill of computer. the present research work, therefore, intends to study in-service geography teachers’ perceptions, knowledge and skills of gis in the light of curriculum of geography at senior secondary stage being offered in the schools of directorate of education, government of national territory of delhi. objectives of the study 1. to study the perceptions of geography teachers towards gis 2. to study geography teachers’ understanding and skills to incorporate gis in their teaching learning process methodology the study has used the mixed method approach. the responses obtained through questionnaire were scored while the responses gathered through indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 117 interview schedule were analyzed qualitatively keeping in mind the objectives of the study. population and sample the population of the study consists of all the geography teachers teaching geography at senior secondary stage in the schools of directorate of education in delhi. a purposive sampling technique was used to collect the relevant data from geography teachers. therefore, the sample of the study comprised 20 pgts teaching at senior secondary stage in the schools of directorate of education situated in south-east zone of delhi. tools the investigator used interview schedule and questionnaire to collect the relevant data. interview schedule was aimed to ascertain the perceptions of geography teachers’ towards gis while questionnaire was employed to study the level of understanding and skills of geography teachers’ to incorporate gis in their teachinglearning process. result and discussion perceptions of geography teachers towards gis in order to get to know about how to assess the skills of geography teachers to incorporate gis in their teaching. it was observed that 85 per cent respondents did not have sound understanding of how to use gis software but they knew something about the concept of gis as it was an important component of practical geography in class xii. majority of the teachers responded that although their school have computers still, they did not have gis software. 30 per cent teachers expressed their views that even if school provide gis software but we will not be in position to develop a gis course activity. as we did not learn gis with the help of computer during our college days due to shortage of system or at that time computers were not easily available. department and any other government organization did not organize any training program on gis, although they had attended some seminars and workshops on geography as conducted by ncert and scert. all teachers expressed their views that gis should be incorporated and implemented properly in the classroom as it is important component of the geography curriculum in this globalized world. they said that it should be the responsibility of the government to provide in-service training programmes from time to time for geography teachers to learn develop and enhance their geo-literacy with the integration of computer in general and gis in particular. three-fourth respondents revealed that due to their own lack of understanding their students would not be able to use gis successfully in their assignments and projects. however, 70 per cent of respondents stated that they wanted to go for gis training and more than 85 per cent of them expressed that they were keen to attend any training program based on gis by the government. from the discussion it can be concluded that all the teachers were interested to get trained in gis, so that they could be able to incorporate gis in their teaching learning process with proper command. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 118 table-1: the geography teachers’ understanding and skills for the incorporation of gis in their teaching sr. no. statement agreement of the teachers 1. gis is a very important tool/method for integrating pedagogy-technological interface 49.47 2. ncf-2005 emphasizes use of gis in teaching geography at senior secondary stage 29.03 3. do you adopt gis as a teaching method more in your class as given in ncf-2005? 64.28 4. do you have sound understanding about how to incorporate gis into your teaching/ 55.81 5. do you incorporate technology (gis) while teaching/ dealing with diverse concepts of geography in the classroom? 73.33 6. do you have enough time to learn and teach various concepts of geography with the help of gis? 24 7. the limited facilities provided by the school prevent you for using gis sufficiently in your class 75 8. do you face any problem dealing with the data, images and maps to develop activities in your class related to gis? 68.18 9. do you think that without gis geography is incomplete in this globalized world? 30 10. time to time in-service training programs are organized on gis for the geography teachers to enhance their learning and also up to date with latest technology 93.10 in the light of above result as depicted in table no. 1it can be safely said that the current application of gis as a pedagogic tool in geography classroom could not be effectively adopted by the teachers due to their own lack of understanding and skills. due to this they faced several challenges like how to incorporate gis with their pedagogy and their motivation may dwindle because of inadequate command over it. all the respondents perceived that gis is an ideal pedagogic tool for the teachers who wanted to use more student-centric approach in which students play pivotal and active role in the learning process. instead of these challenges, it should be the responsibility of the teachers to provide space to the students to think critically and rationally but due to lack of understanding of gis skills they just focussed to complete the syllabus or gis by using non technophobic approach. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 119 figure-1: percentage of the geography teachers’ understanding and skills to incorporate gis in their teaching has been shown graphically items of the table have been further analyzed separately keeping in mind the objectives of the study in the following manner: item no.1 ‘gis is an important tool/ method for integrating pedagogytechnological interface’ in order to find out the importance and utility of gis as a pedagogic tool/method for integrating pedagogy-technological interface. 49.47 per cent of the teachers’ extent their agreement, 42.10 per cent of the teachers were confused while 18.42 per cent of the teachers disagreed with the statement that gis is an important tool/method for integrating pedagogy-technological interface. this finding matches with the findings of green (2001b) “a gis is a beneficial tool for integrated education because it focuses on geography while pulling together other relevant subjects”. item no. 2 ‘ncf-2005 emphasizes use of gis in teaching geography at senior secondary stage’ regarding this item 38.70 per cent of the teachers expressed their disagreement and 29.03 per cent of the teachers expressed their agreement while 32.25 per cent of the teachers were confused with the statement. most of them assumed that ncf-2005 was only provides guidelines about more use of technology which is not used without proper infrastructure and necessary resources. item no. 3 ‘do you adopt gis as a teaching method more in your class as given in ncf-2005’? as far of this item is concerned 64.28 per cent of the teachers show their agreement and stated that for dealing with diverse range of issues, they had tried their best to explain the concept in a simple and lucid way by using geographic information with and without computer. 19.04 per cent of the teachers were confused while remaining teachers were disagreed with this statement. item no. 4 ‘do you have sound understanding about how to incorporate gis into your teaching’. regarding this item more than one half (55.81 per cent) of the teachers agreed with the statement and another 32.55 per cent teachers were confused. while remaining 11.62 per cent of teachers indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 120 expressed their disagreement with the statement indicating that they were unable to incorporate gis in their teaching due to lack of computer skills and understanding. item no. 5 ‘do you incorporate technology (gis) while teaching/dealing with diverse concepts of geography in the classroom’? as far of this item is concerned almost three fourth (73.33 per cent) of the teachers expressed their agreement with the statement, which might be effective to incorporate gis while teaching/dealing with diverse concepts of geography in the classroom. while 13.13 per cent of the teachers had shown their disagreement and equal number of teachers were also confused in this regard. item no.6 ‘do you have enough time to learn and teach various concepts of geography with the help of gis’? regarding this item 68 per cent of the teachers expressed their disagreement with the statement and also expressed their desperation for not providing enough time and facilities by the school authorities to learn and teach various concepts of geography with the help of gis. this indicates that these teachers were eager to learn but unfortunately not get an opportunity due to lack of time and facilities and other pressure on the part of school. about one fourth (24 per cent) of the teachers agreed while remaining (8 per cent) teachers confused with the statement. item no. 7 ‘the limited facilities provided by the school prevent you for using gis sufficiently in your classes’. as far of this item is concerned three fourth of the teachers expressed their agreement with the statement. this indicates that limited facilities were the reason not to incorporate gis sufficiently in their classes. 16.6 per cent of the teachers had been confused while remaining teachers disagreed with the statement. item no. 8 ‘do you face any problem dealing with data, images and maps to develop activities in your class related to gis’? 68.18 per cent of the teachers expressed their agreement with the statement. this reveals that they faced problem in dealing with data, images and maps to develop activities in their classes related to gis. 18.18 per cent of the teachers were confused while remaining (13.63 per cent) of the teachers shown their disagreement with the statement. item no. 9 ‘do you think that without gis geography is incomplete in this globalized world’? as far of this item is concerned 43.33 per cent and 30 per cent of the teachers shown their disagreement and agreement with the statement respectively while remaining slightly more than one fourth percentage (26.66 per cent) of the teachers were confused in this regard. item no. 10 ‘time to time in-service training programs are organized in gis for the geography teachers to enhance their learning and also up to date with latest technology’. as far as this item is concerned majority (93.10 per cent) of the teachers expressed their agreement with the statement. this indicates that majority of these teachers were interested to attain in-service training programs on gis to enhance their own learning about it. 6.89 per cent of the teachers were confused while there was no single teacher who did not want to attain training program on gis. conclusion teachers recognize the importance and benefits of gis as a pedagogic tool to deal with the diverse range of phenomenon indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 121 with the help of system i.e., computer. but they face several challenges like how to incorporate gis with their pedagogy and their motivation may dwindle. due to lack of understanding of gis most of the teachers wanted more time to learn and incorporate gis as a pedagogic tool in their classroom. in most of the schools’ teachers do not have sufficient time to learn latest software packages and become proficient user of gis. it is software based system which requires active learning beyond whatever they had learnt in order to gain proper command and proficiency as per the need of the digital world. gis use technology extensively in various sectors which use spatial data including planning, urbanization, engineering, environmental protection, transportation, forestry, agriculture, remote sensing and at all levels of education. as far the education is concerned the adaptation and implementation of gis as a pedagogic tool into geography classroom was even slower as compared to other sectors. the reason behind this may be limited facilities provided by the school prevent teachers for not to use gis sufficiently in the class and they also have lack of functional skills of computer and good command over gis. because of lack of understanding these teachers were not be able to create images and maps by using raster and vector data properly. limited time, curriculum problems, teachers’ problem, issues of physical conditions and its access both hardware and software, lack of gis training and exposures are some of the major factors. because of these factors gis technology is very slowly integrated into the senior secondary curriculum by the geography teachers. the speedy integration of gis in geography curriculum needs to be rethought and redesigned by curriculum planners, policy makers and teacher educators by adopting and offering latest technology along with the recent software packages of gis. more recent books, modules and time to time arrangement of the training on gis need to be made available to the teachers in their school by the appropriate authorities so that it could become easy for the teachers to integrate gis in their classes effectively. references bednarz, s. & van der schee, j. (2006). europe and the united states: the implementation of geographic information systems in secondary education in two contexts. technology, pedagogy and education, 15(2), 191–205. bednarz, s. (2004). geographic information systems: a tool to support geography and environmental education. geo-journal 60(2), 191–199. demirci, a. (2008). evaluating the implementation and effectiveness of gis-based applications in secondary school geography lessons. american journal of applied sciences, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 169-178. demirci, a. (2009). how do teachers approach new technologies? geography teachers’ attitudes towards geographic information systems (gis). european journal of educational studies, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 57-67. fitzpatrick, c., and maguire, d. j. (2000). gis in schools: infrastructure, methodology and role. in: gis: a sourcebook for schools (ed d. r. green), pp. 61-62. taylor & francis. incekara, s. (2010). the place of geographic information systems (gis) in the new geography curriculum of turkey and relevant textbooks: is gis contributing to the geography education in secondary schools? scientific research and essays, vol. 5, no. 6, pp. 551-559. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 122 incekara, s. (2011a). the turkish geography teaching program (2005) and technology use in geography courses: an overview of high school teachers’ approach. educational research and reviews, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 235-242. incekara, s. (2012). do geographic information systems (gis) move high school geography education forward in turkey? a teacher’s perspective. application of geographic information systems: edited by bhuiyan monwar alam. kerski, j. j. (2003). the implementation and effectiveness of geographic information systems technology and methods in secondary education. journal of geography 10 (3): 128–137. kothari commission. (1966). report of the education commission, 1964–66. new delhi, india: ministry of education, government of india. lam, c.c., lai, e. & wong, j. (2009). implementation of geographic information system (gis) in secondary geography curriculum in hong kong: current situations and future directions. international research in geographical and environmental education, 18(1), 57-74. mark w. patterson, kay reeve & dan page  (2003)  integrating geographic information systems into the secondary curricula, journal of geography, 102:6, 275-281.  ncert, syllabus for secondary and higher secondary classes, ncf-2005, volume ii. pandey, a. (2011). role of gis in school geography, journal of indian education, ncert, vol. xxxvii, no.3, pp.112-117 patterson, m., reeve, k., and page, d. (2003). integrating geographic information systems into the secondary curricula. journal of geography, 102(6), 275-281. shelton, r. l., & estes, j. e. (1981). remote sensing and geographic information systems: an unrealized potential, geo-processing, vol. 1, no.4, pp. 395-420. siljeg, s.; milanović, a.; marić, i. attitudes of teachers and students towards the possibilities of gis implementation in secondary schools in croatia. educ. sci. 2022, 12, 846. west, b. a. (2003). student attitudes and the impact of gis on thinking skills and motivation, journal of geography 102 (6), 267 – 274. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 98 research article exploring the effect of anonymity in cyberbullying of females in higher education institutions in india meenakshi ingole1, vinod kumar kanvaria2 & hitesh kumar mandal3 1assistant professor, department of education, university of delhi, chhatra marg, delhi, email: meenakshi.ingole21@gmail.com mringole@cie.ac.in 2associate professor, department of education, university of delhi, chhatra marg, delhi 3research assistant, department of political science, faculty of social sciences, university of delhi, chhatra marg, delhi abstract the rise of electronic information technology, as well as the resulting ease of access to it, has increased the frequency of incidences of cyberbullying, particularly in the twentyfirst century. it has become such a kind of global issue that governments and other concerned authorities are still struggling to address it. the increase in cyberbullying involves age as well as gender-oriented cyberbullying. it is a significant issue that threatens the young generations, especially females, self-esteem and obscures their future prospects in india, and it cannot be ignored. in light of this troubling situation, this paper aims to explore the idea of anonymity in cyberbullying and examine the relationship between anonymity and gender-oriented cyberbullying of female students in indian higher education institutions. the data were also collected using the cyberbullying scale from four different universities in india and the study was carried out on a sample of 1473 female respondents. the findings of the study on cyberbullying of female students in indian higher education institutions show that 38.08 per cent of the female victims believe that the perpetrator pretends to be someone else as anonymous while treating the victims badly through the internet or phone calls as to cyberbullying them. at the same time, 25.86 per cent of the female students also responded positively to life-threatening cyberbullying incidents that mostly happened through cell phones or internet messages. keywords: cyberbullying, higher education, anonymity, gender  introduction the conceptualization of cyberbullying as a form of electronic bullying poses a well-known risk that arises out of technological advancement in the twenty-first century. it consists of “voluntary and repeated actions against one or more people using computers and electronic gadgets” (aboujaoude et al., 2015). on a day-to-day basis cyberbullying is becoming more prevalent in modern societies with the increasing process of digitization. the tremendous effect of digitization leads to a serious threat to the privacy matter of individuals through the digital platform. recently, the pandemic has accelerated the use of digital devices at an unprecedented rate and transformed the nature of usual life activity towards the technological world. despite its vast success, the use of technology has always been accompanied by its misuse leading to victimizing of the innocent ones, especially females, through cyberbullying. the surge in the use of indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 99 technology allows the perpetrator of cyberbullying to act in an anonymous scenario of the digital world. the anonymous nature of cyberbullying hinders making the policy to counter it at the mass level which leaves the victim helpless and feared. thus, the purpose of this research is to document cyberbullying victimization of young girls and women in indian higher education institutions. objectives a. to study the concept of cyberbullying in an anonymous environment b. to analyse the effect of anonymity in gender-specific cyberbullying in higher education. research questions 1. what is the concept of cyberbullying in an anonymous environment? 2. how does the nature of anonymity affect gender-specific cyberbullying for the females studying in higher education?  the rationale of the study the anonymous environment of cyberspace provides a safe place for cyberbullying any individuals that mostly victimize the vulnerable group of society like children and females. in higher education institutions many students become a victim of cyberbullying due to various reasons. among these various reasons, female students are believed to suffer gender-oriented victimization in the cyber world. thus, it becomes essential to know how to tackle online cyberbullying in this anonymous environment. moreover, it is expected to know the relational understanding of cyberbullying of female students with its nature of anonymity. the females studying in higher education explore a lot of synchronous and asynchronous environments but are not aware of the cyber safety and repercussions of cybercrimes. higher education female students are many a time in the starting phase to explore communication and technology, and because of a lack of awareness about digital etiquette and technical skills females either become a victim of cyberbullying. therefore, it is expected to give more emphasis on gender-specific cyberbullying for females studying in higher education and to account for the victims’ as well as perpetrators’ experiences in the anonymous environment. concept of cyberbullying cyberbullying is generally defined as a “voluntary act, in which the action is intentional and not accidental”; “repetitive act, in which the activity is repeated over time and not restricted to a single incident”; it engrained “perception of damage by the victim, in which the victim perceives the damage inflicted”; cyberbullying is carried out “through the use of electronic equipment such as computers, cell phones, and other electronic gadgets” (ferrara et al., 2018; kowalski et al., 2014). the use of electronic gadgets allows the perpetrator to hide behind a wall of anonymity. qualitative studies on cyberbullying posit that anonymity “raises the level of experienced fear because anyone, including friends or other trusted people, could be the bully” (badiuk, 2006). on the internet, anonymity can take many forms. however, many authors denied accepting that anonymity is a necessary condition in defining the behaviour of cyberbullying (barlett et al. 2016). this is due to the reason that victims of cyberbullying might be aware of who bullied them but this possibility always lacks strong conformity. providing the denial of anonymity as an important determining factor of cyberbullying, knack et al., 2021 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 100 describe anonymity as a situation where individuals can hide their presence from other people, including other bystanders, and victims. knack et al., 2021 also argue that anonymity is a key component of cyberbullying, and it refers to “anonymous posts and interactions in which a person’s identity cannot be identified by looking at their ip address, usernames, or handles”. further, “anonymity can also be used as a description when the actual name/ identity of a person’s offline presence is more difficult to determine even in the obvious existence of an online one” (knack et al., 2021).  the anonymous form of cyberbullying was found to be more severe because of the fact that the content can be shared among a larger audience within a very short period of time.  due to its severity in terms of anonymity, the effect of cyberbullying can be observed at the psychological level which might lead to feelings of helplessness and constant fear (sticca & perren, 2013). these feelings of helplessness and constant fear provide a possible explanation for associating cyberbullying experiences with depressive symptoms (machmutow et al. 2012; roth and cohen 1986). gender oriented cyberbullying cyberbullying and cyber victimization have been studied in several kinds of literature with regard to gender, and the results have been inconsistent (saleem et al., 2021). according to several studies, females are more likely than males to be victims of cybercrime (saleem et al., 2021). however, a few studies also suggest that men are getting more victimized through cyberbullying in comparison to women. there have also been reports of results with no significant differences (saleem et al., 2021). at the same time, some argue that “women are more commonly targeted” (sourander et al., 2010), and “men cyberbully more and to a greater extent” (guo, 2016; sest & march 2017). jagayat & choma (2021), widely explain the platforms used for cyberbullying ranging from gaming platforms to social networking sites (jagayat & choma, 2021). these online networking platforms have inherited and normalized the repressive structures and phenomena of old patriarchal cultures, resulting in the subtle patriarchal oppression of women (gray, buyukozturk & hill, 2017). a “cyber violence against women and girls” report by the united nations (un) presents a “call-to-action towards extreme forms of cyberbullying towards women, amidst a rise in highly publicized cases” (unbc & un, 2015). recently unfpa has launched a ‘body right’ campaign to end genderoriented cyberbullying of women in the increasing scenario of digitalization. the campaign highlights that corporate logos and copyrighted ip are more highly valued and better protected online than images of human bodies, which are often uploaded to the internet without consent, and used maliciously leading to cyber victimization of people, especially women (united nations population fund, 2021). cyberbullying in higher education the prevalence of cyberbullying in higher educational institutions has been mapped out in many academic kinds of literature. according to beebe’s (2010) study, “50.7 per cent of undergraduate students reported experiencing cyberbullying victimization once or twice in their college tenure” (beebe, 2010). dilmac (2009) observed that “22.5 per cent of the students cyberbullied another person at least once” and “55.35 per cent reported being a victim of cyberbullying at least once in their lifetime” (dilmac,2009). according to y. peled (2019), summarized the earlier literature on cyberbullying of students in higher education and resulted in indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 101 arguing that the percentage of students getting cyberbullied in 2017 and 2018 is similar to the earlier data (peled, 2019). however, most of the early research has very few participants due to which cyberbullying among higher education students have still not fully developed. according to y. peled (2019) who also conducted correlation analyses and “confirmed significant relationships between cyberbullying, mainly through instant messaging and the academic, social, and emotional development of undergraduate students’’ (peled, 2019). “instant messaging (im) was found to be the most common means of cyberbullying among the students”. research has indicated that there is a link between high school and college in terms of the category in which students fall either in the victim category or perpetrator category. so, beran et al., 2012 argue that the students who get victimized in high school are most likely to fall into the category of cyber victims in college life. even though cyberbullying extends into higher education institutions, students tend to “hold a less-accepting view of cyberbullying” (boulton et al., 2012). in the present scenario, with the shift of working nature from face-toface working place to remote due to the pandemic, the students of higher education institutions are facing more cyberbullying than the previous years (jain et al., 2020). research design and data collection tool sampling design the approach for picking a sample from the population is known as the sampling design (levy, 1999). a purposive sampling technique is being used at the national level in selecting four universities as primary sample units (psus) for collecting samples. four universities namely the university of delhi, delhi; university of mumbai, maharashtra; indira gandhi national tribal university, amarkantak, madhya pradesh; and banasthali university, rajasthan are being selected as a primary sample unit. all four universities have been selected on the basis of their locational nature in terms of urbanization, social structure, administrative structure, and the ease of technology use inside the campus. the nature of all four universities differs from each other in many terms. the university of delhi and the university of mumbai are located at the heart of metropolitan cities in india that include diverse nature of students from across the society. the students in both universities are more accustomed to the use of technology which has a greater possibility of being involved in cyberbullying either as a victim or perpetrator anonymously. moreover, the university of delhi is a public central university that has slightly different rules and regulations in terms of tackling the issues of cyberbullying at the campus premises than the publicly funded state university like the university of mumbai. the other two universities namely indira gandhi national tribal university, amarkantak, madhya pradesh; and banasthali university, rajasthan are located in semi-rural areas in india that have a low propensity in terms of ease of technology use resulting in different patterns of involvement in cyberbullying either as victims or perpetrators. the students in both universities are less diverse in terms of identity since most of the students belong to the particular region in which the universities are geographically located. among all the selected four universities, banasthali university, rajasthan is a women’s university whereas rest three universities are for both boys and girls. the heterogeneous nature of all the selected four universities reflects the diverse nature of sample sites that ensures the presence of maximum indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 102 variability within the primary data. participants following the choice of four sample locations that represented the variety of universities found throughout the nation, participants were selected from each university through the random sampling selection procedure. the sample size is 1,473 which were collected from the selected sample sites among which 515 are from the university of delhi, delhi; 597 samples from the university of mumbai, maharashtra; 316 samples from banasthali university, rajasthan; and 45 samples from indira gandhi national tribal university, amarkantak, madhya pradesh. the present research follows a quantitative research paradigm. survey methods were used to analyze gender-specific cyberbullying in the anonymous virtual world. the participants were 1,473 females from four heterogeneous universities namely the university of delhi; university of mumbai, maharashtra; indira gandhi national tribal university, university of amarkantak, madhya pradesh; and banasthali university, rajasthan. study tools for the study tools, questionnaires were prepared for a survey of female students studying in indian higher education institutions. this questionnaire was used to collect data on internet usage, demographics, and participant awareness of cyberbullying as well as their self-reported history of cyberbullying experience as either a victim or a perpetrator. this tool was also intended to understand more about how victims of cyberbullying are affected psychologically. in the present study, the cyberbullying and victimization experiences questionnaire-greek (cveq-g) tool is being used to collect data (antoniadou et al., 2016) with 0.892 reliability. data collections and data analysis the study is cross-sectional in nature and was designed to document cyberbullying victimization of adolescent girls and women in indian higher education institutions and to analyze how the nature of anonymity in gender-specific cyberbullying affects the females studying in higher education in india through quantitative approaches. descriptive analysis has been used for data analysis. scoring has been done by the responses received for the respective items. findings the findings of the study from table-01 on cyberbullying of female students in indian higher education institutions show that 38.08 per cent of the female victims believe that the perpetrator pretends to be someone else to be treated badly through the internet or phone calls. among these 3.46 per cent of the respondents believe many times, 21.79 per cent of the respondents believe sometimes whereas 12.49 per cent of the respondents believe 1-2 times. the data projects that a very significant size of perpetrators tries to hide their original identity by taking advantage of anonymous space for cyberbullying. in addition, 38.83 per cent of the female students are those who were mocked or treated/spoken badly through an anonymous message sent by the perpetrator to any third person to cyberbully females. the frequency of these kinds of anonymous messages is such that 12.29 per cent faced it 1-2 times, 19.96 per cent faced it sometimes and 6.04 per cent faced it many times (table 01).  indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 103 table-1: percentage distribution of victims’ perspective on cyberbullying and anonymity variables never (%) 1-2 times (%) sometimes (%) many times (%) everyday (%) has anybody sent you a message (via cell phone or the internet), pretending to be somebody else, in order to treat you badly? 61.91 12.5 21.79 3.46 0.34 has anybody sent others a message (via cell phone or the internet) in order to mock you, speak badly about you, or say things about you that are not true? 61.17 12.3 19.96 6.04 0.54 has anybody sent you a message (via cell phone or the internet) in order to mock you, or talk badly to you? 42.3 19.3 29.74 8.49 0.2 has anybody sent photos or videos of you to others, without your permission, in order to mock you? 71.97 10.2 13.71 3.73 0.41 has anybody shown your messages to others (via cell phone or the internet), without your permission, in order to mock you, speak badly about you, or say things about you that are not true? 60.9 13.7 19.48 5.7 0.27 has anybody sent you a message (via cell phone or the internet) in order to threaten you? 74.13 7 15.61 2.85 0.41 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 104 along with it, 57.7 per cent of the female students in indian higher education also receive anonymous messages through the internet or cell phones with the intention to talk badly or mock them. among these, 19.28 per cent of them receive messages 1-2 times, 29.74 per cent receive such kinds of messages sometimes, 8.49 per cent receive such kinds of messages many times and 0.2 per cent of the females even receive this kind of message every day; 28.03 per cent of the female students are cyberbullied through the circulation of their photos or videos to others without the victim’s consent to mock them. among them, 10.18, 13.71, and 3.73 per cent faced this kind of cyberbullying 1-2 times, sometimes, and many times respectively; 39.10 per cent of the female students have also experienced a kind of cyberbullying where the victim’s messages were shown to others without her/his consent to mock the victims. at the same time, 25.86 per cent of the females were cyberbullied to an extent of life-threatening messages (table-1). the frequency of this anonymous kind of cyberbullying of female students is basically measured on a scale ranging in ascending order of 1-2 times, sometimes, many times, and every day.  graph-1: percentage distribution of victim’s perspective on cyberbullying and anonymity the findings of the study from table-2 also suggest that 6.1 per cent of the female students were also involved in cyberbullying with an intention to treat others badly while pretending to be someone else; 9.36 per cent of the respondent cyberbullied others by mocking or by talking badly; 9.84 per cent of the respondent also sent photos or videos of someone to others, without the victim’s permission in order to mock her/him; 10.65 per cent of them “sent or shown messages of someone to others without the victim’s permission in order to mock her/him, speak badly about her/ him or say things about her/him that are not true”; 5.36 per cent of the female students also responded positively to life-threatening cyberbullying through cell phones or internet messages (table 02).  indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 105 table-2: perpetrators’ perspectives on cyberbullying and anonymity variables never (%) 1-2 times (%) sometimes (%) many times (%) every day (%) have you sent a message to someone (via cell phone or the internet), pretending you’re somebody else in order to treat her/ him badly? 93.89 2.44 3.055 0.48 0.1 have you sent a message to someone (via cell phone or the internet) in order to mock her/him or talk badly to her/him? 90.63 2.65 6.1 0.54 0.07 have you sent photos or videos of someone to others, without her/his permission, in order to mock her/ him? 90.16 3.05 6.25 0.34 0.2 have you sent or shown messages of someone to others (via cell phone or the internet), without her/his permission, in order to mock her/ him, speak badly about her/him, or say things about her/him that are not true? 89.34 3.05 6.86 0.61 0.13 have you sent someone a message (via cell phone or the internet) in order to threaten her/him? 94.63 1.97 2.51 0.75 0.14 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 106 graph-2: percentage distribution of perpetrator’s perspective on cyberbullying and anonymity the primary data from table-03 also suggest that the anonymity of cyberbullying has a psychological impact on the victims in the sense of helplessness, nervousness, tiredness, fear, etc. various parameters were considered to determine the psychological conditions of the respondent during the past four weeks from the time of the interview. the data shows that 7.06 per cent of the respondents ‘all of the time’ have felt tired out for no good reason, 22.94 per cent of the respondent ‘most of the time’ have felt tired out for no good reason, 29.93 per cent of the respondent ‘some of the time’ have felt tired out for no good reason, and 22.06 per cent of the respondent ‘little of the time’ have felt tired out for no good reason. table-3 percentage distribution of psychological effect of anonymity in cyberbullying variables none of the time (%) a little of the time (%) some of the time (%) most of the time (%) all of the time (%) in the past 4 weeks, how often have you felt tired out for no good reason? 18 22.06 29.93 22.95 7.06 in the past 4 weeks, how often did you feel nervous? 20.37 27.63 31.7 16.22 4.07 in the past 4 weeks, how often did you feel so nervous that nothing could calm you down? 41.28 24.71 20.84 9.84 3.33 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 107 in the past 4 weeks, how often did you feel hopeless? 33.81 24.98 23.15 13.1 4.96 in the past 4 weeks, how often did you feel restless or fidgety? 29.4 29.67 22.74 14.87 3.33 in the past 4 weeks, how often did you feel so restless you could not sit still? 45.49 24.51 18.67 8.69 2.64 in the past 4 weeks, how often did you feel depressed? 35.84 27.22 20.37 12.15 4.41 in the past 4 weeks, how often did you feel that everything was an effort? 24.03 25.66 27.09 17.18 6.04 in the past 4 weeks, how often did you feel so sad that nothing could cheer you up? 37.14 25.73 19.62 13.58 3.94 in the past 4 weeks, how often did you feel worthless? 41.55 21.59 19.28 11.47 6.11 the data from table-3 also reflect that 4.07 per cent of the respondents ‘all of the time’ have felt nervous, 16.22 per cent of the respondent ‘most of the time’ have felt nervous, 31.70 per cent of the respondent ‘some of the time’ have felt nervous, and 27.63 per cent of the respondent ‘little of the time’ have felt nervous. at the same time, 3.33 per cent of the respondents ‘all of the time’ have felt so nervous that nothing could calm her down, 9.84 per cent of the respondent ‘most of the time’ have felt so nervous that nothing could calm them down, 20.84 per cent of the respondent ‘some of the time’ have felt so nervous that nothing could calm them down, and 24.71 per cent of the respondent ‘little of the time’ have felt so nervous that nothing could calm her down (table-3). indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 108 graph-3: percentage distribution of psychological effect on respondents in cyberbullying the data shows that 4.96 per cent of the respondents ‘all of the time’ have felt hopeless, 13.10 per cent of the respondent ‘most of the time’ have felt hopeless, 23.15 per cent of the respondent ‘some of the time’ have felt hopeless, and 24.98 per cent of the respondent ‘little of the time’ have felt hopeless. in total, 66.19 per cent of the respondents have felt hopeless in the past four weeks. the data also shows that 4.41 per cent of the respondents ‘all of the time’ have felt depressed, 12.15 per cent of the respondent ‘most of the time’ have felt depressed, 20.37 per cent of the respondent ‘some of the time’ have felt depressed, and 27.22 per cent of the respondent ‘little of the time’ have felt depressed. in total, 64.15 per cent of the respondents have felt depressed in the past four weeks (table-3). discussion the findings from table 01 and table 02 highlight that fewer female respondents are getting involved in anonymous cyberbullying as perpetrators than being the victim of it. this is similar to the finding made by sourander et al., 2010 in their research that women are more targeted in cyberbullying and victims of it. although, sourander et al., 2010 make an explicit comparison with the men and the present study did not make any comparison with the men but is limited to the argument that women are getting more victimized rather than being perpetrators. this also does not conclude that women are not participating in cyberbullying as perpetrators. as data from table 02 suggest that a significant number of females in indian higher education institutions get involved in cyberbullying as perpetrators too. looking from the victim’s perspective the identity of the indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 109 perpetrator remains hidden behind the veil of anonymity. hence, this study on cyberbullying of female students in indian higher education institutions does not make any distinction regarding the perpetrator’s identity or location in this anonymous world.  according to the findings of various research, anonymity was more of a perception among teens than a reality. mishna et al., (2009) studied opinions and perceptiveness concerning cyberbullying. the anonymity and concealment in cyberspace may allow perpetrators to disregard cyber etiquette, reputation, and social respect (yuanyuan chen et.al., 2022). it clearly highlights that the anonymity in cyberbullying of females in higher education institutions has a miserable effect on the psychological level of victims. the present study also highlights that females studying in higher education are facing extreme vulnerability in terms of psychological harassment due to an anonymous environment, ybarra et al. (2006) identified that victims of cyberbullying often report feelings of depression, low self-esteem, helplessness, social anxiety, alienation and social isolation. the main motive for the perpetrator behind bullying females using cyber media is to sustain “unevenness of power ‘’ from a nondigitized patriarchal society where women are socially suppressed in the patriarchal structure. this unevenness of power gives the leverage point to the perpetrator in feeling themselves socially strong or weakening females through cyberbullying abbasi et.al (2018). female students also suffer much oppressive treatment through cyberbullying especially because of gender identity or sexual orientation. although female students in indian higher education institutions often get involved in cyberbullying as a perpetrator who shows behavioural aggression, because it is easier for the perpetrator to show a more real self in virtual, hidden, and uncontrolled cyberspace yuanyuan chen et.al (2022). conclusion the anonymous nature of cyberbullying provides an illegitimate ground to the perpetrator for gaining unauthorised access to personal information as well as using them for cyberbullying. so, the relational understanding of anonymity and cyberbullying on a larger ground provides a sense of the disturbing nature of the cyber world that makes this virtual place very unsafe for women who are in the phase of determining their career goals. it affects the women psychologically who are studying in higher education institutions in india as it hinders in deciding their future prospects. (acknowledgment: we would like to thank the department of education, university of delhi, delhi. we would also like to extend our gratitude to all the administrative staff and respondents of the university of delhi, delhi; university of mumbai, maharashtra; indira gandhi national tribal university, university of amarkantak, madhya pradesh; and banasthali university, rajasthan who cooperated with us throughout the survey. we want to thank all the university of delhi, delhi office staff for her/his assistance.) funding this work was supported by the indian council of social science research [project number02/59/2019-2020/mj/ rp] ethical clearance the entire manuscript is based on the field survey that can be taken upon request; therefore, no ethical review board clearance is required for this research work. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 110 references abbasi, s., naseem, a., shamim, a., & qureshi, m.a. 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(2010). psychosocial risk factors associated with cyberbullying among adolescents: a population-based study. archives of general psychiatry, 67(7), 720–728. https:// doi.org/10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.79 sticca, f. & perren, s. (2013). is cyberbullying worse than traditional bullying? examining the differential roles of medium, publicity, and anonymity for the perceived severity of bullying. journal of youth and adolescence. https://doi: 10.1007/s10964-012-9867-3. united nations broadband commission for digital development working group on broadband and gender (2015). cyber violence against women and girls: a worldwide wakeup call. https://www.broadbandcommission.org/publications/pages/bb-and-gender-2015. aspx. united nations news global perspectives and human news, united nations. (2021), bodyright campaign launched, to end rise in gender-based violence online https://news.un.org/ en/tags/cyberbullying ybarra, m., mitchell k.j. (2004). online aggressor/targets, aggressors, and targets: a comparison of associated youth characteristics. journal of child psychologyand psychiatry, 45(7), 1308-1316. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15335350/ yuanyuan c., yongyuan h.,& jia l.(2022). impact of online anonymity on aggression in ostracized grandiose and vulnerable narcissists. personality and individual differences, 188, 1-8. https:// www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/s0191886921008278 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 22 research article exploring the perceptions of k-12 teachers towards ed-tech tools priyamvada1 and deepshikha2 1research scholar, department of education, university of delhi, delhi emailppandey@cie.du.ac.in; 2master’s student, department of education, regional institute of education (ncert), bhubaneswar abstract technology has impacted nearly all facets of everyday life. be it commerce or governance, technology is becoming an integral part of developing societies, and education is no exception to it. the necessity to include digital technologies in the educational system is growing due to their rapid development in contemporary practices. in the indian context, the national education policy 2020 also emphasizes the importance of integrating technology at all levels of education. further, it highlights facilitating teachers’ preparation for technological integration. the present study aimed to explore the teachers’ perceptions of technological integration in the teaching-learning process and awareness about emerging ed-tech tools. the sample consisted of n=50 inservice teachers of primary to higher secondary levels from government and private schools in eastern states of india. these teachers were under in-service training for the academic session 2022-23. the results showed that most educators are supportive of technology-integrated teaching and learning. furthermore, more than half of teachers have received proper training related to the functioning and applications of different tools and technologies. the study also revealed that some teachers who have average technological skills also held positive attitudes towards technological integration in teaching and learning. it showed that some factors that interfere negatively, made many teachers skeptical about technology integration in educational practices. in this study, we have found that few teachers had never utilized technology in the classroom and were technologically inept. the present study can be a base for further research in order to explore why these teachers couldn’t integrate technology into the teaching and learning process. keywords: ed-tech tools, technological proficiency, technological integration introduction technology has advanced significantly in the classroom since the 1980s. today, technology is more than tools like interactive whiteboards, graphing calculators, laptop computers, iclickers and ipods. the pandemic has also added to the surge of different technologies amidst a slew of new challenges for education around the world. the question of how technological integration started in educational systems can be traced back to when the term “digital natives” was first brought to light by prensky in 2001. the digital natives are referred to as “the younger generations who grew up with technology-integrated lifestyles.” since then, several researchers have started focusing on technologyintegrated learning environments (lei, 2009; rainie, 2006; stearns, 2006; wood, 2006). in order to integrate indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 23 technology in the classrooms, the role of teachers has been more emphasized. the prominent developments in the technologically integrated models for teaching and learning were made by several researchers over a certain period of time (mishra & koehler, 2006; puentedura, 2006). the recent models which have gained attention are the technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpack) and substitution augmentation modification redefinition (samr) models. in the indian context, the government of india’s (2020) national education policy has recently highlighted the emerging need for technological integration at each level in the indian education system. further, it also has emphasized suitable training of teachers to enhance their technological skills. the policy also proposed to form the national educational technology forum (netf), for the free sharing of ideas among teachers and administrators. the present study was conducted in curiosity to understand whether the teachers in the present educational system are aware of recent trends, tools and policy recommendations. further, if they are aware of whether they are effectively integrating technology in real classroom situations. objectives y to study the perceptions of teachers towards technological integration. y to study the teachers’ perceptions about the different ed-tech tools in k-12 education. y to identify the factors that affect the integration and utilization of the ed-tech tools in the teaching-learning process. review of related literature recently several studies have emphasized the need for technological proficiency among teachers (guilléngámez et al., 2020; rodriguez-segura & schueler, 2022). gorder (2018) reported that in the last few years, the primary focus of many teachers is on making students aware of technology, but they themselves are unfamiliar with the abilities of integration and active learning utilizing technology. the teachers’ opinions can influence successful technological integration and are the major determinant of whether they will employ technology in the classroom in the future. although many factors influence how successfully technology is integrated, the most important is teachers’ competency and aptitude to adapt instructional technology-based activities according to the needs of the learners (hong, 2021). the other factors include the degree of cooperation, self-assurance and teamwork (mundy et al., 2019). it was evident from the previous studies that the teachers who use technology in the classrooms were able to enhance learning and also bring out active learning among the learners (marshall, 2016). however, there is very little emphasis given to teachers’ preparation for technological integration both in the pre-service and in-service phases. zhao et al. (2021) in their study has emphasized that there is still more work to be done in terms of practice and training of the teachers. porter and graham (2016), in their study, have tried to highlight a few issues that have affected technological inclusion recently in the classroom. the key issues that were discussed are lack of resources, lack of training and insufficient time. to completely comprehend how instructors in the modern world view technology in teaching and learning, further research in this area is still needed. in order to learn more, we must critically evaluate, consider and synthesize the data underlying teachers’ perceptions of how to integrate technology into the classroom. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 27 have a positive attitude towards using the ed-tech tools in teaching and learning. similar results have been shown in several research studies where the majority of the teachers have shown favourable attitudes towards technological integration in the classroom to improve learners’ academic performance (abel et al., 2022; bilwani & zehra, 2016; ghavifekr & rosdy, 2015; munyengabe, 2017). further, we also found that some of the teachers have highlighted the commonly used ed-tech tools and also listed some tools that were not mentioned in the questionnaire. the results also showed that most of the teachers were using google meet and zoom for teaching purposes, google classroom and google forms for formative assessments (short tests including mcqs oneword answers), taking attendance and collecting assignments. some of the previous studies also reported similar findings (dantes et al., 2022; timothy & silva, 2022). these studies revealed the effective and majorly used online platforms such as zoom, google meet etc. and their helpful features that support teaching and learning. apart from these, our findings also reported that the teachers had used scratch, animated gifs, youtube tutorials, aveti learning, power points, smart boards, projectors, interactive panels, whatsapp and telegram groups for teaching and learning. ogbonnaya (2019), in his study, also highlighted the perceived usefulness of different social media platforms, as mentioned above, in the teaching-learning process. recently the focus of research has been more shifted towards ai-based ed-tech tools in k-12 education. chounta et al. (2022) in his study also reported the importance of ai based tools and the need for teachers’ preparation regarding emerging technologies. implications y the ed-tech is an emerging area of research therefore more emphasis should be given to new tools and technologies which have the potential to enhance the learning experiences y this type of study can be a base for further research which can be extended by including certain interventions related to teachers’ preparation and professional development in the context of particular regions limitations our study is a small scale pilot survey which has included few selected schools based on accessibility. we have considered limited ed-tech tools in each category. we have tried exploring the pre-conceived perceptions of the teachers towards the ed-tech tools rather than going for certain interventions and examine any change. conclusion in this study the teacher perceptions of technological tools for pedagogic practices were analyzed, categorized and interpreted. several challenges, issues, drawbacks, problems and interventions were investigated to learn more about how teachers view the use of technology in real classroom situations. this study will be helpful for different stakeholders involved in the teaching and learning process who will be able to understand the teachers’ position and perceptions of integrating technology in real classrooms. references abel, v. r., tondeur, j., & sang, g. (2022). teacher perceptions about ict integration into classroom instruction. education sciences, 12(9), 609. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 28 bilwani, a., & zehra, r. (2016). perceptions of teachers regarding technology integration in classrooms: a comparative analysis of elite and mediocre schools. journal of education and educational development, 3(1), 1-29. chounta, i. a., bardone, e., raudsep, a., & pedaste, m. (2022). exploring teachers’ perceptions of artificial intelligence as a tool to support their practice in estonian k-12 education.  international journal of artificial intelligence in education,  32(3), 725-755. dantes, g. r., audina, i. p., marsakawati, n. p. e., & suwastini, n. k. a. (2022). investigating the zoom application as a video conferencing platform in the online learning process based on teacher’s perception. journal nasional pendidikan teknik informatika: janapati, 11(2), 133-144. government of india (2020). national education policy. retrieved from https://www.mhrd. gov.in/sites/ upload_files/mhrd/files/nep_final_english_0.pdf gorder, l.(2018). a study of teacher perceptions of instructional technology integration in the classroom. delta phi epsil. j., 50(2), 63-76. ghavifekr, s., & rosdy, w. a. w. (2015). teaching and learning with technology: effectiveness of ict integration in schools. international journal of research in education and science, 1(2), 175-191. guillén-gámez, f.d., ruiz-palmero, j., sánchez-rivas, e. & colomo-magaña, e. (2020). ict resources for research: an anova analysis on the digital research skills of higher education teachers comparing the areas of knowledge within each gender. educ. inf. technol., 25(5), 4575-4589. hong, x., zhang, m., & liu, q. (2021). preschool teachers’ technology acceptance during the covid-19: an adapted technology acceptance model. frontiers in psychology, 12, 2113. lei, j. (2009). digital natives as preservice teachers: what technology preparation is needed? journal of computing in teacher education, 25, 87-97. mishra, p., &  koehler, m. j. (2006). technological pedagogical content knowledge: a framework for teacher knowledge. teachers college record, 108, 1017-1054. marshall, j. (2002). learning with technology. evidence that technology can, and does, support learning, 6, 24-76. mundy, m. a., kupczynski, l., & kee, r. (2012). teacher’s perceptions of technology use in the schools. sage open, 2(1), 2158244012440813. munyengabe, s., yiyi, z., haiyan, h., & hitimana, s. (2017). primary teachers’ perceptions on ict integration for enhancing teaching and learning through the implementation of one laptop per child program in primary schools of rwanda. eurasia journal of mathematics, science and technology education, 13(11), 7193-7204. ogbonnaya, u. (2019). adoption and perceived usefulness of social media by pre-service teachers in nigeria. ijim, 13(6), 52-67. porter, w. w., & graham, c. r. (2016). institutional drivers and barriers to faculty adoption of blended learning in higher education. british journal of educational technology, 47(4), 748-762. prensky, m. (2001). digital natives, digital immigrants. on the horizon, 9(5), 3-6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/10748120110424816 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 29 puentedura, r. (2006). transformation, technology, and education. presentation given august 18, 2006 as part of the strengthening your district through technology workshops, maine, us. retrieved from http://hippasus.com/resources/tte/part1.html rainie, l. (2006). digital “natives” invade the workplace. pew internet & american life project. retrieved from http://pewresearch.org/pubs/70/digital-natives-invade-the-workplace”> rodriguez-segura, d., & schueler, b. e. (2022). can learning be measured by phone? evidence from kenya. economics of education review, 90, 102-309. stearns, j. (2006). going pro: schools embrace video production and videoconferencing. technology & learning, 26(7), 32. timothy, t., & da silva, a. m. (2022). teachers’ perception towards video conference for remote online teaching: the use of google meet in efl elementary classrooms. edulangue, 5(1), 87-135. wood, g. (2006). recognizing the generational divide: when x meets y at the tribal college. tribal college journal of american indian higher education, 17(4), 24-25. zhao, y., pugh, k., sheldon, s., & byers, j. l. (2002). conditions for classroom technology innovations. teachers college record, 104(3), 482-515. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 159 communication where there is will, there is google! ajita deshmukh assistant professor, school of education and research, mit-adt university, pune; email: ajitadeshmukh13@gmail.com maharashtra has been the worst affected state by the covid 19 pandemic. pune, the it hub of maharashtra was one of the first to close down, a week before the rest of the country faced lock-down. like others in the city, we were caught completely unawares while returning home on friday, 13th of march, from the university. i teach b. ed and m.a. education, both post graduate courses. many of my students come from rural background where internet connectivity was a hindrance. additionally, the number of devices was lesser than the number of people in the family who accessed them. to, overcome the challenge, the online sessions were conducted as per the convenience of majority of students and recording for others. since we were already at the end of the academic session, the main task was to conduct doubt solving sessions. thankfully, all the students have a valid email id and have at least one social media account. with the backdrop of the abovementioned constraints, there were two things that i was looking out for one, an asynchronous tool and a strategy that would solve their doubts; the other, that could help me know the topics that they found most difficult for a focused discussion during the online sessions. i did not want them to be hassled with learning new tools at this time. google came to the rescue! google doc as asynchronous peer-learning environment i created a google document titled “doubt solving” for each course, shared it with the respective students giving them editing access. i wrote clear instructions of using the document with example. they could post their doubts and were expected to answer to questions put by others. they were instructed to write their names below and to write only one point, thus enabling discussion amongst all. i guided, corrected their points wherever necessary in the form of ‘comments’ at respective places. we thus enabled a comprehensive asynchronous peer learning environment. google forms as a stepping stone towards a democratic flipped classroom: the second hurdle was to prioritize the selection of the topic for focused discussion. a firm believer of democratic class environment, i wanted to discuss their doubts rather than what could possibly be a doubt in my perspective. i created a google form with a dropdown menu, listing the course, the topic and a short answer format item to write the precise doubt. i informed that the doubt-solving would be arranged in descending order of the votes. i instructed them to continue filling up the form on every sunday. this enabled me to schedule all the doubt solving sessions with a focus, incorporating indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 160 flipped classroom elements. feedback from students: the students reported that the doubt solving document idea enabled them to ask doubts freely and by answering doubts, they were guided by the instructorme. the students expressed that this activity eliminated the feeling of isolation while avoiding the clutter of whatsapp communication. the students hinted that this type of exchange added to their motivation and gave them a feeling of being “heard”. the students conveyed that the instructor was perceived to be “approachable”. reflections: a democratic class room is the corner stone of an engaged class. to voice pinpointed doubts, the students had to be thorough with content. the doubt solving document, served as a channel for peer-learning, peer communication and learner-instructor communication. a well-planned strategy for asynchronous communication works effectively, keeps things organized and reduces the load of individual emails and that of data consumption. the flexibility of schedules saw more engagement of the students. thus, simple and popular tools can be effectively used for a collaborative learning environment when planned carefully and with prudence. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 243 research article mental health concerns of school going adolescents in india during the covid-19 outbreak through tele-helpline services ruchi shukla1, sushmita chakraborty2 & rashmi choudhary3 1assistant professor, manodarpan cell, depfe, ncert email: shukla.ncert2010@gmail.com 2assistant professor, depfe, ncert 3junior project fellow, manodarpan cell, ncert abstract the covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated mental health challenges globally. adolescents on the cusp of adulthood, already grappling with significant developmental pressures and life changes, were further tested by the uncertainty created by the pandemic. this article aims to mapping and analyze trends in mental health concerns among adolescents in the post-pandemic era, based on calls received by the manodarpan toll-free tele-helpline. the helpline was launched to provide psycho-social support to students, parents, and teachers through trained counsellors. the reported concerns relate to psycho-social issues such as a lack of skills to manage emotions, health-related problems, academic issues, difficulties with online classes, and anxiety related to studies and exams. the findings of this study will have significant implications for mental health practitioners and educators in providing support and planning policies related to mental health and well-being keywords: mental health, adolescents, tele-helpline, psycho-social, academic, covid-19 introduction mental health concerns of school students in india during covid-19 outbreak increased due to several reasons. the virulent nature of the virus prompted a nationwide lockdown, disrupting everyday life and routines. once the lockdown was lifted, strict rules and regulations on social distancing were enforced by the government, with fines for violations. these guidelines included avoiding social interactions, and large public functions like weddings were also restricted. as a consequence of these social distancing measures, coupled with the non-availability of vaccines, especially for children, schools had no choice but to shut down temporarily. this abrupt closure initially disrupted education, leaving students without their usual routines and engagement. however, the education system gradually adapted by transitioning to online classes. despite this adjustment, the initial shutdown caused upheaval, and students faced challenges. while adults resumed work in hybrid modes, children often found themselves unattended and with limited to no movement outside the house. while the challenges in mental health of adolescents can lead to heightened emotional stress, feelings of helplessness, and fear, over time, these difficulties may develop into mental illnesses like anxiety and depression (meherali et al., 2021). furthermore, early identification of mental health risks is crucial to reducing these risks (schulte-körne, 2016). indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 244 amidst significant efforts by the government, the education system in india made a crucial shift to online classes, providing a much-needed relief during the pandemic. however, this transition came with its own set of challenges. loneliness, exacerbated by learning loss and uncertainty about the future (including board exams and career prospects), weighed heavily on the minds of school students, especially adolescents. the social restrictions imposed due to fear of infection and death further compounded their mental well-being concerns. conversations around these issues impelled a search for solutions, as educators, parents, and policymakers grappled with how best to support students during these unprecedented times. in order to address the holistic wellbeing of students, the government of india, launched the manodarpan1 initiative in july 2020. through telehelpline, this initiative aimed to provide psycho-social support to students, parents, and teachers with the help of trained counsellors from across the country. it is important to understand that tele-helplines have been playing an important role in offering convenient access and immediate assistance to individuals in need (s. sriram et al., 2016). the current analysis is based on the data collected from calls received on the manodarpan toll-free tele-helpline, which operates 12 hours a day (from 8 am to 8 pm) every day of the week. pandemic and its psychological implications history tells us the occurrence of pandemics and the havoc caused on humanity as a consequence. the unpredictability of pandemics, coupled with the world’s unpreparedness for such occurrences, remains the 1. under the ‘aatma nirbhar bharat abhiyaan, ministry of education (moe), government of india (goi)’, the manodarpan initiative was launched in 2020, to support on the psycho-social concerns of students, parents, and teachers during and beyond covid-19. biggest challenge for humankind. the sufferings caused by the pandemic have the potential to leave a deep impact on the psyche of individuals and societies for generations to come. these challenges are amplified many folds in contemporary global village realities. the coronavirus (sars-cov-2) or covid-19, with a high capacity to infect, made it a lethal virus in today’s interconnected world. unlike in the past, where geographical movement was restricted, the ease of movement and the social and economic interdependence of people have exacerbated problems due to the virus’s spreading nature. similar to previous pandemics, covid-19 not only served as a serious medical threat but has also impacted the psycho-social welfare of individuals and societies worldwide. in the quest to contain the virus and minimize the loss of human life, the use of unavoidable methods has inadvertently created mental and emotional imbalances. the impact extends to the student’s learning process and has also brought to light, the unpreparedness of the system for dealing with large-scale mental health issues and long-term challenges that can affect the individuals. the unprecedented and unplanned lockdowns imposed worldwide have not only triggered the fear of getting infected but also the experience of isolation, losing loved ones, and various unexpected challenges, leaving individuals with existential questions and looming anxieties. the effect on the indian subcontinent was particularly extensive due to its large population and densely populated metro cities. the essential services were compromised, and hospitals were overly crowded. everyday life was disrupted, educational institutes at all levels were closed, transportation was halted, and tourism was completely shut down. even for indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 245 essential survival needs, people were fearful to go out. to tackle the situations created by the pandemic, governments worldwide took measures to protect their citizens, addressing both physical and mental well-being. it is now evident that the pandemic has deeply affected the mental health of individuals of all age groups, including children and adolescents. adolescence and concerns during the pandemic it is well known that adolescence is an age of development of abstract thinking, exploration of sexual identities, and the emergence of developmental skills to be used for coping and problem-solving (erikson, 1963). when covid-19 hit the world, adolescents, like everyone else, were restricted to staying at home and faced the consequences of disruption in everyday life. there were sudden changes in regular classroom interactions, including a transition to an online mode of learning with virtual classrooms and video conferencing. the lack of direct teacher-student interaction, along with limited access to resources, has impacted academic progress and played a crucial role in the learning loss of adolescents (hammerstein, et. al. 2021). the impact was massive, particularly for those who faced socio-economic disadvantages, and belonged to low-income families, minority groups, and remote areas (singh et al., 2020).top of form as the situation evolved, educational systems attempted to address these issues and find solutions to support students’ learning by redesigning lesson plans for remote delivery and exploring alternative evaluation methods to assess student performance. with this change parents had to take on more active roles in their children’s education, supporting them with their studies while juggling work and other responsibilities. on the socio-emotional front, the students were caught off-guard as were the parents. the unpredictable nature of the pandemic compounded by its highly infectious nature led to anxiety and fear of death amongst all beyond age, gender, socio-economic level, and so on. it is evident that covid-19 has brought efforts and discussions on mental health-related issues to the forefront. adolescents, already particularly vulnerable to mental health issues due to significant developmental changes and challenges at this stage of life, were further strained by the uncertainty, loneliness, and confusion brought about by the situation (singh et al.,2020). uncontrollable situations caused by the pandemic created issues for adolescents, such as social isolation, disruption in daily routines, lack of inperson interaction with friends and peers, uncertainty about the future, and fears related to the spread of the virus, which only exacerbated the existing mental health issues (caffo & belaise, 2003). the restrictions on social movements and physical activities forced them to face their fears without peer support and the known and comforting touch of the school environment, increasing the sense of fear and anxiety among adolescents. as india is a vast country with a large population and cultural variations, the complexity of the challenges increases, as does the approach and implementation of remedies for managing the mental health and wellbeing of students. top of form importance of mental health and well-being of adolescents mental health is essential not only for physical well-being but also because it shares a symbiotic connection with physical health. since adolescents are on the verge of embarking on their journey as young adults in society, concerns for their well-being are high. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 246 the psychological challenges if left unaddressed today may create backlogs that can impact their well-being and, subsequently, their mental health. as adolescence is a crucial period for providing mental health and well-being support to develop social-emotional habits, it also lays the foundation for better mental health and well-being later in life. the nationwide lockdowns and decreased physical activities have led to increased sedentary lifestyles, affecting not only the physical but also the mental health of students. psychological issues such as anxiety, depression, stress, loneliness, etc. seen a significant rise after the covid-19 pandemic (sarah et al., 2021). the unicef report ‘life in lockdown’ in 2022 delves into the mental health and wellbeing of approximately 130,000 children and adolescents across 22 countries, seeking to comprehend the effects of lockdown on them. the document reports evidence of depressive symptoms, stress, anxiety, increased substance use, and other behavioral problems in children and adolescents after covid-19. despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, there were also noteworthy positive developments in mental health. these included increased quality family time, greater engagement in physical and recreational activities, and more personal introspection, all of which made positive contributions to individuals’ mental well-being. to address the concerns highlighted due to covid-19, the government of india is focusing on a comprehensive plan to boost economic growth, improve the quality of the healthcare system, adapt to the new digital world, and provide psycho-social support to the impacted citizens of the country. in this ever-evolving situation with changing pandemic impacts, it remains crucial for parents to stay informed, reach out for support when necessary, and place a high priority on both their own well-being and that of their children. building a strong support network and maintaining open communication with children can help them navigate challenging times more effectively. the findings from the “mental health and well-being of school studentsa survey, 2022” suggest that the students have experienced anxiety regarding studies, examinations and results. they have also reported a lack of concentration as the major reason for lagging behind in studies. due to the vulnerability of the adolescent group and the need to prevent risky behaviors, it is important to look out for and prioritize their mental health and wellness. the need for intervention in mental health is also visualized in the national education policy (nep), 2020, of the government of india. the nep, 2020 emphasizes recognizing, identifying, and fostering the unique capabilities of each student and strengthening mental health and well-being in school education. such implications can not only help the child in holistic development but also assist in identifying and providing interventions for mental health-related issues. objective y the objective of the paper is to analyze the trends of mental health concerns experienced by middle and secondary-stage school students from july 2020 to december 2022, through data provided by counsellors in information sheets about calls received on manodarpan tele-helpline. y methodology sample the information collected was based on calls received from july 2020 to december 2022 on ivrs through toll-free indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 247 tele-helpline calls from students across the nation, as part of the manodarpan initiative, which primarily focuses on addressing psycho-social concerns of students, parents and teachers. a total of 2,356 calls documented under middle and secondary stage of education have been analyzed in the paper. among these calls, 19.5 per cent were related to psychosocial concerns, while 80.5 per cent pertained to academic issues. the calls received on the helpline were recorded on performas by the counsellors who had received the calls and shared the details with manodarpan cell. the concerns of adolescent students are reported by counsellors from all four regions (north, south, east, and west) of india and collated by the manodarpan cell in the form of information sheets. furthermore, the information collected over 2.5 years (july 2020 to december 2022) was compiled and qualitatively analyzed. while the helpline concerns were studied within the context of the covid-19 situation, the analysis identified trends across two significant domains, namely: (i) psycho-social issues (ii) academic concerns although the collected data is segmented into foundation, preparatory, middle and secondary stages, there were limited calls for the foundation and preparatory stages. this limitation is primarily because children in these age groups may not possess the maturity to fully comprehend and articulate mental health issues or actively seek direct assistance. consequently, the study relies on calls from the middle and secondary stages. result and findings the data collected from the manodarpan toll-free tele-helpline number is categorized into two major concerns: psycho-social and academic. the analysis is divided into three phases to understand the evolving nature of these concerns during the pandemic: phase i (july 2020 to december 2020), phase ii (january 2021 to december 2021), and phase iii (january 2022 to december 2022). phase-wise analysis indicates the following results: phase i (july 2020 to december 2020) academic concerns: admission queries, challenges with online learning, concentration difficulties, exam and career-related stress, procrastination issues, and study methods. psycho-social concerns: covid-19related anger management, sadness, anxiety, and family-related concerns. higher academic stage students reported difficulties in online learning, exam stress, concentration issues, poor study habits, and career guidance. phase ii (january 2021 to december 2021) academic concerns: admission queries, difficulty in online learning and communication, lack of concentration, fatigue, exam stress, poor study habits, and techniques. higher stage students sought help for government forms, admissions, examinations, scholarships, e-pathshala, syllabus, study materials, board exam stress, and offline exam anxiety. psycho-social concerns: loneliness, sadness, loss of interest, anxiety, fear, worry, stress from high covid cases, nervousness, irritation, excessive social media use, mobile game addiction, mood swings, and body image issues. phase iii (january 2022 to december 2022) academic concerns: admission and entrance exam queries, ncert books, online classes, entrance exam indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 250 economic backgrounds who exhibited lower confidence in independently completing school assignments. common issues faced by students in the middle and secondary stages of education included challenges with online learning, academic stress, examrelated anxiety, lack of concentration, procrastination, and queries related to admissions, indicating the adverse impacts that academic stress can have on anxiety (zhu et al., 2021). the anxiety related to new teachinglearning and assessment methods led many students to seek counselor assistance for study methods, causing confusion and further increasing anxiety about their future. students also sought counseling for career choices. on the social front, latent anxiety about the pandemic, fear of infection, and concerns about academic and career choices manifested in students’ behaviors, leading to feelings of anger and sadness, among other emotions. as rightly stated in the report “on my mind” by who, “indeed, these are very challenging times for children and young people, and this is the state of their world in 2021.” additionally, concerns related to the spread of covid-19 were more prominent during both 2020 and 2021. these concerns included anxieties related to the health of oneself, family, and friends; restlessness and stress due to lockdown measures; feelings of loneliness and fear due to the pandemic (brooks et al., 2020 & enea et al., 2021); and worry and stress attributed to the high number of covid cases. phase i concerns revolved around difficulty in adjusting to a new routine, shifting from offline to online classes, feeling bored, and losing interest in everyday activities. phase ii exacerbated these issues, leading to feelings of stress, tiredness, and low energy, as supported by the findings of “mental health and well-being of school studentsa survey”. in line with the concerns of phase iii, the report “life in lockdown” by unicef (2021) states that “social isolation and loneliness during lockdowns contributed to a range of outcomes, including depression, irritability, anxiety, stress, alcohol use, and sedentary behaviors.” psycho-social issues in this phase seemed to have intensified, with students reporting loneliness, overthinking, adjustment issues, depression, and an inability to express feelings, among other problems. students sought support for handling feelings of loneliness, sadness, and loss of interest in daily activities. students in the secondary stage of education called counselors to seek support on various government forums for admission, examinations, and scholarships. during this phase, students had also started using and accessing the digital world for resources on learning, showing their increasing comfort with the online medium, as reflected in secondary stage students calling to ask about e-pathshala. however, the exposure and familiarity with the medium were not entirely positive, as many students called counselors to seek help in handling addiction to social media, mobile games, etc. school syllabus and study material-related concerns were also common. queries related to admission were reported in all three years, indicating uncertainties about the admission processes and difficulties of remote education. seeking consistent assistance and information regarding admission processes also highlights the necessity of providing information in a more effective manner. overall, the data not only highlights that the vulnerable period of covid-19 has left adolescents with psychological stressors, which can have long-lasting implications, including procrastination and increased indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 251 coping depletion (sirois, 2023), but also underscores the significance and need to address these concerns proactively through appropriate interventions, counseling, and support systems. given that schools are among the most crucial settings for mental health promotion and protection among children and adolescents, they can assist in providing students with the knowledge, skills, competencies, and lifestyles necessary for them to thrive (who, 2022). conclusion the role of telehelpline for mental health and well-being during the covid outbreak cannot be overemphasized. not only did it provide remote accessibility, which was especially important during lockdowns and travel restrictions, but it also allowed people to prioritize their mental health while minimizing the risk of covid exposure. manodarpan has also played a crucial role in providing psycho-social support through its telehelpline service. the major findings from the analysis of data received from the manodarpan helpline highlight that adolescent students in the middle and secondary stages have experienced significant negative impacts from the pandemic, posing challenges to their overall wellbeing. initially, during 2020, the fear of infection and loss of loved ones, along with the shift to a new medium of instruction, disrupted adolescents’ everyday harmony, affecting their mental health. the analysis also indicates that, later in 2021 and 2022, the extended lockdown and social isolation instilled feelings of loneliness (christiansen et al., 2021 & cooper et al., 2021), stress, depression, and unidentified anxieties. on the academic front, the learning loss, combined with the decline in social skills, will have longlasting effects that will be evident in the years to come, both on a personal and societal level. it can be said that the negative impact of the pandemic on students’ mental health is evident, and schools and parents need to recognize and address these issues in their own ways. nonetheless, there is room for hope and positive signs emerge when children seek assistance after recognizing that certain issues could disrupt their daily lives and potentially affect their mental and physical well-being. this reflects a growing sense of self-awareness among young individuals. the data source, consisting of forms filled out by counselors on the tele-helpline, had limitations, as some forms were not adequately completed or shared by counselors, resulting in data loss. the major limitation of the study was the absence of quantitative data, which could enhance the generalizations of the analysis. additionally, detailed case studies would have helped in data triangulation, making the study more informative and in-depth. in conclusion, addressing the potential long-term consequences of the challenges mentioned earlier is crucial and need of the hour. it is imperative for educational institutions, policymakers, and communities to allocate resources and efforts toward remedial education, mental health support, and initiatives aimed at reducing educational disparities. references baird, s., jones, n., goel, n., dutton, r., oakley, e., presler-marshall, e., … and yadete, w. 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(2016). telephone counselling in india: lessons from icall. in springer ebooks (pp. 201–216). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0584-8_11 united nations children’s fund, the state of the world’s children 2021: on my mind – promoting, protecting and caring for children’s mental health, unicef, new york, october 2021. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 253 world mental health report: transforming mental health for all. geneva: world health organization; 2022. licence: cc by-nc-sa 3.0 igo zhang, a., ye, m., fu, y., yang, m., luo, f., yuan, j., and, tao, q. (2020). the psychological impact of the covid-19 pandemic on teenagers in china, journal of adolescent health, 67(6), pp 747-755.top of form zhu, x.; haegele, j.a.; liu, h.; yu, f. academic stress, physical activity, sleep, and mental health among chinese adolescents. int. j. environ. res. public health 2021, 18, 7257. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18147257 indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 26 research article students’ intention (as a consumer) to study through distance education mode post covid-19 crises heena kashyap1 & sunny makhija2 1lecturer, commerce, directorate of education government of nct of delhi, delhi, india, email: heena.kashyap91@yahoo.com 2marketing & international business advisory professional dezan shira & associates, delhi, india abstract the aim of this paper is to assess the intention of students (as a consumer) to study through distance education mode after arousal of a pandemic situation (due to spread of coronavirus all over the world). the research was conducted in india, where responses were sought from current and prospective students. the basic idea was to study the impact of covid-19 crises on the mindset of students, as many of them would be hesitant in travelling miles for a regular college. while searching for the best college/education institution, the behavior of students seems to be similar to the behavior of a consumer. therefore, students’ intention was studied from the perspective of consumer behavior discipline. there were a total 431 students whose responses were included in this study. the smart pls version 2.0 software has been used for applying mathematical and statistical formulas. the model was constructed from the literature review that consisted of four independent factors (perception, attitude, motivation and personality) and one dependent factor (student/consumer intention). the results showed that perception, attitude and motivation are the main driving force behind a student’s intention to take admission in a distance education institution. keywords: student’s intention, distance education, covid-19, consumer behaviour introduction covid-19 is a real villain of our lives. it needs no introduction as it has devastated the lives of more than one billion people around the world. in this whole scenario, humankind is not the only sufferer instead thousands of animals also lost their lives. one of the segments that have been affected is “students” such that it has created a mental pressure on them. initially, they did not realize the effects of the pandemic but gradually the consequences shook them. nothing can replace teaching–learning process between a teacher and a student. whether it is online teaching or distance teaching, the guidance of a teacher is always required. the business of tutors and online coaching has flourished after covid-19 crises. many educational apps were introduced for providing education to students during these crises (li & lalani, 2020). the most indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 27 affected students were those who got stuck in the middle of new admission or a new session because their new syllabus could not be started due to lockdown in the whole country. there is a difference between online teaching and distance education where online teaching could be a means or a method to complete the syllabus of distance education courses. many universities have proclaimed their excellence, but it is the student who can actually analyze and decide what is best for him/her. these students can also be considered as consumers of education as they go to the market, search for various colleges and then decide about their admission (schiffman, kanuk, ramesh, & wisenblit, 2010). while assessing various colleges, the admission fees and associated costs is one of the factors that influence the final decision of students or consumers (fidalgo, thormann, kulyk, & lencastre, 2020). since a student alone is not capable of making accurate decisions, he/she seeks help from their family members and friends. the scenario has changed, as earlier online teaching was not possible for all the students due to paucity of resources. the students were supposed to collect books/notes and attend weekly classes held at the designated center. but, the technology upgradation has been a boon for both teachers and students (sheridan & kelly, 2010) that has led to improvement in communication between teacher and student (li & lalani, 2020). a covid-19 crisis has made academicians think about other modes of teaching, as another pandemic situation may arise anytime without a warning (li & lalani, 2020). need for the study child is different therefore their desires and preferences are also different. they make choices that are affected by the choices of many people at their home or neighbourhood. but, there is a need to identify the student centered factors that are responsible for a student’s intention to study through distance mode. apart from basic factors like income, social status and social factors there are many psychological and personal factors that have deep impact over a student’s or consumer’s preference. the results of this study would help in assessing the student’s preferences post covid-19 crises and would help education institutions to devise their programs to attract students for distance education courses. usually, students prefer to study from a regular college/university but it is imperative to study the changes in preferences (if any) of students in relation to distance education after covid-19 crises. since the crises have mentally affected many people all over the world, it must have impacted the preferences and perception of students towards distance education programs. objectives the objectives of this study are not elaborative, instead are focused on the major area of research which is as follows:1. to identify the factors responsible for students’ (as consumers) intention to study through distance education mode. 2. to assess the relationship between indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 28 “various factors affecting students’ (consumers’) intention to study through distance education mode” and “actual intention”. review of literature distance learning is a process of acquiring knowledge when a learner and a trainer cannot interact face-to-face, instead they can communicate with the help of various online technologies (bijeesh, 2013). there is historical importance of such a learning mechanism because it helps even those who cannot travel miles every time (bozkurt, 2019). the role of distance learning has widened as one can study from lecturers of various countries; assignments and doubts can be cleared through innovative system softwares (aharony & ilan, 2016). the distance learning modes are considered less expensive than regular courses due to infrastructural and other cost savings (hmc architects, 2020). these costs are ultimately borne by students in the form of admission fees, therefore distance courses seem to be more economical. the concepts of psychology are relevant in studying consumer behavior, which are also relevant for understanding students’ behavior. education has now become a business market where education and knowledge is being sold and students are the consumers/buyers of that knowledge. analyzing from consumer behavior discipline, the four factors are most important to study one’s mind. these factors are perception, attitude, motivation and personality (schiffman, kanuk, ramesh, & wisenblit, 2010). the decision of learning through distance or regular mode involves mental exercise and cognitive thinking (churchill & surprenant, 1982). thus, these four factors play an important role in the determination of the same (schiffman, kanuk, ramesh, & wisenblit, 2010). the explanations of these factors are as follows:perception displays the thought process of an individual. throughout a time, an individual develops certain assumptions and on the basis of that he/she starts interpreting and perceiving the stimulus (schiffman, kanuk, ramesh, & wisenblit, 2010). attitude displays a direction i.e. whether a person is positive towards something or is negative towards something (schiffman, kanuk, ramesh, & wisenblit, 2010). it has been seen in past studies that a positive attitude towards an object or person, may influence decisions of an individual. the motivation may be classified into monetary and non-monetary heads (schiffman, kanuk, ramesh, & wisenblit, 2010). some individuals are motivated by monetary benefits and some are motivated by non-monetary benefits (maslow, 1943). higher the motivation, higher would be the intention to take an action or not to take an action (ajzen, 1985). different individuals have different identities and personalities. personality traits determine the wholesome personality and character of an individual. a risk taker, brave and adventurous individual does not seek opinions of others to make his/her final decision (schiffman, kanuk, ramesh, & wisenblit, 2010). thus, a model (figure-1) has been constructed to understand students’ intention to study through distance indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 29 education mode. hypothesis h01there is no significant relationship between students’ perception and students’ intention to study through distance mode, post covid-19 crises. h02there is no significant relationship between students’ attitude and students’ intention to study through distance mode, post covid-19 crises. h03there is no significant relationship between students’ motivation and students’ intention to study through distance mode, post covid-19 crises. h04there is no significant relationship between students’ personality and students’ intention to study through distance mode, post covid-19 crises. research methodology in this study after the construction of the model, factors were measured with the help of scale items that were developed through previous literature findings. the primary data was collected with the help of questionnaire whose details are as follows: questionnaire: in totality, 14 statements were included in the survey and these statements were measured on 7-point likert scale (7– strongly disagree, 6– disagree, 5– somewhat disagree, 4 – neither agree nor disagree, 3 – somewhat agree, 2 – agree, 1– strongly agree). sample size: the sample includes respondents from all over india. however, a convenience sampling method was followed to accumulate the responses. around 435 responses were received but only 431 were finalized for final study. perception motivation attitude intention personality h h h h intention is a desire to do something which has an impact over the final decision. (ajzen, 1985). a strong intention may lead to an action, but it is not necessary as other factors may intervene to affect one’s decision (hocutt, chakraborty, & mowen, 1997). figure-1: model of students’ intention to study through distance education mode indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 30 statistical tools applied: confirmatory factor analysis was done where all the statistical calculations were made using smartpls 2.0 version software. the reflective model and structural model assessment was initiated to test the relationships between independent factors and dependent factors. with the help of frequency, percentages, ratios and t-statistics all the data were analyzed intensely. table-1 shows scale items for each of the constructs which were included in the research model. the construct “perception” had four items in its scale, “attitude” construct had four items in its scale, “motivation” had two items, “personality” had two items and “intention” had two items in its scale. table-1: scale items for measuring each construct constructs no. statement perception (fidalgo, thormann, kulyk, & lencastre, 2020) p1 i think that distance learning modes would be in trend after covid-19 crises. p2 i think distance learning modes are gaining popularity. p3 i think distance education courses are necessary in our country. p4 i think there is no harm in completing a degree from a distance education college. attitude (celika & uzunboylu, 2015) a1 i have a positive attitude towards distance education courses. a2 i feel that more distance education courses would be required in our education system post covid-19 crises. a3 distance education has played a vital role in the education sector. a4 in critical situations, distance learning is the best option. motivation (fidalgo, thormann, kulyk, & lencastre, 2020) m1 distance learning helps in effectively managing time. m2 distance learning helps in saving costs. personality (schiffman, kanuk, ramesh, & wisenblit, 2010) ps1 i think rationally before making any decision. ps2 i evaluate the pros and cons of every situation. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 31 intention (ajzen, 1985) i1 i will definitely consider distance learning courses for my studies. i2 i will recommend others also for distance learning courses. source: (fidalgo, thormann, kulyk, & lencastre, 2020); (celika & uzunboylu, 2015); (schiffman, kanuk, ramesh, & wisenblit, 2010); (ajzen, 1985) the purpose of scale items of “perception” was to understand the perception of students cum consumers regarding distance education mode post covid-19 crises. the aim was to understand current views of students in relation to study via distance mode. the purpose of “attitude” scale items was to identify the attitude of students towards distance mode learning. a positive attitude may lead to higher intention to study via distance mode. the “motivation” scale items were meant to measure motive/benefit that students might seek while enrolling for a distance course. the “personality” construct measures the trait of a person/ student such that an open minded and decisive person might opt for distance learning mode, as his/her decisions are not affected by the views of others. the “intention” construct measures the intention/desire to study via distance mode. analysis and results the table-2 shows frequencies for each of the demographic categories such that only three categories were found relevant for this study. total number of male respondents was 235 and female respondents were 197. table -2: demographics summary paired samples statistics frequency percentage age (17-21 yrs) 211 49 (2226 yrs) 188 44 (26 yrs & above) 32 07 gender male 235 55 female 197 46 family monthly income (rs.10,000rs.50,000) 122 28 (rs. 50,001rs. 1,00,000) 180 42 (rs. 1,00,001& above) 130 30 source: primary data indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 32 model estimation the model estimation involves two kinds of assessment i.e. reflective model estimation and structural model estimation. it is necessary to first conduct reflective model estimation and on the basis of its results, structural model estimation is performed. reflective model assessment the smart pls software provides three dimensions for model testing i.e. algorithm, bootstrapping and blindfolding. the results of the algorithm are required for reflective model assessment and results of bootstrapping, blindfolding are required for structural model assessment. figure-2 represents the outcome of the pls algorithm where four factors are independent (perception, attitude, motivation and personality) and one factor is dependent variable (intention). the value of r2 is 0.60 which shows that explanatory power is high (wong, 2019). a value below 0.49 signifies a low explanatory power (hair, hult, ringle, & sarstedt, 2016). figure-2: outcome of pls algorithm run derived from smart pls software version 2.0 the internal consistency (table-3) is confirmed through composite reliability; individual indicator reliability is confirmed through outer loadings and discriminant validity is confirmed through fornell lacker criterion (wong, 2019). indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 33 table-3: internal consistency constructs ave composite reliability r square cronbachs alpha attitude 0.80 0.94 0.92 intention 0.80 0.89 0.60 0.76 motivation 0.63 0.77 0.44 perception 0.72 0.91 0.87 personality 0.76 0.86 0.72 source: primary data the scores of composite reliability for each construct should be above 0.70 to confirm the presence of internal consistency (hair, hult, ringle, & sarstedt, 2016). the third column of table-3 i.e. composite reliability column shows that the score of each construct is above 0.70, therefore internal consistency is present. table-4: individual indicator reliability (outer loadings) attitude intention motivation perception personality attitude_1 0.89 attitude_2 0.94 attitude_3 0.85 attitude_4 0.88 intention_1 0.93 intention_2 0.86 motivation_1 0.68 motivation_2 0.89 perception_1 0.86 perception_2 0.89 perception_3 0.89 perception_4 0.75 personality_1 0.96 personality_2 0.77 source: primary data in order to confirm individual indicator reliability, the scores of outer loadings derived from algorithm outcome should be above 0.60 (hair, hult, ringle, & sarstedt, 2016). table-4 shows that the outer loading value of each scale item is above 0.60, therefore individual indicator reliability is also present. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 34 table-5: discriminant validity construct attitude intention motivation perception personality attitude 0.89 intention 0.48 0.90 motivation 0.40 0.71 0.80 perception 0.40 0.70 0.73 0.85 personality 0.70 0.51 0.43 0.60 0.87 source: primary data table-5 shows the results of fornell lacker criterion i.e. the square root of average variance explained (ave) is compared with other constructs latent variable value (hair, hult, ringle, & sarstedt, 2016). for example, the square root of attitude’s ave value should be greater than latent variable scores of other constructs in order to meet discriminant validity criteria (wong, 2019). table-5 shows that ave value of each construct is greater than the latent variable value of other constructs (specific row and column), therefore discriminant validity of variables is also confirmed. table-6 shows the value of path coefficients, where positive value denotes positive relationship between the independent variable and dependent variable. the path coefficient value lies between 0 to 1, which could be positive or negative (hair, hult, ringle, & sarstedt, 2016). the highest path coefficient value is 0.386 which means that path “motivation → intention” has the strongest relationship. table-6: path coefficient values of all the paths in model path path coefficient attitude → intention 0.168 motivation → intention 0.386 perception → intention 0.332 personality → intention 0.032 source: primary data multicollinearity the constructs should not have collinearity among themselves; therefore to check collinearity issue variance inflation value (vif) is calculated. the vif value should be less than “5” to prove that there is no collinearity among the constructs (hair, hult, ringle, & sarstedt, 2016). indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 35 table-7: multicollinearity check factors intention tolerance vif attitude .407 2.458 motivation .514 1.945 perception .465 2.150 personality .452 2.213 source: primary data table-7 is a summary regarding the result of vif calculations. all the values are below “5”, therefore there is no question of multicollinearity. structural model assessment the structural model assessment includes t-statistics calculation for finding significance of relationships, effect size and predictive relevance of the model (wong, 2019). table-8 shows the outcome of bootstrapping run, where t-statistics value is being analyzed to conclude about significance of results (wong, 2019). the significance of relationships was tested at 1% significance level such that t-statistics value should be above 2.57. the t-statistics value of each path is above 2.57 except for path “personality → intention”, which means that personality does not affect the student’s intention to study through distance education mode. therefore, hypotheses h01, h02, h03 are accepted and hypothesis h04 is rejected. it can be concluded that perception, attitude and motivation of students, determines their intention to enroll in distance learning courses. table-6: path coefficient values of all the paths in model path original sample (o) sample mean (m) standard deviation (stdev) standard error (sterr) t statistics (|o/sterr|) attitude → intention 0.168 0.170 0.047 0.047 3.609 motivation → intention 0.386 0.387 0.044 0.044 8.825 perception → intention 0.332 0.334 0.052 0.052 6.439 personality → intention 0.032 0.029 0.054 0.054 0.600 source: primary data effect size (f2) the effect size of any construct may be calculated by cohen’s formula (wong, 2019) which reveals which variable has larger impact on the dependent variable. f2 = r2 includedr2 excluded 1r2 included table-9 is a summary of effect size of each construct, where “motivation” has the largest effect size and “personality” indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 36 has no effect size. therefore, the result of “personality” hypothesis i.e. h04 is cross verified by both t-statistics and effect size. the “attitude” construct has the lowest effect on a student’s decision related to studies. q2 = 1sum of squared prediction errors (sse) sum of squared observations (sso) table-9: effect size (f2) factors intention: r2 excluded effect size intention inference attitude 0.588 0.03 small motivation 0.539 0.1525 large perception 0.566 0.085 medium personality 0.6 0 no effect source: primary data predictive relevance (q2) predictive relevance is confirmation of model accuracy which may be calculated using the following formula (hair, hult, ringle, & sarstedt, 2016): table-10 shows the result of blindfolding calculations where cross validity redundancy option provides the value of predictive relevance (hair, hult, ringle, & sarstedt, 2016). the value of q2 should be above “0” and a value nearer to “1” is considered best for model accuracy. the q2 value derived from the calculations is between 0 and 1, therefore model predictive relevancy is good. table-10: cross-validity redundancy construct sso sse 1-sse/sso intention 862 457.819 0.469 source: primary data scale items statistics table-11 shows the mean and standard deviation score for each of the constructs. in likert scale “4” was quoted as “neutral” and “1” was quoted as “strongly agree”. this means that factors that have obtained a mean score below “4” are going towards an “agree” continuum. therefore, it can be concluded that students have developed an intention (post covid-19 crises) to study via distance mode. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 37 table-11: descriptive statistics factors n minimum maximum mean std. deviation perception 431 1.25 5.50 2.8689 .77586 attitude 431 1.00 5.50 3.0806 .95875 motivation 431 1.00 5.00 2.9977 .89117 personality 431 1.00 5.50 2.9559 .90176 intention 431 1.00 5.00 2.7007 .89753 source: primary data hypothesis summary table-12 is a short summary of accepted hypotheses. this is clear from the findings that psychological factors i.e. perception, attitude and motivation has an apparent role in development of intention among students to start considering distance education courses post covid-19 crises. table-12: hypotheses summary hypotheses relation path result h01 attitude → intention supported h02 motivation → intention supported h03 perception → intention supported h04 personality → intention not supported source: primary data findings there are many imperative findings of the research. the study shows that there are three independent variables (perception, attitude and motivation) that affect the intention of students to opt for distance learning. this also means that, by changing the perception of students one can build a positive attitude towards distance education. however, the essence of motivation is needed to be combined with perception and attitude to change the mindset of students. the students were also asked about their suggestions for any modifications that they think are essential for improving the education quality in india. the following suggestions were collated:• since the impact of covid-19 will take years to stabilize conditions in the world, therefore more options and courses should be made available through distance mode. along with this, the comparison of regular and distance degrees shall be eliminated because, soon distance learning would be the indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 38 future of millions of potential students. • for online examination, innovative methods shall be adopted to facilitate smooth conduct of tests. the questions shall be framed in such a way that students would require to use their own intelligence. the movement of eye retina, facial expressions and other computer techniques may be employed while conducting examinations online. • the nomenclature given as distance learning shall be replaced with online learning as it degrades the value of degree. conclusion quality is important in imparting education to the masses. as compared to other developed nations, the education institutions in india focus less on quality of education. this has compelled students to evaluate various alternatives while seeking colleges. the results of the study clearly show that the behavior of students can be conditioned through psychological factors (perception, motivation and attitude). there is a need to create awareness among everyone that distance learning provides quality education like any other regular learning. thus this study has contributed in revealing the true scenario and reality of today’s time. the educational institutions require an understanding of the needs and demands of students such that students are not lured on pretext of good placements and jobs. the findings of study can help institutions in targeting and attracting students accordingly. the students are the future pillars of any economy and thus they should be educated appropriately. limitations one cannot abstain from the limitations of any research. a wholesome research may not be feasible as different models may reveal different results. the following are few limitations of study: 1. although the responses were aimed to be collected from all over india, many respondents of different states did not fill the questionnaire. thus, the sample size was relatively small and not as aimed. 2. there may be a chance that minor factors have been ignored in the study. those minor factors may be identified and studied in the future. references aharony, n., & ilan, j. b. (2016). students’ perceptions on moocs: an exploratory study. interdisciplinary journal of e-skills and lifelong learning, 12, 145-162. ajzen, i. (1985). from intentions to actions: a theory of planned behavior. in j. kuhl, & j. beckmann, action control (pp. 11-39). isbn 978-3-642-69746-3, berlin, heidelberg: springer. bijeesh, n. a. (2013, march 3). advantages and disadvantages of distance learning. retrieved april 20, 2020, from india education: https://www.indiaeducation. net/online-education/articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-distance learning.html indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 39 bozkurt, a. (2019). from distance education to open and distance learning: a holistic evaluation of history, definitions, and theories. in handbook of research on learning in the age of transhumanism (pp. 252-273). igi publisher. celika, b., & uzunboylu, h. (2015). high school students’ attitudes towards distance education: comparative study. procedia social and behavioral sciences, isbn 1877-0428, 292 – 297. churchill, g. a., & surprenant, c. (1982). an investigation into the determinants of customer satisfaction. journal of marketing research, 19 (4), 491-504. fidalgo, p., thormann, j., kulyk, o., & lencastre, j. a. (2020, may 20). students’ perceptions on distance education: a multinational study. international journal of educational technology in higher education, vol 17, no. 18, publisherspringer (https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-020-00194-2) hair, j. f., hult, g. t., ringle, c., & sarstedt, m. (2016). a primer on partial least squares structural equation modelling (pls-sem) (2nd ed.). isbn: 9781483377445, sage publications. hmc architects. (2020). distance learning in the time of covid-19. retrieved april 2, 2020, from hmc architects: https://hmcarchitects.com/news/ distance-learning-in-the-time-of-covid-19/ hocutt, m. a., chakraborty, g., & mowen, j. c. (1997). the impact of perceived justice on customer satisfaction and intention to complain in a service recovery. advances in consumer research, issn: 0098-9258, 463, 24, 457 463. li, c., & lalani, f. (2020, april 29). the covid-19 pandemic has changed education forever. this is how. retrieved june 02, 2010, from world economic forum: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/coronavirus-education -global-covid19-online-digital-learning/ maslow, a. h. (1943). a theory of human motivation. psychological review, 50 (4), 370-396. schiffman, l. g., kanuk, ramesh, & wisenblit. (2010). consumer behavior. (tenth, ed.) isbn: 9789332537644, prentice hall. sheridan, k., & kelly, m. a. (2010). the indicators of instructor presence that are important to students in online courses. merlot journal of online learning and teaching, 6 (4), 767-779. wong, k. k. (2019). mastering partial least squares structural equation modeling (pls-sem) with smartpls in 38 hours, isbn : 978-1-5320-6649-8, bloomington: iuniverse. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 112 research article effectiveness of art integrated learning addressing the issues and concerns of adolescence: a pilot study using audio-video programme ruchi verma1 & mukta satsangi2 1professor, department of education in science and mathematics, national council of educational research and training, sri aurobindo marg, new delhi email: ruchi.verma@ciet.nic.in 2junior project fellow, department of education in science and mathematics, national council of educational research and training, sri aurobindo marg, new delhi abstract integration of art and technology with the teaching-learning process opens up the door to provide opportunities for experiential learning. adolescence is a delicate life stage where a child undergoes changes (physical, emotional and behavioural) and faces challenges to deal with these issues due to a lack of awareness and knowledge of the fact. it’s important to prepare children for facing the challenges and issues related to adolescence. but often this area is affected by a lot of hesitation, social taboos and myths; hence some creative, innovative and interactive ways to deal with these issues are needed. in the present study, a novel approach in the form of an audio-video program focusing on the integration of art forms, technology and nature with the scientific facts on adolescence, its challenges and related issues was validated. the study was conducted on 85 learners and 12 teachers of four government schools. the study was found beneficial for teachers and adolescents in making them understand how to handle the issues and challenges in an interactive, interesting and joyful manner through the art integrated approach to learning. such audio-video material will increase awareness to minimize the risk factor and indulging in the wrong habits of learners. keywords: adolescence, adolescent-related issues, school, parental involvement, myths in society, art-integrated learning introduction the ultimate aim of education envisaged is to nurture the holistic development of a learner to make independent thinkers, problem solvers, think tanks for new ideas constantly and creatively to meet the challenges of the time. national education policy 2020 (mhrd, 2020) recommends experiential learning and the merging of disciplinary boundaries to provide opportunities for learners to achieve their goal. the term holistic development directs towards a child-centered approach to learning by creating conducive learning environments through various ageappropriate activities. the approach recommends catering to various needs of learners towards all-round development to achieve the ultimate goal of education. every human being shows three distinct phases in their life – juvenile phase, reproductive phase and senescent phase and three distinct life stages – childhood, adolescent stage and adulthood. the adolescence phase which ranges between 11-19 years of age group is regarded as a transition period from childhood to adulthood (who, 2017). during this phase, a feeling of independence and establishing one’s indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 113 own position and identity in a peer group, family and society generates, and hence requires attention and special needs (ragelienė, 2016). when a child enters the adolescence stage, many internal and external changes occur. these changes are physical, psychological, emotional, social, cognitive and behavioural (karademirci et al., 2012; özdemir et al., 2016; todd, 2007). during this time, a child is totally unaware of how to deal with the changes and issues related to adolescence, hence is regarded as the most challenging stage of life. however, these problems and issues are transient but the majority of the time left unnoticed. the emotional problems are often neglected as they cannot be detected easily, hence leading to long-term social implications such as isolation, depression, loss of self-esteem and confidence, etc. in an adolescent (masselink et al., 2018). the root cause for this is the lack of proper education and support from parents, teachers and society. therefore, this phase requires a lot of attention, care, moral support and proper guidance from parents (ruholt et al., 2015), teachers (verhoeven et al., 2019) and society (panahi, 2015) which helps in the overall positive development of an adolescent. a school is an institution which provides opportunities for all-round development where an adolescent spends about half of the day. as the teacher encounters them constantly, they play a vital role in understanding and helping them to overcome their problems and issues by listening and responding positively. but in reality, this, generally, could not happen due to the hesitation of teachers and students to talk about such issues. the curriculum at school education has provided space for dealing with such issues at appropriate level. the chapter “reaching the age of adolescence” is the part of the syllabus in science for class viii (ncert science textbook for class viii) but it has been found through interaction with teachers and students that not much is discussed about it in classrooms and very less emphasis is given to it. the lack of guidance and care from the parent’s side also pushes adolescents to resolve their queries by seeking help from non-reliable resources like peer group interaction, using technology viz. television, internet and other social media aids (el et al., 2016). in most cases, their curiosity remains unanswered or they get misleading answers. consequently, adolescents show greater risk to develop various psychosocial problems, which may influence their identity, self-esteem, and academic performance (timalsina et al., 2018). thus, it is important to have discussions, awareness, and prevention programmes to help adolescents with the issues they face. ample research studies have been conducted in the areas which mainly focused on psychosocial problems, emotional and behavioural problems faced by adolescents’ (banstola, 2017; bista et al., 2016; huli, 2014; koirala et al., 2016; pathak et al., 2011; sharma, 2020). few studies have addressed how to deal with these issues by coping with stress and discussed the role of parents, teachers and the community in adolescence issues (jahan & shakil, 2015). but no such attempt has been found on how to deal with the issues related to adolescence by dealing with scientific concepts in an artistic, interesting, and interactive manner. keeping all this in view and the need of the hour, a script focusing on such delicate areas was prepared and converted into an audio-video programme “kishorawastha ki aur” (किशोरावस्था की ओर). in the study, the audio-video programme was used as an educational tool to bring awareness about issues related to adolescence and how to handle them. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 114 the audio-video programme has been designed by integrating scientific concepts with art to present things in an interesting, interactive and childcentered manner. this programme is dedicated to all the adolescents’ who struggle with all sorts of questions, curiosities and challenges related to their developmental (adolescent) stage. this was an endeavour to present their natural curiosity about themselves. the programme also aimed to break certain myths and misconceptions regarding adolescence prevailing in society. the programme is an effort to present the integration of science with nature and art forms like dance, music and puppetry to enrich student’s perspectives and make their learning facile and interesting, thus promoting art-integrated learning. this programme is also helpful for teachers who otherwise find it difficult to talk about these topics. research questions the study attempted to answer the following questions: • does the audio-video programme fulfill the objective of linking science with arts and nature? • can audio-video programmes be effective to prepare children to discuss issues and challenges faced by them during the age of adolescence? • does the audio-video programme bring any change in the perspective of children? • does the audio-video program promote a scientific understanding of the issues and stereotypes related to adolescence? objectives of the study the major objectives of the present study were: 1. to develop a linkage between science, art and nature. 2. to create awareness about issues and challenges related to adolescence. 3. to improve the scientific perspective on adolescence by employing the connection between science and nature. 4. to demystify stereotypes and prevalent assumptions related to adolescence. thus, the proposed work aims to create awareness and how to deal with the issues related to the adolescent stage with the help of the developed and produced audio-video programme “kishorawastha ki aur” by taking up a small study on the effectiveness and achievement of the proposed objectives. research methodology study design the variables used for the study were independent and dependent variables. the independent variable was the developed audio-video programme. the three dependent variables were adolescents’ awareness about the issues related to adolescence and how to deal with them, the breakdown of myths or taboos related to adolescence prevailing in society and understanding adolescence with the help of artintegrated learning. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 115 figure-1: steps of research study focus group discusson with teachers and learners to identify the topics related to adoelscence which requires attention development of the research tools intervention of the programme on adolescents data collection and analysis sample size and sampling method the study was conducted in four government schools mentioned in table 1. from the selected schools, learners of class viii with the age range of 12-14 years were taken as samples for the study. the data was collected from a total of 85 learners and 12 teachers. the research study consisted of a pre-experimental research design and single group pre-test-post-test method and the technique adopted was purposive sampling. table-1: details of the sample schools with number of learner’ and teachers who viewed the developed programme and responded to the questionnaires s. no. name of the school nature of the school number of learners number of teachers number of boys number of girls total learners 1. rajkiya pratibha vikas vidyalaya (rpvv), vasant kunj, new delhi coeducation 16 9 25 2 2. sarvodaya kanya vidyalaya (skv), gazipur, uttar pradesh girls 15 15 4 3. government boys senior secondary school (gbsss), gazipur, uttar pradesh boys 17 17 4 4. navyug senior secondary school (nsss), peshwa road, delhi coeducation 13 15 28 2 total 46 39 85 12 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 116 tools for the study the tools used for the study were developed in two phases – phase i and phase ii. during phase i, a script in the form of audio-video material was developed and produced by ciet, ncert. during phase ii, questionnaires for learners and teachers were developed. the tools used for the study are listed below: a. audio-video programme “ kishorawastha ki aur” b. pre-intervention questionnaire for learner c. post-intervention questionnaire for learner d. pre-intervention questionnaire for teacher e. post-intervention questionnaire for teacher intervention stage the developed pre-intervention questionnaires were filled out by learners and teachers to get feedback on their existing perception of adolescence and issues related to it. afterwards, they were shown the developed audiovideo programme followed by filling out post-intervention questionnaires to seek change in their perception (if any) on dealing with challenges faced during adolescence and the use of nature and art-integrated learning to understand them. data collection the data was collected from learners and teachers in the form of filled questionnaires. there was no missing data. results learners’ perception of the adolescent stage and issues (pre-intervention results) the respondents have felt various changes in them in the recent past in their physical appearance (60 per cent), academic performances (55.2 per cent), eating habits (52.9 per cent), sleep disorders (23.5 per cent), mood swings (41.1 per cent), fights or arguments with elders (11.7 per cent), paying attention only to friend’s advice (24.7 per cent), attraction towards opposite sex (15.2 per cent) and properly dressing up for the school (64.7 per cent). 43.5 per cent of respondents were not uncomfortable with these changes happening to them. if given an opportunity to share their experiences and problems with someone, 65.8 per cent respondents would like to share with their mother, 23.5 per cent with their father, 18.8 per cent with their teacher, 23.5 per cent with their friends, 18 per cent with their siblings but nobody wants to share with a counsellor. 50.5 per cent the respondents want their parents should listen to them patiently, 56.4 per cent want their parents to respond positively towards them and 50.5 per cent want their parents to behave friendly with them. to seek answers for such changes, 61.1 per cent of respondents discuss with their friends. 28.2 per cent watches videos, 29.4 per cent surf the internet, 38.8 per cent ask parents and only 20 per cent ask the teacher. according to the respondents, either only females are responsible for determining the sex of a baby child or god decides. 95.2 per cent of respondents think there must be a scientific reason behind the changes taking place in them during this stage of life, but nobody actually knew the correct reason. 92.9 per cent respondents have never learnt any scientific concept through dance and music. 97.6 per cent respondents think that nature cannot be used as an example to observe and understand changes taking place in the human body or the living world. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 117 learners’ perception of the adolescent stage and issues (post-intervention results) the change in learners’ perception of the adolescent stage after watching the programme is mentioned in table 2. table-2: learners’ perception of the adolescence after watching the programme s.no. statement percentage of respondents agreed with the statement 1. changes in adolescence are natural and universal. 94.1% 2. changes in adolescence are manageable. 80% 3. changes in adolescence need to be shared with right person. 96.4% 4. accept the period of adolescence as a challenge and handle it calmly. 96.4% 5. the adolescence stage is not a disease. 94.1% 6. body undergoes changes due to secretion of hormones during adolescence. 97.6% 7. the time of appearance of such changes may vary from person to person. 63.5% 10. all changes in an individual do not happen at once, they appear with progression of time. 95.2% 11. personal hygiene is important for healthy growth. 96.4% 12. physical exercise is important for health. 98.8% 13. boys and girls both should take care of sexual hygiene. 91.7% 14. prefer eating fast food in place of junk food. 80% 15. a balanced diet is essential for a healthy body and mind. 97.6% 16. dieting options are not useful for the body. 56.4% 17. it is not correct to blame only the mother for a girl child. 98.8% 18. male and female both are responsible for determining sex of a baby child. 75.2% 19. god do not determine the sex of a baby child. 91.7% indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 118 teachers’ perception about adolescent stage and issues (pre-intervention results) they deal with issues related to adolescent learners by classroom discussion (91.6 per cent), one-to-one counselling (58.3 per cent), counselling parents (16.6 per cent) and using technology (58.3 per cent). the most common pedagogical practice used by the teachers to transact the chapter “reaching the age of adolescence” was the lecture method which would explain adolescence through an exclusively educational programme. teachers knew both father and mother are responsible for determining the sex of a baby child. they have never taught any scientific concept through dance and music to children. all the respondents said that nature can be used as an example for teaching about changes in the human body or living world. growth is a natural phenomenon taking place in all living organisms. in nature we have plants which undergo changes when they enter the reproductive phase. teachers’ perception about adolescent stage and issues (post-intervention results) all the teachers said that the programme can bring awareness on issues related to adolescence as it indicates that adolescence is accompanied with varied changes which can be handled calmly. the programme is helpful to break various myths prevailing in the society. the programme clearly defines gender identity. to explain the concept of adolescence through this video programme, is very easy and helpful for teachers. the interviews with doctors and teachers clarify many doubts. the presentation of scientific concepts through dance and music was appropriate and relevant. discussion the present research study on audiovideo programme “kishorawastha ki aur” showed a significant impact on developing understanding among learners about adolescents. the learners’ and teachers’ responses indicate that the programme is helpful in bringing awareness on issues related to adolescence and how to deal with them. they realised that adolescent stage is not a disease; it is natural, universal and accompanied with physical, behavioural and social changes. after watching the programme, they came to know the correct scientific reason behind such changes i.e. secretion of hormones in their body which happens during adolescent stage. all the changes in an individual do not happen at once, they appear with progression of time. majority of the learners’ irrespective of the gender wanted to share their issues with mother and their friends, which indicates a strong and comfortable bond with them. it was found that learners might have tried to talk with their parents regarding their problems they face during adolescence as it was totally new to them but have rarely received the support and concern from them. as a result, the majority of the learners wanted change in their parent’s behaviour and sought support when they discussed their issues with them. they wanted parents to create a friendly environment where they patiently listen to their problems and respond positively (branje, 2018). they understood that changes at this stage may be a taken as challenge but can be handled calmly with a right approach. this may be done by sharing with parents, teachers or counsellors which indicate that communication is very important rather than not communicating or searching answers through non-reliable sources like the internet, social media, etc. the programme was found also helpful to break various myths and taboos which indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 119 are still prevailing in our society even in the 21st century such as god does not determine the sex of a baby child. the sex of a baby child is determined by sex chromosomes (xx in females and xy in males) present in mother and father. mother alone should not be blamed for a girl child. both father and mother are responsible for determining the sex of a baby child. the programme was also beneficial in breaking myths related to menstruation such as girls during menstruation cannot enter the kitchen and cannot play sports (garg & anand, 2015). the programme resolved the misunderstanding on the difference between fast food and junk food. during this stage, eating habits also change, thus it is important to focus on health by doing exercise regularly, avoiding dieting and eating a balanced diet and preferring fast food like nuts, fruits, etc. instead of junk food like chips, pizza, soft drinks, etc. both personal and sexual hygiene are important for boys and girls for healthy growth. the learners and teachers could relate how nature can be used as an example to observe and understand changes taking place in the human body or the living world. growth is a natural phenomenon taking place in all living organisms. in nature, we have plants which undergo changes when they enter the reproductive phase. for the first time they have learnt any scientific concept through dance and music. everyone enjoyed watching the progamme and understood new and relevant ways to present a scientific concept through fusion of art, music and dance (marshall, 2014). however, they suggested using contemporary dance form in place of classical form. this clearly indicates the declining interest of youth for our cultural heritage which needs special attention to work upon. it was demanded to add more interviews in the programme which would help in clearing more doubts regarding adolescence. both teachers and students found the developed programme beneficial. teachers appreciated the topic of the programme as it requires a lot of attention nowadays and the way it was presented. conclusion the programme was beneficial in creating awareness about how to deal with the issues related with adolescence and the reasons for the changes and how to discuss such issues without any hesitation in a conducive environment. the programme with the help of art forms like dance, music and puppetry developed a new pedagogy to explain scientific concepts. the programme also emphasized the vital role of parents and teachers in adolescent’s life as a strong support system. the programme also helped in breaking various myths prevalent in the society which misguides an adolescent. thus, this study established an example to deal with adolescent related issues by integrating nature and art forms with scientific concepts. this may be useful to deal with the issues and concerns related to this particular age at emotional, psychological and mental level. prevailing mindset in society may be worked upon by creating awareness among children as they are going to become the pioneers of future generations. hence, this programme may be utilized as an educational tool to reshape the thinking process and behavioural patterns in the present society. the programme has been uploaded on ncert officials you tube channel for wider dissemination and use. this was an experimental study to explore new ways of learning focusing on integrated approaches. similar strategies may also be adopted in different areas to step up towards holistic development of a child by addressing his/her various developmental aspects. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 120 declarations: competing interests: the authors declare there is no competing interest. author contribution: rv conceptualized and designed the idea, rv, ms did the survey, rv and ms drafted, wrote, analyzed the result and edited the manuscript. (acknowledgement: the authors appreciate all the teachers and learners’ who participated in sharing their views during study. central institute of educational technology (ciet) is acknowledged for production of the audio-video programme. sincere gratitude to all the artists who participated in the programme.) references adolescent health. (n.d.). retrieved november 27, 2022, from https://www.who.int/health-topics/adolescent-health#tab=tab_1 banstola, r. s. (2017). psychosocial problem among school-going adolescents in pokhara, western nepal. janapriya journal of interdisciplinary studies, 6, 121–133. https://doi.org/10.3126/ jjis.v6i0.19314 bista, b., thapa, p., sapkota, d., singh, s. b., & pokharel, p. k. (2016). psychosocial problems among adolescent students: an exploratory study in the central region of nepal. frontiers in public health, 4, 158. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2016.00158/bibtex branje, s. 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(2016). links of adolescents identity development and relationship with peers: a systematic literature review. journal of the canadian academy of child and adolescent psychiatry, 25(2), 97. /pmc/articles/pmc4879949/ ruholt, r. e., gore, j., & dukes, k. (2015). is parental support or parental involvement more important for adolescents? the undergraduate journal of psychology, 28(1), 1 to 8–1 8. https:// journals.charlotte.edu/ujop/article/view/292 sharma, a. (n.d.). psychosocial problems among adolescents:a comparison between urban and rural high school students of dehradun. https://doi.org/10.36106/ijar timalsina, m., kafle, m., & timalsina, r. (2018). psychosocial problems among school going adolescents in nepal. psychiatry journal, 2018, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/4675096 verhoeven, m., poorthuis, a. m. g., & volman, m. (2019). the role of school in adolescents’ identity development. a literature review. educational psychology review, 31(1), 35–63. https:// doi.org/10.1007/s10648-018-9457-3/tables/2 yurgelun-todd, d. (2007). emotional and cognitive changes during adolescence. current opinion in neurobiology, 17(2), 251–257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conb.2007.03.009 indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 161 communication my experiments with technology shruti tripathi assistant professor, english, r.i.e, ncert, bhopal, madhya pradesh email: shruti05071980@gmail.com the covid-19 pandemic left the gamut of teachers and students in a state of crisis. the pandemic which struck midsession left courses and assessment incomplete. with no access to schools and colleges it became difficult to reach out to students. technology has played a major role in bringing teachers and students together. it has provided a common platform that could serve as a binding element and helping all in this moment of instability. during this crucial point technology has served as a boon not only to the people who are adept in its use but also to people who have been limited users of it. such is the nature of technology, that it makes tasks easier and absolutely friendly. i have used a number of applications in my virtual classrooms that i created for the teaching learning process to go on smoothly and effectively. here is a list of the assistive technology that i have been making use of 1. google classroom a learning management system (lms) is the first pre-requisite for the smooth functioning of any virtual platform. the google classroom provides a perfect environment for this purpose. forming classrooms and adding students and teachers as fellow collaborators is a very easy task. further it also provides a comfortable environment to send study material, assignments, videos and quizzes to the students for their perusal. forming rubrics for the purpose of assessment makes the process a cakewalk. finding everything in one place i.e. in the google drive makes everything very systematic and convenient. one element found missing in the classroom is that it does not allow parents to participate as key stake holders, which i consider is a very integral part of the whole process of learning. 2. bandicambandicam is a light weight screen capturing application for windows. the process of making videos through the screen capturing function is rather effective and easy. making ppts and converting them into videos with an audio video screen capture turns out to be efficient and is interactive too. bandicam comes with a very bold watermark in the free version of the application. to avoid this one will have to purchase the paid version of it. 3. virtual meetingsmeetings with individual classes were scheduled on a regular basis. most of these meetings were done initially through zoom and later on through cisco webex. these meetings provided a platform where the teacher could personally interact with the students. though nothing can be compared to the face to face indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 162 interaction but it was still worth the effort. these meetings helped the students to clear doubts and also to have interaction and collaboration with their peers. on the other hand, it was also noted that it was difficult for the teachers to manage students who were disinterested. moreover, it provided less opportunity to those set of students who were reticent and chose to remain silent. 4. google appsall google apps such as google docs, google slides, google forms came in handy along with the google classroom. all these applications are beautifully integrated with the google classroom. there are certain limitations, wherein there are a number of services that can be used as add-ons which have to be installed. gaining expertise in using these add-ons is another daunty task for a new user of technology 5. padletpadlet provides a unique platform to the students to express their views and share opinions with not only the teacher but also their fellow classmates. it is in the form of a common whiteboard where each child has the liberty to express his/her thoughts. the students found padlet a creative resource in the classroom where they could collaborate with each other but there were many instances, wherein students had to be discouraged to use language that was incorrect and inappropriate. 6. socrativeas a formative assessment tool socrative proved its worth in the class. the best part is that socrative can be accessed on any kind of device and gives the teacher the ability to give immediate feedback to the students. it is interactive and engaging and provides a number of question types which can be used for the purpose of assessment. the only lacuna is that it becomes very difficult for the teacher to analyse student data on an individual basis, since it requires lot of time and effort on the part of the teacher. 7. pixtonmaking comic strips with the pixton app is a fun task. students love to read educational content in the form of comic strips and the end results are very effective. it helps in enhancing the process of learning. teachers can also encourage students to hone their creative skills and come up with comic strips of their own. the characters and background scenes are too limited in the free version and for every other thing it asks the user to upgrade. every aspect has its pros and cons. on the one hand, technology has proven to be a blessing for the fraternity of teachers in this state of flux and crisis. it has not only showed the path to many teachers but has also fostered the feelings of oneness and standing in unison in these times. on the other hand, if we see, there are certain limitations to it too. internet services are still in the preliminary stages in the indian context and it becomes difficult to reach out to students located in remote areas where these facilities are meagre. moreover, there is a certain group which still has to acquire pace and learn the use of technology. though the challenges are indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 163 many, but these challenges should not undermine the spirit of a passionate and innovative teacher. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 180 research article generating lexical estimates in academic writing in english using technology: an exploratory study of adult indian learners lina mukhopadhyay1 & sreelekshmi s. pillai2 1professor and head, dept. of training & development, the english and foreign languages university, hyderabad emaillinamukhopadhyay@efluniversity.ac.in 2research scholar, a14, akka mahadevi hostel for women, the english and foreign languages university, hyderabad abstract in this paper, we demonstrate how teachers can use a digital tool like lexical tutor to generate estimates or assessments of adult learners’ productive lexical knowledge in academic writing in english as a second language (esl). the digital tool-generated lexical estimates are complemented by teacher feedback to illustrate the inductive method of language learning. in the first step, lexical estimates are created from a few samples of academic writing of adult esl learners using lexical tutor. in the second step, it is employed to identify frequently used collocations in learners’ writing samples and then to create an illustrative bank of concordances based on available corpora. this sample of concordances can later be used to give feedback on usage rules of occurrences of lexical items within a variety of syntactic contexts. the feedback, it is hoped, would improve the content and coherence in academic writing by adding lexical richness and variety to the writing. furthermore, the use of technology would help learners notice lexical features and improve the quality of writing in a self-regulated manner. this would also serve as an example of the inductive method of language learning. keywords: academic writing, lexical estimates, lexical tutor, data-driven learning, vocabulary size, lexical density, lexical diversity technology and l2 writing assessment the national education policy (2020) endorses the utilization and integration of technology to enhance several aspects of education like learning, assessment, planning and administration. this endorsement is preceded by developments in educational technologies that have impacted every aspect of the language classroom, ranging from teaching and assessment to feedback to promote self-directed learning across the globe. specifically designed language-based tools have also brought about an insurgence of corpora research and natural language processing (nlp), the results of which have been used to advance esl/efl learning in the instructional context (tribble, 1990; mccarthy & carter, 1995). the ontogenesis of corpora and nlp research has resulted in the development of software and web tools, which have in turn helped in creating auto-generated lexical estimates of texts uploaded to these portals. this has opened opportunities for technologyassisted language assessment. in this paper, in a novel attempt we explore how auto-generated lexical estimates from a relevant web tool called lexical tutor (in short lextutor) developed indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 181 by cobb in 2004 can be accessed by language teachers and used to give feedback and scaffold academic writing skills of adult learners. the focus of this paper will be the application of lextutor to give feedback to academic writing in english using lexical concordances. we shall demonstrate how teachers can give feedback and direct learners’ attention to improve their vocabulary use in academic writing using corpus-based concordance illustrations selected from web sources and generated using lextutor (cobb & morris, 2004). the current insurgence of corpora research has resulted in data-driven learning (ddl) as large databases of english texts provide contextual material to understand how words and phrases occur in the sentential contexts and how they are used in real-life, social, and academic communication. ddl helps in promoting an inductive method of language learning because, through a relevant corpus of concordances, learners can get illustrations of the appropriate use of lexical items and deduce relevant morpho-syntactic rules and patterns from such web-based large linguistic corpora. thereafter, they can engage in self-correction and attend consciously to the development of their esl proficiency (mccarthy & carter, 1995; todd, 2001). this method supports the inductive approach to language learning which demands from learners a conscious effort to identify patterns in language samples by paying attention and then consciously deriving rules from these patterns (shaffer, 1989). concordance software helps in isolating recurrent patterns extracted from authentic language samples. concordances “make the invisible visible” (tribble, 1990). research has shown that a statistically significant transfer of word knowledge to academic writing tasks can be achieved using concordance programs (kaur & hegelheimer, 2005). they provide samples of target language items to aid in consciousness-raising (hadley, 2002) and provide feedback for written errors (gaskell & cobb, 2004). technology-based feedback on learner language in human evaluation, lexical estimates are perception-based. so, teachers often assess written responses based on estimates they think are good and aligned with the requirements of specific academic tasks. however, this perceptual estimate is limiting in nature, as it is not possible or practical for a teacher to provide fine-grained in-depth analysis like text length, frequency and range of word types, families and tokens. they would also need to align learners’ usage to standardized proficiency levels of the common european framework of references (cefr 2001, 2020), which is not an easy task without being trained on how to apply the framework in teaching and assessment of different levels of language abilities. so technological innovations like text inspector (bax, 2017) or lextutor (cobb, 2004) can be employed to get detailed lexical estimates and align them to standardized levels like that of cefr levels. teachers can then provide instances of learning through examples they generate in a data-driven mode, like identifying concordances of academic words to improve lexical usage. the use of technology such as ddl to provide feedback during formative assessments of writing has received mixed reactions from teachers and researchers (boulton, 2017). usually, esl classrooms that provide feedback using technological tools use it in combination with teacher feedback. a recent case study on online formative assessments and feedback practices of esl teachers in three countries, it was indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 182 found that all three participants from each country used google forms to provide automated feedback. this was supplemented with recorded audio and videos as feedback from the teacher participants (mahapatra, 2021). though recent research shows some useful techniques in generating and using automated feedback, there is still a lack of consensus on the independent use of technology to provide feedback on written documents. it is because the usefulness of technological tools, the long-term impact on learners, and the impact of feedback provided using these tools on the development of learners’ writing skills are yet to be empirically verified. this paper, in a novel attempt demonstrates how technological tools can be used to generate lexical estimates and used by teachers to give meaningful feedback on learners’ lexical knowledge and help them improve the quality of their writing by attending to lexical richness and lexical substitutions and alongside this minimize phrasal repetitions. however, this is an exploratory study and the results would have to be later validated by further research of larger population and the impact of such feedback on long-term academic language use. for teacher-mediated feedback to be efficient, three conditions need to be fulfilled: one, it is important that learners too are engaged in the feedback; two, it is provided in a nonthreatening environment, and three, it is time efficient. carless and winstone, in 2020, first proposed this kind of a tripartite feedback framework. the three dimensions of feedback in this framework are -the design dimension (the teacher designs the assessment, helps learners in making evaluative judgments, and uses technology for learners’ feedback uptake), the relational dimension (a non-threatening relationship exists between the teacher and the student), and the pragmatic dimension (the degree of authenticity and practicality of the feedback in terms of time and human resources). technology can be used at each stage. as stated above, the goal of this paper is to demonstrate a systematic use of technology to create estimates of lexis used in different types of academic writing required in higher education and complement it with teacher-mediated feedback to increase lexical variety and corresponding syntactic patterns in writing. academic language and writing assessment what makes some articles academic and some others not so academic is it the lexis or the content? the answer would be that both the vocabulary used and the subject matter being discussed in the articles lend an academic nature to it. the lexis used in these articles, however, plays an important role in setting the tone of the author and the scope of the paper. writing an academic article requires the author to use cognitive academic language proficiency (calp) (cummins, 2017) and the appropriate usage of words from the academic word list (awl) (coxhead, 2000). the degree of use of calp and frequency of use of awl words determines a person’s academic success. how would one possibly determine whether the learner has acquired sufficient calp? a person with advanced academic language proficiency would have an extensive vocabulary, as well as use academic words. to help estimate the academic range of lexis used, averil coxhead (2000) created the academic word list (awl) consisting of 10 sub-lists, excluding the first 2000 most common words or the general service list word list. in this paper, we will provide estimates of learner knowledge based on the percentage of tokens of awl words they use in their writing samples. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 183 research has shed light on the positive correlation between vocabulary measures and lexical proficiency of learners’ writing. the correlation serves as a useful indicator of their academic writing and language development (maamuujav, 2021). lexical features present in academic writing thus become paramount in determining the quality of writing. the situation calls for a discussion on what constitutes vocabulary knowledge, how it impacts writing proficiency and how can vary across different task types. let us now look at a few vocabulary measures commonly used in research that will also be used in this paper to build lexical estimates through lextutor. vocabulary measures to build lexical estimates production-based vocabulary knowledge can be measured with respect to its size, lexical diversity, and lexical density. 1. vocabulary size: it is defined as the number of words a person knows, either passively or actively. it is measured in relation to the frequency of standard word lists. two major lists frequently used by researchers are awl and the british national corpus (bnc). the frequency of words used from such lists helps in assessing the vocabulary knowledge of esl/efl learners (cobb, 2004); the presence of less frequent bnc words (k3 levels and above) indicates higher levels of lexical sophistication. 2. however, the problem with estimating vocabulary size based on production is that only 16 per cent of the receptive vocabulary is known productively at the 5,000-frequency level and 35 per cent at the 2,000 level (laufer, 2005 as cited in schmitt, 2014). moreover, studies suggest that only one-half to three-quarters of receptive vocabulary is known productively (fan, 2000). therefore, written samples do not give a comprehensive view of the size of a participant’s entire vocabulary; rather, it is only an estimation of his/her productive vocabulary. nevertheless, estimating production vocabulary is crucial to giving feedback for the development of content and coherence in writing. 3. lexical diversity: it is the variety of vocabulary used in a text, measured as the ratio of the total number of new words over the total number of words in a text or the type-token ratio (ttr). however, this measure is vulnerable to the text length because when tokens are less in number the ttr can be high, and conversely, in longer texts the types may be repeated and ttr may be low. the ttr value can be reliable if the range of total words used is comparable across texts written by a group of learners and is of a minimum text length of 150 words and above (cummins, 2017). 4. lexical density: it is the ratio of the number of lexical words (content, noun, adverb, and adjective) over the total number of words (ure, 1971). this measure indicates linguistic complexity because it shows how informationally dense a text is. it is, therefore, assumed that the quality of writing is directly proportional to its lexical density. the present paper uses lextutor as a digital tool to help teachers estimate lexical knowledge and design datadriven feedback on lexis use in academic writing samples of adult esl learners based on the following two research questions: indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 184 rq 1. how can lextutor be used to buildl exical e s t i m a t e s from learners’ academic w r i t i n g samples across different text types? rq 2. how can lexical estimates be used to prepare data driven feedback on lexis use in academic writing? the study four esl learners (female 3; male 1) within the age group of 25 to 30 years enrolled in the first year of a doctoral program in english language education (ele) at a university in hyderabad, india, participated in the study. they had 15 years of exposure to english as a medium of instruction during the time of data collection, and they participated in the study voluntarily. the participants had completed a course in academic writing as part of their doctoral program. they were requested to submit four types of academic writing from the submissions they had made during the course: i. a research proposal based on their doctoral study; ii. a report of a small-scale study; iii. a critical review of concepts; and iv. an argumentative paper to establish a claim. all the texts dealt with concepts and research claims in english language education (ele). note that each task type has a slightly different scope in terms of its communicative purpose, though all of them fall under the broader category of analytical and research writing. so, they are quite homogenous in terms of their structural presentation and include language of argumentation. earlier research that studied the complex relationship between task types and their influence on writing performance, has shown that differences in task types impact aspects like fluency, accuracy, and complexity (pourdhana et al., 2013). similarly, in esl research, where reading for summary recall is examined through different task types, the text types make different demands on working memory, attention, content knowledge, and linguistic competence (patil, 2022). this leads us to examine whether task types influence lexical estimates in academic writing to better understand this link and use it to fine-tune feedback. note that for the purposes of the study, only four learners’ writing samples were considered. so, in all, we considered sixteen writing samples (four from each participant) because we intended to provide in-depth analysis and feedback on lexis use across the four text types and see the extent to which this feedback made sense to the participants and whether they were willing to revise their writing samples based on the feedback they received. so, for purposes of this small-scale exploratory study, the sample selection was considered adequate and sufficient. method of data analysis: to analyze the lexical quality of the texts, lextutor with the program vocabulary profiler (vp) was used (https://www. lextutor.ca/vp/eng/). it identified y macro measures of fluency (text length), lexical diversity (ttr), and lexical density (ratio of content words over text length); and y micro measure of vocabulary size based on percentage frequency of bnc from k1, k2 (most frequently used 2000 words) versus k3 and above levels and words from the awl list. this software was used because it is accessible and easy to use. furthermore, it is a useful tool in understanding lexis use and the academic performance of esl learners (cobb & morris, 2004). indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 185 another program called vp concordances (https://www.lextutor.ca/conc/sent/) was used to identify frequently used collocations in the learner texts. this was used by the teacher-researcher to design a feedback plan and raise awareness of the role of collocations in building content and coherence. findings & discussion in this section, we present the findings on the lexical analysis of the texts and explain the pedagogical implications of the findings. to answer the first research question, we present the descriptives of lexical knowledge across four text types in table 1: table-1: descriptive of lexical estimates of four types of academic writing estimates research proposal small scale study critical review argumentative paper m sd m sd m sd m sd text length (fluency) 1172.25 696.75 1149 446.69 1102 414.29 1478.75 621.11 ttr 0.38 0.09 0.35 0.04 0.38 0.03 0.37 0.07 lexical density 0.60 0.02 0.61 0.02 0.60 0.01 0.60 0.04 awl % 9.93 6.66 10.58 1.52 13.2 1.90 12.13 2.06 bnc k1 % 69.1 2.20 68.30 4.12 68.2 3.59 68.38 5.43 bnc k2 % 12.28 0.69 15.27 2.42 11.4 2.78 13.28 2.56 bnc k3 & above % 14.23 6.42 8.63 5.73 19.63 6.41 12.78 1.36 the average range of text length from each task is within 1100 to 1500 words, indicating that the participants have been able to compose analytical texts with a fair amount of fluency. we are able to use ttr as a lexical diversity measure in a reliable manner because all the texts are comparable and have 1000-plus token lengths. it is observed that the ttr of the texts is comparable, ranging from 0.35 to 0.38. further, we found that the average lexical density of each task type is 0.60 to 0.61, which implies that content word use is at 60 per cent of the text length across all four text types. at a micro level of analysis of vocabulary size, we considered the use of low-frequency words (from k3 level and above) from bnc and awl words. though the use of k1 and k2 level words (or 2000 most frequently occurring words) comprise 82 per cent of the content, the learners have also been able to use low-frequency words from k3 and above at 16 per cent to 20 per cent. it indicates that their lexical knowledge is well spread across different word frequencies, and they can be placed at c1 level of proficiency (cefr, 2020, p. 110). furthermore, academic words range from 10 per cent to 13 per cent, which is a rather good performance and supports their c1 level of performance. the reason for the high use of awl words could be because all the tasks demand that research work indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 186 is reported in a formal standardized manner, which these participants have been able to achieve. impact of text types on lexical knowledge of participants note that as the text length and ttr of all four participants do not show much variation across tasks, this indicates that task type does not seem to have any distinct impact on fluency, lexical diversity, and density in the writing knowledge of the participants. this contradicts the earlier research findings on the relationship between task types and fluency from pourdhana et.al, 2013. a reason for this could be the high degree of relatedness of the text types used – they all belong to research writing, and analytical and argumentation skills had to be used to compose these texts. another reason for getting stable lexical estimates in the group could be because all four participants are advanced users of the language and have quite high academic writing skills required to complete the four tasks. furthermore, their knowledge of topics chosen to respond to each task type may have had a strong impact on the content and homogeneity in the range of lexis used. however, this might not be true if larger and more heterogeneous groups are taken into consideration with more diverse text types, as suggested by zhang (2022). feedback on writing using lextutor inputs to answer the second research question, a feedback plan was prepared as part of the formative assessment of writing. previous research has reported that learners believe that editing would be more efficient if teachers indicated ‘where’ the editing should take place (mcgarrell, 2015). therefore, preparing a feedback plan was deemed to be effective for the participants. first, an academic word list generated by using the phrase profiler feature in lextutor was accessed (https://www.lextutor.ca/ vp/collocs/). then a few frequently used collocations of some of those academic words were identified from each text type of the four participants. a few representative examples are presented in tables 2a-d to illustrate the choice of collocation on which feedback was prepared. for each lexical item (in bold), the preceding and following syntactic items are underlined to show the context of the use of the collocation or its concordance. in the column on ‘comments, ’ the usage of each lexical item with variations in syntactic form(s) and meaning are listed. table-2: frequent collocations in research proposals frequent collocations context of use comments collect data (v+ n.uncount) bnc levels collect : k1 data: k3 the parental questionnaire will collect data in four main areas [prp_f_p2019_rp] the study uses information from various statistics, feedbacks and questionnaires to collect data. [chs_f_p2019_rp] np, +loc (pp) only np indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 187 table-3: frequent collocations in small-scale study frequent collocations context of use comments follow instructions (v+ n.pl) bnc levels follow: k1 instructions: k2 most of them can follow instructions in at least three languages. [chs_f_p2019_sss] reading research in the present times is interactive and goal driven, for ex – when you follow the instructions to install and start an app. [des_f_p2019_sss] generic use specific use table-4: frequent collocations in critical reviews frequent collocations context of use comments socioeconomic status (adj+n) bnc levels socio-economic: k11 status: k3 multimodal composition recognizes that the use of multiple modes in the classroom by the learner is always influenced by the learners’ culture, history, and socioeconomic status. [mnn_m_p2019_cr] in a multilingual esl context like india, english may not necessarily be present in the home literacy environment which is related to the socioeconomic status of the family. [prp_f_p2019_cr] generic use specific use visual image (adj+n) bnc levels visual: k3 image: k2 imagery: k2 kress and van leeuwen’s (2001) research indicates digital technology enables second language learners to extract meaning from visual images, audio, and video without the constraints of language. [prp_f_p2019_cr] studies of mental representations have included the visual imagery of mental models of representation. [des_f_p2019_cr] generic use specific use, morphological change table-5: frequent collocations in argumentative paper frequent collocations context of use comments individual difference (adj + n) bnc level individual: k2 difference: k1 in a multi-lingual, multi-cultural context the diversity of our social experiences produces immense individual differences in terms of our shared experiences and exposure to different practices. [des_f_p2019_ap] the stories should not be too complex for the learners to work with on their own and one must consider the needs and abilities of the learners, and also the individual differences while choosing stories. [prp_f_ p2019_ap] generic use plural np specific use plural np indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 188 in tables 3-5, we find that the learners have been able to use the corresponding lexical items in two contexts, one for generic use and another for specific use with the definite article ‘the’. we concur that owing to a higher level of writing proficiency and adequate content knowledge, the participants were able to distinguish the use between the two syntactic contexts and use them appropriately in their writing. this is an example of learners’ lexical depth or various uses of the same root. conceptually lexical depth is close to lexical density as it shows how dense a text is. for preparing a feedback plan, this selection was a necessary step as the teacher would be able to draw learner’s attention to what they have been able to achieve in their writing. it would serve as a positive indicator of learner performance to show them instances of lexical depth (as seen in tables 2bd) and motivate them to prepare well in future. furthermore, this kind of selection could be taught to the learners to make them notice such information independently and follow a similar style of writing in future. thus, this is a good example of data-driven learning as it makes the learners self-reliant. lastly, incorrect use of lexical items with concordances was also identified. it is through illustrations that feedback can be planned as an inductive approach to language learning. in table 6 we present an example of incorrect use of the lexical item ‘previous research’: table-6 previous research (adj+n.uncount): bnc level: previous: k2 research: k2 the hypothesis underpinning this study was based on previous researches (*) about the influence of clil teaching technique in acquiring language and content comprehensively. [chs_f_p2019_ rp] explanation ‘research’ as a noun is uncountable. ‘researches’ can be used only as a verb with first person singular use: he researches the source for his paper. the teacher regularly researches for the lesson. https://grammarhow.com/researches/ as a second step to provide feedback, we can try to bring learners’ attention to the appropriate use of the lexical item in an inductive manner. to this effect, a concordance list was prepared from an internet-based corpus with the use of the lexical item ‘research’ as a noun and as an adjective, as listed below: the current research utilised strong research methods as it was observational. (n+v) research shows needle exchanges work against the spread of disease. (n+v) research chimps are trained to open their mouths for medical exams. (adjn+v) mbf also supports health, conservation and marine research efforts. (adjn) a concordance list for the term ‘research’ as a noun was also created using lextutor (https://www.lextutor. ca/cgi-bin/conc/write/): indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 189 table-7: concordance list of the term ‘research’ 1. the bbc’s vision of our journalism is also based on research about what our audience wants. 2. such as vhai are working to overcome these problems through research and by strengthening channels of information. 3. the development of namibia’s own cultural heritage through research and comprehensive coverage of our people’s artistic…. 4. research and development give an indication of group research and development activities, if any. through such illustrations, we hope learner attention would be drawn to appropriate use of lexical items through use of concordance corpusbased examples. from such examples, learners can extract the rules of appropriate usage and revise their text, as well as learn to use it appropriately in the future. however, a word of caution for teachers: sometimes the software can generate the wrong output, as was found with the concordance list of ‘research’ as a noun with a plural form. table-8: concordance list of wrong output with the term ‘researches’ 1 . to reconsider.... will you allow me to display your pre-war researches and your drawings and your photographs? i was loo 2 . diverse nature of the it theses being covered by students’ researches meant that very small numbers of students were fr 3 . seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, drawing largely on the researches of a range of soviet scholars, but particularly t so, the syntactic rule that can be extracted from all the examples of concordances of the lexical item ‘research’ listed above is as follows: y ‘research’ as an adjective and noun can only be used in its singular form. y if it is used as a verb, then the tense morphology will allow the use of present and past tense morphemes accordingly. y so, the use of research as a thirdperson singular verb usage should not be confused with plural usage of the lexical item as a noun, which is not allowed in the language as research as a concept is uncountable. from the incorrect concordance example above, we can draw teachers’ attention to the importance of their discretion and intervention in the use of technology to provide ddl because the auto-generated output may result in listing examples of wrong usage. thus, technology-driven feedback has to be motivated and complemented by teacher feedback. conclusion the lexical estimates generated by lextutor and presented above must be correctly interpreted by the writing indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 190 teacher to understand the level of writing knowledge of her learners, specifically their production vocabulary. this would help in evaluating the learners and placing them on a particular band of performance (cefr, 2020) and checking the amount of heterogeneity in group performance. furthermore, by gaining access to this kind of analysis from the lextutor, teachers can encourage learners to increase their ttr instead of merely increasing text length (cobb, 2004). alongside this, the teacher can advise learners to use a higher range of academic words and phrases to increase the lexical quality or diversity in their writing. furthermore, concordance analysis and illustrations can be designed to make learners pay attention to the use of lexical items in different syntactic contexts and improve content and coherence in writing. future research can showcase the viability of using lexical tutor as a feedback and assessment tool in a long-term setting. the study provides a tangible illustration of the recommendations of nep (2020) to use technology in the realm of teaching and assessment with a specific focus on lexical development. the paper also provides a sustainable and equitable model for assessment and self-assessment, which can be taken forward by future researchers. references bax, s. 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(2022). the relationship between lexical use and l2 writing quality: a case of two genres. international journal of applied linguistics https://doi.org/10.1111/ijal.12420 indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 95 research article enhancing teaching proficiency through mobile learning during school experience programme monica nagpal* and anita rastogi** *project associate, commonwealth educational media centre for asia (cemca), new delhi ** professor, department of educational studies, jamia millia islamia, new delhi abstract increase in the availability and accessibility of mobile phones has given the common man a medium for engagement, entertainment, learning and being connected to each other at the click of a button. a study was conducted to see the change in teaching proficiency of 2nd year student-teachers pursuing diploma in elementary education a pre-service teacher education programme in delhi, india. the data was collected while the studentteachers were placed in schools for their school experience programme. the study was conducted on 30 student-teachers assigned in two experimental groups and one control group. complete teaching sessions of student-teachers in experimental groups were recorded using the video recording feature of the mobile phones, and shared along with the feedback which was sent through sms or whatsapp feature of the phones. further, teaching tips were also shared with one of the experimental groups. the results of the study indicated that teaching proficiency of student-teachers in the experimental groups have improved to a greater extent in comparison to their counterparts in the control group. keywords: ict, mobile learning, pre-service teacher education, m-learning, supervision, teacher training introduction mobile technology is altering the way of living and it has begun to change the way of learning also. according to a report the mobile phone industry has grown worldwide with over 7.8 billion connections, with more than 5 billion unique subscribers, at a penetration rate of 66percent till 2017 (gsma, 2018). in developing countries, unique subscriber penetration stands at 67percent. india had 87 connections for every 100 people in 2017 according to world bank data. mobile learning is a powerful and pervasive knowledge delivery medium used by many with little guidance or training. mobile devices are getting widely used for learning activities like recording information on the device through audio and video recorders, storing data, browsing the internet for various educational or personal purposes, sharing information in form of text, audio, video, exchanging movies and music through bluetooth and apps like shareit, google drive, social media, thus improving links between the field and classroom. these are some of the ways to exploit the potential of mobile phones in learning (mtega, bernard, indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 96 msungu & sanare, 2012). use of all these applications with the features of mobile i.e. mobility, accessibility and convenience results in improved engagement, motivation, competence, personal touch, confidence and communication of learners (attewell et al., 2009). mobile learning mobile learning is an emerging field and it is in its conceptualisation phase. it has been defined in technical terms keeping in mind its hardware and also based on its uses taking its mobility and contextualisation of the learning for rich learner experience (ally, 2009). literature is full of definitions of mobile learning, which focus on its various attributes or features. o’malley et al. (2005) have defined mobile learning as “any sort of learning that happens when the learner is not at a fixed, predetermined location, or learning that happens when the learner takes advantage of learning opportunities offered by mobile technologies.” it is “learning across multiple contexts, through social and content interactions, using personal electronic devices” berge, muilenburg and crompton (2013). there are various characteristics of mobile learning found in the literature (molenet, conferences, lsn education, mlearn conference) like ubiquitous, pervasive, personal, situated, contextual, bite-sized, spontaneous, portable, familiar etc. ubiquity is available everywhere and is part of our environment, which is true in case of mobile technology as well. then comes the term pervasive which means interaction between an individual and a device through which further interaction is possible to a number of connected devices i.e. mobile devices or other computing devices (kukulskahulme and traxler, 2005). personal is the nature of this device in terms of ownership and also when an individual access the content for learning it is done keeping in mind the individual’s requirements. mobile devices deliver the learning -what, when and where the learner wants, which makes mobile learning a facilitator for personalised learning. earlier the learning or formal education had been confined to the four walls of the classroom but today mobile devices have made a place for learning on the move and to the new settings or situations it can also be extended to field learning activities like learning of student teachers in real classrooms. this way mobile learning supports contextual and situated learning (ally, 2009). india, though, not behind in owning and using the portable technology for learning, lags significantly, when it comes to researches in m-learning, more so in the field of teacher education. to make any change visible in the field, it should, therefore, start with teacher education, a field which has impact on all fields. (justice verma committee, 2012) also mentioned about the implications of extended reach of implementing educational technology in teacher education. (unesco, 2012) in its policy guidelines has mentioned that to fully exploit these mobile technologies in learning, training of teachers is required. it has been further emphasised that investment on training of teachers is indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 97 more important than investment in any kind of technology. teacher preparation in india teachers in india are prepared through pre-service teacher education (pste) programmes and further trained through in-service teacher training. pre-service teacher education programme has components of theory as well as practicum. practicum or school experience programme (sep) is a field based programme. during the school experience programme, student-teachers go out of campus for practising the art of teaching in real classroom scenario in schools where their competencies are enhanced through the supervision by teacher educators. national commission on education (1983-85) reported about the insufficient time and attention given to the supervision of the lessons during sep. supervisors, due to scarcity of time and physical distance, are not able to give required attention to student-teachers. mobile learning can support field based learning, which generally suffers from lack of supervision by teacher educators mobile learning and teacher preparation in the age of mobiles, technology enabled supervision and feedback can be of great support to student-teachers. videos of the teaching sessions can be recorded and shared by the student teachers with their supervisors and feedback by the supervisors can also be shared through mobile phones. it will reduce the need for face-to-face interaction and will help in overcoming the barriers of time and distance. this will also provide a platform for comparing the performance of studentteachers with previous performances and also with pre-determined standards. besides, watching video recordings of their own teaching episodes by studentteachers themselves will give them the opportunities for self-evaluation of performance leading to increased motivation and reflection on their teaching. it has emerged through studies that the members of the faculty with basic technology skills and expertise can use this technique to provide feedback. this has been termed as e-coaching by dieker et al. (2014). video recordings proved to be very effective in developing teaching skills through microteaching. the recording of the micro teaching sessions help the supervisors, peer teachers to comment on the teaching and the studentteachers to observe their own complete teaching episode and evaluate their own performance as well as discuss the feedback with the small group to reach at desired levels of particular teaching skill’s proficiency (anthonia, 2014). audio and video recording has been considered an objective way of self-evaluation by (schwartz, 2017). mobile devices today are providing an opportunity to test and use this technology for improving the teacher education. therefore the researcher tested the effectiveness of mobile learning with reference to the change in teaching proficiency of student-teachers teaching class 6-8 during their sep the following research questions were raised: indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 98 • how does the viewing of video recordings of teaching sessions and getting feedback on them through mobile phones affect the teaching proficiency of student-teachers? • what are the effects of receiving teaching tips along with viewing videos of classroom teaching performance and getting feedback through mobile phones? • following hypotheses were formulated: • student-teachers in experimental group i will show higher gain scores on teaching proficiency as compared to student-teachers in the experimental group ii. • student-teachers in experimental group i will show higher gain scores on teaching proficiency than student-teachers in the control group. • student-teachers in experimental group ii will show higher gain scores on teaching proficiency than student-teachers in the control group. methodology the sample for the study comprised of 30 student-teachers of second year diploma in elememtary teacher education (d.el.ed) programme-a preservice teacher education programme offered by district institute of education and training under scert delhi, india. the sample of the study was chosen using random sampling technique. pre-test post-test control group experimental design was used to conduct the experiment. there were two experimental groups and one control group 9 (table-1). table-1: experimental design at a glance experimental group i experimental group ii control group • video recording of 5 complete teaching episodes of each student-teacher at periodic intervals • sharing of recordings and showing it to studentteachers, • giving a feedback through sms / whatsapp individual messages, • providing teaching tips on all the working days during the first half session of school • video recording of 5 complete teaching episode of each student-teacher at periodic intervals • sharing of recordings and showing it to student-teachers; • giving feedback through sms / whatsapp individual messages • video recording of 5 complete teaching sessions as placebo (for comparison) note: video recordings were not shared with student teachers the experiment was conducted for all the three groups for a period of 6 weeks covering 25 days. the data was collected prior to the experiment for testing intelligence (raven advanced progressive matrices), achievement (class xii achievement scores), and availability and user-friendliness of mobile phones (self developed check list). pre-test and post-test of each indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 99 group was conducted for the dependent variable of the study ‘teaching proficiency’. videos of teaching sessions were recorded and shared with studentteachers in person and also through the google drive, and feedback on these recorded teaching sessions and teaching tips were given through sms or whatsapp individual messages. mobile phones were used to record and share the videos, feedback and teaching tips messages. teaching tips were small pieces of information (one-liners) based on the principles and maxims of teaching, teaching competencies and aspects covered in the observation scale. these were created by researchers and were validated by experts. these tips were sent to experimental group i to reinforce the aspects of effective teaching. feedback in the form of comments was also sent to all the student teachers of treatment groups through sms messages. feedback covering all the aspects of teaching proficiency schedule was also sent through sms/whatsapp individual messages. the feedback had instructive, corrective and encouraging comments as suggested by (scheeler, 2008). teaching proficiency observation schedule developed and validated (singh, 2013) was used to observe and rate the teaching proficiency of studentteachers during sep. the schedule comprised of different aspects of teaching behaviour as follows: planning for instruction; mastery of content matter; communication skills; instructional skills; use of relevant approach based on constructivist paradigm; use teaching-learning material; nature of student teacher interaction; classroom environment; handling classroom diversity needs of students; using appropriate technology in the classroom.; undertaking assessment; and teacher dynamism. the schedule had content validity an inter rater consistency r=.84. the data was analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. the obtained quantitative data was analyzed using gain scores (post test scores pre test scores) and applying one-tailed t-test of differences between two measures for each individual (walker and lev, 1965) for studying the effect of m-learning on the identified parameters. it was supplemented by the qualitative analysis of the data related to perception of student-teachers obtained through questionnaire and focus group discussion. analysis and results prior to the experiment, availability and user-friendliness of mobile phones was checked with the sample. data showed 100percent availability of mobile phones in all the groups. it was found from the data that all the student-teachers irrespective of their social category, sex, and age had mobile phones. they all had phone with advanced features (video camera and internet connectivity for apps, etc.) and the groups were found to be equal before the experiment in terms of the user friendliness of mobile phones. it was also found that the three groups were similar on the criteria of age, sex and social category and were not indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 100 likely to influence the results of the experiment. the groups were also found to be equal on intelligence, achievement and teaching proficiency prior to the experiment. with a view to study the effectiveness of experimental groups i and ii vis-a-vis the control group, mean gain scores were first computed through a difference in post-test mean scores and pre-test mean scores for all the three groups under study. overall comparisons were then made using’t’ test using difference method. the gain scores of all the groups were analysed using mean, sd and t values were calculated (table 2) table-2 shows that the mean gain difference is significant at 0.025 level. mean gains show the difference amongst the groups, experimental group i and ii did not show difference in means whereas difference between experimental groups and the control group is high. this has been further verified through the analysis of groups in pairs in table-3. table2: teaching proficiency gain scores groups n mean (pre test) mean (post test) mean gain t value df significance level experimental group i 11 37.36 58.72 21.36 4.44 2 at .025= 4.30 significantexperimental group ii 10 37.7 59.1 21.4 the control group 9 40.556 50.11 9.56 table3: teaching proficiency pair wise gain scores groups n total scores mean sd t value df significance level experimental group i 11 235 21.36 9.036 0.01 19 at .025= 2.09 experimental group ii 10 214 21.4 7.198 not significant   experimental group i 11 235 21.36 9.036 3.6 18 at .025= 2.10 the control group 9 86 9.56 7.019 significant   experimental group ii 10 214 21.4 7.198 3.6 17 at .025= 2.11 the control group 9 86 9.56 7.019 significant the means of the experimental group i , ii and control group were 21.36 , 21.4and 9.56 respectively the value of t was found to be significant at 0.025 level at df 18 and 17 and the difference was not significant at 0.025 level and at df 19. hence, two directional hypotheses were accepted and one was rejected as experimental group i and ii did not differ on t value. the effectiveness of watching of one’s own video and feedback in the form of comments sent through sms/whatsapp individual messages for improving teaching proficiency was thus established. the findings of the study are consistent indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 101 with the findings of (kong, shroff and hung, 2009) who mentioned in their study on a system of web based classroom video recording for selfevaluation and reflection that selfreflection on one’s own performance is very critical for practicing teachers to bring quality in teaching. video based technology was considered beneficial in making detailed self-reflection. similarly (wu & kao, 2008) used web based video recording using video streaming technology to support pre service trainee teachers in peer assessment. video recording was considered useful by the participants. hundred percent trainees watched their own video of teaching sessions and sixty one percent watched it several times and watching their own videos helped them in selfanalysis. (ferry, 2009) used mobile phones with pre service teachers and reported that psts used mobile devices for video recording or for digital camera for capturing their teaching episodes which showed their impactful teaching sessions and it was the most successful use reported in the findings of the study. (savas, 2012), reported that self-video recorded lessons through cell/ mobile phones used during micro teaching lessons had both advantages and challenges. the benefits stated in study were: video recording give a chance for objective self-evaluation through watching and correcting mistakes, it also helped in increasing self-confidence, improving communications and lesson plan. ‘teaching tips’ the added intervention given to experimental group i in comparison to experimental group ii did not have any significant effect on the teaching proficiency of studentteachers. intervention given to the experimental group i and ii led to the enhancement of teaching proficiency among student teachers more than the conventional method of giving feedback (control group) without the use of mobile learning. perception of student –teachers towards m-learning a questionnaire consisting of a few open ended questions was administered to the student-teachers to gain an insight into the findings of the study and focus group discussions were conducted to probe deeper into the mindset of student-teachers about the use of mobile technology during sep. results of the questionnaire filled by student-teachers showed agreement on the usefulness of video recording. use of mobile technology had many benefits but a few problems were also reported by student-teachers. benefits of video recording & getting feedback through mobile phones after the post-test, a questionnaire was administered to know the perception of student teachers about the benefits of using mobile technology during sep. the data were analysed and categorised on the basis of responses received. majority of student-teachers mentioned that it helped in the improvement of their teaching as a whole. sep is a phase of real classroom experiences and helps student-teachers to practice this art of teaching and indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 102 improve as well as polish their skills. but the student-teachers mentioned that it gave them more chances of improvement as they could see themselves while teaching. studentteachers found it useful in improving their teaching and overall teaching learning process. confidence plays an important role in performing any activity, the same applies to teaching. handling a class of 35-40 students is a difficult task only a confident and well prepared teacher can do that. a large number of studentteachers admitted that watching their own performances helped them in improving their confidence. in the words of one of the students – teachers, “i can see my weak areas like ineffective explanation. it is also helpful in improving the confidence level; i can say this because i have improved a lot.” m-learning helped them in improving their communication skills, improving their lesson plans, maintaining the classroom discipline and also in getting immediate feedback. watching videos of teaching sessions helped the student-teachers in understanding the aspects that needed to be improved upon. the studentteachers said that they could see their teaching episodes again and again. it helped them in self-evaluation and reflection; they could identify their weak areas and tried to improve upon them. in the words of one of the studentteachers, “it helped me in regulating the speed with which i used to speak in the class while interacting with the students.” self-evaluation is important and can be beneficial in increasing reflection of student-teachers. (savas, 2012) also reported that video recording helped in increasing the self confidence amongst pre-service teachers, improving speaking skills as they could see and listen to their own pronunciation and also in organising their lesson plans meaningfully. video recording allows for self-evaluation and correcting mistakes as the student teachers can evaluate their own work objectively and also know the weak points. (cooper, 2015) had similar findings for video recording of teaching sessions. it was mentioned that digital natives should actively engage with technology for self-awareness, self-evaluation and selfdevelopment of their performance. feedback is an important component of the school experience programme, and feedback on the recorded teaching sessions were also sent through sms or whatsapp individual messages through mobile phones. the student-teachers reported that it helped them in understanding their teaching better. they reported that feedback received in the form of sms/ whatsapp was useful to them as they could read it while watching the videos of their performance and pinpoint the weak and strong aspects. it helped them to evaluate their own performance. problems faced during video recording of teaching sessions student-teachers reported certain problems which they faced during video recording sessions. a few studentteachers highlighted the problem of indiscipline in class or distraction of students from studies while recording. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 103 they mentioned that, • “it is difficult to maintain discipline in classroom when recording is done, students get hyperactive”. • “when we record videos the students look at the mobile phones and class becomes indisciplined”. • when we record videos the students get conscious and become silent and do not respond to the questions.” • students create lot of noise, the whole class gets messed up, children get excited that their picture will come in the cameras”. the data revealed that video recording created excitement among the students which disturbed conventional maintenance of discipline which ultimately made student-teachers nervous as it could have direct implications on their evaluation. a few student-teachers expressed their concern about the quality of mobile phone video recording. all the student-teachers had a mobile phone with camera with different technical specifications. some of the phones had camera of resolution of about two mega pixels only. this resolution was meant for viewing the video on mobile phones and was not clear enough for big screens like laptop or tv. a few studentteachers reported about the nervousness they felt while video recording. they said: • “sometimes students ask such questions which are not easy to answer. in this situation it increases the hesitation level of teacher”. • “teacher can become nervous, if someone watches the video recording of the other, the person may get discouraged and lose confidence”. though video recording was new exposure for student-teachers which even made them nervous but a continuous exposure helped them to overcome the nervousness. (savas, 2012) also reported similar challenges of video recording that it made student teachers nervous and created problem of time for recoding videos. one student teacher also reported that it was not easy to understand the messages, or abbreviations used, and there were chances of misunderstanding the feedback given. however, a substantial number of student-teachers found m-learning quite useful foe developing teaching proficiency. suggestions given by stdentteachers student-teachers mentioned about some problems while using mobile learning and suggested ways to improve the same. one problem of being nervous was recorded and it was suggested that nervousness happens initially, if recording is done regularly then it gives confidence and nervousness vanishes. for the problem of indiscipline and unavailability of a person to record they suggested that students get excited when they see recording happening for the first time, but when it becomes a practise they may indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 104 themselves start ignoring it. it was also mentioned that some in-built recording feature or hidden camera can be used like webcam. problem of low quality of mobile camera was also mentioned and the suggestions of using each-others phone was given. problem of misunderstanding of messages, nonavailability of phone or internet was also reported and it was suggested that feedback given should be discussed periodically in addition to sms or written feedback to avoid any miscommunication. they also suggested that video recording should become a regular feature of teacher preparation programme, whether it is during internship in schools, or practice in institution in micro teaching and simulated teaching sessions. it helps in developing the teaching competence. conclusions mobile phones are the device of everyone without any boundaries and everyone is familiar with their basic uses of calling, messaging, clicking pictures, recording videos and many are aware of its advanced features and handling new apps as well. mobile learning should be used to enhance teaching proficiency of student teachers during school experience programme. the results of this research study have indicated that m-learning helped the student teachers in self-evaluation and self-improvement. through this they could see their teaching episodes and got the chance to identify their own weak areas and improve upon them with the help of supervisor’s comments shared through sms/whatsapp. they could watch their recordings again and again as well as compare their new performance with the earlier one objectively. they could relate the feedback comments with their performance in the recorded episode. video recording feature of mobile phones can be employed or any other technical instrument can be used for video recording of the teaching sessions and it can be directly shared with the supervisor through google drive to get a more comprehensive feedback. data on the mobile phones will help supervisors to deploy the saved travelling time more productively. (cooper, 2015) developed lesson observation on-line (evidence portfolio) platform (loop) and tested it during teacher experience programme in real classrooms. it was planned to create an alternative to traditional system of observation by visiting the school. the study reported that “the loop is not only feasible but achievable.” the purpose here is not to perfect the teaching abilities of studentteachers but to give them a chance to adapt themselves to the needs of the classroom and video recording can give a chance to see the classroom from the point of view of an outsider and understand the dynamics of the classroom. it is recommended that the video recording of teaching sessions and online feedback should be used for strengthening the sep and making it more effective in enhancing teaching proficiency of prospective teachers. teacher educators shall be facilitated for supervision to improve its quality indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 105 as well as increase the number of observations by viewing the recordings and giving online feedback. references ally, m. 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(2012). unesco’s policy guidelines for mobile learning, retrieved from: http:// www.unesco.org/fileadmin/multimedia/hq/ed/pdf/unesco_policy_guidelines_ on_mobile_learning_draft_v2_1_final__2_.pdf. on 08/05/2013. walker, h. m. & lev, j. (1965). statistical inference. oxford & ibh publishing co. calcutta, 151-160. world bank. (2017). mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people). retrieved from: http: :// data.worldbank.org/indicator/it.cel.sets.p2. wu, c. & kao, h. (2008). streaming videos in peer assessment to support training pre service teachers. educational technology & society, 11(1), 45–55. retrieved from: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.134.7965&rep=rep1& type=pdf#page=50 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 52 research article effectiveness of digital pedagogy on teaching competency in physical science among b.ed. students with special reference to constructivism r. nandhakumar1 & k.govindarajan assistant professor, department of education, regional institute of education, mysuru email: nandha_7025@yahoo.com 2assistant professor, department of education, alagappa university, karaikudi abstract digital technology has changed many aspects of our life. the impact of digital technology in india across the past four decades has been enormous. even in this digital era, there is a huge demand for skilled and competent teachers all over the country. a quality teacher education programme requires changes in pedagogical studies. digital pedagogy can be used to develop the teaching competency among students in the teacher education programme. digital pedagogy is the study and use of contemporary digital technologies in teaching and learning. it can be effectively implemented with constructivist teaching. student teachers can be trained to facilitate the learner to construct knowledge rather than just passively receiving information. the science teacher is expected to be a facilitator of scientific knowledge. pedagogy of physical science is dynamic and ever new domain of knowledge. keeping in view the above concerns of pedagogy of physical science and to bring quality and excellence in the teaching of physical science, the authors have attempted to study the effectiveness of digital pedagogy in the teaching of physical science with a constructivist approach. keywords: constructivism, constructivist approach, digital pedagogy, physical science, teacher education introduction teacher education has grown exponentially in the past ten years to meet the demands of quality teachers in both private and government institutions. after the implementation of the teacher education curriculum framework, 2014, the attention is focused on the quality pedagogical practices at the b.ed. level. student teachers should be properly trained to meet the challenges in the contemporary digital-oriented society (craig blewett., 2020). teachers are expected to handle e-resources. the present teacher education curriculum of physical science includes aims and objectives of teaching physical science, teaching methods and strategies and curriculum reform projects. adequate practices are given to the student teachers before they go for 80 days’ internship in schools. when the digital pedagogy is applied, the teaching competency of the student teachers will be enhanced (salin sn. & noor aida mahmor, 2018). student teachers who use a constructivist approach in the teaching of physical science can develop their teaching competency with the support of digital pedagogy. the researcher used the experimental method to study its effectiveness among the students and teachers of physical science. meaning and concept of digital pedagogy digital pedagogy emphasizes the use of contemporary digital technologies, using digital tools thoughtfully, and paying attention to the impact of digital tools on learning. digital pedagogy indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 53 can be applied to any concept. a teacher should plan, prepare, and execute the digital pedagogy for the selected content. it can be applied to the online environment, face to face environment, and hybrid environment. teachers encourage students and also themselves to think critically about new things (wadmany, rivka, kliachko, sarah, 2014). according to paulo freire (2018), the term pedagogy is not ideologically neutral. there is no such thing as a neutral educational process. there are different forms of digital technologies such as communication technology, web technology, data mining, data warehousing, database technology, and cyber technology. digital pedagogy will be effective only when the teacher uses the desired technology appropriate to the content. teachers and also learners can use the appropriate digital technology in a better way when they are thinking critically about the nature and effects of that technology (valerie anderson, 2020). the use of digital technology will enhance the teachinglearning process and will change the teaching-learning experience. the digital pedagogy varies from the use of presentation software like powerpoint to flipped classrooms. constructivism constructivism emphasizes the construction of knowledge rather than just taking in information. twomey fosnot (1989) defines constructivism by reference to four principles viz., learning, in an important way, depends on what we already know, new ideas occur as we adapt and change our old ideas; constructivism requires meaningful learning through rethinking old ideas and bringing new conclusions about new ideas. the curriculum in a constructivist classroom begins with the whole and expands to include the parts. students work primarily in a group. students’ inquiry, hypotheses, and interests are highly valued. learning is constructed on the ideas that the students already have. thus, the learning is interactive and not repetitive. teachers have an interaction with students to construct their knowledge. knowledge is seen as dynamic with experience. finally, the student’s knowledge and the acquisition of higherorder skills can be assessed through observations and points of view. constructivist teaching constructivist teaching is based on the idea that learning occurs as learners are actively involved in a process of meaning and knowledge construction as opposed to passively receiving information (audrey gray, 1996). knowledge is not a thing simply shared by the teacher in the classroom, but it should be constructed through the active participation of learners in the teaching-learning process and the mental process of development. learners are the builders of the knowledge and the creators of the knowledge. a teacher should facilitate a learning environment that is conducive and suitable for such learners. piaget (1975) viewed that learners encounter an experience or conflict with the way of thinking that gives rise to a state of imbalance. now, negotiation connects teachers and students in a common purpose. it is the customs building teaching to fit the individuals who attend the class. constructivist teaching offers options and choices for the students. there are several components to be included in constructivist teaching. a teacher can incorporate the main components in planning the lesson. the following are from the 5e model encompassing the phases engage, indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 54 explain, explore, extend, and evaluate; steps which educators have traditionally taught students to move through in phases. engage: students are acquainted with the concept through connecting to prior knowledge or linking with earlier lessons discussed, contextual situations, experiments followed by questions to think or analyze. explain: this phase is meant for the treatment of the concepts or the procedures with various strategies and methodologies. explanations given to the concepts, providing illustrations with analogies, asking questions to scaffold are the main activities during this phase of teaching. explore: the teacher will allow students to do some activities or experiments, discussions, and student explanations. the use of appropriate learning resources will support learners to gain knowledge. a teacher can provide a task for collaborative learning. concept maps and graph organizers can be used as scaffolding devices to explain the links and concepts assess the attainment of concepts, check for anticipated and unforeseen misconceptions, etc. extend: this phase includes providing new situations, problems or questions wherein the students can apply the concepts to identify principles learnt in the situations provided or solve the given problem or be able to work in the given situation by applying what is learnt. evaluate: the teacher will review the lesson by asking questions on the subject matter covered in the class by keeping the learning objectives in mind. students’ attainability is evaluated in this phase. the teacher’s role is to clarify misconceptions if any. at the end of the unit, a teacher should relate the application of what is learnt with real life. constructivist teacher and digital pedagogy teachers play multiple roles in facilitating learning, such as connecting to prior knowledge, demonstrating, explaining, reinforcing, giving examples with analogies, giving tasks to perform, scaffolding, forming groups and assigning tasks, assisting and guiding learners and evaluating the learning outcomes. (barber wendy, king & sylvia buchamn, 2015). in all the phases various kinds of technologies can be used to enrich the teaching-learning process effectively. the teacher provides students with experiences that allow them to hypothesize, infer, observe, predict, classify, and invent. the constructivist teacher fosters critical thinking and creates active and motivated learners. constructivist teachers must acquire competencies in various skills including selection, collection, production, reflection, and presentation of digital content. selection: student teachers are instructed to navigate the content in technology-mediated contexts, and evaluate the quality and validity of the sources collection: student teachers are trained to compile exciting and accessible materials for learners. they have to provide a wide range of problem-solving and practical skills to facilitate children’s learning. production: student teachers can create their e–materials, which can help enhance their creativity and digital literacy. digital demonstration will encourage the student teacher to explain any content thoroughly. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 55 reflection: it is important that when creating materials for physical science learners it is important to conduct a needs analysis to present materials that are motivating and age-appropriate and work closely with software developers to create sound pedagogical resources. presentation: an effective presentation is possible with a suitable lesson plan and practices of teaching skills. studentteachers should develop their potential with suitable communication skills and technological skills. statement of the problem the problem selected for the study is “effectiveness of digital pedagogy on teaching competency in physical science among b.ed. students with special reference to constructivism”. the investigator attempts to study the effective use of digital pedagogy by the teacher trainees in physical science. objectives of the study • to study the effectiveness of digital pedagogy among the student teachers in their teaching competency in physical science in the constructivist style of teaching. • to compare the teaching competency in the teaching of physical science with skill-based ict approaches and through the conventional approach. • to find out the achievement of student teachers with digital pedagogy using emerging technologies and the internet to meet the needs of the individual learners. • to find out the achievement of students for the various stages of development of lessons such as engage, explain, explore, extend, and evaluate with the use of digital pedagogy. hypothesis • student teachers who have practised in digital pedagogy will be competent in the teaching of physical science in the constructivist style of teaching. • there is no significant difference between the mean scores of the pretests of experimental and control group students. • student teachers who have practised digital pedagogy differ significantly in their teaching competency. • there is a significant difference between the student teachers using the digital pedagogy and the student teachers using the conventional method in various stages of development of lessons such as engage, explain, explore, extend, and evaluate. need for the study to bring effective improvement in the quality of teacher education, it is necessary to focus attention on emerging technologies. now, many teachers are thinking of using recent technological advancements to enrich their teaching competency. physical science teachers are not exceptional. the use of digital pedagogy at the b.ed. level will support them to enrich their teaching competency. hence, it is important to study the effectiveness of digital pedagogy in physical science at the b.ed. level. scope of the study the investigator attempted to know the effectiveness of digital pedagogy on teaching competency. the study will be of great help for the student teachers and teacher educators since the concept of teaching has been changing from time to time. one can teach well only when he has a better teaching competency. in indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 56 this context, the investigator attempted to study the effectiveness of digital pedagogy on teaching competency at the b.ed. level. review of related literature dominik petko (2012) examines teacher affiliation for the constructivist style of teaching which is often considered to facilitate the pedagogical use of digital media. the study’s survey of 357 swiss secondary school teachers revealed a significant positive correlation between will, skill and tool variables and the combined frequency and diversity of technology used in teaching. m ally (2014) used the competency profile for the digital teacher to train and orient the digital teacher of the future and the research revealed that emerging technologies, artificial intelligence and the internet will make the student-teacher meet the needs of the individual learners. salin s.n and noor aida mohammad (2018) conducted a survey to examine the attributes of meaningful learning that student teachers perceived as enabling them to improve their digital pedagogy. the findings reveal that the attributes of meaningful learning activities contribute to the improvement of teachers’ knowledge of and skills in using web 2.0. sarah prestridge (2008) suggested that skill-based ict practices could be considered for those teachers who are operating in a traditional teachercentred approach where developing skills are in focus. interestingly, these teachers agree with beliefs that align with digital pedagogies. methodology the present study is experimental research. the method used for the study was the experimental method. the nature of the experiment is preposttest equivalent group design. the independent variables in the study were the teaching of physical science. the dependent variable in the study was the teaching competency using digital pedagogy concerning constructivism. the population of the study was those students studying b.ed. and integrated b.ed. programme with a pedagogy of physical science as one of the courses in the karnataka state. a random sampling technique was used to select the sample. the sample selected for the study consisted of 77 student teachers studying b.ed. and integrated b.ed. programmes at the colleges in mysuru district with the pedagogy of physical science as one of the course papers. among them, 39 belong to the experimental group and 38 belong to the control group based on their preference between digital pedagogy and conventional one. the investigator developed a tool and named it ‘digite(a)ch’ that comprises various digital technology tools to facilitate the student teacher to select, collect, produce, and reflect the content cum methodology. this tool was made available to the student-teacher in the cloud platform so that they could operate at any time. the researcher validated it for the present study. the researcher also developed a tool called evaluation proforma which contains criteria for evaluating the teaching competency with special reference to constructivism. student teachers in both the experimental group and control group prepared the unit plan and lesson plans for chapter 8, ‘motion’ in the 9th standard science book of ncert publication. student teachers prepared a suitable lesson plan for teaching the content in the constructivist approach. the experimental group prepared powerpoint, blogs, and stored them in the database. they have downloaded indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 57 the suitable simulations and animations from the websites and stored them in the database. the experimental group prepared questions for continuous assessment to conduct online testing. in this study, the t-test to analyze the differential hypotheses is the statistical technique used. analysis of data the data collected through the experimentation were processed and the results are presented in the tabular form. the mean and standard deviation were calculated for the variables. all the data were analyzed with a level of significance established at 0.05 levels. table-1: ‘t’test for the mean of the pre-test scores of control and experimental group student teachers with respect to the different phases in the teaching-learning process phases group number mean s.d. calculated ‘t’ value remarks engage experimental 39 1.2256 1.1799 0.0030 n.s control 38 1.2271 1.1563 explain experimental 39 0.7524 0.7456 0.0833 n.s control 38 0.7612 0.8795 explore experimental 39 0.5612 0.6854 0.1312 n.s control 38 0.5647 0.6956 extend experimental 39 0.2145 0.5544 0.2141 n.s control 38 0.2204 0.5124 evaluate experimental 39 0.2714 0.8454 0.0385 n.s control 38 0.2965 0.8714 the ‘t’ values from table 1 show that there is no significant difference between the experimental and control groups concerning different phases of the teaching-learning process. the mean scores of the experimental group and control group reveal that both the groups are equal in different phases of the teaching-learning process. hence, the framed null hypothesis is accepted. table-2: ‘t’-test for the mean of differences of pre and post-test scores of control group students concerning phases of the teaching-learning process phases number mean of differences standard error t value remarks at 5% level engage 38 7.7895 2.8102 17.0835 significant explain 38 8.0756 2.7584 18.0124 significant explore 38 8.3125 2.0654 23.2130 significant extend 38 8.5124 2.0456 25.2452 significant evaluate 38 8.6235 1.9968 27.2564 significant table 2 shows that ‘t’ values of the control group are significant at 0.05 level. this reveals that there is a significant difference between the mean scores of pre and post-test of the control group in the different phases indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 58 of the teaching-learning process. it is therefore concluded that the conventional method of teaching has made a significant achievement to the control group students in all the phases. table-3: ‘t’-test for the mean of differences of pre and post-test scores of experimental group students concerning the phases of the teachinglearning process phases number mean of differences standard error t value remarks at 5% level engage 39 11.1254 3.1514 23.5645 significant explain 39 11.8565 3.7545 24.1425 significant explore 39 13.5241 2.5625 26.8456 significant extend 39 14.2151 2.2541 28.3256 significant evaluate 39 14.9656 1.3365 31.256 significant it is found from table 3 that the calculated t values are significant at 0.05 level. this suggests that there is a significant difference between the mean scores of the pre and post-test of the experimental group concerning different phases of the teaching-learning process. it may be stated in other words that the experimental group students practised through digital pedagogy performed significantly in the phases of the teaching-learning process such as engage, explain, explore, extend, and evaluate. table-4: ‘t’-test for the mean of post-test scores of experimental and control groups of students concerning the phases of the teaching-learning process phases group number mean s.d. calculated ‘t’ value remarks engage experimental 39 14.2356 3.2345 8.7584 significant control 38 8.2565 2.8795 explain experimental 39 13.9656 3.4154 7.5142 significant control 38 8.2356 2.4578 explore experimental 39 14.2536 3.1854 7.3564 significant control 38 7.9656 2.5465 extend experimental 39 14.1547 3.0025 10.4174 significant control 38 8.1235 2.1454 evaluate experimental 39 14.2535 3.2464 8.5648 significant control 38 8.4547 2.1014 table 4 shows that the observed ‘t’ value is significant at 0.05 level. it is inferred that the experimental and control group students are not similar in the post-test concerning the different phases of the teaching-learning process. the higher mean scores achieved by the experimental group may be due to the effect of digital pedagogy. the framed hypothesis is accepted. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 59 table-5: ‘t’-test for the mean gain scores of control and experimental groups of students concerning the phases of the teaching-learning process phases group number mean sd ‘t’ value remarks at 5% level engage experimental 39 11.1254 3.1965 6.1325 significant control 38 7.7895 2.7896 explain experimental 39 11.8565 3.1254 7.6545 significant control 38 8.0756 2.4758 explore experimental 39 13.5241 2.6595 7.9965 significant control 38 8.3125 2.2125 extend experimental 39 14.2151 2.5142 8.0145 significant control 38 8.5124 2.1125 evaluate experimental 39 14.9656 2.0123 8.2534 significant control 38 8.6235 2.0656 table 5 shows that the observed ‘t’ values are significant at 0.05 level. it is inferred that the control and experimental group students are not similar in the post-test concerning the phases of the teachinglearning process. the higher mean scores achieved by the experimental group may be due to the effect of the experimental treatment given through digital pedagogy. hence, the framed hypothesis is accepted. findings of the present study based on the pre-test scores, it is observed that both control and experimental group students are having similar mean scores. there is no significant difference in the mean scores of experimental and control groups concerning different phases of the teaching-learning process. based on the analysis of pretest and posttest scores of the control group, it is observed that there is a significant difference of 0.05 level in all the phases of the teaching-learning process which shows that the control group students have performed equally in the pre-test and post-test. the conventional method influenced the control group better. from the analysis of pre and post scores of experimental group students, it is observed that the impact of digital pedagogy was significant among the experimental group. the experimental group of students achieved significantly higher gain scores than the control group students. the experimental group students exposed to digital pedagogy achieved more score gains in the different phases of the teachinglearning process such as engage, explain, explore, extend, and evaluate. discussion and conclusion pre-test scores analysis shows that there was no significant difference in the previous teaching competency of both experimental and control groups in all five phases. this shows that both the groups are equal before the treatment. when the pretest and post-test scores were compared, it was found that the traditional method of teaching and teaching through digital pedagogy was significantly effective. achievement of both groups was found significant. as the gain scores analysis is more suitable and appropriate, it showed that the teaching competency of the students in the experimental group was significantly higher than the students in indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 60 the control group. the digital pedagogy might have helped the students to teach effectively and efficiently as well as it helped to exhibit all constructive teaching skills. it is to be noted that the previous studies as well as the present study have found that significant effects like digital pedagogy in the teachinglearning process led to the effective teaching competency of the b.ed. students in physical science. references audrey gray. 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(2020). covid 19: 20 countries’ higher education – intra period digital pedagogy responses, journal of applied learning and teaching, 3(1),1-20. innovations and education in the digital age: reconciling the roles of pedagogy, technology and the business of learning, ieee transaction on engineering management,50(4),403-412. k.govindarajan.(2019). development and analysis of infotainment programme on learning of physical science at secondary school level, international journal of scientific research and education, 28(16). 1522-1525. m ally.(2004). foundations of educational theory for online learning, theory and practice of the online learning. universities and knowledge society journals.11(1): 142. monu bhagat, dilip kumar., & sushma m.balaji. , (2020). application of internet of things in digital pedagogy, computational intelligence in digital pedagogy, 219-234. mynbayeva a, zukhra sadvakassova.,& bakhytkul akshalova.(2018).pedagogy of the 21st century: innovative teaching methods, conference of new pedagogical challenges in the 21st century. retrieved from https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/58060 petko,d, schmid,m.,& brainza,e.(2020). developing a short assessment instrument for technological pedagogical content knowledge and comparing the factor structure of an integrative and transformative model, computers & education, 157(1),66-77. r.nandhakumar.,& k.govindarajan .(2020). effect of database technology on some selected cognitive variables in learning of physics at undergraduate level, turkish online journal of educational technology, 19(4), 75-83. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 61 r.nandhakumar.,& k.govindarajan .(2020). effectiveness of database technology in enhancing learning of physics at higher education level, research and reflections on education, 18(3b), 42-46. revista de psicodidaactica. 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(2014). the significance of digital pedagogy: teacher’s perception and factors influencing their abilities as digital pedagogies, journal of educational technology, 22-23. zoe alker., & christopher donaldson. (2014). digital pedagogy – in and beyond the classroom, journal of victorian culture, 21(4),548-549. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 266 general article moocs in india and swayam: an overview jyoti jha1& d. harichandan2 1ugc junior research fellow, dept. of education, university of mumbai, mumbai, maharashtra email: jyoti.jha110@gmail.com 2icssr senior fellow, university of mumbai, mumbai, maharashtra abstract education plays a vital role in every possible way of shaping the future of any nation. one of the major responsibilities of the government is to enable the citizens of the country to skill themselves  through quality education. massive open online courses (moocs) through the swayam portal is one of the major initiatives by the govt. of india to promote learning among its citizens. although the concept of mooc is now more than a decade old, in india it started in 2014 through mookit. later in 2017 govt. of india launched the swayam portal. it aims at providing learning opportunities through moocs which provide online free education to all and have the capacity to bridge the digital gap. through these courses, quality education can be made available at the doorstep of every learner without any cost. these courses are curriculum-based having interactive content material on different topics across all disciplines. the materials are developed by the best teachers from various top-level educational institutions across the country from secondary to post-graduation levels. the mhrd now the ministry of education has identified nine national coordinators to ensure the production and delivery of high-quality content material. it is meant for anyone, anytime, anywhere with the facility of credit transfer for up to 40 per cent of the courses in a programme. it follows a four-quadrant approach. in this paper, the focus is on a) development of moocs in india b) emergence of swayam c) a brief review of swayam course content and its activities d) critical review of the accessibility of mooc courses on swayam. keywordsmoocs, swayam, online learning, ict, distance learning, remote learning  introduction education is a very important aspect of the human race to grow and excel in life. human beings are inquisitive and since the time they came into existence, they used this inquisitiveness as a weapon to achieve their goals in life. the knowledge that is attained through education provides several opportunities for better prospects in career growth. individuals put efforts to gain knowledge across the globe which plays a significant role in opening up their minds and preparing them for the future. for ages, people used to travel from one place to another to meet their quest for knowledge and attain wisdom. they started sharing their learning and educating other people and also preserved their piece of knowledge in scripted form. this continued and education gradually transformed into a structured form which then got passed on to the next generation. *facts stated and opinions expressed in this paper are entirely of the authors and not of icssr. schooling up to grade twelfth and higher education at a university level follows a structured learning process, but people search for new and better learning indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 267 avenues once they start working after attaining a level of formal education (sharma, 2018). open and distance education has been available for quite some time and now it has witnessed a paradigm shift due to technological advancements and interventions. one such intervention is that of moocs which are online learning materials. moocs are a kind of revolution that can change the formal system of education. during the covid-19 pandemic when the education sector was one of the worst-hit areas and was not prepared for lockdowns across the globe, online learning proved itself as a rescuer. moocs which are extensions of online learning are the courses which have the capacity of anytime unlimited access to quality study materials at a very affordable rate with the option of free and open registration. according to technavio’s research mooc market across the globe will reach $17.70 bn during 2020-2024 with 36 per cent growth from the asia pacific. this data supports the fact that it is the future of our education system which will encourage the universal access to quality education. literature review a review of related literature is very important to find the gap in existing available knowledge in a particular area and the researcher has gone through various literatures in this field which helped her to narrow down the actual research problem and also provided a strong base for the facts related to the article. some of them are as follows: mohapatra, s. and mohanty r. (2017) through their paper adopting moocs for affordable quality education have studied the various parameters that influence the adoption of moocs by indian learners. the data was collected from various stakeholders like learners from the undergraduate college, students pursuing master’s degrees, corporate employees looking for career accelerator courses, parents and educators. it was found that the learner’s skill, usability and availability and affordability are the main factors affecting the learner’s perception of mooc adoption. kaypak, e.et.al. (2017) in the article entitled mobile learning and moocs have provided a general overview of the emergence of moocs, the different types of moocs, the dimensions of these mooc types, their topologies and integration of mobile learning in moocs. authors have highlighted a few concerns like big class size, dropout, quality concerns and non-accreditation still finds a great scope in shaping the future of distance education. majumdar, c. (2019) in his paper swayam: the dream initiative of india and its uses in education has discussed the various aspects of swayam, its advantages and challenges associated with its implementation and delivery. although the author sees a great future for the learning environment through swayam, the fact that the economic condition of the people can affect this programme cannot be denied. singh, n. (2019) in a study named swayam-indian moocs: an insider’s perspective has tried to find out the experiences of course coordinators, especially the challenges faced by them while operating the platform for running their courses. she found that course coordinators are quite satisfied with the platform. though research has been done in india and abroad on the topic, still there is a need to do further research to get more feedback for strengthening the system. hence the study is undertaken. objective of the study • to have a brief look at the growth and development of moocs globally and in india. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 268 • to critically analyze the factors that pose challenges in accessing swayam. research questions 1. how have moocs evolved around the world and in india? 2. how does swayam work and serves the purpose for which it has been started? 3. what are the hurdles that can impact the implantation of swayam? material and methods researchers mainly used secondary data to show the development of moocs and swayam in india. facts related to moocs and swayam have been collected from various research articles and related websites. for data used in the section where the researcher’s experience is shared, the course coordinator was contacted through email. global perspective moocs have changed the perspective in what way education is perceived in this 21st century across the globe because of large-scale technological developments. the need for skilled labour force with advanced specialisation due to globalization is the biggest contributor to such courses because; in today’s world any skill becomes outdated after a few years. it has evolved as a medium of learning for learners with flexibility in all terms i.e., access, time and eligibility. technically mooc is an extension of distance education that has led to a massive shift from traditional methods to technology-enabled methods which have revolutionised the way of delivery of courses. in these fast-moving times, people are trying their best to acquaint themselves with the available skills and knowledge in their field of expertise and during this transition phase distance learning especially moocs have evolved as an important player in the education sector. delivery through post then radio and television and now internet, distance delivery system in distance education has changed drastically and these high-tech advancements have every time ensured better learning in all possible ways. the idea of education for all is also a big contributor to the creation of moocs in the present society. the growth of moocs from 20122021 shows a large-scale increase in the number of courses (to more than sixteen thousand) which points out to the potential of moocs in the coming times (class central). if we look into the history of the evolution of mooc, it started with nikolai frederik severin grundtvig of denmark who first provided the theoretical framework for it which later became famous as the folk high school (rollins, 2018). the main purpose of this school was to teach anyone interested, without any restrictions in terms of age, social background or financial means. this movement of self-learning continued to be popular throughout the 20th century in europe. with the arrival of the internet, other movements also emerged that changed the way education was imparted. the first online courses were technically not very complicated instead they were simple and basic in terms of delivery of content. earlier the postal system was used to send the study materials. later, email with a list of documents to download and read replaced the postal system. with more advanced internet quality videos were included to demonstrate the concept for better understanding. initially, lectures delivered in classes were simply recorded  and were made available as it is without any ratification. in this journey, the world witnessed the open education resource movement which started in the united states indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 269 in early 2000 and this movement initiated the first-ever moocs which further was sparked by the mit open courseware project. in 2006, wikiversity started and in 2007 first open course was organized on the platform. the term mooc was used for the open course “connectivism and connective knowledge” (cck08) by dave cormier and was introduced at the university of manitoba in canada by stephen downs and george siemens. alongwith 25 students who attended this course in a class of 2,300 more learners joined this online. in 2011 stanford university started three of its online courses; the first on artificial intelligence (cs221) in july and the second and third in august on database and machine learning. the connectivism theory for knowledge creation and generation was the main idea for the very first generation of moocs which became popular as cmoocs and later extended moocs also known as xmoocs emerged which allowed free access with some closed licenses (wikipedia). declared by new york times as the year of the mooc in 2012 (wikipedia), several well-financed providers like coursera, udacity and edx associated with top universities emerged and revolutionized the education system with more diverse courses through this new online medium. table-1 summarises the growth of moocs in terms of the number of learners, a number of participating universities and demand of new courses globally. table-1: growth of moocs in terms of the number of learners, number of participant universities and demand of new courses year enrolments university courses 2011 300k 1 3 2012 2m 40 250 2013 10m 200+ 1.2k 2014 16-18m 400+ 2.4k 2015 35m 500+ 4.2k 2016 58m 700+ 6.85k 2017 81m 800+ 9.4k 2018 101m 900+ 11.4k 2019 120m 900+ 13.5k 2020 180m 950+ 16.3k sourceclass central (do not include data from china in 2019 and 2020) moocs in indian contexts india is one of the leading countries in terms of enrolments in moocs which are provided globally through various platforms. the mooc history began with nptel in a different format which was started in 2003 as an educational content repository similar to mit open courseware. it was started by seven iits and iisc to  put its  recorded lectures delivered by its member institutes online open access. today it is  the largest online repository in the world of courses in engineering, basic sciences and selected humanities and social sciences subjects. it is also the most accessed library of peer-reviewed educational content in the world. later mookit an indigenously built platform, indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 270 which was developed by iit kanpur in 2012 launched two moocs named architecting software for the cloud and mooc on moocs which witnessed 2,300 participants (jagannathan, sugandhan and kumar, 2018). it is a lightweight mooc management system and is completely based on opensource technology which enables the creation of content in such a manner that is freely available for the public to view, edit and re-distribute. the mean stack application that uses javascriptbased technology enabled it to work on low bandwidth which was common with other available mooc platforms (chauhan 2017). an indicator was provided like mobile bars to show the current bandwidth and in case of bad connectivity, the learners had the choice to switch to other content delivery options. overall, it used user-friendly features. mookit has delivered close to 30 courses to about 2,00,000 users, in over 100 countries. in 2014-15, iit bombay came up  with the customization of the open-source edx for attracting a global audience. it was funded by the national mission on education through information and communication technology (nme-ict), the then ministry of human resource development (mhrd), government of india. iit bombayx was introduced on the edx platform as the basic version of the blended learning mooc. blended learning is a combination of both electronic and online media as well as traditional face-to-face teaching. after iit bombay some other institutions also offered moocs on edx and coursera in 2015. later in 2017 by the recommendation of the then ministry of human resources and development (mhrd) now ministry of education, swayam, a mooc delivery platform by the government of india was finally launched. there are few more lesserknown providers available in other fields. table-2 enlists some of them. table-2: lesser-known moocs providers provider founded in year type industry headquarter website v skills 2009 educational institution education management new delhi www.vskills.in u18 2009 privately held education management gurgaon www.u18.edu.in digitalvidya 2009 privately held higher education new delhi www.digitalvidya. com edukart 2011 privately held education management jaipur www.edukart. com apna course 2013 privately held e learning bengaluru www.apnacourse. com upgrad 2015 privately held e learning mumbai www.upgrad.cm l e a r n vern 2020 privately held e learning a h m e d abad www.learnvern. com (source: linkedin) indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 271 development of swayam to cater to the diverse needs of the learner, the govt. of india launched the swayam platform on 9 july 2017 for providing moocs. it is a very good move which enables eminent scholars an opportunity to share their knowledge with all including the most disadvantaged in the society. it is an initiative to provide quality education which can be accessed by anyone, anywhere to bring equity to society. it specially targets those students who could not be benefitted from the digital revolution and are not able to participate in the mainstream formal education system. making quality  education available to all is a priority of the government but due to limited resources and a huge population,  physical enrolment in toplevel institutes like iits and iims are very tough. the highly competitive entrance tests make  entry almost impossible for students who are not at par with their level. through swayam moocs, learners can join courses by leading faculty of these institutes even if the student could not get admission there. the swayam project is fully funded by the government and the cost for everything like content creation, technical infrastructure, maintenance and human resources are borne by them. nine national coordinators aicte, nptel, ugc, cec, ncert, nios, ignou, iimb, nitttr have been entrusted to ensure the production and delivery of quality content to all the sections of learners from school to higher as well as vocational education. for learning swayam, courses are free but certification requires registration and attendance in final exams conducted online through nta and a fee is charged for that. the emergence of swayam among big players in the field can be understood by figure-1 which depicts how it evolved as a major mooc provider within two years of its launch and surpassed future learn the very next year. fig.-1: number of learners on major mooc providers (data source: class central) the course credits obtained from a swayam course can be considered by the institutions for credit transfer and ugc had already issued a framework on 20 july 2016 way before its launch. this permits credit transfer on to the academic records for courses done on swayam. earlier 20 per cent of course credits were allowed to transfer from the moocs offered on swayam but indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 272 according to new ugc guidelines during the pandemic where online education is the only medium to provide education universities can offer 40 per cent of courses on swayam. recently ugc has decided to allow universities to teach up to 40 per cent of the syllabus of each course through online mode (other than swayam courses) and the remaining 60 per cent in offline mode (ugc, 2021, d.o.no.1-9/2020). examination for both online and offline portions can be conducted offline and this provision can be created over and above up to 40 per cent of online education permissible for swayam courses for which mode of examination would be online as per the rules. the government, therefore, is also promoting online education with up to 80 per cent portion in the online mode which indicates a great future for swayam. swayam course content and activities swayam, an indigenously developed portal of mhrd, can host 2,000 courses and 80,000 hours of learning at a time. it covers the courses from school education to pg level in multiple streams and different industry skill sets. swayam gives liberty to its learners in choosing the courses as per their requirements, interest or profile. the interested learner can access and join courses online by registering on the swayam portal at swayam.gov.in. it gives them a choice to register themselves by filling in the required details manually on the swayam portal or through facebook, google and microsoft. the courses available on swayam are categorised into ten categories that are: aictenittt courses, arpit courses, architecture and planning, education, engineering and technology, humanities and arts, law management and commerce, maths and sciences and school. different filters are also available for convenience on the portal to choose the desired course for the learners. the learner can select the course either by national coordinators or course duration. they can choose the course which fits the best in their busy schedule according to the exam date. it also gives the choice of choosing a course with and without credit. the courses hosted on swayam follow the four-quadrant instructional design. i. teaching content: the first is teaching content which includes teaching videos, powerpoint presentations, animations and e-text which is self-explanatory text material covering the subject matter. ii. econtent: the second is e-content which includes self-instructional material, which are available online such as e-books, open-source content videos, case studies, research papers & journals with related links. iii. assessment: third is assessment which contains weekly quizzes in the form of multiple-choice questions, fill in the blanks, matching questions, short answer questions, long answer questions, assignments and term papers. iv. discussion forum: the fourth is a discussion forum which allows learners to interact with each other and also ask questions and their doubts are clarified by the course coordinator and their team. swayam course contents are divided into modules which are released weekly and clearly list the topics to be covered in that particular week. in order to promote the goal of the swayam project along with national coordinators who are responsible for the production and delivery of quality content, local chapters are also created. they are higher educational academic institution (college/university) that indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 273 helps in  better adoption of  mooc integration into the curriculum. local chapters serve as a local link between swayam and students/faculty in the institution. swayam coordinators (or single point of contact) within the institution as a representative of the local chapter are provided with sufficient features by the portal which allows them to monitor the progress of learners enrolled in the course. this enables these institutes as swayam local chapters to better facilitate mooc adoption among learners. in addition to this,  each national coordinator uses their strategies to effectively partner with the local chapters for increasing the effectiveness of the course enrolments. local chapters put up publicity posters within the college at places that students frequently visit, conduct awareness workshops on nptel certification courses inside the campus to all students and faculty members, motivate students to join courses and register for exams and give feedback on the courses that were offered, provide suggestions on what they would like to see, nominate faculty as mentors who can extend help to students, make arrangements within the college for either lab facilities for students to access the material online or download the content and let the students know about it, explore the avenues of adopting the courses for credit and implement the same through the board of studies/academic councils. researcher’s experience as a mooc learner on swayam to understand better and get a feel of how moocs are actually developed and delivered on various platforms, the researcher enrolled herself on some courses on swayam, futurelearn, coursera and col portals. here the mooc which is included to highlight the researcher’s experience on a mooc course which she completed on swayam with certification in academic writing. it was very much relevant for research knowledge and was joined by the researcher in its first run for the session from july 2019 to october 2019. the researcher personally contacted the course coordinator through email for the related data about courses in different cycles. the researcher’s observations are categorised into three groups named learner focussed, teaching focussed and mooc focussed. a testimonial from learners which is available on the swayam page also supports the researcher’s experience with the course. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 274 table-3: learners' testimonial learner focussed learner’s characteristics undergraduates, postgraduates, research scholars, and academicians of beginning stage with and without prior knowledge of academic writing lerner’s expectations met to a satisfactory level could have been better if few topics would have covered in more details like the use of literature management tools and plagiarism learner’s engagement good, although the course was joined late by the researcher but, found earlier contents interesting which was enough to arouse curiosity for further learning and was able to complete the course with certification. learner’s satisfaction satisfactory peer interaction satisfactory learning outcome more than 96% result in the final proctored exam. knowledge retention and application yes, as a learner, researchers learned so many things about academic writing and are using them in current phd research. teaching focussed knowledge transfer the course design was good and the content covered weekly was clear and relevant to the topic instructor’s clarity impressive and balanced as the experience of video lectures were like face-to-face classroom skills taught in terms of objective stated yes, to a greater extent all related topics were attempted to be included but as a beginner she found few topics were covered very briefly where more elaboration was required. response on the discussion forum the instructor’s response was quick and good in terms of clarification of doubts. assessment and feedback satisfactory as weekly progress and feedback were available on the portal. need for more activity-based assignments for better engagement of learners on every topic. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 275 mooc focussed comparison with other moocs if we compare it with other moocs from different platforms, still a lot can be improved for learners’ support. reminders can be sent through mails to complete weekly tasks by enabling some monitoring features with the platform. technical functionalities improvement in this particular mooc course was needed as it had certain technical issues in releasing the weekly module and assignments in the later part of the course, i.e., in weeks 13,14 and 15 completion rate in the first three cycles for which data are available out of 28723 enrolled, 2769 registered for the exam which is 9.64% of total enrolment. it got maximum exam registration among all ug/pg swayam moocs in the first two cycles and results were more than 96% return on investment the enrolments in all four cycles of this particular mooc were 12532+7546+8645+6647=35370 and exam registration was 1472+723+574+ not opened. overall got maximum exam registration among all ug/pg swayam moocs in the first two cycles and in the third cycle ranked #2 in india. the result was more than 96% and this data about exam registration against enrolment indicates a good return on investment. critical review of the accessibility of mooc courses on swayam making education available to all is a priority of the government. swayam has a great potential to make farreaching changes in the educational processes, especially in these times of the covid19 pandemic and can extend its reach to remote corners of the country. but, developing countries like india, with limited resources are the most affected in this tough time. the availability of limited resources and the “backwardness” of certain communities are the major reasons for this inequality. due to a shortage of qualified faculty and sufficient funds for setting up physical infrastructure, reaching out to the learners at a mass scale is a big challenge. although moocs seem to be an alternative for achieving this goal there are various practical problems associated with their implementation and delivery. the purpose of the swayam project is to achieve the three main tenets of education, namely, access equity and quality. also, we see a large disparity in the literacy rate of women and marginalised communities which would certainly affect the target of achievement of equity in education but  the major problem is associated with access. adequate technical means which are prerequisites for course delivery are the first and major hurdles in overcoming the digital gap in india. again,  the availability of proper hardware setup does not guarantee indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 276 access especially because of the absence of smooth uninterrupted internet connection in india. forget better internet services, a large number of populations are deprived of digital resources like smartphones due to large economic disparities. about 220 million indians are forced to sustain an expenditure level of less than rs 32/(the poverty line for rural india in 2013) and this figure was revealed by world economic forum, post analysing a study which was conducted in 2020. for such people, having a computer and paying internet connection bills is not a priority. in this scenario, access to computers in publicly funded schools will give a large number of school children a chance to learn computer skills, but most of these  schools are not equipped with such facilities. in a survey by aser conducted in 2018, it was found that in 596 government schools of 619 districts overall 21.3 per cent of the students had access to computers in schools. along with the resource constraints, the digital literacy rate in india is also not very good. a large number of individuals do not know the basics of computers and thus cannot use these online materials to enhance their knowledge and skills. again, swayam courses are available online and for that, a stable internet connection is essentially important but  the condition of quality of internet speed is not very good. if we look at the global scenario, india ranks second in terms of internet users but according to the october 2019 speed test global index, published by speedtest.net, india ranked 70th out of 176 countries by average fixed broadband speed and 128th out of 141 countries by average mobile speed. this was not a good indication because this could probably interfere with the anytime anywhere access concept of the mooc learning on swayam. another prominent issue with the swayam courses is its content language. most of the moocs available on swayam are either in english or hindi and it is a huge hurdle for learners belonging to vernacular linguistics. one more aspect which needs to be discussed about courses on swayam is related to its learner’s support system. like coursera, swayam does not have any active monitoring system which can track the actual time spent on learning by the learners. if the swayam portal can adopt a feature which can track the weekly progress of the learner after the release of a new module like active days, completed items and actual learning time, it will help them to access their real progress and accordingly, they can cover up the pending tasks which need to be done for the completion of the course. weekly reminders can be sent through emails which will motivate the learner to complete the work on time. conclusion within a period of five years, swayam has been able to provide a platform for online learning which is gradually growing in terms of enrolments. these courses by expert educators can be seen as effective mediums for self-learning. through these courses, quality education is brought to the doorstep of every learner at virtually no cost. it has the potential to change the way education is perceived. although it is facing certain issues in terms of its acceptance  at a mass scale, it can definitely be redressed to shape the future of the education sector.  indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 277 references chauhan, j. and goel, a. (2017). an overview of mooc in india. international journal of computer trends and technology, 49(2). harichandan, d. (2018). ten years of moocs, one year of swayam: where do we go? cemca, commonwealth of learning newsletter. jagannathan, g. et.al. (2018). moocs: a comparative analysis between indian scenario and global scenario. international journal of engineering & technology,7(4.39)854-857. kaypak, e. et.al. (2017). mobile learning and moocs. international journal on new trends in education and their implications,8(3). majumdar, c. (2019). swayam: the dream initiative of india and its uses in education. international journal of trend in scientific research and development,3(3). mhrd (2015). request for proposal (rfp) for appointment of system integrator for mhrd swayam moocs project. ministry of human resource development government of india. volume – 2. ref: no. 8. mohapatra, s. and mohanty r. (2017). adopting moocs for affordable quality education. education and information technologies, 22(5). sharma, a. (2018). the role of massive open online courses (moocs) in furthering executive education in india. chitkara university, punjab. singh, n. (2019). swayam-indian moocs: an insider’s perspective. asian journal of distance education, 14(1) 47-55. ugc (credit framework for online learning courses through swayam) regulation, 2016. gazette of india. new delhi, 19th july, 2016. web references aggarwal, p. (2019). constraints of digital literacy in india. https://www.counterview.org rollins, a. (2018). what’s a mooc? history principles and characteristics, https://www.elearningindustry.com woodhouse, t. (2020). mobile devices are too expensive. https://www.webfoundation.org www.wikipedia.com www.linkedin.com www.classcentral.coms www.swayam.gov.in indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 389 general article augmented reality in teaching-learning: an innovative digital tool for the twenty-first century classrooms seema yadav assistant professor, department of education, the bhopal school of social sciences, bhopal, m.p., india email: seemayadav1edu@gmail.com abstract innovative technical tools like augmented reality (ar) and virtual reality have been made possible by technological advancement and device computational power. ar is a technology tool with amazing pedagogic potential that enables the creation of innovative  learning environments. the successful use of ar in the classroom can assist students in several ways and result in fruitful learning experiences. the use of ar technology can also be used to design more interesting and appealing educational experiences. technology such as augmented reality may immediately produce learning experiences for students, which makes it a highly helpful tool for the execution of educational activities. the use of augmented reality in the classroom has tremendous potential, and it can be successfully integrated with existing teaching and learning methods. it is necessary to deploy innovative pedagogies that blend formal and casual learning and enable individualized learning. education professionals need to reconsider how they employ conventional pedagogies to support the development of skills and competencies for lifelong learning. the education industry could be transformed with the effective and on-going use of digital learning tools. keywords: technology, augmented reality, digital learning, innovative technologies, teaching-learning introduction education has been forced to adapt new learning models as a result of the development of innovative educational approaches as a result of the advent of information technology and digitization. additionally, all educational institutions were compelled to make the changeover to online learning right away due to pandemic limitations and to aid in containing the virus’s (covid-19) spread (criollo-c et al., 2021). these educational models should support current learning processes and encourage the distribution of digitized instructional information (criollo-c et al., 2021). our needs for education in the future cannot be met by the conventional, constrained competency-based approach (david, 2017). education’s primary goal today is to prepare students for the complicated and everchanging nature of the workforce. the ability to adjust educational content for students to enhance their practical abilities using augmented reality technology emphasizes that while theoretical knowledge is the foundation, skills acquired in a practical setting are always required (criollo-c et al., 2021). by encouraging students’ abilities to explore, create, interact, connect, reflect, and share knowledge inside online contexts, digital tools in the form of social media further expand the possibilities for developing learnercentered spaces (blaschke & hase, 2019). utilizing technology is hoped that it would encourage students’ indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 390 imagination and creativity in the subject matter and enable them to take charge of their learning at their speed and along their course (bistaman, idrus, & rashid, 2018a). the current state of technology advancement makes it possible to apply innovative  learning aids in a variety of sectors, particularly in education. to improve the teaching and learning process, several technologies have been adopted in the educational sector. the use of augmented reality (ar) in education offers fresh approaches and has a lot of pedagogical potential (bistaman et al., 2018a). to effectively teach students and provide better techniques to enhance their learning experiences, instructors must choose the best strategy (bistaman et al., 2018a). the adoption of augmented reality in education has grown, and stakeholders are increasingly drawn to it because it is unique and has the potential to raise educational standards. the use of augmented reality (ar) media as a supplement or intermediary tool has become commonplace. the use of augmented reality (ar) media as a tool or an intermediate in daily life is now widespread (rusli, nalanda, tarmidi, suryaningrum, & yunanda, 2023). as an emerging technology, augmented reality (ar) has shown a wide range of benefits for teaching foreign languages, including fostering motivation, content memorization, and contextualised learning (manna, 2023). technology in teaching-learning: technology integration in education the twenty-first century provides a boundary-less existence, globalization, internationalization, and the explosive growth of information and communication technologies (nurhasanah, abdurrahman, andra, & herlina, 2021a). technology advancements and device computing power have made it possible to produce cutting-edge technological tools like augmented reality (ar) and virtual reality (vr) (criollo-c et al., 2021). during the fourth industrial revolution, technology advanced very quickly, which led to changes in the educational system and other advances worldwide (nurhasanah et al., 2021a). the results of current technological integration into education reveal a positive impact on learning and teaching outcomes. one of the pillars of contemporary society is education, which attempts to equip students with the skills necessary to participate fully in a society that is currently more focused than ever on technological advancement (criollo-c et al., 2021). teachers now have a unique opportunity to assist students in acquiring lifetime learning abilities thanks to the trends of learner-centered teaching and pervasive classroom technology use (blaschke & hase, 2019). there has been a movement towards more learner agency in both formal and informal educational settings as a result of the substantial improvement in learning affordances brought about by technological advancements. with the learner at the center of the learning process and as an active agent of learning rather than a passive user of information, this has presented a challenge to educators regarding how they navigate the learning process (blaschke & hase, 2019). emerging technologies should be used in educational settings to present course content that is compatible with human cognition since they are aware of how important it is for students today to acquire, store, and apply information (bistaman et al., 2018a). dealing with digital natives presents issues for teachers in the modern world. the demand for adopting technology in education is rising as a result of the explosion and quick growth of information technologies that can be used in instruction. this is done to encourage students to engage in active indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 391 learning and motivate them to achieve an effective learning process (alkhattabi, 2017). to integrate innovative and new technologies into classes, which have the potential to significantly improve student learning and engagement, teachers must devote a significant amount of personal time to becoming familiar with them. the current rate of technological advancement, which is boosting the web’s interactivity and media content and raising the caliber of distribution platforms, gives the perfect conditions for a rise in the use of e-learning tools and solutions (alkhattabi, 2017). augmented reality: the concept and meaning of digital innovative tool the definition of augmented reality (ar), a concept that has been in development since the turn of the 20th century, is the superimposition of virtual elements in a real environment (criollo-c et al., 2021). the term “augmented reality” (ar) refers to a set of tools that enable a person to observe one or more virtual items in a real-world setting. instead of being a specific technology, augmented reality might be thought of as a concept. the idea of augmented reality (ar) should be imagined beyond technology alone and should not be limited to any one form of technology. the use of augmented reality (ar) technology enables people to perceive objects in their natural environments, something that is otherwise impossible (bistaman et al., 2018a). an artificial layer is placed on top of real-world photographs using augmented reality (ar), a new technology that is also applied in the field of education (karagozlu, 2021). for all educational applications and possibilities, augmented reality (ar) is the best option. the advancements in technology nowadays make me conscious of the need to better educational sectors through efficient means. according to the studies, ar can engage, stimulate, and inspire students to examine the course material from several perspectives (bistaman et al., 2018a). the term “augmented reality” (ar) refers to a live, direct, or indirect view of a physical, real-world environment, with computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics, or gps data enhancing some aspects of the environment. virtual and real worlds can seamlessly interact with each other thanks to augmented reality (ar) interfaces, which also provide a tangible interface metaphor and a way to switch between them (bistaman et al., 2018a). virtual reality (vr), also known as mixed reality, is an extension of augmented reality (ar). the use of computergenerated images or objects blended with real-world surroundings is known as augmented reality (ar). numerous industries, including engineering, industrial design, the military, medical science, and education, have already used this technique (bistaman et al., 2018a). technology that uses augmented reality can directly create learning experiences for students, which is particularly helpful for the execution of educational activities (hidayat, sukmawarti, & suwanto, 2021). with the development of numerous gadgets and smart device apps, augmented reality (ar) technology has been expanding alongside different kinds of hardware (hanid, haruzuan, said, & yahaya, 2020). the use of augmented reality (ar) in the classroom can promote student engagement, improve communication between teachers and students, and support learning activities (nurhasanah, abdurrahman, andra, & herlina, 2021b). as industrial revolution 4.0 takes hold, the learning environment is undergoing fast change. in education, augmented reality is one of the hottest technologies. the usage of virtual objects that are seamlessly integrated into the actual world and appear in the same location in real-time is made possible by the technology known as augmented reality indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 392 (hanid et al., 2020). the success of augmented reality (ar), particularly in the sphere of education, has led to a considerable increase in the use of new technologies in recent years (alkhattabi, 2017). technology is advancing in today’s world across many industries, including education, even at the primary level. the application of technology in elementary schools, including augmented reality, is still being refined. with the aid of augmented reality technology, virtual items in 2d and 3d can be seen in realtime (hidayat et al., 2021). this technology tool is useful in the classroom since it promotes learning by making it more interactive and dynamic. additionally, studies have demonstrated how powerfully successful employing augmented reality in educational settings is at enhancing student learning (criollo-c et al., 2021). with the use of this application, teachers can assist students in teaching subjects in which they are not currently able to obtain firsthand experience in the actual world and improve communication between them (bistaman et al., 2018a). augmented reality (ar) is a technology that alters reality by fusing real-world visuals with digital elements and enhances how reality is perceived. regarding augmented reality techniques, both pupils and teachers express generally favorable opinions (karagozlu, 2021). the utilization of things in the realworld environment is made possible by computer-generated technology known as augmented reality (ar) (bistaman et al., 2018a). both positive and bad effects may result from teaching basic education students with augmented reality technologies. the demands and preparation of the pupils, as well as the readiness of the current infrastructure and instructor skills, must still be taken into account when using augmented reality in the classroom (hidayat et al., 2021). by utilizing proper instructional strategies, ar may provide students with numerous benefits and lead to effective learning experiences. the ar technology also gives the opportunities to create educational experiences that are more engaging and attractive. the application of augmented reality improves motivation, engagement, and interaction with the environment and other people while also speeding up conceptual learning and memorization (mozaffari & hamidi, 2023). augmented reality in teachinglearning: employing advanced innovative technology in classroom the use of augmented reality (ar) in education offers many advantages, including improved engagement and interaction, and it can lessen the negative impacts of the interruption of face-to-face instruction (criollo-c et al., 2021). several elements need to be available for the ar application to be used in education successfully for both teaching and learning (bistaman et al., 2018a). the use of augmented reality in the educational field has grown, and stakeholders are increasingly drawn to its novelty as a way to raise educational standards (hidayat et al., 2021). higher education uses ar to help students become more proficient and knowledgeable in disciplines like electrical theory, agronomy, chemistry, biology, geometry, and technological themes (criollo-c et al., 2021). since theoretical knowledge is the foundation, but practical skills are constantly required, augmented reality technology allows for the adaptation of educational content targeted at students to develop their practical skills (criollo-c et al., 2021). ar can help to promote student-centered learning, pique students’ interests and curiosities, improve their cognitive, emotional, and psychomotor processes, and increase their involvement in the informationseeking process. augmented reality has successfully improved students’ indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 393 visualisation skills and fostered a better grasp of content. hence, it is advised that educators incorporate it in their teaching and learning (ali, johari, & ahmad, 2023). since it enables the student to move beyond a tool connected to a virtual classroom and towards immersion in surroundings with high contextual fidelity, augmented reality (ar) has been able to establish itself as a learning resource that goes beyond a tool linked to a virtual classroom (chamorroatalaya et al., 2023). an application created using augmented reality serves as a teaching tool for elementary school pupils to understand the different parts of the hand. with this educational tool, it is believed that instructors will benefit from having an application that serves as a teaching tool for primary school pupils learning about the human body’s parts (rusli et al., 2023). augmented reality employs interactive learning, game-based learning, collaborative learning, and experiential learning for the learning process (hanid et al., 2020). the teachers and students agreed that implementing ar techniques had a beneficial impact on how well they understood science concepts, provided a visual introduction to the subject, and facilitated in-class discussion (karagozlu, 2021). audio elements would make the program more appealing and simpler to use, according to both the students and the professors (karagozlu, 2021). the usage of computer-generated systems for augmented reality (ar) enables users to observe real-world surroundings with virtual things composited onto them (bistaman et al., 2018a). the utilization of innovative educational tools like augmented reality is made possible by the development of technology. a subset of virtual reality is augmented reality (ar). users of ar can view the actual environment with virtual things superimposed or blended in with it (bistaman et al., 2018a). although augmented reality (ar) has the potential to improve educational outcomes, its practical implementation in the classroom must take into account domain-specific, pedagogical, and psychological factors. when creating and incorporating an ar learning environment, tactics like collaborative learning were taken into account. collaboration is the act of working together from one party to another, where they can speak with each other to learn and gain from one another (bistaman et al., 2018a). teachers must take into account integrating this cutting-edge technology to support and improve learning by utilizing computers, multimedia resources, the internet, simulation games, and immersive technology like 3d virtual worlds and augmented reality (bistaman et al., 2018a). in comparison to other forms of technology like multimedia, gaming, and online learning, augmented reality technology offers more promise. even though augmented reality has created new potential to improve the educational system, it is up to educators to recognize emerging technologies and ensure that education is getting better (bistaman, idrus, & rashid, 2018b). augmented reality (ar) is an interactive media that combines developments in image processing, tracking technology, and natural human-computer interaction. to create the educational application utilizing this methodology for actual use in classrooms, domainspecific, pedagogical, and psychological issues must be taken into consideration (bistaman et al., 2018a). due to its capacity to engage pupils in lifelike experiences, augmented reality is attracting scientific interest (alkhattabi, 2017). to have an impact on raising the standard of the learning process, the technologies being utilized, especially augmented reality, must be integrated with the proper learning methodologies. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 394 the success and usefulness of the technology support utilized, such as augmented reality in education, can be influenced by the choice of appropriate learning methodologies (hanid et al., 2020). an emerging technology is augmented reality. ar-based programs are employed more and more in education and training due to their flexibility in fusing real-world and virtual worlds. different ways of distributing educational material and improving student experiences are made possible by the usage of this technology. advantages of augmented reality in teaching-learning the usability results demonstrate that netar is well-liked by users and has a beneficial impact on education (criollo-c et al., 2021). the employment of a tactile interface metaphor for object manipulation could be made possible by ar, which could provide seamless interaction between real and virtual environments (alkhattabi, 2017). ar systems layer other useful 3d virtual items onto the real world so that users can interact with them. with augmented reality, one may interact with all of the virtual information that is overlaid while never losing sight of the real world (criollo-c et al., 2021). the use of augmented reality in teaching facilitates the transfer of new concepts to students, cuts down on class planning time, and enhances teacher-student engagement (karagozlu, 2021). due to its advantages, augmented reality (ar) and mobile learning could be the solution to this modern instructional model, facilitating understanding of instructional content and boosting students’ enthusiasm and interest (criollo-c et al., 2021). due to its variety of applications for various educational levels and disciplines, augmented reality is attracting a lot of attention from educational institutions and professionals in the field of education (criollo-c et al., 2021). in the field of mobile technology, augmented reality has become increasingly significant in recent years due to its ability to make teaching and learning processes easier. an augmented reality prototype has been successfully developed, and this will help to improve instruction at the universidad de ciencias y humanidades because this augmented reality prototype is appropriate for classes in biology, human anatomy, human physiology, microbiology, and parasitology that are part of the professional school of nursing because it teaches through cognitive processes (morales, andrade-arenas, delgado, & huamanı, 2022). applications for numerous academic fields, including mathematics, mechanics, physics, and urban planning, among many others, have proliferated thanks to the adaptability with which this technology is being created (criollo-c et al., 2021). the augmented reality application promotes learning, provides a visual topic introduction, increases the permanence of the topics taught, adds to learning through enjoyment, and positively influences attitudes toward the subject. in their learning process, students get more enthusiastic (karagozlu, 2021). numerous efforts in the fields of augmented reality and mobile learning have been created to create cuttingedge teaching and learning approaches for a variety of academic fields and levels (criollo-c et al., 2021). the professors and students agreed that ar techniques enhanced the learning of science concepts, provided a visual topic introduction, and facilitated inclass discussion (karagozlu, 2021). the use of augmented reality applications will transform the way that education is delivered, allowing for the creation of real-world learning environments that are conducive to a variety of learning preferences (bistaman et al., 2018a). indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 395 an emerging technology is augmented reality. ar-based programs are being utilized more frequently in education, particularly medical education and training, because of their versatility in merging physical and virtual environments. this technology is used to deliver educational material and improve student experiences in a variety of ways (dhar, rocks, samarasinghe, stephenson, & smith, 2021). learning advancements in augmented reality applications develop into fully functional tools that can serve both teachers and students (criollo-c et al., 2021). the integration of augmented reality applications in the classes was beneficial for grabbing students’ attention and maintaining it throughout the lesson (karagozlu, 2021).  the potential of augmented reality technology to increase student interest and motivation while also supporting the teaching and learning process in a classroom (bistaman et al., 2018a). using augmented reality (ar) apps in education, in particular, offers a great deal of promise to improve teaching and learning while also fostering collaborative tasks between teachers and students (bistaman et al., 2018a). primary school teachers have a high acceptance rate for ar and are willing to employ it. the findings also showed that strong motivators might be created by establishing a solid human infrastructure, a suitable ict infrastructure, and it skills (alkhattabi, 2017). in order for students to compete worldwide and keep up with the times, teachers must be able to increase the quality of the learning process in a variety of ways, one of which is by implementing ar-based learning techniques (nurhasanah et al., 2021b). (ropawandi, halim, & husnin, 2022) indicated that augmented reality technology increased students in the experimental group’s knowledge of electrical principles compared to the control group, with a significantly substantial difference between the two groups. this study helps advance augmented reality (ar) technology in education, particularly as it relates to the teaching and understanding of abstract physics ideas. conclusion the twenty-first century brings with it the possibility of living in a world without borders, globalization, internationalization, and the quickening development of information and communication technologies. technology such as augmented reality (ar) makes it possible to create innovative  learning environments and has enormous pedagogic potential. teachers now have a unique chance to help students develop skills for lifetime learning thanks to the trends of learner-centred teaching and pervasive technology use in the classroom. it has a great deal of promise to improve teaching and learning while also fostering collaboration between teachers and students when augmented reality (ar) applications are used in education. innovative learning tools are now possible thanks to technological advancements in education. numerous elements, especially conventional teaching techniques and technological approaches using ar, must be taken into account to ensure the use of this technology in education is done more successfully. ar technology has matured to the point where it can be applied to a much wider range of application domains, and education is an area where this technology could be especially valuable. ar can assist students in many ways and result in productive learning experiences when used with the right educational strategies. another opportunity provided by ar technology is to design more interesting and appealing teaching experiences. the use of augmented indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 396 reality in education has great potential since it can be successfully integrated into both teaching and learning. the implementation of new pedagogies, which promote personalization of learning and integrate both formal and informal learning, is crucial. as they work to encourage the development of skills and competencies for lifelong learning, educators must re-evaluate their use of traditional pedagogies. the education industry may undergo reform if digital learning tools are used effectively and consistently. augmented reality (ar) is revolutionizing teaching and learning by enhancing traditional educational methods with interactive, immersive experiences. ar technology overlays digital content, such as 3d models, animations, or information, onto the real world through devices like smartphones or ar glasses. this dynamic integration of digital elements into the physical environment enables students to engage with complex concepts in a more visual and interactive manner, making learning more engaging and effective. ar can be used in various subjects, from history to science, and offers opportunities for hands-on exploration and problemsolving, ultimately fostering deeper understanding and retention of knowledge. references ali, d. f., johari, n., & ahmad, a. r. (2023). the effect of augmented reality mobile learning in microeconomic course. international journal of evaluation and research in education, 12(2), 859–866. https://doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v12i2.24943 alkhattabi, m. (2017). augmented reality as e-learning tool in primary schools’ education: barriers to teachers’ adoption. international journal of emerging technologies in learning, 12(2), 91–100. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet. v12i02.6158 bistaman, i. n. m., idrus, s. z. s., & rashid, s. a. (2018a). the use of augmented reality technology for primary school education in perlis, malaysia. in journal of physics: conference series (vol. 1019). institute of physics publishing. https://doi. org/10.1088/1742-6596/1019/1/012064 bistaman, i. n. m., idrus, s. z. s., & rashid, s. a. (2018b). the use of augmented reality technology for primary school education in perlis, malaysia. journal of physics: conference series, 1019(1), 0–9. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1019/1/012064 blaschke, l. m., & hase, s. (2019). heutagogy and digital media networks: setting students on the path to lifelong learning. pacific journal of technology enhanced learning, 1(1), 1. chamorro-atalaya, o., morales-romero, g., quispe-andía, a., quispe-guía, s., guíaaltamirano, t., auqui-ramos, e., arévalo-tuesta, j. a. (2023). contribution of augmented reality in teaching and learning, in the midst of covid-19: systematic review. international journal of learning, teaching and educational research, 22(2), 302–322. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.22.2.17 criollo-c, s., abad-vásquez, d., martic-nieto, m., velásquez-g, f. a., pérez-medina, j. l., & luján-mora, s. (2021). towards a new learning experience through a mobile application with augmented reality in engineering education. applied sciences (switzerland), 11(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/app11114921 david, s. (2017). practical heutagogy: promoting personalised learning in management education. adult learning, 31(4), 161–174. https://doi.org/https://doi. org/10.1177/1045159520905364 dhar, p., rocks, t., samarasinghe, r. m., stephenson, g., & smith, c. (2021). augmented reality in medical education: students’ experiences and learning outcomes. medical education online. https://doi.org/10.1080/10872981.2021.1953953 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 397 hanid, m. f. a., haruzuan, m. n., said, m., & yahaya, n. (2020). learning strategies using augmented reality technology in education: meta-analysis. universal journal of educational research, 8(5 a), 51–56. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2020.081908 hidayat, sukmawarti, & suwanto. (2021). the application of augmented reality in elementary school education. research, society and development, 10(3), e14910312823. https://doi. org/10.33448/rsd-v10i3.12823 karagozlu, d. (2021). creating a sustainable education environment with augmented reality technology. sustainability (switzerland), 13(11), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.3390/ su13115851 manna, m. (2023). teachers as augmented reality designers: a study on italian as a foreign language teacher perceptions. international journal of mobile and blended learning, 15(2), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.4018/ijmbl.318667 morales, s. a. h., andrade-arenas, l., delgado, a., & huamanı, e. l. (2022). augmented reality: prototype for the teaching-learning process in peru. international journal of advanced computer science and applications, 13(1), 806–815. https://doi.org/10.14569/ ijacsa.2022.0130194 mozaffari, s., & hamidi, h. r. (2023). impacts of augmented reality on foreign language teaching: a case study of persian language. multimedia tools and applications, 82(3), 4735–4748. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-022-13370-5 nurhasanah, s., abdurrahman, a., andra, d., & herlina, k. (2021a). augmented reality (ar) in physics learning: opportunities to improve teacher and student interaction in online learning. indonesian journal of science and mathematics education, 4(2), 145–157. https://doi.org/10.24042/ijsme.v4i2.8486 nurhasanah, s., abdurrahman, a., andra, d., & herlina, k. (2021b). augmented reality (ar) in physics learning: opportunities to improve teacher and student interaction in online learning. indonesian journal of science and mathematics education, 4(2). https://doi. org/10.24042/ijsme.v4i2.8486 ropawandi, d., halim, l., & husnin, h. (2022). augmented reality (ar) technology-based learning: the effect on physics learning during the covid-19 pandemic. international journal of information and education technology, 12(2), 132–140. https://doi.org/10.18178/ ijiet.2022.12.2.1596 rusli, r., nalanda, d. a., tarmidi, a. d. v., suryaningrum, k. m., & yunanda, r. (2023). augmented reality for studying hands on the human body for elementary school students. procedia computer science, 216(2020), 237–244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. procs.2022.12.132 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 20 research article teacher satisfaction with online teaching: an exploration of the role of social support annie james1 & malini r.2 1m. sc. psychology, research and post graduate department of psychology, union christian college, aluva, kerala, e-mail: anniethenganakunnel@gmail.com 2assistant professor, research and post graduate department of psychology, union christian college, aluva, kerala, e-mail: malinir@uccollege.edu.in abstract the present study aimed to investigate the relationship between burnout, social supportwith job satisfaction of high school teachers in the context of online teaching and to identify the best predictor of job satisfaction. the study was done on 77 high school teachers (39 females, 38 males) who have been using online teaching methods for the last 6 months and belong to the age range of 22-50 years. following a survey research design, measures of burnout, social support, and job satisfaction were taken using the maslach burnout inventory (1981), multidimensional scale of perceived social support (zimet, dahle, zimet & farley, 1988) and job satisfaction scale (dixit, 1993), respectively. data analysis using pearson’s correlation method suggested significant moderate negative correlation between burnout and job satisfaction and a moderate positive correlation between social support and job satisfaction. results of  multiple regression analysis revealed a significant contribution of social support as well as burnout in influencing job satisfaction (43 per cent).  social support emerged as the most significant predictor of job satisfaction. practical implications of the findings are discussed. keywords: burnout, job satisfaction, social support, online teaching introduction learning and teaching methodologies have undergone tremendous changes with the advent of the covid-19 pandemic.  online teaching became inevitable in india in a situation when the government introduced lockdown with all educational institutions closed and there was no opportunity for teachers or students to be physically present in classroom settings. the sudden shift from the traditional mode of teaching to the not much familiar technological mode has been challenging for both teachers and students.  researchers and educationalists across the world have been trying to understand the effectiveness of different methods of online learning and teaching (joshi, vinay, & bhaskar, 2020). so, the impact it has on students and teachers has also been a matter of discussion among educationists (varanasi, vashistha, kizilcec & dell, 2020). most of the teachers were new to the technical aspects of using the online mode of teaching though they have been exposed to the internet tools.  so, teachers have reported a lack of experience in online teaching, difficulty in communicating with students in the online mode, getting their attention, eliciting responses from them, and poor academic performance of students as causing difficulty in online teaching (ma, chutiyami, zhang, indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 21 & nicoll, 2021).  certain other studies have indicated that the non-availability of the internet and devices, speed of internet connection, and poor student motivation were the major challenges teachers encounter (rana & kumari, 2021). certainly, a drastic shift to a new model of teaching and learning will pose difficulties, mostly for teachers who were forced to use the new system (singh, gupta, & yadav, 2021). there are instances in which such difficulties result in burnout. the term ‘burnout’ has originated from the writings of freudenberger (1974) when he studied professionals mostly in healthcare settings, which was further elaborated by maslach (1978) who operationalized burnout to have three dimensions, viz., emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment (maslach, schaufeli & leiter, 2001). maslach perceives that burnout tends to occur in people in any kind of profession which results from their belief of not being able to make a positive change in the system and feeling emotionally drained due to the working conditions. emotional exhaustion is a state in which a person realises that he has no more resources available to deal with stressful situations. depersonalization involves a situation when a person turns cynical and develops a negative approach towards people. poor personal accomplishment develops out of feelings of work dissatisfaction. studies have been conducted in the past which have identified increased burnout in teachers, mostly attributed to a greater number of students to be managed in online classrooms (jurjević, đuranović, & olčar, 2021). teachers pursuing online instruction tend to experience average levels of emotional exhaustion, a high degree of depersonalization and a low level of personal accomplishment (hogan & mcknight, 2007). a recent survey conducted among school teachers in india has identified 13 per cent of them as experiencing high levels of work stress and 66 per cent having moderate levels resulting in burnout (kumawat, 2020). burnout can be one of the outcomes of excessive work stress which may have adverse effects on not only teacher productivity but also on the physical and mental health of teachers (roeser et al, 2013).  so, researchers in the past have identified that increased burnout can result in low job satisfaction (domitrivich et al, 2016).  the term `job satisfaction’ was first utilized by hoppock in 1935, referring to a combination of psychological, physiological and environmental circumstances that make a person feel satisfied with his job. teachers with high levels of stress were found to exhibit lower levels of job satisfaction.  burnout has been identified as leading to low job performance thereby affecting productivity.  emotional exhaustion has been identified as one of the components of burnout and that which is related to professional stress (freudenberger, 1974). psychologists have tried to address the issue of burnout among professionals and most have focussed on charting interventions intended to increase the coping ability of people. it is in this context that we think of measures to reduce stress, and social support has been identified as a key resource which enables one to deal with stress.  social support has been assumed as having a moderating effect on the experience of stress. social support can be defined as the supportive interactions or exchanges of resources between people in both formal and informal relationships (house, umberson, & landis, 1981). this involves providing emotional support, instrumental support, appraisal support, and informational support. social support is considered as an external resource which helps indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 22 the employees to balance work and family roles because it gives them extra time, energy, and contentment (ten brummelhuis et al., 2012). employees then have enough personal resources to deal with their family demands, thereby preventing those demands from obstructing performance at work. individuals possessing greater social support are generally found to have better physical and mental health. similar studies on the relationship between burnout and social support have led us to believe that the latter can have a positive effect on burn out (fiorilli, gabola, pepe, meylan, curchodruedi, albanese, & doudin (2015). significance of the study a review of extant literature available suggests that burnout is an inevitable result of excessive demands placed on individuals owing to the nature of the job as well as the resources individuals possess in meeting those demands.  in the context of online teaching and learning, it is undeniable that the shift to a new system of teaching poses several challenges to teachers. teachers tend to experience considerable levels of burnout and meeting the demands of work can be challenging which can result in job dissatisfaction. factors such as social support have been identified in previous studies as acting as buffers in reducing burnout and dissatisfaction. this concern is more relevant, especially in the context in which the entire teaching-learning process has shifted to the online mode and teachers are adapting to the ‘new normal’. the challenges placed on teachers are manifold in this respect. though relevant research has been done in this area in the western culture, very few studies have tried to understand the most important predictor among them, especially in the indian context. the present study was therefore undertaken to identify the influence played by social support beyond burnout, if any, in influencing job satisfaction. objectives 1. to understand the nature and extent of the correlation between burnout, social support, and job satisfaction. 2. to find out the most important predictor of job satisfaction among the variables of burnout and social support. hypotheses the following hypotheses were proposed:1. there will be no significant negative relationship between burnout and job satisfaction. 2. there will be no significant relationship between social support and job satisfaction. 3. there will be no significant relationship between social support and burnout. 4. there will be no significant predictive relationship between burnout and job satisfaction. 5. there will be no significant predictive relationship between social support and job satisfaction. operational definition of variables burnout is a state in which a person becomes exhausted in all aspects of physical and emotional well-being and feels that he or she is overwhelmed, emotionally drained and unable to meet the constant demands of a job. job satisfaction is the extent to which an individual feels selfmotivated, and satisfied in terms of the intrinsic and extrinsic aspects of a job. social support is defined in terms of the supportive network an individual perceives as received from family, friends, and significant others. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 23 method participants the participants in the study consisted of 77 teachers (39 females and 38 males), teaching in high school classes, and working in different schools (both cbse and state syllabus) in the idukki district in kerala. the age range of the participants was from 21 to 50 years.    teachers with significant psychological issues were excluded from the study as it could be an extraneous variable which may unduly influence the outcome variable. only teachers who had at least two years of teaching experience and using an online method of teaching for the past 6 months were included in the study. research design the present study followed a descriptive survey research design with data collection following the appropriate steps. measures the following measures were used for data collection:1. personal information schedule the information related to sociodemographic variables of the participants was collected using the information schedule developed by the investigators. 2. maslach burnout inventory the scale developed by maslach and jackson (1981) was used to get a measure of burnout. it is a 22-item scale  with a 7-point rating of responses varying from very mild (0) to very strong (7). it assesses three dimensions of job burnout, viz., emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personalization accomplishment which are independent of each other. high scores on emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and low scores on personal accomplishment are indicative of high burnout.  the test-retest reliability scores range from .6 to .82. the concurrent and construct validity of the scale have also been established. 3.  job satisfaction scale the test developed by dixit (1993) was used to assess participants’ job satisfaction. it consists of 52 items with a five-point scale rating, meant to assess different dimensions, viz.,  the intrinsic aspect of job, salary, promotion avenues and service conditions, physical facilities, institutional plans, and policies, satisfaction with authorities, satisfaction with social status and family welfare, rapport with students and relationship with coworkers. a high score on the scale indicates greater job satisfaction and vice-versa. the scale has splithalf reliability of .92 and test-retest reliability of .86. 4.  multidimensional scale of perceived social support the multidimensional scale of perceived social support (zimet, dahle, zimet & farley, 1988) was used to assess social support. the scale consists of 12 items which measure perceived social support from three different sources namely, family, friends, and significant others. each dimension includes four items with a range of answers from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (7). the total scores on the scale range from 12 to 84.  the scale shows high reliability of 0.91 with a reliability of 0.94, 0.90 and 0.95 for friends, family, and significant others, respectively. the scale has both construct and concurrent validity. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 24 procedure the data was collected using the measuring instruments. prior permission from heads of schools was obtained and consent was taken from teachers regarding their willingness to participate in the research. the participants were assured confidentiality and anonymity of responses and that it was explained to them that the data collected would be used for research purposes only. data was collected from those teachers who consented to participate. data analysis the collected data were subjected to statistical analysis using spss 21. the data was checked to find out whether the assumptions of normality were met. descriptive statistics were obtained following which karl pearson’s method of correlation was employed to identify the relationship among the variables under study. to understand the predictive properties of the variables, multiple linear regression analysis was used with the variables, viz., emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal accomplishment, and social support as predictor variables and job satisfaction as the outcome variable. results the results obtained are presented in the following sections. the scores obtained in the study variables were examined for the whole group of participants and it was identified that 66 per cent of teachers experienced at least a moderate degree of emotional exhaustion and 92 per cent experienced a high level of depersonalization. it should also be noted that 54 per cent of teachers had feelings of personal accomplishment while nearly 81 per cent of participants experienced a high level of social support. the mean score obtained in job satisfaction also indicates that almost all the participants had at least a moderate level of job satisfaction. similar results have been obtained in recent studies (hogan & mcknight, 2007). descriptive statistics and correlations table 1 presents the descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations, minimum and maximum values) and correlations of the study variables. table-1: means, standard deviations and correlations for the study variables variables mean sd 1 2 3 4 emotional exhaustion 25.38 8.654 depersonalization 16.21 4.908 .768** personal accomplishment 33.55 6.290 .395** .440** social support 68.61 10.784 -.413** -.366** -.025 job satisfaction 212.69 23.884 -.452** -.310** .098 .562** the first hypothesis was intended to identify whether there exists a negative correlation between burnout and job satisfaction. the results of pearson’s correlation suggest a moderate negative correlation between the variables (table 1).  indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 25 the second hypothesis was meant to understand the relationship between social support and job satisfaction and a moderate positive correlation was found between the variables. similarly, the third hypothesis assumed to test whether there is a negative relationship between social support and burnout and the result was found to be statistically significant and the variables were negatively correlated.  results of multiple regression analysis since the bivariate analysis of the data using pearson’s correlation method revealed a significant correlation of variables to job satisfaction, an effort was taken to identify the best variables which could predict job satisfaction after taking into consideration the inter-correlation among the variables (hypotheses 4 and 5). multiple regression analysis was used for this purpose and hence the data was analyzed with job satisfaction as the outcome variable and emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal accomplishment and social support as predictor variables. the results obtained are presented in table 2. table-2: results of regression analysis done with job satisfaction as outcome variable (n=77) predictor variables r r square r square change unstandardized coefficients standardized coefficients t sig. b std. error beta constant 127.339 14.693 8.667 .000 social support .562 .315 .315 1.244 .212 .562 5.879 .000 emotional exhaustion .612 .374 .059 -.734 .279 -.266 -2.634 .010 personal accomplishment .656 .430 .056 .989 .370 .260 2.670 .009 it may be seen from the table that the final regression equation contains three variables, namely social support, emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment. these variables together could account for 43 per cent of variance in job satisfaction. about 31.5 per cent of the variance in job satisfaction could be accounted for by social support and 5.9 per cent of additional variance could be explained by emotional exhaustion while the remaining 5.6 per cent is attributed to personal accomplishment. depersonalization, one of the variables of burnout, was found to be removed from the regression equation and was not found to be a significant predictor of job satisfaction. discussion the present study examined the nature of the relationship between the variables of burnout, viz., emotional indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 26 exhaustion, depersonalization, personal accomplishment and social support with job satisfaction. on examining the results, it could be concluded that there exists a moderate negative relationship between emotional exhaustion and job satisfaction. similar was the case with the relationship between depersonalization and job satisfaction. social support was found to be positively correlated with job satisfaction.  social support was found to have the highest correlations with job satisfaction when compared to other predictor variables. social support was also found to have a negative relationship with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, while it was not found to have any relationship with personal accomplishment.  burnout occurs when an individual feels that he or she is overwhelmed, emotionally drained and unable to meet the constant demands of a job. the participant teachers were found to experience a high level of emotional exhaustion which was negatively related to job satisfaction. the demands placed by online teaching may result in the emotional drain, thereby affecting one’s sense of contentment with his job. similar findings were reported by some researchers (koustelios & tsigilis, 2005) who found that intrinsic aspects of job satisfaction seemed to correlate stronger to burnout than the extrinsic factors. on the other hand, the participant teachers in the present study were found to have a higher sense of personal accomplishment.  job satisfaction happens when individuals feel that they have a stable job and career growth. the present study group was found to have a moderate to a high level of job satisfaction. a high level of sense of personal accomplishment was also found to be positively related to job satisfaction. similarly, when people have a very good amount of social support, they get motivated to achieve different and difficult goals in their lives. online classes must become a necessity during this pandemic period. teachers need a great deal of  support from their family and friends so that they could handle their daily household chores while managing stress in their professional life. it is also important that some teachers lack knowledge on the technical side and hence need assistance to carry out the tasks assigned to them. the hypothesis that there will be no significant relationship between social support and job satisfaction is rejected. similar findings were reported by kumar (2015) that better social support results in higher job satisfaction. the identification of social support as the most important predictor variable in the present study reiterates the significance of the support system in influencing job satisfaction. it was observed that lower levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization combined with higher levels of social support can result in greater job satisfaction. it was also found that there was no correlation between personal accomplishment and social support, while a moderate relationship was seen between social support and emotional exhaustion as well as depersonalization. greater social support may be related to a lesser degree of burnout. the size of the personal support network was positively related to personal achievement. when people have an adequate amount of social support, they feel self-motivated. recognition and rewards from the institution can increase job satisfaction in teachers. teachers need external support during this pandemic period in particular as teaching in the online mode is the only option available to them and hence they need to manage whatever difficulties are encountered. some teachers may find it difficult to cope with the new technologies and therefore, it is necessary that those around provide assistance whenever they need any help. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 27 conclusions and implications it was identified in the present study that a lesser degree of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization along with greater social support predicts job satisfaction. the participant teachers were found to experience emotional exhaustion, as well as depersonalization while a large majority tends to have high levels of personal accomplishment. they were also found to have a moderate level of social support and job satisfaction. social support was found to emerge as the most significant predictor of job satisfaction. hence, it may be assumed that the increased social support available to teachers may help them to ease out the negative effects of work stress related to online teaching. though the specific factors that contribute to burnout could not be explored in the present study, it was identified that teachers experience considerable burnout. further studies could therefore focus on identifying the specific variables contributing to increased emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. the greater sense of personal accomplishment perceived by teachers is a positive aspect identified in the present study. however it was not identified as a predictor of job satisfaction. studies in the future can focus on finding out the moderating effect of social support on the relationship between burnout and job satisfaction. the findings of the study indicate the need to build awareness among families and school administration to provide support for teachers during the days of online teaching. the positive effect of social support identified in the present study could be further utilized by 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(2012). a resource perspective on the work home interface: the work-home resources model. american psychologist, 67, 545–556. https://.doi.org/10.1037/a0027974. varanasi, r. a., vashistha, a., kizilzec, r. f., & dell, n. (2021). investigating technostress among teachers in low-income indian schools. proceedings of the acm on human-computer interaction cscw, 1-29. zimet, g. d., dahlem, n. w., zimet, s. g., & farley, g. k. (1988). the multidimensional scale of perceived social support. journal of personality assessment, 52(1), 30 41. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa5201_2 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 94 research article effectiveness of blended teaching approach on students’ achievement to learn english: an experimental study sumit paroi1 & mousumi periwal2 1assistant professor, department of education, kazi nazrul university asansol, west bengal 2ph.d research scholar, department of education, kazi nazrul university asansol, west bengal email: mou.periwaledu@gmail.com abstract the present study aims to investigate the effectiveness of the blended teaching approach on students’ achievement to learn the pedagogy of the english language. an experimental research strategy with a pretest-posttest equivalent groups design was used. the study sample comprised 28 b. ed students who were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. the experimental group studied the pedagogy of the english language through a blended teaching approach, an integration of e-learning with traditional face-to-face learning, whereas the control group was instructed solely by the latter. an achievement test was administered between the two groups before and after the experimental treatment. the result of the t-test revealed statistically significant differences between the two groups in the post-achievement test, indicating that the experimental group outperformed the control group. significant differences were also found in the mean achievement scores of the experimental group before and after the treatment, signifying the effectiveness of the blended teaching approach for learning the pedagogy of the english language. keywords: blended teaching, effective learning, e-learning, english pedagogy, students’ achievement, traditional teaching introduction teaching cannot be defined separately from learning. it is guiding and facilitates learning, enabling the learner to learn. a teacher’s responsibility is thus multifaceted: it is to assist learning, to help learners on their learning path, to know when to intervene (with suggestions, explanations, and encouragements), and when to stand aside and observe (king, 2016). in the current digital era, learners have become technology-oriented, which the teacher must leverage to the fullest extent possible, as learning occurs everywhere and at any time, not just in the classroom. students can’t be ‘taught’ – they can only be helped to learn. in a studentcentred classroom, a teacher’s role is to support and encourage students to develop their skills, but without relinquishing their traditional role as a source of information, advice and knowledge. here, the teacher and the students are a team working together. (jones, 2007, p.25) this becomes true when a blended approach to teaching-learning is practised. it empowers the learners by providing them rich interactive input, giving them just-in-time support, assisting them in becoming independent learners and encouraging them to find new knowledge. thus, the term ‘blended’ means combining different learning environments in integrated way−either indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 95 learning in the classroom with the teacher’s help and support or learning online more independently or with peer support (king, 2016). as marsh (2012) remarks, “today blended  learning can refer to any combination of different methods of learning, different learning environments, different learning styles” (p.3). moreover, blended learning is a modern educational strategy that aims at interactive learning, resulting in the blending or mixing of a teacher’s role in a traditional classroom with that of a virtual one (oweis, 2018). in short, the effective implementation of blended  teaching is to achieve the ‘optimal’ learning environment (marsh, 2012). context of the study the rapid development of information and communication technology (ict) has transformed the medium of instruction adopted by academicians to deliver the course content. most of the teacher educators aiming at effective and joyful learning often intend for a blended approach where e-learning coincides with traditional face-to-face learning. is this blended approach better than the conventional face-toface approach? is blended teaching an effective tool for learning the pedagogy of the english language in a bachelor of education (b. ed) course? can any significant differences be found between the mean achievement scores of the students learning the pedagogy of the english language based on teaching style, blended or traditional? the present study sought to answer these questions. objectives of the study the objectives of the present study can be stated as follows: • to compare the mean achievement scores of the experimental and the control groups before the experimental treatment. • to compare the mean achievement scores of the experimental and the control groups after the experimental treatment. • to compare the mean achievement scores of the experimental group before and after the experimental treatment. • to suggest an effective method for teaching english language pedagogy based on the findings of the study. hypotheses the study has tested the following hypotheses: ho 1: there is no significant difference between the mean achievement scores of the experimental and the control groups before the experimental treatment. ho 2: there is no significant difference between the mean achievement scores of the experimental and the control groups after the experimental treatment. ho 3: there is no significant difference in the mean achievement scores of the experimental group before and after the experimental treatment. significance of the study the significance of the study stems from the following considerations: according to the american society for training and development, blended teaching-learning is one of the top ten knowledge delivery trends (bawadi, 2009). teachers, as we all know, are the engineers of our society. as a result, in a teacher training institution, a mixed approach to teaching and learning will assist student indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 96 teachers in becoming effective and competent instructors for our future society. instilling in all teacher training institutions a culture of blended teaching to achieve the “ideal” language learning environment. teacher educators will gain an understanding of the efficacy of a blended approach, while teaching the pedagogy of the english language to students. literature review several research studies have been carried out to find various aspects of blended teaching methodologies in the context of english language learning. harker and koutsantoni (2005) investigated the impact of blended learning on the effectiveness of english for academic purposes (eap) curriculum for students of various ethnic origins. comparisons on student retention, achievement levels and satisfaction with the program between the two groups suggested that performance and satisfaction levels were similar in the two groups, the blended learning model being significantly superior only in terms of student retention. faced with the need to teach english to a large number of students, banados (2006) developed an innovative communicative english program using ict at the universidad de concepción in chile, consisting of four modules taught across four academic terms. the results demonstrated that the blended learning model, combined with an online interactive multimedia language learning environment, was effective in enhancing students’ language skills according to badawi (2009), blended learning is effective in strengthening prospective teachers’ pedagogical knowledge. however, in terms of gaining prospective teachers’ pedagogical performance, there was no significant difference between face-to-face and blended learning. dowling, godfrey, and gyles (2010) explored the connection between students’ learning results and two different teaching models: traditional face-to-face and hybrid flexible delivery. according to the findings, the hybrid flexible delivery model increased learning outcomes and was more positively associated with students’ final grades. yoon and lee (2010) explored students’ opinions and the effectiveness of blended learning as a teaching technique in an esl writing session. blended learning improved students’ writing skills and motivation, as well as promoted  skills such as interaction, autonomy, and collaboration. pardede (2012) reviewed existing ideas, practices, and empirical information concerning the nature of blended learning in general and computerassisted language learning (call), a version of blended learning mainly used in english language teaching (elt), in particular. the study showed that call with its variety of activity types enhanced efl students’ achievement. al zumor (2013) investigated english as a foreign language (efl), students’ views regarding the advantages and limitations of merging the features of face-to-face language instruction and online language learning via the blackboard learning management system. the author measured the correlations among students’ grade point average (gpa), experience with blended learning and computer literacy. the result showed the clear advantages of the new experience, i.e. blended learning in improving and enriching students’ english language skills. alseweed (2013) looked into the effects of traditional, blended, and indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 97 virtual classroom learning on university students’ achievement and attitudes. results indicated significant differences among the instructional approaches in the achievement test scores and students’ attitudes in favour of blended learning. banditvilai (2016) did a case study to examine the role of blended learning in improving english learners’ language abilities and learning autonomy. the findings suggested that using an online approach in conjunction with classroom training enhanced language learners’ language skills, and their autonomy and motivation. ghazizadeh and fatemipour (2017) investigated the impact of blended learning on the development of reading skills among iranian english language learners in a quasi-experimental study. the researchers discovered that blended learning had a statistically significant positive effect on efl learners’ reading proficiency after comparing the two groups, experimental and control, using a t-test. tawil (2018) did a meta-analysis on the blended learning strategy and its application in language instruction. according to the findings, blending learning improved the learner’s experience of a new language and increased efficiency in communication and practice. the above review of the literature reveals that the blended approach became a core research area for many scholars. although there is enough theoretical and procedural evidence on the blended approach of teaching− learning favouring its effectiveness, no studies have examined the effectiveness of using the blended teaching approach on students’ achievement to learn the pedagogy of the english language in a teacher training college. this aids the researchers conducting the present study. methodology variable the study included the following variables: (a) independent variables are the two types of teaching approaches, one blended and another is face to face or traditional. (b) achievement test in english is taken as the dependent variable. sample the sample of the study consisted of 28 b. ed students in english from hooghly b. c. roy institute, a teacher training college. all these selected participants were randomly divided into two equivalent groups where; the first was the experimental and the second was the control group, and they studied the pedagogy of the english language via blended and traditional teaching approaches, respectively. research design an experimental research design with pretest-posttest equivalent groups is chosen by the researchers for the present study. the study followed a pre-test, treatment, and post-test procedure. this design is expressed as follows: table-1: design of the study group pretest score treatment posttest score experimental o1 x1 o2 control o3 x2 o4 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 98 [here, x1 is the blended teaching approach and x2 is traditional teaching approach] tools blended learning course: the researchers developed a blended learning course based on four topics of the pedagogy of the english language and prepared different study materials like audio-visual videos, powerpoint slides, and the google meet platform were used for online learning. achievement test: a self-made achievement test was constructed by the researchers which consist of twenty questions with four options for each one from the topics covered under the area of pedagogy of the english language. study procedures the study was applied according to the following procedures: the researchers constructed an achievement test based on the basic knowledge regarding the pedagogy of the english language and applied it to both the groups, i.e. experimental and control to ensure homogeneity of the samples. the students of the experimental group were taught the pedagogy of the english language through a blended approach of teaching− learning for four weeks. this blended course was designed by the researchers to provide the basic knowledge and practices of pedagogy of the english language to the students of the b. ed course. four topics were selected from the prescribed syllabus of the university of burdwan b. ed 2nd semester. the topics were: methods and approaches to teaching english, simulated teaching with its skills and component areas, pedagogical analysis of the english language and utilization of learning resources in language teaching. the researchers developed different study materials including videos, powerpoint presentations, etc. from the selected topics and uploaded them on the whatsapp group, made particularly for the students of the blended course. besides attending regular face-toface learning the students received online synchronous learning on the google meet platform. at the same time, students of the control group were instructed on the same topics using the regular educational materials, i.e. textbooks and a traditional face-to-face approach. after the completion of different approaches to teaching-learning to both groups, an achievement test was administered. the researchers calculated the mean scores from the pre and post-achievement tests and employed a t-test through statistical package for the social sciences (spss). data collection according to the study procedures, the researchers collected empirical data from the participants using achievement tests. results and discussion to test the hypotheses of the study and determine the effectiveness of using a blended teaching approach on students’ achievement, descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation and both independent and dependent sample t-tests were employed. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 99 null hypothesis 1: table-2: significance of difference between mean scores of the experimental and control groups on pre achievement test (o1 and o3) group n mean std. deviation std. error mean std. error difference t df sig 2-tail experimental 14 9 2.320 0.620 0.875 0.571 26 0.573 control 14 8.5 2.312 0.617 table 2 demonstrates the similar mean scores of both the experimental and control groups, i.e. 9 and 8.5 respectively on the pre-achievement test. here, the computed value of t, i.e. 0.571 is quite smaller than the critical table values 2.06 and 2.78 with 26 degrees of freedom at 0.05 and 0.01 levels of significance, respectively. so, the result is insignificant and the null hypothesis cannot be rejected. the result assures that there is no significant difference between the mean scores of the experimental and control groups before treatment. the two groups were equal in terms of their basic knowledge regarding the pedagogy of the english language which in turn assures sample homogeneity before the experimental treatment. the below pictorial representation explicitly justifies the null hypothesis. figure-1: achievement scores of the experimental and control groups before treatment null hypothesis 2: table-3: significance of difference between mean scores of the experimental and control groups on post achievement test (o2 and o4) group n mean std. deviation std. error mean std. error difference t df sig 2-tail experimental 14 16 1.839 0.491 0.646 7.737 26 0.000 control 14 11 1.568 0.419 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 100 as displayed in table 3, the mean score of the experimental group 16 is higher than the mean score of the control group 11 on the post-achievement test. here, the computed value of t, i.e. 7.737 exceeds the critical table values 2.06 and 2.78 with 26 degrees of freedom both at 0.05 and 0.01 levels of significance, respectively. therefore, the result is statistically significant and the null hypothesis is rejected at both levels of significance. the result shows a significant difference between the mean achievement scores of the experimental and the control group after receiving the treatment. the difference between the mean scores is entirely trustworthy and dependable to say that the blended approach is more effective as a teaching method than the traditional face-to-face method. the following graphical presentation depicts higher achievement scores of the experimental group, which supports the use of blended teaching methods. figure-2: achievement scores of the experimental and control groups after treatment null hypothesis 3: table-4: significance of difference between mean scores of the experimental group on pre and post-achievement tests (o1 and o2) group n mean std. deviation std. error mean std. error difference t df sig 2-tail experimental 14 9 2.320 0.620 0.288 -10.429 13 0.000 control 14 11 1.839 0.491 as shown in table 4, the mean score of the experimental group, i.e. 16 on the post-achievement test is higher than the mean score i.e. 9 of the same group on the pre-achievement test. for the significance at the 5 per cent and 1 per cent levels, the critical table values are 2.16 and 3.01 with 13 degrees of freedom, respectively. here, the computed value of t i.e. -10.428 crosses the critical table values at 0.05 and 0.01 levels of significance. hence, indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 101 it is to be taken as significant, resulting in the rejection of the null hypothesis. consequently, it can be said that there exists a significant difference between the pre and post-achievement test scores. the significant difference between the mean scores helps to justify that the blended teaching approach proves more fruitful than the regular teaching method. the improved mean achievement score of the experimental group is highlighted in figure-3. figure-3: pre-test and post-test scores of the experimental group the result shows that learning in a blended environment is more effective and valuable than the traditional teaching-learning method. the findings reveal that the students who learned using a blended approach performed better and secured higher scores in their achievement tests. a blended approach provides the optimum conditions for students to be successful. therefore, the result of the study implies some suggestions for language teachers to use different teaching approaches so that the learning becomes fruitful and effective. conclusion this study has investigated the learning outcome of the students taught with traditional and blended approaches in a teacher training college. the findings in favour of the blended teaching approach indicate that a blended course provides a comprehensive and comparable learning environment to traditional teaching-learning. it creates a harmonious balance between faceto-face human interaction and online access to learning. regarding this once hinkelman (2005) remarked: ‘blended’ is not a single approach or a separate alternative to online/ classroom environments, but rather a flexible continuum of various language learning environments. in such a paradigm, there can be no definition of an ‘online task’ that is separate from a ‘classroom task’. the aim of blended learning is then to span this continuum, defining and describing tasks that encompass the different environments. (p. 19) such an approach indeed provides the optimum environment for the students of the english language to learn with more interaction and collaboration. as kocoglu, ozek and kesli (2011) commented, “by combining online classes and face-to-face learning, a teacher education program can increase its convenience, flexibility, access, and efficiency while maintaining the quality of the program” (p.1131). as a result, the indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 102 findings of this study may encourage teacher educators to incorporate the blended approach into their teacher training programmes, particularly in the pedagogy of the english language. recommendations this study recommends the following based on the results: in view of the study’s findings, which show that students perform better when a blended teaching strategy is used, computerised teaching and traditional face-to-face teaching methods must be used in the classroom when teaching english. further, studies on students’ motivational aspects and attitudes towards blended learning, virtual learning, and traditional learning are suggested to be conducted in the future. more research is needed to address the various teaching-learning approaches that use e-learning environments in conjunction with other english courses. (acknowledgement: the authors wholeheartedly acknowledge all the participants of hooghly b. c. roy institute for their involvement in the experiment.) references alseweed, m. a. (2013). students’ achievement and attitudes toward using traditional learning, blended learning, and virtual classes learning in teaching and learning at the university level. studies in literature and language, 6(1), 65-73. http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/n al zumor, a. w. q., al refaai i. k., eddin e. a. b., & al-rahman f. h. a. (2013). efl students’ perceptions of a blended learning environment: advantages, limitations and suggestions for improvement. english language teaching, 6(10), 95-110. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ej1077093.pdf badawi, m. f. (2009, march 14-15). using blended learning for enhanced efl prospective teachers’ pedagogical knowledge and performance [conference paper]. learning and language-the spirit of the age, ain shams university, cairo, egypt. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ed504993.pdf banados, e. (2006). a blended-learning pedagogical model for teaching and learning efl successfully through an online interactive multimedia environment. calico journal, 23(3), 533-550. http://dx.doi.org/10.1558/cj.v23i3.533-550 banditvilai, c. (2016). enhancing students’ language skills through blended learning. electronic journal of e-learning, 14(3), 220-229. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ej1107134.pdf dowling, c., godfrey, j.m., & gyles, n. (2003). do hybrid flexible delivery teaching methods improve accounting students’ learning outcomes? accounting education, 12(4), 373-391. https://doi.org/10.1080/0963928032000154512 ghazizadeh, t., & fatemipour, h. (2017). the effect of blended learning on efl learners’ reading proficiency. journal of language teaching and research, 8(3), 606-614. http://dx.doi.org/10.17507/jltr.0803.21 harker, m. & koutsantoni, d. (2005). can it be as effective? distance versus blended learning in a web-based eap programme. recall, 17(2), 197-216. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 103 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s095834400500042x hinkelman, d. (2005). blended learning: issues driving an end to laboratory-based call. jalt hokkaido journal, 9, 17-31. http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/ download?doi=10.1.1.538.5102&rep=rep1&type=pdf jones, l. (2007). the student-centered classroom. cambridge university press. https://mail.brettwilkin.com/phocadownload/studentcentredclassroom/ jones-student-centered.pdf king, a. (2016). blended language learning: part of the cambridge papers in elt series. cambridge university press. https://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/ wp-content/uploads/2017/06/cambridgepapersinelt_blendedlearning_2 016.pdf kocoglu, z., ozek, y., & kesli, y. (2011). blended learning: investigating its potential in an english language teacher training program. australasian journal of educational technology, 27(7), 1124-1134. https://ajet.org.au/index.php/ ajet/article/view/908/185 marsh, d. (2012). blended learning: creating learning opportunities for language learners. cambridge university press. https://www.academia.edu/3331650/ blended_learning_creating_learning_opportunities_for_language_ learners oweis, t.i. (2018). effects of using a blended learning method on students’ achievement and motivation to learn english in jordan: a pilot case study. education research international, 2018, 1-7. https://downloads.hindawi.com/journals/ edri/2018/7425924.pdf pardede, p. (2012). blended learning for elt. journal of english teaching, 2(3), 165 178. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ed599644.pdf tawil, h. (2018). the blended learning approach and its application in language teaching. international journal of language and linguistics, 5(4), 47-58. http://www.ijllnet.com/journals/vol_5_no_4_december_2018/6.pdf yoon, s. y., & lee, c. h. (2010). the perspectives and effectiveness of blended learning in l2 writing of korean university students. multimedia assisted language learning, 13(2), 177-204. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/ 287640821_the_perspectives_and_effectiveness_of_blended_learning_in_ l2_writing_of_korean_university_students indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 30 research article exploring the potential of educational robots in india: a study of scope and challenges ann treessa benny1 & sheen thankalayam2 1research scholar, department of english, christ (deemed to be university), central campus, bangalore emailann.benny@res.christuniversity.in 2research scholar, department of media studies, christ (deemed to be university), central campus, bangalore abstract india’s development is significantly influenced by education. the education system in india dates back to ancient times and has evolved substantially over the years. india has always encouraged innovative methods of instruction to raise the standard of education in the country. however, the education system had not undergone major structural shifts until the pandemic. since the pandemic, innovative online tools and media have become an essential part of the education system, and the education system in india has gradually shifted from the traditional model to a hybrid mode of education. this gradual shift offers space to study the potential scope and challenges of introducing educational robots into the system. studies in countries like the us demonstrate that learning with the help of educational robots from an early age can enable children to enhance multiple capabilities. this paper titled ‘exploring the potential of educational robots in india: a study of scope and challenges’ aims to analyse the scope and challenges of using educational robots in india at various levels and attempts to expand the pedagogical possibilities of this field. based on an analysis of existing literature on the benefits of educational robots and the socio-cultural background of education in india, the study looks at the various possibilities of incorporating educational robots in india and puts forth certain recommendations based on studies conducted in other countries to integrate educational robots into the education system in india effectively. keywords: educational robots, challenges, new technology, pedagogical possibility, scope introduction technological advancements in robotics and artificial intelligence have accelerated in the past decade, leading to the development of humanoid robots with human-like features. from their humble beginnings as singletask machines, robots have evolved remarkably, inspiring great possibilities in their interaction with humans (sisman et al., 2019). these advancements have led to the integration of humanoid robots, designed to interact with humans, in various sectors worldwide, including healthcare, business, and education. within the field of education, the emergence of educational robotics has gained significant traction in recent years. educational robots emerged from the combination of electronics and mechanical toys in the 1980s, giving rise to simplified versions of commercial robots explicitly designed for educational purposes (leoste & heidmets, 2019). the potential of educational robots was first explored indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 31 through the logo turtle project, initiated by seymour papert and marvin minsky at the mit artificial intelligence academy in 1967 (leoste & heidmets, 2019). this early endeavour laid the foundation for the development of educational robots, aiming to enhance the learning experiences of students. further, seymour papert expanded the logo computer language in 1969, introducing the first educational robot, the turtle, to educate children. notably, a study conducted in 1976 by mit and edinburgh university showcased the benefits of using a robot turtle to assist a child with autism. according to the study, the interaction with the robot resulted in significant improvements in the child’s communication skills and language development (catlin & blamires, 2019). today, various types of educational robots are available in the market, such as pre-assembled robots and robotics kits. while pre-assembled robots offer ease of use but limited customisation, robotics kits provide flexibility, allowing users to design and build robots tailored to specific tasks. the applications of educational robots extend to technical teaching, language studies, and science and technology, demonstrating their versatility and potential (broadbent, 2017), and subsequent studies have shown the positive impacts of educational robots in various educational contexts. as a result, numerous countries, including the united states, have incorporated educational robots into their education systems to enrich teaching and learning experiences, fostering enhanced knowledge, cognitive skills, mathematical and computational thinking, and interactivity among students (iberdrola, n.d.). as a developing country embracing educational innovations, india presents a fertile ground for introducing educational robots. the indus international school in bengaluru has already introduced an eagle 2.0 humanoid robot into its classroom on an experimental basis to unlock the potential of humanoids within the education sector. however, the adoption of educational robots in india faces challenges stemming from socio-cultural and economic factors. overcoming these challenges requires supervised and efficient implementation, leading to the effective utilisation of educational robots, which can revolutionise the learning experience and drive technological advancements within the country. therefore, this article aims to analyse the scope of introducing educational robots into the indian education system, with a focus on enhancing the education system in india. by reviewing existing studies on the use of educational robots and addressing the significant challenges that hinder the introduction of educational robots in india, this study seeks to provide recommendations for overcoming these obstacles and promoting the effective integration of educational robots in the indian context. research objectives y to study the scope of incorporating educational robots into the indian education system through a review of existing literature y to trace the challenges of incorporating educational robots within the indian education system. methodology the data for this research paper was collected through an extensive review of available literature. a comprehensive search was conducted to identify relevant research articles, seminar papers, conference proceedings, reports, discussions, and website information pertaining to the use of indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 32 educational robots and the challenges associated with their integration into the indian education system. keywords such as “educational robots,” “robotics in education,” “indian education system,” and “challenges” were used to ensure the inclusion of relevant studies. the review aimed to gather insights and expert opinions on the scope and challenges of using educational robots in the indian education system. the data collected from the literature review was subjected to a thorough analysis and the findings below are supported by evidence and examples drawn from the reviewed literature. scope of educational robots: an international perspective educational robots have gained significant popularity and have been widely utilised in classrooms and extracurricular activities in schools (benari & mondada, 2018). many countries have incorporated educational robots within their education system as instructional tools (lau et al., 1999; wang, 2004), learning aids (kory & breazeal, 2014; kory et al., 2013), and teaching companions (han & kim, 2009; you et al., 2006). for example, over the last decade, spain has been using a python-based arduino robot called pybokids. similarly, as studies suggested that educational robots facilitate learning and enable students to efficiently understand concepts, an educational framework using real and simulated robots was successfully used by more than 2000 real students in six schools (vega & canas, 2019). similarly, the number of robots that are used in educational activities in kindergarten and primary school has increased exponentially over the decade (papadakis, 2020). they were found to increase students’ attention and involvement (rubenstein et al., 2015), particularly in stem subjects (khanlari & mansourkiaie, 2015; zhong et al., 2020; cetin & demircan, 2020). the handson nature of educational robotics was found to engage students and spark their interest in the topic, leading to improved cognitive and social skills (papadakis, 2020). as a result, the application of educational robots extended across various disciplines, including science, mathematics, and engineering. in these fields, robots played a crucial role in demystifying abstract concepts and improved essential skills such as spatial ability, selective attention, risk-taking, and decision-making (papadakis, 2020). studies have also consistently shown that robots have the potential to inspire and engage students in the classroom while fostering the development of mathematical abilities (leoste & heidmets, 2019). moreover, robots have been found to positively impact students’ learning motivation (leoste & heidmets, 2019) and cognitive skills (iberdrola, n.d.) and educational robotics have been found to be effective in promoting innovative thinking, successful teamwork, and effective communication among students. participating in educational robotics environments allowed children to construct models of cognitive processes, fostering their problemsolving abilities and encouraging collaboration (papadakis, 2020). for example, in the world robot olympiad, where participants were tasked with building robots using lego, students experienced enhanced communication skills, problem-solving capabilities, and overall knowledge of robotics (chiang et al., 2020). internationally, educational robots were also found to play a crucial role in special education needs. they have been utilised for the intellectual growth and development of children and youth, offering new possibilities in the educational field (mubin et al., 2013). research indicates that educational robots increase the attention span indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 33 and efficiency of students with poor concentration ability, providing them with additional support in their education (sillanpaa, 2021). thus, the findings of numerous studies emphasise the positive impact of educational robots on the educational landscape (reich-stiebert et al., 2019), and the wide acceptance and positive outcomes observed in different countries emphasise the transformative power of educational robots in enhancing education and knowledge transfer on an international scale. scope of educational robots in the indian context india’s education system has a long and esteemed history rooted in ancient traditions of knowledge dissemination. from the gurukula system, where students learned through personal interactions with gurus, to the establishment of renowned centres of learning like nalanda and takshashila, education has always held a pivotal role in indian society. the modern education system in india was introduced during the colonial era, heavily influenced by european college systems and printing. however, it was post-independence that india made significant strides towards providing universal access to education and enhancing the overall educational landscape. recognising the importance of technological advancements, india integrated ict into its education system in 2004, embracing the potential of digital tools to enhance learning experiences and knowledge dissemination. today, india’s educational system stands as the world’s largest and most potent, with a literacy rate of 73 per cent as of 2011 and more than 315 million students (talentedge learning series, n.d.). in recent years, india has witnessed significant changes in the teachinglearning process, particularly due to the impact of the covid-19 pandemic. the pandemic initially caused disruptions and chaos in the education system. however, it also presented an opportunity to accelerate the integration of technology and enhance the technological infrastructure in india’s education sector (jena, 2020a). as schools and institutions adapted to the new normal, a shift towards blended learning, the use of learning management systems, online collaborative work, and enhanced digital literacy became prominent features of education in india (jena, 2020b). looking ahead, india aims to restructure its education system by 2025, as outlined in the national education policy (nep) 2020. the policy emphasises the equitable use of technology in education and calls for a change in the current pedagogical practices. in this context, introducing educational robots holds tremendous potential to facilitate the necessary pedagogical shifts envisioned by the nep 2020. by leveraging the capabilities of educational robots, india can enhance the learning experience, foster student engagement, and promote innovative and interactive teaching methods that align with the evolving needs of students and the goals of the education system. primarily, educational robots can offer a viable solution for one of the significant challenges that persist within the indian context, that is, the lack of necessary resources and teaching faculties, as well as a reduced number of children attending school, especially in rural areas. with an estimated 430 million children aged 0-18, a substantial portion of the population resides in rural areas where the rural-urban enrolment ratio stands at 7:5 (barik et al., 2019). alarming statistics from the annual status of education report (aser) 2019 reveal that nearly 60 per cent of rural students up to the age of 10 struggle with reading, and even after completing higher classes, many lack the ability to solve basic mathematical problems indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 34 or comprehend textbooks from lower grades (barik et al., 2019). thus, the introduction of humanoid robots holds tremendous promise, particularly in locations across india with a scarcity of teaching faculties. humanoid robots offer superior performance, as they can teach anywhere without experiencing stress or fatigue. unlike humans, robots can maintain high levels of consistency and accuracy for extended periods without breaks. given the increasing shortage of teachers in rural areas, the introduction of a single humanoid robot can have a profound impact, surpassing the capacity and performance of human teachers in terms of numbers (barik et al., 2019). also, these robots have the potential to revolutionise the learning experience of students by providing consistent and quality education to students in remote areas. deploying humanoid robots can also supplement the existing educational infrastructure, offering personalised instruction, interactive learning experiences, and continuous support. this innovative approach can play a pivotal role in bridging the educational gaps and empowering students with the necessary skills for a brighter future.      in line with the findings of barik et al. (2019), the introduction of educational robots in india also holds the potential to increase literacy rates and facilitate error-free knowledge transfer significantly. firstly, educational robots provide 24/7 accessibility to educational content. students can engage with the robots’ interactive lessons and materials at any time, allowing flexible learning opportunities catering to individual schedules and preferences. this accessibility promotes continuous learning and enables students to reinforce their understanding of concepts outside traditional classroom hours. the automatic updates and extensive databases of educational robots ensure that students receive the most up-to-date and accurate information. these robots can access a wealth of knowledge across various subjects and disciplines, providing comprehensive and interdisciplinary learning experiences. also, educational robots simplify the testing and evaluation processes by utilising realtime data analysis and offer personalised instruction. they can track students’ progress, identify areas of strengths and weaknesses, and provide immediate feedback. this enables students to track their own growth, address areas that require improvement, and engage in targeted practice and revision. by collecting and analysing data on individual student’s performance and learning patterns, robots can tailor instruction to meet each student’s specific needs. this personalised approach enhances engagement, promotes a profound understanding, and supports individualised learning pathways. moreover, educational robots offer cost-effectiveness in comparison to traditional teaching methods. once the initial investment is made, these robots can simultaneously deliver instruction to numerous students, reducing the need for additional resources and personnel. this cost-effectiveness makes educational robots a viable solution for resource-constrained settings in india, such as in rural areas, where access to quality education is often limited. additionally, the multilingual capabilities of humanoid robots are particularly valuable in a diverse country like india. these robots can communicate and interact with students in different languages, accommodating linguistic diversity and ensuring effective communication between the robot and students (engwall & lopes, 2022). this facilitates better comprehension and engagement, especially for students who may feel more comfortable indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 35 expressing themselves in their native language. thus, the integration of educational robots within the indian education system represents a transformative opportunity. by leveraging technology and embracing the potential of educational robots, india can enhance the accessibility, quality, and equity of education. these robots have the capacity to support personalised learning, bridge resource gaps, and cater to the diverse needs of students across the country. as india continues to navigate the changing landscape of education, educational robots offer immense potential to revolutionise teaching and learning practices, ensuring a brighter future for all students. major challenges although the introduction of educational robots in india is promising, the process must address numerous challenges for successful implementation. one of the major challenges is the lack of resources, including infrastructure, funding, and technological support. many schools in india, particularly those in rural areas, face significant resource constraints, making it difficult to integrate educational robots into their classrooms. the quality and infrastructure of educational institutions vary widely across india (sankar, 2020). while some schools may be wellequipped to integrate educational robots, others may lack the necessary resources and support systems. limited access to technology and inadequate facilities hinder the adoption of these advanced tools (kumar, n.d.). addressing these institutional differences and ensuring equal access to educational opportunities for all students is crucial to avoid exacerbating existing educational inequalities. india’s cultural diversity is another significant factor that must be considered. with a multitude of languages, customs, and traditions across different regions, adapting educational robots to suit the diverse cultural contexts of india becomes a complex task. it is essential to ensure that the content and instructional methods employed by educational robots are inclusive and sensitive to the cultural nuances of the country. the digital divide within the country also poses a significant challenge in india (laskar, 2023). while urban areas have witnessed advancements in technology, a significant portion of the population, particularly in rural and remote areas, still lacks access to reliable internet connectivity and basic technological infrastructure. bridging this digital divide and ensuring equitable access to educational resources and opportunities are crucial for the successful integration of educational robots across the country. technological illiteracy among educators and students is another hurdle. many teachers and students may need to gain the necessary skills and familiarity with educational robots and their functionalities. providing comprehensive training and support to educators is vital to enable them to utilise these tools in the teaching-learning process effectively. simultaneously, students must be empowered with the digital literacy skills required to engage with educational robots and benefit from their use.  the level of education provided by educational robots is also a pressing concern specific to india (van ewijk et al., 2020). while robots can deliver strategies and solutions, they may lack the deeper understanding required to foster critical thinking and conceptual understanding in students. striking a balance between providing guidance and promoting independent thinking is essential for educational robots to complement and enhance the existing pedagogical approaches in india. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 36 moreover, the psychological well-being and emotional growth of students must be considered (van ewijk et al., 2020). human interaction and emotional connection play a crucial role in the indian education system. the consistent and neutral responses of robots may pose challenges in fostering emotional development among students. creating a supportive and nurturing learning environment alongside the use of educational robots is essential to address this concern. finally, privacy becomes a critical aspect when implementing educational robots in india. the collection of sensitive data, such as audio and video recordings, during interactions with students, raises concerns about privacy and data protection. safeguarding student privacy through robust security measures, informed consent, and data anonymisation is essential to build trust and ensure the ethical use of educational robots (van ewijk et al., 2020). thus, the integration of educational robots within the indian education system encounters specific challenges, including resource constraints, cultural diversity, the digital divide, technological illiteracy, institutional differences, level of education provided, psychological wellbeing, and privacy concerns. addressing these challenges within the indian context requires a comprehensive approach, including adequate infrastructure, cultural adaptation, training programs, digital literacy initiatives, and privacy safeguards. by addressing these challenges, india can harness the potential of educational robots to enhance teaching and learning experiences and promote equitable access to quality education. recommendation based on the analysis of challenges that hinder the effective implementation of educational robots in india, several measures can be taken to ensure the proper integration of educational robots into the indian education system. first and foremost, it is crucial to create awareness among the general population about the benefits and potential of educational robots. generating a positive attitude towards the implementation of educational robots can be achieved by educating people about the positive impact they can have on learning outcomes. according to reich-stiebert et al.  (2019), involving stakeholders, including educators, policymakers, and the general public, in the design and decision-making processes can foster a sense of ownership and acceptance of educational robots. likewise, introducing educational robots at the early stages of schooling can be challenging, as it requires technical requirements and a supportive environment. to overcome this, educators must develop methods and approaches that make robotics fun and interesting for students. educators can engage students in the learning process by incorporating hands-on and interactive activities using educational robots, fostering a sense of curiosity and exploration. furthermore, providing quality training to teachers is crucial to equip them with the necessary skills to integrate educational robots effectively into their teaching practices. this training should focus on creating an interactive and engaging learning environment that maximises the benefits of educational robots (papadakis, 2020). privacy and ethical considerations should also be made essential when dealing with personal details and interactions of students. establishing secure privacy settings and adhering to ethical guidelines are necessary to protect the confidentiality and privacy of students. it is crucial to maintain trust and confidence in the educational system by ensuring the responsible indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 37 use of personal information and data (van ewijk et al., 2020) collected by educational robots. additionally, efforts should be made to bridge the digital divide and ensure equal access to educational robots and technology. introducing educational robots initially in rural areas, where the digital disparity is more pronounced, can help address this divide. while it may require additional investment, ensuring equal access to technology across rural and urban areas is vital for providing equitable educational opportunities to all students. by implementing these measures and investing in comprehensive planning, the potential challenges associated with integrating educational robots into the indian education system can be overcome. this will pave the way for the effective use of educational robots and significantly enhance the learning experiences of students across the country. with proper awareness, engaging teaching practices, privacy safeguards, and bridging the digital divide, educational robots can become a valuable tool in transforming the indian education system. conclusion the transition from the traditional education system to educational robots is gradually progressing around the globe. further research and improvement in artificial intelligence might come up with humanoids that could create paradigm shifts in the global education scenario. as a country leaping towards becoming a global leader, the introduction of humanoids into multiple sectors in india, especially education, is prospective. this can not only diminish the educational disparity and digital divide within the country but also enable rapid technological and economic advancement. with upto-date knowledge transmission and personal attention using educational robots, the indian education system can ensure quality education for rural and urban populations. in the indian context, the introduction of education robots has the scope to boost its technological advancements. although the process of integrating educational robots into the current education system has to overcome socioeconomic, cultural and geographical challenges, the gradual introduction of educational robots within the country, especially in areas that do not have access to quality education, and further large-scale implementation-based on effectiveness, can be helpful. thus, with the proper integration of educational robots into the education system in india, both the students and teachers can enhance their skills and knowledge and add to the nation’s development. reference barik, a., khatua, s., nikam, r. k., pal, s., & gohil, p. 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(2020). an exploration of combining virtual and physical robots in robotics education. interactive learning environments, 1–13. https://doi.org/10 .1080/10494820.2020.1786409 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 305 research article mooc-based in-service training for the professional development of teachers in india karuna bhardwaj1 & neeru rathee2 1research scholar, mdu rohtak e-mail- bhardwaj.karuna2@gmail.com 2associate professor and hod, department of education, mdu rohtak abstract the education system in india is pervasive, with 95 lakh teachers, 14.89 lakh schools, and 26 crores of students (udisei 2021-22). lockdown during the covid-19 epidemic resulted in a disruption to education that has never been seen. the government initiates nishtha training through mooc for government teachers on the diksha platform. a survey was conducted with the help of a questionnaire and group interviews at the end of the scheduled training for government teachers in haryana using non-probability sampling to explore the learner’s experience and challenges to suggest improvements. according to the findings of the study, educators are in support of the effort, and they hope that similar actions will be conducted in the future. challenges like low internet connectivity and restricted ways of communication were mentioned, and to improve the overall quality of the training, several instructors recommend using a blended approach for in-service training for teachers. keywords: mooc (massive open online course), in-service training, professional development, teacher introduction teachers have a crucial role in nationbuilding by producing high-quality human resources in their classrooms; as the nep 2020 emphasises, “teachers truly shape the future of our children and, therefore, the future of our nation.” the national education policy (nep) 2020, recognizes teachers as essential participants in the education process and emphasizes the necessity of their recruitment, ongoing professional development, favourable working conditions, and satisfactory terms of service. unesco launched the “state of the education report (soer) for india: no teacher no class” in 2021which aims to serve as a reference for enhancing the implementation of the nep and towards the realization of the “sustainable development goal (sdg) 4 target 4c increase the supply of qualified teachers in developing countries.” in-service training of teachers and its need a teacher’s in-service education consists of any appropriate coursework or professional development activities in which he or she may engage while employed. it includes all training and education programs that are provided to a teacher while they are actively engaged in instructing students. billing (1976) defines in-service education as staff development, which is “a deliberate and continuous process involving the identification and discussion of present and anticipated needs of individual staff for their job satisfaction and career prospects indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 306 and of the institution for supporting its academic work and plans, and implementation of programs of staff activities designed for the satisfaction of these needs.” when it comes to education these days, the goal isn’t just to impart knowledge; rather, it’s to help students develop the ability to navigate an increasingly complex, unpredictable, and uncertain world. since google already knows everything, society no longer recognizes students for their knowledge alone; instead, it recognizes their ability to apply that knowledge. today’s teachers are tasked with fostering students’ sense of self-awareness and their ability to work together and independently. teachers are needed to have an in-depth understanding of the subject matter they teach the students to help them learn more effectively. to do this, teachers need specialized knowledge, such as understanding a discipline, curriculum, and how students learn. additionally, teachers need to be knowledgeable about the professional practice to create a learning environment that leads to positive outcomes. teachers’ ability to learn and grow as lifelong learners and career aspirants needs to be enhanced by emphasizing their inquiry and research skills. it’s unlikely that pupils will become lifelong learners if they don’t see their teachers doing it so in-service training is a necessity for teachers. to a large extent, schools place their faith in their educators. so, in-service education refers to post-graduate opportunities for educators to continue developing their expertise and passion for their field. the purpose of this type of training is to help a teacher who is already working in the field overcome whatever shortcomings they have in her professional abilities. it’s a valid argument that the skills that were relevant a generation ago may not be adequate in preparing today’s students for life after graduation. today’s students are expected to approach their daily tasks with more originality and consideration. the goal of in-service training programs is to improve the school system’s and the education industry’s overall pool of qualified personnel. teachers need training in new skills and contemporary methods if they are to fulfil their roles successfully and efficiently in the classroom. a country’s educational standard rises with the average degree of education attained by its teachers. to keep up with the demands of the global economy’s education system, it is crucial to provide high-quality in-service training for educators. in-service training provides an opportunity to keep up with the latest trends and developments in the field, and a technique for teachers to improve their teaching and students’ learning, ultimately leading to more productivity on the job. teachers need professional development to keep up with the rapid pace of change in the educational system. in-service training is helpful for teachers to be able to put what they’ve learned into practice in the classroom. (omar, 2014) in-service training is essential to improve teachers’ productivity and morale on the job. the “missing gaps” between expectations and student performance can’t be closed without teacher development which is stunted without in-service training. training and education can be provided to employees at any point of their employment, from hiring to retirement, through in-service education activities such as lectures, workshops, exhibitions, conferences, seminars, lectures, exhibitions, etc. (osamwonyi, 2016) significance of research the most ambitious nishtha integrated training, which was supposed to be indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 307 delivered in person to 42 lakh teachers of the government school from classes 1 to 8, has come to a halt. this training was planned for participants from all states and uts of india. in a country like india, where there is a tremendous cultural, geographical, and linguistic variation, time-bound scaling and reach of such training is still a difficulty. however, the learning continuum that teachers and students share cannot be constrained owing to a lack of readiness to face the lockdown, nor can it be constrained due to the diversity and large population. every educator should make it a priority to enhance their pedagogical competencies to better handle the needs of their diverse student population. the covid-19 pandemic has also revealed the fragility and uncertainty of the teaching community. to reach every single teacher, pupilteacher, and student regardless of the board, affiliation, etc., the ministry of education, government of india has planned to organize a series of online courses for these stakeholders through the diksha portal and to extend its reach to teachers working in elementary schools, as well other stakeholders. the training programs for educators were introduced one after another and carried out in batches. the diksha portal was utilized so that moocs can be used for in-service teacher training in haryana efficiently. this project of moocs for teacher training was used for continuous learning during the covid lockdown and for reaching every teacher in a time-bound manner by scaling up. additionally, this may offer equitable access to professional development opportunities for educators. this research was needed to determine the impact of in-service teacher education using the mooc model to explore the teacher’s experiences and provide suggestions to cater to the challenges faced by teachers during mooc-based in-service training. objectives 1. to find teachers’ perspectives about mooc for in-service training. 2. to find the problems faced by teachers while attending moocbased in-service training.” 3. to explore the suggestions to improve the mooc-based inservice training for teachers’ professional development. research questions 1. is it helpful to use mooc for inservice training? 2. how mooc was helpful for teacher training during covid-19? 3. how satisfied and confident are the primary and secondary teachers in training online through mooc? 4. what is the difference between mooc-based training with traditional offline teacher training mode? research methodology the survey approach is highly versatile for collecting information. the study employed a descriptive methodology and utilized a qualitative survey. the research inquiries included in the survey have been specifically designed to align with the primary objectives and scope of the study. sample the survey of 330 samples of government school teachers was conducted using probability sampling techniques. a convenience sampling method was employed, and samples included government school teachers of haryana who are interested in being indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 308 part of the research. data has been collected from 3 districts of haryana rohtak, jhajjar, and sonipat. 110 samples were taken from each district. table-1: sample distribution with their designation designation number of participants primary teacher (prt) 188 trained graduate teacher (tgt) 142 total 330 table-2: age-wise distribution of samples age number of participants less than and equals 30 89 31-40 172 41-50 40 more than and equals 51 29 total 330 tool the data has been collected using a self-made structured questionnaire comprising questions relating to teachers’ experience with their in-service training through mooc on the diksha platform. questions include closedtype questions using google forum and open-ended discussions were used while conducting group interviews to understand their experience better. limitations of the study a limited number of the population (haryana government school teachers) participated as samples in this study so there is a chance that private teachers may have different opinions. because of the covid-19 epidemic aftereffects, a limited number of the population available were interested in answering the survey due to which restrictions were imposed on the researcher to collect samples across the state. the survey included participants who attended mooc training on the diksha platform which is a governmentinitiated national-level platform so there are chances that the experience can differ from the international mooc platforms. literature review moocs are emerging educational technology for training and innovation. they have become distance education methods in response to the covid-19 pandemic’s new challenges, changes, and crises. (pérez et al. 2022) in an online survey of students enrolled in at least one of the “university of pennsylvania” 32 moocs offered on coursera, christensen et al. (2013) found that 44 per cent of respondents stated “gain specific skills to do my job better” as reasons for studying, adding to the growing body of evidence indicating workers are using moocs for their selfdirected learning. therefore, moocs indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 309 appear to play a pivotal role in the future education of knowledge workers. gonçalves et al. (2016), present a case study of the development and implementation of a mooc to attract instructors to this new method of knowledge sharing. the analysis of the questionnaires reveals that the participants viewed the mooc as a scientifically sound training course that has significantly contributed to their ongoing education. the study found that moocs can facilitate educators’ access to education, eroding space barriers at a time when educators must be empowered for the 21stcentury teaching and learning process. moocs can be effectively integrated into formal teacher training programs, with participants reporting high satisfaction and perceived value for their professional growth. research by salmon et al. (2015) used a questionnaire on the use of moocs for professional development in education which was completed by an anonymous 155 participants. the research finds that massive open online courses (moocs) have the potential to give professors the professional development they need to improve their classroom techniques. taranto et al. (2021) investigate the impact of a mooc on outdoor mathematics on the professional development of participating instructors. the study analyses the learning progress of 19 selected case studies from different nations and learning levels using their preand post-questionnaire answers and posts on a specific communication message board. the findings indicate that the examined teachers have benefited from professional development, as evidenced by the expansion/evolution of their content, pedagogical, and technological knowledge. alberto (2023) has shown that moocs can effectively address the need for continuous training in teaching skills, providing teachers with the necessary tools and resources to enhance their pedagogical practices. padmavathy, 2023; and smyrnova-trybulska, 2022 accepted that institutions can promote excellence in education by integrating mooc into teacher preparation programs. this improves both, teacher practices and student outcomes. carvalho et al. (2023) recognised that mooc-based training programs can significantly enhance teachers’ competencies particularly in adopting innovative teaching and improving digital literacy for online teachinglearning platforms. however, jobe et al. (2014). pointed out several challenges in implementing moocs for professional development. these include time constraints, difficulty integrating mooc schedules into existing work commitments, and low completion rates. additionally, employers may be reluctant to accept mooc accreditation as equivalent to traditional professional development. to maximize engagement and course completion, careful consideration of mooc design criteria and principles is necessary. despite these moocs offer a scalable and sustainable approach to teacher education, potentially enhancing the quality of teaching and learning in various educational contexts (b. oyo et al., 2017). result “is it helpful to use mooc for inservice training?” a lot of different things can affect how productive education systems can be in different parts of the world. the most fundamental components that determine the overall quality of education on a local or global scale are our teacher training programs. teachers are required to keep themselves informed about innovations indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 311 provided them with a proper schedule. district and school authorities were considered responsible for ensuring teachers’ participation and training completion. most of them mentioned that after getting familiar with the mooc platform, they started exploring different courses, and about 63 per cent of participants explored mooc willingly. most of them joined about 4 to 8 moocs on average but some participants joined more than 25 courses just to explore which shows that participants found the mooc interesting which forced them to explore other courses that they were not compelled to join by authorities. participants have different reasons for joining mooc-based training. more than 90 per cent of participants mentioned that they attend mooc to get a certificate as they must submit it to the authorities as proof of the completion of the courses instructed but 25 per cent among them also mentioned that they like to get the certificate as it gives them a sense of accomplishment. eighty-seven per cent of participants mentioned that they completed the mooc and acquired the certificate. about 53 per cent of participants mentioned that they participated in a lot of moocs just to explore their content and satisfy their curiosity. sixty-five per cent of the people who took part in the survey indicated that they enrol in moocs to improve their overall level of subject knowledge (batchelor & lautenbach, 2015), and especially to gain an understanding of how they might be able to improve their teaching while they are leading their subject-related classes. they noted that it was beneficial for them to learn which strategy would assist teachers in connecting students online and conducting more interactive lessons so that students did not become bored and feel separated from the classroom. making use of moocs and putting what they’ve learned into practice in the classroom is one way for educators to boost the academic performance of their pupils. as all teachers were attending their training online mode so they were practically using and enhancing their technical knowledge which was mentioned by 47 per cent of participants. they mentioned that the knowledge they get from attending the training online and practising their technical knowledge while attending online training, facing new difficulties, interacting with fellow teachers, and learning something new from their peers helps them to develop professionally. when schools did not have any idea how to proceed further especially government schools where all the schools do not have computer teachers or any technical guide to help other teachers to conduct online classes. mooc training provides exposure to the idea of students’ difficulties which helps them to enhance their e-teaching skills. diksha provide a platform where teachers can start their groups and interact with each other. offline versus mooc-based training the ability to critically analyze and improve one’s techniques of teaching is an essential component of a teacher’s professional development as well as their teaching profession (zeichner,1999). on-campus professional development programs for educators mirror the core values and underlying principles that students want to embody in their personal and professional lives (perraton, 2010). so, we need to explore how the mooc system will affect existing teacher professional development programs. the primary issue is how well moocs contribute to the growth of teacher training. there is skepticism among many veteran educators that online courses can deliver the same level of quality training for future educators indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 312 as traditional classroom instruction, but there are a few benefits that seem possible only through mooc-based teacher training, such as an unlimited number of participants can be enrolled, time and place flexibility but in offline mode, there are restrictions on the number of participants, time and place. it is challenging to train thousands of teachers offline all at once at the same time. moocs make it possible to bring together thousands of learners from all over the world on the same platform. anyone, at any moment, can access any available courses, regardless of location, educators are no longer restricted to holding classes at specific times and locations. teachers have easier access to educational courses for free thanks to moocs which make them an economical option (banwari, 2018) for enhancing educators’ skills. when compared to traditional methods of teacher training, such as workshops, the amount of time spent on conducting training through moocs seems to be minimal. content on mooc is accessible multiple times, which provides learners an opportunity to continue their training at their own pace, leading to individualized learning, but offline mode teachers are forced to attend the training whether they like it or not. sometimes, they are not concentrated or interested, but they do not have a choice. there is no such restriction in online mode. moocs on the diksha app are prepared by leading professors, and experts in their fields to provide highquality professional training programs in various disciplines. different types of moocs offer online courses with varying pedagogical focuses and approaches. where in offline mode, training teachers can provide good opportunities to engage in a group discussion, which forms a supportive learning community in the training. it provides a peer-learning opportunity and social learning which is quite lacking in mooc. however, moocs provide an opportunity to contact learners in different places but most of the participants mentioned that they would like to prefer face-to-face discussion during offline training rather than mooc discussion forum. educators can track their training with the use of moocs as it is mentioned in the course that what percentage of the course is completed which can be called a progress report of the learner in the course. this provides proper information about the learner’s progress report in every course and helps them to properly analyze their progress but with the offline mode of training keeping track of each participant and sharing it with them regularly is difficult. teacher’s perspective: how mooc helps in teachers’ professional development during the covid lockdown, teachers faced a lot of problems keeping in touch with their students and most of the teachers mentioned that in the initial few months of lockdown when they came to know that schools were not going to open soon, they were confused without any plan and guidance of how to continue student’s formal education and provide emotional support to them. participants mentioned that moocs provided them with a planned curriculum that mentioned what to do and how to continue students’ learning during the lockdown and after the lockdown. it helps them to enhance their teaching skill and develop the skills teachers need while reopening the schools after the covid lockdown. the goal of all professional development programs for educators is to ensure high-quality instruction by fostering educators’ expertise in curriculum design, instructional strategies, indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 313 and community context. teacher professional development programs should allow for the acquisition of such specialized knowledge and expertise. as mentioned by participants moocbased teacher in-service training courses seem to help achieve the goals of professional development. moocs encourage teachers to communicate and collaborate online by providing a secure online learning environment which shows the social potential of moocs for teacher professional development. mooc helps teachers to network with like-minded professionals and share ideas, while also improving their communication with students and receiving more insightful feedback. teachers mentioned that changes are needed to some aspects of online education to meet the objectives of teacher professional development. a few teachers mentioned that they skipped the course content and directly attempted the assessment with the help of the google search engine which pinpointed that there is a great need to find how we can deal with this loophole to evaluate the learning to make sure that participant has achieved their professional development goals. one of the foremost benefits of using the diksha platform for in-service training is that courses are available in 12 languages (english, hindi, kannada, bengali, marathi, tamil, telugu, urdu, assamese, gujarati, odiya, and punjabi) which ensures that courses become accessible to a large proportion of indian population. teachers can choose any language depending on their comfort and convenience.   participants mentioned that moocs provide them with ideas leading to reevaluating their lessons. the lectures, curriculum, and materials in a course are developed by experienced educators. learners gain a fresh perspective by taking part in a mooc. it demonstrates effective methods for teaching a given subject area. as a result, teachers get benefits in two ways: first, they gain insight into how their students learn best in an online class, and second, they gain insight into how to best plan their classes. teachers explore different courses that have different methods and styles of teaching. they acted as a student in different courses which gave them insight into student’s perspectives and learning styles. this helps them during the covid lockdown period when they need all the help they can get to teach online. by taking online classes teachers become able to improve the way to teach and become able to keep up with the latest advancements in technology. with this, they were able to improve the way of delivering lectures. moocs provide educators with the opportunity to gain practical expertise in the application of technology in the classroom and make it possible for them to participate in significantly more interactive classes during lockdown. a teacher or a decision-maker needs to keep up with the pace of technological advancement, know what your classrooms are missing, and be aware of how the rest of the world is utilizing technology to improve education. therefore, moocs are the answer to their problems. challenges to using mooc for teacher’s professional development mooc-based training requires users to have access to fast internet connections to view the material that is presented in their courses, especially videos. however, the diksha platform provides an option to download the course but with the large size of the training courses but participants mentioned that it is not easy to download and play high-definition videos with slow internet connectivity. the widespread implementation of moocs has been hampered by the restricted availability of the necessary infrastructure (chatterjee& nath, 2015). indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 314 the primary mode of communication in moocs, both between a teacher and a pupil and among learners themselves, is typically textual which gradually becomes monotonous. it leads to a lack of oral communication among the learners, and to gain these skills, they need to participate in a traditional program. additionally, the student feels alone during the training. because of this, the learner’s motivation decreases, which ultimately leads to their dropping out of the training or completing it for the sake of formality. suggestions for improving mooc for in-service training india is a very diverse nation, both in terms of the cultures that make up its society and the languages. there are 22 official languages mentioned in the eight schedules of the indian constitution. since english is recognized globally and hindi is our mother tongue which is mostly the medium of mooc this results in excluding a sizeable portion of the audience who do not have the required level of knowledge or acceptable proficiency in both languages (chatterjee& nath, 2015). however, it was mentioned that the diksha platform provides courses in 12 languages, but only a very limited number of courses are available in languages other than hindi and english. therefore, one of the foremost challenges that learners face and that the providers of moocs need to address more practically is that they need to translate or develop the courses in different indian languages. the people of india must prioritize the need to have greater access to the internet and improve its connectivity. mooc-based teacher training has spurred innovative approaches to education, such as the flipped classroom and hybrid learning. further, moocs offer an efficient and relatively inexpensive means of teacher professional development, which will in turn aid in the construction of a network of professionals with participants from all over the world. incorporating both moocs and in-person instruction could be an effective strategy for improving the quality of education professionals. incorporating mooc in blended mode can reduce the expenses of training as traditional training requires a venue and participants need to travel long distances which are also borne by authorities and can be easily reduced by the training through blended mode (online + offline). participants mentioned that both online and offline modes have their limitations, which can be overcome by the blended mode. discussion the literature provides evidence to support the results of the survey. numerous studies highlight the positive impact of using mooc for inservice training for the professional development of teachers. moocs have emerged as a promising platform for teacher professional development, offering flexible and accessible learning opportunities for both pre-service and in-service teachers (vitor gonçalves et al., 2016; t. phan & meina zhu, 2020). the diverse pedagogical techniques that were presented in the moocs provided wonderful opportunities for experiential learning for k-12 pre-service and inservice teachers. these teachers were able to draw instructional lessons that they might use in their current and future professional activities. (phan, & zhu, 2020) teachers benefit from free, high-quality resources for professional growth and advancement thanks to moocs (jobe et al., 2014). it can be a great alternative to the traditional ways of professional development that teachers have been taught at teachers’ training centres. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 315 this confidence is based on the idea that moocs can help train a lot of teachers because they are convenient, available, and easy to use. also, training based on moocs is easy to use and can be changed to fit different cultures, languages, and educational settings. (hilali & moubtassime, 2021) gordon et al. (2015) also support the idea of using mooc for training and mention it is not just a viable option but a requirement to train a large number of public personnel who require training at the local regional, and national levels. conclusion all nations should place the utmost importance on elevating the standard of their educational systems. in recent years the indian education system has made tremendous strides and notable attempts to improve and mooc-based in-service training was one among them which lit the path by guiding teachers during lockdown. mooc-based training provides benefits in terms of time, place, and budgetary costs. as a more advanced type of online education, mooc is better in many ways, including 24x7 content access to all and objective evaluation of learning. as a result, it has the potential to contribute significantly to educators’ ongoing professional growth compared to offline mode. most teachers have positive attitudes and support for the initiative. teachers mentioned that they only need the internet and mobile devices to access the courses which saves their travelling time and provides them with the opportunity for independent, individualized learning and self-paced learning where teachers have the right to decide to schedule their time and choose their place of learning. with this, teachers also get to explore and satisfy their curiosity of getting answers to their queries. during covid lockdown where classes were conducted online, they got ideas for planning and conducting their classes in different and interactive ways. mooc-based in-service training helps authorities supervise the training as they have to submit their course completion certificate to them. the survey shows that the completion rate of moocs is high, which shows that it helps achieve the objectives of the training. with this, the research concludes that moocs have the potential to fulfil the demands of professional growth among educators. however, there are a few challenges like internet speed issues and limited ways of communicating with fellow teachers so it was suggested that there is a need for a blended mode of training that will balance the limitations of both online and offline training. references alberto, c., & cano, g. 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(1999). the new scholarship in teacher education. educational researcher, 28(9), 4–15. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 273 review article empowering women through ict: a study ruby lalrinsangi1 & b.b. kharbirymbai2 1research scholar, dept. of education, nehu 2professor and head, dept. of education, nehu e-mail: brindabazeley@gmail.com abstract ict is not a brand-new idea. it has existed for some time and has seen some substantial improvements. icts quick development in recent decades has boosted women’s advancement. women now have greater prospects for success thanks to ict. with so many doors for women now open that were before closed, ict makes anything possible. offering them a variety of online education platforms eliminates the gender pay gap, lowers prices, improves access and quality of education, and encourages women’s entrepreneurship, which in turn offers them financial independence and boosts their political engagement. the current paper examines several research papers and articles on how ict helps empower women in order to highlight the ways in which ict has helped women progress. keywords: information and communication technology (ict), women, girls, empowerment introduction women play a significant and varied role in the development of nations and economies. half of the world’s population is made up of women, and progress and sustainable development depend on their involvement in all spheres of society. according to the u.n. report from 2019, sdg5 aspires to promote the use of enabling technology, in particular icts, to boost women’s empowerment. in order to empower women, information and communication technology (ict) is essential. it gives women more influence in a variety of spheres, including social, psychological, political, technological, and economic (beena et al., 2012). it takes a multi-layered strategy that covers access, skills, safety, inclusion, and opportunity in order to empower women through ict. ict has the potential to be a potent instrument for advancing gender equality and empowering women and girls in the digital age if the right tools, training, and support are given to them. ict gives women access to e-commerce platforms, online marketplaces, and digital entrepreneurship as a means of economic empowerment. these platforms can be used by women to launch their own businesses, sell goods and services, and gain access to international markets, thereby raising their standard of living and achieving financial independence. financial services are increasingly more accessible to women, particularly those who live in rural regions, thanks to ict’s new financial services like mobile banking and digital payment systems. today, women may use their mobile phones to access banking services, save money, and conduct transactions, giving them financial stability and empowerment. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 274 conceptualization of terms empowerment empowerment refers to the process of giving or receiving power, authority, and confidence to people or groups—often those who have been marginalized or oppressed. it entails empowering and providing people or communities with the instruments, assets, information, and assistance they require to take charge of their lives, make educated decisions, and accomplish their objectives. world bank. (2008). empowerment is the process of increasing a person’s or group’s capacity to make decisions and translate those decisions into desired actions and outcomes. kabeer, n. (1994). when a person’s ability to make wise decisions in life is increased in a situation where it was previously unavailable to them, they are said to be empowered. women empowerment giving women the same rights, opportunities, and resources as men and enabling them to fully participate in all facets of life without bias or discrimination based on gender is referred to as “women empowerment.” important social, economic, and political issues are involved in it. it involves numerous initiatives to advance gender equality, remove discrimination, and foster a supportive atmosphere where women can actively engage in all aspects of life. it entails giving women the freedom to assert their rights, make decisions, and take charge of their own lives, which promotes their overall development and well-being. information and communication technology (ict) the broad category of tools and technologies used to process and transfer information electronically is known as information and communication technology (ict). to acquire, process, store, and exchange information using various kinds of communication, such as computers, cell phones, the internet, and other electronic devices, this can involve hardware, software, networks, and other digital technologies. telecommunications, data management, cybersecurity, e-commerce, digital media, and other areas are only a few of the many applications that fall under the umbrella of ict. it is a fast-developing field that has a significant impact on how we communicate, work, learn, and interact with technology in the linked world of today. objective y to highlight the capabilities of ict in empowering women. methodology the methodology deployed in this study is mainly descriptive and exploratory in nature. an attempt has been made to highlight the role played by ict in empowering women based on secondary data by reviewing existing information from various research papers, articles, books, theses, and online resources in the period of 2002-2020. this helped in building a solid foundation of knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. further, by analyzing existing data, the researchers are able to draw conclusions and make inferences about the relationship between ict and women’s empowerment. the analysis is solely based on the review of related literature. importance of empowering women for a society to progress, empowering the women therein is ubiquitous. their empowerment for societal indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 275 development and sustainable development can happen in numerous ways. warth and koparanova (2012) explored how empowering women can help the united nations accomplish its sustainable development goals (sdgs) and provided evidence-based examples from various countries and regions. they also recognized important tactics and initiatives for advancing social advancement and women’s empowerment, such as gender equality, health and well-being, education, and economic opportunity. similarly, bayeh (2016) asserted that the nation would not accomplish sustainable development if only men were acknowledged to participate in all of these sectors until gender equality is realized and women are given the freedom to play their share in the economic, social, political, and environmental spheres. having empowered women makes it easier to achieve gender equality. women should have the same rights, opportunities, and access to resources as males because they make up half of the world’s population. men and women shall have equal rights and opportunities in the political, economic, and social arenas, according to the indian constitution article 14. also, the prohibition of discrimination against any citizen in accordance with one’s caste, race and religion is mentioned in article 15 (1). building a more just and inclusive society is dependent on gender equality, which also promotes social justice and fairness. economic development can benefit immensely from empowered women as well. they can be used to increase productivity, innovation, and economic competitiveness. women who are empowered can start enterprises, participate actively in the workforce, and contribute to the economy, which is good for families, communities, and countries. women who are empowered have higher health and well-being, which benefits their families, communities, and themselves. increased access to healthcare and nutrition, decreased infant mortality rates, and better family planning options are all associated with women’s empowerment. according to article 42, the state must make provisions to guarantee first-rate working conditions and maternity leave. women who are more empowered are also better equipped to make choices about their own bodies, particularly those concerning their sexual and reproductive health, which leads to better general health outcomes. women are more likely to be educated when they are empowered. women who have received an education are thought to make wise decisions about their lives, participate in society, and fight for their rights. the cycle of poverty is also broken by education since educated women are more likely to have better salaries, invest in the education of their families, and give back to their communities. for women to participate more actively in social and political areas, empowerment is also essential. women who are empowered can take on leadership responsibilities, take part in decision-making, and speak up for women’s rights and gender equality at all levels of society. in addition to these, prevalent problems like child marriage and female genital mutilation can only be resolved by empowering women. therefore, women require support and encouragement from their families, the government, society, and male coworkers, among other groups. with the correct help from a variety of organizations, they may integrate into the mainstream of the national economy and so contribute to its development (mishra & kiran, 2014). capabilities of ict for empowering women by giving women access to technology, opportunities to develop their digital skills, and opportunities to participate in the digital world, ict empowers them in a variety of ways. ict empowers women in the following ways: indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 276 y training in digital literacy and skills: ict resources like computers, the internet, social media, and other digital platforms can be used effectively by women and girls if they have access to training programs that concentrate on developing their digital literacy and abilities. they may be able to communicate, obtain information, and engage in online activities as a result. mukherjee et al. (2019) examined the relationship between the digital literacy program and its effects (perceived ict proficiency, pursuing education and employment possibilities, and the role played by the perceived value of the training). the research by nedungadi et al. (2018) showed how tablet-based learning might empower women. women acquire life skills, safety awareness, and computer literacy. febro et al. (2020), in their research revealed that using the e-learning module had a substantial impact on how girls and women developed their talents. this project was a step toward helping marginalized girls and women in philippine society develop their technical abilities. the usage of icts and the e-governance system was taught to the women. these abilities help them achieve a higher social rank (karan & mathur, 2010). women and girls have been able to increase their self-confidence by using digital icts and gaining new skills (cummings & neil, 2015; intel, 2013). women were trained to manage ict kiosks as part of the e-seva initiatives in india, and as a result, they benefited from the system’s facilitation (karan & mathur, 2010). y reducing the gender gap in digital environments and promoting gender equality: for women and girls to be empowered by ict, it is essential to ensure that they have equitable access to ict infrastructure, including internet connectivity and gadgets. this may entail delivering subsidized or free devices, extending affordable internet access to underserved and rural areas, and advocating genderresponsive policies that address obstacles to ict access for women and girls. the adoption of mobile technologies alone can significantly help to reduce the gender gap by empowering women to feel safer and more connected and by giving them access to information, services, and opportunities that improve their lives, such as health information, financial services, and employment opportunities (gsma, 2018). ict is the most recent in a long line of technical revolutions, and it is thought to have a big impact on female empowerment (ark et al., 2002). as it motivates girls and women to seek technological careers and increases their awareness of entrepreneurship education, ict can be a significant weapon for gender equality. women can improve their social, economic, and educational position in this way (bhimrao et al., 2015). y promoting women’s involvement in ict-related fields: women in the middle east are liberated as a result of women’s participation in stem fields (islam, 2019). by supporting and promoting their participation in stem (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) courses, which include ict, women can be encouraged to pursue careers in these fields, which are typically dominated by men. according to a descriptive research method used in an italian university, there is still a gender disparity between university professors and students who study computer science, computer engineering, and other stem subjects (marzolla, 2019). this can be accomplished by implementing programs like mentorships and indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 277 scholarships and promoting admirable female role models in the ict sector. in workshops geared at luring women into stem fields, tablets and internet technologies like socrative for online surveys were employed (morales, 2020). tools like statistics and figures that try to inform on the achievements of women in the many fields of stem fall under this category. these sites provide listings of well-known women and their experiences in the stem fields, including their achievements and disappointments (islam, 2017; holgado et al., 2020). the promotion of gender equality and science education has been the focus of a variety of programs and initiatives, including w-stem, science for girls and boys, and tec novation girls. utilizing all available human resources while integrating gender through ict gives organizations a crucial competitive edge and fosters innovation, both of which are necessary for sustainable development and economic progress (dickins, 2017). y encouraging women to start their own businesses in the digital economy: women can gain economic empowerment by being encouraged and assisted in launching and expanding their own businesses in the digital economy. the goal of gender equality is to expand women’s participation in the digital economy, which will strengthen the nation’s capacity and lead to higher economic development and growth (ranganath et al., 2011). technology empowers women both financially and holistically in both their professional and personal lives, including in the areas of entertainment, knowledge, and consumer power (pascall, 2012). access to networks and information, lower transaction costs, and better market access are three of the major advantages of icts for women entrepreneurs. for most women who own modest or home-based enterprises, technologies are strong tools that can be used to encourage female entrepreneurship in the corporate world. information and communication technology usage (icts) and the creative ways in which they have been applied have sparked the creation of new service delivery models and created new opportunities for smallholders (rani & joshi, 2012; fao, 2017). in the larger business community, it increases the visibility of female business owners (golmohammadi, n.d.). their economic strength, independence, and freedom all increased (kivunike et al., 2009; olatokun, 2009). icts are viewed as a crucial tool for fostering socioeconomic development and have the potential to reduce poverty (gopalakrishna, 2005). many women have been drawn to technical and management roles because of the internet, which has opened up excellent employment opportunities for female candidates. as a result, increased female engagement in public life has liberated them from male constraints and elevated their claims of equality (bhattacharyya & ghosh, n.d.). icts have enormous potential and opportunities to give rural women new career options and give them economic empowerment (sulaiman & kalaivani, 2011). the internet offers a method for women who have found the traditional workplace to be less than ideal for making a fantastic career with little to no overhead (padmannavar, 2011). women can choose how to spend their money as well (antonio & tuffley, 2014). y addressing women’s violence and online abuse: access to icts may be made easier, which can help stop violence against women and indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 278 empower women (brimacombe & skuse, 2013; gill et al., 2010; weiss & tarchinskaya, 2015). to empower women and girls using ict, safe online places must be created for them. this entails addressing online harassment, cyberbullying, and violence against women, as well as putting safety and security precautions in place for them online. the promotion of safe online habits for women and girls can be accomplished through legislative and policy frameworks, awareness campaigns, and capacity-building initiatives. y using ict to promote gender equality and social change: using ict to advocate for gender equality and social change can enable women and girls to speak out. icts are enhancing the global networks of women (bonder, 2002). it promotes their rights and works to improve local communities. in order to do this, women’s voices can be amplified, gender concerns can be brought to light, and legislative reforms that support gender equality and empowerment can be advocated for through social media, online campaigns, and digital platforms. women can use digital icts to petition decision-makers, engage with peers online, exchange information, and foster solidarity (antonio & tuffley, 2014). women share their public opinions on blogs and other digital venues (gurumurthy, 2012; chami, 2014). using digital icts, women can start or grow their micro-businesses while avoiding patriarchal societal conventions (srivastava & manzar, 2013). y women’s political engagement: ict can give women access to political information, such as news, statements, laws, and regulations. this makes it possible for individuals to continue learning about political topics and processes, which is essential for effective participation. even when they have inadequate reading abilities, women’s understanding of government programs and processes can be improved via ict (karan & mathur, 2010). online forums can be utilized for civic engagement, including petition signing, discussion participation, and attendance at virtual town halls. social media can give women a platform to express their viewpoints, connect with others who share those viewpoints, and form networks with like-minded people or organizations. ict can also facilitate remote political engagement, such as online voting or virtual meetings, making it more accessible for women who face obstacles like limited mobility or cultural norms. the andhra pradesh state wide area network (apswan) serves as the state of a.p.’s main network for phone, data, and video communication. because they now have the ability to write directly to the chief minister, cutting over the layers of hierarchy, women stand to gain much from them. gyandoot is an intranet project that links 21 rural cybercafés known as soochanalayas in the dhar region of madhya pradesh, india. these interventions assist women because they now have more knowledge about and control over regional dynamics (golmohammadi, n.d.). ict can be a potent driver of women’s political empowerment, which advances gender equality (ramilo et al., 2005). y conclusion y information and communication technology (ict) can revolutionize society and empower women in a number of ways. women and girls can take advantage of ict platforms, which facilitate communication, information acquisition, and online participation, by receiving training indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 279 that imparts digital literacy and skills. a key component of advancing gender equality is closing the gender gap in digital spaces and pushing for equitable access to ict infrastructure. encouragement of women’s engagement in ict-related sectors, especially in stem fields, improves female representation while also paving the road for innovation and professional progress. additionally, encouraging female entrepreneurs in the digital economy can result in economic empowerment and open doors for business growth and financial independence. safe online environments must be built and maintained by regulations and awareness efforts in order to use ict to solve issues like violence against women and online harassment. ict is also a powerful weapon for advancing social change and gender equality by amplifying the voices of women and supporting advocacy initiatives. finally, ict helps to increase women’s political involvement and empowerment by giving them access to political information and enabling remote political engagement. ict emerges as a dynamic force in the effort to empower women, close gaps, and advance society thanks to its wide range of possibilities. references antonio, a., & tuffley, d. 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(2012). empowering women for sustainable development united nations. weiss m, tarchinskaya e. the role of information technologies in changing the status of women to improve human conditions. in: brocke jv, stein a, hofmann s, tumbas s, editors. grand societal challenges in information systems research and education. new york: springer; 2015. p. 51–60. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 169 research article legal education through moocs: a study of select international online platforms samar iqbal bakhshi1 & mohammad amees2 1assistant librarian, national law university delhi, delhi email: samariqbal.bakhshi@nludelhi.ac.in 2junior librarian, op jindal global university, sonipat, haryana abstract the study is inspired by the fact that massive open online courses (moocs) have penetrated the world’s higher education system to a great extent and emerged as a sustainable solution in the era of technology, especially during the covid-19 pandemic; it has gained a broader impetus. the study is carried out by analyzing the actual data available on five major mooc platforms at the international level; i.e. edx, coursera, udemy, linkedin learning, and swayam; offering courses in the subject ‘law.’ the findings reveal that the majority of the courses are offered from the udemy platform. most of the courses are offered on a payment basis; however, a good number of courses are available either free, or payment is required for certification only. it is also found that most of the courses are offered in the english language as well as most courses are offered for less than or equal to 48 hours duration. the study will provide an overview of the already offered courses through five select moocs platforms and encourage and motivate the students and legal practitioners to enrol in a course in their desired area. it may also abet the policymakers and intelligentsia, leveraging the potential of moocs to increase the quality of legal education as it exhibits an overall picture of the current scenario of its penetration into the higher education system. the study has excellent usability for stakeholders engaged in legal education and moocs research. keywords: coursera, edx, udemy, linkedin learning, swayam, online legal education, moocs introduction with the advent of internet and communication technologies and the emergence of digital media, a radical change has been witnessed in higher education with the significant participation of online learners and a plethora of platforms ubiquitously providing opportunities. the technological landscape has brought a sea change in the methods of imparting distance education, and now online education has emerged as a better solution in comparison to broadcast via radio/television. online education is more interactive and easily accessible anytime from anywhere through the internet. moocs are the most remarkable technological developments in the area of online education in the past decade and are believed to be a gamechanger in the higher education system (mcgrath et al., 2017; warusavitarana et al., 2014). they have made the educational process break through the traditional restrictions of time and space and extend the ways to acquire knowledge ( zheng & yang, 2017). moocs learners benefit from expanding their knowledge and skill to a great extent in a multidirectional manner at their own pace with lots of freedom. despite serving on different platforms, such courses have a common characteristic that they are participatory indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 170 and less ambiguous. massive open online courses (moocs) are aimed at unlimited participation in the open domains through the internet.  these are largescale web-based courses designed and delivered by accredited higher education institutions or research and development organizations through mooc platforms. moocs are genuinely open and massive, anyone can register, and there are no admission formalities or other prerequisites. they are generally free, open access, global, video-based instructional content, and forums released through an online platform to high-volume participants aimed to be educated (baturay, 2015). the participant with a smart device and an internet connection can enrol in a mooc irrespective of age, gender, geographical location, or educational background. in 2008, steven downs and george siemens offered the first mooc course at the university of manitoba, canada. the title of the course was “connectivism, and connective knowledge/2008”, which received more than 2000 learners unexpectedly, and the course was delivered through educational resources available in the public domain and free such as wikis, online forums, google docs, youtube, and facebook groups (liyanagunawardena & adams, 2013; marques & mcguire, 2013). in 2011, sebastian thrun from stanford university offered a course, “introduction to artificial intelligence,” which received over 160,000 registrations (aulet, 2013, cited in corbeil et al., 2018). the year 2012 witnessed three major mooc platforms udacity, coursera, and edx, offering hundreds of courses to worldwide audiences. the new york times proclaimed 2012 “the year of the mooc” (pappano, 2012). by 2020 during the covid-19 outbreak, rapid growth in moocs was evident as approximately 180 million learners emerged to attend the mooc courses (shah, 2020). moocs have been widely used during school closures due to the covid pandemic in iran (tajik & vahedi, 2021). the most popular course during the covid-19 pandemic in 2020 has been “the science of well-being” offered by yale university on coursera. moreover, in the recent past, the design of moocs is going through a sea change, new and compelling ways of disseminating information are on the rise, and with that, they enable the participants to learn through social media platforms. nonetheless, such courses have a lot of challenges associated with them. the details of select mooc platforms are provided in table-1. table-1: details of select moocs platforms moocs platform country of origin year of commencement number of courses offered subject number of learners udemy usa 2010 *11431 courses business, finance and accounting, i.t. & software, design, health & fitness social science, etc. 40 million learners (https://about. udemy.com/?locale=en-us) indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 171 coursera usa 2012 *7453 courses arts & humanities, business, social science, computer science, i.t., math & logic etc. 76 million (https://www. classcentral.com/ report/moocstats-2020/) edx usa 2012 *4474 courses architecture, communication, economics & finance, humanities, medicine, law etc. 35 million (https://www. classcentral.com/ report/moocstats-2020/) linkedin learning usa 1995 *3185 courses data analysis, human resources, finance and accounting, leadership & management, social science, etc. 27 million (https://www. usnews.com/ education/learnlinkedin-learningguide) swayam india 2017 *2064 courses architecture & planning, law, humanities & arts, management & commerce, design, social science, etc. 16 million (https://www. classcentral.com/ report/moocstats-2020/) *source: https://www.classcentral.com/providers (accessed 12 june 2021) legal education through moocs the internet era has revolutionized and revitalized the overall scenario of the education system and provided opportunities to make it more democratic and accessible. the stakeholders and policymakers involved in imparting legal education use moocs platforms to launch their courses to provide opportunities to learners to get requisite education without the boundaries of time and location. law is a subject where students are trained to ‘think like a lawyer’ (ormrod, 1971), at the same time, it is an intellectual discipline to inculcate distinctive concepts and methods of reasoning as well as a critical viewpoint of day-to-day happenings at national and international level to create a better inclusive society. legal education pedagogy includes lectures, seminars, group, and individual tutorials, simulated exercises like moot courts, client interviewing and mediation/conciliation, internships, etc. it also includes practical experiences from society as well as the justice delivery system. the pioneer of legal education in india prof. n.r. madhav menon stressed that the legal profession in india needs to be transformed in order to keep up with the standards of globalization. bajpai & kapoor (2018) also opined that in india, legal education pedagogy needs a clear and comprehensive understanding of methods, i.e. collaborative teaching, outcome-based learning, field action projects, clinical method, research methods, etc. and stressed that teaching style and technique could make a difference to enhance the student participation in the teaching-learning process. mooc being a disruptive innovation has altered the ways people used to acquire knowledge. however, in the field of law, moocs have proved a sustaining innovation that showers the rain of information equally to anyone indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 172 ubiquitously. for a long time, the concept of blended and flipped learning through the internet was experimented with by professors and students of law through ‘legaled’ by archiving the lectures in online mode (http://legaledweb.com/ our-vision). in the year 2013, moocs for legal education became available (schrag, 2014). while advocating the use of technology for teaching law, corbin & bugden (2018) argued that behaviourist, cognitivist, and constructivist learning theories must be applied in online law teaching environments. law professors of prestigious universities worldwide have taken steps to develop moocs, launched them through mooc platforms and provide certifications. the moocs developed to support legal education have unique discipline characteristics like subjectivity, logicality, speculative nature of the teaching contents and strong practicality (zheng, 2020). it has several benefits, including ease of learning, resource sharing, cost savings, and increased learning performance. review of related literature moocs, since their inception, became an attraction to online learners due to myriad reasons; one of the reasons was their open nature. since 2010, massive open online courses (moocs) have been one of the most discussed and researched topics in the area of educational technology (ebner et al., 2020). there are various studies on the advantages and pitfalls of moocs. however, they gained a strong impetus in the covid-19 pandemic as more and more learners were attracted by such courses worldwide. moocs were initially available for science and technology courses, the first mooc for legal education was developed in the year 2014 (schrag, 2014). at the early phase of the emergence of moocs, binford (2014) opined that legal educators must show their presence in the moocs universe. legal education has been more receptive to integrating new and innovative technologies in the pedagogical services with mooc as one of the recent additions. colbran and gilding (2014) suggested methods to adopt legal educators to explore the unhindered possibilities. moocs and other new teaching modes may help students achieve mutual complementarity between law courses through moocs and traditional law and improve teaching quality (zheng, 2020). the students’ attitude towards legal knowledge absorption directly impacts the quality of law education in universities. yang & song (2019) reported that teaching through moocs in china is evolving for law and legal studies, but still there is a need for improvement in pedagogical practices and students’ enthusiasm. pandit (2016) reported that in the indian context, where a larger portion of the population is residing in remote areas, moocs can have an important role in skill enhancement and quality learning. moocs have also been considered a strategy for the internationalization of higher education institutions (kerr & reda, 2019). the law society of ireland launched its courses through mooc in 2014, which has increased the society’s flagship by rising enrollments and attracting international students (grealy et al., 2019). a survey to examine the students’ opinion of online learning during the covid-19 pandemic in sri lanka opined that more than 80 per cent of students agreed to integrate online education into their courses in the future. students perceive online learning as effective as face-to-face learning, enjoyable, able to learn at their own pace, easy access to online material as well as active participation (akuratiya & meddage, 2020). pant et al. (2021) revealed that mooc programs are popular in those european countries that utilize a lot of information technology. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 173 alhazzani (2020) reported that most university faculty in saudi arabia think that moocs directly impact improving educational outcomes and the developing of student learning skills. enrolment in mooc courses depends on awareness of relevant courses. in countries with economic disparities, moocs could play a key role in imparting education to everyone. still, it is pertinent that there must be some awareness to get a fair idea about the course structure and fees. it is revealed that high-level awareness is evidenced among science and law students compared to humanities (kundu & bej, 2020). the study conducted at assam university, india suggested that the awareness of moocs among the students is not up to the mark, and there is a need to spread awareness (purkayastha & sinha, 2021). another study carried out among undergraduate law students in nigeria revealed that 78.3 per cent of learners intend to use moocs and the main source of awareness was the internet; the study concluded that awareness of moocs is critical to its use by undergraduate students and recommended that law librarians should create awareness of moocs among students (adebayo & babalola, 2021). the literature review clearly indicates that there is a dearth of literature to analyze and present legal education scenarios through moocs at the international level. need and significance of the study the evolution and growth of moocs are the most significant development in the field of higher education. during the covid-19 pandemic, the education system of the whole world was compelled to continue in online mode. universities of repute have launched several courses as moocs, through various platforms for the benefit of learners. as a limited number of studies are conducted to present legal education through moocs, this study shows a comprehensive picture of the courses offered worldwide in law through five major mooc platforms i.e., edx, coursera, udemy, linkedin learning and swayam; creating awareness among law students and practitioners to opt for a course. it analyzes the free courses, which will allow economically weaker sections of the students to opt for their desired courses for free or at a minimal cost. the study may also benefit the policymakers and other stakeholders to evaluate the already available courses through moocs and introduce new courses which are not available. objectives of the study 1. to enumerate and compare the moocs offered through five major mooc platforms at the international level i.e., edx, coursera, udemy, linkedin learning and swayam in the subject ‘law’. 2. to investigate the free/paid moocs offered from the five mooc platforms selected for the study. 3. to compare the moocs offered through five mooc platforms with reference to their language and course duration (length of the course). 4. to analyze the contribution of indian universities/institutions on the swayam platform in the subject ‘law’. methodology a thorough review of currently published related literature was conducted to prepare the background of this study. the study was carried out using the data available on five major mooc platforms at the international leveledx (https://www.edx.org/ search?tab=course&subject=law), coursera (https://www.coursera.org/ indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 174 browse/social-sciences/law), udemy (https://www.udemy.com/topic/law/), swayam (https://swayam.gov.in/ explorer), and linkedin learning (https://www.linkedin.com/learning/ search?ent i tytype=course&key words=law). these platforms were selected on the basis of the maximum number of courses offered. the data was collected from the websites of the respective mooc platforms in the month of may 2021. a comprehensive list is prepared with all details of the courses available in the subject category 'law' from the websites of five select platforms. a total number of 630 courses were found which were further analyzed and compared in view of the study's objectives. microsoft excel was used for creating tables and graphical representations of data. references are organized through the mendeley reference manager using american psychological association style 7th edition. analysis and discussion a total of 630 moocs in the subject ‘law’ in five select platforms were analyzed and presented in the following tables and figures. microsoft excel was used to show the graphical representation of data, which is further interpreted as per the study’s objectives. platform-wise distribution of moocs figure-1: platform-wise distribution of moocs it is evident from fig.-1 that of the total 630 moocs enumerated in law, a significant number of courses 329 (52 per cent) were offered through udemy, followed by edx 110 (17 per cent) courses. similarly, 102 (16 per cent) courses were provided through linkedin learning, this is followed by coursera offering 67 (11 per cent) courses. the least number of courses, 22 (3 per cent), were provided by the swayam platform. the study is in par with the findings of binford (2014) that through three major players in the mooc universe—coursera, udacity, and edx—only four moocs were taught by u.s. law professors. similarly, ivanova (2016) recommended coursera and edx as the best platforms for accessible technology approaches in designing various learning situations for the organizations imparting largescale curriculums. another study conducted to analyze the usability of three popular mooc platforms: edx, coursera, and udacity showed that indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 175 coursera was significantly more usable than edx and udacity. in addition, interaction efficiency was significantly higher while using coursera compared to udacity (tsironis et al., 2016). the study conducted to analyze learners’ satisfaction during the covid-19 pandemic in china suggested that online education platforms should be improved to escalate online education to promote the reform of informationbased education (chen et al., 2020). free/paid moocs the data presented in fig.-2 indicates that of the 630 courses offered through five select platforms, 496 (79 per cent) courses were paid, a learner has to pay for getting enrolled in the course and earning the certification. it is followed by 92 (14 per cent) courses that were free with a paid certificate; the learner has to pay a minimal amount of fees to appear in the assessment and get the certification grades. there is no amount to be deposited for enrolment in the course, and the lectures and other material are under an open license. moreover, it is evident from fig.-2 that 42 (7 per cent) courses are completely free with free assessment and certification. the learners need not deposit any fees for enrolment, assessment, and certification. of the total 630 courses, it is clear from the figure that a considerable number of courses are paid (79 per cent) followed by courses with a paid certification (14 per cent). this is followed by completely free courses (7 per cent). most of the free courses are of short duration. a detailed list of free courses through five select platforms is provided in appendix 1. figure-2: free/paid moocs the courses under the free and paid certification category can help the students with weaker sections of society to get updated from legal knowledge and skills with minimal payment. as the courses are offered by wellreputed professors from highly ranked universities at the international level, it is an added advantage for learners from remote areas to get benefitted from it. (mcgrath & stenfors-hayes, 2017) emphasized that moocs can be considered as a moral obligation as it can be articulated as a way of paying back to society, a form of non-reciprocal outreach, a way to share, disseminate, teach but also compensate those who were less able financially to engage in learning at a high level. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 176 language-wise distribution of moocs the language-wise distribution of moocs offered in ‘law’ is presented in fig.-3. it is evident from the figure that a total of 630 moocs offered through five select platforms in the field of ‘law’ were available in eighteen different languages. the data presented in fig. 3 highlights that 346 (55 per cent) courses are offered in english, followed by portuguese 86 (14 per cent) language. the other languages in which law moocs are available are german 49 (8 per cent), followed by spanish 44 (7 per cent), french 24 (4 per cent), turkish 22 (3 per cent), and russian 14 (2 per cent). of the eleven courses, only (2 per cent) are offered in indonesian and italian languages, followed by five courses in the chinese language. four courses are offered in japanese and polish languages, followed by three courses in arabic language. two courses are offered in the hindi language, while one course is provided in azeri, greek, lithuanian and romanian and ukrainian languages. figure-3: language-wise distribution of moocs course duration-wise distribution of moocs fig 4 indicates that course duration is divided into four-time spans, i.e., the courses equal to or less than 48 hours (<=48 hours), greater than 48 hours, and similar to or less than 1 month (>48 hours and <=1 month), greater than one month and less than or equal to 6 months (>1 month and <=6 months) and greater than six months (>6 months) duration. the total number of courses (n=630) is analyzed as per the four-course durations defined and represented in fig.4. it is evident from fig.-4 that a significant number of courses, 459 (73 per cent), are offered for a duration more than or equal to 48 hours. 120 (19 per cent) courses follow it for more than one month and less than or equal to six months. likewise, 39 (6 per cent) courses are offered for more than 48 hours and less than or equal to one month. the least number of courses 6 (1 per cent) are provided indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 177 for more than six months duration. the analysis depicts that many courses are offered for less than or equal to 48 hours from the five select platforms; it is also noticed that most of these shortduration courses are provided through udemy and linkedin learning. in indian context, the courses offered through the swayam platform range from 4-15 weeks. figure-4: course duration-wise distribution of moocs contribution of indian universities through the swayam platform the contribution of indian universities for moocs through the swayam platform in the subject ‘law’ is presented in fig.-4. as per the data available on swayam website (https://swayam. gov.in/explorer?category=law) in may 2021, a total number of 22 moocs will be offered by indian universities. the maximum number of courses are offered from nlu delhi (6 courses), followed by iit kharagpur (5 courses) and national law school of india bengaluru (3 courses). the english and foreign language university, hyderabad and iit madras have offered 2 courses each. west bengal national university of juridical sciences, op jindal global university, rv university karnataka and the university of kashmir have offered one course each through the swayam platform. the courses offered through iits are in the areas of law & engineering/ sciences and ipr. fees are required for assessment and certification only however, all the content is available under an open license. all the courses are offered in english language and the course duration ranges from 4-15 weeks. a detailed list of the moocs offered through the swayam under the subject ‘law’ is provided in appendix-2. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 178 figure-4: contribution of indian universities through the swayam platform findings and discussion as moocs are the most significant development in the field of education in the twenty-first century, contemporary university leaders and policymakers find themselves at crossroads as new technology-enhanced learning approaches, which have the potential to democratize higher education, are emerging at a time when traditional models of higher education are often criticized for being increasingly unaffordable and ineffective for addressing educational inequality (flavin, 2017). the study aimed to find out the impact of moocs on legal education and the platforms contributing to imparting various courses. to identify the platforms that offer maximum courses, the fee structure, and language of instruction have not been researched until now. in the covid-19 pandemic, digital platforms have played a significant role in reaching out to millions of online learners through ways in their comfort zones. therefore, to a large extent, it has made learning more individualized, accessible, and democratic. however, there are still some impediments yet to clear to rationalize the moocs in comparison to traditional courses. the large and diverse student enrolment in moocs, the high dropout rate of moocs compared to conventional courses, and the relative lack of instructor presence or support in moocs compared to traditional courses (hew & cheung, 2014). schrag (2014) reported that leading universities are in a rush to offer the courses through mooc platforms and become part of the newest wave of law teaching seeking revenues, but if they value the type of education that their law schools offer, they will give considerable thought to what elements of traditional legal education should be preserved, and how moocs can interact with and support, rather than destroy within a few years, a system of legal education that the nation’s universities have taken a century to develop (schrag, 2014). one distinguishing feature of moocs is that they involve more self-directed learning than any other online course. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 179 apart from that, moocs are more flexible in nature and more dynamic, a learner is free to attend the course anytime, anywhere, and there are no constraints of space and time. therefore, moocs are more relevant to the legal fraternity than any other discipline. in the present study, the focus was on the platforms they choose, and the flexibilities in terms of fee and language were taken into consideration; the study highlights that of the total 630 moocs enumerated in ‘law’ from five major international platforms edx, coursera, udemy, linkedin learning, and swayam a significant number of courses (52 per cent) are offered through udemy. swayam provides the least number of courses, but these are of longer duration. one important motivation for choosing online courses is their fee structure. usually, people like free courses and studies suggest that up to 90 per cent of dropouts are due to reasons including a lack of incentive, failure to understand the content material and having no one to turn to for help, and having other priorities to fulfil (hew & cheung, 2014). in this study, the idea was to accentuate the course fee structure. the study finds that a considerable number of courses are paid (79 per cent), followed by courses with a paid certification (14 per cent), and followed by completely free courses (7 per cent). most of the free courses are of short duration and available through the udemy platform. furthermore, language plays an essential role in the motivation of learning a course. therefore, it was pertinent to find out the languages through which the courses are being delivered. it was found that the highest number of courses (55 per cent) was offered in the english language, followed by portuguese (14 per cent) language. the analysis also depicts that a significant number of courses were offered for less than or equal to 48 hours, and most of these short-duration courses are offered through udemy and linkedin learning. of the 630 courses, only six courses are offered for more than six months duration. in the indian context, it is found that a maximum number of six courses are offered by national law university delhi, followed by iit kharagpur (4 courses) and nlsiu bengaluru (3 courses). the total number of courses offered on the swayam platform under the subject ‘law’ from indian universities is twenty-two. conclusion moocs contribute to the universal plan of addressing the digital divide and promoting equity in educational opportunities (chauhan, 2014; ma & lee, 2019, as stipulated in the sustainable development goal, united nations general assembly, 2015). on the other hand, a classroom is an opportunity for a global, collaborative, emotional, constructive, and peer dialogue; the same narratives cannot be developed by adopting online education models. without one-to-one personal interaction, there is a challenge to ensure personalized guidance and mentorship, which leads to a lack of an effective system to measure and validate the learners’ progress and uptake. covid-19 pandemic and the limitations that arise have also compelled the policymakers to rethink the future of the education system in the whole world and constrained them to adopt moocs as a full-time credit course for completion of degrees. a total of twenty-two moocs are launched from different indian universities through swayam under the subject ‘law’. from the year 2021, university grants commission has facilitated to allow upto 40 per cent of the total course through online learning through the swayam platform (ugc, 2021). as per national educational policy (2020), the academic bank of credits (abc) is also proposed, which will facilitate students to opt for indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 180 online courses and gain credits for the same. several indian universities are collaborating with foreign universities to launch online courses through other international platforms. this disruptive technology has created many challenges for educators, administrators, and learners, but it has also brought many opportunities for its stakeholders, especially during the covid-19 crisis. moocs and other alternate technology-based innovations in the higher education system can be used as a means as per the requirement/situations, but it cannot be a replacement for traditional classroom teaching fostering the overall development of students. references adebayo, e. a., & babalola, y. t. 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(2017). the rise of moocs: the literature review of research progress and hot spots of moocs education in mainland china. eurasia journal of mathematics, science and technology education, 13(9), 6165–6174. https:// doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2017.01056a appendix 1: list of free moocs through five select mooc platforms (may 2021) s. no. course title platform language 1 introduction to american civics: presented by zero-l edx english 2 civil liberties edx english 3 constitutional interpretation edx english 4 incarceration’s witnesses: american prison writing edx english 5 the customs and traditions of afghanistan: pashtunwali and its foundations edx english 6 ةيداصتقالا تاسايسلا عنص مهف coursera arabic 7 property and liability: an introduction to law and economics coursera  english 8 law in the time of covid-19: a northwestern teach-out coursera  english 9 introduction to intellectual property coursera english 10 searching for the grand paris coursera french 11 firearm purchaser licensing teach-out: the background check policy not enough people are talking about coursera english 12 community awareness: police brutality in the u.s. coursera english 13 the wonders and challenges of bible education coursera english 14 english legal system in 60 minutes: a fast track summary udemy english 15 launching a successful 21st century law practice udemy english 16 cybersecurity law udemy english 17 paralegal power breaks udemy english 18 learn the contract basics all the professionals know udemy english 19 mpre review for multistate professional responsibility exam udemy english indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 184 20 introduction to child rights udemy english 21 pass the california police academy written examinations udemy english 22 e-way bills under goods & services tax udemy english 23 interpretation of statutes udemy english 24 introduction to health law in nigeria udemy english 25 basics of indian environmental legislative framework udemy english 26 hukukun üstünlüğünün esasları udemy turkish 27 explicación general del derecho administrativo en honduras udemy spanish 28 curso sobre o sigilo bancário udemy portuguese 29 lawyer web udemy portuguese 30 advocacia, site e divulgação no google com custo reduzido udemy portuguese 31 švari advokato mantija udemy lithuanian 32 diritto costituzionale da zero udemy italian 33 direito na escola experience udemy portuguese 34 pph pasal 22 udemy indonesian 35 código de ética do psicólogo comentado udemy portuguese 36 pengantar teori penalaran hukum udemy indonesian 37 direitos dos animais | curso básico udemy portuguese 38 租税法修士論文の基本問題 udemy japanese 39 modelo de procuração particular | download e prática udemy portuguese 40 comment payer moins d’impôts, et droit des successions udemy french 41 aplicación del estatuto del consumidor a proveedores udemy spanish 42 introduzione al diritto udemy italian appendix -2: list of moocs offered through swayam under the subject ‘law’ (may 2021) s. no. course university/ organization language 1 access to justice nlu delhi english 2 administrative law university of kashmir english 3 advanced constitutional law nlu delhi english indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 185 4 constitution of india and environmental governance: administrative and adjudicatory process nlsiu bengaluru english 5 corporate law nlu delhi english 6 criminal justice administration nlu delhi english 7 entrepreneurship and ip strategy iit kharagpur english 8 environmental law nlu delhi english 9 human rights nlsiu bengaluru english 10 human rights in india op jindal global university english 11 human rights system rv university karnataka english 12 indian judicial system: legal aid and environmental protection english and foreign languages university english 13 intellectual property nlu delhi english 14 introduction to law on electricity iit kharagpur english 15 legal and regulatory issues in biotechnology iit kharagpur english 16 patent drafting for beginners iit madras english 17 patent law for engineers and scientists iit madras english 18 patent search for engineers and lawyers iit kharagpur english 19 private international law and alternative dispute resolution : indian legal position english and foreign languages university english 20 right to information and good governance nlsiu bengaluru english 21 roadmap for patent creation indian institute of technology, kharagpur english 22 socio economic offences: nature and dimensions  west bengal national university of juridical sciences english indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 215 review article self-regulated learning through technology: a study review neisetuono kehie1 & b.b. kharbirymbai2 1phd research scholars, education department, north eastern hill university, shillong, meghalaya 2education department, north eastern hill university, shillong, meghalaya email:brindabazeley@gmail.com abstract with the covid-19 pandemic, almost every educational institute has resorted to digital classes by utilizing accessible technology. these paved the way for the students to maintain and develop self-regulated learning as students have greater responsibility to manage their learning outcomes. in the present classroom scenario, technologies have become an indispensable tool to facilitate teaching-learning and with advancement, online learning is growing rapidly; concurrently students are responsible for their learning as the role of the teachers is only to guide or facilitate. the need for hence, selfregulated learning and technologies to achieve the optimal learning outcome. this paper aims to review the findings of related literature concerning technologies promoting self-regulated learning. it further gives implications from the reviewed literature. keywords: self-regulated learning; technology, promoting self-regulated learning introduction in the past few decades technology has been progressing rapidly; therefore, with the advancement, it has become an indispensable instructional tool for student-teacher teaching-learning to facilitate optimal learning outcomes. under higher education, the national education policy (2020; part 2, chapter 23) also emphasizes the use and integration of technology in education and has pointed out the key initiative and the recommendation of technology in teaching-learning such as online education, online assessment and online examination, etc. with an emphasis on the blending of technology in teaching-learning comes to a greater responsibility on the students to selfregulate and manage their learning performance. this called the attention to the students to be independent learners in managing their learning, henceforth, self-regulated learning comes to light as it enables the students to know how to regulate themselves and how to regulate one’s learning outcomes.  self-regulated learning is defined as ‘students’ self-generated thoughts, feelings and actions which are systematically oriented towards the attainment of their goals (zimmerman & schunk, 1989). pintrich (2000) also describes self-regulated learning as an active constructive process whereby the learners set goals for their learning and attempt to monitor, regulate and control their cognition, motivation and behaviour guided and constrained by their goals and the contextual features of the environment. zimmerman(1989), as cited in underwood & banyard(2005), describes that self-regulated learners draw on their knowledge and beliefs to devise an interpretation of a given academic indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 216 task, then set goals and think about the skills and strategies for achieving these goals. self-regulated learners also monitor their progress toward the goals by judging their success against these goals”. according to zimmerman (1998), self-regulation involves the processes of planning, monitoring and evaluating. the term-technology is very broad and complex hence, in a narrow term; it is a tool, technique or machine that may contain hardware and software to enhance human activities. there are various technologies for enhanced learning such as technology enhanced learning environment (tele), ict, e-learning, web-based learning, etc.  objective of the study 1. to review the findings of the related literatures concerning technologies promoting self-regulated learning 2. to give implications based on the reviewed literature methodology this study is based on qualitative methods only. the findings and implications of the study will be based on the review of related literature. criteria for inclusion 1. only the topic of studies relating to the use of technology for promoting self-regulated learning was identified for the study. 2. according to the aim, review articles and books in the period 2004-2021 will be selected. data collection the research study on the topic is very limited in number however through a search database for research articles relating to self-regulated learning and technology variables were identified from which 33 articles were selected based on the most relevant literature and according to the aim of the review. study review on self-regulated learning through technology self-regulated learning has gained wide attention from researchers over the last two decades and many studies have been conducted on other variables too. studies have shown that students with high self-regulated learning achieve better learning outcomes as compared to students with low self-regulated learning. the teaching-learning paradigm has been shifted to a learner-centred approach along with the expanding prominence of technology which means individualizing the learning environment. technology and selfregulated learning are pivotal in today’s teaching-learning context and it will be inevitable in the fast-changing world. as learning becomes more learner-centred and individualized, technology is also becoming more personalized and usercentred (underwood & banyard, 2005), these changes will enable the students to self-regulate their learning by setting their own time and space to achieve goals. in a learner-centred environment, greater responsibilities are placed on the individual learner therefore selfregulated learning skills are needed. seeing this need, researchers and educators have been conducting studies to find out whether technological tools promotes self-regulated learning techniques such as the study conducted by  kaufman (2004) to  investigate strategies that teachers can use to improve self-regulated learning by using web-based learning. a note-taking method which is one of the strategies in web-based learning was found to be predicting srl. in a note-taking method, students take notes of information that were considered important from the lecture or online material sources. according to cosnefroy (2014), the indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 217 note-taking method in online learning demands more autonomy as it enables a learner to exercise control and hence students may develop self-regulated learning skills. the study revealed that most students revisited online source material enabling them to reorganise notes and increase usefulness. studies such as bartlome et.al., 2007; wong and baarsa et.al., 2018; alkhasawnh et.al, 2019; hsu, 2020; min and nasir, 2020; urbina et.al, 2021 pointed out that a technology-enhanced learning environment (teles) promotes self-regulated learning. according to antoniotte (2005), the needs and goals of the learner and educator in a technology-enhanced learning environment (tele) may mismatch therefore students can be informed by the teachers about the needs and goals of learning. the teacher’s needs and goals for the students (external definition) may overlap the students’ needs and goals (personal definition) so it is important to make them aware of the external definition. when a teacher guides the students with the external definition each student comes out with different strategies, skills or thinking styles to achieve their needs and goals. once the students are exposed to a technology-enhanced learning environment, they have a better knowledge about the environment and develop a mental model of the environment which can help them further re-modify goals, strategies, skills and thinking styles. the mental model of the environment will further inspire the behavioural plan to be executed. frank & dommaschk (2005)  under the initiative of the department of media education and further education at the university of leipzig conducted an online seminar that tested the implementation of self-regulated learning in technology enhanced learning environment (tele) among higher education students in the subject of media literacy. the seminar had three terms, in the first term the students were engaged in an online course led by student tutors, the tutors gives a reflection on the group work, with the increasing confidence of the participants the tutors gave lesser advice and eventually the participants engaged in planning and designing their course, which in the due course of the term, individuals were contributing actively in the learning process and was highly involved and thus promote selfregulation within the groups. technology is rapidly advancing and it is complex, therefore students in this kind of learning environment can be easily distracted which is why self-regulated learning is important to stay goaloriented, use strategies and monitor performances. paraskeva (2007) conducted a study on 188 it of 1st year and 4th year students to determine the relationship between self-regulated strategies and computer self-efficacy in it courses. the study findings revealed that the 4th year students performed greater and incorporated more use of self-regulated learning strategies because they were equipped with advanced knowledge of computers and experience as compared to the 1st year students. it was found that 4th year students use cognitive and metacognitive strategies more often than 1st year students, they were focused on their goals and better in managing study time and organizing study space. alexioua and paraskevaa (2010) examine the computer science, university students, by implementing an e-portfolio and its potential to enhance self-regulated learning skills. both quantitative and qualitative statistical analyses were used to evaluate, and the result indicated that higher levels of cognitive factors were associated with higher levels of motivational and affective factors, across all phases of indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 218 self-regulated learning and e-portfolio implementation. thus it was concluded that the process of structuring an e-portfolio as a learning strategy can be used to enhance self-regulated learning skills. self-regulation can be developed in several ways such as explicit instruction, problem-solving, and a collaborative approach technology can also support the development of srl skills. in the book “self-regulated learning in technology enhanced learning environments: problems and promises”, bartolomé and steffens (as cited in, beishuizen, 2010,p27) identified three requirements for technology-enhanced learning environments supporting srl: • learners should be encouraged to plan their learning activities. to be able to plan, students should have the opportunity to develop planning and time management skills.  • learners should be encouraged to monitor their activities.  • learners should be encouraged to evaluate learning outcomes with the help of performance criteria provided by the tele.  similarly, bartlome and steffen (2011, p-23) in the book “self-regulated learning in technology enhanced learning environments; a european perspective” gave the characteristics to a technology enhanced learning environment (tele) should have to support srl. following are the given characteristics: • a tele should encourage the development of planning skills and time management skills (blogs, personal learning environments. • it should give a feedback form. (e-portfolios). • provide criteria for the teacher and students to evaluate their learning outcomes. according to bernacki et. al,(2011), students who engaged in selfregulated learning show a higher rate of learning in technology enhancing learning environment as compared to their peers who practised lesser selfregulated learning. research studies also show that technology can enhance srl skills in students. this is supported by studies such as barber et.al., (2011) who conducted a study on undergraduate students to examine the extent to which technology can facilitate self-regulated learning. mygrade application in blackboard is a technology that allows instructors to post students’ grades on all course assignments, exams, quizzes and other projects and show running course percentages which students can access anytime. it was found that students who access the mygrade application were better able to monitor their grade performance and have significant improvement in their exam performance as compared to those who did not use the application. the students also reported that accessing the application helped adjust their study habits as well as classroom habits.  johnson et.al (2014) mentioned in their studies that the elements of the digital learning environment (dle) facilitate the development of self-regulated learning strategies as it provides curriculum material and instructional procedures which enable students to clarify understanding of the task, develop effective plans and monitor personal mastery of learning requirement. according to  barak (2014), as stated,”technology education has the potential of being one of the best platforms for fostering students’ selfregulatory behaviour in school for several reasons”. • firstly, technology studies deal with issues that could interest indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 219 students personally, enhance their imagination, relate to daily life or concern the needs of individuals and society, for example, individuals with special needs. • secondly, technology studies put into practice the notion of ‘learning by doing,’ which educationalists recognized long ago as being an essential ingredient in developing an individual’s cognitive and social aptitudes.  • thirdly, technology studies take place in a rich learning environment, which includes, for example, materials, tools, instrumentation and computers. moreover, while in many disciplines computers and communication technologies serve as aides for instruction and learning, in technology education the students often use computers and other interactive technologies as an integral part of the systems they design and construct.  • and fourthly, in learning technology students get feedback not only from their teachers and peers but also from their success or failure in their efforts to design, construct, troubleshoot and improve original and useful artefacts and systems. zhao, hong and chen, li (2016) studied the relationship between self-regulated and e-learning 2.0 environments, the findings indicated that e-learning influenced self-regulated learning significantly by information quality, communication quality, and user satisfaction. the findings also show that system quality and service quality influenced self-regulation by way of communication quality and user satisfaction as the intermediated variable.  fung et al. (2019) also found that self-reflection prompts in the personalized weekly e-learning journals improved the self-regulated learning (srl) of university students. kizil and savran (2016) conducted a study on 777 university students of english as foreign language (efl) learners to examine the use of ict tools to selfregulate their language outside the formal instruction setting. the survey study revealed that efl learners used ict to regulate a different aspect of the language learning experience by using self-regulated learning factors such as goal commitment regulation, active regulation and resource regulation. similar findings of ict supporting selfregulated learning is confirmed by the study of dettori et.al, 2008; celik et.al, 2012; onivehu et.al.,2018; khampirat, 2021; su et.al., 2021. chelgoum (2017) studied the efl classes to identify the effectiveness of online platforms on the self-regulation of students for which findings indicated that experimental group students have improved in their self-regulated learning as compared to control group students. dominguez and marcelo(2017) conducted a study on 711 university students to find out whether students use technology to self-regulate their learning. the study revealed two groups of students with different self-regulated levels; though the students used the technology frequently they did not use technology to regulate their learning process, however, when learning another group of students used selfregulated strategies with technology. the study also revealed that students used internet information search and instant communication tools continually of all technologies analysts. wong et.al (2018) conducted a study in primary schools with a sample size of 147 students; the traditional teaching method classroom was replaced with an i-classroom such as online educational resources, mobile and classroom technological tools to investigate indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 220 its effectiveness in promoting selfregulated learning strategies in three key aspects: learning motivation, planning and management, and selfmonitoring.  these key aspects of self-regulated learning were investigated by comparing students’ grades and academic performance. the result indicated that after the implementation of the i-classroom students were found to be active in learning, search for learning material and are aware of suitable learning and teaching methods for themselves however they were not good at self-assessment.  blended learning is inevitable in classroom teaching-learning, as teachers deliver lessons with technology as supplemental tools for more efficient and effective learning. uz and uzun (2018)  conducted a study to study the influence of blended learning on the development of srl among university students. the sample consisted of 167 students and was divided into three groups, one group is the experimental group in which blended learning was applied and the other two were the control group. the study shows that the experimental group in the blended learning environment progressed better in terms of improvement in self –regulated learning skills than the first and second control group. a study conducted by  bahri et.al (2019) also supported the findings that technology supports the improvement of self-regulated learning skills as the students who inferred moodle-based learning were found to be effective in developing self-regulated learning skills. furthermore,  uysal and gundogdu’s (2019)  study also shows that there was a positive correlation between the attitudes toward web-based instruction and self-regulated learning skills among university students. supriyono et.al. (2020) study revealed a significant positive correlation between technology acceptance and self-regulated learning, thus technology acceptance contributes to self-regulated learning. the finding further indicated that students use technology to regulate their language through various selfregulatory skills. in summary, the reviewed literature depicted that technology was supporting self-regulated learning. implication from the above review of related literature the following implication can be drawn: technology is becoming more personalized and hence it enables the students to plan and manage their learning. for example, personalized learning environment (ple) allows students to plan their own goals and organize learning in a personal web environment. personalized student computers will enable students to enhance their lesson planning as well as schedule time for task completion; this will enable them to have a clear vision of the task completed within a time framework. there are also lesson planning applications and websites on mobile phones that students can easily access which can assist them to plan out lessons. note-taking methods in webbased learning will also enable students to take note of important information while going through online learning resources and thus enabling them to reorganize notes. there are various applications, learning management systems and online classroom platforms that will enable the students to monitor their learning; technologies like e-portfolios and google classroom will enable students to monitor their performances and keep track of their grades, project work, indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 221 and areas in need of improvements, achievements or performances in different activities. this will help them be aware, motivated, and monitor learning to reach the desired goals. applications like ‘mygrade’ and ‘grade’ can be used by students to monitor their semester exam performance, and check their progress by the total averages and semester average; students can also set reminders and goals and adjust their study habits. information and communication technnology (ict) used in the classroom can also be used for the promotion of self-regulated learning behaviour. introducing computer knowledge and skills to students at an early stage and integrating through a transitional phase from easy to difficulty level is recommended as paraskeva (2007) mentioned that computer selfefficacy enables a student to confidently use learning strategies. learning management systems such as moodle, blackboard and various other teaching apps allow teachers to create online learning resources and assignments for the students; these allow students to create their own learning material with meaningful, accurate and accessible information. these digital learning allow students as well as the teachers to monitor students’ progress. one of the great advantages of technology in enhancing self-regulated learning is evaluation. it can be in the form of peer review or feedback. the teacher can give feedback on the student’s performance or students evaluate their overall performance in the feedback form. technology like google classroom will enable the teachers to give immediate feedback on students’ assignments and activities performance. this will help the students to reflect on their behaviour, skills, performance etc hence re-modify goals, strategies or thinking styles if necessary. metacognitive, behavioral, and motivation are very important components of srl. thus, technology can promote these srl components to some extent as it allows them to plan, monitor and evaluate learning by portraying a clear mental picture of their learning goals and strategies and execution, availability of learning resources, feedback, etc. conclusion the finding from the reviewed works of the literature shows that technology can be used to enhance or promote self-regulated learning. technology facilitates learning and influences the development of self-regulated learning. it is a tool that enables a learner to plan, monitor and execute strategically as well as motivates the learning process. however it can be complex therefore, it has to be carefully carried through and introduced to the students with plans, strategies and expected outcomes. in a learner-centred environment, a teacher is a facilitator, so keeping this in mind during the initial stage; a teacher should guide the student with the concept and knowledge of technology. if the growing competence in the students is observed, the students can go on with their independent learning, setting their individual desired goals and strategies for achieving the goals. it is important to introduce the concept to the students so that they would not proceed blindly with trial and error but with objectives and strategy in mind. teaching-learning paradigm is a learnercentred approach, therefore technology and self-regulated learning skills will be helpful for students to attend optimum learning i.e. life-long learning. through the review of literature on the study ‘self-regulated learning and technology’, it has been realized that only a limited number of studies have been carried out and therefore more empirical research is needed with conclusive findings. in conclusion, the indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 222 present review study calls for the need for quantitative research and tools construction for technology enhancing self-regulated learning skills. references alexiou, & paraskeva. 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(1990). self-regulated learning and academic achievement: an overview. educational psychologist, 25(1), 3-17. research article ict infused print to audio textbooks: studying the effect on english and hindi reading comprehension in inclusive classroom bharti associate professor, degsn, ncert, new delhi email: bharti.kaushik@ciet.nic.in abstract the present research attempts to study the effect of jct based aural reading with the use of handheld device called "smart speak" through specially printed textbooks on the english and hindi reading comprehension of students studying in class 5. smart speak looks like a thick pen which converts printed text into speech. this helps students'facing challenges in reading print to meaningfully engage with the printed text. a batch of 31 sighted students and 3 students with visual impairments (vi) studying in class 5, in in­ clusive education settings, formed the sample for this study. after establishing the reading proficiency of participating students in english braille, english print, hindi braille and hindi print, researcher made reading comprehension tests was administered as pre-test. the same reading comprehension test was used both as the pre-test and post-test. the purpose of pre-test was to establish non-famili­ arity of students with the text selected for the intervention. the use of the same test as post-test provided the measure of effect of intervention on the reading comprehension. the data analysis indicated that the jct based aural reading intervention was found to be statistically extremely significant in enhancing the reading comprehension in both english and hindi for students with and without vi studying in inclusive classroom. keywords: reading comprehension, talking pen, print to audio, audio textbooks, studying language in inclusive classrooms introduction cardillo arniew et al. (2007) discussed for sighted persons, reading is usually understood as the skill of decoding the printed text and verbalizing the same. in the absence of sight, for children with visual impairments (cwvi), reading is a tactile experience. cwvi touch the braille script letter by letter and read it aloud. another alternative available to cwvi for reading is, reading by hearing, which may be called as "aural reading". a number of audio books in different style of production are available. i indian journal of educational technology volume 3, no. 1,january 2021 that the audio books are available in read along, single voice narration and full cast audio production format. they also highlighted that audio books would be useful for adolescent readers by providing reading time during transit, serving as model of verbal fluency and by motivating the reluctant readers. the usage of audio books (both, school-books and books of various genres, recorded on digital media) for preadolescents and adolescents m indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 134 research article cyber-bullying of children: impacts and deterrent measures in india naveen kumar1& madhusmita ronghangpi2 1associate professor, department of law, north-eastern hill university, shillong, meghalaya email: naveenkr77@gmail.com 2research scholar, department of law, north-eastern hill university, shillong, meghalaya abstract with technological advancement, the use of the internet has also impacted the lives of children as they can connect with people around the world through social media platforms, emails, etc., with one click of a button. these also negatively impact their lives as they are vulnerable to more criminal offences. one of such offences against children is cyberbullying or online bullying. it is a form of bullying that intentionally harms the reputation and privacy of any person and threatens and harasses through the electronic medium. however, bullying is a problem that has existed in society since time immemorial. however, cyber bullying is a recent and more severe form of bullying than the traditional physical and verbal bullying; as the impact of such crime lasts long in the lives of children. the paper aims to introduce the concept of cyberbullying, its types, reasons, and psychological effects on children. it also covers the legal provisions available under the criminal laws and information technology act for cyberbullying related to protection of children in india. it also discusses cyberbullying laws prevailing in the u.k. and u.s.a. this article highlights the initiatives and strategies taken by the government, schools, etc. to deal with such bullying in india. keywords: cyberbullying, children, intention, criminal law, cyber law, strategies, government, school. introduction technology has advanced over time, and the internet has significantly impacted every aspect of people’s lives, especially that of children. a child is any person below eighteen years of age unless any law stating otherwise applies to a child below eighteen years of age (article 1, the u.n. convention on the rights of the child). electronic communications, such as email, social media platforms, etc., have influenced the lives of children. they are the ones who make use of internet sites for sharing thoughts, photos, videos, personal information, etc. thus, these populations are vulnerable and weaker to crimes in cyberspace. among the grave crimes against children, bullying ha6s affected a high percentage of them. bullying is defined as an “intentional and aggressive behaviour” that frequently take place against a victim because of a “real or perceived power imbalance” between the victim and the bully, and the victim sense “vulnerable and powerless to defend himself or herself” (u.n. special representative of the secretary-general on violence against children, n.d.). however, with the advent of technology, bullying has emerged as a new form, i.e., cyber bullying or online bullying. it is a cybercrime which is more dangerous than traditional crime. this kind of bullying is an intentional act indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 135 that happens through the internet or electronic device by posting or sending untrue or derogatory information about someone to assassinate one’s reputation. in contrast to traditional bullying, the bully chooses to remain anonymous in cyber bullying. it can affect children regardless of age, gender, ability, race, etc. recently, it has become one of the persuasive problems in india. therefore, many guidelines/ rules/conduct/ethical codes have been framed in india to punish bullies and protect the victims. objectives of the study the objectives of the study are as follows: 1. to study cyber bullying, including the types, effects and causes. 2. to examine the statutory laws in the u.s.a., the u.k., and india concerning cyber crimes especially cyber bullying. 3. to comprehend the initiatives of the government, schools and parents about cyberbullying. research questions 1. what is the concept of cyber bullying and its effect and causes? 2. what are the statutory laws available in the u.s.a., the u.k. and india to tackle cyber crimes, especially cyber bullying? 3. what are the initiatives of the government of india, schools and parents to tackle cyber bullying? methodology the methodology is based on the doctrinal method. the research method includes both descriptive and analytical research methods. the research is intended to analyze cyber bullying and different laws in the u.s.a., the u.k. and india concerning cybercrimes, mainly to deal with cyber bullying. the data is collected from national crime record bureau (ncrb) to analyze the cybercrimes against children from 2017 to 2020. the different initiatives of the government of india, schools and parents to deal with cyber bullying are also studied. meaning and concept of cyber bullying the term “cyber bullying” was first coined by  bill belsey. (shivashankar & rajan, 2018). he defined it as the use of information and communication technologies by an individual or group of people to behave in a deliberate and hostile manner with the intention to harm others (shivashankar & rajan, 2018). different definitions of cyberbullying are discussed below: cyber bullying is “bullying with the use of digital technologies’ ‘ inflicted through social platforms, emails, online gaming platforms, and mobiles (unicef, 2019). it was first used in 1998 and is defined as the “anonymous posting of meanspirited messages’’ about someone on electronic platforms (peled, 2019) it is also defined as “bullying” through online devices such as mobile phones, computers and tablets (stopbullying, 2021). it also means ``willful and repeated harm” through computers, mobiles and other electronic media (cyberbullying research center, 2014). such bullying uses electronic technology to “repeatedly and intentionally ‘’ threaten, harass, and embarrass another person (pacer, 2019). it is when one “repeatedly and intentionally” maltreats or harasses any person through online electronic devices online or cell phones (patchin, 2019). cyber bullies are considered to be the people who would harass any person online. such bullying includes incidents like “harass someone online by shaming, embarrassing, degrading or humiliating them, impersonating indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 136 someone online, making threats to physically harm another person, threatening to kill someone, posting or texting something obscene, stalking someone digitally, committing hate crimes based on race, gender, sexual orientation or religion, etc.” (gordon, 2021). different types of cyberbullying according to (k.watts, jessycawagner, benitovelasquez, & i.behrens, 2017), there are seven types of cyber bullying: flaming, online harassment, cyber stalking, denigration, masquerading, trickery and outing, and exclusion (peled, 2019). the types of cyber bullying are: a. flaming are impudent or obscene messages or posts sent to attack any person. (blog securly, 2018) b. harassment is any online threatening or derogatory message sent with a wilful intention to attack someone. (kids safety kaspersky, 2015) c. cyber stalking is any online monitoring of someone and threatening to send harmful messages to that person. (peled, 2019) d. denigration is any false or derogatory criticism messages about a particular person or others. (blog securly, 2018) e. masquerading is cyber bullying, where a cyberbully impersonates someone else and sends or posts any harmful or threatening statement about a particular person or others. (blog securly, 2018) f. outings cyberbullying, where a cyberbully directly reveals private or sensitive information about someone without consent. (blog securly, 2018) g. trickery is cyberbullying, where a cyberbully uses tricks to befriend an individual and deceive him/her by sharing his/her private or sensitive information. (blog securly, 2018) h. exclusion is cyberbullying, where someone is left out of an online group intentionally to target that excluded particular someone. (blog securly, 2018) i. fraping is cyberbullying, where the bully impersonates someone else on an online platform to bully others by posting hurtful messages. (peled, 2019) (kids safety kaspersky, 2015) j. trolling is cyberbullying, where a cyberbully with malicious and harmful intentions posts any inflammatory statement about someone. (blog securly, 2018) causes of cyberbullying cyberbullies target weaker or more vulnerable people than them. it aims at threatening, harassing or shaming. many children indulge or fall prey to such cyberbullying because of many reasons, such as a. peer pressure of acceptance among their groups; b. lack of supervision and intervention of the families; c. the improper school environment; d. lack of empathy; e. hunger of power; f. thought of revenge; g. intolerance concerning faith, gender, race, colour, etc.; (note, padegett, & roden, 2013) h. anger and jealousy issues; i. relationship problems, etc. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 137 other additional reasons for cyberbullying include animosity, killing boredom, provocation, etc. (chandra, 2018). effects of cyberbullying on children cyberbullying inflicts emotional stress on the victim to face such humiliation on such electronic platforms. cyberbullying is a traumatic experience that impacts children academically, socially, and emotionally (punte, 2018). the victims’ stress and strain lead them to take drugs, omit going to go school and escaping from home (schoen & schoen, 2010). cyberbullying leads to severe psychological effects like depression, suicidal tendencies and low self-esteem (king, 2019). one of the most crucial importance in the lives of children is peer acceptance. as a result, when such peers don’t include them and cyberbully them, these negatively impact the victim, like emotional stress, frustration, anger, and envy (king, 2019). these dynamic effects also affect the victim’s social, academic and family relationships. cyberbullying differs from traditional bullying, but its impact is also more severe and long-lasting. because in online media, any hurtful comments or blogs remain indefinitely until and unless it is not complaint to the competent authority. every time the victims see it, they emotionally break down. furthermore, when such online bullying goes unpunished, it can provoke the victim to take revenge against the cyberbullies, making it worse. therefore, victims and perpetrators are more likely to commit criminal offences (king, 2019). for this reason, cyberbullying is a  hassle  with lasting aftermaths for the victim, people  involved and society at large. legal provisions penalizing cyberbullying u.s.a. & u.k. and india 1. statutory laws in the u.s.a.: the u.s.a. has enacted many laws on cybercrimes, and nearly all the states within the u.s.a. have passed laws thereon. the suicide of american teenager megan taylor mier in the u.s.a. resulted in the need for cyberbullying control laws (merdith, 2010) in the aftermath of the incident, the case of (united states v. lori drew, 2009) took place, where the court gave the judgment of the acquittal of the accused, as his actions were morally reprehensible in the act of bullying megan. moreover, there is no law at the time that specifically prohibited her behaviour and does not justify stretching the intentions and language of the computer fraud and abuse act of 1986 (cfaa) to convict her of a crime. as. hence, the bill was proposed under the megan meier cyberbullying prevention act (cyberbullying prevention act), h.r. 1966, 111ith cong. (2009), but the act was not passed. other laws for cybercrimes in the u.s.a., such as the computer fraud and abuse act of 1986 (cfaa) (18 u.s.c. § 1030, a cyber-security law to protect computers from fraud), the national information infrastructure protection act of 1996 (niipa) and the electronic communication privacy act of 1986 (ecpa) (hosani, yousef, shaima, & farkhund, 2019). in addition, the other laws that protect the victims from online scams and privacy are the controlling the assault of non-solicited pornography and marketing act of 2003 (canspam) and the children’s online privacy protection act of 1998 (coppa), respectively. (hosani, yousef, shaima, & farkhund, 2019) the other two major federal laws deal with cyber harassment, including cyberbullying and cyber stalking, viz., the interstate communications act of 2012 and the interstate stalking and prevention act of 1996. the interstate communications act of 2012 (18 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 138 u.s. code § 875) defined interstate communications as any person who intentionally transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication containing any threat to harm a person or property, damage a person’s reputation, or kidnap a person. the interstate anti-stalking punishment and prevention act of 1996 (18 u.s. code § 2261a) defined stalking as anyone who uses any electronic communication technology places anyone in reasonable fear of death or serious injury or causes emotional distress to a person. (hosani, yousef, shaima, & farkhund, 2019) 2. statutory laws in the u.k.: bullying is not a specific criminal offence in the u.k. law. the laws applied to cyberbullying are the protection from harassment act, 1997 and the protection of freedom act, 2012. in these two acts cyber stalking offences have been defined as online monitoring of someone, spying on someone, etc. different laws that can assist in punishing cyberbullies are the obscene publications act, 1959; the public order act, 1986; the malicious communication act, 1988; the computer misuse act, 1990; communication acts, 2003; crime and disorder act, 1998; and defamation act, 2013. (hosani, yousef, shaima, & farkhund, 2019). s. 4 of the protection from harassment act, 1997 states that if the harassment behaviour is conducted on at least two occasions and it is causing fear of violence to a person, then the guilty person under this section may be punished with up to five years imprisonment, a fine, or both. (hosani, yousef, shaima, & farkhund, 2019). the education and inspections act, 2006 states that schools are responsible for providing a healthy and secure environment and should be against all forms of bullying, including cyberbullying. the above mentioned laws can be applied in cyberbullying and stalking cases in many ways. 3. statutory laws in india: the legislation enacted to govern cybercrime in india is the information technology (i.t.) act, 2000. the provisions of the indian penal code, 1860 (i.p.c.) also penalizes for the cybercrimes. the special act enacted to penalize the crimes against children is the protection of children from sexual offences (pocso) act, 2012. i. information technology act (i.t. act), 2000: the provisions of the i.t. act to punish cyber crimes against children are mentioned below: section. 66a of i.t. act deals with sending offensive messages through the communication services etc. are punishable under this act, and section, which has been struck down by supreme court’s order dated 24 march 2015 in the (shreya shinghal v. union of india, 2015). s. 66c of the i.t. act penalizes any person for theft of another person’s identity to misuse or malign. s. 66d of the i.t. act deals with any impersonation or personation by using computer resources. s. 66e of the i.t. act states the punishment for privacy infringement. s. 67 of the i.t. act states the punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form. s. 67a of the i.t. act deals with punishment for publishing and transmitting any sexually explicit act material through electronic media. s. 67b of the i.t. act deals with any depiction of children in any sexually explicit act in an electronic form or publishing or transmitting in any form. s. 72 of the i.t. act deals with any breach of confidentiality or privacy in any form using electronic media. ii. indian penal code (i.p.c.), 1860: the provisions of i.p.c. concerning punishment for the cybercrimes against children are mentioned below: indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 139 an amendment to the i.p.c. by the criminal (amendment) act, 2013, has included stalking, sexual harassment and stalking in general through electronic means in ss. 354a and 354d of i.p.c., respectively. s. 463 of i.p.c. provides the meaning of forgery that includes the false document or electronic record. s.465 of i.p.c. provides the punishment for forgery. s. 469 of i.p.c. deals with the punishment for forgery to harm reputation. s. 471 of i.p.c. deals with using a genuine forged document or electronic record. s. 499 of i.p.c. deals with defamation by sending defamatory messages through electronic means to assassinate someone to harm another person’s reputation; s. 500 of i.p.c. deals with the punishment for defamation. s. 503 of i.p.c. deals with criminal intimidation by sending any harmful or threatening messages to anyone through electronic media. s. 506 of i.p.c. deals with the punishment of criminal intimidation, which also includes the intimidation is to cause death or grievous hurt or destruction of property to impute unchastity to a woman. s. 507 of i.p.c. which deals with criminal intimidation through anonymous communication. s. 509 of i.p.c. deals with the punishment for any act to offend the modesty of a woman. iii. the protection of children from sexual offences act (pocso), 2012: the provisions of the pocso act to punish the cybercrimes against children are mentioned below: s. 11 of the pocso act deal with the sexual harassment against children, and s. 12 of the pocso act provides the punishment for sexual harassment. s. 13 of the pocso act deals with the use of a child for pornographic purposes, and s.14 of pocso  act provides the punishment for using the child for pornographic purposes. national crime record bureau (ncrb) data on cyber crime against children every year ncrb publishes data on crimes in india. the data on cybercrime against children is provided below table-1: crimes against children (crime head-wise & state/ut-wise) – 2017 -2019 year total incidence of cyber crimes/ information technology act* total incidence of pocso r/w sec.376,354, 509 ipc [section 12 of pocso act r/w section 509ipc] ** incidence of pocso r/w sec.376,354, 509 ipc [section 14 & 15of pocso act or pocso act] 2017 79 1329 374 2018 117 1686 812 2019 164 1917 1114 2020 842 1672 584 nb: *total of a) publishing or transmitting of material depicting children in the sexually explicit act and b) other cyber crimes against children. **includes both incidences against boys and girls. source: ncrb data indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 140 chart-1: crimes against children (crime head-wise & state/ut-wise) – 2017 -2019 discussion: chart 1 represents the crimes against children in india under the following head, i.e., the i.t. act, pocso act (sec 12, 14 &15) as per ncrb data. the chart denoting those crimes against children increased from 2017 to 2020. it can be observed that it is high time to take such crimes seriously, and strategies must be taken to combat such crimes. table-2: cyber crimes against children (state/ut-wise) 2017-2020 year cyber blackmailing/ threatening/ harassment (sec.506,503, 384 ipc r/w it act fake profile (i.t. act r/w ipc/ sll) cyber pornography/ publishing obscene sexual materials portraying children (sec.67b of i.t. act r/w other ipc/ sll) cyber stalking/ bullying (sec 354 d i.p.c. r/w i.t. act) internet crimes through online games etc. (sec.305 ipc r/w i.t. act) other cyber crimes against children total* 2017 1 3 7 7 0 70 88 2018 4 3 44 40 0 141 232 2019 3 1 101 45 1 153 305 2020 3 1 738 140 0 220 1102 nb: * all the cybercrimes included in the table come under the preview of cyberbullying source: ncrb data indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 141 chart-2: cyber crimes against children (state/ut-wise) 2017-2020 discussion: chart 2 represents cybercrimes against children in india as per ncrb data. the chart denotes that the crimes have increased from 2017 to 2020. in 2020, the cybercrimes against children were the highest in india, i.e., 1102. it can be observed from the above mentioned laws in india that they do not explicitly define cyberbullying. however, the different acts of cyberbullying are penalized under different sections under those above mentioned laws. cybercrimes against children are analyzed in chart 2 from the data available in the ncrb report, which shows that cases are increasing with time. therefore, it is high time that guidelines/rules/legislation must be issued and framed by the government of india for the safety and security of the children. the government must take the initiative to introduce a chapter on cyberbullying, its impact, and legal provisions in the school books to educate them about the legal consequences. the teachers must teach the school students manners to behave in the cyber world. the educational authorities/ schools must issue guidelines on spreading awareness on cyberbullying. parents should understand the severe effects of cyberbullying. they should also monitor the children’s activities in cyberspace and teach them about the laws and punishments. the n.g.o.s/ private organizations/legal advocates/child psychologists/ law enforcement agencies must take the initiative to teach both parents and children about cyberbullying and create awareness about its ill-effects. it should be underlined that youngsters are experiencing a lot of mental problems as a result of this type of bullying, which causes them to consider suicidal options. therefore, it is imperative that the government of india strictly enforce and carry out the laws. some incidents and cases of cyberbullying in the indian scenario in ritika sharma’s case (name changed), she was a student of a renowned delhi school. she was stalked by a facebook friend with whom she shared personal and sensitive information and her number with that online friend. she also unfriended that online friend on facebook. but later on, it was found that the person used her photo, personal information and number to make a fake profile. the delhi police registered the case of cyberbullying. aftermath, the delhi police launched cyber safety awareness in schools and suggested students avoid sharing personal and sensitive information on indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 142 online social media sites. (tomer, 2021) (shivashankar & rajan, 2018) in the ritu kohli case filed a complaint to the delhi police that a person was using her identity and sharing her number on the website www.mirc.com. the case was registered under s. 509 of i.p.c. this is the first cyber stalking case in india. (tomer, 2021) (shivashankar & rajan, 2018) in the case (prakhar sharma v. the state of madhya pradesh, 2018), the guilty was charged under ss. 66c and 67/67a of the i.t. act. he downloaded the victim’s photo from facebook and uploaded her pictures with a fake facebook account. (bhonsle & krishnamurthy, 2021) in the case (sazzadur rahman v. the state of assam and ors., 2019), the guilty created a fake profile on facebook of the victim, aged 15 years. the accused also uploaded photos and posted status to degrade the victim’s image. the trial court rejected the application of the guilty. again, an application to quash the trial court order was filed in the gauhati high court, which was dismissed. (bhonsle & krishnamurthy, 2021) in the case (jitendra singh grewal v. the state of west bengal, 2018), the guilty created a fake profile on facebook and uploaded obscene photos. the guilty were charged under ss. 354a, 354d, 500, 507and 509 of i.p.c. and s. 67a of the i.t. act. the calcutta high court also rejected his bail application. (bhonsle & krishnamurthy, 2021) in the case (subham bansal v. the state (govt. of nct delhi), 2018), the guilty created a fake profile in facebook in the victim’s name and uploaded her mobile number. he was charged under s. 66a of the i.t. act and s. 609 of i.pc. the delhi high court refused his application to drop the charges. (bhonsle & krishnamurthy, 2021) in the case (hareesh v. state of kerala, 2020), the guilty created a fake profile on facebook and uploaded obscene photos. he was charged under s. 354d of i.p.c. and s. 67 and 67e of the i.t. act. the guilty filed anticipatory bail but was rejected by the kerala high court. (bhonsle & krishnamurthy, 2021) in the case of (state of west bengal v. animesh boxi, 2017), boxi was charged with sections 354a, 354c, 354d, and 509 of i.p.c. and sections 66c, 66e and 67/67aof i.t. act. he was sentenced to an imprisonment of 5 years with a fine of rs. 9,000. he was guilty of transmitting pictures of his former girlfriend’ images and videos on the internet. the mumbai police registered a cyberbullying case against pooja bedi under s.12 of the pocso act and ss. 500, 506 and 509 of i.p.c. in december 2014. she was involved in the incidents of cyberbullying with her daughter against the granddaughter of ramanand sagar. however, the police did not register the case under the sections of the i.t. act, 2000, as amended in 2008. (sayed, 2014) recently, the delhi police arrested boys connected with the ‘bois locker room’ in 2020. this ‘bois locker room’ was an instagram group created to share photos of minor girls. (f.p. staff, 2020) initiatives to tackle cyberbullying in india the impact of cyberbullying can only end with the efforts of the government, schools and parents. the initiatives taken in india to tackle cyberbullying are as follows: 1. initiatives by government different initiatives taken by the ministry of women and child development, ministry of home affairs (m.h.a.) and university grant commission (u.g.c.) are discussed below: indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 143 i. ministry of women and child development with the rising cases of cybercrime against children as per ncrb data of 2019, some steps were taken to tackle cybercrime against children given by the ministry of women and child development (government of india, 2021): a. section 67b of i.t. act, 2000 is the legal provision to punish the offender that published or transmitted any material portraying children in the sexually explicit act; and section 354a and 354d of i.p.c. are the legal provisions adopted to punish for cyber bullying and cyber stalking. b. “information technology (intermediary guidelines and digital media ethics code) rules,2021” issued under the i.t. act, which specifies to brief computer users not to upload, circulate, publish, or transmit any obscene information pornographic material that is or can harm a minor. c. the government has also blocked the website of child sexual abuse material (csam) as per the interpol’s list received through the central bureau of investigation (c.b.i.). d. the government has also directed orders to internet service providers (i.s.p.s) to receive internet watch foundation (iwf), a u.k. list of csam websites or web pages and blocked child pornography websites or web pages. e. all internet service providers (i.s.p.s), under the order of the department of telecommunication, must make arrangements to spread awareness among the subscribers about parental control filters. f. the central board of secondary education (cbse) also issued guidelines for safe and effective internet use on 18 august 2017. g. the government has also implemented the “centre for cyber crime prevention against women and children (ccpwc)” to check cyber crimes against them. h. the government has launched the “national cyber crime reporting portal”, www.cybercrime.gov.in, to report cybercrimes complaints against women and children. to file cybercrime complaints, this portal provides a “1552600” helpline number. i. the government has also issued “a handbook for adolescents/students on cyber safety” to educate children about the cyber world and cybercrimes. j. the government has also taken measures to spread awareness about cybercrimes, improve cyber forensic facilities, and provide necessary training to law enforcement agents, etc. k. the government has also implemented the “indian cyber crime coordination centre (i4c)” scheme. ii. ministry of home affairs (m.h.a.) the m.h.a. has issued a handbook, i.e., “a handbook for adolescents/ students on cyber safety”, especially for children above 13 years or younger to understand the cyber world. (government of india, 2018). it also helps the children to understand the cyber threats and safeguards to prevent such cybercrimes. it also helps the children to be more responsible and careful while using electronic platforms such as email, etc. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 144 iii. u.g.c. regulations u.g.c. has issued regulations, i.e., “u.g.c. regulation on curbing the menace of ragging in higher education institutions, 2009,” for the colleges and universities to follow the antiragging regulations (shalini, 2019). the regulations described above were also initiated to stop bullying. 2. initiatives by school schools must address cyberbullying seriously, as children are more vulnerable to such crime (beghin, 2020). such cyberbullying can be managed when knowledge is shared with school staff. in schools, teachers can play the most vital role in managing cyber bully. they should educate the students regarding cyber security to feel safe. they should promote a positive classroom environment and positive relationships with the students (a.s.o. staff writers, 2021). they must teach them digital etiquette in using such online platforms. students have to learn how to be responsible in interacting online. teachers should educate students on appropriate and resilient behaviour to prevent cyberbullying. school authorities must issue directives regarding training in how to handle cyberbullying complaints of the students. school authorities should organize programs and curricula for cyber safety in school. also, schools collaborate with the families of the students to keep the students safe from cyber threats. schools can also offer classes to the parents to spread awareness about cyber safety (miller, thompson, & pomy, 2009). i. guidelines by cbse to deal with cyberbullying cbse issued guidelines for safe and effective internet use in schools and school buses on 18 august 2017 (cbse guidelines, 2017). this guideline provides cyber safety awareness to protect students from falling prey to cyber threats like cyberbullying, fraud, etc. the guidelines direct the schools to take measures to inform students of any illegal activities of the i.t. enabled devices. the guidelines also prohibit unsecured and unmonitored use of any electronic device in school. 3. initiatives by parents positive and constructive parenting practices help to prevent cyber threats like cyberbullying. positive parenting is important to nurture, empower, and encourage, etc., the child (hinduja & patchin, 2022). the aspects of positive parenting help to increase the healthy relationship with the child socially and emotionally. the implications of such positive practices can help to build strong parent and child relationships, and such mechanisms also help to prevent cyberbullying (hinduja & patchin, 2022). parents must be aware of their children’s activity on online platforms. parents should monitor the child’s activity on social media websites, online games, etc. (woda, 2018). with all these efforts, parents can help prevent their children from cyberbullying at home and other places. conclusion technological advancement comes with a boon and bane. bane is the evolution of traditional crimes into cybercrimes in the cyber world. cybercrimes are severe threats to children. among the cybercrimes, cyberbullying is a significant social problem for children. cyberbullied children suffer from so many severe psychological issues. such bullying disturbs the children’s everyday lives with stress, anxiety, etc., because they are fragile to handle such online harassment. the children need proper help and indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 145 guidance from their parents to deal with emotional and psychological problems. the parents have to understand their children. they should monitor them and support them to help them face such suffering so that the children don’t take a step like suicide. then comes the role of the school to take appropriate measures to combat such crimes and help the students to handle such cyber threats. spreading awareness of the cyber world and cyber threats is the first step the school can educate the students. the school teachers must be provided with guidance to tackle cyberbullying claims of the students. moreover, the nation’s lawmakers also play an important role in making stringent laws to punish cyberbullies. in india, the parliament has enacted i.t. act to punish cyber crimes against children. also, the i.p.c. and pocso act include provisions to deal with cybercrimes against children. the ministry of women and children and the ministry of home affairs have issued guidelines for cyberbullying and cybercrime against children. however, as ncrb data shows that cybercrimes against children are increasing from year to year, therefore, we can observe that the laws and regulations which are available at present are not enough to deal with cybercrimes. references a.s.o. staff writers. 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(2018). the educational impact of bullying and cyberbullying. retrieved from uknowkids: https://resources.uknowkids.co/blog/bid/302867/the-educational-impact-of-bullying-and-cyberbullying indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 292 research article echoes of change: 10 bagless days in a technology-rich educational landscape sharad sinha1 & shalini verma2 1professor & head, department of teacher education, nie, n.c.e.r.t, new delhi emaildrsharadsinha@gmail.com 2assistant professor. dayalbag college, agra abstract the education system is currently undergoing a series of reforms aimed at making education more meaningful, enjoyable, and experiential. the national education policy (nep)-2020, a new policy concerning education, has provided numerous recommendations to enhance the quality of education, starting from the foundational level to higher education. one such recommendation is the introduction of 10 bagless days in schools for students in grades 6th to 8th. students today are using technology to the optimum and have a great dependence on gadgets, too. during these days, students are encouraged to explore various vocational fields by interacting with local experts such as craftsmen, carpenters, gardeners, potters, and artists and explore various emerging avenues in the field of technology. since the implementation of nep2020 is still in its early stages, it is important to gauge the knowledge and awareness of educational stakeholders regarding the concept of 10 bagless days. therefore, the researchers aimed to gather opinions, thoughts, suggestions, and recommendations from these stakeholders to facilitate the implementation of this new initiative. in this process, the technology aided in reaching the stakeholders, including teachers and students, and getting their responses within the stipulated time. this paper focuses on discussing the concept of bagless days, the activities associated with them, the role of emerging technologies in 10-bagless days, the benefits of implementing bagless days in schools, and the potential limitations. keywords: 10 bagless days, bagless schools, schools without bags, opinion of stakeholders. introduction with the advancement of knowledge, the education system is also getting advanced and with time more focus is given to quality education rather than just teaching. national education policy (nep)-2020 has given many recommendations to improve the quality of education at each educational level. it was already recommended in previous policies and various research to reduce the weight of the bag. yashpal committee gave major emphasis on reducing the bag load from the students’ shoulders. the nep-2020 also recommended making suitable changes in curriculum and pedagogy to significantly reduce the weight of school bags and textbooks (nep-2020, para 4.33). the national education policy (nep) 2020 also aims to overcome the social status hierarchy associated with vocational education and requires the integration of vocational education programmes into mainstream education in all educational institutions in a phased manner (psscive, 2022). in this line, the nep-2020 has recommended 10 bagless days. according to the nep-2020, every student should take a fun course during class 6th-8th, the indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 293 purpose of which is to provide handson experiences in vocational crafts, like carpentry, electric work, metal work, gardening, pottery making, etc. these vocational experiences are according to the locally available vocations, that will keep the heritage of different indian states and transfer the knowledge of folk culture to the next generation. the nep-2020 also recommend preparing a centralized practice-based curriculum, which can be modified and adopted by the schools according to the state and local community and their skilling requirements. these 10 bagless days should be continued periodically throughout the year from 6th to 8th classes, holidays periods can also be used for this purpose. in these 10 bagless days, visits to places/ monuments of historical, cultural and tourist importance, meeting local artists and craftsmen and visits to higher educational institutions in their village/ tehsil/district/state can be conducted (nep-2020, para 4.26). as knowledge continues to advance, so does the evolution of the education system, which increasingly emphasizes quality education rather than mere instruction. the national education policy (nep)-2020 has put forth numerous recommendations to enhance the quality of education across all levels of learning. previous policies and committees, such as the yashpal committee, have already stressed the importance of reducing the burden of heavy school bags on students. nep-2020 also highlights the need for curriculum and pedagogical changes to significantly reduce the weight of school bags and textbooks (nep-2020, para 4.33). another objective of the national education policy (nep) 2020 is to address the social hierarchy associated with vocational education and promote its integration into mainstream education across all educational institutions in a phased manner (psscive, 2022). in line with this, nep-2020 introduces the concept of 10 bagless days. according to nep-2020, every student from 6th to 8th grade should engage in a fun course that offers hands-on experiences in vocational crafts such as carpentry, electrical work, metalwork, gardening, pottery making, and more. these vocational experiences are tailored to the local vocations available, preserving the heritage of different indian states and passing on folk culture knowledge to the next generation. technology has also come to the aid of teachers and enhanced the implementation of 10 bagless days of schools by providing digital resources, online textbooks & curriculum materials. technology can also enable schools to share activities and resources during 10 bagless days. some images of the activities on the bagless day at schools a child trying hand on the potter’s wheel (source: psscive, bhopal) indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 294 clay modelling (source: psscive, bhopal) fireless cooking on a bagless day (source: rbs mps, rewari) creative activity on a bagless day (source: rbs mps, rewari) indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 295 nep-2020 also suggests the development of a centralized practice-based curriculum that can be adapted and implemented by schools based on the specific needs of states and local communities in terms of skill development. these 10 bagless days should be scheduled periodically throughout the academic year for classes from 6th to 8th, and holiday periods can also be utilized for this purpose. activities during these days may include visits to historical, cultural, and tourist sites, interactions with local artists and craftsmen, and visits to higher educational institutions in the students’ village, tehsil, district, or state (nep-2020, para 4.26). as the nep 2020 is being implemented, all educational institutes and stakeholders are regularly trying to understand the recommendations and figuring out the possible ways to implement recommendations. in order to get optimal benefit by implementing the recommendations effectively, it is the need of the hour to understand the possible ways of effective implementation, possible challenges, along with the experiences of the schools or states who have already implemented the nep-2020. in this paper, a recommendation, i.e. 10 bagless days, is taken to understand it exclusively. in india, it is said that every two miles, the water changes, and every four miles, the speech. similarly, according to the condition, climate, culture, etc., every school in india faces different challenges, whether they might be lack of attendance, lack of infrastructure, lack of teachers, awareness towards education, and many more are there. keeping in mind these challenges and a few advantages faced by different schools, the present paper suggests some possible activities for 10 bagless days, possible limitations and the role of teachers and community in implementing this recommendation, based on a survey done by the researchers. as the enchanting echoes of the nep2020 resound through the corridors of educational institutions, the diligent custodians of knowledge and learning find themselves immersed in a quest to unravel its profound recommendations. with a fervent desire to extract the utmost benefit from these directives, the pressing need of the hour lies in comprehending the nuances of effective implementation. it becomes imperative to explore the potential avenues of success, anticipate the obstacles that may lie in wait, and glean wisdom from the experiences of those schools and states that have already embarked upon the nep-2020 journey. within the confines of this literary tapestry, we embark upon a focused exploration of a particular recommendation: the wondrous concept of 10 bagless days. in india, where every two miles bears witness to the metamorphosis of water, and every four miles heralds a transformation in speech, the idiosyncrasies of each school emerge like a symphony of diverse challenges. from the dearth of attendance to the lack of infrastructure, from the scarcity of teachers to the apathy towards education itself, these trials and tribulations vary with the cadence of climate, culture, and circumstance. mindful of these intricate webs of challenges, yet not oblivious to the few shining rays of advantage experienced by different schools, this opus sets forth a collection of possible activities for the 10 bagless days. it is an endeavour that seeks to illuminate the path forward, shedding light on the potential limitations that may lurk in the shadows. moreover, the vital role played by teachers and the community in embracing and executing this recommendation finds solace in the pages that follow, their narratives indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 296 woven together with the threads of a survey meticulously conducted by scholarly researchers. methodology the current research employed a survey methodology to gather opinions from various stakeholders within the educational domain. the survey method is also used by parida & das (2021) and sethy (2021). convenience sampling was utilized as the sampling technique for this study. a self-developed opinionnaire was distributed to a total of 410 diverse educational stakeholders. technology aided in reaching out to diverse stakeholders and collecting responses from them in a short span of time. the response rate yielded 213 completed opinionnaires; however, only 172 questionnaires were deemed fully completed, thus comprising the final sample for this study. within the final sample, a gender distribution of 80 males and 92 females was observed. additionally, in terms of occupational designations, the sample consisted of 16 principals, 93 primary school teachers, 51 secondary school teachers, and 12 teacher trainers. this comprehensive composition of the selected sample ensures representation across various educational roles. the present study employed an opinionnaire comprising a variety of questions to explore different aspects related to the implementation of 10 bagless days in schools. the questionnaire was divided into two distinct parts. the first part aimed to assess the awareness levels of stakeholders regarding the 10 bagless recommendations across different contexts. the second part focused on capturing stakeholders’ opinions concerning the recommendation of 10 bagless days. a total of 172 stakeholders provided their opinions on a comprehensive set of 35 questions. results and discussions the findings of the study indicate that 56.40 per cent of the stakeholders strongly agreed with the statement that the implementation of 10 bagless days in school education is a commendable step as recommended in nep-2020. the subsequent sections of this article present the detailed results and discussions derived from the survey conducted to explore the feasibility and implications of implementing 10 bagless days in schools. 1. spread awareness among stakeholders about the recommendation of 10 bagless days: after analysing the data it was found that 14.53 per cent of stakeholders reported that they were not aware of this recommendation whereas 85.47 per cent said that they were aware of the recommendation. this shows that there is a need to make all stakeholders aware of this recommendation. which will directly help in the effective implementation of the recommendation. 2. clarity about the duration and mode should be provided: through the survey, it was found that there is no clarity about the duration and mode of the activities. stakeholders are not clear about whether these 10 days were in the continuation or spread throughout the year. it was also reported by stakeholders that it is also not clear whether they conduct these days in hybrid mode or not. many of them reported that in those areas where vocational courses are hard to reach or in distance they can conduct these activities through online interaction or not. hence there is a need to indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 297 give some clarity regarding these activities. 3. give clarity about the activities to be conducted in 10 bagless days: as the answer of activities that will be conducted in 10 bagless days, 64 per cent of stakeholders said that hands-on learning/ vocational experiences will be provided; sethy (2021) also found the similar kind of responses. 10 per cent of stakeholders said that opportunities are given to intern with local vocational experts, whereas 22 per cent of stakeholders said that students will come to school without bags. 4 per cent of stakeholders gave some different opinions, which is the mix of all these activities. this analysis again shows that there is a need to provide clear guidelines about what needs to be done in these bagless days. 4. finding out activities to be held during 10 bagless days in schools: possible activities to be conducted in 10 bagless days were also asked by the stakeholders. as the underlying idea behind 10 bagless days is to make them an integral part of the teaching-learning process rather than as an add-on to the existing scheme of studies of education from class vi to viii (psscive, 2022). it was found through the survey that varied stakeholders have varied kinds of thoughts about the implementation activities. these are clubbed as follows: a. exposure to performing arts: exposure of different kinds of performing arts like dance, music theatre, magic, puppetry etc can be given by going to local artists or performing arts events. some visits to related museums can also be organized. by which students get the real-life idea of different kinds of performing arts and can show their interest in future to learn them. b. vocational craft: immerse the budding minds in the realm of vocational crafts, where carpentry becomes a dance of dexterous hands, dairy unveils its milky mysteries, and textile designing weaves tales of creativity. let the students embark on an enchanting journey, exploring the realms of jewellery designing, embroidery, sewing, and the intricate art of weaving. delight awaits them as they partake in the ethereal craft of kite making. unleash their talents through immersive training programs, where each day unfolds as a vibrant canvas of learning. planning visits to dairy plants, the students will witness the production of milk, while encounters with local craftsmen will unlock the treasures of indigenous artistry, reflecting the tapestry of local culture. c. knowhow of different sports: knowhow of different sports can be provided by visiting different sports stadiums during sports events at local, state, national or international levels. d. entrepreneurial activities: knowledge of entrepreneurial activities can be provided by visiting small-scale businesses like disposable cups and plates factories, paper bag-making factories or emerging new small-scale entrepreneurial ventures at the local level. they can get a first-hand experience of planning and management during the visit. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 298 e. visit to a museum or other educational sites: local museum visits can be arranged to acquaint students in different areas like, sports, museums, art galleries, historical museums, etc. visit the local newspaper printing unit, visit a few big factories like glass-making factories, biogas plants, steel plants, automobile manufacturing units, construction sites, etc., whichever are feasible and are in the vicinity may be planned. these visits can help the students to get a real feel of the working environment environment. f. organization of school fete: school fetes can be organized to provide a real-life learning and experimentation environment to students. from planning to execution is a practical lesson in collaboration, cooperation, teamwork, accountability, and interdependence. in which they can plan any activity to earn money. they can make some easy-to-sell small materials like key rings, embroidered handkerchiefs etc. they can plan theatre shows with token ticket amounts in which they can perform dance, music, theatre or magic activities. students can voluntarily come up for their role in organizing or managing as per their interests. g. environment-awareness or social activities: activities like plantation, cleaning of parks and rivers, care of ailing pets, etc., can be organized under the full security and supervision of experts, teachers, or elder volunteers. medical camps can also be organized in which students perform different duties along with medical staff and teachers. these activities not only help society but students also develop a connect with the community which in turn may even be helpful in choosing a career in community health or social work. h. exposure to new emerging domains of work: exposing the students to new emerging fields like information and communication technology, social media influencers, content development, graphics designing, programming, artificial intelligence (ai), cyber security, robotics, space science, etc. can be done by showcasing related movies/ documentaries/lectures of experts of the field. this may be followed by discussions highlighting the pros and cons of the field. besides these activities, many more activities can be planned according to the feasibility of the school and teachers and the local needs of the community. 5. role of emerging technologies in 10-bagless days at once where our government emphasizes traditional culture, values and art forms, it also gives focus towards the use of emerging technologies in different fields. emerging technologies also can be used efficiently to make these 10 days more fruitful and futuristic. following are a few suggestions regarding that: y today, from a very early age, children get exposure to the indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 299 online world. they get phones with full internet access, and they use them in the presence or absence of their elders; because of having less knowledge regarding dos and don’ts, they get stuck in miserable things. a few days out of 10 bagless days can be used to make them aware of how to safely use the internet and what precautions should be taken while suffering internet or using social media. for this purpose, a few related movies, dramas, etc., can be played in front of students, small talks with their parents can be organized, play way activities, worksheets completion, etc. can be organized to test the knowledge regarding safe surfing. y these days, new occupations like youtuber, influencer, gamer, programmer, etc, are in the limelight. today’s children are looking at these options for their future very interestingly. few of them even started to do work in this field at a very early age. but the biggest lack in this area is no standard course or coaching is available for this. only the renowned names of the field are giving information on a free or paid basis. on one side of the coin, this is good that students are getting direct information from the experts, but the other side of the coin is that there are no criteria for being an “expert”. so school administrations should identify experts in particular fields and call them either online or offline to interact with their students, to give a clear picture of these fields. these lectures can be organized as a part of a 10-bagless day, in which how to start working in these fields, what are the things to be focused on, how to be more successful and what precautions to be taken while working in these emerging fields to be discussed. y as these days artificial intelligence has emerged like a boom, one or two lectures can be organized to give knowledge to use ai apps or platforms efficiently. dos and don’ts should be discussed with logical justifications, to make everything clear to the young minds. y areas like data mining, natural language processing, augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence are the present and future too. knowledge of working in these areas is essential for the future as the knowledge of using the internet/computer basic demand these days. a few lectures as the introduction to these areas and what are the future possibilities, and what measures they can take if they want to choose these areas can be discussed. these all are a few technooriented activities that can be planned for 10 bagless days. besides this, technology can be used in the following ways to make 10-bagless days more reachable and economical. y diversity in india comes up with many drawbacks too. there are many schools available which are not easily accessible. for these, the recorded videos of some other schools during 10-bagless days can be used. lectures can be organized in an online form with the experts. y travelling expenses of students, even at local places, cost a lot and can damage the financial planning of a school, especially indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 300 when no special funds are raised for these activities. to make these activities economically sound recordings or live interactions can be used to save expenses/funds at the place of calling experts or taking students out of the school. y in unfavorable conditions like pandemics, unfavorable weather, etc. too recordings or synchronized sessions can be used. also at times, it is not possible to determine whether taking students to a particular place is safe or not. sometimes the large number of students also becomes a challenge to take them to a small craftsman shop. in these cases technology can be useful by recordings of live sessions . y with the help of ai, language translation can be possible and becomes too easy. for those experts who only know a particular language that is not matched with the language of your students, a video can be recorded and translated according to the needs of your students or closed captions (cc) in the required language can be added. y besides these helpful measures and technology integration with 10-bagless days, many more activities can be planned according to the need of the school and creativity of teachers and the local needs of the community. 6. benefits of implementing 10-bagless days during the survey, participants were queried about the perceived advantages of implementing 10 bagless days in schools. an overwhelming majority of 87.80 per cent of stakeholders concurred with the notion that incorporating 10 bagless days is a commendable measure as recommended in nep-2020. furthermore, various stakeholders expressed and acknowledged the following benefits: y 86.63 per cent of stakeholders agreed that the implementation of bagless days will reduce the burden of courses and academic stress on students. y 88.95 per cent agreed with the statement that bagless days will help to connect knowledge to life outside school. y 91.28 per cent said that it will enhance awareness and develop creativity and vocational skills among the students. y 91.86 per cent of stakeholders agreed that it will help in connecting students with their local surroundings and local culture. y 93.02 per cent said that it will boost the confidence of the students. y 90.12 per cent agreed that it will help in value inculcation. y 88.38 per cent of stakeholders considered it the best way of artintegrated learning. y 90.12 per cent said that it will help in the holistic development of children. y 92.44 per cent said that it will facilitate hands-on experiences in different fields. y 90.12 per cent of stakeholders agreed that it is the best means to provide experiences in vocational crafts, such as carpentry, electric work, metal work, gardening, pottery making, etc. in the study indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 301 conducted by sethy (2021), 60 per cent of stakeholders agreed with this idea. y 91.86 per cent agreed that 10 bagless days will provide an idea to the students about their local skilling needs. besides these, by the review of the open-ended answers following possible benefits were identified: y it will provide students with hands-on experiences of different kinds of vocational activities. y as students try different work in a real situation then their social aspect will also improve. they learn cooperation, and collaboration and get an empathetic mindset towards the local craftsman or workers from different fields, who are somewhere considered below standard these days. y these going out of-class activities make students burdenless and free from classroom pressure, which gives them a chance while learning and energises them to think beyond and to learn more. y these bagless days will be helpful in providing concrete and practical knowledge rather than providing abstract information. y with the help of exposure to different work areas, students may be able to find their real interest area, which helps them in making the right career choices and finding their passion. y these activities might get the interest of those students who think learning is a boring task and a waste of time, as it will not give them bread. so both a needy student who aims to learn to earn and who aims to learn for enjoyment both kind of students will get benefit out of this. y students will feel connected and motivated through these activities and hence boredom will reduce automatically. y they will start respecting the dignity of labour and develop a positive and respectful perception towards the craftsman and different skilled workers. y these activities will be helpful in the development of observationbased learning capacity and provide scope for practice and learning by doing. y the connectedness with the community and the local culture will be enhanced by these activities, which also develop interdependence among the community and students. 7. possible drawbacks and limitations of implementing 10 bagless days as we know every coin has two sides. besides having many advantages and benefits of implementing the recommendation of 10 bagless days, there are lots of possible drawbacks. these are as follows y 46 per cent of stakeholders agreed that 10 days are not enough for these activities. y it required rigorous planning for implementation according to the diverse needs of the diverse schools, cultures and locations. in january 2022, guidelines have been launched by psscive, but still, this recommendation requires rigorous planning. y difficulty to implement where no vocational activities are conducted in nearby areas. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 302 y maintaining discipline outside the school building is also a challenging task for teachers. y all these activities require extra human and physical resources which will directly enhance the financial load on the school budget. y it might be possible that to overcome the loss of teaching days due to these 10 bagless days, the extra burden will be added on normal days. which will again add the load of extra books and make bags heavier. y it can overburden the students who are already overwhelmed with the many major courses, extracurricular activities, project tasks and tuition work. y less significant to implement in village areas as most of the students have exposure to many vocational activities, and some of them play a significant role in those vocations too. y it may also enhance the extra burden on school teachers. in those schools where every task has been done very sincerely and all staff members are hardworking, they also took these activities in their real sense which again enhance their workload. because planning, implementing and testing its effectiveness required much effort and interest. y there might be the possibility that teachers don’t take much interest in such activities then it also remains just a piece of recommendation and the decided 10 days also become the only fun and free days for teachers. y some parents may show their lack of interest in these activities, they may not provide consent to take their ward to the local craftsman shop due to personal reasons. so making parents agree is also a challenge for the teachers and administration. y already due to many public holidays, winter vacations and summer vacations, teaching days are fewer as compared to the course; hence, decreasing 10 days has also become a challenge. y this may also increase the dropout rate. students may be started feeling more connected with the vocational course or activities and may feel that when after taking education they also have to do these courses which is nothing to do with classroom learning then they may directly opt to start a vocational career rather than taking education. y there are many schools which are run by a single teacher. this will be another challenge for those schools. y catering varied interests of diverse students may also be a big challenge for teachers. y these activities are also not so helpful for less active and introverted students. y in the absence of proper guidance or planning for teachers, there is a risk of potential wastage of time, money, and resources. an inadequately planned implementation may yield unsatisfactory outcomes. y ensuring the seamless integration of children with special needs into these activities presents a formidable challenge. planning and executing activities indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 303 that effectively cater to their unique requirements prove to be arduous, and the feasibility of accommodating them in all situations remains uncertain. y the successful inclusion of children with special needs in these activities poses a challenge, as it is difficult to plan and implement activities that can adequately meet their specific needs and may not be feasible for all situations. y there may be instances where these activities could disrupt the regular routine of craftsmen, resulting in potential financial setbacks for them. y craftsmen and vocational experts undoubtedly possess remarkable proficiency in their respective crafts, yet their understanding of child psychology may be limited, potentially leading to the emergence of behavioural challenges. y insufficient funding poses a significant obstacle to the execution of activities during the 10 bagless days. y as of now, there has been no implementation strategy initiated by any pertinent organization, leading to a state of ambiguity and confusion among the stakeholders. conclusion all recommendations given by nep2020 are related to providing quality education, developing employability, and transforming our country into a knowledge-driven society. this would be possible by using the student-centric approach in education making learning more experiential, and connecting it with the culture and daily life of the learners. the recommendation of 10 bagless days will prove a game changer in this direction if it will be implemented effectively and with proper planning. related agencies and authorities should get active now and work on the implementation process. a set of guidelines has been launched by psscive in the first quarter of 2023. still, there is a need for a clearer implementation procedure. only then will effective implementation be possible. besides the government organisation, teachers and school administration also take a few steps in its implementation; they have to think about the no or less budget activities, interesting activities with the local touch in them and plan the activities which don’t take much time and resource but give a very fruitful experience to the students. they also have to think about how to cater for a large number of students in an optimum way. parents and the community should also become more active now. as in the nep-2020 much emphasis is given to community involvement and localised experience, which could not be possible without the active and voluntary involvement of the community members. only the willing participation of the community members can make the implementation and outcome of this recommendation fruitful. so again, the task of government agencies, and teacher education institutes, become important in raising awareness about the recommendation of 10 bagless days for which they can organise workshops, faculty development programmes, conferences, discussion forums, etc, by which those who have great ideas and share their ideas with others and those who are facing issues can learn with others. all these measures can lead to the fruitful implementation of this recommendation and provide the desired outcome in an optimum way. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 304 references govt. of india, ministry of education. (2023). national curriculum framework for school education 2023. https://dsel.education.gov.in/sites/default/files/ncf2023.pdf govt. of india, ministry of human resource development. (2020). draft national education policy 2019. https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/draft_ nep_2019_en_revised.pdf govt. of india, ministry of human resource development. (2020). national education policy 2020. https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/nep_final_english_0.pdf https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/cisce-proposes-at-least-10-bagless-days-ayear-from-classes-vi-to-viii/articleshow/97389511.cms?from=mdr https://www.nationalskillsnetwork.in/launch-of-guidelines-for-implementation-of-10bagless-days-in-schools/ parida, s. k. & das, s. (2021). perception of prospective teachers towards integration of bagless days in school curriculum. international journal of multidisciplinary educational research, 10(5). 94-99. http://ijmer.in.doi./2021/10.10.115 pss central institute of vocational education (2023) guidelines for implementation of 10 bagless days in school. http://www.psscive.ac.in/storage/uploads/others/guideline/ pdf/english/guideline-for10baglessdays-in-school%20in%20english.pdf sethy, r. (2021). perception of teachers on 10 days bagless period for school students of chilika block. technolearn: an international journal of educational technology, 11(02), 129-136. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 230 book review multimedia learning third edition, richard e. mayer cambridge university press, cambridge, united kingdom, 2021 pp. xviii+433, isbn: 978-1-316-63808-8 abhay kumar shukla academic consultant, ciet, ncert email: abhayshukla.pmevidya@gmail.com technological advancements have brought revolutionary changes in the ways of communication. it has enabled the process of meaningmaking with multimodality i.e. the use of several modes (media) in a single artefact or instance or communicative event. multimodality is not entirely a new phenomenon as images in addition to linguistic symbols have been used since time immemorial. however, developments in electronics, information and communication technology (ict) transformed the traditional modalities of communication into what bob goldstein (1966) termed as multimedia. multimedia is an evolutionary concept, and generically it may refer to the integrated combination of text, still images, video, animation, sound and also interactivity, however, the primary implication of multimedia entails electronic media. the potential of multimedia can be leveraged in every domain of human endeavour involving communication and thereby; in principle, multimedia has become a pervasive phenomenon. multimedia learning is a new-age phenomenon where multimedia is used to impart learning of any kind. by definition, multimedia learning is a form of computer-aided instruction that uses two modalities concurrently (mayer, 2002). the two modalities render two types of learning, visual (through pictures, written text, animations, and videos) and verbal (through spoken narration). multimedia learning is growing as a popular alternative to classroom-based instruction. with the recent developments in the field of ict, multimedia learning is not only enriched but also explored for its potential and sustainable implications for instruction and learning. the volume in review is the third edition of multimedia learning by richard f. mayer. it is a seminal work on multimedia learning. the first edition of the present book appeared in 2001 and subsequently with the second edition in 2009 and a third edition in 2021. the book is also available as an ebook along with a hard/paperback edition. the book is rightly designated by the author himself as an outcome of labour of love which is evident from the content, coverage and comprehensiveness of the volume. the book is divided into twenty-two chapters and organised into five sections. the aim of the book is to provide an up-to-date and systematic summary of research studies on multimedia learning, supplemented with complementary evidence from around the globe. the subject matter of the book concerns serving the needs of the professionals working in the fields of psychology, education, computer science, communication, instructional design, and game design. the volume claims to inform two interdisciplinary areas namely learning theory and indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 231 education practice. the section 1 entitled introduction to multimedia learning divided into five chapters lays the background and foundational principles of multimedia learning. each chapter is presented with a summary and outline of the contents. the section offers basic details like definitions, key-terms, along with research summaries, multimedia instruction cum assessment, and multimedia design principles. section 2 enters into the core of the volume and describes the principles for reducing extraneous processing in multimedia learning. divided into five chapters, each chapter deals with one principle. thus, five principles for reducing extraneous processing in multimedia learning namely coherence, signalling, redundancy, spatial contiguity, and temporal contiguity principles have been discussed in detail with appropriate examples. the section primarily addresses the problem of extraneous processing overload. section 3 continues with the core principles pertaining to multimedia learning. it deals with the principles for managing essential processing in multimedia learning in three chapters. essential processing refers to cognitive processing i.e. cognitive aspects of multimedia learning. the three principles of essential processing that help to manage multimedia learning are segmenting, pre-training and modality. section 4 entitled principles for fostering generative processing in multimedia learning is spread across 6 chapters, each devoted to one principle. for fostering generative processing after essential processing, four principles namely personalisation, voice, embodiment, and generative activity have been found working while two others i.e. image and immersion principles have not been found working for multimedia instruction-based learning. the volume ends with section 5 offering a conclusion of the present treatise and summarises the fifteen principles of multimedia instruction that are based on empirical evidence and grounded in theory. it also summarises different types of boundary conditions of these principles such as individual difference conditions, instructional content conditions, and instructional context conditions. further, the chapter briefly recounts the progress in the past and also looks forward to the way ahead where the author refers to two possible directions in the field based on emotional design and motivational design. the book ends with the comments and suggestions related to future research for improving multimedia learning. the volume entitled multimedia learning by richard e. mayer, as mentioned earlier, is truly an outcome of labour of love! it is a concise and compact yet comprehensive resource on the subject for students, professionals and researchers alike. besides the treatment of the subject matter, the book is designed well with a learner-friendly approach. each chapter carries a list of suggested readings followed by a list of references. the book also contains an author index as well as a subject index easing access to information at a glance. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 85 research article online education during covid-19 pandemic: challenges for children with disabilities tania farooq1 & shazia manzoor2 1doctoral scholar, department of social work, university of kashmir, jammu & kashmir 2associate professor, department of social work, university of kashmir, jammu & kashmir email: shaaz18@gmail.com abstract the covid-19 pandemic has hit hard every aspect of life and has affected everyone disproportionately. due to its viral and contagious behaviour, it forced the closure of educational institutions including those working for children with disabilities. in kashmir, the schools were closed in march, 2020 and were reopened for a very brief period in march 2021, following a subsequent lockdown in march 2021 only. consequently, the educational institutions resorted to an online mode of education to avoid any academic losses for the students. while this decision seemed a viable option, the vulnerable groups like children with disabilities and children enrolled in special schools found it difficult to cope with this medium of education. this is particularly for students with visual disabilities, developmental disabilities and hearing and speech impairments. in this regard, this paper is an attempt to unravel the experiences of parents of this vulnerable group. we have followed a qualitative methodology and interviewed twenty parents of children with different disabilities to explore their experiences of the online mode of education and its implications for their children with disabilities. keywords: online classes, covid-19, children with disabilities, kashmir introduction online education has been seen as a promising agent in creating new opportunities for students, faculty and educational institutions (mayadas, bourne & bacsich, 2009). with the invention of the world wide web in 1992, the online mode of education was made more accessible and it also paved for more pedagogical models to emerge (harasim, 2000). online learning can be understood as a tool which can aid in making the ‘teaching-learning process more student-centered, more innovative, and even more flexible’ (dhawan,2020) and is defined as ‘learning experiences in synchronous or asynchronous environments using different devices (e.g., mobile phones, laptops, etc.) with internet access’ (singh & thurman, 2019 as cited in dhawan, 2020, p.7). however, the different terms and arguments related to online learning like accessibility, affordability, flexibility, learning pedagogy, life-long learning, and policy (dhawan, 2020) have a correlation with the target group under consideration. children of all ages and from all countries are affected by this pandemic, and among them, vulnerable groups like children with disabilities need extra care and protection in these times (un policy brief, 2020). schiariti (2020) says that in times of a crisis, ‘children with disabilities face additional challenges as a result of their functional limitations; but most importantly, the many barriers indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 86 that society throws in their way’ (p.661). during the times of crisis, they are most likely to be excluded and left behind from basic services like education and health (unrwa, 2020). they may have diverse needs in times of this pandemic that may go unnoticed. they can become more vulnerable in these times as they may have greater needs for healthcare, an increased dependency on community-based services and concerns regarding mental health (aishworiya & kang, 2020). similarly, (asbury et al., 2021) discuss how parents and children in the uk have experienced loss, worry and changes in mood due to the social changes that have occurred. children with disabilities, especially those with sensory impairments can face barriers in the access to inclusive public health information that relates to the preventive measure during these times and can face barriers to essential services and basic wash facilities may also be rendered unavailable to them because of poverty and other barriers in accessing these services (unicef, 2020). the parents of children with disabilities may be equally vulnerable during these times and can face various psychological problems (provenzi et al., 2020 a). it may be due to the interruption in daily rehabilitation services and lack of recreational opportunities along with the burden of caring for their ‘child with special needs’ and balancing their worklife (provenzi, grumi, borgatti,2020 b). another important aspect here pertains to the education of children with disabilities. the pandemic has forced the closure of schools across the world, with india being no exception to it. the closure of schools has impacted the overall system of education for children and online modes of education are seen as a viable option. but at the same time, there are various problems associated with such a mode of education as students who are not privileged can suffer due to these digital modes of education (jena, 2020). in the same line, online modes of education may not be a viable option for children with disabilities and their parents. as masonbrink & hurley, (2020) note that the closing of schools indicates a loss of critical resources and special educators for children with disabilities, also their parents are less likely to be equipped with resources to maintain remote learning. students with disabilities are less likely to be benefitted from the distance learning teaching methods as they mostly rely on face-to-face services (un policy brief, 2020). review of literature garbe et al., (2020) have conducted a study to understand the experiences of the parents with remote learning. the study was conducted using an online survey and thematic coding was done to understand the perception and experiences of 112 parents during the covid-19 school closure. the findings revealed that the parents were satisfied with the decision of the school closure and the level of support provided, yet they faced problems in certain areas which included problems while balancing responsibilities, motivation of the learner and outcomes of learning. zhang et al., (2020) have conducted a study to understand the impact of covid-19 on the students with disabilities and their health concerns. the study was done with 147 students out of which 119 were without disabilities and 28 were students with disabilities/ health concerns. the analysis has revealed that students with disabilities faced more problems and adjustments with the online mode of learning than their non-disabled counterparts. they also faced more covidrelated adversities than their counterparts. the study also revealed the anxiety and worry among students with disabilities vis-à-vis online learning and its impact on their grades and financial concerns. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 87 a study done by (amor et al., 2020) explores the impact of covid-19 on with people having intellectual developmental disabilities (idd) and the response employed in spain during the period of lockdown. the sample for the study was 582 individuals with idd who shared their perspectives on covid-19 and its consequences. the analysis has revealed that support was conditioned by the living contexts. the participants living in certain conditions had less natural supports while participants who lived with their families had relied on it. the participants had received information regarding the covid-19 from the organizations working for the disabled, friends, groups, family and in some cases from health care centres. methodology this study used a qualitative methodology to understand the perception of teachers and parents regarding the online system of education and its implications on children with disabilities. qualitative data are a source of well-grounded rich descriptions of social processes (miles, huberman & saldana, 2014). a qualitative approach was found to suit best to this study as this approach ‘looks deep into the quality of social life. it locates the study within particular settings, which provides opportunities for exploring all possible social variables, and set manageable boundaries’ (holliday, 2016) pp.6. additionally, nonprobability and purposive sampling techniques were used to identify the participants. the aim of qualitative studies is not to generalization but to get a nuanced analysis of the phenomena being studied (sandelowski, 1995). the inclusion criteria were parents of children enrolled in special schools in kashmir. 1. data collection and analysis the data was collected through semistructured in-depth interviews that were done by the first author. the interviews were tape-recorded with the prior permission of the participants and also notes were taken simultaneously. at the onset, the purpose of the interviews was explained and the meetings were set according to the convenience of the participants. due to the present circumstances of covid-19, meeting all the participants at home was not possible. so, telephonic interviews were preferred and as such interviews were conducted accordingly. the recorded interviews were transcribed and translated from kashmiri to english. the transcripts were read thoroughly and then coded. after the initial set of codes was identified, we then devised categories and from these categories were narrowed down to three major themes. 2. ethical consideration all the ethical issues were taken into consideration. informed consent was taken from all the participants. the purpose of the interviews was made clear to all the participants. we also discussed their right to withdraw from the interview at any stage. the interviews were tape-recorded with the prior permission of the participants and pseudonyms are used for this paper. participants the participants for this study were the parents of children with disabilities who are enrolled in special schools in kashmir. the detailed description is given in table 1 below. table-1: description of participants indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 88 s. no. pseudonym occupation of husband/wife gender of child age of child type of disability in child 1 ahmad (f1) and asifa (m1) business/ housewife male 13 years down’s syndrome 2 feroz (f2) and haseena (m2) government job/housewife female 9 years down’s syndrome 3 heena (m3) (divorced) private job female 10 years autism 4 ali (f4) and mansha (m4) govt. job/ teacher male 12 years learning disability 5 fahad (f5) and hafsa(m5) private job/ housewife female 8 years learning disability 6 showkat (f6) and fatima(m6) govt. job/ housewife male 11 years learning disability 7 sahil (f7) and bushra (m7) business/ private job male 6 years down’s syndrome 8 fayaz (f8) and snober (m8) govt. job/ housewife female 12 years hearing impairment 9 rasiq (f9) and zareena (m9) business/ govt. job male 8 years autism 10 hilal (f10) and shagufta (m10) govt. job/ teacher male 14 years visual impairment 11 shiraz (f11) and tehseensa (m11) business/ private job male 11 years visual impairment 12 shoaib (f12) and gazala (m12) private job/ housewife male 10 years down’s syndrome 13 aijaz (f13) and sabreena (m13) govt. job/ housewife female 14 years visual impairment 14 athar (f14) and beenish (m14) teacher/ bank employee male 9 years down’s syndrome 15 shariq (f15) and afroza (m15) govt. job/ housewife female 5 years visual impairment 16 manzoor (f16) and amina(m16) teacher/ housewife male 7 years down’s syndrome 17 bashir (f17) and rizwana (m17) farmer/ housewife male 10 years visual impairment 18 alim (f18) and tahira (m18) govt. job/ housewife female 9 years autism 19 shakeeb (f19) and nisa(m19) business/ housewife female 10 years down’s syndrome indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 89 20 waseem (f20) and bisma (m20) teacher/ housewife female 12 years down’s syndrome findings after analyzing the data, three themes were identified that narrate the perspectives and experiences of the participants. the themes are: 1. challenges with online mode of education. 2. issues of accessibility and satisfaction with the classes 3. the financial burden. 1. challenges with online mode of education: the online mode of education has brought various challenges with it. the covid-19 pandemic has forced the current system of education to switch to online mode. various studies have concluded how the online mode of education has burdened the parents, teachers and students. within this, children with disabilities and their parents form a vulnerable group who face different problems than mainstream society. as m6, shares the experience of their son with online classes as: my son is not able to understand anything through the online mode of education. the teachers try hard to keep him engaged but he is unable to cope with this. sharing similar thoughts f2 says that: our daughter has down’s syndrome. she was enrolled in a special school which she attended regularly. but due to the lockdown, she is unable to go to school. now she is attending her classes online which are not of any benefit to her. some of the parents shared their concern about how they felt that the online mode of education was a difficult and different process to understand for them. as m5 shares: i am not able to use and adapt to these online classes. how can i expect my child to understand this? it is very different form of learning. earlier our children used to be at school and we only helped them with their homework but now we have to sit with them continuously and learn everything along. similarly, f15 shares that: the earlier system of education was one-to-interaction, especially for students with disabilities. now, the virtual mode has changed this concept altogether. adapting to this routine has become difficult for both parents as well as children. sharing the concern regarding the online mode of education m9 says that: my child has autism. he used to go to a centre for special kids. he was showing good progress. but with this online mode of education, his progress has suffered. he is not benefiting from these online classes as he does not make eye contact and does not look at the screen continuously. he needs one to one sessions. some of the parents discussed how the teachers had advised them to engage in the sessions and teach their children afterwards. m11 says that: my child has a visual disability. he uses braille, and these online classes are of no help to him. his teachers indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 90 told us that we should learn braille so that teaching him would be easy. but they don’t understand that learning it is equally difficult for me. 2. issues of accessibility and financial implications. the second theme discusses the digital accessibility barriers that the parents faced. the theme also explored the satisfaction that the parents felt with the online mode of education for their children. the narratives point out how access to resources like smartphones and high-speed internet had impacted them. f6 shares that: after the lockdown was announced, we got a call from the school authorities regarding the conducting of online classes. accordingly, we had to arrange a new smartphone for her so that she would not skip her classes. accessibility becomes an important issue while we discuss using online modes of education. here m6 shares that: kashmir is a conflict zone. we have witnessed frequent shutdowns and internet blockades. when the pandemic started there was only 2g internet for some months which aggravated our stress. regarding the financial implications of the online classes, f12 shares that: we don’t have access to broadband, high-speed internet or costly phones. i am a poor person and i cannot manage all these things. initially, my son missed all his classes because of this, then we had to arrange a smartphone for him. m3 shares that: i have three children and i am divorced for 5 years now. keeping three separate smartphones for my children is not possible for me. my younger daughter was enrolled in a special school, but she had to skip her classes for two months because i didn’t have a separate phone for her. then a local ngo gave us a phone. in the same line, f17 says that: they switched to the online mode of education without realizing the implications for poor people. they didn’t provide us with smartphones, but expected our children to attend the classes regularly. 3. satisfaction with the classes an important point of discussion here remains the satisfaction of parents and students with the online mode of learning. in the previous themes, it was discussed how the parents had gone to any length to arrange the resources for their children so that they won’t miss any of their classes or sessions. but, of equal importance remains here to understand their level of satisfaction. here f10 says that: the online mode of education demands time management and other resources. it may prove fruitful to students without disabilities but not for our children. f8 shares that: i feel that assessment of progress through this online medium is not valid and up to the mark. but the current pandemic has forced us to do so. in the same line m16 shares that: even the teachers are unable to devise appropriate content for children with disabilities. this mode of education has difficulty in meeting the academic discipline... but what else can be done is the indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 91 need of the hour. drawing a contrast between her disabled and non-disabled children, m20 says that: i have four children, three among them are non-disabled. they can manage their classes well and learn something new every day. but as far as my daughter with a disability is concerned, she is not able to cope with the online classes. their curriculum is different from mainstream schools. as such they are not able to benefit much from these classes. sharing a different experience m14 says that: i am a working woman and i have two children. my elder son can manage his classes on his own. but my younger son has a disability and he is not able to manage it. i am also not able to help him out as i have a full-time job. this has been a source of stress for me. i don’t know if he is benefitting from his online sessions or not. adding to this f19 says that: the teachers of this institute are really good and hardworking. my daughter takes her classes through an ngo working for children with disabilities. they also make home visits once a week to ensure that her progress is not hampered. the parents discussed how they were not fully satisfied with the online mode of classes for their children, yet we’re quick to add how it was the only option during the current pandemic. at the same time, we observed how they were discussing that the school authorities and respective governments should take appropriate measures and steps to ensure that children with disabilities are not left out and their progress is not hampered. discussion the themes that have emerged from the analysis of data have shown how parents of children with disabilities in kashmir are struggling with the online mode of education. there are many problems associated with this mode of education, as the satisfaction with classes, financial implications and issues of accessibility. the participants of our study were not satisfied with the online mode of education, yet they were quick to add that studying in this manner was the need of the hour. here, it is important to understand that the needs of vulnerable groups during the times of a pandemic should be considered. but we note how children with disabilities were left out of the intervention strategies that were followed to minimize the academic losses. for students with disabilities, ‘individual learning plans’ are deemed best to create studentcentric learning. but this was by large compromise as we switched to an online mode of education. additionally, the other barriers like financial implications need to be noted, as were discussed by the participants of this study. here, children with disabilities from lower socio-economic strata faced additional vulnerabilities as their parents struggled to arrange uninterrupted internet and smartphones for them. children with disabilities are at particular risk of academic losses as schools have resorted to online modes of education. covid-19 can have an adverse impact on children’s education as extended school closure may lead to lower educational attainment (psacharopoulos et.al, 2020; masonbrink & hurley, 2020). conclusion in this paper, we have focused on the experiences of parents having children with disabilities vis-a-vis online mode of education. we have used a qualitative methodology to explore their experiences of the online mode indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 92 of education and its implications for their children with disabilities. the narratives point out the difficulties encountered by the participants and some narratives show how some children with disabilities struggle with the online mode of education. it is also known that the covid-19 pandemic has disrupted every aspect of life and has created disequilibrium in all the phases of living. the current pandemic has affected everyone disproportionately. it has led to the closure of schools, thus forcing the students to take classes online. the current system of education has not considered the concerns of young children with disabilities who are enrolled in different special schools. this category of students is not able to fully benefit from this mode of education and thus may lag behind. this pandemic is not going to end any time soon, so the mainstream population has devised ways and means to adapt and adjust accordingly. so, the concerns of students with disabilities, particularly young students with disabilities should be taken into consideration. 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(2020). how does covid-19 impact students with disabilities/ health concerns?. arxiv preprint arxiv:2005.05438.research article indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 350 general article developing competencies for technologypedagogy integration among in-service teachers: reflections angel rathnabai s, assistant professor, central institute of educational technology -ncert, new delhi emailangelrathnabaiedu@gmail.com abstract national education policy, 2020 (nep-2020) of india emphasises the interplay of education and technology. the policy notes that one of the central principles to steer the education system will be the ‘extensive use of technology in teaching and learning, removing language barriers, increasing access as well as education planning and management’. in this context, ict intervention in the school system to leverage the outcome of education is also a goal. to achieve this goal, human resources, i.e. teachers, are the game changers, and hence the emphasis lies on the capacity building of teachers. nep 2020 recommends rigorous training in learner-centred pedagogy, teachers becoming high-quality econtent creators, and also integrating technology in the teaching-learning process. it also emphasises the teacher’s role in facilitating active student engagement with the content and with each other through the use of technology. training teachers in the use of technology was emphasised through the ict@school scheme under rmsa, and also funds were provided for establishing infrastructure for technology in schools. the fourteen studies done as a third-party evaluation of the ict@ school scheme reveal that there is no systematic way for holistic training of teachers in the use of technology. most of the training has focused only on office packages which couldn’t transform the teaching-learning process. even when the samagra shiksha was launched, the ict component in the samagra shiksha clearly elaborates on the need for training teachers on the use of ict and recommends systematic training. the budget announcement emphasises developing every teacher as a digital teacher. in this context, developing the competencies of teachers to integrate digital technology becomes the core goal of achieving quality education. curricula for ict in education for school system developed by the central institute of educational technology (ciet), a constituent unit of the national council of educational research and training (ncert) is a national curriculum to define the focus, content, and strategy for in-service training to build the competencies of teachers in integrating ict in education. this curriculum is being implemented to build the competencies of teachers in integrating content, pedagogy, and ict in teaching and learning. it proposes a blended approach for training integrating face-to-face and online modes. this article brings out the features and scope of ict in the education curriculum for teachers through the lessons learned for its implementation at various levels. reflections based on the implementation bring out the need for systematic planning in training teachers, the content that can support the development of their knowledge and also the strategies to be followed for effective implementation. with this competency-based curriculum, it is possible to prepare teachers to face the expectations of the current digital era. keywords: ict training, cpd, capacity building, in-service teacher training, ict in education indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 351 introduction digitalisation of education is becoming an ongoing phenomenon (szyszka et al., 2022). in the world of technology, there is a revolution in the education system having an impact on the expected competencies of a teacher. teachers are not just expected to be a knowledge repository but also to keep pace with the advancement in technology and build competencies in integrating those into the teaching-learning process digital skills have become more important in the 21st century, having a significant impact on social interactions, education, work, and other areas of life (niyazova et al., 2023). the ict proficiency of instructors within the academic community or institution is one of the fundamental prerequisites for providing stakeholders with high-quality teaching and learning. when using new technology to deliver successful education, individual skills are a crucial component. technological and pedagogical advances in ict and education have highlighted the need to support teachers’ professional development (santiañez, 2023). in order to effectively use information and communication technology (ict), teachers need to  have sufficient proficiency in employing a range of media and expertise to present the material to their students (farisa et al., 2023). the mastery of information and communication technologies (icts) abilities and competencies is now crucial for the efficient administration of studies or teaching (molero jurado et al., 2022). pre-service teacher education is gaining a lot of momentum towards improving its quality in terms of curriculum to deliver standard teachers to society. however, the need for in-service training in building the competencies of teachers with the technological developments and innovative pedagogies is recognised, and efforts are being made in various ways. national education policy 2020 (nep-2020) emphasises developing every teacher as a digital teacher to leverage digital technology to improve school education to ensure quality and accessible education to all. in the digital era, innovation is evident and its growth is exponential in nature. hence the teacher who is well trained during preservice on the use of information and communication technology (ict) in the teaching-learning process is expected to keep swimming along the changes and keep themselves sustainable during the changes. there arises the need for capacity-building programs as and when there is a change in expectations. there were several efforts in india to build the competencies of teachers in the use of technology. based on the experiences and learning from the third-party evaluation study of ict@ school schemes, it was realised that a holistic approach to capacity building of teachers is required for building competencies in teachers towards technology integration. hence, under the aegis of the ministry of education, department of school education and literacy, a curriculum for ict in education for school system was developed by the central institute of educational technology (ciet), a constituent unit of the national council of educational research and training (ncert). this curriculum for teachers defines the need, scope, content, methodology, etc, for building the competencies of in-service teachers in the use and integration of ict. the document also guides the path for integration of this content in the preservice teacher education curriculum. it encompasses courses that focus on skill development where knowledge acquisition is seen to be incidental. also, it follows the blended approach for delivery of the courses which gives scope for continuous professional development of teachers overcoming indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 352 the challenge of time, place, etc. ict in education curriculum is a model for building competencies in teachers to integrate content, pedagogy, and ict effectively. this curriculum was piloted in navodaya vidyalayas and in all four demonstration multipurpose schools of ncert at ajmer, bhopal, bhubaneswar and mysore. it was also implemented in the state of karnataka on a large scale covering all teachers at the secondary stage of school education. learnings and experiences from these implementations have revealed that a holistic approach to capacity building is essential and effective in developing the competencies of teachers. need for ict in education curriculum for teachers the importance of using ict in education has increased dramatically as the global environment continues to change. teachers are required to be able to use ict successfully in order to combine their students’ learning experiences and sufficiently prepare them for the issues they will encounter in the future. while the use of ict in education has several advantages, including the ability to design practical courses, manage a classroom, and increase stakeholder communication, its successful implementation depends on instructors having the necessary abilities, information, and motivation (nawastheen et al., 2023). the integration of information technology and educational endeavours is getting closer in the mobile internet era, and there are more resources available for information technology. the ability of teachers to use information and communications technology (ict) effectively has become a must in the teaching process, and the main challenge is knowing how to assess it properly (xiao et al., 2020). the use of contemporary digital tools by teachers, which is a crucial component of the digital transformation of the educational environment, has given rise to a new area of problem-solving in the field of education (golodov et al., 2022). the use of ict by teachers in the classroom is becoming more and more crucial since technology is now a necessary component of effective teaching (bariu et al., 2022). the behavioural intentions of instructors have a significant role in determining whether they would use ict in their classroom instruction (moosa & ramnarain, 2023). due to the extensive use of information and communication technologies (icts) in education, teachers must be extremely digitally proficient and have a positive outlook in order to efficiently manage their students (rahimi & tafazoli, 2022). evidence from experiments has shown that affective-motivational factors  including pre-service teachers’ attitudes, have a significant effect on their pedagogical judgments about whether and how to include technology in their classroom practices (pozas et al., 2022). hence, it is essential for the administrators at schools to take steps to assure the dependability and accessibility of technology, such as offering timely upgrades and ongoing maintenance services. in order to help teachers deal with techno-insecurity, mentoring the teachers on constructive coping mechanisms including venting, finding social support, and attending technical training to cope with the changes due to technology in educational setup (wang & zhao, 2023). it is crucial throughout  the world that information and communication technology be included in educational environments. technology in education has potential benefits. technology in education is always evolving, presenting new opportunities (yuting et al., 2022). indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 353 the introduction of new technology into educational settings has the potential to improve learning opportunities in terms of quantity and quality. information and communications technology (ict) is becoming more and more common in educational settings because it enhances learning, creates a pleasant environment, and encourages pupils to develop analytical skills and confidence (pandey et al., 2022). the capacity to utilise digital tools appropriately has evolved into a basic component of daily living, and the  widespread use of digital tools has established its importance in educational institutions (rohatgi et al., 2021). many countries have realised ict skills need to be mastered alongside reading, writing, and numeracy skills. national policy on ict in education (2012) states that capacity building of teachers is key to the widespread infusion of ictenabled practices in the school system. several efforts have been taken by the government of india (goi) to deepen the use of ict in education. one such initiative is the ict component under samagara shiksha, through which goi was funding the states a lump sum amount to establish infrastructure, train teachers, and establish ict resources. though investments have been made in these areas, third-party evaluation of the ict@school scheme done in several states (ciet, 2014) has revealed that there is no significant improvement in the use of ict in classroom transactions that could impact the learning outcome of students. at several schools, ict infrastructure is unused due to a lack of confidence in teachers to use it or due to a lack of leadership among teachers/ administrators in taking responsibility for managing the ict environment. though five days of training has been provided at the state level on the use of ict, a lack of competency in integrating ict in the teaching and learning of curricular subjects was reported as one of the major barriers by teachers during interviews (ciet, 2014) and various training conducted at national and state level. so, rather than providing ict literacy training, it is necessary to develop competencies so that teachers can sustain themselves by adapting to the changes and building the ict environment as per the requirement. this can be achieved only when the teacher is confident in adapting to changes. software or hardware-based training only builds confidence in handling the specified tools rather than building skills to address their needs. also, time and location become barriers to bringing teachers to get training as and when the requirement arises. to address these challenges, there is a need to bring a blended approach to the content to be derived as well as in the mode of delivering training. though the ict component of samagara shiksha defines the training scheme with content, a detailed description of the content and strategy for training teachers was required for the implementers to enable effective technology integration in school education. ict in education curriculum for teachers was developed by the central institute of educational technology (ciet) and acts as a model that has realised all these requirements in developing teachers’ competencies to sustain themselves in the use of ict in education in the changing world. guiding principles of the curriculum ict in education curriculum for teachers is generic in nature and could be adopted/ adapted/ customised as per the specific needs of chosen stakeholders. the courses specified in the curriculum give exposure to a wide range of technological applications with a focus on educational purposes. e.g., planning, presenting, assessing, transaction, communication, etc. to indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 354 discourage software piracy, free and open source software (foss) is explored across the curriculum. this curriculum focuses on learning to compute, which includes learning to create using various tools and techniques, whereas ict literacy, i.e., knowledge about the tools and ability to use them, is seen as the incidental outcome in the process of learning. adequate opportunity for handson practice is part and parcel of methodology, and also, the opportunity is provided for open-ended exploration of ict applications rather than imposing a specific application. the course content has an inbuilt scope for critical evaluation and sharing of learning for feedback and improvement. peer sharing and review are built as part of the course strategy. awareness of the social, ethical, and legal aspects of using ict is integrated across the course content to build a healthy ict environment and ensure the safe and secure use of ict. it is integrated such that it is practised intentionally. creation of original content, taking pride in their creation, and duly recognising others’ contributions are the core essence of the curriculum. this curriculum aims at ensuring the full utilisation of infrastructure and resources, integrating it with the school system. this fosters a sense of ownership and also enables universal access among the stakeholders. keeping these guiding principles as a base, the courses are developed and delivered to the teachers to instil the same principles further in action. learning strands of the curriculum ict in the education curriculum for teachers focuses on six major strands that explain the objectives and content of the courses delivered based on this curriculum. information is spread across the universe, and the internet is the gateway that gives access to this information in the digital space. having access to such updated and authentic information is a boon to teachers in providing appropriate information to students. a teacher needs to develop the skill to search for appropriate information based on the requirement, access it from various resources like text, audio, video, interactive activities, etc., organise it and use it as per the need in a safe and secure manner. such skills in terms of searching, retrieving, organising and presenting information through the internet are provided as part of the courses, enabling the teacher to be connected with the world. ict provides space for people to be connected with each other through various subject-based forums, groups like telegram, whatsapp etc., and electronic communication systems like email etc. this feature provides an opportunity for teachers to interact with other teachers crossing the barrier of location, time, demographic difference, etc. it also can provide a warm environment, overcoming the fear of being tagged, named, titled, etc., with even unknown teachers across the country to clarify doubts, queries, discussions, etc., providing a better learning environment. practising skills to connect with each other in terms of participation through various communication techniques and systems is the scope of the strand connecting with each other. creating various resources using different tools and techniques supports teachers in planning the use of ict in the process of teaching, learning, and assessment based on context. the wider the range of tools, devices, software applications, and techniques the teachers are aware of and can productively use, the wider the opportunities for developing their indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 355 imagination and expression that impact the student’s learning to a greater extent. this enables a teacher also to use ict not as a mere information delivery tool but as an enabler to construct knowledge. thus, teachers acquire skills in creating with ict using various tools and techniques that enable a teacher to become a prosumer rather than just a consumer. while creating with ict, teachers also encounter various devices where a broad conceptual understanding of how ict devices and tools work, along with operational knowledge of safe and efficient use of ict, is the aim; learning basic ways to troubleshoot and work around problems is developed (ncert, 2012). by interacting with ict, skills for handling ict tools are developed and not through rote learning. understanding the possibilities of using ict in education includes understanding the use of various resources for addressing educational needs, tapping the potentials of digital resources and tools in improving the learning outcome of students, developing a conducive learning environment, planning learning experiences effectively, implementing in a meaningful way, etc. skills to bridge the gap that exists in terms of social and geographical differences is the sole responsibility of the teacher while providing a learning experience. tapping the potential of ict to bridge the gap needs exploration and understanding of the tools and techniques. building such skills is the focus of this strand, known as bridging the gap. ict in education course for teachers courses are majorly classified as induction and refresher. induction is basically a face-to-face training where only materials are accessed from the course portal, and portfolios are maintained digitally. whereas refreshers are delivered in blended mode or completely online. course content is delivered in various forms in a blended mode, like face-to-face demonstrations, online sessions, video lectures, online discussions, interactive activities, etc. induction courses focus on developing ict skills, whereas refresher courses focus on developing pedagogical skills for integrating ict into education. teachers need to practice teaching and instructional design skills so that they can engage students in constructivist thinking, experimentation, problemsolving and learning linked to real-life situations using various ict tools and techniques and capturing them as portfolios (kheng et al., 2000). courses are offered at two levels. the first level recommends mandatory courses for teachers to become users of digital technology and integrate it effectively in teaching, learning and assessment. however, level two recommends courses for developing advanced knowledge and skills in building the digital ecosystem and operating effectively to provide quality and accessible education to all. as the course is built with more handson activities, the teachers who undergo this course will develop confidence from practising. support for handhold is also devised in terms of e-groups, forums, chat rooms, etc. the approach of the course is such that activities are extended and practised in the school in real classroom setup and portfolios are maintained to provide timely feedback for improvement. advanced courses are delivered online. insights from the pilot study in demonstration multipurpose schools of ncert demonstration multipurpose schools of ncert at ajmer, bhopal, bhubaneswar and mysore act as lab schools where all innovations are piloted and shared for further implementation in schools indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 356 across the country. the major research questions for the pilot were: • whether ict competency of teachers can be developed through induction and refresher courses? • whether attitude towards integrating technology in education changes after the intervention of induction and refresher courses? during the pilot, the focus was also to study the time requirement for implementing these courses and also to check the suitability of the course content towards developing the competencies. the courses suggested by ict in the education curriculum for teachers were implemented in all four schools, and all teachers were trained in induction and refresher courses. the induction course was implemented for 10 days, refresher course -1 was implemented for 11 days and refresher course -2 was implemented for 5 days in face-to-face mode. the effectiveness of this training was studied in terms of ict competency and the attitude of teachers towards the use of technology. data was collected through the ict competency and attitude scale at the start of every training. the data reveals that there was no significant change in attitude at the end of the first training, where teachers were trained on using technology for creating and sharing digital information. around 12 per cent of the teachers still showed a negative attitude towards the use of technology in terms of time and skill of teachers. however, at the end of the second training on ictpedagogy integration, around 79 per cent of the teachers were found to have a highly positive attitude towards using technology in the teaching-learning process. no teachers showed a negative attitude towards technology use. ict competency was studied with the following dimensions: use of hardware, use of the digital application, building a digital ecosystem, integration of ict in the teaching-learning process and safety & security aspects. at the end of refresher course 2, teachers showed improvements in all dimensions of the ict competency. teachers showed only a 23 per cent improvement in safety and security aspects. whereas in all other dimensions, on average 92 per cent of the teachers were able to use technology without any support. this pilot study revealed very clearly that a systematic, holistic approach to the curriculum supports in development of knowledge, attitude and skill in the use of ict in the teaching-learning process. insights from the implementation of induction course in the state of karnataka the induction course was implemented in the state of karnataka for teachers working at the secondary stage of school education. the training was implemented in a cascade model where the ciet team (national level experts) trained the state resource groups (srgs), srgs trained the key resource persons (krps), and in turn, krps trained the teachers. to implement the training successfully, the following strategies were implemented: 1. a training manual was prepared so that the content is shared uniformly 2. srgs were trained on the content as well as the methodology of training so that the transaction of the content goes uniformly 3. the training was conducted as a residential programme so that the learners could make use of their time in more practice 4. a team of mentors doing the complete training of 10 days that supported building trust, and indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 357 continuous support was provided 5. all the handouts were provided for ready reference so that the learners were able to refer to them immediately. the text-based handout was supported by regional language (kannada) videos for better demonstration and explanation. 6. allocation of mentors enabled discussion and handholding of the teachers 7. follow up at the school level in using the competencies gained during training and support by cohorts when the learner was not able to practice motivated and push the learners to use technology in classrooms 8. a baseline data collection was felt as a need to understand the growth in individuals 9. review at the end of every year helped to address the challenges 10. systematic planning helped in the coverage of teachers and scaling up the implementation after implementation for two years, a short study was conducted by the state to understand the impact on classroom practices. around 710 schools were visited by 290 field investigators observing the classroom interaction and also collecting data from 734 respondents. the data collected reveals the following: 1. digital infrastructure is available in 75 per cent of the schools with laptops, which were distributed by the states under the ict@school scheme 2. 52 per cent use both proprietary and linux operating systems. around 29 per cent of the schools use proprietary operating systems, and 19 per cent of schools use only linux operating systems. this data shows the readiness of the school system to use free and opensource software (foss). 3. not less than 50 per cent of schools had digital infrastructure like desktops, multimedia projectors, pen drives, printers, tvs, radios, computer labs, ups and wi-fi facilities that enable the use of technology after the training. 4. in 42 per cent of the schools visited, at least four teachers were found to use technology on a regular basis, i.e. 4 periods in a week. 5. not less than 65 per cent of teachers used videos and presentations as digital resources. around 40 per cent of the teachers were found to develop their own digital resources based on the need for the content. around 12 per cent of teachers extensively used simulations in the classroom. 6. the percentage of teachers using technology in the class increased from 41.16 per cent to 75,22 per cent as the maturity level of the teachers in using technology improved due to the training and follow-up activities. continuous mentoring and support systems established by the state enabled the progress. 7. digital resources from various sources were used by the teachers after the first level of training. however, teachers started developing their own resources after one year of training. 8. even administrative efforts were taken to enable ict integration, like mentioning log books in the use of digital infrastructure, ict integration in school timetables, lessons the ict integrated lesson plans among teachers, etc. a detailed study of the implementation is required to get insights and learning indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 358 from the large-scale implementation in the state. conclusion ict in education curriculum developed for teachers is a model curriculum encompassing innovative methodologies in integrating ict. thus, the curriculum aims at building the competencies of each teacher towards integrating ict in education to improve the teaching-learning process. as the teachers provide a rich learning environment, the students have a scope of improving and achieving the learning outcome. this curriculum focuses not just on developing skills to use ict but focuses more on building skills for integrating content, pedagogy and ict meaningfully. a holistic approach is required for developing digital competencies in teachers. not only knowledge but change in attitude and also competence in skill is a requirement for effective implementation of ict in school education. other states/ uts in india have also released this based on various studies done across the country and efforts are being taken to follow this holistic approach. changes due to the pandemic have brought in new learnings and challenges that are considered, and new strategies are evolving to address the current need. there is scope for studying the new strategies being evolved and integrating them into the curriculum for a better solution in capacity building of teachers in the use and integration of digital technology. references bariu, t., chun, x., & boudouaia, a. 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(2020). the difference evaluation of the ict competency to university teachers from two perspectives in the era of mobile internet. in w. f.l., a. o., p. p., l. l.-k., & a. p. (eds.), proceedings 2020 international symposium on educational technology, iset 2020 (pp. 243–245). institute of electrical and electronics engineers inc. https://doi.org/10.1109/iset49818.2020.00060 yuting, z., adams, d., & lee, k. c. s. (2022). the relationship between technology leadership and teacher ict competency in higher education. education and information technologies, 27(7), 10285–10307. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-02211037-0 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 426 general article designing classroom learning experiences for optimal pedagogical-technological integration: unifying universal design for learning and user interface/user experience principles pranita gopal assistant professor, central institute of educational technology, ncert, new delhi email: pranita.gopal@ciet.nic.in abstract this paper focuses on the integration of universal design for learning (udl) and user interface/user experience (ui/ux) principles in education. it outlines strategies for applying these principles in various educational contexts to create inclusive learning environments that cater to diverse student needs. the integration focuses on adaptable content delivery, incorporating interactive learning experiences, and ensuring the accessibility of digital resources. a comprehensive checklist is provided to help educators assess and improve their practices, aiming for a smooth integration of technology that enhances the learning experience. this checklist covers different classroom technology scenarios, including presentations, videos, educational games, and platforms such as diksha. by following these guidelines, educators can effectively blend udl and ui/ux principles, ensuring that all students benefit from an enriched and supportive educational environment. keywords: universal design of learning, user interface/user experience (ui/ux), student engagement, diksha, cognitive load introduction in today’s rapidly evolving educational landscape, the seamless integration of pedagogy and technology has become paramount. as educators strive to create engaging and effective learning environments, utilizing the synergy between universal design for learning (udl) and user interface/ user experience (ui/ux) principles is helpful. the collaboration between universal design for learning (udl) and user interface/user experience (ui/ux) principles can foster student engagement and ensure inclusivity in the learning process. by aligning these approaches, educators can create intuitive interfaces and personalized learning experiences, providing all students with the chance to actively participate in and benefit from the teaching-learning process. theoretical framework the theoretical framework serves as both the metaphorical and literal cornerstone upon which ideas are framed and postulated (grant and osanloo, 2014) the selection of a theoretical framework in a research study often mirrors the researcher’s viewpoint regarding the nature of being (ontological) and one’s perspective on the theory of knowledge (epistemological)(heale and noble, 2019). the subsequent theoretical constructs are pertinent in this context: neuroscience for classroom practitioners educational neuroscience, an emerging field, has gained attention for its potential to inform theoryindian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 427 backed classroom instruction through insights from neuroscience. the neural network hypothesis of learning and memory, rooted in the work of canadian psychologist donald hebb, posits a fundamental mechanism for the strengthening or weakening of connections between brain cells over time. this process, termed synaptic plasticity, forms the basis for knowledge formation. synaptic plasticity forms the foundation for learning, storing memories in and retrieving them from the set of synapses linked to the acquired object, skill, or experience (kandel, 2009). the cognitive processes of memory essential for learning are believed to be rooted in the brain’s capacity to generate, reinforce, and eliminate connections. shulman (1987) categorized teachers’ knowledge into seven areas: content knowledge, general pedagogical knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, curricular knowledge, knowledge of students and the teacher’s characteristics, knowledge of educational systems and contexts, and knowledge of educational theories and philosophy. the interplay of these various knowledge domains significantly influences the teacher’s lesson design process. content knowledge serves as the foundational understanding of the subject matter, while pedagogical knowledge encompasses general teaching strategies. pedagogical content knowledge combines these aspects, emphasizing the specific teaching methods relevant to a particular subject. curricular knowledge directs the alignment of the curriculum with teaching strategies. understanding students’ characteristics aids in tailoring lesson plans to students’ learning styles and needs, fostering effective learning experiences. teachers mindful of neuroscience while designing lessons witness increased self-efficacy, motivation, and self-responsibility, deemed crucial components of teacher competency (brick et al., 2021). elsewhere, brick et al., 2021 report that teachers who underwent professional development programs in neuroscience were better equipped in recognizing and aiding students with social, emotional, and behavioural issues – aspects essential for creating meaningful learning experiences for students. universal design for learning ron mace is credited to have coined the term universal design as a way of “designing all products and the built environment to be aesthetic and usable to the greatest extent possible by everyone, regardless of their age, ability, or status in life” (center for universal design, 2010). literature uses universal design of instruction (udi) and universal instructional design (uid) as other terms to designate frameworks that aim at providing accessibility to learners. rao et al.,2014 present a descriptive analysis of thirteen research studies from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade and higher education settings, where they explored the application and assessment of universal design (ud) in educational contexts. the center for applied special technology (cast) delineates nine guidelines and thirty-one specific checkpoints across three principles, illustrating the incorporation of flexible options and learner supports into lesson design and implementation. the three principles are: principle i: provide multiple means of representation principle ii: provide multiple means of action and expression principle iii: provide multiple means of engagement figure 1 is a graphic representation of the universal design for learning guidelines version 2.2 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 429 heuristics are straightforward and can be quickly leveraged to evaluate and enhance usability, offering a costeffective way to identify and rectify design issues early in the development process. the principles cover a broad spectrum of design aspects, from error management to aesthetic minimalism, providing a comprehensive toolkit for designers, educators and technology developers. these heuristics are given below: system status visibility: designs should continuously update users about what’s happening through timely and appropriate feedback. this ensures intuitive navigation and multimedia content and consistent design and clarity. system-world realism: the design must use familiar terms and phrases, reducing technical jargon. it should reflect realworld order and conventions. this further ensures clear instructions and immediate feedback are accessible to the user user autonomy: users need clear options to undo actions without going through complex processes, akin to an “emergency exit.” this ensures clear navigation and structure of all programs. consistency and norms: the design must ensure consistency in terminology and actions, aligning with the general platform and industry standards. this ensures there is uniformity in design, colour palate and interface. error prevention: the best designs pre-empt issues. it’s crucial to either eliminate or check error-prone conditions, offering a verification step before actions are finalized. this ensures immediate feedback is available to the user. recognition over memory: the design should minimize the need for memory recall by making elements and options clearly visible. this ensures the user doesn’t always need to decode the symbols and icons used. flexible efficiency: designs should offer shortcuts that cater to both novice and experienced users, enhancing efficiency for all. this heuristics dictates the need for ensuring clear navigation and breadcrumbs are always available within the environment so as to ensure ease of navigation and accessibility. minimalist aesthetics: interface design should be simple, only containing necessary information to avoid overwhelming the user. this ensures the design is clutter free and there is little redundancy. error management: messages should plainly communicate errors and offer constructive recovery steps without technical codes. this ensures the user is engaged within the system. documentation accessibility: while the ideal system is self-explanatory, sometimes supplementary guidance is necessary for user task completion. based on these theoretical constructs, the suggestive checklists are designed to integrate the principles of universal design for learning (udl) and user interface/user experience (ui/ux) across various classroom scenarios. suggestive checklist for integrated udl and ui/ux principles across classroom technology scenarios effective utilization of universal design for learning (udl) and user interface/ user experience (ui/ux) principles enhances accessibility and cultivates an inclusive learning environment. a structured suggestive checklist assists teachers in seamlessly integrating these principles across diverse classroom scenarios of commonly used technology interventions like presentations, videos from platforms like youtube, educational games like kahoot, and indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 430 educational apps such as diksha. this adaptable framework empowers educators to skilfully merge technology into teaching practices, addressing varied student needs and optimizing the educational journey. it serves as a flexible guide, enabling teachers to align technology with individual classroom dynamics and student requirements for an enriched learning experience. suggestive checklist scenario 1: using presentations in the classroom. presentations serve as powerful pedagogical tools, aiding teachers in delivering structured content, visualizing complex concepts, and fostering student engagement. they facilitate interactive learning, stimulate discussions, and cater to diverse learning styles, enhancing comprehension and retention within the classroom setting. they enhance learning by fostering a deeper comprehension of the subject matter while also fuelling student motivation (lari, 2014). table 1 presents an integrated udl and ui/ux principles checklist for teachers using presentations in the classroom. table-1: integrated udl and ui/ux principles checklist for teachers using presentations in the classroom clastsroom scenario udl principles corresponding ui/ux principles checklist for classroom practitioners teachers use presentations to deliver content in the classroom. offer content in diverse formats to cater to varied learners. remove barriers and ensure equal opportunities for participation. plan accessible learning experiences that benefit all learners. intuitive navigation and multimedia content user-centred design and inclusivity consistent design and clarity • provide information in multiple formats (text, visuals, multimedia). • ensure the presentation navigation is user-friendly with clear structures (like demarcation of headings and subheadings) • organize content into clear sections for a structured presentation. • implement easy-to-use navigation tools for seamless movement between slides (clear next, previous/ back buttons) • maintain consistent slide layouts for uniformity and easy comprehension (prefer using a consistent theme and design elements) • include interactive elements for active engagement – like using action buttons and hyperlinks, • use captivating visuals to reinforce key concepts and sustain attention. • conduct usability tests to ensure smooth navigation and content comprehension. • seek feedback from peers or students for continuous improvement. • regularly assess presentation accessibility to cater to diverse learners. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 431 clastsroom scenario udl principles corresponding ui/ux principles checklist for classroom practitioners provide flexible and diverse learning experiences. engagement and interactive design • incorporate interactive videos, quizzes, or polls to actively engage students. • explore different presentation styles (e.g., storytelling, case studies, debates) to cater to diverse learning preferences. • deliver information using diverse formats (images, infographics, audio clips) to accommodate various learning styles. • utilize captivating visuals, infographics, and multimedia content to reinforce key concepts and enhance understanding. • implement adaptable navigation structures to allow students to navigate according to their pace and preferences. • infuse gamification elements (e.g., challenges, rewards) within the presentation to boost engagement and motivation. • offer choices within the presentation (e.g., optional activities, branching scenarios) to tailor learning experiences. • vary the duration of the presentation to accommodate attention spans and learning objectives. • introduce collaborative activities or group discussions within the presentation to encourage peer learning. • provide options for students to select learning paths or topics according to their interests or needs. • include real-life examples or case studies to illustrate practical applications of the content. • update and refresh presentation content regularly to keep it relevant and current. • use inclusive language and a conversational tone to ensure the content is relatable and understandable. • incorporate feedback mechanisms (surveys, discussion forums) for students to share their thoughts or questions. • provide supplementary resources or further reading materials for students to explore beyond the presentation. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 432 clastsroom scenario udl principles corresponding ui/ux principles checklist for classroom practitioners allow multiple ways for students to demonstrate understanding. clear instructions and immediate feedback • effective feedback involves targeting specific areas, communicating progress, ensuring timeliness, and allowing students the opportunity to implement received feedback. in a broader context, this encompasses understanding the student’s status, evaluating their progress, and determining the subsequent steps forward. therefore, • targeting specific areas for feedback. • communicating progress effectively. • ensuring timeliness in providing feedback. • allowing students to practice and implement received feedback. • in a broader context, understanding the student’s current status. • evaluating the student’s progress. • determining the subsequent steps forward. create an adaptable and inclusive learning environment. accessibility features and customization • maintain the same font type throughout the presentation for readability. • use different font sizes to emphasize key points while ensuring readability from a distance. • ensure sufficient contrast between text and background for better visibility. • avoid overcrowding slides with text; use concise phrases or bullet points. • use subtle animations sparingly to highlight important content without distraction. • choose color combinations that are easy on the eyes and aid readability. some examples of readable color combinations: • black text on white background: • dark gray text on a light gray background – this combination offers a softer contrast, maintaining readability without straining the eyes. • navy blue text on beige background: provides a pleasant contrast while maintaining readability for prolonged viewing. • organize content using varying font sizes and colors to signify importance and hierarchy. some ideas include indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 433 clastsroom scenario udl principles corresponding ui/ux principles checklist for classroom practitioners • title in bold and larger font size: the main title stands out as the most prominent element, drawing attention. • subtitles in slightly smaller font: subtitles or headers are slightly smaller but still larger than the main text, indicating sections or themes. • bullet points or key information in bulky fonts or colors: key points or bullet lists in bold or different colors to highlight essential content. • conduct tests to ensure the presentation is accessible to individuals with visual impairments or disabilities. suggestive checklist scenario 2: using videos (from youtube) etc in the classroom carmichael, et. al (2018) reveals students’ strong inclination towards video-based learning, empowering their independent and flexible educational pursuits. as a result, students actively seek online video content in their courses, indicating a bright and promising future for this instructional format and instilling confidence in educators, librarians, and stakeholders. table 2 presents an integrated udl and ui/ux principles checklist for teachers using videos in the classroom. this is in continuation of the points mentioned in the previous tables. table-2: integrated udl and ui/ux principles checklist for teachers using videos in the classroom class scenario: using video resources (youtube) udl principles corresponding ui/ ux principles checklist for classroom practitioners teachers incorporate youtube videos for educational purposes. offer content in diverse formats to cater to varied learners. intuitive navigation and multimedia content • ensure the video content has subtitles or transcripts for accessibility. • enable easy navigation through chapters or timestamps. provide flexible and diverse learning experiences. engagement and interactive design • use interactive features like quizzes or pause points to reinforce learning. • offer various video styles (animations, documentaries). indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 434 allow multiple ways for students to demonstrate understanding. clear instructions and immediate feedback • provide discussion prompts or reflection tasks after viewing the videos. • clarify objectives and follow-up activities related to videos. create an adaptable and inclusive learning environment. accessibility features and customization • ensure videos have proper closed captions and audio descriptions. • optimize video resolution for diverse device compatibility. remove barriers and ensure equal opportunities for participation. user-centered design and inclusivity • curate a range of videos to address various learning styles and preferences. • encourage active participation during video sessions. plan accessible learning experiences that benefit all learners. consistent design and clarity • provide supplementary resources or related materials for deeper understanding. • maintain consistency in video structure and format. suggestive checklist scenario 3: using educational games like kahoot, quizzes etc in the classroom educational games like kahoot and quizzes serve as engaging teaching aids, fostering interactive learning experiences. these tools enhance student participation, reinforce key concepts, and provide realtime assessment opportunities for educators. they promote active engagement, stimulate critical thinking, and offer an enjoyable approach to reinforce academic material. leveraging educational games in classrooms has the potential to reduce distractions, enhancing the quality of both teaching and learning experiences beyond traditional classroom settings (licorish, 2018). research from forssell, et al. (2023) suggests much like younger demographics, older adults exhibit enthusiasm to participate in educational games, particularly when designed appropriately with tailored features and suitable facilities. table 3 presents an integrated udl and ui/ux principles checklist for teachers using online educational games in the classroom. this is in continuation of the points mentioned in the previous tables. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 435 table-3: integrated udl and ui/ux principles checklist for teachers using online educational games in the classroom class scenario: playing online educational games (kahoot, etc.) udl principles corresponding ui/ux principles checklist for classroom practitioners teachers integrate online educational gaming platforms like kahoot into lessons. offer content in diverse formats to cater to varied learners. intuitive navigation and interactive design • ensure game instructions are clear and accessible to all students. • allow easy navigation and interaction within the gaming interface. provide flexible and diverse learning experiences. engagement and interactive elements • include interactive features that engage students actively during gameplay. • offer various game modes or difficulty levels for learners. allow multiple ways for students to demonstrate understanding. immediate feedback and progress tracking • provide immediate feedback on answers and track students’ progress in the game. • offer options for students to review their performance. create an adaptable and inclusive learning environment. accessibility features and customization • ensure gaming platforms are accessible for students with diverse abilities. • provide audio descriptions or transcripts if necessary. remove barriers and ensure equal opportunities for participation. user-centered design and inclusivity • encourage participation from all students by making games inclusive and fair. • cater to different learning styles and preferences. plan accessible learning experiences that benefit all learners. consistent design and clarity • design games with a consistent and user-friendly interface for seamless gameplay. • offer supplementary materials for post-game review. suggestive checklistscenario 4: using educational platforms like diksha etc, in the classroom diksha (digital infrastructure for knowledge sharing) is a digital infrastructure for school education in india, developed by the national council of educational research and training (ncert). it’s an e-learning platform designed to facilitate teachers’ access to quality teaching resources, indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 437 provide flexible and diverse learning experiences. engagement and interactive design include interactive features like quizzes or interactive sections for engagement. offer varied activities to suit different preferences. allow multiple ways for students to demonstrate understanding. clear instructions and immediate feedback clearly outline tasks and expectations within the app. provide immediate feedback or progress tracking. create an adaptable and inclusive learning environment. accessibility features and customization ensure app accessibility for students with different abilities. provide adjustable settings for personalized use. remove barriers and ensure equal opportunities for participation. user-centered design and inclusivity encourage participation from all students through inclusive app features. accommodate various learning styles in the app. plan accessible learning experiences that benefit all learners. consistent design and clarity maintain a consistent interface for easy navigation. provide supplementary resources within the app. the presented checklist offers a practical framework, empowering educators to navigate diverse technological scenarios while prioritizing student engagement and inclusivity. as pedagogy continues to evolve alongside technological advancements, the synergy between udl and ui/ux principles remains instrumental in shaping vibrant, accessible, and personalized learning experiences. by embracing these principles, educators can effectively bridge the gap between theory and practice, ensuring a dynamic and enriched educational journey for all learners. reference ambrose, susan a., michael w. bridges, michele dipietro, marsha c. lovett, and marie k. norman (2010). “what kinds of practice and feedback enhance learning?” in how learning works: seven research-based principles for smart teaching (pp. 121–152). san francisco, ca: jossey-bass. benassi, v. a., overson, c. e., & hakala, c. m. (2014). applying science of learning in education: infusing psychological science into the curriculum. retrieved from the society for the teaching of psychology web site: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/asle2014/ index.php brick, k., cooper, j. l., mason, l., faeflen, s., monmia, j., and dubinsky, j. m. (2021a). tiered neuroscience and mental health professional development in liberia improves teacher self-efficacy, self-responsibility, and motivation. front. hum. neurosci. 15:664730. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.664730 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 438 brick, k., cooper, j. l., mason, l., faeflen, s., nonmia, j., and dubinsky, j. m. (2021b). trainingof-trainers neuroscience and mental health teacher education in liberia improves self-reported support for students. front. hum. neurosci. 15:653069. doi: 10.3389/ fnhum.2021.653069 carmichael, et. al (2018) assessing the impact of educational video on student engagement, critical thinking and learning: the current state of play. sage white papers. accessed from https://us.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/hevideolearning.pdf cast (2018). universal design for learning guidelines version 2.2. retrieved from http:// udlguidelines.cast.org forssell, et. al (2023) accessibility of kahoot! and quizizz: utilizing educational games with elderly students. c&t ‘23: proceedings of the 11th international conference on communities and technologiesmay 2023pages 75–84 https://doi.org/10.1145/3593743.3593760 goodwin, bryan and miller, kirsten (2012). “good feedback is targeted, specific, timely”. educational leadership: feedback for learning, vol. 70, no. 1. grant, c. and osanloo, a. 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(1987). knowledge and teaching: foundations of the new reform. harvard educational review, 57, 1–22. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 144 research article diksha, nishtha and cpd: experiences and perceptions of school learning-facilitators vinod kumar kanvaria1 & vaishali dubey2 1associate professor, department of education, university of delhi, delhi email: vinodpr111@gmail.com 2 prt, kendriya vidyalaya, mau, uttar pradesh abstract we live in the digital era and technology plays a vital role in it. we can witness new advances and improvements each day. to keep up with the trends, it becomes important for all of us to be aware of such advances. we can see developments and changes taking place in every field. the education sector is one of the most prominent sectors and is witnessing a lot of changes. the pandemic has put us in a situation where the only option we are left with is to integrate technology with education. we have been witnessing a number of technological innovations daily that are being used to make teaching and learning easier and more effective. more and more ways are being looked upon to reduce the efforts and make learning a joyful experience. technology is not only helping in the classroom teaching, but also in the preparation of the teachers (learning facilitators) to teach. the role of the learning facilitator has shifted from being the central source of knowledge to being a facilitator. however, the role of the learning facilitator still remains a significant one. therefore, it is expected that they should be fully prepared to deliver their hundred per cent in the classroom. to increase their efficiency, several professional development courses are taken up. nowadays, technology is being used as an aid to conduct such training and workshops of the learning-facilitators and learning facilitator educators. the current study highlights the integration of technology in the continuous professional development (cpd) of the learning facilitators. it also takes into account their say on e-training. the perceptions of 20 government school learning facilitators currently undergoing the nishtha integrated training programme on the diksha portal have been taken into account. the data was collected using a questionnaire which had open-ended as well as rating scale-type questions. the responses were collected with the help of google forms. the responses reveal mixed perceptions of the learning facilitators on e-training. keywords: continuous professional development (cpd), technology, e-training, learning-facilitators introduction education is a learning cycle and has no end. education for one and all has been a matter of concern for ages. making education a fundamental right was a major step towards the universalization of education. the universalization of education provides each and every child with an entitlement to education. as time progressed, more focus started being laid upon the quality and accessibility of education. with changing times, we can see changes in the mode of education as well. in the earlier times, the traditional method of education was prevalent, wherein the focus was on the transmission of knowledge from the learning facilitator (this paper uses the term learning facilitator for the teacher as a teacher facilitates the learning of students through instruction) to indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 145 the student. the learning facilitator was the central figure in the school and was considered to be the only source of knowledge. gupta and fisher (2011) quoted in their study about the importance of the learning facilitator’s role in the classroom. according to them, the learning facilitator is considered to be the central figure in any classroom. this idea is more prevalent in indian classrooms. here, the learning facilitator not only controls the teaching-learning processes taking place in the classroom, but also directs the students on a day-to-day basis. the idea of learning facilitator being the central figure in the classroom has been diluted with time with the advent of constructivism and child-centred approach of teaching. with the change in the ideas, learning facilitators had to adopt the new ways of teaching and dealing with the students. the role of the learning facilitator slowly changed to facilitator or supporter. now, the learning facilitator is not seen as the only source of knowledge, as the supporter of knowledge. such changes are taking place very rapidly. new concepts and technologies are being introduced in this field each day. therefore, it becomes mandatory for the learning facilitators to keep themselves updated with such changes. the national education policy, 2020 (mhrd, 2020, now moe, 2020) clearly highlights the changes that are going to take place in the education sector in the coming years. new ideas, techniques and plans of teaching in the classroom will be implemented which means that the learning-facilitators and the learning facilitator education institutions are in a great need of revitalization. such changes highlight the necessity of professional development courses even more. the professional development of learning facilitators is not a onetime thing, but a continuous process, therefore, the term continuous professional development (cpd). the cpd provides opportunities to the learning-facilitators to learn about the latest innovations and advances in their profession. cpd is not a new concept and has been conducted for the learning facilitators on a regular basis. the mode of cpd, however, had been offline majorly. in the present pandemic times, everything is being switched from offline mode to online mode. therefore, the cpd of the learning facilitators has also seen this shift. the national education policy also lays special stress on the online mode for the training of the learning-facilitators. the learning facilitators are currently being trained under the nishtha (national initiative for school heads’ and teachers’ holistic advancement). as per the nep 2020, every learning facilitator and head learning facilitator are required to participate in at least 50 hours of continuous professional development opportunities every year for their own professional development. currently, nishtha integrated training programme 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 are being conducted in online mode for learningfacilitators teaching at different stages of the school. the nep 2020 stresses the integration of technology in education, planning, administration and development of the education sector. the relationship between technology and education is bidirectional in nature. it proposes to set up an autonomous body known as the national educational technology forum (netf) to promote the use of technology in this sector. online platforms will be developed where the learning facilitators can share their ideas for teaching and also the best teaching practices. technology will also be used in the sharing of content and also the continuous professional development indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 146 of the learning facilitators. the content will be developed in a number of languages and will be uploaded on the diksha platform. the same platform will also be used for the online training of the learning facilitators and the learning facilitator educators using e-content. currently, the continuous professional development (cpd) of the learning facilitators is being conducted under the nishtha training programmes (ncert, 2019). nishtha 1.0, nishtha 2.0 and nishtha 3.0 training programmes are being conducted for different stages of school education. nishtha 1.0 for the elementary level (classes i to viii) nishtha 2.0 for the secondary level (classes ix to xii) nishtha 3.0 for the nipun bharat (ecce to class v) the training is conducted on a monthly basis through the training courses that are uploaded on the diksha portal and app. the courses are divided into different modules, which in turn are divided into sub-modules. each course has a variety of content including videos, script of the videos, activities for the trainees, assignments, and quizzes. each training course remains open for one month. therefore, the training is time-bound and the certificates are awarded to the trainees only if they are able to secure 70 percent marks in the final assessment. review of related literature the national education policy, 2020 very correctly emphasizes on the fact that learning-facilitators play a very important role in shaping the children, and therefore shaping the future of a nation. it highlights how learning facilitators are the respected individuals of a society. however, there has been a subsequent decline in the status of learning facilitators and learning facilitator educators. the nep 2020 envisages the importance of restoring this status and position of the learning facilitators. the learning-facilitators need to be motivated and encouraged to deliver their best to the children. some studies have been discussed further to highlight the importance of technology in the education sector in the present times. tunmibi and aregbesola (2015) conducted a study in a nigerian school to examine the impact of e-learning and digitalization in primary and secondary schools. the data was collected from both, learning facilitators and the students. it could be inferred from their study that the learning-facilitators as well as the students believed in the effectiveness of e-learning and digitalization in the classroom. the responses suggested that it was a productive way of teaching. the study shows that most students agreed that e-learning helps students to have access to unlimited sources of information. it also reveals connections between subjects, promotes critical thinking and encourages students’ way of learning. the study further suggested that both, the learning facilitators and the students agreed that e-learning and digitalization help learning-facilitators and students to share accountability. if we talk on a global level, to remain competitive in this era of the globalized period, the governments are trying to make moves towards the information society. the national curriculum framework 2005 (ncf, 2005, as cited in ankita & husain, 2017) also highlights the importance of ict in the field of education. according to the document, it is important to inculcate the necessary ict skills in the students. affordable ict tools and techniques should be integrated in the teaching-learning process from the beginning. with all indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 147 these changes coming up, the learning facilitators are required to be ready to adapt themselves to the changes taking place. they are required to be up-todate, so that they can achieve their goals of teaching-learning. we have termed technology as an aid in the classroom which helps the learning facilitator to deliver the content to the students easily and effectively. learning facilitators are one of the major stakeholders in the education system and also the classroom learning. their say in what has to be taught in the class and how it has to be taught is to be valued. this would not only make the learning facilitators empowered but also confident about their teaching. skenderi (2017) asserts the view that all levels of education are highly affected by the presence of technology in the classroom. she acknowledged the fact that irrespective of our views, we are closely connected to technology and we cannot change it. she addresses the differences in the nature of technologies being used by the developed and developing countries. where the developed countries talk about artificial intelligence, the developing countries still struggle and talk about not having a sufficient numbers of computers in the labs. she took into account the views of the learning-facilitators on whether technology should or shouldn’t be used in the classroom. there was a mixed response from the learning facilitators. they agreed upon the fact that technology enhances student participation in the classroom, but remained unsure about its role in improving their communication skills. almekhlafi and almeqdadi (2010) studied the perceptions of the learning facilitators about the technology integration in the united arab emirates school classrooms. they took into account the perceptions of 40 female and 60 male learning facilitators from two k-12 schools. the results showed that the learning facilitators were comfortable and integrating technology in their classroom teaching. however, the types of technologies used by males and females differed in their nature. another study conducted by davies, lavin and korte (2009) took into account the perceptions of the students about how technology impacts the quality of instruction and learning in the classroom. they conducted a survey of students enrolled in business courses at midwestern university. the overall response of the students towards the use of technology for classroom instruction was studied. rationale of the study nishtha is one of the premiere ventures by the ncert for the training and professional upliftment of the teachers. though it caters to the needs of a large number of teachers across the country, the experiences and views of each and every teacher, who is undergoing these trainings is important and significant for the betterment of these programmes. every programme has scope for further betterment; similarly the nishtha programmes also have such scope. the current study, believing in these two aspects that every teacher is important and there is always a scope for feedback and betterment endeavours to collect experiences of a group of teachers who not only underwent nishtha 1.0 training programmes but also applied the technology-integration at their respective workplaces after these training sessions. moreover, it can be understood that the ncert might have been collecting feedback from such nishtha trained teachers, but a thirdparty study about collecting experiences and feedback would have been more unbiased and fruitful in true manner for the betterment of such programmes. all these reasons motivated the researchers to conduct and execute this indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 148 small grouped but significant study. objectives the current paper highlights the use of technology in the continuous professional development (cpd) of the learning-facilitators. therefore, the objectives of the paper are as follows: • to take a note of the technology integration experiences of the learning-facilitators on the diksha portal in the nishtha programmes for the cpd. • to suggest improvements in the training courses of nishtha programmes on the diksha portal for a better impact on the cpd of learning-facilitators. methodology the methodology is a very significant part of any study. it deals with the methods and tools employed for the data collection. the current study aims to study the experiences of the learning facilitators on e-training. the various elements of methodology are discussed further. sample and sampling technique the learning facilitators for the current study were chosen using non-random purposive sampling technique. the data was collected from twenty learningfacilitators who have been working as primary learning-facilitator (prt) or trained graduate learning facilitator (tgt). these learning facilitators have been working for a period of minimum 2 years by the time when the study was conducted. all the learning facilitators have been working in the government schools and hence undergoing the nishtha integrated training programme in general and nishtha 1.0 in specific. the learning facilitators were not chosen subject specifically, but according to their schools. the study believes that like every learner every learning facilitator is also important, hence even a small sample is significant. there were six primary teachers (prts) and fourteen trained graduate teachers (tgts) who responded to the google form. tool the data was collected using a questionnaire for the learningfacilitators. the questions were a mix of open-ended as well as a rating scale. the questionnaire had five themes in all. the responses were collected using google forms. the questions were framed under the following five main themes: • mode of training preferred • experience of using the diksha portal for e-training • timely completion of the trainings • usefulness of the modules and their implementation in the classroom teaching • suggestions and improvements, if any, required in the modules procedure for data collection the data was collected using google forms from those selective kendriya vidyalaya prts and tgts, who were connected with the nishtha training and afterwards for at least two years. for further insights, a few of them were informally consulted too on the various aspects of the programmes and their experiences. results, analysis, and discussion the data collected showed various responses from the learning facilitators on e-training. the data not only revealed the individual perceptions of the learning facilitators, but also helped indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 149 in suggesting some improvements in the training modules. the data can be analyzed thematically. mode of training preferred on being asked about the preferred mode of training, about 55 per cent learning facilitators preferred offline training over the online mode. the major reasons for the preference were that the offline mode gives opportunities to see the trainees in person and understand their responses through their facial expressions. due to the digital divide, more people can attend offline training as compared to the online one. the offline mode also permits the conduction of workshops, where the learning can be implemented simultaneously. the offline mode also permits the mapping of the trainees, as to who is at what level. one of the biggest advantages of offline training, as cited by a respondent, is the on-thespot clearance of doubts of the trainees. the ones that selected the online mode of training reasoned out that it is convenient in the current pandemic times. the same content can be revisited again and again at any point of time. there is no geographical barrier in this mode of training. it was seen that the responses were mixed; however, more learningfacilitators were inclined towards the offline mode of training. experience of using the diksha portal for e-training when asked about their experience on the diksha portal, around 78 per cent responded their experience was ‘good’ and about 22 per cent selected ‘average’ on the rating scale. this shows that most of the learning facilitators are satisfied with the features and functions offered by the portal. timely completion of the training the training modules under the nishtha programme are time-bound. the learning facilitators are required to enrol into the courses and then they can finish the modules at their own pace by the end of that particular month. they are required to complete two courses each month. on being asked about the timely completion of the training, all the learning facilitators responded on a positive note. the major reason for this could be the time-bound nature of the courses. usefulness of the modules and their implementation in the classroom teaching this part is the most important part of this study. the respondents were asked if they can retain and implement their learning from the training in their classroom teaching. to this, around 77 per cent learning-facilitators responded with a ‘yes’, whereas around 23 per cent responded with ‘sometimes’. suggestions for improvement the learning facilitators responded that they do not get enough time to absorb their learning and implement them in the class. as soon as they finish with single training, they have to gear up for the next one. the training lacks processing time in between. on being asked about the suggestions for the improvements, some of the learning facilitators responded that the video lectures should be of short duration and should be made more interesting. the training is of the same type and has thus become monotonous. they should therefore be made more interesting. one of the learning facilitators responded that instead of the lecture method in the videos, the trainers can use some other techniques to teach those concepts. another useful suggestion given by one indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 150 of the respondents was that to make the training more interesting and to raise the motivation level of the learning facilitators, certain incentives can also be attached to each course. conclusion diksha portal is good for nishtha training programmes for prts and tgts. they are good for retention of learning by the learning facilitators and application by them in the real teaching and learning in the school classroom activities after the training. these programmes are good for timely completion of a training programme. on the other hand, it can also be concluded that although the learning facilitators are being trained on the online portals, not everyone seems to enjoy such training (kanvaria & dubey, 2022). the possible reasons for this could be the monotonous nature of the training, lack of extrinsic as well as intrinsic motivation and the digital divide that is still present in our country. many learning facilitators are still not comfortable in the use of technology. the training, however, can be made more and more interesting. learning should be a joyful experience, not only for the students, but also for the learning-facilitators. recommendations and implications of the study the output of the study gives an insight into the current nishtha programmes. mode of training, using the diksha portal for e-training, the timely completion of the training, retention of learning from and usefulness of the modules and their implementation in the classroom teaching and variation in various functional aspects of modules are important concerns for nishtha training programs. the offline mode may be preferred over online mode for training. diksha portal is good for e-training. diksha portal is good for the timely completion of training. the retention of learning from the diksha portal is at the higher end. modules are implementable in the classroom teaching and learning later on after the training. between two modules, a time period can be given for practice and implementation. the video duration can be decreased and a variety of presentation techniques can be used in the tutorial videos. scope for further research the present study considered a smaller sample size (believing that every learning facilitator is important) to study the experiences of the learning facilitators. however, similar surveys and research can be conducted on a larger scale to take into account the experiences of the learning facilitators about such training. it is important for further improvement. the suggestions can be taken into account and the training can thus be improved so that the learning facilitators also enjoy them and deliver their best in the classroom. references almekhlafi, a.g., & almeqdadi, f.a. (2010). teachers’ perceptions of technology integration in the united arab emirates school classrooms. educational technology & society, 13(1), 165-175. retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/220374060_teachers’_ perceptions_of_technology_integration_in_the_united_arab_emirates_school_ classrooms ankita & husain, i. (2017). national policy on ict in school education: a critical analysis. jamia journal of education, 3(2), 45-55. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 151 davies, t.l., lavin, a.m. & korte, l. (2009). student perceptions of how technology impacts the quality of instruction and learning. journal of instructional pedagogies. retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ej1056322 gupta, a. & fisher, d. (2011). teacher-student interactions in a technology-supported science classroom environment in relation to selected learner outcomes: an indian study. mier journal of educational studies, trends & practices, 1(1), 41 59. kanvaria, v.k. & dubey, v. (2022). nishtha through diksha for cpd of teachers: a study of technology integration experiences. paper presented in national conference on nep 2020: towards transforming teacher education, rie, bhubaneswar. ministry of human resource development (mhrd). (2020). national education policy 2020. govt. of india, new delhi. retrieved from https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/nep_final_ english_0.pdf ncert (2021). nishtha online: integrated teacher training for change. new delhi: moe. retrieved from https://itpd.ncert.gov.in skenderi, l. (2017). teachers’ perceptions of technology use in the classroom. conference paper at 14th international conference on the power of knowledge, thessaloniki, greece. tunmibi, s., aregbesola, a., adejobi, p. & ibrahim, o. (2015). impact of e-learning and digitalization in primary and secondary schools. journal of education and practice, 6(17), 53-58. rretrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/ publication/279479015_impact_of_e-learning_and_digitalization_in_primary_ and_secondary_schools/link/5597c6d308ae5d8f3932c07e/download indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 154 communication coping with covid-19: teachinglearning with technology tripti singh research scholar, school of education, central university of gujarat, gandhinagar, gujarat, email: the global pandemic of covid-19 outbreak has brought a halt to the education of millions of students worldwide. cutting across the globe all schools, colleges and universities had cancelled the classes. as of 18th june 2020, an estimated 1.725 billion learners have directly impacted because of closures of schools in response to the pandemic. the closures impacts have far reaching social and economic consequences apart from impacts on students, teachers and families. according to unicef monitoring, so far 134 countries have instigated nationwide closures of schools and 38 colleges have implemented local closures, impacting around 98.5% of the student population worldwide. the impact has a drastic effect on children and their families, causing continuous interruption of the learning system, healthcare problems, compromised nutrition, and ensuing economic cost to families who has nothing to do as daily labourers because of complete lockdown. the pandemic is an opportunity to explore and to get ready for this unpredictable world such as adaptability and resilience into our education system as well. it should be an attempt to understand the impacts on the education sector in the form of closures of schools and also impacts on formal education. it also highlights how covid-19 is a golden opportunity in the education sector. however, several measures have been suggested by unesco to revamp the education system. with efforts to thwart the blowout of covid-19, education is swiftly moving digitally through online means. the major challenges would be the implementation of a new education system in such a way that it would reach out to every section of societies. during this challenging situation of corona pandemic, it is responsibility of teachers to impart excellent education services to the students. also, students’ are more liable to comprehend simple concepts of online education and distance education and should work with the constructive approach in the teachinglearning process in the field of education and should work in the positive direction of achieving academic excellence. critically analyzing online education, it made me realize that as teaching learning with technology has its own pros and cons. • it has led to advancements in the education sector. • it has opened up new horizons during this novel corona pandemic situation. • it has resulted in major indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 155 advancements in the field of educational technology (et). • it has led the government to explore new methods and ways and to release different platforms for digital education. • increased use of online resources and access to online materials resulted in higher retention power of students and lifelong learning. • it is a fun loving and highly interactive mode of communication. • it largely attracts most number of students to engage themselves in the teachinglearning process respectively. • it is more convenient for both teacher and student to attend lectures online. • it offers flexibility and brings education at your doorstep. • it helped in making linkages, meeting and connecting with new people from different fields. • it offers us real world skills by interacting with different people. • it engages us in the process of globalization by reaching to the masses globally. • it involves direct feedback from the teachers. • it results in real time monitoring of the students. • it is more affordable by a major chunk of the population. • in depth concentration on one child at a time and individualized learning. further, there are certain drawbacks or overcoming with it also. • it has resulted in increased stress and mental stress between teachers as well as students in the country. • it has resulted in sleep disorders, discipline problems in children at home. • it requires more time than offline classes thus is time consuming. • procrastination is very easy due to online education. • it has created a sense of isolation amidst covid-19 situation. • it requires good management skills. • it requires active participation. • sometimes, it gives us more freedom than required or expected. • it results in lack of social life and social interaction. • it requires a higher degree of self discipline. • it requires higher computer literacy. • it depends upon the competency of teachers and the knowledge of latest approaches in online education. as a research scholar, i got an opportunity to learn, gain knowledge and experience from my teachers, mentors in online mode and also to share the thoughts, idea, ideologies of the related academic content via different apps and technology. i used different apps for online classes and regular discourse as part of our curriculum likezoom meetings, cisco webex, gotowebinar, etc. google classrooms, microsoft teams, teach indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 156 online, byju’sthe learning app, virtual classroom, canvas teacher, visible classroom, the teacherapp, etc. to attend various online sessions. apart from attending online classroom sessions with my teachers and mentors, i used these apps for attending various different online conference, webinars, symposium, and workshops during this novel corona pandemic, covid-19. it was an add-on to my previous existing knowledge with the usage of such apps. the number of zoom daily meetings has increased to 300 million + in april 2020 as compared to roughly around 10 million in december 2019. the total number of downloads have also increased to about 2.13 million in the month of march 2020 as compared to the 56000 downloads in january 2020. its usage has increased to about 67% between jan and march 2020 during the covid-19 crisis. microsoft teams is another platform for provision of online education and imparting knowledge. it is part of microsoft 365. the number of daily users reached to 44 million on 19th march 2020 from around 32 million daily active users in just one week. it has gone through a major crest wherein a drastic hike has been observed in its usage. a daily record of 2.7 billion meeting minutes have been observed and recorded in a single day, which is up to 200% from 900 million minutes in mid-march. i personally feel that it is a technical drift, which is going to stay for longer period of time. digitalization is a new trend in the economy. feedback from learners at different levels of education, that is, primary, secondary and higher levels of education depicts that students are adapting to the changing need of the society and are very much efficient in learning via new learning modes respectively. covid-19 crisis seems like a major driving force for revamping the indian economy and the rest of the world. new horizons of online education can be seen with a pinch of salt and can be further worked upon and improved again. it is a new trend, which is here to stay for decades now and will strengthen the dream of digital india. it is a challenge for the policy makers, skilled and unskilled labour force, human resources of the country as well as for nature to uphold its strength again and bring drastic but useful, operative and efficient changes, which will result in rejuvenation and revival of the economy. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 167 communication ‘google form’ to deliver content to students sumeet nandkumar ramchandani principal, samrat ashok primary school 303, surat, gujarat email: ramchandanisumeet26@gmail.com introduction the world is passing through transformation. all of sudden, in this pandemic situation, the platform of teaching-learning is changed. a discussion has been going on for a long period about the usage of ict. modern classrooms are equipped with advanced devices. but, the situation of a pandemic has given new tasks to teacher fraternity because the effect of covid 19 is perennial. it is difficult to say when our schools will get students in the classrooms? hence, it is necessary to think about the teaching-learning process which is almost stagnant at this moment. what can be done to revive it? the present write-up is written to answer aforesaid question. a brief description of the technology used in teaching and learning this is the story of the curse which becomes boon. as a principal of the school i used to ask questions to my students about current affairs on monday assembly. those students who used to give the correct answer they used to receive prise. this activity has been carried out for last three years in the school. the present situation indicated that students are not going to join us for the next three months. it is difficult to say anything about the reopening of the school. all the teachers have been instructed to create whatsapp groups of their classes. it was created to pass on messages or necessary information. now, the concept of ict has touched its culmination at present. the internet, cell phone, google classroom, google forms and spreadsheet, etc. these are the technology without which it would be difficult to think about the teachinglearning process. among all, i prefer to use “a google form” to deliver content in quiz form. the concept of google form is very easy to use. hence, i developed various quizzes like awareness about the corona, tenses for the students of eight standards, current affairs, etc. all the teachers distributed among their respective groups. surprisingly, we received overwhelming responses. now, schools are not in session, but with the help of a quiz, all teachers are in touch with students. they eagerly wait for the quiz. this is the first time in history, that the students of government schools are in touch with schools and the teaching-learning process is going on. before one year, we used to receive circulars that teachers should not use cell phones in the classroom. now, the cell phone is the only medium to communicate with our students. even, this year admission forms are circulated through whatsapp groups. this is how the curse has become a boon. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 168 their reflections of using the technology the feedback from the learners the present quiz was developed for the students of the fifth to eight standards. the basic question we’re asked about the covid-19. the basic intent of this exercise was to know the awareness of the students about the current pandemic. based on their responses, the second quiz will be developed to give them more details. hence, some more content will be developed on the functions of english grammar and general knowledge, which will be helpful to them for competitive exams. the students response the responses of the students (as given in fig-1) made us think about two matters: one, this is a new way to send content towards them. therefore, they enjoyed it. second, about any current situation, a quiz can be developed and shared with them. it will create one bridge of knowledge sharing. this will inculcate new habits among learners. on the other side, the teacher will also enjoy delivering content in a new manner. the analysis of responses also gave us information about their perception about covid 19, and we have tried to provide correct answers also so that they can get upgraded information conclusions as a teacher or as a student, we enjoy answering questions or some time framing questions for the students. this is a good method and we have been using it for a long period. with the support of “google form”, we are trying to change the flavour of it. a “quiz” is a wonderful concept for information sharing. our students always like this type of activity. references link: https://forms.gle/lamwxlhi7yfywnev5 (quiz link) communication innovative practices connecting classrooms through asynchronous and asynchronous technology vinayadhar raju prathikantam school assistant (english), zphs}ongopolly ,gonneruvorom, korimnogor, telongono. email: vinayadharraju@gmail.com abstract the aim of this project was to integrate the technology in low-tech classrooms, particularly in rural government schools. most of the teachers complain that students studying in rural india are not exposed to enough english so, this innovative practice helps to get connected with the native speakers using technology. during our project, we connected the classroom of the united states (us) with the classroom in india using a technology tool called pad/et. we made a plan of action for 7 weeks. we designed activities like, introducing each other on the online collaborative wall by posting three sentences, out of those three one is a lie. the students were asked to identify the lie and comment on it. this continued for two weeks. after two weeks they were asked to write a review on a film which they have seen recently and asked to read and comment on at least two or three students. this continued for about two more weeks. during the last two weeks, we worked on a backpack project. students were encouraged to read the reports or articles on backpacks and collect the information in their own country's context. after collecting information using the internet they prepared presentations and presented them to their class. their presentations were recorded and shared with the us students. us students also filmed their presentations and shared with us. we came to the conclusion that the students are engaged meaningfully by integrating technology in the classroom. students got an opportunity to interact with native speakers. this project also helped us to learn and understand us culture based on the reviews written by them. we also learned that students learn better when they are engaged in collaborative tasks with their peers. technology played a vital role in our collaboration. most of my students are not good at using technology but this project made them learn to browse the internet and started using pad/et effectively. keywords: connecting classrooms, padlet, collaborating, blended learning, technology integration introduction technology has helped to connect the classrooms globally. learning and sharing happens everywhere and classroom boundaries get widened. technology helps us to prepare as global citizens. our project focused on how technology can be integrated asynchronously using web.2.0 tools. we also concentrated on learning happens everywhere, not only in the closed classrooms. we have tried to break the indian journal of educational technology i volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 trad itional way of teaching within the four walls of the classroom. about our project this project was taken with the initiation of know my world. this is an ngo work for global education. this project was taken as part of a virtual exchange program. a virtual meeting was organized to connect with the us teachers for our planning and designing of the project. in the project, we connected our classroom with the classrooms of the united states using technology. during the project, we collaborated with the teacher in the us and prepared a timeline to work together for about 7 weeks and we used the online collaboration tool padlet for our project. during our project, it was agreed to work on the main theme culture and digital exchange and the sub-themes like, compare and contrast and problem-solving techniques. objectives of the project to understand the cultures of two countries. to make the students responsible citizens. going out of classroom walls. break the classroom walls using technology. integrating technology in esl teaching. creating connections to understand the cultures. incorporating 21st century skills like collaborating, creating, problem­ solving into the esl classroom using i indian journal of educational technology volume 3, no. 1,january 2021 technology. cross-cultural exchange provides an opportunity to learn about other cultures and beliefs, cultivates empathy and understanding, and promotes tolerance and peace. to bring the world into the classroom. collaborating teachers and their background p. vinayadhar raju is an english language teacher working in telangana state government school. he has been teaching english since 2002. he works at zphs jangapally in karimnagar district. he is a continuous learner and tech­ savvy, good at using technology but works at the low-tech environment. his students don't have an internet facility at home and school and no proper computer lab even at school so, he used his own laptop, tab and mobile phone for this project. the class strength was 60. most of his students were from rural india. the medium of instruction in his school is english and telugu. class 9 students were chosen for this project who belong to 14 to 16 years age group. tanya washington works at honor roll school, texas in the united states of america. she involved her 6th grades in the project. their school is well equipped with technology. every student in the class is provided with a chromebook. her students are good at using technology and technological devices. most of the students' mother tongue is english. one interesting thing is that there were students of indian origin in her class. they participated very actively in our project and showed a lot of enthusiasm. their class strength was 50 and they were aged between 10 to 14 years. subject: culture and digital exchange planning meetings we planned our project by organizing synchronous meetings through online conference tools like zoom and hangout. in our online meetings, we discussed our two-weeks plan of action at a time and prepared a timeline. we are from different time zones so we used whenisgood.net to plan our online meetings. technology used padlet: it is an online asynchronous collaborative wall where, we can create our collaborative wall and share with anyone who we want to work with. we can also protect it with a password to maintain the privacy of our work. padlet supports different ways to express our thoughts by posting text, audio and videos files, urls, uploading files, embedded content and pictures. it also supports exporting our content to pdfs and excel sheets. collaborative walls can be shared with friends and colleagues using the social media button. timeline dates week description oct. 22-26 1 introduction oct. 29nov. 2 introduction 2 zoom: zoom is an online conference tool to organize a synchronous meeting in real-time. this tool was used to plan our collaborative project. to work with zoom we need to install an app or access it from a computer. we need to create an online meeting by selecting a date and time and create an online meeting link. this link can be shared with our friends and colleagues to connect with them in real-time. desktop screen can be shared dur ing conference so this feature helped schedule our plan well. hangout: this is also an online conference tool like zoom. we can connect using a video call facility and even texting each other before calling. mentoring: this project is an initiation of knowmyworld global education. our project has been mentored by them by organizing online meetings frequently and setting deadlines to complete our tasks on time. project notes: general overview students will post introductions on padlet and respond to a student with similar interests. students will continue to post and respond to that student for the duration of the exchange based on topics assigned around culture. notes students wi ll post a forma l introduction with a picture of themselves. (no last names) and respond to a student with similar interests. students will post a forma l introduction with a picture of themselves. (no last names) and respond to a student with similar interests. indian journal of educational technology i volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 nov. 5nov. 9 3 movies (comparing and contrasting) vinay's students will pick an indian movie and post a short summary of the story with an image of the movie. tanya's students will reply with a movie in their culture that relates. nov. 12nov. 4 16 movies vinay's students will pick an indian (comparing and movie and post a short summary of nov. 26nov. 30 5 dec. 3dec. 7 6 dec. 10-dec. 7 14 teacher reflections 1st and 2nd week: contrasting) problem­ solving backpack issue identifying and analyzing a problem 1. collecting data 2. finding solutions preparation of reports to solve the problem of backpack. closing by posting their videos during the first two weeks of our proj ect students introduced themselves by using the following clues: they wrote two truths and one lie about themselves and read the introductions posted by their friends and comment on it by finding which of them is a lie. i indian journal of educational technology volume 3, no. 1,january 2021 the story with an image of the movie. tanya's students will reply with a movie in their culture that relates. students will research" backpack" issues and prepare a report for presentation. reading material: articles on the weight of backpacks. 1. https://www.thebetterindia. 2. http://indiaeducationdiary.in/ students will read and research the topic and prepare a presentation based on the following clues: 1. problem 2. statistics 3. cause of a problem 4. effects 5. precautions 6. role of parents/ teachers/ students 7. possible solutions students will present their reports and post their videos online to receive comments and feedback. students participated actively and engaged meaningfully. they uploaded their picture to get familiarized with each other. most of them started questioning one another if they don't understand some words which are culture-dependent. by the end of the 2nd week they got familiar with their countries and cultures. 11d sample from their discussions: from us students "hey hi, my name is hanieh and i go to the honor roll school at texas. if you don't know what i'm doing, i'm telling you 2 truths and a lie here they are: 1) i love scrunchies 2) i only eat the frosting on cupcakes 3) i'm very athletic" from my students: "hi my name is rahul .i am studying 9th class in zphs jangapally in india 1. i read story books 2. i read horror story books 3. i am a kabaddi player" 3rd week and 4th week: during these weeks the students started writing film summaries of their favorite movies. while writing their film summaries they included the following: 1. preliminaries: they wrote preliminaries like hero, heroine, director, produces, choreographer, music director etc. they used the internet to collect information. 2. summary: after watching the movie they had to write a summary of the film in english. the movies they saw were in their regional language for indian students. they translated it into english. this activity provided an opportunity for the students to use the language in a real context. iiei 3. pictures: they are asked to collect the pictures of the film crew from newspapers to use them in their presentation. some students even try to draw the characters in the film if don't get the pictures. children love to do this activity of drawing and use of colors and enhanced their presentation skills and creativity. 4. reflected on the following questions: the last part of their presentation included the answer to the following reflective questions. which part of the movie do you like most? why? whose performance do you like most?why? write some dialogues you like most? students participated actively and did their work well in advance particularly boys who never participate actively in classroom activities also did this activity with a lot of interest. this task made the students to use the language in context. most of them watched the movies regularly. the topic we chose was within their experiential orbit and provided an opportunity to read and use the language without much difficulty. 5th week and 6th week: in the 5th week, students were encouraged to learn the skill of problem-solving. we took up the issue of school bags. most of the students carry school bags having a lot of weight which result in health problems. the students were told to work in groups to learn collaboratively. indian journal of educational technology i volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 during the 5th week, they researched the topic by finding reports related to backpacks using the internet and collected different report and their findings. using this information they worked in groups and brainstorm the topic and organized the information on different slides like our powerpoint on papers. they added their own ideas to solve the problem, some of the best solutions they have given are dividing the textbooks into small books of two chapters each and bind them again and asking the teachers to plan their homework or assignment so that, every day they get only one homework. some students even said they don't like the homework so they insisted to ban homework in schools. few others suggested that every student should be given tabs that are preloaded with softcopies of their textbooks. 7th week: during the 7th week, we fi lmed backpack project presentations and shared them with each other using vimeo online video sharing tool. while doing this we struggled a lot because uploading lengthy videos in a low-tech environment is troublesome. so, we changed our plan and made portable documents of their presentation using the camscan application and shared them through the mail. at the end of our project, we invited guests to watch students' backpack presentations to provide feedback to them. they watched their presentations and gave constructive feedback by writing comments in their notebooks. i indian journal of educational technology volume 3, no. 1,january 2021 conclusion i conclude that the project has made a drastic change in my perception of language teaching. initially i felt that writing spelling is more difficult for us because we are not native speakers but, now i have changed my opinion. my students got memorable lifelong experiences by interacting with students in the usa and i realized that even language is not a barrier when there is a need for communication. at the beginning of our project i thought that my students will not able to cope up with the us students but, they did well and worked hard. apart from language skills we also learnt so many life skills like collaboration, time management, planning, cultural etiquette and negotiation skills. we also started using new technologies like whenisgood and conference tools like zoom and hangout. finally, language learning is process­ oriented, not product-oriented. learning happens when students are engaged in real-life situations by creating an urge to do something. collecting evidence of learning using technology is a key to become a successful teacher in the 21st century. technology has changed the role of teachers from teaching to mentoring, facilitating, collaborating, event organizer, content developer and e-moderator. this project is evidence of these changes. during our project we played the roles of a mentor andfacilitator by supporting them and engaging them to become autonomous learners. we also became event organizers and content developers by creating our own im content and not depending on regular course books. by supporting online synchronously and asynchronously we become e-moderators and instructional designers as wel l. ''technology won't replace teachers, but teachers who use technology will probably replace the teacher who don't''sheryl nusbaum references knowmyworld.org. (2019, march 15). know my world. https://knowmyworld.org/ telangana-and-texas-student-collaboration-for-better-backpacks/ prathikantam, v. (2019). pad/et introduction activity. [ebook] available at https://drive.google.com/drive/search?q=padlet [accessed 15 mar. 2019]. prathikantam, v. (2019). presentations of backpacks. [image] ava ilable at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1 xaxv4zieruiu5vpa 1 yvcqkf _­ ebgpekl [accessed 15 mar. 2019]. prathikantam, v. (2019). students images£-portfolio. [ebook] available at: https://d rive.google.com/drive/folders/12b4bffzgywj2tjrt1 i nxtf8u nyuw qy03 [accessed 15 mar. 2019]. vinayadharraju (2019). backpack presentation video. [video] available at: https://vimeo.com/305914565 [accessed 15 mar. 2019]. prathikantam, v. (2019). film reviews-pad/et-connected classroom [ebook] avai lable at: https://drive.google.com/drive folders/19zby3kma4vq6ipho1 m8irpctqgmf8ndu [accessed 15 mar. 2019]. prathikantam, v. (2019). images of guests feedback. [image] available at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1 bacociznyvnuiqjvqqaxdvbee9s vrjpu?usp=sharing [accessed 15 mar. 2019]. zoom video. (2019). video conferencing, web conferencing, webinars, screen sharing. [online] avai lable at: https://zoom.us/meeting [accessed 15 mar. 2019]. 1111 indian journal of educational technology i volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 358 review article contributions of physics to the information and communication technology: connecting science, technology, and societya chronology of technological advancements surbhi rashmi 1 and susanta das 2 1 student, school of education, central university of south bihar, sh-7, gayapanchanpur road, village – karhara, post. fatehpur, gaya, bihar 2 professor, school of engineering, ajeenkya dy patil university, charoli bk. via lohegaon, district pune, maharashtra email: das29susanta@gmail.com abstract science and technology have impacted all walks of society and therefore, all are interlinked. the development of cutting-edge technology is driven by the needs and demands of the rapidly changing modern society and science is the backbone of every technology. we interact with various communities of practices, technologies, and general peoples throughout our life in our highly technological and information-based society. a qualitative knowledge of science and roles played by it is, therefore, necessary from the viewpoint of technology, community, and society as a whole. this can be achieved by discussing qualitatively the scientific and technological contributions made by various scientific fields to society. one such combination is physics, information and communication technology (ict), and society. physics is one of the fundamental science subjects. its concepts, principles, laws, and techniques contribute and strengthen the progress of all other branches of science including cross-, interdisciplinary-, and multidisciplinary-sciences, the innovation and development of various technologies, and the sustainable development of society. here, we have briefly and systematically discussed the contribution of physics to the various components of information and communication technology (ict). keywords: physics, ict, science, technology, society. introduction science and technology have been contributing immensely to our rapidly changing technology and informationbased modern society (gonzalez, 2005; kumar et al, 2012; standke et al, 1980; bauchspies et al, 2005). changes around ourselves can be observed when we compare today’s (post) modernized world with earlier (medieval/dynasty) ages. there has been a continuous development of science & technology, owing to the demands of modern society such as communication, transportation, environment, entertainment, disaster management, health and welfare (medicine and diagnostic tools), (technology-enhanced) learning/ education and many more the society that we live in today is largely shaped and influenced by science & technology (gonzalez, 2005; kumar et al, 2012; standke et al, 1980; bauchspies et al, 2005). for example, the invention and innovation of the radio, telephone, mobile/smartphones, & internet services have broadened communication and impacted almost all walks of life we can communicate indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 359 with anyone living in any part of the world in seconds through emails, faxes, mobile phones, texting services, video conferences, and social media channels and networks for various purposes (e.g., business, education, health, and social life) (freeman, 1999; haddon, 2004). alternative and pollution-free modes of transport (e.g., electronic railway lines, cars, and buses) have significantly benefited society by reducing the carbon emission (ercan et al, 2022). effectively, every place is touched by humans – from the bed of the ocean to the interplanetary space, that is to say, human society has become very dependent on science and technology or vice-versa – a confluence of science, technology, and society (sts) (gonzalez, 2005; kumar et al, 2012; standke et al, 1980; bauchspies et al, 2005). a qualitative discussion of various roles played by the sciences to the discovery and growth of technologies is necessary to generate and promote scientific literacy, awareness, and attitude among common peoples (public) as well as to integrate science, technology, and society (peoples) as common peoples of technology-based modern societies use technologies throughout their lives without knowing or understanding the science behind it (scheufele, 2013; turney, 1996; stilgoe et al, 2014; laugksch, 2000; keith et al, 2017; sarnoff, 1937). physics, one of the fundamental subjects, has been playing a pivotal role in numerous areas of innovations and technological development vis-à-vis the progress of society (gonzalez, 2005; kumar et al, 2012; standke et al, 1980; bauchspies et al, 2005; walker et al, 2016; young et al, 2012; gershenfeld, 2011; wolf 2008; deák, 2017; fraden, 2004; barlett, 2014; davidovits, 2008; colicchia et al, 2015; tegmark, 2014; hush, 2017; biamonte et al, 2017; dunjko et al, 2018; kreupl, 2013; shulaker et al, 2013). the various concepts and laws of physics have been used time and again to make the life of humans simple and comfortable from walking, running, playing football to pushing and pulling of things; from the airplane that we see flying up high in the sky, satellites in space to the ships and submarines moving underwater; from everyday science and experience to the modern technology; and from individual to the society at large (gonzalez, 2005; kumar et al, 2012; standke et al, 1980; walker et al, 2016; young et al, 2012; rajaraman 2018). physics also extends and enhances our understanding of other cross-, inter-, and multi-disciplinary scientific disciplines, which are directly or indirectly related to the society (e.g., biophysics, geophysics, astrophysics, nano-science & technology, materials sciences, medical physics, engineering, technology, and environmental science) (walker et al, 2016; young et al, 2012; mitchell et al, 2007; hush, 2017; neamen 2003; mukhanov 2005; ahrens, 2011). even there are fields of study like econophysics and sociophysics (chakrabarti et al, 2007). information and communication technology (ict) is one such technology, which has impacted nearly all aspects of our modern society and has a close relation with physics (haddon 2004; gershenfeld 2011; rajaraman 2018). in this article, we have presented a concise introduction of ict and qualitatively discussed the contribution of physics to the historical development of various components of ict from very beginning to the most recent one without mathematical nitty-gritty to link science, technology, and society. what is ict? information and communication technology (ict) has become an integral part of our modern lives over the years with the advent and advancement of technologies (haddon 2004; gershenfeld 2011; rajaraman 2018; samuel et al, 2008). our ways indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 360 of communication have adopted different forms and formats with the evolution of mankind over thousands of years, for example, language-based communication over symbolic/art/ painting, as we are social animals and communication is an important part of everyone’s life (christiansen et al, 2003). when we look around ourselves and compare the situation of today’s world with the medieval period, there has been a drastic change in the field of information and communication. briefly, ict integrates or combines communications (audio, visual/ audio-visual), necessary/required hardware (electronic components and modules) and software, data storage devices, and adheres some standard protocols to facilitate peoples (users) throughout the world to store, share, transmit, and retrieve (encrypted and sensitive) data (classified message), distant communication (presentation/ conference, social interaction), and various online services (e.g., public outreach, reservation, shopping, sports and entertainment, educational broadcasting, and many more) (haddon 2004; rajaraman 2018; samuel et al, 2008; voogt et al, 2008; anderson et al, 2002; goodyear, 2010; weert, 2004; field, 2001; tipton, 2008) examples of some ict components are radios, telephones (landline, cell, and smartphones), computers (desktop pcs, laptops and supercomputers), internet (cable and wi-fi), optical fibers, cloud computing, satellite communication, tvs, robots, teaching, social networking, etc., and the list is growing (haddon, 2004; rajaraman 2018; charlton, 2009; voogt et al, 2008; anderson et al, 2002; goodyear, 2010; weert et al, 2004). ict has revolutionized the teaching-learning process of the education system and as a result, a new field, technology-enhancelearning (tel), has evolved and gained momentum over the years (voogt et al, 2008; goodyear 2010; anderson, 2002). ict is taking lifelong learning and lifelong education to a new dimension since peoples can take various online formal and non-formal degrees/ courses to enhance their knowledge at their own pace for their careers and other purposes (weert et al, 2004; field, 2001). with every day that passes by, it is harder to imagine our work, business, transportation, education, pleasure/entertainment, security, communication, private/social life, and many more without ict (gershenfeld, 2000; rajaraman 2018; tipton 2008). ict offers a wealth of information and knowledge to our society. consequently, ‘information society’ and ‘knowledge society’ have evolved slowly but steadily over the years due to the tremendous advancement of ict (webster, 2006; gritzalis et al, 2007; phillips et al, 2017). the contribution of physics to the development of ict physics has been consistently contributing to the development of ict. in this section, we briefly discuss the relation between physics and ict. telephone: the invention of the telephone (phone) has made communication more efficient and faster as it replaced the telegraph (freeman 1999; haykin et al, 2009; haykin, 2014; haykin et al, 2007; proakis, 2002). a  telephone is a telecommunication device that permits two users to talk (communicate) directly when they are far apart (freeman 1999). a telephone has two main parts transmitter and receiver. when a person speaks (sound) in the telephone (here the transmitter), his voice is picked up by the microphone and is converted into electric signals; the signal is transmitted via cables and other communication channels to another telephone (here the receiver), which transforms the electronic signal into sound and the receiving person receives the voice (audio). landlines, cell phone/mobile phones, and smartphones are typical indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 361 examples (freeman 1999; haykin et al, 2009; haykin, 2014; haykin et al, 2007; proakis, 2002). radio: radio  is the technology of using  radio waves  to carry information  (in the form of sound energy) by systematically  modulating and transmitting various properties (amplitude,  frequency,  phase, or  pulse width) of electromagnetic waves through space from one place to another without a direct connection (haykin et al, 2007; proakis et al, 2002).  the equipment that sends out a radio wave is known as the  transmitter and equipment, which receives the signals, is known as the receiver (haykin et al, 2007; haykin et al, 2009; proakis et al, 2002). television (tv): a tv plays a very important role in our society (gulati, 2004; kompare, 2006). it is a source of information or a medium of communication since through a tv we can see an event occurring in any part of the world entertainment, local/ world news or information, opinion, debate, education, etc. a tv combines radio (audio) with video (moving pictures) when  radio  transmits a sound signal through the air, television also sends a picture signal. these signals are carried by radio waves (electromagnetic waves) that propagate through the air and are received by the receiver. paul julius gottlieb nipkow, a german student, developed the first prototype of a tv in the year 1800 (encyclopaedia britannica, 2008): he sent images through wires with the help of a rotating metal disc. the invention was a three-step process: the  camera  that turned a picture and sound into a signal; a transmitter  that sent the signal through the air; and a receiver that captured the signal and turned it back into picture and sound. scientists and engineers used the concept  light  and developed color tv that could have a camera to capture red, green, and blue signals separately; transmission system to send color signals through the air; and a tv set that could turn them back into moving, multicolored images (gulati, 2004). semiconductor and nano electronics and technology: unique properties (physical, chemical, etc.,) of semiconductors have revolutionized the electronics and technology (kittel, 2004; sze et al, 2012; yu et al, 2010; moutanabbir et al, 2010). materials can be broadly classified into three categories metals, semiconductors, and insulators (sze et al, 2012). the physical principle which separates them is the ‘band gap’ (or band structure or energy band) (kittel, 2004; sze et al, 2012; yu et al, 2010). for example, the electrical conductivity of semiconductor material is between a metal and an insulator. semiconductors are used in detectors, diodes, transistors, lightemitting diodes (led), high-power lasers, power electronics, high-gain amplifiers, integrated circuits (ics), detectors, sensors, optical and magnetic storages, and many more high efficiency electronic and quantum devices for numerous applications including the secured storage and transmission/ communication of data (fraden, 2004; kittel, 2004; sze et al, 20012; yu et al, 2010; moutanabbir et al, 2010). properties (electrical, magnetic, thermal, chemical, etc.,) of a semiconductor can be tailored by doping one or more elements into it (kittel, 2004; sze et al, 2012; yu et al, 2010; moutanabbir et al, 2010). there are various types of semiconductors – intrinsic (silicon, si, and germanium, ge), extrinsic (pand n-type), and compound (kittel, 2004; sze et al, 2012). if the charge carriers are holes (positive), it is p-type, and if the charge carriers are electrons (negative), it is an n-type (sze et al, 2007). a pure (or intrinsic) semiconductor (si or ge) can be converted into a p-or n-type by doping suitable elements into it (sze indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 364 figure-3: a first generation computer world wide web (www) and internet: world wide web (www) and internet work on some protocols and allow creating, organizing, transferring, publishing, sharing/communicating, uploading/ downloading, purchasing, and browsing the information/documents for various purposes, and many more (the birth of the web; history of the world wide web; soldatos, 2017; lee et al, 1992). they have completely changed our daily lives – communication, education, research, entertainment, and business, just to name a few (haddon, 2004; rajaraman, 2018). tim berners-lee, a graduate of oxford university with an honors degree in physics, invented the world wide web (www) at cern to fulfill the demands of scientists of particle physics lab. for sharing the data and disseminating the results among various participating institutes/universities across the world (the birth of the web; history of the world wide web). he further developed url (uniform resource locator) and http (hyper text transfer protocol, http). satellites: satellites are the astronomical (celestial) objects or bodies that revolve around the planets (roddy, 2006). their orbits are close as well as stable and are generally categorized as natural such as moon around the earth and artificial (manmade). artificial satellites are launched from the surface of the earth through a complicated maneuver in order to put them in desired orbits to perform a specific task with a predefined life span under the gravitational attraction of the earth (roddy, 2006). artificial satellites receive the signal (radio waves) from the earth and send them back to the earth via uplink and downlink processes. geostationary satellites are placed in orbits in the plane of the equator, which move in the same sense as the earth with the time period of revolution of 24 hours (i.e., earth’s rotation). this is why they always appear to be stationary with respect to an observer on the earth (roddy, 2006). these satellites are useful for weather forecasting (flood, tsunami, storm, etc.,), landscape, communication, and many more. global positioning system (gps) is a navigational system that provides the precise location of an object as well as an accurate time (el-rabbany, 2002). concepts of the atomic clock and relativity are used in these navigation systems (el-rabbany, 2002). radar: it stands for radio wave detection and ranging (skolnik, 1980). it detects any nearby object (ship or plane) according to its range/efficiency. the radar sends out a signal (radio wave, i.e., electromagnetic wave) through its transmission antenna (transmitter), the radio wave is reflected by the coming object, which is recaptured by the receiving antenna and is processed by the detector of the radar system. radar is a vital component of national security/ interest (skolnik, 1980). another similar type of surveillance/remote sensing system is lidar, which is the acronym indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 367 principle of quantum mechanics (mccarthy, 2007; narasimha, 1986; lemaignan et al, 2017; eaton, 2007; russel et al, 2010; tegmark, 2014; rajaraman, 2014;). according to prof. john mccarthy, the founding figure of ai, it is “the science and engineering of making intelligent machines, especially intelligent computer programs” (mccarthy, 2007; rajaraman, 2014). machine learning, covering the domains of ai, computer science, and physics, has gained tremendous attention from the scientific community in recent years due to its capability of processing a large amount of data/information and make a future prediction/trend based on the fed data (sarma et al, 2019). the main idea of ai and machine learning is to make a system to learn, think, behave, perform, analyze, recognize, and do many more in a fashion similar to human brains (flasińki, 2016; lemaignan et al, 2017; tegmark, 2014; sarma et al, 2019). quantum computer and quantum cryptography rely on quantum mechanical phenomena (entanglement and superposition of quantum states) to store and analyze the input data/information (spiller, 2002; zeilinger, 1998; menon et al, 2014; tittel, 1998; gisin, 2002; ying, 2010; keyl, 2002). stephen j. wiesner conceptualized the application of photons (a quantum mechanical particle, also known as quanta of light) in cryptography in 1970s to establish a secured connection/communication (transmission of data) between two persons at distant locations in such a way that if a third person tries to interfere the communication/steal the data (known as eavesdropping) it would alter the state of the particle and stop the communication (montanaro, 2016; gisin, 2002; ying, 2010). charles bennett and gilles brassard proposed the wellknown bb84 scheme for quantum key distribution (qkd) in 1984 (montanaro, 2016; diamanti et al, 2016). physics (quantum mechanics) also has been contributing significantly to the (quantum) neural network, quantum tensor flow, quantum machine learning, hybrid quantum-classical machine learning, and artificial neural network (huang et al, 2021; gebhart et al, 2023; huggins et al, 2019; ihunde, 2022; gupta et al, 2001; schuld, 2019; sierrasosa et al, 2020). all these technologies are interconnected and have been extensively used in various domains and fields basic and applied sciences, information and communication technology, manufacturing, business, finance, health care system, agriculture, mining, commerce, security/defense, robotics, computer games, and transportation, image processing, speech recognition, and many more – that is to say that they are getting deeply embedded in our modern lives/ societies and are becoming more and more relevant as we move on (erl, 2013; han et al, 2012; chaminade et al, 2009). it is pertinent to note that physics plays a crucial role in the development and functioning of self-driving cars (also known as autonomous vehicles, avs) (mccormick, 2019). several fundamental principles of physics are applied to ensure the safety and efficiency of these vehicles. self-driving cars rely on various sensors and algorithms, with physics principles governing the behavior of these sensors. for example, the reflection, refraction, and absorption of light and sound waves enable the vehicle to perceive its environment, detect obstacles, pedestrians, and other vehicles. the data are continuously feed to the car’s computer, enabling it to make informed decisions. virtual reality: virtual reality (vr) is a technology that uses computer graphics, sensors, and displays to create an interactive and lifelike simulation of a three-dimensional (3d) environment (radianti et al, 2020). with specialized vr headsets or devices, users are fully immersed in an artificial world, where indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 368 their head and body movements are tracked to give them a sense of being present within the virtual environment. the ultimate goal of vr is to achieve a feeling of presence, making users believe they are physically part of the simulated world while still being in the real world. virtual reality has numerous applications, including gaming, training and simulations, education, architectural and engineering visualizations, therapy and rehabilitation, entertainment, and media (uriel et al, 2020; cipresso et al, 2018). over the years, vr technology has rapidly progressed and gained popularity, becoming more accessible to both consumers and industries (cipresso et al, 2018; hamad et al, 2022). as the technology continues to advance, it opens up exciting possibilities in various fields. physics plays a significant role in creating realistic and immersive vr experiences (neroni et al, 2021; harun et al, 2020). by accurately simulating the laws of physics within virtual environments, developers can enhance the sense of presence and interactivity for users. vr can be used to teach and learn physics concepts that are difficult to visualize or experience in the real world, such as electrostatics, quantum mechanics, relativity, etc. vr can also provide feedback and guidance to the learners through sounds, vibrations, or other instruments. thus, by leveraging the power of physics simulations, vr experiences can provide users with a more immersive, interactive, and realistic world, expanding the potential of vr in entertainment, education, training, and various professional fields (cipresso et al, 2018; hamad et al, 2022). ict and education ict has revolutionized education, bringing a multitude of benefits to the learning process (bansa et al, 2020; fu, 2013; weber et al, 2023; martínez-soto et al, 2023). one of the key advantages of ict in education is enhanced access to information. with the internet, students can access a vast array of knowledge, resources, and educational materials from around the world, promoting independent and self-directed learning (traxler et al, 2005). ict also fosters interactive and engaging learning experiences through multimedia tools, simulations, and virtual reality, catering to different learning styles and making complex concepts easier to understand (martínez-soto et al, 2023; uriel, 2020; schindler et al, 2017). additionally, ict enables effective communication and collaboration among students and educators, breaking down geographical barriers and promoting global connections (kumar et al, 2012). furthermore, the integration of ict in education has streamlined administrative tasks, improving efficiency and reducing paperwork. overall, embracing ict in education not only enriches the learning process but also equips students with essential digital literacy skills, preparing them for the challenges of the modern world (schindler et al, 2017). however, it should be noted that other infrastructure are also required with ict to improve the teaching-learning process (lomos et al, 2023). conclusion in summary, we have briefly introduced the concept of ict and portrayed qualitatively contribution of physics to the various components of ict. our discussion has shown how science (physics), technology (ict), and society are connected. ict has drastically influenced how people work, communicate, learn, and live. we believe that with the advent of new components of ict, the influence of physics will continue to grow. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 369 references ahrens, c.d. 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(1998). fundamentals of quantum information, physics world, 11(3), 35; 10.1088/2058-7058/11/3/29. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 243 general article national repository of open educational resources —a digital repository of learning resources: swoc analysis sumana bhattacharyya m. phil. student, department of education, diamond harbour women’s university, sarisha, west bengal email: bsumana787@gmail.com abstract after mass use of the internet open access has reached a new dimension in the forms of open access journals and open access digital repositories. so, a digital repository is a place where one can store, search and find digital content anytime anywhere in and around the globe. this paper aims to critically evaluate the open educational resources, e-books and courses available in the national repository of open educational resources (nroer). in this paper, the researcher retrieved 19,496 oers including 440 e-books, and 14 e-courses from nroer while browsing the website concerned. the paper also tries to analyze the generic features of oers including e-books and courses available in nroer. after surveying nroer, the content has been analyzed in respect of type, sources, subject, education level, target group, language, etc. after analysis oers and e-books of multidisciplinary subjects, languages, and secondary level e-documents have been observed. it is also observed that ncert is the main source of oers in nroer. to conclude, it may be opined that nroer will play a vital role in the development of the digital library. keywords: repository, open access, national repository of open educational resources (nroer), e-books, open educational resources (oers), open education. introduction the open access publishing movement started its journey in 2003 to provide access to resources to all without any cost. later open access publishing has been divided into two types-green method i.e. self-archiving in repositories and gold method i.e. submission of open access papers in online journals. here, the repository is a virtual place where something is stored for future access. in this regard, the  national repository of open educational resources (nroer) is a digital platform for sharing open educational resources related to school and teacher education, developed by the department of school education and literacy, ministry of human resource development, government of india in 2013 in new delhi and run by the central institute of educational technology, national council of educational research and training, homi bhabha centre for science education, mumbai manage this nroer on the meta studio platform having registered users of 20,957 at the time of data collection. as per data available on the repository, total of 19,496 oers including 440 e-books in many subjects, languages and formats are available in nroer for the purpose of primary, secondary, and senior secondary education under creative commons cc by-sa 3.0 license. so, open educational resources popularly known as oers can be accessed freely under an open license and used for teaching and research purposes. oers include e-books, text, audio-visual materials and any other documents used for teaching-learning indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 244 and research purpose. here, cc license means creative commons license in which the author gives rights to anyone to use, share, attribute and remix his/ her oers with different types. it is also noteworthy that 14 online and blended e-courses are available in nroer. in nroer, these open educational resources have no technical and price burden except a few copyrights and licensing restrictions for users. the users not only use these resources, but also they can reuse them with proper attribution. literature review the following related studies have been found after consultation with both foreign and indian literature: upneja in his paper discussed indian oer initiatives and their usage by information professionals. in it, he showed that among information professionals, the national digital library of india (ndli) has gained the highest popularity as per the highest usage frequency (17.59 per cent) followed by study webs of active–learning for young aspiring minds (swayam) (15.60 per cent) and then followed by epathshala (14.04 per cent) (upneja, 2020). chakrabarti in his paper related to institutional repositories studied 75 websites of institutional repositories through content analysis with respect to their generic features and revealed that many multidisciplinary subject-oriented repositories are available. it is also observed by him that a huge number of open educational resources have been found in these repositories (chakrabarti, 2017). thakran and sharma in 2016 investigated the role of oers in indian higher education amidst lacking trained faculty and geographical variation regarding accessing education. both the authors gave a brief overview of initiatives of oer in india to overcome the barriers of educational challenges faced in higher education (thakran & sharma, 2016). dutta in 2016 threw light on the possibilities and challenges in connection with oer in indian higher education. in this respect, the author enumerated some initiatives of the government of india like nroer, shakshat, nkn, eklavya, nmeict, nptel, oscar, e-grid, etc. (dutta, 2016). khan, in his paper, discussed about nroer and its various activities in the field of school education. he tries to investigate the oers of nroer with special emphasis on physics in pre-primary and secondary levels of education (khan, 2015). das in 2014, in his paper, defined the term oer and international policy related to oer. he then emphasized indian initiatives of the oer through the support of national mission on education through ict (nme-ict) (das, 2014). objective of the study the main objectives of the study are stated below: • to identify the existing oers and to analyze the generic features of oers including e-books available in nroer in terms of type, sources, subject, education level, target group and language. • to present swoc analysis of nroer methodology the data relating to nroer in terms of type, sources, subject, education level, target group, language have been collected from the website concerned and the relevant information as per the objectives mentioned above has been extracted, summarized, tabulated, and analyzed using ms excel. for analysis of data, content analysis of the website of nroer and case study method have been acquired. for the quantitative analysis of the data the percentage is worked out. qualitative analysis was indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 245 done after browsing the repository concerned and also after consulting the review of related studies. the period of data collection was from 16.06.2021 to 20.06.2021. analysis and interpretation of results according to the objective stated above, the following tables and figures have been prepared below for minute analysis. these figures and tables are stated belowtable-1: type of oers available in nroer type number of oers percentage documents 5934 30 interactives 1453 08 audios 2956 15 images 2582 13 videos 6571 34 all files/total 19496 100 (source: nroer, 2021) figure-1: type of oers available in nroer (source: nroer, 2021) table 1 and figure 1 present 19,496 homogeneous collections of open educational resources in nroer. the total collection includes 5,934 documents, 1,453 interactives, 2,956 audios, 2,582 images and 6,571 videos. the above table clearly shows that 33.71 per cent videos are available in the repository immediately followed by 30.44 per cent of documents. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 246 table-2: sources of oer in nroer sources of oers number of oers ciet,ncert 6771 ncert 12701 explosive 181 vidya’s online 20 arvind gupta 1726 vigyan prasar 383 ccrt 449 unicef 282 (source: nroer, 2021) table 2 states that ncert is the highest contributor of oers followed by ciet, ncert. there are other partners like azim premji university, gandhi smriti darshan samiti, society for all round development, vidya online, etc. who/which contributed oers to nroer. some noteworthy contributions have been observed viz. 181 images of explosive, 1,726 videos of arvind gupta author of science books for children, 383 videos of vigyan prasar-autonomous organization under department of science and technology, 443 images of ccrt out of 449 images, 223 audio files of unicef out of 282, etc. the total number of resources presented in the above table exceeds the total number of oers (19,496 oers) because some oers may be the sources of more than one institution e.g. ncert and ciet. table-3: subject-wise distribution of oers in nroer subject number of oers percentage accountancy 159 00.82 art 573 02.94 biology 487 02.50 chemistry 265 01.36 economics 386 01.98 education 968 04.97 environmental studies 503 02.58 geography 458 02.35 history 2288 11.74 language 2967 15.22 mathematics 1716 08.80 physics 227 01.16 political science 240 01.22 psychology 183 00.94 science 4100 21.03 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 247 social science 1409 07.23 sociology 200 01.03 others 2367 12.14 total 19496 100 (source: nroer, 2021) figure-2: number of oers available in nroer (source: nroer, 2021) table-3 and clustered bar chart (figure-2) show that most of the oers belong to science (4,100 oers i.e. 21.03 per cent) compared to language (2,967 oers i.e. 15.22 per cent) and social science (1,409 oers i.e. 07.23 per cent). there are other notable subjects like mathematics (1,716 oers i.e. 08.80 per cent) and history (2,288 oers i.e. 11.74 per cent) which can be specially mentioned. in nroer, 1,823 audio files out of 2,967 in language, 2,100 video files out of 4,100 in science and 457 videos out of 968 oers in education have been also observed. table-4: education level-wise distribution of oers in nroer level of education number of oers primary level 7479 upper primary level 5943 secondary 9034 senior secondary 5907 not mentioned 1091 (source: nroer, 2021) in nroer, secondary level oers are available in large numbers (9,034 oers) followed by primary level (7,479 oers) and then followed by upper primary level (5,943 oers). the notable attribute of the study is that total of 1,091 oers do not belong to any specific level of education. the total number of open educational resources presented in the above table exceeds the total number indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 248 of oers (19,496 oers) because some oers belong to more than one level of education. here, the secondary level denotes class ix and class x, upper primary level denotes class vi to class viii and primary level denotes class i to class v. table-5: target groups–wise distribution of oers in nroer target groups number of oers teachers 17428 students 18068 teacher educators 4245 (source: nroer, 2021) table 5 states that most of the oers available in nroer for students (18,068 oers) are followed by teachers (17,428 oers) and then followed by teacher educators (4,245 oers). the total number of resources presented in the above table exceeds the total number of oers (19,496 oers) because the target users of some oers are both teachers and students. here, the teacher educator indicates those teachers who give training to pre-service teachers and help them to teach effectively. table-6: language-wise distribution of oers in nroer language number of oers percentage assamese 52 00.27 english 13102 67.20 gujarati 03 00.02 hindi 4011 20.57 manipuri 30 00.15 marathi 400 02.05 others 1898 09.74 total 19496 100 (source: nroer, 2021) table 6 indicates the availability of language-wise oers in nroer. oers in the english language are available in large numbers (13,102 oers i.e. 67.20 per cent) followed by hindi (4011 oers i.e.20.57 per cent). the oers in other languages like manipuri, gujarati, marathi, assamese, etc. are also available in nroer. the main attribute of the study here is that 52 videos are available in assamese and 400 videos are available in marathi. in this respect, it may be remembered that the almost same result has been observed by chakrabarti and maharana in 2019 in their paper related to library and information science. they observed that 95 open access repositories in open doar are available in english. so, english is the main source of oers not in education discipline, but also in other subjects (chakrabarti & maharana, 2019). indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 249 table-7: distribution of e-books according to subject in nroer subject number of e-books percentage rank language 20 04.55 xx mathematics 51 11.59 3 environmental studies 09 02.05 xx science 98 22.27 1 social science 59 13.41 2 art 01 00.23 xx accountancy 21 04.77 5 psychology 09 02.05 xx sociology 18 04.09 xx economics 12 02.72 xx political science 18 04.09 xx geography 27 06.14 4 history 19 04.32 xx biology 10 02.27 xx physics 19 04.32 xx chemistry 19 04.32 xx business studies 12 02.72 xx others 18 04.09 xx total 440 100 xx (source: nroer, 2021) figure-3: number of e-books available in nroer (source: nroer, 2021) indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 250 table 7 and clustered column bar (figure-3) represent the subject-wise distribution of e-books i.e. ‘device independent digital books’ i.e. a book available in such a format to read it on an electronic device and shows 440 e-books in nroer which can be read by scanning qr codes. qrcoded e-books can be downloaded through qr code readers available in a large number. it also shows that most of the e-books belong to science (98 e-books i.e. 22.27 per cent) compared to social science (59 e-books i.e. 13.41 per cent). there are other notable subjects like mathematics (51 e-books i.e. 11.59 per cent) and language (20 e-books i.e. 04.55 per cent) which is noteworthy. table-8: distribution of e-books according to the level of education in nroer level of education number of e-books percentage primary level 028 06.36 upper primary level 018 04.09 secondary 110 25.00 senior secondary 093 21.14 not mentioned 191 43.41 total 440 100 (source: nroer, 2021) in nroer, secondary level e-books are available in large numbers (110 e-books i.e. 25 per cent) followed by senior secondary level (93 e-books i.e. 21.14 per cent) then followed by primary level (28 e-books i.e. 06.36 per cent). it is also observed that 191 e-books have not been assigned to a particular level of education. these e-books may be assigned to either a primary or upper primary level or the secondary or senior secondary level. table-9: distribution of e-books according to target groups in nroer target groups number of e-books teacher 423 students 440 teacher educators 000 (source: nroer, 2021) table-9 gives an overall picture of e-books according to target groups in nroer and finds that 423 e-books are best suited for teachers and 440 e-books are best suited for students. on the other hand, no e-books have been found suited for teacher educators. some e-books may be considered for both teachers and students. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 251 table-10: distribution of e-books according to the language in nroer language number of e-books percentage english 183 41.59 hindi 138 31.36 others 119 27.05 total 440 100 (source: nroer, 2021) table 10 presents the distribution of e-books according to language in nroer. e-books in the english language are available in large numbers (183 e-books i.e. 41.59 per cent) followed by hindi (138 e-books i.e. 31.36 per cent). the 119 e-books in other languages like assamese, marathi, gujarati, manipuri, etc. have been found at the time of searching in nroer. table-11: distribution of e-courses according to the subject in nroer subject number of e-courses percentage mathematics 04 28.57 science 5 35.71 english 2 14.29 values 1 07.14 research 2 14.29 total 14 100 (source: nroer, 2021) figure-4: number of e-courses available in nroer indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 252 table-11 and figure-4 show the distribution of e-courses according to subject in nroer. these e-courses are blended i.e. type of continuing education programme aimed to provide students with instructions through classroom and online delivery. from the above table, it is clear that 35.71 per cent of e-courses belong to science subject followed by 28.57 per cent of e-courses belong to mathematics then followed by 14.29 per cent of e-courses belong to english. the main attribute of the study is that 13 e-courses belong to grade 8 and grade 9 except one mathematics e-course for secondary level. table-12: distribution of e-courses according to unit specified unit number of e-courses 1 08 2 03 3 01 4 02 total 14 (source: nroer, 2021) table 12 indicates the distribution of e-courses according to the unit specified. from the above table, it is found that most of the e-courses have one unit i.e. 8 e-courses out of 14 e-courses and 3 e-courses have two units. it is also noted that 2 courses have four units and 1 course has three units. it is observed that 1-unit e-course is mostly because 13 e-courses belong to grade 8 and grade 9. swoc analysis of the findings swoc (s-strength, w-weakness, o-opportunity and c-challenge) analysis of nroer may be enumerated based on the findings from the above tables and figures to find out the real picture. strength i. in nroer, oers including e-books are of several types like video, image, audio, etc. ii. these oers may be used as teaching and learning aids. iii. oers of science stream have been found in large number in respect to social science and language. iv. all oers including e-books are available here under the cc-bysa license i.e. anyone can edit and remix the e-books, even for commercial purposes without changing the original license and with full credit to the creator. v. the  books of ncert  are in  the format of flipbook i.e. e-book looks like a real book having a pageturning facility and flipping sound.  vi. vigyan prasar, gujarat institute of educational technology (giet), sie, scert, siert, ccert, siet and other stakeholders shared their resources in the nroer platform, vii. oers on themes and topics in different subjects like economics, history, biology, political science, physics, chemistry, geography, language and mathematics which are mapped to the national curriculum framework, 2005 are available on a separate webpage for easy access of documents. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 253 viii. total of 14 online and blended e-courses are available in nroer where teachers and students can participate. weakness i. the textbooks of ncert are openly licensed to download and also can be shared non-commercially without changing with proper attribution. it encourages creation and sharing of duplicate oers. ii. some of the oers in nroer have not been accessed at the time of data collection. iii. the stakeholders are unaware of nroer, support from management, insufficient fund and lack of ict infrastructure have been observed. iv. no search facility for multilingual oers has been found. opportunity i. anyone knowing the internet may use the oers and access e-courses in nroer. ii. academicians may contribute oers according to the prescribed format of nroer. iii. oers are available in indian languages like manipuri, gujrati, assamese, marathi, etc. besides english and hindi which are beneficial for students of all provinces of india. iv. this platform is very helpful for sharing oers easily. these oers help to build a national digital library. challenge • a lack of skilled personnel and lack of preservation policies have been observed while browsing the website concerned and collecting data. • lack of policy for checking plagiarism of oers has been observed. • anyone may use these oers for commercial purposes violating open licensing as these e-books are easily available to download. the way forward it is a matter of great joy that india is not far behind in hosting national repository in the arena of school education. in this repository, a large number of open educational resources are available to students and academicians at any time anywhere. from the above-mentioned swoc analysis, it may be pointed out that the organization concerned should have to minimize the weakness and threat and maximize the strength and opportunity to develop nroer and increase awareness regarding nroer. it is also observed from the related literature reviews that the academicians and students are not all fully aware of the use of e-books available in nroer. the awareness programs and workshops regarding use of e-books and their deposit by the academic community should be organized from time-to-time. the organizations concerned with nroer should approach various institutions to submit their intellectual output to nroer. most of the institutions in india do not have sufficient infrastructure regarding the creation of e-books for school education. so, nroer in india should provide adequate infrastructure and other support for the creation and maintenance of e-books. for future sustainability, the content collection and functional development of nroer should be done to create a digital society. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 254 references chakrabarti, a. (2017). growth and development of indian institutional digital repositories in open doar: a bird’s eye view. world digital libraries-an international journal. 10(2), 75 – 88. chakrabarti, a., &maharana, b. (2019). lis open access institutional digital repositories in open doar: an appraisal. 2757. retrieved from https://digitalcommons. unl.edu/libphilprac/2757 (accessed on 28th april, 2021). das, a. k. (2014). open educational resources (oer): policy perspectives and national initiatives. in: csir-nistads (ed): india science and technology, volume 3. delhi: cambridge university press india, isbn 9789384463045, pp.16-21 dutta, i. (2016). open educational resources (oer): opportunities and challenges for indian higher education. turkish online journal of distance education, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.17718/tojde.34669 khan, a. (2015) school science in the national repository of open educational resources (nroer): an overview of the developmental process of physics content. microcosmos international journal of research, 1(1),1-5. nroer.(2021). about nroer. retrieved fromhttps://nroer.gov.in/welcome (accessed on and from 16.06.2021 to 20.06.2021) thakran, a., & sharma, r. c. (2016).meeting the challenges of higher education in india through open educational resources: policies, practices, and implications. education policy analysis archives, 24, 37.https://doi.org/10.14507/ epaa.24. 1816 upneja, s. k. (2020). contribution of library professionals and libraries in open educational resources in indian scenario. desidoc journal of library & information technology, 40(02), 445–451. https://doi.org/10.14429/djlit.40.02.15339 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 177 research article the adoption of digital smart board in delhi government schools: a student’s perspective pawan kumar sharma1 & enid masih2 1research scholar, sam higginbottom university, allahabad email: paw_kum@yahoo.com 2associate professor, sam higginbottom university, allahabad abstract schools in india have been equipped with digital smart board to enhance learning in classrooms. the classical learning process has undergone some fundamental behavioural modifications because of the increased focus on digital learning. the essence of this study is to examine the acceptance of the digital smart board by students in the classroom. the technology acceptance model (tam) is utilised in the study to explain students’ behaviour towards smart boards in delhi government schools. a sample of 184 students enrolled in government schools is examined to collect information for smart classrooms using a five-point likert scale questionnaire. the findings show that the intention to use has a direct relationship with the perceived value of the digital smart boards and their usability, which results in an increased desire to adopt digital smart boards. the outcome indicates that digital education has the potential to modernise education practices in delhi government schools. keywords: tam, smart classrooms, intention to use, digital smart boards introduction literacy has emerged as the most crucial learning goal in modern society. many people struggle to embrace the idea that the majority of what we do now is technology-aided, especially in digital literacy. computers have a remarkable impact, notably in education, on improving learning. the current growth of smart classes could increase the overall knowledge of students. by adopting technology, today’s students have attempted to increase their classroom interaction through “smart learning”. the use of information technology (it) to assist interaction and learning in classrooms has increased (martin,ll and f.w.kellermanns, 2004. digital tools have a positive impact on the teaching and learning process by creating opportunities to create, share, and collaborate with students. the connections between students and teachers in traditional classroom settings have become quite constrained. that is why we are embracing technology to improve learning outcomes. with the growth of technology, the education sector is undergoing reformation like never before. the digital tools and content in the native language from different sources have been made available in k-12 schools. this study emphasises the effectiveness of one of the technology tools i.e., digital smart board used in delhi government schools. a huge integrated display with a whiteboard-like form factor is known as a digital smart board (dsb). it is also referred to as interactive display board. a computer that’s fast to install and interactive to learn is provided in delhi government schools. it can convert any indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 178 plain white surface into a learnable board for different stages of blended learning needs. it includes pre-loaded, powerful interactive content in line with students’ syllabuses and a supportive setting for delivering courses to meet all learning requirements. digital smart boards have transformed the way the curriculum is styled and delivered. software is combined with display screen technologies to provide engaging and interactive lessons. the smart boards offer countless options for presenting effective lessons, learning content for grades 6-12 and assessments as per the ncert syllabus. it can connect to the internet for further knowledge and content updates. the plug-and-use gadget is movable across classes and can be set up without the need for a desktop, projector, or other established infrastructure. tam [davis, fd, 1989], is the focus of a current study that seeks to find out the acceptance of the digital smart board among students for learning. it is the most used conceptual model for describing and forecasting information technology adoption behaviour. tam is well-known and has more than 700 citations in the literature and has strong theoretical and empirical support. figure-1: the principal scheme of the original tam according to davis. et al. (1989), the factors are described as follows: 1. the term “perceived usefulness” refers to how much a person believes a given technology would improve his or her job performance. 2. the degree to which a person thinks utilising a specific system would be effortless is known as “perceived ease of use”. 3. the behaviour intention refers to the likelihood that an individual intends to use technology or an information system. the purpose of this paper was to evaluate the acceptance of the digital smart board and provide feedback to decision-makers that this technology is a justifiable investment for the delhi government. review of literature education authorities across the globe are adopting technology tools to improve students’ learning in the classroom and develop skills for the 21st century global workforce. extensive research and case study observations from the united kingdom, usa, and australia prove that digital smart boards or interactive whiteboards increase student engagement and motivation. janelle cox (2019), technology in classroom, teachinghub.com has indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 179 emphasised the various advantages of having a digital smart board in the classroom. it enhances the student learning experience as pre-loaded multimedia content can be displayed on a large screen in the classroom. the interactivity feature helps students draw and write directly on the screens using their figures or digital pens. teachers can use videos, diagrams, and charts on digital smart board to increase student engagement. according to ferrari (2012), it is crucial to integrate digital technologies into educational processes because they are advantageous for both teaching and learning and help people develop the fundamental digital skills that are essential for success in modern society. abdulsalam salihu mustafa, manuel b. garcia (2021), tam is a widely used theory for analysing how consumers react to different kinds of information systems. to understand consumers’ intentions to accept online learning, several information systems theories have been incorporated into tam over time. the task technology fit and theory of planned behaviour are the most integrated and educationally successful theories in tam, according to the systematic review’s conclusions. the various other pieces of literature reviewed for this paper are: 1. lee et al., analysis of tam’s history and prediction of its future trajectory progress and discoveries of tam in the period from 1986–2003; identification of future directions. 2. the horizon report (johnson, adams becker, estrada, & freeman, 2015) underscores that learning must examine educational scenarios, making them more flexible and adapting them to digital technologies. 3. turner et al., analysis of tam in the context of technology usage prediction tam usage outside the context in which it has been validated requires thoughtful consideration. objective of study the objective of this study is to understand the acceptance of technology i.e. digital smart board by the students of delhi government schools. the proposed model has three primary constructs. figure 2 represents the proposed model for acceptance. the following hypotheses are made based on the relationship between the “intention to use, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use” of a digital smart board: h1: an increase in the perceived usefulness will positively influence the usage of the digital smart board. h2: an increase in the perceived ease of use will positively influence the usage of the digital smart board. h3: there exists a positive relationship between perceived ease of use and users perceived usefulness. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 180 figure-2: conceptual framework methodology a quantitative method is used to measure the factors and establish relationships. the population researched in this study consists of learners in government schools under the directorate of education, delhi • sample description s. no item description 1 population respondents, i.e., students from various government schools from grade 6-12 2. technique simple random sample: in this technique, each element in the population has an equal chance of being selected from the sample 3. size total responses: 184 valid responses: 158 • data collection instrument we carried out a self-administered survey to evaluate the hypotheses of the suggested model. for the survey, a single cross-sectional design has been used, as per annexure 1. the questionnaire has been divided into three parts; each part corresponds to one construct. 1. four questions to measure the perceived usefulness of a digital smart board 2. four questions to measure the perceived ease of use of the digital smart board 3. three questions to measure the intention of using a digital smart board a thorough analysis of relevant literature had taken place to create the final questionnaire. the questionnaire includes questions to gauge each indicator’s effect. the 5-point likert scale, which is supported by berdie (berdie, dr, 1954), has been used as a indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 181 measurement technique in his study. all items use a scale ranging from 1 *strongly disagree*, 2-*disagree*, 3-*neither agree nor disagree*, 4-*agree* and 5-*strongly agree*. the students received a physical distribution of questionnaires, to fill out the form. the completed responses were manually typed into an excel sheet and then run through spss 21 for factor analysis and reliability tests. data analysis and findings • reliability and validity analysis the study adopts factor analysis to calculate the constructed authenticity by applying kmo (kaiser mayer olkin). the higher the kmo value is appropriate for the factor analysis. the sample adequacy above 0.5 justifies factor analysis. table-1: kmo and bartlett’s test as per the table above, the kmo value is 0.741, which indicates the sample collected is appropriate and fit for factor analysis and the questionnaire has sufficient construct. • correlation analysis the relationship between independent and dependent variables has been determined using correlation analysis. samples to be tested are dependent on questions about every construct. the results of the correlation test are shown below. table-2: correlation analysis indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 182 as table shows, factors of the technology acceptance model (tam) are correlated with each other positively as pearson correlation coefficient ranging from 0.28 to 0.70. the highest correlation is between perceived ease of use of the digital smart board (peou) and intention n to use of digital smart board (iu). • regression analysis regression analysis is conducted to validate the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. the results are shown below: table-3: regression analysis independent variable dependent variable beta p value pu of digital smart board iu of digital smart board .516 .000 peou of digital smart board iu of digital smart board .434 .000 peou of digital smart board pu of digital smart board .243 .000 the results clearly show that there is a positive relationship between the independent and dependent variables at 1 per cent significance level. figure-3: path analysis table-4: regression weight hypotheses relation estimate s.e. c.r. p result h1 iu <--pu .516 .038 13.484 *** supported h2 iu <--peou .434 .032 13.421 *** supported h3 pu <--peou .243 .065 3.757 *** supported the first hypothesis, namely h1, is that perceived usefulness, i.e., pu, will enhance the user’s intention to use the digital smart board. the result of the study revealed that pu has a positive influence on iu (β=0.516 & p<0.01) at 1 per cent significance level. this shows that the perceived usefulness of digital smart boards attracts users to use. similarly, the second hypothesis, namely h2, is that perceived ease of use will enhance the user’s intention to use the digital smart board. the result of the study confirms that peou has a significant influence on iu (β=0.434 & p<0.01) at 1 per cent significance level. lastly, the third hypothesis, namely h3, is that there exists a positive indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 183 relationship between perceived ease of use and the user’s perceived usefulness of digital smart board. the result of the study confirms that peou has a positive influence on pu (β=0.243 & p<0.01) at 1 per cent significance level. interpretation and conclusion the research has been executed to validate the technology acceptance model (tam), i.e., establish a relationship between peou, pu, and iu towards the usage of the digital smart board in delhi government schools. as per the data analysis, the intention to use the digital smart board is strongly dependent on the perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of technology. the perceived usefulness of the technology is not strongly dependent on its perceived ease of use. the findings from the surveyed data provide significant evidence in support of the proposed acceptance model of the digital smart board. they are also matching the tam model of davis (1996) and the study conducted by lee (2006). results showed that students benefited from the digital smart board to improve their knowledge and get interested because of the new teaching pedagogy. we can conclude that the learners are proactive in class because of the engaging content. they feel connected with the lessons taught. the adoption of a digital smart board in classroom will enhance the learning outcomes. therefore, the administration of the delhi government can integrate this technology for educational purposes. they should conduct more training for educators and promote its usage. the wider use of the digital smartboard is recommended in the endeavour to revolutionise the education system in delhi. the result of this study provides valuable feedback to the education departments of other states to adopt and integrate digital smart board technology in their classroom, thereby strengthening the quality of education overall. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 184 references berdie, d. r. 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(2006). an empirical investigation into factors influencing the adoption of an e-learning system. online information review, 30, 517-541. legris, p., ingham, j., collerette, p.(2003) why do people use information technology? a critical review of the technology acceptance model. inf. manag. 40, 191–204. martins, ll and f.w. kellermanns, (2004). a model of business school students’ acceptance of a web-based course management system, academy of management learning & education, 3(1):726. mcadams, a.c., kalaldeh, t.al& al-sa’eed, mo’taz amin (2010). journal of theoretical and applied information technology11(1):30-44. nagadeepa c., reenu mohan (2019), technology acceptance model (tam) and digital technology usage: an empirical study among teachers and students, ijrar february 2019, volume 6, issue 1 sharp, j.h., (2007). development, extension, and application: a review of the technology acceptance model. inf. syst. educ. j. 5(9), 1–11. turner, m., kitchenham, b., brereton, p., charters, s., budgen, d.,(2010). does the technology acceptance model predict actual use? a systematic literature review. inf. softw. technol. 52, 463–479. thierry karsenti (2016), the interactive whiteboard (iwb): uses, benefits, and challenges. canadian journal of learning and technology, v42 n5 spec iss fall 2016 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 185 appendix appendix1 questionnaire questions (for students) name: school: gender: š male š female instructions: please indicate your level of agreement with the statements listed below in #1-11. 1. digital smart boards improves learning in class strongly disagree neutral agree 2. learning is faster with digital technology and systems strongly disagree neutral agree 3. it is easier to learn with the use of the digital smart boards 1 2 3 4 5 4. concepts are better understood when taught using digital smart boards m m m m m 5. it is easy to operate digital smart boards. m m m m m 6. the interaction with digital smart boards is clear and understandable m m m m m 7. digital smart boards features are easy to understand and use m m m m m 8. i consider that digital smart boards is easy to use m m m m m 9. i would like to use more of digital smart boards for learning m m m m m 10. i want my school to use more digital devices like digital smart boards for teaching m m m m m 11. it is beneficial to use and learn from digital smart boards m m m m mñø indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 186 appendix 2 frequencies (mode), constructs and questions categorization sl. no. construct items strongly disagree % 1 disagree % 2 neutral % 3 agree % 4 strongly agree% 5 code % mode %     perceived usefulness             1 digital smart boards improves learning in class 0 0 0.63 18.9 80.3 u1 5 2 learning is faster with digital technology and systems 0 0 3.16 70.25 26.58 u2 4 3 it is easier to learn with the use of the digital smart boards 0 0 1.27 23.42 75.32 u3 5 4 concepts are better understood when taught using digital smart boards 0 0 0 22.78 77.22 u4 5   perceived ease of use               5 it is easy to operate digital smart boards 0 0 3.16 42.41 54.43 eu1 5 6 the interaction with digital smart boards is clear and understandable 0 0 3.8 50.63 45.57 eu2 4 7 digital smart boards features are easy to understand and use 0 0 1.9 46.84 51.27 eu3 5 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 187 8 i consider that digital smart boards is easy to use 0 0 1.9 39.87 58.23 eu4 5   intention to use               9 i would like to use more of digital smart boards for learning 0 0 0.63 27.85 71.52 iu1 5 10 i want my school to use more digital devices like digital smart boards for teaching 0 0 0.63 25.32 74.05 iu2 5 11 it is beneficial to use and learn from digital smart boards 0 0 0 32.28 67.72 iu3 5 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 196 review article role of educational mobile game applications in teaching and learning: a review of literature poonam panwar1, shreyas pragya2 & r k roshni raj lakshmi 3 1research scholar, department of yoga and science of living, jain vishva bharati institute, ladnun, rajasthan 2professor, department of yoga and science of living, jain vishva bharati institute, ladnun, rajasthan 3guest faculty, department of yoga, manipur email: roshnirajlakshmi@manipuruniv.ac.in abstract mobile learning is a novel way to use mobile devices to access learning content anywhere and anytime. students are currently using mobile phones at a much younger age. they generally use them for playing games or accessing social media. the purpose of this study is to review the research that investigated the effects of educational mobile game applications on students’ learning outcomes. at this time the world is facing a disastrous pandemic that has affected all aspects of life; health and education are the most. a review of papers on mobile learning published between 2010 and 2021 was conducted. we aim to analyze current literature about the impact of mobile games on student achievement and attitudes towards learning. educational mobile games can stimulate a child’s interest in learning and promote and increase language development, critical thinking, emotional development, intelligence, and imagination. therefore, educational games could be seen as having an essential role in a child’s development. we use the keywords “mobile learning,” “mobile games for education,” “m-learning,” and “educational mobile games” to find out the literature regarding this topic. after analyzing the previous studies, we made some conclusions. mobile games can enhance the level of motivation. to overcome the hazardous effects of mobile games, we should develop age-specific games that must include moral values and personality developmental tasks. keywords: educational game, mobile learning, mobile game applications, teaching introduction mobile learning (m-learning) is a very prominent multidisciplinary study subject worldwide. it has attracted much interest from scholars across the board that has seen the possibility of using mobile technologies to improve learning. gardner (1983), in his theory of multiple intelligences, proposed that a person could have various cognitive abilities. he identified eight intelligences that a person can have to help him understand and learn about the world, including spatial, linguistic, logicalmathematical, bodily-kinaesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic intelligences. as a result, one may claim that, as mobile technology can store audio, video, and text files, if incorporated into the learning environment, these tools can reach learners with various learning styles. games are vital for children to socialise and significantly impact their development. its purpose is to develop intelligence, senses, emotions, imagination, and creativity (ni& yu, 2015). teaching and learning are no longer limited to traditional classrooms in the twenty-first century. as a result, indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 197 novel mobile technology applications are required to make education accessible to anybody, anywhere, at any time, and at a low cost worldwide. methodology an exhaustive search is done on several databases like google scholar, pubmed and cinahl using the keywords s “mobile learning,” “mobile games for education,” “m-learning,” and “educational mobile games”. the timeline is set from 2010 to 2021. references with only abstracts, references in languages other than english, or references with matters not related to our topics were excluded from the review. fourteen articles were selected for the review. a thorough analysis of the articles included in the review brings forth the conclusion that mobile games can enhance the level of motivation. to overcome the hazardous effects of mobile games, we should develop age-specific games that must include moral values and personality developmental tasks. theoretical framework a new generation of kids has played computer games and interacted with mobile phones and other technology devices. they have developed different attitudes and abilities, which may have resulted in a misalignment between their expectations and the learning environment in classrooms (oblinger, 2004). ). mobile devices are portable and adaptable to students’ day-to-day activities; they can be exploited in the education industry (mulatu et al., 2018). mobile gadgets make the educational process more flexible and adaptable for students, school schedules, and the need of teachers (klopfer, sheldon, perry, & chen 2012). according to marshall mcluhan, anyone who distinguishes between games and learning does not understand either of them. innovatively developed games, unlike typical contexts such as classrooms, may produce a favourable environment in which children are more responsive (shute et al., 2011). the mobile gaming industry will reach around $98 billion in revenue by 2024. games can thrive in the area of motivation. school education standards may be improved by using cellphones because most people are familiar with digital technology (papadakis & kalogiannakis, 2017). demirbilek revealed that in all countries, most adult educators (76 per cent) expressed their interest in using mobile devices and games in their teaching process. many characteristics of good learning environments may be found in games, including elements of urgency, complexity, trial and error learning, and scoring points. they also provide rapid feedback and facilitate active learning, experiential learning, and problembased learning. teachers always desire to have motivated learners, which is associated with students’ desire to participate in activities. according to malone and lepper (1987), curiosity, challenge, fantasy, control, cooperation, competitiveness, and recognition are seven variables that drive motivation, and many of them are present in games (prensky, 2001). in a study by (golchai et al., 2012), the educational game snakes & ladders were evaluated in anatomy course design. samples were first-year medical students. all boxes on the board have questions related to trunk anatomy. skiada et al. (2014) “easylexia’’ developed a mobile application that could foster learning and help children improve some of their fundamental skills, such as reading comprehension, orthographic coding, short-term memory, and mathematical problemsolving. ni & yu, 2015 stated that to stimulate children’s interest in active learning, mobile games use cognitive development theory as a foundation, make reasonable use of the multimedia features and interactive characteristics of digital mobile platforms, and make image-identification activities more like indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 198 games through scene interaction. su & cheng, 2015 revealed the implications on motivation and student learning by using a context-aware mobile learning environment. incorporating mobile and gamification technology into the botanical learning process should result in greater learning outcomes and motivation than non-gamified mobile learning or traditional training. eder et al., 2016, developed a user-friendly, interactive, and easy-to-understand mobile application for autistic children. the focus of the application is basically on identifying the human body parts. it was concluded that the attention span of autistic children was increased by using this application. (sutopo & pamungkas, 2017) developed a multimedia application, particularly a mobile mathematics game. the app includes conceptual maps, tutorials, practice, and testing. in the practice section, they solve the problem of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. childibu is a picture-based program for children with specific educational needs that combine graphic pictures, texts, and audio recordings. it was created to teach the bulgarian alphabets, numbers up to 20, basic colours, and daily activities (kraleva, 2017). edugames4all microbequest!, a mobile game that aims to teach microbiology and create awareness about important healthcare issues such as hygiene, infection prevention, and responsible antibiotic use among 9 to 12 years old (molnar & kostkova, (2018). herodotou, 2018 shed light on the learning effects of the touch screen mobile game angry birds. knowledge about projectile motion was enhanced among two groups of pre-schoolers (4 and 5 years old) for seven days. effects were analysed by different pictures (5 questions), questionnaires, and screen recordings. the pre-schoolers showed a significant improvement in their understanding of how force affects them. to promote physical activity and incite the 6 – 12 years old children to eat the daily breakfast with healthy food, saad et al., 2018, developed an arabicbased game named “grow healthy.” jian, mon & subramaniam, 2020, used the concept of the edutainment game to impart moral values among children. the mobile application has proved helpful for children to acquire moral education or values in a more engaging and fun way is enormous. parents agreed to let their child/children use the application. to examine the impact of mobile games, innovative technology, and collaborative learning on students’ motivation, a study was done on 250 university students of tehran. the results explored a significant positive impact on students’ motivation. mobile games also improve flexible learning, problem-solving skills, excitement, and enthusiasm (mivehchi & rajabion, 2020). a mobile application called azbuka is discussed in this review. this is an android application developed in the form of an interactive educational game for mobile touch screen devices and is intended to help young children to learn to write cyrillic letters. the app has many colours, interesting sounds and familiar objects, which should attract children’s attention and raise their curiosity. 20 children were selected as a sample and after using the application more than 80 per cent of the children answered affirmatively that this game is useful and easy to use, and expressed a wish to continue to learn to write the remaining letters. duh, e. s., koceska, n., & koceski, s. (2017). the reviewed study focuses on teaching mathematics in class 12 by using applications (available on mobiles, laptops, desktops, ipads etc.), namely phone, viber, whatsapp and messenger so as to provide an appropriate teaching environment.  the sample sizes for both scientific and literary branches during the academic year 2019-2020 were 31 and 53, respectively. pre and indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 199 post-tests were administered to check pupils’ achievements. videos were prepared and uploaded to the teaching groups in viber and messenger. mobile applications experimented with have led to the enhancement of the mathematics teaching process outside normal classes and particularly during the covid-19 lockdown periods and crisis (hussin, f. k., & aziz, s. q, 2021). how educational game applications can help incline students’ interest in science, an educational game application was developed, and conducted user experience testing. a mobile application on earth and space science has been developed for 10–11 year old school students. the project is based on the rapid application development methodology considering the short development time frame (wan ahmad, w. f., & ahmad harnaini, a. f, 2022). this study intends to develop an educational game application on the android platform in order to teach earthquake disaster mitigation and the fundamentals of safety in the face of an earthquake disaster in a more engaging and enjoyable manner. in this educational game, there is a video explaining earthquake simulation and earthquake mitigation, along with a game with three stages: before, during, and after the earthquake. system feasibility testing was used to get a direct assessment of the feasibility of the system and the application was included in the excellent category application operation, display, and content of the application variables. table-1: details of games used in the study s. no. name of the author aims/objectives of the study name of the game research design sample device type findings skiada, soroniati, gardeli, &zissis, 2014 to help dyslexic children improve some of their learning disabilities. easylexia pilot study 5 students android students showed progress in their overall game performance over a short time usage eder et al., 2016 mobile application for autistic children to introduce them from basic parts of human body fillmeapp survey 11 students android the attention span of autistic children was increased by using this application. molnar & kostkova, (2018) to teach microbiology and create awareness about important healthcare issues edugames4all microbequest a pilot study, survey 19 participants not mentioned the game could teach, but the learning across all learning objectives was not statistically significant. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 200 kraleva (2017) a conceptual model of a mobile application for teaching children with intellectual disorders. childibu pilot project not include android saad, almaadeed, & aija’am, (2018). multimedia & video games enhance children’s knowledge about healthy food and show the importance of exercising in life. grow healthy survey 7 & 8 years old students multimedia based tutorials most of the students intended to change their eating lifestyle after playing the game sutopo & pamungkas, 2017) mobile application for self-learning and motivation to learn mathematics among school children. mobile mathematics game 19 students android 89.5 per cent of students who could solve the problem in the specific time herodotou, 2018). to improve the understanding of projectile motion through the game. angry birds comparative study 32 students android a significant difference was observed in the low-performing group activity. ibrahim, fatimah & ahmad, 2015 to promote malay folk stories to children m-folktales 15 students android got the positive impression in user perception rizky maulana, mujahidah, &tryanti, 2018 to support efl (english as a foreign language) learning, mainly listening skill learn english case study 8 android the mobile game is beneficial for learners for their english language skills improvement. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 201 jian, mon, & subaramaniam, 2020 to provide a better understanding of moral values with the help of a mobile app. edutainment quantitative research 40 android most of the participants strongly agree that app is interesting, easy, kid-friendly, and helpful in teaching moral values. duh, koceska & koceski (2017) to help children to learn writing cyrillic letters azbuka experiment + survey method 20 students android time required to draw a letter using the android application takes less time for writing the letter by classical method. hussin,& aziz (2021). teaching mathematics by using different mobile applications phone, viber, whatsapp and messenger 13+53 students of class 12th mobiles, laptops, desk tops, ipadsetc average scores for pre and post tests for the scientific branch were 20 % and 63.33 %, respectively; while for the literary branch were 17.5 % and 50.83 %, respectively wan ahmad, w. f., & ahmad harnaini, a. f. (2022). to create students’ interest in science earth and space science based application interview and user experience testing 20 students of 10-11 years old smartphones experiment motivates students to be more inclined to science. winarni, purwandari, &hervianti, (2018) to provide a learning medium for earthquake disaster mitigation application of earthquake disaster mitigation usability testing data elementary school students android this application was included in the excellent category for application operation, display, and content of the application variables indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 202 discussion nowadays, students use mobiles for entertainment or online study through schools, but it should be explored more. many studies have indicated that mobile games may improve students’ learning motivation and make the study material exciting and easy to grasp. suppose they are equipped with appropriate learning strategies. in that case, those games may significantly affect students’ perceived enjoyment, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and behavioural intention to use, compared with the same game without the learning strategy (mulhem &almaiah, (2021). furió et al. compared the knowledge of the water cycle among two groups of students, one learned with the iphone game method and the other with traditional classroom lessons. even if the results showed that the iphone method achieved higher knowledge results than the traditional classroom lesson, no statistically significant differences were found between the iphone and the classroom group, but the motivational outcomes were found significant among the children who learnt with the iphone game. though the iphone game achieved similar learning results as the traditional classroom lesson, it suggests that this kind of game could be used as a tool in primary schools to reinforce students’ lessons (furió et al., 2015). the results analysed using the microbequest game showed that the game could teach, but the learning across all learning objectives was not statistically significant. we cannot confirm the hypothesis in one direction because the sample size is so small. traditional education is more effective for children/ young adults who do not usually play video games. the gaming profile could affect the interest and motivation towards learning a specific type of game (molnar & kostkova, 2018). according to a review about the use of mobile technologies in education done at the futurelab (naismith, lonsdale, vavoula, & sharples, 2004), mobile wireless devices can be used by school teachers for managing their schedules, reviewing student marks, accessing central school data, attendance reporting, and providing course material. in the global educational setting, mobile technology’s use, implementation, and design pose technological and sociocultural obstacles. online learning has its limitations; some games prove very violent and aggressive and are not suitable for some age groups. such mobile games can have a very harsh effect on their minds. as a result of the popularity of mobile games, some antisocial forces have devised dangerous games that cause physical and mental harm to users. children may use this digital technology in constructive as well as destructive ways. to prevent children from these adverse effects of technology, parents, and teachers should take care of the kind of games or apps they are using. the app developers should make content enriched with moral values for personality development. conclusion from this literature review, we can conclude that due to pandemics in all countries, students and teachers are using m-learning. most of the studies are based on educational content related to the school curriculum. apart from this, mobile apps with content enriched with quality of life psychological and philosophical aspects should be developed so that children may have a new attitude toward life. such applications may counter the adverse impact of un-appropriate digital content. studies with robust study designs should be conducted to assess the effectiveness of mobile games for personality development and value education. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 203 references bagus, d., setiawan, k., arisaputra, p., harefa, j., &chowanda, a. (2021). designing serious games to teach ethics to young children. procedia computer science, 179, 813-820. demirbilek, m. (2010). investigating attitudes of adult educators towards educational mobile media and games in eight european countries.  journal of information technology education: research, 9(1), 235-247. duh, e. s., koceska, n., &koceski, s. (2017). game-based learning: educational game azbuka to help young children learn writing cyrillic letters. multimedia tools and applications, 76(12), 14091-14105. eder, m. s., diaz, j. m. l., madela, j. r. s., marife, u., & sabellano, d. d. m. (2016). fill me app: an interactive mobile game application for children with autism. int. j. interact. mob. technol., 10(3), 59-63. furió, d., juan, m. c., seguí, i., &vivó, r. (2015). mobile learning vs. traditional classroom lessons: a comparative study. journal of computer assisted learning, 31(3), 189-201. golchai, b., nazari, n., hassani, f., nasiri, e., &jafari, z. (2012). snakes and ladders: a new method for increasing of medical students’ excitement. procedia-social and behavioral sciences, 47, 2089-2092. herodotou, c. (2018). mobile games and science learning: a comparative study of 4 and 5 years old playing the game angry birds. british journal of educational technology, 49(1), 6-16. hussin, f. k., & aziz, s. q. (2021). using some mobile applications for teaching mathematics during covid-19 pandemic through providing a suitable environment. journal of university of raparin, 8(4), 1-16. ibrahim, n., fatimah, w., & ahmad, w. (2015, september). user experience study on folktales mobile application for children’s education. in 2015 9th international conference on next generation mobile applications, services and technologies (pp. 353-358). ieee. jian, n. l. m., mon, c. s., &subaramaniam, k. (2020, april). adoption of mobile technology in teaching moral values to children: a study in malaysia. in 2020 ieee 10th symposium on computer applications & industrial electronics (iscaie) (pp. 79-85). ieee. kalogiannakis, m., &papadakis, s. (2017). combining mobile technologies in environmental education: a greek case study. international journal of mobile learning and organisation, 11(2), 108-130. klopfer, e., sheldon, j., perry, j., & chen, v. h. (2012). ubiquitous games for learning (ubiqgames): weatherlings, a worked example. journal of computer assisted learning, 28(5), 465-476. kraleva, r. (2017). childibu–a mobile application for bulgarian children with special educational needs. international journal on advanced science, engineering and information technology, 7(6), 2085-2091. mivehchi, l., &rajabion, l. (2020). a framework for evaluating the impact of mobile games, technological innovation and collaborative learning on students’ motivation.  human systems management, 39(1), 27-36 molnar, a., &kostkova, p. (2018, april). learning about hygiene and antibiotic resistance through mobile games: evaluation of learning effectiveness. in proceedings of the 2018 international conference on digital health (pp. 95-99). indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 204 mulatu, a., anbessa, a., misra, s., adewumi, a., damaševičius, r., &ahuja, r. (2018). hybrid mobile learning architecture for higher education. in s. chakraverty, a. goel, & s. misra (eds.), towards extensible and adaptable methods in computing (pp. 373–383). springer singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2348-5_28. mulhem, a. a., &almaiah, m. a. (2021). a conceptual model to investigate the role of mobile game applications in education during the covid-19 pandemic. electronics, 10(17), 2106. naismith, l., lonsdale, p., vavoula, g., &sharples, m. (2004). literature review in mobile technologies and learning. futurelab report, 11(2004). ni, q., & yu, y. (2015, february). research on educational mobile games and the effect it has on the cognitive development of preschool children. in 2015 third international conference on digital information, networking, and wireless communications (dinwc) (pp. 165-169). ieee. oblinger, d. (2004). the next generation of educational engagement. journal of interactive media in education, 2004(1). o’malley, c., vavoula, g., glew, j. p., taylor, j., sharples, m., lefrere, p., ...&waycott, j. (2005). guidelines for learning/teaching/tutoring in a mobile environment. prensky, m. 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(2017, july). developing mathematics mobile game to enhance learning for children. in 2017 ieee international conference on computational science and engineering (cse) and ieee international conference on embedded and ubiquitous computing (euc) (vol. 1, pp. 191-197). ieee. wan ahmad, w. f., & ahmad harnaini, a. f. (2022). designing a mobile application for children: space science.  journal of information technology management,  14(5th international conference of reliable information and communication technology (irict 2020)), 124-140. winarni, e. w., purwandari, e. p., &hervianti, y. (2018). mobile educational game for earthquake disaster preparedness in elementary school.arpn journal of engineering and applied sciences, 13(7), 2612-2618. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 232 research article digital integration in school education and the role of covid-19 crisis kumari pallawi ph.d. research scholar, ncsl, niepa, new delhi-110016 email: kumaripallawi@niepa.ac.in abstract the covid-19 pandemic struck human life as a disaster worldwide and left no choice for people other than to keep themselves locked inside their houses for months to years. many professional and developmental activities in daily life were interrupted completely in the early phase of the pandemic, including school education. digital tools, technologies, and digital media were adopted as the lifelines for social connectivity, professional work, information sharing, and, most importantly, continuing education in virtual classrooms. as utilizing digital tools and technology was the best choice, among few others, to continue education both for teachers and students, they adopted it and tried their best to search and utilize the best options of such tools and techniques available at that time, and the search is still going on. a study was conducted in different types of schools in delhi to explore digital integration in school education during and post covid-19 crisis. the study attempted to understand the role of the crisis created by the covid-19 pandemic in digital integration in school. while interacting with principals/heads of the schools, teachers, parents, and students from different types of schools in delhi, they shared their experiences of becoming digitally well-skilled during that period. despite the digital divide regarding the availability of digital tools, digital skills, and network data, they tried to find ways. necessities that emerged due to the covid-19 crisis played the role of a catalyst in the process of developing digitally wellskilled teachers and students that would speed up the process of achieving the goal of “nep 2020”. keywords: covid, pandemic, school education, digital tools, digital skills, digital integration abbreviations: covid (corona virus disease), goi (government of india), ict (information and communication technology), nep (national education policy), poa (programme of action) introduction the report of the education commission 1964-66 (government of india, part 1.01 of chapter-1, 1970) states, “the destiny of india is being shaped in her classrooms”. therefore, the classroom is the place that gives the framework, direction, and demonstration through its experiences at ground level to decide in which shape, up to what extent, and how it would be done. national education policy (nep) 2020 talks about developing digital and skilled india, and the process has already begun in our school education. children in schools today will become the future of the country tomorrow, creating a digitally skilled workforce to participate in the development of the country. the covid-19 pandemic struck the life of human beings as a disaster (announcement of the covid-19 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 233 pandemic on march 12, 2020, by the world health organization, 2020) and left no choice other than to keep themselves locked inside their house for months to years. people of all ages had to face this situation, including school students, teachers and parents. this horrible situation forced everyone to maintain physical distancing, resulting in social distancing too in physical form. as it is a universal fact that necessity is the mother of invention, so the necessity of how to connect socially with friends, relatives, and colleagues while taking care of physical distancing is motivated towards massive use of social media platforms, which are majorly based on digital media nowadays. digital tools and technology became the major means and methods to continue teaching and learning along with becoming a major source of communication while sitting at home due to lockdown. though the seed of digital integration was sown in the past in the field of education in india at all levels, including school education and germination took place much before the covid-19 pandemic through computer literacy and studies in school (class) project in 1984-85, poa in 1992, government of india (goi, 1995)), ict @ school in 2004 (goi, 2004) and national policy on ict in school education (goi, 2012). however, the growth was not as vigorous as it became during the pandemic due to digital and online school education. just like a catalyst in a chemical reaction, necessities that arose due to the pandemic worked to enhance the process of developing digital and online education in schools, resulting in vigorous digital integration in school education. while reviewing the literature, it was found that class projects could not become very successful due to the lack of hands-on experience for the learner teachers (gupta, 1996). the national policy on education (goi,1986) found modern communication technology capable of managing the constraints of time and distance, but nothing more was described about the integration of such technologies in education. in poa,1992 (goi, 1995), it was proposed to expand class project. with the purpose of providing opportunities to build the capacity of secondary-stage students in ict skills, the ict@ school was launched in december 2004 and revised in 2010 (goi,2004). “national policy on ict in school education (goi, 2012)” emphasized on ict literacy for teachers and students and their ict competency enhancements. nep (goi, 2020), which was unveiled during the pandemic, placed more emphasis on utilizing digital technology to make teaching, learning, and evaluation effective by integrating such technologies in education in different forms and for different purposes. kanvaria (2011) reported that google groups were quite helpful to learn in a face-to-face in-service training program for teachers. bordoloi et.al. (2024) reported that ict helped in promoting learning as perceived by the head teachers of secondary schools. in a study conducted by arora & chander (2024), teachers opined that the academic performance of students was enhanced by using social media for learning. in the same study, parents said that it helped their children clear doubts, gain knowledge and develop awareness. moreira et al. (2019) opined that better integration of information and communication technology required sufficient training, which helped teachers for strong educational indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 234 integration of icts in school. rathnabai (2023) reported that online training resulted in the creation of an environment of learning and integrating technology in the self-interest of the teachers. wadhwani & abraham (2017) reported that there was no orientation for teachers by the manufacturers for using different tools of smart class, resulting in their underutilization. after the arrival of the covid-19 pandemic and the beginning of the lockdown situation, many countries began to look for digital resources and technology to provide the opportunity for remote learning to students, as reported by the world bank (2020). many digital activities were provided in india also, to be utilized for school education (india report: digital education, goi, 2020). jena (2020) reported that many students had no digital tools for learning purposes. ncert survey found that 27 per cent of students did not have digital devices to attend online classes (pti, 2020). dhawan (2020) reported the challenge for education to move to online mode from offline mode. jain et al. (2020) reported that teachers were not trained to cater to the situation of online learning. grover & mathew (2022) reported that teachers needed to develop their own teaching resources in the initial phase of lockdown as there was no availability of readyto-use resources. they tried to learn how to conduct online classes, and most of them learned to some extent before getting any formal training. school teachers were reported to have a positive view of teaching online during the covid-19 crisis (kamal & illiyan, 2021). the massive rise in conferences, seminars, and meetings in virtual form due to covid-19 has been observed as a positive feature by dar & lone (2021). digital technology was considered just a resource to be utilized by teachers and learners if they wanted to do so, as evidenced by the literature available before the pandemic. however, during the pandemic, it became a need to integrate such technology into teaching and learning, again evident from the literature available during and after the pandemic, which led to the objectives of this study. the rationale of the study though it is evident from the literature, news sources and real-time observation during the covid-19 crisis that digital tools and technology were adopted as the main source for continuing education at all levels, there is a lack of evidence directly from the field to understand the live experiences of the head of the schools, teachers, parents and students. there are studies conducted during lockdown through virtual media to understand the problems of teachers in conducting online classes and the efforts made by them, but only a few studies are about students. there is a lack of study on the students, parents, and teachers at the upper primary level. various studies conducted to explore online education depicted the problems faced by teachers and students in conducting online education and the efforts made by the government, schools and some technosavvy teachers. but other aspects, like the efforts made by students, their family and friends, and by the teachers who had nominal knowledge of digital technology before this pandemic, were given a nominal place in the exploration and discussion. this study was conducted on upper primary level school education to understand the efforts made by teachers, students, and parents to integrate digital technology indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 235 into education to overcome the challenges created by the covid-19 crisis and lockdown. delhi has been chosen as the area of this study due to the wide socio-economic divide that creates a divide in the context of the availability of resources and the environment at home for teaching and learning. objectives 1. to understand the role of the crisis created by the covid-19 pandemic in digital integration in schools. 2. to explore digital integration in schools during and just after the covid-19 crisis. methodology the study was conducted in different types of schools in delhi to explore digital integration in school education during the covid-19 crisis and just after the reopening of schools. it is qualitative in nature based on the focus group discussion and purposive interaction with school students, principals/school heads, teachers, and parents from different types of schools in delhi. the study was conducted in 12 schools, out of which 6 schools belong to the directorate of education, delhi government, 4 belong to kendriya vidyalaya sangathan, government of india, and 2 belong to private management. formal interaction with different stakeholders was done after unlocking of schools for classes 6th, 7th and 8th in the year 2022. sampling and data collection 12 focus group discussions were conducted with students, one in each school, through a random selection of members for each group from classes 6th, 7th, and 8th. another 12 focus group discussions with teachers were done, one group in each school selected through purposive sampling, who taught at the upper primary level during the lockdown and just after the unlocking. the interaction with parents was done in small groups through purposive selection for each school. school heads also shared their experiences about the role of the crisis of the covid-19 pandemic in the integration of digital technology in school education. tool the tool adopted was a semi-structured group discussion/interaction schedule comprising a few questions about their (samples’) digital skills learned before the pandemic, their experience with the need for those skills in their day-to-day teaching and learning at that time, and the availability of digital tools with them during that phase. other questions were related to their experience with the need for new digital skills in their day-to-day teaching and learning during the covid-19 crisis, their digital skills learned and developed during the pandemic, and the need for digital tools created due to that situation and how they manage to equip them with digital tools and skills during that phase (table-1). a qualitative thematic analysis technique was adopted to analyze the responses and to reach a conclusion. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 236 table-1: samples and semi-structured group discussion/interactionschedule s. no. sample type sample semi-structured group discussion/ interaction schedule (questions were based on the following semi-structured group discussion schedule) 1 students from classes 6th ,7th and 8th 12 groups (having 10-15 students in each group), 1 group from each school digital skills learned before the pandemic, their experience with the need for those skills in their academic work at that time, and the availability of digital tools with them during that phase. need for new digital skills in their day-to-day academic work during the covid-19 crisis, their digital skills learned and developed during the pandemic, and the need for digital tools created due to that situation and how they manage to equip them with digital tools and skills during that phase 2 teachers 12 groups (having 5-9 teachers who taught upper primary level during the covid-19 phase), 1 group from each school 3 parents 12 groups (having 4-5 parents of the students of upper primary level) 4 principals/ heads of the schools 12 findings and discussions necessities arisen due to the pandemic pushed to search out the ways, means and methods as the pandemic continued to expand, different types of means and methods were being searched, tried, and utilized by teachers, students, parents, and school administration for teaching, evaluating, and all-round development of students. on the basis of responses from different groups (teachers, parents, and students), it was found that most of those means and methods were based on digital tools and techniques, which was mentioned by the world bank (2020) also. most of them were being utilized till the date of interaction, even after the reopening of schools. though it was not possible to meet face to face physically to play and to learn together, at least it became possible to see each other and to communicate through digital media. it became possible to learn in virtual classrooms in the absence of real classrooms. students were happy to share their experiences during the group discussion that they learned together and celebrated important days and festivals together, even celebrated their birthdays with their teachers and classmates in virtual classrooms. teachers, too, expressed their happiness about how they tried day and night to search and to learn to use various digital skills and applications to keep communicating with their colleagues and students and to continue to provide education to their students. pressures of lockdown and the new found opportunity of virtual learning the scenario was different for almost everyone, either the teachers the students or the parents. the closure of schools due to the covid-19 pandemic left children to be educated at home (moroni et al., 2020). in the beginning, students felt difficulty in joining classes, participating in different classroom activities, doing assignments, downloading and uploading question indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 237 papers and answer scripts, etc., as expressed by them during the group discussion. but they learned quickly, with the help of parents, teachers, friends, and relatives through social media, how to open and log into their virtual classes, download their assignments and question papers, and upload their completed assignments and answer scripts. they enjoyed learning various digital skills. their curiosity kept on rising, and they learned to search for new resources and new apps to improve their learning, similar to what was reported by deschaine (2021). rasmitadil et al. (2021) reported that collaboration among various stakeholders in school education resulted in the success of online education during the situation of crisis in indonesia. such collaboration has also been observed in the case of india, in these schools in delhi, but only in cases where digital tools and the opportunities to learn digital skills were available to the stakeholders. thus, this pandemic crisis pushed the stakeholders of school education, mainly teachers and students, to learn digital skills and to make themselves digitally skilled for their professional work. dependence on digital tools and techniques it has been observed through the interaction with school heads and group discussions with teachers that in the beginning phase of the pandemic, most of the schools, teachers, and students were waiting for the situation to be normal for around 2-3 weeks. after that, whatsapp was selected as the initial digital platform to begin the regular exchange of information among different members of the school through whatsapp groups created either before the pandemic or just after the arrival of the pandemic for the nominal formal exchange of information. the whatsapp platform was then utilized for educational purposes as a beginner tool to share notes, question papers, links to educational resources, information about new tools and technologies, etc., and to share the latest updates on covid-19 by the teachers among themselves and with parents and students. searching and utilizing new tools and techniques slowly, virtual classrooms began to take shape through the introduction of other applications like facebook live, zoom, google meet, google classroom, etc. there was no option for teachers, students, and even parents other than to learn the skills to utilize these platforms for continuing teaching-learning. step by step, the process of sharing, teaching, learning, and evaluating began to evolve as teachers, learners, and parents began to search and find new ways, new tools, and new techniques to fulfil their necessities. most of the teachers, parents, and students expressed during the discussion that they were puzzled in the beginning; some of them were nervous about how to learn so many digital skills in such a hurry. but they learned. though there was a big digital divide among students, they tried to search their ways, shared a single device among siblings, keeping in view their requirements, managed to share a digital device with friends in their neighbourhood, and took help from relatives having a digital device and living in the neighbourhood. even parents suffering from financial problems tried to buy a mobile phone on loan for their children to enable them to continue their education. some of the parents bought new smartphones, but some managed to buy second-hand used mobile phones, and only a few of them got old second-hand mobiles as a donation from school teachers, relatives, etc. though many students did indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 238 not attend their online classes regularly due to various reasons, they attended now and then. if they had access to a mobile phone and internet data, they would have taken an interest in learning digital skills to do their class work and homework online. self-interest, self-motivation, and peer motivation among students played a great role in the process of learning these skills, as stated by both students and parents during focus group discussions. even, some parents made efforts to learn digital skills instructed by the teachers for online classes to help their children while facing any technical problems during online classes and examinations. teachers learned either due to selfmotivation or group motivation or due to situational demand and many other reasons, like fear of lagging behind and fear of not being digitally skilled at a time of high demand for digitally skilled teachers. rising needs and demands of new apps: giving a boost to organizations and industries dealing with digital tools and technology some groups of teachers expressed that when the use of digital tools and techniques was growing day by day, different types of needs were being felt by the users, resulting in demands for new applications and new digital tools with advanced features like; interactive classrooms and online interactive writing boards to give the ease and feel of a real classroom, online markers to check the answer scrips, etc. such needs motivated the professionals in the field of software and hardware development to create new tools and apps to serve the purpose, which gave a push to develop a digitally skilled society and gave a boost to both software and hardware industries to develop new applications (apps) and new devices with advanced features. such developments were needed throughout the world, including india, resulting in a push to develop digital india. the government of india provided free digital resources for teachers and students (india report: digital education, goi, 2020), for example, the national repository of open educational resources portal, diksha portal, e-pathshala app, swayam prabha, ncert app, etc. which were utilized along with youtube and other online resources during the absence of offline classes and were still being utilized by school teachers and students, as reported by them during the interaction with the researcher. qshala, an offline quizzing platform (bangalore-based ed-tech startup) for students, was converted into an online mode during the pandemic in the form of a sunday family quiz (india today, 2021-12-22). similarly, digital aristotle, an online platform, helped students with a learning-based approach. such online educational platforms and tools gave students, teachers, and educational institutions the opportunity to continue learning online. indian edtech companies are expected to soon start their expansion into other countries also due to the benefits of online learning felt by students, teachers, and parents (shekhar, 2021). series of online meetings, workshops and webinars teachers said that as the dependence on digital tools, techniques, and digital media kept rising, the need to learn to utilize them also kept rising, resulting in conducting a series of online workshops and webinars. various online workshops and webinars were being organized continuously for the teachers, even by the teachers other than those organized by the government, educational boards, organizations, and management of the institutions for catering to the demand of learning digital skills, which were proved like an opportunity in disaster (aapda me awasar) that helped indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 239 to prepare them for virtual classes and to become digitally resourceful. such workshops and webinars also helped teachers to share the ease and difficulties of working in a highly transformed new teaching-learning environment in virtual form and to find solutions to the problems that emerged in professional work. groups of teachers organized online meetings among themselves to create teaching-learning resources in collaboration for their subjects of teaching and shared those resources among the group members to be utilized by all. it helped to save their time and energy and to make their teaching-learning effective in spite of working from home. once the teachers became digitally skilled, they helped students also to learn those skills. many teachers from all these different types of schools said that students also helped teachers and parents learn digital skills in some cases. achieving the objectives of the study though all the major points of findings discussed above achieved both of the objectives of this study, the initial three points are more helpful in achieving the first objective of the study, and the other three points are more helpful in achieving the second objective of the study. it has been observed that both teachers and students faded up with too much technology and long screen hours when the lockdown continued for a longer period, and they had been waiting eagerly for offline classes to commence. however, most of them felt that they were now equipped with such digital skills that would help them in their teaching and learning in the present as well as in the future. conclusion the slogan “aapda me awasar (opportunity in disaster)” was taken seriously by different stakeholders in school education, especially by the teachers. they tried their best to learn from others and to share what they had learned with others. teachers helped their students also to learn digital skills that they had learned to conduct virtual classes, utilize online resources, and create their own digital resources. some of the students even helped their parents and teachers learn new digital skills as they emerged as quick learners of various digital skills during this critical situation. the best thing was that most of the parents gave their full support to their children in this process, though they were not digitally skilled for educational purposes. some of them even sat with the children in virtual classes and learned digital skills taught by the teachers to help their children. thus, it is concluded that though the integration of digital technology in school education was initiated many years back and is going on continuously, it has been enhanced due to the role played by the necessities that emerged due to the covid-19 crisis as a catalyst in the process that demanded to switch over to online mode of education from offline mode during the lockdown. it left no choice other than to trigger the process of developing digitally wellskilled teachers and students that would speed up the process of achieving one of the goals of nep 2020 (goi, 2020), which emphasizes “integrating digital technology in school and teacher education, and developing the use of alternative modes of quality education in case of impossibility of traditional and face to face in-person modes of education.”. 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(2017). exploring the optimum utilization of interactive whiteboards in classrooms. jamia journal of education, 4(1), 1730. retrieved on 7th march, 2020 from https://www.jmi.ac.in/upload/menuupload/ jamiajournalofeducation_vol4_n1_ 2017november.pdf indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 73 research article effect of multimedia in the teaching of geotectonic and its satisfaction level on class viii students sharmila dutta1 & sanghamitra ghosh (gayan)2 1assistant professor, b.ed., jyotirmoy school of education, kaikapur, south 24 parganas, kolkata, west bengal email: sharmiladutta94@gmail.com 2assistant professor& osd, erstwhile david hare training college (wbuttepa), kolkata, west bengal email: ahana2012ghosh@rediffmail.com abstract research in teaching–learning process through multimedia shows many factors affect students’ performance. therefore, the present study aimed to know the problems faced by class viii students of bengali medium school of west bengal in learning geotectonic. the purpose of the present study was to know the effect of multimedia in teaching geotectonic to class viii students and to know their satisfaction level of them in kolkata and purba medinipur district. researchers aimed to study whether there is any significant difference between the effect of multimedia in teaching and student’s achievement with respect to teaching geotectonic among class viii students. all students of class viii in bengali medium schools of west bengal board are considered as the population of the study. the sample comprises 320 students. to assess the effect of multimedia on teaching, researchers used self-made parallel form tests of achievement and an opinionnaire for students’ satisfaction levesl. an experimental survey design has been chosen to conduct the present study. the findings of the study revealed that the majority of students achieved high score performance, after the treatment phase. the study also indicates that there exists a significant and positive effect of multimedia among class viii students of kolkata and purba medinipur. keywords: class viii students, geotectonic, multimedia, satisfaction level, teachinglearning strategy. introduction modern education belongs to science and technology; therefore, every individual comes under its impact. in this era, students use technology daily and this has an impact on their education. effective use of multimedia in the classroom enables teachers and students to be innovative while developing new skills and providing information. it is noticed that students who received instructions based on multimedia instruction carried out better learning than students who were taught in the traditional teaching method (narzoles, 2013). nowadays students are using video games, video cams, digital music players, cell phones, computers, and all other tools of the digital age from their birth and those are the essential parts of their life. it is clear that multimedia-aided teaching (mat) is more fruitful than the traditional chalk and talk (cat) and also more effective for the cognitive and attitude development of the students (saha & khan, 2015). specifically, the multimedia indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 74 technique is a much better instruction way than traditional ways, which act on students’ interest, attention, motivation and participation (ilhan & oruc, 2016). in recent times, the increase in the use of technology is shifting traditional classrooms into virtual classrooms by facilitating learning in new ways. multimedia is used to facilitate learning anytime, anywhere. today, learning is not only involved to earn the degree but also involved to earn a depth of knowledge in the subject. the utilization of multimedia in classroom situations cannot be rebuffed anymore. due to the conceptual difficulties in geotectonic, students often encounter perceptional conflicts that emerge from different interpretations of the same observation. it is also found that the school teachers are unable to solve those difficulties. so, the main primary purpose of this study is to eradicate the fear of geotectonic from students by utilizing new technology through multimedia. it is worth mentioning that studies on the following subject will be more effective and presentable if the researcher applied multimedia in teaching to show geotectonic related matters through video clippings instead of traditional 2d blackboard work. that will make it possible for teachers to give more opportunities to students to be happier and more enjoyable during their studies. by using multimedia, not only different teaching and learning styles are used, but also the approach to learning is different which helps learners to construct their own knowledge. so, in this context researchers decided to study the effect of multimedia in teaching and its satisfaction level on students and also tried to find out the relation between them. objectives of the study 1. to find out the effectiveness of multimedia in teaching regarding achievement in respect to teaching geotectonic. 2. to find out the level of satisfaction among students in relation to multimedia teaching methods. hypotheses of the study 1. h01: there is no significant interaction effect between locality and school type on the achievement test of students with respect to teaching in multimedia. 2. h02: there are no significant differences in mean scores of achievement tests through the traditional method between pretest and post-test of controlled groups. 3. h03: there are no significant differences in mean scores of achievement tests between pretest and post-test of experimental groups in rural areas after teaching through multimedia methods. 4. h04: there are no significant differences in mean scores of achievement tests between pretest and post-test of experimental groups in urban areas after teaching through multimedia methods. 5. h05: there is no significant difference in mean scores of achievement tests through multimedia between the pre-test and post-test of the experimental group. 6. h06: there is no significant difference in mean scores of achievement tests between pre-test and posttest of experimental groups in government aided schools. 7. h07: there is no significant difference in mean scores of achievement tests between pre-test and post-test of experimental groups in private schools. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 75 8. h08: there is no significant difference in mean scores of satisfaction levels among experimental groups of students with respect to teaching in multimedia. methodology sample: a random sampling technique was employed for class viii students of north kolkata and purba medinipur. the data was collected from a total of 335 students of class viii, but the study consisted of 320 students. among them, 160 were randomly chosen as samples of the experimental group and the rest 160 were chosen as samples of the controlled group. from each group of 160 students 40 students were selected location-wise (rural/urban) and school type wise (government/ private). tools: for collecting the data, a selfmade close-ended opinionnaire was prepared to analyse the views of students regarding their perception of the new teaching strategies through multimedia. the opinionnaire consists of 15 items on a five-point likert scale. the maximum possible score is 75 and the minimum possible score is 15. for testing the internal consistency or homogeneity among the items of the opinionnaire, researchers used cronbach’s alpha (α) coefficient, which came to 0.789. on the other hand, the criterion-referenced test was prepared to measure the pre-test and post-test scores of the students. this crt test was admired by a pilot study through the test-retest method. research design: the present study has used true experimental research design along with pre-test and posttest of randomized experimental and controlled groups to measure the effect of multimedia in teaching regarding class viii students’ achievement in respect to teaching geotectonic. variable: in this study, teaching strategies were selected as independent variables and performance on achievement tests was selected as dependent variables. on the other hand, location and school type was selected as categorical variables. treatment phase: researchers were given treatment for the samples in three phases like phase1-interior of the earth, phase2plate tectonics and phase3 rocks with the help of multimedia and self-prepared learning design. each phase takes one week to complete. in the fifth week, post-test was conducted for both controlled and experimental groups. procedure of data collection: researchers administered a pre-test (t1) as a measure of the dependent variable for both controlled and experimental groups. as there was a randomly assigned sample as experimental and controlled group, the researcher introduced the treatment only to the experimental group for a specific period. at the end of the experiment, the experimental and controlled group was administered the post-test (t2) as the measure of dependent variable. results and interpretation h01: there is no significant interaction effect between locality and school type on the achievement test of students with respect to teaching in multimedia. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 76 table-1: inferential statistics (anova: two factors with replication for an interaction effect between locality and school type) anova source of variation ss df ms f p-value f crit sample 292.6125 1 292.6125 34.57755 1.03e-07 3.96676 columns 762.6125 1 762.6125 90.11669 1.53e-14 3.96676 interaction 56.1125 1 56.1125 6.630724 0.011966 3.96676 within 643.15 76 8.4625 total 1754.4875 79         interpretation: it is found that the interaction p-value is 0.011966 (p<0.05) and f = 6.630724. so, h01 is rejected and there is a significant effect between school type and locality on the achievement test of students with respect to teaching in multimedia. h02: there are no significant differences in mean scores of achievement tests through the traditional method between pre-test and post-test of controlled groups. table-2: inferential statistics (paired sample t test for pre-test and post-test of controlled group through traditional method) paired samples statistics mean n std. deviation std. error mean pair 1 pre test_ total marks 15.33 80 3.592 0.402 post test _ total marks 16.58 80 3.893 0.435 paired samples test mean paired differences t df sig. (2-tailed)std. deviation std. error mean 95% confidence interval of the difference lower upper pair 1 pre test_ total marks post test _ total marks -1.250 1.747 0.195 -1.639 -0.861 -6.401 79 0.000 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 77 interpretation: it is found that the mean score of pre-test is 15.33 with 3.592 s.d. and the mean score of post-test is 16.58 with 3.893 s.d. whether the difference of mean is significant or not, the t-test is employed and after analysis it is found that the calculated t(79) = 6.401 and p = 0.001 (p<0.05). so, ‘t’ is significant and h02 is rejected. hence, we can conclude that there is a significant difference in achievement test result between pretest and post-test of controlled groups regarding traditional methods. h03: there is no significant difference in mean scores of achievement tests through multimedia between pretest and post-test of the experimental group. table-3: inferential statistics (paired sample t-test for pre-test and post-test of experimental group through multimedia) paired samples statistics mean n std. deviation std. error mean pair 1 pre test_ total marks 16.09 80 3.953 0.442 post test_ total marks 18.64 80 4.713 0.527 paired samples test mean paired differences t df sig. (2-tailed)std. deviation std. error mean 95% confidence interval of the difference lower upper pair 1 pre test_ total marks post test_ total marks -2.550 2.261 0.253 -3.053 -2.047 -10.088 79 0.000 interpretation: it is found that the mean score of the pre-test is 16.09 with 3.953 s.d. and the mean score of the posttest is 18.64 with 4.713 s.d. whether the difference in mean is significant or not, the t-test is employed and after analysis it is found that the calculated t(79) = 10.088 and p = 0.001 (p<0.05). so, ‘t’ is significant and h03 is rejected. hence, we can conclude that there is a significant difference in achievement test results between the pre-test and the post-test of experimental groups regarding multimedia. h04 : there are no significant differences in mean scores of achievement tests between the pre-test and the post-test of the experimental groups in rural areas after teaching through multimedia. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 78 paired samples statistics mean n std. deviation std. error mean pair 1 rural_pre test_ total marks 15.20 40 4.345 .687 rural post test_ total marks 16.73 40 4.941 .781 table-4: inferential statistics (paired sample t-test for the pre-test and the post-test of the experimental group in a rural area after teaching through multimedia) paired samples test mean paired differences t df sig. (2-tailed)std. deviation std. error mean 95% confidence interval of the difference lower upper pair 1 rural_pre test_total marksrural post test_total marks -1.525 1.754 0.277 -2.086 -0.964 -5.499 39 0.000 interpretation: it is found that the mean score of pre-test is 15.20 with 4.345 s.d. and the mean score of posttest is 16.73 with 4.941 s.d. whether the difference of mean is significant or not, the t-test is employed and after analysis it is found that the calculated t(39) = 5.499 and p = 0.001 (p<0.05). so, ‘t’ is significant and h05 is rejected. hence, we can conclude that there is a significant difference in achievement test result between pre-test and posttest of experimental groups in rural areas regarding after teaching through multimedia. h05: there is no significant difference in mean scores of achievement tests between the pre-test and the post-test of experimental groups in urban areas after teaching through multimedia. paired samples test mean paired differences t df sig. (2-tailed)std. deviation std. error mean 95% confidence interval of the difference lower upper pair 1 urban_pre test_ total marks urban_ post test_ total marks -3.575 2.263 0.358 -4.299 -2.851 -9.990 39 0.000 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 79 table-5: inferential statistics (paired sample t-test for the pre-test and the post-test of the experimental groups in urban areas after teaching through multimedia. paired samples statistics mean n std. deviation std. error mean pair 1 urban_pre test_ total marks 16.98 40 3.340 .528 urban_post test_total marks 20.55 40 3.616 .572 interpretation: it is found that the mean score of the pre-test is 16.98 with 3.340 s.d. and the mean score of the posttest is 20.55 with 3.616 s.d. whether the difference in mean is significant or not, the t-test is employed and after analysis it is found that the calculated t(39) = 9.990 and p = 0.001 (p<0.05). so, ‘t’ is significant and h06 is rejected. hence, we can conclude that there is a significant difference in achievement test results between the pre-test and the post-test of experimental groups in urban areas regarding after teaching through multimedia. h06: there is no significant difference in mean scores of achievement tests between pre-test and post-test of the experimental groups in government aided schools after teaching through multimedia. table-6: inferential statistics (paired sample t-test for the pre-test and the post-test of the experimental group in government aided schools after teaching through multimedia) paired samples statistics mean n std. deviation std. error mean pair 1 govt aid_pre test_ total marks 13.33 39 2.950 .472 govt aid_post test_total marks 15.46 39 3.425 .548 paired samples test mean paired differences t df sig. (2-tailed)std. deviation std. error mean 95% confidence interval of the difference lower upper indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 80 pair 1 govt aid_pre test_ total marks govt aid_post test_total marks -2.128 2.226 0.357 -2.850 -1.406 -5.970 39 0.000 interpretation: it is found that the mean score of the pre-test is 13.33 with 2.950 s.d. and the mean score of the posttest is 15.46 with 3.425 s.d. whether the difference of mean is significant or not, the t-test is employed and after analysis, it is found that the calculated t(39) = 5.970 and p = 0.001 (p<0.05). so, ‘t’ is significant and h08 is rejected. hence, we can conclude that there is a significant difference in achievement test result between the pre-test and the post-test of experimental groups in government aided schools regarding after teaching through multimedia. h07: there is no significant difference in mean scores of achievement tests between the pre-test and the posttest of the experimental groups in private schools after teaching through multimedia. table-7: inferential statistics (paired sample t-test for the pre-test and the post-test of the experimental group in private schools after teaching through multimedia) paired samples statistics mean n std. deviation std. error mean pair 1 pvt_pre test_ total marks 18.93 40 2.526 .399 pvt_post test_total marks 21.73 40 3.700 .585 paired samples test mean paired differences t df sig. (2-tailed)std. deviation std. error mean 95% confidence interval of the difference lower upper pair 1 pvt_pre test_ total marks pvt_post test_total marks -2.800 2.053 0.325 -3.457 -2.143 -8.625 39 0.000 interpretation: it is found that the mean score of the pre-test is 18.93 with 2.526 s.d. and the mean score of the posttest is 21.73 with 3.700 s.d. whether the difference of mean is significant or not, the t-test is employed and after analysis it is found that the calculated t (39) = 8.625 and p = 0.001 (p<0.05). so,‘t’ is significant and h09 is rejected. hence, we can conclude that there is a significant difference in achievement test results between the pre-test and indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 81 the post-test of experimental groups in private school regarding after teaching through multimedia. h08: there is no significant difference in mean scores of satisfaction level among experimental groups of students with respect to teaching in multimedia. table-8: inferential statistics (one-sample t-test for satisfaction level among experimental group of students with respect of teaching in multimedia) one-sample statistics n mean std. deviation std. error mean experimental group_ total_marks 80 60.18 3.306 .370 one-sample test test value = 0 t df sig. (2-tailed) mean difference 95% confidence interval of the difference lower upper experimental group_ total_marks 162.791 79 .000 60.175 59.44 60.91 interpretation: it is found that the mean score of the experimental group satisfaction level is 60.18 with 3.306 s.d. whether the difference in mean is significant or not, the t-test is employed and after analysis it is found that the calculated t (79) = 162.791 and p = 0.001(p<0.05). so, ‘t’ is significant and h04 is rejected. hence, we can conclude that there is a significant difference in the post-test results of the experimental group regarding student satisfaction level. findings of the study • in this study, it is shown that there is a significant relationship between the pre-test and the post-test results of experimental groups regarding traditional methods and multimedia methods. • it is observed that there is a significant effect in the post-test score of students with regards to their learning geotectonic through multimedia method. • the mean of the post-test scores is showing that there is a remarkable improvement from the pre-test scores of the students, after introducing a new teaching method. • the experimental treatment proved effective and the post-test results improved in this selected topic. • the results of the mean score by which the post-teaching scores of the students have improved after the implementation of the intervention strategies also show the effectiveness of the treatment given to the students for developing their knowledge. • it is also observed that there is a indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 82 significant improvement in the posttest scores of students in respect of locality and school type. • the mean of the post-test scores of private school students was much better than the government school students. on the other hand, the mean scores of urban area’s school students were much better than rural areas. • on the other side of the research, it was also seen that the score of the experimental group’s satisfaction level is high. it is indicated that they felt pleasure through innovative teaching strategies. • from this study, the researcher finds out that many samples had no idea about the geotectonic (class viii geography chapter). therefore, they got a chance to better their knowledge through multimedia methods. suggestion how a presentation of a teacher in teaching affects the learning of students. this study is also helpful for geography teachers, they can be enhanced for better development of teaching techniques through multimedia and in turn, they adopt necessary action for better scaffolding and thereby adopt new teaching strategies to present geotectonic in a more effective and interesting way. conclusion in our teaching-learning process, there is little doubt that the changing role of education is presently being refreshed with the effect of multimedia technologies. this theme has constructed a new paradigm in education and the emergence of new concepts in geotectonic, which enhance students’ learning capabilities. this new learning environment will specifically influence the way teachers teach and students learn. this study has represented and cultivated the use of multimedia in a learning environment to prepare students with critical thinking and problem-solving skills and they will be able to learn in an ict-oriented learning situation. from the results, we are able to decide that by implementing multimedia into the teaching-learning process, the traditional method is recharged and redirected in a new path of innovation. students act like active participants in their learning process and are able to use various elements of multimedia to achieve their goals. in this respect, there is no doubt to say that the effect of multimedia in teaching is very useful to help students’ learning. 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(2017). study on effective using of multimedia teaching system and enhancing teaching effect. 12(6). 187-195. retrieved from https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v12i06.7093. zhang, x., zhang, x., & yang, x. (2016). a study of the effects of multimedia dynamic teaching on cognitive load and learning outcome. eurasia journal of mathematics, science & technology education. 12(110, 2851-2860. retrieved from https://www.ejmste.com/download/a-study-of-the-effects-of multimedia-dynamic-teaching-on-cognitive-load-and-learning-out come-4636.pdf. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 204 research article research tales of numbers: enhancing numeracy skills through digital storytelling sajuddin saifi1 & dori lal2 1research scholar, department of teacher training and non-formal education, iase jamia millia islamia, new delhi 2assistant professor (mathematics education), department of tt&nfe (iase), faculty of education, jamia millia islamia, new delhi email dlal@jmi.ac.in abstract the national education policy (nep) 2020 emphasises the importance of foundational numeracy as a key component of early childhood education. the policy recognises that developing strong foundational numeracy skills is essential for building a strong foundation in mathematics and other disciplines and for preparing children for success in the 21st century. to achieve the goal of foundational numeracy we need that pedagogy, which is helpful in developing foundational skills among the learners in grade third. this paper focuses on such pedagogy which is helpful in teaching mathematics, i.e., digital storytelling. for this study, the methodology was a quasi-experimental design, which was conducted over 240 students in grade 3. the results of the control and experimental groups showed a significant difference at 0.5 level when the achievement of the two groups was compared. the results show that digital storytelling is effective in comparison to teaching mathematics in traditional ways. keywords: digital storytelling, mathematics competence, foundational numeracy introduction mathematics is a subject that often intimidates and confuses many students. it is abstract, complex, and, at times, difficult to grasp. however, with the advancement of technology, digital storytelling has emerged as an effective tool to enhance students’ understanding of mathematical concepts. digital storytelling refers to the use of multimedia tools, such as videos, animations, and images, to tell a story or convey information. it allows students to visualize and experience abstract mathematical concepts in a more concrete and engaging way, which leads to a better understanding and retention of the subject matter. competence-based learning (cbl) is an educational approach that focuses on developing students’ skills and abilities through practical and handson experiences. it emphasizes the application of knowledge and the acquisition of competencies that are relevant to real-life situations. in this context, digital storytelling can play a crucial role in facilitating cbl by providing students with a dynamic and interactive learning experience. by using digital storytelling, educators can create a more immersive and personalized learning environment that encourages students to engage with mathematical concepts in a meaningful way. moreover, digital storytelling has been shown to be effective in promoting student engagement and motivation, which are critical factors in enhancing learning outcomes. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 205 fundamental numeracy the national education policy (nep) 2020 emphasizes the importance of developing fundamental numeracy skills among students. the nep 2020 recognizes the importance of fundamental numeracy skills for students and proposes a range of strategies to ensure that all students have the opportunity to develop these skills. by focusing on experiential and activity-based learning, integration of numeracy across different subjects, and the use of technology, the nep 2020 aims to provide students with the tools and skills they need to succeed in the 21st century. the nep 2020 proposes the integration of numeracy across different subjects, including language, social sciences, and sciences. this approach can help students develop a deeper understanding of the relevance and application of mathematical concepts in different contexts. the nep 2020 recognizes the potential of technology in education and proposes the use of technology to enhance the teaching and learning of numeracy skills. this can include the use of educational apps, games, and other digital tools that provide students with engaging and interactive ways to practice and develop their numeracy skills. digital story a digital story is a type of storytelling that combines various multimedia elements, such as images, video, audio, and text, to create a narrative. digital storytelling association (2002) elaborates on digital storytelling as “the modern expression of the ancient art of storytelling using digital media to create media-rich stories to tell, to share, and to preserve. digital stories derive their power through weaving images, music, narrative, and voice together, thereby giving deep dimension and vivid colour to characters, situations, and insights.” it is a form of digital media that allows individuals or groups to share personal stories, experiences, and perspectives in a creative and engaging way. digital stories can be used to communicate ideas, promote awareness, entertain, or educate audiences. they can be created using a wide range of digital tools and software, such as video editing software, animation software, and online platforms that offer templates for creating digital stories. digital stories can be shared on social media, websites, or other digital platforms, allowing them to reach a wider audience and potentially make a greater impact. they offer a unique way to tell stories and share experiences that can be more engaging and immersive than traditional forms of storytelling. digital storytelling in mathematics at primary stages digital storytelling can play a significant role in the development of mathematical competencies by creating engaging and interactive learning experiences that promote understanding, problemsolving, and critical thinking. here are a few ways in which digital storytelling can support the development of mathematical competencies: 1. visual representation: digital storytelling allows for the use of images, animations, and videos to create visual representations of mathematical concepts. this can help learners to understand abstract concepts, visualize problems and solutions, and make connections between different mathematical concepts. 2. interactivity: digital storytelling can make learning more interactive by incorporating quizzes, games, and other activities that allow learners to apply their mathematical indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 206 knowledge and skills in a fun and engaging way. this can help to develop problem-solving skills and critical thinking. 3. personalization: digital storytelling can be personalized to the needs and interests of individual learners by incorporating real-world examples and scenarios that are relevant to their lives. this can help to increase engagement and motivation and promote deeper learning. 4. collaboration: digital storytelling can promote collaboration and communication among learners by allowing them to share their work, give and receive feedback, and work together on projects. this can help to develop communication and teamwork skills, as well as support social and emotional learning. digital storytelling, thus, can be a powerful tool in the development of mathematical competencies by creating engaging and interactive learning experiences that promote understanding, problem-solving, and critical thinking. significance of storytelling in the teaching digital storytelling can be helpful in developing fundamental numeracy by providing an engaging and interactive way for students to learn and practice basic mathematical concepts. here are some ways in which digital storytelling can help develop fundamental numeracy: y making mathematics engaging: digital storytelling can make mathematics more engaging by incorporating visual elements, audio, and interactive elements that capture the attention and interest of students. y contextualizing mathematical concepts: digital storytelling can contextualize mathematical concepts by presenting them in realworld situations, helping students understand how math is used in everyday life. y developing number sense: digital storytelling can help students develop number sense by presenting numerical information in a variety of formats, such as graphs, charts, and tables, and allowing them to interact with the information. y promoting problem-solving: digital storytelling can promote problemsolving skills by requiring students to solve math problems as part of the storytelling process or by presenting them with math-related challenges that they need to overcome to complete the story. y enhancing communication skills: digital storytelling can enhance communication skills by requiring students to effectively communicate mathematical concepts in a clear and concise manner as part of the storytelling process. digital storytelling can be an effective tool for developing fundamental numeracy by making math more engaging, contextualized, and interactive and by promoting problemsolving and communication skills. literature review digital storytelling in mathematics is an emerging area of research that aims to enhance students’ engagement and learning outcomes by using digital tools to create and share stories related to mathematical concepts. some recent research in this field includes “digital storytelling: a meaningful technologyintegrated approach for engaged student learning “ by alaa sadik (2008), indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 207 which found that digital storytelling can improve students’ engagement and achievement in mathematics, particularly for students with lower prior achievement. according to robin and pierson (2005), the act of creating meaningful stories has improved the experience for both students and teachers. digital storytelling has grabbed both students’ and teachers’ imaginations. according to robin (2005), educators can utilise digital storytelling in a variety of ways to assist students’ learning by encouraging them to organise and express their thoughts and knowledge in a unique and meaningful manner. “digital storytelling as a new meaningful teaching/learning strategy for mathematics and geometry. “ by corrado p. et. al. (2013), which explored the use of digital storytelling to promote students’ understanding of geometric transformations found that students were more engaged and had a better conceptual understanding of the topic. “digital storytelling to support mathematics learning in the early years” by ulutas, i. et al. (2022). which investigated the use of digital storytelling to support young children’s mathematical learning and found that it was effective in promoting their interest in mathematics and improving their mathematical skills. these studies suggest that digital storytelling can be an effective tool for enhancing students’ engagement and understanding of mathematical concepts. digital storytelling in mathematics is an emerging field of research in india, with a growing number of studies exploring its potential to enhance students’ engagement and learning outcomes. some recent research in this field includes: “ the effectiveness of digital storytelling in the lcassrooms: a comprehensive study” by smeda et al. (2014), the results of this study indicate that digital storytelling is a potent tool for fusing instructional messages with educational activities to make learning environments more fascinating and engaging. it is an effective strategy for developing a constructivist learning environment based on cutting-edge teaching and learning ideas. as a result, this strategy could improve student engagement and give students better educational results. “enhancing teaching-learning of mathematics among grade ii children using storytelling strategy” singh and gandhi (2020), which investigated storytelling proved to be an appropriate strategy for this involvement storytelling helped the intern-teacher in solving the problem of low participation in the mathematics classroom. bohara, p.s (2023), in his study “incorporating digital storytelling in secondary mathematics for engaged learning; a collaborative action research study”, which was conducted on secondary school students, found out that using digital storytelling in their pedagogy enhances the engagement of the learners in three aspects emotional, behavioural, and cognitive that the story, besides providing a meaningful context to the children, helped to break the teacher-student barrier. digital storytelling and multimodal design were unfamiliar concepts to the group of preservice teachers, who saw them as novel approaches. they saw digital storytelling as a method and strategy for promoting “student voice” and participatory knowledge creation. these studies suggest that digital storytelling has the potential to be an effective tool for enhancing mathematics education in india, and further research is needed to explore its potential in different educational settings and contexts. rationale of the study our educational system is struggling with a number of ways to measure the advancement of technology in education to its standard level. we are in the age of digitalization, so our students are able to gather information from a indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 208 variety of sources. so that they are able to assess it, analyse it and collaborate with others. integrating ict in education has opened a number of doors for the teachers as well as for the learners. at primary stages ict has evolved around childcentred pedagogies. teaching through using ict has made learning more interesting and innovative. by using ict tools, teachers are able to develop mathematics competence among the learners. teachers’ determination to succeed is the result of their mastery of mathematics subject, pedagogy, and technological integration, as well as their awareness of research findings. digital storytelling is one of the ways of teaching mathematics, which is helpful for teaching mathematics concepts till the primary stages. through digital storytelling, the learners learn prenumber concepts, mathematics operations, shapes and measurements quickly. the researcher identified very few studies relating to the use of digital storytelling as a competence-based methodology in mathematics. there is a need for more explanation about this field. the present study sought to determine how digital storytelling affects mathematics competence among primary-stage learners. title of the study: tales of numbers: enhancing numeracy skills through digital storytelling objectives of the study 1. to find out the impact of digital stories telling in teaching on the student’s achievement in mathematics 2. to compare the achievement of experimental groups and control groups in mathematics. hypothesis of the study 1. there exists no significant impact of digital storytelling on the student’s achievement in mathematics. 2. there exists no significant difference between digital storytelling and traditional teaching methods on students’ achievement in mathematics operational definition digital storytelling: it is a modern and multimedia-based form of storytelling that combines traditional storytelling techniques with various digital media elements. involving the creation and presentation of narratives using digital tools and technologies such as text, images, audio, video, animations, and interactive elements. mathematical competence: this refers to a learner’s ability to understand, use, and apply mathematical concepts and skills effectively in various real-world contexts methodology description of digital storytelling this is a case study of primary schools of jamia millia islamia new delhi. this was based on the basic mathematics learning in grade three students for this experiment some stories were developed, which were narrated to students. these stories were presented to control groups and experimental groups as well. to the experimental group, the same story was shown digitally using videos or showing slides. these stories were based on mathematics operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) of two/three digits. some ideas for digital stories in mathematics for primary students: counting adventures: a digital story indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 209 that takes students on a journey of counting adventures, where they count different objects such as animals, fruits, and shapes. the story can incorporate interactive elements that allow students to count along with the story and practice their counting skills. time-telling tales: a digital story that teaches students how they can tell time. the story can feature characters who have different activities throughout the day, and students can help them tell time by adjusting their hands on a clock. geometry quest: a digital story that explores geometric shapes and their properties. the story can feature a character who is on a quest to find different shapes in their environment, such as circles, squares, and triangles. measurement mayhem: a digital story that introduces students to the concept of measurement. the story can feature a character who needs to measure different objects to complete a task, such as baking a cake or building a treehouse. problem-solving stories: digital stories that present students with math-related problems to solve, such as figuring out how many apples are left after some have been eaten or how to divide up a set of objects among a group of people. the stories can incorporate interactive elements that allow students to work through the problems and find solutions sample the study was piloted on a sample of 240 students studying jamia schools. these students were divided into two groups; one group was kept as a control group, and the other group was treated as an experimental group. tool used: various tools chosen and used by the investigators are given below: y mathematics achievement test developed by researcher y digital story adapted from various sources execution of the experiment & data collection execution of the experiment and data collection for this study took three weeks. before the experiment, a pretest was administered to check the previous concepts of students related to basic mathematics operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) and also to know the use of mathematics in their daily life. achievement tests were prepared to keep the mathematics competence needed at grade 3. the experiment was conducted by the investigator himself and some d.el.ed. trainee doing their teaching practices. table-1: mathematics achievement score of control and experimental group class interval pre-test mathematics achievement of control group mathematics achievement of experimental group post-test pre-test post-test 1. 0-5 0 0 0 0 2. 5-10 1 0 0 0 3. 10-15 35 21 26 9 4. 15-20 53 55 56 36 5. 20-25 19 29 27 57 6. 25-30 12 15 11 18 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 210 on the basis of the test score( pre and post ) of controlled and experimental groups, we can say digital storytelling is useful. these results predict that if teachers use digital storytelling in their classrooms, then it is more effective than other traditional ways of storytelling. figure-1: mathematics achievement score of controlled group achievement scores of the controlled group show that when teachers taught traditional ways or by storytelling verbally then the achievement of the students did not rise significantly. but some changes were seen in group 2025 and other groups remained almost the same. figure 2: mathematics achievement score of experimental group by the graph, when we compare students’ scores of pre and post-tests then we observe decrease in groups 10-15 and 15-20, and the scores rise indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 211 in groups 20-25 and 25-30. most of the students who were in groups 1520 shifted to the group. the maximum distribution, i.e. 47.5 per cent was observed in group 20-25. table-2: t-value of premathematics scores of controlled and experimental groups m n std. deviation std. error mean t-value control 18.57 120 4.883 .446 .991 insignificant at (0.5 and 0.1) experimental 18.28 120 4.777 .436 comparing mean, standard deviation the two groups (control group and experimental group) selected for the experiment and control are approximately equivalent. the mean of achievement tests of the control group and experiment group are nearly same. table-3: t-value of postmathematics scores of controlled and experimental groups m n std. deviation std. error mean t-value control 18.67 120 4.882 .445 3.252* significant at (0.5 and 0.1)experimental 21.29 120 4.399 .401 comparing mean, standard deviation table-4: comparing means of experimental and control group   summary of ancova sum of squares df mean square f-ratio between groups 1725.256 21 82.155 13.941 within groups 577.536 98 5.893 students of the experiment group showed significant improvement in post-score (after treatment) the t-value calculated comparing two groups was 3.252, which is significant at 0.5. this shows the difference between the means of control and the experimental group. and ancova is a statistical technique used to compare means of two or more groups while controlling for the influence of one or more continuous covariates. this is a test statistic that measures the ratio of the variability between groups to the variability within groups. it’s used to determine if there are significant differences between the group means. the f-statistic is 13.941, which is significant at 0.05. this result shows that the experimental group achieved higher scores than the control group. thus, h01 rejected the idea that teaching mathematics by using indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 212 digital storytelling is more effective than teaching by traditional ways or telling stories orally at grade 3. in this method, the audio-visual senses of students participate in learning and so they see and listen to the situation so the learning is effective. these results are supported by mclaren, adams, mayer, and forlizzi (2017), who found a favourable correlation between ict use and math achievement. ict improved kids’ learning, critical thinking, and math proficiency, according to the study’s findings istenic starčič, a., cotic, m., solomonides, i., & volk, m. (2016). albano, g., & pierri, a. (2017) “perceived digital storytelling as a strategy meant for empowering the student’s voice and active construction of knowledge”. thus, we can say digital storytelling in mathematics in primary classes is an effective way of teaching mathematics and developing competence, which is required in the 21st century. conclusion early numeracy skills are crucial for learning because this not only provides the groundwork for future academic success but also for a person’s quality of life, well-being, and economic prosperity. children who have strong numeracy skills are better able to learn, explore, reason, and create, as well as participate in society on a social, cultural, and economic level. so, the goal of teaching children fundamental numeracy is to help them develop into independent, enthusiastic readers and writers who can move from “learning to read” to “reading to learn” and from “learning to write” to “writing for academic achievement and pleasure.” youngsters show an awareness of numbers and mathematical concepts, establish connections between ideas, and gradually apply what they have learned. this is only possible as per the demand of the 21st century, i.e., using technology and the interest of the learners together. in this study, digital storytelling was found to be significantly different from traditional storytelling in a t-test; it suggests that the two methods of storytelling are not equivalent in terms of their impact or effectiveness. so, meeting the demand for digital storytelling should be used as a methodology to achieve the target of foundational numeracy. references albano, g., & pierri, a. (2017). digital storytelling in mathematics: a competence-based methodology. journal of ambient intelligence and humanized computing, 8, 301-312. bature, i. j., & atweh, b. (2019). collaboration: a collective bargain for achieving quality mathematics classroom practice. international journal of educational methodology, 5(3), 347361. benmayor, r. (2008). digital storytelling as a signature pedagogy for the new humanities. arts and humanities in higher education, 7(2), 188-204. bohara, p.s. (2023).incorporating digital storytelling in secondary mathematics for engaged learning; a collaborative action research study. büyükkarci, a., & müldür, m. (2022). digital storytelling for primary school mathematics teaching: product and process evaluation.  education and information technologies,  27(4), 5365-5396. digital storytelling association. (2002). retrieved from http://www.dsaweb.org/01associate/ ds.html. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 213 dreon, o., kerper, r. m., & landis, j. (2011). digital storytelling: a tool for teaching and learning in the youtube generation. middle school journal, 42(5), 4-10. istenic starčič, a., cotic, m., solomonides, i., & volk, m. (2016). engaging preservice primary and preprimary school teachers in digital storytelling for the teaching and learning of mathematics. british journal of educational technology, 47(1), 29-50. mclaren, b. m., adams, d. m., mayer, r. e., & forlizzi, j. (2017). a computer-based game that promotes mathematics learning more than a conventional approach. international journal of game-based learning (ijgbl), 7(1), 36-56. ministry of human resource development, government of india. (2005). national curriculum framework 2005. national education policy. (2020). national education policy 2020. ministry of education, government of india. petrucco, c., de rossi, m., & personeni, f. (2013). digital storytelling as a new meaningful teaching/learning strategy for mathematics and geometry. in learning & teaching with media & technology (pp. 503-508). association for teacher education in europe atee aisbl, rue hobbema 67, 1000 brussels, belgium. preradovic, n. m., lesin, g., & boras, d. (2016). introduction of digital storytelling in preschool education: a case study from croatia. digital education review, 94-105. robin, b. (2006, march). the educational uses of digital storytelling. in society for information technology & teacher education international conference  (pp. 709-716). association for the advancement of computing in education (aace). robin, b. r. (2016). the power of digital storytelling to support teaching and learning. digital education review, (30), 17-29. robin, b., & pierson, m. (2005). a multilevel approach to using digital storytelling in the classroom. digital storytelling workshop, site 2005, university of houston. http://www.coe. uh.edu/digital-storytelling/course/site2005. retrieved 12 february 2007. sadik, a. (2008). digital storytelling: a meaningful technology-integrated approach for engaged student learning. educational technology research and development, 56, 487-506. singh, p. k., & gandhi, h. (2020). enhancing teaching-learning of mathematics among grade ii children using storytelling strategy. indian educational, 58(2), 78. smeda, n., dakich, e., & sharda, n. (2014). the effectiveness of digital storytelling in the classrooms: a comprehensive study. smart learning environments, 1, 1-21. ulutas, i. et al. (2022). digital storytelling in early mathematics education. in: papadakis, s., kalogiannakis, m. (eds) stem, robotics, mobile apps in early childhood and primary education. lecture notes in educational technology. springer, singapore. https://doi. org/10.1007/978-981-19-0568-1_17 yamac, a., & ulusoy, m. (2016). the effect of digital storytelling in improving the third graders’ writing skills. international electronic journal of elementary education, 9(1), 59-86 [bodhaguru]. (2012, december 29). short story on multiplication maniram and bhola [video]. youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lh9ezxfvnri [periwinkle]. (2020, october 6). addition framing word problems [video]. youtube. https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik-2_j4nx7q [periwinkle]. (2023, august 26). filters 4:15 now playing watch later add to queue multiplication stories 2 digit by 1 digit [video]. youtube. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=vpizbauyyyy. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 173 book review the social photo: on photography and social media (isbn-13:978-1-78873-091-4) by: jurgenson, nathan, published by verso, 2019 mahashweta bhattacharya research scholar, centre for media studies, jawaharlal nehru university (jnu), new delhi, email: mahashweta96@gmail.com the practice of photography has always invited adequate probing and queries from such varied fields of scholarship as art history, visual culture and media studies which have each viewed the subject through its own unique lens and thus found something the others overlooked. likewise, social media as an emergent phenomenon of any and every society has not escaped the piercing probosces of social science theorists. jurgenson’s book stems from a discontent over how photography and social media are never talked about in a single serious academic conversation that does not succumb to the temptations of either techno-cynicism or techno-utopianism. in this remarkably well referenced work— one that is also highly ambitious —the author attempts to systematically dismantle the elite discourses that have thus far governed the study of photographs and instead focuses on the very raw and unvarnished modes of engagement with photography that social media is representative of. in doing so, his work also stands critical of the sniggering disregard for social media shared across academia, which is often blithely dismissive of it as being too banal and commonplace for serious enquiry. the book is divided into two quite hefty chapters, each of which runs in the form of a slightly discomforting twitter-speak series of threads woven together into a very long essay. it is followed by a tiny essay for a third chapter, the existence of which is questionable. the first chapter, titled documentary vision, proposes new formulations that can help understand the phenomenology of the ‘eye’ as a photographic subject which shifts from being an erstwhile ‘camera eye’ to the contemporary ‘instagram eye’, wherein the social media driven impulse to photograph has been discussed with great vim and clarity. jurgensen quite refreshingly departs from the age old critical discomfort with the technological anthropocene and proposes a new scope and scape of the eye that is enabled by and operates through a series of apps. something that he finds particularly interesting is the frquent use of faux-vintage filters in photos taken today, which reproduce (or attempt to reproduce) the character of vintage photographs rendered obsolete today, diluting it all down into an aesthetically pleasing digital effect that is wilfully anachronistic. what follows is a cogent and effective series of indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 174 arguments that tie together the physical character of photographs, the category of nostalgia, and the ephemeral lives of photos today. the chapter draws from the distinction between information and communication in any media and constructing the frame for documentary vision it argues that the shift from a skill oriented technical practice of photography to a more casual and ubiquitous practice of taking pictures of everything is a result of a shift in the purpose of the medium itself from informing to communicating. further, the author uses this ceaseless desire to capture the various bits and bobs that make up the world immediately around us to provide a commentary on the temporality of the photos thus envisioned— where the present is always seen as a potential future past. through this formulation, we come across an interesting concept called visual literacy— which the author argues is above and beyond literacy as we understand it. the emancipatory potential of this visual discourse in the contemporary social media age lies in simply noticing the world around you and presenting it as a mechanism for communication that is then read and engaged with by the viewer. the second chapter, titled the real life, is quite ironically a critique of the real virtual duality. this is also the chapter where the author allows the sociologist in him to quit backseat driving that one could sense throughout the first chapter and take the wheel instead. he takes on bunch photographic habits born of social media like clicking selfies and candids, to put them to test very many core sociological theories, most notable of which is symbolic interactionism. he is in vehement opposition to the mainstream view that refuses to see possibilities of real authentic selves within our online personas and instead he urges us to realise the potential of the virtual spaces in being a part of the process of creating and curating our offline selves. besides granting the online selfequal authenticity, the essay shows us how the virtual also becomes that space which allows us to peep at the inbetween moments of a performance, the goffmanian backstage becomes available for public viewing and scrutiny, and in turn forms a part of one’s selfimage. this book is arguably the most nuanced exploration of the ‘selfie,’ which is otherwise, ridiculed and scoffed at by academia. the third chapter is a woefully short and inadequate exercise where he tries to extend the same arguments of still photography to videos and that mostly fall flat without the necessary support. one might be tempted to wonder why the chapter exists at all and i shall not delve into its specifics. this is perhaps the first attempt at trying to understand the visual medium of photography through the lenses of the social, and not the other way round. it presents an exhaustive set of possibilities of reading photos socially and is thereby as much a resource for readers interested in visual studies as a delight for sociologists. jurgenson puts together an extensive and enviable bibliography as throughout the book he borrows from a plethora of scholarship indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 175 spanning all across social sciences and media studies, and weaves together a beautiful tapestry that displays at once, the richness of these debates, and the profundity of his own arguments placed judiciously therein. however, the book suffers from what i suppose is jurgenson’s restlessness to either stick to a central thesis of argument or analyse a reference sufficiently before hopping onto the next temptation of thought. therefore, despite such rich references, the essays only end up looking like prestigious dinner parties where every notable name from the social sciences and cultural studies are in attendance, but who for some unspoken reason refuse to talk to one another or to jurgenson himself and only blurt out pithy maxims out of turn all of which gives rise to an unseemly and cacophonic chaos. the essays that oscillate between exhausting and exhaustive, thus snatch away from other works, at least in the immediate future, every prospective perspective of looking at photographs in the social realm. until a major technological breakthrough occurs that shatters all existing modes of interaction with photography, it is perhaps nearly impossible to present a point of view that jurgenson hasn’t touched upon already. what might keep this work from being a notable mention in the academic reservoir of ideas is precisely what makes it exceptional. in presenting nearly every possible way of looking at the social photo, the author says all that can be said, at once, and thereby falls short of developing any of those ideas fully through and through with as much time and rigour as the reader might require to process it. he writes as though chased by a rash urgency that is somewhat typical of our times and presents a rapidly shifting series of spiralling thoughts without dwelling on any of those long enough to hook casual readers. the book can, therefore, be an immensely fruitful repository for undergrad students to find a multitude of topics they can develop for their end of term thesis, or for sophomores to sigh in frustration and marvel at the extent of jurgenson’s thought and drop truth bombs about the social photo at parties they gatecrash, or perhaps even for a lover of reading to fish this paperback out of their personal library once every sunday and amuse themselves with the tidbits of its content. beyond that i find it difficult to see this book turn into a text or be inducted as a canon in itself. but perhaps it demands of academia a new way of reading– that is a shift from sluggish to bloggish; that is several nuggets of bite-sized wisdom which the reader is free to consume at once or over several helpings, depending on their appetite. in the indian context, an interesting point to dwell upon if one allows oneself to go beyond the obvious critique of the digital divide is how ubiquitous this visual literacy and its vocabulary is, whether the subaltern can finally speak, free from the elite discourses of literacy as we understand it and equipped with a visual mode of self-assertion, or if it will be just another new way of gagging the subaltern from participating in indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 176 this newfound democracy of photos through more easily available concrete filters. book review minds online: teaching effectively with technology by: michelle d. miller, cambridge, ma: harvard university press, 2016, 279 pages, isbn: 978-0674368-24-8. nazia talat assistant professor, shyama prasad mukherjee college for women university of delhi, new delhi email: nazia.talat@gmail.com abstract this article reviews the book titled, "minds online: teaching effectively with technology: by michelle d. miller. this review gives an introduction, summarizes the book's contents, analyses the book, and ends with conclusions. through the nine chapters in this book, miller explores the cognitive principles that enable better learning using technology. she invokes several cognitive psychological aspects, like attention, memory, thinking, and motivation, essential for learning that could be corroborated with technology. this book is recommended both for on line and offline instructors at college as well as higher secondary level. keywords: online learning, technology, cognitive principles, college level introduction the use of technology for instructions at the college level, in the last few decades, have been through fully offline, fully online or blended mode using various modes of teaching such as powerpoint presentations, live streaming of videos, animations etc. teachers and instructors usually give higher merit to fully offline methods as compared to blended or fully online forms of instructions, because of the greater chances of face­ to-face interactions and discussions in offline classes. it is important therefore, to understand the processes of cognition in learning by students, so that they can be applied for maximum learning through the online modes, in this era of covid-19 pandemic. although michelle miller (2014) wrote the book during non-covid times, her i indian journal of educational technology volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 book, "minds on line: teaching effectively with technology", is more relevant now because of the higher demands for the online modes of instructions at college and school levels. this book explores and expands on the use of technology to enhance the process of learning while understanding the role of cognitive psychology in the learning process. as the co-director of the first year learning initiative and professor of psychology at northern arizona university, miller elaborates upon the use of cognitive psychology and technology to enhance learning in online and blended classes through course design and strategies. she explores several opportunities for enhancement of course design through the use of technologies empowered by the knowledge of cognition in terms of attention, memory, thinking and ml motivation, as the essential elements of learning. since it incorporates the concepts of cognitive psychology, viz., attention, thinking and motivation etc., in the process of learning by students, this book is useful for all teachers and instructors, whether they use online or offline modes of instructions. certain parts of the book like, the need for detailed codified instructions to use technology in on line mode might sound redundant to some of the seasoned professors, the book is essential for new teachers, especially the ones that teach first-year students. the author uses her experiences as a lecturer at different stages of her career to inform the discussions in this book. these experiences enrich the discourse on the use of technologies in the field of teaching. miller's use of cognitive principals in the learning process separates this book out of other books on online learning, that mostly focus on explaining the array of technologies and online tools are available to the instructors. rather than directly jumping to what new technologies could be used to impart knowledge, she goes into understanding the process of learning to acknowledge how already existing technologies could be used to impart knowledge. in doing so, she talks about blending of both, the offline and on line modes of instructions by using moocs as building blocks "to complement rather than replace trad itional courses" (p. 6). basics could be taught through moocs using standardized instructions, followed by discussions in physical classrooms. this blended mode of instructions using technology to complement the process of teaching is agreeable. summary of the contents the book is divided into 9 chapters. the first three chapters traverse the importance and impact of technology in higher education while focusing on the common principles of good online and offline teaching, and the major concerns related to online teaching. next three chapters focus on the cognitive principles of attention (chapter 4), memory (chapter 5) and thinking (chapter 6) that are most relevant to the process of learning and teaching. the last three chapters deal with the practical aspects of integrating these concepts in online education and teaching methods. in the first chapter miller deals with the need for technology in learning, such as economics, demand from students, need for measurable evidence of student success, availability of new technologies, curiosity and drive to innovate. she stresses the importance of developing proper course designs that incorporate various learning modes that"increase learning and success while simultaneously controlling or reducing costs" (p. 13). therefore, teachers and instructors need to know to use it well. the second chapter compares the quality of learning in offline and online modes of instructions, and finds that there is not much difference in learning achieved by students in both these modes, as expressed by "good teaching is good teaching, regardless of technology" (p. 24). the points of differences between the offline and online modes lie in the timing and indian journal of educational technology i volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 synchronization of coursework, need to educate students about the use of technology, reliance on the text, social distance (lack of discussions) and other technical issues in online learning. she engages with cheating during online tests and agrees that there is no way to find whether it happens more in online or offline tests. she stresses on maximizing the quality of online teaching. chapter three deals with how computing influences our minds. the author believes that the paranoia against the use of the internet for education is not real. she dispels several myths related to online education modes like, brain's rewiring due to the internet. "technically speaking, computing experience does alter our brains at a neural level, but so does just about anything else that we remember'' (p. 45). she agrees that on line tools alter us. still, when we use them mindfully, "we can remain in control of those changes, shaping them to benefit our students" (p. 63). chapter four investigates the concept of attention in the context of learning in class and then extrapolates it to online learning. engagement is limited; therefore, the ideas of working memory, automaticity and voluntary control, are essential for learning in the classroom. she provides specific strategies to increase attention in online classes, such as asking students to respond, taking advantage of automaticity, assessing cognitive loads, discouraging distractions, and even walking in nature. she concludes that a suitable learning mechanism will work for all students, including those with certain limitations to learning like students i indian journal of educational technology volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 with adhd. chapter five details the tool of memory, which is at the center of teaching and learning. old and contemporary memory theories are elaborated to understand how short and long-term memories are created, retained and retrieved. attention is significant for creating a memory. therefore, for maximum learning the students should be as less distracted as possible in the class. emotions also tend to heighten the process of retention of memory. they could be used carefully and prudently by experienced instructors to put their points across in a class. in onl ine teaching, testing, spacing and interleaving are described as useful tools to enhance memory. use of previous knowledge as a base for introducing newer concepts is seen as a good approach to enhance learning. online tools work best when deployed "in sync with the operating principles of memory" (p. 116). effective thinking strategies by differentiating between the novice and expert thinking are elaborated in chapter six. this chapter focuses on the structural components of problems and utilization of analogical reasoning, to stress that beginners could become experts through practice. it also addresses how online course activities can increase critical thinking among college students. the use of sensory modes, multimedia theory, animations, and simulations, in online teaching could achieve educational mileage over offline teaching. making education inclusive, to a greater extent, is discussed in chapter seven. the nuances of students' motivations are discussed in chapter eight. motivation forms one of the ill most important reasons behind the success of any learning process. this chapter elaborates in various ways that motivations could hinder learning and the ways to overcome those challenges. the theories of self-determination, intrinsic/extrinsic motivation and growth mindsets are explored along with self­ efficacy, anxiety and procrastination to understand the challenge. the theories of gaming or gamification could also be used in devising course structure to motivate students. finally, chapter nine culminates all the concepts from previous chapters and uses them to create specific course structures and instruction guides for teachers to get inspiration from. analysis and remarks using cognitive principles to explain the use of technology in teaching makes this book different from other books that focus mostly on the various kinds of technologies used to impart instructions in a classroom offline or online. this book concentrates on using the existing technologies to impart instructions to lead to maximum learning. the book is useful for instructors who are not aware of these cognitive principles or are new to teaching. it is also useful for people who are researching in the field of education. as we move down the chapters, it gives useful insights and justifications for the online modes of instructions and useful tips for seasoned instructors. she debunked several myths, such as on line teaching is not up to the mark or cheating is more prevalent in online learning. she starts by pointing towards the issues of online teaching and then suggests several ways el in which those issues could be dealt with. the book seems highly useful for a teacher and helps in learning several tips to use in online classes, as it ceaselessly alternated between theoretical and practical aspects of teaching. the language used in the book is simple, and the technicalities are clearly explained, making it easier for a wider audience to benefit from the book. the practical and workable elaborations of the author's theories and experiences make it a valuable book for all teachers worldwide. the book rests a lot on cognitive psychology; still, people without any knowledge of psychology could easily read the book and benefit from it. although the book centers around learning in college­ level students, its more profound engagement with learning cognition make it indispensable for teaching at all stages. the replicable strategies, ideas and online tools enrich teachers and students' learning experience. still, this book is not a 'problem fixing' kind of book for issues faced during online teaching. instead, it is a book to understand the concepts relevant to learning and using them to learn in a better way. the author agrees that any new experience impacts the brain in the same way as technology does. therefore, unlike what the author believes, excessive use of technology also can alter the human brain at the neurological level. "it's also unclear whether the changes in brain function associated with web browsing impact activities other than web browsing in any meaningful way" (p. 47). the book lists online tools and websites on several occasions; however, it does not provide clear benefits or dis-benefits indian journal of educational technology i volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 of those tools over each other. the book's scope might not have permitted the author to elaborate on them; still, readers might feel the need to learn them then and there. conclusions the failure of technology, like the lack of electricity and proper equipment, could lead to the collapse of the online education system, as is the case in several parts of india. all the examples discussed were from the usa therefore, the need for such analytical work in the indian context is essential. the author agreed that the cognitive theories discussed in this book were mostly for people with "typical range of sensory functions" (p. 160). however, she pointed out that "many of the same best practices that benefit typically a bled students such as sticking to germane graphics, providing clear organization and offering materials in multiple modalities also ease accessibility" (p. 164). therefore, the book is useful for all kinds of instructors, offline, online, college level, school level and special educators. references miller, m. (2014). minds online: teaching effectively with technology. cambridge, ma: harvard university press. i indian journal of educational technology volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 225 review article trends in use of virtual reality (vr) technology in science education: a systematic review simmi sarpal1 & anita nangia2 1research scholar, department of education, panjab university, chandigarh email: simmisarpal@yahoo.com 2assistant professor, dev samaj college of education, chandigarh abstract the purpose of this review was to systematically identify the general trends in the use of virtual reality technology in science education. for this study, two databases eric and web of science were selected for review of related articles. pico framework was used as a review protocol. based on inclusion-exclusion criteria 22 articles were found to be eligible for the present study. the content analysis method was employed to analyze and synthesize the data into findings. finally, the results regarding the study objectives are graphically presented and discussed. the findings of the present review throw light into the gaps or inconsistencies in the literature as well as provide insight on the overview of the use of virtual reality in science education. keywords: virtual reality in science, science education, systematic review, trends in virtual reality introduction virtual reality is a computer generated three-dimensional learning environment that allows interaction and visualization of the non-observable imagined physical world. according to christou (2015), it replaces the user’s sensory input with a computergenerated 3-dimensional simulation. burdea and coifett (2003) define virtual reality as real-time interactive graphics with three-dimensional models mixed with a display technology that allows the user to manipulate the model world directly and immerse him or herself in it. virtual reality is not a new concept; rather it has existed since the early 19th century in the form of panoramic paintings. these paintings were created to give the illusion of being somewhere we are not, such as a historical event or a scenic location. the popular stereoscopes were based on this idea. morton heilig in 1956 invented a sensorama and gave the basic idea of immersiveness experience which is still alive today and used as a key feature of modern virtual reality technology. since 1962, government agencies, contractors and software and hardware companies have been researching and developing virtual reality technology for research, administrative, and training purposes. ivan sutherland, a computer scientist, introduced interactive computer graphics in 1963 with his sketchpad application and in 1965 with his ultimate display, which allows users to interact with objects in an artificial environment that defies the laws of physics. from 1990 onwards, virtual reality-based gaming machines appeared along with various types of headsets. palmer luckey developed the first prototype of the modern, lightweight occulus rift in 2010 for gaming purposes which was thought to be a truly immersive virtual reality headset which was later purchased by facebook in 2014. in 2014 google announced their cardboard stereoscopic headset for smartphones, aptly named google cardboard and in 2015; samsung released their samsung indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 226 gear vr headsets which were compatible only with samsung smartphones making vr more accessible to a larger population (yadav & tomar, 2017). an immersive experience is a key feature of this technology created by mixing computer graphics, interface devices, and visual screen displays (pan, et al., 2006). adding to the immersive experience of vr systems are interactivity and multimodal feedback. immersion means being fully immersed in the environment. with immersion, you feel physically present in the stated reality. by moving one’s body, interactivity allows one to control events in a simulation. this makes the experience more believable and engaging (raising a sense of presence), and reduces ambiguity and uncertainty. there are three basic forms of virtual reality technology: immersive, nonimmersive, and semi-immersive (verma et al., 2021). the user must be surrounded by gps beacons or haptic devices to fully immerse them in virtual reality. a desktop or pc is required for non-immersive vr. the virtual world is controlled by a mouse, trackball, keyboard, or joystick. widescreen projection is a typical framework in semi-immersive vr systems. stereographic imaging is possible with particular shades of glasses and a broader field of view. it is emerging as a new educational tool for kids that have the ability to improve and alter student education (pantelidis, 1993). as a result of its wide potential, virtual reality is being utilized to teach in fields as diverse as medical and education. virtual reality is expected to help in many ways. one of its defining advantages is its ability to assist students to learn and visualize abstract scientific concepts (youngbult, 1998). to participate in laboratory simulations or virtual trips that would be otherwise impractical or dangerous. it can simulate those dangerous science experiments. using virtual reality in chemistry, for instance, allows users to experience completely immersive, interactive, and three-dimensional chemical procedure simulations (georgiou et al., 2007). previous educational research has shown the value of virtual reality technology in the teaching-learning process (pantelidis, 2009). virtual reality simulations, for example, have been shown to improve students’ understanding of complex scientific concepts and increase their interest in science. several advantages have been documented in research on the use of virtual reality for educational purposes, which are listed below (table 1). table-1: advantages of virtual reality in education advantages of vr researchers increases achievement maloney (2005), kim (2006), parmar (2013), dhamija and kumari (2016), aggarwal (2018) improves retention moreno and mayer (2002), pérez-lópez and contero (2013) enhances interest and motivation mei and sheng (2011), bowen (2018), parong and mayer (2018) develops scientific attitude kim (2006), sarioglu and girgin (2020) table-1 shows the benefits of virtual reality in science teaching. these advantages may allow virtual reality technology to be utilized to teach science. future studies in education could use virtual reality studies as a paradigm. to explain the existing status and guide future research, a systematic indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 227 review is needed. prior research can assist identify gaps, difficulties, and study design. several comprehensive reviews have identified patterns in the usage of technology in education (kucuk et al., 2013; pardamean & suparyanto, 2014; crompton et al., 2016; soni & dubey, 2018; unal, 2019 and sabiri, 2019). but only a few rigorous reviews of virtual reality in education have been undertaken (kavanagh et al., 2017; kurniawan et al., 2019 and pirker et al., 2020). there is a paucity of research on virtual reality in science teaching (radianti et al., 2019 and durukan et al., 2020). as a result, further research is needed to uncover patterns in virtual reality in science. due to the lack of comprehensive reviews, this study examines all virtual reality studies found in chosen databases (eric and web of sciences). review of literature over the years, several learning techniques have been designed and effectively utilised in the classroom. virtual reality technology, for example, has grown in popularity among educators, students, and researchers. bernsten et al. conducted a comprehensive literature review to assess the commercial impact of virtual reality technology and the most prevalent subject of study (2016). the findings came from a careful review of several articles that questioned the commercial impact of virtual reality technology. there was a lot of research in the “presentation and entertainment department,” which is concerned with the future of daily life being transformed and computerised. similarly, kavangh et al. (2017) reviewed virtual reality in education from 2010 to june 2017. various databases were searched for relevant papers. the researchers studied 99 publications that employed virtual reality to create software. higher education accounted for 51 per cent of virtual reality software implementations. research revealed that numerous publications had identified software usability concerns due to poor programme design and hardware usability issues due to lack of training. cankaya, 2019 looked at 49 studies to see what trends emerged in the use of vr in education. the number of research articles published annually increased from 2014 to 2019. the findings show that quantitative methods were used in over half of the investigations. pretest posttest and questionnaires were the most regularly utilised data collection tools, with undergraduates and adult students being the most common study participants. kurniwan et al. reviewed a large amount of material (2019). 32 papers were found and assessed. this research sought to understand the purpose, equipment, and user experience of virtual reality in education. the majority of studies use virtual reality to enhance the user’s learning experience by using a headmounted display rather than a wide screen projector for all four objectives. luo et al., on the other hand, evaluated scholarly literature on virtual reality in primary and secondary education over 20 years (2021). however, most of the vr treatments reviewed in this study were managed by computers or projectors, with low levels of immersion, engagement, and creativity. methodology this systematic study examines articles published between 2015 and 2020 to determine trends in the usage of virtual reality in science education. the five steps provided by (uman, 2011) are considered and adopted in this review study. defining the research questions the researchers framed the research questions initially. these questions were framed using the pico framework. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 228 pico acronym stands for “participantintervention-context-outcomes”. in this study, a participant is a population found through advanced database searches. this study’s intervention is the researcher’s preferred technology. context refers to the study’s shortcomings. the outcomes pertain to the review’s objectives. • p – the number of articles obtained after selecting the time frame and type of document. • i – virtual reality technology used in science education. • c – context is a science subject. • o – trends in terms of years of publication, country origin, research methodology used and data collection tools, etc. virtual reality in science education: where are we now? this study intended to answer these and other related topics. 1. what numbers of studies are published each year? 2. in which countries the studies are most commonly carried out? 3. what research methods are most commonly employed in the studies? 4. what sample group is most commonly preferred in the studies? 5. what data collection tools are most commonly used in the studies? 6. which science domain is most commonly selected for studies? 7. what variables do the studies most commonly investigate? 8. what type of hardware devices are used in the studies? 9. what findings do the studies report? searching the database after formulating the research questions, the researcher chose the databases to search for relevant publications. the search was limited to two databases, eric and web of science, to find relevant studies. the selection of these two databases was based on their availability of relevant and highquality papers on the study topic. they also make full-text document retrieval simple. moreover, past reviews of instructional technology use have used only two databases. for example, (ünal, 2019) uses the web of science and eric. the topic-related keywords were found using boolean operators (and, or) for a more precise and advanced search. a virtual reality and virtual learning environment in biology, physics, chemistry, or science was the keyword. searches were limited to peer-reviewed full-text documents published since 2015. the researchers chose 2015-2020 because, according to the literature, most studies on virtual reality were published after 2015 (durukan, artun & temur 2020). the steps followed in data collection are illustrated in figure 1: indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 229 figure-1: data collection process selection of articles for the third step, the researchers selected the articles which were relevant to answering research questions. in this step, the researchers accept or reject the articles for literature review analysis based on inclusion-exclusion criteria (table 2). table-2: inclusion-exclusion criteria inclusion exclusion articles that are peer-reviewed and with access to full-text were included in the study. conference papers, editorials, book chapters, reports, or articles with only abstract or summaries were excluded from the study. articles in which only virtual reality technologies were used in science subjects with no other environment were included. articles which are using augmented reality or mixed reality along with virtual reality were excluded from the study. data extraction in this step, the researchers extracted the information from articles according to the research questions of the study. for examining the selected articles in detail the researchers developed an article review form. for the current study, the article review form developed by unal (2019) was adapted and revised for its appropriateness according to the research questions of the present study. the data collection tool in this study was cross-examined by two experts in the educational field. based on the expert’s suggestions the final data collection tool was prepared which consists of 10 sections: title of the study included for analysis, year of publication, country origin, sample, research domain, indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 230 research method, data collection tool, dependent variables investigated, and findings of the study. each of the sections of the article review form and their corresponding categories are explained in table 3: table-3: data collection tool section category title of the study research articles selected for analysis year of publication 2015-2020 country origin as per the authors affiliation and institution in which the study conducted sample primary school students elementary school students middle school students high school students secondary school students undergraduate students teachers research domain natural science biology physics chemistry research method experimental survey qualitative mixed research and development data collection tools questionnaires interviews test (achievement test, descriptive test, knowledge test, conceptual understanding test etc.) scale (attitude scale, opinion scale etc.) observation variable investigated achievement motivation interest other devices used desktop vr mobile vr headsets standalone vr headsets handheld vr headsets findings of the study most commonly reported indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 231 the articles were then categorically analyzed and systematically examined based on the content analysis method for reducing information into more manageable data. researchers sought two experts’ views for the article review process to ensure the reliability of the data assessment. finally, the result of the data was presented graphically. results what numbers of studies are published each year? the distribution of research publications published by year is depicted in figure 2. from 2019 to 2020, there is a significant increase in the number of studies published. two studies were published in 2015, one research was published in 2016, two studies were published in 2017, five studies were published in 2018, four studies in 2019, and eight studies were published in 2020. between 2015 and 2020, the researcher discovered inconsistencies, such as an increase and decrease in the number of studies completed and published. furthermore, more papers were published in 2020, with the least in 2016. figure-2: number of articles by publication year. in which countries the studies are most commonly carried out? the distribution of research by country of origin is depicted in figure (3). the authors’ institution at which the study is being done is taken into account when determining the origin of the study in a country. as shown in figure 3, the usa ranked first with a total of eight studies (36 per cent) conducted, followed by indonesia and turkey, which ranked second in terms of number with four studies each (18 per cent) conducted, nigeria with two studies (9 per cent), and malaysia, china, the united arab emirates, and the philippines with one study each (4 per cent). indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 232 figure-3: studies according to their countries’ origin what research methods are most commonly employed in the studies? according to figure (4), the most commonly used research methods in studies of virtual reality technology in science were experimental, which accounted for 45 per cent, followed by r&d, which accounted for 18 per cent, mixed-method and qualitative methods, which each accounted for 13 per cent, and survey method, which accounted for only 9 percent. the experimental approach was used in the majority of the investigations. figure-4: research methods used in virtual reality studies in science what sample groups are most commonly preferred in the studies? the distribution of virtual reality studies based on sample size is shown in figure (5). in general, it shows that undergraduate and high school students made up the majority of the study samples, accounting for 31 per cent. middle school, high school, and elementary school children are each sampled in two studies (for a total of 9 per cent), while primary school students are only included in one study (for a total of 4 per cent). primary school pupils were the least studied group, while undergraduate and high school students were the most studied. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 233 figure-5: most preferred sample group in virtual reality studies what data collection tools are most commonly used in the studies? it was found that the most common data collection tools used in virtual reality studies in science were questionnaires and tests and the least commonly employed data collection tool was the observation method. figure-6: most preferred data collection tools which science domain is most commonly selected for the studies? figure (7) depicts the distribution of virtual reality studies across various science streams. it may be determined that physics has the highest number of studies (31 per cent) and followed by chemistry and biology (27 per cent). natural science has the fewest studies, accounting for only 22 per cent of all studies. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 234 figure-7: virtual reality studies by different domains of science what variables do the studies most commonly investigate? according to figure (8), five studies looked into students’ attitudes towards virtual reality in science, four looked into achievement, three looked into interest, learning outcomes and conceptual understanding and two looked into engagement, motivation, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and one looked into focus, intention, acceptance, performance, learning independence, teachers’ perspective, opinion, and feedback. it has been observed that the most investigated variable is an attitude towards virtual reality. figure-8: most commonly investigated variables. what type of hardware devices are used in the studies? according to figure (9), it was observed that maximum studies used desktops for experiencing virtual environments i.e. 40 per cent. mobile vr headsets were used in 3 studies and standalone vr headsets are also employed in 3 studies i.e. each contributes 13 per cent in the studies and only 1 study uses handheld vr headsets like google cardboard i.e. 4 per cent. the remaining 27 per cent of studies were found that have not clearly mentioned the kind of hardware devices used. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 235 figure-9: hardware devices used in the studies what findings do the studies report? the findings of the reviewed articles revealed that the learning content developed by three-dimensional virtual reality technologies is viable and feasible to use in the teaching-learning process (arista & kuswanto, 2018; bakar, sugiyarto & ikhsan, 2019 and suleman, sugiyarto & ikhsan, 2019). there are plentiful studies that reported a significantly positive impact of a virtual environment on achievement (haris & osman, 2015; goff, et al., 2017; gambri, kawu & falode, 2018; alneyadi, 2019 and sarioglu & girgin, 2020) and learning outcomes (saputro & setyawan, 2020 and klash & simmons, 2020). the studies also found that virtual reality allows the passive learner to actively participate (bakar, sugiyarto & ikhsan, 2019) and engage in the learning process (alneyadi, 2019 and stone et al., 2020) for better enhancement of conceptual understanding in science (arista & kuswanto, 2018; faour & ayoubi, 2018 and gabunilas et al., 2018). moreover, learning with virtual reality assists in development of scientific skills (gambri, kawu & falode, 2018 and klash & simmons, 2020), enhancement of students’ autonomous or independent learning ability (arista & kuswanto, 2018 and wang, 2019). the studies conducted on pre-service and in-service science teachers as samples showed their positive attitude (falode, 2018; sarioglu & girgin, 2020 and mutlu & acarsesen, 2020) towards the use of virtual reality technologies in the realm of educational settings. teachers perceive virtual reality as an effective pedagogical tool for teaching science difficult concepts. however, only one study reported no significant difference in attitude towards virtual reality and conventional teaching method groups (faour & ayoubi, 2018). this can be attributed to the finding of previous research on virtual reality studies which found that this technology is as effective as the traditional approach (tatli &ayas, 2013; smith, et al., 2016). there are myriad of studies that revealed various other indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 236 benefits of contemporary technology like increase in interest (huynh, hou & wang, 2016; wang, 2019 and stone et al., 2020), motivation, and knowledge (saritas, 2015; alneyadi, 2019 and stone et al., 2020) among learners and provides encouragement to opt science and engineering for learning and career purposes (huynh, hou & wang, 2016). despite numerous advantages, one study found that virtual reality has few barriers in the implementation of content in classrooms. these barriers may be related to the poorly designed virtual environment or lack of realism in learning material as promised by this contemporary pedagogical tool (lamb, lin & firestone, 2020). overall, virtual reality is found to be an effective instructional strategy for teaching science. discussion an overview of important studies using virtual reality technology is provided in this systematic review. this study reviewed research publications published between 2015 to 2020, as this is the peak period for virtual reality studies. similar results were found in earlier research when the researcher studied the literature. durukan, artun, and temur (2020) observed that the majority of virtual reality studies were published after 2015. the researchers discovered anomalies in the number of studies performed and published between 2015 and 2020. however, this research found a significant increase in virtual reality studies in 2020, with a decrease in 2016 and 2019. virtual reality has become an increasingly prevalent instructional technique for conveying scientific concepts. virtual reality is becoming more affordable and accessible with smartphones, tablets, and video games (gutierrez et al., 2017). the usa and indonesia have the most research articles on the use of virtual reality technology in science, followed by turkey. malaysia, nigeria, uae, china, and the philippines also have few studies. the majority of scientific investigations on virtual reality are undertaken in the usa. examining the literature revealed comparable findings in earlier educational technology research (yildiz, cengel &alkan, 2020). china, uae, and philippines have the least. moreover, the results show that experimental research methodology is most usually used in publications released after 2015. a prior evaluation of virtual reality found that the most recommended research approach is experimental (durukan et al., 2020 and kalogiannakis et al., 2021). this study also revealed that qualitative research and surveys are the least usually used research approaches. examining the literature revealed similar findings in earlier studies (pellas, mystakidis, & kazanidis, 2021). the systematic review also found that the most common datagathering technique employed is the questionnaire, as most studies used experimental approaches. previous studies have found similar results (egmir et al., 2017; kalogiannakis et al., 2021 and keser & ozcan, 2011). also, the target audience is undergraduate students. the literature review identified similar results from numerous educational technology researches, revealing that undergraduate students are the recommended sample (kucck et al., 2013, sirakaya & sirakaya, 2018). these researches support our results that the least targeted participation level is lower grade school kids. the most popular subjects for using virtual reality technology were physics, followed by chemistry and biology, which relate to the participants’ desired levels. other characteristics addressed in virtual reality scientific investigations included attitude and achievement. the study undertaken by pellas, mystakidis, & kazanidis, (2021) backed our findings. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 237 despite the availability of high-end vr devices on the market, the bulk of studies employed desktop vr technology. (saritas, 2015; haris & osman, 2015; huynh, hou & wang, 2016; hite et al., 2017; falode, 2018; gambri, kawu & falode, 2018; mutlu & acarsesen, 2020; saputro & setyawan, 2020 and klash & simmons 2020). the researchers believe this is because most vr interventions are utilised for material delivery, requiring minimum involvement, immersion, and imagination. luo et al., 2021 published a comprehensive review of virtual reality in k-12 and higher education from 2000 to 2019 with similar findings. finally, the articles evaluated proved virtual reality’s instructional potential. this systematic study also indicated that virtual reality can improve students’ achievement, knowledge, comprehension, learning outcomes, interest, motivation, and abilities. limitations, suggestions and conclusion this research is based on publications gathered from eric and web of science, two major databases. however, because the chosen databases contain high-quality publications from the relevant study activity, potential deviations are thought to be minor. for future research, it is advised that more datasets be reviewed so that a more comprehensive picture of the area may be formed. this evaluation discovered a dearth of comprehensive reviews on the use of virtual reality in science education, which can serve as a resource for future researchers, educators, and administrators. because the majority of research has utilized quantitative approaches, it is critical to advise that more qualitative studies on lower grade sample groups are needed to fill the gap in the literature and investigate the educational potential of virtual reality technology in more depth. furthermore, the concerns, obstacles, and potential solutions that arise when using virtual reality technology in science education settings are not addressed in this study. future research should also include and explore the concerns, challenges, and potential solutions linked with virtual reality, according to the authors. the findings of this systematic review, which are significant and add to the relevance of this study in guiding emerging research in the relevant subject, are deemed to have addressed potential gaps in the literature. references aggarwal, p. (2018). effect of multimedia approach on achievement in biology of ix grade students in relation to their learning styles. international journal of research in social sciences, 8(3), issn: 2249-2496. alneyadi, s. s. (2019). virtual lab implementation in science literacy: emirati science teachers’ perspectives. eurasia journal of mathematics, science and technology education, 15(12). https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/109285 arista, f. s., & kuswanto, h. (2018). virtual physics laboratory application based on the android smartphone to improve learning independence and conceptual understanding. international journal of instruction, 11(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.12973/iji.2018.1111a bakar, i. s. a., sugiyarto, k. h., & ikhsan, j. (2019). the utilization of virtual reality on development of three dimensional visualisation on chemistry subject.  international journal on new trends in education and their implications, 10(3), 47–54. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 238 bernsten, k., palcios, r.c., & herranz, e. (2016). virtual reality and its uses – a systematic literature review. fourth international conference on technological ecosystems for enhancing multicultarity. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3012430.3012553 bowen, m. m. (2018). effect of virtual reality on motivation and achievement of middleschool students. the university of memphis, proquest dissertation publishing. burdea, c. g., & coiffet, p. (2003). virtual reality technology (2nd ed., p.35). new jersey: wiley & sons. çankaya, s. (2019). use of vr headsets in education: a systematic review study. journal of educational technology & online learning, 2(1), 74-88. christou, c. 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(2021). immersive virtual reality in k-12 and higher education: a systematic review of the last decade scientific literature. virtual reality, 25, 835-861. perez-lopez, d. & contero, m. (2013). delivering educational multimedia contents through an augmented reality application: a case study on its impact on knowledge acquisition and retention. the turkish online journal of educational technology, 12(4), 19-28. pirker, j., dengel, a., holly, m., & safikhani, s. (2020). virtual reality in computer science education: a systematic review. in 26th acm symposium on virtual indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 241 reality software and technology. association for computing machinery, new york, usa, article 8, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1145/3385956.3418947 radianti, j., majchrzak, t. a., fromm, j. & wohlgenannt, i. 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(2020). the effect of using virtual reality in 6th grade science course the cell topic on students’ academic achievements and attitudes towards the course. journal of turkish science education, 17 (1), 109-125. saritas, m. t. (2015). chemistry teacher candidates’ acceptance and opinions about virtual reality technology for molecular geometry. educational research and reviews, 10(20), 2745-2757. shim, park & kim (2003). application of virtual reality technology in biology education, journal of biological education, 37(2), 71-74. sirakaya, m., & sirakaya, d.a. (2018). trends in augmented reality studies: a systematic review. malaysian online journal of educational technology, 6(2). smith, s.j., farra, s., ulrich, d.l., hodgson, e., nicely, s., & matcham, w. (2016). learning and retention using virtual reality in a decontamination simulation. nurs educ perspect, 37(4), 210-214. soni, s., & dubey, s. (2018). towards systematic literature review of e-learning. international journal of scientific research in computer science, engineering and information technology, 3(3). stone, h., li, m., ritter iii, k.a., & chambers, t.l.(2020). virtual reality: authentic and immersive learning in the science classroom. international journal for innovation education and research, 8(8), 101-111. https://doi.org/10.31686/ijier.vol8. iss8.249 suleman, m., sugiyarto, k.h., & ikhsan, j. (2019). development of media three dimensional (3d) visualization using virtual reality on chemistry education. journal of physics: conference series. doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1397/1/012034 tatli, z., & ayas, a. (2013). effect of a virtual chemistry laboratory on students’ achievement. educational technology & society, 16(1), 159-170. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 242 uman l. s. (2011). systematic reviews and meta-analyses. journal of the canadian academy of child and adolescent psychiatry, 20(1), 57–59. ünal, e. (2019). web 2.0 technologies supporting problem-based learning: a systematic literature review. journal of problem based learning in higher education, 7(1), 25–50. https://doi.org/10.5278/ojs.jpblhe.v7i1.2845 verma, p., kumar, r., tuteja, j., & gupta, n. (2021). syatematic review of virtual reality and its challenges. proceedings of the third international conference on intelligent communication technologies and virtual mobile networks (icicv 2021). ieee xplore part number: cfp21ong-art; 978-0-7381-1183-4 wang, h. (2019). application of virtual reality technology in physics experiment teaching. journal of physics: conference series, 1345(6), 266-271. doi 10.1088/1742-6596/1345/6/062013 yildiz, e. p., alkan, a., & cengel, m. (2020). current trends in education technologies research worldwide: meta-analysis of studies between 2015 and 2020. new trends and issues proceedings on humanities and social sciences, 7(1), 47–62. https://doi.org/10.18844/prosoc.v7i1.4867 (original work published july 2, 2020) yadav, a., & tomar, s. (2017). virtual reality: a technology of illusion. international journal of engineering research and technology, 5(3). youngblut, c. (1998). educational uses of virtual reality technology (technical report no. ida document d-2128). institute for defense analyses. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 247 book review media literacy keys to interpreting media messages indian edition art silverblatt, anubhuti yadav & vedabhyas kundu  kanishka publishers and distributors, new delhi, india, 2022 pp. x+241, isbn: 978-93-91450-18-2 abhay kumar shukla academic consultant, central institute of educational technology (ciet) national council of educational research and training (ncert), new delhi, email: abhayshukla.pmevidya@gmail.com media literacy is one of the new-age phenomena like the ones emerging post-globalization. some of them are information literacy, digital literacy, financial literacy, cultural literacy, etc. some of these types can be subsumed under the term literacy as a skillbased extension of the literacy skills. media literacy has emerged from the extension of the term media, the plural form of medium. the term media has transcended its narrow sense and developed into a metaphor for what marshall mcluhan refers to as the phrase ‘extension of man’. the evolution of media has been organic in nature where it has evolved itself into different semiotic systems for communication. these semiotic systems collectively referred to as media have also created a socio-cultural context in an organic and mutual relationship with our pre-existing linguistic contexts. media, therefore, is not delimited to the role of medium, but it has become an extension of our language. the idea of media literacy is the result of this evolutionary process of the organic and mutual relationship between media and language.      media literacy like other types of literacies is generally characterised as the ability to understand, analyse, evaluate, appreciate, and create media in different forms. media literacy, therefore, includes skills to create messages using various forms of media for a variety of purposes. with the recent developments in media, these skills also require critical ability to understand the role of media in society and the multifaceted function of the messages. media literacy thus includes the competence of critical interpretation. the skill of critical interpretation is essential to decode the media messages. the volume in review is the indian edition of the book entitled, media literacy: keys to interpreting media messages by prof. art silverblatt, prof. anubhuti yadav, and dr vedabhyas kundu is an outcome of the project titled digital international media literacy education (dimle). originally the book was published in 1995 as the first edition by greenwood publishing group. the indian edition of the book appeared as an e-edition in 2018 and was subsequently published as a print edition in 2022. the indian edition of this volume is simply divided into seven chapters unlike the international edition which is organised into four parts and thirteen chapters therein. with a snapshot of the content, it is evident that the indian edition of the volume is entirely a new re-creation of the text and therefore, it is organised accordingly. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 248 chapter one, introduction to media literacy presents an illustrative discussion on the basic concepts, e.g. elements of media literacy, obstacles to media literacy, affective nature of various types of media, and issues related to the levels of meaning and messages. the chapter successfully initiates the reader into the subject and also helps to conclude the lessons by providing a brief and crisp summary of the content. chapter two entitled process overview: elements of communication discusses technical aspects of communication and media by revisiting the different models of communication and mass communication, audience preference, audience, media multitasking, and audience reception theory. the chapter also presents the reader with some media literacy tips. this section of the volume is a little longer due to its content, however, the presentation of the content is lively and lucid and finally, all is supplemented with a summary. the third chapter refers to the subtitle of the volume, i.e. keys to interpreting media messages deals with vital topics like historical context, stages of evolution, the evolution of media systems, and systems approach to media history followed by a summary of the chapter. the content is brief yet it presents all the important issues clearly and concisely way that makes the book easy to read especially for a reader from a non-media background. the fourth chapter entitled cultural context deliberates on the issues related to the media and culture. it discusses the relationship between media and popular culture, the opportunity agenda, and the mutual relationship between media and culture. the fifth chapter with its title media structure highlights the issues of the impact of the consolidation of media ownership on content and also the issue of copyright. the presentation and deliberation of the content are quite illustrative and interesting. most of the description involves cases and examples from the indian context that suffice the relevance of this volume. the sixth chapter entitled keys to interpret media messages: framework is another vital addition to the issues presented in chapter three with similar titles having different contents. this section begins with media literacy tips, the function of the genre and evolution of genre and a conclusion for discerning keys to interpreting media messages followed by a summary of the chapter content. the seventh and the last chapter is titled production elements highlights the media elements like colour, lighting techniques, shape, scales, relative position, movement, angle, cutline, word choice, and manipulation of messages. the contents of the chapter primarily designed for the students of media are presented lucidly and therefore, despite the use of media jargon, the text remains readable for a common reader also. the illustrations used in the descriptions are of mixed variety; drawing from both indian as well as international contexts. the chapter ends with a summary of the contents. the volume ends with endnotes including video sources, graph sources and image sources and also an index. the present volume, similar to its original counterpart, seems to have used the endnote approach to avoid putting a lengthy bibliography at the end that could have been cumbersome and confusing especially for a common reader. however, the present volume has skipped the section on suggested reading for unknown reasons which could have been a good help for the readers. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 249 the indian edition of the volume media literacy: keys to interpreting media messages by prof. art silverblatt, prof. anubhuti yadav, and dr vedabhyas kundu is concise yet comprehensive, clear yet interesting, and introductory yet vast in capturing and providing information on media literacy. it is also successful in its adaptive recreation of the content to suit the indian readers. it has become a different book altogether and therefore, a reader having read the original international edition of the book, can venture into reading this one without any loss of interest. the book is equally useful for media students as well as a common reader intending to explore the nuances of media and media literacy. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 283 review article conceptualizing digital divide and identifying factors of digital exclusion in higher education through systematic literature review vijay shree jaiswal1 & dharmendra k. sarraf2 1research scholar, department of education, doctor harisingh gour vishwavidyalaya, sagar, (m.p.) emailjshree.veeju@gmail.com 2assistant professor, department of education, doctor harisingh gour vishwavidyalaya, sagar, (m.p.) abstract our civilization is being transformed by information and communication technology. over the last two decades, technology has permeated every element of our social and cultural life. the use of internet-enabled devices is fast rising, making online surfing, access to social media and cross-border communication easier. these new technologies are making educational resources more accessible to individuals all across the world. icts have long been recognized as an important and critical condition for overcoming social exclusion since they contribute to improved education, governance, and health care, and hence may function as a facilitator for social inclusion. however, the rise of icts has not benefitted everyone equally. digital exclusion occurs when some digital technologies contribute to constraints and exclusion from community engagement. this research attempts to demonstrate how the variables responsible for social exclusion contribute to digital exclusion, which in turn contributes to the extension of socioeconomic supremacy in education. the purpose of this study is to highlight the basic issues surrounding digital exclusion, which is currently in its early phases of research. keywords: digital divide, digital & social exclusion, and higher education. introduction education is regarded as the foundation of any country, and every citizen has a full (fundamental) right to receive a quality education. it can change the life of an individual by reducing poverty and improving health, gender equality, peace, and stability in their life (world bank, 2022). when we look at education beyond its traditional confines, we find it at the centre of all our actions. whatever we do, we know and whatever we know has been learned either by instruction or observation and assimilation. education is important and cohesive in society, which is why society and knowledge can never be separated. a proper education aids in our empowerment. it is the most powerful tool for social transformation (justice watch foundation, n.a.; mohan, 2012). education has the potential to transform society by providing opportunities and experiences that prepare individuals to adapt to the changing needs of society. education is also seen as a tool for bridging the gap between rich and poor. it is thought to bring equality; more precisely can bring equity  to everyone and provide a fair playing field. as a result, every country’s first priority has been education. it serves as a tool for achieving equality among the country’s citizens (walker et. all, 2019). as a result, the constitution of india mandates free and compulsory primary education for all. education is a constantly changing and evolving indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 284 process. to remain relevant in today’s society, educational methods and formats must evolve alongside it. we are living in the 21st century, which is known as the ‘digital era’, which is an example of educational evolution and the people who live in it (particularly the educational personnel) are known as ‘digital natives’. as we know, the method and techniques of education are evolving over time, and the emergence of ict and e-learning is the most significant change of this era. in the last two decades, technology has infiltrated virtually every aspect of society and our social and cultural lives. we are living in a hightech worldwide culture, and ict may be found almost everywhere (warschauer, 2003). the usage of internet-enabled devices, which facilitate web browsing and give access to social media and cross-border communication, is rapidly increasing (baranghi & sheth, 2014). these new technologies enable more people around the world to gain access to educational learning resources. in the past few decades, ict has affected the educational environment at all levels to enable learners to achieve the set educational goals. higher education is comparatively more affected one among these. higher education of high quality and relevance can provide students with the knowledge, skills, and competencies they need to succeed in life. in india, it is improving over time, and technology is playing a significant role. the government and private sectors of india have taken a number of important steps to promote e-learning in higher education. edusat satellite, national mission on education through information and communication technology, national program on technology enhanced learning, virtual labs, e-yantra, e-shodh sindhu, e-pg pathshala, shiksha.com, and others are among these measures (kaushal, n., n.a.). when we see ict in the higher education context, it is embedded in the form of virtual learning environment (sims, vidgen & powell, 2008). the massive open online courses (moocs) and other video conferencing technologies are used by/in several universities to provide multimodal instruction that transcends time and space (khaliet l., 2016). icts have for long been regarded as a “necessary and key condition for overcoming social exclusion (since they contribute towards) improved education, government, and health care, too, and thus can be a multiplying factor for social inclusion” (warschauer, 2003, p. 30). icts have not, however, benefited everyone. there is an existence of digital exclusion in the society. it was addressed in the european union’s research and innovation programme named “platform for ict for learning and inclusion” as an notion. for certain persons, digital technologies result in limits and exclusion from community engagement; this process is known as digital exclusion (european commission, 2014). there are two terms, ‘barriers’ and ‘divide’, which are used to describe digitally excluded persons and it also refers to the same set of variables that cause social exclusion. however, there is a scarcity of facts and expertise when it comes to digital exclusion in education (khalid, 2014). conceptual discussion e-learning with the introduction of the computer and internet in the late 20th century, e-learning tools and delivery methods expanded. the first mac in the 1980s enabled individuals to have computers in their homes (the evolution and history of e-learning, n.a.). according to dr. nandita kaushal “a learning system based on formalized teaching but with indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 285 the help of electronic resources is known as e-learning”. she also stated that e-learning is facilitated and supported by ict to enable people to learn from anywhere and anytime. that means learning based out of class with the help of electronic devices, i.e. computers, mobile phones & internet, is known as e-learning (the economic times, 2022). it has different meanings in different contexts. here, the researchers see it in the higher education context; it relates to the internet-based flexible distribution of information and educational programming (campbell, 2004). it also characterized by active learner-centered pedagogies (harel, 1991; mcdougall & betts, 1997 in nicholson, 2007). digital divide the term ‘digital divide’ is defined as the distinction between those who have access to new information technologies and those who do not have it. those who have the access known as “haves” and those who do not are known as “have-nots”. there is a digital divide, but it is not as simple as haves and not haves. the distinction between high, medium, low, and nonusers will always exist (clark, 2003, p. 663; sims et al., 2008, p. 431). that is why this term is a debatable or can say disputed concept that nowadays is based on the simple question of owning or not owning. in other words a divide between those who can and cannot afford a computer over time (liebenberg et al., 2012). digital exclusion over the period of time, the definition of digital exclusion has evolved. earlier, it was limited to only the “user / non-user” distinction. now a more comprehensive examination of various levels of internet use and skill divisions exists (carnegie uk trust, 2016b cited in sanders, 2020). if we broadly define it, digital exclusion occurs when a segment of the population continues to have unequal access to and capacity to use ict, which is necessary for full participation in society (schejter, 2015; warren, 2007, cited in sanders, 2020). social exclusion according to collins dictionary, “social exclusion is the act of making certain groups of people within a society feel isolated and unimportant”. despite the fact that there is no universally agreed-upon definition or benchmark for social exclusion, lack of involvement in society lies at the heart of practically every definition proposed by academics.  overall, social exclusion refers to a situation in which people are unable to fully engage in economic, social, political, or cultural life, as well as the process that leads to and maintains that position (united nations, 2016, p. 18).in developing countries, social exclusion is widespread, paradoxical, and harsh. when ict is introduced into the picture, it tends to “exacerbate social exclusion” (phipps, 2000, in tambulasi, 2009, p. 120) by recreating “existing social networks of inclusion and exclusion” (david, 2003, p. 236 cited in tambulasi, 2009, p. 120). in developing nations, “unequal access to icts adds a new dimension to the social exclusion debate” (durieux, 2003, p. 22 cited in tambulasi, 2009, p. 120). the growing divides between the “haves and have nots”; the “information rich and information poor,” and the “knowledge rich/poor” are causes for concern (phipps, 2000, p. 40-1). the central argument of this paper is that most developing countries already have high levels of social exclusion due to a variety of factors such as poverty, gender discrimination, low education, rural residence, and government policies and institutions, and in this indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 286 sense, icts only widen and perpetuate this exclusion by highlighting the socioeconomic elitism that already exists in society (tambulasi, 2009, p. 119). this research aims to identify the factors that lead to digital exclusion and, as a result, social exclusion for particular members of society. the following research question guides this paper’s investigation of these issues: what factors play a role in social and digital exclusion in education? how these factors are reinforcing the current social classes? the paper contains two main sections. in the first section, selected articles are categorized and analyzed according to different time periods; this is followed by arguments and conclusions based on analysis in the first section. methodology digital exclusion is a relatively new idea, dating back only a decade or so. digital divide, internet access, material access, and other studies relating to this subject are limited. thorough literature research has been conducted in order to investigate the abovementioned concerns about digital and social marginalization. a total of thirty related research papers, dissertations, and a thesis were chosen for this study, with 10 research papers and theses being chosen based on their relevance to the goal of this work. these studies were specifically chosen to look at the evolution of arguments about the digital divide and digital exclusion over the last two decades. second, studies were chosen that would aid the author in a better understanding of the concept in developing countries, with a special emphasis on india. the papers were chosen using the ‘preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (prisma) flow diagram’ (moher et al., 2009), which consists of four steps: identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion (see figure 1). this approach identified three databases: google scholar, research gate, and sodhganga. different combinations of the keywords “higher education”, “digital exclusion”, “digital divide”, “e-learning” and “social exclusion” were used to search both abstracts and complete papers. figure-1: prisma flow diagram of selected reviews based on identified key words indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 287 during the search, approximately 100 papers were discovered, including both full-text and abstracts. in this study, 30 papers from the years 2000 to 2017 were chosen. other sources yielded a total of ten articles. after the duplicate article was removed, 35 articles remained. ten articles were chosen for screening based on their relevance to the study, such as the presence of more than two keywords, time period, and nation. articles from both developing, i.e. indonesia, india, china, south africa etc. and developed countries, i.e. uk, england, australia, america, britain, etc were picked. the education resources information center (eric) and emerald were also used as other sources to locate the other ten papers. finally, eight research papers were chosen, one of which is an m.phil. thesis. the publications were chosen for analysis based on their relevance to the research. qualitative analysis and interpretation of the articles overview of the articles the articles cover both developing and developed country’s experiences & evidence of digital exclusion and the digital divide, which in turn leads to social exclusion and socio-economic elitism in the higher education context/education. figure-2: source-wise distribution of research papers selected for the study the distribution of papers is as follows: two research papers derived from eric, one other from google scholar, three research papers taken from research gate, and one from science direct and one m.phil. the thesis is also included for analysis, which is published on sodhganga. all the research papers and the thesis are published in different journals as follows: one paper published in procedia social and behavioral sciences, one paper published in the south african journal of libraries and information sciences, one more paper published in communication of the association for information system, one other paper published in british educational research journal, other journal are information research: an international electronic journal, telecommunication policy & journal of information, communication and ethics in society. this is a complex and interdisciplinary research subject, as evidenced by the mix of different research fields. most of the research papers collected primary quantitative data with the support of qualitative data one research paper is a systematic literature review to understand the change in the concept of digital divide and digital exclusion. the list of articles/ indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 288 papers is given in the appendix section of the paper on the basis of qualitative analysis of the articles. systematic literature review the papers chosen span a wide spectrum of experiences and evidence connected to digital exclusion and its link to the growth of new social exclusion in developing and industrialized countries like south africa, england, india, the uk, australia, etc. in a study, khalid & pedersen (2016) attempt to identify the fundamental causes that lead to digital exclusion in higher education. they observed the reasons that lead to social exclusion also lead to digital exclusion, and these causes, in turn, result in social exclusion of those who are already marginalized, describing it as a ‘vicious cycle’. the observed factors are classified into three categories: digital exclusion which resulted from a lack of hardware devices & internet services, social exclusion which includes low income, lack of inspiration and commitment, ict – escaping as the norm, and mental and physical disability, and the third one is accessibility which includes differences in ict literacy and information literacy, as well as the divide between rural and urban locations. as per the analysis of their paper, these factors are layered and intertwined. the studies on the digital exclusion, digital divide and hurdles in the adoption of ict have found similar factors and reasons  in higher education, despite similarities these factors perceived differently in different circumstances and social contexts (khalid & pedersen, 2016). in another study, naidoo and raju (2012) found that african students at durban university of technology in information literacy courses varied in their ict competencies and owing differences in access and familiarity with computers and the internet. that is why they faced issues in attending that program. this study also revealed that “… inequitable computer access impacts on students’ abilities to function effectively in an online environment… students with diverse digital expertise in the same classroom poses a problem to teaching il, especially when the lesson includes online lessons”(naidoo and raju, 2012, p.38). according to them below three factors are the features of digital exclusion: 1. crisis of funds to provide computer hardware and pay for internet accessibility; 2. a lack of interaction (including psychopathic inability), self-belief, understanding, and/or motivation (and lack of opportunity to remedy this); and 3. lack of public internet access due to distance coupled with a lack of transportation or physical mobility. the same factors are found in the study of sims et al. (2008), which clearly indicates that the reasons for digital exclusion can be generalized or at the very least classified. they note two significant objections to e-learning as a means of increasing higher education enrollment. the first one is access to technology and the second one is learning’s applicability as a means of including a population that has previously been excluded from higher education. they concluded that “without particular measures to overcome the digital divide, current practices in higher education can only reinforce socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic and gender divides in access to higher education”. they also argued that lowering time and place barriers is a key part of including nontraditional students in higher education, and if students need to go to campus to use computer facilities, place barriers are not lowered, and time barriers are not lowered if facilities are not open 24/7 (sims et al. 2005, p.440). in contrast to the study of sims et al. (2008) in the study of gorard et al. (2000), the authors challenge the pre-argument indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 289 that time and space obstacles decreased by the use of learning technologies, and the researchers also investigate whether learning technologies and ict are being utilized to increase the number of “non-traditional students” in higher education. gorard et al. (2000) defined a “non-traditional student” as a student from a vulnerable group, who is exposed to a biased, elitist class attending higher education in their study. according to them, for pupils who are digitally and socially excluded, the usage of ict and its benefits (for example, access independent of time and geography) is not that beneficial. technology may also cause or exacerbate existing inequities to participate in lifelong learning. they also argued that the culture of ict is often youthful, white, middle-class, and male rather than the working-class, elderly, female, or ethnic minority. this leads to the conclusion that, in the short to medium term, access to the internet will be divided along socioeconomic, gender, and ethnic lines, with old patterns of exclusion remaining. lowincome groups are unable to use the internet due to a lack of skills and access to technology, and the cost of equipment and internet connectivity is unlikely to attract poorer populations. furthermore, as access patterns and the technology necessary for access evolve, individuals who are currently excluded will be forced to play catch-up (godard et al., 2000). these findings are corroborated by clarida (2015) findings, which show that organizational factors, such as course content or virtual learning environment navigation, have a greater influence on digital exclusion than intrinsic characteristics, such as individual technological skills. it demonstrates that the component of digital delivery in the university structure was more likely to induce exclusion than features of diverse students. according to the findings, digital exclusion cannot be anticipated or addressed by categorizing pupils based on gender, age, ethnicity, region, socioeconomic level, or educational background. age has little bearing on digital exclusion. however, younger and older students saw this exclusion differently; younger students perceived difficulty utilizing unfamiliar technology, but older students perceived it as a great learning experience. the findings of this research also suggested that “there is no typical attribute that is more closely associated with digital exclusion or inclusion of some form or other” (clarida et al., 2015, p.99). smeaton et al. (2017) in their study, explore the online information experiences of individuals who are experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage. the study tries to capture the lived experiences of digitally excluded personnel. they found that from having technological skills to being willing to move into various information realms, there are numerous issues to solve in order to enable socioeconomically disadvantaged folks to make use of online information. in this research paper, four themes emerged from analyzing the experiences of socioeconomic disadvantaged groups, which are: endless information journey, uncontrolled information space, inadequate information space & essential information space. an m.phil. thesis done by swalehin, m. (2010) based in india, discussed about four digital divides which are emerging in this new it environment. the first is an internal conflict between the technologically enabled rich and poor. the second linguistic cultural divide primarily exists between english and other languages. the third is the disparity in access to information technology between affluent and poor countries. “finally, there is the emergent intra-national phenomenon of the ‘digerati’, an affluent elite characterized by skills appropriate to informationindian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 290 based industries and technologies, by growing affluence and influence unrelated to the traditional sources of elite status, and by obsessive focus, especially among young people, on cutting edge technologies, disregard for convention and authority, and indifference to the values of traditional hierarchies” (swalehin, m., 2010, p. 177). tambulasi, r.i.c. (2009) is the last study that was examined in order to meet the goal of this work. he attempted to determine the extent to which icts serve as a tool to perpetuate social exclusion in developing nations and discovered that developing countries are already experiencing social exclusion, and icts exacerbate this social marginalisation and exclusion. he argued that “there is apathy in the use of ict facilities in most developing countries thereby making icts fail to perform as an instrument of integration”. people, despite the existence of ict infrastructure, prefer conventional modes of communication and information gathering in the majority of cases. he concluded that due to a lack of suitable ict networked infrastructure, indifference to the use of ict, and sustainability issues, ict infrastructure does not operate as a tool of social integration (tambulasi, 2009). discussion and suggestion researchers found that people who are socially disadvantaged are also digitally excluded regardless of the nation of origin (brown & czerniewicz, 2010; lane, 2009; warren, 2007). “there is a “vicious cycle” between social exclusion and digital exclusion, social exclusion leads to digital exclusion, which in turn perpetuates and exacerbates that social exclusion” (warren, 2007, p. 379). one measure of social exclusion is that the most disadvantaged social groups use icts the least (sims et al., 2008). the underlying causes of social exclusion can include “income deprivation, social deprivation including poor education or health, disengagement and marginalization (i.e. withdrawal and rejection), and local services: public and private, infrastructure” (warren, 2007, p. 378), low income, low motivation, and an accepted norm that ict is not necessary (sims et al., 2008). this is true within both developed and developing countries, including south africa (brown & czerniewicz, 2010; naidoo & raju, 2012), ‘india’ (swalehin, 2010) and the ‘usa’ (madigan & goodfellow, 2005). there are various perspectives on the digital divide. political scientists define the digital divide in terms of who rules and who is dominated. geographers examine the digital divide in terms of both geography and location. the digital divide is viewed as a technological issue by engineers. the digital divide is viewed by economists in terms of income, wealth, and poverty. sociologists define the digital divide as unequal access based on socioeconomic level, social class, ethnicity and race, caste, and gender. educators regard this  as a difficulty that must be overcome in order to market courses globally through distance education agreements. feminists claim that internet access is gendered (swalehin, m., 2010). e-learning, contrary to popular opinion, allows the inclusion of a bigger audience and mass education, but the reality is quite different. according to the arguments, people are encountering difficulties as a result of e-learning. according to walker et al., “inequalities of income are compounded with other inequalities of gender, ethnicity, disability, and geography to form a suffocating web of exclusion… in india, the median number of years of education girls from the poorest families receive is zero, compared to 9.1 years for girls from the richest families” (walker et al., 2019). india is a developing country, and indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 291 findings show that developing countries are already facing the issue of social exclusion. as per the recommendations of the new education policy, 2020, the indian education system is introducing digital technology at all levels of education. and the condition of india in terms of access to digital technology is very critical. according to a survey by the telecom regulatory authority of india (trai), total internet density in india was 49 per cent in 2018. rural area users accounted for 25 per cent, while urban area accounted for 98 per cent (trai, 2018). here, we see the vast gap in the data between rural and urban populations. one more latest data published by trai reflects that the country had over 1,160 million wireless customers in february 2020, which was up from 1,010 million in february 2016. according to the figures, urban customers increased by 74 million, while rural subscribers increased by 86 million (trai, 2020). this suggested an increase in basic telecom facilities rather than digital progression. india has one of the world’s largest gender discrepancies too. according to the gsma’s (global system for mobile communication) 2020 mobile gender gap report, only 21 per cent of women in india utilize mobile internet, compared to 42 per cent of men. according to the survey, in india, 79 per cent of men own a cell phone while only 63 per cent of women do (gsma, 2020 in byju’s, n.a.). having internet facilities or access does not guarantee that one can use it. in this reference data shows that only 40 per cent of the indian pupils in the age group of 15 to 29 years had basic digital literacy (nso report; the hindu, 2020, 08 sep.). without a concerted effort to bridge the digital divide, the socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, and gender divides will only widen (sims et al., 2005). after having looked at the above analysis, as a researcher, my measure concern is how we can fill this digital exclusivity gap? i want to give some suggestions which can be used to overcome these issues: y the government should focus on the development of network infrastructure in educational institutions, i.e. universities, colleges, etc., in public places with special reference to rural areas. y education and training should be given to students to search and find the needed information. y appropriate action to ensure the sustainable integration of the socially excluded groups. y charitable organizations can work in this field. they can provide recycled computers in minimal amounts or free to low-income households. this can be combined with wifi too. because the barrier of time and place is an essential factor in including  nontraditional students in higher education. etc. conclusion social inequality is a worldwide phenomenon, and it is necessary to comprehend and challenge the digital inequities that exist among students, affluent and poor, rural and urban, and in private and public schools. the widely held notion that digital technology would erase all injustices is based on an unrealistic vision. it is critical to recognize that social and digital inequalities cannot be eliminated only through the internet. this paper focuses on finding the factors that result in digital exclusion and, in turn, social exclusion of some people of the society. this extensive literature results indicate that there exist digital disparities in society. these discrepancies are created by the same factors that cause socioeconomic inequality, i.e. low income, vulnerability, rural location etc. some other common indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 292 factors are also identified in the present study, i.e. lack of hardware devices, digital literacy, accessibility, motivation, internet access etc. this study also confirms that there is a ‘digital vicious cycle’ and access to icts is not enough or is not the only concern to delineate the vicious cycle. in this regard, poverty is prominent, or can say, crucial dimension to any kind/form of exclusion. these comprehensive literature review findings are critical for policy purposes; policymakers may utilize the findings to implement suitable interventions to assure the socially excluded groups’ long-term integration. 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(2004). technology and social inclusion: rethinking the digital divide. mit press. world bank (2022, 18 april). education overview. retrieved from http://www.worldbank.org/ en/topic/education/overview#1 appendix table-1: list of papers selected in present systematic literature review s . no. researcher name title of the paper/ thesis database journal 1. clarida, b. h. “strategies for digital inclusion: towards a pedagogy for embracing and sustaining students’ diversity and engagement with inline learning” eric journal of education 2. kathleen smeaton, christine s. bruce, hilary hughes & kate devis “the online life of individual experiencing socio economic disadvantage: how do they experience information?” eric information research: an international electronic journal 3. stephen gorard, neil selwyn & sara williams “must try harder! problems facing technological solution to non-participation in adult learning” g o o g l e scholar british educational research journal indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 295 4. julian sims, philip powell & richard vidgen ‘e-learning and the digital divide: perpetuating cultural and socioeconomic elitism in higher education’ r e s e a r c h gate communication of the association for information system 5. md. saifuddin khalid & mette jun lykkegaard pederson ‘digital exclusion in higher education context: a systematic literature review’ r e s e a r c h gate procedia social and behavioral sciences 6. segarani naidoo & jaya raju ‘impact of the digital divide on information literacy training in higher education context’ r e s e a r c h gate south african journal of libraries and information sciences 7. richard i. c. tambulai “pushed to the abyss of exclusion: ict and social exclusion in developing countries” academia/ s c i e n c e direct journal of information, communication and ethics in society 8. md. swalehin ‘digital divide: a sociological analysis’ sodhganga sodhganga indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 323 review article modelling dominant factors of technology acceptance in education: a systematic review analysis of indian studies pawan kumar sharma1; enid masih2 & shanti swaroop chauhan3 1research scholar, shuats, prayagraj email: paw_kum@yahoo.com 2associate professor, shuats, prayagraj 3assistant professor, shuats, prayagraj abstract the study aims to identify common external factors of the technology acceptance model (tam) that influence the adoption of digital education in india. the analysis included a systematic review of 20 independent indian research papers published in leading journals. this work summarizes existing knowledge in the areas of e-learning, m-learning, and learning management systems and their acceptance in education over the last decade. the results show that social influence, self-efficacy, result expectancy, content quality, and facilitating conditions are the most frequently used external factors. the strengths of the causal relationships between these 5 independent variables and the dependent variables of the main constructs of tams were developed into the conceptual model. india, with its diverse learning needs, is immensely benefiting from the latest advances in educational technologies. for effective implementation, it is important to understand how students and teachers in india perceive and use technology. the results of this study can help improve educational outcomes, benefiting not only india but also the global education community. the causal relationship developed serves as a reference for researchers working on educational technology and the further development of tam. keywords: technology acceptance model, digital education, ed-tech, india introduction in india, there has been a growing emphasis on integrating technology into education to enhance teaching and learning outcomes. edtech enables education institutions to be more dynamic and modern by using the latest trends in teaching and learning practices. according to a unesco report in april 2020, more than 1.5 billion students globally experienced disruptions in their education due to closure of schools and higher education institutions, and over half of these students faced challenges in accessing education through alternative means, often due to economic and technical limitations. therefore, as a response to this critical situation, a huge emphasis has been placed on digital education outlay in the union budget of india in fy 202223. notably, the allocation for samagra shiksha increased from rs 29,999 crore to rs 37,383 crore in 2022-23. similarly, the state allocation to strengthen digital teaching-learning increased from rs 340 crore to rs 550 crore. the government has initiated several programs and policies to promote digital literacy among teachers and students. many educators in india have embraced technology tools to engage students in innovative ways (moe-goi, 2020). digital tools such as interactive smart indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 324 boards, projectors, tablets, learning management systems multimedia content, and virtual labs have become integral parts of instructional practices. open and distance learning (odl) provides flexible and time-saving technology to meet the learning needs of students. ( kambris et al. (2022). therefore, it is interesting to investigate the significant external factors that enabled the acceptability of technology in the indian educational system. the valuable information obtained through systematic literature review would significantly benefit research endeavours. from a business perspective. the technology examined in the review analysis would inform investors about the digital innovations that are bringing changes to the indian education system. this systematic review analyzed selected research  papers to  identify  trends in the use of external factors, data analysis, methodology and technologies used.  the synthesis of these data through systematic analysis has led to the development of conceptual models that can serve as a baseline for future research on technology acceptance in indian education. therefore, the following research questions arise: 1. what are the dominant external factors used in the selected studies? 2. what statistical analysis and research methods were used in the selected studies 3. identifying significant causal relationships between the most used factors and tam constructs to develop a conceptual model. research background in the age of information technology, understanding technology adoption and acceptance is crucial. rapid changes in the development and implementation of education technologies are having far-reaching impacts on secondary and higher education institutions in india. an  important  part of technology integration is understanding why people use or reject new technologies. the technology acceptance model  (tam) is the main scientific model for understanding technology acceptance. technology acceptance model tam is generally referred to as the most influential and commonly used theory of information system by warshaw, davis, bagozzi (1989) . this initial model included two theoretical determinants, which are the perceived usefulness (pu) and perceived ease of use (peou) which results in behavioral intention to use technology. in 1996, venkatesh and davis, davis, f. d. et al. (1996), the tam model was adapted and proposed with the assertion that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use directly impact an individual’s intention to use the system. this initiative spearheaded the expansion of tam using external variables. the number of tam-related studies has increased dramatically since the outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic. figure-1: the original tam 1 (davis, 1986; 1989) indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 325 modification and extension of tam tam appears to be able to explain about 40-50 per cent of user adoption. as research progressed, the tam was modified and expanded to account for new factors that significantly influenced its two main variables, namely pu and peou. in 2000, davis and venkatesh, f.d. et al. (2000) proposed an extension of the model called tam2. in this version, the authors explain the perceived benefits considering social influence (subjective norm, voluntariness, and image), and instrumental cognitive process (relevance of work, quality of results and verifiability of results). the researchers have also developed and extended other tam-based models to better understand technology adoption behaviour. figure-2: tam 2 model (davis and venkatesh, 2000) in 2008, venkatesh and bala, bala, h. et al. (2008) released tam 3 model which included factors such as self-efficacy, computer anxiety, and computer playfulness, perception of external control, subjective enjoyment, and objective usefulness. in addition to tam 1 and tam 2, researchers have also developed and extended other tam-based models to better understand technology adoption behaviour. venkatesh et al. (2003) proposed a unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (utaut), providing a more comprehensive framework for explaining technology adoption behavior. four main concepts have been proposed that directly determine behavioural intentions: performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influences, and enabling conditions. additionally, behavioural intentions are predicted to be predictors of actual usage. a well-known information system model for evaluating technological success was developed by delonemclean, delone et al (1992). figure-3: unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (utaut) indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 326 even after more than  three decades, tam and advanced models have been research in the educational context and beyond. research methodology this study systematically reviewed existing published indian research articles and identified the dominant external factors influencing the adoption of technology in education. published research articles were selected based on the following: inclusion criteria: 1. the  research  should have mainly  focused  on the indian  education system. this includes research conducted within educational institutions in india or studies that investigated technology acceptance. 2. research papers should have used tam or extended tam models in an empirical study. 3. research  published  in  the last ten years (from 2013 to 2023). 4. scientific  articles and  scientific  papers from various journal databases and search engines. exclusion criteria: 1. studies not  related  to tam  and  its application in education. 2. non-peer-reviewed sources such as blog posts, news articles and opinions were not included. 3. research conducted in countries other than india 4. studies published before 2013 were considered outdated. 5. studies published in languages other than english were not considered as the journal is produced in english. these criteria were used to select the studies that were most relevant to the research question and could provide valuable information to formalize the conceptual model. data sources and search strategies the search examined a combination of keywords related to educational technologies (e-learning, m-learning, technology-enhanced learning, digital tools, etc.)) or the tam theory of indian education. articles published in reputable journal databases such as emerald publication, wiley, amity university press, springer, and international journal of library, information, networks and knowledge (ijlink) were inspected as part of search strategy. the search resulted in 35 documents from various magazines and the google search engine. a standardized table was created to systematically capture information from each selected study. the selected research articles were analyzed in detail based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria and tam in the context of indian education. based on these criteria, 15 research articles were excluded, and 20 research articles passed all screening and eligibility checks. the dominant external factors were selected based on the maximum frequency of occurrence in the selected research articles. once the common external factors were identified, studies were grouped by types of educational technologies and user types. the user types were divided into “teacher”, “student”, and “mixed”. the systematic review was carried out by analyzing the statistical significance level (p-value), correlation coefficient (r-value) and regression coefficients (β) as well as the strength of relationship between the external variables and the tam construct. finally, the study proposed an indian conceptual model indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 327 for technology acceptance in education was proposed. analysis of indian studies as mentioned in the methodology section, twenty indian educational research documents using tam and extended tam models were analyzed to answer the research questions. in the last decade, the indian government has launched several e-learning projects. initiatives like swayam and diksha are the dominant online learning platforms in this regard (singh, m, adebayo et al. (2021)). additionally, the advent of coronavirus has acted as a catalyst for increased reliance on online learning in 2020. “the collaboration between the indian institute of technology (iit) and the indian institute of sciences (iisc) offers online certificate programs through the national program on technology enhanced learning (nptel) platform”, chugh, n et al. (2023). even competitive exams like common university entrance test (cuet) and joint entrance examination (jee) are now  computer-based  assessments. therefore, it is important to understand the various factors that influence the adoption of online learning and the usage of digital tools in indian education. the selected research articles are divided into three tables according to the user type, i.e., teachers, students and mixed (students and teachers). each research article was evaluated based on parameters such as theoretical model, sample size, research area (e.g., school or higher education), applied statistical analysis and research approach. table-1: indian papers on acceptance of technology by teachers research (year) domain model technologies sample measures approach sharma.et al. (2020) higher tam2 online tools 235 multivariate quantitative sangeeta.et al. (2021) school utaut online tools 643 sem quantitative r bansal.et al. (2022) higher utaut lms 480 pls-sem quantitative bhatt. et al. (2020) higher tam zoom software 125 smartpls quantitative kolil. et al. (2022) higher utaut virtual labs 650 sem quantitative joy. et al. (2019) school tam ict tools   qualitative table-2: indian papers on acceptance of technology by students research (year) domain model technologies sample measures approach chahal. et al. (2022) higher tam e-learning 570 pls-sem quantitative  kampa. et al. (2023) higher tram m-learning 665 pls-sem quantitative chughs. et al. (2023) higher tam e-learning 384 sem quantitative indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 328 antontte. et al. (2019) higher tam e-learning 205 smart pls sem quantitative thakar, vaghela (2021) higher tam m-learning 112 multivariate quantitative kaur, gopal. (2022) higher tam e-learning 200 multivariate quantitative gupta. et al. (2021) higher tam e-learning 209 sem quantitative majumdar, rai (2021) higher utaut e-learning qualitative dubey, sahu (2022) higher tam tel 600 smart pls sem quantitative ratna, mehra (2015) higher tam e-learning 116 multivariate quantitative murari, rai (2022) higher tam e-learning 506 pls-sem quantitative table-3: indian papers on acceptance of technology by students and teachers research (year) domain model technologies sample stat, analysis approach mahindravada (2015) school tam digital tools 110 multivariate quantitative chatterjee. et al. (2020) school utaut m-learning 271 pls-sem quantitative duggal (2022) higher utaut e-learning 331 sem quantitative table-4. identification of dominant external factor/construct s. no external factors sub-classification indian studies reference frequency 1. social influence subjective norm (sn), playfulness (ply) [15],[16],[17],[20],[23],[26],[ 27],[30],[31],[33] 10 results the results of the analysis are shared below: identification of dominant external factor most of the articles reviewed were extensions of the original tam. only one paper has used the original tam with no external factors ratna, mehra (2015). it is worth mentioning that indian researchers have given different names under sub-classifications but can be broadly classified under commonly used main factors in extended tam theories. as per our meta-analysis, a total of 39 external factors were identified from 20 indian research papers. we have grouped them into 16 major factors based on common classification and similarities. the frequency of major external factors has been shared in table 4 and figure 4. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 329 2. self-efficacy computer experience (ce), computer competency (cc), anxiety (ax), habits (hb), optimism (ot), insecurity (ins), discomfort (dis), learns prior knowledge (lpk), learners prior experience (lpe), learner characteristics (lc), capability {cap), individual belief (ib), subjective interest (sin) [15],[18],[19],[20],[21],[23 ],[24],[25],[28],[29],[30],[3 1],[34] 13 3. facilitating condition management support (ms), training (tr), environment concern (ec), instructor quality (inq), instructor prompt feedback (ipf), institutional quality (inq), compatibility (com), resource availability (ra), institutional branding (inb) [16],[17],[19],[20],[21],[25],[ 28],[30],[31],[33] 10 4. result expectancy value belief (vb), performance expectancy (pe), effort expectancy (ee) [15],[16],[17],[20],[22],[33] 6 5. content quality content quality (cq) [17],[25],[30],[33],[34] 5 6. information quality information quality (iq) [34] 1 7. system quality system quality (sq) [34] 1 8. subject subject (sub) [18] 1 9. demographic factors demographic factors (df) [21] 1 10. enjoyment enjoyment (eny) [21],[30],[34] 3 11. interactivity interactivity (itv) [21] 1 12. hedonic motivation hedonic motivation (hm) [17],[20] 2 13. price value price value (pv) [22] 1 14. perceived risk perceived risk (pr) [22] 1 15. innovativeness innovativeness (ino) [23],[24],[26] 3 16. trustworthiness trustworthiness (tw) [29] 1 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 330 figure-4: dominant external factors influence on data studied as shown in figure 4 above, the most used external variables identified in the systematic review were social influence, self-efficacy, and facilitating conditions, followed by result expectancy and content quality. other  factors such as  information and system quality, demographic factors, subject, enjoyment, interactivity. hedonic motivation, price value, perceived risks, innovativeness, and trustworthiness received less attention, but are worth mentioning in our analysis. research samples and technologies used the current analysis showed that the largest sample proportion were students, which explains finding in the indian research studies. the students were mainly university students, which could be due to the covid-19 pandemic as they had no access to campus and had problems with equipment and techniques. only five research studies used teachers/lecturers as samples. three studies used a mixed sample of students and teachers. the largest sample used in the reviewed articles were 665 university students surveyed on the adoption of mobile learning, kampa, et al. (2023). also, 650 teachers surveyed for adopting the online virtual labs, kolil. et al. (2022). the smallest student sample size was 112 undergraduate students, which were included in the study by thakar, vagheli (2021). figure-5: division of sample type the most prevalent research technology in the selected studies was online learning (e-learning). in fact, the online platform was mainly used by various indian universities during the pandemic. other technologies have also gained importance in higher education, such as virtual laboratories and learning management systems. the  chart  below provides details of the various technologies used in our selected research papers. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 331 figure-6: recurrence of research technologies in indian studies analytic technique and research approach the most used research method was the quantitative approaches in eighteen indian studies and only two articles were qualitative in nature as shown in fig 7. figure-7: distribution of research approach in indian studies the most common quantitative method was structural equation modeling (sem) analysis, which used spss and amos tools. pls-sem analysis was equally used in the indian studies. multivariable regression analysis and smartpls were used in 4 studies each. the details of the quantitative methods used is represented in figure 8 below. figure-8: prevalent quantitative technique indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 332 development of conceptual model through casual relationship this section attempts to make a relationship between five identified dominant external factors and construct of technology acceptance models by reviewing the literature, tested models and data analysis by indian authors. the correlation coefficient (r value) and regression coefficients (β)  were used to determine the strength of the relationship between the variables. the correlation coefficient can vary between -1 and +1. the plus and minus signs indicate whether there is a positive or negative relationship. statistical significance between the independent variable and the dependent variable was recorded using the p value. sample sizes and values were collected to establish relationships using arithmetic means of all correlation coefficients. the causal relationship emerging  from our research analysis is presented below for each dominant external factor in this study: social influence: social influence is defined as the influence of neighbors’ perceptions on a person’s attitude toward technology adoption (venkatesh et al., 2003). it refers to the influence of social factors such as norms, opinions, and recommendations from peers, administrators, or other influential people on technology adoption decisions. from the selected studies, the following table summarizes a systematic analysis of relationship between two variables using a quantitative approach: table-5: association between si and tam constructs of selected indian studies indian research relationship n correlation value β p value significant sharma.et al. (2020) si>bi 235 0.216 p<0.05 yes sangeeta.et al. (2021) si>bi 643 0.21 p<0.05 yes r bansal.et al. (2022) si>bi 480 0.536 p<0.05 yes dubey, sahu (2022) si>bi 600 0.597 p<0.05 yes duggal (2022) si>bi 331 0.441 0.08 no sum of sample size 2289 average correlation value 0.413 kolil. et al. (2022) si>bi 650 0.179 p<0.05 yes antonetta. et al. (2019) si>bi 205 0.363 p<0.05 yes thakar, vaghela (2021) si>bi 112 0.09 0.274 no chahal. et al. (2022) si>pu 570 0.285 p<0.05 yes murari, rai (2022) si>pu 506 0.198 p<0.05 yes murari, rai (2022) si>peou 506 -0.06 0.1 no chahal. et al. (2022) si>peou 570 0.348 p<0.05 yes indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 333 the results sharma.et al. (2020), sangeeta.et al. (2021), r. bansal. et al. (2022), dubey, sahu (2022), kolil. et al. (2022), antonette. et al. (2019) found a significant relationship between social influence and behavioral intention to use technology in education. two studies by duggal [33] (2022), thakar, vaghela (2021) were unable to demonstrate this connection. as shown in table, 6 out of 8 studies (75 per cent) showed a positive and significant relationship between si and bi with an average correlation coefficient (r value) of 0.413. therefore, this hypothesis and relationship were supported and included as h1a in our conceptual model. the similar relationship has been established in several international studies luo n. et al. (2017), zhang m. et al. (2019) which asserts that social influence and subjective norms have a favorable positive impact on bi. the results for chahal. et al. (2022), murari and rai (2022) found a significant relationship between social influence and perceived usefulness of technology in indian education. from table 5 above, si and pu indicate a positive relationship with the value of the regression coefficient (β) ranging between 0.19 and 0.28. therefore, this hypothesis and relationship were supported and included as h1b in our conceptual model. according to murari, rai (2022), no significant relationship was found between social influence and the perceived ease of use of technology in education. however, chahal. et al. (2022) made this connection. because there is only one study that has demonstrated this association, we did not consider it significant and have not included it in our conceptual model. result expectancy: this factor is important if the user is satisfied with their willingness to use the system and also depends on the user's desired level of success in using the system. teachers are more likely to accept and implement online learning or educational technologies when they see tangible evidence of their effectiveness in achieving desired educational outcomes or improving student outcomes. from the selected studies, the following table summarizes a systematic analysis of relationship between two variables using a quantitative approach: table-6: association between re and tam constructs of selected indian studies indian research relationship n r β p value significant sharma.et al. (2020) re>bi 235 0.48   p<0.05 yes sangeeta.et al. (2021) re>bi 643 0.144   0=0.03 yes r bansal.et al. (2022) re>bi 480 0.61   p<0.05 yes duggal (2022) re>bi 331 0.456   p<0.05 yes sum of sample size   1689       average correlation value   0.38       kolil. et al (2022) re>bi 650   0.212 p<0.05 yes chatterjee. et al. (2020) re>bi 271   0.32 p<0.05 yes analysis of selected indian studies revealed a significant relationship between result expectancy (re) and behavioral intentions (bi) regarding the indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 334 use of technology in indian education. all the 6 studies shown in the above table have a positive relationship between these two constructs, with an average correlation co-efficient (r-value) of 0.385 and a regression coefficient (β) in the range of 0.21-0.32. therefore, this hypothesis and relationship were supported and included as h2a in our conceptual model. similar relationship has been observed in the international studies (nikolopoulou et al., 2021a), (hu et al,,2020) , the greater is result expectancy, the faster the adoption of mobile learning in education. content quality (cq): this concept was introduced by wang,y.s ,2003. this construct explains that the content of an information system is important to its educational success. high-quality content (audio, video, and visual elements) is often considered as an important factor influencing technology adoption in education. from selected studies, the following table summarizes a systematic analysis using a quantitative approach of the relationship of the independent factor of content quality with the various dependent factors of tam model: table-7: association between cq and tam constructs of selected indian studies indian research relationship n r β p value significant r bansal.et al. (2022) cq>bi 480 0.497 p<0.05 yes duggal (2022) cq>bi 331 0.49 0.159 p<0.05 yes sum of sample size 811 average correlation value 0.494 chughs. et al. (2023) cq>pu 384 0.748 p<0.05 yes murari, rai (2022) cq>pu 506 0.107 p=0.016 yes murari, rai (2022) cq>peou 506 -0.301 p=0.26 no the results of r bansal.et al. (2022) and duggal (2022) found a significant relationship between content quality (cq) and behavioral intention (bi) to use the technology in education. two studies found a positive relationship between these two constructs with an average correlation coefficient (r value) of 0.494. therefore, this hypothesis and relationship were supported and included as h3a in our conceptual model. the results of chughs. et al. (2023) and murari, rai (2022) found a significant positive relationship between content quality (cq) and perceived usefulness (pu) of technology in indian education with regression coefficients (β) equal to 0.107 and correlation coefficient (r value) of 0.748. therefore, this hypothesis and relationship were supported and included as h3b in our conceptual model. similar international studies have shown that quality of content significantly influences pu. (sami saeed binyamin, rutter, & smith, 2019; mailizar et al., 2021; salloum et al., 2019). the result of murari, rai (2022) found no significant relationship between content quality and perceived ease of use of the technology in education. therefore, we did not include this relationship in our conceptual model. self-efficacy (se): self-efficacy is “the degree to which a person believes that he or she is indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 335 capable of performing a particular task/ work at the computer,” according to one definition. from the selected studies, the following table summarizes a systematic analysis of relationship between two variables using a quantitative approach: table-8 association between se and tam constructs of selected indian studies indian research relationship n r β p value significant sharma.et al (2020) se>bi 235 0.026   0.68 no dubey, sahu (2022) se>bi 600 0.506   p<0.05 yes  kampa. et al. (2023) se>peou 665 0.457   p<0.05 yes bhatt. et al. (2020) se>peou 125 0.74   p<0.05 yes chahal. et al. (2022) se>peou 570   0.603 p<0.05 yes murari, rai (2022) se>peou 506   0.205 p<0.05 yes bhatt. et al. (2020) se>pu 125 0.66   p=0.19 no mahindravada [ (2015) se>pu 139 0.576   p=0.434 no chahal. et al. (2022) se>pu 570   0.231 p<0.05 yes  kampa. et al. (2023) se>pu 665 0.428   p>0.05 no murari, rai (2022) se>pu 506   -0.005 p=0.403 no kaur, gopal. (2022) se>pu 300   0.935 p<0.05 yes chughs. et al. (2023) se>pu 384 0.633   p>0.05 no the results of sharma.et al. (2020) found no significant relationship between selfefficacy (se) and behavioral intention (bi) to use the technology in education. dubey, sahu (2022) had established the relationship between self-efficacy (se) and behavioral intention (bi). but no other indian study found a positive relationship between these two constructs in our analysis, hence we did not include this relationship in our conceptual model. the results of kampa. et al.  (2023), bhatt. et al. (2020), chahal. et al. (2022), murari, rai (2022) found a significant positive relationship between selfefficacy (si) and the perceived ease of use (peou) of technology in indian education with regression coefficient (β) range from 0.20 to 0.60. therefore, this hypothesis and relationship were supported and included as h4a in our conceptual model. similarly international research has shown positive relationship between these two factors in (chang et al., 2017 ; ejdys, 2021;salloum et al., 2019 ; salloum & shaalan, 2018). as shown in the table above, 5 out of 7 studies found no relationship between self-efficacy (se) and perceived usefulness (pu) of technology in education. we, therefore, did not include this relationship between these two constructs in our conceptual model. facilitating conditions: the facilitating conditions (fc) is “the extent to which a person believes that an organization exists that supports the system and technical infrastructure.” (venkatesh et al., 2003, p. 453). adequate facility conditions, such as reliable internet connectivity, appropriate hardware and software, technical support, and training opportunities, can indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 336 have a positively impact on teachers and students’ acceptance of online learning or educational technology. from the selected studies, the following table summarizes a systematic analysis of relationship between two variables using a quantitative approach: table-9: association between fc and tam constructs of selected indian studies indian research relationship n r value β p value significant sangeeta.et al. (2021) fc >bi 643 0.39 p=0.04 yes r bansal.et al. (2022) fc >bi 480 0.532 p<0.05 yes dubey, sahu (2022) fc >peou 600 0.502 p<0.05 yes sum of sample size 1723     average correlation value 0.47   kaur,gopal (2022) fc >bi 300   0.716 p<0.05 yes kolil. et all. (2022) fc >bi 650   -0.105 p=0.128 no duggal (2022) fc >peou 331 0.217 p<0.05 yes bhatt. et al. (2020) fc >peou 125   0.316 p<0.05 yes the results of sangeeta.et al. (2021), r bansal.et al. (2022), dubey, sahu (2022) sharma.et al. (2020) and kaur, gopal. (2022) found a significant relationship between the facilitating condition and behavioral intention to use the technology in education but kolil. et al. (2022) could not establish a connection. regarding the association between fc and bi, 4 out of 5 (80 per cent) reported a positive and significant association between these two constructs. with an average correlation coefficient (r value) of 0.47. therefore, this relationship was supported and included as h5a in our conceptual model. according to a global study, a supportive environment has a positive impact on behavioral intentions, (jairak et al., 2009 ; tseng et al., 2019 ) the results of duggal (2022), bhatt. et al. (2020) found a significant relationship between environment i.e., facilitating conditions and perceived ease of use of technology in indian education. the two constructs have regression coefficient value (β) range from 0.21 to 0.32. therefore, this relationship was supported and included as h5b in our conceptual model. the default hypotheses of tam theoretical model establishing the relationship between pu, peou and bi were included in our conceptual model as h6, h7 and h8. the recommended research model based on the systematic review analysis of indian research articles and the causal association between five dominant external factors and tam constructs is presented below: indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 337 figure-9: conceptual framework based on systematics review analysis conclusion and future scope numerous review studies have been conducted on the use of technology in education using the tam model at the international level. however, there is no review study on the most commonly used external factors for technology adoption in indian education. therefore, this study analyzed 20 recent research articles to develop a conceptual model for technology adoption in the indian education system. the research used 39 factors, which were grouped into 16 main external factors. based on the frequency of use, social influence, result expectancy, content quality, self-efficacy and facilitating condition were found to be the most used external factors. to confirm hypothesis and relationship between external factors and tam dependent variables, the author analyzed the correlation (r value), path coefficient (β value) and significance value (p value) between the two constructs. these accepted relationships are incorporated into our conceptual model, as depicted in figure 9. the significance of these findings has potential to influence educational policies, strategies, and practices in india. understanding these factors can help higher education institutions to design effective online learning environments, promote digital inclusion, and improve the quality of education. in addition, it can be used in secondary education as these external variables can guide tailored interventions and help in implementation of large digital education products in various states of the country. the next step is to empirically test this conceptual model with teachers, students, and other technology users to use it as a predictive tool. the model can be improved or modified as per the participant’s behavior and their demographic positions. as new technologies continue to evolve and the diversity of educational contexts increases, there are many opportunities for further research to deepen our understanding of technology adoption and use in education. the intersection of education and technology is a dynamic and constantly evolving field. the importance of this paper goes beyond the scope of this study as it lays the foundation for future research aimed at assessing technology adoption, particularly given the growing interest in india. additionally, this research will be a valuable resource of information for researchers interested in development and implementation of digital educational technologies in india. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 338 references modgil s, dwivedi y,rana n,gupta s,kamble s.(2022),”has covid-19 accelerated opportunities for digital entrepreneurship? an indian perspective, “technological forecasting and social change, volume 175 [1] mtebe, j.s. and raisamo, r. 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[crossref] [pubmed] [50] indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 346 review article post-pandemic research on students perception towards online education environment tarika nandedkar1 & nidhi jhawar2 1associate professor, ips academy, ibmr 2associate professor, ips academy, ibmr emailjhawarnidhi30@gmail.com abstract after the right to education was passed in 2009, india is continuously working on strengthening its education sector, offering free and compulsory education and this progress is significantly affected by the outbreak of covid-19 pandemic. education during covid-19 was totally dependent on the digital infrastructure that include internet, laptops and smartphones along with the edtechs’. this change brings an opportunity for every stakeholder of education system to adopt new and innovative techniques to rebuild and reshape education system. digital format of education system did not stop post covid-19, however it has an addition to the traditional teaching pedagogy. during the pandemic it was a forced implementation and post pandemic it has become the new normal. this research paper tries to identify the post covid perception of students toward online teaching learning environment of the b-schools. six factors of b-schools environment are considered in this research and the factors are teaching and learning through online mode and its effectiveness, evaluation process, institutes administration, teacher as a facilitator and extracurricular activities. the descriptive study is conducted and data was collected from 430 management students of various b-schools of madhya pradesh. hypothesis has been framed keeping in loop all the six factors of b-school environment. the research concludes the positive perception of students toward online teaching learning environment of the b-schools thus irrespective of pandemic the online education system could be implemented in the new normal. keywords: online education, technology, covid-19, b-schools, education environment introduction education is the basic human right and foundation to build peace and sustainable development. several exciting trends and technologies have been introduced in the 21st century’s education ecosystem. this renewal is the result of covid-19 outbreak. technology driven education has enabled communication, collaboration & learning to the distant location too. the covid-19 has impacted each and every sector & so on the education sector as well. unexpected influx of this pandemic shut down the institute & forced to transit from contact to online learning. in a diminutive period, every industry is exposed to the online platform as per the demand of prevailing circumstances. many of the education institutes begun to offer education remotely (kamanetz 2020). learning cannot be stopped so, irrespective of the outcome massive adoption and innovation is done by the educators and into the education system. as a consequence, a lot of innovation & creativity has stimulated into the education sector. reach of the technology to the weaker section of indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 347 the society is the major concern of this modern ecosystem. covid-19, in other ways, can be considered an opportunity for real changes. the pandemic was global & affected severely to all parts of the world. this provides an opportunity for educators & learners to rethink & reshape the education opposite to the outdated model. without taking much time, everything was implemented in a short span of time & with rapid adoption. this crisis-driven opportunity should bring significant transformation in all aspects of education, such as teacher, learner, assessment, location, platforms, and so on. due to the pandemic educators & learners both were not available at contact places so, the e-education imparted in synchronous and asynchronous mode (agarwal et al. 2020). in the synchronous mode, teachers and students meet online at the same time and on the same platform, ignoring the geographical distance. the systematic time table is followed and teaching learning process takes place with real time knowledge sharing and immediate access to all the information and queries (amiti, f. 2020). asynchronous mode is more flexible in comparison to synchronous mode. in this mode of e-learning ready to study material is provided to the students in form of video lectures, articles & ppt’s on various online platform like moodle. this material is accessible anytime anywhere. along with the ready to study material, assessment is also conducted through giving a submission time frames by using eassessment platforms such as testmoz & google doc. questionnaires. to cope with these changes were not easy at early stages of e-education implementations. however, with guidance & mentoring from the experts and practicing these platforms made the path easy & comfortable (bashir et al. 2021). covid-19 has significantly changed the entire ecosystem. a rare opportunity of implementation of tech-based education has been seen during these circumstances. fundamental changes are instigated in school & college education so as the behaviour of educator & learner has also changed. covid-19 was first identified december 2019 in wuhan, china as a respiratory infection disease. gradually the covid-19 outbreak outstretched all over the world & complete lockdown is ordered by the government of india as well. the situation was under controlled and slowly the lockdown was open in phases however the education institutes were still on an online mode. in april 2021 again a new variant of covid-19 i.e., delta variant has been found, a complete lockdown in declared in india and it lasted till june 2021 after the vaccination drive started for 18 & above citizens. however, the vaccination for below 18 years was started from jan. 2022. the colleges have been started with 50 per cent capacity at a time and 50 per cent on online platform & the same is implemented for senior secondary school students. finally, the academic session july 2022 started with contact classes for school & college students. these fluctuations in education sector have changed the mindset of educators and learners. the entire system such as teaching & learning, evaluation process, filed visits, practical session witnessed the changes during covid-19 & post covid-19 too. thus, this study is an attempt to understand the students’ perception towards b-school education environment in post covid-19 scenario. the study identified certain factors such as teaching and learning through online mode and its effectiveness, evaluation process, institutes administration, teacher as a facilitator and extracurricular activity; students’ perceptions on these factors of education environment is analysed. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 348 the paper discusses the most recent experiences of transition period of education system due to covid-19. these tech-based changes could not get a grip if implemented before this pandemic. literature review to find the research gap & to uphold the objective of current research, the review of literature is conducted. the study of previous researches helped to identify the impacting factors of covid-19 on education environment. the review is summarised and discussed in this section of the study. covid-19 & education environment india, the country has immense opportunity in each and every domain & to grab the opportunities special set of skills to be inculcated in an individual through proper education. education environment includes school, colleges, teachers, learners, courses, extracurricular activities etc (lawrence et al. 2021). unpredictable changes in educational environment have been seen that have been proposed before covid-19 but were never executed completely (zhao & watterston 2021). due to number of factors the new regimes in education system are not completely implemented especially in india. significant changes are reflected during covid-19 and post covid-19 in education scenario and conclusion can be drown that socio-economic factor is playing important role in the techbased education system. deprived segment of the society may be under stressed due scarcity of the techbased resources (di pietro et al. 2020). reimagining education & executing the same has been only possible with this pandemic. however, this technology driven education should not undermine the privacy & shall connect to all corners of the planet ignoring the caste, gender, economic status etc. (zhao & watterston 2021). as the rise of digital world in education sector has removed all the geographical barriers so, this age of smart machines requires more dynamic and creative students to meet the global competencies (zhao 2012). education environment as a whole has several aspects and together these aspects complete the entire education of a student. as already discussed, that a significant change in education system has been seen during covid-19 and these changes are to be continued post covid-19 as well to some extents. so, to analyses the students’ perception on education environment several aspects such as teaching and learning process, online mode and its effectiveness, evaluation process, institutes administration, teacher as a facilitator and extracurricular activity have been studied in the literature review. three major developments have been seen over traditional teaching learning process i.e. distance learning, e-learning & online learning (moore et al., 2011).e-learning and online teaching & learning is elaborated as a paradigm of education based on technology. the teaching fraternity is eager to know the impact & outcome of the modern methodology on academic achievements of the students. covid-19 did not give enough time to teachers and learners to shift from offline to the online mode. teachers had not use the technical pedagogical tools frequently before this pandemic (rice & deschaine, 2020). several challenges emerged due to abrupt digital renovation in the education and some of the prominent were lack of technological infrastructure, lack of digital competency, inequality in education and compatibility with some of the subjects such as sports, music & indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 349 dance (adedoyin and soykan, 2020). effectiveness of online teaching could be evaluated with the students’ academic performance. more authentic learning of the students can be evaluated through various assessments that includes formative and summative both (arella, 2016). so, the process of the assessment shall include during the course assessment (formative assessment) to monitor the gradual performance of the student and at the end (summative assessment) to evaluate the entire learning of the student to measure the attainment of learning outcomes of the educational programme (rust, o’donovan, & price, 2005). the online evaluation process has become a concern due to its significant role in the education system. in the absence of physical interaction between teachers and students, limited options for assessing the students online are left in the hand of teachers (abduh 2021). learning interest influences the performance of the student in the assessment process and educator plays a pivotal role to make the teaching and learning interesting be it online or offline. thus, online evaluation becomes one of the strong parameters which influence students’ perception for online education environment. the satisfaction in the e-learning process is also influenced by the service quality, which is measured by some specific elements such as institute administration on the entire process & supporting services, instructor quality & accuracy of the teaching process, course material quality & newness, security & privacy (phem et. al., 2018). the teacher or the instructor is the core element of teaching and learning process. their role has become more difficult in online education as it needs a lot of effort to involve students in participative learning. teacher selfefficacy, i.e., the teacher’s belief that he/she can affect student success plays a significant role in students’ active involvement. teachers’ command over technology & digital tools will encourage students to learn actively (corry & stella, 2018). a variety of activities outside the formal curriculum are referred to as extracurricular activities (keen and hall, 2009). many researches have shown evidence of the positive influences of extracurricular activities towards students’ development and academic affairs (ng. 2021). even though extracurricular activities are not considered for academic performance, they play an important role in intellectual skill development and holistic grooming of the learner. therefore, it has become an important element of the education system (samat et al. 2020). social networking sites & artificial intelligence platforms were used to involve students in such kind of activities during covid-19. students have also participated actively in such platforms due to several reasons, such as the topic being interesting, being a technology enthusiast, teachers’ recommendations & zeal to learn about digital platforms or ai-based knowledge (ng. 2021). rationale of the study the most significant impact of covid on the education industry was a loss of classroom teaching. online teaching learning was becoming the only option for the situation. during the pandemic, online learning is considered a temporary way of teaching. but, the forceful implication of online learning during the pandemic become the choice of today. in my experience, eplatforms were found to be very creative, flexible and comfortable for learning. after the pandemic, the question was whether online teaching would be able to replace classroom teaching and whether there indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 350 was a need to redesign the teaching and learning by the education industry. the paper tries to identify the answer to these questions from the student’s perspective. this research paper tries to identify the perception of college students toward the covid education environment in college. objective of the study 1. to study the various components of education environment of b-schools of india. 2. to study the students’ perception towards post covid-19 education environment of b-schools. research methodology research methodology provides a road map to any research. research is vast area of study and therefore making a smooth roadmap is always makes journey easy. present research tries to define view points and attitude of management students towards online education environment post covid and so based on descriptive type of research design. with the help of literature review six factors are extracted to conduct the research further on online education environment. these six factors are: 1. online mode and its effectiveness 2. teaching and learning process 3. evaluation process 4. college administration 5. extracurricular activities 6. teachers as a facilitator above factors are considered as the components of education environment and were again divided into various sub-factors. there were 8 sub-factors of teaching and learning process, 7 sub-factors of college administration, 6 sub-factors were considered for online mode and its effectiveness and also for evaluation process, and 5 subfactors were in to the consideration for extracurricular activities and teachers as a facilitator. students of various management colleges of undergraduate and post graduate courses of madhya pradesh were taken as a population for the study. sample from this population is selected with the convenient sampling method. primary data was collected with the help of questionnaire method. questionnaire was constructed on the basis of 5 pointer likert scale. before colleting the final data pilot study was also done. total 42 questions were constructed in questionnaire. these questions were constructed on the basis of sub-components of education environment. for pilot study questionnaire were circulated among 50 students, out of which 47 responses were received. on the basis of pilot study 6 questions were omitted and 36 questions were considered for final questionnaire. questionnaire was then circulated among 500 management students out of which got responses from 430 students only. reliability was tested for each and every component of college environment. hypothesis were framed to identify the analytical differences between the perceptions of students towards the components of education environment. total six hypothesis were formed and checked statistically with the help of one sample ttest. one sample t – test was used to found the mean difference between the perception of students with the population. before applied the one sample t test reliability of data was checked with the help of cronbach. data analysis & interpretation indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 351 table-1: reliability table s. no. item value of cronbach alpha no. of items 1. online mode and its effectiveness 0.98 6 2. teaching and learning process 0.88 8 3. evaluation process 0.89 6 4. institute’s administration 0.76 7 5. extracurricular activities 0.78 5 6. teacher as a facilitator 0.84 5 reliability of data measures to obtain the consistency of data set. research used primary data set and hence the reliability check helps to prove that how much extent data will provide stable and consistent result. table 1 shows the value of reliability for different components of education environment. the value of cronbach alpha obtained for components online mode and its effectiveness is 0.98, for teaching and learning process it is 0.88, for evaluation process is 0.89, institute’s administration it is 0.76, extracurricular activities it is 0.78 and for teachers as a facilitator it is 0.84. all the values of cronbach are greater than 0.75 which shows the high reliability of data. hypothesis: ho1: there is no significant difference between the perceptions of students towards effectiveness of online classes. ho2: there is no significant difference between the perceptions of students towards teaching and learning process. ho3: there is no significant difference between the perceptions of students towards evaluation process. ho4: there is no significant difference between the perceptions of students towards institute’s administration. ho5: there is no significant difference between the perceptions of students towards extracurricular activities. ho6: there is no significant difference between the perceptions of students towards teacher as a facilitator table 2: t-test: online class effectiveness one-sample statistics n mean std. deviation std. error mean online classes effectiveness 430 3.89121989 1219992 .4919218 85825524 .023722579850884 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 352 one-sample test test value = 3 t df sig. (2-tailed) mean difference lower 95% confidence interval of the difference upper online classes effectiveness 37.568 429 .000 .89121989 1219992 .8445929441 02778 .937846838337 205 interpretation: hypothesis ho1 is tested with the help of one sample t test. the value of t obtained is 37.568 at 5 per cent level of significance. the p value for the test is 0.00 < 0.05 which shows that null hypothesis ho1 is rejected. there is a significant difference exist for the perception of students towards online classes. mean value shows that students are having positive perception toward the online classes. table 3: t-test: teaching and learning process one-sample statistics n mean std. deviation std. error mean teaching and learning process 430 3.53787878 7878888 .63246146532 5176 .030500000195340 one-sample test test value = 3 t df sig. (2-tailed) mean difference 95% confidence interval of the difference lower upper teaching and learning process 17.635 429 .000 .5378787878 78888 .4779307592 44412 .5978268165 13363 interpretation: hypothesis ho2 is tested with the help of one sample t test and rejected at 5 per cent level of significance. the t value obtained for one sample t test is 17.635 and p value is 0.00 < 0.05. this shows that ho2 is rejected, i.e. there is a significant difference between the perception of students towards teaching and learning process. since the mean value is higher than 3 it also shows post covid positive perception of students towards teaching and learning process. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 353 table 4: t-test: evaluation process one-sample statistics n mean std. deviation std. error mean evaluation process 430 4.019813519813618 .335939410728378 .016200436950887 one-sample test test value = 3 t df sig. (2-tailed) mean difference 95% confidence interval of the difference lower upper evaluation process 62.950 429 .000 1.01981351981 3618 .987971413 190669 1.05165562643 6566 interpretation: table shows that the p value is less than 0.05 at 5 per cent level of significance. ho3 is rejected on the basis of p value. we can conclude that the perception of students towards evaluation process of online classes is having significant difference. mean value obtained is 4.019 which show positive perception of students towards online evaluation system. table 5: t-test: institute’s administration one-sample statistics n mean std. deviation std. error mean institute’s administration 430 3.577422577422679 .590235176148 368 .028463667709099 one-sample test test value = 3 t df sig. (2-tailed) mean difference lower 95% confidence interval of the difference upper institute’s administration 20.286 429 .000 .577422577 422679 .5214769788 67320 .6333681759 78038 the mean value for the component institute’s administration is 3.577 which is greater than 3 shows that post pandemic institute’s administration indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 354 plays a very significant role towards education environment. the p value obtained from one sample t test is 0.00 < 0.05, hence the result of one sample t test rejected the h04 which shows that perception of students on the component is significantly different than the average perceptions towards institute’s administration. this tends towards the rejection of hypothesis h04 table 6: t-test: extracurricular activities one-sample statistics n mean std. deviation std. error mean extracurricular activities 430 3.13146853 1468632 .612734280060209 .029548670845774 one-sample test test value = 3 t df sig. (2-tailed) mean difference lower 95% confidence interval of the difference upper extracurricular activities 4.449 429 .000 .131468531468632 .0733903 49349682 .189546713587 583 the p value obtained from one sample t test is 0.00 < 0.05, hence the result of one sample t test shows that perception of students on component is significantly different than the average perceptions towards extracurricular activities. this means that the null hypothesis h05 is rejected. mean value obtained is 3.13 shows the positive perception of students towards extracurricular activities after covid. table 7: t-test: teacher as a facilitator one-sample statistics n mean std. deviation std. error mean teacher as a facilitator 430 3.1771561771562 77 .5992538688945 11 .028898587693318 one-sample test test value = 3 t df sig. (2-tailed) mean difference 95% confidence interval of the difference lower upper teacher as a facilitator 6.130 429 .000 .177156177 156277 .1203557394 04172 .233956614908 383 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 355 the mean value for the component teacher as a facilitator is 3.577 which is greater than 3 shows that during pandemic teacher plays a very significant role towards education environment. the p value obtained from one sample t test is 0.00 < 0.05, hence the null hypothesis h06 is rejected, resulted that the perception of students on this component is significantly different than the average perceptions towards teacher as a facilitator. findings, conclusion & limitations for the betterment of the educational system and approaches of institutions need changes. to maintain continuity in learning and to share the knowledge with the students, it is recommended to the institutions to adopt the technology and engage the students in learning the contribution of technology in education during covid-19 is remarkable and even after post covid-19 there will be a pivotal role of technology in this field. institutions need to change positively for the betterment of the educational system. with the help of technology sharing of knowledge and continuity of learning become easy. technology alone will not be able to bring the desirable changes but using it at the right time, for the right purpose and with the right people will certainly change the education system of the country. the present study concludes that students have positive perceptions towards various factors of education environment in online mode such as teaching and learning process, online mode and its effectiveness, evaluation process, institutes administration, teacher as a facilitator and extracurricular activity. during the pandemic, the entire education system shifted to the virtual world, and institutes tried their best to perform well in this online teachinglearning process. the education environment faced the challenges however worked hard to overcome. the quick shift from offline to online mode of teaching learning process is also given the same importance along with all the other supporting activities. the research concludes that there is a positive change in the perception of the students toward the new dimension of education environment. and from the discussion it can be recommended that hybrid mode of teaching shall be adopted as the students and teachers both are now adjusted with the online classes. this modern system of teaching learning process will surely bring tremendous changes in the indian education environment. the government must take initiatives for the successful implementation of techbased education to connect with the remote area population as well and create new ray of hopes. the study examines the pre and post covid 19 education environments with a special focused on online education system. the sample drawn for this study is the management students of madhya pradesh however, further expansion of this research can be done to pan india students of various streams. the further research can be conducted on future of online education considering the various parameters of education environment which are included in this research. reference abduh, m. y. m. 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(2021). the changes we need: education post covid-19. journal of educational change, 22, 3-12. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 357 e-resources https://www.igi-global.com/article/blended-learning/291980 https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/opinion-education-in-india-during-covid -19-challenges-faced-and-solutions-for-a-post-pandemic-era/400485 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07294360.2021.2002828 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 37 research article awareness and access to assistive technology among students with disabilities: evidence from a special school santosh jena1 & ramendra kumar parhi2 1senior research fellow, department of education, central university of odisha, email: santoshjena075@gmail.com 2assistant professor and head, department of education, central university of odisha abstract acknowledging the abilities of all learners with disabilities equitably is a very complex process and it also requires modern technology. efficient exercise of assistive technologies can positively assist any country in realizing inclusive/special education by helping learners with disabilities in schools. regardless of the significance and constructive influence of assistive technologies, awareness and access to assistive technology in special education particularly in developing nations is inadequate. this case study of a special school has tried to understand the extent of awareness and access to assistive technology among the learners with disabilities and it also uncovers the experiences of the special educators in using and implementing assistive technology for the learners with disabilities. keywords: assistive technology, students with disabilities, special educators. introduction a nation will not be judged primarily by its success in the sciences, technological powers and economic power. a nation will be judged by the way it includes all categories of people in the development activities to enable everyone to contribute towards nation-building. when it comes to social exclusion, other deprived groups based on caste, gender, etc. gain importance. the inclusion of persons with a disability takes a backseat in india. people with disabilities are facing accessibility and awareness problems in all areas. technology is evolving at a remarkably rapid pace and has offered many possibilities for its users. assistive technologies offer a range of prospective opportunities for differently-abled learners by amplifying their learning opportunities (jacobsena, 2012). assistive technology is being developed for people with disabilities to (1) make the learning atmosphere more accessible (2) support them in learning (3) facilitate them to excel in the organization/workplace or (4) promote their independence or else enrich their quality of life (blackhurst,2005). assistive technology can help learners with disabilities to learn in a better way. assistive technologies are still a novelty even among people with disabilities residing in urban areas. the few available technologies that are not easily affordable, nor are they widely sold and supported. but still, in india most of the learners with disabilities are lacking information regarding the importance of assistive technologies. the development of education of the learners with disabilities is not only based on the teacher’s assistance but also on the effective utilization of assistive technology. most of the ict centres and disability services centres are not accessible to learners with disabilities. educators need to challenge themselves to explore assistive technology that will enhance all-round development skills for differently-abled learners (jacobsena, 2012). indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 38 operational definition of key terms some of the key concepts as used in the present study have been operationally described as follows: assistive technology: the term “assistive technology” means any device, software, or equipment that aids students with disabilities in learning, communicating, or functioning better. assistive technology has the potential to be as high-tech as a computer or anything as simple as spectacles. low tech devices for learners with disabilities are products that don’t need much training, and are less expensive without any complex or mechanical characteristics. high tech assistive devices are the most multifaceted devices that have digital and may be computerized. it can be any object, piece of equipment, or product system. assistive technology helps students who experience issues with hearing, talking, composing, recalling, seeing, speaking, and numerous other things. hearing aids, personal amplification systems, braille displays, audiobooks, screen reading software, spectacles and memory aids are all examples of assistive technology products. the use and advantages of assistive technology differ from person to person based on their individual goals and characteristics. therefore, different disabilities require diverse assistive technology. students with disability: it refers to learners who have long-term physical, intellectual, mental, or sensory impairments that, in interaction with barriers, hinder their full and effective participation in society equally with others. special school: it is a type of school that offers specially designed instruction, support, and services to suit the needs of students with special needs, such as those who have a variety of physical, behavioural, or cognitive issues. special schools come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but they all serve the same purpose: to educate children whose needs cannot be satisfied in a mainstream setting. rationale according to world bank data, india is categorized as a lower middleincome country. the country’s socioeconomic groups, healthcare systems, and cultures are diverse. healthcare facilities and resources are dispersed unevenly, and services are concentrated mostly in urban areas (world bank, 2018). many people have the luxury of breezing through elementary, middle, and high school without much difficulty. now, imagine having a disability that prevented you from reaching a goal as simple as communicating with your classmates.    assistive technology has come a long way in providing those with disabilities the chance to learn and receive an education in the most normal way possible. assistive technology services enable people to live healthy, productive, independent, and dignified lives by allowing them to participate in school, employment, and civic life (director general who, 2017, p. 1, 3; smith et al, 2016, p. 7; borg & ostergren, 2015, p. 301). according to the 71st world health assembly, at facilitates and encourages inclusion, participation, and engagement of people with disabilities, and the fact that 90 percent of those who need them don’t have access to them has a significant negative impact on their education, employment, health, and mental wellbeing. evidence shows that the awareness about assistive technology is significantly low among professionals, disabled people, even students with disabilities in schools especially from low middleincome countries (senjam, 2019). a lack of understanding and awareness indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 39 about the impact and possibilities of assistive technology for individuals with disabilities is a significant obstacle to accessing it. parents also struggle to accept their children with disabilities because they have high expectations for regular development, which leads to a refusal to support assistive technology (boot, 2021). this case study has been conducted in a special school to understand the level of awareness and access to assistive technology among students with disabilities and to explore the experiences of special educators in implementing and using assistive technology. conceptual framework according to the who’s third committee report (71st world health assembly, 26 may 2018), 90 percent of pwds still lack access to ats. most pwds and their families are thus left out, trapped in poverty and isolation. it makes pwds more susceptible to increased disability. the stigma and dominance of negative outlook among parents, society and teachers, adds to the challenge not just of access, but also of retention and education of students with disabilities. lack of financial resources is a significant barrier for many people who need assistive technologies (zongjie, 2007). boot et al. (2021) found that the abandonment of assistive technology was a barrier that negatively affected people with disabilities. factors contributing to abandonment included inappropriate environments, inadequate customized assistive technologies, and insufficient training over time. additionally, this study showed that people with disabilities  often  needed  daily support from  the  caregivers to use  the at  (or  reminded  to use  it). training that is adjusted to a person’s disability level is needed when introducing at. furthermore, recurrent training is required to reinforce the user’s ability to utilize at independently. to meet this huge and unmet demand, who is leading the global cooperation on assistive technology (gate) programme. because of poor budget allocation, administrative inefficiency, stigma, and the intersegment of discrimination, india’s legal framework for protecting pwds’ human rights is rendered mostly inaccessible (ghosh, 2019). a majority of assistive devices are purchased directly by individuals with disabilities and their families (albrecht, 2003). approximately  two-thirds of the  users of assistive technology in india paid for their devices themselves, according to a national survey. many technologies are prohibitively expensive for persons with disabilities, especially in low and middle-income nations. the expense of the computer, digital access, and assistive services, for example, was shown to be the most common reason for people with disabilities not utilising the resources effectively in a uk study (piling, 2004). the united nations convention on the rights of persons with disabilities (uncrpd) was adopted by india in 2007, leading to the adoption of the rights of persons with disabilities act in 2016. a national indicator framework (nif) has been designed to track and accomplish the sdgs and its linked targets like strengthening and extending rehabilitation including community-based rehabilitation, assistive technology, assistance and support services, and it acts as a critical tool for policymakers, resource allocation, researchers, and other concerned stakeholders (government of india, 2015). indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 40 figure-1: conceptual framework (performance gap exhibited by students with disabilities across time, with assistive technology compensating and reducing the gap) the conceptual framework for this case study has been illustrated based on the review of literature related to the concepts included in this paper. it represents the outline of the investigation for this study. this framework may help to comprehend how assistive technology impacts learners’ development in learning. by enabling individuals to be productive and contribute in all aspects of life, assistive devices can considerably minimize inequities encountered by all persons with disability, including children and adults (khasnabis, 2015). availability and usage of assistive technology in the selected special school assistive technology ranges from low-tech to high-tech, and they serve many different needs (borg et al, 2015, p.14). the assistive technology devices utilized individually by students with varied visual impairments are mostly braille slate & stylus (excluding braille embossers, braille display, braille printers, and braille translators), and audio recorders. very few students who have access to personal computers at their homes are found to have nvda software as it is a free and opensource portable screen reader for microsoft windows. the unavailability of some crucial software restricts the special educators from using screen magnification software, screen readers like jaws, open book ocr scanning/ reading software for english & hindi languages. the assistive devices utilized individually by students with varied hearing impairments are mostly analogue hearing aids and fm systems for partially impaired ones. the special educators are trained in indian sign language. there is a lack of assistive listening devices, tactile aids, digital hearing aids, etc. the appropriate services should accompany the assistive devices, including recommendation, appraisal, financial support, ordering, suitability of the device, training of the user or caregivers, follow-up, and maintenance (borg et al, 2015, p. 14). appropriate services can make a big difference in how well assistive technology works (borg et al, 2015, p. 14). research objectives this research intends to: 1. to find out the extent of awareness and access to assistive technology indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 41 among students with disabilities with relation to gender and residence type. 2. to explore the experience of special educators in implementing and using assistive technology for students with disabilities. research questions 1. to what extent do students with disabilities are having awareness and access to assistive technology? 2. what are the perceptions and experiences of special educators in implementing assistive technology? methodology the methodological overview will be discussed systematically across the following subsections: description of the design, sample selection, details of tools used, procedure followed for data collection. research design the present study is a case study and it has been done in a special school where co-education is being provided to students with visual, hearing, and learning disabilities. the study utilized survey and focus group discussion with the students and special educators respectively. in the present study, the investigator studied the students’ awareness and accessibility of assistive technology and experiences of special educators’ in implementing and using assistive technology for the students with different disabilities. sample the type of institution selected purposively for the case study includes the special school serving students with disabilities in the bilaspur region of chhattisgarh. the school is a nongovernment (aided) secondary school with residential facilities. a total eight teachers are working in the school including five trained subject teachers (trained in vi & hi), and one each for learning disability, language & communication disorder (speech therapist), and ict respectively. the selection of the school was done on the basis of certain criteria which include: type of students with diverse disabilities served by the school, type of ict infrastructure and services available and type of the teacher community involved. the age group of the sample students mostly ranges from 14 to 22 years. the special school selected for the case study is serving 120 students with visual and hearing disabilities. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 42 table-1: participants’ characteristics on the basis of demographic variables locality category of disability gender total number of students rural (55) visually impaired (41) female (13) 120 (male-73, female-43) male (28) hearing impaired (14) female (06) male (08) urban (43) visually impaired (28) female (13) male (15) hearing impaired (15) female (07) male (08) semi-urban (22) visually impaired (19) female (07) male (12) hearing impaired (03) female (01) male (02) the present study also included six (06) special educators rendering their services to the special school. a focus group discussion has been conducted with the special educators. it involved organized discussion with the individuals to gain information about their views and experiences in implementing and using assistive technology for the students with different disabilities. table-2: characteristics of the research respondents (special educators) name* gender age specialization in se1 male 43 visual impairment se2 male 36 language & communication disorder se3 female 52 visual impairment se4 female 41 hearing impairment se5 male 29 learning disorder se6 female 38 hearing impairment *the names of all special educators have been coded (se for special educator) to uphold anonymity tools used the tools used to measure the dimensions and to collect the data are presented in table number 2. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 43 table-3: table showing tools used for collection of data with respect to the variables of the study variables tools used dimensions of the tools used/discussant points constructed by awareness and access to assistive technology questionnaire for students’ awareness and access to assistive technology 1. awareness about: i. availability of at in school lab ii. taking assistance during at glitches iii. utility of new at services other than used ones 2. ability to use at independently 3. problems in using at investigator special educators’ experiences in implementing and using assistive technology focus group discussion for special educators 1. assistive technology and students’ performance 2. selection of assistive technology 3. assistive technology and curriculum 4. low tech and high-tech assistive technology devices investigator procedure of data collection i) from students with disabilities: the tool namely, questionnaire for students’ awareness and access to assistive technology was administered to the sample. there were many students who had troubles with communication while surveying and therefore, their teachers and peers acted as interpreters for those learners. while collecting information from the students with hearing disabilities, the teachers helped the researchers to collect exact data from the students by using indian sign language. questions regarding the respondent’s awareness of assistive technology and access to assistive technology have been analyzed using percentage comparison. the frequency of the respondents is also presented in percentages. ii) from special educators: the investigators also conducted a focus group discussion for special educators and noted down their experiences regarding implementing and using assistive technology. results and discussion all questions regarding the respondent’s awareness of assistive technology and access to assistive technology are analyzed using percentage comparison. the frequency of the respondents is also presented in percentages. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 44 rq1. to what extent differently-abled students are having awareness and access to assistive technology (at)? all the items of the questionnaire have been analyzed and interpreted individually. awareness and access to assistive technology have been understood by using percentage comparison through background variables as follows: figure-2: distribution of respondents based on their awareness about assistive technology available for their use in school lab figure 2 clearly shows that 39 (82.97 percent of the total female population) of the female respondents have awareness of the assistive technologies available for their use in the school computer lab as compared to 53 (72.60 percent of the total male population) of the male respondents. further, 38 (88.37 percent of the total urban population) of the urban respondents are more familiar with the assistive technologies than 38 rural (69.09 percent of the total rural population) and semi-urban students (72.27 percent of the total semi urban population). figure-3: distribution of respondents based on their awareness to contact experts related to assistive technology glitches/concerns indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 45 respondents are much aware of their need to contact people, if they have any glitches related to assistive technology. according to figure-3, 67 (91.78 percent) of the male respondents are aware of the resourceful persons who can help them in fixing their technological concerns as compared to 36 (76.59 percent) of the female respondents. all urban and semi-urban respondents know those who need to be contacted if they have any assistive technology concerns. figure-4: distribution of respondents based on their awareness about the new assistive technology services that are more useful than the devices that they are using now it is evident from figure-4 that there is not much difference between 48 (65.75 percent) of the male respondents and 30 (63.82 percent) of the female respondents regarding awareness of new assistive technology services, which are more useful than the devices that they are using right now. further, 28 (65.11 percent) of the urban respondents, 36 (65.45 percent) of the urban respondents and 14 (63.63 percent) of the semi-urban respondents are aware of new assistive devices other than those which are being used by them. figure-5: distribution of respondents based on their ability to use assistive technology devices independently indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 46 the data in figure-5 shows that 44 (93.61 percent) of the female respondents are better at using assistive technology devices independently than 62 (84.93 percent) of the male respondents. furthermore, 38 (88.37 percent) of urban respondents can use assistive technology devices independently in comparison to 39 (70.90 percent) of the rural respondents and 16 (72.72 percent) of the semi-urban respondents. figure-6: distribution of respondents based on their problems in using assistive technology data in figure-6 shows that 41 (56.16 percent) of the male respondents experience problems in using assistive technology as compared to 22 (46.80 percent) of the female respondents. it is evident that most of the students are encountering problems while using at. nearly half of the students are having problems using assistive technology. however, 30 (54.54 percent) of the rural respondents encounter problems while using assistive technology as compared to 22 (48.83 percent) of the female respondents and 12 (54.54 percent) of the semi-urban respondents. rq2: what are the perceptions and experiences of special educators in implementing assistive technology? a focus group discussion assists in gaining insights into people’s collective understanding of daily life and how persons are influenced by others in a group situation. a focus group discussion has been conducted with the special educators of the same school to know their understanding of assistive technology and to explore their experiences in using and implementing assistive technology. assistive technology and students’ performance hopkins (2016) noted that there is a wide scope of assistive technology that can open numerous avenues for learners with disabilities. most of the teachers keep an eye on the progress of their learners before and after implementing assistive technology and they are witnessing a reasonable change. for differently-abled students, assistive technology is a boon. most of the students perform exceptionally well with assistive technology. assistive technology acts as a catalyst in the process of learning. other than increasing students’ performance, it also enhances the level of independence (sabana, special educator). indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 47 to the maximum extent they do not have to depend on others and their social interaction increases. a number of assistive devices are accessible to help teachers improve their learners’ functional abilities by providing learning opportunities and active involvement in events (starcic & istenic, 2010). need of collaboration in selecting assistive technology the students may encounter trouble completing every assignment at home if the parents are not skilled in assistive technology (judge, 2000; messingerwillman & marino, 2010). especially in rural areas, parents cannot contribute much because of the unawareness of new assistive technology. we cannot select an assistive device for a student if it cannot be handled by the student and his family. so, many things are to be kept in mind during the selection of technology starting from its cost, complexity, accessibility, and so on (tarun, special educator). there should be an understanding and purposeful sharing of ideas between teachers and parents in selecting assistive technology. to make it successful the teacher, students, and parents have to contribute equally (sarath, special educator). assistive technology and curriculum alkahtani (2013) noted that assistive technology assists differently-abled learners to enhance their ease of access to the curriculum and quality of the learning experience. because of this technology only, students can cope easily with the curriculum in the long run. assistive technology gives different avenues to students’ development. assistive technology assists the students with disability to get the best out of the curriculum by making them independent to a larger extent. the success of assistive technology is evaluated based on how it goes hand in hand with curriculum and methods of instruction (alaknanda, special educator). without at, it is a tough task to explore and transact the curriculum flexibly. special educators have a common view that each element has its own and equal importance and all are interlinked. low-tech and high-tech assistive technology devices special educators opined that low tech devices are more successful than high tech devices. because students are more confident and comfortable in using low tech devices and proper training of low-tech devices is given to the learners. however, all teachers know the importance of high-tech devices, and how much it is beneficial if used efficiently. high-tech assistive technology devices are somewhat more sophisticated and because of their complexity, they are less successful than low-tech assistive technology devices. all students can use low-tech assistive technology devices, but few are there who can use high-tech devices efficiently (mousami, special educator). inadequate training and support services within classrooms and at home can also be an obstacle to implementing assistive technology (judge, 2000, p. 128). all teachers have a similar opinion that both high and low-tech devices can be successful only when implemented properly. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 48 table-4: selected data, special educators understanding of assistive technology perception towards assistive technology yes not sure no question1: does the performance of students’ increases with the proper implementation of assistive technology? question2: is assistive technology more significant than the curriculum and method of instruction for the success of special education students? question3: have you seen any differences in the success rate between high and low-tech assistive devices? question4: do you feel teacher/ student/parent collaboration in the selection of assistive technology is important for its success? question 5: do you have assistive technology available in your classroom for students that can also be used outside of their individualized educational programme? question 6: does the implementation of high-tech assistive devices include adequate training? ✓✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓✓✓ discussion this study presented the awareness and accessibility of students with diverse disabilities quantitatively. it is evident from the study that the female students are more aware of the facilities available in their school laboratory and using them independently than the male respondents because of the curiosity shown by the female students towards ats and are acquainted with the existing software which they also used in their previous schools. however, there are still many students including both males and females who are ignorant of the facilities available in their school laboratory. it is found that almost all students from urban and semi-urban localities are much aware of their need to contact people if they have any glitches related to assistive technology because of their accessibility to the services provider situated in nearby towns. there is not much difference among male and female students regarding new assistive technology services other than those which are being used by them. urban respondents are found comfortable in using assistive technology devices independently with fewer difficulties as compared to the rural and semi-urban respondents. it is because of the support from their caregivers who are quite more aware of the assistive services. the experiences gathered from the special educators using focus group discussion helps in understanding the use of assistive technology qualitatively. regarding the collaboration in selecting indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 49 ats for students, they collectively opined that students with varied disabilities want to be empowered to individually choose and use assistive technology, but they cannot do this in a setting that is not supportive of such choices. parents also have problems in accepting their child with a disability, as they had expectations for usual development, which in turn leads to a non-acceptance of supporting ats. there is a lack of high tech assistive devices in their schools like digital hearing aids, perkins braille assisting listening devices because of their complexity they are less successful than low-tech assistive technology devices. conclusion students’ awareness and access to assistive technologies are not sufficient. for example, students do not have much access to assistive technology but are well aware of its importance in their lives. they know that it enhances their academic performances and makes them independent. after analyzing the different views of special educators, it can be concluded that if assistive technologies are implemented properly, it can certainly provide fruitful outcomes and also promote independence among learners. collaboration between parents and teachers is important and information should be shared between parents and teachers about the means and methods of children’s development. appropriate training should be provided by the government disability service centres in implementing new assistive technology devices. special educators should be provided with orientations and workshops regarding the use of new assistive technologies. therefore, quality research should be promoted, especially in the field of assistive technology. countries like india that have ratified the united nations convention on the rights of persons with disabilities (uncrpd) and agreed to work towards the sdgs will ensure that all people with intellectual disabilities who need assistive technology have access to high quality and affordable products. references albrecht g, seelman k, bury m. handbook of disability studies. london, sage, 2001, 125-131. doi: 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(2007). a research study into the requirements of disabled residents for rehabilitation services in beijing. disability and rehabilitation, 29:825-833. doi: 10.1080/09638280600919657 pmid: 17457741 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 114 research paper perception of the key stakeholders of education on the acceptance of edutech platforms in teaching-learning process dilip suthar1 & pankaj parmeshwar sharma2 1junior research fellow, s d school of commerce, gujarat university, navrangpura 2assistant professor (ges-ii), shri k. k. shastri government commerce college, khokhra road, maninagar, affiliated to gujarat university, navrangpura email: pankajkms731@gmail.com, sharmapankaj12011996@gmail.com abstract edutech applications have played a vital role in carrying out the learning activities during lockdown periods for the students and educationists. in the future; these platforms are going to change the learning approach for students and educators. this study examines the perception and acceptance of the students and teaching professionals towards the usage of the edutech applications. the study-in-progress analysed the technology acceptance model (tam) for work-related tasks with e-learning and used tam as a basis for hypothesizing the effects of such variables on the use of e-learning as the application. the study concludes that attitude towards use and perceived ease of use significantly affects the intention to use teaching-learning applications. the study suggests that to capture the large market and satisfy participants, it is necessary for the existing and potential edutech platforms to provide active experience and complete course content to the participants. keywords: education, technology, stakeholders, acceptance, platforms introduction teaching styles have changed significantly from traditional methods to modern interactive methods over a period of time. the initial methods of providing education were through recitation and memorization, whereas the modern approach utilizes online and interactive methods. stable progress of e-learning in recent years (mulder and janssen, 2013) has also prompted universities and educators to use a variety of online learning techniques, such as learning management systems, internet-based technology for learning, information, communication, and technology (ict), and social networkbased learning or mobile learning (liao et al., 2019; eksail and afari, 2020; huang et al., 2020), to improve the effectiveness of traditional classroom instruction by assisting students in learning independently and developing problemsolving abilities. (liu et al., 2010; tian et al., 2014). but covid-19 emerged at the end of december 2019 and this global pandemic has made a significant impact on higher education students’ learning because they were in the middle of semesters and the lockdown imposed on them,  forced them to change their learning techniques. due to the pandemic initiated complete lockdown in countries, students were not able to learn on a face-to-face basis with their educators. to cope with this situation students and educators used computerbased or technology-aided methods (teaching-learning applications) for learning. students and educators used different teaching-learning applications like google classroom/meet, unacademy, byjus, youtube channels, zoom, jio meet, etc. despite the rise in the number of online learners, online learning has always been associated with a number of dangers, including indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 115 the absence of teachers, a lack of peer connection  compared to faceto-face learning, low motivation, poor time management, and a lack of individual learning abilities. (cole et  al., 2004; golladay et  al.2000; hannay & tracy, 2018; kirtman, 2009; mckeachie, 2002; nguyen, 2015; ryan, 2001; serwatka, 2003; xu & jaggars, 2013). several researches comparing students’ perspectives of e-learning with traditional learning in terms of social presence, social interaction, and satisfaction,  discovered that e-learning is evaluated as lacking in social interaction, social presence, and effective coordinated communication., it provides several benefits including convenience and ease of time, an easy understanding of critical concepts and subjects and gives opportunities to work while learning (cuthrell & lyon, 2007). in this study, we investigated the perception and acceptance of teachinglearning applications by students and teaching professionals through the technology acceptance model (tam). literature review this study investigated the use, intention and acceptance of teaching-learning applications based on the theory of tam, targeting students and educators in the ahmedabad city. this section consists of tam model and online teachinglearning-related research work. the technology acceptance model (tam) created by davis (1989) is one of the most generally utilized models to explain a potential user’s behavioural intentions towards using technological innovation. this model, with high reliability and validity as reported in adams (1992), contained the constructs of perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitudes towards using, and behavioural intention of use (1989). using the extended technology acceptability model (etam), prasetyo (2021) assessed student acceptance of an online learning platform during the covid-19 pandemic. the results showed that peu (perceived ease of use) had the highest impact on actual use (au), followed by ui (user interface) and sq (system quality). iaman and turki (2012) revealed that accessing course materials, looking for relevant information, sharing knowledge, and completing homework were significantly associated with students’ perceived usefulness of mobile learning. during the investigation of students’ use and acceptance of course websites, selim (2003) discovered that there is a significant relationship between utilisation and ease of use when it comes to determining how frequently a website course is used. using google meet’s media-assisted teaching style, setyawan et al. (2020) examined how well students learned at home and found out that students taught using google meet media-assisted lectures had higher knowledge and learning outcomes than comparison groups. khan et al. (2021) analyzed the perception of university students toward e-learning during the ongoing covid-19 pandemic. it revealed students’ positive perception of e-learning and thus acceptance of this new learning system. dorji (2021) studied teachers’ preferences for classroom and online teaching in bhutanese primary and secondary schools. quantitative data found that over 50 per cent of teachers favoured e-learning, whereas qualitative data revealed that teachers preferred classroom teaching over online education for reasons such as authenticity, comfort, and affordability. according to gismalla et al. (2021), most medical students like e-learning. during covid 19 shutdown, 64 per cent of students said e-learning was excellent. a substantial link was found between medical students’ opinions on starting e-learning and their level (pre-clerkship and clerkship). during indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 116 the covid-19 outbreak, olayemi et al. (2021) assessed students’ readiness for online learning in nigeria, the majority of respondents reported high levels of ict skills and abilities required for online learning. fear of high data costs, inadequate internet services, unstable power supplies, inaccessibility to online library resources, and limited computer access were reported barriers to effective online learning. aggarwal (2020) assessed among all the other service providers and the competitors, unacademy proves out to be the favourite among the people as the majority of the people are connected and have applied in unacademy. kim (2020) investigated the impact of zoom video lectures on learners’ english reading achievement in real time remote video education; the study’s findings revealed that zoom video lectures have a beneficial impact on learners’ english reading achievement. therefore, researchers aimed to investigate the perception and acceptance level of teaching-learning applications by students and educators. the research questions were as follows: 1. whether students and educators accepted online teaching-learning technology during the covid-19 pandemic? 2. which kinds of edutech platforms are preferable? research methodology this paper investigates the acceptance of teaching-learning technology and what kind of perception students and professionals have regarding its use with the help of tam. our research method consisted of four parts. in the first part, we created the research framework; second, we handled research assumptions; third, we explained the research method and steps and fourth, we examined research objects and sampling methods. research framework in this study, tam is divided into four aspects: perceived usefulness, perceived ease to use, intention to use, and attitude toward using, as indicated in chart 1. chart-1: empirical model for teaching-learning technology acceptance methodology the main objective of this study is to identify the perception, acceptance, and attitude of the professionals, students, and other aspirants regarding the use of different teaching-learning applications. to meet the objective the relevant literature has been studied from google scholar, emerald publication, sage publication, web of science, research gate, medley, and other authentic sources. the design of the study is a descriptive and survey method. the variables identified from the literature suggest ease of use, perceived usefulness, and attitude towards use as indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 117 the independent variables that explain the dependent variable which is the intention to use the teaching-learning applications. from the literature, the research questions have been identified and some hypotheses are developed. the structured questionnaire has been framed to collect the data. the demographics, and the sevenpoint scale of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude towards use, and intention to use are (adams, nelson, & todd, 1992; davis et al., 1989; legris et al., 2003; venkatesh & davis, 2000) used for teaching-learning application acceptance. therefore, 150 questionnaires are distributed, and 142 responses were recorded through the purposive sampling method from february to march 2021 in ahmedabad city. those 130 responses yielded valid responses that were used for analysis. the collected data has been analysed through smartpls 3 software to perform partial least square structural equation modelling. this study used some design, methods, literature, tools, and techniques that have certain limitations and the same applies to this study. based on this, we propose the following hypotheses: h1perceived usefulness has a significant effect on the perceived ease to use. according to davis (1989), perceived usefulness is the notion that using new technology will improve one’s professional performance. multiple times, the favourable impact of this variable on the adoption of information technologies has been demonstrated empirically. (davis, 1989; davis et al., 1989; igbaria, liveri, & margahh, 1995; lederer et al., 2000; ong, yalui.) h2perceived ease to use has a significant effect on the intention to use. as previously said, perceived ease of use is defined as a person’s perception of how easy it will be to use new technology. (davis, 1989). h3attitude towards using has a significant effect on the intention to use. the degree to which a user is interested in specific systems is known as attitude, and it has a direct impact on the user’s desire to use those systems in the future. (bajaj & nididumolu, 1998). h4attitude towards using has a significant effect on perceived usefulness. according to tam, perceived usefulness has a direct impact on attitudes toward new technology use. the degree to which a user is interested in specific systems determines whether or not that user intends to utilize those systems in the future. (bajaj & nididumolu, 1998). table-1 indicates the scale of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude towards use, and intention to use the teaching-learning applications. table-1: list of variables used in tam model section i perceived usefulness (use) efficient learning on tla use1 proper guidance & solution of queries on tla use2 i can teach/learn at any place or time on tla use3 section ii perceived ease to use (etu) easy & convenient for me to use tla etu1 simple to understand tla etu2 i can easily interact with students/teacher etu3 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 118 section iii attitude toward use (atu) learning on tla is fun ati1 tla provides a pleasant way to learn ati2 i feel happy & satisfied using tla ati3 i like using tla ati4 section iv intention to use (itu) i am willing to use tla itu1 i am planning to use tla in future itu2 i will recommend others to use tla itu3 data analysis chart-2: research model for teaching-learning application acceptance table-2: demographics of respondents demographics frequency percentage gender male female 52 78 40 60 age below 20 20 to 40 above 40 18 108 04 14 83 03 experience of tla (teaching-learning application) yes no 72 58 55 45 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 119 status (key stakeholders of education) school student college student pursuing professional course preparing for competitive exams teacher/professor other 04 50 10 21 30 15 03 38 08 16 23 12 table-3: path coefficient attitude ease of use intention to use usefulness attitude 0.520 0.684 ease of use 0.276 intention to use usefulness 0.728 indirect effect attitude 0.497 0.137 ease of use intention to use usefulness 0.201 total effect attitude 0.497 0.657 0.684 ease of use 0.276 intention to use usefulness 0.728 0.201 table-3 indicates that usefulness has the strongest effect on ease of use (0.728). these two constructs explain 52.9 per cent of the variance of the endogenous construct ease of use (r2 = .0529). then attitude has a significant effect on the usefulness (0.684) and intention to use (0.520). table-2 indicates that valid responses include 52 male (40 per cent) and 78 female (60 per cent) respondents. the majority of participants were between 20 to 40 years, with 108 responses (80 per cent). participants having experience in teaching-learning applications are 55 per cent while those not having experience are 45 per cent. the majority of the respondents are college students (38 per cent), and then comes the teachers/professors (23 per cent). indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 120 table-4: outer loadings indicators attitude ease of use intention to use usefulness ati1 0.648 ati2 0.905 ati3 0.920 ati4 0.823 eou2 0.890 eou2 0.897 eou3 0.859 itu1 0.930 itu2 0.945 itu3 0.950 usf1 0.929 usf2 0.921 usf3 0.727 table-4 indicates that all outer loadings of the reflective constructs eou, itu, and usf are above the threshold value of 0.70, which suggests sufficient levels of indicator reliability. table-5: r square r square r square adjusted ease of use 0.529 0.520 intention to use 0.524 0.505 usefulness 0.467 0.457 table-5 presents the value of r-square for dependent variables. the usefulness variable is nearby 0.40 which indicates weak predictive accuracy of the model. ease of use and intention to use variables are above 0.50 which indicates moderate predictive accuracy of the model. the r square value of 0.25, 0.50, and 0.75 describes the substantial, moderate, and weak predictive accuracy of the model. table-6: f square attitude ease of use intention to use usefulness attitude 0.351 0.877 ease of use 0.099 intention to use usefulness 1.125 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 121 table-6 indicates the effect size of the constructs. the constructs with f-square ≥ 0.02, f-square ≥ 0.15 and f-square ≥ 0.35 represent weak, moderate, and strong effects, respectively (cohen, 1988). table-7: construct reliability and validity cronbach’s alpha rho_a composite reliability ave attitude 0.848 0.891 0.898 0.691 ease of use 0.859 0.873 0.913 0.778 intention to use 0.936 0.939 0.959 0.887 usefulness 0.827 0.866 0.897 0.747 table-7 evinces the construct reliability and validity through internal consistency and convergent validity of constructs. the internal consistency and validity of the construct are measured from cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability, and ave. the cronbach’s alpha of all the constructs suggests an adequate level of internal consistency (yusoff, 2012). the composite reliability of all the constructs exceeds 0.07 (hair et al., 2014) which is also adequate. the average variance extracted is more than 0.50 for all the constructs that indicate satisfactory convergent validity of constructs (hair et al., 2010) table-8: discriminant validity (fornell-larcker criterion) attitude ease of use intention to use usefulness attitude 0.831 ease of use 0.618 0.882 intention to use 0.691 0.597 0.942 usefulness 0.684 0.728 0.756 0.864 discriminant validity (cross loadings) ati1 0.648 0.325 0.341 0.356 ati2 0.905 0.581 0.628 0.553 ati3 0.920 0.606 0.690 0.682 ati4 0.823 0.488 0.566 0.618 etu1 0.531 0.890 0.497 0.547 etu2 0.556 0.897 0.502 0.562 etu3 0.544 0.859 0.567 0.774 fiu1 0.674 0.562 0.930 0.735 fiu2 0.596 0.550 0.945 0.689 fiu3 0.677 0.575 0.950 0.711 use1 0.707 0.662 0.805 0.929 use2 0.663 0.647 0.625 0.921 use3 0.345 0.582 0.499 0.727 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 122 discriminant validity (heterotrait-monotrait ratio) attitude ease of use 0.705 intention to use 0.751 0.658 usefulness 0.775 0.846 0.864 table-8 presents the discriminant validity of all the constructs using the fornell larcker criteria, crossloadings, and heterotrait-monotrait ratio and these all are adequate and satisfactory according to thresholds (hensler et al., 2009) (chin, 1998) (hair et al., 2010) (hulland, 1999). as per the fornell larcker criterion the square roots of the aves for the reflective constructs attitude (0.831), ease of use(0.882), intention to use (0.942) and usefulness (0.864) are all higher than the correlations of these constructs with other latent variables in the path model, thus indicating all constructs are valid measures of unique concepts. this table also shows the loadings and cross-loadings for every indicator. the indicator ati3 has the highest value for the loading with its corresponding construct ati (0.920), while all crossloadings with other constructs are considerably lower and the same approach is followed for other indicators also. the htmt ratio indicates all values below 0.90, therefore the discriminant validity has been established between constructs. (hensler et al., 2015). table-9: vif – variance inflation factor – collinearity statistics (outer vif values) vif ati1 1.798 ati2 3.482 ati3 3.335 ati4 2.196 etu1 3.093 etu2 3.179 etu3 1.658 fiu1 3.385 fiu2 4.701 fiu3 4.754 use1 3.309 use2 3.228 use3 1.397 table-9 presents the variance inflation factor that is vif, which shows the multicollinearity that states the correlation of variables with other predictors. we conclude, therefore, that collinearity does not reach critical levels in any of the formative constructs and is not an issue for the estimation of the pls path model. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 123 table-10: model fit (fit summary) saturated model estimated model srmr 0.090 0.108 d_uls 0.729 1.059 d_g 0.652 0.721 chi-square 175.683 181.431 nfi 0.732 0.723 model fit (rms theta) 0.276 table-11: bootstrapping path coefficients (mean, stdev, t-values, pvalues) original sample sample mean standard deviation t statistics p values ati itu 0.520 0.520 0.132 3.953 0.000 ati use 0.684 0.701 0.077 8.848 0.000 etu itu 0.276 0.276 0.122 2.256 0.024 use etu 0.728 0.743 0.062 11.655 0.000 table-12: path coefficient (confidence intervals bias corrected) original sample sample mean bias 2.5% 97.5% ati itu 0.520 0.520 -0.000 0.271 0.771 ati use 0.684 0.701 0.017 0.536 0.833 etu itu 0.276 0.276 0.000 0.037 0.502 use etu 0.728 0.743 0.015 0.603 0.846 tables-11 & 12 show the mean, stdev, p values, confidence intervals, and confidence intervals bias-corrected. assuming a 2.5 per cent significance level, we find that all relationships in the structural model are significant. table-13: goodness of fit stress and fit measures normalized raw stress .18129 stress-i .42578g stress-ii .89766g s-stress .36900h dispersion accounted for (d.a.f.) .81871 tucker’s coefficient of congruence .90483 proxscal minimizes normalized raw stress. g. optimal scaling factor = 1.221. h. optimal scaling factor = .847. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 124 chart-3: scree plot diagram the data has been converted into proximities and a scree plot (chart 3) is prepared to know the number of dimensions that can accurately present the data. as the scree plot diagram shows that it can have two dimensions that present daf (table 20: dispersion accounted for) 0.8187. this means that these two identified dimensions can present 82 per cent of data if interpreted accurately. if three dimensions are presented then it becomes ambiguous to interpret the results therefore twodimensional analysis has been selected. table-14: final coordinates final coordinates dimension 1 2 jio meet -.309 .237 zoom -.247 .741 google meet -.675 .025 youtube .124 -.109 unacademy .333 -.569 byju .773 -.326 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 125 chart-4: common space perceptual map of teaching-learning participants for the preference for teaching-learning platforms from the study of the goodness of fit table and the chart of a scree plot diagram, two-dimensional analysis has been selected. a common plot and final coordinates for two dimensions are prepared. which are presented in table 14: final coordinates and chart 4: perceptual map of participants for the preference for teaching-learning platforms. considering the values of different teaching-learning platforms, dimension one is named active experience, and dimension number two is complete course content. the data indicates that while preferring teachinglearning platforms the two attributes or dimensions which are considered by users are dimension 1 active experience and dimensions 2 complete course content. managerial implications the edutech service providers shall focus on building and creating a positive attitude of the key stakeholders of education towards the platforms by offering ease of use and comfort to them. this will have a greater impact on the intention to use the eduteh platforms for the stakeholders. the existing and potential teaching-learning service provider platforms shall offer active experience and complete course content to the stakeholders of education to capture a larger market and satisfy them. findings and conclusion the main aim of the study is to know the perception and acceptance of edutech applications among students, educators, and others. the study made a preliminary analysis of the reliability and discriminant validity of our model’s measurement scale using cronbach’s alpha, rho_a, composite reliability, fornell-larcker criterion, indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 126 and heterotrait-monotrait ratio, etc. research models satisfy all the criteria of these parameters. the finding illustrates that the ease to use and attitude toward using have a significant direct influence on the intention to use teaching-learning applications. attitude towards using has a significant influence on the usefulness and usefulness has a significant indirect influence on the intention to use teaching-learning applications. teaching-learning applications developers can focus more on the ease-of-use criteria of applications and attitude has a major effect directly and indirectly on the intention to use the applications, so edutech platforms have to give the users that kind of comfort that switch their attitude towards traditional methods of learning to modern online sources of teaching and learning. during covid-19 pandemic, these platforms play a prominent role in continuing the study without classrooms and after the lockdown period, now people are comfortable with these online platforms and the opportunity is here, those platforms create more userfriendly, easy to use, and provide quality knowledge, it can acquire major online market. the perceptual map presents that on the active experience dimension the byju is least preferable and the google meet is highly preferable by the teaching-learning participants. on the second dimension i.e., complete course content the zoom is least preferable and the unacademy is highly preferable by the users. from the above data, it can be concluded that the teaching-learning participants prefer platforms that offer active experience and complete course content. thus, to capture the large market and satisfy participants, the existing and potential edutech or teaching-learning platforms must provide active experience and complete course content to the participants. during the present era, it is important to use information and communication technology (ict) technologies to support e-learning in education. e-learning has been defined as learning and teaching facilitated online through network technologies with no barriers of time and place (ngai, poon, & chan, 2007). e-learning environments reduce the cost of provision and therefore increase revenues for academic institutions (ho & dzeng, 2010). they also provide students more study flexibility and improve their learning experience and 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(2012). stability of dreem in a sample of medical students: a prospective study. education research international, 201 indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 171 communication gamification for student engagement on virtual classes salini rosaline assistant professor, vit-ap school of business, vit-ap university, amaravathi, andhra pradesh, email: salini.rosaline@vitap.ac.in during the period of covid-19 outbreak, we have adopted technology to cater the needs of teaching and learning process. in this article, i would like to share my experience teaching and tools that i have used to engage students during an online class. there are lot of challenges for a teacher when they are teaching in an online class, such as evaluation, lack of motivation in online learners, assessing the learning outcome, technical difficulties and many more. one of the biggest challenges that i faced would be engaging students during the class and also how to make sure that they are clear with the concepts taught. i had come across concepts of gamification earlier but had never used them in online classes. gamification introduces game elements into non-game contexts to attract participants and create gameful experiences (hamari, koivisto and sarsa, 2014). researchers have emphasized the importance of gamification design in technology related activities specially to motivate the user. exploring various options for using gamification in online classes, i found a website for making quizzes i.e. quizziz.com. quizziz is an online tool that helps teachers to conduct formative assessments in a fun and engaging way for any age group of students. this online tool can be incorporated in the instructional design, evaluation and helps in revision of the topics taught. students are provided with a unique code to start the quiz in a live class or the quiz can be given as homework with a specific deadline. after the quiz gets over both the teacher and the student can review the performance of the student. a detailed report of the questions, answers given by the student and overall accuracy of answering the questions can be downloaded from the reports section in quizziz. i used this report also to mark the attendance of students to see how many are actively participating in the class. i could also see the time taken by students to answer each question. there were lesser chances for the student to cheat in the quiz as each question had a specific time limit to complete and also the questions were randomized for each student. other advantage of quizziz is that the tool is integrated with google classroom. redemption question is a feature in this tool that repeats a question a student got wrong. this motivates the student to reflect and learn from their mistake they have made earlier. research studies have shown that reflecting on the mistakes and retrieval contributes to learning and memory (roediger and karpicke, 2006). students enjoyed and felt competitive while attending the quizzes made on quizziz platform. students implied that joining each quiz was easy and indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 172 does not have the hazzle of sign up or log in. they also felt playfully focusing on the quiz was important even when attending online assessments. ‘i wanted to come on the top of the game rank list, and for that i used to revise all the topics before attending the quiz’ said one student when asked about the learning using quizziz. there was a growing interest and motivation among the students attending the class online. students also had the drive to be attentive in the classes and reduce other distractions. such technology tools used in the process of teaching – learning will definitely support in the student’s cognitive and emotional outlook. references hamari, j., koivisto, j. and sarsa, h. (2014). “does gamification work? –a literature review of empirical studies on gamification”, in 47th hi international conference on system sciences (hicss), ieee, pp. 3025-3034. roediger, h.l., and karpicke, j.d. (2006). “the power of testing memory: basic research and implications for educational practice”, perspectives on psychological science, 1(3), 181-210. doi:10.1111/j.1745-6916.2006.00012.x. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 139 research article the effect of text-to-speech software on the reading skill of poor readers of english in a bengali medium school 1tushar kanti kar & 2kausik chatterjee 1assistant teacher of english, hatgacha haridas vidyapith (hs), kolkata, west bengal, india e-mail: kar.tushar86@gmail.com 2associate professor, satyapriya roy college of education, & pic of ignou, india abstract the purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of text-to-speech software used by k-yan projectors on the poor readers of english in a government sponsored bengali medium school. a majority of the learners of bengali medium government sponsored schools have very little exposure to english. they learn english as their second language which is also a foreign language to them. they can scarcely pronounce words correctly and are seldom fluent at reading as well as speaking english. this generates a general fear and dislike for english among the bengali medium students which also has a serious consequence on their confidence. these learners fail to attain all the four language learning skills namelylistening, reading, speaking and writing. to correct this problem and to give our selected language learners proper language exposure we installed ‘balabolka’, free text-to-speech software, in our k-yan device and arranged some consecutive listening-reading classes and then recorded their improvement in reading skill, confidence, fluency and pronunciation via statistical measures. the statistics showed positive growth in learners' confidence, fluency, pronunciation and reading skill. this experiment clearly highlights the necessity of deploying text-to-speech software in crowded english language learning classes in government sponsored bengali medium schools of west bengal. keywords: k-yan projectors, english language teaching, text-to-speech software, government school introduction english language teaching is not new to our country. english is taught in almost all the government schools and private schools of our country. but still english is a formidable language to most of the students. they are afraid of it and this fear of english ultimately undermines their confidence. the root cause of this fear, however, is lack of exposure. most of the students who read in government sponsored schools of our country belong to parents of low or middle income groups. these students seldom get enough exposure to english in their family, surroundings or even in schools. unlike the english medium schools in vernacular schools, all the subjects are taught in the local language. therefore, the learners get exposure to english language only in their english class. besides, they seldom find a chance to indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 140 apply their english language skills in their life. therefore, english is an alien language to them. another obvious reason for a learner's failure to learn english is, of course, the overcrowded classrooms. in overcrowded classes a teacher often fails to draw the attention of all the students to study, teacher’s voice may not reach the backbenchers; there could be individual differences in the learners’ previous knowledge. these are practical problems that hinder effective english language teaching in the classroom. the answer to all these problems can be found in technology. technology can help teachers to manage overcrowded classrooms more effectively and efficiently. it can boost up their confidence to manage chaotic classrooms, it can amplify their voice, and it can enable them to attract the attention of the majority of the students for a long time. keeping in mind the benefits of education technology, government agencies of education are leaving no stones unturned to deploy technology in the practical field of education, namely the actual classrooms of government owned as well as the government aided and government sponsored schools, despite several constraints. the aim is to replace the regular classes with smart classes to harvest the benefits of use of technology in education. the department of education, government of west bengal with active encouragement of the department of information technology, government of west bengal introduced computer based learning (cal) system titled ‘k-yan’ (vehicle of knowledge) in a phased manner through west bengal electronics industry development corporation ltd (webel) mandated ilfs-ets as implementing agency. this programme provides schools ict tools like digital content, alternative power supply solutions and capacity building programmes to bridge the digital gulf and ensure sustainability. k-yan has been deployed in almost all districts of west bengal. the general outcome of this programme is positive (sharma, 2014). we had further equipped the kyan device with text-to-speech software, ‘balabolka.’ need and importance of the study this study is important because globalization and open market concepts are changing our economy and standard of living very fast. multinational companies are making their presence felt. parents who can afford private schools are sending their wards to english medium schools. according to a report of district information system for education (dise) of national university of educational planning and administration (niepa) under the ministry of human resource development, government of india, enrolment in english medium schools has increased by 50% between 2008 and 2009. this clearly shows the importance indian parents attach to english language learning. but a huge number of children who belong to the lower or middle income group parents, who cannot afford private education or english medium schools for their children are still sending their wards to government aided or government sponsored schools. these children who belong to the disadvantaged group indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 141 should not lag behind in the competitive job market in future. therefore, it is important to find out the means to improve the quality of english language learning classes effectively; that is why this study was necessary. operational definition of key terms • k-yan projector: k-yan is a single wire, plug and play, integrated digital teaching device which was developed in collaboration with iit mumbai in 2004. it is portable, user friendly and modelled on the best principles of technology in education. it has won the india innovation award 2005 and maharashtra it award 2004 for best community learning technology. k-yan is actually a device that amalgamates a powerful dlp projector along with a multimedia computer and audio amplifier with powerful speakers. the package also consists of accessories like wireless multimedia keyboard; wireless optical mouse; signal receiver for the wireless keyboard and mouse and a single power cord. windows 8.1 sl / linux is generally provided as an operating system. it also includes office package and other utility software. k-yan can also be connected to the internet. k-yan can be used for different computations; it can also be used as a movie projector; we can use it for video conferencing, for powerpoint presentations and also as a technology aided learning tool. • dlp projector: the abbreviation dlp stands for digital light processing is a set of chipset based on optical microelectro-mechanical technology that uses a digital micromirror device. it was originally developed by larry hornbeck of texas instruments. • text-to-speech or speech synthesis software: text-tospeech software or speech synthesis is the artificial production of human speech. a text-to-speech (tts) engine converts written text to phonemic representation to waveforms that can be output as sound. • balabolka: it is a free text-tospeech software. its quality and flexibility is as good as any paid application. with balabolka we can customize the reading. we can choose one from the three reading options, namelybritish english, american english and indian english. we can select the pitch and the speed of the reading. we can also choose from different voices that the software offers. in our study we have used this particular software in the available k-yan device. this software is available in various web platforms for free. literature review: k-yan is certainly a very important invention for the education system of our country. it is a multimedia device; therefore, it is pretty effective to grab the attention of the learners for a long time. it makes children more attentive, enthusiastic and interested in study. children seldom want to miss a class in which a k-yan is deployed (mondal, 2014). the good news is with serious effort on the part of the government k-yan has reached a considerable number of schools. according to shah (2019), in the last eleven years k-yan has reached 30,000 schools and 5, 00,000 teachers. the same study shows that k-yan empowers teachers as mentors; it also claims that introduction of k-yan indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 142 has improved students’ participation in class. on the other hand, sharma (2014) statistically shows that teaching has improved and the improvement can be quantified in percentile terms as 4% every quarterly cycle, in comparison to the earlier rounds of field evaluation conducted. so, the effectiveness of k-yan is quite evident. dutta and bala (2012) evaluates teaching of english at primary level. in it, they point out that the textbooks at level 1 that is classes i and ii are not focused on listening and speaking skills and that is why they do not build familiarity with the language. these books also do not link a child's life at school to its life outside the school. therefore these books fail to build an emotional attachment of the child with the language. the same research also points out that the present curriculum does not offers any opportunity to the children to listen to the language or speak the language. the study conducted by bione et al. (2017) evaluates the voice quality of a tts system in comparison with a human voice and examines its pedagogical potential for use in english as a foreign language (efl) setting. their findings suggest that tts systems are ready for pedagogy because it has already proved its efficacy. another study by meihami & husseini (2012) concludes that word stress and word intonation aspects of reading benefited most from using tts in the classroom. use of tts in the classroom also improved the fluency of the learners. so this study also confirms the positive effect of text-to-speech software. all these studies indicate effectiveness of text-to-speech software in language teaching scenarios. objectives the objectives of this research were: 1. to study the effect of text-to speech software on the reading skill of the poor english readers of a bengali medium school. 2. to study the effect of text-to-speech software on the confidence, fluency and pronunciation of the poor english readers of a bengali medium school. methodology the methodology of study comprises sample, population, tool, instrument, method of research, procedure of data collection and the procedure of data analysis. sample for this study we have used a purposive sampling strategy. the sample of the study consists of 60 students of class viii of a government sponsored bengali medium high school. a diagnostic reading test was conducted to ensure that all the selected learners are poor at reading english. this school was selected because it has already been provided with k-yan projectors by the government. population the population of the study shall include all the current students of class viii of bengali medium government schools. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 143 tool the tool for this study was a particular text named ‘midnight express’ (lesson 11) which is an edited version of alfred noyes’ famous short story of the same name and is included in the prescribed text book of class viii, ‘blossoms’. beside this, a word list of disyllabic, trisyllabic and tetrasyllabic words was prepared from the above mentioned text to conduct the diagnostic pre-test and the post-test. importance of k-yan projector for this study: the k-yan dlp projector is an indispensable device for our experiment. we have already mentioned it. ‘balabolka’, a popular text-to-speech software was installed which is easily available over the internet free of cost. it is a fact that we can install text-to speech software on any computer, laptop or a smartphone. but, unlike these devices k-yan has an integrated powerful speaker which delivers very clear and loud sound output which is ideal for an over-crowded class. we have used ‘balabolka’ to machine read the text we have selected before the sample students. k-yan and the text-to-speech software worked wonderfully together. even the backbenchers could listen to the reading. beside this the children could follow the text if they want on a big screen where the projector projected the text. however, the students were instructed to follow their own text closely and to underline the words that they found difficult after each reading. k-yan has many advantages that make it an ideal device for our text-to-speech aided reading classes. beside this k-yan is now available to a significant number of government sponsored bengali medium schools. method of research for this research, single group pretest and posttest design was chosen. this design has been chosen because random assignment of participants into experimental and control groups was not possible to make. the first step of quasi-experimental research was to select learners who are poor at reading english. to select the sample of 60 learners a diagnostic reading test was conducted to find out the learners who are poor at reading english. their performance was evaluated under three heads namelyconfidence; fluency and pronunciation. all these three heads had full marks of 5. according to their performance, each student was given a certain mark under each head. then all these 60 students were given the textto-speech reading treatment. after the completion of the treatment period a post-test was conducted in the same manner in which the pre-test was conducted by a reading test and their performance was evaluated and the data of pre and post-test was compared. the text-to-speech read along treatment included machine reading of the text along with chorus reading of the text by the sample learners. the text-to-speech software used for this particular study was ‘balabolka’. it allows one to stop reading whenever we want. during the treatment the reading was stopped after every single sentence and after every polysyllabic word, so that the students can repeat the same aloud. the students were instructed to follow indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 144 their text closely and mark the words they found difficult during each reading. this way the learners became conscious of their weaknesses. they also got an instant chance to correct themselves. thus, the students’ listening skill as well as reading skill has been treated together. all of them participated in the study actively and by self-correction they improved their english as well as confidence with each reading. analysis and interpretation of data the difference between the scores of pre-test and post-test at the beginning of the study a pre-test was conducted and after the completion of the treatment a post-test was conducted and the data was gathered. here, we showcase the difference between the data that was found after statistical interpretations in table-1. table-1: difference between the mean scores and that of the standard deviation scores of pre-test and the post-test description mean standard deviation pre-test 12.27 8.111 post-test 19.64 6.982 table-1 clearly shows the difference between the mean scores and that of the standard deviation scores of pre-test and the post-test conducted on the sample of our study. the mean of the pre-test was 12.27 and the standard deviation was 8.111. on the other hand, the mean of the post-test turned out to be 19.64. the standard deviation of the post-test was 6.982. t-test of pre-test and post-test table-2: result of the t-test performed on the data of the pre-test and the post-test paired ... 99% confidence interval of the ... upper t df sig. (2-tailed) pair 1 post-test – pretest 8.604 15.943 58 .000 indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 145 review of data table-2 shows the result of the t-test performed on the data of the pre-test and the post-test conducted on the sample. it was a two tailed test. here, the df or degree of freedom (df) is 58. the t-value is 15.943. the t-value is tallied at the 99 percent confidence interval level and difference between the two means proves highly significant. therefore, it can be concluded that there is a significant difference in the mean scores of the poor readers of english of the bengali medium school between the pre-test and the post-test. table-3: four pre-tests and post-tests mean n std. deviation std. error mean pair 1 post-test 19.64 59 6.982 .909 pre-test 12.27 59 8.111 1.056 pair 2 post-test of confidence 3.80 60 1.054 .136 pre-test of confidence 2.73 60 1.260 .163 pair 3 post-test of fluency 3.28 60 1.236 .160 pre-test of fluency 2.27 60 1.287 .166 pair 4 post-test of pronunciation 2.90 60 1.115 .144 difference of means, standard deviation and standard error of mean of the pre-tests and the post-tests table-3 lists out all the four pre-tests and post-tests conducted in this experiment. the overall pre-test and post-test has been discussed already. however, to understand the impact of the treatment more precisely we have split the data further, under these three heads, namelyconfidence, fluency and pronunciation. the first head is confidence. the mean of the pre-test of this head is 2.73. on the other hand, the mean of the posttest is 3.80. the standard deviation from mean of the pre-test is 1.260 while that of the post-test is 1.054. the standard error of mean of the pre-test is 0.163. the standard error of mean of the posttest is 0.136. the second head is fluency. here too, we notice a difference between the mean of the pre-test and that of the post-test. the mean of the pre-test is 2.27. the mean of the post-test is 3.28. standard deviation from the mean of the pre-test is 1.287 whereas the standard deviation from mean of the post-test is 1.236. the standard error of mean in the pre-test is 0.166. the standard error of mean in indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 146 the post-test is 0.160. the third head is pronunciation. the mean of the pre-test turned out to be 1.98. the mean of the post-test turned out to be 2.90. the standard deviation from mean of the pre-test is 1.186. the standard deviation from mean of the post-test is 1.115. the standard error of mean of the pre-test and f the post-test are 0.153 and 0.144 respectively. all the data mentioned above shows a difference. therefore, it is important to find out the significance of the difference. t-test was calculated to find out the significance of the differences. t-test of all the four pre-tests and post-tests table-4: result of the four t-tests paired ... 99% confidence interval of the ... upper t df sig. (2-tailed) pair 1 post-test – pre-test 8.604 15.943 58 .000 pair 2 post-test of confidence 1.363 9.597 59 .000 pre-test of confidence 1.310 9.226 59 .000 pair 3 post-test of fluency – pre-test of fluency 1.195 8.780 59 .000 pair 4 post-test of pronunciation pre-test of pronunciation table-4 lists the result of all the four t-tests that have been carried out. the result of the first test has been discussed already. the t-test concerning confidence has a tvalue of 9.597; the degree of freedom (df) here is 58. the t-test concerning fluency has a tvalue of 9.226 and the degree of freedom here is 59. the fourth pair or the test concerning pronunciation has a t-value of 8.780 where degree of freedom (df) is 59. all the t-tests that have been performed showed the differences as positively significant at the 99 percent confidence interval level. therefore, we can declare safely that all the hypotheses have been retained. significance of the study some of the benefits of the method of using text-to-speech software in conjugation with k-yan projectors have indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 147 been listed here. this can show the way in which the study can enrich the present english language teaching of our country. • during this experiment the majority of the learners listened to the machine reading of the text with full concentration and then they repeated the same aloud. thus, this method develops the learner’s listening skill as well as reading skill. • they read the text aloud in chorus which helps them to overcome their anxiety of reading english. • they participated in the reading process willingly with their peers. thus, they overcome their inferiority complex. • text-to-speech software generally offers two or three variants of reading. in this case the options werebritish english, american english and indian english. here, british english was chosen. thus, the students got an opportunity to listen to the native speakers and imitate and internalise their style of speaking english which is beneficial for learning a foreign language, according to lee and heinz’s (2016). • lee and heinz (2016) also highlight the importance of learner autonomy in english language learning. while giving the treatment we asked the students to identify the words that they found difficult and take extra care to listen and correct the same in the next reading. this approach certainly awakens the learners and compels them to take part in the reading actively and thus be responsible for their own development. • the experiment provides the learners exposure to british english language. the learners listen to the native speakers, the receipt pronunciation (rp). thus, this method can save the learners from any subjective error on the part of the teacher. • text-to-speech reading treatment not only improves learner’s pronunciation and fluency but also it improves their sense of intonation and stress. meihami and husseini’s (2012) study points this out. the same is evident in our study. • in our experiment the students are required to read aloud the text after listening carefully to the reading by the machine. lee and heinz’s (2016) prescribe reading aloud as an effective strategy to improve language learning. the experiment includes this strategy also. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 148 references bione, t., grimshaw, j., & cardoso, w. 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(2014). available at https://negd.gov.in indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 203 research paper perceived parental involvement in digital learning of higher secondary adolescent students in kerala ajith r pillai1 & p. sethurajakumar. t2 1ph. d. research scholar, department of sociology periyar university salem, tamil nadu email: ajithrpilla@gmail.com 2assistant professor, department of sociology periyar university salem, tamil nadu abstract many nations executed emergency strategies, such as lockdown and temporary school closings due to the new-fangled situation of covid-19. it has pointedly affected families as of the involvement essential in backing children’s online learning at home. the current inquiry aims to examine adolescents’ participation and their home-based parental involvement along their online learning provided by ‘kite victers’ educational channel under the general education department, government of kerala throughout the lockdown and school closure period in 20202021 academic year. the online survey, using closed-ended questionnaire, was administered. variables included parent’s and their children’s socio-demographic characteristics; students’ participation in online learning through ‘first bell’; and their perceived parental involvement. data were collected from a sample of adolescent children from higher secondary adolescent students, and statistical data analysis was performed using spss. the researcher used univariate, bivariate and multivariate analysis to investigate the association between parents’ involvement in students’ online learning. findings exposed that, according to the adolescent students’, their parents reinforced them throughout the pandemic mainly through the monitoring of participation in online classes and task realization. however, several socio-demographic variables appear to have no significant relation to the participation of students in online/ digital learning. implications for policies, schools, families are discussed to promote children’s online learning and academic accomplishments. keywords: digital learning, adolescents’ participation, parental involvement, higher secondary adolescent students, kite victers introduction the family that functions in a knowledge society influences the adolescent child and plays an important role in the process of development. the influence of the family is supplementary in this twenty-first century, distinguished as a digital century. digital technologies have become increasingly integrated into educational institutions, serving not only as means to facilitate learning, but also as platforms that link home and school. parents’ preferences and beliefs towards technology have a major role in adolescents’ use of technology as they directly affect the quality and the quantity of digital media available to them, especially at home. it is, therefore, crucial to understand how parents perceive the changes imposed by online education upon their children’s development, their diverse beliefs, and practices. digital learning/online education is a type of learning that is reinforced by digital technology or by indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 204 instructional exercise that makes actual usage of technology. masrom (2007) explains e-learning/ online education as the learning enabled and reinforced through the employment of information and communications technology (ict) which can be used in different learning situations to progress learning routine (al-adwan & smedley, 2012). the online education tossed owing to the covid-19 epidemic has enhanced the “digitization” procedure in teachinglearning. going digital is not a modest process; it consumes multifaceted ingredients, such as perseverance, a computer-generated administration structure, willingness to pact with online teaching-learning tools, digital eloquence, and handling the moods of fear and societal loneliness (angoletto & queiroz,  2020). it is, consequently, essential to distinguish that distance education through online education includes numerous problems and restraints rather than discerning that it is “simply home-based education”. conferring to mulenga and marbán (2020), covid-19 has amused an arbitrating role in helping people use digital strategies, online capitals, societal media technologies, and e-learning actions more efficiently. ribeiro et al. (2021) had their conclusions giving eminence to the necessity for a noteworthy outlay of spell as of parentages, predominantly of school adolescents, producing difficulty to stick effort or telework with scholastic actions, in demand to encourage teenagers’ education and accomplishment. difficulties recognized as far as the adolescents and parents were concerned included a dearth of contact to technologies and the internet, alternative approaches for academic activities provisions, such as supplementary responsibilities and disproportionate assignments, and inadequate occasions for added indepth clarifications from educators once essential (wajdi et al., 2020). the investigation by çevik, m., and bakioğlu, b (2021) intended to assess whether the fear of constricting covid-19 (covfc) had a controlling outcome on the forecast of pre-service educators’ academic motivations through their computer self-efficacy observations (cse). the upsurge was realized to consume a negative controlling consequence on the forecast of academic motivations with the computer self-efficacy observations of pre-service teachers. research led by griffith and arnold  (2019)  by thirty-six families in the us propose that parents perform significant part in supporting the child’s perspective progress when engaging online apps with their kids. as observed by further research, the nontechnical proficiency and working out required to effectively steer the gadgets may also impact the child parent relationships as the emphasis swings away as of learning how the usage of technology is to utilize the technology to study  (vidunn,  j et al., 2018). kour, sunmeet (2017) conducted a study in ‘exploring adolescent students’ attitude towards the effectiveness of e-learning in their academic life’. the outcome pointed out that the adolescents have a favourable attitude towards e-learning and no significant differences among male and female students. the public education system in kerala has been changing slowly to include digital education in its daily conventional classroom practices for the last few years. but as the covid 19 pandemic has changed the system very quickly and rapidly, many of the parents and adolescents were taken swiftly into a new situation of learning experiences at home. the schools were not functioning for the last few months; there were no regular classes and face to face interactions between the teachers and peers. at this juncture, the government has begun virtual classes for the school children coming indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 205 under the department of general education through the ‘kite victers’ channel. the programme named ‘first bell classes’ was transmitted for the higher secondary adolescent students in different subjects. online education, consequently, gives rise to advanced stages of stress for adolescent school children and parents (carvalho et al., 2020). this study investigates the parental involvement in the participation of students in first bell classes, an alternative digital learning system, during the covid-19 situation. through this programme govt. of kerala provides digital classes from pre-primary up to the higher secondary students through, television, youtube channels and other private channels. the parents had to change their role to be their child’s ‘educator’ as the adolescent students needed their support. some students were using the devices or gadgets of parents to watch the first bell classes. while most of the higher secondary students had their gadgets (mobile phones, tablets, ipod, etc.). it is in this scenario that the study investigated parental involvement along with the adolescent student’s participation in ‘first bell’ classes during the academic year 2020-2021. in this study, the parents were identified as those who are biological fathers and mothers and, in their absence, the ones who took up the responsibilities of adolescent childrearing. parental involvement was defined as the parental efforts to plan, engage in, support, monitor and/or assess the learning experiences of their children at home predominantly using technological devices and media, increasing technology literacy; enabling easy and quick access to information sources; enhancing learner autonomy and academic achievement. symbolic interactionist theory establishing the base of this work reflects micro-level societal relations to make us realize how persons in a family particularly the parents socialize and mature individualities besides the way of communication in their normal existence. research question what is the relationship between the participation of parents and their adolescent child’s participation in digital online education in kerala during the covid-19 period? objectives of the study 1. to identify the extent of participation of mothers in the digital learning process of higher secondary school adolescents in kerala. 2. to identify the extent of participation of fathers in digital learning of higher secondary school adolescents in kerala. 3. to find out the participation of adolescent students in the digital learning process. 4. to identify the relationship between socio-demographic variables and adolescent student participation towards digital learning. 5. to identify the relationship between the participation levels of parents in the digital learning process of school adolescents and the adolescent students ‘participation level. method of the study as the inquiry was about the involvement of parents and the participation of students in digital learning, the investigation was designed as a quantitative study. the population selected was the second year higher secondary school adolescents of kerala during the academic year of 2020-2021. a stratified random sampling technique was used. a total of 321 higher indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 206 secondary school adolescents from the identified four districts of kerala have been selected to be included in the sample. two districts each from south and north of the state were identified. the districts were kasaragod, the northernmost district of the state, malappuram, the district which is the one which has the largest number of higher secondary adolescent students, lying towards the central part of kerala, ernakulam, a metropolitan district from central kerala and kollam which is one among the southernmost part of kerala. a rating scale consisting of 26 statements for the parents and five statements for the adolescent students were used. these statements were piloted among a small group (7 no.) of adolescent school students as a trial and modifications were made appropriately. then, the tool was administered online using a google form, the data collected were scrutinized and classified and statistical data analysis was performed using spss statistics. analysis and interpretation of data the results based on a statistical analysis of the data collected for the study are presented in tables and figures, following the sequence of the specific research problem regarding student participation in digital education. the data were collected by online mode from the districts of kasaragod and malappuram as the representation from the north region while kollam and ernakulum represented the south region of kerala. among the sample, 32.71 percent of respondents belong to ernakulam district and 34.58 percent are from malappuram district. the respondents from kollam and kasaragod districts consisted of 19.63 percent and 13.08 percent respectively. distribution of sample by demographic characteristics the unit of study is the higher secondary school going student. according to the age distribution, most of the respondents of the sample were of the age of eighteen (204). among the sample, 54 percent of respondents were males and 46 percent were females. distribution of sample by subject under study among the sample, 53 percent of students were from the science stream. those from the humanities and commerce stream were 32.4 percent and 14.33 percent respectively. distribution of samples by place of residence and socio-economic status among the sample 63 percent respondents were from rural areas and the remaining 37 percent from profile of the respondents table-1: distribution of sample taken for the study by district district number of respondents percent ernakulam 105 32.71 kasaragod 42 13.08 kollam 63 19.63 malappuram 111 34.58 total 321 100.00 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 207 urban areas. the socio-economic status described was based on their category of ration cards used for purchasing from the public distribution system. as per the ration cards, 67 percent of respondents belong to above poverty line (apl) and 33 percent were of the below poverty line (bpl). student’s participation in digital classes the different types of gadgets used by the students among the sample majority of the students (80 percent) were depending on mobile/smartphones for attending digital classes. twelve percent of the sample students attended the classes telecasted through television and two percent used computers for attending the online classes. six percent of the students were occasionally using all the above-mentioned gadgets for participating in digital learning. the ownership of gadgets used by the students among the sample 47 percent of the students were using their parent’s gadget for attending digital classes while 41 percent of students were having their own gadgets, whereas eight percent of the respondents were using their sibling’s gadgets. student’s preference about attending mode of learning among the sample, 70 percent of the adolescent students preferred offline classes while 17 percent of them were interested in online classes. there was 13 percent of students who preferred the combination of online and offline classes. figure-1: students preferred mode of learning students participation in online/ digital classes various indicators used for measuring the student’s participation level in online/digital classes are described in table 2. there were 5 indicators with five categories of response, such as never, sometimes, often, almost and always. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 208 table-2: various indicators used for measuring the students participation level in online/digital classes indicators response (%) never sometimes often almost always i am interested to be in digital/online classes 25.9 22.2 12.5 18.8 20.6 i can comprehend the content discussed in online classes without further help 25.3 21.8 18.8 19.1 15.0 i have full-time participation in the digital/online classes 15.6 20.0 16.6 24.1 23.7 i regularly participate in the digital /online classes related to my subject aired by kite victers kerala first bell 22.5 16.8 19.1 19.7 21.9 i was able to properly finish the homework and extended works given in the first bell classes 23.1 16.3 18.4 15.6 26.6 among the sample, 26 percent of respondents were never interested in being in the digital/ online classes, while 20 percent were always interested. nineteen percent of adolescent students could almost, and 15 percent could always comprehend the content discussed in online classes without further help, but 25 percent of the respondents were never able to comprehend without further help. around 48 percent of respondents reported that they had full-time participation in the digital classes. twenty-two percent of the respondents reported to have regularly participated in online classes related to their subject aired by kite victers, while 22 percent never participated in digital classes. twenty-three percent of respondents stated that they were not able to properly finish the homework and extended works given. only 26 percent of the respondents disclosed that they were able to properly finish the homework and extended works given during the first bell classes level of participation of online/ digital classes among the students figure-2: students participation level in digital/ online classes indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 209 from among the sample, 47 percent of students were identified as having low and 53 percent of high-level participation in digital/ online class. parents participation towards online/digital classes father’s and mother’s participation in digital classes were measured separately by using 13 indicators. these indicators were the experiences of the respondents in relation to their parents’ involvement in digital classes. mothers’ participation towards online classes of their adolescents among the sample seven percent of the respondents do not have a friendly talk with their mother while 53 percent of them had. twenty percent of respondents reported that their mother never helps them in the activities of digital learning; while 21 percent of respondents pointed out that their mother always helps them. ten percent respondents of the sample said that their mother never asks about their daily online classes. 12 percent of respondents’ mothers never help them to do their homework. in this sample around 55 percent of mothers always praise their child as they do something satisfactory, while 9 percent do not care about this. table-3: various indicators used for measuring the mother’s participation towards online/digital classes indicator response (%) never sometimes often almost always i have friendly talk with my mother 7.5 10.6 9.7 19.4 52.8 my mother helps me with my activities in the digital learning 20.3 30.3 11.9 16.6 20.9 my mother asks about my daily digital/online class 10.3 11.9 12.8 15.9 49.1 my mother doesn’t help me with my homework 50.6 23.8 5.6 8.1 11.9 my mother praises me as i do something satisfactory 9.4 11.6 7.8 16.6 54.7 my mother talks to me about my friends 10.3 12.8 15.6 20.9 40.3 my mother is often busy that she forgets what i am doing online 52.5 23.1 10.0 6.9 7.5 mother provide information on how to assist and improve skills on digital/online classes 19.4 20.6 15.3 18.8 25.9 mother gives me the responsibility for discussing important things i learn 14.7 15.6 11.3 17.8 40.6 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 210 mother know how to support, encourage, and help me at home in the digital learning 12.8 11.3 8.1 20.9 46.9 mother know that my study needs are personal and different for another individual child 10.9 8.8 11.3 19.7 49.4 mother helps maintain acceptable noise levels, break times, and lighting during my digital / online classes 10.6 5.9 10.9 14.1 58.4 mother discuss with my teacher about how they can support and encourage me for my achievement 15.3 17.8 16.3 17.2 33.4 in our society where online media is so popular, parents need to be aware of their children’s online and offline friends. around 40 percent respondents in the sample reported that their mother always talks about their friends, but 10 percent of mothers neglect this. seven percent of the respondents pointed out that their mother fails to recall what the respondents are doing online because of her busy work. twenty-six percent of the respondent’s mother always helps and information on how to improve skills in online classes, while 19 percent of the respondent’s mother never gives attention to it. among the sample, 41 percent of mothers always give their child the responsibility for discussing important things that they learn. around 13 percent of respondents’ mothers don’t know how to support, encourage, and help their children at home in digital learning. also, around 49 percent of mothers know that their children’s study needs are personal and different from others. 58 percent of respondents’ mothers help to maintain acceptable noise levels, break times and lighting during the online classes at home. around 33 percent of respondent’s mothers always discuss with teachers how they can support and encourage their children. combining the 13 indicators mentioned in table 3 produces the participation level of mothers in their children’s digital classes, which is described in figure 3. around 44 percent of respondents’ mothers have identified low level participation towards their child’s digital learning and 56 percent as high-level participation. figure-3: participation level of mother’s in digital learning of the child indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 211 father’s participation towards online classes of their child various indicators used for measuring fathers’ participation in their child’s online learning are presented in table 4. table-4: various indicators for measuring the father’s participation in online classes indicator response (%) never sometime often almost always i have friendly talk with my father 13.1 17.8 13.4 14.1 41.6 my father helps me with my activities in the digital learning 25.9 22.8 14.4 13.1 23.8 my father asks about my daily digital/online class 16.3 20.9 12.8 12.5 37.5 my father doesn’t help me with my homework 49.7 21.3 5.9 10.6 12.5 my father praises me as i do something satisfactory 14.4 12.5 10.3 16.6 46.3 my father talks to me about my friends 22.2 18.1 13.8 17.8 28.1 my father is often busy that he forgets what i am doing online 43.8 22.5 12.2 6.6 15.0 father provide information on how to assist and improve skills on digital/online classes 20.0 23.1 9.7 15.6 31.6 father gives me the responsibility for discussing important things i learn 19.7 17.2 12.2 15.0 35.9 father know how to support, encourage, and help me at home in the digital learning 18.1 15.9 10.6 16.3 39.1 father know that my study needs are personal and different for another individual child 17.2 12.2 8.4 16.3 45.9 father helps to maintain acceptable noise levels, break times, and lighting during my digital / online classes 20.0 15.0 11.3 10.6 43.1 father discuss with my teacher about how they can support and encourage me for my achievement 27.8 19.1 11.6 12.8 28.8 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 212 among the sample 13 percent of respondents don’t have a friendly talk with their father while 42 percent do have. twenty-six percent respondents’ fathers never help them with their activities in digital learning. twelve percent of respondents’ fathers never help the children to do their homework. 46 percent of respondents’ fathers in samples praised their children as doing something satisfactory. 28 percent respondents’ fathers inquired about the friends of the respondents, but 22 percent didn’t pay attention to this. fifteen percent respondent’s fathers forget what their children are doing online because of their work pressure. among the sample 32 percent of respondents’ fathers are giving assistance and information to their child on how to improve skills in online classes. thirty-six percent respondent’s fathers give the responsibility to their children for discussing important things that they learn. eighteen percent of respondents’ fathers don’t know how to support, encourage, and help their child at home in digital learning. about 46 percent of the respondent’s father in the sample knows that the study needs of their children are personal and different from each other. forty-three percent (43 percent) of the respondent’s fathers always help their children by maintaining acceptable noise levels, break times and lighting during the online classes. among the sample, 29 percent of the respondent’s fathers always discuss with their children’s class teacher how they can support and encourage them for achievements. by combining all the indicators presented in table 4, the participation level of fathers towards their adolescent’s digital learning is presented in figure 3. among the sample, 44 percent of respondents’ fathers have identified low-level attitudes towards their child’s digital learning, whereas 56 percent have high-level attitudes. figure-4: participation levels of father in the digital learning of the child factors influencing students participation in digital/ online classes there may be a lot of factors influencing the student’s participation in digital learning. one of the important factors of student participation in online classes is the participation level of parents in it. the relation between parents’ participation in digital learning and students’ participation in digital learning is presented in table 10. when the parent’s participation level towards digital learning increases, the participation level of students in digital learning also increases and it can be proved scientifically with the significant level of the probability value. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 213 table-5: relation between the participation of parents and children in digital learning participation level of parents students’ participation in digital class p value low (%) high (%) father** low 64.5 35.5 0.000 high 33.5 66.5 mother** low 67.6 32.4 0.000 high 30.9 69.1 p value is < 0.05 in the case of fathers’, the p value 0.000 is less than 0.05. hence, there is a significant relationship in the case of the participation level of the father with the student’s participation level in the digital classes. this implies that when the participation level of the father becomes low, the participation of students in digital learning also becomes low and when the participation level of the father becomes high, the participation level of the child in digital learning also becomes high. in the case of mother’s, the p-value of 0.000 is less than 0.05. hence, there is a significant relationship in the case of the participation level of mothers with the student’s participation level in the digital classes. this implies that when the participation level of a mother becomes low, the participation level of a child in digital learning also becomes low. when the participation level of mothers becomes high, the participation level of students in digital learning also increases. the relation between socioeconomic and demographic factors in the participation of students in online learning it was found that the students who were studying in the commerce and science stream had higher participation levels in online learning than the students who were studying in humanities. table-6: relation between socio-economic and demographic factors and children participation in online learning socio demographic variables low participation level p-value high age 17 47.2 52.8 0.223 18 47.1 52.9 19 56.5 43.5 20 0 100.00 gender male 46.8 53.2 0.488 female 47.6 52.4 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 214 subject** humanities 55.3 44.7 0.006commerce 43.5 56.5 science 35.6 64.4 residence rural 48.3 51.7 0.351 urban 45.4 54.6 economic status apl 48.4 51.6 0.313 bpl 44.8 55.2 **p value is < 0.05 the age level of students under study is 17, 18, 19 and 20. the p-value related to age is 0.223, implying that there is no significant relationship with the various age groups. there is not much variation in the participation level in the digital learning process about various age groups. in case of the selection of optional subjects, p-value is 0.006, which is less than 0.05. hence, there is a significant relationship in the digital learning of various streams of subjects. the students who are studying commerce and science stream have higher participation levels in digital learning when compared with the participation level of humanities. when we consider the gender difference of students on online learning the p-value is 0.0488. this shows that there is no significant difference between male and female participation in online/ digital learning. when we study the place of residence of students the p-value is 0.351. this shows that there is no significant difference in the rural urban level in the participation of students in online learning. as we reflect upon the economic status of students as apl and bpl, the p-value is 0.313, which shows that there is no significant difference in the participation in online learning with regard to the economic status of the students. multivariate analysis on the factors influencing the participation level on digital learning of students more specifically the relation between the dependent variable and the independent variables is described in table 7 based on multivariate binary logistic regression analysis. the students who studied in commerce and science stream have two times higher chance to participate in digital classes as compared with the students who studied in humanistic. if the parents’ participation level towards digital learning is high their child has a higher chance of effectively participating in online classes as compared with the reference category. table-7: multivariate analysis on the factors influencing the participation level variables sig. exp(b) stream of study humanities ® commerce .013 2.002 science .048 2.066 mother participation through digital class low ® high .000 1.324 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 215 father participation through digital class low ® high .010 2.098 ®= reference category in the case of a stream of study, the reference category is humanities. when compared with the humanities stream, commerce and science students have two times higher chances to participate in digital classes. as for mothers’ participation in their child’s digital classes, the reference category is ‘low’. when the mother’s participation level is higher, their children have a higher chance of participation in online classes. in the cases of fathers’ participation in digital classes, the reference category is low. hence, the father’s participation level is higher, their child has a higher chance of participation. limitations the researchers identified some limitations in this study. the responses were collected using online selfreports and the respondents were not personally contacted. the time and willingness of the respondents was a major factor; hence the study was not that perfect in the sense of universal representation. but within these limitations three hundred and twentyone responses were derived to be included in the sample. notable findings among the sample, 70 percent of the adolescent students preferred offline classes. 25 percent of the respondents were not able to comprehend without further help, while 22 percent reported that they never participated in digital classes aired by kite victers. only 26 percent of the respondents disclosed that they were able to properly finish the homework and extended works given during the first bell classes. twenty percent of respondents reported that their mother never helps them in the activities of digital learning, around 40 percent of respondents in the sample reported that their mother always talks about their friends. twenty-six percent respondents’ mothers always aided and information on how to improve skills in online classes. around 33 percent of respondent’s mothers always discuss matters with teachers. friendly talk with their father was enjoyed by 42 percent of the respondents, while twenty-six percent respondent’s father never helps them with their activities in digital learning. twenty-eight percent respondent’s fathers inquire about their friends. thirty-two percent of respondents’ fathers are giving assistance and information to their children on how to improve skills on online classes. twentynine percent of the respondent’s fathers always discuss with their children’s class teacher. about 46 percent of the respondent’s fathers know that the study needs of their children are personal and different, while 49 percent of mothers know about that. discussions and conclusion around 56 percent of respondents’ mothers have high-level participation and 44 percent were identified as having low level participation towards their children’s digital learning. 44 percent of respondents’ fathers have identified low level participation in their child’s digital learning, whereas 56 percent have high-level of participation. 47 percent of students have identified as of low participation and 53 percent of high level in digital/ online class. it is inferred that only half of the parents, both the indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 216 mother and father, participated in the learning process of their adolescent. there is not much variation in the participation level in the digital learning process concerning various age-groups. no significant difference between males and females regarding the participation in online/digital learning was found. absence of significant difference in adolescents’ students’ rural-urban differences and concerning economic status in participation of online learning was identified. when compared with the humanities stream, commerce and science students have two times higher chances to participate in digital classes. this study aimed at identifying the relationship between the perceived participation of parents and their adolescent participation in digital/ online education. it was recognized from this study that as the mother’s participation level is higher; their adolescent child has a higher chance of participation in online classes. similarly, as in the case of the father, participation level higher, higher becomes the adolescent child’s chance of participation in online classes. thus, from the results, the theory of symbolic interaction is substantiated educational implications the governmental authorities, educators, ngos, and the community should take initiatives in helping the parents about the awareness of their participation. activities and scaffolding should be given to the parents about effective parenting of adolescents, digital education, and its training. it is noteworthy that the findings point out that there are no differences in participation of the adolescents in online learning regarding age, gender, rural/urban differences, and apl/ bpl categorization. parents of the humanities students should be given more awareness towards the need for proper participation and support to their adolescents to help them effectively utilize their online classes. as of this investigation, it was derived that only around half of the adolescent students in the sample had properly participated in this online learning process, which is an alarming rate. officials and educators must come up with new strategies towards improving their participation and restructure the online learning situations by also considering the socio psycho needs of the adolescents along with their academic accomplishments. the combination of online and offline learning will be the state-of-art and it is going to prevail even after the pandemic situation. it is high time that we, as educators, ponder over it. references al-adwan, a., & smedley, j k. 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(2020). education policy overcome coronavirus, a study of indonesians. edutec j. educ. technol. 3, 96–106. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 62 research article role of social media in learning science aribam pratima devi research scholar, regional institute of education bhubaneswar, ncert email: pratima47900@gmail.com abstract the means of communication and information dissemination are being revolutionized by social media. today, there are a plethora of social networking sites to choose from. it is undeniable that social networking platforms have a huge effect on both “digital natives” and “digital immigrants.” the researcher attempted to investigate the role of social media in learning science subjects, taking into account the impact of social media on both “digital natives” and “digital immigrants.” the study adopted a mixedmethod research design. the case study survey method was employed to conduct the research. the purposive sampling method was employed to select a public school from the dhenkanal district of odisha. 150 senior secondary and secondary school students studying in classes 9 to 12 participated in the study. a questionnaire was prepared with 30 items to collect the data. the findings of the study revealed that social media plays an important role in the teaching-learning process. social media when used creatively and mindfully could be very beneficial to the students as well as the teachers. several drawbacks were identified for using social media in learning. keywords: communication, engagement, information dissemination, learning process, social media, science education introduction technology’s rapid advancement has caused a paradigm shift in every aspect of our lives including education (varish & sharma, 2020). in this digital age, attempts should be made to improve people’s lifestyles to keep up with the latest trend. the recent covid-19 pandemic turned out to be a blessing in disguise for technology adoption across all social strata. almost all simple transactions were digital, and people’s apprehension about using technology decreased. this could be seen as a move closer to the government of india’s ministry of electronics and information technology launching the digital india program, which aims to turn india into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. the government has also made continuous efforts in the field of education to close the digital divide. the ministry of human resource development, government of india, took one such commendable step by launching study webs of active learning for young aspiring minds (swayam). in addition, the nep 2020 proposes establishing a national education technology forum to provide a forum for the free exchange of ideas about how to use technology to improve learning, evaluation, planning, and administration. formal learning is being replaced by technology-enhanced learning. in recent times, a multitude of educational platforms are available. technology integration is no longer limited to the classroom. with the ease with which the internet can be accessed, a variety of options for communicating, collaborating, networking, exchanging information, and constructing knowledge are accessible at any time and from any place. one such platform which has become a part and parcel of every individual is social networking sites or social media. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 63 rationale of the study the means of communication and information dissemination are being revolutionized by social media. social media is described by the government of india’s ministry of communications and information technology as “any web or mobile-based platform that allows a person or agency to communicate interactively and share user-generated content.” it is an internet-based platform that allows sharing of information (bassell, 2010). dabbagh and reo (2011) explained social media as “a type of online tool used to establish and maintain the connection with friends and acquaintances”. it offers multiple opportunities for students to be engaged, form networks, and learn social skills (dragseth, 2019). the basic aspect of social media is that it links like-minded individuals, allowing them to interact and build awareness that contributes to community sustainability. today, there are a plethora of social networking sites to choose from. numerous software and applications are being produced in the market as a result of technological advances. collaboration projects, blogs and microblogs, content communities, social networking platforms, virtual gaming environments, and virtual social worlds were all classified as social media by kaplan and haenlein in framework & guidelines for use of social media for government organizations, published in 2010. it is undeniable that social networking platforms have a huge effect on both “digital natives’’ and “digital immigrants.” according to oberst et al. (2017), social media is appealing because it serves as a forum for young people to shape social identities. social media is a “highly visible factor in the daily lives of our students’’ (fiona &ingo, 2018) and has a major effect on psychological well-being and satisfaction (choi & noh, 2019). studies have identified that social media has had a major impact on how people learn (ellis & ellis, 2015; greenhow & lewin, 2016; mpungose, 2020). social media has revolutionized how the new generation “learns, communicates, and develops’’ (rajasekhar & jaishree, 2020). social media allows for collaborative online learning and can impact both students and teachers (clement, 2020). in the educational process, social media not only aids in communication and networking, but also in the sharing of learning materials among learners, teachers, experts, and others (joan, 2020). studies have shown that using social media plays a significant role in the teaching-learning process. learning when combined with social media in teaching prospective science teachers’ tpack was successful (setiawan & phillipson, 2019). social media not only aids in learning but also aids in changing young learners’ perceptions and interactions in science (wilson & boldeman, 2012). social media has demonstrated its ability to bridge the gap between science and family by allowing children to engage with science at home through social media platforms (tyler & vanstone, 2017). also, science teachers believe that social media when used as a tool, offers opportunities for students’ advancement (akif et al, 2020). when utilised for collaborative learning, social media has a significant influence on engagement with students, tutors, and virtual knowledge exchange (ansari & khan, 2020). furthermore, the efficiency of social media in strengthening students’ communication abilities in the issue of fluids was discovered (fatimawati et al, 2019). social media has been proven to be a useful technique for improving communication between teachers and students (khatun & aldhlan, 2017; sahrain et al, 2020). the internet and online social media were useful in enhancing productivity indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 64 and contentment, with the goals of encouraging internet users to communicate with others and increasing the number of online communication partners among teenagers with complex communication needs (grace et al, 2014). when used in conjunction with a multimedia-based curriculum, social media has been shown to improve creativity among students studying art, design, and digital media (al hashimi et al, 2019). the physics learning media course, which was aided by instagram, proved excellent in improving students’ creative thinking abilities (irwandani et al, 2020). furthermore, social media contributed to the improvement of university students’ reading skills (al momani, 2020). evidence of extensive social media use was reported in language acquisition (istifci & dogan, 2021). research questions 1. do social media play any role in learning science? if yes, how? 2. is social media a boon or bane for the students in learning science? objectives of the study the researcher after a review of the literature and considering the influence of social media on the “digital natives” as well as the “digital immigrants” felt the need to study the role of social media in learning science subjects. the objectives of the study were taken as: • to explore the different types of social networking sites (snss) that students use. • to investigate the role of social networking sites (snss) in science education. • to study the benefits and disadvantages of using social media to learn science. operational definition social media: social media is a technology-enabled medium where anyone may engage and exchange information, ideas, knowledge, and any kind of expression or thinking. snss: a virtual community that links and allows both students and teachers to exchange ideas, study, educate, and share information and knowledge. methodology research design: the study adopted a mixed-method research design. the descriptive survey method was employed to conduct the research. population senior secondary and secondary school students studying in the public schools of odisha were considered as the population for the study. sampling methodology and samples the purposive sampling method was employed to select a public school from the dhenkanal district of odisha. 150 senior secondary and secondary school students studying in classes 9 to 12 participated in the study. tool a questionnaire was prepared with 30 items to collect the data. the survey was divided into four parts. the first section included demographic details, such as gender, age, and the class they were studying, as well as the resource availability for access to snss. the second section included items for extracting knowledge from snss as well as the fundamentals of their use. the third section contains an item about how social media aids science learning and students’ perception toward using it as a learning tool. the final segment contains items to determine the indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 65 disadvantages, if any, of using social media to learn science. result and findings the analysis of the data indicated various findings which are discussed below. demographic findings and general information about social media usage a total number of 150 students studying in class 9 to 12 participated in the study. out of which, 62.5 percent were male and 37.5 percent were females. the maximum number of participants (52.8 percent) were studying in grade 11th, while 21.5 percent were in grade 12th students, 13.2 percent in grade 9th and 12.5 percent were studying in grade 10th. table-1: demographic information of the students who participated in the study grade gender age 9th 10th 11th 12th female male 13-14 years 15-16 years 17-18 years 13.2% 12.5% 52.8% 21.5% 37.5% 62.5% 20.8% 52.8% 26.4% 20 19 79 32 56 94 31 79 40 total 150 150 150 65.7 percent of the students reported owning their smartphones while 34.3 percent do not. 97.9 percent of the students confirmed, having an internet connection while 2.1 percent do not have an internet connection. a maximum of the students (81.8 percent) were found to be active on social media and they reported having a social media account. graph-1: personal attributes of the students 50 percent of the students were found to be using social media mainly to update about the happenings in the world. 63.4 percent of the students were found to be fully aware of the opportunities offered by social media in the learning of science. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 66 objective-1: to find out various categories of social networking sites (snss) used by the students. youtube was the most frequently used snss by the students for learning science. applications that are based on educational purposes like byju, unacademy were also found to be in use by the students. facebook, whatsapp, telegram, twitter were also reported to be used for learning science. table-2: (snss) used by the students for learning science snss no. of students using it frequency youtube 80 53.3% whatsapp 5 3.3% telegram 1 0.6% vedantu 2 1.3% zoom 3 3.3% unacademy 3 3.3% byjus 6 4% my cbse guide 3 3.3% topper 3 3.3% instagram 7 4.6% twitter 2 1.3% quora 1 0.6% facebook 3 3.3% brainly 2 1.3% wikipedia 2 1.3% google 6 4% doubtnut 1 0.6% graph-2: (snss) used by the students for learning science indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 67 objective-2: to explore the role of snss in learning science 81.1 percent of the students used social media platforms for learning science. except for 3.5 percent, 80.6 percent of the students found learning science from the social media platform interesting while 16 percent of them were unsure.   70.7 percent of the students also reported that using social media in learning science increases the interest as well as the attention of students towards the subject. 62.5 percent of the students reported the effectiveness of learning science from social media platforms, while 9.7 percent do not feel its effectiveness. the students reported that 40.3 percent of the science teachers used social media platforms for teaching, 37.5 percent used it sometimes and 22.2 percent never used social media platforms for science teaching. except for 4.9 percent of the students, other students agreed that social media could be used as a learning platform for science. 80.5 percent of the students reported that social media helps to collaborate with other students for science learning. 86.8 percent of the students expressed that social media provides entertaining and mind stimulating activities for learning science which makes learning joyful and interesting. 88.9 percent of the students stated that social media if used creatively could be used very successfully in learning science. 68.8 percent of the students ascertained that social media could be used as a tool for learning sciences by linking it to reallife situations. 77.7 percent of the students felt that social media provides a platform for the students to interact with experts in sciences. 59.2 percent of the students stated that social media plays an important role in nurturing learners’ instinctive curiosity and encouraging the spirit of inquiry. 83.9 percent of the students reported that social media supports various learning styles and through social media, a learner can learn at their own pace. 80.5 percent of the students reported that plenty of learning materials for science subjects are available on social media platforms. it makes them independent learners and can learn anytime from anywhere. graph-3: role of snss in learning science indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 68 objective-3: to study the challenges and drawbacks of using snss in learning science 43.7 percent of the students reported that social media could be a great distraction for students. it could distract the students from learning and sometimes end up in social media addiction.  moreover, 70 percent of the students opined that social media is not easy for all students to manage for educational purposes. 60.4 percent of the students were not sure if social media provides authentic information. the content that is disseminated and the learning materials that are made available online can be deceiving at times. 40.7 percent of the students expressed that there is a lack of interest among teachers in using social media. because of this social media usage could be restricted in classrooms and schools. 42 percent of the students felt that learning through social media is time-consuming as it requires lots of searching and filtering the information. 77 percent of the students stated that social media could be restricted in the learning process if proper resources in the form of smartphones, pcs, internet connection, etc. are not available to the students as well as the teachers. graph-4: challenges and drawbacks of using snss in learning science discussions according to the findings, the majority of students (65.7 percent) own mobile phones and have 97.9 percent internet access, highlighting the importance of the internet and smartphones in everyone’s lives. zachos et al. (2018) and lenhart (2015) agree with the study’s findings. the study found youtube to be the most popular social media platform among students, contrary to the findings of alabdulkareem (2014), tess (2013), and sánchez (2014), who found whatsapp and facebook to be the most popular media networks, respectively. whatsapp was proven to be quite successful in increasing teacher and student involvement by khatun and al-dhlan (2017). the study also demonstrates the importance of social media in the classroom. gray et al. (2013) discovered a similar result in their study. it was confirmed that using social media to collaborate with other students for science learning and interaction is beneficial, which is consistent with dragseth’s (2019) and wilson and boldeman’s (2012) findings. the study reveals 40.3 percent of science teachers use social media platforms for teaching. it may be due to a lack of resources in educational institutions or a lack of technical knowledge on the part of the teachers. platforms on social media offer engaging and mind-stimulating activities for studying science, which not only makes learning enjoyable and interesting but also draws the attention of young students. according to the study, social media plays an important role in education and learning. when utilised creatively and efficiently, it promotes learning. this conclusion is consistent with the findings of alabdulkareem (2015), who indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 69 observed that instructors and students are enthusiastic about utilising social media in the classroom, believing that it will enhance their learning experiences. however, the study discovered significant drawbacks to adopting social media as a learning tool. some of the limitations highlighted in the study, similar to hussain et al. (2018) were social media addiction owing to frequent use, doubtful information on social media, and a lack of suitable learning materials. conclusions the findings of the study revealed that various information regarding the role of social media in the educational process of learning science. it was found that social media plays an important role in the teaching-learning process. social media when used creatively and mindfully could be very beneficial to the students as well as the teachers. several disadvantages of using social media were also identified. it is the responsibility of the teachers and the parents to monitor the usage of snss by the students. digital education should be imparted to students from a very young age. they should be kept aware of the benefits and drawbacks of using social media at all times. to guide and protect them from cyberbullies and cybercriminals, appropriate information should be disseminated at the appropriate time, and in the appropriate direction. along with the students, the teachers, and the educators should also upskill themselves with new technology. learning, when integrated with technology, is more interesting and much more impactful. reference alabdulkareem,s.a. 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(2012). social media in higher education. the europa world of learning, 1(3),1-10. selwyn, n. (2016). minding our language: why education and technology is full of bullshit and what might be done about it. london: taylor & francis. doi:10.1080/17439884.2015.1012523 setiawan, h., & phillipson,s. (2019) the correlation between social media usage in academic context and self-efficacy towards tpack of prospective science teachers in indonesia. journal of science learning, 3(2), 106-116 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 72 tess, p. (2013). the role of social media in higher education classes (real and virtual)—a literature review. computer human behaviour, 29, 60–68 tyler, t., & vanstone, e. (2017). bridging the gap--using social media to bring together science and families. primary science, 149 ,21-23 varish & sharma,d.( 2020). landscape of social networking sites in schools: an administrative perspective. indian journal of educational technology,2(2), 29-40 wilson, k. l., & boldeman, s. u. (2012). exploring ict integration as a tool to engage young people at a flexible learning centre. journal of science education and technology, 21, 661–668. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 312 review article hybrid learning: how educational technology is enabling a new era of classroom flexibility r. ravichandran head, department of humanities science education and research, pss central institute of vocational education (ncert), shyamla hills, bhopal email-r.ravichandran@psscive.ac.in abstract as schools continue to navigate the ongoing covid-19 pandemic, many have turned to hybrid learning models as a way to balance in-person and remote instruction. educational technology has played a critical role in enabling this new era of classroom flexibility. this article explores what hybrid learning is, the benefits and challenges of this approach, and how educational technology supports it. the article provides examples of educational technology tools commonly used in hybrid learning, along with best practices for effective implementation. teacher and student perspectives on hybrid learning are also examined. finally, the article explores the future of hybrid learning and educational technology and how this approach may continue to evolve in the years to come. keywords: hybrid learning, educational technology, remote learning, online learning, in-person instruction, classroom flexibility, personalized learning, virtual learning, blended learning, technology integration, future of education. what is hybrid learning? hybrid learning, often referred to as blended learning, is an educational approach that combines traditional inperson teaching with the utilization of educational technology. this method aims to leverage the strengths of both conventional classroom instruction and digital tools while mitigating their respective drawbacks. by seamlessly integrating online educational resources and digital platforms into the educational environment, hybrid learning offers an unprecedented level of flexibility for both students and educators. as educational technology continues to advance, hybrid learning has gained widespread acceptance across various educational and training settings. hybrid learning fosters a dynamic and interactive learning environment, allowing students to access course materials, participate in discussions, and collaborate with peers in both physical and online settings. this educational model involves students attending classes in person as well as remotely through digital technology. this flexibility empowers students to choose between on-site and online attendance based on their personal preferences and circumstances. the implementation of hybrid learning can take on diverse forms, ranging from a fully blended model where students split their time equally between inperson and online learning, to a more adaptable approach that enables students to attend classes on-site or remotely as needed (gil, mor, et al., indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 313 2022). many educational institutions have embraced hybrid learning, especially in response to the challenges posed by the covid-19 pandemic. it facilitates social distancing and reduces the risk of viral transmission within the classroom (nørgård, 2021). hybrid learning offers numerous advantages, such as enhanced flexibility and convenience for students, as well as the incorporation of educational technology to enrich the learning experience. however, the implementation of a hybrid learning model also presents certain challenges, including ensuring equitable access to technology and maintaining a sense of community and engagement in the classroom (bülow, 2022). in summary, hybrid learning represents a promising educational approach that can deliver a more personalized and adaptable learning experience for students. the benefits of hybrid learning hybrid learning, which combines elements of online and face-to-face instruction, has garnered attention as an innovative approach poised to reshape higher education (krishnan, 2023). research indicates that this approach, while not without its challenges, offers a range of benefits for both students and instructors. it stands to enhance the educational landscape by fostering a more adaptable and engaging learning environment in contrast to traditional in-person classes (krishnan, 2023). however, it does come with its share of pedagogical and technological hurdles (krishnan, 2023). snart (2010) contends that hybrid learning has the potential to revolutionize education for the 21st century by harnessing emerging technologies and multimedia, thus expanding its horizons. while faculty may define hybrid learning in various ways, abdelrahman (2016) found that by and large, they support it for its ability to increase accessibility, even though they tend to believe that face-toface learning provides a higher-quality educational experience (abdelrahman, 2016). hybrid learning appears to be particularly well-suited for computer science students, as rosbottom (2001) suggests, as they tend to perform better in hybrid and online courses. furthermore, research by mossavarrahmani (2007) has shown that a hybrid model with at least 50% of learning activities conducted online can have a positive impact on course delivery and student success. community colleges grappling with overcrowded in-person classes and the challenges of online courses, have been actively exploring hybrid learning as a viable alternative (crawford, 2014). olapiriyakul (2006) provides valuable guidance on the development of hybrid courses and reveals that there is generally no significant difference in student performance between hybrid and online courses, though students typically prefer the hybrid format. additionally, sutisna (2020) found that a hybrid model can enhance students’ digital literacy. in summary, while hybrid learning does present its fair share of challenges, research indicates that it can offer distinct advantages over traditional face-to-face and online learning methods. these advantages encompass the creation of an engaging learning environment, improved accessibility, enhanced student success, and greater digital literacy. with careful design and adequate support, hybrid learning holds the potential to bring about transformative changes in higher education (krishnan, 2023). recent studies, such as the work by ramli, setyawan, et al. (2022), continue to affirm the many benefits of hybrid indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 314 learning, further solidifying its position as an advantageous approach in contemporary education. hybrid learning, which blends online and in-person elements, offers numerous benefits for students and educators alike. these include flexibility, personalization, increased engagement, improved access, and costeffectiveness. overall, hybrid learning presents an opportunity to create a more tailored, engaging, and accessible learning experience while also being a cost-effective option for institutions and students. challenges of implementing hybrid learning hybrid learning, a pedagogical approach blending both online and face-to-face instruction, holds significant promise in reshaping higher education to align with the evolving needs of contemporary students (snart, 2010). nonetheless, its implementation is not without substantial challenges. a recurring theme in the literature is the technical hurdles faced by both students and instructors when navigating the digital landscape of hybrid learning. krishnan (2023) highlights the struggles lecturers encounter in managing the pedagogical and technological complexities of this approach. moreover, concerns persist regarding the potential for technology to facilitate academic dishonesty during assessments (krishnan, 2023). khatib (2023) concurs, emphasizing the substantial effort required for the effective integration of digital technology into hybrid learning. ensuring high-quality interaction and a positive learning experience presents another set of challenges. damo (2020) underscores the necessity of ample, highquality interaction between students and lecturers for hybrid learning to yield meaningful results. masson (2008) argues that hybrid learning must adopt a supportive framework that centres on the learning experience to effectively guide both students and instructors. however, research by sendra-pons (2022) suggests a potential downside, with findings indicating that students in hybrid learning settings may exhibit lower academic performance and motivation, possibly attributed to reduced face-to-face interaction and guidance. despite these challenges, a growing body of literature highlights the merits of hybrid learning. snart (2010) contends that hybrid learning has the capacity to make higher education more engaging, flexible, and costeffective. empirical assessments by damo (2020) and faradita (2022) reveal overwhelmingly positive feedback from students regarding their hybrid learning experiences. additionally, studies by krishnan (2023) and nashir (2021) report that both students and instructors perceive hybrid learning as more effective and engaging compared to fully in-person or fully online instruction. while the introduction of hybrid learning in higher education presents technological, pedagogical, and experiential challenges, numerous studies suggest that its advantages can outweigh these difficulties. with meticulous planning and robust support systems in place, hybrid learning has the potential to render higher education more accessible, affordable, and relevant to the needs of today’s diverse student population. in sum, current research underscores the value of further developing and refining the hybrid learning approach to meet the evolving demands of contemporary higher education. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 315 how educational technology supports hybrid learning educational technology has assumed a pivotal role in facilitating and enriching hybrid learning, a dynamic educational model encompassing both in-person and online components (sharma, sood, et al., 2022). its contribution to hybrid learning is multifaceted and transformative. educational technology serves as the linchpin for seamless communication, collaboration, and resource sharing within the hybrid learning environment. manciaracina (2021) outlines a comprehensive array of 12 technological communication tools, encompassing video conferencing platforms, online whiteboards, and cloud storage solutions. these tools empower students and instructors to engage effortlessly, whether they are physically present or participating remotely. the integration of educational technology has enabled the creation of scalable, shareable, and sustainable e-learning modules, as advocated by bai (2010). these modules offer automated feedback and adapt to individual student needs, fostering knowledge dissemination and costefficiency. moreover, this approach encourages the sharing of pedagogical best practices among faculty members. rosita (2020) demonstrates the practical application of educational technology through google classroom, a free web service that significantly enhanced hybrid learning in indonesian high schools. comprehensive training on google classroom equipped teachers with the tools to optimize the quality and quantity of learning materials and assignments, thereby enriching the educational experience. snart (2010) envisions a transformative potential for hybrid learning through the incorporation of emerging technologies, culminating in tailored, engaging learning environments that cater to diverse student needs. similarly, callaghan (2010) presents a conceptual framework that employs virtual classrooms and mixed reality to instil a sense of togetherness and community among online students. linder (2017) propounds the concept of hybrid pedagogy, which exploits technology to create versatile learning environments accommodating varied learning preferences. hybrid courses often leverage technology-enhanced activities beyond the traditional classroom setting. olapiriyakul (2006) offers valuable guidance and a case study on establishing hybrid learning courses at the new jersey institute of technology. the study reveals no significant performance disparity between students in hybrid and distance learning courses, with students expressing a preference for visual and active learning modalities. educational technology is instrumental in the success of hybrid learning by providing platforms for communication, collaboration, and resource sharing. well-designed hybrid courses harnessing technology have the potential to deliver engaging, tailored learning experiences that cater to the diverse needs and preferences of students. examples of educational technology tools used in hybrid learning learning management systems (lms): lms platforms such as canvas and moodle are used by teachers to create and manage course content, assignments, and assessments. they also enable communication and collaboration between teachers and students. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 316 video conferencing software: platforms like zoom and google meet are used to facilitate live virtual classes and meetings, where students can interact with their teachers and classmates remotely. interactive whiteboards: interactive whiteboards, such as smart boards, can be used in both in-person and virtual classes to display and manipulate multimedia content, and to facilitate student collaboration. screen sharing software: tools like microsoft teams and google workspace allow students to share their screens with their teachers and classmates during virtual classes, making it easier to demonstrate and explain concepts. online learning resources: online learning resources such as khan academy and coursera provide students with access to high-quality educational content that can supplement their inclass learning. educational games and simulations: educational games and simulations, such as minecraft and simcity, can be used to create engaging and interactive learning experiences that are accessible to students both in-person and online. digital textbooks: digital textbooks, such as those provided by pearson and mcgraw-hill, can be accessed both inclass and online, providing students with a more interactive and engaging learning experience. mobile apps: mobile apps like duolingo and quizlet provide students with the ability to learn on the go, making it easier to stay engaged and retain information outside of the classroom. online discussion forums: online discussion forums, such as those provided by edmodo and schoology, enable students to participate in class discussions and collaborate with their classmates outside of the classroom. digital whiteboards: digital white boards, such as google jamboard and microsoft whiteboard, allow teachers and students to collaborate in real-time, whether they are in the same physical classroom or participating remotely. best practices for effective hybrid learning hybrid learning, which harmoniously combines online and face-to-face instruction, stands as an innovative model with significant potential for the future of higher education. numerous studies have highlighted best practices that can guide the design of effective hybrid courses, aiming to enhance the learning experience for students. one paramount best practice is the judicious use of technology to offer “just-in-time” knowledge and cultivate an immersive learning environment (desmarais, 2008). technologies such as learning dashboards, social media, and virtual reality can furnish students with timely information while immersing them in authentic tasks (dafoulas, 2016; mcnaught, 2011). aligning course design with learning outcomes and student needs is another pivotal best practice (westover, 2014; olapiriyakul, 2006). successful hybrid courses should be constructed around the development of skills and capabilities rather than merely content delivery. furthermore, they should be attuned to students’ diverse learning styles, acknowledging that many students favour visual and active learning approaches. tahir, van mierlo, et al. (2022) offer a comprehensive set of best practices for effective hybrid learning. clear and regular communication is deemed essential, necessitating the establishment of communication protocols and channels between teachers, students, and their families. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 317 clarity about attendance, assignments, and assessment expectations is crucial. sustaining student engagement in hybrid learning environments can be a challenge, but several strategies prove effective. incorporating interactive elements such as breakout rooms, polls, and discussion boards into lessons can foster engagement. additionally, creating opportunities for collaborative work and peer feedback enhances the learning experience. a prerequisite for successful hybrid learning is ensuring that both teachers and students have access to the requisite technology and infrastructure, encompassing devices, software, and reliable internet connectivity. teachers should also receive training in educational technology tools and platforms while possessing the ability to troubleshoot technical issues as they arise. flexibility is a fundamental tenet of hybrid learning, demanding adaptability from both teachers and students. teachers should be receptive to adjusting their lesson plans based on feedback and observations, while students benefit from having some flexibility and autonomy in how they complete assignments and assessments. assessment practices are equally critical in hybrid learning, mandating clear and equitable grading rubrics communicated transparently to students. formative assessments throughout the learning journey serve to monitor student progress, enabling instructors to tailor their teaching strategies accordingly. in essence, effective hybrid learning hinges on meticulous planning, transparent communication, and a disposition for adaptation and innovation. by adhering to these best practices, educators can empower their students to thrive in hybrid learning environments, thereby realizing the full potential of this pedagogical approach. teacher and student perspectives on hybrid learning research into hybrid learning, an educational approach that melds online and in-person instruction, reveals generally positive perceptions from both educators and students, despite some persisting challenges. students find hybrid courses appealing due to their flexibility and interactivity. lin (2008) observed that students highly valued the organization and adaptability inherent in hybrid learning. similarly, hall (2015) noted students’ appreciation for the array of interactive activities encompassing both online and face-to-face components. however, it is important to acknowledge that certain students encountered difficulties with the online elements, as indicated by lin (2008) and jackson (2008). from the teachers’ vantage point, hybrid learning has presented both challenges and rewards. it has necessitated an adaptation of teaching methods and proficiency in utilizing educational technology tools. yet, it has also granted educators greater flexibility and creativity in their instructional approaches, while extending their reach to students who might have otherwise faced attendance or academic difficulties in a traditional classroom setting (gaffas, 2023; gil, mor, et al., 2022). for students, the experience of hybrid learning has elicited mixed reactions. while some students relish the flexibility of remote learning, others miss the social interaction and structured environment of a traditional classroom. furthermore, students who grapple with technology issues or lack reliable internet access may encounter additional hurdles in hybrid learning environments. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 318 it is crucial to emphasize that the effectiveness of hybrid learning hinges on the adept implementation of technology and pedagogy. teacher training and support mechanisms play a pivotal role in surmounting these challenges and optimizing the potential of hybrid learning. as the covid-19 pandemic has underscored, hybrid learning has become a prevalent model in education globally. its enduring significance rests on the capacity to harness technology and pedagogy effectively, tailoring educational approaches to meet the diverse needs of both educators and students. future of hybrid learning and educational technology the future of education is undeniably intertwined with the evolution of hybrid learning, a dynamic blend of online and in-person instruction. this educational paradigm has garnered substantial attention due to its potential to provide students with increased flexibility, accessibility, and interactivity (bai, 2010; manciaracina, 2021). hybrid learning is particularly appealing as it accommodates diverse learning styles and fosters efficient teacher-student interaction, aligning well with the preferences of today’s digital-native students (chan, 2010; krishnan, 2023). nevertheless, the adoption of hybrid learning is not without its complexities. snart (2010) envisions its transformative potential through the incorporation of emerging technologies like online gaming and social media. however, the reality is more nuanced, with krishnan (2023) reporting mixed reviews from both lecturers and students. lecturers grapple with pedagogical and technological challenges, while students express concerns about the quality of online lectures and assessment methods. putra (2015) advocates for the integration of multimedia in hybrid learning models to diversify, interact, and enhance communication in the learning process. several studies have pinpointed the characteristics of effective hybrid learning. bai (2010) introduced shareable e-learning modules designed to offer automated feedback and adapt to individual student needs. khatib (2023) affirmed the efficacy of digital technology when implemented within higher education hybrid learning contexts. chan (2010) emphasized the importance of hybrid learning catering to diverse learning styles, boosting interaction, and harnessing information and communication technology (ict) to engage students. while hybrid learning unquestionably holds the promise to revolutionize higher education by providing flexible, accessible, and interactive learning environments, it also presents formidable challenges that demand meticulous design and implementation. as we look ahead, ongoing technological advancements and evolving educational needs will likely continue to shape the future of hybrid learning and educational technology. personalized learning platforms, adaptive technologies, artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, and digital citizenship education are anticipated to play pivotal roles in transforming the way we teach and learn (gil, mor, et al., 2022). to prepare students for success in the 21st century, educators will need to remain agile, keeping abreast of new developments in technology and adapting their teaching methodologies accordingly. the fusion of innovative educational technology and pedagogical expertise holds immense potential for reshaping the landscape of education in the years to come. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 319 conclusion hybrid learning has emerged as a promising model for education in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic. by combining in-person and online instruction, hybrid learning offers greater flexibility, personalization, and accessibility for students. moreover, educational technology has played a crucial role in enabling and enhancing hybrid learning, from video conferencing and learning management systems to adaptive learning platforms and virtual reality simulations. while hybrid learning presents numerous benefits, it also poses significant challenges, including technological barriers, pedagogical adjustments, and student engagement. nevertheless, with careful planning, collaboration, and innovation, schools can overcome these challenges and leverage hybrid learning to create more effective and engaging learning environments. as we move forward, the future of hybrid learning and educational technology holds great promise. by embracing new technologies and pedagogies, educators can continue to expand the possibilities of hybrid learning, making education more accessible and effective for all learners. references aban, e. p., & nicart, e. b. b. 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(2022). does hybrid learning hinder academic performance? https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/doeshybrid-learning-hinder-academic-performance sharma, d., sood, a. k., darius, p. s., gundabattini, e., darius gnanaraj, s., & joseph jeyapaul, a. (2022). a study on the online-offline and blended learning methods. journal of the institution of engineers (india): series b, 103(4), 1373-1382. https://link.springer.com/ article/10.1007/s40031-022-00766-y tahir, i., van mierlo, v., radauskas, v., yeung, w., tracey, a., & da silva, r. (2022). blended learning in a biology classroom: pre‑pandemic insights for post‑pandemic instructional strategies. febs open bio, 12(7), 1286. https://febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/ abs/10.1002/2211-5463.13421 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 322 umiyati, m. (2022). hybrid learning model in learning english (effectiveness & advantages). international linguistics and tesol journal, 1(1), 5-9. https://www.ejournal.warmadewa.ac.id/ index.php/iltes/article/view/5784 vereshchahina, t., liashchenko, o., & babiy, s. (2018). english language teachers’ perceptions of hybrid learning at university level. advanced education, 5(10), 88–97. https://doi.org/10.20535/2410-8286.148368 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 218 review article factors influencing digital competence of pre-service teachers: a systematic review of literature anjali shokeen1 & banipreet kaur2 1 assistant professor, university school of education, guru gobind singh indraprastha university, delhi 2research scholar, university school of education, guru gobind singh indraprastha university, delhi email: banipreet1993@gmail.com abstract technology has become an integrated part of today’s education system. it has become the need of present times that the teachers must easily use, create, and adapt to the technological environment. this literature review aimed to identify factors that influence the digital competence of pre-service teachers. the study has been conducted by reviewing empirical findings, which are focused on the utilisation of digital tools in teaching pre-service teachers. the databases of springerlink, jstor, education resource information center (eric), google scholar were accessed. results of analyses revealed that attitude & self-efficacy, required skills & knowledge, practical experiences of using technology and access to technology are the factors that majorly influence pre-service teachers’ digital competence. based on the reviews, the suggestions are provided for education policymakers, stakeholders and teacher education institutes (teis) to further improve teacher education programmes and focus on technology-integrated teaching practice to help pre-service teachers in becoming comfortable with digital equipment. keywords: digital competence, ict, pre-service teachers, technology, teacher education introduction technology integration into the education system has now become a key focus for educators. the use of technology has become a necessity to survive in our day-to-day life. in all the leading sectors such as health, education, real estate, automobiles, banking, etc. technology is playing a major role in transforming their functioning and becoming an essential component in all the sectors. in the education sector, the use of digital equipment and newly emergent technology is rapidly increasing. in the times of pandemic, the discontinuation of face-to-face lectures and the increased dependence on online teaching brought revolutionized changes in the new educational setup (hew, 2020). this sudden transformation raised many questions on the preparation, skills and beliefs of teachers on accepting and integrating technology in their curriculum delivery (chang, 2020). in such times, when ict is changing the face of the education sector then the teachers must be prepared to fulfil the needs of technology-integrated learning opportunities in classrooms. many world level organisations recognised the need for teachers to be highly competent in the field of information and communication technology. these organisations predicted that soon technology will dominate its role in the field of education, thus they prepared essential competency frameworks in indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 219 the field of educational technology to prepare our teachers with skills of incorporating technology effectively into the classrooms. unesco ict-cft framework in 2008, unesco had developed the first version of its information and communication tools competency framework for teachers (ict-cft), which highlighted the ict competencies for pre-service and in-service teachers to be acquired by them across the nations to advance the teaching-learning process. till 2018, unesco had publicized a total of three versions of ict-cft framework. in previous versions of the ict-cft three levels of teacher development namely, technology literacy, knowledge deepening and knowledge creation and six different focus areas of teachers’ professional practice, such as understanding ict in education, curriculum and assessment, pedagogy, ict, organisation and administration and teacher professional learning were arranged in such order that the teachers not only become skilled in using ict but also teach and solve the real-time ict problems encounter by them in the classrooms. in the third version of ictcft among the three different teacher development level, the area ‘technology literacy’ was re-modified to ‘knowledge acquisition’ and the earlier key aspect named ‘ict’ was modified to ‘application of digital skills’. in total, 18 ict competencies were given a place in this framework which is focused on the holistic development of teachers in the field of information and communication technology (ict). in this framework, as shown in image1, teachers are required to possess a basic knowledge about policy perspectives involved in ict in education, ict enhanced pedagogy, knowledge and application of digital skills, classroom management, and digital literacy in the first level. the second level of teacher development focuses on deepening knowledge, where the teachers are required to learn skills of facilitating the learning environment with the use of technology and making it studentcentric. teachers are required to display and connect their ict skills to fulfil classroom requirements. the third level of the ict-cft framework requires teachers to innovate, create and manage their pedagogies in such a way that they can transform the learning environment for students. the framework seeks teachers to make technology integrated classrooms to set an example and inspire others to achieve the desired outcomes. figure-1: unesco ict-cft framework source: en.unesco.org indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 220 the ict-cft is aimed towards the crucial role of technologically competent teachers that can help students in becoming creative learners and effective citizens. the teachers nowadays are required to be more efficient in integrating technology into the classroom and provide new pedagogical practices that will transform the education sector. (unesco, 2013). digital competence for education (digcompedu) framework the european union had developed a digital competence (digcomp) framework for eu citizens. according to reports, in 2015, 44.5 percent of the eu population had shown insufficient digital skills and there was also a sufficient increase in the number of cyberbullying cases among the young population of europe. the digital competence framework (digcomp) was aimed at educating and improving the digital skills of the citizens of europe (vuorikari. et.al, 2016). the digcomp framework was divided into five areas: information and data literacy, communication and collaboration; digital content creation: safety and problem-solving. in the year 2017, the european union publicized its education-specific digital competence for education framework (digcompedu). its main focus is on developing professional, pedagogic and learner related competencies among teachers. it does not concentrate on core technical skills, but rather developing digital skills to ensure effective technological usage and making a better learning environment. figure-2: digcompedu framework source: ec.europa.eu according to redecker (2017), the digcompedu framework consists of 22 teacher-specific competencies which are organised in six areas such as “professional engagement, digital resources, teaching and learning, assessment, empowering learners and facilitating learner’s digital competence”. these professional competencies are designed in a way that major professional requirements as identified by the framework i.e., organisational communication, professional collaboration, reflective practice and digital continuous professional development can be attained using digital tools effectively. it also emphasises on achieving pedagogic competencies such as selection, creation, managing, protecting and sharing digital resources; indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 221 to innovate assessment strategies using digital resources; to plan the digital technologies enriched lessons and using them for collaborative and self-regulated learning; to ensure the availability of digital resources to address diverse learner needs; to make sure that every learner is actively participating in learning. it gives importance to teachers’ role in educating the learners about the reliable ways of finding information on digital networks; to communicate responsibly using digital networks; to create digital content considering ethical ways of using digital information; to avoid risks involved in the digital world and maintaining social and emotional well-being and to convert their technological knowledge while addressing new situations. figure-3: teacher-specific competencies as per digcompedu framework source: ec.europa.eu it’s a requirement of this time that the training of student teachers should be done in this way so that they can meet the needs of digital natives and facilitate their needs by using effective digital resources. (mishra and koehler, 2006). the digital competence in education can help in fostering various innovative ideas among teachers to incorporate digital tools and facilitate learning. the various factors among the pre-service teachers such as lack of experience, attitude, beliefs, lack of accessibility, etc. hinder their digital competence. (an, y., 2018; yerdelen-damar, 2017; cak, 2017) methodology the logic behind the search of the literature was to find the major factors that influence the digital competence of pre-service teachers. the databases of springerlink, jstor and education resource information center (eric) were searched. few limitations, to assure the quality of the research, were decided in advance, which are as follows: 1. it was published in peer-reviewed journals only. 2. it was written in the english language only. 3. it was available with fulltext. 4. it included pre-service teachers only. 5. it was empirical research. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 222 the following terms: ‘digital competence’ and ‘pre-service teachers’ or ‘teacher trainees’ or ‘teacher education’ or ‘ict competence’ and a combination of such terms were used to get desired search results. in total, 1036 search results were generated. initially, the search results were delimited based on title, abstract and keywords. after removing duplicate studies, a total of 90 search results were selected for further analysis. after reviewing full paper analysis, a total of 21 studies given in table 1 were selected to make the source of the present article. table-1: selected studies on pre-service teachers’ digital competency (n=21) author method data sources altun, d. (2019). correlational research design cross-sectional survey an, y. (2018) mixed method pre-test post-test design barak, m. (2014) mixed method five-point likert scale; reflective drawing analysis framework; çak, ü., universtiy, k. t., & göko, s. (2017) quantitative method likert scale çebi, a., & reisoglu, i. (2020) cross sectional survey questionnaire ciğerci, f. m. (2020) explanatory sequential design: mixed method pre-test post-test design; interviews demirkan, ö. (2019). phenomenological design written form for pre service teachers’ views dorner, h., & kumar, s. (2016) online collaborative mentoring approach questionnaire; mentoring intervention efe, r. (2011) quantitative method questionnaire erbakan, n., acceptance, t., situations, u., pedagogic, w., knowledge, c., variations, d., & view, t. (2015) quantitative method digital competence scale goktas, y., yildirim, z., & yildirim, s. (2008) quantitative and qualitative methods questionnaires; semi structured interviews gordillo, a., lópezpernas, s., & barra, e. (2019). mixed method questionnaire; pre-test posttest design; lori instrument hong, a. h., & sullivan, f. r. (2013) mixed method research design survey data; phenomenological study; interviews indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 223 ju, y., park, s., & lim, e. (2018) quantitative five-point likert scale kimmons, r., miller, b. g., amador, j., desjardins, c. d., & hall, c. (2015) mixed method pre-test and post-test survey; self-assessed technology competence and written reflections korucu, a. t., yücel, a., gündoğdu, m. m., & gençtürk, t. (2016) quantitative digital competence scale lin, t., tsai, c., chai, c., & lee, m. (2013) quantitative survey data mccullagh, j. f., & doherty, a. (2018) mixed method questionnaire; interviews sancar-tokmak, h., surmeli, h., & ozgelen, s. (2014) case study method interviews; observation and open-ended questionnaire yerdelen-damar, s., boz, y., & aydın-günbatar, s. (2017 quantitative self-efficacy scale yiğit, e. ö. (2020). interpretative phenomenological analysis open-ended questionnaire; content analysis; interviews findings the reviews covered the studies that were focused on the integration of digital technologies in pre-service teacher education programmes. in the reviews, data was collected through quantitative, qualitative and mixedmethod research methodologies. the quantitative analysis of studies constructed 38.09 percent of the source of information, whereas the remaining 61.91 percent of data in selected studies were collected from qualitative and mixed-method research design. after analysing the studies, the main factors identified below: reviews attitude and self-efficacy tpack competencies are directly associated with the pre-service teachers’ attitude towards technology. the daily usage of social media and playing games on smartphones does not reveal that the teachers’ will use these technologies for their professional development. altun, d. (2019) suggested including practical experience of digital tools in pre-service teacher education programmes to increase awareness regarding the integration of digital tools in teaching. the online professional development courses brought changes in the perception of pre-service towards integrating digital games as an effective learning tool, whereas it was also measured that there has been a positive development in an attitude of pre-service teachers (an, y., 2018). the confidence in using digital tools plays a big role in adopting technology and making a positive attitude towards technology (barak, m., 2014). hong, (2013) used a five-point likert scale questionnaire to measure the readiness of pre-service teachers for technology integration which predicted indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 224 that prior teaching experience and the student teaching experience at different grade levels from elementary level to secondary level impacts on the readiness of pre-service teachers. sancar, et, al. (2014) found that the pre-service teachers show various misbeliefs regarding their technological skills in their initial teacher education programme. when they face real time scenarios in solving digital problems then they lack sufficient knowledge. yerdelen-damar (2017) found that the higher the pre-service teachers’ skills and experience of using technology, the higher will be their self-efficacy. improving tpack by various workshops and training programmes at teacher education institutes will bring positive effects on the pre-service teachers’ selfefficacy. this will also prepare teachers to accept technology as an integral part of the classroom. (ju, 2018) practical experience of using technology the experience of teachers with technology plays an important role in determining their competence in using technology in the classroom (cak, 2017). the online professional development courses that provide hands-on experiences to pre-service teachers were found to be more effective in making them comfortable with the use of technology (an, y., 2018). in another study, a positive relation was found between the preservice teachers’ previous experience of using technology and their familiarity regarding technological tools with their digital competence level (efe, 2011). prospective teachers are more inclined to get practical knowledge of ict resources rather than just theoretical knowledge. the more they get exposure to the practical experiences, the more their confidence will increase (goktas, 2008). dorner, (2016) conducted a study on implementing a mentoring innovation model by combining the knowledge and expertise of technology mentors with the teaching practices of pre-service teachers. the online interaction and collaboration with mentors helped in understanding the practical ways of integrating technology in the classrooms and brought more confidence in preservice teachers. as of dorner, when pre-service teachers were allowed to collaborate with in-service teachers to use technology in their lesson plans they had shown high confidence in comfortably using technologies for classroom teaching. findings from a study in which the experiences of preservice teachers were recorded while using a web-based video analysis tool video ant stated that the pre-service teachers enjoy using such tools and it also helps in enhancing their confidence in teaching while using technology (mccullagh, 2018). required skills & knowledge the pre-service teachers show very less digital competence in knowledge of identifying digital tools and skills required in developing digital content than in other areas of digital competence viz. information and data literacy, communication and collaboration and safety (çebi, a., & reisoglu, i., 2020). searching and using various media tools while developing digital content with the help of various online resources helps in increasing technological skills (ciğerci, f. m., 2020). the efficiency in using mobile devices in daily life impacts the digital competence level of pre-service teachers (erbakan, 2015). the use of online open course platforms in training student teachers to create digital content and to make them aware of safe and responsible use of technology helps in enhancing their digital competence (gordillo, 2019). pre-service teachers are required to be taught to integrate technology indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 225 in almost all the semesters of the teacher education programme and the experiences of technology experts, in-service teachers and teacher educators should be incorporated in these programmes. by doing this, they would get proper exposure to reflect on digital pedagogies (dorner, 2016). findings from a study revealed that the instructional technology and material development (itmd) course in turkey helps prepare pre-service teachers for their professional life and gives freedom to pre-service teachers to use their creative abilities in designing required course materials (goktas, 2008). yigit (2020) had conducted a phenomenological analysis and asked the pre-service teachers to create their digital stories by using appropriate software. after analysing survey and interview data, it was suggested that proper training must be given to preservice teachers to get an understanding of technology and creative ways of using it in the classroom. access to technology majority of the pre-service teachers believe that the use of digital material in the classroom can be beneficial in grabbing the attention of learners and increasing their motivation in the classroom, but access to high-speed internet and user-friendly technological equipment are required for the smooth functioning of teaching-learning activities (demirkan, ö. 2019). the access to mobile devices and their efficient usage impacts the digital competence level of teacher candidates (erbakan, 2015). the constant availability of internet and ict infrastructure in teacher education institutions helps teacher candidates to collaborate and communicate with their peers and become more digitally competent. (korucu, 2016). yerdelendamar (2017) stated that access to technology has a direct relationship with the technological competency of pre-service teachers. the open access to user-friendly software and technological support enhances their interest in developing technological competencies. lee (2013) found in their study that the teacher education institutes must provide access to technology and training to their students to give better exposure to technology. kimmons (2015) also suggested in a study where they applied pre-test and post-test surveys to self-assess the technological competency of pre-service teachers. the results indicated that the teacher education programmes need to involve meaningful technological integration programmes to assist students in careful selection and critical evaluation of technology in the classroom. discussion and suggestions this review highlights the major issues which are hindering the growth of pre-service teachers in being digitally competent. the studies had shown that the attitude and belief of pre-service teachers can be changed regarding their future intentions of integrating technology by giving proper practice and training. most of the studies revealed that there exists a gap between theory and practical experience among preservice teachers. the knowledge, skills and right approach of using technology can majorly affect the professional growth of these teachers (çebi, a. & reisoglu, i., 2020; an, y., 2018). following recommendations on the major aspects of the digcompedu framework are discussed and suggested for preservice teachers’ professional digital competence development in the digital learning environment. for professional growth for professional growth, the pre-service teachers need to critically analyse the use of various digital tools and indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 226 techniques in educational contexts. they need to change their beliefs and look for positive attitudes for using technology in the classroom effectively. the pre-service teachers need to spend more time in a digital environment to ensure their professional and academic growth. (altun, d., 2019; cebi, 2020). researches have revealed that the professional development programmes significantly affect the attitudes and perception of pre-service teachers. the training programmes can prove to be beneficial for the professional growth and development of pre-service teachers (an, 2018). korucu (2016) suggested that teacher education institutes need to take more effective steps to assist pre-service teachers in developing skills related to technology integration. future researchers can also concentrate on the effects of these professional training at each aspect, such as organisational communication, professional collaboration, reflective practices, and digital continuous development of professional engagement to make pre-service teachers ready for the professional world. being aware and knowledgeable of digital resources it has been identified in online surveys and interviews that the appropriate knowledge of digital resources; selection of digital tools and creation of technology-integrated instruction helps the pre-service teachers to prepare for integrating technology in the classroom (hong, 2013). kimmons (2015) suggested that the technology should be selected carefully in teacher education programmes. to enhance the performance of student teachers should be an important aspect of these programmes so that the teachers can do a critical evaluation and reflect on the innovative practices of such tools. cebi (2020) stated that the knowledge and skills in selecting, developing, managing and sharing such resources should be provided in the pre-service teacher training programmes which can help student teachers to be more confident in using upcoming digital technologies meaningfully. there is a requirement of giving practical experience of ict tools to student teachers in their teacher education programmes to make them digitally competent (goktas, 2008). for effective guidance and assessment studies indicate that the skill and knowledge of various digital tools can help student teachers to enhance the effectiveness of teaching and will help in experimenting with the various new ways of providing support to the learners and in assessing their performance (yerdelen-damar, 2017). the planning and designing syllabus according to the needs of learners will benefit preservice teachers in critically analysing and digitally verifying the activities of learners (kimmons, 2015). the gaps in the studies show that the pre-service teachers lack the required competence of using digital equipment for providing required support and guidance to their learners. (cebi, 2020). some studies have proven that technological challenges indirectly affect the intention of using such technologies in future classrooms. (ju, 2018) for facilitating learners’ digital competence kimmons (2015) suggested that it is important for teachers to accept that they are going to be the facilitators of digital natives. they need to have good command over accessing, creating and effectively utilising such digital resources to get their learners acquainted with a better understanding for its meaningful exploitation. demirkan (2019) also insisted on developing a positive attitude towards integrating technology in the indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 227 classroom and developing higher selfefficacy towards technology that can help pre-service teachers in using digital tools in communicating, collaborating and actively engaging learners into the classroom. the studies have suggested that the teacher education institutions can utilise various effective ways such as providing practical experience; mentor guidance; interaction with technology experts and updating knowledge of student teachers at all the levels of teacher training programmes to help these student teachers to have a positive attitude and in future they can facilitate their learners to help to make a digitally competent society. (barak, 2014; dorner, 2016; yigit,2020). conclusion in the present study, the reviews that are included revealed that there is a dire need of exposing the preservice teachers to the digital world. the unesco ict-cft framework and digcompedu framework show how teachers can be envisioned as the makers of digital societies. in developing nations, such frameworks can work as an example to transform the face of the digital world. the governments can collaborate with private industries to provide latest digital resources to teacher education institutions to improve their conditions. further, more specialized research can be promoted in the field of teacher education with special focus to implementation of such digital frameworks. references altun, d. 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(2014). preservice science teachers’ perceptions of their tpack development after creating digital stories. international journal of environmental and science education, 9(3), 247–264. https://doi.org/10.12973/ijese.2014.214a sullivan, n. o.’., & burce, d. r. a. (2014). teaching and learning in competency-based education.22–23. vuorikari, riina & punie, yves & van den brande, lieve. (2016). digcomp 2.0: the european digital competence framework for citizens update phase 1: the conceptual reference model. yerdelen-damar, s., boz, y., & aydın-günbatar, s. (2017). mediated effects of technology competencies and experiences on relations among attitudes towards technology use, technology ownership, and self-efficacy about technological pedagogical content knowledge. journal of science education and technology, 26(4), 394–405. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-017-9687-z yiğit, e. ö. (2020). digital storytelling experiences of social studies pre-service teachers. international journal of technology in education, 3(2), 70. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijte.v3i2.25 z. liqin and w. mengmeng, “the training research of information technology application ability for normal school students under the ict-cft,” 2016 international conference on smart city and systems engineering (icscse), 2016, pp. 257-261, doi: 10.1109/icscse.2016.0076. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 104 research article access, use and integration of information and communication technology among government school teachers of jorhat district, assam: a status study on trends and problems himangshu sekhar sarma1 & raju baruah2 1phd scholar, department of sociology, cotton university, panbazaar guwahati, assam email: hssarma94@gmail.com 2lecturer, district institute of education and training (diet), jorhat, assam abstract this study examines the level of access, use and integration of ict tools in the teachinglearning process among government school teachers of the northwest education block in jorhat district, assam. though a large number of teachers own a smartphone, few use it for the teaching-learning process. the use of online resources, particularly, open educational repositories, is relatively high. there is no significant difference between male and female teachers in access and use of ict in teaching-learning process. however, it is seen that access and use of ict are higher among younger teachers and teachers with higher educational qualifications while older teachers and teachers with relatively lower educational qualifications are less likely to use ict in the classroom. surprisingly, sc/st-dominated areas are doing much better than urban and rural areas in terms of using ict tools in classrooms. lack of proper infrastructure in classrooms, low technical awareness and poor network are some of the major challenges faced by teachers in integrating ict tools in the classroom. keywords: diksha portal, qr codes, open educational resources, swayam, ict, nistha introduction the rapid and explosive growth of information and communication technology (ict) has transformed the traditional boundaries of work, education, and leisure. today, it holds the potential to transform the entire process of schooling from pedagogy and teachers’ training to administration and governance of institutions (ali, 2019; singh, 2019). it enhances the teaching-learning process by enabling a student-centric teaching-learning process through meaningful use of ict (castro sánchez and alemán, 2011). it improves the quality of education and efficiency of delivery by providing teachers and students autonomy and a creative teaching-learning environment (chai, koh and tsai, 2010; lowther et. al., 2008; serhan, 2009). it opens new channels for collaborative learning and distance education (koc, 2005). it can redistribute knowledge by expanding access to information and help in the development of critical thinking skills (brush, glazewski and hew, 2008; mcmahon, 2009). the use of ict in school education has received a massive boost in recent years, significantly driven by government initiatives. they include online resources platforms such as the diksha portal and app, the inclusion of qr codes in textbooks, direct-to-home tv channels and teachers’ training programmes such as nistha. samagra shiksha scheme has been aligned with new indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 105 education policy 2020 to promote digital initiatives such as virtual classrooms and smart classrooms. further, the low cost of smartphones and internet data have massively increased access to ict devices. more recently, online learning has emerged as the most influential alternative to conventional education during the covid-19 pandemic. meaningful integration of ict in school education has become an important topic in research on educational reforms. it is seen that mere access to ict tools is not enough. rather, they should be embedded in powerful and interactive learning environments with respect to pedagogy, curriculum and school organisation (deetya, 1996). in this regard, teachers need to act as catalysts for meaningful integration of ict by introducing new technologies, establishing innovative teachinglearning practices and developing the right attitude and values towards new technology in students (wattstaffe, gwinn and horn, 2003). studies have shown that teachers with prior experience, technical knowledge and personal enterprise have a positive impact on the innovative use of ict and the digital habits of their students (drent and meelissen, 2008; peralta and costa, 2007). thus, teachers play a critical role in inculcating the use of digital habits in students and classrooms and ensuring meaningful integration of ict in school education. as such, access to and awareness about ict tools and resources among teachers is important for the use and integration of ict in teaching-learning process. access to smartphones and computers, level of awareness about online resources and use of digital tools in classrooms among the teachers are good indicators of the overall state of using ict in the teachinglearning process in schools. an ictready workforce is central to meaningful use and successful integration of ict in the teaching-learning process. this study aims to study the state of ict integration in the teaching-learning process in government schools. though much work has been published on this theme, studies on the status of ict integration in schools of the northeast indian states such as assam remain underrepresented. objectives considering the above facts, this study examines the present scenario of using ict in the teaching-learning process among government school teachers in the jorhat district with the following objectives• to find out the level of access, use and integration of ict and e-learning material in the teaching-learning process (tlp) by government school teachers. • to examine whether there is any difference among male and female teachers in access, use and integration of ict in the tlp. • to examine whether there is any difference among different age groups of teachers in access and use of ict in their teaching-learning process. • to examine whether there is any difference in the level of access, use and integration of ict in the tlp among teachers with different levels of educational qualification. • to examine whether there is any difference among teachers from urban, rural and sc/st-dominated areas in the integration of ict tools in classrooms. • to identify the major issues and challenges faced by the teachers while integrating ict tools in their classrooms. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 106 methodology this study uses a normative survey research method. it is oriented towards examining the present scenario of using ict in the teaching-learning process among government school teachers in the northwest educational block of the jorhat district, assam. the normative survey method allows the collection and analysis of data obtained from a large number of respondents representing specific populations to study the conditions that currently exist and the trends that are developing (aggarwal, 1966). north west educational block of the jorhat district in assam was purposefully selected as the unit of sampling for the present study. the area has a sizable number of schools in rural areas and sc/st-dominated areas that experience an interesting juxtaposition. on one hand, such areas tend to gain the most out of ict integration in the teaching-learning process, giving them access to vast amounts of information, enhanced pedagogy practices and better learning outcomes. on the other hand, integration of technology in the classroom and use of digital resources are still limited in these areas, depriving large numbers of teachers and learners of the benefits of access, use and integration of ict. in such a scenario, teachers play a very important role in introducing new technologies, imparting digital skills to students and motivating students to use ict in a meaningful way. the schools in the selected block are categorised into three categories according to their respective location: urban areas, rural areas and sc/st dominated areas including tea gardens. from each of these categories, 10 per cent of schools are randomly selected. a sample of 10 per cent are selected from the teachers of these schools by using snowball sampling and their access, awareness and integration of ict in the teaching-learning process are examined. data is collected through unstructured interviews and observation tools. unstructured interviews are conducted with teachers as well as principals, students and parents. questionnaires are also used to seek information about students’ and parents’ perception towards use of ict in the classroom and in the teaching-learning process. further, an observation schedule is followed to see the actual conduct of the ict-based activities. results and discussions the statistics recorded gives a comprehensive view of access, awareness and integration of ict in teaching-learning process by government school teachers in the jorhat district, assam. the study surveys 270 teachers. among them, 110 are males and 160 are females. the teachers can also be categorized based on qualification. 44 of them have cleared hslc and 112 hsslc while 94 teachers have completed graduation and 20 have completed post-graduation. 24 teachers are less than 30 years old while 100 teachers are in the age group 30-40 years. further, 64 and 82 teachers belong to the age-groups 40-50 years and 50-60 years, respectively. survey of teachers who own smartphones and other devices and use online resources including the diksha platform, qr codes in textbooks and open educational repositories indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 107 table-1: number of teachers who have access to smartphones and computers and use them in teaching-learning process own smartphone number of teachers (%) access to computers number of teachers (%) using smartphones in tlp number of teachers (%) yes 242 (89.63%) yes 46 (17.03%) yes 112 (41.48%) no 28 (10.37%) no 224 (82.97%) no 158 (58.52%) total 270 total 270 total 270 it is inferred from table-1 that only 17.03 per cent of the teachers have access to computers. but a huge majority (89.63 per cent) has access to smartphones. yet, the use of smartphones in the teaching-learning process is limited to only 41.48 per cent of the teachers. table-2: number of teachers who use the diksha platform, qr codes in textbooks and open educational repositories (oer) using diksha platform number of teachers (%) using qr codes number of teachers (%) using oers number of teachers (%) yes 112 (41.48%) yes 68 (25.19%) yes 160 (59.26%) no 136 (50.37%) no 142 (52.59%) no 76 (28.15%) no response 22 (8.15%) no response 60 (22.22%) no response 34 (12.59%) it is inferred from table-2 that only 25.19 per cent of the teachers use the qr code printed in textbooks. further, only 41.48 per cent of teachers use the diksha platform which can be accessed through the app or portal. though these features are used only by a minority, a large number of teachers (59.26 per cent) use other open educational repositories (oer). gender-wise distribution of teachers who own smartphone and use online resources in teaching-learning process figure-1: gender-wise distribution of teachers who own smartphone and use online resources in teaching-learning process including integration of ict tools in classrooms indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 108 it is inferred from figure-1, that from the sample of 110 males and 160 females, 90.91 per cent of male teachers and 87.50 per cent of female teachers have access to smartphones. however, only 40 per cent of male teachers and 42.50 per cent of female teachers use the diksha platform. further, only 29.09 per cent of male teachers and 22.50 per cent of female teachers use the qr codes printed in the textbooks. integration of ict in classrooms by both male and female teachers is as low as 25.45 per cent and 27.50 per cent respectively. however, a large number of both male teachers (50.91 per cent) and female teachers (65.00 per cent) utilize oer. thus, the difference in access and use of ict and online resources between the two genders is insignificant. age-wise distribution of teachers who own a smartphone and use online resources in teaching-learning process figure-2: age-wise distribution of teachers who own smartphones and use online resources it is inferred from figure-2 that 95.83 per cent of teachers who are below the age of 30 years have access to smartphones while 83.33 per cent of them use online resources like the diksha platform, qr codes in textbooks and other open educational repositories. 96 per cent of teachers in the age group 30-40 years and 89.06 per cent of the teachers in the age-group 40-50 years have access to smartphones. however, only 75 per cent and 60.93 per cent of them, respectively use online resources. among the teachers in the age group 50-60 years, access to smartphones is relatively low (80.49 per cent) while use of online resources is much lower at 31.70 per cent compared to other age groups. thus, access and use of ict are higher among younger teachers while older teachers are less likely to have access to smartphones and use online resources. qualification-wise distribution of teachers who own smartphone and use online resources in teachinglearning process indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 109 figure-3: qualification-wise distribution of teachers who own smartphone and use online resources it is inferred from figure-3 that only 77.27 per cent of teachers who have qualified high school leaving certificate (hslc) examination have access to smartphones. in comparison, 89.29 per cent of teachers who have qualified for the higher secondary school leaving certificate (hslc) examination have access to smartphones. the proportion of graduates (93.62 per cent) and postgraduates (100.00 per cent) having access to smartphones are even higher. similar trends can be seen in the use of online resources. the use of online resources among hslc-qualified and hsslc-qualified teachers is relatively low. only 22.73 per cent of hslcqualified teachers and 37.50 per cent of hsslc-qualified teachers use the diksha platform. similarly, the use of oer is also low among them (40.91 per cent and 60.71 per cent, respectively). in comparison, 91.49 per cent of graduate teachers and 80.00 per cent of postgraduate teachers use oer. similarly, use of the diksha platform is also much higher (48.94 per cent and 70.00 per cent respectively). thus, teachers with higher qualifications are more likely to have access to smartphones and use online resources. location-wise distribution of teachers using ict tools in classrooms. table-3: location-wise distribution of teachers using ict tools in classrooms location of the teacher number of teachers (%) teachers using ict tools in classrooms (%) urban 30 (11.11 %) 26.67 % rural 217 (80.37 %) 23.96 % sc/st dominated 23 (8.52 %) 60.86 % from table-3, it is inferred that only 26.67 per cent of urban teachers have integrated ict tools in the classroom holistically. a similar trend is seen in rural areas where only 23.64 percent of teachers have integrated ict into the classroom. however, 14 out of 23 teachers from sc/st-dominated areas have successfully integrated ict into their classrooms. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 110 major challenges faced by teachers in integrating ict tools in the classroom figure-4: major issues raised by teachers that hamper integration of ict tools in the classroom figure-4 shows the major issues faced by teachers in integrating ict in classrooms. the issue of lack of ict tools in the school is raised by 64.44 per cent of the teachers. further, the majority of teachers (55.56 per cent) feel that classrooms are not well furnished for using ict tools. other commonly raised issues are lack of awareness to effectively use ict during teachinglearning process (22.22 per cent), poor network (20 per cent) and not habituated to using ict in the classrooms (17.04 per cent). conclusion the following conclusions can be drawn from the results and discussion: • though a large number of government school teachers own a smartphone (89.63 per cent), few use it for teaching learning processes (41.48 per cent). • only a small proportion of teachers have successfully integrated ict in classrooms (26.66 per cent), qr codes (25.19 per cent) and diksha platform (41.48 per cent). however, the use of online resources, particularly, open educational repositories, is relatively high (59.26 per cent). • the difference between male and female teachers in access and use of ict in the teaching-learning process is insignificant. important trends are seen in terms of age and qualification of teachers. access and use of ict are higher among younger teachers and teachers with higher educational qualifications while older teachers and teachers with relatively lower educational qualifications are less likely to use ict in the classroom. • surprisingly, teachers in sc/stdominated areas (60.86 per cent) are doing much better than those in urban areas (26.67 per cent) and rural areas (23.96 per cent) in terms of using ict tools in classrooms. • lack of ict tools in schools (64.44 per cent), low technical awareness (22.22 per cent) and poor network indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 111 (20 per cent) are some of the major challenges faced by teachers in integrating ict tools in the classroom. there is no doubt that, in the twenty-first century, ict-based teaching-learning processes will enhance the outcome of education. to take advantage of that, access to ict tools and resources is indispensible but not enough by itself. it is crucial that teachers are well-versed with digital skills, ict-ready and develop the right attitude towards ict for they not only deliver lessons, but also introduce new technology to students, foster the right attitude towards ict in them and impart them the digital skills. in this regard, the findings of this study have significant implications for the integration of ict in teaching-learning process in the government schools of assam. firstly, a robust teachers’ training programme such as nistha is the need of the hour. e-courses and ict tools can be utilized to conduct such programmes at regular intervals. it will make the professional development of teachers a life-long journey. studies have shown that training programmes have a positive impact on the digital skills of teachers (shanmugaraja, karthikeyan, & jayaraman, 2012; gupta, 2019). as seen above, certain categories of teachers such as those with relatively lower educational qualifications or belonging to older age-groups are less likely to use ict tools in the teaching-learning process. such teachers may undergo special training to develop digital skills required to successfully integrate ict tools in classrooms. further, an incentive system to motivate teachers for integration of technology has shown positive results (atabek, 2019; stecher et al., 2018). adequate training and performancebased incentives enabled through technology will make the experience of using technology an enjoyable one and motivate teachers to actively integrate ict in a way that is meaningful and relevant for the students. finally, the roadmap to meaningful use and successful integration of ict in teaching-learning process should take into account the infrastructural hurdles, lack of digital skills and socio-economic, cultural and demographic factors. radio and television followed by smartphones are the most widely available ict devices. initiatives such as swayam prabha dth tv channels, qr code and diksha app are appropriate initiatives focussed on integrating of low-level of ict in appropriate context rather than ineffectively using complex technologies in teaching-learning process and compromising learning outcomes (reich, rooney, & lizier, 2020). use and integration of ict in the teachinglearning process is not an event, but a journey from low technology solutions to a holistic technology-driven teachinglearning ecosystem. references aggarwal, j. c. 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(2010). facilitating preservice teachers’ development of technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (tpack). educational technology and society, 13, 63–73. deetya. (1996). gateways: information technology in the learning process: a collection of teacher practice from australian schools. act dept. of education & training, canberra. drent , m., & meelissen, m. (2008). user acceptance of information technology: theories and models. annual review of information science and technology, 31, 3–32. gupta, d. (2019). capacity building of teacher educators for e-learning tools: an experimental stud. indian journal of educational technology, 1(2), 1–13. retrieved from https://ciet.nic.in/journals/ijet_july-2019/index.htm koc, m. (2005). implications of learning theories for effective technology integration and preservice teacher training: a critical literature review. journal of turkish science education, 2, 2–18. lowther, d. l., inan, f. a., strahl, j. d., & ross, s. m. (2008). does technology integration work when key barriers are removed? educational media international, 45, 195– 213. mcmahon, g. (2009). critical thinking and ict integration in a western australian secondary school. educational technology and society, 12, 269–281. peralta , h., & costa, f. a. (2007). teachers’ competence and confidence regarding the use of ict. educational science journal, 3, 75–84. reich, a., rooney, d., & lizier, a. l. (2020). using technology integration frameworks in vocational education and training. international journal of training research, 19(2), 93–106. https://doi.org/10.1080/14480220.2020.1864447 serhan, d. (2009). preparing preservice teachers for computer technology integration. international journal of instructional media, 36, 439–447. shanmugaraja, j.j., karthikeyan, k., & jayaraman, k. (2012), a study of effectiveness of e-content on teaching zoology at higher secondary level. international journal of current research, 4 (9), pp 205-20 singh, a. (2019). ict initiatives in school education of india. indian journal of educational technology, 1(1), 38–49. retrieved from https://ciet.nic.in/journals/ijet_jan19/ index.html stecher, b., holtzman, d., garet, m., hamilton, l., engberg, j., steiner, e., robyn, a., baird, m., gutierrez, i., peet, e., brodziak de los reyes, i., fronberg, k., weinberger, g., hunter, g., & chambers, j. (2018). improving teaching effectiveness: final report. https://doi.org/10.7249/rr2242 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 113 vijaya lakshmi, y. (2021). elearning readiness of higher education faculty members. indian journal of educational technology, 3(2), 121–138. retrieved from https:// ciet.nic.in/ijet-journal/ijet_july_2021_volume3_issue2/mobile/index.html watts-taffe, s., gwinn, c. b., & horn, m. l. (2003). preparing preservice teachers to integrate technology with the elementary literacy program. the reading teacher, 57, 130–138. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 254 research article cyber etiquettes of prospective teachers: an empirical research rajendra prasad assistant professor, department of education, central institute of education (cie) university of delhi email-jareduggu@gmail.com abstract cybercrime is a significant problem in cyberspace, but cyber etiquette empowers and helps users avoid it. this study was done with the prime objective of exploring the cyber etiquette of prospective teachers. the descriptive research method with the quantitative approach was adopted. 250 prospective teachers were selected randomly from the “department of education of the university of delhi” and its colleges. a standardized tool was administered to collect data. concerning the data analysis, various statistical measures of descriptive and inferential statistics were applied. raw scores were converted into the z-standard score to bring scores on a common standard scale and secure meaningful data interpretation. mean, standard deviation, skewness, kurtosis, and standard errors were computed. the shapiro-wilk test was applied to verify the normality. independent t-tests and analysis of variance were applied to test the null hypothesis. the finding reveals that the majority of the prospective teachers had average-level cyber etiquette. gender, types of family, habitat, and caste as factors were found to be significant factors in explaining the cyber etiquettes of prospective teachers, whereas stream could not create any variation. keywords: cyber etiquette, cybercrime, cyberspace, and social behaviour introduction  digital technology is a rapidly growing domain of development. india has given a special focus on the development of digital technology. digital technology has affected almost all domains of life and brought revolutionary  changes in society. although digital technology has numerous advantages,  it is also a fact that cybercrime has emerged as a challenge in society. “the share of cybercrime in india is bigger; more than 6 lakh complaints have been received regarding cybercrime, and 12776 firs have also been recorded”, as reported by (the home ministry of india, 2021). looking into the seriousness of cybercrime in the country, the “ministry of home affairs” (2022), in response to some  questions in the rajya sabha, stated that various measures have been taken to control cybercrime. “national cyber forensic laboratory (ncfl)” has been set up. in addition, the “indian cyber crime coordination centre” has also been set up to develop a good ecosystem, guidelines, and framework to deal with the cases of cybercrime in the country. most importantly, the “national cyber crime reporting portal” has also been launched to enable the public to register their cases regarding cybercrime, especially for women and children, which will automatically be routed to the concerned state or uts for further enforcement of law and policies regarding cybercrime. further, the “citizen financial cyber fraud reporting and management system” is also functional for lodging online complaints in case of any financial fraud committed indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 255 by any fraudster. for training purposes, various mooc programs on cybercrime have been developed through the “cytrain portal” to build the capacity of various judicial and police officers. despite  legal provisions and policies, many cyber crimes can still be observed in society. cyber laws, policies, acts, measures, etc., will work in their own way according to rules and regulations. however, there is a big question of cyber etiquette/morality, ethics, and values to reduce cybercrime. the importance of cyber etiquette increases much more for prospective teachers because, directly or indirectly, the cyber behaviour of their students will be highly influenced by the cyber etiquette of prospective teachers in the future. considering this, it is one of the basic needs to acquaint the prospective teachers to be the guiding light in this unforgiving and unsettled sea with the practical details of the virtual world. as per oral (2023), “digital platforms are not environments where freedoms are experienced unlimitedly and without rules. it should not be forgotten that only the environment is virtual, but the people are real.” further, “there are expected social, behavioural rules or “etiquettes” that are equally applicable to the virtual classroom to both teacher and students, which helps to regulate the classroom environment. these rules and regulations are termed cyber etiquette or netiquette (net+etiquette) and may be described as the informal guidelines for the users of the internet for acceptable online behaviour” (kaynay, 2004). if anything is implemented forcefully by law, then it has the possibility that the effectiveness is not likely to be as expected or desired, whereas if the people of the society accept anything (cyber etiquette) unanimously with their conscience, then the possibility of sustaining that behaviour increases and be accepted effectively. therefore, the lack of  awareness about cyber etiquette may cause many negative consequences and make it difficult to avoid various cyber crimes such as phishing, hacking,  fraud,  theft, health risks, and illegal/unauthorized  access to contents that are protected. the prospective teachers needed to be groomed in a manner that would allow them to use these cyber etiquette not only in the classroom but also everywhere in cyberspace. shea (2015) emphasized, “cyberspace is the mass consensual hallucination in which humans all over the planet meet, converse, and exchange information”. hence, a pre-service teacher must be well-versed in cyber etiquette related to email, group formation, texting apps, virtual meetings, and social media, as well as digital ethics and digital security. it will help to raise the awareness of pre-service teachers and their future students towards cyber ethics, data security, data theft, cyberbullying, and coping strategies (gümüş, çakır, & korkmaz, 2023; arslan, 2023). the increasing amalgamation of the internet in our day-to-day life, easy access to smartphones, and the popularity of social media presents an ideal environment for cybercrime against children, who are the most avid and naïve segment of internet users (bele, dimc, rozman, & jemec, 2014). a survey done by “satyarthi global policy institute for children” (2023) on cybercrime against children in india confirmed that the incidents of cybercrime against children increased fifteen times in the last five years, and the irony is that only one per cent of cases ended in conviction listed in 2021 under the pocso act. school-going children are vulnerable to various types of cybercrime, such as cyberbullying, sexual abuse and exploitation, cyber blackmailing, grooming, sexting, cyberstalking, online trafficking, etc. due to a lack of proper knowledge of cyber etiquette, the roots of cybercrime are becoming deeper in cyberspace day by day, which leads to a decreasing possibility of being safer indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 256 and good in cyberspace for others and safer and good for themselves. hence, in the backdrop of all these examples and cases, there are big concerns and a lack of cyber etiquette. the findings of the previous research not only provide evidence about the dangerous outcomes of cybercrime and poor cyber etiquette but also the inconsistencies noticed in the findings, which are presented systematically below. literature review in the case of international research, high contradictions can be seen. as per the report of pusey and sadera (2011), teachers lack the ability and knowledge to teach different software and protective firewalls and different laws related to cybercrime. at the same time, a study by simanjuntak, limbong, and wardani (2023) claims that preservice teachers acquired expertise in digital competencies but still lacked copyright and licensing issues. as per milton, giæver,  mifsud, spain, and gassó (2021), all the pre-service teacher respondents lack sufficient application knowledge of copyright and privacy rules in online setups. in addition, these students exhibit irresponsible behaviour toward posting images of friends on social media platforms. regarding gender, there are inconsistencies and contradictions in the findings. in the case of the pre-service teachers, female participants exhibited more sensitivity towards cyberbullying and the danger posed by the internet, while male participants were more knowledgeable in data security and digital ethics, as reported by (gümüş, çakır & korkmaz, 2022; yılmaz, şahin, & akbulut, 2016). similarly, arslan and aydin (2023) highlighted that female prospective teachers also possess higher cyberbullying coping knowledge than male teachers, but coping knowledge decreases with time spent on the internet. in contrast, tarhan (2022) revealed that gender does not make any important difference in data security awareness. similarly, promsri, chaigusin, and tupmongkol (2019) found no notable variation in digital etiquette between male and female students. likewise, mehmet and teker (2017) endorsed findings that male and female pre-service teachers were the same in the netiquettes. concerning the knowledge of the netiquettes based on different subjects/programs,  the contradictions in the findings also noticed as iqbal, hanif, ali, tahir, minhas, yasmeen, and laique (2021) found that in-service teachers also lack the requisite knowledge of netiquette guidelines. further, gümüş, çakır, and korkmaz (2022)  reported that the language, sports, and arts departments were better at digital data security than any other department. in contrast, mehmet and teker (2017) reported that foreign language pre-service teachers showed better netiquette behaviour than literature and physics programs. in addition, mehmet and teker (2017) reported that the netiquette behaviour of pre-service teachers increases with the grade level.   regarding the type of cybercrime and its adverse outcomes, researchers have dissimilar perspectives on their findings. defamation and violence threats are the most common types, as investigated by (näsi, oksanen, keipi & räsänen, 2015), whereas internet theft and information sharing related to pornography, as reported by (lu et al., 2006). digital piracy, cyber harassment, and hacking as researched by (donner, 2016). the study conducted by näsi, oksanen, keipi, and räsänen (2015) considers males at high risk of being cyberbullying victims as they are  more active users. in contrast to this, hutchings and chua (2016) consider cybercrime to be a male-dominated area. it is  supported by donner (2016) and li (2006) that in the case of online harassment and indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 257 digital piracy, more men were involved, whereas park, na, and kim (2014) do not find any gender difference among bullying, victimization and witnessing online. further, regarding the metro cities, näsi, oksanen, keipi, and räsänen (2015) reported that those who live in big cities, are not very social, and have less interaction with parents, are more prone to cybercrime. park, na, and kim (2014) inferred that frequent communication with parents and involvement in only online studies supported good netiquette behaviour to keep a check on cyber victimization. similarly, weijer, steve, and leukfeldt (2017) found out that those who are emotionally unstable and more curious youngsters are more vulnerable to cybercrime. virtanen (2017) found out that those who are disadvantaged in economic status, low in self-confidence, and women were more fearful of cybercrime. similarly, in the case of secondary victimization, the fear intensifies more in victims of low sociostatus, whereas it is equal in males and females. in contrast, navarro (2015) presented the fact that cyberbullying was an extension of school bullying, and it was more for those children, especially males, who diverged from normal stereotypical gender identity. research studies that have been done on the international level are subject to different research methodologies and approaches, types of samples, subjectivity, and diversity in culture, environment, and location. all these factors reduce the possibility of generalizing the power of the above studies in the indian context. however, these studies are helpful in understanding comprehensively the issues of cyber etiquette and cybercrime on an international level. concerning the research gaps  in the case of india, research on cyber etiquette is still scarce. although research has been done on cybercrime, there are contradictions. as per dhar and gayan (2022), the student teachers showed a shallow level of awareness about reference software, netiquette, copyright, etc, whereas regarding cybercrime awareness, no important variation occurs between male and female prospective teachers as investigated by (shekhar & nathyal, 2018; sunder, 2018; goel, 2014; jha & bhutia). in contrast, kumaravelu (2018) established that female students possessed better awareness, whereas kumar, grewal, and khosla (2021) found that male students have better cybercrime awareness. whereas rizal, rusdiana, setiawan, siahaan, and ridwan (2021) reported that in the case of digital literacy, male student teachers were found to be better than female student teachers, while those who have computers at home possessed better cybercrime awareness as supported by (kumaravelu 2018; bhutia, and passah 2019;  jha & bhutia, 2018). it shows inconsistent findings based on gender and indicates a lack of cyber etiquette. further, concerning the stream of education, it is noticed that cybercrime awareness of science teachers was better than that of social science teachers (sunder, 2018; bhutia & passah, 2019), whereas as per jha and bhutia (2018), teacher trainees in mathematics exhibited favourable attitudes towards cyber resources. in case of vulnerability to cyberbullying, women are more vulnerable, as reported by (jain and agrawal, 2020; sandhu and kaur 2017). in contrast, male participants are more cyberbullied than females as investigated by (khawrin, 2022). concerning perpetrators, sandhu and kaur (2022) provided evidence that those who are highly stressed, anxious, depressed, substance abuse, and antisocial behaviour are most likely to victimize others. similarly, the indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 258 findings of kaur and saini (2023) exhibit that victims of cybercrime generally exhibit aggressiveness, depression, strained relationships, and substance abuse. apart from this, the victims may often exhibit suicidal tendencies, as researched by (maurya, muhammad, dhillon & maurya 2022; rao, bansal, and chandran 2018). concerning the relationship between netiquette and age, the absence of agreement is also noticed because ghatak (2013) investigated and reported no relationship between netiquette and age, but in contrast, there is evidence from the findings of dhar and gayan (2022) that  age influences the literacy of net ethics. similarly, a higher sense of digital etiquette was reported in students of higher age groups (kumar & raj, 2020). hence, at the national level, findings are also contradictory. justification teacher training programs are the most effective and powerful means not only for creating prospective teachers but also for developing those futuristic teachers who will shape responsible citizens and good human beings. teachers deeply influence students and are the most effective component of human development in society. it is the reason that this skill of the teachers gives them a special place and status in society. in the age of technology,  studentteacher relationships are not limited to the school’s boundary wall. they stay connected by the social media platform and observe the activities of each other. if a student observes negative behaviour or unethical activity of teachers in cyberspace. under such circumstances, students will get negative motivation. hence, it is very much necessary that prospective teachers have such cyber etiquettes that leave an ethical impact on their students  to follow cyber etiquettes in cyberspace so that students may be inspired to display good cyber etiquettes in cyberspace. the good etiquette of the teachers  served as a safeguard for their students to stay away from the world of cybercrime and adopt good digital citizenship in the future. the importance of cyber etiquette increases much more when the “international society for technology in education” (2018)  recognizes cyber etiquette as an essential competency not only for the teacher but also for the students for good  digital citizenship. hence,  considering the above logic and arguments, exploring the status of cyber etiquette among prospective teachers is very significant. besides, the aforementioned study will also examine whether different variables like gender, habitat, stream, and cast are important factors in explaining or making cyber etiquettes high or low among  prospective teachers. hence, based on outcomes, various interventions may be designed to improve the cyber etiquette of prospective teachers. statement of the problem cyber etiquettes of prospective teachers: an empirical research objectives 1. to study cyber etiquettes of prospective teachers 2. to study cyber etiquettes of prospective teachers concerning gender 3. to study cyber etiquettes of prospective teachers concerning types of families. 4. to study cyber etiquettes of prospective teachers concerning stream 5. to study cyber etiquettes of prospective teachers concerning cast. 6. to study cyber etiquettes of indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 259 prospective teachers concerning habitat. hypothesis 1. there is no significant difference in cyber etiquettes of male and female prospective teachers.  2. there is no significant difference in cyber etiquettes of prospective teachers of  joint and nuclear families”.  3. there is no significant difference in cyber etiquettes of art, science, and commerce  prospective teachers. 4. there is no significant difference in cyber etiquettes of general, sc, st,  obc, ews, prospective teachers  5. there is no significant difference in cyber etiquettes of rural, urban, and metro prospective teachers. operational definitions prospective teacher “prospective teacher refers to those students who registered themselves in the b.ed program (pre-service teacher training) of the university of delhi”. cyber etiquette cyber etiquette refers to those manners or attitudes toward digital technology that help avoid unethical activity in cyberspace. research method as this research was descriptive, therefore,  a descriptive research method was adopted with the quantitative approach. population all the prospective teachers who registered themselves in the b.ed. the program of the university of delhi was the population of this study. sampling 250 prospective teachers were selected randomly from the “department of education, central institute of education (cie), university of delhi”, and its affiliated colleges. the composition of the sample is presented in the table 1 table-1: sample structure category description sample size total gender male 126 250 female 124 family joint family 84 250 nuclear family 166 stream arts 127 250 commerce 46 science 77 social category general 112 250 obc 65 sc 31 st 15 ews 27 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 260 collection of data  description of tool concerning the data collection, the cyber etiquette scale developed and standardized by santhosh and thiyagu (2022) was applied. this scale has 50 items, which are distributed into three dimensions, namely “privacy and confidentiality”, “piracy and plagiarism”, and  “integrity and politeness” the extraction of these three dimensions was done through factor analysis. before the extraction of the dimensions, the sampling adequacy was examined by the “kaiser-meyer-olkin test” (kmo). the adequacy of intercorrelation  was also verified by “bartlett’s test of sphericity”. these three dimensions have a 33.956 per cent explained variance in total. overall, this scale has 29 positive items and 21 negative items. the cyber etiquette scale is a four-point scale. respondents can record their responses by marking any option of the choice like yes, to a great extent,  yes, to a large extent, yes, to a small extent,  and no, not at all. a minimum of 50 and a maximum of 200 scores are possible on the cyber etiquette scale. a higher score indicates a higher status in cyber etiquette, whereas a lower score indicates a low level of cyber etiquette. the discrimination power of the scale was determined. for this purpose,  the t-test was applied. only those items were retained in the scale that had the significant value of the t-test. those items that didn’t have the significant value of the t-test were dropped from the scale. the index of reliability was determined by cronbach’s alpha and split-half method. the reliability coefficient by cronbach’s alpha was 0.889, whereas the reliability index by the split-half method was 0.839. hence, it shows that this scale is highly reliable. concerning the validity, it has content as well as face validity, which provides evidence that this is a valid scale for assessing the cyber etiquette of prospective teachers. the administration of the cyber etiquette scale was done in small groups of prospective teachers. statistical analysis  for scientific data analysis, various measures of descriptive and inferential statistics were applied. under descriptive statistics, the mean was computed to determine the central tendency of cyber etiquette scores. the mean was also used to detect the significant difference among the means through the t-test. deviation among the scores from the mean was explored by standard deviation. further, standard deviation was also used to determine the standard error of the means. for the testing of the normality of the data set, skewness and kurtosis were computed. the shapiro-wilk test was also used to verify the data’s normality. in inferential statistics, a t-test was used to map the significant difference between the two means of different groups of cyber etiquette, such as gender (male and female) and types of family (nuclear and joint family). an analysis of variance was also computed to test the significant difference among more than two means concerning different groups based on cyber etiquette, such as stream (art, science, and commerce), social categories (general, obc, sc, st, and evs), and locality (metro, rural, and urban). a t-test and analysis of variance were used to test the null hypothesis. category description sample size total habitat/locality metro 148 250 urban 67 rural 35 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 261 table-2: cyber etiquette of prospective teachers z-score rage level of category  total + 2.01 & above extremely high  1.20% + 1.26 to + 2.00 high  9.20% + 0.51 to + 1.25 above average  20.80% 0.50 to + 0.50 average  38.80% -1.25 to -0.51 below average  18.40% -2.00 to -1.26 low  9.20% -2.01 to below extremely low  2.40% concerning the cyber etiquettes of the prospective teachers, as mentioned in table 2, it is noticed that the maximum prospective teachers have an average level of 38.80 per cent cyber etiquettes. further, there is not too much of a gap in the above-average and below average categories because 20.80 per cent of prospective teachers had above average, whereas 18.40 per cent of prospective teachers possessed belowaverage  cyber etiquette. in addition, 9.20 per cent of prospective teachers reported high and low cyber etiquette, respectively. data also indicates that a few prospective teachers had extremely high 1.20 per cent and extremely low 2.40 per cent cyber etiquette, respectively. table-3: descriptive statistics of cyber etiquettes of prospective teachers statistic std. error total mean 156.6000 .86629 95% confidence interval for mean lower bound 154.8938   upper bound 158.3062   5% trimmed mean 156.7422   median 157.0000   variance 187.614   std. deviation 13.69724   minimum 118.00   maximum 194.00   range 76.00   interquartile range 19.00   skewness -.143 .154 kurtosis -.157 .307 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 265 table-11: cyber etiquettes of general, sc, obc, st, and ews prospective teachers anova   “sum of squares” df mean square f “between groups” 2523.108 4 630.777 3.497 “within groups” 44192.892 245 180.379   total 46716.000 249     as indicated in tables 10 and 11, the statistics provide evidence that the computed analysis of variance is 3.497, “which is significant at 0.01 level of significance for the degree of freedom” (4, 249). therefore, the null hypothesis, “there is no significant difference in cyber etiquettes of general, sc, st, obc, and ews prospective teachers”, is rejected and concludes that the four groups of prospective teachers that were developed on the ground of five social categories like general, sc, st, obc, and ews, are not the same in their cyber etiquette and differ significantly. the significant variation is noticed based on the social categories, which makes social categories an important factor in explaining the cyber etiquettes of the prospectiveteachers.  table-12: post-anova tukey test of cyber etiquettes of general, sc, obc, st, and ews prospective teachers “multiple comparisons”   (i) caste (j) caste “mean difference (i-j)” “std. error” sig. “95% confidence interval”   “lower bound” “upper bound” tukey hsd general o.b.c 5.59107 2.09418 .061 -.1642 11.3463 s.c. 4.95881 2.72566 .365 -2.5318 12.4495 s.t. 7.65774 3.69267 .235 -2.4905 17.8059 e.w.s. 7.99107* 2.87945 .046 .0778 15.9044 o.b.c general -5.59107 2.09418 .061 -11.3463 .1642 s.c. -.63226 2.93151 1.000 -8.6886 7.4241 s.t. 2.06667 3.84712 .983 -8.5060 12.6393 e.w.s. 2.40000 3.07502 .936 -6.0508 10.8508 s.c. general -4.95881 2.72566 .365 -12.4495 2.5318 o.b.c .63226 2.93151 1.000 -7.4241 8.6886 s.t. 2.69892 4.22421 .969 -8.9101 14.3079 e.w.s. 3.03226 3.53545 .912 -6.6839 12.7484 s.t. general -7.65774 3.69267 .235 -17.8059 2.4905 o.b.c -2.06667 3.84712 .983 -12.6393 8.5060 s.c. -2.69892 4.22421 .969 -14.3079 8.9101 e.w.s. .33333 4.32504 1.000 -11.5528 12.2194 e.w.s. general -7.99107* 2.87945 .046 -15.9044 -.0778 o.b.c -2.40000 3.07502 .936 -10.8508 6.0508 s.c. -3.03226 3.53545 .912 -12.7484 6.6839 s.t. -.33333 4.32504 1.000 -12.2194 11.5528 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 266 it shows from multiple comparisons and outcomes of the post-anova tukey   test, as mentioned in table 12, that cyber etiquette of different social categories such as general and obc, general and sc, general and st, obc and sc, obc and st, obc and ews, sc and st, sc and ews, st, and ews are identical because the means of each category are not significantly greater from means of each other. in contrast, the mean of the cyber etiquettes of  prospective teachers (159.9911) of the general category is significantly greater than the mean (152.0000) of the ews category prospective teachers, which implies that general category perspective teachers have better cyber etiquettes than ews category prospective teachers. another important thing is to notice. although the means of cyber etiquettes are proportional to increase higher as indicated in table 10. however, it is only significant in the case of the general and ews categories. table-13: descriptive statistics of cyber etiquettes of metro, urban, and rural prospective teachers descriptives total    n mean “std. deviation” “std. error” “95% confidence interval for mean” minimum maximum “lower bound” “upper bound” metro 148 158.5608 13.74017 1.12943 156.3288 160.7928 125.00 194.00 urban 67 154.6866 11.00580 1.34457 152.0020 157.3711 123.00 176.00 rural 35 151.9714 16.63180 2.81129 146.2582 157.6847 118.00 187.00 total 250 156.6000 13.69724 .86629 154.8938 158.3062 118.00 194.00 table-14: cyber etiquettes of metro, urban, and rural prospective teachers anova   “sum of squares” df “mean square” f “between groups” 1564.158 2 782.079 4.278 “within groups” 45151.842 247 182.801   total 46716.000 249     it is noticed from tables 13 and 14 that the determined value of analysis of variance is 4.278, which is “significant at 0.01 level of the significance for the degree freedom” (2, 247). therefore, the null hypothesis, “there is no significant difference in cyber etiquettes of rural, urban, and metro prospective teachers”, is rejected. this analysis indicates that the cyber etiquette of rural, urban, and metro prospective teachers is not the same, which implies that habitat is an important factor in explaining the cyber etiquette of prospective teachers because habitats create significant variation. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 267 table-15: post-anova tukey test of urban, rural, and metro prospective teachers “multiple comparisons”   (i) area (j) area “mean difference (i-j)” “std. error” “sig”. “95% confidence interval”   “lower bound” “upper bound” tukey hsd metro urban 3.87424 1.99086 .128 -.8201 8.5685 rural 6.58938* 2.54126 .027 .5973 12.5815 urban metro -3.87424 1.99086 .128 -8.5685 .8201 rural 2.71514 2.81980 .601 -3.9337 9.3640 rural metro -6.58938* 2.54126 .027 -12.5815 -.5973 urban -2.71514 2.81980 .601 -9.3640 3.9337 *. “the mean difference is significant at the 0.05 level”. concerning multiple comparisons postanova, the tukey test was applied to detect significant variation among the means. the statistics, as reported in table 15 that the cyber etiquettes of the prospective-teachers associated with metro and urban, urban, and rural were the same, as the means of these groups were not significantly greater than from each other. however, the mean value of rural (151.9714)   prospective teachers was significantly less than the mean value of metro (158.5608) prospective teachers, which means that metro prospective teachers had better cyber etiquette than rural prospective teachers (refer to tables 13 and 15). hence, it can be concluded that habitat created a significant variance in the cyber etiquette of the prospective teachers, and it is important to explain cyber etiquette. in other words, it is noticed from table 12 that the means from rural, urban to metro are proportional to increase, but variations in cyber etiquettes are important only for the prospective teachers of rural and metro areas. results the following results are obtained: y prospective teachers neither possessed extremely high nor extremely low cyber etiquette. maximum prospective teachers possessed a moderate level of cyber etiquette. y male prospective teachers had lower cyber etiquette than female prospective teachers. therefore,  the null hypothesis, “there is no significant difference in cyber etiquette of male and female prospective teachers”, was rejected.  y cyber  etiquettes  were found to be greater in prospective teachers of nuclear families than in joint families. therefore, the null hypothesis, “there is no significant difference in cyber etiquettes of prospective teachers of  joint and nuclear families”, was rejected.  y in the background of streams like art, science, and commerce, prospective teachers found the same in their cyber etiquettes. therefore, the null indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 268 hypothesis, “there is no significant difference in cyber etiquettes of art, science,  and commerce prospective teachers”, was retained. y based on different social categories like general, sc, st, obc, and ews,  prospective teachers were found to be significantly different in their cyber etiquettes. therefore, the null hypothesis, “there is no significant difference in cyber etiquettes of general, sc, st,  obc, ews  prospective teachers”, was rejected. it was noticed from the group-wise comparison that general class prospective teachers possessed significantly greater cyber etiquettes than ews prospective teachers, and the rest had similarities in their cyber etiquettes. y similarly, habitat also created variation in the cyber etiquettes of rural, urban, and metro prospective teachers. therefore, the null hypothesis, “there is no significant difference in cyber etiquettes of rural, urban, and metro prospective teachers”, is rejected. metro prospective teachers possessed significantly better cyber etiquette than rural prospective teachers. conclusion  the analysis provides certain conclusions about the cyber etiquettes of prospective teachers. gender, types of family, caste as a social category, and habitat are significant factors in explaining the cyber etiquettes of the prospective teachers because, based on these variables, there was significant variation noticed in the cyber etiquettes. however, based on academic streams like art, science, and commerce, no variation was found. therefore, the stream is not an important factor in explaining the cyber etiquette of prospective teachers. concerning the magnitude of the cyber etiquettes, the maximum prospective teachers had average-level cyber etiquettes, whereas very few prospective teachers possessed extremely high or extremely low cyber etiquettes.  discussion  this study was carried out with the prime objective of exploring the cyber etiquettes of studentsand teachers, and the findings provide great insights about the cyber etiquettes. some research findings from the literature endorse the findings of this research, but on the other hand, some research is inconsistent with this research. it was found that female prospective teachers had better cyber etiquette than male prospective teachers. the probable reasons for such findings can be analyzed in the context of the accessibility of digital equipment, freedom, and opportunity for utilization and observation. in indian society and culture, girls using mobile phones and being in cyberspace before marriage is seen as a risk factor. due to such reasons, generally, not only family members but also known/nearest persons keep monitoring and vigilance about girls being in cyberspace, especially on social media. in addition,  girls are expected to be more cultured and disciplined, whereas in the case of males, generally, they are less monitored and have more opportunity and time in cyberspace. apart from this, males are more active users, as reported by (näsi, oksanen, keipi, and räsänen 2015). hence, it may be the possible reason that all these factors cumulatively have made girls more conscious about cyber etiquette while they are in cyberspace. this research finding is inconsistent with the finding as reported by mehmet and teker (2017) that male and female pre-service teachers were the same in netiquette. similarly, tarhan (2022) also reported that gender does not make any indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 269 difference. however, male participants had more digital ethics as investigated by (gümüş, çakır & korkmaz, 2022; yılmaz, şahin, & akbulut, 2016). further, the prospective teachers of the nuclear family had much better cyber etiquette than the joint families. there may be a probable reason for such a finding: due to nuclear families, parents are more conscious not only about the careers of their sons and daughters but also more vigilant about their mobile internet usage and the adverse outcomes of cybercrime. it may also be that parents  have been giving constant  feedback and training about cybercrime and being more ethical in cyberspace. further, different streams like art, science, and commerce could not make a difference in the cyber etiquette of the prospective teachers. this finding has contradiction with the finding of mehmet and teker (2017) who investigated that foreign language pre-service teachers showed better netiquette behavior than literature and physics programs which means that stream is the significant factor in creating the variation in the cyber etiquettes of the prospective teachers. looking into the average level of cyber etiquette, it is suggested that the feasibility of the inclusion of cyber etiquette in the syllabus of the teacher training program should be explored so that proper training may be provided to secure the better development of good cyber etiquettes among prospective teachers. references arslan, k., & aydin, i. 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(2010). an exploration of student teachers interaction with on-line activities, and their influence on their teaching topics such as netiquette and cyber-bullying: an australian and chinese study [doctoral thesis, griffith university]. dspace. http://hdl. handle.net/10072/367942 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 219 research article ict integration in teaching-learning process for sustainable education: a study shalini1 & b. b. kharbirymbai2 1research scholar, department of education, north-eastern hill university, shillong emailshalinijha612@gmail.com 2professor, dept. of education, north-eastern hill university, shillong abstract integrating “information and communication technology (ict)” into education is essential for achieving sustainable education in line with the national education policy (nep) 2020. ict enhances personalized learning, boosts student engagement, and equips students with necessary digital-era skills. utilizing interactive multimedia, online resources, and collaborative tools nurtures critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. education must instil knowledge, mindsets, interests, and competencies that support sustainable development. foundational education focusing on functional literacy, vocational skills, environmental awareness, and responsible citizenship is crucial for sustainable progress. ict improves education quality by making educational content and best practices more accessible. challenges in sustainable educational development can be effectively addressed through ict interventions. ict-based strategies, such as social networking, promote constructivist learning and facilitate transformative changes, making ict a powerful tool for advancing sustainable education. this research paper investigates the use of ict in meghalaya’s schools for sustainable education and identifies obstacles schools face in utilizing ict for sustainable development. a descriptive survey approach was used, involving questionnaires distributed to secondary school teachers in east khasi hills, meghalaya. data analysis through percentage calculations highlights the need for appropriate measures to enhance education quality through ict integration. keywords: information and communication technology (ict), sustainable development, quality education, school education. introduction technology and information are the key drivers in the 21st century. the utilization of technology has actively contributed to enhancing efficiency, advancement, and flawlessness in the realm of education, enabling the dissemination of vast amounts of information in a shorter span of time, thereby making the learning process more interactive. unesco asserts that the integration of technology into education can elevate the learning environment, foster active collaboration, nurture creativity, and pave the way for the provision of quality education to all. it states “the vision of education stresses upon a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to the development of knowledge and skills required for a sustainable future as well as changes in values, behavior and lifestyles (unesco, 2003).” there is a firm belief that acknowledging innovative “information and communication technology (ict)” practices in education can catalyze further educational advancements (dkhar, 2013). ict promotes access to educational material in a more sustainable manner wherein individuals can access the information directly from the database in a digitized format. additionally, it can also enable access indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 220 to information beyond the traditional limitations of borders and regions. in this manner, ict is representative of a deep and pervasive revolution that is impacting human existence as a whole by breaking down the barriers to education and access to learning and knowledge by allowing people to tap into new information sources, ultimately allowing them to expand their knowledge base while at the same time sparking student interest in new areas (oni, et.al. 2013). information and communication technology (ict) advancements in education “the phrase ict is very wide in its ambit and it encompasses a wide variety of technologies within itself, including but not limited to computers, the internet, mobile phones, e-learning, and video conferencing technologies, etc. these technological tools have brought forth a revolution in the manner in which information is generated, stored, reused, and also communicated on a global scale, thus impacting all relevant sectors of human society. ict also functions as an integrating and enabling technology. by acting as integrating and enabling technologies, ict plays a revolutionary role in enhancing productivity for sustainable development (shadap, 2013).” “sustainable development goal (sdg 4)” mandates that universal access to highquality and inclusive education must be provided to all to ensure continuous development in the educational sector by the year 2030. to attain universal accessibility in the educational sector, existing disparities in the financial status of individuals and social problems such as gender disparities are to be addressed to provide uniform access to appropriate job-related education (abdin, 2018). a dynamic role is played by ict in promoting sustainability in the development of education through a refinement of educational levels and by removing constraints, thereby enabling the application of scientific knowledge in order to meet societal purposes. therefore, ict is a real and substantial tool for promoting sustainable education (kadir, 2014). introductory academic education, which promotes functional knowledge, livelihood abilities, and understanding of the immediate wisdom and values of responsible citizenship, is a precondition for sustainable development (saha, 2012). “education for sustainable development (esd)” means preparing learners for present challenges that the world is facing and also future challenges that the world will face, primarily in consideration of technological interventions and growth. added connectivity brought forth by an ict regime can be instrumental in enabling students to access educational assets even in regions and areas that are remote and low–income in nature. as well as fostering innovation and growth. educators can now prepare materials for students across the globe without consideration of the regions, including backward ones, and can approach valued educational and learning resources. thus, the inclusion of new technology can be instrumental in opening up new avenues for advancing the esdrecommended modifications that deal with educational practices (paas & creech, 2008, as cited by adu and adeyinka, 2009). sustainable education is a phrase that aims to bestow upon children and learners of all ages the knowledge, skills or values that are necessary for holistic development of the learners. it is focused on the promotion of awareness and the understanding of environmental, social and economic issues with a focus on encouraging responsible behavior as well as decision-making. the integration of ict has enabled the inculcation and incorporation of innovative standards of teaching into education. it has also allowed the simplification of complicated topics through audiovisual inputs and has allowed educators indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 221 to dilute traditional boundaries of geography by allowing access to a vast plethora of academic resources. it can also foster collaborative learning among the students wherein the educators can focus on individualized teaching standards through ict to cater to the various needs of the learners. furthermore, long-distance learning is also enabled through the introduction of ict into this domain. all this has enabled greater achievement of sustainable education standards. in conclusion, ict is vital for sustainable education, providing access to environmental information, interactive learning through educational apps, simulations, and virtual labs and facilitates collaborative learning through online platforms, realtime data analysis, energy-efficient technologies, global awareness, teacher professional development, equipping students and teachers with digital knowledge and critical thinking abilities. it also facilitates collaborative learning, connects teachers to global initiatives, and enhances teacher skills. the integration of ict in education enhances accessibility, improves the quality of education, supports lifelong learning, promotes scientific knowledge, and prepares learners to tackle global challenges. by leveraging ict, education systems can become more inclusive, effective, and adaptable, ensuring that all individuals have the opportunity to thrive in the digital age. review of related literature kadir et al. (2014) identified ict as crucial for sustainable education in nigeria, facilitating scientific knowledge application. gidadawa and dogondaji (2014) concluded that ict-based education supports sustainable development. saidu et al. (2014) emphasized the role of ict in sustainable education, noting the need to address curriculum, infrastructure, capacity building, language, content, and financing barriers. nevin (2008) highlighted the high quality and diversity of current esd programs. moodly and adu (2014) highlighted ict’s potential for knowledge distribution and effective learning, expanding access to ict resources. tyagi et al. (2020) noted ict’s impact on sustainable education through job creation and economic participation. mohanty and dash (2018) advocated for a “whole school approach” for sustainable change in schools. paul and mehera (2016) showed a positive relationship between education and sustainable development, impacting income, women’s status, population growth, environmental protection, living standards, and decision-making. kanvaria (2011) revealed that ict-integrated teaching promotes professional growth and sustainable education. singh (2010) identified four major esd thrusts: expanding basic education, reorienting education for sustainability, improving public awareness, and enhancing training and skill development. bera (2020) stated that ict improves education quality by supporting challenging subjects. olita and orong (2023) found that teachers face challenges such as lack of skills, poor internet connection, insufficient computers, outdated ict equipment, and students’ difficulty with technology. lantaron et al. (2022) observed improved learning outcomes and student engagement when using apps and social media like whatsapp. it is evident from various studies that ict plays a vital role in sustainable school education. numerous studies have demonstrated that the use of ict significantly improves the quality of education, not just in india but in many regions worldwide. however, while there is substantial evidence of ict’s positive impact on education, there is a notable gap in the specific application and challenges of ict in the teachingindian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 222 learning process within meghalaya. existing research highlights the benefits of ict, such as enhancing personalized learning, boosting student engagement, and equipping students with necessary digital skills. despite these advantages, there is limited understanding of how ict is practically implemented in the classrooms of meghalaya. furthermore, the specific problems teachers face when integrating ict into their teaching practices remain underexplored. this research gap is particularly significant in the context of meghalaya’s unique educational and socio-cultural landscape. the east khasi hills district, being diverse and distinct, offers a valuable case study for understanding the practicalities and hurdles of ict integration in education. addressing this gap is crucial for developing tailored strategies that can effectively harness ict for sustainable educational development in this region. therefore, the present study was undertaken to investigate the application of ict in the teaching-learning process in meghalaya. it aims to identify the specific challenges teachers encounter when using ict in their classrooms. by focusing on these aspects, the study seeks to provide comprehensive insights that can inform educational policies and practices, ultimately enhancing the quality of education through effective ict integration in meghalaya. the state of meghalaya has been selected for the present study because it presents a unique position since it is a state that sits at the cusp of technological innovation. presently, the state is transforming the realm of ict and while some regions have integrated ict into their teaching style, other regions remain deprived of the same primarily because of a lack of technological development vis-à-vis ict. in this regard, it is important to understand the existing applications of ict within the education sector in the state of meghalaya to try and understand the challenges and shortcomings being faced by the various stakeholders. the information thus gathered from this research can become a pertinent source of data for the future implementation of ict within the educational sector of the state and improve its efficacy and efficiency. need and significance of the study the fundamental purpose of education is to empower learners to understand life and coexist peacefully with nature, fostering justice and responsibility. moodly and adu (2014) showed that icts enhance information sharing, productive learning, and effective educational programs. “education for sustainable development” (esd) should be included in curricula to provide everyone with the knowledge, skills, and values essential for a sustainable future. esd promotes creative thinking, innovation, problem-solving, and decision-making, engaging formal, informal, and non-formal education modes. the pandemic highlighted ict’s crucial role in education. mohanty and dash (2018) found that esd fosters awareness of global complexities and drives positive changes. recent esd literature on sdgs for 2030 supports a whole school approach for sustainable change in school practices and policies. this study aims to inform educational designers, curriculum creators, academics, policymakers, and stakeholders, driving positive developments in meghalaya’s school education. the east khasi hills district, chosen for its diversity, needs research on ict’s role in sustainable education. understanding ict access and utilization for sustainable education will aid in the overall development of students. research questions 1. how is ict applied in the teachinglearning process for sustainable school education? indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 223 2. what type of problems do school teachers face with regard to ict in teaching-learning? objectives of the study 1. to study the application of ict in the teaching-learning process for sustainable school education. 2. to study the problem faced by teachers with regard to ict integration in the teachinglearning process. delimitation of the study the study is delimited to the secondary schools of meghalaya board of secondary education (mbose), in east khasi hills district, meghalaya. methodology the descriptive survey study method was implemented for the present study. data has been collected through a selfconstructed questionnaire from teachers of secondary schools in east khasi hills, meghalaya. the data was collected from government, government aided and private school teachers. for the analysis of data, frequencies and percentages were calculated. population and sample of the study the population of the present study comprised of government, government aided and private secondary schools affiliated to meghalaya board of secondary education (mbose) in east khasi hills district, meghalaya. sample and sampling technique the sample of the study was comprised of teachers of government, government-aided and private schools affiliated with mbose at the secondary level. a total of 100 teachers were selected for the study including 19 teachers from government schools, 41 teachers from govt. aided and 40 teachers from private schools were taken as samples. disproportionate stratified random sampling technique was adopted for the present study. data collection the data was collected from the secondary school teachers of the east khasi hills district, meghalaya, in the month of october-november 2023. data analysis and interpretation objective 1. to study the application of ict in the teaching-learning process for sustainable school education. tables-1: showing the application of ict by teachers for teaching learning management government govt. aided private responses items frequency percentage frequency percentage frequency percentage yes no yes no yes no yes no yes no yes no smart class 5 14 26.4 73.7 14 27 34.1 65.9 21 19 52.5 47.5 computer 12 7 63.2 36.8 31 10 75.6 24.4 30 10 75 25 projector 11 8 57.9 42.1 30 11 73.2 26.8 36 4 90 10 internet 10 9 52.6 47.4 32 9 78 22 36 4 90 10 presentation software 8 11 42.1 57.9 21 20 51.2 48.8 27 13 67.5 32.5 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 228 number of teachers were utilizing icts to create lesson plans, track student progress, and observe student performance. the main utilization of icts was for communication with other instructors and students. these results were supported by koc (2005), who found that “ictenabled study interconnects, assigns and works collaboratively anywhere anytime” and bera (2020).” who cited that “educators need to be involved in cooperative endeavours, which would include teaching partnerships with ict as a tool.” 3. the findings showed that teachers from all three kinds of management shared assignments, grades, and other information online using google classroom and google meet, which are online learning management systems. educators also utilized whatsapp by creating groups specifically for each class or subject and then using these groups to communicate with students regarding assignments, multimedia content, instructional films, and other visual materials. it is found that instant communication like this increases student involvement and informs them of upcoming events and deadlines. “lantaron et al. (2022), in their study, recognized better learning outcomes by students who used the apps.” with free online resources, students can find any kind of information on any topic (angadi, (2015). objective 2. to study the problem faced by teachers with regards to ict integration in the teaching-learning process: 1. the outcomes of the study indicated that teachers had a sturdy desire for the incorporation of ict into education but they faced many difficulties with it. according to the study, teachers were having a variety of issues when integrating icts for teaching and learning, including inadequate infrastructure, a lack of e-resources, time constraints, and a shortage of electronic equipment like computers and projectors in the classroom. it was discovered that a lack of technical assistance, including fewer employees with ict training and inadequate tool maintenance, was making it difficult to utilize. aside from these, slower networks, improper power backup, and power outages were a few issues in incorporating icts into teaching and learning. olita, and orong (2023) found the same problem as educators faced challenges such as a lack of ability to teach with ict incorporation, modest internet connection, inadequate computers in the classroom, unavailability of the latest ict equipment and pupils’ difficulty with technological devices. habibu, mamun, and clement, (2012) also found the same in their study that if educators were to be made aware of the importance of ict in their teaching and learning processes, then their training in pedagogical concerns need to improve conclusion from the above study, it is clear that teachers used a variety of icts in the teaching and learning process. teachers are sharing assignments and messages using social media platforms like whatsapp and various online classroom management systems like google classroom and meet. the study indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 229 concludes that there are a number of problems that come up when integrating icts for teaching and learning, such as inadequate infrastructure, lack of electronic resources, time constraints, and a shortage of electronic equipment like projectors and computers in the classroom. it is found that lack of technical support including fewer employees with training in ict and inadequate maintenance of ict equipment is hindering easy access to icts. to make use of new opportunities offered by ict, the school should be provided necessary infrastructure with ict equipment to enhance quality education. the government of meghalaya has implemented various plans and initiatives to endorse the use of ict in education. these initiatives include providing schools with ict infrastructure, training teachers, and developing digital content. however, the success and effectiveness of these efforts may vary. several hurdles may deter the seamless integration of ict in education in meghalaya, such as insufficient funding, absence of technical support, and struggles in maintaining the ict infrastructure. furthermore, the state’s cultural and linguistic diversity may present challenges in creating and deploying digital content that caters to the diverse needs of students. while there are ongoing efforts to promote ict in education in meghalaya, it is crucial to address issues related to infrastructure, connectivity, teacher training, and resource allocation to guarantee an equal approach to highquality ict-enabled education for all students in the state. references abdin, md. j. 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(2014, june). promoting sustainable development through ict in developing countries. european journal of computer science and information technology, 2(2), 24-29. shadap, p. a. (2013). ict and sustainability. in b. b. kharbirymbai (ed.), ict in education. guwahati, india: ebh publishers. shaikh, f. (2013). challenges of ict in teaching and learning process. international journal of engineering research and technology. sharma, i., & koli, s. k. (2014). information and communication technologies in education. new delhi, india: arpan publications. singh, h. (2010, january). education for sustainable development in 21st century. sodh sanchayan, 1(1). indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 231 tyagi, r., vishwakarma, s., alexandrovich, z. s., & mohammed, s. (2020, april). ict skills for sustainable development goal 4. researchgate. unesco. (2003). decade of education for sustainable development (january 2005 – december 2014): framework for a draft international implementation scheme. paris: unesco. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 131 research article online education and reproduction of educational inequalities: schooling practices in india during corona pandemic sharmila rathee assistant professor, department of elementary education, institute of home economics, university of delhi, new delhi email: sharmila.rathee@ihe.du.ac.in abstract in india, efforts to make educational systems accessible and inclusive of the needs of students were still in progress, when an unprecedented situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic 2019 (covid-19) radically changed the landscape and functioning of the schools all across the country. with schools shifting completely to online mode during the pandemic times, students belonging to disadvantaged groups got placed at risk of missing educational opportunities. the present paper attempts to study the nature of educational practices in an elite private school in the capital city, delhi, india at the time of nationwide physical school closures due to covid-19. using quantitative and qualitative methods, findings from this study suggest that the online mode of education is causing several challenges related to access and participation. using pierre bourdieu’s key concepts of field, capital and habitus, findings from the field have been analyzed in light of the theoretical framework of reproduction of inequalities in education. keywords: india; school education; online mode; disadvantaged groups; reproduction of inequality. introduction the past decade has marked significant progress in the domain of school education in india. landmark legislation of the right to free and compulsory education (rte) act (2009) brought new hopes to many children for whom education was still a distant dream otherwise. many students got enrolled in government-run schools as their right under the act, and a sizable population of children belonging to economically weaker sections and disadvantaged groups were admitted to private schools across the country under the provision of clause 12 (c) of the rte act (2009). the aforementioned clause of the act made non-minority private schools legally bound to reserve 25 per cent of their admission seats for students from economically weaker sections (ews) and disadvantaged groups (dg), which were otherwise not accessible to these children due to socio-economic barriers (sarin, dongre, & wad, 2017). kumar (2014) posits that discrimination within the classroom is still a reality in present india and schools which are treating students equally are not commonly noticeable. students get treated differently in the same school depending on their socio-economic positioning in the society and these discriminatory practices become a critical factor leading to dropouts and educational backwardness of children from marginalized communities compared to those from the forefront in socio-economic status (nambissan, 2009). it is unfortunate that despite several pertinent provisions to make the system inclusive, discrimination against those belonging to dalit, tribal, and muslim communities as well as against girls, other gender and the differently-abled, is very high in india indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 132 (bajoria, 2015). while efforts were still in progress to make schools and educational systems inclusive of the needs of students belonging to disadvantaged groups, an unexpected situation caused due to the corona-virus pandemic 2019 (covid-19) radically changed the landscape and functioning of the schools all across the globe. the unpredictable onset and harsh spread of the coronavirus-2019 (covid-19) pandemic has changed the scenes and functioning of almost every sector of the world. as per information status published by world bank (eduanalytics@worldbank. org accessed on 9th may 2020) on 6th may 2020, due to the corona-virus pandemic 168 countries across the world were completely closed, 12 were closed in select areas, 5 were open with restrictions and only 7 were open. this implicated that the lockdown of schools in countries with full closing of schools impacted the education of 1,276,396,954 students and 412,319,964 students were impacted in countries with partially closed schools. in simplistic terms, the covid-19 pandemic caused the lock-down of schools for 85 per cent of students worldwide. world bank group education in its report (2020) during the lockdown phase of the covid-19 pandemic expressed serious concerns regarding consequences of the pandemic and lockdowns on education at an immediate level as well as its long-term. concerns ranged from immediate effects in terms of high drop-outs, declines in learning, lesser school belonging, shrinking of budgets on educational programmes, reduced number of teaching staff, closure of schools, etc. and long-term effects of increased learning poverty, declined human capital, poverty and inequalities increases and possibilities of social unrests, etc. in india, very soon after the enactment of nationwide closures of educational institutes as a precautionary measure to control the spread of covid-19, numerous private elite schools across the country started to conduct digital classrooms for their students to continue the educational exercises following the school closure orders (basu, 2020) and this gave scope to various private technological companies to spread their technological services in the field of education. the practice of technology-assisted pedagogies and assistive e-learning practices may not be new for many of the private schools, especially the high-fee elite schools; however, going thoroughly online has created a very new and exceptional paradigm shift in the field of education. this shift towards online education emerged very rapidly and seemed to have been into enforcement without reflecting considerably on the feasibility of this mode or even assessing the ground realities for those belonging to ews and dg categories. delivering as well as participating in the online education not only requires rather absolutely depends on the possession of several facilities such as suitable electronic device (preferably laptop/computer/desktop, etc. or at least a smartphone), smooth internet service and standard e-literacy. while most of the student population of elite private schools can be expected to have possession of the prerequisites for participating in this technologymediated, device-dependent mode of education, assuming that the students belonging to ews and dg categories studying in these well-equipped private schools too have possession of these resources should be considered no less than a daydream. with schools shifting completely to virtual/online mode, students belonging to ews and dg categories get placed at risk of missing or at least falling short of the opportunity to learn due to a lack of the requisite resources. this kind indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 133 of education system may add more challenges to their ongoing struggles and can deprive them of their right to education in an inclusive education system. pierre bourdieu’s theory of social reproduction presents a critical perspective vis-à-vis class analysis to understand the scenario related to school practices as mentioned above. it relates education (and educational institutes), family and social class to understand the mechanisms of social inequalities—particularly through concepts of habitus, capital and field. in bourdieu’s conceptualisation, the field represents the context of occurrence of the social phenomenon, habitus refers to the dispositions individuals acquire based on their social positions and capital (economic, cultural, social and symbolic) is about possessions and privileges of different kinds. according to bourdieu’s theory, social class differences produce varied capital possession by individuals, and these differences further get deciphered into their assorted habitus. interaction among habitus, capital and field yield particular experiences for the individuals. while everyone carries different forms and degrees of capitals as well as habitus, an individual’s experiences in any field depend on the match or mismatch between possessed habitus and the legitimised habitus of the field in context. those who possess the habitus that the field legitimises have higher chances of acquiring positive experiences and others who do possess not such a valued habitus may face negative experiences in that field. in this context, the present paper attempts to study the nature of technology-mediated educational practices in an elite private school in the capital city, delhi at the time of nationwide lock-down and school closures due to the corona-virus pandemic. it further aims to examine these practices to understand their engagement with students from diverse socio-economic classes. after presenting details of the setting and methodology adopted for this study, the next sections in this paper attempt to present and discuss the findings related to ews students’ experiences of online teaching practices in school. setting and methodology for present paper: the present paper is based on the study of an elite private school in the capital city of delhi, india. located in the south region of the city, this co-educational school affiliated with the central board of school education (cbse) has a total strength of 1297 students from nursery to grade xii. this school has a reputation as an elite school in this region and it caters majorly to upper and uppermiddle social strata. the total student population includes 193 students (149 ews, 32 dg and 12 children with special educational needs (cwsen)) admitted under the provision of reservation under clause 12(1)(c) of the rte act (2009). keeping the exploratory nature into consideration, this study utilized both quantitative and qualitative methods for collecting and analyzing the relevant data. quantitative information was deliberated to explore the degrees and patterns in student’s enrolment, attendance and participation in ongoing online classes and qualitative data was collected for advancing the understanding of processes and subjective experiences of teachers, parents and students. primary as well as secondary data was utilized in the process of this research. primary data was collected from the school under study and secondary data included academic as well as non-academic literature accessed through various online research journals, newspapers, popular magazines and books. analysis of primary data was done mainly indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 134 through statistics and a thematic approach. primary data was collected from administrative staff, teachers, students and parents of students belonging to ews and dg in the school regarding various domains including demographic details of the student population, online learning mechanisms adopted by the school, and subjective experiences of participants. due to the nationwide lockdown in the country at this time, physically reaching the respondents was neither feasible nor desirable by the researcher, hence modes of communication were chosen as per the feasibility and comfort of the participants and it encompassed various virtual ways such as emails, video calls, telephonic calls, audio and text messages. after obtaining permission from the school authorities to collect data for the purpose of this research, data figures were collected from administrative officials and teachers on a weekly basis on various educational parameters. it mainly included information on enrolment and attendance of students in the ‘virtual home-based learning modules’. teachers were also requested to maintain a diary to record their experiences of online teaching-learning on a regular basis in a particular format which included aspects related to effective, concerns and challenges from the perspective of teacher, students and parents. most of them adhered to the suggested format in this regard and shared their notes by the end phase of this research study. a total of 12 classes from the multiple sections from nursery to grade ix were chosen for this study. subsequently, 15 teachers, 36 parents (3 parents from each class) and 42 students belonging to ews and dg categories enrolled in various grades were interviewed using a semi-structured open-ended interview schedule to understand their experiences of the online teachinglearning process. it seems pertinent to mention here that the present research is part of my doctoral research which is an ethnographic study of the experiences of students belonging to economically weaker sections in a private school. the methodology used in this paper draws mainly from that standpoint. also, the researcher’s earlier research involvement with this school was instrumental in accessing the needed details and communicating with school officials, teachers, students and parents. most of the respondents interviewed for this research had met the researcher personally in the past as participants of her doctoral research related to the educational and social experiences of students belonging to the ews category. data was collected over a period of two months, starting with the occurrence of receiving the information of the school’s initiative of starting online modules through their school’s facebook page. during the phase of data collection, participants were interviewed (telephonically) twice, once at the end of the first week and then at the end of the second month. the language of the communication was mainly hindi or english depending on their comfort and conversations were either recorded or noted with main points depending on their consent. interviews were semistructured in nature however, to reduce the possible biases of the researcher primacy was given to the respondents for leading the conversations. collected data was later organized quantitatively in the form of frequencies and qualitatively in the form of transcriptions of individual interviews and diary notes. statistical methods were used to interpret quantitative data and for qualitative  data, thematic analysis in form of coding, sub-themes and themes extraction as proposed by braun & clarke (2012) was used and qualitative research software atlas.ti (2019) was utilized to ease the organization of indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 135 codes and narratives. findings and discussion the following section summarizes various sub-themes, themes and analyses that emerged from the data and responses from teachers, parents and students.  the locale of virtual home-based learning modules ‘stay at home announcement’ came at a time just before the pre-scheduled opening time for the next session in the school under this study. students were already off the school for sessiontransition holidays with an expectation of reopening of school at the beginning of the third week of march 2020. in the light of the non-feasibility of students’ presence, authorities of this school had already instructed the teachers to conduct online orientation programmes for parents and students on the scheduled day of school re-opening and subsequently running virtual classes for students till school reopens again. school decided to use the ‘google classroom’ app in its initial step towards an online mode of education. google classroom is a free application that can be downloaded on computers, laptops as well as on smartphones. it is based on gmail and google drive and has functions for sharing, organizing and managing the documents. setting up a google classroom involves the initial steps of signing up, creating the class by the teacher and inviting the students to be part of it. teachers were given the task of setting up the google classroom for every batch and then sending the invite to students to become a part of this platform. invitations were shared via email and parents were notified about the same in the whatsapp group of which they all are part and calls were made by teachers to those who didn’t accept the shared invitation. additionally, teachers were instructed to conduct face time with students through zoom meetings, google hangouts as well as conducting the video conferencing with smaller groups using whatsapp. students were expected to do the given tasks and upload it on the suggested platforms, mail it to the given id or whatsapp to the concerned teacher in case of network issues in uploading. all these procedures foremost require individual’s (both provider and receiver) access to gadgets like computer/desktop/ laptop/ smartphone and internet facility along with basic technological skills, e-literacy and functional english proficiency are essential for ensuring this mechanism. this array of prerequisites itself becomes the criteria of inclusion and exclusion of students to become a part of this enterprise. students response to virtual homebased learning modules school initiated the virtual homebased learning modules via google classrooms and sent the invites to each student/parent’s registered email id by the end of the third week of march itself. it was followed by the facetime via zoom meetings, however after a few days of zoom classes, school authorities shifted to google hangout considering the e-security issues with zoom. a significant number of students followed and joined given links immediately, these were mostly the students belonging to non-ews families. few needed reminders to enroll as per the given instructions and joined subsequently. to understand experiences of students about virtual home-based learning modules, data was collected for 896 students from nursery to 9th grade. it contained information about the student’s enrollment, attendance, degree and nature of participation and assignment submission during the period of research. alternate week-wise data on the domain indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 136 of enrollment in different platforms was collected from the designated administered official on every last working day of the week. table-1: week-wise data of student’s enrolment in virtual home-based learning module domain status week order 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th google classroom total enrolments 705 751 771 783 788 790 793 793 non-enrol ments 191 145 125 113 108 106 103 103 demography of n o n e n r o l l e d students (google classroom) general 35 14 7 4 3 3 2 2 ews 128 112 108 103 100 98 96 96 dg 18 13 6 4 3 3 3 3 cwsen 10 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 zoom meetings enrolled 676 715 n o n e n rolled 220 181 demography of n o n e n r o l l e d students (zoom meetings) general 42 18 ews 144 139 dg 24 17 cwsen 10 7 google hangout enrolled 757 771 784 790 793 793 n o n e n rolled 139 125 112 106 103 103 demography of n o n e n r o l l e d students (google hangout) general 7 4 3 3 2 2 ews 121 115 104 98 96 96 dg 7 4 3 3 3 3 cwsen 4 2 2 2 2 2 a frequency analysis of the enrolment data of students regarding google classroom, google hangout and zoom meetings depicted the unevenness across different social groups (unreserved, ews, dg and cwsen) regarding the feasibility and ease to participate in online learning modules. most of the students who were not enrolled till the end of the 8th week belonged to ews and dg categories. although enrolment figures for these categories improved over the period, a significant number of students were not able to join till late. most of the students who were not able to join these virtual modes were from the ews category. further, after the 8th week, for the next two weeks, attendance records of the students who were enrolled were collected from their respective teachers. out of 793 enrolled students, 736 were from the general category, indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 137 27 were from the ews group, 23 were from dg and 7 students belonged to the cwsen group. an independent-samples t-test was conducted using spss to compare the difference in mean scores of attendances of students belonging to the ews+dg+cwsen group (n= 57) and the general group (n=736). group statistics are m=4.68, sd=1.43 for the ews+dg+cwsen group and m=7.14, sd=1.41 for the general group. intermediate values used in calculations are t = 12.6949; df = 791 and standard error of difference = 0.194. the twotailed p-value is less than 0.0001. by conventional criteria, this difference is considered to be extremely statistically significant. hence, it can be interpreted that variance for the two groups cannot be assumed equal and they are significantly different. specifically, the result suggests that the average attendance scores of students belonging to the ews+dg+cwsen group are significantly less in comparison to students belonging to the general group. reasons for non-participation in the virtual home-based learning module at the end of week 8, students who didn’t enrol in the virtual home-based learning modules were contacted telephonically to enquire about the reasons for their non-enrolment in the virtual homebased learning module. analysis of the factors responsible for their inability to join the virtual modules revealed that scarcity of device and internet service, poor network connection, lack of understanding about the involved processes and absence of e-literate adult’s support was the major hindrance for these children to participate in the above-mentioned learning modules. interview data revealed that most of the students (especially the ones in junior grades) and their parents who belonged to ews were not even aware of the process of login. several of them lacked requisite understanding about the obligatory internet operations and never had even an email account. in addition, few of them reported that neither anyone else in their family possesses the requisite understanding. teachers in the interview shared that it was very difficult for them to explain the process of enrolling in the google classroom to parents or to students because they do not possess the vital vocabulary of virtual teaching-learning modules. one of the teachers said in the interview, it took me more than an hour to explain to them about all this, what it is and how to go about it, and again i was realizing that what i am talking to appears to be greek or latin to them, they were not getting what i was saying. while laughing sarcastically, one of the parents (whose child is in grade 2) shared in the interview, hum kha se aise internet wali padhai karwa payenge bachho ko, mere bachhe ko phone me kaam karna nahi aata aur mujhe to padhna bhi nahi aata, to main kha se madad karu?” (how can we help our kids do this virtual learning? my kid doesn’t know how to work on the phone and i can’t even read, so how can i help him?). these parents did get to know about the provision through whatsapp communication but were unable to proceed further to enrol in the module. there was another group of parents who were not even aware of the provision because they do not check whatsapp messages frequently especially when there are many messages together. one of the parents said in the interview, mam, ye sab messages english me hi aate hein, aur mujhe english aati nahi hein, to main padhta hi nahi hu ye sab messages, kuch bhut urgent baat hoti hein to madam bachhe se kah ke message bhijwa hi deti hein. ye desh indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 138 band k time hi jyda problem hein, hume pta hi nahi chlta kaya karna hein. (mam, all these messages are communicated in english and i don’t understand english, so i don’t read the messages circulated on whatsapp. and if there used to be something extremely important to be conveyed, the teacher used to communicate that by telling the child in person. this lockdown is creating more problems, we don’t get to know what we have to do). few other parents were not able to enrol because they either did not have any compatible device for the purpose or did not have internet services. it was beyond their affordability to have a laptop or desktop and at maximum, there was only one android phone which was being shared by all and mostly remains in possession of the father. one of the teachers shared that android phones can be used for the purpose but it is much better to work on the big screen devices such as desktops and laptops. further, in circumstances of lack of any device, it gets really impossible to be a part of virtual classrooms. the process also requires a good internet service with ample speed which is unfortunately not an obvious possession for these students. during these lockdown times, fulfilment of everyday necessities is more difficult for those belonging to poor strata of society. most of them used to work as daily wage labourers and bread and butter at the evening to get purchased from the earnings of that day itself. with complete lockdown and lack of essentials, these people have to find some way to earn at least for their survival. one of the parents shared, mam, kha dimag chal rha hein humara ki bachhe ko phone pe padhaye, hume to pahle uske khane ka sochna hein, jaise ta ise khane ka hi jugaad karne ki tikdum mein din nikal jatahein. (mam, our mind is not directed to get our child educated through the phone, our priority is to ensure the availability of some food for him, the whole of our day passes off in just arranging some food for them by hook or crook). another parent said, mam, ye sab phone aur computer ki padhai sirf amiro ko hi suit karti hein, es mahamari ke waqt me hum garibo ko aur bhi bahut chintaye hein jo sambhalni hein, padhai par to dhyan pta nahi kab jayega. (mam, this education through phone and computers suits only rich people. in these times of pandemic, we poor people have much more complications that we need to sort out, we don’t know when we will be able to pay heed to studies). one of the parents (a non-ews single mother) shared that her timing of work from home clashes with the time of the virtual classes which doesn’t allow her to be with the child who can’t operate the classes on her own. two parents (1 non-ews and 1 cwsen category) expressed that they feel that virtual learning needs a lot of screen time and they are not interested in joining the programme because they don’t believe in its effectiveness of this programme. after the teacher’s intervention and regular inputs from the teachers, a significant number of students belonging to ews and dg categories got enrolled in the programme over time. however, subsequent interviews with teachers revealed that participation of these students in the classroom discussion and submissions remained very low. interviews with the teachers and parents on this domain again pointed to the lack of capital required for enduring participation in virtual home-based learning. factors like lack of resources, unavailability of minimum internet speed and lack of understanding indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 139 of the process were featured again in the interview of parents and students regarding low participation. neither parents of these students are equipped enough to help children for participating in the programme nor do they have other available help. when a parent was not able to proceed despite the support from the teacher, teacher asked the parent if it is possible for the parent to seek support from other fellow parents, to which the parent replied, “hum to jyda kisi aur parent se baat kabhi karte hi nahi hein, jarurat padne par ek-do se contact karte hein jo ews wale hi hai aur unhe to khud hi jyda samajh nahi aa rha.” (we generally don’t talk to other parents, there are one or two parents to whom we contact in case required, they are also from ews and they are struggling with understanding the process). also, it was reported that some subjects are difficult to learn as well as teach through virtual classrooms. in the subjects falling under the category of visual and performing arts and are almost fully practical oriented, students were expected to access all materials listed for demonstrating such activities at home. normally in classrooms students have a tendency to share them hence usually it would not get noticed. but virtual classrooms do not permit such options. it was reported by several ews students that while teachers shared the videos of making paintings and sculptures at home, these students were not able to demonstrate them due to a paucity of requisite materials which made their participation chances much lower. similar challenges were reported by parents about other activity-based tasks assigned by the teachers. this economically rooted discrimination is not ending there. findings revealed that most of the ews students use mobile phones for participating in online classes because they can’t afford laptops or desktops which have larger screens. along with impacting the learning experiences, it can eventually affect their vision and other related organs (sadagopan, et al., 2017) and gradually decrease motivation to continue this mode of schooling. similarly, the issue is getting more complex when there is more demand for the same facility within a family. in some cases where there was more than one student studying under the ews category in the same school or the different schools, it was getting very difficult for parents to accommodate the requirements of facilities for children together. parents’ responses in this regard indicated preference given to fulfil the needs of male children who are able-bodied against female, younger, or children with disability. such instances will strengthen the discriminative social practices of our society. this situation is not exclusive to the indian context rather most of the developing countries have faced similar issues. pokhrel & chhetri (2021) also mentioned similar challenges in their work on the impact of covid-19 pandemic on teaching and learning in the bhutanese context. they found that larger class size, lack of infrastructure for online teaching and professional development of teachers as well as non-participation of the students made online teaching-learning more challenging in the bhutanese context. moreover, the effectiveness of online modes of teaching-learning is also doubtful as of now. foo, cheung & chu (2021) in their comparative study in hong kong attempted to study the effectiveness of the conventional faceto-face approaches and online teaching approaches. they found that students who learned through online mode had lower levels of proficiency in key areas of study in comparison to students who were taught by a conventional face-toface approach. the data shared in this paper related indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 140 to students and parents belonging to economically weaker sections present their struggles and challenges in participating in a newly implemented field of online education. the possessions of capitals (in the form of devices, internet and knowledge) that online education demands as a prerequisite are often not owned by these students. further, the kind of pedagogies and activities chosen in this mode of education, such as videos and books from paid sources are mostly not affordable to these students, which makes them devoid of desirable acquaintances. this mismatch places them in the state of “fish out of water”, a phrase often used to describe the feeling of not belonging to a particular field. it creates a mechanism where capital formed through family-based endowments gets further rewarded or underestimated by the schools and teachers (tzanakis, 2011). findings of this study suggest that pedagogical practices (of online education) are reinforcing the strengths and privileges of students belonging to elite social classes and are ignoring the viability of these practices for students belonging to economically weaker sections. such a situation is creating an undeniable form of exclusion for them and hence disavowal of their right to receive equitable and quality education under rte (2009). conclusion as the corona shutdown exposed the possibilities of virtual classrooms for the first time in front of the public, it is speculated to become an alternative strategy to provide education in coming times. like the virtual schools of the west, institutions that exist and operate in the digital world may be the next level of virtual classrooms in india. as the ‘holographic sentient librarian vox114’ in the film ‘time machine’, a teacher in the digital screen may be presented as the only option for uninterrupted qualitative teaching aid at places like geographically far away, isolated islands, less populated human habitats and wandering communities. a number of corporations are already directing efforts to consider online education services as a business opportunity and entering the market of online education rapidly. information technologies have marked many changes in education delivery models and have transformed the education landscape through onsets of online and blended learning (palvia, aeron, gupta, mahapatra, parida, rosner & sindhi, 2018). it is doubtful that these agencies which are based on capitalism will be able to do justice to the idea of education as a public good. while state administrations may pursue the idea as the sole option for universalisation of education due to financial constraints, other agencies such as non-governmental organizations (ngos) can push the idea as the cheapest solution for receiving world-class education in backward regions. in such likelihoods, the investigation into the constraints created by virtual classrooms should be considered of high academic relevance. data from this study suggests that e-learning programmes are resulting in the exclusion of some students from the regular classroom activities who are facing several challenges for participation. various factors included reasons such as lack of device, electricity issues causing the problem in battery charge of the device, poor internet connectivity, non-availability of support from someone who has e-literacy etc. are causing them hindrances in joining these classes on a regular basis. their delayed joining and lower enrolment rates, lower attendance, silence during sessions and subsequently low submission of assigned tasks expose hard realities of digital divides and complexities of online mode of indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 141 education among students belonging to the ews category and society at large. while the primary reason for the nondelivery of such predicted and promised benefits is the absence of minimum needed electronic gadgets and internet speed, the principal reasons are those related to economic and social inequalities existing in the society.  schooling has already been biased towards the students belonging to marginalized groups and centres mainly on the needs and demands of those from the advantaged group. modes such as virtual learning are excluding children belonging to marginalized sections from the process of learning. further, virtual classrooms can create a bipolar society where students of affluent communities distance themselves from others by organizing classes privately (like at residential complexes, community clubs or specially designed educational facilities) with the assistance of a general teacher. when such digital breakthroughs provide more challenges than opportunities to marginalized communities, it is definitely opening up unending opportunities to those who can afford them. this concern of the reproduction of inequalities in education gets accentuated by the reality of the austere digital divide and usage asymmetry in india across groups such as urban-rural (trai, 201819), rich-poor, male-female and across different age-groups (muneer, 2020; parsheera, 2019; kwatra, 2019; panda, chhatar & mharana, 2013) and those who lack these facilities get devoid from opportunities to learn in online mode (goradia, 2020). it is worrisome that present practices of online teaching-learning can cause a kind of technological discrimination which can further lead to the reproduction of another level of educational inequalities in india. references alberto, m.n., sanzana, g., grace, a., amer, h., romani, c., cristobal, j., joao pedro wagner de, a., & maryam, a. 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(2012). thematic analysis. in apa handbook of research methods in psychology, vol. 2: research designs: quantitative, qualitative, neuropsychological, and biological edited by harris cooper, paul m camic, debra l long, a t panter, david rindskopf and kenneth j sher, 57-71. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 142 washington, dc: american psychological association. foo, cc., cheung, b. & chu, km. a comparative study regarding distance learning and the conventional face-to-face approach conducted problem-based learning tutorial during the covid-19 pandemic. bmc med educ, 21 (141) https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-021-02575-1 goradia, a. (2020, april 7). as schools switch to online classes, students from weaker sections get cut off from learning. retrieved april 7, 2020, from the indian express: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/as-schools switch-to-online-classes-students-from-weaker-sections-get-cut-off-from learning-6347739/ government of india. (2009). the right of children to free and compulsory education act. new delhi: ministry of law and justice, legislative department kumar, s. (2014). inclusive classroom and social diversity in india: myths and challenges. journal of indian research , 1 (2), 126-140. kwatra, n. (2019). india’s digital divide is not just about accessibility. newspaper article at live mint (online). published on 20 aug 2019, accessed on 7th may 2019; available at https://www.livemint.com/news/india/india-s-digital-divide-is not-just-about-accessibility-1566287337995.html mitter, s. 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(2018) online education: worldwide status, challenges, trends, and implications. journal of global information technology management, 21 (4), 233-241, doi: 10.1080/1097198x.2018.1542262 panda, i., chhatar, d.c., & mharana, b. (2013). a brief view to digital divide in indian scenario. international journal of scientific and research publications, 3 (12), 1-7. accessed on 7th may, 2020, available at http://www.ijsrp.org/research-paper-1213/ijsrp-p2471.pdf parsheera, s. (2019). india’s on a digital sprint that is leaving millions behind. newspaper article at bbc news (online). published on 17th october, 2019; accessed on 7th may 2019; available at https://www.bbc.com/news/world asia-india-49085846 pokhrel, s. and chhetri, r. (2021). a literature review on impact of covid-19 pandemic on teaching and learning. higher education for the future, 8 (1), 133-141. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 143 rogers, h., sabarwal, s., avitabile, c., lee, j., miyamoto, k., nellemann, s., & venegas marin, s. (2020). the covid-19 pandemic: shocks to education and policy responses. world bank. https://doi.org/10.1596/33696 sadagopan, a. p., manivel, r., marimuthu, a., nagaraj, h., ratnam, k., taherakumar, et al. (2017). prevalence of smart phone users at risk for developing cell phone vision syndrome among college students. journal of psychology & psychotherapy, 7 (3), 1-3. sarin, a., dongre, a., & wad, s. (2017). state of the nation: rte section 12(1)(c). ahmedabad: iim ahmedabad. tzanakis, m. (2011). bourdieu’s social reproduction thesis and the role of cultural capital in educational attainment: a critical review of key empirical studies. educate, 11 (1), 76-90 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 444 app review review of prashast app himanshu jain software engineer, meta inc., san francisco, california email: himanshukj17122000@gmail.com the national council of educational research and training (ncert) under the aegis of ministry of education, department of school education and literacy, government of india has taken a groundbreaking step towards ensuring accessibility and inclusion in indian classrooms with the launch of the prashast (pre-assessment holistic screening tool) android based multilingual mobile app. this mobile application empowers schools to identify students with potential disabilities at an early stage, paving the way for a more equitable and supportive learning environment. the prashast app by ncert utilizes a two-part process to effectively screen students for potential disabilities. this structured approach ensures a thorough assessment while maintaining ease of use within the school environment in india. part 1: classroom observation by regular teachers y target users: regular classroom teachers are responsible for completing part 1 of the prashast app. y focus: this initial screening focuses on observing students in their regular classroom setting. teachers use a checklist within the app to assess a student’s performance across various developmental domains. y domains covered: the checklist considers aspects like communication skills, cognitive abilities, motor skills (both gross and fine), sensory skills, social and emotional development, and activities of daily living. y benefits: ¾ early detection: by observing students in their familiar environment, part 1 allows for early identification of potential developmental delays or disabilities. ¾ teacher expertise: regular classroom teachers are wellpositioned to observe students’ daily interactions and learning styles, providing valuable insights. ¾ streamlined process: the appbased checklist simplifies data collection and record-keeping for teachers. part 2: validation by special educators y target users: once teachers complete part 1, special educators within the school or designated support system take over. y focus: part 2 involves in-depth evaluation based on the observations documented in part 1. special educators may interact directly with the student, conduct additional assessments, and consult with parents or guardians. y validation and next steps: based on the combined findings from both the parts tools, special educators can: ¾ validate the initial observations made in part 1. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 445 ¾ recommend further diagnostic assessments for specific disabilities. ¾ develop individualized education plans (ieps) to cater to the student’s specific needs. y benefits: ¾ expert analysis: special educators bring specialized knowledge and expertise to refine the screening process. ¾ comprehensive evaluation: part 2 provides a more in-depth analysis, ensuring accurate identification of needs. ¾ individualized support: combining data from both parts allows for creating tailored learning plans to support each student effectively. working together for inclusive education the two-part structure of the prashast app leverages the expertise of both regular and special educators. this collaborative approach ensures a comprehensive screening process while remaining mindful of teachers’ time constraints within the classroom setting. by effectively identifying students with potential disabilities, prashast paves the way for timely intervention and personalized support, ultimately contributing to a more inclusive learning environment for all. it is strongly felt that the app should not be used in isolation; rather, it should play a supplementary and complementary role to other existing apps under the ministry of women and child development, government of india and ministry of health and family welfare, government of india. this may provide both a vertical and horizontal service to the stakeholders. the app further needs to use ai/ml for automatic data analysis and visualisation of data and seamlessly integrate with professionals like doctors, counsellors, teachers, etc., for its holistic use. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 290 general article digital learning in primary schools: mauritius making great strides in early education pawan kumar sharma ph.d. student, sam higginbottom university, allahabad, india, email: paw_kum@yahoo.com abstract the landscape of teaching and learning has been evolving with the inception of technologically advanced solutions in education. digital tools are playing a huge role in how to learn, teach, and share knowledge in classrooms. the adaptation of digital learning has become an integral part of modern education. the study aims to analyze the various initiatives undertaken by the republic of mauritius to encourage digital learning in primary education in the last 10 years. policy documents and research papers concerning digital technology have been examined under the literature review to set the context. the ministry of education (moe), through the latest reforms of “nine year continuous basic education (nycbe) programme emphasises the importance of technology. early digital learning is considered as a key focus area in transforming the country to future growth and development. digital education is encouraging the mauritians to raise their standards and be on par with the developed countries. the success of these national initiatives in light of primary educational reform policy will encourage other mainland african countries to implement similar projects customized to their requirements. keywords: early digital learning, ict integration, technology enhanced primary education, teaching and learning in mauritius. introduction “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world “nelson mandela the republic of mauritius is a beautiful small island nation in indian ocean. the people of mauritius are highly diverse in ethnicity, culture and faith due to historical connection from asia, africa and europe. the country is categorized as "high" in the human development index and more than 90 percent of the population is literate. mauritius provides 11 years of free compulsory schooling with open access for all children aged between 5 to 16 years. digital learning in education generally means technology-based teaching and learning tools in schools. technology plays an integral role in every aspect of our lives, changing how we access education, how we work, and how we engage in everyday transactions (world bank, 2020). moreover, the application of technologies in modern education is playing a crucial role to support teachers and students in innovative forms of learning. in particular, ict (information and communication technology) can enrich and transform education indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 291 through universal access to education, bridging learning divides, supporting the capacity building of teachers, enhancing the quality and relevance of learning, strengthening inclusion, and improving education administration and governance (unesco, 2015). in view of the above, the mauritius government knows that education is a pillar of any country. therefore, the present paper made an attempt to study various initiatives taken for integration of ict and digital tools in the learning and teaching process of primary schools in mauritius. there are 277 government primary schools with gross enrolment ratio as 100 percent and the pupil to teacher ratio as 27. the adoption of ict in education is not a one time affair but a multi-year continuous process to fully support teaching and learning in a school environment. digital learning tools provide necessary help and support for both teachers and students. these tools do not act as replacement for quality teachers but instead they are considered as an add-on supplement needed for better teaching and learning. enabling quality primary education lays the foundation upon which the talents of a nation’s youth can grow. therefore, the mauritius government is giving huge emphasis on early digital education programs. objectives of the study • to study major initiatives taken for enhancement of digital learning in primary schools • to discuss and analyze the desired outcome of digital learning projects at national level • to discuss on limitation and future direction research methodology the information for this study has been collected through secondary sources. multiple reports, documents available on mauritius government websites, journals, news and publications have been referred in order to make an indepth analysis. considering objectives of the research, descriptive research design has been adopted to come to a conclusion. journey of digital education initiatives in primary education sector ict is making dynamic changes in our society as how people think, work and live. countries across the world are integrating digital learning in curriculum that will prepare them for life after school. the moe, mauritius has been bringing changes in primary education to make their human resource competitive with new trends. this section provides a broad overview of major digital education initiatives and education reform taken up in primary education by the mauritius government. the digital initiatives can be divided into two era i.e. pre and post education reforms 2017 in 2017as country has launched major education reforms in 2017. a. digital initiatives before major education reforms in year 2017 b. digital initiatives after major education reform in year 2017 indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 292 the moe started embedding technology in the education system by equipping the schools with it facilities and digital learning pedagogy in 2000. the wave of change began in 2002 with the recruitment and training of 220 ict educators in primary education. by 2003, ict had been integrated as a subject in the primary curriculum. the aim was to expose the young learners to modern technology and train educators to use digital tools in the classroom. 1. computer laboratory the emphasis on integration of ict in primary education of mauritius dates back to 2006. national ict strategic plan 2006 of gom stated that it would be taught in schools as a subject and integrated into teaching across the curriculum in primary schools (shafika isaacs, 2007). moe made sustained efforts to improve the ict infrastructure in primary schools from 2008 onwards. all primary schools had an ict room with at least 10 computers, 2 printers and 1 scanner. training sessions of the educators have been carried out to equip them to teach and make full use of the ict. there were approximately 4,300 computers in all primary schools (education reforms in action, 2013). the capacities of the ict rooms were gradually increased in highly populated schools (fig-1). the labs were also provided with internet facilities. total of 22 primary school students were accessing one computer (statistics mauritius, 2017). this makes ict penetration for pupils approximately 4.5 percent. fig-1: computer lab source: moe, 2016 2. sankore project moe introduced the sankore project in 2011. the project was a spinoff of the franco-british summit. the leaders of france and the united kingdom then decided to promote education in africa through the provision of digital classroom equipment and digital resources to schools (oojorah, 2011). subsequently, mauritius was chosen as the platform for the franco african countries with an objective to indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 293 provide an education for pupils for all through digital empowerment and use of innovative technologies. the project was launched in 2011 with the commissioning of interactive projectors and laptops in primary schools. the second and third phases of the project were implemented in 2012 and 2013, respectively. this has marked a new horizon in implementing technology in the mauritian education system (education reform in action 20082014) and laid the foundation for a digital culture. key initiatives have been summarized as below: a. the project covered grade iv to grade vi of all primary schools of mauritius. b. mauritius institute of education (mie) was responsible for the elaboration and digitization of educational contents. c. educators were trained on the use of ict tools to enhance teaching and learning. d. ct support officers were recruited to assist in the promotion of a digital culture in primary school. 3. digital youth engagement programme project (dyep) the national computer board (ncb) operating under the aegis of ministry of technology, communication and innovation (mtci) has been running various ict initiatives at national level. in 2017, mauritius government announced dyep which comprises an introductory course on coding to youngsters from grade iv and grade v. the learners were provided with a 15-hour training delivered in the cyber caravans, which would proceed to various primary schools around the island (ist-africa, 2017). each cyber caravan is equipped with 25 laptops, 2 dashboard display screen, 18 tablets and broadband internet (ncb, 2018). the objective of introducing coding at an early age is to spark interest among young learners for stem (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects. over these years, moe mauritius made efforts to ensure that digital education becomes an important tool for teaching and learning in the classroom. however uptake of the ict in the primary education encompasses number of issues, including access of computer hardware and software in primary education, provision of relevant digital learning content and limited options for educators for exploring innovative ideas for pupils the moe launched a comprehensive review of the education system in mauritius in 2016-17. in order to raise the education standard and government introduced major reform through the nine year continuous basic education (nycbe) programme. nycbe blueprints was based on sustainable development goal-4 (sdg-4: quality education) of the united nations i.e. “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. nycbe highlights the development of 21st century competencies that reinforce the holistic education offered by the curriculum (moe mauritius, 2016). the use of digital education is an important part of nycbe programme, to help learners acquire necessary skills required for a highly technological and information-based indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 294 economy. the salient points are: 1. the programme was based on six pillars of the reform i.e. curricular change, innovative pedagogies, assessment, continuous professional development, conductive learning environment, and system governance and accountability. 2. it covers the new education structure in detail including primary education from grade 1 to 6 and secondary school from grade 7 to 9. 3. there are three curriculum stages, each representing a block of three years: foundation stage (grades 1, 2 3), the consolidation stage (grades 4, 5 6), and the orientation stage (grades 7, 8, 9). the nycbe will ensure that all youth reach at least basic skills levels as per the international benchmark by 2030. to achieve this desired goal, the government rolled national level personalized learning initiatives in primary education. 4. early digital learning program (edlp) edlp is a flagship project of the ministry of education, tertiary education, science and technology (moetest), mauritius as a part of the innovative measure of nycbe. the main aim of this program is to move from traditional classrooms to 21st century digital classrooms. the new era of personalized digital learning started in mauritius through the edlp project. the project was rolled out in the year 2017-18 as a part of the bilateral relationship between mauritius and indian government. the project began with commissioning of high definition projectors in classroom, portable student device i.e. tablet, specialized charging card, digital content for all students in grade i and grade ii (edlp, 2019). subsequent on receiving positive feedback the project was progressively extended to d grade iv in 2019-20. the government has plans to cover grade v and vi in coming years. hence, each student will be empowered with student device i.e. tablet as a part of personalized digital learning in all 277 primary schools of mauritius. this will result in ict penetration to all students (100 percent) in primary schools. the growth can be summarized as given in fig-2. fig-2: growth of personalized learning in primary schools indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 295 the main reasons for selection of tablets in the education system are its usability and effectiveness. tablets are easier for kids to use than desktop pcs or laptops. it uses a touch screen interface. small form factor (shape and size) similar to books and makes it portable. several applications and learning content are available for teaching and learning on tablets (michel trucano, 2015). 5. digitations of content and online portal the digitization of content with interactive features for primary education started in mauritius since the inception of the sankore project in 2011 (oojorah, 2011). the codl of mie has been actively engaged in designing the digital curriculum. the digital content for primary grades with progressive updates were made available on the portal of mie and in all the student devices of grade i to iv. as in 2020, the digital contents were accessed publicly from http://mie.ac.mu/curriculum.html. mie has been using the online moodle learning platform in their teachers education since 2010 (pudaruth, moloo, mantaye and jannoo, 2010). it is an open source learning management system (lms) to disseminate knowledge to educators. the online content includes training sessions for primary educators in their capacity building. the platform is accessible http://miemoodle. southindia.cloudapp.azure.com/. classroom management software (cms) with advanced features has been introduced in grade iv to meet the present-day requirements. e-assessment, feedback on learner’s console, online and offline access, and analytics form the basis of the software and its equivalent application. 6. internet connectivity, schoolnet project the high speed internet ensured that all students and educators could access educational resources through the world wide web including resources available at the websites of mie and mgi. in 2017, through the schoolnet project gom planned to provide high speed connectivity to primary schools. by mid 2019, all primary schools were made available with high speed broadband internet connectivity of 10 mbps. 7. digital learning initiatives during covid-19 despite multiple projects being implemented for digital learning, the covid-19 pandemic revealed vulnerabilities of the system in particular for primary education. technical tools and supports were not readily available when students were confined to their home due nationwide lockdown. to mitigate the challenges in facilitating remote learning, the moe set up numerous educational programmes on television channels of mauritius broadcasting corporation (mbc) for primary and other students in mid 2020 (moe, 2020), a sample of the schedule can be seen in fig-3. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 296 fig-3: mbc broadcasting schedule for students of primary schools source: moe, 2020 live and at times recorded lessons were broadcast for all subjects at different intervals. the programmes were uninterruptedly broadcasted. these multimedia videos were available online to educators and learners. discussions several studies have been conducted to concur that “use of digital learning captures student attention and keeps them actively engaged in the lessons”. it is important to focus on building the ecosystem in which teaching and learning can happen in a digital mode. the moe, mauritius has been investing on large scale national level digital education projects in the last 10 years. to measure the effectiveness of these projects is certainly a complex task. a high level measurement of effectiveness has been tabulated based on the three key parameters for each project and summarized in the table below table-1: key parameters of digital education project initiatives main objectives project phase measurement of effectiveness usage of tools difficulty level learning outcomes computer laboratory ict introduction at maturity & declining occasionally difficult moderate sonkore project digital interactive at maturity & declining occasionally ease of use moderate dyep coding at maturity & declining regular ease of use marginal edlp personalised learning growth regular ease of use significant digitations of content, mie audio 7 video content growth regular ease of use significant schoolnet internet connectivity growth regular ease of use significant indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 297 covid-19 initiatives remote learning from home at maturity regular difficult modetrate the various inferences that can be drawn are: 1. edlp and internet connectivity (schoolnet) initiatives are the most influential projects taken up for digital learning in primary schools. 2. ict labs and sankore projects have been implemented 10 years back and their influence is not comparable to the current scenario. 3. the initiatives taken during covid-19 pandemic may not be as influential as others as per our defined parameters. however its significance is relatively higher due to the short term quick response generated during emergencies. the policy maker’s decision to bring personalized learning into early childhood is making students digital savvy. edlp has played a pivotal role in reforming the basic education of the republic of mauritius and subsequent socio-economic development. this project is meeting three out of six basic pillars of nycbe i.e. innovative pedagogies, assessment and learning environment. finally, the integration of ict in the classroom is increasing the competency of the country’s education system. this improves their world ranking of national education and produces a future ready workforce. in order to enhance the use of ict in the classroom, the government needs to improve and change the teachers’ belief about the integration of ict in the classroom. teachers play a key role in making any of the new policies to be implemented efficiently and successfully. teachers should have good skills and knowledge in using ict to improve their teaching methods that will meet the demand of 21st century teaching skills. summary, limitation and future research mauritius government has remarkably scaled up digital learning infrastructure in recent years with implementation of high impact projects. the present paper made an attempt to study various initiatives taken for integration of digital tools in learning and teaching process in primary schools of mauritius. the education system is going through a rapid transformation due to which, the children of this generation are not limited to traditional textbooks. their thirst for knowledge cannot be quenched using the age – old methodologies and pedagogies. their hunger for ever increasing information can be satisfied by the use of the digital tools and internet in the form of e-learning, digital textbooks, interactive animation videos and integrating the ict in the classroom room. the traditional classrooms are getting transformed to “next generation smart classrooms”. the mauritius government is focusing on grooming the young generation and investing in digital learning. the primary schools have been upgraded with national level digital initiatives such as computer labs (cyber caravan), smart indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 298 projector based learning (sonkore) and personalized learning using tablets (edlp).this investment in education makes their human resources well equipped to meet the demand of the digital economy. the nascent edlp project has stood out as one of the most impactful projects in meeting the mission of reform agenda in mauritius. it may have far reaching implications with its potential growth in coming years. today by incorporating digital technology in primary education, mauritius can be termed as torch bearer, shining star among african countries these national initiatives have limitations which should be ratified to fully utilize the technology resources deployed in the schools. the issue ranges for educational change management, infrastructure maintenance,educational courseware development and teachers training. the mauritius government has to bring changes in online content, e-books, platforms for assessment, and curriculum. educators and master trainers need to be trained thoroughly and frequently. the edlp project should be extended to grade 5 and 6 to maintain the continuity and ict penetration almost 100 percent in primary schools. it is worth mentioning that in spite of numerous steps, the year 2020 exposed that teaching and learning in mauritius has been impacted due to covid-19 pandemic. it leads to ‘learning losses for many months. therefore, the digital infrastructure needs to be redefined for making it immune to similar threats in future. this study can further be expanded to explore the factors that are affecting the effective usage of the recently implemented national projects like edlp, internet connectivity in primary schools. this will help in analyzing the impact of digital learning initiatives in mauritius from users' perspective using quantitative data. this will give a better view of the success rate of government policies and programs. references world bank, digital skills for all african students: what will it take? (2020) retrieved at https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2020/04/14/digital-skills for-all-african-students-what-will-it-take unesco, ict in education (2015), retrieved at https://en.unesco.org/themes/ ict-education shafika isaacs, ict in education in mauritius (2007), survey of ict and education in africa: mauritius country report, retrieved at https://www.infodev.org/ infodev-files/resource/infodevdocuments_417.pdf avinash oojorah, sustaining technology in classrooms under the sankoré project: a case study of a multi-pronged approach (2011), retrieved at https://www. researchgate.net/publication/276847540_sustaining_technology_in_ classrooms_under_the_sankore_project_a_case_study_of_a_multiindian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 299 pronged_approach ist-africa: ict initiatives and projects mauritius, (2017) retrieved at http://www. ist-africa.org/home/default.asp?page=doc-by-id&docid=5551 moe, mauritius, inspiring every child: policy document, (2016), retrieved at https:// education.govmu.org/documents/educationsector/nys/documents/ nycbe%20booklet.pdf moe, mauritius (2013), sankoré project: handing over of last batch of equipment, retrieved at http://www.govmu.org/english/news/pages/sankor%c3%a9 project--handing-over-of-last-batch-of-equipment-.aspx early digital learning programme fully implemented in primary schools (2019) retrieved at https://mauritiusnewswire.com/early-digital-learning programme-fully-implemented-in-primary-schools-2/ michael trucano, tablets in education, world bank blogs on edutech (2015-16) retrieved at https://blogs.worldbank.org/edutech/top-world-bank-edutech blog-posts-2015 moe, mauritius (2013), a sankoré seminar to discuss free and open digital education, retrieved at http://www.govmu.org/english/news/pages/a sankor%c3%a9-seminar-to-discuss-free-and-open-digital-education. aspx world bank, digital technologies in education (2020), retrieved at https://www. worldbank.org/en/topic/edutech bahadur and oogarah, interactive whiteboard for primary schools in mauritius: an effective tool or just another trend? (2013), retrieved at https://www. researchgate.net/publication/279995058_interactive_whiteboard_for_ primary_schools_in_mauritius_an_effective_tool_or_just_another_trend leena and veeru jai singh, the digital world of education in mauritius: adapting the mauritian education system with the pace of technology (2015), retrieved at https://www.ijlter.org/index.php/ijlter/article/view/498 national computer board (ncb): cyber caravan (2018) retrieved at https://ncb. govmu.org/portal/sites/ncb/faq.html early digital learning programme fully implemented in primary schools (2019) retrieved at https://mauritiusnewswire.com/early-digital-learning programme-fully-implemented-in-primary-schools-2/ schoolcare: projector lamp life (2017) retrieved at https://www.schoolcare.co.uk/ interactive-displays-vs-traditional-interactive-whiteboards/#:~:text=most% 20projector%20lamps%20are%20replaced,lifespan%20of%203%2d5%20 years.&text=most%20modern%20pcs%20and%20laptops,to%20 connect%20to%20older%20projectors indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 300 mauritius institute of education (mie): e-novators: centre for open and distance learning (2019) retrieved at http://portal.mie.ac.mu/wp-content/ uploads/2019/05/newletter_edition_25_04-2.pdf moe, mauritius (2020),learning channels mbc broadcast https://education.govmu. org/pages/main/mbc-channels.aspx national computer board providing internet access and digital literacy programs in mauritius retrieved at https://1worldconnected.org/ project/africa_digitalskills_nationalcomputerboardmauritius/africa_ digitalskills_nationalcomputerboardmauritius.pdf indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 303 review article ai-assisted learning in higher education: exploring the pedagogical potential of chatgpt hamis juma1 & g. s. patel2 1phd scholar, university school of psychology, education & philosophy, gujarat university, ahmedabad, gujarat email: hamisj10@gmail.com orcid: 0000-0003-0946-463x 2assistant professor, a.g. teachers college, ahmedabad, gujarat orcid: 0000-0002-3321-1010 abstract chat-gpt witnessed exponential growth by attracting 1 million users within five days and over 100 million users in 2 months since its launch in november 2022. chatgpt responds to user-generated prompts in real time using the provided prompts or questions. the entry of chatgpt and how it functions by creating a body of text from responses raises concerns about the pedagogical implication on language teaching and learning, ethical issues, and new research avenues for educational specialists to explore. this article examines what chatgpt can do and its capabilities from recent literature, opportunities that are brought by chatgpt, such as the creation of sound human-like content, and the limitations, including concerns around bias and the creation of false or misleading information. further, the pedagogical implication of the chatgpt is discussed with an analysis of institutional reactions and uptake of the chatgpt so far. additionally, the paper suggests what can be done in policy and adoption of the practice of using chatgpt by emphasizing the need for careful integration into educational practice. by leveraging the capabilities of chat-gpt and mitigating its limitations, the technology can be a valuable resource for enriching the teaching and learning of language and research. keywords: chat-gpt, generative ai, ai in education, higher education, innovative teaching, pedagogical tool. introduction the integration of artificial intelligence (ai) in education has gained significant attention in recent years. ai technologies offer innovative solutions to enhance teaching and learning experiences, providing personalized and adaptive learning pathways for students (anjum et al., 2020). artificial intelligence (ai) is one of the growing fields of technology that has impacted education by promoting better learning outcomes by improving learning opportunities for students, such as collaborative learning, real-time feedback and an increase in learners’ engagement (unesco, 2019). generative ai is ai technology that can generate content from the given dataset that it has been trained to (gozalobrizuela & garrido-merchan, 2023); for instance, the generative ai can generate image and convert it to text or text to image or video or text to text. chatgpt is one of the technological tools under the generative ai that is based on a text-to-text model. (technical university munich, 2023) asserted that chatgpt is indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 304 one of the tools that can benefit mostly academic institutions regardless of their curriculum or the types of learners the institution has. chatgpt is a tool that use uses natural language processing (nlp) techniques to respond to the responses provided by the users. in simple words, a user inputs the question, a prompt, or a statement into chatgpt, and chatgpt will generate the response using nlp from the available data set it has been trained to which currently is up to the year 2021 (torrey trust, 2023). golumbia (2022) defined the chatgpt as a machine which generates human-english responses from the given prompts. with such capabilities, chatgpt has gained attention as a potential pedagogical tool in higher education (schatten, 2022). its functionalities encompass a wide range of academic tasks, such as generating code languages, social media posts, essays, cvs, and even poems, which can be particularly valuable for both educators and students (gleason, 2022). additionally, chatgpt has been used to assist in content creation, summarization, and error detection in academic papers (morning edition, 2022). chatgpt is a language model developed by openai, designed to understand and generate human-like text based on the input it receives. it is part of the gpt (generative pre-trained transformer) family of models and has been trained on an extensive dataset to achieve its language processing capabilities openai (2022),. training process and dataset used the training process of chatgpt involves exposing it to a vast amount of data from diverse sources, such as books, articles, websites, and other textual content available on the internet. this massive dataset provides chatgpt with a wide range of language patterns and structures, enabling it to generate contextually appropriate responses. according to openai (2022), chatgpt was trained using reinforcement learning from human feedback. the initial model was trained using supervised fine-tuning. later the human ai trainers played a key role in responding both as a user and the chatgpt in which chatgpt learned the dialogue format from given data. the following figures, figure 1 and figure 2 display some sample responses provided by chatgpt. figure-1: screenshot of response from chat-gpt after given prompt of “what are you?” (https://chat.openai.com/chat) the chatgpt was provided with the prompt as indicated in figure 1, chatgpt was questioned “what are you?” chatgpt responded by providing a clear explanation of what chatgpt is and a sample example of how it works, further, it provided a dialogue continuation if the answer is not understood or more explanation is needed. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 305 figure-2: a screenshot of the response from chat-gpt after being given the prompt of “how do you work?” (https://chat.openai.com/chat) in figure 2, the chatgpt was questioned “how do you work?” chatgpt responded by providing a clear explanation of how it works using the dataset it was trained on. it explained the process of reinforcement learning as a repeated process until the model generates the complete response. further, chatgpt explained how it works by indicating it works on the dataset given and using the examples that were provided during the training. when provided with an input prompt, chatgpt employs its transformer-based architecture to analyze the context and patterns within the text. it uses this analysis to generate a response that is relevant and contextually appropriate to the given prompt. the model’s ability to understand the relationships between words and sentences allows it to create coherent and human-like responses, making it a versatile and useful language generation tool. (brown et al., 2020). methodology the study involved an innovative literature survey from online sources and tool exploration. literature sources were obtained from online sources such as open journal repositories, news, public talks and discussions, books and reports published on chatgpt. moreover, a chatgpt account was opened (one needs an account to be able to use chatgpt) using an active email address to see how it works. chatgpt started being used after the confirmation of the mobile number (an active mobile number is needed for confirmation). then, various responses related to the education setting were entered to see how chatgpt responds and the alternative answers it could provide. figure-3: homepage view of the chatgpt tool after the sign-on process indicating instructions to the user on how it collects the data and privacy (https://chat.openai.com/chat) discussion the discussion section delves into the pedagogical implications and practical considerations of integrating chatgpt in higher education. this section indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 306 explores the potential benefits of chatgpt in simplifying academic tasks by providing human-like responses to tailored prompts (schatten, 2022; gleason, 2022). additionally, it adds to the limitations of chatgpt, including issues of trustworthiness, dataset limitations, biases, and its inability to comprehend complex human language (torrey trust, 2023; golumbia, 2022; bogost, 2022). furthermore, this discussion addresses the evolving landscape of academic integrity and plagiarism concerns in the context of ai-generated content (hippel, 2023; hern, 2022). finally, it explores how institutions can adapt to this ai revolution, outlining policy considerations and recommendations for effective implementation (mills, 2022; montclair state university, 2023). benefits of chatgpt as a pedagogical tool chatgpt provided opportunities to simplify various academic works by providing dedicated responses that sound human-like. according to schatten (2022), when you input the prompt in chatgpt, you get a specifically tailored response according to your prompt, and it has a user-friendly interface. gleason (2022) added that chatgpt can generate structured content such as code languages, social media posts, and essays, create a cv from given info, create poems following specific poets’ styles, design outlines for courses and lesson plans, design content for teaching and quizzes. further, morning edition (2022) debated how chatgpt is used to create content as one can paste an entire academic paper, and chatgpt can work on it or summarize it, chatgpt can find errors in codes and make corrections. gravett (2023) added that with chatgpt, we can get the response to prompts as when we ask the learners to demonstrate what they have learned, and chatgpt will answer accordingly, the only difference now is the response will be human-like, and no human is directly involved in providing the response. according to (herman, 2022), chatgpt has proved how it can change how people do writing, and its integration into teaching might end writing assignments. the figure below indicates an example of an essay generated by the chatgpt tool using the prompt to write about india republic day, which it did and provided the response. figure-4: a screenshot of the response from chat-gpt after being given the prompt to write about india republic day (https://chat.openai.com/chat) indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 307 limitations and challenges of chatgpt with the affordances chatgpt is offering by generating content from prompts, it still has some limitations on how it works, such as trustworthiness. chatgpt is not always trustworthy and cannot provide accurate responses when asked to. torrey trust (2023) affirmed that the massive dataset chatgpt was trained on is up to 2021. hence, the recent events and information cannot easily be available, and chatgpt cannot by itself access the internet (mills, 2022) to search for the available information. further, as openai (2022) explained how chatgpt was trained, some trustworthy issues arise as chatgpt was trained by humans and to some extent, will respond as trainers trained it to and reinforced. on the same, golumbia (2022) mentioned that biases such as racial preferences might emerge from the dataset used for training chatgpt. chatgpt has been trained on the massive dataset; however, it does not mean that it has all the available data when given a prompt as such torrey trust (2023) found out that when missing the data, chatgpt makes up guesses when they lack data to pull information from instead of indicating it cannot respond to the prompt. further, bogost (2022) claimed that chatgpt does not truly understand how human language is complex but only provides responses on given input and cannot comprehend the meaning behind the words, which makes it easier for it to make up data, the same was found by thompson (2023) when chatgpt provided the wrong response with supporting evidence from hobbes’ work which could easily be spotted by a human. additionally, gravett (2023) observed that most of the time chatgpt will provide incorrect and non-existing citations in its responses. openai (2022) explained this scenario by indicating that at times, chatgpt will generate plausible-sounding but incorrect or nonsensical answers as it misses data that was not trained on; some answers were wrongly trained depending on what the model knows and do not reflect human knowledge. pedagogical implications of chatgpt chatgpt forces institutions to rethink pedagogical practices and assessments of learners. integrating ai writers into learning and teaching can be done in higher education. with ai writers such as chatgpt, gleason (2022) suggested the change of assessment from assessing the product to focusing on the whole learning and assessing process by integrating ai technologies like chatgpt into learning and teaching. nevertheless, mills (2022) stressed how institutions can adapt to these new changes by regulating academic policies by giving a way to include ai-created content, such as using the chatgpt to create a question on a selected topic, which also technical university munich (2023) explained could be a strategy tool for learners to use prepare themselves for examinations. moreover, hippel (2023) discussed how universities are grappling with the challenge of incorporating chatgpt and other generative ai tools into their curriculum. faculty members need to invest time in improving their digital literacy and understanding the technology’s affordances and limitations. this understanding will enable faculty to effectively integrate generative ai, like chatgpt, into their classes and assess its impact on learning outcomes. policy and adoption considerations the ethical implications of using chatgpt have sparked discussions on what is considered acceptable and what indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 308 is not in academia (morning edition, 2022). plagiarism, in particular, is a major concern when it comes to integrating chatgpt into instructional activities (hippel, 2023). hern (2022) indicated that institution admins have concerns over plagiarism caused by chatgpt and how they can function to detect it. bowersabbott (2023) revealed how plagiarism can occur when chatgpt provides related content to students with similar prompts, potentially allowing some to go unnoticed while others unwittingly produce similar work. to address the issue, recent developments by openai include working on a watermarking solution to highlight work produced by chatgpt and gptzero, aiding in spotting potential plagiarism (kim, 2022). however, peritz (2022) argues that using chatgpt might not be considered traditional plagiarism, as the student initiates the process by exploring multiple prompts, and no previous work exists for the student to copy. still, hippel (2023) raises concerns about chatgpt’s ability to respond to mathematical prompts and complex concepts, as it can provide incorrect answers to some calculations. in response to these concerns, organizations are creating policies to prohibit the submission of ai-created work as one’s own in order to uphold academic integrity (hern, 2022). for instance, platforms like stack overflow, designed for programmers to solve coding problems, have implemented policies limiting users from using code generated by chatgpt and presenting it as their original work. this ensures a fair academic environment and prevents potential issues related to plagiarism. in navigating the ethical landscape, institutions are striving to find a balance between leveraging ai technology for educational purposes and maintaining academic honesty (morning edition, 2022). some argue that if responses from chatgpt can be modified and improved upon by students, this process could be seen as a legitimate way to use generative ai tools. however, this has prompted the need for clear guidelines and codes of conduct to prevent potential misuse of ai-generated content. as institutions move forward, it becomes crucial to establish comprehensive policies and adoption considerations to ensure the responsible and ethical use of chatgpt and similar ai technologies in the academic setting. future directions and recommendations to maximize the benefits of chatgpt and overcome its limitations, several future directions and recommendations can be explored. in the context of indian higher education, specific strategies can be adopted to effectively utilize chatgpt as a pedagogical tool. firstly, integrate chatgpt in language learning: given india’s linguistic diversity, chatgpt can play a vital role in language learning. by providing responses in various regional languages, chatgpt can aid learners in improving their language proficiency and understanding. another consideration is how to raise awareness and training for faculty members and students of higher education. faculty members and students need to be adequately informed and trained on the proper use of chatgpt. workshops, training sessions, and educational materials can help users leverage the tool effectively and ethically. moreover, indian higher education can develop policies and guidelines: institutions should establish clear policies and guidelines for using generative ai tools, including chatgpt, to prevent academic misconduct and ensure responsible usage. the government and ministries can work in the provision of fund studies to explore chatgpt for personalized learning: by understanding individual students’ indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 309 learning preferences and abilities, chatgpt can be utilized to provide personalized educational content and support, enhancing the overall learning experience. also, research can be directed into measuring learning outcomes and evaluating the impact of chatgpt on learning outcomes. this data-driven approach can inform further improvements and enhance the effectiveness of the tool in educational settings. chatgpt, as an ai-powered generative tool, offers promising opportunities to simplify academic tasks and enhance pedagogical practices in higher education. its ability to provide humanlike responses to tailored prompts, generate structured content, and aid in various academic processes has been widely acknowledged (schatten, 2022; gleason, 2022; morning edition, 2022; gravett, 2023). however, alongside these benefits, several limitations and challenges have been identified. trustworthiness remains a key concern, as chatgpt’s training data has temporal limitations and potential biases, impacting the accuracy and reliability of its responses (torrey trust, 2023; golumbia, 2022). additionally, the tool’s lack of access to current information and limited understanding of complex human language raises further questions about its usability in certain scenarios (bogost, 2022; thompson, 2023). conclusion the education sector is not outside the realm of technological change that is happening in the world, and we need to adopt technological tools to enrich our teaching and learning experiences. with the chatgpt’s capabilities to generate a body of text from given prompts, we can use it in various settings from creating letters to the provision of exemplary essays in our classes. however, with the development of generative ai technologies such as chatgpt, academic institutions can focus more on how to regulate its usage and adoption, as suggested by hern and mills (2022) instead of blocking them. also, institutions should find a way to equip their faculty with digital literacy skills to be able to work in a changing technology that is dominating the world of work. to effectively harness the benefits of chatgpt, academic institutions need to foster digital literacy among faculty, develop clear policies, and raise awareness of responsible ai use (gleason, 2022; center for integrated professional development, 2022; the new york times, 2022; montclair state university, 2023). chatgpt and other ai technologies do not exist to replace work that is done by a human. rather than simplifying it, human intervention is needed to create meaning behind the words generated bogost (2022) suggested that chatgpt doesn’t understand the meaning. rather, it works on the dataset as it was reinforced. chatgpt is a powerful tool. however, human intervention is needed to understand more its full potential capabilities and limitations when used to teach and learn, understand what it can do and what it cannot do and how to integrate it into the school curriculum. upon graduation, students will interact with chatgpt and other ai tools in their work line, and they need to start interacting with them early. higher education institutions have a chance to adopt the tools and develop innovative assessment practices that can integrate the usage of the tools that students can meet in the workplace as gravett (2023) advocated to use of chatgpt to teach digital literacy to learners and explore the capabilities of generative ai in terms of output and efficiency in work settings. while the journey towards integrating ai in higher education may present obstacles, the rewards in terms of improved teaching, learning, and indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 310 assessment practices make the effort worthwhile. as we continue to explore the possibilities offered by chatgpt and similar ai technologies, it is crucial to maintain a balance between embracing innovation and addressing ethical and pedagogical considerations. by doing so, we can ensure a future where ai becomes a valuable tool, enhancing the educational landscape while preserving academic integrity and promoting equitable learning experiences for all. references anjum, a., islam, r., & karim, a. (2020). artificial intelligence in education: a review on potential, challenges, and future directions. international journal of emerging technologies in learning, 15(23), 4-19. bogost, i. (2022). chatgpt is dumber than you think the atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/ technology/archive/2022/12/chatgpt-openai-artificial-intelligence-writing-ethics/672386/ bowers-abbott, m. (2023). what are we doing about ai essays? | faculty focus. https://www. facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-with-technology-articles/what-are-we-doing-about-aiessays/ brown, t. b., mann, b., ryder, n., subbiah, m., kaplan, j., dhariwal, p., ... & amodei, d. (2020). language models are few-shot learners. arxiv preprint arxiv:2005.14165. center for integrated professional development. (2022). ai-generated content: considerations for course design . https://prodev.illinoisstate.edu/pedagogy/ai/index.php#spotting elsen-rooney, m. (2023, january 4). nyc bans access to chatgpt on school computers, networks chalkbeat new york. https://ny.chalkbeat.org/2023/1/3/23537987/nyc-schools-ban-chatgptwriting-artificial-intelligence gleason, n. (2022). chatgpt and ai text generators: how he can respond | the campus learn, share, connect. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/chatgpt-and-rise-aiwriters-how-should-higher-education-respond golumbia, d. (2022). chatgpt should not exist. it isn’t just bias and threats to… | by david golumbia | dec, 2022 | medium. https://davidgolumbia.medium.com/chatgpt-should-notexist-aab0867abace gozalo-brizuela, r., & garrido-merchan, e. c. (2023). chatgpt is not all you need. a state of the art review of large generative ai models. http://arxiv.org/abs/2301.04655 gravett, e. o. (2023). chatgpt. herman, d. (2022). chatgpt will end high-school english the atlantic. https://www. theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2022/12/openai-chatgpt-writing-high-school-englishessay/672412/?utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share hern, a. (2022). ai-assisted plagiarism? chatgpt bot says it has an answer for that | chatbots | the guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/dec/31/ai-assistedplagiarism-chatgpt-bot-says-it-has-an-answer-for-that hippel, p. t. von. (2023, january). chatgpt is not ready to teach geometry (yet) education next. education next. https://www.educationnext.org/chatgpt-is-not-ready-to-teach-geometryyet/ kim, s. (2022). how to detect openai’s chatgpt output | by sung kim | geek culture | dec, 2022 | medium. https://medium.com/geekculture/how-to-detect-if-an-essay-was-generated-byopenais-chatgpt-58bb8adc8461 mills, a. (2022). ai text generators and teaching writing: starting points for inquiry the wac clearinghouse. https://wac.colostate.edu/repository/collections/ai-text-generators-andteaching-writing-starting-points-for-inquiry/ indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 311 montclair state university. (2023). practical responses to chatgpt. office for faculty excellence . https://www.montclair.edu/faculty-excellence/practical-responses-to-chat-gpt/?fbclid=iwa r0bqi2bjw52g8xpzwusct4_mequp9gtqzk9_l7gmhnyyp66xhjdrl1x4vo morning edition. (2022, december 16). has ai reached the point where a software program can do better work than you? : npr. https://www.npr.org/2022/12/16/1143330582/has-aireached-the-point-where-a-software-program-can-do-better-work-than-you openai. (2022). chatgpt: optimizing language models for dialogue. https://openai.com/blog/ chatgpt/ peritz, a. (2022). ai is making it easier than ever for students to cheat. https://slate.com/ technology/2022/09/ai-students-writing-cheating-sudowrite.html schatten, j. (2022). will artificial intelligence kill college writing? https://www.chronicle.com/ article/will-artificial-intelligence-kill-college-writing technical university munich. (2023). position paper on chatgpt outlines opportunities for schools and universities. the new york times. (2022). don’t ban chatgpt in schools. teach with it. the new york times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/12/technology/chatgpt-schools-teachers.html thompson, b. (2023). ai homework. https://stratechery.com/2022/ai-homework/?fbclid=iwa r3opxbh504c0lmjeo1z5bcm7t_-2sh4e27_ignd2vbigg5fhfie62uz-iu&mibextid=zxz2cz torrey trust. (2023). chatgpt & education. https://docs.google.com/presentation/ d/1vo9w4ftpx-rizdwyayob-pq3dzk1n325ogdgxsnt0x0/edit#slide=id.g1c66bf93982_1_24 unesco. (2019). challenges and opportunities for sustainable development education sector united nations educational, scientific and cultural organization. https://en.unesco.org/ themes/education-policyindian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 205 general article flipped classroom model to achieve higher levels of educational objectives of bloom’s taxonomy a. k. bakhshi1 & vimal rarh2 1vice chancellor, pdm university, bahadurgarh, haryana email: akbakhshi2000@yahoo.com 2joint director, guru angad dev teaching learning centre of ministry of education, govt. of india and professor, sgtb khalsa college, university of delhi, delhi abstract to achieve the aspirational goals of nep-2020 through the integration of technology for improving the quality of higher education, teachers must embrace ict-empowered methodologies for the teaching-learning processes and assessments. blended learning using flipped classroom model can be used to achieve higher levels of educational objectives of bloom’s taxonomy. this strategy, in the context of indian higher education, can be a boost to shift from traditional methodology which is teacher-centred to learnercentric methodology to produce active learners. by using a short video or a mooc or some other digital resource as self-learning in flexible mode, the face-to-face passive traditional classrooms can be transformed into interactive co-learning environments to develop higher-order skills amongst learners. the 21st century skill-oriented learning environment will lead to holistic development of students. keywords: flipped classroom, blended learning, bloom’s taxonomy, learnercentric, active learning introduction the purpose of education is to empower students for their all-round development, and this is achieved through learning which is the basis of education. with learning, the learner becomes knowledgeable, develops skills, habits, attitude, aptitude and hence a personality. with technological developments taking place around the world, it is not surprising that the process of teaching and learning is also witnessing a big transformation. nep2020 has also strongly emphasised the need to integrate ict into the education system, especially in teaching-learning and assessments (mhrd, 2020). the available technologies are being embraced in educational innovation to enhance traditional teaching and learning. the “flipped classroom” is a technology-empowered learning model which has the potential to totally change the process of teaching-learning. the widespread corona pandemic and subsequent closure of schools, colleges and universities throughout the world have further brought this interactive learning model to the forefront. (bakhshi, a.k. 2020) globalisation, easier access to technology, and the emergency of covid-19 have shown that the 21st century skills cannot be provided to learners through the traditional teaching and learning models (jamil et al., 2022; shahrill, noorashid, et al., 2021). further, the corona pandemic has forced a redesign of the teaching– learning processes towards the adoption of virtual platforms and digital resources (arora and srinivasan, 2020). the flipped classroom reverses the concept of the traditional classroom indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 206 by focusing class time on students’ understanding through interaction rather than on the passive lecture component and thus aims to promote student learning and achievement. the flipped classroom model was proposed by bergmann and sams, two chemistry teachers at a high school in colorado, usa (bergmann & sams, 2012). in this methodology, online videos of their lectures were provided to the students for self-learning to acquire the basic knowledge of the concept. this was followed by in-class, teacherguided active engagement of learners to promote in-depth understanding. methodologies like flipped learning along with emerging innovative technologies are key tools for the future development and improvement of education leading to the holistic development of students. (latorre, et. al, 2021) in order to measure the educational outcomes of flipped learning, the revised bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives can be utilised, which has six levels: remember, understand, apply, analyse, evaluate and create. of these, remembering and understanding can be categorised as lower order thinking skills (lots) while others can be grouped as higher order thinking skills (hots). in the traditional classroom, there is more emphasis on lots inside the class while for hots, students are left to work on activities outside the classroom on their own. in contrast, in the flipped classroom model, learning is flipped. here students, through self-learning at home, can acquire lots before the class with the help of a short video or a mooc or some other digital resource and when they come to the class, they can achieve higher cognitive levels of learning through interaction with other students and teachers present in the class. in this model of learning the role of the teacher is to encourage students to think and discuss and motivate them in solving problems while students play the role of active learners. this model, therefore, unlike the traditional model, focuses more on encouraging thinking, innovation and creativity and not on rote learning (bakhshi, a.k., 2020b). the flipped model helps to create an active learning environment where teachers can facilitate students’ selflearning through reflective (problemoriented) and reflexive (self-oriented) practices (hibbert, 2013). the shift from traditional teaching-learning to blended learning using flipped classroom model can, therefore, be used to achieve higher cognitive levels of learning as per bloom’s taxonomy. (fig.1). fig-1: traditional face-to-face model of teaching-learning versus flipped classroom model in a blended mode in the context of revised bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives the comparison of the traditional model of teaching-learning with flipped classroom model is given in the table. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 207 table-1: comparison between traditional model of teaching-learning with flipped classroom model traditional model of teaching-learning flipped classroom model face to face mode, no use of ict use of ict (multimedia in video for easy understanding of concepts through visuals, animations, simulations etc.) in class: teacher introduces new content (face to face lecture)quality of teacher dependent model outside class: teacher guided new selflearn econtent is learnt by students at their own pace in the form of video lectures/oers/ moocs etc. outside class: homework activities like problem-solving of lower order thinking skills; many students face difficulty. higher order thinking skills missing to a great extent in class: emphasis on holistic development of students. higher order thinking skills are nurtured through classroom activities, discussion with teacher and other students with a focus on problem-solving, critical thinking, innovation and creativity teacher-centric learner-centric produces more rote-learners produces more active-learners who have a control over their learning teacher as an information provider teacher as a facilitator in self-learning through reflective and reflexive practices face-to-face passive traditional classrooms interactive co-learning environment one teacher providing all information one teacher along with quality videos, or moocs or oers from other teachers at national/regional level quality of teaching-learning is proportional to the quality of teacher with limitations of face-to face method. enhanced quality of teaching-learning difficult to nurture 21st century skills amongst students 21st century skills can be nurtured for holistic development of students challenges for india in the indian higher education context, the flipped classroom model is at a very preliminary stage and has not yet been institutionalised. this is evident from the feedback of 73,954 participants from across the country in various training programs conducted at gad-tlc of the ministry of education, sgtb khalsa college, delhi university from july 2016 till march 2022 in offline and online modes (nmtt portal, 2022). the database reveals that though the level of awareness about the blended mode of learning has seeped into the majority of these teachers, however because of the inertia amongst other constraints, the flipped model is being used only by a minuscule proportion of teachers, which according to the database is 148 (≈ 2 per cent). it is therefore evident that greater awareness indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 208 needs to be created about the advantages of this blended model. learning through flipped classrooms, no doubt, offers immense advantages and that is why it is gaining increasing acceptability throughout the world. the government of india has already launched last year rs. 9,000 crore plan to digitise education delivery and popularise flipped learning in the country. however, as with any new approach, there are some inherent challenges involved in flipping a class. one big challenge is the development of high-quality video lectures and other online instructional materials for the students as per their curriculum (rarh. v, 2018). all this online instructional material should be available in different regional languages. further, teachers also need to be professionally trained to embrace this new blended approach of interactive teaching and learning to enable students to acquire hots. this has also been strongly emphasised in nep-2020 (mhrd, 2020). india has one of the largest systems of education in the world with 15 lakh schools and 50,000 higher educational institutions and to adopt the flipped classrooms model in such a system, teachers at all levels need to be empowered for this new approach. this will be a big challenge as the present teachers themselves have learnt through the traditional talk and chalk method of teaching and learning. further, the students need to have access to the necessary technologies as well as be motivated to actively take part in this flipped model. despite these challenges, the flipped classroom model is worth pursuing as it can prove a big game changer in improving students’ achievement in terms of acquiring higher order learning skills. references arora, a.k. and srinivasan, r. (2020), “impact of pandemic covid-19 on the teaching-learning process: a study of higher education teachers”, prabandhan: indian journal of management, vol. 13 no. 4, doi: 10.17010/pijom/2020/v13i4/151825. bakhshi, a.k. (2020), the creativity crisis in the indian education system, education times, december 30, 2020, https://www.educationtimes.com/article/careers-offbeat/80014858/ the-creativity-crisis-in-the-indian-education-system#:~:text=avoid%20excessive%20use%20 of%20the,of%20original%20ideas%20and%20plans bakhshi , a.k (2020b), flipped classroom for 21st -century learning needs, education times, 1 july 2020, https://www.educationtimes.com/article/editors-pick/76728031/flipped-classroomfor-21st-century-learning-needs bergmann, j. and sams, a. (2012), flip your classroom: reach every student in every class every day, international society for technology in education, eugene. hibbert, paul. (2013). approaching reflexivity through reflection: issues for critical management education. journal of management education. 37. 803-827; 10.1177/1052562912467757. jamil, h., ramli, h. m., & leong, e. (2022). advocating blended learning for university undergraduate level mathematical instruction beyond covid-19. in s. a. abdul karim & s. a. husain (eds.), engineering and sciences teaching and learning activities: new systems throughout covid-19 pandemics (pp. 33-45). springer international publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-03079614-3_4 latorre-cosculluela, c., suárez, c., quiroga, s., sobradiel-sierra, n., lozano-blasco, r. and rodríguez-martínez, a. (2021), “flipped classroom model before and during covid-19: using technology to develop 21st century skills”, interactive technology and smart education, vol. 18 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 209 no. 2, pp. 189-204. https://doi.org/10.1108/itse-08-2020-0137 mhrd (202o), national education policy-2020, government of india. retrieved from https:// www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/nep_final_english_0.pdf nmtt portal, 2022; teaching learning centre, under pmmmnmtt scheme of ministry of education, goi at sgtb khalsa college, du; https://nmtt.gov.in/centres; date of access 14 november, 2022. rarh, v. (2018). developing e-content for massive open online courses (moocs): an experience of teaching–learning centre. in n. varghese, a. pachauri, & s. mandal india higher education report 2017 (pp. 192-213). sage publications, inc., https://dx.doi. org/10.4135/9789353280338.n8 shahrill, m., noorashid, n., & keasberry, c. (2021). covid-19: educational practices and responses in brunei darussalam. in p. le ha, a. kumpoh, k. wood, r. jawawi, & h. said (eds.), globalisation, education, and reform in brunei darussalam (pp. 325-354). springer international publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-03077119-5_16 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 296 review article “friend request from education”: the need for social media policy for educational institutions in india ajita deshmukh school of education and research, mit-adt university, pune emailajitadeshmukh13@gmail.com abstract the ubiquitous presence of social media in all fields in the current times cannot be denied. exploring the possibilities of social media and its innovative use has become a fundamental skill in this era. the field of education, which had always distanced itself from social media, has finally come to accept social media at least as a channel for educational communication, especially during the covid-19 scenario. this has raised several concerns ranging from privacy issues, cyberbullying, and surveillance to muffling of voices under the guise of discipline in educational institutions in india. this paper recognizes the lack of awareness of rights in digital spaces. the paper points out instances of social media policy framing becoming restrictive. this paper calls attention to the glaring absence of such guidelines and highlights the need for social media policy guidelines for educational institutions in india in order to overcome these concerns. this paper recommends the formulation of guidelines for educational institutions in india by an autonomous panel of experts from multidisciplinary domains. keywords: social media policy, social media in education, social media, education policy 2020 introduction: social media penetration the last decade has seen the ubiquitous presence of social media networks which has transformed our daily lives. from information updates regarding an emergency situation to delivering messages, from networking to participating in a community, the shift in the role of social media has been speedy and overwhelming. the remodelling of the meaning of ‘wealth’ to ‘information and knowledge’ has accentuated the role of media in everyday life with an unprecedented ascent in the use and power of social media. the studentsmostly digital natives are immersed in social media, in particular using it for everything from news and updates to gaining knowledge and supplementing their educational experiences. there have been rising concerns regarding misinformation and safety since then and it is imperative for media literacy to be identified as a fundamental skill in the current times of moving to a knowledge-based society. most stakeholders, including the policymakers from educational systems, have largely viewed the disadvantages of social media, thereby not being keen to incorporate it as an educational scaffold. it is quite understandable considering the backdrop of instances that have brought out the murky side of social media (clarance and perera, bbcnews, 2020). this, in actuality, highlights the gap to be catered to by the educational systems, that of formulating guidelines, undertaking measures to instil awareness about the risks and benefits of usage of social media and tapping the potential of social media for optimising reach and access in education. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 297 there has been a steady increase in the breadth and depth of research efforts on varied aspects of social media for educational purposes. studies on behavioural aspects, immersivity, perceptions, use cases, and their impact have shown positive and negative results. studies and practises have recorded facebook, whatsapp, instagram, twitter being leveraged for educational purposes. social media is widely used for the purpose of socialisation and informal learning as well as building a community of learning (deshmukh.a, 2019). like everything else, social media comes with its own set of disadvantages. research points out its role in establishing a sense of belonging, support, networking, and means of communication in distress and calamities on one hand (kryvasheyeu.y. et al., 2016; muhammad. i., et al., 2015; ogie, r.i., et al, 2022) and in the spread of misinformation, defamation, hate speech, cyberbullying on the other(zachos, g.; paraskevopoulou.k., 2018). studies also point out that though students are enmeshed in social media use it extensively and are open to its usage for learning, educators do not support the use of social media in education (connolly, t.; boyle, e.; macarthur, e.; boyle, j., 2012).  this contradiction and the double-edged nature of social media necessitates that education professionals including educators and administrators, draw consensus for formulating a social media policy for educational institutions and their stakeholders. concerns about the challenges like social media usage being excused for targeting people, restricting citizen’s access to information and media usage, and freedom of expression have been vocalised (unesco news, wsis forum, 2018). on the other hand, these disruptions have also brought to light the fear of accountability, uncontrolled processes, and disruptions that social media brings.  social media is seen and hailed as a free space. its rise to popularity had two major reasons amongst others, viz not being under censorship and the ease of access. social media including online petitions, allows people to have a platform for a collective voice of their problems, concerns and discontent (deshmukh.a., 2017). there have been several instances where people came together for common causes and concerns without being manned or led by any ‘leader’ as such. multiple mass movements across the world have been impacted by social media (smidi.a.,shahin. s., 2017; meral k., meral.y., 2021) to an extent. at the same time, the very same social media is being used as a tool to manipulate public opinion (oxford internet institute, 2019). it is for this very reason that students, in particular, as young citizens, should be aware of the ways and implications and be cautious of covert and overt manipulations using social media. such out-of-control and unaccountable disruptions lead to varied reactions. while some could see this as “freedom”, with certain grey areas looming around, on the other hand, governments and administrators usually react to things out of their control by calling a “ban” on such platforms (kelly.s., et al, 2017). such reactions tend to do more harm than good since the call of the hour is to strengthen the usage of social media in order to create a safe and responsible internet space for all. a safer internetbased space, being a collective responsibility, various organisations in countries around the world have their own social media policies in place that describe and lay out desirable behaviour. there have been instances of disciplinary action taken on posts by people, including sports personalities (belson. k, the new york times, 2012) amongst others with some academicians almost indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 298 losing their jobs (ingeno.l, inside higher ed, 2013). similar incidents in academia have also been reported in india (nath.s, news18, 2019). it was easier to take disciplinary action in the case of sports personalities since there are a set of guidelines on their conduct that make disciplinary action by the concerned committees easy and justified. the dearth of such social media policies in higher education institutions is striking, though guidelines about cybersecurity for school sections by ncert have been in place since 2019. there is extensive research literature available on various aspects of social media, including the effect on teenagers, privacy concerns as well as the role of social media in political movements (tufekci, z.and wilson,c., 2012). however, literature on social media policy reveals that they cover utilitarian aspects like leveraging for the expansion of business or cautionary in the purview of legalities. most of the social media policies are framed by the corporates, trying to separate the official and personal use. surprisingly, there have been rare instances of the analysis of the content of the social media policies framed. it is found that the policies framed by various institutions regarding social media evolve through three stagesmitigation, information, and differentiation (pomerantz j, hank c, sugimoto cr (2015).  it is also worth the attention that social media policies cannot be blanket policies for all users. rather, they have to be for specific cohorts since their usage, application, and impact vary age-wise (rené.c., 2019; pew research centre, 2019) as well as according to the culture of the respective region (koiranen et al. 2020). the legal age of usage of social media, though averagely considered as 13 years, also varies according to countries (vincent. j., 2015). there are also instances that we see around us of users falsely reporting the age of a social media account, though this may be due to a lack of awareness. this, therefore, highlights the need to have policies on guidelines of usage as per the specific groups. india and social media india has taken to social media as fish takes to water. it tops the usage chart of social media worldwide. the it act 2000 and its amendments look forth to define cybercrimes and electronic transactions. several cases (pilpublic interest litigations) have successfully sought to strike down certain articles of the above act that curb the freedom of speech. though the larger cause of freedom of speech has to be protected at all costs, there are certain grey areas left around that are manipulated by cyber criminals (pymnts, 2020). the need for protection of the fundamental rights of individuals and providing for a safe cyberspace is not mutually exclusive. on the contrary, that forms the backbone of the policy on social media. and yet, when it comes to framing policies for usage of social media, it leaves a lot to ask for and to be met. the ministry of electronics and telecom, government of india lays down guidelines for social media usage by government institutions (ministry of electronics and information technology, govt. of india, 2021), where it hints at the ‘institutionalisation’ of social media and the types of social media that can be used. it largely remains at a mitigation level and focuses on the outreach and managing interactions and perceptions of the individual citizens with the government. there has been an instance of the indian government attempting to link the social media handles of students to that of their institutions, which was met by severe criticism citing invasion of personal space and surveillance (joshi.s., vice, 2019). the fears of using indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 299 personal data and surveillance, amongst others, are well-placed apprehensions. even for the purpose of regulation of abuse or hate speech, there needs to be a nuanced understanding of the “spectrum of various online activities” as opposed to an oblate concept of acceptable speech (udupa, 2019). the fine line of ‘invasion of private spaces’, ‘freedom of speech’ needs to be defined with the backdrop of constitutional rights and the indian penal code (ipc) sections. this necessitates the guidelines to be framed by autonomous bodies with a sound understanding of laws and the constitution as well as education. it is worthwhile to note the steps taken over the years in the legal and policy framework of the country to strengthen the use of safe cyberspace (sharma.d., et al, 2022). the focal point here is that autonomous bodies would ensure that there will be neutrality and academic integrity and keep commercialisation away. when left to the organisations, including the educational institutions, the social media policies are at the mitigation stage. not many educational institutions have social media policies per se, and the ones that mostly suggest responsibilities are listed (central university of tamil nadu, 2019). while institutions are concerned about their reputation over social media, some of them state very clearly the disciplinary action that would be taken if the students speak against the institutions and/or the staff and services provided (social media policy of some institutions noted here-all india shri shivaji memorial society, 2020; national institute of fashion technology, 2020). this could be considered a gag policy on the student’s freedom of expression as there are chances that their voices could never be heard. surprisingly, mention of hate speech, cyberbullying, and ways to report cybercrime is largely unspoken, which remains the major cause of concern in the cyber world. such restrictive, mitigative policies could be a deterrent to a student being harassed to file a complaint. the lower rate of literacy, little awareness of cyber security, cybercrime, hate speech, and rights related to such incidences in a growing democracy should lead to educational institutions being the torchbearers in the framing of guidelines that inform students and staff about the specific laws, their implications and their protection. yet, this role by the educational institutions remains largely in taking only awareness programs and not developing a strong policy document which could be due to a number of reasonsadministrative and practical.    with the covid 19 situation, educational transactions have been forced to go online, thereby necessitating the urgent need to frame and development of a social media policy for educational institutions. social media no longer remains a frill but a scaffold in education due to reach and minimum bandwidth requirements. the pandemic of covid 19 has seen social media being used as a platform for information dissemination and its usage for academic communication synchronous, lectures and asynchronous to carry out discussions, send notifications and other academic purposes. this has highlighted a number of gaps which need to be addressed, including the awareness of the age at which using social media is legal and the attitude of the teachers towards the usage of social media in education that ranges from hostility to over-enthusiasm.  it has also brought to the forefront the demographic challenges that are unique to the field of education thus underlining the need for overarching policy guidelines for appropriate usage of social media in education. thus, there is a need for policy guidelines to be drafted by autonomous bodies in sync with legal expertise and ngos to indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 300 involve multiple perspectives. the social media policies in education have to consider various points, the basics being the age group. the social media policies will have to be framed  considering the cultural diversities, literacy rates and socio-cultural-economic aspects. additionally, the impact on, and of the groups active on social media has to be of prime focus while framing such policy guidelines. the social media policy, while upholding the rights of students and faculty alike, should ensure to provide for a safe cyberspace. therefore, this paper recommends the formation of a committee comprising experts from autonomous bodies or institutes of excellence such as ncert, iits, national law school related to the domains of education, educational psychology, technology, and law. while this paper strongly advocates the autonomy of educational institutions to draft their own policy, it recommends that educational institutions need clear guidelines by such a committee and possibly a system of regulation for the same in order to ensure fairness of usage in terms of providing a voice as well as maintaining professional requirements. references approved social media framework and guidelines _2_. 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(2012). social media and the decision to participate in political protest: observations from tahrir square. journal of communication, 62, 363-379. https:// doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2012.01629.x udupa, s. (2019, jan 26). india needs a fresh strategy to tackle online extreme speech. economic and political weekly, 54(4). https://www.epw.in/engage/article/election-2019-indianeeds-fresh-strategy-to-tackle-new-digital-tools unesco. (2018). strengthening role of media and social media-. wsis-forum. retrieved october 18, 2021, from https://en.unesco.org/news/unesco-calls-strengthening-role-media-andsocial-media-advancing-sdgs-wsis-forum-2018 university of dallas social media policy. (n.d.). university of dallas. retrieved june 22, 2021, from https://udallas.edu/offices/communications/social/social-policy.php vincent, j. 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(2018). social media use in higher education: a review. educ. sci, 8, 194. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 278 book review tech-aways of pirouetting like a pirate miller, matt. tech like a pirate: using classroom technology to create an experience and make learning memorable. san diego, david burgess consulting inc., 2020 amit ranjan, assistant professor, ciet-ncert, new delhi email: amit.ranjan@ciet.nic.in “joke exchanges are carried on in deadly earnest, like a verbal duel – mouth-tomouth combat. bang, bang: you’re (linguistically) dead.” – david crystal (language play, 1998) matt miller misses out on one aspect – jokes – in his entertaining, inspired handbook-of-sorts, tech like a pirate. he draws on methods of emulation (of students’ interests); simulation (of the fantasy worlds and games students build); collaboration, but doesn’t harp on how jokes are loved by all folks and blokes and can be integrated into various emulation-simulationcollaboration models that are there. fletcher maynard of chapel hill told me once, sitting down at a café, that the best stand-up comedians are the wittiest people; therefore the most serious people; thereby the most serious and entertaining educators of the society. that may be mr. maynard just fletching his cerebral arrow, but he’s in the narrow zone of pinpointing the matter – of boredom. boredom is the point of departure that miller also takes in his book – that educators need to break free from the shackle of conventional boredom of the classroom. he takes his cue from dave burgess’s book teach like a pirate (2012) and works the “teach” to the matter of “tech.” pirate in both the books is an acronym for passion, immersion, rapport, ask-analyze, transformation and enthusiasm. that is regular acronymization of a seed word (that india also has become so efficient at) – with a bunch of abstract nouns thrown in, each of which is rough synonyms of each other. this acronymization is an old bane, masquerading as a boon, in self-help books that have boomed since massive industrialization in the usa in the 1950s. they have spread to the world with the spread of industrial and industrious loneliness. the other usuals of self-help literature also exist in this book – changing “impossible” to “i’m possible”; transforming “i’ll never do that again” to “i’ll never do it that way again” (p15) et cetera. that rider aside, miller’s attempt is at a decent compendium of technology tools that can be integrated into the classroom space in a fun way. the premise of miller is – “don’t teach, create an experience” – which any interesting and interested teacher of course understands – but a reinforcement of positive clichés can be a constructive force. miller encourages educators to be risk-takers, to push against the limits of existing methods – which again is the hallmark of any positive systemic transformation. the book is divided into various tech compartments. in terms of using applications (apps henceforth), miller points out that there would be metonymic displacements – that is the platforms and the trending apps would keep changing. however, that doesn’t make the book dated, for the author is hankering after recreating the experience of using an app in the classroom rather than using a particular indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 279 app. the “buzz app” could be used as a springboard; what hooks students to it is what the teacher needs to figure out, and work with the tools available to them. for example, using google slides instead of instagram stories; phone videos instead of vine videos (vine is already outdated) – in short, mimicking social media, to generate interest in students. miller advocates tools like seesaw.me, classdojo.com, google classroom instead of snapchat and tiktok. twitter’s brevity could be a springboard to teach precise writing. miller spends a considerable amount of space exploring the space of videos – which is so pertinent in the postpandemic scene. he mentions a 2017 study which predicted that by 2021, 82 per cent of all consumed internet content would be videos. he also mentions the psychosomatic effect of videos. this of course is a major area of concern with so much audio-visual content at fingertips – the research that is needed to evaluate the psychosomatic effect on posterity, and how to navigate this matter with responsibility. miller advocates making videos and podcasts in classroom, and role play with roles like news anchoring, game shows etc while integrating subject content. an interesting interactive audio tool is gosynth.com, to use in the classrooms to create the podcast experience. miller rightly points out the power of social media in terms of youngsters voicing their concerns on a global platform – be it malala yousafzai blogging about the taliban’s oppression in 2009; or students in florida raising their concerns about gun laws after a mass shooting in 2017. the section on games is interesting; it’s an area that educators are struggling to co-opt from the zone of addiction to education. jane mcgonigal, who suffered a concussion, started playing games, got better; and built gaming platforms for healing people with problems similar to hers – her website is superbetter.com. miller quotes zomorodi who contends that games can fight depression. that of course can go the exact another way too, and would require more qualification – but the optimism is interesting, and a step forward to understand the intrinsic human nature to like games. miller advocates “stealing like an artist” – that is picking up the features of games available on the market. this is his consistent idea, as we have seen with the matter of apps as well – that classrooms work best with innovation and copyleft rather than copyright. there are games for repetition (kahoot, quizlet); games that interact with data; games for problem-solving etc. the eight sections of the book are high on both egging on and pegging – a provocation to try new methods, and then suggesting methods. it’s generally google tools that miller expositions; but as he says – the matter is about creating an experience and innovating with whatever tools are in currency in a time and space. overall, this is a useful compendium for classroom teachers transitioning to a tech experience, both in terms of motivation and information. indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 169 communication teaching with technology: educator’s experience jignsu yagnik* and yamini chandra** *visiting professor, faculty of management studies, charotar university of science and technology, gujarat, corresponding author, email: yagniks@gmail.com **assistant professor, narsee monjee institute of management studies, mumbai the inevitable lockdown owing to the covid-19 pandemic has created a situation of all-around chaos across all sectors of the economy. a threat resulting in an unprecedented standstill is being experienced by educational institutions. the traditional education system necessitating physical teacherstudent interaction for teachinglearning transactions is completely disrupted. a positive outlook on this current crisis is that, it has opened new avenues to digital technology platforms for teaching, training, and research. looking at the current situation, online platforms are the only means to assure continuity of the teaching-learning-mentoring process to minimize the damage. besides online teaching, these platforms extend an opportunity to educators working from home to continue teaching for routine classes and guiding students’ research, business-plan projects. the educators are also taking exposure to the advanced features of these tools and are upgrading themselves by attending workshops and webinars to enhance their skills and adapting to newer learning methods. this article discusses our reflection and experience of various digital learning platforms which we have used for teaching, evaluations, and mentoring our students. we also share our learning exposure while getting handson-experience on these tools. transforming classroom learning through digital platforms we have conducted our classes/ presentations/exams using various platforms such as zoom, cisco webex, and google products (viz. classrooms-meetups-hangouts-duo). these video-conferencing platforms provide the convenience of having a large gathering of listeners, features like screen share facility to share various websites, powerpoint slides, documents, exercises on excel sheets, and using artificial intelligence for data analysis and evaluation of quizzes and assignments. with the chat options, students were able to raise their queries during sessions which made it easier for us to understand their pace of grasping and learning using these platforms. whatsapp (with its eight-member videocall facility and easy information sharing) was mainly used for announcements or personalized discussions with students collaboratively working in group projects. these platforms have made the learning experience more enriching and interesting, the mentoring activities required regular interactions with students here zoom served the purpose with its free version turned out to be a boon enabling us to interact and share indian journal of educational technology volume 2 no. 2, july 2020 170 our feedback instantly. the constraints that could be felt in zoom were related to a time limit of 40 minutes for a free plan and that of the multi-call feature of whatsapp was the maximum 8 number of concurrent participants at one go. also, as a learner, while attending a workshop the breakout-room feature that enabled secluded discussions between groups formed out of participants, was a valuable addition to our skills. students’ feedback a quick feedback of students revealed that initially when this sudden switch took place, they felt the new system was a bit difficult to adapt, and at times there were internet connectivity issues that resulted in the loss of continuity at times. “being aware of the limitations, we allowed the session to continue without disturbing you when we lost a few seconds of connectivity or loss of voice, however, it was not too significant” said one student. while another student said that “i was too naïve in using such a system and initially, i was too scared that i avoided interactions, but was comfortable as the sessions progressed with days.” in general, the students initially required a bit of time to adapt to the technology-enabled learning process, but with passing days they enjoyed this new approach. conclusions digital learning has taken a huge leap from what it was perceived earlier as a complementary approach to now the only source of our survival for teaching. these platforms have emerged as must-have tools in times of lockdown for a seamless education process. after some initial hiccups students and teachers have become adept in the use of these tools. these tools have given opportunities for business continuity in times of crisis for the education sector. thanks to online tools that served as saviours. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 78 research article a study on the attitude towards e-learning and its implication on school children during covid-19 pandemic huma kayoom assistant professor (education), centre for teacher education central institute of higher tibetan studies, sarnath, varanasi, uttar pradesh email: homa2527@gmail.com abstract e-learning is a network-enabled, computer-mediated learning of skills and transfer of services. e-learning functionally rests on computer-based virtual learning and education where the content is delivered by audio-video tape, cd-rom, satellite tv and internet, which had revolutionized the field of education since the beginning of the 21st century, but its impact was not felt as strongly in the traditional system of education until the covid-19 catastrophe. this study explores the effect of sudden changes in the form of online education and e-learning that happened to the education system during the covid-19 pandemic in india. certainly, the pandemic made us move towards a new normal but does it apply equally to the education system as well? the primary concern of this study was to explore the implication of online learning on school children through exploring their own lived experiences, therefore, it entails the researcher to adopt a mix-method research technique in order to collect and analyse the data. this paper especially focuses on the personal experiences of school-going children who had been the most vulnerable during the pandemic and hence it also brings into focus the problems faced by them during online classes. keywords: e-learning, web content, technology, paradigm shift, pragyata guidelines, manodarpan, government of india. introduction under covid-19, educational institutions are transforming teachinglearning activities from direct, oneto-one interaction in a live classroom to e-learning and online teaching. e-learning is now becoming the new normal in the backdrop of covid-19 after the state had imposed a nationwide lockdown for a relatively long period and imposed restrictions on the opening of educational institutions such as schools, colleges and universities. e-learning became imperative to educational institutions that had to adopt and adapt themselves according to the new normal. students willingly or unwillingly adjusted to e-learning using web-based applications and online education for their school-based learning activities. e-learning and online teaching is not a new phenomenon. after the advent of video sharing platform youtube where anyone can upload videos, certain educationists such as those facilitated by unacademy, byjus, vedantu, study iq and alike, had been creating their own youtube channels and had been uploading informative and educational videos. scholars have been sharing their research papers in pdf format on google scholars and other search engines, many research journals and publications, news and print media are already on the internet providing webbased learning materials. however, when school learning is considered, indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 79 it is definitely the newest attempt and one of its kind. though etymologically e-learning covers any electronically mediated learning, it can be defined from different perspectives as attempted by many researchers such as grimes (2009, quoted in mishra and mishra, 2013) who define “e-education refers to the application of internet technology to the delivery of the learning.” e-learning means electronic learning, so it refers to a wide range of processes and applications which are designed to deliver instruction through electronic means (mishra and mishra, 2013). so it appears that the definition of e-learning is broader than but includes online learning, web-based training or computer-based training but most importantly it signals the paradigm shift in education and training that is in progress (www.virtual-college.co.uk) review of literature a systematic review was taken to investigate the impact of e-learning on school children however, most of the research work focused on the worth and merit of e-learning and the changes e-learning brought in the wake of globalization. research especially related to its implication on school children during the pandemic was too scarce, apart from some newspaper articles which voiced the concerns of the educationists and parents. there is a multitude of advantages and disadvantages of online learning as exhibited by khan and setiwan, 2019, their work also examines the ways to overcome these drawbacks, the researcher-duo suggests that students should not only “read the materials, listen to the lectures, but also participate in the observation and experience certain educational or teaching scenario and acquire skills in action”. a study conducted by allworth, 2014, also emphasized maintaining good communication between the learner and the instructor, especially at the postgraduate level, one can see that even if learning is enabled with the help of machines it cannot eliminate the human element. ensuring the importance of reflective thinking in the education process al-fahidi, 2008, explores whether, at a higher educational level, there is a link between the students’ computer competency and their attitude towards e-learning. he found that 77.8 per cent of participants responded with the acceptance that the course helped them in improving their critical thinking. ruiz j g et.al, 2006 also probed the role of e-learning in medical education by outlining the effectiveness and faculty development needs for the implementation, evaluation and strategies for e-learning in academic scholarship, whereas trubina and anna, 2016 highlight the nurturing activities involved in e-learning in the information society. they explore the claim of information technology of modifying the flow of the mental process of the cognitive activity of students, rebuilding the structure and function and thereby changing the whole structure of the training activities. need of the study from students’ perspectives learning on school premises had fundamentally included participation, inspiration and collaboration between teachers and peers but a sudden change in the pattern of school education during the pandemic and the lack of human communication in e-learning and online teaching had strongly influenced the academic performance of our young children so much that it might have brought a change in the attitude and belief system of the students. it is also evident that attitudes are not formed instantly rather they brood over time yet this unexpected alteration in the pattern of school education may have influenced the student’s attitude indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 80 negatively, but we are not sure about it. whether this online education had been advantageous or disadvantageous to school children had been a contentious issue and a matter of debate among academicians, educationists, government and alike. in the past two years, many newspaper articles had been published that had emphasized the effect of online education on the mental and physical health of school children. an article published by india today in its online print dated september 18, 2021 and titled “effects of online education on mental and physical health” quotes that “attending online classes from home has led to a string of mental and physical health issues for both students and teachers”. it thus becomes very much pertinent and imperative to conduct research work in this current, ongoing scenario, to probe deeper into how this online education and e-learning are affecting our younger generation. apart from the physical and mental problem that is posed by online education, are there some other problems or issues that the students are facing? does online education help students progress in their studies or is it a deterrent and imposing restrictions and hindering their academic achievement, performance and growth? what implications and prospects does it hold for the students and other stakeholders? with these questions in mind the researcher was very much intrigued to look for answers to the following research question: research question 1. what is the attitude of students toward e-learning? 2. is e-learning effective enough in imparting quality education? statement of the problem: the present study is entitled, “a study on the attitude towards e-learning and its implication on school children during the covid-19 pandemic”. operational definition 1. e-learningit refers to the education provided to the students in a virtual setting using technological devices and web-based applications. 2. school childrenin this study, school children refer to students of class 9 enrolled in any government, private, aided or unaided school. 3. covid-19 pandemicit refers to the pandemic stage in india, during which a nationwide lockdown was imposed on the country and the schools remain closed during the first wave and the second wave of the pandemic. objectives of the study: the objectives for the present study are bifurcated according to the phases: quantitative and qualitative. objectives for the quantitative phase: 1. to study the attitude of students toward e-learning. 1.1 to study the attitudes of students towards e-learning with respect to their following personal variables(a) type of school (government and private) (b) gender ( boys and girls of government schools) (c) gender (boys and girls of private schools) objectives for the qualitative phase: 1. to study the advantages and disadvantages of e-learning as perceived by the students. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 81 2. to study the problems and challenges, if any, faced by the students during e-learning. 3. to study the coping strategies if any adopted by the students to cope during e-learning. research hypothesis: research hypothesis for objective number 1.1(a), 1.1(b) and 1.1 (c) with reference to the personal variables were formulated ashr1: there is a significant difference between the attitude of students of private schools and students of government schools towards e-learning. hr2: there is a significant difference between the attitude of male and female students of government schools towards e-learning. hr3: there is a significant difference between the attitude of male and female students of the private schools towards e-learning. null hypothesis: a null hypothesis is a statement of ‘no effect’ or ‘no difference’ present. the statement is being tested against research hypotheses. the null hypotheses of the study were: ho1: there is no significant difference between the attitude of students of private schools and students of government schools towards e-learning. ho2: there is no significant difference between the attitude of male and female students of government schools towards e-learning. ho3: there is no significant difference between the attitude of male and female students of private schools towards e-learning. methodology under mixed method approach this study was conceived to carry out in two phases, quantitative and qualitative. in the present study quan→qual sequential design (explanatory field study) had been used. here in this study, the quantitative phase of the study was done before the qualitative phase of the study and the qualitative data collected was used to interpret and contextualise the quantitative finding. population the population for the study was defined as all the students of class 9 of secondary schools studying in government and private schools of varanasi district during the session 2020-2021. sampling technique maximum variation case under the purposive sampling technique was employed for drawing the sample of the present study. since the pandemic was in continuation, random sampling was not possible, because schools were functioning with only 50 per cent strength of the students; and that too based on odd-even roll numbers, also any unauthorized, newcomer or independent researcher was not received warmly inside the school premises. a total of 104 samples were drawn from the population, 50 students from government schools and 54 students from private schools which comprised the sample for the first phase of the study. for the second phase of the study a subset (i.e. outlier case) from the first sample was drawn to constitute the sample. tools of the study 1. for the first phase (quantitative) of the study, an e-learning attitude scale (elas) developed by bhalla and rani, 2016, was used to indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 82 measure the attitude of students towards e-learning. 2. for the second phase (qualitative) of the study a semi-structured interview schedule constructed by the researcher was used. research procedure: as per the availability of the students in the schools according to the odd-even roll number, the e-learning attitude scale (elas) was given to the students, after the first phase of data collection, the scoring and analysis were done and z-scores of all the students were interpreted. for the second phase of the study, a sub-set of 10 students who either scored too high or too low on elas (i.e. outlier case) were selected as a sample from the first sample set. these students were interviewed, discourse analysis was employed followed by coding, themes were identified and thematic analysis in terms of research questions was done. findings of the study objective no.1: to study the attitude of students towards e-learning. the following table shows the analysis done on the part of achieving objective no. 1: table-1: table showing the mean, standard deviation and its interpretation of elas for students of class 9 students no. mean standard deviation z-score interpretation all students 104 104.64 10.99 -0.15 average favourable government school 50 100.56 12.87 -0.38 average favourable private school 54 108.42 7.04 0.09 average favourable discussion: the analysis of the data shows the combined mean as well as separate mean for both the government school students and the private school students. the total means for all the students was 104.64, whereas the mean scores of government school students and private school students were 100.56 and 108.42, respectively. these scores when transformed into z-score, the norms for the interpretation of z-score resulted into average favorable attitude towards e-learning. it can also be interpreted as although the students are slightly inclined towards e-learning but still there are some obstacles that hinder the extremely favorable or even moderately favourable attitude of students towards e-learning. objective no. 1.1 (a): to study the attitude of students towards e-learning for the type of school (government and private). for the achievement of this objective, the null hypothesis was stated and verified statistically as: ho1: there is no significant difference between the attitude of students of private schools and students of government schools towards e-learning. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 83 table-2: table showing t-test value for an attitude of students of private schools and government schools towards e-learning type of school no. of students mean standard deviation t-value private 54 108.42 7.04 3.834* government 50 100.56 12.87 *significant interpretation: the t-value in the above table is greater than 1.96 which reveals that the students of private schools differ significantly (at 0.05 level of significance) than the students of government schools in their attitude towards e-learning. hence, the related null hypothesis, in this case, is not accepted. students from private schools have a more positive attitude towards e-learning and online education. this may be attributed to the fact that they have much easier access to electronic devices and gadgets compared to government school students, as during the interview one student from a government school mentioned that he does not have a smartphone for his personal use but rather a common device is shared between his siblings to join the online class, whereas all the students from the private school claimed to possess a personal smartphone. objective no. 1.1 (b): to study the attitude of students towards e-learning with respect to gender (boys and girls of government schools). for the achievement of this objective, the null hypothesis was stated and verified statistically as ho2: there is no significant difference between the attitude of male and female students of government schools towards e-learning. table-3: table showing t-test value for attitude of male and female students of government school towards e-learning gender no. of students mean standard deviation t-value male 29 100.44 12.91 -0.074* female 21 100.71 12.80 *not significant interpretation: the statistical analysis shows that at (df=48) at 0.05 level of significance, the calculated t-value (t= -0.074) was found to be not significant for difference in mean score of male and female students of government school on their attitude towards e-learning. hence, the related null hypothesis in this case was accepted. thus it is inferred that the male students of government school do not differ significantly in their attitude towards e-learning and online education than the female students of government school. objective no. 1.1 (c): to study the attitude of students towards e-learning with respect to gender (boys and girls of private schools). for the achievement of this objective, the null hypothesis was stated and verified statistically as ho3: there is no significant difference between the attitude of male and female students of private school towards e-learning. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 84 table-4: table showing t-test value for attitude of male and female students of private school towards e-learning gender no. of students mean standard deviation t-value male 25 110.56 7.15 2.235* female 29 106.58 6.39 *significant interpretation: the statistical analysis shows that at (df =52) at 0.05 level of significance, the calculated t-value (t= 2.235) was found to be significant for the difference in the mean score of male and female students of a private school on their attitude towards e-learning. hence, the related null hypothesis, in this case, is not accepted. thus, it is inferred that statistically, both male and female students of private schools do differ significantly in their attitude towards e-learning. the male students of private schools have an above-average favourable attitude towards e-learning and online education. objective no.2: to study the advantages and disadvantages of e-learning as perceived by the students. advantages of e-learning and online education 1. ubiquitous, omniscient and universalone of the most common advantages of online education that emerged under this study was that since online education does not require the face to face interaction between the learner and the instructor, and can be imparted from any place, at the ease of our home, where-ever we find good connectivity and as long as our technical devices are working it gives ease to both the students and teachers to log-in to their account and connect in a virtual setting, who may be distant physically but connected virtually. 2. collaboration between teacher and studentsmany respondents were of the view that there was present vitality and synergy, whenever they will see their teachers and other fellow students online, since they were distant apart due to lockdown and other restrictions they still felt connected with them not in terms of virtual connectivity but emotional connectivity. 3. student-centeredsome students were of the opinion that online classes kept them very attentive as they did not want to miss important teaching points and that the teacher’s focus was also on the students. the whole learning process revolved around the needs of the students. 4. access to resourcessince the online classes were carried on via web-based applications such as zoom or google meet, it was very much feasible for the teachers to even share their screen and whiteboard, sharing videos and alike made the lecture intriguing and engaging. moreover, many other resources were also available online such as sidebooks, animated videos, research papers and materials that aided and facilitated online education and e-learning. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 85 disadvantages of e-learning and online education 1. equity and accessibility to technologysince the respondents of this study were from all sorts of schools, one clear thing that was visible from their responses was the great digital divide this online education had created. and this division only worsened on the pretext of non-accessibility, non-availability of technological devices, internet connections and reach to internet resources. one of the respondents who were in a government school and belonged to a lower-income group said that “i really want to study, but my parents can afford only one smartphone with a data pack and that too is shared between my other siblings, i get only a small time-duration to attend the classes”. 2. computer literacycomputer literacy is not something that is widely spread in our country. the parents, students and teachers as well fidgeted with the peripherals and other devices. some students had not known before how to connect to live classes or make an email account or use zoom and google meet. this condition was more widespread among those students who belonged to government schools and had lesser interactions with the latest technologies. 3. limitations of technologyeven those students who were apt to techniques and tools and had access to the internet also faced serious limitations posed by the technology. most of the students complained about the lesser speed of the internet, lower bandwidth and network issues and alike. sometimes due to network failure, they sometimes failed to write their online exams. objective no. 3: to study the problems and challenges, if any, faced by the students during e-learning. 1. effect on physical health of studentsalmost all respondents were of the opinion that increased screen time is causing several health issues such as headache, burning sensation in eyes, weak eye-sight issues, increase in the number of vision if using spectacles, rashness and dryness of eyes. apart from these, lack of movement, low physical exercise/work, constant sitting in front of mobile and tablets and deformed posture cause serious pain in the neck and backbone. increased weight and habit of munching during online classes were also highlighted by some respondents. 2. effect on mental health of studentsthe students mostly were of the opinion that online teaching has created a gruesome burden on them because in addition to attending regular online classes they need to prepare for class assignments, tests, and other activities and that too recorded. lack of interest in studies, monotonous timing of class, switching off camera and lack of co-curricular activities put a lot of mental stress and anxiety on students. the respondents complained that concentration plunged, which makes it difficult for most of the students to keep up with the teaching-learning activities. as the period of lockdown during the first wave was extended for educational institutes even after june, the union ministry of human resource and development (now ministry of education) released the pragyata guideline on july, 14 2020. the mhrd released the pragyata guidelines indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 86 on digital education, with an aim to improve online education and ensure the safety and academic welfare of the students by plan, review, arrange, guide, yak (talk), assign, track, and appreciate (pragyata). “the  covid-19 pandemic sternly impacted schools and children across the globe, in india alone, over 240 million children have had to face a negative impact of the pandemic in terms of education. to overcome the loss faced by schools or the children, the government of india initiated the digital campaign for a conducive environment for moving towards digital education” (mhrd, 2020). some important guidelines extended through this were• keeping an overall and holistic development of the learners with an aim “to cut down undue screen time”. • guidelines also tend to cater to a diverse set of stakeholders including school heads, teachers, parents, teacher educators and students. • the guidelines stressed the use of an alternative academic calendar of ncert, for both, learners having access to digital devices and learners having limited or no access. the duration of classes as per the pragyata guidelines are as follows: division screen time for students pre-primary students not more than 30 minutes a day elementary classes not more than 2 online sessions per day, 30 to 45 minutes each as decided by states and uts secondary classes maximum four sessions per day, 30 to 45 minutes each as decided by the concerned state/ut government whether the schools are following these guidelines or not is a matter of grave concern as well as an area to be researched. objective no.4: to study the coping strategies if any adopted by the students to cope during e-learning. all of the students (10 in number) denied using any coping strategies, it was obvious that online education had definitely put them under a lot of pressure and apart from muting their audio or switching off the camera, students didn’t come up with any other strategy to deal with the stress, anxiety and fatigue faced by the students. even most of the respondents fumbled on this aspect because reaching the timeline and completing the course and maintaining another academic record was a pain-taking task that they needed to do or otherwise fear of losing their rank among their peers exhausted them mentally. showing great concern for the young generations of our country, the hrd ministry in july launched manodarpan: an initiative to provide psychosocial support to students for their mental health and well-being during the covid-19 outbreak and beyond. the following components and features are encompassed in this novel initiative: • guidelines for alladvisory guidelines for students, teachers and faculty of school systems and universities along with the families of the learners had been incorporated under this section. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 87 • self-directed web pagethe web page on the mhrd website carries advisory, practical tips, posters, videos, do’s and don’ts for psychosocial support, faqs and an online query system that can be retrieved by the user. • tele-counsellinga national level database had been accordingly placed along with a directory of counsellors at the school and university level whose services are offered voluntarily to learners for tele-counselling service on the national helpline. • national toll-free helplinethe launch of a toll-free helpline number by the mhrd for a countrywide outreach to students from school, universities and colleges is operated by a pool of experienced counsellors, psychologists and other mental health professional and is sought to well continue beyond the covid-19 pandemic. • handbook on psychosocial supporta learner-friendly handbook on psychosocial support enriching life skills and well-being of students is also published online. the booklet includes faqs, facts and myths and covers ways and means to manage emotional and behavioural concerns. • interactive online chat platform for direct contact, counselling and guidance by psychologists and other mental health professionals available for students, teachers and families during covid-19 an interactive online chat platform had also been provided on this web page. • and apart from the components of webinars, audio-visual resources including videos, posters, flyers, comics and short films had also been scheduled to be uploaded as additional resource materials on the webpage. a section on peer support from others is also a special feature of this web page. yet again, how many students, teachers, parents and school administrators are actually aware of such a support system is a matter of investigation. it is very well evident that at least those sampled in this study did not know about any such initiative taken by the government conclusion overall, we can say that online education has some serious repercussions on the part of students and their learning. this research work provides us with an insight that although the impact of online education is far-reaching, the effect of learning via a computer at home may vary for different backgrounds of students. it is important to remember the extraordinary challenges many students face during e-learning and online education. young children had to scramble to figure out how to do school in quarantine. remote learning has taken a huge toll on many kids. students are left unattended at home during their online learning if both parents are working. even many students who had parents who could be home with them struggled with the demands and expectations of online school. if our country is to advance technologically, we first need to lessen the digital divide and the government and educational institutions should formulate sound policies based on sociological and psychological frameworks if we are to proceed in the direction of online education and e-learning. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 88 references al-fadhli, s. 2008. students’ perceptions of e-learning in arab society: kuwait university as a case study e-learning 5, pp.418–28 allworth, m b. 2014. postgraduate distance education in sheep health veterinary education small rumin. res. 118, pp. 97–9 bhalla, s and rani, f. 2016. e-learning attitude scale. psychomatrix, neelkanth house, delhi. india today. effects of online education on mental and physical health. retrieved from https:// www.indiatoday.in/education-today/featurephilia/story/effects of online educationon-mental-and-physical-health-1854320-2021-09-18). khan, m.l.h. and setiawan, a. 2019. the impact of e-learning on higher education, perception, skills, critical thinking and satisfaction. journal of physics. conference series. manodarpan: psychosocial support for mental health and well-being of student during the covid outbreak and beyond. goi, mhrd, 2020. retrieved from https://manodarpan.education.gov. in/index.html mishra, s and mishra, s. 2013. impact of e-education on school going children. international journal of humanities and social science invention, vol. 2, issue 71, july 2013, pp 58-61. pragyata: guidelines for digital education. goi, mhrd, 2020. retrieved from https://www. education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/pragyataguidelines_0.pdf ruiz, j g. mintzer, m j. and leipzig, r m. 2006. the impact of e-learning in medical education. academic medicine, vol. 81, no. 3, pp. 207-212. trubina, i. and braines, a. (2016). the impact of e-learning in the education in the information society. shs web of conference, 29-01072. retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/ publication/305888166_the_impact_of_e-learning_in_the_education_in_the_information_ society/fulltext/57a4a1de08aee07544b4528d/the-impact-of-e-learning-in-the-education-inthe-information-society.pdf indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 341 general article multimedia education for inclusive development: exploring ncert’s open-access initiatives in india’s school education system pooja jain1, garima dalal2& parveen babbar3 1assistant librarian, library & documentation division, national council of educational research and training, (ncert), new delhi e-mail: poojajain18nov@gmail.com 2associate professor, linguistic empowerment cell, jawaharlal nehru university, delhi 3deputy librarian, dr. b. r. ambedkar central library, jawaharlal nehru university, delhi abstract the foundation for realising the national objective of a developed country rests on the provision of school education. india’s school education system is the world’s largest, with a growing youthful population contributing to its potential for development. as a result, guaranteeing education accessible to everyone and providing multiple modes of access to educational resources for students and teachers have significant challenges and concerns. several national-level organisations have taken numerous initiatives to enhance the quality of school education. this paper aims to elucidate the availability of multimedia content for disseminating and reaching all levels of school education. this study focuses on open-access materials developed and coordinated by ncert. this research aims to bring to light the existence of e-content accessible to all stakeholders, such as students, teachers, parents, and educators in school education, which a trustworthy national institution in india has created. keywords: e-content, multimedia, school education introduction in the contemporary era of information and communication technology (ict), e-content has emerged as a prominent trend for teaching and learning, even in school education. e-content is a form of digital content accessible via the internet and can be accessed at any time and from any electronic device with internet connectivity. this learning material encompasses different multimedia formats, including text, audio, video, audio-visual, graphics, and slides, designed to facilitate and enhance educators’ and students’ teaching and learning processes. numerous resources are available for various stages of school education through open-access platforms developed by diverse institutions and government bodies, ensuring equal access to fundamental materials and fulfilling the objective of education for all. in the indian education landscape, e-content has become a significant trend for school education, incorporating multimedia elements like text, videos, animations, simulations, and interactive components. the advantages of e-content include accessible learning materials for diverse student populations, enhanced engagement indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 342 and interactivity, personalization and differentiation, augmenting teacher effectiveness, bridging socio-economic divides, and national initiatives. e-content has revolutionized the way teaching and learning occur in schools, enhancing educational outcomes and fostering a more inclusive and equitable education system in india. literature review the ncert has embarked on a transformative endeavour through an open-access initiative, aimed at fostering inclusive development within the indian school education system. utilizing multimedia education, effectively dismantles barriers and improves accessibility, ensuring that high-quality educational resources are made available to students across the entirety of the country, regardless of their diverse needs. the ncert’s forward-thinking approach in providing such open-access resources is a commendable step towards promoting inclusive education for both students and educators alike. according to monika et al. (2023), multimedia provides a platform for revolutionising traditional educational methods by enhancing learning materials through visually appealing presentations, and educational videos which cater to the diverse learning styles of the learners. this further expands to facilitating remote education through the usage of virtual learning environments on online platforms and interactive software. these platforms using multimedia elements provide a comprehensive evaluation of understanding for the students. further, the paper discusses the use of multimedia in education to enhance teaching and learning, through technology, diverse content, interactivity, and accessibility. virtual reality and augmented reality can provide immersive learning experiences. artificial intelligence can personalize learning. gamification techniques can increase motivation. mobile technologies enable flexible learning. cloud computing promotes accessibility and collaboration. interactive white boards and touchscreens facilitate engagement. adaptive learning systems personalize instruction and provide feedback. abdul rahaman et al. (2020) iterate that “multimedia or digital learning resources assist learners to get on well with mental representations with the use of different media elements, which support information processing”. quality education is not easily accessible in developing countries, but multimedia technology can help overcome this challenge. this review examines various multimedia tools used in teaching and learning, including developing new tools, evaluating their impact, and exploring emerging technologies.  the success of these tools is attributed to their technology and components, with a focus on pedagogical content and user audience.  future research should examine the role of teachers in facilitating their use and their scalability and sustainability in different educational contexts. as cited from abdulrahaman et al. classify multimedia technology for educational purposes based on its use in teaching or learning; eady and lockyer (2013) list different multimedia and digital learning resources, emphasizing their importance in education; guan et al. (2018) highlight the significance of multimedia technologies in education, as emphasized by almara’beh et al. (2015). the benefits of multimedia tools for teaching and learning include transforming abstract concepts into concrete content, presenting large volumes of information efficiently, stimulating student interest, and providing insights into students’ learning positions. multimedia for learning involves constructing mental representations indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 343 from words and pictures across different contexts. this design includes tools for presentations, classroom or laboratory learning, simulations, e-learning, computer games, and virtual reality. alemdag and cagiltay (2018) stress the importance of cognitive theory in multimedia learning. this theory assumes dual-channel, limited capacity, and active processing. dual-channel recognizes learners’ ability to separate visual and auditory information; limited capacity acknowledges data processing constraints, and active processing asserts learners’ active role in selecting, organizing, and integrating information. this understanding helps teachers deliver effective multimedia learning experiences without overwhelming learners. multimedia is disseminating e-content in various formats, such as text, audio, video, animations and images. this interactive medium facilitates two-way communication between educators and students. in the early stages of the computer era, the content was stored on floppy disks, then on cd-roms, cd r-ws (rewritable compact disks), pen drives, hard drives, and email storage, and has now advanced to cloud storage. the technological landscape offers a plethora of alternatives. however, the diffusion of technology is a gradual process, and sometimes a significant environmental change can trigger a surge in a particular technology. google meet is a prime example of a technology that experienced a surge in usage during the pandemic and has now become a crucial part of our professional and educational pursuits in the post-covid era. a diverse range of definitions for multimedia exist. the website geeksforgeeks mentions, that multimedia “refers to the computerassisted integration of text, drawings, still and moving videos, graphics, audio, animation and any other media in which any type of information can be expressed, stored. communicated, and processed digitally” (geeksforgeeks, 2024). in the context of indian multimedia used in school education and e-content, the two types, interactive multimedia, and non-interactive multimedia, play distinct roles in enhancing the teaching and learning experience (anderson, 2019). interactive multimedia: interactive multimedia refers to content that allows users, such as students and teachers, to actively engage with the material and participate in the learning process. this type of multimedia facilitates dynamic interactions, enabling learners to control the pace and direction of their learning. in the indian education system, interactive multimedia has gained significant traction due to its ability to cater to diverse learning styles and promote active learning. it includes virtual simulations, gamification, collaborative learning, and personalized learning paths. gamification increases participation and retention, while collaborative tools encourage teamwork and communication. personalized learning platforms adapt to individual progress, strengths, and weaknesses. non-interactive multimedia: non-interactive multimedia, on the other hand, is content that presents information in a static or linear format, where users have limited or no control over the flow of the material. while it may not offer the same level of engagement as interactive multimedia, it remains a valuable component in indian school education, especially for delivering information efficiently. four ways in which non-interactive multimedia is utilized are video-based learning, audio content, e-books and digital texts, and infographics and presentations. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 344 these resources offer visual aids, demonstrations, expert insights, accessibility, portability, easy access, multimedia elements, and concise and visually appealing presentations. in the context of e-content, both interactive and non-interactive multimedia play crucial roles in transforming traditional teaching methods in indian schools. educators and content creators are continually exploring innovative ways to leverage these multimedia formats to create engaging, accessible, and effective learning resources. as technology continues to advance, the integration of multimedia in indian education is expected to further evolve, enriching the learning journey and contributing to a more inclusive and comprehensive education system. the principal aim of multimedia content is thus to serve as a means for selfdirected learning, enhance the appeal of subjects, reinforce classroom-based pedagogy, and foster an engaged pattern of student learning. a multimedia platform removes physical and psychological barriers, like in the case of a traditional teaching environment, where the learning effectiveness of a lesson solely depends on the teacher’s performance and teaching strategies. these platforms help the students by providing a chance to see the content again and repeatedly when required to clear the topic/concept/subject. the utilisation of this technologically advanced tool has had a groundbreaking impact on the process of pedagogy at the academic level. however, as a consequence, an urgent need has arisen to authenticate the veracity of the material available on the internet. the internet presents a confluence of counterfeit and genuine information, thus making it imperative for the indian government to guarantee the credibility of the content by relying on sources such as national organisations like ncert, nios, cbse, etc. moreover, this tool facilitates continuous learning and improvement by enabling swift feedback and allowing students to access powerpoint presentations for note-taking and examination purposes. in the current era, powerpoint presentations (ppt) have emerged as a crucial resource for generating and disseminating content among students. these resources, available in various formats, can also be utilised by parents to teach their children at home. considering the technological advancements of the era, it has become imperative to integrate information and communication technology (ict) at all levels with the aim of creating, receiving, sharing, and utilising knowledge without any bias towards caste, religion, race, gender, or financial status for the purpose of social, economic, financial, and cultural development. the incorporation of e-content as a powerful pedagogical resource transforms and reinforces teaching methodologies through the facilitation of broader sharing and dissemination. benefits of the e-content • multiple user access at the same time • cost-effective in terms of routine maintenance and preservation for future use • longevity as there is no shelf-life of e-content; it can be preserved in a variety of ways for generations with the advent of new technologies • content is intended to be used by the teaching community, students and parents • the uploaded content can be accessed by an unlimited number of users worldwide simultaneously indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 345 drawbacks of the e-content • electronic gadgets and an internet connection are basic requirements for e-content access. • increased screen time may adversely impact children • cost is a hindrance for the underprivileged population of india and remote areas • the on-the-spot study is compromised when students rely on the fact that everything is available on the school portal • split attention among children is on the rise as children over-access multimedia content the emergence of e-content has ushered in a new era of digital learning in the field of indian school education, providing numerous advantages such as accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and global reach. however, in order to fully capitalize on its potential, it is vital to address the obstacles associated with digital infrastructure, screen time, and just distribution of resources. through a balanced and comprehensive approach to the incorporation of e-content, india can pave the way for a more dynamic and equitable educational landscape, thereby empowering both learners and educators in their quest for knowledge and progress (mishra, patel and doshi, 2017). e-content for school education in a variety of formats by ncert: the national council of educational research and training (ncert) is a government entity that operates within the realm of primary and secondary education as well as pre-service and inservice teacher education. the ncert website currently offers a plethora of educational resources and materials. (screenshot for the e-content developed and coordinated by ncert) for students: 1. syllabus the syllabus serves as the foundation for any course preparation and holds significant importance. within this link, one may find the syllabus for elementary levels (grades i to viii) contained within volume one. furthermore, syllabi for secondary and higher secondary classes are available and can be accessed in a grade-wise and subject-wise manner, providing a multilingual experience in english, indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 346 hindi, and urdu languages (ncert syllabus, 2024). 2. e-books: this online platform comprehensively archives all academic literature, including textbooks, reference materials, and other vital resources crucial for teacher training. within the e-book section, one can acquire school textbooks aligned with the national curriculum framework of 2005, spanning from grades i through xii, conveniently accessible in pdf format. furthermore, this platform streamlines obtaining and printing individual chapters as needed (ncert e-books, 2024) 3. flipbook: the flip book, a collection of pages of a book in sequential image format, is capable of being read and viewed in a manner similar to that of a tangible book. inclusive of english, hindi, and urdu language options, all textbooks in pdf format are also made available in flipbook form for classes i through xii. the flip book may be accessed via the aforementioned link or the e-pathshala application that can be downloaded from the play store (ncert epathsala, 2024). 4. audio books: audio books are a format that has garnered widespread popularity and has found significant use in the context of class i to xii education (ciet, 2024). these audiobooks are designed to provide a chapter-wise listening experience to students, allowing them to engage with the content more dynamically. furthermore, a considerable number of audiobooks are available on youtube, which spans approximately 130 different titles. these audiobooks cover a range of famous personalities and are available in hindi, ranging from 15 to 25 minutes. (ncert youtube, 2024) 5. state/uts textbooks: ncert provides state textbooks of some states, such as haryana, delhi, uttar pradesh, andhra pradesh, and mizoram (ncert ebooks of states/ ut, 2024). 6. material on vocational education: the national council of educational research and training (ncert) has a dedicated institute, the psscive, which focuses on vocational education. the psscive website (https://psscive.ac.in/publications) provides syllabuses, textbooks, and other educational materials on vocational education for students in grades ix to xii, covering various vocational subjects at both secondary and higher secondary levels. 7. ncert youtube official channel: for audio and audio-visual content related to academic subjects, as well as national programs, live training sessions, counselling sessions, and audiobooks, the best source is the ncert youtube official channel (https://www. youtube.com/@ncertofficial). with more than 17,000 videos and 1.1 million subscribers, this channel offers a wide variety of videos on all subjects, from subjective videos to career counselling. it is a valuable resource for reaching the massive population of india and bridging the digital divide to provide quality and equal education for all, with only the internet and smartphones. for teachers, researchers, policy makers, teacher educators and other stakeholders of education: 1. policies & frameworks • national policy on education: national policy on education (nep) 1986 with the modified version in 1992 is accessible through this link. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 347 the nep 2020 (66 pages) document is also available in hindi and english. this document can be disseminated through an audio format for broader outreach (ncert nep, 2024). • ncf and xxi national focus group position papers: ncert facilitates in obtaining the complete texts of national curriculum frameworks (ncf) and 21 national focus group position papers in hindi and english language (ncert-ncf, 2024). 2. journals: currently, there are a total of eight journals published by ncert that are available in open access in full-text form, beginning from the year 2010. two of these eight journals, namely voice of teachers & teacher educators and the indian journal of educational technology, were produced after the year 2015 (ncert journals, 2024). 3. educational survey: ncert surveys and analyses through the national achievement survey, all india school education survey, and the most current foundational learning study reports. these surveys are highly beneficial for facilitating research at all levels of school education (ncert educational survey, 2024). 4. learning outcomes: learning outcomes represent the quantifiable and measurable objectives that evaluate student learning performance at distinct educational stages. these objectives encompass published benchmarks for elementary and secondary education and draft benchmarks for higher secondary education. in particular, learning outcomes at the elementary stage are available in three languages: english, hindi, and urdu (ncert learning outcomes, 2024). 5. resources for inclusive and equitable education: there exists a diverse range of resources at one’s disposal to enable personalised adaptive learning as per the initiatives implemented by the national council of educational research and training (ncert) for social-economic disadvantaged groups (sedgs) under the national education policy (nep) of 2020. additionally, such measures have been taken to cater to the educational requirements of children with special needs to provide equal access to education for all (ncert accessibility, 2024). for instance, there exists a mobile application that enables the auditory consumption of ncert textbooks. another innovative tool is prashast, a disability screening checklist custom-made for schools. barkhaa is a unique reading series based on udl that caters to the needs of all learners. furthermore, there are teaching and learning resources available in indian sign language (isl) as well as bhasha sangam, a platform that provides education in 22 scheduled indian languages and indian sign language. additionally, teacher support material on inclusive education is accessible to those who require it. lastly, there are tactile map books that serve as a valuable resource for the visually impaired. other documents: the latest significant materials can be accessed on the homepage of ncert, specifically under the heading ‘important documents’. the collection of materials comprises novel additions such as g20 reading materials intended for students, draft of integrating transgender concerns in the schooling process: a module designed for school staff, guidelines for vidya parvesh (three month playbased school preparation for grade–i), indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 348 national curriculum framework for foundational stage for 2022, handbooks, training and resource material on health and wellbeing, cyber safety and security, counselling services (region wise), and more. other initiatives: the moegovernment of india has implemented several initiatives under the aegis of ncert to augment the teachinglearning experience for educators and students. these include diksha, a digital infrastructure that fosters knowledge sharing; nishtha, which seeks to enhance the overall advancement of school heads and teachers; swayam, an online course platform; and the swayam prabha tv channel. such endeavours aim to elevate the calibre of education. conclusion school education serves as the fundamental basis for each education system. the national council of educational research and training (ncert), an eminent apex organization operating under the ministry of education (moe) of the government of india, has been striving to enhance the quality of school education. in recent times, this organization has been particularly focused on innovating and disseminating progressive educational techniques and practices, while ensuring that educational resources are interactive, user-friendly, and accessible globally, 24x7. the ncert is renowned for its noteworthy contribution in developing various national curriculum frameworks, syllabi, and textbooks, alongside supplementary material, for teaching purposes. currently, the national council of educational research and training (ncert) is creating a new national curriculum framework (ncf) to align with the national education policy (nep) 2020. the ncf is crucial in guiding curriculum development, teaching, and evaluation practices in india’s education system. the framework aims to foster holistic development, critical thinking, and creativity among students by incorporating a novel approach of 5+3+3+4 that covers the foundational, preparatory, middle, and secondary levels. the ncf emphasizes playbased and activity-oriented learning for foundational learners, experiential and discovery-based learning for preparatory learners, a flexible and multidisciplinary curriculum for middle learners, and specialized and in-depth study for secondary learners. the framework promotes learner-centric pedagogies, digital and technologyenabled learning, interdisciplinary knowledge acquisition, and the inclusion of art, culture, and sports to advance holistic development. the successful implementation of the ncf will lead to an inclusive, relevant, and empowering educational experience for students nationwide. additionally, it serves as a crucial nodal point for the production, organization, and dissemination of teaching and learning e-resources, catering to a vast target group of users in the fields of school education and teacher education. references almara’beh, h., amer, e.f., sulieman, a., 2015. the effectiveness of multimedia learning tools in education. int. j. adv. res. comput. sci. software eng. 5 (12), 761–764. anderson, jason, 2019. school education system in india: an overview. delhi: british council. retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/40029175 ciet, 2024. ciet audiobooks. retrieved from https://ciet.nic.in/pages. php?id=audiobook&ln=en indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 349 eady, m.j., lockyer, l., 2013. “tools for learning: technology and teaching strategies,” learning to teach in the primary school. queensland university of technology, australia, p. 71. geeksforgeeks, 2024. what is multimedia. retrieved from https://www. geeksforgeeks.org/what-is-multimedia guan, n., song, j., li, d., 2018. on the advantages of computer multimedia-aided english teaching. procedia comput. sci. 131, 727–732, 2018. mishra, urvashi, patel, sarjoo and doshi, khyati, 2017. e-content: an effective tool for teaching and learning in a contemporary education system. international journal of advance research and innovative ideas in education 2(1):79-83 monika, et al. 2023. scope and challenges of multimedia in education sector. international journal for multidisciplinary research, vol. 5, no. 3, international journal for multidisciplinary research (ijfmr), june 2023.  crossref,https://doi. org/10.36948/ijfmr.2023.v05i03.3868. musbau, dogo, abdulrahaman., et al. (2020). multimedia tools in the teaching and learning processes: a systematic review. heliyon, 6(11) doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020. e05312 ncert, 2024. ncert accessibility. retrieved from https://ncert.nic.in/accessibility. php ncert, 2024. ncert e-books of states/ut. retrieved from https://ncert.nic.in/ state-uts-ebook.php?ln= ncert, 2024. ncert e-books. available at https://ncert.nic.in/ebooks.php?ln ncert, 2024. ncert educational survey. retrieved from https://ncert.nic.in/ educational-survey.php ncert, 2024. ncert epathsala. retrieved from https://epathshala.nic.in//process. php?id=students&type=etextbooks&ln=en ncert, 2024. ncert journals. retrieved from https://ncert.nic.in/journals-andperiodicals.php ncert, 2024. ncert learning outcomes. retrieved from https://ncert.nic.in/ learning-outcome.php ncert, 2024. ncert national cirriculum frameworks. retrieved from https:// ncert.nic.in/focus-group.php?ln=en ncert, 2024. ncert national education policy. retrieved from https://ncert.nic.in/ nep.php?ln=en ncert, 2024. ncert syllabus. available at https://ncert.nic.in/syllabus.php?ln= ncert, 2024. ncert youtube offical channel. retrieved from https:// w w w . y o u t u b e . c o m / w a t c h ? v = f s f v w m l c g 3 4 & l i s t = p l b 6 b r j w w w y 5 _9kz8p7mzpmnvy24edag7o&index=6 indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 106 research article offline to online: a long way to go 1harini c. & 2alisha liz varghese 1assistant professor, sies college of commerce and economics, sion east, mumbai, maharashtra, india, email: harini.c.h@gmail.com 2assistant professor, sies college of commerce and economics, sion east, mumbai, maharashtra, india abstract the whole world has been grappling with the covid-19 pandemic and its effects on various sectors. with physical distancing norms being advocated in the bid to prevent transmission of the virus, schools and colleges across the globe have faced a major setback. however, the pandemic has been the catalyst to bring online learning to the forefront as the solution to fill this void. with the advent of this emergency remote teaching, educators all over the world have been in a furore to create e-content and shift the teaching-learning process online. while several studies extol the benefits of online education, its success in the indian education system is uncertain owing to several constraints that are endemic in the country. this paper aims to study the merits and challenges of online learning in higher education in india and suggest some remedies for the same. keywords: covid 19, online learning, higher education, challenges, remedies, merits introduction historically, india has been a country that is renowned for its education. ancient indian universities like nalanda, takshashila, valabhi and vikramshila have always occupied the status of premier institutions of higher learning and research. over the years, india has strived to maintain this status by constantly enhancing the quality of education and research in the country. with the passage of time, the country has embraced various pedagogies and methods of teaching and learning. the year 2020 has witnessed one such foray into a new mode of education across the nation online learning. the covid-19 pandemic has upended the world as we all know it. caused by the sars-cov-2 coronavirus, the disease is believed to have originated in wuhan, china and was declared as a global pandemic by the world health organization on march 11, 2020. with the number of cases constantly fluctuating and the slow rollout of vaccines, the virus seems to be here to stay for the foreseeable future. the ministry of health and family welfare of the government of india has imposed the use of social distancing measures to prevent and control the extent of transmission of the virus. this decision has major implications in the education sector and has resulted in a rapid indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 107 “migration” from physical classroom learning to virtual classroom learning in the blink of an eye. educators have been stumbling along trying to adapt themselves to the use of technology, creating easily understandable and engaging e-content and acclimating themselves with the experience of ‘speaking to a screen’. thus, for all intents and purposes, this transition to online education in india is more of a crisis response than a well-thought out, tried and tested approach. there are various ways and formats in which online learning can take place. several institutions are offering their courses “asynchronously”, meaning students decide when to access the study materialvideo recording of a lecture conducted by the teacher, assignments, notes, etc. that is provided, as per their personal schedules. thus, it is a more flexible and selfpaced approach to learning. the more popular format that is being followed in most institutions is the “synchronous” approach wherein the teacher and students are online at the same time and the lecture is being conducted on a specific virtual platform at a predetermined date and time. it can be in the form of video-conferencing or live streaming of lectures. in this mode of learning, the students are actively engaged as they are provided with study material during the class and can interact with their peers and teachers in real-time. thus, it provides a forum for active engagement and real-time discourse and debate. while online learning has been used extensively over the years for vocational courses and certificate or diploma courses, the covid-19 pandemic has been the catalyst that changed the status quo and pushed it into the limelight as the new normal for all kinds of education. kerala was the first state in the country to launch the new academic year on 1st june 2020 by setting up online learning across all schools and colleges. several studies have lauded the use of online learning and its benefits (chen, 2010; guadalupe, 1999). some advantages of online teaching-learning include flexible learning, convenience in terms of saving time and money, accessing and reusing study material stored in an online database, reduction of logical barriers and self-paced learning to list a few. however, the efficacy of an online education will be different in a developed country as compared to a developing country. for instance, the aforementioned findings may not be applicable in the context of the indian education system owing to constraints such as poor connectivity, limited resources, vast digital divide, etc. higher education in india has witnessed a major inflow of first-generation learners in recent times. these students do not have access to many resources. if online teaching-learning continues to stay post the covid-19 crisis, these learners who are already on the darker side of the digital divide may be pushed further away. without proper support they may never be able to complete their studies. this paper aims to study the merits and challenges of online learning in higher education in india and suggest some possible remedies for the same. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 108 challenges in online learning 1. access to gadgets in a country like india a digital divide is clearly visible (beniwal, 2020). india’s digital penetration is not as much as many other developed nations. there are students who do not have access to smartphones or computers. additionally, having a smartphone with a 4g connection is preferred for attending online classes that are conducted live, which may not be available to many students particularly those who have a lowincome background. when online learning commenced in different parts of the country in 2020 after the imposition of lockdowns, numerous cases of suicides by students were reported. they allegedly resorted to such an extreme measure because they didn’t own any suitable gadgets to attend the lectures. the lack of access to devices, which deprives them of their education, affects students’ well being (bisht et.al, 2020). this reveals the pressures that the system puts on the students and points fingers at the need to bring in parity. even among middle-class families there may be just one computer per household. in the event that there are multiple children who have online lectures, coupled with their parents who may have to ‘work from home’, the question of who gets to use the device and who has to forgo it, becomes a very serious question which has no right answers. if these basic issues are not resolved, education will become inaccessible to many in the nation. 2. internet connectivity issues the number of internet users in india has increased dramatically in recent years. but the low penetration of the internet restricts access only to the privileged groups (illavarasan, 2013). according to experts, existing telecommunication infrastructure suffers from various challenges such as spectrum issues, lower broadband penetration and low level of wired connectivity. the present telecom infrastructure in india is not capable of handling the increased demand owing to the conduct of online lectures coupled with the ‘work from home’ strategy adopted by the corporate sector due to the imposition of lockdowns. the current technical design of the telecom industry is not equipped to cater to the needs of online teaching-learning thereby leading to network congestion and bandwidth issues. a report of telecom regulatory authority of india shows that the internet has made deeper penetration into the society after 2017. but the rural urban gap in internet access is a huge worry (trai report 2019). affordability is yet another cause of concern. affordable internet is a distant dream in india. also, in this time of financial crisis, it is a big question that how many will be able to pay for internet, which is often considered a luxury in many parts of the country. there have been several instances wherein people have ventured out of their homes, sitting in their cars or even on trees in order to get better network coverage. most households in the rural areas do not have a wi-fi connection. they rely on indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 109 cellular internet connectivity which can be erratic and hinders both streaming and downloading of online lectures. additionally, students facing these issues often find themselves left behind in terms of class participation, doubtsolving and other class activities that happen in real-time. 3. technophobia technophobia refers to the fear of technology. in the sphere of online learning technophobia is something that can affect both teachers and students alike. users are more likely to experience frustration and anxiety at least sometime during the usage of technology (oluwalola, 2015). recurrent episodes of frustration and anxiety can create some fear and aversion in the minds of users prompting them to distance from technology. when students experience the problem, it may even affect their interest in the learning process. for several teachers embracing technology clearly means stepping out of their comfort zones. studies have reported a negative relationship between technophobia and the well-being of teachers (singh, 2017) and a positive relationship between technophobia and distress (henderson et.al, 1995). almost overnight, educators have been forced to transition from teaching using the blackboard and a piece of chalk and gauging students’ understanding or lack thereof by analyzing their facial cues to teaching while staring at the computer screen with no way of knowing how much the learner has understood or whether they are even attending the class or have simply logged in for attendance purposes while going about their day. as most of the teachers have spent much of their career teaching in the offline setting, adopting online teaching has posed several challenges for them. lack of student participation and involvement in classes coupled with technological difficulties faced by the teachers, many of them have not been experiencing the same level of job satisfaction as they used to before their forced foray into online teaching (nambiar, 2020). in many cases, the teachers can be considered to be “digital immigrants” while the students are “digital natives” (prensky, 2001). while most colleges and universities have campus support personnel and technical staff who are available to help faculty members by instructing and guiding them to learn the technicalities of the online platform to be used for conducting classes, it would not be possible for the technical team to provide the same level of guidance and instruction online as they could do by demonstrating it in a physical setting. moreover, it is not feasible for the support staff to address issues of each faculty member as they are bound to be unique and extremely difficult to solve without facetoface interaction. thus, a fear could set in the minds of the teachers which could be due to many reasons such as lack of knowledge to use the platform, fear of embarrassment and fear of failure to deliver lectures effectively in online settings. several cases have been reported in the newspapers and social media channels wherein teachers have been shamed and abused by the students for their inability to effectively conduct lectures in an online environment. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 110 4. misuse/ online abuse online abuse is another challenge associated with online learning. there were complaints from delhi university about miscreants (not students) logging into the virtual classrooms and harassing teachers and disturbing the class by posting abuses and indecent material. some universities in the uk have logged complaints of students posting highly obscene materials during online lectures. it causes embarrassment for all who are a part of the lecture. this incident points to two possibilities either the outsiders must have hacked the account or some student must have shared the username and password with them. female teachers in particular have found themselves to be victims of such online bullying. they are body shamed, trolled and abused. teachers have experienced online stalking and harassment from parents of their students during online lectures. the videos of teachers from the state of kerala taking online lectures for smaller classes were widely trolled and were subjected to discourteous comments across various online platforms such as facebook. some even went to the extent of creating objectionable videos of the teachers and uploaded them on various platforms. all of these incidents point fingers at yet another pandora’s box of problems. in addition to this, there can be the issue of digital privacy as well. 5. distraction of students students are more likely to get distracted when the physical presence of the teacher is not around. ‘transactional distance’ is more in online classrooms (oluwalola, 2015). if the teaching style is not very interactive the perception of transactional distance will be stronger for a student. students generally use smart gadgets for accessing the online classes. it would be difficult for them to keep their attention engaged when social media notifications keep popping up. multitasking (doing two or more activities at the same time) is high when students are attending online lectures (lepp, 2019). several past studies support this finding that during the online part of learning, students engage in multitasking (moreno et al., 2012; manwaring et al., 2017). past literature on psychology suggests that it is not possible to concentrate on two tasks with equal attention. so, when a student engages in multitasking during online lectures automatically his efficiency comes down thereby bringing down the task performance (carrier et. al., 2015). the success of online learning to a large extent is dependent on the student’s motivation and selfdiscipline. there have been several complaints by teachers that some students merely login to the lectures at the appropriate times but do not actually “attend” class. in a study conducted among school students in delhi, lack of interaction and distractions in the home environment were identified as major deterrents of online learning (khan et al, 2021). a study conducted on the efficacy of massive open online courses (moocs) documented that the students’ inherent and visceral capacity for being organized, disciplined and having self-control was crucial for having a successful online learning outcome (banerjee & duflo, 2014). thus, the success of online learning largely depends on students’ indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 111 perseverance and dedication. moreover, it is very difficult to track and penalize those who are flouting the rules and avoiding classroom interactions and assignments. 6. physical and psychological issues many households in india do not have a conducive environment for online learning. a student often has to share his study space with others in the family. many of these students depend on the college library or reading hall as it gives them a quiet place to focus on their studies. sadly, in many households a demarcated space for studying doesn’t even exist. in such conditions longer hours of learning will become difficult. with online lectures mostly being conducted in the morning, many students are forced to attend classes in the midst of household chores and other activities due to which they are unable to pay complete attention to the lectures. additionally, most of the reference books which students are prescribed for in-depth analysis and studies are very expensive, particularly those written by foreign authors. hence, most students prefer to borrow such reference books from the library rather than purchasing it. due to the closure of educational institutions, students no longer have this source of knowledge available to them and would have to rely on the internet (for those students who have access to it at their homes) and on the books that they have at hand. over and above, studies are required to probe the effects of continuous gadget usage on the psychological well-being of the students. emotional experiences of the learners can play a crucial role in online learning (juutinen et.al, 2010). there is sufficient empirical proof for online learning systems putting learners in a frustrated and confused state and an eventual dislike for learning (hara and kling, 2000). if the learners suffer from technophobia the intensity of emotional problems could be greater (brosnan, 1998). to top it all off, the lockdown imposed by the government, the fear of contracting covid, either by themselves or their loved ones and loss or reduction of family income have resulted in an upsurge of mental health problems across the globe. several studies have shown that people are increasingly facing issues of depression, stress, mood swings, moderate to severe anxiety and other mental health issues. such problems can negatively impact students’ academic performance (deb et al., 2016; kulshrestha & bahuguna, 2020). there has been an increase in the rate of suicide among students since the imposition of online mode of learning (balachandran et.al, 2020). 7. access to electricity many towns and villages in india do not have uninterrupted access to electricity. unexpected power cuts with no certainty of when it will be restored, is a common occurrence in many parts of the country. such intermittent electricity connection deters many students from attending online classes which are either streamed live or are recorded. as per data from the saubhagya scheme of the government of india which was formulated with the aim of providing free electricity connections in rural areas and among the urban poor, with the exception of chhattisgarh, all other indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 112 states boast a 100 percent electrification status (ministry of power, annual report 20-21). however, the reliability and stability of the connection is debatable. 8. dropouts the rural poor often tend to assign an “economic value” to children and view them as a source of labour and income (corbridge & watson, 1985). the lockdown which was initiated due to the covid-19 pandemic resulted in scores of migrants losing their jobs and returning back to their villages. this loss of income exacerbated by their return to the villages with no permanent source of livelihood in sight could result in many children dropping out of schools and colleges. additionally, students may be forced to stop their studies in order to leverage their earning capacity and contribute to the household functioning due to the increased opportunity cost of continuing their studies (bharadwaj et al., 2020). research shows that school dropout rates in india have always been a source of worry and these students have been pushed out of the system owing to a variety of reasons such as poverty, cost of education, poor quality of education and child labour. temporary interruption in schooling, among the poor, has frequently culminated in permanently dropping out of the education system (reddy & sinha, 2010). amidst the lockdown-induced closure of educational institutions and the transition to online learning, several children have dropped out of schools due to financial constraints resulting from the parents losing their jobs or experiencing a pay cut. this would ultimately result in these children not even entering the sphere of higher education which would be a detrimental loss to their earning capacity and standard of living. 9. practical learning with the advent of online learning, several courses which involve application-based pedagogies have experienced a setback. courses such as master of business administration (mba), masters in management studies (mms), hotel management and entrepreneurship involve several simulations, real-world immersion and experiential approaches. while online simulations exist for this purpose, it is not an adequate replacement for the authentic experience. years of pedagogy development, curriculum enhancement with respect to simulations and experimentation is needed in order to effectively transition quality online education in these fields (liguori, & winkler, 2020). additionally, such courses involve internships as part of their curriculum in order to enhance the students’ competencies in the real world, which cannot be effectively experienced online. a critical aspect of higher education includes moulding students to work as a group, enhance leadership capabilities and improve their participation in collaborative experiments and projects. with the advent of online learning this aspect of their education has vastly suffered. however, it must be acknowledged that online education has its fair share of merits as well. merits of online learning 1. infrastructure indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 113 with the advent of online classes, educators are delivering lectures from the comfort of their homes. this provides them with various facilities that help in making the classroom atmosphere more interesting and engaging such as showing videos, sharing live data and use of other digital interactive tools which often proves to be a challenge in regular college classes owing to constraints such as lack of wifi connections on campus and portable speakers. in such cases, teachers would often share the link of such content with the students and would ask them to view these at home. however, this often created a disconnect between what was taught in class and what they understood from the aforementioned content. with online lectures, however, teachers can merely share their screens and stream youtube videos, show data and graphs on government and other institutional websites and make use of interactive digital technologies to further their learning. this enables students to connect with the topics being taught in real-time. 2. time-saving in many cities, particularly in metros like mumbai, delhi and bangalore students and teachers spend most of their time travelling. with the commencement of online lectures this time that was spent on travelling can now be utilized on more productive activities. there has been a significant fall in travelling expenditure as well. moreover, in an offline setting, there is some amount of time that is spent in taking attendance, controlling the class and setting up projectors. with online classes, however, all of these tasks are accomplished by the mere click of a button thereby leading to complete utilization of the lecture time. 3. platform for students to express themselves the virtual world provides some sense of anonymity to people. students who may find it difficult to interact in the offline classroom may find the comfort provided by online classes helpful for participation. the fact that students attend the class in the comfort of their homes puts them at ease and helps them to communicate better. student interaction, especially those who are at the lower end of social outwardness, may increase during online lectures (harrington & loffredo, 2010). 4. any time learning most of the online lectures are recorded which gives students a chance to go through the lecture multiple times. students can access the recorded lectures from the repository and learn at their pace and comfort. this makes the learning process easier and gives a chance to relearn and understand concepts better. flexibility is a significant advantage of online learning (dhawan, 2020). possible remedies to tackle the challenges in online learning online learning or e-learning is here to stay. necessary measures should be taken to tackle the challenges discussed above to ensure smooth learning. 1. access to gadgets the government and ngos can actively indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 114 intervene to reduce the digital divide. subsidies could be provided for buying gadgets and internet connection rates could be slashed down. the ‘tv challenge’, ‘mobile challenge’ and ‘laptop challenge’ are some challenges active in social media where people who can afford, sponsor new or old televisions/mobile phones/laptops to needy students so that they can access lectures broadcasted on tv or attend lectures online. through the collaboration of various government agencies, ngos and citizens of the country this digital divide could be reduced if not eliminated. 2. internet connectivity issues unstable network connection has been a stumbling block in online education. to mitigate this problem teachers often ask students to switch off their videos and mikes during live online classes. this solution to provide some stability to the internet connection comes with a price as often the teacher tends to feel a disconnect from the teaching experience as ultimately, they are talking to a screen (mishra et al., 2020). the best solution to handle internet connectivity issues is having wired connectivity using optical fibres. however, although wired connectivity provides reliable and continuous internet service that is sufficient for the smooth conduct of online lectures, it remains unaffordable for those who are below upper middle class. therefore, the government needs to take steps to mitigate this issue and improve internet connectivity across the nation. additionally, telecom giants can take the issue up as part of their csr initiatives and provide internet connections at affordable rates for educational purposes. 3. technophobia adequate training and constant technical support should be provided to teachers and students to get them familiarized with the tools and technology of online teaching-learning. this step helps to reduce the anxiety and confusion for both teachers as well as students. at times the training for the use of online tools and platforms are conducted by the service providers who may not be aware of the extent of technical knowledge of all the teachers. therefore, teachers can be divided into groups of both tech-savvy teachers and those with less technical knowledge. the teachers who are adept at technology and can learn the new processes quickly can act as mentors to the others. this would ensure that all the teachers are gaining an equal foothold with the new technology and would aid in a smooth transition from offline to online teaching. a more recent study which was conducted ten months after the initial lockdown couldn’t find any significant negative relationship between well-being and computer anxiety of teachers (satra, 2021). the result can be attributed to the training that teachers acquired during this period. this clearly shows that with constant training and support teachers can overcome the anxiety and distress associated with online teaching. 4. misuse/ online abuse to combat the issue of misuse and disturbances created during online lectures by people from outside, each indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 115 student who has enrolled for a course can be provided with a unique login id and password that they must use to access the platform on which online lectures are being conducted. students must be strictly warned not to share these credentials with anyone else. with most online teaching-learning platforms constantly upgrading their services, there are now facilities wherein teachers can lock the virtual classroom after a certain amount of time (similar to not allowing students to enter the classroom after the bell has rung), manage the settings so only the host or organizer can share the screen, enable the waiting room feature to prevent those who are not authorized from entering the class and can remove participants who are disturbing the lecture. emotional maturity of students plays a pivotal role in their adjustment and responses in an online learning environment (matulessy et.al, 2021) 5. distraction of students online teaching should follow a flexible pedagogy. the teaching process should be more learner centric (zayapragassarazan, 2020). teachers may act as mentors rather than merely delivering lectures. some extra effort may be taken by teachers to keep students at ease and make them comfortable for online learning. simple things like turning on the camera during lectures and smiling at students will give a feel of physical proximity to them. social presence and a sense of community are acknowledged as factors positively contributing to quality of learning and the motivation to learn (haythornthwaite & andrews, 2011). interactions play a major role in developing an online learning community (salmi, 2013). teachers must try to engage students through meaningful activities to keep them enthralled (muthuprasad et. al, 2021). classes can be made very interactive by making use of online aids and resources. there are several digital tools available online that provide interactive online quizzes, polls and games that would help in capturing and maintaining students’ interests and attention. activity based interaction can promote active learning (hirumi, 2002). these steps will help to reduce the transactional distance generally experienced in online learning. as there is physical isolation in online education, teachers lack the physical cues to understand whether learners are at the same pace with them. researchers are working on developing systems that can detect the concentration of learners during the class with high levels of accuracy (daniel, 2017). in the future such systems will be of great use to teachers. 6. physical and psychological issues in this time of uncertainty amidst the pandemic and the lockdowns imposed by the government, people are facing tremendous anxiety and stress. to maintain the mental health and well-being of both students and teachers, efforts should be made by the educational institutions to provide free counselling services for them (sahu, 2020). institutions can also conduct sessions on yoga, meditation and activities like zumba to keep students physically and mentally active indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 116 (varalakshmi and arunachalam, 2020). 7. access to electricity government initiatives are required to ensure uninterrupted access to electricity in both urban and rural areas. the faster implementation of schemes like saubhagya and deendayal upadhyaya gram jyoti yojana (ddugjy) will help to achieve this goal. 8. dropouts in the span of a year there have been several reports of students dropping out of educational institutions as they cannot afford to continue their studies. efforts can be made to secure funding from alumni of the institutions, the management or ngos to create a fund that would help in sponsoring these children so they can continue with their education. moreover, some state governments have announced a fee waiver for those students who have lost their parents due to covid-19. thus, a joint effort between the government, private entities and civil society is the need of the hour to soften the economic impact of the financial backlash faced by families due to the lockdowns and to ensure that it doesn’t hamper students' education (alvi & gupta, 2020) 9. practical learning practical work including lab assignments and experiments were considered as impossible in digital mode. technology advancements have provided an answer to this problem by enabling students to complete their assignments successfully at home (venable, 2020). digital simulations, home lab kits and virtual labs help the students to successfully complete the practical assignments. home lab kits can be customized according to the curriculum of the institution. safety and affordability are two major concerns when labs come home. simulations and virtual labs can address the issue of safety but fail to provide hands-on experience. conclusion this paper examines some of the major challenges of online learning and ways to tackle them. additional empirical research is the need of the hour in order to study the impact of various factors on online learning. several researchers suggest that self-discipline and higher levels of emotional maturity of students are basic requirements for online learning (hiltz and wellman, 1997). when students exhibit these qualities, the online environment becomes safer and more suitable for learning. online learning comes with its own set of pros and cons. extensive research is required to determine whether the pros outweigh the cons or vice versa. however, one thing that is certain is that online learning is here to stay. even when the pandemic 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(2020) covid-19: strategies for online engagement of remote learners [version 1; not peer reviewed]. f1000research, 9:246 (document) (https://doi.org/10.7490/f1000research.1117835.1) indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 161 research article demographic influence on attitude of teachers towards using new technology: a study after almost one year of covid-19 outbreak deepa bisht professor, sivanthi college of education, chennai (tn) email: drdeepabisht2016@gmail.com abstract the present study has been conducted to investigate the attitude of teachers’ towards using new technology and the influence of various demographic (personal and institutional) variables on it; after almost one year of the covid-19 pandemic outbreak. the sample of the study consisted of 365 school teachers from different districts of tamilnadu state. to know the attitude of teachers’ towards using new technology the tool ‘attitude towards using new technology scale (atunts)’ developed and standardized by s rajasekar was used. demographic data were collected by using a personal data questionnaire. the finding of the study revealed that the majority of the teachers of the selected sample showed neutrality; whereas a few of them showed a favourable attitude towards the use of new technology. variables like; gender, age, marital status and type of family. teaching experience, locality, school management and teaching level were found to have no significant influence on the attitude of teachers towards the use of new technology type of board, stream and number of online courses/ moocs attended were found to have a significant influence on the attitude of teachers towards the use of new technology. keywords: attitude of teachers towards use of new technology, demographic influence on teachers’ attitude towards use of technology introduction the outbreak of covid-19 had impacted the education system worldwide, so the indian education system is no exception. slowly and gradually all the stakeholders of education modified their knowledge regarding and skills of using ict tools, modern technological tools to be used for teaching and learning. e-learning is supplementing traditional learning slowly and gradually. moreover, due to the present situation, the attitude of teachers has also changed towards using ict tools and new technology for teaching and learning. the worldwide impact of the health emergency caused by the covid-19 pandemic had initiated the transfer of face-2-face education to online education. facing the challenge of this new situation, teachers had to adapt not only to new online methodologies but also they had to undergo a lot of stress and various kinds of challenges of online teaching. many researchers investigated teachers’ attitudes towards the use of new technologies in classroom teaching-learning situations before the covid-19 pandemic period. becker and riel (1999) concluded through their investigation that teachers exposed to computers and having an abundance of instructional technologies that can be used in classrooms showed a more positive attitude towards integrating technology in their classrooms. baylor and ritchie (2002) observed that following a comprehensive plan for technology use is the key to success for successfully integrating technology into indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 162 the school curricula by many schools. according to kersaint, horton, stohl and garofalo (2003) use of technology by teachers is greatly influenced by their positive attitude. in a study conducted by sunita saikia, teachers despite not having enough experience in the utilization of technology in classrooms had shown a positive attitude towards technology. in a study on teachers of k-12 schools in the united arab emirates al mekhlafi and al meqdadi (2010) found teachers are progressive in using a variety of technological tools in their classrooms. moreover, the female teachers were found to have more experience, usage and familiarity with the technological tools than their counterparts. al-zaidiyeen, mei and fook (2010) investigated the level of ict use for educational purposes by teachers in jordanian rural secondary schools and found that teachers hold positive attitudes towards the use of ict, and a significant positive correlation between teachers’ level of ict use and their attitudes towards ict was found. basu and ahmad (2016) found that secondary school teachers have a more favourable attitude towards ict than the private secondary school teachers of the budgam district. kant (2016) studied the attitude of secondary school teachers’ towards using new technology and found that gender and the affiliating board does not influence teachers’ attitude. mahajan (2016) examined the attitude of school teachers towards the use of technology in nurpur and jawali blocks of district kangra, and found that about 25 per cent of the teachers had a favourable attitude; gender & teaching experience had no influence on teacher’s attitude towards the use of new technology. in the present scenario, especially after the outbreak of covid-19 pandemic, use of technology has become a part and parcel of the education system now. though initial efforts taken by the novice technology user teachers were huge, but now the teachers as well the students are getting used to technology-integrated teaching and learning. previously, many studies had been conducted in india as well as abroad to know the teachers’ attitude towards the use of new technological tools in the teachinglearning process. as, investigations by various researchers worldwide show that during this pandemic period the overall attitude of all the stakeholders has seen a shift from not so favoured technology to favourable towards technology. recently, alhumaid et al. (2020) investigated the perception and attitudes of university-level instructors from rawalpindi, pakistan towards e-learning during the covid-19 period. overall, the respondents expressed a favourable opinion concerning e-learning acceptance during the lockdown situation and its impacts on students’ academic performance. espino-díaz et al. (2020) suggested that the symbiosis of ict and neuro education can make a great contribution to the paradigm shift that is taking place in the present time. a longitudinal national survey conducted by sokal, trudel and babb (2020) at two points early in the covid-19 pandemic indicated that teacher efficacy, attitudes toward change, and perceptions of administrative support were correlated with teacher resilience and burnout at the onset of the pandemic. further, this study showed that teachers’ cognitive and emotional attitudes toward change became more negative. to investigate the present attitude of school teachers towards the use of technology in classrooms and demographic influence in the tamilnadu state of india after nearly one year of the covid-19 pandemic outbreak this study has been undertaken. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 163 objectives the present study was conducted to realize the following objectives: 1. to study the overall attitude of teachers towards using new technology. 2. to study the significant difference in school teachers’ attitude towards the use of new technology based on various variables i.e., gender, age, marital status, type of family; teaching experience, locality, management, board of school; level, stream and number of online courses/moocs attended. hypotheses 1. there is no significant difference in school teachers’ attitude towards the use of new technology based on gender. 2. there is no significant difference in school teachers’ attitude towards the use of new technology based on marital status. 3. there is no significant difference in school teachers’ attitude towards the use of new technology based on family type. 4. there is no significant difference in school teachers’ attitude towards the use of new technology based on locality. 5. there is no significant difference in school teachers’ attitude towards the use of new technology based on type of school management; i.e. aided and private. 6. there is no significant difference in school teachers’ attitude towards the use of new technology based on the type of board (cbse and state board). 7. there is no significant difference in school teachers’ attitude towards the use of new technology based on different age groups. 8. there is no significant difference in school teachers’ attitude towards the use of new technology based on teaching experience. 9. there is no significant difference in school teachers’ attitude towards the use of new technology based on teaching levels; i.e. primary/ secondary/senior secondary. 10. there is no significant difference in school teachers’ attitude towards the use of new technology based on stream. 11. there is no significant difference in school teachers’ attitude towards the use of new technology based on online courses/moocs attended. methodology a descriptive survey method was employed for the present study. sample the sample of the present study consisted of a total of 365 school teachers teaching at different levels (primary, secondary and senior secondary) of various aided and private schools of tamilnadu, india. tool used to know the attitude of teachers towards using new technology the tool ‘attitude towards using new technology scale (atunts)’ developed and standardized by s. rajasekar (2011) was used. for collecting the demographic data, a personal data questionnaire was used. data collection the data was collected online using google forms. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 164 analysis and interpretation table-1: overall attitude of teachers towards using new technology s. no attitude towards use of new technology n % 1. neutral 312 85.5 2. favourable 53 14.5 table-2: t-test results of attitude of teachers towards using new technology based on various demographic variables variables categories n mean sd df t p gender male 38 101.11 12.304 363 -1.439 .151ns female 327 103.87 11.061 marital status unmarried 39 101.85 8.558 363 -1.021 .308 ns married 326 103.79 11.480 type of family nuclear 226 103.99 11.112 363 .888 .375 ns joint 139 102.91 11.377 locality of the school urban 316 103.73 11.254 363 .675 .500 ns rural 49 102.57 10.983 type of school management aided 57 102.93 11.206 363 -.475 .635 ns private 308 103.70 11.225 type of board state board 170 101.86 10.663 363 -2.751 .006** cbse board 195 105.07 11.486 ** significant at 0.01 level ns – not significant at 0.05 levels from table-1 it is evident that the majority of the teachers 312 (85.5 per cent) out of total of 365 teachers of the selected sample showed a neutral attitude towards the use of new technology; whereas the rest of the teachers 53 (14.5 per cent) showed a favourable attitude towards use of new technology. none of the respondents of the selected sample showed an unfavourable, highly unfavourable or highly favourable attitude towards using new technology. the following results can be drawn from the t-test results, given in table-2: male and female teachers do not differ significantly with respect to their attitude towards using new technology; t (363) = 1.439, p = .151 even at a 0.05 level. married and unmarried teachers do not differ significantly with respect to their attitude towards using new technology; t (363) = 1.021, p = .308 even at a 0.05 level. teachers belonging to nuclear and joint families do not differ significantly with indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 165 respect to their attitude towards using new technology; t (363) = .888, p = .375 even at a 0.05 level. teachers belonging to schools located in urban and rural areas do not differ significantly with respect to their attitude towards using new technology; t (363) = .675, p = .50 even at a 0.05 level. teachers belonging to aided and private do not differ significantly with respect to their attitude towards using new technology; t (363) = .475, p = .635 even at a 0.05 level. teachers belonging to schools affiliated to the state board and cbse board differ significantly with respect to their attitude towards using new technology; t (363) = 2.751, p = .006 at 0.01 level. cbse board teachers (m=105.07) showed a significantly higher attitude towards the use of new technology as compared to state board teachers (m= 101.86). table-3: f-test results of attitude of teachers towards using new technology based on various demographic variables variable subvariables n mean sd f p groups differ significantly age-group 20-30 years 62 102.34 9.838 1.101 .349 ns not significant 31-40 years 143 103.29 11.215 41-50 years 135 103.81 11.648 > 50 years 25 107.04 11.873 total teaching experience 1-5 years 106 102.45 10.840 1.073 .369 ns not significant 6-10 years 109 103.37 11.122 11-15 years 82 103.43 11.737 16-20 years 39 106.56 10.203 > 20 years 29 104.90 12.525 level primary 106 102.53 9.932 .926 .397 ns not significantsecondary 169 103.63 11.026 senior secondary 90 104.71 12.864 stream science (1) 187 106.13 11.738 10.467 <.001** 1 & 2 (p<.001) arts/ humanities (2) 148 100.81 10.077 commerce (3) 30 101.33 9.629 online courses/ moocs done none (1) 243 101.85 10.987 6.000 .001** 1 & 2 (p=.001) 1-5 courses (2) 91 107.13 11.331 6-10 courses (3) 24 106.79 9.330 >10 courses (4) 7 106.29 11.543 ** significant at 0.01 level ns – not significant at 0.05 levels indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 166 the following results can be drawn from the f-test results, given in table-3: teachers belonging to different agegroups do not differ significantly with respect to their attitude towards using new technology; f = 1.101, p = .349 even at a 0.05 level. teachers belonging to different teaching experience groups do not differ significantly with respect to their attitude towards using new technology; f= 1.073, p = .369 even at a 0.05 level. teachers belonging to different levels do not differ significantly with respect to their attitude towards using new technology; f= .926, p = .397 even at a 0.05 level. teachers belonging to different streams (science, arts/humanities, commerce) differ significantly with respect to their attitude towards using new technology; f= 10.467, p < .001 at 0.01 level. further, post hoc analysis using tukey hsd reveals that only teachers belonging to science (m=106.13) and arts/ humanities (m=100.81) group differ with respect to their attitude towards using new technology; science teachers have a more favourable attitude towards using new technology in classrooms. teachers belonging to different groups based on online courses/ moocs attended differ significantly with respect to their attitude towards using new technology; f= 6.00, p = .001 at 0.01 level. further, post hoc analysis using tukey hsd reveals that only teachers who have not done any online courses/ moocs (m=101.85) and the teachers who have done 1-5 courses (m=107.13) differ significantly with respect to their attitude towards using new technology. findings 1. the majority of the teachers 312 (85.5 per cent) out of the total 365 teachers of the selected sample showed a neutral attitude towards the use of new technology; whereas the rest of the teachers 53 (14.5 per cent) showed a favourable attitude towards the use of new technology. 2. variables like; gender, age, marital status, type of family, teaching experience, locality, school management and level were found to have no significant influence on the attitude of teachers towards the use of new technology. 3. type of board, stream and number of online courses/moocs attended were found to have a significant influence on the attitude of teachers towards the use of new technology. 4. cbse board teachers showed a significantly favourable attitude towards the use of new technology compared to state board teachers. 5. science teachers showed significantly favourable attitudes towards the use of new technology compared to arts/humanities teachers. 6. the number of online courses moocs done by the teacher’s influences their attitude towards using new technology. teachers having done (1-5) moocs showed significantly favourable attitude towards use of new technology as compared to teachers who have done not a single mooc. conclusion the analysis of data regarding demographic influence on the attitude of teachers using new technology during the covid-19 pandemic revealed some unexpected and some expected results. the majority of the teachers of the selected sample showed neutrality and the rest of the teachers showed a favourable attitude towards indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 167 the use of new technology. the extreme responses like highly favourable and highly unfavourable responses were totally missing. the neutral attitude of the teachers may be because by now the teachers have taken the use of technology as a new normal for the education system to run smoothly for some more years. as we can see, none of the respondents has shown an unfavourable attitude towards the use of technology in classrooms; this might be because of the need of time they have accepted technology as a part and parcel of school education in coming times. this acceptance of the use of ict in school education can be seen as a positive step towards the digitalization of education in the indian scenario. various variables like gender, age, marital status, type of family, teaching experience, locality, school management and level were found to have no significant influence on the attitude of teachers towards the use of new technology. cbse board teachers showed a significantly favourable attitude towards the use of new technology compared to state board teachers because of more facilities to cbse school teachers as compared to state board teachers in terms of availability of and skill of using technological tools in classrooms. references al mekhlafi, a. & al meqdadi, f. (2010). teachers’ perceptions of technology integration in the united arab emirates school classrooms. journal of educational technology & society, 13(1), 165-175. alhumaid, k., ali, s., waheed, a., zahid, a. and habes, m. (2020). covid-19 & elearning: perceptions & attitudes of teachers towards elearning acceptance in the developing countries. multicultural education, 6(2), 100-115. al-zaidiyeen, n. j., mei, l.l. and fook, f.s. (2010). teachers’ attitudes and levels of technology use in classrooms: the case of jordan schools, 3(2), 211-218. basu, n. and ahmad, g. (2016). attitude towards using new technology among higher secondary school teachers in district budgam. journal of information engineering and applications. 6(2), 16-21. baylor, a. l., & ritchie, d. (2002). what factors facilitate teacher skill, teacher morale, and perceived student learning in technology-using classrooms? computers & education, 39(4), 395-414. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0360-1315(02)00075-1 becker, h. j., & riel, m. m. (1999). teacher professionalism, school work culture and the emergence of constructivist-compatible pedagogies. centre for research on information technology and organizations. retrieved from http://www.crito.uci. edu/tlc/findings/special_report2/index.htm espino-díaz, l., fernandez-caminero, g., hernandez-lloret, c.-m., gonzalezgonzalez, h., & alvarez-castillo, j.-l. (2020). analyzing the impact of covid-19 on education professionals. toward a paradigm shift: ict and neuroeducation as a binomial of action. sustainability, 12(14), 5646. mdpi ag. retrieved from http:// dx.doi.org/10.3390/su12145646. kant, r. (2016). relationship between attitude towards using new technologies and teaching effectiveness. international journal of research studies in educational technology, 5(2), 61-79. doi: 10.5861/ijrset.2016.1564. kersaint, g., horton, b., stohl, h., & garofalo, j. (2003). technology beliefs and indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 168 practices of mathematics education faculty. journal of technology and teacher education, 11(4), 549–577. mahajan, g. (2016). attitude of teachers towards the use of technology in teaching, educational quest: an international journal of education and applied social sciences, 7 (2), 141-146. mcalister, m., dunn, j., & quinn, l. (2005). student teachers’ attitudes to and use of computers to teach mathematics in the primary classroom. technology, pedagogy and education, 14(1), 77–106. rajasekar, s. (2011). manual of ‘attitude towards using new technology scale (atunts)’, national psychological corporation, agra. sokal, l. , trudel, l. e. and babb, j. (2020). canadian teachers’ attitudes toward change, efficacy, and burnout during the covid-19 pandemic. international journal of educational research open; vol (1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedro.2020.100016 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 40 research article effectiveness of instructional strategy for teaching chemistry to vii standard sumbul khalil orcid no0000-0002-2084-3174 email: sumbul021@gmail.com abstract an experimental study was conducted to study the effectiveness of instructional strategy for teaching chemistry to vii standard. the instructional strategy consisted of teaching with the concept attainment model (cam) coupled with multimedia instructions. the objectives of the study were: (i) to study the effectiveness of the instructional strategy in terms of (a) achievement of students in chemistry, and (b) reaction of students towards the strategy, (ii) to study the effect of treatment, gender and their interaction on the achievement in chemistry of class vii students, by taking their scores of intelligence as a covariate, (iii) to study the effect of treatment, style of learning and thinking and their interaction on achievement in chemistry of class vii students, by taking their scores of intelligence as a covariate. the sample consisted of 50 students in a school in bhopal. the random assignment of already formed classes to experimental and control groups was employed to examine the treatment effect. data was collected by administering the verbal intelligence test, style of learning and thinking inventory and multimedia material of edurite digitally version v.3.6.01 from pearson education services. the achievement test in chemistry and reaction scale was developed by the investigator. the findings of the study are: (i) the developed instructional strategy was effective in terms of students’ achievement in chemistry,(ii)the developed instructional strategy was effective in terms of students’ reactions towards the developed instructional strategy, (iii) the treatment produced a significant differential effect on the achievement of students in chemistry, (iv) gender did not produce a significant differential effect on the achievement of students in chemistry, (v) the interaction of treatment and gender did not produce a significant differential effect on the achievement of students in chemistry, (vi) there was no significant differential effect of style of learning and thinking on the achievement of students in chemistry, (vii) the interaction of treatment and style of learning and thinking did not produce a significant differential effect on the achievement of students in chemistry. keywords: concept attainment model, multimedia instruction, chemistry teaching introduction chemistry is offered as a school subject across different educational boards in india. the importance of chemistry is evidenced by the many career opportunities it offers in various fields like, medicine, engineering, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, etc. therefore, a sound understanding of the various concepts in the subject is very essential for understanding how things work in our day-to-day life. this further leads to the important issue of pedagogy of chemistry. over the years it has been observed globally that students have performed satisfactorily in the examinations, but when interviewed revealed gross misconceptions regarding the chemical phenomena. hence, there is a need for indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 41 a change in instructional strategy to achieve the desired learning outcomes at various school levels. the instructional strategy consisted of teaching with the concept attainment model (cam) coupled with multimedia instructions. concept attainment model (cam) this model of teaching was developed by jerome bruner and his associates jacqueline goodrow and george austin. concepts are the building blocks of knowledge. concept attainment is “the search for and listing of attributes that can be used to distinguish exemplars from nonexemplars of various categories.”(bruner, goodrow and austin, 1967). in this study, the reception strategy of the model was used. the students were exposed to positive and negative examples and they identified the common characteristics (attributes) and hypothesized. multimedia multimedia is a combination of many types of media including audio, video, text, pictures, graphs, animation, etc. educational multimedia offers many advantages when compared to chalk and board classroom teaching. since more senses are involved it makes learning long-lasting. it provides an enhanced learning experience with attention to the specific needs of the individual (almarabeh, amer and sulieman, 2015). the use of multimedia helps students with different skills and learning styles (ilhan and oruc 2016). therefore, in this study multimedia instructions were also used with the concept attainment model (cam). review of literature several studies carried out in india and abroad show that the concept attainment model (cam) and teaching through multimedia effect achievement in chemistry. these are effective for the introduction of concept, creation of interest, and motivation in chemistry. kaur (2018) found that students of ix standard when taught chemistry through the concept attainment model possessed higher scores on achievement tests developed by the investigator than students who were taught through traditional methods. similar results were reported by mahmood (2017) for ix standard science students. kalani (2008) in a study found that the achievement of students who were taught by the concept attainment model was better than those who were taught by the control method. sreelekha and nayar (2004) found that cam was effective in improving the overall level of achievement in chemistry. lukopoteea and narod (2012) reported that the use of cam had motivated the students, and increased their level of participation during the lessons. the findings also showed that use of the model had enhanced conceptual understanding and helped to improve students’ performance on the topic “periodic table”. it was also found that students were better able to identify the attributes of the concepts when varied resources and strategies were used to present the exemplars and nonexemplars. su (2011) studied the processes of the students’ chemistry learning, its effectiveness and their attitudes. the result analyses verified that their ict integrated environmental learning has a more significant effect on the students‟ learning performance. the results obtained from this ict integrated environmental learning when compared with other chemical experimental results showed the same positive and scientific perspective for academic research. morais and paiva (2007) studied the application of simulations in the teaching-learning indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 42 process in science and found that the aspects considered by pupils to be positive in the study of chemistry using digital resources were: it was less difficult to learn; they understood the content more fully (since the resources can be seen and used again) and the use of images and audio helped them in their understanding and led them to be more attentive. it is not easy to conclude whether gender influences achievement in chemistry or not. the studies done by veloo, hong and lee (2015), hatice belge can (2012), busolo (2010), barmby et al. (2008), cousins, a. (2007) and chambers & andre( 1997) found that gender produced a significant differential effect on academic achievement as well as achievement in chemistry. but the studies of oluwatosin and josiah (2017), azizoglu (2004), dahindsa and chung (2003) and demircloglu and norman (1999) indicate that academic achievement and achievement in chemistry is independent of gender. similarly, mixed results were found in studies related to learning styles on academic achievement and achievement in chemistry. the studies done by yilmaz-soylu and akkoyunlu (2002) and wilson (2011), show that the type of the learning style was not significantly effective on students’ achievement. however, the studies of vaishnav (2013) and uzuntiryaki (2007) show that there was a statistically significant difference among students with different learning styles concerning academic achievement and achievement in chemistry. delimitations of the study the study was conducted under the following constraints: • the study is delimited to an english medium, co-ed school of bhopal only. • the study is delimited to the subject of chemistry. • the study is delimited to students of vii standard studying in icse board. objectives of the study 1. to study the effectiveness of the instructional strategy in terms of a)  achievement of students in chemistry, and b) reaction of students towards the strategy. 2. to study the effect of treatment, gender and their interaction on the achievement in chemistry of class vii students, by taking their scores of intelligence as a covariate. 3. to study the effect of treatment, style of learning and thinking and their interaction on achievement in chemistry of class vii students, by taking their scores of intelligence as a covariate. hypotheses 1. there is no significant effect of treatment on the achievement in chemistry of class vii students when their scores of intelligence were taken as covariate. 2. there is no significant effect of gender on the achievement in chemistry of class vii students when their scores of intelligence were taken as covariate. 3. there is no significant interaction of treatment and gender on the achievement in chemistry of class vii students when their scores of intelligence were taken as covariate 4. there is no significant effect of style of learning and thinking on the achievement in chemistry of class vii students when their scores of intelligence were taken as covariate. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 43 5. there is no significant interaction of treatment and style of learning and thinking on the achievement in chemistry of class vii students when their scores of intelligence were taken as covariate. methodology the experimental method was employed for this study. the design employed for this research work was post-test control group quasi-experimental design. the size of the sample was 50 students studying in vii standard of an english medium school in bhopal. the random assignment of already formed classes to experimental and control groups was employed to examine the treatment effect. tools the following tools were used in this study: • verbal intelligence test developed by ojha and ray choudhary. • style of learning and thinking (solat) developed by dr. d. venkatraman. • the multimedia material of edurite digitally version v.3.6.01 from pearson education services, board-icse, standard–vii, subject –chemistry, topicacids, bases and salt was used.  • achievement test in chemistry developed by the investigator. • the reaction scale was developed by the investigator. procedure of data collection: table-1: the schematic representation of the experiment activity experimental group control group time group formation students were randomly divided into two groups and the group were selected randomly     activity experimental group control group time treatment 10 lessons were taught through the newly designed instructional strategy 10 lessons were taught through the lecture cum demonstration method each class of 30minutes. administration of intelligence test 40 minutes administration of style of learning and thinking tool 30 min.   post testing of  variable administration of achievement test in chemistry administration of achievement test in chemistry 30 min. administration of reaction scale ---30 min. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 44 statistical techniques used for the analysis of data 1. for studying the effectiveness of the instructional strategy in terms of a) achievement of students in chemistry, and b) reaction of students towards the strategy, descriptive statistics were used. 2. for studying the effect of treatment, gender and their interaction on the achievement in chemistry ancova of unequal cell size was used. 3. for studying the effect of treatment, learning style and their interaction on achievement in chemistry ancova of unequal cell size was used. analysis of data and its interpretations the data was analysed using spss. effectiveness of instructional strategy in terms of achievement of students in chemistry to study the effectiveness of the instructional strategy in terms of achievement of students in chemistry, the scores of the experimental group are taken into consideration. the scores were analyzed with the help of percentiles, mean, and standard deviation. it was found that 10 per cent of students achieved 48 per cent marks. 50 per cent of students achieved 72 per cent marks and 10 per cent of students achieved 89.60 per cent marks. hence, it can be stated that teaching through this instructional strategy was effective in terms of the achievement of students in chemistry. figure-1: histogram showing achievement in chemistry finding and discussion the nature of the approach demands greater involvement of pupils in teaching-learning situations. so, the students were motivated and performed well. different examples which were presented during teaching might have aroused interest and motivation among the students to study chemistry. thus, interest and motivation might have contributed to the present result. due to the mcq-type test items, pupils’ achievement might have been higher. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 45 thus, teaching through the developed instructional strategy was found to be effective in terms of student’s achievement in chemistry. table -2: reactions of students towards instructional strategy for teaching of chemistry in percentages s. no. statement sa a ud da sda 1 learning through this multimedia mediated approach is time consuming. 8 32 60 2 sometimes it is boring to learn through this approach. 48 52 3 learning through this approach is an interesting experience. 36 60 4 4 it is difficult to interact with the teacher while she/ he is teaching through multimedia. 8 32 60 5 i feel motivated while learning through multimedia approaches. 8 88 4 6 studying through this approach develops a competitive attitude. 12 84 4 7 i feel active and happy in the class when the teacher taught through this approach. 88 8 4 8 teaching based on this approach gives a chance to think independently. 80 12 4 4 9 i was encouraged to learn when other students attained concepts in the subject. 32 56 12 10 studying through this approach motivated the students to explore examples other than those given in textbooks. 68 32 11 presentation of the contents through this approach helped me to acquire concepts. 28 68 4 12 presentation of the examples/ illustrations helped me to understand the concepts well. 4 96 13 provision for different examples for illustrating a concept helped me to learn with comprehension. 24 76 14 the questions asked in the class helped me to think independently. 16 80 4 15 i felt motivated in answering questions after watching the videos/animation of the related content. 40 52 8 16 linkage of different concepts in the content was well organized. 16 80 4 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 46 the instructional strategy was found to be effective in terms of students’ reactions to the strategy. the various aspects of teaching were taken into consideration. the majority of the students expressed favourable reactions towards those above-said aspects. thus, it can be concluded that the favourable reactions of the majority of students towards the mentioned aspects are of importance and that the students expressed favourable reactions towards the strategy. effect of treatment on the achievement in chemistry effect and interaction of treatment and gender on the achievement in chemistry the second objective of the investigation was to study the effect of treatment, gender and their interaction on the achievement in chemistry of class vii students, by taking their scores of intelligence as a covariate. the scores of intelligence were collected by administering the verbal intelligence test on both the groups. the data were analysed with the help of 2 x 2 factorial design ancova of unequal cell size. the results are presented as under. table-3: f-value for treatment, gender and their interaction on the achievement in chemistry sources of variance df ss mss f group 1 816.667 816.667 5.237* gender 1 71.778 71.778 .460 treatment x gender 1 88.424 88.424 .567 error 45 7018.019 155.956 total 48 significance at 0.05 level table-4: mean and sd for achievement in chemistry of boys and girls treatment instructional strategy lecture cum demonstration method gender n mean sd n mean sd boys 11 66.55 17.369 9 63.11 18.950 girls 14 75.14 9.037 16 63.25 11.975 total 25 71.36 13.744 25 63.20 14.468 table-3 reveals that the f– value of 5.237 for the treatment is significant at 0.05 levels with df equal to1/48. it indicates that the treatment produced a significant differential effect on the achievement in chemistry. in other words, it can be said that the instructional strategy was effective in enhancing the achievement in chemistry of the students taught through the multi-media model. therefore, the null hypothesis, namely “there is no significant effect of treatment on the achievement in chemistry of class vii students when their scores of intelligence were taken as a covariate,” is rejected. therefore, it can be said that the achievement in chemistry is dependent upon the method of instruction. further table4 shows that the mean indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 47 achievement scores in chemistry of the students taught through the developed instructional strategy (71.36) are higher than those taught through the lecture cum demonstration method (63.20). it can therefore be said that the developed instructional strategy was found to be more effective in terms of achievement of students in chemistry than the lecture cum demonstration method. finding and discussion there was a significant differential effect of treatment on the achievement of students in chemistry. therefore, it can be said that the achievement in chemistry is dependent upon the method of instruction. this finding is supported by the findings of kaur (2018), mahmood (2017), kalani (2008), sreelekha and nayar (2004), luckpoteea, and narod (2012), who found teaching through the concept attainment model to be effective in their studies. it is also supported by the findings of su (2011) and morais and paiva (2007), who found that teaching through multimedia produced positive effects on achievement in chemistry. the reasons could be that the climate of the classroom was open, co-operative and encouraging with the scope for a good deal of students’ activity. the instructional strategy thus provided a wide opportunity for students for acquiring concepts, interpreting the data and applying the principles in new and different situations. multimedia technology offers unique benefits for chemistry courses when students are learning complex and new ideas. this instructional strategy may have stimulated more student-student and teacher-student interactions in different levels of students’ competence and performance. effect of gender on the achievement in chemistry table-3 reveals that the f– value of 0.460 for the gender is not significant at 0.05 level with df equal to1/48. it indicates that gender did not produce a significant differential effect on achievement in chemistry. it shows that students’ achievement in chemistry is independent of gender. therefore, the null hypothesis, namely, “there is no significant effect of gender on the achievement in chemistry of class vii students when their scores of intelligence were taken as covariate”, is not rejected. finding and discussion there was no significant differential effect of gender on the achievement of students in chemistry. therefore, it may be said that there is no significant difference in the performance of boys and girls in terms of achievement in chemistry. this finding is supported by the findings of demircloglu and norman (1999), dahindsa and chung (2003), azizgolu (2004) and oluwatosin and josiah (2017). in contrast veloo, hong and lee (2015), hatice belge can (2012), busolo (2010), barmby et al. (2008), cousins (2007) and chambers & andre (1997) did find significant differences in the performance of boys and girls. however, the results of the present study indicate that the achievement in chemistry is independent of gender and depends on an individual’s cognitive development. this change in the attitude of parents and teachers towards education irrespective of gender might be the cause of the present finding. interaction of treatment and gender on achievement in chemistry table-3 reveals that the f– value of 0.567 for the interaction between treatment and gender is not significant at the 0.05 levels with df equal to 1/48. it indicates that the interaction of treatment and gender did not produce a significant differential effect on the achievement in chemistry. in other indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 48 words, there was no interactional effect of treatment and gender of students on achievement in chemistry. therefore the null hypothesis, namely, “there is no significant interaction of treatment and gender on the achievement in chemistry of class vii students when their scores of intelligence were taken as covariate”, is not rejected. it indicates that the students of both the groups were equally benefited in the measure of achievement in chemistry. figure-2: achievement in chemistry of boys and girls finding and discussion the interaction of treatment and gender did not produce a significant differential effect on the achievement of students in chemistry. the results showed that treatment affected the achievement of students in chemistry. the results indicate that the mean achievement of the experimental group was higher than the control group. further, the mean achievement of girls (75.14 and 63.25) was higher than the boys (66.55 and 63.11) in experimental and control groups respectively. this shows that the effect of treatment on the achievement of students in chemistry is independent of gender. the achievement in chemistry depends on an individual’s cognitive development. effect of treatment, style of learning and thinking and their interaction on achievement in chemistry the third objective of the investigator was to study the effect of treatment, style of learning and thinking and their interaction on the achievement in chemistry of class vii students, by taking their scores of intelligence as a covariate. the data were analysed with the help of 2 x 2 factorial design ancova of unequal cell size. the results are presented as under: indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 49 table-5: f-value for treatment, style of learning and thinking and their interaction on achievement in chemistry sources of variance df ss mss f group 1 104.739 104.739 .680 style of thinking and learning 1 84.762 84.762 .550 treatment x style of thinking and learning 1 190.203 190.203 1.234 error 45 6933.713 154.083 total 48 table-6: mean and sd for achievement in chemistry of the right and left hemispheres of experimental and control groups treatment instructional strategy lecture cum demonstration method style of thinking and learning n mean sd n mean sd right hemisphere 22 73.09 13.420 21 62.29 15.103 left hemisphere 3 58.67 10.066 4 68.00 10.832 total 25 71.36 13.744 25 63.20 14.468 effect of treatment on the achievement in chemistry the findings have been discussed in the previous section. effect of style of learning and thinking on achievement in chemistry table-5 indicates f– value of 0.550 for the style of learning and thinking on achievement in chemistry is not significant at 0.05 level with df equal to1/48. it indicates that the style of learning and thinking did not produce a significant differential effect on the achievement in chemistry. it shows that students’ achievement in chemistry is independent of style of learning and thinking. therefore, the null hypothesis, namely, “there is no significant effect of their style of learning and thinking on the achievement in chemistry of class vii students when their scores of intelligence were taken as covariate”, is not rejected. further, table-6 also indicates that the mean achievement of students with right hemisphere dominance (73.09) for the experimental group is higher than that of students of the control group (62.29). the mean achievement of students with left hemisphere dominance is 58.67 for the experimental group and the control group is 68.00. but, this difference is not significant. finding and discussion there was no significant differential effect of style of learning and thinking on the achievement of students in indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 50 chemistry. both the groups of learners i.e., students with left hemisphere brain dominance and right hemisphere brain dominance benefitted in the same way. this finding is supported by the findings of yilmaz-soylu and akkoyunlu(2002) and wilson (2011) and is not supported by the findings of uzuntiryaki (2007) and vaishnav(2013). interaction of treatment, style of learning and thinking on achievement in chemistry table-5 reveals that the f– value of 1.234 for the interaction of treatment and style of learning and thinking is not significant at 0.05 levels with df equal to 1/48. it indicates that the interaction of treatment and style of learning and thinking did not produce a significant differential effect on the achievement in chemistry. therefore, the null hypothesis, namely “there is no significant interaction of treatment and style of learning and thinking on the achievement in chemistry of class vii students when their scores of intelligence were taken as covariate”, is not rejected. figure-3: achievement scores of students having different styles of learning and thinking finding and discussion the interaction of treatment and style of learning and thinking did not produce a significant differential effect on the achievement of students in chemistry. the results showed that treatment affected the achievement of students in chemistry. the results also indicate that style of learning and thinking did not have any significant differential effect on the achievement of students in chemistry. therefore, there might not be any significant differential effect of the interaction of treatment and style of learning and thinking on the achievement of students in chemistry. conclusion the findings of the study reveal that the instructional strategy was effective in terms of the achievement of students in chemistry and in terms of reactions of students towards the strategy. it produced a significant differential indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 51 effect on achievement in chemistry when compared to the lecture-cumdemonstration method. it was also found that achievement in chemistry is independent of gender and style of learning. teachers should use more than one teaching style to cater to the individual needs of the students, respecting their style of learning and thinking. the contents of textbooks of chemistry should be presented on cam approach giving opportunities to the students to explore more examples. these examples should include the ones related to daily life. teachers should also use such instructional strategies for teaching chemistry which allows students to think independently. the curriculum developers should make the curriculum gender-friendly at all stages. parents should give equal importance to their child’s educational needs irrespective of their ward’s gender. teachers should also give equality concerning gender in the classroom as well as outside the classroom. (acknowledgement: this study was conducted in the academic session 201314. the author conducted the study as a student in the course master of education (m. ed) and expresses gratitude to dr. n.c ojha, associate professor, regional institute of education (ncert) bhopal, for supervising the study.) references almarabeh, h. amer, e. and sulieman,a. (2015). the effectiveness of multimedia learning tools in education. international journal of advanced research in computer science and software engineering. 5. 761. aloraini, s. (2012). the impact of using multimedia on students’ academic achievement in the college of education at king saud university. journal of king saud university – languages and translation (2012) 24, 75–82 azizoglu, n. 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(2007). digital simulation and experimental activities in physics and chemistry. pilot study on the impact of the resource “fusion and boiling points” with level 7 pupils. sísifo / educational sciences journal no. 3 · may/aug 07 (issn1646-6500). oluwatosin ,v. a. and josiah, o (2017). “effect of gender on senior secondary chemistry students’ achievement in stoichiometry using hands-on activities.” american journal of educational research, vol. 5, no. 8: 839-842. doi: 10.12691/ education-5-8-1 sreelekha & nayar (2004).the effectiveness of concept attainment model of learning chemistry at secondary level.ncert publication .new delhi. su, king-dow (2011).an intensive ict-integrated environmental learning strategy for enhancing student performance. international journal of environmental & science education, vol.6, no. 1, january 2011, pp. 39-58. uzuntiryaki,e.(2007). learning styles and high school students’ chemistry achievement. science education international, vol. 18 no.1, march 2007, pp 25-27. veloo, a., lee hong and lee, s.h. (2015). gender and ethnicity differences manifested in chemistry achievement and self-regulated learning. international education studies; vol. 8, no. 8; 2015 issn 1913-9020 e-issn 1913-9039 published by canadian center of science and education vaishnav, s.r.(2013) learning style and academic achievement of secondary school indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 53 students. voice of research, vol. 1 issue 4,march 2013, issn no. 2277-7733 wilson, m. l. (2011) students’ learning style preferences and teachers’ instructional strategies: correlations between matched styles and academic achievement. a dissertation presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree doctor of education,liberty university, november, 2011 yilmaz-soylu and akkoyunlu(2002). the effect of learning styles on achievement in different learning environments. the turkish online journal of educational technology 2002. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 138 research article effectiveness of informational communication technology instructional package (ictip) on english language learning among secondary school students: an intervention study during covid-19 vijaykumarr1, radhika a2 & thamizhiniyan k3 1assistant professor, school of education, pondicherry university pondicherry email: vijaykumarsoe@gmail.com. 2research scholar, dept. of education, annamalai university chidambaram, tamil nadu 3post-doctoral fellow, centre for adult & continuing education school of education, pondicherry university, pondicherry abstract information and communication technology (ict) is dominating the world in general and equally imparting the best of the resources in quality education, hence, 21stcentury is considered an era of ict in education (mayer, 2014). this present unprecedented covid-19 pandemic created a wide range of gaps in physical classroom practices in most of the world and it is also evident that the whole world solely depends on the best ict resources for instruction to support the teaching-learning process for which an experimental study administered to evaluate the relative effect of informational communication technology instructional package (ictip) in teaching the english language. the sampling of the study consists of 61 students of the 10th class aged 15 to 17 years from jawahar navodaya vidyalaya students of the pondicherry region. the ictip consists of various instructional interventions on content and pedagogical inputs to improve the academic performance in english language learning between the control and experimental group before and after intervention respectively. the mean scores of the experimental group were found statistically significant when compared to that of the control group after the intervention of english language skills and invariably increased the mean scores of listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. hence, this study reveals that ict instructional package is effective and shall always bring desirable changes in any content teaching especially during this covid pandemic which helps teachers to use it day to day classroom practices and other stakeholders to encourage the same. key words: ict, instructional package, english language skills, school students. introduction shaping india’s future to achieve social and educational goals is a fundamental challenge for mankind and india, being a progressing society trying hard to become a superpower by converting its demographic advantage into a knowledge powerhouse in every possible area of concern, including education pre-school to higher education, the twenty-first century is referred to as the era of ict. information and communication technology (ict) has become one of the most important tools in the learning process. the purpose of this study is to evaluate how well the intended and constructed instruction can improve indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 139 english language teaching (elt) skills, such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing. various studies have found that educational materials that are embedded with instructional information and given in the form of text, pictures, voices, and so on are better than words alone. in view of mayer (2014) written and spoken text are examples of words, while static graphic images, animation, and video are examples of pictures. according to kanellopoulou et al. (2019) using both words and pictures allows the brain to process more information in working memory. mohseni (2014) investigated the impact of chunk learning on listening comprehension and discovered that chunk learning, which includes multi-words, verb idioms, and collocations, had a significant impact on listening comprehension ability. according to gilakjani et al. (2011), a video instructional package improves students’ grasp of physics topics, skill acquisition, and performance. the use of video in listening and grammar, as well as enhanced pronunciation of english words, demonstrated that the learner became more engaged and spontaneous in the acquisition of new words (spector et al., 2014). according to gilakjani et al. (2011), the usage of multimedia can increase learners’ intrinsic motivation. schools of today are looking at opportunities to strengthen their structure become more competitive, adopt new technology in communication and information that are also affordable, which will aid in getting over competition and sustaining in the long run (spector et al., 2014). the education sector is not uniform in developing countries like india. schools have diversified status in their infrastructure. in india, public schools are funded by the government at the third level, followed by aided schools and private schools which are at the top in terms of technology and infrastructure. the era is multimedia, video conferencing information technology communication which pushes schools to adopt ict in their curriculum and mode of teaching largely to sustain the field of education (fishman et al., 2004). ict enabled learning gives students access to the latest information and technology, talented mentors, and international teachers’ expertise, which otherwise is almost impossible for many. ict enables the easy adoption of different approaches and enhances teaching and learning (shirley ayonmike, 2020). need and importance of the study in the teacher training institutes sector, information and communication technology (ict) is employed as a communication tool to improve student teachers’ learning and teaching techniques. training institutions use communication software to send, save, share, and exchange information as technology advances in education and training. ict in education has driven many teacher training institutions to become acquainted with smart technology in this technological era. the government of india, as per the revised scheme of information and communication. for this reason, many programs have been taken by the government. research in education has been established that language fluency improves the achievement of the students that become joyful learning at the same time. language helps the students to understand the content and they can study in-depth when the content is understood literally. students become restless when the language of the content is not understandable to them. however, the understanding ability enhances the learning ability and increases the rapidity of understanding. as rashtriya madhyamik shiksha abhiyan (rmsa) emphasizes the learning indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 140 should be meaningful and joyful and thus the students take part in learning with a creative activity, which leads to their best academic achievement and creative learning as well. learning the english language can be boosted with innovative methods of teaching. ict has such a great scope of involvement embedded with varieties of verbal and visual presentations that support and enhance meaningful learning. it is an innovative attempt since its great network and versatility helps one to create many innovations in the field of education. hence, there exists a great need for worthy research in this domain to find out the suitable or appropriate techniques and methods, including integration of the use of adequate ict gadgets in teaching and learning which has made the teachinglearning process more meaningful. hence, the investigator attempted to design and develop an ict-based instructional package (ictip) to impart english language teaching (elt) to enhance the basic skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing (lsrw) through experimental method using pre-test and post-test equivalent group design at jawahar navodaya vidhyalaya at pondicherry region. review of related literature educational research studies have established that the positive outcomes evolved using varieties of ict resources that were experimented with in the education sector especially on the teaching-learning process. ict became popular and has been introduced in many schools and various subjects. teachers often consider ict as an appropriate resource that is standardized and assists them to teach the school curriculum. however, the education sector has started working on the practical domain using information technology. it is a great transformation that helps teachers in improving and making teaching easy and enjoyable even for complex and abstract tasks. barış (2016), students who were taught using a video instructional package or an audio instructional package did better than students who were taught using standard classroom instruction. alpaslan (2016), the influence of video projection and a power-point educational package resulted in better performance than the traditional technique of teaching. shirley ayonmike (2020) discovered that the influence of the online mode of instruction was more successful in the learning of motor skills and recommended that teachers incorporate the same online mode of education. according to mohsen & shafeeq (2014), instructors have a good attitude toward adopting new technologies, such as blackboard, which acts as a structured e-learning platform for teachers who can study english or a foreign language (efl). oyeyemi & daniel (2016) studied the impact of interactive multimedia on students’ english language pronunciation skills. the world of education is changing and it is towards the use of ict. teachers of english as a foreign language used ict to enhance their teaching in a variety of ways, including powerpoint and word processing, as well as language dictionaries and internet films (sabiri, 2020). education has moved from just theoretical learning to creating information technology if not least knowing how to use them. other teachers view ict as a tool to handle complex tasks and with performancebased assessment. at present, it is visible that there is a strong relationship between the belief of a teacher and the use of ict in the classroom. it is also opined that ict helps students learn skills like communication, problemsolving and handling information better which have become essentiality of indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 141 today’s age (kozma, 2003). the recent covid-19 pandemic has revealed that many teachers opposed the usage of ict in teaching and working with ict. literally, ict is the only source that is communicating all kinds of information. minimum use of ict to get done with our work has become essential today. the role or responsibility of a teacher in the class is shifted or changed after the introduction of ict in class (kozma, 2003). integration of ict is made possible when students select the right technology and tools for getting information. there is a huge demand from students for the integration of ict in their classrooms. students of today are smart enough; they understand the need and importance of ict and want to be technology literate if not computer scientists. there is a huge gap in the usage of ict between students and teachers. a student’s thinking pattern when exposed to ict changes and so, should be the mindset of the teachers of today. students all over the world have experienced the benefits of proper usage of ict. online classes have shown them a new dimension of using ict. earlier, limited children, as well as teachers were aware of the educational apps, but today both the teacher and student community are working smartly with these apps. on the other way, according to kim, students who are exposed to ict have a better ability to explore, identify and generate new ideas and acquire new skills. as the pragmatists opine, a student can learn concepts better when he/she practically does. it is the right of every student no matter where in the world to learn techniques which is the need of the 21st century and it is no longer acceptable for teachers to not implement ict in education or shy away from it. the future of a country is in the hands of its youth is a very famous saying, but it depends more on the training and education are given to youth in information and technology. the majority of the researchers noted that various governments and departments of education and educators are for the implementation of ict in education and more in school education. there is a global need for children of the world to have access to computers and technology. ict creates an open learning environment that is no longer restricted to the four walls of the classroom. the impact of ict on education, particularly on the teaching-learning process, is crucial and crucial to teach abstract ideas in all school subjects, including english language teaching, as evidenced by the research reviews. teachers need to develop into educators of today by integrating ict in their teaching. methodology objectives 1. to evaluate the effectiveness of the ict instructional package (ictip) on teaching the english language among secondary school students. 2. to analyze the effectiveness ict instructional package among secondary school students 3. to examine the effect of intervention after controlling the pre-test scores of the experimental and control groups. hypotheses 1. there is no significant difference between the pre-test scores of control a group and the experimental group with respect to lsrw skills. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 142 2. there is a significant difference between pre-test and post-test scores of the control group and experimental group with ictip with respect to lsrw skills. 3. there is no significant effect of intervention after controlling the pre-test scores of the experimental and control group. research design figure-1: blueprint of the experimental research experimental research design the intervention started with developing an ict instructional package (ictip) in the form of activities covering verbal and visual, audio, video has been designed and developed for english language teaching (elt) of 10th class students, to improve the english language skills like especially listening, speaking, reading and writing (lsrw) which has been measured before and after the intervention. ict instructional package developed was administered in jawahar navodhaya vidhyalaya residential school, pondicherry region using pre-test and post-test equivalent group experimental research design. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 143 figure-2: pre-test and post-test equivalent group experimental design the present research studies conducted based on two groups were formed one experimental and one control group and the participants were 9th students. raven has created a non-verbal culturefree group exam that is commonly used in educational settings to assess the non-verbal intelligence of literate and illiterate people in groups. it assesses a person’s ability to comprehend meaningless data presented to him. the exam allows for the evaluation of a person’s ability to engage in intellectual activities. this examination was created for people of all ages, regardless of their education, nationality, or physical education. ictip intervention and treatment stage 1: raven’s progressive matrix (rpms) measures non-verbal intelligence. investigators used this nonverbal standardized test to divide the two groups to ensure the homogeneity of the sample. students were separated into experiment and control groups based on their performance, with odd numbers in one group and even numbers in the other, resulting in homogeneity. the ict english language teaching module was implemented in the experimental group and the control group was not administered the module but taught through conventional teaching by the regular teacher. however, after the intervention, the control group was also administered the same ictip module as an ethical standard. stage 2: the two groups were tested for homogeneity before the experiment to prove that both experiment and control groups are in the same standard. an english proficiency (lsrw listening, speaking, reading and writing) test was administered before the intervention for both the groups and the intervention was planned for 40 days and the same lsrw test was administered after the intervention for both the groups. both experimental and control groups were tested after the intervention to study the effectiveness of the intervention (ictip) on english language teaching. the instrument used for data collection is a questionnaire consisting of profiling questions and english proficiency based on lsrw skills. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 144 analysis and interpretation of the results h1: there is no significant difference between pre-test and posttest scores of control group and experimental group. table-1: results of control and experimental group in pre-test and post-test on elt particulars group n mean t sig. pre-testlistening control group 31 7.10 0.22  0.83 experiment group 30 7.17 pre-test: speaking control group 31 4.03 1.10  0.28 experiment group 30 4.37 pre-test: reading control group 31 7.03 0.93  0.36 experiment group 30 6.80 pre-writing control group 31 4.29 0.25  0.81 experiment group 30 4.37 pre-test total control group 31 22.45 0.35  0.73 experiment group 30 22.70 figure-3: results of control and experimental group in pre-test and ost-test on elt the data of table 1 reveals, there is no significant difference between the pre-test scores of the control and experimental group on english language learning (elt), including the lsrw listening (t=0.22), speaking (t=1.10), reading (t=0.93), and writing (t=0.25). the mean scores of the pretest of the control group is 22.45, the experimental group is 30.16 and the obtained t value of post-test scores of the control group and experimental group is 0.35 at 0.01 level of significance. hence, the null hypothesis is accepted and it is concluded that there is no significant difference between pre-test scores of the control and experimental group. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 145 h2: there is no significant difference between the post-test of the control group and experimental group. table-2: results of post-test on elt of both control and experimental group dimension group n mean t sig. post-test: listening control group 31 6.97 2.22  0.03  experiment group 30 7.83 post-test: speaking control group 31 4.81 2.63  0.01  experiment group 30 6.10 post-test reading control group 31 7.03 2.18  0.04  experiment group 30 7.87 post-test writing control group 31 6.06 8.45  0 .00 experiment group 30 8.37 elt post-test total control 31 24.87 4.88 0.00 experiment 30 30.17 figure-4: results of the post-test on elt of both the control and experimental group table 2 reveals that there is a significant difference between post-test scores of control and experimental groups on english language learning (elt) including the lsrw listening (t=2.22) speaking (t=2.63), reading (t=2.18) and writing (t=8.45). the mean scores of post-tests of the control group are 24.87, the experimental group is 30.16 and the obtained t value of post test scores of control group and experimental group is 4.88 at 0.01 level of significance. hence, the null hypothesis is rejected and it is concluded that there is an increase in the total performance of the experimental group after teaching through ict instructional package. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 146 h3: there is no significant effect of intervention after controlling the pre-test scores of the experimental and control groups. table-3: controlling the pre-test scores of experimental and control groups using ancova test categories listening speaking reading writing total f sig. f sig. f sig. f sig. f sig. corrected model 3.59 0.03 3.67 0.03 3.08 0.05 35.06 0.00 12.52 0.00 intercept 24.39 0.00 27.11 0.00 17.36 0.00 190.49 0.00 24.54 0.00 pre-test score (co-variate) 2.16 0.15 0.48 0.49 1.39 0.24 0.00 0.97 1.17 0.29 post-test control and experimental group 4.82 0.03 6.22 0.02 5.33 0.03 70.03 0.00 23.34 0.00 the difference of post-test scores of the control and experimental group was reexamined after controlling for the effect of pre-test scores or prior proficiency in order to cross-validate the results. from table 3, it can be inferred that there is no main and interactive effect of pre-test scores of english language learning treated as a covariate and as the significance for all the f statistics are above 0.01. this proves that there is no prior english language learning that affected further obtained results. however, the significant difference observed in the post-test was essentially due to the effect of the intervention of the ictip module. the total ‘f’ value revealed at 0.05 level of significance shows that there is a clear difference between the post-test scores of the control group and post-test of the experimental group. results and discussion finding-1: there is no significant difference between the pre-test scores of the control and experimental group on english language learning (elt), including the lsrw listening (t=0.22), speaking (t=1.10), reading (t=0.93), and writing (t=0.25). the mean scores of pretests of the control group are 22.45 and the experimental group is 30.16 and the obtained t value of post test scores of control group and experimental group is 0.35 at 0.01 level of significance. finding-2: there is a significant difference between post-test scores of the control and experimental group on english language learning (elt), including the lsrw listening (t=2.22), speaking (t=2.63), reading (t=2.18), and writing (t=8.45). the mean scores of post-tests of the control group is 24.87, the experimental group is 30.16 and the obtained t value of post-test scores of the control group and experimental group is 4.88 at 0.01 level of significance which infers the intervention has greatly influenced the scores of post-test of the experimental group. students’ academic achievement scores improved after teaching through the ict instructional package in all dimensions of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 147 finding-3: the difference of post-test scores of control and experimental group was re-examined after controlling for the effect of pre-test scores or prior proficiency in order to cross-validate the results inferred that there is no main and interactive effect of pre-test scores of english language learning treating as a covariate and as the significance for all the f statistics are above 0.01. this proves that there is no prior english language learning that affected further obtained results. educational implications the world sensitized the importance of ict in teaching and learning. ict was treated as a supporting aid. schools are far from ict implementation and effective use the world over and mostly in developing and underdeveloped countries (kozma, 2003). addressing ict integration in education is vital. studies have shown that students who have access to computers at home perform much better in academics than those who do not have access to it. in the present time, it is playing an important role in all the levels and streams of education. the present experiment is valid in the present covid scenario. the study gives a positive motivation with a valid statistical analysis. based on the study, it is derived that ictip has helped to improve academic performance and it is also proved that all four language skills listening, speaking, reading, and writing have a significant improvement in the experimental group than the control group. studies conducted in different parts of the world have opined that it takes a long way to achieve ict integration in education. the use of technology in schools is more for personal than learning in schools both by teachers and students. integration of ict in school education needs a long time and sustained development. ict integration has been the primary goal of many educators the world over with a long-term goal of creating students who are lifelong. the necessity created since the pandemic has created a deadly environment and it has become risky to step out. in these conditions present study strengthens the usage of ict for teaching and learning. the saying is true; necessity is the mother of invention. teachers of older generations who were not having expertise also started learning and using the ict in teaching. it is believed that the confusion arising regarding the effectiveness of ict on teaching and learning the english language will be clarified with this study. hence, the study is significant in teaching and learning in present days and strengthens online teaching. the objectives of teaching the english language are achieved through ictip. conclusion national mission for education through information communication technology is serving to leverage ict potential in the teaching-learning process which invariably benefits all the stakeholders of the educational system breaking the border and boundaries, especially during this unprecedented covid-19 pandemic. this experiment was carried out during july-2020 when the covid pandemic was not affected as it was in the second wave. based on experiments conducted and the statistical analysis, it is observed by the researcher that teaching through ictip has a significantly positive effect in the english language teaching and learning. education is being shaped in a novel way by a technology-driven approach. language teaching & learning have been made incomparably easier with the help of various software and programmes. teachers no longer have control over the classroom; instead, the focus has shifted to the students (sabiri, 2020). teachers shall always integrate the ict-based resources to improve the language skills, especially at school levels. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 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(2014). handbook of research on educational communications and technology: fourth edition. handbook of research on educational communications and technology: fourth edition, 1–1005. https://doi.org/10.1007/9781-4614-3185-5 online resources http://imanagerenglishlanguageteaching.blogspot.com/2013/03/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/48184/2/3-3-2-proceedings_of_the_3_icllce_kl_2015.pdf indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 149 http://marianrosenberg.wiki.westga.edu/file/view/ertmerpteacherbeliefs.pdf https://ciet.nic.in/pages.php?id=brochure-on-ict-initiatives&ln=en https://ciet.nic.in/upload/ict/ict.jpg https://digitalindia.gov.in/content/national-mission-education-using-ict https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ej1101728.pdf https://vnit.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/ict-initiatives-of-mhrd-government-ofindia.pdf https://www.aicte-india.org/downloads/missiondocument_20feb09.pdf https://www.education.gov.in/ict/ https://www.nmeict.ac.in/ https://www.researchjourney.net/admin/uploads/special_issue/20190420082645.pdf#page indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 273 research article chatgpt and social science research in higher education priyanka yadav1 & anshu srivastava2 1assistant professor, centre for policy research in higher education, niepa, new delhi 2associate professor, niepa, new delhi emailasrivastava@niepa.ac.in abstract in recent times, advancements in artificial intelligence (ai) have made promises for major technological developments. ai has broadened the scope of computer applications, which has expanded to understand real-world problems. chatgpt, the artificial intelligence tool, has further gained popularity in a short span of time. in the field of education and research, chatgpt is used widely as a tool to ease out prominent research tasks like the generation of problems, literature review, providing problem statements, etc. a large portion of the research community has been using this tool without any reasonable restriction or any mechanism of checks and balances, further fostering a threat of unethical research practices. however, is the usage of chatgpt de-burdening researchers, or is it suppressing creativity? will the usage of chatgpt contribute to research in higher education, or will it be detrimental? this paper aims to understand the impact of chatgpt on social science research in higher education. with the aim of understanding the concept of artificial intelligence and chatgpt, this paper locates the potential challenges which are caused by using the chatbot in the field of education and research. keywords: chat gpt, artificial intelligence, social science research, technological intervention introduction ai and chatgpt are the current buzz in the world of technology which has the potential to affect every other domain of human life. countries across the world are investing a lot in the development of artificial intelligence. chatgpt has been rapidly growing as a tool to solve problems in the human world. it is the recent advancement in artificial intelligence which has caught attention because of its ability to understand human conversation and generate responsesthis is termed generative ai. the impact of chatgpt on academic learning and higher education has been high. as it has been accused of being misused by the academic community. some have also appreciated its intervention as an effective tool which aids in generating new research ideas and developing research outlines. however why is there a need to have tools to generate ideas? is not research by default a method of arriving at the new? especially in a discipline like social science, whose epistemological premise is thinking and creating. paradoxically, rather than aiding researchers and academicians in the task of writing and research, chatgpt can deprive them of understanding the essentials of the discipline. the confluence of chatgpt and social science needs a deeper understanding as chatgpt, apart from aiding, is altering the epistemology of the discipline. therefore, this paper tries to understand the chatgpt tool of artificial intelligence in the first section. in the second section, the paper analyses indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 274 the impact of chatgpt on social science education. research objective the objective of this paper is to understand the contours of artificial intelligence in order to distinguish between various types of artificial intelligence. the primary focus of the paper is on chatgpt tool of artificial intelligence and how does it impact the academic discipline. further investigating the impact of use and misuse of chatgpt in social science research. a discipline whose foundation lies in generating ideas and perspective how is the chatbot impacting the nature of this discipline. methodology the methodology used is qualitative in nature. though qualitative research is an umbrella term for a range of strategies conducting inquiry that are aimed at discerning how human beings understand, experience, interpret and produce the social worlds, this article particularly maps how social science research itself is undergoing a magnitude of change through chatgpt and the possible impact it may have. it is therefore exploratory on the one hand and critical and analytical on the other.  literature review prieto-gutierrez, juan-jose & segadoboj, francisco & frança, fabiana. (2023) in their article “artificial intelligence in social science: a study based on bibliometrics analysis. human technology” have argued the progression of artificial intelligence is inevitable through their analysis, they have observed that the impact of ai in the discipline of social science can improve quality of life and help institutions in dealing with global challenges by developing theories, bringing change in education, society, law, politics and thereby advancing economic growth in the country. sadiku, fagbohungbe and musa (2021) noted in their paper “artificial intelligence (a.i.) in social sciences: a primer” a fourfold application of ai on social science, which they outline as: explainable ai: this type of ai will be useful in arriving at definitions, concepts and theories. generally, people lack the trust and confidence to believe in explanations which are generated by humans based on set data or small sample sizes. the use of ai in this field will be instrumental in generating definitions and explanations which can be universal in nature. the field of explanation ai is an under researched area which has potential for emerging as a lucrative research subject. ai-assisted peer review: in the domain of social science research, peer review of the research work is a long and exhausting process. as there is an increase in demand for peer review due to the volume of submissions and the multiplicity of peer review journals. this arrangement often exerts pressure on the reviewer and subjects their review to scrutiny for being biased. the development of ai tools to assist the peer review process would help in fastening the process with a decreased risk of biases. the tool can provide authentication and help in gaining reliability and trust in the peer review process. human behaviour: ai’s access to large data sets can help in understanding human behaviour better. in the discipline of social science research, it can comprehend social interactions and map human behaviour in different social setting. the conclusion thereby made will to the best possible extent free from judgments and biases of any nature. human labour: one of the major indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 276 there are numerous types of ai; however, out of a huge list, there are five dominant types of ai, namely machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, convolution neural network, and generative ai. machine learning is a type of ai which uses an array of data sets to understand patterns and provide output. (deng and lin, 2022). deep learning is a subset of machine learning, which means this category of ai is also dependent on data for generating results. however, deep learning is based on a neural network which compromises two or more layers. natural language processing (nlp) is a type of ai which is based on the neural network model that uses algorithms to understand and generate humanlike conversations. neural networks basically replicate the structure of the human brain. unlike deep learning, which has multiple layers, nlp comprises a web of networks (deng and lin, 2022). convolutional neural networks (convnets or cnns) using the neural network model have the capacity to be utilized for classification and computer vision tasks. generative ai is the type of ai which can learn and update itself from existing data and algorithms. it does not repeat data but learns to update to provide accurate and relevant answers. generative ai has the capacity for content like text, images, software code, graphic designs and the like.  chatgpt, which is the locus of this paper, cannot be categorised in any of the subtypes of artificial intelligence as it has some or the other features from each category. moreover, chatgpt should not be mistaken to be a type of ai but as an ai tool. the following section throws light on the nature of chatgpt. chatgpt chatgpt (chat generative pretrained transformer) using natural language processing (nlp) was a tool developed by openai. it is designed to generate human-like conversations by understanding the context of a conversation and generating appropriate responses. chatgpt is based on a deep learning model called gpt-3 (generative pre-trained transformer), which is trained on a large dataset of conversations. while chatgpt is the tool with which humanlike conversations can be made and understood by the machine, gpt-3 is the platform or the system upon which chatgpt is based. chatgpt is a variant of generative ai, which is different from normal ai. while normal ai requires datasets and algorithms to update from time to time, generative ai is self-learning and can update through learning from the available data sets. chatgpt is widely known for understanding human language and responding accordingly. it can take input in any language be it english, spanish or hindi. chatgpt does not connect with a hyperlink but provide answer like it can write a letter, it can write a book on any given topic, it can write emails, short essay or even a thesis, generate music, debug software, create software, write codes and program and many other. basically, it performs logical and reasonbased task digitally to assist human world. chatgpt has claimed to make education accessible and interesting with the use of the tool; instead, it has been misused by students and the teaching fraternity for generating answers, assignments, making question papers, lesson plans and the like. similarly, in the field of research, chatgpt provides help by generating research problems, research gaps and research questions, which are the most time-consuming aspects of research; however, this intervention of the chatbot mares the sanctity of research. especially with respect to social science research, which brings us to the last section of this paper, which is the impact of chatgpt on social science research. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 277 methods in social science research research in social science deals with sociology, history, geography, political science, economics, etc. and thus, all research based on these disciplines are social science research. social science research can be historical, descriptive, exploratory, case study, experimental, comparative and textual. the two important tools to conduct social science research arequalitative and quantitative. where quantitative research specifies the type of research and techniques of data collection appropriate to the objectives of the project. qualitative research is a tool for a detailed study of a social science subject. through this tool, in-depth insight into real-life problems can be obtained. this type of research is not dependent on empirical findings but on normative data. in social science research, whichever tool one uses, either qualitative or quantitative, there are set primary procedures to follow for finding the research gap, stating the hypothesis, locating the research problems/ questions, literature review, data collection, data analysis, hypothesis testing and thus conclusion. each of these processes, whether it is a qualitative method of testing the hypothesis or a quantitative method, is equally important. chat gpt and social science research the relationship between technology, education and research is not new albeit it is modern. however, this relation in the latter case has impacted in both positive and negative ways. talking about positive intervention, technology has enabled a method of creative pedagogy which is different from the traditional method of rote learning and classroom lectures. it has aided the usual teaching-learning process 1 rajendran, madushan. (2023). impact of technology on education. by providing pedagogical tools and providing creative learning outcomes (rajendran, 12023). historically, computers have played a rather narrow role in social science, where statistical analysis was the most common application. modern advancement in computer sciences has expanded the ambit of computation in the field of social science. various research tools are now available for data collection and data analysis. bibliographic retrieval, communications, instruction, and the graphic presentation of data and data modelling for all these advanced computer applications are available. however, all these developments aid in providing ease to mechanical tasks of social science. the key tasks of thinking, theorizing, conceptualization, or logical development of theories were not assigned to computers. (drass, 1980) technological intervention, as claimed, made education accessible to people who are marginalized or for whom access to education is a problem. for instance, in case of the students who are especially abled, technology and its advancement has made education easy and accessible. likewise in case of students in remote rural location the advent of technology has made education accessible. however, technology does not come without illeffects there is a reverse side to the story of technological success. as pointed out by henriksson and karlsson, 2023 technology has disrupted education in two ways: one through the introduction of a learning management system in the 1990s and the second by wikipedia. learning management systems (lms) is a computer software which has been inspired from the concept of e-learning (lafferty and edwards, 2004). lms platform are therefore managing courses, managing online assessments, indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 278 giving feedback to the learners, and has enabled asynchronous education (lafferty and edwards, 2004; al-fraihat et al., 2020). which enables access to education in the remotest parts of the country. e-learning gained popularity during the covid-19 period as the entire education system shifted to e-learning platforms to continue with education during catastrophic situations. however, a model which was adopted during a health emergency faced by the world soon became the new normal. online classes and education soon took over classroom lectures, and almost the entire education system has been dominated by lms platforms. this domination by technology has rather been disabling. firstly, adapting to e-learning platforms has not been easy, especially for teachers who have relied on traditional methods of teaching. secondly, the availability of technology is one thing and accessibility of the same is another; not every household is equipped with computers or phones to enable e-learning, especially in india, where socio-economic diversities have been huge. a second instance of disruption made by technology in the field of education has been with the advent of wikipedia (lafferty and edwards, 2004). wikipedia is an online free encyclopedia which is visited and the most cited encyclopedia on the internet. it is an open platform where all registered users can edit articles and add or delete information. this challenges the authenticity and reliability of the platform. however, since it is a widely used browser, its use in universities and schools have been rampant without any consideration of its validity. the paradox is that instead of resistance to the plagiarised content, it has gained popularity in the teachinglearning environment. these are the two disruptions presented; nonetheless, another potential disruption in education is ai, majorly chatgpt. interestingly artificial intelligence (ai) has been considered one of the most effective tools for developing education globally. and the interest in the application of ai in higher education is gradually increasing. hence, chatgpt has created a huge roar in the academic community with both preachers and criticisers. chatgpt, in its current operational form, has major intervention within the research domain. apart from providing answers to questions, writing assignments and other academic work, the chatbot claims to generate new research ideas. it has been instrumental in accomplishing the primary yet crucial tasks of research like generating research gaps, writing problem statements, providing research questions and the like. agreeably, these primary tasks of research are the most time-consuming yet difficult part, but a solution like borrowing the same from a chatbot poses a serious threat to the entire community of research, especially social science research; in the preceding section, we shall see how. according to richard mason, 1986 ai-based innovations like that of chatgpt pose serious ethical challenges in the field of research like privacy, accuracy, property, and accessibility. privacy is serious matter of concern with respect to chatgpt which is largely data driven. the problem of data privacy is growing in research field. meaning it has led to serious misuse of data and threat to the individual privacy. accuracy, the data which the chatbot uses to deliver results is not necessarily authentic or accurate. the data through which the chatbot is driven uses data quantitatively not qualitatively, as there are no filters to screen out inaccurate data. hence overreliance on ai driven chatgpt can be alarming. property is a serious ethical challenge with respect to ai-driven chatgpt. the indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 279 results which the chatbot delivers has no credible sources as it is gathered from a large set of data available with multiple authors and owners. in case of inaccuracy, piracy or, for instance, any kind of misuse of the parent data, who should be held accountable? the chatbot, the data, the software creator, the original owner, or the platform provider. the issue of ownership of intellectual property is a matter of serious ethical challenge in the use of the chatbot. finally, accessibility, with respect to data it is not available to everyone, thereby creating a divide between those who have information and those who do not. this characteristic of data is discriminating. as it might leave behind a section of data “have nots” who will be bereft of information and hence may be at a loss. those who have the information could benefit in an unjust manner. unless access to information is universal the issue of undue advantage of data will sustain (mason, 1986). apart from these ethical challenges outlined by mason (1986) there are certain discipline centric problems with respect to the use of chatgpt in social science research which are the key findings of this paper. these challenges can be understood as follows: creative, originality and epistemological. chatgpt, with its features of generating research ideas can impact human creativity showcased in social science research. being a part of the humanities discipline social science research relies on ideas which are creative and different (bryman, 2016). unlike scientific research, which deals with logical inquiry and where the focus is on finding solutions, social science research is not based on pure logic but the reason that leads to the generation of new ideas, new relationships and interconnectedness heylighen (1997). if the chatbot helps in generating ideas then the philosophy of creativity in social science will be hampered. in social science research, the beginning of the problem, which is -the creation of ideas, is the primary yet crucial element of research. secondly, the originality of research is another problematic domain of inquiry with respect to the use of chatgpt in social science. chatgpt can generate ideas, provide problem statements, introduce research gaps and conduct literature review (dowling and lucey, 2023). if chatgpt can provide all this to the consumer for use, who should be credited, the consumer or the chatbot? who claims the ownership of research, and thereby, who will claim the copyright of the result thus produced? in the entire field of research, originality is of utmost importance. if ideas are not original and unique, how can they be called research in the social science discipline? the third challenge emerges with respect to ontology: the emergence of theories in social science is a result of the creation and destruction of ideas (bryman, 2016)). either by methods of falsification as presented by karl popper or through a paradigm shift outlined by thomas kuhn. the premise of social science research is based on the process of understanding research gaps to find answers. the task of locating research gaps to writing a thesis is a creative research process in the domain of social science (richardson, 2000). chatgpt, through its feature of generating research ideas, has reduced important research components to the mechanized tasks. locating a research gap makes the researcher aware of the shortcomings of the subject to which he/she is introduced with knowledge of the field, second literature review, as opposed to its mechanized understanding, is rather a creative yet intellectual exercise which builds the foundation of indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 280 research, similarly generating problem statements. these elements are the very basis of the social science research. if these tasks are outsourced, then the purity and essence of social science will be seriously triggered. thereby reducing it to a ‘degree generating’ exercise and not ‘fact-finding’ or ‘creative-intellectual discourse. conclusion artificial intelligence is a welcome development in the field of technology. which has grabbed attention and keen interest from every field and industry. it promises to make tasks automated and supposedly provide ease to people. chatgpt, the ai tool, is no less praised and widely used today by industryspecific personnel. however, in the realm of higher education and research, it poses a potential threat which can disturb the foundation of the discipline. it has ethical as well as epistemological challenges which can alter the core of social science research. social science research is designed to not only provide answers to questions but also stimulate the creative-cognitive capacity of the individual. chatgpt, without considerable checks and balances, will hamper the philosophy of social science research. chatgpt needs a restriction as well as accountability for operation. otherwise, unregulated usage of chatgpt would generate content, which is not original but plagiarized, inaccurate and non-reliable. ironically this kind of content will be widely used because it is easy and accessible. thereby making the task of higher education and research go redundant and further replacing human originality and creativity with a chatbot. bibliography al-fraihat, d. joy, m and sinclair, j. 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(2000). evaluating ethnography. qualitative inquiry, 6(2), 253–255. https:// doi.org/10.1177/107780040000600207 sadiku, n.o mathew, i. fagbohungbe, and sarhan m. musa. (2021). artificial intelligence (a.i.) in social sciences: a primer. international journal of engineering research and advanced technology (ijerat). volume.7, issue 4. april -2021 shackter, henriksson. emilia and marcus åshage karlsson. (2023), race against the machine: managing disruption of generative ai in higher education. umea university. shimbori, michiya. (1979). sociology of education, international review of education, vol. 25, no. 2/3, pp. 393-413 torshin, ivan. (2023). deep learning for natural language processing: current trends and future directions. 10.13140/rg.2.2.25409.53602. research article relationship between parental child safety measures and technology usage among children swati partani*, yalnaaz lakdawala** & aqsa qasmi** * hod & assistant professor, deptt. of child development, maniben nanavati women's college, mumbai ** m. a. students email: swatip@gmail.com abstract the aim of the study was to find out the level of child safety measures used by parents of 6th 9th grade children and the level of technology usage among 6th 9th grade children. it also focused on studying the effect of family earning type on parental child safety measure. relationship between technology usage of children and parental child safety measures was another aspect that was explored. the study was conducted in mumbai with a sample of 110 parents of 6th 9th grade children, using purposive sampling technique. a self-structured questionnaire with a reliability of 0. 78 was used. parents used moderate level of safety measures with their children. mostly children used smart phones for less than two hours and especially for the entertainment purpose. the results indicated that dual earner families used more safety measures (t=b.57**, p=.00) as compared to single earner families. results also suggested no statistically significant correlation between child safety measures used by parents and technology usage of children. keywords: child safety, child sexual abuse, technology usage, awareness, prevention, single and dual earner families introduction traditional families have changed over time, though men still play an instrumental role in the family, women have shifted from an expressive role to a more instrumental one. the economic system has facilitated this freeing of women from household chores and their entrance to the labour market. therefore, women's share of the labour force has increased in almost all the countries. along with this the family structure has changed over time, where more indian's are moving into nuclear m households. hence, the world has seen an emergence of dual earner nuclear families. the world, has not just witnessed a change in family structure, but also the rapid proliferation of information and communications technology (ict), is an unstoppable force, touching virtually every sphere of modern life and childhood is no exception. with close to 3.5 billion users worldwide, the internet has become a key public infrastructure that has the potential to connect people (roser, ritchie, & indian journal of educational technology i volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 ortiz-ospina, 2020). while bringing many benefits to the society and being conducive to innovation, children's learning and development, the fast paced technological innovation and increasing accessibility of icts also provide new pathways to sexual abuse and exploitation of children. there is evidence that these crimes are continuing to increase and develop in step with technological advances. changing the behavior of both perpetrators and victims is both challenging and expensive and there is little evidence of what works to reduce these crimes (quayle, 2020). online predators now have a wide range of new and easier options for committing serious violations against the rights of the child (unicef, 2017). according to the internet watch foundation (iwf), in 2020 1,32,676 uniform resource locators (urls) contained child sexual abuse material. iwf analysts, in the year 2020, processed about 2,99,600 reports, a 15 percent hike from 2019 (iwf, 2021 ). child sexual abuse (hereafter, csa) is "any completed or attempted (non-completed) sexual act, sexual contact with, or exploitation (i.e., non-contact sexual interaction) of a child by a caregiver, according to the us centers for disease control and prevention (cdc) (murray, nguyen & cohen, 2014). when this material is videotaped or picturised, it is called child pornography. the accession, possession, distribution, production, advertisement or making available child pornography or child sexual abuse material; or procuring or grooming a child to engage in sexual activity; or sending indecent communication, is i indian journal of educational technology volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 considered as online child sexual abuse (capaldi, 2017). in 2019, 46 percent of the victims of such abuse were 10 years old or younger (iwf annual report, 2020). over the past decade, the role of technology in facilitating sexual offences against children has significantly evolved; as has the world's understanding of sexual offending behaviour and the manifestation of these activities on the lnternet(cybertip, 2016). although there has been increased attention to victim services, investigation, prosecution, and incarceration, there is a need for all sectors of society to demonstrate an increased commitment to, and investment in, the primary prevention activities that are directed at the general population and attempt to stop maltreatment before it occurs of child sexual abuse and exploitation. (national coalition to prevent child sexual abuse and exploitation, 2012). the universal approaches to primary prevention for child safety include parent education programs and self­ help and peer groups, 24 hour crisis care programme (prevent child abuse north dakota, n.d.). parents are the immediate family of the child and thus, his/her primary stakeholders and they constitute an important target audience of primary prevention of csa. studies have found that parents who participate in prevention programs are more likely to discuss csa with their children and those discussions are more positive (rudolph, zimmer-gembeck, shanley, & hawkins, 2018). as abuse today, happens on a virtual platform, with realistic harms, the m prevention also needs to be at par. in india, many applications and softwares, aid parents to create a safe environment for the child online, like ekavach, it act, 2000 & cyber law india and safe browser. also apps like chirag, shishu surakhsha and child rights monitor have been launched by various state governments across the country, to safeguard children. in 2020, cybertipline received 21751085, an increase of 28 percent from 2019 (national centre for missing and exploited children, 2020). as per a review conducted by kloess and colleagues on "online child sexual exploitation" in 2014 found that eighty­ two percent of young children between the ages of 9 and 11, as well as 95 percent of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 16 have used internet in sweden in 2006, of which 32 percent reported to have received online sexual solicitations. as per the iamai & kantar imrb survey as on december 2016, the overall internet penetration in india was around 31 percent presently. analysis of 'daily users' revealed that both in urban and rural india, the younger generations were the most prolific users of internet. as per a more recent report india has 504 million active internet users and of the total internet population 71 million were between 5-11 years of age (livemint, 2020). rat ionale the world in the past few decades has witnessed digitalization; however, the anonymity of the internet has led to its own share of adverse effects. it helps its m users to have a wider reach, and thus the abusers have moved to an online platform, to share images and videos of csa and also groom children online. as internet usage amongst the youth is experiencing a sharp growth, they have become more vulnerable to online csa it thus becomes important for parents to take due measures to safeguard children online. the traditional roles of women have also shifted, thus leading to the emergence of dual earner families. therefore, the study focused on exploring the parental child safety measures against online csa with respect to family earning type and also the its relationship with technology usage of ch ildren. objectives 1. to find out the level of parental child safety measures of 6th to 9th grade children 2. to know the usage of technology among 6th to 9th grade children 3. to find out the effect of family earning type on parental child safety measures for csa with use of technology 4. to observe the relationship between parental child safety measures for csa and technology usage among children hypothesis h01: there is no statistically significant difference between the level of parental child safety measures with respect to single and dual earner fami lies h02: there is no statistically significant correlation between parental child indian journal of educational technology i volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 safety measures and technology usage of children methodology operational definitions parental child safety measures: the strategies parents use to safeguard children against online child sexual abuse. single earner families: the families in which only one partner is earning. dual earner families: the families in which both the partners are earning. children: children who are studying in 6th to 9th grade technology usage of children: reported time of technology usage by children, per day. like access to smart phones, tablets and computers etc. sampling procedure the study was conducted in western suburbs of mumbai. a self-devised questionnaire was administered to 110 parents of 6th -9th grade children using purposive sampling technique. tool a self-structured questionnaire with a reliability of 0.78 was used to assess the parental child safety measures and the technology usage of 6th -9th grade children. it was validated by three experts from the field of child sexual abuse and who had research experience. data analysis data was analyzed using a statistical software. statistics such as percentage, i indian journal of educational technology volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 mean, standard deviation, independent samples t-test and bi-variate correlation (pearson's correlation) were used to analyze the data and draw inferences. results and discussions demographics of the participants the average age of the children in the sample was 12.8 years. majority, i.e. 73.63 percent & 53.63 percent of the mothers and fathers respectively belonged to the age group of 35-45 years. majorly (36.36 percent) monthly income of the sample was above 75,000 rupees. most i.e. 37.27 percent & 36.36 percent, of the fathers and mothers, in the study were graduates, respectively. almost half (50.90 percent) of the participants were belonged to nuclear families. more than half of the families were single earners i.e. 54.5 percent, whereas 45.4 percent were dual earners. parental child safety measures figure-1 suggests that majority of the parents used moderate level of child safety measures to prevent online child sexual abuse i.e. 66 percent of them. a review by wurtele and kenny (2010) stated that number of studies have been conducted which showed that parents tried to educate their children about child sexual abuse. m 70 60 50 qi ~ .s 40 c qi !: 30 qi =20 10 0 low moderate high level of parental child safety measures ~ figure 1: percentage of the level of parental child safety measures yet another review by rudolph (1027) and colleagues stated that two studies have focused on parental protective behaviours, other than communicating with children directly about csa risks. these two studies demonstrate that parents use a variety of protective ~ 80 70 60 : so ... ~ 40 cj t 30 ~ 20 10 0 practices (e.g., supervision, monitoring, and involvement) to create the external barriers that may keep their children safe from csa, of which direct discussions of abuse prevention in the home are only a small part. level of technology usage ■ overall usage ■ academic usage 0 2 hours 2 4 hours 4 6 hours more than 6 hours number of hours figure 2: percentage of children using smart phones for academic and other purposes per day (in hours) m indian journal of educational technology i volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 figure-2 suggests that most children used smart phones for less than 2 hours. more academic usage was seen for less than 2 hours, whereas overall usage was dominant between 2-6 hours. a study conducted at the aligarh a> : 1 so -t----===-----~ 100 ~ q,i 50 ~ 0 muslim university, on college students, showed that 63 percent respondents used their phones for 4-7 hours daily, thus supporting the current findings (agha, 2018). ■ accessable ■installed type of application figure 3: percentage of children having various types of applications openly installed and accessible in their smart phones figure-3 suggests that most children the least used applications were the had entertainment applications both educational applications. however, t he installed as well as openly accessible, difference between the application in followed by social networking terms of being installed and accessible applications, followed by lifestyle apps. wasn't stark. 100% --80% +---­ ~60% ---~ i: 40% -l---q> i:; t 20% +---­ q.. single earner families dual earner families ■don't own smartphones ■own smartphones type of family figure 4: percentage of ownership of smart phones among children of single and dual earner families however, figure-4 suggests that more than 50 percent children owned smart phones in single earner families, whereas only 42 percent children in dual i indian journal of educational technology volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 earner families owned smart phones. this might be due to less availability of the parents at home most of the time in dual earner families. also many a m times parents use too much of digital when doing house chores, 65 percent tool to manage time with their children to keep the child calm in public places, right from the early years, which is also 58 percent to keep their child occupied reflected in the study done by kabali et while they ran errands and 28 percent al (2015), who stated that 70 percent parents used mobile devices to put their of parents gave children digital devices child to sleep during early years. table-1: mean, sd and t-value of parental child safety measures with respect to working status of the family working status n mean single earner 84 32.59 dual earner 26 36.00 **significance at p< .00 level table-1 suggests that there was a statistically significant difference in parental child safety measures with respect to family earning type. thus, null hypothesis has been rejected. the mean difference suggested that dual earner families use more child safety measures, to safeguard their children against online csa, as compared to single earners. although, figure 4 depicted that more smart phones were owned by children in single earner families, single earner families used less safety measures. the reason for the same might be the dual earner parents are exposed more to the changing sd t value level of significance 5.49 8.57** .00 3.98 world. a study conducted by preethy and somasundaram in 2020 found that majority of the working parents were aware of the various factors that could result in child abuse and nearly half of them had taken proper steps to prevent such untoward occurrence in their families. another study conducted by alzoubi, ali, flah & ai-natour in 2017 found that employed mothers had a higher awareness of csa and recognized signs and symptoms of csa more than other mothers. the higher awareness and unavailability both could possibly put them more on guard as they are not able to supervise the child all the time. table-2: pearson correlation coefficient and p-value between parental child safety measures and technology usage by 6th -9th grade children parental child safety technology usage *significant at p<.05 level m parental child safety technology usage 1 .02 .02 1 indian journal of educational technology i volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 table-2 suggests that there was no statistically significant relationship between parental child safety measures and technology usage. there was a very weak negative correlation which suggests that as parental child safety measures increases, the technology usage of children decreases. thus, the proposed null hypothesis had been accepted. as seen in figure-2, children spent more time using smart phones, for purposes other than academic and as indicated in figure 3, there wasn't much difference between the mobile applications being installed and the ones being accessible by children, which suggests that parental controls might not be as stringent, and thus didn't increase with increasing usage of technology. the findings of a research by shin and li, in 2017, suggested that parental mediation was not a function of the time spent by children on digital technology, thus supporting the current study. it alternatively, suggested that parental engagement in digital activities might be related to the mediation they provide, as they then understand the potential hazards of technology usage along with the barriers that they might face. conclusion the current study suggested that most parents used only moderate level of child safety measures. the children in the current study had more overall technology usage i.e. for entertainment and social purposes, as compared to academic usage. the second highest i indian journal of educational technology volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 applications accessible to children were those of social media. the results also suggested that there was no significant correlation between technology usage of children and parental child safety measures. however, it was found that dual earner families used more parental child safety measures, as compared to single earners. limitat ions the sample size and inclusion criteria in the study, limits the ability to generalize the research findings. more importantly, as all the participants lived in mumbai, the results had geographical limitations. moreover, there can be a possibility of gender bias as majority of participants were females. the technology usage of children has been reported by parents, however, in dual earner families, parents might not be able to supervise their children's screen time, all day, which might lead to inaccurate reporting. recommendation a larger representative sample with equal number of male and female participants would be suggested for a further research in order to make generalization possible and minimize gender bias. also, participants from various socio economic backgrounds must be considered. semi structured interviews and other qualitative data must be considered to justify the results. inclusion of parental engagement with technology and the data about child's technology usage must be collected from the child as a self-report. m references agha, e. (2018). 150 times a day: study shows indian students' alarming smartphone addiction. retrieved march, 20, 2020 from https://www.news18.com/news/india/according-to-new-study-students­ check-their-mobile-devices-as-many-as-150-times-in-a-day-1720539.html alzoubi, f., ali, r., flah, i., & ai-natour, a. (2017). mothers' knowledge & perception about child sexual abuse in jordan. child abuse & neglect, 75, 149-158. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.06.006 capaldi, d. (2017). online child sexual exploitation: an analysis of emerging and selected issues. ecpat international journal, 12. retrieved from https://www.ecpat.org/wp-content/uploads/2017 /04/journal_no 12-ebook. pdf cybertip. (2016). child sexual abuse images on the internet. retrieved december 8, 2018, from http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/2699673/ cybertip-ca-csaresearchreport-2016-en.pdf internet watch foundation. (2020). iwf annual report. retrieved december 12, 2018, from https://www.iwf.org.uk/sites/default/files/reports/202004/iwf _ ann ua i_report_2020_low-res-digita i_aw _ 6mb. pdf internet watch foundation. (2021 ). grave threat' to children from predatory internet groomersas online child sexual abuse material soars to record levels. retrieved march 14, 2021, from https://www.iwf.org.uk/news/% e2% 80%98grave-threat%e2%80%99-children-predatory-internet­ groomers-online-child-sexual-abuse-material-soars iamai & kantar imrb. (2016). internet in india. india: iamai & kantar imrb jiloha, r (2009). impact of modernization on family and mental health in south asia. delhi psychiatry journal, 12(1 ), 44-46. retrieved from http://medind. nic.in/daa/t09/i1/daat09i1 p42.pdf kabali, h. k., irigoyen, m. m., nunez-davis, r., budacki, j. g., mohanty, s. h., leister, k. p., & bonner, r. l. (2015). exposure and use of mobile media devices by young children. pediatrics, 136(6), 1044-1050. retrieved from http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/136/6/1044 kloess, j., beech, a., & harkins, l. (2014). online child sexual exploitation. university of birmingham, 15(2), 126-139. doi: 10.1177 /1524838013511543 livemint. (2020). india now has over 500 million active internet users: !amai. retrieved march, 12, 2020 from https://www.livemint.com/news/india/ india-now-has-over-s00-million-active-internet-users-iamai-115886798047 74 .html murray, l., nguyen, a., & cohen, j. (2014). child sexual abuse. child adolescent iii indian journal of educational technology i volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 psychiatric clinic north america, 23(2), 321-337. doi: 10.1016/j.chc.2014 .01 .003 national centre for missing and exploited children. (2020). by the numbers. retrieved march 12, 2020, from https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/ cyberti pli ne national coalition to prevent child sexual abuse and exploitation. (2012).national plan to prevent the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. retrieved december 21, 2018, fromhttp://www.preventtogether.org/resources/ documents/nationa1plan2012final.pdf preethy, n., & somasundaram, s. (2020). awareness of child abuse and neglect among working parents in chennai, india: a knowledge, attitude and practice (kap) survey.journal of family medicine and primary care, 9(2), 602-608. https:/ /doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc 1106 19 prevent child abuse north dakota. (n.d.). levels of prevention. retrieved march, 14, 2020 from http://www.pcand.org/stats-and-facts/levels-of-prevention. html quayle, e. (2020). prevention, disruption and deterrence of online child sexual exploitation and abuse. era forum, 27(3), 429-227. doi: 10.1007/s12027020-00625-7 roser, m., ritchie, h & ortiz-ospina, e. (2020). internet . retrieved february 29, 2020, from: https://ourworldindata.org/internet rudolph, j., zimmer-gembeck, m., shanley, d., & hawkins, r. (2017). child sexual abuse prevention opportunities: parenting, programs, and the reduction of risk. child maltreatment, 23(1 ), 2-11 . doi: 10.1177/1077559517729479 rudolph, j., zimmer-gembeck, m., shanley, d.,& hawkins, r. (2018). child sexual abuse prevention opportunities: parenting, programs, and the reduction of risk. child maltreatment, 23(1 ), 96-106. doi:10.1177 /1077559517729479 shin, d., & li, b. (2017). parental mediation of children's digital technology use in singapore.journal of children and media, 11 (1 ), 1-19. doi: 10.1080/174827 98.2016.1203807 unicef (2017). children in a digital world. retrieved january 7, 2019, from https://www.unicef.org/publications/files/sowc_2017 _eng_ web.pdf whitham, e., james, v., & battis, j. (2017). child sexual abuse primary prevention strategies: a literature review. des moines: author. wurtele, s., & kenney, m. (2010). partnering with parents to prevent childhood sexual abuse. published online in wiley lnterscience, 19, 130-152. doi: 10.1002/car.2 i indian journal of educational technology volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 m indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 239 research article assessment of english language oral production using calf: an automatic analytic tool for complexity, accuracy, lexis and fluency 1infanta vincy r 2greta d’souza 1christ (deemed to be university), email: infanta.r@res.christuniversity.in 2christ (deemed to be university), email:greta.dsouza@christuniversity.in abstract this paper shows the evident lack of ict based oral language production assessment tools and how the english language assessment in the state school education system is limited to testing the listening, reading and writing language skills. this paper projects four important factors which are proven to be effective indicators of an individual’s oral language proficiency. this research paper explores the use of ict in language assessment and explains the usage of calf tool in depth which is an automatic analytic tool developed by gavin bui and peter skehan (2016) to analyse the complexity, accuracy and fluency of spoken language for research purposes. the study was conducted primarily to pilot the calf tool and test its functionality in the context of interest for a research project. the calf tool was piloted in a government school in tamil nadu and the participants were learners of english as a second language from vi standard. a total of 15 students were present for all the sessions. the speech data of the learners were recorded, transcribed, coded and uploaded in the calf system for obtaining the indicative measures of complexity, accuracy, lexical and fluency in english language production. the recorded speech data was analysed twice and the intraclass correlation coefficient (icc) was obtained using spss to establish the reliability of the calf tool. the obtained icc value of 0.955 proved an excellent level of conformity in the complexity, accuracy, lexical and fluency measures derived from the calf system. the study most importantly exhibits the potential of the calf tool to be added as a significant online language production assessment tool with further advancement research on the transcription and coding stages. keywords: calf tool, ict in language assessment, english language oral production introduction the english language production skills are one of the least assessed and focused skills in english language teaching spaces in the school education. “in a society where english proficiency guarantees economic and social upward mobility, much greater investment in research that informs policy and practice is necessary but does not seem to be forthcoming” (ramanathan, 2016). the draft national educational policy (2019) clearly expresses the desire to promote high accessibility and quality in english language education in india indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 240 in all government and nongovernment schools “to help break the current divide between the economic elite and the rest of the country, in addition to teaching indian languages” with the focus on functionality and fluency (p. 82). there’s a huge dissimilarity in terms of english language proficiency between the different types of schools (ncert, 2006, p.2) which are primarily categorized on the basis of two factors such as teachers’ english language proficiency (tp) and english in the environment for language acquisition (ee). ignoring these two factors, the state government of tamil nadu prescribes a common english language curriculum for students from the english and tamil medium schools. there is no compromise done in terms of syllabus planning and textbook designing for the lack of both exposure to the target language and opportunities to use the language among the students from the tamil medium schools. with the given conditions of limited teachers’ proficiency and students’ exposure to english language, it needs to be made sure that the amount to which the students are exposed to the target language and the amount to which they are made to produce the target language inside the classroom space is optimum. a general review of the tamil nadu government’s english language curriculum, syllabus and textbooks reveal that the teaching and learning processes are inclined towards developing the english language receptive skills. under productive skills, writing skills are given more importance when compared to the speaking skills. english language assessment models in school education also reflect the same patterns of testing where maximum focus is given on content knowledge, the grammar and the writing skills of the students. the speaking skills of the students remain ignored throughout the school education both in teaching and assessment. most common reasons cited for the absence of english language oral or speech assessment in the english language curriculum is the lack of time and effective oral assessment tools. as a result, the speaking skills of the students to a large extent develop implicitly depending on the amount of language input they are exposed to inside and outside english language classrooms. there is a need for establishing the most suitable english language production assessment tool for applied linguistics research purposes to facilitate the examination of language teaching approaches or methods. in the present curriculum of tamil nadu state syllabus, the idea of testing the production skills is non-existent. it is the need of the hour to explore the available speaking assessment models and to find if they can be adapted and be simplified to later develop something that would suit the english language classroom requirements. to achieve this, the assessment models need to be researched and piloted in the respective contexts. it is also important to establish the reliability and validity of these assessment tools to look for adaptation ways. this paper presents the piloting of calf: an automatic analytic tool for complexity, accuracy, lexis and fluency developed by gavin indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 241 bui and peter skehan in the year 2016 in a government school in tamil nadu to measure english language oral production. english language oral production english language production is the production of spoken or written language. the researcher would be using the speech output as the testing variable. the oral language output from the students would be used to measure the progress in language learning. complexity, accuracy and fluency (caf) are language performance descriptors and are widely used in second language research in recent times as an alternative to standardized proficiency tests. caf are “dimensions for describing language performance, most frequently used as dependent variables to assess variation with respect to independent variables such as acquisitional level or task features” (pallotti, 2009, p. 590). the task performance was defined by the dimensions of complexity, accuracy and fluency based on the task-based language teaching approach (tblt). it is important to establish the relationship between the teaching approach and assessment model to explain the suitability of the assessment model and also to project the constructs of assessment in an integrated manner. in simple terms it is to show whether the learners are tested based on what they were taught or exposed to in the language syllabus. the language teaching approach that is dominantly present around the world and specifically in the state government school syllabus is task-based language teaching. skehan (1996) proposed a framework for the implementation of taskbased instruction which was designed in such a way that it is highly favourable towards achieving complexity, accuracy and fluency (caf). he stated that caf are the most relevant goals for task-based instruction. constructs complexity complexity is essentially “the extent to which the language produced in performing a task is elaborate and varied” (ellis, 2003, as cited in housen and kuiken, 2009, p.461). l2 complexity can be subdivided into cognitive complexity and linguistic complexity. “both types of complexity in essence refer to properties of language features (items, patterns, structures, rules) or (sub) systems (phonological, morphological, syntactic, lexical) thereof” (housen and kuiken, 2009, p.463). linguistic complexity in tblt refers to how differently and distinctly learners are able to phrase their language based on number and length of clauses (tunit) and a range of grammatical structures. “a t-unit is an independent clause and any associated dependent clauses, that is, clauses that are attached to or embedded within it” (larsenfreeman, 2006, p. 597). the linguistic complexity can be further divided into grammatical complexity and lexical complexity. grammatical complexity is the “average number of clauses per t-unit” (larsenfreeman, 2006, p. 597) and lexical complexity is “a sophisticated type-token ratio, word types per square root of two times the words” (larsenfreeman, 2006, p. 597). indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 242 accuracy linguistic accuracy refers to how well the learners abide by the structural rules of the target language. accuracy is “the ability to produce error-free speech” (ellis, 2003, as cited in housen and kuiken, 2009, p.461). “it is the degree of conformity to certain norms” of a particular language (pallotti, 2009, p. 592). grammatical accuracy is defined as “the proportion of error-free t-units to t-units” (larsenfreeman, 2006, p. 597). there are many kinds of grammatical errors, namely the subjectverb agreement, tense usage, article usage and punctuations. there are accordingly specific measures to gauge these different types of errors and the general measures to produce one value which is representative enough of all kinds of errors in language production (bui & skehan, 2018). fluency linguistic fluency refers to the ease of communication and the smooth delivery of the intended message. fluency is “the extent to which the language produced in performing a task manifests pausing, hesitation, or reformulation” (ellis, 2003, as cited in housen and kuiken, 2009, p.461). it is also defined as the “capacity to produce speech at normal rate and without interruption or as the production of language in real time without pausing or hesitation” (pallotti, 2009, p. 591). fluency is measured as the “average number of words per t-unit” (larsenfreeman, 2006, p. 597). linguistic fluency can further be divided into cognitive fluency and uttered fluency. cognitive fluency refers to the extent to which the learner has a clear understanding of the message to be delivered and the extent to which it is planned and structured in the learner’s before the delivery of the speech. utterance fluency is the actual language performance and that is the component that can be measured. the utterance fluency is gauged using the indices such as number of words per t-unit or minute, the frequency and length of speech, repetitions, reformulation, replacements and false starts. calf: an automatic analytic tool for complexity, accuracy, lexis and fluency the calf tool which is an automatic analytic tool for analyzing the complexity, accuracy and fluency of spoken and written language was developed by gavin bui and peter skehan (2016). the written or spoken language data need to be transcribed and coded in a specific way and then be updated on the calf main system. on the system, the coded files will be processed and give an output of a range of measures of complexity, accuracy, lexis and fluency. it is important to note that the calf measures are not accurate measurements of learners’ oral language proficiency. these measures are only indicative of the english language proficiency based on the transcribed data. these measures can primarily be used for research purposes in applied linguistics and also can further be developed and automated for efficient gauging of english language production. a detailed demonstration of the way in which the spoken data is transcribed indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 243 and coded is provided in the data analysis and interpretation section. participants the participants in the study were sixth grade students from the government higher secondary school in tamil nadu, india. the number of participants was 15 and the medium of instruction is tamil. in conversation with the students it was observed that the students understood what was being said to some extent when communicated slowly and with repetitions. when the students were involved in general everyday conversations they were hesitant to reply and communicated certain messages only through the utterance of words with no grammatical structure. the learners’ vocabulary size was observed to be very limited and there were severe punctuation problems where groups of sentences were uttered without any pauses by the end of each sentence. errors were committed in areas of subject-verb agreement and tense usage. procedure the pilot study was conducted in a government higher secondary tamil medium school in coimbatore with the permission of the city educational officer. the researcher got the consent of both the teacher and the students to record the class and informed them how it would be used for research purposes. the pilot study happened over three weeks’ time and the researcher got to interact with the students during the english language classes. each period was for duration of 40 minutes. in the first two classes the researcher was present in the english language classes to get acquainted with the students and the teacher. the researcher even assisted the teacher in the transaction of a prose lesson in term iii. in the third class (in the absence of the english language teacher) the researcher individually developed conversations with the students to obtain a general idea of their proficiency level. the casual conversation was staged to also break the ice in order to create a favorable environment for language production in the latter classes. in the next class the students were asked to assemble in the verandah where some of their classes usually happen and were asked to sit together. the change of setting was carried out to bring down their effective filter levels. the researcher sat along with them and introduced herself to the learners. to provide the students a little of content clarity and fluency they were guided with what topics can be covered in their selfintroduction. the students were asked to talk about their city, family, friends, favourite food, favourite stars and hobbies. the students were asked to talk in random order and the entire class was recorded. procedure for calf analysis the complexity, accuracy, lexis and fluency of the spoken data were measured using the calf tool through the following four stages. i) recording the researcher recorded the entire class sessions and the participants’ oral speech. the students were given identification numbers and their audio indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 244 speech files were categorized and labeled with their roll number. a total of 15 audio files were segregated (1 each participant) and were stored in folders according to the participants roll numbers. later the oral speech of each of the participants was transcribed into plain texts. ii) transcription the next stage was the transcription of the spoken data using the chat (codes for human analysis of transcripts) (macwhinney, 2000). the calf system requires the spoken data to be transcribed in the chat format to process the input in an efficient manner. brian macwhinney (2000) developed a specific transcription format for transcribing child’s talk which was one the two components of the childes project which aimed to develop tools for analyzing talk. the chat system prescribes a set of coding features which facilitates the analysis of data using the clan software. the three main components of the chat format are the file headers, the main tiers and the dependent tiers. the headers give important information of the transcribed data namely the participants, the setting, the time and the details of the coder and the participants. the header files are followed by the four block tiers where the students’ speech is transcribed into individual as-unit tiers. the three tier block for single utterances is *id: <tab>“the pruned line. utterance transcribed into words without dysfluencies or pauses or any grammatical marking.” (bui & skehan, 2016, p. 4) %snd: <tab>“the duration line. this line indicates the start and end of the utterance in that asunit.” (bui & skehan, 2016, p. 4) %id: <tab> “the main working line. this line includes all dysfluencies and pauses in the actual speech recorded, and syntactic marking.” (bui & skehan, 2016, p. 4) the main working line is coded using the chat format. the second line which is an automatically generated one will be explained in the next section. iii) coding the main line is coded for fluency (including repairs, fillers, pseudo filled pauses, timing), complexity, accuracy and lexis following the user manual provided by bui and gavin (2016). the coded transcription (*id, %snd, %id in the as-unit tiers) is then uploaded in the clan software to obtain the %mor. the second line in the four block tier is %mor and is generated automatically by the clan software when the transcription is run on clan with the command (see appendix a). the %mor line produces the part-of-speech (pos) to each and every word in the transcription from the pruned line. since it is automatically generated, the authors advise the pos tagging needs to be manually checked for ensuring accuracy in the result. iv) output the final stage in the analysis is to drop the completed clan (txtin.cha) file in the calf system. the system produces a range of results under complexity, accuracy, lexis and fluency. the output from the calf tool is derived in five sections (see appendix b). the first indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 245 section is called the ‘basic statistics’ where the total words, total pruned words and total time is listed down. the rest four sections are complexity, accuracy, lexical and fluency measure sections. the complexity section based on the coding done on the speech data produces information such as number of as units, total number of clauses, number of independent and dependent clauses, number of before and after clauses, ratio of clauses per as unit, number of pruned words per as unit and number of words per clause. the accuracy section provides data on the ratio of errorfree clauses, errors per 100 words, syntactic, morphological, lexical, phonological discourse and pragmatic errors per 100 words. the lexical section of the calf system provides data on the significant fscore and lexical density. the fluency measures that are derived out of the output are raw speech rate, pruned speech rate, mean length of run, phonation time, number of mid-clause pauses and silences per 100 words, number of independent and dependent clause pauses, clause silence and average clause length. it also provides data on number of filled pauses, pseudo filled pauses, false starts, reformulations, repetitions and replacements. for this study, the researcher has chosen the distinctive indicative measures of complexity, accuracy, lexical and fluency as defined in the ‘constructs’ section of the paper. under the complexity section, the two measures that are taken into consideration for the analysis are number of as units (tunits) and the ratio of clauses per as unit. the accuracy of the speech data is assessed by the ratio of errorfree clauses and number of errors per 100 words which is comprehensive of syntactic, morphological, lexical and phonological errors. the fscore stands as a whole representative of the lexical measure and the raw speech rate stands for the fluency in the speech. reliability of calf tool the calf tool being a measurement tool of the complexity, accuracy, lexis and fluency of the language data, the data was coded twice at an interval of two weeks and the results were tabulated. since the nature of the measured data is of continuous type and because the speech data sample was the same in two different administrations, intraclass correlation coefficient (icc) was used to establish the reliability of the calf tool in spss (see table-1). the model adopted in the correlation is model 3 as the raters of interest were of only the researcher and it was two-way mixed. table-1: details of respondents intraclass correlationb 95% confidence interval f test with true value 0 lower bound upper bound value df1 df2 sig indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 246 as seen in table 1, a high degree of reliability was found between the calf measurements. the average measure icc was .955 with a 95% confidence interval from .867 to .985 (f (14, 14) = 22.317, p<0.001). icc value of 0.75 and upwards shows excellent level of conformity. discussion the data obtained from the calf system could be of great significance for measuring the oral proficiency of the participants for research purposes. in cases of development or proposal of specific pedagogical methods targeting improving the students’ language oral proficiency, calf tool could indeed be a great way to establish its effectiveness. though the present study is highly limited in terms of sample size and context, it is safe to state that the calf tool has the potential of replacing the numerable speaking rating scales which are qualitative, subjective and generic in nature when compared to the distinct indicative measures obtained from the calf system. the calf tool cannot be taken to classroom spaces directly as the process involved in transcribing and coding the speech data is extensive. however, the calf tool with further research can be made into an essential assessment tool in english language school education by automating the transcribing and coding stages in deriving the oral proficiency measures. in that way, the present lack of oral production assessment in the curriculum design could also be at a later point bridged through optimization of the calf tool. a tool like calf is very much in alignment with the national education policy 2020 where the organized education system is taking steps forward in this digital era by promoting virtual classes. in such a scenario calf could prove to be an immense value in the ict integrated online assessment of the english language production. conclusion oral speaking assessment of english language in school education is a topic that has been ignored in education policies and has resulted in severe repercussions on the english language proficiency level in the students and inequity in english language education in the country. this paper introduced the four main oral language constructs which are globally approved by the applied linguistics research fraternity. the relatively new automatic analytic tool for measuring the complexity, accuracy, lexis and fluency of oral production is piloted in a context of interest in the study. the calf tool was piloted in the government schools in tamil nadu among the sixth standard students over a period of three weeks. the students’ speech data on a specific single measures average measures .914a .955c .765 .867 .970 .985 22.317 22.317 14 14 14 14 .000 .000 indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 247 topic was recorded, transcribed, coded and analyzed twice to obtain the indicative measures of complexity, accuracy, lexis and fluency. the intraclass correlation coefficient (icc= 0.955) was obtained from spss on the calf measures and the results showed excellent level of conformity (0.75 and upwards), thereby establishing the reliability of the tested tool. the research paper has in detail demonstrated the use and reliability of an ict based resource for testing the efficacy of oral language proficiency target teaching and learning english language education pedagogies for research purposes. it also has established the need to bring in advancement in the calf tool which could possibly be an effective tool for instantaneous oral language assessment tool for school education and professional language eligibility examinations. references bui, g. & skehan, p. (2016). calf: an automatic analytic tool for complexity, accuracy, lexis and fluency. available at http://www.censpothk.com/calf/ bui, g. & skehan, p. (2018). complexity, accuracy and fluency. in j. i. liontas, t. international association & m. dellicarpini (eds.) the tesol encyclopedia of english language teaching. doi:10.1002/9781118784235.eelt0046. housen, a., & kuiken, f. (2009). complexity, accuracy, and fluency in second language acquistion. applied linguistics, 30 (4), 461-473. larsen-freeman, d. (2006). ‘the emergence of complexity, fluency, and accuracy in the oral and written production of five chinese learners of english,’ applied linguistics 27/4: 590619. skehan, p. (1996). a framework for the implementation of taskbased instruction. applied linguistics, 17(1), 3860. macwhinney, b. (2000). the childes project: tools for analyzing talk (3rd ed). mahwah, nj: lawrence erlbaum associates ministry of human resource development (mhrd). (2019). draft national education policy. retrieved from https://innovate.mygov.in/wpcontent/uploads/ 2019/06/mygov15596510111.pdf national council of educational research and training (ncert). (2006). position paper: national focus group on teaching of english. retrieved from http://www.ncert.nic.in/new_ncert/ncert/rightside/links/pdf/focus_group/ english.pdf pallotti, g. (2009). caf: defining, refining and differentiating constructs, applied linguistics, 30(4), 590601. ramanathan, h. (2016). english education policy in india. in r. kirkpatrick (eds.), english language education policy in india (113126). london: springer. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 248 appendix a a sample of the coded speech data @begin @languages: eng @participants: arv participant @id: eng|text|arv||male|||participant||| @time start: 00:00:00 *arv: my name is aravind . %mor: n:prop|my n|name cop|be&3s n:prop|aravind . %gra: 1|2|mod 2|3|subj 3|0|root 4|3|pred 5|3|punct %snd: <00:00:00><00:01:00> %arv: my name is aravind .errfr ::: | *arv: vith standard kurichi school . %mor: n:prop|vith n|standard n:prop|kurichi n:prop|school . %gra: 1|2|mod 2|0|incroot 3|4|name 4|2|app 5|2|punct %snd: <00:01:00><00:03:00> %arv: vith standard kurichi school .err_a_s ::: | *arv: mother name jaya . %mor: n:prop|mother n|name n:prop|jaya . %gra: 1|2|mod 2|0|incroot 3|2|app 4|2|punct %snd: <00:03:00><00:06:00> %arv: er (1.0) mother name (0.90)) jaya .err_s_s ::: | *arv: dad name john . %mor: n:prop|dad n|name n:prop|john . %gra: 1|2|mod 2|0|incroot 3|2|app 4|2|punct %snd: <00:06:00><00:11:00> %arv: er (1.0) dad {name} * name er (2.0) john .err_s_s ::: | *arv: age eleven. %mor: n:prop|age . %gra: 1|0|incroot 2|1|punct %snd: <00:11:00><00:27:00> %arv: er (10.0) age # eleven .err_s_s err_m_p ::: | *arv: friends santhosh, guruprasad, hariharan, b santhosh, saran, aravind . %mor: n:prop|friends n:prop|santhosh cm|cm n:prop|guruprasad cm|cm n:prop|hariharan cm|cm n:prop|b n:prop|santhosh cm|cm n:prop|saran cm|cm n:prop|aravind . %gra: 1|2|name 2|0|root 3|2|lp 4|2|enum 5|2|lp 6|2|enum 7|2|lp 8|9|name 9|2|app 10|9|lp 11|2|enum 12|11|lp 13|2|enum 14|2|punct %snd: <00:27:00><00:39:00> %arv: er (6.0) friends er santhosh er guruprasad er hariharan b er santhosh saran aravind .err_s_s ::: | indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 249 *arv: rasagulla . %mor: n:prop|rasagulla . %gra: 1|0|incroot 2|1|punct %snd: <00:39:00><00:43:00> %arv: (3.0) rasagulla . err_a_s ::: | *arv: cartoon . %mor: n:prop|cartoon . %gra: 1|0|incroot 2|1|punct %snd: <00:43:00><00:54:00> %arv: (4.0) cartoon . err_a_s ::: | *arv: police miss . %mor: n:prop|police n|miss . %gra: 1|2|mod 2|0|incroot 3|2|punct %snd: <00:54:00><00:58:00> %arv: er(2.0) police er (2.0) miss . err_a_s ::: | @end appendix b a sample of the output derived from calf tool basic statistics 1 total words 36 2 total pruned words 27 3 total time 0.966667 complexity section 4 number of as units 9 5 total number of clauses 9 6 number of independent clauses 9 7 number of dependent clauses 0 8 number of before dependent clauses 0 9 number of middle embedded dependent clauses 0 10 number of after clauses 0 11 ratio of clauses per as unit 1 12 number of pruned words per as unit 3 13 number of words per clause 3 accuracy section 14 ratio of error-free clauses 0.111111 15 errors per 100 words 18.51852 16 syntactic errors per 100 words 14.81481 indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 250 lexical section 22 f-score 52.5 23 lexical density 18.51852 fluency measure 17 morphological errors per 100 words 0 18 lexical errors per 100 words 0 19 phonological errors per 100 words 3.703704 20 discourse errors per 100 words 0 21 pragmatic errors per 100 words 0 27 raw speech rate 37.24138 28 pruned speech rate 27.93103 29 mean length of run 1.588235 30 phonation time 0.45 31 number of mid-clause pauses per 100 words 37.03704 32 average mid-clause pauses length 0.8613 33 mid-clause silence total per 100 words 118.1481 34 number of independent clause pauses per 100 words 0 35 average independent clause pause length 0 36 independent clause silence total per 100 words 0 37 number of dep. clauses pauses per 100 words 0 38 average dependent clause pause length 0 39 dependent clause slience total per 100 words 0 40 number of filled pause per 100 words 0 41 number of pseudo filled pauses 0 42 false starts per 100 words 3.703704 43 reformulation per 100 words 0 44 repetitions per 100 words 3.703704 45 replacements per 100 words 0 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 123 research article study of the significance of integrating technology for inquiry (nteq) model in undergraduate teacher education programme amit ahuja associate professor, university school of education guru gobind singh indraprastha university dwarka, delhi email: dr.amitahuja1975@gmail.com abstract technology infusion in formal classroom teaching-learning supports the students in conceptual learning, retention and enrichment. integrating technology for inquiry (nteq) model is a computer-based sequential learning innovation that integrates technology to promote inquiry-oriented, problem-solving or project-based learning. present descriptive survey research was conducted to gauge the curricular implications of the nteq model and explore the attitude and learning experience of prospective teachers of undergraduate teacher education programs of teacher education institutions of ggsip university, delhi. data analysis showed that in institutions, mere theoretical discussion on the nteq model and lack of interactive sessions in computer laboratories restricted the prospective teachers from retrieving the conceptual framework of the nteq model in the examination. this also led prospective teachers to develop a neutral attitude towards the nteq model as a learning tool. the teacher educators expressed the dire need for professional development programmes for themselves to explore the nteq model as a learning tool in formal classroom teaching-learning scenarios. the adequate technical infrastructure of teacher education institutions, simulation-based teaching practice through the nteq approach and incorporation of practical activities on the nteq model in the curriculum may promote the learning implications of the nteq model in classrooms. the study had educational implications for concerned stakeholders. keywords: nteq model, computer literacy, learning implications, pedagogical tool introduction the exponential advancements in the use of the internet and technology in formal education have led to the emergence of integrating technology for inquiry (nteq) model lesson design as an innovative pedagogical tool for academic instruction in classrooms (morrison & lowther, 2003). the nteq model is an infusion of higher-order thinking in technology (flake, 2017). higher-order thinking is referred to as any activity that requires the students to process information in some meaningful ways (morrison & lowther, 2005) and includes critical thinking, problem-solving, creative thinking, bloom’s taxonomy and metacognition. the nteq model is goal-oriented, interactive and student-centred; it focuses on the meaningful performance of the students and reliable and valid measurement of outcomes through the self-correcting team efforts of the students (branch & merrill, 2012). nteq model is an inquiry-based ten-step lesson design process for integrating technology into the curriculum to promote problem-solving among the students, hence leading to project-based learning (lowther & morrison, 2003). indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 124 as an instructional design, the nteq model is constructivist in origin as the student is empowered to explore like a researcher, whereas the teacher acts as a facilitator, designer and organiser of learning activities (morrison et al., 1999). after learning through nteq model-based instructions, a student’s competence to act and respond to queries, problem-solving, and discuss ideas and outcomes are enhanced (lowther & morrison, 1998). the nteq model promotes collaborative help learning among students (ikepeze, 2006). it has been observed that the nteq model could not be so popularised among educators. the plausible reason for the unfamiliarity of the nteq model for educators may be this role reversal between student and teacher that appears somewhat non-conventional (flake, 2016). operationally, the nteq model works in the following ten phases (lowther & morrison, 1998): i. specify objectives: the first concern for the teacher using the nteq model is to explore what learning objectives will the students achieve after completing the given lesson? this phase focuses on developing specific learning objective(s) for the content. ii. computer functions: in this phase, the teacher matches the developed specific learning objectives to computer functions and activities. iii. specifying a problem: this phase involves the specification of the problem by the teacher. iv. data manipulation: the teacher briefly describes each manipulation activity to explain how to use data. in this phase, there is a focus on research and analysis that involve planning for data collection. v. results presentation: this phase concerns the presentation of results by the students. vi. activities during computer use: what will the students do while using the computer? this is answered by this phase, where a listing of the activities planned for working while working on the computer is done. the concern of paramount importance is that there must be a correlation between these activities and the specified learning objectives. vii. activities before computer use: in this phase, the activities are planned before using the computer. it lists the activities which the students will perform while working on the computers. viii. activities after the computer use: this phase is a reflection on learning. there is a planning of activities to record, analyse and interpret the information generated by using the computer. ix. supporting activities: this phase is the planning of supporting activities that enable the students to achieve the specified learning objectives. the supporting activities may be reading, reviewing, and associated enrichment activities. x. assessment: this phase is the development of assessment strategies. the computer-based activities are the core activities of the nteq model (williams & anekwe, 2017), where the computer serves as a learning device. the nteq model, as a pedagogical tool, requires a certain degree of technological competence on the part of students (mishra & koehler, 2006). the student-centeredness in learning through computers in the nteq model develops a spirit of ownership among the students to use technology with zeal and enthusiasm, and thus, it leads to a higher level of inquiry on their part (morrison & lowther, 2010). there are a indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 125 few assumptions while using the nteq model in the classroom (van eck, 2009), which can be summarized in table 1: table-1: nteq model and its assumptions s.n. aspect assumption 1. teacher (i)  teacher has functional computer literacy. (ii)  teacher is proficient enough in integrating the technology into the curriculum; (iii)  teacher can motivate the students to use technology in effective ways. 2. student (i)   student can use the technology; (ii)  through exploration, the student may gain competence in using the technology. 3. technology (i)  technology supports problem-solving. 4. lesson (i)   lesson is student-centred; (ii)  lesson offers authentic problem-solving; (iii) lesson can integrate technology with itself. 5. learning environment (i)  learning environment focuses on activities. review of related literature technology integration with school teaching supports the teachers in attaining learning outcomes (clark, 1998). the attitude of pre-service and in-service school teachers has an influence on technology integration in their teaching (fu, 2013). lack of administrative and financial support at institutional levels restricts teachers from using technology in classrooms (suleman et al., 2011). the nteq model supports the teachers in developing extended problem-solving skills among the students and project-based learning using real-world resources, through student collaboration, that support in arriving at solutions or creating final products (penuel, 2006). in the nteq model, the computer, as a learning tool, can be employed to motivate students’ critical thinking in exploring the academic content (lucey & grant, 2010). the nteq model offers teachers a learning approach to integrate easily adaptable technology in the instructions (lucey & shifflet, 2013). teachers using inquirybased pedagogical approaches had a preferential tendency to use technology in classroom teaching-learning as compared to the teachers adhering to conventional lecture methods (mayor, 2014). to explore the gains of the nteq model, the student has to be tech-savvy as well as a netizen, and on the other hand, the teacher has to be a digital native (williams & anekwe, 2017). as an instructional tool, the nteq model is empirically supported with respect to efficacy, heuristics and templates for its implementation in classrooms (van eck, 2009).   the review of related literature shows that most of the studies pertaining to the nteq model have been conducted at higher education level, and it is an under-researched knowledge domain in school education. the nteq model and its educational implications in indian school classrooms are yet to be explored. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 126 research questions the review of related literature supported the investigator to frame the following research questions for this study: i. how does the nteq model, as a learning tool, facilitate prospective teachers in acquiring knowledge? ii. how does the nteq model support teacher educators in inculcating pedagogical skills among prospective teachers? research objectives to explore the research questions framed for this study, the following research objectives were developed by the investigator: i. to study the curricular implications of the nteq model in the undergraduate teacher education program of ggsip university, delhi. ii. to study the attitude of prospective teachers of the undergraduate teacher education programs of ggsip university, delhi, towards the nteq model as a learning tool. iii. to gauge the learning experience of prospective teachers of the undergraduate teacher education program of ggsip university, delhi, pertaining to the nteq model. iv. to explore the perception of teacher educators of the undergraduate teacher education program of ggsip university, delhi, for the learning implications of the nteq model. delimitation of the study in delhi, its five universities that offer undergraduate teacher education programs are guru gobind singh indraprastha (ggsip) university, delhi; university of delhi, delhi; indira gandhi national open university, new delhi; jamia millia islamia, new delhi and lal bahadur shastri vidyapeeth, new delhi. only the undergraduate teacher education program curriculum of ggsip university offers the course content for the nteq model. so, as a delimitation of this study, data was collected from ggsip university, delhi only. research design to explore the research objectives framed for this study, it was essential to gauge the present status of teachinglearning pertaining to the nteq model being practised in undergraduate teacher education programs so the descriptive survey research design was used for data collection. sample the undergraduate teacher education programme is offered by 24 teacher education institutions affiliated with ggsip university, delhi. out of these, six (6) institutions were randomly selected for data collection. 440 prospective teachers (b.ed. students) and 42 teacher educators from these six institutions were randomly selected as the final sample of the study. tools i. to explore the curricular implications of the nteq model in the undergraduate teacher education program of ggsip university, delhi, content analysis was employed as a research tool. ii. a 5-point likert scale was developed by the investigator to study the attitude of prospective teachers of the undergraduate teacher education program of ggsip university, delhi, towards the nteq model as a learning tool. the content validity of the attitudinal scale was established after discussion with indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 127 subject and research experts. the reliability of the attitudinal scale was established through the cron-batch alpha test, and it was found to be 0.80. the initial draft of this tool had 23 likert items, and the final draft of the same had 20 likert items. iii. focussed group discussion (fgd) was conducted to explore the learning experience of prospective teachers of the undergraduate teacher education program of ggsip university, delhi, pertaining to the nteq model. iv. a structured interview was conducted to gauge the perception of teacher educators of the undergraduate teacher education program of ggsip university delhi for the learning implications of the nteq model. the initial draft of the interview schedule had nine items, but after discussion with subject and research experts its content validity was established and two items were discarded. so, the final draft of the interview schedule had 7 items. procedure the 5-point likert scale was administered to 440 prospective teachers, and focus group discussion was held with 71 prospective teachers of 6 teacher education institutions. the interview was conducted to collect data from 42 teacher educators, teaching core theory course (critical understanding of ict = 1 teacher educator) and pedagogy courses (mathematics, integrated science, physics, chemistry, biology, business studies, and social science = 6 teacher educators, integrated science was being taught by any one of the teacher educators of physics, chemistry or biology). results & discussion i. to explore the curricular implications of the nteq model in the undergraduate teacher education program of ggsip university, delhi the content analysis was employed as a research tool. the concept of the nteq model is offered in one core course (critical understanding of ict) in the first semester and seven pedagogy courses (mathematics, integrated science, physics, chemistry, biology, business studies, and social science) in the second semester. there are 18 pedagogy papers out of which seven pedagogy papers have the nteq model as course content. table 2 shows those core and pedagogy papers and the concerned course content with respect to the nteq model. table-2: nteq model-based course content of undergraduate teacher education programme s.n. course course content of nteq model 1. critical understanding of ict unit: ict for teaching-learning: possibilities and concerns *nteq model 2. pedagogy of mathematics unit: professional development of mathematics teachers *technology integration: planning with the integrating technology for inquiry (nteq) model for mathematics at secondary school level indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 128 3. pedagogy of social science unit: professional development a social science teacher *preparing the teacher for technology integration: planning with integrating technology for inquiry (nteq) in social science at secondary school level 4. pedagogy of business study unit: professional development of a business studies teacher *technology integration: planning with the integrating technology for inquiry (nteq) model for business studies at secondary school level 5. pedagogy of integrated science unit: professional development of an integrated science teacher *preparing the teacher for technology integration: planning with integrating technology for inquiry (nteq) in science at secondary school level. 6. pedagogy of physics unit: professional development of a physics teacher *preparing the physics teacher for technology integration: planning with integrating technology for inquiry (nteq) in science at secondary school level 7. pedagogy of chemistry unit: professional development of a chemistry teacher *preparing the teacher for technology integration: planning with integrating technology for inquiry (nteq) in science at secondary school level. 8. pedagogy of biology unit: professional development of a biology teacher preparing the biology teachers for technology integration: planning with integrating technology for inquiry (nteq) in science at secondary school level the course content for the nteq model is just introductory and theoretical in nature with the no practical implications for prospective teachers. the courses are restricted to only the planning aspect of the nteq model. the course content could be strengthened through practising nteq model-based lesson plans in the internship programme. ii. table 3 shows the attitude of prospective teachers of the undergraduate teacher education program of ggsip university, delhi, towards the nteq model. table-3: attitude of prospective teachers of the undergraduate teacher education program of ggsip university, delhi towards nteq model as a learning tool attitude positive neutral negative total no. of prospective teachers 44 (10%) 339 (77.04%) 57 (12.96%) 440 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 129 it can be observed from table 3 that one-tenth (10 per cent) of the total sample of prospective teachers had a positive attitude; more than one-tenth (12.96 per cent) of the total sample of prospective teachers had negative attitude while more than three fourth (77.04 per cent) of the total sample of prospective teachers had neutral attitude. to confirm the data shown in table 3 that whether this attitudinal tendency of the majority of prospective teachers for the nteq model was a chance factor, the chi-square test was employed by the investigator. table 4 shows the chisquare test for the attitude of prospective teachers of the undergraduate teacher education program of ggsip university, delhi, towards the nteq model. table-4: chi-square test for the attitudinal scores attitude of prospective teachers of undergraduate teacher education program of ggsip university, delhi towards nteq model positive attitude neutral attitude negative attitude fo 44 339 57 fe 146.6 146.6 146.6 (fo – fe) -102.6 192.4 -89.6 (fo – fe) 2 10,526.76 37017.76 8028.16 (fo – fe) 2 fe 71.81 252.51 54.77 total chi-squares (χ 2) value = 71.81 + 252.51 + 54.77 = 379.09 degree of freedom (f) = 3 -1 =2 the obtained chi-square (χ 2) value 379.09 for 2 degrees of freedom is significant at 0.01 level of significance so, it can be concluded that the neutral attitude of the majority of prospective teachers for nteq model was a not a chance factor. the plausible reason for the majority of the total sample of prospective teachers having a neutral attitude towards the nteq model as a learning tool, might be just theoretical deliberation in the classroom. as teaching the nteq model, besides focus on theory component, requires rigorous exposure to the activity phase also and if the latter is not practiced then the prospective teachers might not develop a liking for this innovative approach that is the nteq model. iii. to explore the learning experience of prospective teachers pertaining to the nteq model, the focussed group discussion (fgd) was centred on the teaching methodology adopted by teacher educators, interactive sessions in the computer laboratory and assignments/project work. the prospective teachers unanimously responded that all pedagogy teacher educators were focussing on the mere theoretical discussion on the nteq model to complete the syllabus. for the end-semester examination, prospective teachers prepare themselves to answer questions through online literature, as in the library, the available textbooks are heavily loaded with technical terms and definitions. in the computer laboratory, the latest and upgraded software are needed to practice the nteq model as a learning indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 130 tool. completing assignments or project work on the nteq model in a computer laboratory is timeconsuming. teachers’ competence in using computers for the nteq model needs more professional input. the probable reasons for this finding may be that the curriculum emphasises on mere teaching and discussion of nteq model. iv. to gauge the perception of teacher educators of undergraduate teacher education program for the learning implications of nteq model, the structured interview was conducted. out of 42 teacher educators of 6 institutions, more than three-fourth (76.2 per cent) teacher educators agreed that in the classroom, their teaching is confined up to theoretical discussion about nteq model. in integrated science, physics, chemistry or biology, the curriculum is spiral in nature and the prospective teachers may work with nteq model with increased degree of complexities of the content. similarly, the concentric nature of social science curriculum may also facilitate the prospective teachers to learn, enrich and retain the concepts through nteq approach. all of the teacher educators expressed that they need to attend professional development programmes like workshops where they may themselves practice nteq model as learning and instructional tools. they also opined that in school internship programme, practiceteaching through nteq model-based lesson plans is difficult as it requires an updated computer laboratory with sufficient computer machines and uninterrupted internet in schools. moreover, the course content of school subjects is not so much flexible to allow students to contribute through the nteq model and hence restricts its learning implications. the plausible reason for this finding might be the lack of technical infrastructure in schools and higher education systems. the professional development programmes of teacher educators need to be interactive and activitybased rather than mere information and discussion-oriented. educational implications for stakeholders 1. curriculum planners: the undergraduate teacher education curriculum needs to be upgraded by incorporating of practical activities on the nteq model for end-semester examination. the practical activities must specify the learning outcomes of associated computer laboratory work for the nteq model. 2. teacher educators: through simulation, the teacher educators may facilitate the prospective teachers to practice the nteq approach and present at least two to three lesson plans in the allotted two pedagogic subjects. the teacher educators need to attend workshops on learning innovative technology tools like the nteq model with a professional commitment to practice with the students in a computer laboratory. they may themselves research the nteq model and its applications in classrooms as it may better acquaint them with its conceptual framework. 3. prospective teachers: the prospective teachers should not cram the conceptual framework of the nteq model only for examination purposes, but they should practice the nteq model as a learning tool in the computer laboratory. peer tutoring may support prospective indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 131 teachers in exploring the nteq model as a pedagogical approach in classrooms. conclusion the nteq model effectively brings in cohesion to the concerned elements of instruction, namely the learners, teachers, technology, content and learning environment. theoretical discussion on the nteq model in classrooms, lack of technical infrastructure in teacher education institutions and average computer competence of teacher educators do not motivate the prospective teachers to practice the nteq model as a learning tool. insufficient computers and slow speed internet obstruct the usage of the nteq model in classroom teaching-learning. the prospective teachers should use the nteq model with respect to some technologically viable content, at least as assignment work, in their pedagogy subjects. besides stressing the theoretical understandings pertaining to the nteq model, the curriculum planners need to focus on emphasizing its uses and practice in bachelor-level teacher education internship programmes. references branch, r. m.; & merrill, m.d. 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(2013). the problem with developing wiki resources to increase teacher candidates’ technological efficacy. critical issues in teacher education, xx, 55-66. mayor, a. c. (2014). a comparative study of the practitioner’s role to integrate technology within an inquiry-based learning environment. theses and dissertations. 284. mishra, p.; & koehler, m. j. (2006). technological pedagogical content knowledge: a framework for teacher knowledge. teachers college record, 108(6), 1017–1054. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9620.2006.00684.x morrison, g.r.; & lowther, d.l. (2005). integrating computer technology into the classroom (3rd ed.). upper saddle river, nj: pearson education, inc. morrison, g. r.; & lowther, d. l. (2010). integrating computer technology into the classroom: skills for the 21st century (4th ed.). boston, ma: pearson education, inc. morrison, g.r.; lowther, d.l.; & de muelle, l. (1999). nteq information from integrating computer technology in the classroom. columbus, oh: prentice hall. penuel, w.r. (2006). implementation and effects of one-to-one computing initiatives: a research synthesis. journal of research on technology in education. 38(3),329-348. suleman, q.; aslam, h d.; javed, t.; & hussain, i. (2011). barriers to the successful integration of educational technology in teaching learning process at secondary school level in khyber pakhtunkhwa. pakistan. international journal of research in it & management, 1(8),97-119. van eck; r. (2009). a guide to integrating cots games into your classroom. in r. ferdig (ed.), handbook of research on effective electronic gaming in education (pp. 179-199). hershey, pa: igi global publishing. doi:10.4018/978-1-59904-808-6.ch011 williams, c.; & anekwe, j.u. (2017). the nteq isd model: a tech-driven model for digital natives. journal of education and practice, 8(1), 57-60. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 301 opinion article divulging the emerging technology for pre-service teachers’ field experience during covid-19 paul albert. a1 & j. mary jennifer2 1assistant professor, immaculate college of education for women, puducherry, email:albertphd1986@gmail.com 2assistant professor of english, bharathidasan government college for women, puducherry covid-19 is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (sars-cov-2) that has been declared as a pandemic as the results of the clinical analysis showed person-person transmission (li et al., 2020; paules et al., 2020; wang, and cheng, et al., 2020). the outbreak of coronavirus resulted in sudden closure of all types of educational institutions including kindergartens, schools, colleges and centers of higher education are forced to shut down their academic activities. the lockdown has had a negative impact not only on the schools but also on the higher educational institutions, especially, among the colleges of teacher education in india. in the curriculum of teacher education, pre-service training practices have been incorporated to provide authentic experiences for teaching in classrooms. according to the new regulations of national council for teacher education (ncte, a statutory body of the government of india), student teachers should undergo the training for four weeks during the first year and for sixteen weeks in the second year. usually, the practicum begins in august and ends in november. due to the pandemic situation, student teachers are unable to undertake teaching practices in schools. currently, nationwide lockdown is in force with some relaxation, the schools and colleges still remain closed. besides, the provision of ncte guidelines mentioning that internship and field engagement shall be followed as per the direction of the affiliating universities under the prevailing situation. hence, tamil nadu teachers education university, tamil nadu and pondicherry university, puducherry have announced to commence online classes from 1st week of august 2020 to its affiliating colleges of education. but, no instruction was found about the internship of secondyear student teachers. in such a situation, it is of dispute that they could resume the program with internship activities. the colleges of education in tamil nadu and puducherry region shifted the teaching mode from traditional classrooms into online learning platforms in which the internship programs have been excluded. consequently, teacher educators had concerns about practical experiences on teaching, in order to prepare the student-teachers’ to be trained and qualified. moreover, educationists suggest that gaining teaching experience through online mode among the peers and teachers indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 302 will make student-teachers learn the online teaching methods and strategies which are considered as a valuable and required commodity in today’s context (schmidt and ramot, 2020). despite the fact that they can practice through synchronous and asynchronous modes to receive feedback, the absence of real classroom essence such as teacherstudent interactions, analysis of student behaviors and classroom management skills will lead the teaching to be less intensive. in such conditions, engaging the student-teachers through a virtual learning environment is one possible solution to encounter the issue. employing a blend of artificial and human intelligence inclines learners to immerse in realistic experiences. artificial intelligence (ai) is one such emerging technology, termed as immersive simulation, where teachers find more opportunities working with virtual reality (vr). mursion is a virtual reality simulation training software, which provides simulated classrooms where the student teachers can upskill their own teaching competence by interacting with on-screen student avatars in real-time (dieker, hughes, hynes, and straub, (2017). furthermore, the secured and harmless learning environment will scaffold the students for effective teaching and learning (voelkel, johnson, and gilbert, 2016; hudson, voytecki, and zhang, 2018). many researchers have also found that mursion is an efficacious tool for novice student teachers to engage in teaching practice (thompson, et al. 2019). initial research regarding the effectiveness of mursion software reported that more than seventy five universities in the united states had significant and positive effects (voelkel, johnson, and gilbert, 2016). in addition, a study reported that the simulated version has increased student teachers’ higher-order questioning strategies (dieker, hughes, hynes, and straub, (2017). results of another study evidenced that it was used as an effective practitioner tool for graduate students at the university level (voelkel, johnson, and gilbert, 2016). similarly, a research reported that the student teachers had significant and huge improvements in their teaching skills with the help of the software (cohen, wong, and krishnamachari, 2020). likewise, another research was conducted to evaluate the effects of teaching experiences using mursion for the undergraduate special education student teachers’ to test their readiness in managing classrooms. results indicated that they have learned to manage undesired behaviors in the classrooms. interestingly, mursion was found as an effective tool to practice new skills and the student avatars seemed like real students (hudson, voytecki, and zhang, 2018). mursion, the most innovative and emerging technology is an essential requirement for the student teachers to gain the field experience in teaching particularly during the pandemic. regardless of the multiple benefits of the advanced technological software, challenges will also be taken into concern while incorporating in-service training programs, as it is cost effective. the implementation of such advanced technological software in developing countries like india is possible when there is a collaboration between the indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 303 statutory bodies of higher education and private software companies like mursion. for instance, the american association of colleges for teacher education (aacte) associated with mursion provided access to the institutions to practice teaching during covid-19. such efforts in india will definitely take a step further in the path of teacher education and the student teachers will also be benefitted from the immersive experiences. references cohen, j., wong, v., & krishnamachari, a. (2020). teacher coaching in a simulated environment. educational evaluation and policy analysis, 42, 208-231. doi: https://doi.org/10.3102/0162373720906217. dieker, l. a., hughes, c. e., hynes, m. c., & straub, c. (2017). using simulated virtual environments to improve teacher performance. school university partnerships (journal of the national association for professional development schools): special issue: technology to enhance pds, 10(3), 62–81. hudson, m.e., voytecki, k.s., & zhang, g. (2018). mixed-reality teaching experiences improve preservice special education students’ perceptions of their ability to manage a classroom. journal of virtual worlds research, 11, 1-16. retrieved from http://jvwresearch.org. li, q., guan, x., wu, p., wang, x., zhou, l., tong, y., ren, r., leung, k. s., lau, e. h., wong, j. y., & xing, x. (2020). early transmission dynamics in wuhan, china, of novel coronavirus–infected pneumonia. new england journal of medicine, 382, 1199–1207. doi: https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa2001316. paules, c. i., marston, h. d., & fauci, a. s. (2020). coronavirus infections – more than just the common cold. jama, 323(8), 707–708. doi: https://doi. org/10.1001/jama.2020.0757. schmidt, s.d. & ramot, r. (2020). opportunities and challenges: teacher education in israel in the covid-19 pandemic. journal of education for teaching, doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2020.1799708. thompson, m., owho-ovuakporie, k., robinson, k., kim, y.j., slama, r., & reich, j. (2019). teacher moments: a digital simulation for preservice teachers to approximate parent–teacher conversations, journal of digital learning in teacher education, 35:3, 144-164, doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/21532974.20 19.1587727. voelkel, r.h., johnson, c.w., & gilbert, k.a. (2016). use of immersive simulations to enhance graduate student learning: implications for educational leadership programs. online journal of distance learning administration, 19, 1-7. retrieved from https://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/summer192/ volkel_johnson_gilbert192.html. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 304 wang, c., cheng, z., yue, x. g., & mcaleer, m. (2020). risk management of covid-19 by universities in china. in adedoyin, o.b., & soykan, e. (2020). covid-19 pandemic and online learning: the challenges and opportunities. interactive learning environments, 1-14. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2020. 1813180. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 186 research article online learning experiments and experiences through google groups: a case of m.a. education programme of ignou during covid-19 pandemic niradhar dey programme coordinator, m.a. education, associate professor, school of education, indira gandhi national open university, new delhi email: niradhar@ignou.ac.in abstract this paper is on online google groups of the first year learners of the m.a. education programme of ignou who has enrolled in the january 2020 session. during the covid-19 pandemic lockdown period, it was difficult to continue the regular curriculum transaction strategy of the programme. it is therefore, an online google group for the learners was specially created for providing programme-related information, induction to the programme, addressing various support services and learning needs of the learners as well as to acquainting them with many operational issues. it was thought to use the online google groups platform as their number was huge, i.e. 1452 and they were spread across india in almost all the regional centres and also in a few overseas centres. the online google group was started on 30th march 2020. the article has been prepared based upon the two week experience of the programme coordinator on operating the google group, i.e. from 1-15 april 2020. in a single platform of online google groups, individual learner queries, various support services and the learning needs of the newly enrolled learners have been addressed very successfully. data revealed that the learners had successfully accessed the hyperlinks based documents like self learning materials (slms), assignment questions, powerpoint presentations, audio-video materials, term end examination question papers, teleconferencing & interactive radio counselling sessions, and have also acquainted themselves with many other operational issues of the programme by using the online google groups. in practice of only two weeks through the online google groups, this has been realised that the learners had successfully acquainted with the programme and had engaged in studies like writing their assignment responses, participated in discussion forums on various themes and also engaged in peer and group learning processes. it was no doubt a successful experiment of the programme during the covid-19 pandemic period and also an eye-opener for the programme coordinators to make it an important part of programme transaction for the future. keywords: online learning, google groups, self-learning materials, teleconferencing and interactive radio counselling. m.a. education programme of ignou: an introduction indira gandhi national open university has been offering a master of arts (education) programme since 2008 across india and also in a few overseas study centres. this is one of the popular programmes of ignou. it receives around 3500 enrolment (approximate) in a year (including both january and july sessions). in the january 2020 session, a total of 1452 learners (including india and overseas centres) had been enrolled in the m.a. education programme indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 187 (ignou srd, 2020). this programme prepares a group of professionals every year, who are well equipped with a systemic and contemporary knowledge base of education and various educational discourses. the objectives of the programme are to provide learning experiences which will enable students to understand and appreciate knowledge structures and paradigms of education; to develop professionals for effective participation in educational actions in different areas of education; and to create a community of scholars adequately equipped for participation in educational discourses (m.a. education programme guide, 2008). as per the ugc regulations, m.a. education is a two-year master’s degree programme. this programme is of total credit of 68 in which the learners study 34 credits each in the first and the second year of the programme. in the first year of the programme, all courses taught are compulsory, which includes basic, core and knowledge generation courses, whereas, in the second year of the programme, courses in specialised areas of education and dissertation are taught. the structure of the twoyear m.a. (education) programme is as follows: table-1: structure of m.a. (education) programme nature of the course title of the course course credit first year basic course on education (compulsory) mes-011 understanding education 4 core courses (compulsory) mes-012 education: nature and purposes 6 mes-013 learning, learner and development 6 mes-014 societal context of education 6 mes-015 operational dimensions of education 6 courses on knowledge generation in education (compulsory) mes-016 educational research 6 total credits (first year) 34 second year courses on knowledge generation in education (compulsory) mesp-001 dissertation 10 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 188 specialises areas in education (optional) (learners have to select any one area among the five specialised areas and study all the courses included in that area. each specialised area is having 24 credit courses) higher education (four courses, six credit each) 24 distance education (five courses. three courses are four credit each and two courses are 6 credit each) 24 educational technology (four courses, six credit each) 24 educational management (four courses, six credit each) 24 adult education (four courses, six credit each) 24 total credits (second year) 34 total credits (both first and second year) 68 the programme is offered in english medium whereas the learners can write assignments, term end examination and dissertation proposal and report both in english and hindi languages. the programme is offered in open and distance learning (odl) mode. keeping in view the nature of the programme, learning needs of the learners, a well-defined transaction strategy has been implemented to transact the programme. the following transaction strategies have been adopted to implement the programme (see figure 1). figure-1: transaction strategies of m.a. education programme (note: tc – teleconferencing, irc – interactive radio counselling, slm – self learning material) indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 189 figure-1 explains a detailed curriculum transaction strategy of the m.a. education programme. a complete package of quality self-learning materials is provided to the learners. induction as well as counselling sessions are conducted for the learners at the concerned study centres and regional centres. for developing research skills among the learners, a dissertation component has been incorporated into the programme during the second year of the programme. the course-wise assignment is also one of the important components for continuous learning and assessment of the students which contributes 30 per cent weightage for the courses. term-end examination which is conducted twice a year, in june and december carries 70 per cent weightage for evaluation of the courses. for direct interaction with the learners, regular teleconferencing and interactive radio counselling sessions are also conducted by using gyandarshan – 1 tv channel and fm radio. apart from these, audio-video programmes are also made available to the learners at the study centre level for their study. the above are the regular transaction strategies used for implementing the programme from the teachers to the learners. the above transaction strategies of the curriculum are followed in a three-tier system, i.e. at the ignou main campus, regional centres and the study centres. over the years, the programme has effectively offered to thousands of learners by using the above curriculum transaction methodologies. it has proved that the objectives of the programme for developing a knowledge base in education as well as acquainting the learners in various educational discourses have been achieved. let us discuss the strategies adopted to transact the programme during the covid-19 pandemic period. transaction of m.a. education programme during covid-19 pandemic period the covid-19 pandemic was initially started in late december 2019. it spread across the world within a very short period. the world health organisation declared a global public health emergency on january 30, 2020. on march 11, 2020, who declared the covid-19 outbreak a pandemic (who, 2020). by april 2, 2020, the world passes 1 million covid-19 infections. keeping in view the effect of the pandemic over the globe, most countries across the world restricted travel of all means (both international and domestic) and many countries have locked down their markets, business establishments, educational and other institutions and migration of people from one place to another, etc. keeping in view the global effect of the covid-19 pandemic, india had also taken measures to curb the situation and not to reach at the stage of community transmission. india is a country with more than 1.38 billion (approximately) of population spread in both urban and rural demography. still many cases have been registered and both the union and state governments have taken adequate measures to stop spreading the infection in the community. the following important measures have been taken to stop the infection of the covid -19 pandemic in india. • the government declared a janata curfew on 22nd march across the country from 7.00 am to 9.00 pm. • all international and domestic flights have been banned from march 2020 onwards. • domestic train services have been banned since the complete lockdown period.all educational and other institutions including all types of offices and business indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 190 establishments have been closed during the lockdown period. • again the union government declared a complete 21 days lockdown across the country starting from 25th march 2020 to 14th april 2020. • many states have also declared lockdown to be continued till 30th april 2020. • many state governments have also taken the decision to seal the hotspot areas apart from the lockdown. • the union government finally extended the complete lockdown from 15th april 2020 to 3rd may 2020. source: govt. of india advisory on covid-19 the above measures bring forward an opportunity for the teachers and academicians to deal with their students and to continue the process of teaching-learning by using many online learning tools and applications. in this regard, on 31st march 2020, mhrd, govt. of india, issued a letter to all the central universities seeking prompt action to continue the study program of the students enrolled with the central universities without any impediment from their home by adopting the online method of teaching-learning process (mhrd, 31st march, 2020). in line with the mhrd letter, ignou being a central university undertook many actions to reach their learners by using various online teaching-learning methods keeping in view the nature of the academic programmes and the learning needs of the learners. in view of this, as a part of programme-wise online initiatives, a google groups of 1452 ignou learners of the m.a. education programme had been created to address the learning needs of the learners during the covid-19 pandemic period. figure-2: google group of ignou’s m.a. (education) programme ma.edu.jan.2020@ignou.ac.in a case of m.a. education programme by using online google groups computer based technology is one of the important aspects of the teachinglearning process. in a study on ‘use of wikis, blogs, twitter, facebook, etc.’, laura et.al. (2017), reported that computer-based technology influences student engagement, however, additional research is needed to confirm and build on these findings. integrating technology into teaching and learning is not a new challenge for universities. for decades, administrators and faculty have grappled with how to effectively indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 191 use technical innovations such as video and audio recordings, email, and teleconferencing to augment or replace traditional instructional delivery methods (kaware & sain, 2015; westera,  2015). the study conducted by armstrong and thornton reported that students who participated in web-conferencing demonstrated critical reflection and enhanced learning through interactions with others (armstrong & thornton,  2012). analyses of blog posts show evidence of students elaborating on one another’s ideas and sharing experiences and conceptions of course content (sharma & tietjen, 2016). the practice of wiki is useful for reflection, reinforcing course content, and applying academic skills (miller et al., 2012). social networking is “the practice of expanding knowledge by making connections with individuals of similar interests” (gunawardena et al.,  2009, p. 4). learning management system is associated with formal academic interactions while facebook is associated with informal and social interactions (camus et al., 2016). the above studies deal with some of the technology-based tools used in the process of teaching and learning and their effective use in curriculum transactions. accordingly, engaging students in active learning processes and engaging them in peer and group discussions on various academic themes can also be done by using the online google groups. in this study, an experiment on google groups of m.a. (education) learners had been done during the pandemic time and results were reported. as mentioned above, on 30th march 2020, an online google groups for the m.a. education first year learners enrolled in the january 2020 session had been created by the programme coordinators of the m.a. education programme (google group id– ma.edu. jan.2020@ignou.ac.in). as the total number of the learners is 1452, it took 72 hours to invite/direct add members as there is the limitation of including at most 500 members in 24 hours, which is also adding only 10 members in one go. by 1st of april 2020, all the 1,452 learners were invited to the group. the online instructional process was started on 1st april 2020 and the article has been prepared on the basis of a complete two week of experiment in using the google groups i.e. by 15th april, 2020. figure-3: creation of google groups link for the m.a. (education) learners indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 192 as mentioned above, an invitation was sent to all the learners who had registered with an email id during their enrolment. the programme coordinator had received1360 email ids out of the total 1452 m.a. education learners enrolled in the january 2020 session (srd, ignou, march 2020). the following figure shows the data about the activation of google groups for m.a. education learners first year january 2020 session. figure-4: date relating to activation of google group figure-4 shows that 1,452 m.a. education first year learners enrolled in the january 2020 session and among them, 1,360 learners had given their email id during their enrolment. all the 1,360 learners were invited to be members of the google group. among them, 610 learners immediately accepted the membership and were actively participating in the group whereas 750 emails were either bounced back or not accepted by the learners as members in the group. but, this has been observed that everyday new members were accepting their invitation and membership numbers were increasing. from the day of the original functioning of this group, i.e. from 1st april 2020 to 15th april 2020, a total of 50 posts have been made in the group by the programme coordinator. the group has been created keeping the following objectives in mind: 1. to provide an induction towards the programme to the newly enrolled m.a. education learners in january 2020 session. 2. to support them to get all necessary information and direct links to get general queries/information, selflearning materials, assignment and term end examination questions, various audio-video programmes relating to the programme, presentation slides on various issues, other oer-based learning materials, etc. 3. to provide learning support by direct, peer and group interaction through discussion forums on various components and content of the programme. based upon the above threeobjectives, very strategically the group was managed. the nature and categories of various postings for a discussion forum in the group were as follows: indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 193 table-2: categories of posting in the google groups from 1st april to 15th april 2020 (total active members, n610) italicized figures are in %ages s.n. categories total no. of posting by the programme coordinator total views (n-610) posts made by the group members and participate in discussion (n-610) 1 general announcements and instructions 5 515 84.42 180 29.5 2 self-learning materials 4 450 73.77 81 13.28 3 assignment questions 5 481 78.85 120 19.67 4 term end examination 3 340 55.74 78 12.89 5 audio-video resources 8 255 41.80 68 11.15 6 presentation slides 6 360 59.02 105 17.21 7 sharing hyperlinks of oers and other important resources 30 525 86.07 93 15.25 8 teleconferencing, irc, gyandhara, swayam and swayamprabha, etc. 5 203 33.28 66 10.82 9 miscellaneous 7 150 24.59 52 8.52 total 72 3279 59.73 843 15.36 table 2 revealed different categories of postings made by the programme coordinator over the said days, and subsequently viewed the postings made by the learners as well as relating postings made by the learners on the themes and participated in direct, peer and group discussion forums in the group. it was reported that the average viewer percentages were more than the average posts made/participated in the discussion. figure 5 presented briefly the percentage of viewers and posting made/participated in the discussion under each category of posting. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 194 figure-5: percentage of viewers and posting made/participated in discussion forum in different categories of posting in the group the above figure-5 categorically depicts the percentage of viewers in each category of posting is much better than the percentage of participants in discussion forums in each category of posting as well as in overall viewers and participants in the discussion. it provides a clue for discussion of the findings that learners were active enough to view the posting made in the google groups but among them very few were turning out for a fruitful discussion on various issues. it was observed that on an average 60 per cent (approximately) of learners were viewing different postings in the group whereas 15 per cent (approximately) were really participating in various discussions in the group. let us now discuss some of the discussions and postings made in different categories. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 195 figure-6: google groups posting on various categories (few examples) posting on general announcement and instruction posting on self-learning materials posting on assignment questions posting on tee posting on audio-video materials posting on various hyperlinks indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 196 posting of presentation slides posting on tc and irc figure-6 revealed various postings in the google groups for discussion. as this has explained earlier that the percentage of viewers was much better than the learners who participated in various discussions but it was evident that discussions made in the discussion forum were quite interesting and it was a way forward for quality learning through this google group. let us take an example, of how the learners participated in a discussion forum in the google group and solve their learning difficulties. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 197 name of the learner: nandana varma programme: m.a. education (january, 2020) place: under rc bangalore theme of queries asked in google group discussion forum: teaching through assignment date: 6th april, 2020 details of the query asked by the member : respected sir, kindly clarifies a small doubt on one of the assignment questions of mes-011. (c) explain the concepts of equality and equity in education. discuss the influence of the economic “system” on equality of educational opportunity. however in the study material it is mentioned about the influence of economic “constraints” on equality of educational opportunity in unit 10 section 10.5.1. please explain if both the terms economic system and economic constraints are the same? can we use both terms in place of each other in our assignment responses? response given by the google group owner : to response your query, i may say the following: 1. equality in education means to provide equal educational opportunity to all just like universalisation of elementary education. we provide equal educational opportunity to all irrespective of caste, class, religion, region, gender, etc. it is the constitutional provision to provide equal educational opportunity to all.  2. equity goes one step ahead of equality. it says, equal educational opportunity to all as well as to reach at a minimum educational standard (quality) by all. it emphasizes not only universalisation of elementary education but also universalisation of quality elementary education to all. reaching at the minimum level of learning (mll) is an example of equity in education. right to education act, 2009, gives its recommendations both on equality as well as equity in elementary education. 3. economic system of a country directly or indirectly influences equality and equity in education. equal distribution of wealth and making economic empowerment to the citizen increases equality and equity not only in education but also all other sectors.  4. the economic system and economic constraints are not the same. economic system has a broader connotation that explains the entire economic process of a country whereas economic constraint reflects the hurdles and difficulties that the section of people faces because of the system of economic distribution process. economic system may be a cause whereas economic constraint may be an effect. it has also a direct link towards achieving equality and equity in education. further, you are requested to read the materials and present your assignment properly. thank you owner, google group indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 198 the above interaction in the discussion forum of the google group clearly implies that the learners were not only getting information about the programme but also they were actively engaged in their study and were satisfying their learning needs. likewise, many such active discussions have taken place during the last two weeks which has made the learners engaged in their studies during the covid-19 pandemic days. apart from these, online discussions have been initiated by the owner of the group on different themes by providing them with various quality resources which are available on youtube, oer sites, ignou achieves, and also specially created by the owner of the group. it was just an example. accordingly, many such postings had been made during the days and rigorous discussions had taken place on every issue. results and implications of the study results the following findings are reported in the study: • learners have successfully accessed the hyperlinks base documents like slms, assignment questions, powerpoint presentations, audio-video materials, term end examination question papers, teleconferencing & interactive radio counselling sessions, and have also acquainted themselves with many other operational issues of the programme by using the online google groups. • the percentage of viewers on every theme in the posting of the group was really appreciated but the percentage of learners who participated in the group in the discussion forum was not so satisfactory (table 2 and figure 5). • in practice of only two week of learning through the online google groups, it has been realised that the learners have successfully inducted with the programme and had engaged in studies like writing their assignment responses, effectively participated in discussion forums on various themes of the programme and have also engaged in peer and group learning processes. • an add-on with the regular transaction of the programme through using the google group creates many doors open for the learners as well as for the programme coordinators to think of in changing the transaction strategies of the programme in future. • covid-19 pandemic was an opportunity for the programme coordinators as well as for the learners to engage themselves in the online process of teaching and learning and to explore many opportunities for real-time quality learning. • it was no doubt a successful experiment by the programme coordinators of the m.a. education programme to provide various online learning experiences to the learners and to engage them in studies by using google groups during the covid-19 pandemic period. • the merit of using blended mode for the transaction of m.a. the (education) programme had been realised and learners had better understood the concept presented in the self learning materials. implications the implications of the study are very widespread. the experiences gained through experimentation with the online indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 199 google groups in addition to regular strategies of programme transaction were quite impressive and it was an eyeopener for the programme coordinators to make it a systemic requirement for implementing the programme for the future. in the odl system, ignou implements a three-tier system of programme implementation, i.e. at the ignou main campus, regional centres and study centres levels. programme coordinators were getting very little chance to directly interact with the learners and satisfy their learning needs. in view of this, google group provided an opportunity to directly interact with the learners and accordingly solve their learning difficulties. therefore, a platform of online learning as additional support for the learners should be established in every programme for better managing the programme and also to satisfy the learning needs of the learners. though this google group has been created especially to operate during the covid-19 pandemic period still its implications have been felt that the group should work throughout the studentship period of the learners and contribute dedicatedly for solving various issues of the learners. apart from the google group’s experience, it has also been realised that various social media networks such as facebook; youtube etc. can also be used for engaging learners in authentic learning. references armstrong, a., & thornton, n. (2012). incorporating brookfield’s discussion techniques synchronously into asynchronous online courses. quarterly review of distance education, 13(1), 1–9. camus, m., hurt, n. e., larson, l. r., & prevost, l. (2016). facebook as an online teaching tool: effects on student participation, learning, and overall course performance. college teaching, 64(2), 84–94. retrieved from https://doi.org/ 10.1080/87567555.2015.1099093 on 12.04.2020. ministry of human resource development (mhrd). government of india (2020), letter to all the vice-chancellors of central university, d.o. no.13-12/2020-cucdn, march 31, 2020, new delhi govt. of india (2020). advisory on covid-19 pandemic. new delhi: govt. of india. gunawardena, c. n., hermans, m. b., sanchez, d., richmond, c., bohley, m., & tuttle, r. (2009). a theoretical framework for building online communities of practice with social networking tools. educational media international, 46(1), 3–16.  retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/09523980802588626 on 16.04.2020. ignou (2008). programme guides of m.a. education programme. new delhi: ignou. ignou (2020). students enrolment data of m.a. education, january 2020 session. new delhi: ignou. kaware, s. s., & sain, s. k. (2015). ict application in education: an overview. international journal of multidisciplinary approach & studies, 2(1), 25–32. laura, a.s., gary, j.b., osama, a.m. and craig, m. (2017). computer based technology and students engagement: a critical review of the literature. international journal of educational technology in higher education, 14(25). retrieved from indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 200 https://educationaltechnologyjournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/ s41239-017-0063-0 on 18.04.2020. miller, a. d., norris, l. b., & bookstaver, p. b. (2012). use of wikis in pharmacy hybrid elective courses. currents in pharmacy teaching & learning, 4(4), 256– 261. doi:10.1016/j.cptl.2012.05.004. sharma, p., & tietjen, p. (2016). examining patterns of participation and meaning making in student blogs: a case study in higher education. american journal of distance education, 30(1), 2–13. retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0 8923647.2016.1119605 on 10.04.2020. westera, w. (2015). reframing the role of educational media technologies. quarterly review of distance education, 16(2), 19–32. who (2020). rolling updates on corona virus disease (covid-19) pandemic. geneva: world health organisation. abbreviations a/v resources – audio visual resources irc – interactive radio counselling mll – minimum level of learning odl – open and distance learning oer – open educational resources rc – regional centre rsd – regional service division sc – study centre slms – self learning materials tc – teleconferencing tee – term end examination who – world health organisation (note: the article is the revised version of a paper presented in the international online conference on teaching-learning in the time of pandemic: role of online learning organised by the krishna kanta handique state open university, guwahati, assam, india in collaboration with commonwealth educational media centre for asia (cemca), new delhi during 21-22 april 2020.) indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 164 research article academia adapting to e-learning: a survey on indian engineering educational trishita saha1, chandralika chakraborty2, bhairab sarma3 & udit kumar chakraborty4 1department of computer science & engineering, sikkim manipal institute of technology, sikkim manipal university, sikkim, email: trishita51@gmail.com 2department of information technology, sikkim manipal institute of technology, sikkim manipal university, sikkim 3department of computer science & electronics, university of science & technology, meghalaya 4department of computer science & engineering abstract the covid-19 pandemic caught the world off guard with its precipitance and virulence alike. forced indoors, the human race is learning to stay indoors and work from home. among the sectors hit hard, education is probably the worst hit as it affects the future. trying to adapt to the online mode of learning, teachers and students are grappling alike with technology, attention spans, traditions and the like. this paper, based on a survey conducted among engineering students in india, tries to figure out the major problems faced by students in adapting to e-learning. the responses have been classified based on the area covered in the question and analyzed. the findings, some trivial, some sensitive while some being eye-opening, would certainly contribute to policy framing initiatives of the government and private agencies investing in e-learning. keywords: e-learning, survey, online learning, blended learning, efficacy, pedagogy, teacher-student interaction introduction post covid-19, the world has changed all too drastically. people are now confined indoors to prevent being infected and stop the spread of the deadly virus. working from home has become the new normal in almost all spheres of human activity. education is probably the field of work that has been most affected by this paradigm shift as century-old traditions and methods need to be reworked and adjusted. over the last year and a half, with schools, colleges and universities closed, online education has been the sole mode of learning. while online learning or e-learning as it is popularly known, has been around for some time now, such widespread and large-scale application and use were never expected. the term e-learning was coined and first used in 1999 by elliot masie (guttirez n.d), the first attempts at e-learning date back to 1924 when sidney pressey created the automatic teacher, the very first electronic learning machine (sander, 2019). in 1960, donal l. bitzer built plato, a computer system for online learning (sander, 2019). the advent of the internet brought about a sea change in the way people communicated and e-learning was also influenced. while initially it was restricted to only sharing of text and documents to be used as learning material, advances in web technologies soon facilitated online lecture delivery, modular course content and proctored evaluation. in the indian context, distance education indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 165 providers like indira gandhi national open university (ignou), b. r. ambedkar university, annamalai university and sikkim manipal university started in the early 2000s utilizing information and communications technology (ict) for their courses (kawatra & singh, 2006). while such courses are popular, there exist restrictions on the types of courses that can be offered in distance learning (chamoli, 2020). in recent times, major private players have invested hugely in online learning platforms and such are widely available in packages for all levels of learners starting from the primary. while the popularity of such commercial online platforms is projected to grow at a formidable speed over the next few years (agarwal, 2021), it must be understood that these are still supplementary tools used to augment the understanding a student gains from his/her classroom experience. in the universities as well, e-learning was only considered as a supportive framework for students. the current paper presents the results of a survey conducted among engineering students to assess their reaction towards online learning. it focuses on the online content materials, interaction between students and teachers, advantages and disadvantages of online education and tries to figure out the future of online education and offline education and blended mode of learning vis a vis the perspective of students. objectives the american psychological association (apa) defines learning as, “the acquisition of novel information, behaviours, or abilities after practice, observation, or other experiences, as evidenced by a change in behaviour, knowledge, or brain function. learning involves consciously or unconsciously attending to relevant aspects of incoming information, mentally organizing the information into a coherent cognitive representation, and integrating it with relevant existing knowledge activated from long-term memory” (american psychological association (apa), n.d). presently being advocated as a lifelong iterative phenomenon of learning, unlearning and relearning or up-skilling, psychologists gagne, briggs and wager, classified this into five major categories, namely, physical skills, information, intellectual skills, cognitive strategies, and attitudes (gagne et al., 1992). our education institutes, namely schools, colleges and universities are expected to impart these skills, additionally imbibing in the students the ability and right attitude towards lifelong learning. the primary difference between offline and online learning lies, which incidentally is one of the two most powerful influences in the learning environment (westwood, 2004). in the case of e-learning or online learning the communication between the teacher and the learner is over a highly constrained medium which often creates barriers to real-time feedback which otherwise is observable to the trained eye. it is therefore justified, that the e-learning industry has set the major goals for e-learning (francis, 2018): • enhance the quality of learning and teaching • meet the learning style or needs of students • improve the efficiency and effectiveness • improve user accessibility and time flexibility to engage learners in the learning process in the current context, when educational institutes have been forced to deliver courses online, the actors involved having been trained and practiced in the contact mode of teaching-learning, the quality of delivery and approach to teaching comes under question. at the indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 166 same time, the interest and ability of the learner to learn solely from and in an environment hitherto unknown also need to be followed. the purpose of this work was to understand the student’s reaction to the paradigm shift in learning mode and the outcome of the same. the work, compiled through a survey on a sample size of 315 engineering students of the second (2nd), third (3rd) and fourth (4th) years consisted of a questionnaire covering the following aspects of online learning during the covid-19 pandemic: • content delivery • content structure • teacher-student interaction • efficacy • popular mode of learning the actual measurement though would be revealed at a later stage when the learners’ would be exposed to scenarios in real life and would have to apply the learning made during these testing times. nevertheless, an educated prediction of sorts is attempted and reported here which can identify the course of action for academics to meet the standards set by the industry and the industry to check the correctness of the standards set. the authors used convenience sampling through the circulation of the questionnaire via social platforms. a total of 348 responses were collected out of which thirty-three (33) responses were rejected due to incompleteness. among the three categories, i.e. second, third and fourth-year students, the responses received were 87, 138 and 90, respectively. literature review since its inception and years of growth, e-learning has been evaluated from multiple angles. the comparisons, always being up against the traditional mode of classroom delivery, have been aimed at measuring the efficacy of e-learning (james, n.d). on one hand, while researchers report that students taking greater numbers of online courses were more likely to engage in quantitative reasoning, while being less likely to engage in collaborative learning, student-faculty interactions, and discussions with diverse others and have less exposure to effective teaching practices and lower quality of interactions, it is also seen that online learning builds self-learning proficiency (dumford & miller, 2018). it has also been advocated to follow the middle path, i.e. to use blended mode for a better learning experience (pinedaherrero et al., 2011). considering the unprecedented situation that the world has been thrown into, the only option that the academic community was left with was e-learning. in the indian context, thankfully, the majority of the stakeholders were connected to the internet and therefore at least the most rudimentary education imparting could be continued. it is only to be accepted that neither the teaching community nor the educational institutions were ready for this and it took some time to get used to this new paradigm of lecture delivery. even the learners at times found it difficult to adjust to a speaking box. substantial research has been reported already post the onset of covid, deliberating into various issues impacting education. while some harp on the widening social divide and the rise in popularity and use of e-learning platforms (bacher-hicks et al., 2021), some have tried to analyze the impact of online learning on the quality of learning (dhawan, 2020)(suryaman & kusnan, 2020). indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 167 multiple surveys have also been conducted among various disciplinespecific students. in their work sarwar et al (sarwar et al., 2020) conducted a cross-sectional study using an online survey comprising 31 questions posed to a total of 1207 dentistry students across pakistan. the results brought out the dissatisfaction of the students with almost all aspects of the institutional learning management system and the quality of learning resources available. in a global survey conducted on dermatologists, 38 per cent responded that they did not have the requisite infrastructure in place (bhargava et al., 2021). the drawbacks of e-learning already have been in the knowledge of researchers and the impact has been fathomed, a direct correlation between the efficacy of e-learning and acceptance of the same under forced circumstances needs to be understood. in the reported literature, engineering graduates’ feedback or survey could not be traced. to this end, the current work puts on record the findings of a survey conducted on engineering students in india. considering the fact that engineering students would be better equipped in handling technology, as would be the teachers, the questions were directed to be more technically aligned. courses tagged as ‘professional’, like engineering, medicine, pharmacy, architecture etc, having been banned from being conducted in distance mode, this survey hopefully would be of help to policymakers and business houses alike in planning for the future of education in general and e-learning in particular. data acquired the questionnaire for data acquisition, made using google forms was floated among engineering students in 2nd, 3rd and 4th years, respectively. freshmen were excluded from the survey since they have not experienced offline engineering education as yet. the form was kept alive for a week-long period and each student was allowed a single entry only. a total of 315 unique responses were received, comprising 28.6 per cent of responses from 2nd year, 43.8 per cent of responses from 3rd year and 27.6 per cent from 4th year students. the responses represented figuratively are shown in figures 1 to 7 and discussed in the following sections. the questions were framed and initially tried within a closed group of 40 students. based on feedback received about clarity and objectivity, the questions were rephrased and all questions were made close-ended. • device used a sizable majority of students depend on mobile phones for attending classes. out of the total 315 responses, 189 students answered in the affirmative about mobile phones while 39.4 per cent said that they use a laptop or a desktop computer for the purpose. figure 1.2 shows the pie-chart representation of the data. • platform a variety of platforms have been reported to be used. while the most prevalent being google meet with 59 per cent usage, microsoft teams was the next most used platform with 24.8 per cent of students reporting using it. other platforms like zoom, google classroom and skype are also used in lesser numbers. some students even reported classes being conducted using whatsapp conference video calls. figure 1.3 shows the students’ responses. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 168 figure-1: year of students, devices used, platform, network • network as of 2021, india has more than 700 million internet users, comprising 41.129 per cent of its population (keelery, 2021). however, reliability seems to be a bottleneck as user satisfaction is abysmally low. in the survey, 78.7 per cent of students reported frequent connectivity problems affecting the quality of education. figure 1.4 shows the response plot as pie-chart. • study and lecture material about 89.9 per cent of students reported getting content materials in the form of live lectures, presentations or reading materials. however, a majority, i.e. 58.7 per cent do not find the material provided to be sufficient for learning and they need to refer to other resources for their self-learning. the quality of content delivered and provided was found to be of average quality by the majority of the students comprising 42.2 per cent of students. the materials also fell majorly in the poor to average bracket for self-learning for 44.34 per cent students. further, 43.8 per cent of students felt that not all subjects could be effectively delivered over online mode and some needed the physical presence of the teacher. figure 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4 and 2.5 show the responses received from relevant questions in the survey. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 169 figure-2: study and lecture material • content delivery and teaching style: a substantial number (62 per cent) of students responded that they are aware of the fact that the teachers are unused to delivering and preparing study materials for a complete online mode of learning. however, an astonishing 51.1 per cent of students replied that they expect teachers to deliver quality comparable in style with those of professional online courses. the majority i.e. 44.7 per cent of students are happy with the syllabus coverage but a majority 43.1 per cent also graded the quality of delivery as average. figure 3 maps the responses to the relevant questions. figure-3: content delivery and teaching style indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 170 • teacher-student interaction unmistakably, the student’s responses on teacher-student interaction are as expected. majority of students are in denial in accepting online learning as helping in teacher-student interaction. a majority even found it easier to clear doubts in physical classrooms through questions than in online lecture sessions. figure 4 shows the response percentages. figure-4: what is your reaction? • examinations and results the recorded responses do not narrow down any concrete pattern on the number of examinations conducted. students reported having to appear in more than one examination in a month, while some said that they have a single examination in about five months, which makes up a semester. however, irrespective of the number of examinations needed to appear in, 47 per cent of students said that their results have improved during the pandemic-induced online classes. close to 36 per cent of students claimed that their results did not undergo any significant change, while 17.5 per cent reported having suffered during online examinations. figures 5.1 and 5.2 show the student’s responses. figure-5: examinations and results • advantages and disadvantages of online education maximum students find the ease of being at home/comfort of home as the main advantage of online education. interestingly, about 62 per cent of students confessed to being engaged in other activities like chatting, playing games or doing household chores while indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 171 having logged in to online classes. in the case of disadvantages, students mainly find network issues during online classes as the main difficulty. figures 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3 show the results. figure-6: advantages and disadvantages of online education • general opinion online learning as the sole mode having been thrust, the students have fared well. however, the majority still prefers offline mode over online learning, with 59.4 per cent of students believing that offline mode will stay for some time. being very clear about the advantages and disadvantages, as is shown through response maps in figures 6.2 and 6.3 respectively, a sizable number of students voted in favour of choicebased online learning, as can be seen in figure 7. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 172 figure-7: general opinion analysis of responses the results as mentioned in the sections above can be reviewed and analysed in the context of the prevailing scenario in the indian academic context. the current section tries to bring out the underlying reasons and build upon them to provide valuable insight. the analysis is based on visualisation using graphical tools and information available in the literature. the penetration of smartphones has grown at a remarkable pace in india. india has the second largest smartphone users globally. as of may 2021, the penetration rate of smartphones in india reached 42 per cent and was estimated to reach 51 per cent in the financial year 2025, more than doubled from financial year 2016, when only 24 per cent of mobile subscribers were using smartphones (sun, 2021). after beating the us, recently by crossing 220 million active smartphone users in 2015. smartphone ownership among young adults, especially college-going students has been consistently elevated (arora et al., 2016). it therefore, is not a surprise that over 50 per cent of students are using mobile phones for attending online classes. despite the advantages of mobile phones being the ubiquitous tool for communication, much doubt exists about its use for pedagogically valuable learning settings. it supports spontaneous short study phases and needs game-based course design for effective learning (kramer & strohlein, 2006). under the existing scenario, neither the teachers nor the academic institutes are fully aware of or prepared for incorporating such changes. the problem is further complicated by the fact that a sizable population also uses laptop or desktop computer-based learning. the course delivery would have to suit either set of students both technically, catering to the operating system and display size variances for pedagogy. ideally, this would need engaging additional manpower for the design of the interface for content delivery. the teacher is not trained for the job and can only do his bit in the content preparation. it is probably only obvious that it is for such reasons that the satisfaction level of the student with respect to the content and its delivery is low. this is substantiated through the results shown in section indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 173 4.5. interestingly enough, students are aware of the problems faced by teachers. additionally, the teachers, having been trained through the classical classroom teaching approaches themselves and have developed methods and mannerisms suitable for the paradigm would need to be retrained and adapt to the demands of changing times. even after the restrictions are eased and as students come back to classes, the expectation would have changed and the community might be looking forward to what is popularly known as blended learning. in the present context, using online learning, the attention span of the average learner has also been affected. mobile devices and applications, being designed to engage the user’s attention (shirky, 2014), the difficulty level for the teacher increases manifold. academia therefore needs to invest time and energy into developing a unified strategy for generalised learning methods suitable for classroom, online and blended teaching-learning. as could be assessed from the findings reported in section 4.4, content quality, delivery style and techniques need a major re-look. also, irrespective of the kind of devices used, about 20 per cent of students (33 of 191 mobile users and 29 of 124 pc users) reported regularly being distracted by other online activities, which is a serious hindrance to learning. education, being not only about learning a subject but also social skills and communication, online learning is naturally hindered. even teacher-tostudent communication is constrained, proper subject-based skill imparting would also naturally be hampered. the feeling of belonging to a community, as exists in the case of a class or a fraternity feeling that normally exists among course mates, is missing in online learning. efforts must be made by teachers and pupils alike to get deeply involved in constructing interaction and collaboration between the instructor and students and among students to create an effective online learning community (sun & chen, 2016). possibilities look bright with the advent of augmented reality and 3-dimensional imaging. supporting such technologies and taking them to the end user, en masse would require a lot of investment in the infrastructure. in a country as big and geographically diverse as india, this is a challenge. the future of education in general and engineering education, in particular, rests on policies and their implementation both by the government and private sector investors. a major drawback of the online learning phenomenon lies in the assessment of students’ responses. even more starkly evident during the pandemic, due to the sudden migration to online learning, the results of students have improved by a considerable margin. the primary reason was over-reliance on multiplechoice-based questions, the universities had no choice otherwise. evaluating text-based answers automatically is a steep task and a method and platform acceptable to all are yet to be developed (chakraborty et al., 2021). advantages apart, mcq-based tests have their own limitations and are seriously restricted in not being able to measure crucial learning outcomes like analysis, evaluation and creation. a better grade does not necessarily mean better learning, the end purpose stands defeated under such conditions. while having improved grades may be happy news for students, it would certainly not stand in good stead in the long run and harm the interests of all stakeholders. conclusion the covid-19 pandemic has affected indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 174 all of us all too suddenly. with hardly any time to think, people have been sent indoors. like all other walks of life, education too has been hit. in retrospect, it might be easy to criticise and find faults with the way things were conducted. however, it must be remembered that nobody was ever ready for this and no system can ever be ready for an event that forces so much change. all odds notwithstanding, the entire academic fraternity has shown steely resolve in coming around and continuing, in ways best possible, the teaching-learning process, so that the future and career prospects of millions of learners are affected minimally. the methods employed might be flawed, but can evolve to be highly effective if properly tuned. in the times to come, when the students return to the classrooms, their expectations would have changed, and it would only be wise to adapt to the demands of changing times, even more so if that leads to improvement. the survey-based study reported herein, can be summarized through the following findings: 1. students expect a) more interactive sessions b) better delivery c) study materials that suit selflearning 2. students are aware of the advantages and disadvantages of online learning 3. the internet connectivity has to be more reliable 4. pedagogy has to be adapted to suit blended learning 5. teacher training is essential for changing trends in learning 6. online examinations must be upgraded to enable more rigorous testing of learning outcomes 7. online learning platforms need standardization the authors hope that the results and findings would be helpful for researchers, education managers and policymakers in taking forward the teaching-learning system in india, especially in the domain of engineering education. references gutierrez, k. (n.d.). 10great moments in elearning history.https://www.shiftelearning.com/ blog/bid/343658/10-great-moments-in-elearning-history sander, t.(2019). the history of e-learning. https://e-student.org/history-of-e-learning/ kawatra, p. s., & singh, n. k. (2006). e-learning in lis education in india. in c. khoo, d. singh & a.s. chaudhry (eds.), proceedings of the asia-pacific conference on library & information education & prac-tice 2006 (a-liep 2006), singapore, 3-6 april 2006 (pp. 605-611). singapore: school of communication & information, nanyang technological university. chamoli, a.(2020). list of distance learning courses banned in india, https://www.collegedekho. com/articles/list-of-distance-learning-courses-banned-in-india/ agarwal, n. (2021). the future of e-learning in india, https://digitallearning.eletsonline. com/2021/05/the-future-of-e-learning-in-india/ american psychological association (n.d.). apa dictionary of psychology https://dictionary. apa.org/learningt indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 175 gagne, r., briggs, l. & wager, w. (1992). principles of instructional design (4th edn). chicago: holt, rinehart & winston. westwood, p. (2004). learning and learning difficulties-a handbook for teachers. acer press. francis, k. (2018). major goals and expectation of elearning, https://elearningindustry.com/ goals-and-expectations-of-elearning-major james, g.(n.d.) advantages and disadvantages of online learning, http://www.leerbeleving.nl/ wbts/nieuw_basics/addis.pdf dumford, a.d., miller, a.l.(2018),online learning in higher education: exploring advantages and disadvantages for engagement. j comput high educ 30,452–465. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s12528-018-9179-z pineda-herrero,p., quesada, c., stoian, a.(2011), evaluating the efficacy of e-learning in spain: a diagnosis of learning transfer factors affecting e-learning,procedia social and behavioral sciences 30, 2199 – 2203. bacher-hicks, a., goodman, j., mulhern, c.(2021), inequality in household adaptation to schooling shocks:covid-induced online learning engagement in real time, journal of public economics, vol. 193, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2020.104345 dhawan, s.(2020), online learning: a panacea in the time of covid-19 crisis, journal of educational technologysystems, vol. 49(1), pp. 5–22. suryaman, h., kusnan, mubarok, h. (2020), profile of online learning in building engineering education study program during the covid-19 pandemic, international journal of recent educational education, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 63-77. sarwar, h., akhtar, h., muhammad naeem, m., khan j. a., khadija waraich, k., shabbir, s., hasan, a., khurshid, z. (2020), self-reported effectiveness of e-learning classes during covid-19 pandemic: a nation-wide survey of pakistani undergraduate dentistry students, european journal of dentistry, doi https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0040-1717000 bhargava, s., negbenebor, n., sadoughifar, r., ahmad, s., kroumpouzos,g.,virtual conferences and e-learning in dermatology during covid-19 pandemic: results of a web-based, global survey, clinics in dermatology, 2021, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clindermatol.2021.06.002 keelery, s. (2021, 17 august) number of internet users in india 2010-2040, statista,https:// www.statista.com/statistics/255146/number-of-internet-users-in-india/ sun, s. (2021, 24 aug) smartphone penetration rate in india 2010-2040, statista, https://www. statista.com/statistics/1229799/india-smartphone-penetration-rate/ arora, n., singh, n., tanej, p. (2016), smart phone usage pattern: a study of college students, international journal of knowledge management and practices, volume 4, issue 2, pp. 31-36 b. j. kramer and g. strohlein, “exploring the use of cellular phones for pervasive elearning,”fourth annual ieee international conference on pervasive computing and communications workshops (percomw’06), 2006, pp. 6 pp.-195, doi: 10.1109/percomw.2006.54. shirky, c. (2014). why i just asked my students to put their laptops away. https://medium. com/@cshirky/why-i-just-asked-my-students-to-put-their-laptops-away-7f5f7c50f368 sun, a., chen, x.(2016), online education and its effective practice: a research review, journal of indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 176 information technology education: research, vol. 15, pp. 157-190. chakraborty, c., sarma, b., chakraborty, u. k. (2021), online examination in india: feasibility and authenticity, in s.k.choudhury, s. sarkar (eds.), indian education system in the wake of covid-19-issues and challenges (pp. 108-114), ssdn publishers. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 24 research article a systematic literature review on significant and sustainable impact on teaching and learning in the 21st century classroom soniya antony1 & r. ramnath2 1doctoral researcher, department of education, alagappa university email id: soniyaantony4@gmail.com 2associate professor, department of education, alagappa university abstract this study presents a comprehensive examination of the teaching and learning benefits of digital storytelling in the 21st-century classroom, as well as the prevailing theoretical and methodological trends in digital storytelling research in school education. a systematic literature review encompassed 59 articles published between 2000 and 2021, sourced from databases such as google scholar, eric, ebsco, web of science, and social science index. digital storytelling has a significant positive impact on the 21st-century classroom. the literature highlights that digital storytelling is an invaluable instructional tool for teachers to develop the essential 21st-century skills and competencies required to meet the demands of the global economy. the active involvement of learners in the creation and presentation of their own digital stories has been found to foster the development of these skills. the review also identifies the prevailing theoretical and methodological perspectives observed in digital storytelling research over the past two decades, which predominantly revolve around the theoretical framework of social constructivism and the use of interviews as a data collection method. furthermore, more than 50 per cent of the studies focused on the second-grade level, indicating a concentration of research in this educational context. the findings of the literature review highlight essential areas for future research in digital storytelling. this study contributes to the existing literature by providing a comprehensive overview of the teaching and learning benefits of digital storytelling in the 21st-century classroom. it also identifies research gaps and areas for further exploration, facilitating the advancement of knowledge in this field and informing future research endeavors. keywords: digital storytelling, teaching-learning benefits, benefit to disabled children, 21st century classroom introduction in the 21st century, with the rapid advancements in technology and the changing landscape of education, there is a growing need to explore innovative approaches that can significantly impact teaching and learning in classrooms. one such approach that has gained considerable attention is digital storytelling. digital storytelling in education harnesses the power of technology to engage learners in a creative and collaborative process, enabling them to construct meaningful narratives using various media elements. this approach has been widely recognized for its potential to enhance students’ cognitive and literacy skills, promote critical thinking, and foster effective communication and collaboration. while digital storytelling holds promise as a valuable educational tool, there is a need for a comprehensive and systematic review of the literature to understand better its significant and sustainable impact on teaching and learning in the 21stindian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 25 century classroom. existing studies have provided insights into the positive effects of digital storytelling on various educational outcomes, such as language competence, identity exploration, and presentation skills. however, there is a lack of meta-synthesis literature reviews that synthesize and analyze the existing research in this field. therefore, this systematic literature review aims to bridge this gap in the research by conducting a comprehensive analysis of the available evidence on the significant and sustainable impact of digital storytelling on teaching and learning in the 21st-century classroom. by employing a rigorous meta-synthesis approach, this study will synthesize the findings from multiple studies, providing an overall picture of the effectiveness of digital storytelling as an educational tool. this systematic literature review will draw upon the citations and findings discussed in the previous sections to advance our understanding of educational digital storytelling and its impact on teaching and learning. by synthesizing and analyzing the existing research, this study aims to provide valuable insights into the potential of digital storytelling as an effective educational tool in the 21st-century classroom, thereby informing educators, researchers, and policymakers about its significance and sustainable impact. theoretical background educational digital storytelling is grounded in the theoretical framework of constructionism, developed by seymour papert of the mit media lab, building upon jean piaget’s constructivism theory of learning. constructionism emphasizes the active creation of tangible outcomes in the real world as a means of meaningful learning. according to papert, successful learning occurs when learners engage in the process of constructing physical or meaningful objects within educational activities. however, constructionism extends beyond mere construction and highlights the importance of the creative process and the sharing of the final product with others to harness the learning experience fully. papert’s focus was on how learners interact with their own creations or artifacts, as these interactions promote self-directed learning and the construction of new knowledge. he emphasized the role of technologies, media, and context in human development. constructionism theory posits that learning is most effective when learners create a product to share with others. this theory aligns with constructivism in promoting individualized, child-centered, and discovery learning, where children actively explore new knowledge and construct meaning by connecting it to their prior knowledge and experiences. while constructivism centers on mental constructions, constructionism emphasizes materializing learners’ ideas in tangible objects in the real world, referred to by papert as “public entities”. constructionism sheds light on how ideas are developed and transformed through diverse media, shaped by learners’ minds, and actualized within specific contexts. in other words, the focus shifts from universal learners to individual learners’ interactions with their own artifacts, representations, and objects to think. educational digital storytelling embodies papert’s philosophical approach and learning theory of constructionism by emphasizing collaboration, the creation of meaningful artifacts, sharing those artifacts, and utilizing tools, media, and context. a crucial element of educational digital storytelling is the expression of ideas, thoughts, and emotions by learners to their peer groups through communication and collaboration. drawing upon the theoretical framework of constructionism, educational indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 26 digital storytelling underscores the importance of learners actively creating tangible outcomes and sharing them, facilitating meaningful learning experiences. through its incorporation of collaboration, diverse media, and artifact development, educational digital storytelling aligns with the principles of constructionism and offers a powerful approach to learning in the 21st-century classroom. digital story digital storytelling is a multimedia form of presentation that combines photos, animations, music, and narration within a narrative structure. it emerged from artistic experimentation in the 1970s and 1980s, allowing for the sharing of personal narratives with a broader audience. the center for digital storytelling defines it as using computer-based storytelling tools, incorporating various multimedia elements like graphics, audio, video, and web publishing. digital storytelling provides a creative platform for individuals to express their experiences and perspectives using technology, engaging audiences through visual and interactive elements. it transcends traditional limitations, allowing stories to be shared globally through digital platforms, fostering connectivity, and amplifying diverse voices. in summary, digital storytelling combines technology and artistry to create impactful narratives that connect with audiences worldwide. digital storytelling in classroom storytelling, as a pedagogical approach, has been recognized for its effectiveness in enhancing learning outcomes across various domains of education (sharda, 2007; smeda, dakich, & sharda, 2014). with the rapid advancements in technology, storytelling has taken on a digital form, utilizing various hardware and software systems (van gils, 2005; smeda, dakich, & sharda, 2014). this digital transformation has given rise to the concept of digital storytelling, which has emerged as a powerful tool in educational settings for enhancing teaching and learning (xu, park, & baek, 2011). digital storytelling offers unique opportunities for children to nurture their creativity and problemsolving skills in innovative ways (ohler, 2008). in the twenty-first century, the evolution of technology and global competition has significantly influenced the conceptualization of literacy practices. educators are now challenged to incorporate effective teaching strategies that blend traditional and innovative forms of literacy (kress, 2003; lankshear & knobel, 2003; mills, 2010). digital storytelling is a technological application that harnesses learnercontributed content, empowering instructors to overcome the challenges associated with productive technology integration in classrooms. by leveraging digital storytelling, educators can tap into the potential of student-generated content, enabling learners to participate in the creation and sharing of their narratives actively. this approach fosters engagement, creativity, critical thinking, and digital literacy skills among students. furthermore, digital storytelling provides a platform for students to communicate their ideas, knowledge, and perspectives effectively, fostering a collaborative and interactive learning environment. digital storytelling offers a promising avenue for educators to incorporate technology in meaningful ways that enhance teaching and learning. by embracing this pedagogical approach, educators can harness the power of technology to engage students, foster creativity, and develop essential literacy skills for the twentyfirst century. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 27 21st century classroom skills 21st-century learners need to develop various skills to succeed in today’s society. communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and problemsolving are essential skills that enable students to thrive in the 21st century. these skills, often referred to as 21stcentury skills, are vital for both everyday life and the workplace. therefore, it is crucial to incorporate these skills into the education of students alongside subjectspecific content. digital storytelling plays a significant role in fostering 21stcentury skills among students. when students create their own digital stories, they acquire key skills and literacies identified by the consortium for 21st century skills (robin, 2008). these literacies, often called “twentiethcentury literacy,” have evolved with technological advancements (robin, 2006; brown, bryan, & brown, 2005). these 21st-century literacies encompass digital literacy, which involves effective communication, social issue discussions, information gathering, and seeking support. global literacy focuses on reading, analyzing, interpreting, and responding to messages from a global perspective. technology literacy uses devices and technological advancements to enhance learning, performance, and productivity. visual literacy involves the ability to communicate, understand, and produce visual images. information literacy encompasses finding, analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing information (robin, 2006). in addition to the aforementioned literacies, developing digital stories also cultivates a broader set of skills. these include research skills, writing skills, organization skills, technology skills, presentation skills, interview skills, interpersonal skills, problemsolving skills, and assessment skills (robin, 2006). garcia and rossiter (2010) propose adding three additional skills to these literacies: empathy and perspectives, self-understanding, and community-building. these skills involve sharing experiences, expanding perspectives, self-reflection, and fostering communication and collaboration with others. digital storytelling not only enhances students’ technological proficiency but also nurtures a wide range of 21st-century skills and literacies. by engaging in the process of creating digital stories, students develop valuable abilities such as communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration, preparing them to be active and informed citizens in an ever-evolving digital world. research questions this study aims to address the existing gap in comprehensive and reliable research on digital storytelling in the 21st-century classroom. the research questions aim to address the existing gap in comprehensive and reliable studies on digital storytelling in the 21st-century classroom environment. by conducting a systematic review, this study aims to analyze the results of previous research holistically, examine the theoretical and methodological trends in digital storytelling in k-12 classrooms, and identify the areas that require further investigation and research in the field. the research questions are as follows rq1: why is digital storytelling considered to have a significant and sustainable impact on teaching and learning in the 21st-century classroom? rq2: what are the prevailing theoretical and methodological trends observed in using digital storytelling in k-12 classrooms? rq3: what are the future research needs and areas of exploration in the field of digital storytelling in school settings? indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 28 methodology systematic literature review in this research, the researcher followed the prisma 2021 guidelines for data collection. a systematic literature review was conducted to identify, select, and critically evaluate published research works to address a specific research question. the review followed a well-defined protocol, with clearly determined inclusion criteria, and encompassed a systematic, comprehensive, and transparent search of published literature across multiple databases. this approach allows for the replication and innovative reproduction of the study by new researchers. literature search and author’s contribution during the literature collection process, relevant search keywords such as “benefits of digital storytelling in teaching and learning,” “educational implications of digital storytelling,” and “digital storytelling and 21st-century competencies and skills” were used to obtain educational digital storytelling studies. multiple databases, including google scholar, eric, ebsco, web of science, and social science index, were searched to gather the articles. the inclusion criteria for the meta-synthesis of research studies were as follows: • studies conducted between the years 2000 and 2021 • studies available as open-access or publicly accessible • studies published in peer-reviewed journals and written in english • studies conducted with school children from pre-kindergarten to higher secondary level (k-12 grade) • studies addressing the teaching and learning benefits of using educational digital storytelling • studies addressing 21st-century competencies and skills the first author systematically searched articles based on predetermined research questions, and the second author identified, selected, systematically analyzed, and critically examined 59 included articles. both authors then classified the research work in a structured manner to answer the formulated questions, replicating and reproducing the findings. a comprehensive and systematic approach was taken to collect, analyze, and synthesize the literature, ensuring the inclusion of relevant studies that meet the predetermined criteria. prisma chart figure-1: search flow chart id en ti fi ed sc re en in g el ig ib ili ty in cl ud ed articles identified through multiple data base=17100 google scholar, eric, ebsco, web of science and social science index records after duplicate removed= 1057 record screened= 1057 full text articles assessed for eligibility =678 records excluded =379 full text articles excluded with reasons articles focused on software development, developing scale and story creation= 26 no information about teaching learning=277 project reports/essays and review papers=38 higher and professional education related= 189 explanatory studies and other reasons= 89 articles included for qualitative meta-synthesis= 59 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 29 systematic analysis of selected studies the systematic analysis of selected literature focused on the three main research questions. the analysis involved examining the purpose of each study, understanding the theoretical foundations guiding the research, evaluating the rigor of the research methods, considering the grade level of participants, reviewing data analysis and interpretation techniques, assessing the validity of data collection strategies, exploring future research needs and methodological improvements, and analyzing the positive impacts and advantages of digital storytelling for various student populations. this systematic analysis provided a comprehensive understanding of the research landscape, encompassing objectives, theoretical foundations, methodologies, participant characteristics, data analysis approaches, data collection strategies, future research needs, and the benefits of digital storytelling in education. objectives of digital storytelling research studies the objective of the systematic analysis was to examine and code the objectives of the research articles systematically to provide a comprehensive understanding of the objectives of digital storytelling in the 21st century. this analysis also aimed to provide literature references that can serve as a valuable resource for further research and understanding of the topic. by systematically examining and coding the objectives of the research articles, this analysis contributes to a deeper understanding of the purpose and focus of digital storytelling in the context of the 21st century. table-1: objectives of digital storytelling research studies theme reference academic and social skills [4][7][8][14][19][22][23][24][30][31][37][40][41] [44][47][51][57] integration of technology [3][12 [15][18][22]][27][35][37][46][47][49] [51][53] personality factors [19][23][28][30][31][34][44] [47][52][54][57] academic achievement [15][21][26][32][34][38][45][46][52][54] 21st century competencies [1][4][8][12][17][20][35] [56] learning [9][12][27][35][47][49][56] classroom management [2][4][15][23][27][35] perception and opinion [23][32][38][42][59] knowledge construction [40][49][53] indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 30 theoretical and conceptual framework the theoretical and conceptual frameworks employed in digital storytelling studies were systematically analyzed and synthesized. using theories aims to contribute to developing research problems, designing appropriate research questions, guiding the selection of relevant information, interpreting the data, and providing explanations for observed phenomena. most of the studies reviewed in this analysis adopted a social constructivist theoretical framework. theoretical and conceptual frameworks used in the studies are presented in the table below. this analysis provides a comprehensive overview of the theoretical foundations of digital storytelling research, offering insights into the frameworks guiding the investigations. table-2: theoretical and conceptual framework theme references social constructivism [4][5][20][23][44][49][50][58] multiliteracies pedagogy [4][6][7][15] new literacy theory [49][55] child-centered learning [28][53] situation learning and cognition learning [32][47] dialogical approach [49][55] critical literacy theory [4][51] critical engaged pedagogy and global sharing pedagogy [3][35] cognitive apprenticeship [29] community learning and practice [16] constructionism [41] inquiry based learning [30] active learning [44] reflective learning [51] cognitive developmental theory [23] symbolic interactionism [33] critical race theory [43] ecological system theory [20] double diamond theory [3] indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 31 methodology research methodologies are essential in addressing specific issues and provide scholars with the necessary knowledge to apply them to real-world problems. by examining the research methods employed in digital storytelling studies, this synthesis aimed to understand which methods are most suitable and effective for investigating digital storytelling-related issues in school education. the detailed examination revealed that most researchers opted for quasi-experimental research methods as their approach to conducting research in digital storytelling. table-3: methodology theme reference quasi-experimental [7][19][23][27][28][38][47][51][52][53][54][57] case study [3][15][18][25][40][41][48][49][50][59] action research [17][22][55][58][50] mixed method [9][16][44][46] experimental [1][35][42] participatory research [11][33] ethnography [4] narrative study [51] grade of participants in the selected digital storytelling articles, the participants were primary school students ranging from grades k-12. the systematic analysis revealed that researchers predominantly focused on secondary-level students (grades 6-8) in their studies. however, there was a limited amount of research conducted on digital storytelling in pre-primary level students. this finding highlights the need for further exploration and understanding of the application of digital storytelling in early childhood education. table-4: grade of participants theme reference grades 6-8 [2][3][4][6][7][9][10][11][4][15][16][18[]21][22][23][33][41] [43][45][51][53][[55] pre-school to 5 [1][5][12][13][17][20][27][32][35][40][42][47][54][56][59] grades 912 [8][11][18][19][28][34][45][47][49][51[[57][58] indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 32 data collection the data collection strategies employed in digital storytelling studies played a crucial role in determining the quality and reliability of the data analysis and interpretation. the systematic analysis revealed various data collection techniques, including surveys, interviews, observations, and document analysis. these strategies allowed researchers to gather diverse perspectives and rich insights on the benefits and impacts of digital storytelling in education. the careful selection and application of data collection methods ensured the validity and comprehensiveness of the findings. table-5: data collection theme reference interview and focus group discussion [1] [3][4][9][11][16][17][22][25][28][31][33][35][40][41] [42][44][45][46] [48][49][50][52][55][58] [59] questionnaire and survey [7][9][16][19][23][27][28][38][44][46][47] [51][52][53] [54][57] artifacts [3][15][18][25][40][41] [11][33][35][42] [9][44][46] [17] [22][55][58][50] field notes [1][3][9][11][16][22][25][33][35][45][48][50][52][55][58] [59] observations [1][3][4][9][22][25][28][33][35][42][44][48][52][55][58] video and audio records [1][3][4][9][16][17][22][25][28][31][33][40][44][48][55] [58][59] achievement test [4][9][16][19][20][24][27][29][34][37][44][46][47] scales [6][10][13][15][9][21][23][28][33][37][44][51][55][58] reflective journals [8][15][16][19][20][49] documentary and blogs [9][13][48][53] data analysis and interpretation the data analysis and interpretation in the digital storytelling studies encompassed a range of approaches and techniques. thematic coding/analysis was commonly employed, allowing researchers to identify and categorize recurring themes and patterns within the data. the descriptive analysis provided a comprehensive overview and summary of the collected data, while artifacts and content analysis examined the digital stories themselves for deeper insights. ethnography and protocol analysis delved into the social and cultural contexts of digital storytelling practices, while interaction and dialogical discourse analysis focused on communication and dialogue within the storytelling process. textual narrative and analytic memo techniques were used to explore the narrative elements and reflective insights present in the data. these diverse approaches enabled researchers to analyze and interpret the data from multiple perspectives, enriching the understanding of the impact and benefits of digital storytelling in education. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 33 table-6: data analysis and interpretation theme reference inferential analysis [1][7][16][19][23][27][28][35][38][44][46] [47][50][52][53][54][57] thematic coding/ analysis [4][5][9][11][13][17][21][24][43][45][51] descriptive analysis 9][16][23][27][44][46][50][52][54][59] artifacts and content analysis [3][11][15][18][25][40][41] [42][55][58][50] ethnography and protocol analysis [4][51] interaction and dialogical discourse analysis [11][33] textual narrative and analytic memo [51] future research needs, methodological changes, and context the literature examination revealed several areas of future research needs and scope in educational digital storytelling. these can be classified into three main themes: the problems that need to be investigated, the methodological changes that are required, and the priority contexts for digital storytelling research in school education. identifying and addressing these research needs will contribute to the advancement and understanding of digital storytelling as an effective educational tool. table-7: future research needs, methodological changes, and context themes sub-themes problem to be investigated in educational digital storytelling integration of digital storytelling and augmented reality the social context of digital storytelling gifted education curriculum and digital storytelling individual education plan and personalized education digital storytelling in early childhood education story writing in a digital context efficiency and effectiveness of digital storytelling in stem subjects. digital storytelling for remedial students learning cooperative and collaborative learning art of digital storytelling curriculum design and digital storytelling culture of thinking and digital storytelling indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 34 themes sub-themes research methodology to be changed phenomenological studies comparative studies ( subject, grade, and country) experimental studies follow-up studies context need to be conducted inter-culture multilingual and multicultural context slumps, migrants and wide digital gap benefits of digital storytelling in the teaching-learning process numerous research studies have demonstrated the various benefits of educational digital storytelling in the teaching and learning process. personalized education and instruction are among the attractive advantages observed in digital storytelling. van gil (2005) highlights that students can actively participate by presenting their understanding, reflections, and experiences while creating their own digital stories. this active engagement transforms them from passive information consumers to active knowledge constructors (ohler, 2008). the unesco program for the united nations decade of education for sustainable development acknowledges the significance of digital storytelling as a critical teaching strategy for achieving the objectives of education for a sustainable future (unesco, 2010). teachers also recognize digital storytelling as a valuable tool for enhancing students’ research skills and promoting other essential competencies. for instance, smeda, & et.al. (2014) note that digital storytelling can improve spelling, writing, communication, and collaboration skills. furthermore, it facilitates the learning of cross-curricular competencies such as teamwork, independent learning, and project work, empowering students to choose the competencies they want to develop (smeda, dakich, & sharda, 2014). in addition to these pedagogical benefits, digital storytelling simplifies the comprehension of complex ideas through the use of multimedia (oppermann, 2008). it provides an effective medium for learners to express their voices with creativity and intellectual depth. this fosters a sense of agency and empowerment among students. moreover, educational digital storytelling is considered an asset-based pedagogy, as it incorporates multiple aspects of the core curriculum, allowing for the integration of various content areas (benmayor, 2008). educational digital storytelling offers personalized education, encourages active participation, enhances research and other key skills, facilitates the learning of cross-curricular competencies, promotes the comprehension of complex ideas, and empowers students to express their voices. it is recognized as a valuable pedagogical approach that aligns with the objectives of education for a sustainable future. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 35 table-8: benefits of using digital storytelling in the 21st century classroom characteristics of learners suggested instructional strategies how to use digital storytelling benefits/outcome tech intelligence and creativity meaning full integration of technology into instructional methods, classroom activities and assignment. learners’ creation of digital stories as classroom activities/ assignment and as group work deeper understanding multimedia lovers gives an active activity/ task/ assignment to complete synthesis content from a range of resources and create an entirely new story based on the content. higher order thinking interest in internet content creation encourage students to contribute helpful content blogs, and websites and create youtube videos created stories upload to the blog, youtube, and other mediums. world exploration vast variety of resources, information and content communication and collaboration shared reflections global pedagogical sharing social interaction (william &et. al.,2018) inductive discovery just-in-time teaching, inquiry-based instruction and hypothetical case studies. organize their own ideas-ask questionsexpress opinions construct narratives. motivation experimental data interpretation hit or miss/ trial and error allow learners to use their techniques and strategies to solve problems and allow them to analyze their own failure and take complete control of their learning to create their own stories through the learning of what worked and why? or what didn’t work and why? complex real-world problem-solving critical thinking ability research and experiment alternative learning indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 36 visual communication support endless possibilities for designing assignment innovative and creatively with the use of images, videos and augmented realities creative and innovative story making creativity and interest inquiry based learning research aptitude long lasting memory engagement and concentration technology literacy ( robin, 2008) short attention span encourage digital multitasking making narrations their own pace improved attention multiple intelligence continuous engagement concentration pressure to succeed activation and utilization of learners multiple intelligence narration from deep understanding and critical reflection critical thinking deep learning innovation independent thinking self learners allow students to learn their own way making own content for learning interest and self motivation research aptitude content writer and creator gifted more challenging and complicated problems freedom of expression and creation problem solving critical thinking discovery learning influencers allow learners take content from real life experiences or socially relevant content for assignment, classroom activities. own voice, sound modulation and emotions leadership engagement evoke emotions feedback/ suggestion seeker at the end of each storytelling section provide positive and critical feedback include peer feedback section in the digital storytelling process better planning accepting positive and negative criticism indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 37 benefits to gifted and learning disabled students digital storytelling in the classroom offers specific benefits to both gifted and disabled students. gifted students can benefit from personalized education and instruction through digital storytelling, allowing them to explore their understanding, reflect on their experiences, and evaluate their potential (van gil, 2005). this active participation helps gifted students utilize their intellectual abilities to create meaningful digital stories, fostering their creativity and intellectual depth. additionally, digital storytelling is a powerful tool for inclusive education, benefiting students with disabilities. ohler (2008) emphasizes that digital storytelling transforms students from passive consumers to active knowledge constructors, enabling disabled students to engage actively with the learning process. it allows them to express their understanding and experiences in a multimodal format, accommodating diverse learning styles and abilities. in addition, digital storytelling can support the development of various skills and competencies for both gifted and disabled students. teachers have reported improvements in research skills, spelling, writing, communication, collaboration, and other essential skills through the use of digital storytelling (smeda, dakich, & sharda, 2014). this inclusive approach allows gifted and disabled students to enhance their academic abilities while fostering a sense of belonging and empowerment in the classroom. digital storytelling in the classroom offers personalized education, active participation, and skill development for both gifted and disabled students. it provides a platform for inclusive learning, allowing students to express their understanding and experiences in a multimodal format. by leveraging the benefits of digital storytelling, educators can create an inclusive and engaging learning environment that supports the unique needs and abilities of gifted and disabled students. discussions the literature provides evidence supporting the significant and sustainable impact of digital storytelling on teaching and learning in the 21stcentury classroom. numerous studies have highlighted the positive effects of digital storytelling in enhancing various skills and competencies demanded by the modern global economy. researchers have found that digital storytelling promotes personalized education and instruction, enabling students to participate actively in their learning process rather than being passive consumers of information. by creating their own digital stories, students can express their understanding, reflections, and experiences, while also evaluating their own potential. this active engagement fosters critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills, among others. unesco recognizes digital storytelling as a key teaching strategy for achieving education objectives for a sustainable future. furthermore, teachers have reported that digital storytelling is a valuable tool for improving students’ research skills and facilitating crosscurricular competencies such as teamwork, independent learning, and project work. in addition, digital storytelling allows for the compression and communication of complex ideas through the use of multimedia, enabling learners to express their creativity and intellectual depth. digital storytelling is considered an asset-based pedagogy that incorporates multiple aspects of the core curriculum. digital storytelling is considered to have a significant and sustainable indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 38 impact on teaching and learning in the 21st-century classroom. it promotes personalized education and active student participation, fostering critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills (van gil, 2005; ohler, 2008). unesco recognizes digital storytelling as a key strategy for achieving education objectives (unesco, 2010). additionally, it enhances research skills and facilitates cross-curricular competencies (smeda, dakich & sharda, 2014). digital storytelling allows for compressing complex ideas through multimedia, fostering creativity and intellectual depth (oppermann, 2008; benmayor, 2008). the prevailing theoretical framework in digital storytelling research is social constructivism, emphasizing the active construction of knowledge through social interactions (van gil, 2005). in terms of methodology, indepth interviews have been commonly used to gain insights into students’ experiences and learning outcomes (ohler, 2008). qualitative approaches such as thematic and narrative analyses have been employed to interpret and analyze the data (van gil, 2005). future research in digital storytelling should focus on developing 21st-century skills, integrating digital storytelling into stem education, exploring outcome-based and self-directed learning, and investigating augmented reality applications (unesco, 2010; oppermann, 2008). additionally, there is a need to explore digital storytelling in early childhood education, gifted education programs, and as an instructional aid for differently abled students (smeda, dakich & sharda, 2014). conducting in-depth qualitative studies is recommended to gain a comprehensive understanding of digital storytelling’s educational benefits (van gil, 2005). findings and conclusion the research findings on digital storytelling in the 21st-century classroom reveal compelling evidence of its profound impact on teaching and learning. numerous studies have consistently demonstrated the positive outcomes and benefits associated with this innovative pedagogical approach. firstly, digital storytelling has been found to significantly enhance language skills, including writing and speaking abilities (van gil, 2005). by creating and sharing their own digital stories, students engage in active expression and reflection, which fosters language development and communication proficiency. furthermore, digital storytelling cultivates critical thinking and problem-solving skills (ohler, 2008). through the process of crafting narratives and incorporating multimedia elements, students are challenged to analyze, synthesize, and present information coherently and engagingly. collaboration and teamwork are also nurtured through digital storytelling (smeda, dakich & sharda, 2014). students work together, sharing ideas, perspectives, and creative inputs, thus fostering a sense of community and enhancing their ability to collaborate effectively. digital storytelling stimulates creativity and innovation (oppermann, 2008). by blending textual, visual, and auditory elements, students are encouraged to think outside the box, experiment with various media tools, and express their ideas in unique and imaginative ways. moreover, digital storytelling aligns with the development of 21st-century skills, which are essential for success in the modern global economy. these skills include critical thinking, problemsolving, communication, collaboration, creativity, and digital literacy (unesco, indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 39 2010). the literature also suggests potential applications of digital storytelling in specific educational contexts. for instance, it can be used to support early childhood education by fostering imagination, language development, and social-emotional skills (benmayor, 2008). additionally, digital storytelling shows promise in gifted education programs, catering to the unique needs and abilities of gifted students (smeda, dakich & sharda, 2014). the findings underscore the immense potential of digital storytelling as a powerful teaching and learning tool. its ability to enhance language skills, critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and 21st-century competencies positions it as a valuable approach to preparing students for success in the rapidly evolving digital age. limitations and suggestions while this study provides valuable insights into the teaching and learning benefits of digital storytelling in the 21stcentury classroom and the prevailing theoretical and methodological trends in educational digital storytelling, it is important to acknowledge certain limitations. the inclusion criteria for the literature review may have inadvertently excluded relevant studies that were not captured by the selected databases. this could introduce a potential bias in the findings. to mitigate this limitation, future research could expand the search strategy to include additional databases or sources to ensure a more comprehensive coverage of the literature. most of the included studies focused on secondary grade levels, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to other educational settings. while the identified theoretical and methodological trends are based on the selected studies, there may be emerging theoretical frameworks and research methods in educational digital storytelling that have not yet been widely explored. future research could investigate alternative theoretical perspectives and innovative methodologies further to enrich the theoretical and methodological landscape in this field. researchers could delve deeper into the cognitive, affective, and social processes involved in digital storytelling to identify the key factors contributing to its positive impact on student learning outcomes. there is a need to explore the integration of digital storytelling in stem education. future research could examine how digital storytelling can be effectively incorporated into stem curricula to foster engagement, critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity among students in these fields. this would provide valuable insights into the potential of digital storytelling as a tool for interdisciplinary learning. additionally, future studies could focus on outcome-based learning and selfdirected learning in the context of digital storytelling. researchers can investigate how digital storytelling aligns with outcome-based approaches and supports students’ ability to take ownership of their learning process, set goals, and reflect on their progress. this would contribute to a deeper understanding of the role of digital storytelling in promoting student agency and meta-cognitive 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(2018). using digital stories to reduce misconceptions and mistakes about fractions: an action study. international journal of mathematical education in science and technology, 49(6), 867-898. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 376 review article peeragogy: a nascent approach of digital age komal arora1 & amit ahuja2 1academic consultant, central institute of technology, ncert email: aroras_komal@yahoo.com 2associate professor, university school of education, ggsipu abstract the advancement of technology has motivated and empowered learners all over the world to connect and collaborate with other learners to co-construct knowledge and colearn. these connections among peers have made it possible for the learners to self-direct their learning process by creating, delivering learning and teaching together an agreed curriculum. peeragogy is one such approach for learning and knowledge production with the help of peers through reflection, critical thinking and thoughtful discussions. it is a collaborative strategy that has its foundation in the behaviourism, cognitivism, constructivism and connectivism theories of learning. peeragogical interactions among a group of people or community with similar interests called “paragogues” lead to online exchange of ideas in order to influence one another’s perceptions and also help in building digital skills and social skills. this paper focuses on the newest educational approach, i.e., peeragogy, which accentuates self-regulated student-centred learning and focuses on collaborative learning through online networks. it also highlights the difference between pedagogy, andragogy, heutagogy and peeragogy. designing peeragogy’s learning activities based on the tenets of peeragogy and the role of a peeragogue is also discussed in this paper to exhibit how this potential approach of learning can assist students in gaining the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in the twenty-first century by employing digital media to connect, co-construct, and co-learn. keywords: paragogy, peeragogy, pedagogy, andragogy, heutagogy, connectivism, peerlearning, introduction “if we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow.” -john dewey with a paradigm shift in the process of education, the approaches of education have also evolved over time to meet the requirements of society – from pedagogy to other approaches of education, that are andragogy, heutagogy and peeragogy. the practice of sharing knowledge and learning informally from each other has been witnessed for ages. the roots of peerbased learning lie in peer interaction. formally, it actively engages learners in discussions and group work and mutually benefits them through collaboration. it aims to develop a sense of collective responsibility and selfmanagement among peers. it can be defined as “the acquisition of knowledge and skill through active helping and supporting among status equals or matched companions. it involves people from similar social groupings who are not professional teachers helping each other to learn and learning themselves by so doing” (topping, 2005). it engages pupils with one another in order to attain educational objectives, thus, making them move from an independent learner to an interdependent and collaborative learner. the process of indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 377 peer learning assigns responsibilities to both the faculty and the students towards the successful completion of tasks and the development of various skills such as communication skills, self-management and organisational skills, interpersonal skills, collaborative skills and problem-solving skills. it also fosters the ability to enquire, think and reflect critically. the fundamentals of a person’s cognitive growth are social contacts, and the sharing of ideas and experiences, and student interactions lower the task’s complexity. peer learning is seen to be a good strategy to improve learning outcomes. education has witnessed numerous revolutions through research for the last three decades to study how learning and teaching must be carried out (kenyon & hase, 2001). education 4.0 is a recent paradigm that elucidates the notions of learning in light of industry 4.0, which focuses on web-driven e-learning and knowledge construction through connections. it encourages learning in a new way, mostly via the use of technology-based tools and resources. technology has a substantial influence on educational growth. the learners are encouraged to collaborate digitally and co-create knowledge. connectivism, a learning theory propounded by george siemens and stephen downes in 2005, contributes uniquely to the digital era, helping learners with diverse opinions to collaborate through a variety of networks beyond formal educational settings to find solutions to their questions. it proposes that the knowledge accessed by virtue of one’s connections with other individuals or peers is as worthy as the information possessed by the individual minds. according to siemens and tittenberger (2009), connectivism refers to “knowledge and cognition are distributed across networks of people and technology, and learning is the process of connecting, growing, and navigating those networks.” the social networks so formed provide ways to move from individual sets of knowledge towards a more relevant and futuristic way of learning. peeragogy is a nascent approach which  allows  recognition  of the value  of  these  connections and uses digital media to connect, co-construct and co-learn in the digital era, which helps in building 21st-century skills and competencies. charles jeffrey danoff (2012) assumes the context of learning, timing and sequence, social reinforcement and experiential awareness are the key factors of adapting peeragogy and thus expanding knowledge and skills of each peeragogue. p2pu was one of the first online peer learning communities, and its courses have sparked the creation of a slew of new online alternatives to traditional institutions in recent years. theoretical framework: learning  theories supporting peeragogy the proponents of cognitive constructivism – piaget (1972) and bruner (1990) and social constructivism -vygotsky (1978) laid the foundation for peer teaching and learning. piaget’s theory of cognitive development (1985) emphasises the active interaction and involvement of peers in the process of knowledge construction. peer interactions also encourage cognitive improvement and enhance learning outcomes as compared to individual efforts. bandura’s (1977) social learning theory advocates that observational learning significantly impacts human behaviour by transforming the information into cognitive representations. the relevance of the social environment in learning new behaviours was underlined by bandura in particular. he proposed that people learn to respond to others’ behaviours by observing their own conduct. the sociocultural theory of learning developed by vygotsky (1978) emphasises the involvement of more indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 379 foundation for the peeragogy, a collaborative approach that accentuates student-centered learning and enables self-regulated learning (zhang & bayley, 2019). a systematic literature review technique was used by bizami et al. (2022) to investigate the mapping of the principles of three education 4.0 innovative pedagogies, namely heutagogy, peeragogy, and cybergogy, with the capabilities of three technological learning tools, namely facebook (fb), learning management system (lms), and blog. the findings reveal that the cognitive element is the most closely associated pedagogical principle to the four key capacities of technological learning tools, namely time, self-related, learning task, and learning communityrelated. this mapping is important for instructors to plan learning and teaching by selecting technological learning tools that align with relevant education 4.0 pedagogies for optimising immersive blended learning practices. amirrudin et al. (2023), in their study found that the heutagogic, peeragogic, and cybergogic approaches in the classroom are significantly impacted by the andragogic approach. the study also reveals that the pupils’ ability to study independently is also strongly impacted by the use of peeragogic, heutagogic, and cybergogic approaches. by allowing for student autonomy in the classroom, peeragogy, heutagogy, and cybergogy techniques also enable students to create their own self-regulated learning. this method of practice has a sizable impact on enhancing pupil self-regulated learning. nep 2020 (para 4.5) focuses on fostering critical thinking skills, discussion-based and collaborative learning environments that resonate strongly with peeragogy’s emphasis on collaborative peer-based learning. peeragogy learning can help students become more critical thinkers by introducing them to technology, helping them collaborate in groups to solve problems set by the teacher, and encouraging them to voice their opinions more actively (prasetya, nuraeni & shabir, 2022). li and salleh (2023) identified that the student needs to be capable, self-aware, proactive in communicating their opinions, wellorganized, and eager to assist during online peeragogy. baskoro et al. (2023) developed a model that integrates the peeragogy learning strategy, the 7e learning cycle, and the newest ai tools as a tool and found that the cognitive domain in the peeragogy learning system can function more effectively with the application of ai. peeragogy is relatively nascent approach to learning and knowledge production. however, it shows potential to address contemporary learning requirements, there is a dearth of research in this area. research methodology in this study, the investigators used qualitative research design and employed content analysis as the research technique to deduce the valid inferences by interpretation and coding of the textual material as available in the related research works. how is peeragogy different from pedagogy, andragogy, heutagogy? azevedo et al. (2012), matsuyama et al. (2019), and wangid (2014) corroborated that student-centered learning has good effects on learning outcomes and the manner in which learning is imparted to increase students’ skills. changes from teacher-centered learning to studentcentered learning are encouraged by using andragogic, peeragogic, heutagogic, and cybergogic approaches (chan et al., 2019; hase, 2016; muresan, 2014). the progression in approaches of education from pedagogy to andradogy, heutagogy and peeragogy depicts paradigm shift from education 1.0 to 4.0. these approaches differ from each indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 384 3. locating professional prospects and opportunities through other members; 4. establishing or strengthening a personal network; 5. developing organizational and rational thinking skills through discourse and debate; 6. receiving feedback regarding his/her own performance and comprehending of the topic. wiki: a good tool for peeragogy projects a wiki is a good tool for collaboration, co-facilitation, self-election, communication, documenting changes by keeping some rules without constraining creativity. it is especially suitable for ongoing work as changes can be tracked easily by comparing or rolling back the previous versions. according to wikipedia “a wiki is a website whose users can add, modify, or delete its content via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a richtext editor.” it also helps in reducing the complications in coordination, making links between wiki pages, dealing with the work in progress and capturing an on-going work. it also supports transparency as one can easily see what other members of the community are doing. ‘appropedia’, ‘teahouse’ and ‘news on wiki’ are exemplars of peeragogy projects running on wikis. illustration: designing peeragogy’s learning activity through e-learning course’s name: educational technology foundation & research topic: research trends in educational technology table-2: design of peeragogy’s learning activity instructions learning tools peeragogy’s principles 21st century learning skills 1. you have to create an online community of 2 of your course mates and others experts that you think suitable. assign a task to take every member; such as facilitators, learners, contributors, experts etc. facebook’s group co-learning critical thinking collaboration 2. in the facebook’s group, discuss the issues related to our class topics. prepare required teaching notes/learning materials that are needed make sure the learning materials have been verified by your class instructors internet powerpoint prezi blog facebook’s group cocreation of knowledge critical thinking lifelong learning indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 385 instructions learning tools peeragogy’s principles 21st century learning skills 3. prepare 2-3 essay questions that you would like the members of the community to answer related to issues that have been discussed before. facebook’s group self-determined questions that will be answered reflective thinking 4. share the answers with experts and mark the answers and give appropriate scores based on 10%. facebook’s group selfassessment critical thinking 5. wrap up session… source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv80vsgq1ec&t=7646s references aldahdouh, alaa and osorio, antonio and caires, susana (2015). understanding knowledge network, learning and connectivism. international journal of instructional technology and distance learning,12(10). alexander, b., allison, p., barondeau, r., breitbart, d., burroughs, s., corneli, j., & walker, g. 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(2012, january 28). what is peeragogy? http://arenastudies.wordpress. com/2012/01/28/what-is-peeragogy/ conclusion peeragogy has its foundation in the behaviourism, cognitivism, constructivism and connectivism theories of learning. it offers a critical focus on peer learning through social connections using technology to connect, co-construct, and co-learn in the digital era and assist in the development of 21st century skills and competencies. it provides an outline for techniques and practices aimed at peer learning and peer knowledge production characterised by flexibility and scalability. teachers, students or any interested community can become peeragogues. educators benefit greatly from peeragogy since they are expected to be up-to-date and have appropriate information, skills, and competence in the subject. it offers numerous advantages, including assisting students in gaining their own grasp of a subject, boosting self-esteem, honing critical thinking abilities, fostering interpersonal relationships, and taking charge of their own education. peers learn and teach together using technology outside or inside the formal institution by co-working towards facilitating, researching, observing, creating,  developing, originating,  curating, mapping, aggregating, refining, designing, writing, converting, editing and formatting. metacognition, or self-awareness of one’s own cognitive process, determines each peeragogue’s contribution. it is concerned with how people produce and apply knowledge via internet networks. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 386 amiruddin., baharuddin, f. r., takbir., setialaksana, w., & nurlaela. 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(2022). teachers’ perception of peeragogy in online learning during the covid-19 pandemic. journal of english educational study (jees), 5(2), 141-151. ratnani i, fatima s, mithwani a, et al. (2020) changing paradigms of bedside clinical teaching. cureus 12(5): e8099. rheingold, h. et al. (2014) the peeragogy handbook (3rd ed.) pubdomed and pierce press. https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/peeragogy_handbook_v1.0 siemens, g. & tittenberger, p. (2009). handbook for emerging technologies for learning. https://www.academia.edu/2857175/handbook_of_emerging_technologies_for_ learning smidt, h., thornton, m., & abhari, k. (2017): the future of social learning: a novel approach to connectivism. sciences, hawaii, pp. 2116–2125.  http://hdl.handle.net/10125/41410 tasir,z.(2021, february 26). designing online learning activities based on innovative pedagogies: heutagogy and peeragogy [video file]. youtube. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=zv80vsgq1ec&t=7646s topping, k. (2005). trends in peer learning. educational psychology, 25(6), 631–645. velez, j. j., cano, j., whittington, m. s., & wolf, k. j. (2011). cultivating change through peer teaching. journal of agricultural education, 52(1), 40-49. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 388 wangid, m. n. (2014). student-centered learning: self-regulated learning. international conference on fundamentals and implementation of education (icfie), 161–165. zhang, z., & bayley, j. g. (2019). peer learning for university students’ learning enrichment: perspectives of undergraduate students. journal of peer learning, 12(5), 61–74. https://www.iimb.ac.in/sites/default/files/inline-files/ctl-peer%20learning-students.pdf indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 398 communication driving factors for learner engagement in moocs: an interpretive structural modeling approach girish garg1 & mala rani2 1assistant professor, department of management studies, aryabhatta college, university of delhi, delhi 2 professor, department of commerce, bharati college, university of delhi, delhi email id: mala.rani@bharati.du.ac.in abstract the impact of technology on education has revolutionized the way we teach and learn. it has widened the scope of education, making it more accessible, efficient, and effective. with the help of technology, learners can learn through various online platforms, breaking the traditional classroom barriers. this has resulted in a global learning community connecting learners from different parts of the world. the indian government launched an initiative called swayam in august 2014, which provides massive open online courses (moocs) to promote equal access to quality education. these courses are gaining popularity and are easily accessible to anyone with an internet connection. swayam offers courses in higher education, high school, and skill sectors. this program enables learners to earn credits recorded in their academic bank of credits (abc) to advance their careers. variables such as curiosity, reputation, flexibility, and intention play a crucial role in driving the other variables in the final model. the study’s dependent variables include credit transfer, assistance, mentor-mentee support, job prospects, and eagerness. to create mooc courses for learners, universities and institutes must consider important factors that are crucial in today’s world. keywords: swayam, moocs, abc, ism, higher education jel classification: q01, o33 & g59 introduction the advancements in information and communication technologies are both impressive and remarkable. the development of computer devices that are smaller, cheaper, and more readily available has brought about a revolution in the way that communication is conducted. thanks to the availability of broadband connectivity, it is now possible to transmit information across vast distances in a matter of seconds. tablets and smartphones have further improved this capability, making education available to students in even the most remote corners of the world. these technological advancements have paved the way for the creation of online educational content and virtual higher education institutions, including massive open online courses (moocs). the educational landscape has been transformed by massive open online courses (moocs), which have revolutionized online learning. moocs are different from traditional methods of learning and have a much larger audience, as they are open and free to everyone (voss, 2013). within a short period of time, millions of people have enrolled in a few moocs, making it a disruptive technology that could pose a challenge to higher education institutions (lucas et al., 2013; mehaffy, 2012; yuan & powell, 2013). although moocs have gained popularity, their completion rates are significantly lower indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 399 compared to those of traditional online courses. in fact, less than 10 per cent of students who enroll in a mooc end up completing it (breslow et al., 2013; ho et al., 2014; jordan, 2014; kolowich, 2013). although some experts argue that completion rates may not be the most accurate measure of learning in moocs (ho et al. 2014; jordan, 2014), concerns still arise about their effectiveness (chafkin, 2013; marcus & davis, 2013). moocs are a disruptive technology in education with a significant impact on learning and the role of educators. they offer unprecedented learning opportunities to anyone with internet access, regardless of their location, and give students access to courses from some of the most prestigious institutions around the globe. technology-based education is rapidly gaining popularity as traditional campuses struggle to meet the diverse needs of students. open and distance learning systems are meeting the demands of individuals and communities for flexible education delivery systems. the potential of information and communication technologies (icts) to enhance access and equity in higher education and the education sector is significant. people enrol in moocs for various reasons, including curiosity and career advancement (breslow et al., 2013). however, there has been limited research on the factors that influence mooc completion and retention. by examining the elements that contribute to the continued use of information systems (is), such as moocs, we can gain insights into their sustainability and viability. india’s government has recently launched a new education policy (nep-2020), which aims to promote the multidisciplinary development of students and holistic education. the policy seeks to provide greater flexibility in learning, especially for students in far-flung areas and enables them to choose from a wide range of courses. such courses include skill enhancement, ability enhancement, vocational courses, and language courses, allowing students to select courses based on their interests. the policy also emphasizes industry internships, which can offer practical exposure to students from all disciplines. additionally, it encourages research, which can help inculcate a forward-looking approach and diverse perspectives in students. these measures are expected to unlock new opportunities for students and foster their talents, ultimately contributing to the country’s development. the objective of this study is to identify the driving variables that enhance an individual’s intention to continue utilizing moocs. literature review education is the foundation for the socio-economic, cultural, and political development of a society or country. it provides people with the necessary skills, knowledge, and information. our lives have been significantly transformed by the “disruptive power” of the internet, which has also altered “where” and “how” we obtain information. our ability to participate in informal education from anywhere at our convenience has improved due to access to the internet and mobile devices (sharples et al., 2009). this “here and now” learning has enabled flexible and convenient access to knowledge, information, and content (carr, 2012; hill, 2012; lucas, 2014), regardless of location (martin and ertzberger, 2013). distance learning, open universities, online learning, e-learning, and open educational resources are examples of how this convenient access has disrupted traditional modes of learning (altbach et al., 2010; carey, 2012; castellano, 2014; king and sen, 2013; yuan et al., 2008). massive open online courses (moocs) are also becoming more and more popular, and some academics predict that moocs will significantly “unbundle” (shirky, 2012), “undermine” (mazoue, 2013), “destroy” indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 400 (harden, 2013), “fragment” (irvine et al., 2013), and replace conventional higher education models. disruptive technologies pose a danger to higher education leaders in the current education marketplaces because they can make them change how they operate. this transformation may be so disruptive that they will lose their jobs. this “disruption” to the existing higher education model, according to yuan and powell (2013a, 2013b) and mazoue (2013), is fundamentally a challenge to its pricey business strategy. some institutions have begun to respond to this notion by adding mooc courses into their conventional programs, for example. to offer courses, ivy league universities like stanford, penn, princeton, harvard, mit, and others now work with mooc providers like coursera, edx, and udacity (carr, 2012). the experimentation with moocs is still in its early stages, and several obvious issues need continued attention, such as proper course organization and management, venture investment, and funding to assure financial viability and recognition (milheim, 2013). universities offering moocs often require evidence that their continuing support for mooc production aligns with current institutional strategic goals (deng, et al., 2020). understanding the differences in learner motivations to enrol in a course necessitates careful consideration of learner experiences within moocs (moore, et al., 2022) institutions that offer blended moocs should prioritise creating a good learning environment that encourages peer-to-peer learning, teamwork, idea sharing, and getting feedback from instructors and other students (edumadze & govender, 2024) research questions 1. what are the key factors that influence learners’ decision to choose specific mooc courses? 2. what are the dependent and linking variables to remain attractive for the learners? research methodology statistical tool interpretive structural modelling (ism) analyses complex systems, identifies their parts, and examines their interactions. it aids decision-making and may reveal the hierarchical links between variables. it incorporates problem identification, system definition, and reachability matrix creation. the reachability digraph, a graphical depiction of the system’s hierarchy, is derived from the reachability matrix. identifying the system’s drivers and dependents follows the reachability digraph. these components strongly impact others and are strongly influenced by others. recognizing system component impact levels completes the structural model. the structural model shows the hierarchical links between system components and helps explain system dynamics and interdependencies. it helps analyse complex systems, identify drivers and relationships, and inform decision-making. it helps communicate complicated concepts and facilitate collaborative decision-making by visualizing system linkages. data collection qualitative data were acquired for the research. information was obtained via literature study as well as current trends and patterns that the observed among the different types of learners. ten factors were chosen for examination, and they are listed below. 1. curiosity to learn 2. reputation of platform 3. flexibility and access to contents 4. intention to updated indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 401 5. credit transfer 6. eagerness to expand knowledge 7. certificate 8. job prospect 9. assistance from university / college 10. mentor mentee support results, analysis and discussions structural self-interaction matrix the ssim is formulated after the identification of variables that are pertinent to the problem at hand, which can be seen in figure 1. there exist four potential relationships among the factors, which have been assigned the following codes: if “row” variable is leading to “column” variable = v if the “column” variable leads to the “row” variable = a if both the “row” and “column” variables leading to each other = x if there is no relationship between the “row” and “column” variables = o figure-1: structural self-interaction matrix figure-2: reachability matrix indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 402 reachability matrix figure 2 displays the assessment of the obtained rm for its transitivity. as a mathematical concept, transitivity asserts that the rows and columns of a specific matrix represent subnets, where every cell indicates the row subnet’s ability to access the column subnet. before iteration, it was discovered that the curiosity to learn holds the most significant driving power, while assistance has the least driving power. certificates have the highest dependence power, while reputation has the lowest dependence power. final reachability matrix the final reachability matrix, depicted in figure 3, is a tool used to evaluate the impact and interconnectivity of technology in education. it measures the driving power and dependence of each variable, which refers to the number of variables that can be used to achieve a specific objective and the number of variables that contribute to its achievement, respectively. upon iteration, the variables with the highest driving power were found to be learning curiosity, reputation, flexibility, and intention to update, while eagerness, certification, job prospects, assistance, and mentor-mentee support exhibited the highest dependent power. this information provides insight into the connections between the variables. figure-3: final reachability matrix figure-4: level partitioning and conical matrix indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 403 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 404 level partitioning the lp and conical matrix indicate that the variables are partitioned differently, aiding in micmac analysis and the creation of the final model. this process establishes connections between the variables, leading to the identification of linking variables that connect the dependent variable to its independent counterparts. micmac analysis in the field of study, there are four types of variables with varying levels of influence and dependence. autonomous variables have minimal driving power and are not connected to the structure. dependent variables have low causative influence but rely heavily on other variables. linkage variables have a strong impact and react to the variables in the system. independent variables have significant driving forces and minimal interdependence. the fourth quadrant of the study focuses on independent variables, including learning curiosity, reputation, flexibility, and intention to update. these variables are crucial factors in the study. additionally, the study considers credit transfer as a linkage variable, as shown in figure 5. figure-5: micmac analysis indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 405 final model the final model shows that learning curiosity, reputation, flexibility, and intention to update are significant variables in the top-level model, as illustrated in figure 6. these variables can catalyze other parties to achieve their goals. they are independent factors that can influence other variables under investigation. india, as a developing economy, has witnessed remarkable technological advances and automation in education in recent years. the rapid growth of technology has positively impacted education by making learning available 24/7 to people. the variables at the bottom of the model, including eagerness, certification, job prospects, assistance, and mentor-mentee support, are dependent variables with no driving power. figure-6: final model conclusion & suggestions conclusion when it comes to mooc learning design, the focus tends to be on individualized learning rather than collaborative learning. this is because managing the diverse range of people who form networked learning communities can be difficult. as a result, there is limited experience in using ict to create new pedagogical models. however, despite using a traditional approach, there are still elements in their pedagogical discourses that contradict this perspective by emphasizing teaching centred on the student’s learning process. this shows their effort to adapt to the current reality and is consistent with their innovative background. variables such as curiosity, reputation, flexibility, and intention play a crucial role in driving other variables in the final model. the certificate is a crucial link between the independent and dependent variables. the study’s dependent variables include credit transfer, assistance, mentor-mentee support, job prospects, and eagerness. implications it is essential for educational institutions to take into account several key factors when developing mooc (massive open online course) offerings. by doing so, they can significantly enhance learner engagement and foster genuine curiosity in individuals who seek to improve their skills. one of the most influential elements is the concept of credit transfer. this particular aspect indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 406 plays a crucial role in shaping the interest of a diverse range of learners in moocs, especially in light of the new education policy. under this policy, learners have the opportunity to earn credits that can be captured and reflected in their academic bank of credits. this system not only incentivizes participation but also underscores the value of continuous learning and skill development in today’s educational landscape. limitations in conducting the study, we had to narrow our focus to only ten variables and disregard all other variables. it is one of the limitations of our research. we utilized interpretive structural modelling as a research technique to analyze the relationships between the variables. however, other research techniques also focus on model building and the significance of the models. we chose interpretive structural modelling because it is specifically designed to examine the relationships between the variables. references aaltbach, p.g., reisberg, l. and rumbley, l.e. 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(2008). open educational resources – opportunities and challenges for higher education. microsoft word oer briefing paper _cetis without recommendations with cover page_ indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 318 research article exploring the integration of digital pedagogy in classroom instruction among doe trained graduate teachers of delhi state charu varma1, saroj malik2, aerum khan3, khushnuda bano4, sadiya shaheen5 1assistant professor (curriculum & pedagogy) diet, pitampura (scert) delhi 2assistant professor (curriculum & pedagogy), diet, keshavpuram (scert) delhi 3associate professor, department of tt & nfe, iase, f/o education, jamia millia islamia, new delhi 4research scholars, department of tt & nfe, iase, f/o education, jamia millia islamia, new delhi emailkhushnuda5180@gmail.com 5research scholars, department of tt & nfe, iase, f/o education, jamia millia islamia, new delhi abstract the incorporation of digital pedagogy has become a revolutionary force in the everchanging environment of modern education, redefining the conventional paradigms of classroom instruction. this study explores the field of educational innovation with a particular focus on the digital pedagogy methods that graduate teachers in delhi, a bustling state, have embraced. these teachers were trained by the department of education (doe). the job of educators is becoming more and more important in managing the junction between traditional teaching approaches and cutting-edge digital tools as technology continues to grow at a rapid pace. this study aims to provide important insights into the continuing conversation about digital education by closely examining the experiences and practices of doe-trained graduate teachers. in light of this, this study sets out to explore the complexities of integrating digital pedagogy into classroom instruction among delhi state’s graduate teachers who have received training from the department of education. this study aims to provide light on how teaching methods are changing in the digital age by exploring the perspectives and tactics used by these educators. purposive sampling was done and the data was collected through google forms. quantitative as well as qualitative technique was used for data analysis. findings reveals that rather than just implementing new technology, digital pedagogy is viewed as a whole revolution that alters teaching strategies, educational philosophies, and student engagement techniques. this study aims to stimulate meaningful discourse and action toward realizing the full potential of digital pedagogy for improving education in delhi state and beyond through well-informed views and recommendations based on evidence. keywords: digital pedagogy, doe-trained graduate teachers, digital technology, teaching-learning process, ict. introduction the integration of digital pedagogy has become a transformational force in the field of modern education, transforming classroom teaching dynamics globally. the integration of technology into teaching practices has emerged as a indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 319 central theme for educational reform and development, as educators look for creative ways to engage students and adjust to the demands of a quickly changing digital era. every element of our lives, including education, communication, governance, finance, marketing, and health, is impacted by digital technologies. since digital technologies are used in every aspect of life, new abilities and skills are required. teachers have been educated to increase the amount of digital technology they use in the classroom in order to better prepare students for the demands of the twenty-first century. information and communications technology (ict) support for teachers may be provided via the training (pongsakdi, nonmanut & kortelainen, arto & veermans, marjaana. (2021). according to a 2013 study by the european union, teachers’ operational ict confidence levels may have an impact on how frequently they include ict-based learning activities into their lessons. teachers’ confidence has been proven to be much enhanced by professional development programs and teacher training (ertmer and ottenbreit-leftwich 2010). ict-trained teachers typically have lower levels of anxiety, are more comfortable using ict, and place a higher value on it (european union 2013). enhancing the use of digital technology for learning and evaluating these abilities has become imperative as a result of the school reform (göçen et al. 2020). teachers must incorporate digital competency into their work in order to implement digital learning, which also demands an appropriate pedagogical approach (aslan and zhu 2016). it encompasses not just the technological know-how of instructors but also their ability to appropriately use and apply technology in their own teaching. the degree to which educators think that utilizing technology could improve their ability to teach is known as the perceived utility of technology, according to teo et al. (2016). therefore, teachers’ assessments of how much utilizing technology would enhance instruction and learning are referred to as perceived usefulness. previous research indicated that teachers are less inclined to incorporate technology into their everyday practices if they are not convinced of the benefits of technology on instructional efficiency (kim et al. 2013). when digital tools are deliberately and thoughtfully incorporated into educational activities, teaching and learning are improved. this approach is known as digital pedagogy. by recognizing the transformative potential of digital tools and technologies in the educational landscape, it signifies a paradigm shift away from traditional pedagogical methods. in order to engage students, encourage critical thinking, and create a more dynamic and interactive learning environment, educators use a variety of strategies, approaches, and techniques known as digital pedagogy. digital pedagogy theory and practice in education are the focus of the field of regular pedagogy. it covers the content, delivery method, and social implications of education. ict is used in digital pedagogy to improve instruction both within and outside of the classroom. power point presentations in the classroom or the provision of online instruction are two examples. it facilitates dynamic, innovative, and successful learning. also, it encourages accountability and distributive learning. teaching with digital tools includes using web development, instructional design, collaborative maps, lecture recording, course blogs, multimedia assignments, online courses and journals, collaborative text, and visualization projects. the qualities indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 320 that define digitally literate instructors include subject-matter understanding and relationships that facilitate learning. regardless of level of education, digital pedagogy is now an essential component of education given the current post-pandemic environment. given that every industry in the world is going digital, it is imperative right now. technology has had a significant impact on education and led to the creation of digital pedagogy, which is now an essential component of modern society. it used to be limited to distant learning and higher education, but it is now a part of the entire educational system. it is impossible to introduce any change without including instructors, who are the most crucial element in the process (darling-hammond et al., 2005). teachers’ behavior in the classroom is greatly influenced by their own opinions about the best ways to teach and learn (albion & ertmer, 2002). the degree to which educators embrace new digital teaching techniques and adjust to a new technology-based learning environment is also influenced by their fundamental beliefs (clarke, dede & dieterle, 2008). in the intense educational environment of delhi state, where the department of education (doe) has a significant influence on how pupils learn, graduate teachers’ investigation of digital pedagogy is an important undertaking. equipped with an abundance of pedagogical expertise and experience, these educators lead the way in educational advancement and are tasked with shaping the brains of future generations. delhi offers a fascinating backdrop for examining how teachers adjust to the demands of a digital learning environment because it is a center of technical innovation and educational variety. as we proceed on this journey, the incorporation of digital pedagogy is seen as a comprehensive transformation that reshapes instructional methodologies, pedagogical philosophies, and student engagement tactics rather than just the adoption of technical instruments. this will ultimately lead to a greater comprehension of the dynamic changes occurring in the contemporary classroom. through elucidating the viewpoints and experiences of graduate teachers trained by the department of education, this study seeks to educate practitioners, educational administrators, and policymakers about the changing face of education in the digital era. in order to corroborate the present study a few of the researches were gone through, ahuja & yadav (2019) carried out a study to evaluate the impact of digital pedagogy interventions in rural areas. this study explores the impact of an interactive digital pedagogy model on students’ academic progress and pedagogical satisfaction in remote places. the findings show that when exposed to interactive digital pedagogy rather than traditional pedagogy, kids in remote areas fared better. it indicates that students are performing well academically. it was also shown that because interactive digital pedagogy allowed students to interface with the outside world of education, they were eager to learn and actively participated in their studies. the majority of pupils mentioned active learning and learner autonomy. in continuation to it another study made by wadmany, r., & kliachko, s. (2014) titled “the significance of digital pedagogy: teachers’ perceptions and the factors influencing their abilities as digital pedagogues”, investigated the perceptions of alumni of the technology in education master’s program on the importance of digital pedagogy. this research was qualitative in nature. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 321 this research strategy was chosen in order to thoroughly investigate the research questions and to get meaningful responses that can improve our comprehension of the program’s student needs and the extent to which it satisfies those needs in the dynamic, ever-changing educational system. there is a great increase in usage of digital tools and media by teachers in their professional responsibilities. this trend is also supported by mohamad, nurdin, and sururi (2023) in their study which mapped the use of digital technologies in teachers’ practice. the study highlighted a preference for smartphones, messaging apps, and text-based learning materials enriched with videos and images for teaching and assessment in hybrid learning environments. these results showed that 56.99 per cent of teachers use smartphones for learning tools whereas other 43.01 per cent use pc/laptop devices. also, 48.39 per cent of teachers conducted digital learning through message apps, 19.35 per cent through lms, and the rest through online meetings, social media, or all the types simultaneously. bentri a. & hidayati a., (2022), made the study titled as“the developing of digital pedagogical curriculum of primary education teachers in indonesia.” the study has determined which curriculum goals, instructional resources, experiential learning opportunities, and assessment instruments are essential for fostering teachers’ digital pedagogy competencies. the study’s findings indicated that educators needed to be as knowledgeable as possible about identifying characteristics in order to create digital learning materials. they actively used social networking sites to share online content, and they were informed about the applications used to create digital learning tools. it also revealed that instructors’ capacity to participate in online communities and communicate with peers effectively was a prerequisite for improving their digital analytical skills. additionally, it was crucial to be proficient in using e-learning platforms. cowling, m. a., et. al., (2022) in their research titled as, “the edtech difference: digitalisation, digital pedagogy, and technology enhanced learning” examine the issue of the journal that focused on educational technology (edtech). it has been discovered that the best online teaching and learning environment may entail the use of ict technologies that encourage group projects, improve communication, and increase student interest in lectures. in closing, this editorial highlight how upcoming writers might contribute to educational technology research in a meaningful and productive way. for technology to be used effectively in teaching and learning, whether online or not, it is advised that it be used in context, that solid theory be used, and that learning be given more attention. in summary, assessing the efficacy and application of research on educational technology necessitates a careful examination of the interplay between people, technology, pedagogy, and learning. there is a need for effective teacher training programs to enhance teachers’ ict competencies and align with the global trends in education. the main focus should be on providing competencies essential for online teaching, such as pedagogy, technology, content design, institutional management, communication, and social aspects. akram & alomari (2023) did a study for understanding multifaceted nature of teachers’ competencies required for successful online teaching. they found a positive impact of training programs on enhancing teachers’ competencies and highlighted the need for ongoing support and training initiatives in this area. it has provided a structured indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 322 approach to assessing teachers’ strengths and weaknesses in online education, benefiting educational institutions at all levels. teachers with high willingness to adopt digital technologies always remain more relevant in tough times than the reluctant ones. the same concern is shown in a study done by pankaj et al. (2022) during the covid-19 pandemic. it examined the foremost determinants of teachers’ perception, i.e. teachers’ satisfaction, attitude and continuance intention towards adopting e-learning in during the covid-19. the study found that the teachers who perceived e-learning as useful were more satisfied with the online teachinglearning practices. also, support from educational institutions plays a vital role in enhancing teachers’ satisfaction with e-learning adoption in heis in india. sadiku, m. et. al. (2019) in their study titled as “digital pedagogy” mentioned that digital pedagogy opens numerous possibilities for educators to leverage technology in enhancing teaching and learning. the proliferation of workshops, conferences, and publications indicates a significant growth in interest in digital pedagogy across the academic community. effective teaching in the twenty-first century requires not just content knowledge but also technical proficiency. the use of instructional design, web development, collaborative mapping, course blogs, lecture capture, multimedia assignments, online courses, online journals, collaborative text, and visualization projects are all included in the field of digital pedagogy. teachers with strong digital abilities show that they have a thorough comprehension of the material and can help students make connections. the study made by srivastava k. & dey s. (2018) examined the role of digital technology in the teachinglearning process. their paper explores the difficulties that come with using digital technology in the classroom and highlights how resolving these problems can promote successful technology adoption. the study’s conclusions show that teacher educators’ perceptions of the use of digital technology tools in the classroom are generally moderate. although they realize the difficulties in using these tools, they also recognize how well digital technology supports teaching and learning. the national education policy,2020 in india highlights the significance of mentoring and provides tools for tracking teachers’ career progression. (ministry of human resource development, 2020). this suggests a systemic integration of mentor teachers into the state machinery to advocate for career advancement, ultimately scaling and sustaining quality continuous professional development (cpd) in the education system. in line with this, a study by (amina et al., 2022) emphasizes the importance of experienced and motivated mentors in offering online support to teachers to enhance equity, scale, and quality of education. the pandemic lockdown pushed many teachers, including rural teachers in india, to accept technology-enabled teaching, and the prior experience of cpd among mentor teachers significantly supported their transition into mentoring roles and motivated them to excel in the new context. this study emphasizes how critical it is to provide our teachers with the newest digital techniques to guarantee that the demands of the pupils are not compromised. while integrating icts in teachinglearning practices, along with the prospective advantages a serious emphasis must also be given to willingness, attitudes, and challenges encountered by teachers. by understanding teachers’ experiences and perceptions towards technology indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 323 integration, the concerned authorities formulate policies which are much more effective for integrating icts in educational settings (huma et al., 2022). their study also sheds light on the barriers faced by teachers in integrating technology into their teaching practices, such as slow internet speed, load shedding, lack of infrastructure, online teaching experience, and training deficiencies. need and rationale of the study the present paper tries to investigate the current status of the utilization of digital pedagogy by trained graduate science teachers. it explores the extent of utilization of various digital technological tools and their applications. this study also explores the perception of tgts with regard to the use of digital pedagogies. the researcher aims to evaluate the extent of utilization of digital pedagogies in the classroom teaching-learning process. this study specifically focused on exploring the integration of digital pedagogy by trained graduate teachers (tgts) in classroom instruction during 2023. objectives of the study: 1. to identify the role of teachers as mentor teacher (mt), academic resource team manager (art) and teacher development coordinator (tdc). 2. to study the extent of utilization of various digital technological tools by tgts. 3. to study the extent and sources of webinars or workshops attended by tgts. 4. to study the perception of tgts with regard to the use of digital pedagogies. 5. to study the extent of utilization of digital pedagogies in the teaching-learning process. methodology the present research was an investigation focused on eliciting the responses of the tgts on exploring the integration of digital pedagogy in classroom instruction. population of the study all the middle-stage teachers (tgts) from doe schools of the north west district of delhi state (gnct of delhi). sample, sample size and sampling technique the purposive sampling technique was used to select the sample, and it consists of middle-stage science teachers who use ict in their regular teaching and learning method during the year 2023. a sample size of the study was 240 teachers selected through random sampling. the study was done in october 2023. tool for data collection the group of experts constructed and developed the tool in a workshop. a mixed questionnaire was developed, with the majority of the items being likert-style closed-ended questions. the initial questions were about demographic data. procedure the researcher used purposive sampling techniques for choosing the teachers. the questionnaire in google forms was sent to the teachers, so it did not require authorization from the school administration. the participant responses were recorded on the drive itself. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 324 data analysis and interpretations both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to analyze the data. delimitations of the study 1. the study was delimited to doe schools of north west district of delhi. 2. the study was limited to tgts science, who are using ict in their regular teaching-learning method. results and discussions: the findings of the present study are discussed belowdemographics: in the demographics, the age, gender ratio, highest educational qualifications of teachers, and teaching experience were studied, which were represented in tables-1, 2, 3, 4. age range the age range of the respondents is shown in table -1. table-1: age range age range frequency percentage 25-30 28 12% 31-35 52 22% 36-40 58 24% 41-45 51 21% 46-50 25 10% 51-55 19 8% 56-60 07 3% table 1 shows that teachers’ ages range from 25 to 60 years old. to facilitate the study, the teachers were divided into seven age-group groups. figure 1 shows that almost half of the instructors were under 40 years old. the largest percentage of teachers (24 per cent) were between the ages of 36 and 40. furthermore, figure 1 shows that just 11 per cent of the teachers were between the ages of 51 and 60. gender ratio: table 2 displays the gender ratio. table-2: gender ratio gender ratio frequency percentage male 103 42.9% female 137 57.1% table-2 reveals that the female teachers were more than that of male teachers. it is clearly shown in figure-2. female teachers were 57.1 per cent, and male teachers were 42.9 per cent. highest qualifications of teachers the highest qualifications of teachers was shown in table -3 and figure-1 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 327 manager (art) most; afterwards, the role of teacher development coordinator (tdc) was preferred by them. very few tgts play the role of mentor teacher (mt). this may be due to the teacher development coordinator (tdc) initiative being an extension of the mentor teacher (mt) program. mentor teachers are accountable for school-level implementation, teacher development coordinators are responsible for running academic resource team (art) meetings, and academic resource team are responsible for classroomlevel implementation. thus, the role of art is at ground level and crucial, so preferred by most of the tgts. to improve fairness, scale, and quality of education, a study by amina et al. (2022) highlights the significance of mentors who possess expertise and motivation when providing online help to teachers. findings for objective 2: to study the extent of utilization of various digital technological tools by tgts. the findings of these objectives revealed the outcomes presented in table and figure 3. table-6: usage of various digital technological tools by tgts s. no. digital technologies always often sometimes rarely never 1. computers (laptop/desktop) 64 88 64 17 7 2. internet 157 63 15 3 2 3. microsoft office applications 65 75 64 20 16 4. smart boards 22 57 74 37 50 5. massive open online courses 19 64 93 35 29 6. virtual labs/olabs 9 37 82 50 62 7. open educational resources 35 78 77 29 21 8. learning management system 32 66 82 30 30 9. augmented reality 10 46 81 41 62 10. artificial intelligence 19 57 67 36 61 11. power point presentation 52 62 70 33 23 12. google meet 58 98 53 28 03 13. microsoft teams 21 58 70 40 51 14.. zoom 58 83 67 21 11 15. facebook 73 62 54 19 32 16. google form 108 81 33 15 3 17. whatsapp 176 48 12 4 0 18. telegram 62 60 50 33 35 19.. google classrooms 41 64 72 33 30 20. any other (please specify) 26 35 65 24 19 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 337 the objective-wise findings indicated some of the noteworthy responses that shed light on the current state of the use of digital pedagogies in the classroom and the extent to which they are being used. the data suggested that not only students, it provides an opportunity for the teachers to design digitallyenabled learning activities according to the tpack framework for the students. which encourages students’ problemsolving skills. the majority of the participants were aware of the latest developments in digital technological tools developed by doe and gnct of delhi. they feel confident in using those tools in the teaching-learning process. the majority of the participants think digital competence is the need of the hour to sustain digital advancement. a very prominent feature of digital technology is revealed by the data that it has become a very important medium of communication with colleagues, parents and students. this has become an important tool for learning and upgradation of pedagogies. during the process, participants learn independently and give advice or seek advice when there is a need. a framework for teachers to ensure the efficient application of digital pedagogy is outlined by bed, prasad, and dhakal (2023). this study underlines how important it is to give our teachers access to the most recent digital tools in order to ensure that the needs of the students are met. last but not the least a very important feature of utilization of digital technologies is that it is very helpful for the professional development of the participants which is essential for their professional growth. conclusion in order to determine the degree of its use, this study examined how trained graduate teachers (tgts) incorporate digital pedagogy into their classroom instruction. the results highlight how important digital tools are becoming in learning environments, and tgts are being adopted in different ways. a more guarded engagement was shown by some teachers, while others showed a smooth incorporation of digital pedagogical practices. the study emphasizes the necessity of focused professional development initiatives to improve tgts’ digital competencies and promote a more consistent and efficient application of digital pedagogy in a range of educational contexts. the report also highlights how crucial it is to provide tgts with continuous support and resources in order to solve any obstacles or worries they may have when embracing digital technologies. understanding and improving the integration of digital pedagogy among trained graduate teachers becomes essential as education continues to change in the digital age in order to provide a dynamic, inclusive, and technology-driven learning environment. the present study provides significant contributions to the current discussion regarding the efficient utilization of digital tools in teaching-learning, thereby opening the door for further developments in instructional design. references ahuja s, & yadav d. 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(2018), role of digital technology in teaching-learning process. iosr journal of humanities and social science, vol. 23, issue 1, ver. 5 doi: https://doi. org/10.9790/0837-2301057479 teo, t., milutinović, v., & zhou, m. (2016). modelling serbian pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards computer use: a sem and mimic approach. computers & education, 94, 77–88. https://doi.org/10. 1016/j.compedu.2015.10.022 wadmany, r., & kliachko, s. (2014). the significance of digital pedagogy: teachers’ perceptions and the factors influencing their abilities as digital pedagogues. i-manager’s journal of educational technology, 11(3), 22-33. https://doi.org/10.26634/jet.11.3.3007 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 150 research article paradigm shift in learning and teaching: problems faced by the students to attend online classes during covid-19 pandemic abraham mutluri1 & n. pramod kumar2 1guest faculty, department of social work, andhra university email: abraham@andhrauniversity.edu.in 2assistant professor, department of education, mizoram university email: npk2015@gmail.com abstract covid-19 is the global crisis with the wide spreading and creating chaos on the health of people, economy and also tremendous impact on education due to the sudden closure of universities, colleges, and schools. it is an unexpected pandemic to the world. india is the second highest infected country. the education system is adversely affected by this pandemic and disrupted the routine in india. during this pandemic, the universities and the colleges shifted their mode of delivery to the online education system to save the academic year of the students. it is a new system for indian students, particularly for rural and tribal students. the aim of the present study is to understand the problems faced by the students to attend the online classes. it covered three state students via andhra pradesh, assam and mizoram pursuing their graduate and postgraduate courses. it is found that 79.8 percent of the respondents faced problems attending online classes. the major problem reported 40.7 percent is accessibility and internet speed. 56.5 percent reported that there is very little student-teacher interaction in online classes. further, 43.1 percent of respondents stated that their teachers used the power-point presentation method and 38.1 percent of respondents reported that their teachers used the lecture method. it is suggested that the universities and colleges should be provided with the technical skills to attend online learning classes on different devices like mobiles, laptops, and tablets. governments should take initiative with telephone network companies to bring new schemes to provide free internet data and free smartphones to the students based on their course of study. keywords: covid-19, online education, learning and teaching introduction the present study focuses on the problems faced by the students who attend the online classes and also presents the teaching performance of the teachers through online mode. it also studied the government’s support in the promotion of online mode teaching in india. before this pandemic, students’ participation through online education was very less. but, during this pandemic, to save the academic year of the students, the universities and the colleges started an online education. it is a new paradigm for students and teachers. the students have to attend the online classes regularly from their homes. while attending the classes, the students have faced many challenges. based on the above circumstances the present study is conducted to understand the problems faced by the students to attend the online classes during the covid-19 pandemic in india. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 151 covid-19 is the global crisis with widespreading of this disease that is not only creating chaos on the health of people, economy, but also has a tremendous impact on education due to the sudden closure of educational institutions, universities, colleges, and schools. it is an unexpected pandemic to the world. india is the second highly infected country worst affected by this pandemic. the first patient of covid-19 was identified in wuhan city, china in late 2019. then, it was spread to many countries in the world. india identified the first covid-19 positive patient in kerala on january 31, 2020. the first patient in india is a 20 years old female student who returned to kerala from wuhan city, china (bindu, 2020). in continuation to that few incidents, such as tablighi jamaat meet in new delhi, dharavi slum in mumbai, koyambedu market in tamil nadu became hotspots to spread this virus in india in the first wave of covid-19. very sharply, the government of india introduced different remedial measures of phases of the lockdown system to reduce the severity of covid-19 in india. it succeeded and the administrators of the government of india earned a good name and fame from the indians. after a year, in march 2021, the second wave of covid-19 was started faster than the first wave. covid-19 is a disease that is caused by the ‘novel coronavirus’ and the common symptoms are fever, dry cough, difficulty in breathing, body pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhoea. the symptoms may be changed from patient to patient and we may not find all the symptoms in one patient (sucharita, 2020). the impact of covid-19 is very high on various development and service sectors in india. among them, the education sector is one which faced many struggles during the first wave and second wave. review of literature adnan and anwar (2020) found that online learning cannot produce desired results in underdeveloped countries, where most of the students are unable to access the internet due to technical as well as financial issues. there is no face-face interaction between the students and the teachers’ leads to a lack of socialisation. shetty sandeep et al. (2020) found that 52 percent of the students used mobile, 36 percent used laptops to attend online classes. and 57 percent of the students predominantly favoured online classes for doubt clarification. the majority 89 percent of the students preferred online teaching for their learning. rayhanul (2020) found that 68.9 percent of respondents are using mobile data to attend online classes. the study observed that the majority of the students participated from cities and towns. the majority of them stated that they do not have any technical issues with attending online classes because they live in urban areas. but the respondents who attended from rural areas faced technical issues like, poor network, internet balance is not enough. abaid (2020) found that 88 percent of students had no proper internet facility and they faced lots of network issues. and 65 percent of students were not satisfied with online learning, 85 percent of students complained about eyesight issues by attending online classes on devices, and 50 percent of students were unable to manage the university affairs. mahyoob (2020) revealed that most english language learners are not satisfied with continuing online learning, as they could not fulfil the expected progress in language learning performance. overall, in the review of literature, it is understood that online teaching is new to developing countries like india. the majority of the students are from low-income families, most of the students do not have laptops or indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 152 personal computers. they attended online classes through mobile phones. the students from rural areas faced many more problems than urban ones. this is a new paradigm for the students and teachers of developing countries, but not new for the developed countries because they practiced online teaching for many years. a few studies have been conducted on this topic in foreign countries, developed countries and the forward states of india. scope of the study india is a developing country. before this pandemic, students’ participation in the online education system was very less. during this pandemic, to save the academic year of the students, the universities and the colleges started an online education system. it is a new paradigm for teachers and students. the students have to attend the online classes regularly from their homes. while attending the classes, the students have faced many challenges. it is a new system for the students in general, rural and tribal in particular. poor internet connectivity, internet speed is very slow, power-cuts or lack of electricity, household responsibilities, peer pressure and cultural barriers are the major problems for the students. based on the above circumstances the present study is conducted to understand the problems faced by the students to attend online classes during the covid-19 pandemic in india. objectives of the study 1. to study the socio-economic, educational and demographic profile of the students. 2. to know the problems and difficulties faced by the students to attend the online classes during the covid -19 pandemic. 3. to study the perceptions of the students on the teaching performance of their teachers in online mode. 4. to study the government schemes and support the students in the promotion of online mode teaching. research methodology this study is conducted in three different states of india viz. andhra pradesh, assam and mizoram. andhra pradesh is from the south, assam is from the east and mizoram is from the northeast states of india. it is a quantitative study in nature. a descriptive research design was formulated for the present study to describe, compare and analyse the perceptions of the students on their problems faced to attend the online classes.  this study has adopted the purposive sampling method and selected the students and the colleges purposively in the states of andhra pradesh, assam and mizoram. the sample of the present study is 263 students pursuing their graduation and post-graduation. the data were collected from science, engineering, arts and commerce streams pursuing their graduation and post-graduation. both male and female students participated in this study. the data were collected through a structured questionnaire shared by google forms. the questionnaire was prepared in english language with 22 variables on socio-economic profile, problems faced by students and teaching methods adopted by their teachers. this study was conducted in may 2021. and the collected data were analysed through ms-excel 2010 and spss 17th version. results and discussions the below table presents the statewise classification of the respondents indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 153 table-1: distribution of the respondents by their state state frequency percentage andhra pradesh 81 30.8 assam 128 48.7 mizoram 54 20.5 total 263 100.0 the data in the above table 1 revealed that 48.7 percent of the respondents are from assam state, 30.8 percent of respondents from andhra pradesh state and the remaining 20.5 percent of the respondents are from mizoram state. the respondents in the present study are graduation and postgraduation students. the students of assam state actively participated in online data collection and provided the information. the following table presents the information about the gender of the respondents. table-2: distribution of the respondents by their gender gender frequency percentage male 87 33.1 female 176 66.9 total 263 100.0 the data in the above table 2 revealed that the majority of the respondents 66.9 percent are female, followed by 33.1 percent of the respondents are male. this study is in line with the study of keerthi (2018), who reported that the numbers of female students are high in the government institutions. the following table presents the information about the educational qualifications of the respondents table-3: distribution of the respondents by their education education frequency percentage graduation 122 46.4 post-graduation 141 53.6 total 263 100.0 the data in the above table 3 revealed that the majority of the respondents are 53.6 percent who are pursuing post-graduation and the remaining 46.4 percent of the respondents are pursuing their graduation. the following table presents the information about the stream of the study. table-4: distribution of the respondents by their stream of study stream of study frequency percentage arts and commerce 217 82.5 science and technology 39 14.8 engineering 7 2.7 total 263 100.0 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 154 the data in the above table 4 revealed that the majority of the respondents 82.5 percent are from the arts and commerce stream, while 14.8 percent of respondents are from the science and technology stream and 2.7 percent of respondents are from the engineering stream. it is observed that in the review of literature, a few studies conducted on this topic, with more doctor students and engineering students. but in this study the majority of students are from arts and commerce background. basically, the students from the arts and commerce have less technical skills and face many problems attending online classes. based on this background, the researchers purposely selected more students from the arts and commerce stream. it may be a reason that the student representation from the arts and commerce is high in this study. the following table presents the information about the parent’s income. table-5: distribution of the respondents by their parents’ income parents’ income frequency percentage above poverty line 84 31.9 below poverty line 179 68.1 total 263 100.0 the data in the above table 5 revealed that the majority of the respondents are 68.1 percent from ‘below poverty line’ families and the remaining 31.9 percent of the respondents are from ‘above poverty line’ families. in india, the people who have less than rs.180, 000/ income will be called ‘below poverty line’ families. and the people who have more than rs.180, 000/income will be called ‘above poverty line’ families (khattar, 2021). the following table presents the information about the living area of respondents. table-6: distribution of the respondents by their living area area of living frequency percentage urban 96 36.5 rural 142 54.0 tribal 25 9.5 total 263 100.0 the data in the above table 6 revealed that the majority of the respondents are 54.0 percent living in the rural area, followed by 36.5 percent of the respondents are living in urban areas. only 9.5 percent of the respondents are living in the tribal area. this study is in line with the national average of the population in india. the following table presents the information about the device used by the respondents to attend the online classes. table-7: distribution of the respondents by the device used to attend the online classes device used frequency percentage laptop 13 4.9 smartphone 249 94.7 tablet 1 0.4 total 263 100.0 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 155 the data in the above table 7 revealed that the majority of the respondents 94.7 percent used smartphone devices and only 4.9 percent of the respondents used laptop devices to attend online classes during the covid-19 pandemic. the study is in line with the study of ally who stated that 79 percent of the students in his study used smartphone devices to attend the online classes (ally and wark, 2019). the study is also in line with the study of rahman (2021) who reported that 81.82 percent of the respondents in his study used smartphones, 7.58 percent used computers to attend the online classes. the following table presents the information about the learning platform of the respondents. table-8: distribution of the respondents by the learning online platform learning online platform frequency percentage google meet 126 47.9 zoom 126 47.9 microsoft teams 11 4.2 total 263 100.0 the data in the above table 8 revealed that 47.9 percent of the respondents used google meet and equally 47.9 percent of the respondents used the zoom meeting link and only 4.2 percent of the respondents used microsoft themes to attend the online classes. the study is in contrast with the study of thakker et al. (2021) who reported that microsoft teams is the best platform followed by google meet, zoom. this study in contrast with the study of naik who reported that 81.7 percent of the respondents attended online classes through the zoom meeting link and only 12 percent of the respondents used google meet (nail et al., 2021). it may be a reason that these institutions adopted and bought time in google meet and zoom. learning is an important aspect of every human being’s life. every day we learn new things. the respondents in the present study learned the techniques to participate in online classes by different types. the following table presents the learning type of the respondents to attend the online classes. table-9: respondents by their learning type to attend the online classes learning type frequency percentage self-learning 170 64.6 trial and error 18 6.8 guidance from staff 28 10.6 guidance from students 47 17.9 total 263 100.0 the data in the above table 9 revealed that the majority of the respondents 64.6 percent have learned techniques by self to participate in the online classes, followed by 17.9 percent of the respondents got guidance from fellow students, and the remaining 10.6 percent learned techniques by attending the training programmes organised by their respective universities and get guidance from the technical staff. it is observed that 6.8 percent of the respondents indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 156 had learned the techniques by trial and error approach to attending the online classes. it is observed that many universities conducted training for teachers, but not conducted capacity building programmes for students. the data about students’ education and learning technique was cross-tabulated and presented in the below table. table-10: respondents by their education and type of learning techniques to attend the online classes education learning type selflearning trial and error guidance from staff guidance from students total graduation 89 (52.4) (72.9%) 8 (44.4) (6.6%) 12 (42.9) (9.9%) 13 (27.7) (10.6%) 122 (46.4%) (100%) postgraduation 81 (47.6) (57.4%) 10 (55.6) (7.1%) 16 (57.1%) (11.3%) 34 (72.3) (24.2%) 141(53.6%) (100%) total 170 (100%) (64.7%) 18 (100%) (6.8%) 28 (100%) (10.6%) 47 (100%) (17.9%) 263 (100%) (100%) pearson chi-square: 9.229(a) df. 3 significance: 0.05 analysis of the data on education and type of learning techniques are crosstabulated and the result shows that there is an association between two variables as it is evident that the more post-graduation respondents have done trial and error method to learn the techniques to attend the online classes and it is proved with the significance at 0.05. the following table presents the information about the problems faced by the students who attend the online classes. table -11: respondents whether they faced problems to attend the online class problems faced frequency percentage yes 210 79.8 no 53 20.2 total 263 100.0 the data in the above table 11 revealed that the majority of the respondents 79.8 percent faced problems, while 20.2 percent of respondents did not face any problems attending the online classes. it may be a reason that online learning is a new concept for students, particularly for rural and tribal students. the study is in line with the study of gaur et al. (2020) which reported that 61 percent of the respondents perceived barriers while participating in online classes. the below cross table presents the information on an area of living and problems faced by the students. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 157 table -12: respondent’s area of living and problems faced to attend the online classes problems faced area yes no total urban 69 (32.9%) (71.9%) 27 (50.9%) (28.1%) 96 (36.5%) (100%) rural 118 (56.2%) (83.1%) 24 (45.3%) (16.9%) 142 (54%) (100%) tribal 23 (10.9) (92%) 2 (3.78%) (8%) 25 (9.5%) (100%) total 210 (100%) (79.8%) 53 (100%) (20.2%) 263 (100%) (100%) pearson chi-square: 7.019(a) df.2 significance: 0.05 analysis of the data on the area of living and problems faced by the students to attend online classes are crosstabulated and the result shows that there is an association between two variables, as it is evident that more tribal and rural respondents have faced problems than urban students to attend the online classes and it is proved with the significance at 0.05. this finding is in line with the finding of islam who reported that the respondents who attended from rural areas are faced technical issues like, poor network, internet balance is not enough (islam et al., 2020). the following table presents the information about the type of problems faced by the students to attend the online classes. table-13: respondents by type of problems faced to attend the online classes type of problems faced frequency percentage internet speed and accessibility 107 40.7 insufficient and limited internet balance 53 20.2 disturbance from family and more household work 79 30.1 frequent power cuts 13 4.9 no smartphone 11 4.2 total 263 100.0 the data in the above table 13 revealed that 40.7 percent of the respondents stated that internet speed and accessibility in their locality is a problem, while 30.1 percent stated that disturbance from the family members and more household work on them at their houses, and 20.2 percent stated that the internet balance is limited and not sufficient to attend all the classes. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 158 some of them are also reported that there is a frequent power-cut in their locality, and some students not having a smartphone to attend the classes. it is observed that the tribal and rural students attended daily wage work, mgnregs work during the period of online classes to earn money for their family livelihood. the study is in line with the study of muthuprasad et al. (2021) who reported that 53.58 percent of respondents faced problems in internet speed and accessibility. mahyoob (2020) also reported that 48 percent of the respondents in his study faced problems with the low speed of the internet. strategies of the students to overcome the problems are discussed in the following table. table-14: respondents by their strategies to overcome the problems to attend the online classes strategies frequency percentage travelled to network place 69 32.9 spent more money for internet 56 26.7 buy a smartphone 23 10.9 not attended the class 28 13.3 attended class at last minutes 11 5.3 buy a power bank 23 10.9 total 210 100.0 the data in the above table 14 revealed that 32.9 percent of the respondents travelled to the places where internet networks are available, followed by 26.7 percent reported that they buy more internet data and spend more money on the internet and 10.9 percent of the respondents buy a smartphone and power bank. it is observed that 13.3 percent of the respondents have not attended the classes, and 4.2 percent of the respondents attended the classes at the last minute. this study is in line with the study of sethy (2020) who reported that the students walked for 5 km for the online study in one of the tribaldominated khajuripada blocks under kandamala district of odisha. the following table presents the information about the support of caregivers to attend the online classes. table-15: respondents by their caregivers support to attend online classes caregivers support frequency percentage yes 150 57.0 no 113 43.0 total 263 100.0 the data in the above table 15 revealed that the majority of the respondents 57.0 percent got support from their caregivers to attend the online classes while 43.0 percent of the respondents did not get support from their caregivers. the following table presents the information about the cultural barriers faced by the students to attend the online classes. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 159 table-16: distribution of the respondents’ whether they faced any cultural barriers cultural barriers frequency percentage yes 65 24.7 no 198 75.3 total 263 100.0 the data in the above table 16 revealed that the majority of the respondents 75.3 percent have not faced any cultural barriers to attending the online classes, while 24.7 percent of the respondents faced cultural barriers, i.e. puja in the class time, local festivals, at the time of reproductive cycle etc. the study is in line with the study of baticulon (2021) who reported that the students of the philippines faced socioeconomic and cultural barriers to access the technological resources. the following cross-table presents the information on parents’ income and cultural barriers. table-17: respondents by their parent’s income and cultural barriers faced to attend the online classes cultural barriers parents income yes no total above poverty line 13(20%) (15.5%) 71(35.9%) (84.5%) 84(31.9%) (100%) below poverty line 52(80%) (29.1%) 127(64.1%) (70.9%) 179(68.1%) (100%) total 65(100%) (24.7%) 198(100%) (75.3%) 263(100%) (100%) pearson chi-square: 5.661(b) df.1 not significance: 0.05 analysis of the data on parent’s income and cultural barriers faced by the students to attend online classes are cross-tabulated and the result shows that there is an association between two variables as it is evident that the students in below poverty line families have faced more cultural barriers to attending the online classes and it is proved with the not significance at 0.05. the following table presents the support and encouragement of the government to the students to encourage online classes. table-18: respondents by receiving government support to attend the online classes government support frequency percentage yes 40 15.2 no 223 84.8 total 263 100.0 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 160 the data in the above table 18 revealed that the majority of the respondents 84.8 percent reported that they have not received any support from the government to attend the online classes, while 15.2 percent of the respondents reported that they received support from the government to attend the online classes. they stated that they received laptops and mobile phones from the government and politicians. the government of andhra pradesh introduced a scheme titled ‘ammavodi’, which provides rs.15000/every year to the mothers of students up to class 12. from the year 2021, the government is ready to provide the laptop or mobile phone under this scheme to the interested students. this initiative helps the students to attend the online classes easily. the following table presents the information about the favourite online teaching methods of the students. table-19: distribution of the respondents by their interesting teaching method teaching method you like frequency percentage offline 210 79.8 online 49 18.6 both 4 1.5 total 263 100.0 the data in the above table 19 revealed that the majority of the respondents 79.8 percent interested in offline classroom teaching methods, whereas 18.6 percent of respondents stated that they are interested in online teaching methods because it saves time and helps to learn new technologies. only 1.5 percent of the respondents stated that they are interested in both methods. this study is in contrast with the study of mutuprasad (2020) who reported that 57.75 percent of respondents in his study reported that online teaching is flexible and comfortable. it may be a reason that the study was conducted in urban areas. this study is in line with the study of chakraborty who reported that 65.9 percent of the respondents in his study felt that offline classes are better for learning than online classes (chakraborty et al., 2020). and naik et al. (2021) also reported in his study that 86.3 percent of the respondents are interested in offline teaching methods. overall, classroom teaching is a better method for learning and teaching. the following table presents the information about how many teachers taught the classes online regularly. table-20: distribution of the respondents by how many teachers taught in their class how many teachers taught frequency percentage no teacher 3 1.2 20 percent teachers 58 22.1 40 percent teachers 55 20.9 60 percent teachers 45 17.1 80 percent teachers 48 18.2 100 percent teachers 54 20.5 total 263 100.0 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 161 the data in the above table 20 revealed that 22.1 percent of the respondents stated that only 20 percent of the teachers taught online classes, while 20.9 percent of the respondents stated that only 40 percent reached the online classes, and 20.5 percent respondents stated that 100 percent of the teachers taught online classes. it is observed that only a few percent of the teachers have taught online classes regularly. the remaining teachers have not done their duties properly. the following table presents information about the satisfaction of the respondents in online classes. table-21: respondents by their satisfaction on the teaching of teachers satisfaction on online classes frequency percentage not satisfied 87 33.5 average 81 31.1 good 68 26.2 very good 21 8.0 not applicable 3 1.2 total 260 100.0 the data in the above table 21 revealed that 33.5 percent of the respondents are not satisfied with online teaching, while 31.1 percent stated that their satisfaction with online teaching is average. and 26.2 percent of the respondents reported that their satisfaction with online teaching is good and only 8.0 per cent of the respondents stated that online teaching is excellent. the study is in contrast with the study of naik et al. (2021) who reported that 70 percent of the respondents in his study are not completely satisfied with the online teaching method. the following table presents the information about the teacher-student interaction in online classes. table-22: respondents by their opinion of teacher-student interaction teacher student interaction frequency percentage no interaction 57 21.9 very less interaction 147 56.5 more interaction 53 20.4 not applicable 3 1.2 total 260 100.0 the data in the above table 22 revealed that the majority of the respondents 56.5 percent stated that there is very little teacher-student interaction in online teaching, while 21.9 percent of the respondents stated that there is no interaction, and 20.4 percent of the respondents stated that there is more student-teacher interaction in online teaching. this study is in line with the study of gaur et al. (2020), who reported that 40.4 percent of the respondents in his study strongly agreed that online classes have lacked student-teacher interaction. the following table presents the information about the studentstudent interaction in online classes. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 162 table-23: respondents by their opinion on student-student interaction student-student interaction frequency percentage no interaction 86 33.1 very less interaction 121 46.5 more interaction 53 20.4 total 260 100.0 the data in the above table 23 revealed that the majority of the respondents 46.5 percent stated that there is a small student-student interaction in online classes, while 33.1 percent of the respondents reported that there is no student-student interaction in online classes. and 20.4 percent of the respondents stated that there is more student-student interaction in online teaching. the study is in line with the study of ali sher (2009) who reported that there is a student-instructor interaction and student-student interactions were found to be significant contributors of student learning and satisfaction. the data in the below table presents information about the teaching techniques used by the faculty members in online teaching. table-24: teaching techniques used by the faculty members during the online classes teaching techniques frequency percentage lecture 99 38.1 ppt 112 43.1 assignments 29 11.2 brainstorming 5 1.8 story telling 12 4.6 no teaching, only attendance 3 1.2 total 260 100.0 the data in the above table 24 revealed that the majority of the respondents 43.1 percent stated that their teachers used the power-point presentation to teach in online classes, while 38.1 percent of the respondents stated that their teachers used the lecture method in online mode teaching. and 11.2 percent of respondents stated that their teachers were given the assignments, 4.6 percent of respondents stated that their teachers used the storytelling method and 1.8 percent of respondents stated that their teachers used the brainstorming method. it is observed that 1.1 percent of the respondents stated that their teachers have not taught anything, they have just taken an attendance in the online mode teaching. the study is in contract with the study of rahman (2021) who reported that 57.5 percent of the teachers in his study used the power-point presentation method. suggestions and recommendations 1. universities and colleges should provide training to students, particularly rural and tribal students on technical skills to attend online indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 163 learning classes on different devices like mobiles, laptops and tablets. 2. governments should talk with telephone network companies to bring new schemes to provide internet data at low price and also provide the free smartphones to the students based on their course of study. it may reduce the financial burden to the students and their parents to attend the online classes during the covid-19 pandemic. 3. government should reduce (at least 20 per cent) the syllabus of the subjects, because it is very difficult to cover and read all the topics of the subjects in online mode 4. after completion of the online classes, the colleges and universities should upload the recorded videos of the class teachers in the websites of the colleges or universities. these are helpful to the students to re-watch the class to clarify their doubts. 5. teacher is an important person in online teaching and learning. the teachers should be provided with well-organized teaching and study materials for examinations. classes should be more interactive and flexible. group discussions and group projects may be assigned to the students with the creation of a separate classroom. 6. teachers should be provided psychological, motivational support to the students. providing career counselling is also an important activity for the students. 7. universities and colleges should be provided with continuous capacity building programmes for teachers to update their knowledge on online techniques and online teaching skills. 8. power-point presentation is one of the best methods for online teaching because the students have a chance to read the content during the session. all teachers should use power-point presentations in their online classes. 9. the teachers, universities and colleges should organize guidance and career counselling programmes online to improve the attendance of the students in regular classes. 10. the universities and the colleges should develop a separate teaching room with computers and the internet in every department; it will be helpful to the teachers who do not have a laptop and smartphone. it will be helpful to the teachers who do not have technical skills to operate the online classes. 11. the teachers should avoid the teaching method of ‘giving notes and explanation’ in online teaching because we don’t know whether the students are writing or not. 12. the students should be asked questions to clarify their doubts in online classes. it observed that some students are attending the classes at the last minute. these students should change their mindset, and have to participate in online classes actively. 13. the students should adopt the learning habit and increase the regular reading habits on their subjects. it helps to increase the interest to attend the online classes. limitations and scope of further research adequate care has been taken to make this study more comprehensive. however, it was not free from some limitations. the data collected only from 263 students pursuing their graduation indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 164 and post-graduation in three indian states only. due to the covid-19 pandemic, the researcher prepared a questionnaire in english language and shared via google forms. the students who have knowledge in the english language and have a smart phone with internet are actively participating in this study. the results are more suitable to them. the data collected in may 2021 and the findings of the study relevant to that period. the findings cannot be generalized and they are applicable to the present study only. there are 29 states in india, the present study conducted in three states only, further it can be conducted at a broader level in all the states of india. there is a scope to conduct a study on problems faced by the teachers to teach in online classes, and the teacher-student behaviour in the online classes and their perceptions not studied in the present study. further, a study also can conduct knowledge of the studentsteachers on the features available in online education. conclusion covid-19 is an unexpected pandemic to the world. the first wave and second wage have created a lot of difficulties in many sectors. among them, higher education is one. the higher education sector adopted the online education system in teaching and learning and saved the academic years of the students. this study presented the problems faced by the students to attend the online classes and the teaching performance of the teachers in online mode. the government should provide support to the students of ‘below poverty line’ to participate in online classes. the universities and the colleges should monitor the performance of the teachers in online teaching. overall, the online education system in india succeeded in increasing the participation of the students. references abaid ullah, a., ashraf, m., ashraf, s., & ahmed, s. (2021). challenges of online learning during the covid-19 pandemic encountered by students in pakistan. journal of pedagogical sociology and psychology, 3(1), 36-44. adnan, m., & anwar, k. (2020). online learning amid the covid-19 pandemic: students’ perspectives. online submission, 2(1), 45-51. ali sher (2009). assessing the relationship of student-instructor and student-student interaction to student learning and satisfaction in web-based online learning environment. journal of interactive online learning, 8(2). ally, m.., & wark, n. (2019). online student use of mobile devices for learning. november 2018. bindu, s. p. (2020). india’s first corona virus infection confirmed in kerala, the hindu news paper, kerala, india. chakraborty, p., arora, a., & gupta, m. s. (2020). opinion of students on online education during the covid-19 pandemic. october, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbe2.240 gaur, r., mudgal, s. k., dharni, i. t., sharma, r., & suyal, n. (2020). barriers encountered during online classes among undergraduate nursing students during covid-19 pandemic in india. international journal of research in medical sciences, 8(10), 3687. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 165 https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20204252 government of india. (2021). covid-19 update on 23.06.2021. ministry of health and family welfare, new delhi. keerthi, ch. (2018). gender based violence in andhra pradesh. vasavya mahila mandali, vijayawada. mahyoob, m. (2020). challenges of e-learning during the covid-19 pandemic experienced by efl learners. 11, 351–362. muthuprasad, t., aiswarya, s., aditya, k. s., & jha, g. k. (2021). social sciences and humanities open students’ perception and preference for online education in india during covid-19 pandemic. social sciences & humanities open, 3(1), 100101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. ssaho.2020.100101 naik, g. l., deshpande, m., shivananda, d. c., ajey, c. p., & patel, g. c. m. (2021). online teaching and learning of higher education in india during covid-19 emergency lockdown. 6(1), 1-14. rahman, a. (2021). using students’ experience to derive effectiveness of induced emergency online learning at undergraduate level: evidence from assam. https://doi.org/10.1177/2347631120980549 rayhanul islam, m. r., rahman, m. m., kabir, m. z., rahman, s., & kabir, s. (2020). assessing the challenges in online class during the coronavirus pandemic in bangladesh. academic of strategic management journal, 19(1), 1-8. sethy, p. k. (2020). impact of pandemic situation on tribal. social vision, visakhapatnam, 110-118. shetty, s., shilpa, c., dey, d., & kavya, s. (2020). academic crisis during covid-19: online classes, a panacea for imminent doctors. indian journal of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-020-02224-x sucharita, m. (2020). covid-19 lockdown and domestic violence. mahila pratishtha journal, visakhapatnam, 5(4), 37. thakker, s. v., parab, j., & kaisare, s. (2021). systematic research of e-learning platforms for solving challenges faced by indian engineering students. 16(1), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1108/aaouj-09-2020-0078 baticulon, r. e., sy, j. j., alberto, n. r. i., baron, m. b. c., mabulay, r. e. c., rizada, l. g. t., ... & reyes, j. c. b. (2021). barriers to online learning in the time of covid-19: a national survey of medical students in the philippines. medical science educator, 31(2), 615-626. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 220 research article covid-19 outbreak: elearning resources and online classes, advantages and disadvantages 1padmini pandey & 2u.v kiran 1research scholar, department of human development & family studies, school of home science, babasaheb bhimrao ambedkar university (a central university), lucknow, u.p., india, email: dolly15pandey@gmail.com 2professor, department of human development & family studies, school of home science, babasaheb bhimrao ambedkar university (a central university), lucknow, u.p., india abstract the purpose behind this quantitative research was to explore the experiences of students in order to study how students assessed their ability to examine the physiological, cognitive and behavioural responses experienced by students during lockdowns. the research information was gathered by using google online questionnaire. a total of 156 students from various regions of india were classified as graduate, postgraduate ph.d.s, and post-doctorate based on educational degrees. information was collected, categorised as (1) demographic data; (2) activities during lockdown; (3) resources used by students and the effects of it during covid-19 and statistical analysis was used for the factual analysis of the data. according to the current study result, female respondents used to like watching television, reading /writing and using social media though male respondents were engaged with playing computer games, doing exercise and yoga and cooking. after the crisis, we need to continue our education that way. keywords: covid-19, pandemic, crisis, mode of study. introduction it is a stressful time when schools around the world are shifting to a virtual teaching-learning mode in an attempt to fight the consequences of the pandemic. besides that, there is nothing quite like confronting communication and participation by exchanging unique ideas and experiences from life, gatherings to create innovative thoughts in the classrooms. staying secure at home is the dire necessity of the time. the unexpected change in the learning process into digital approaches has been implemented in order to maintain the university track even if trying to avoid people crowding and the significant threat of the spread of infection. students and teachers work consistently to adjust and make the learning process enjoyable, productive and absolutely essential by means of online lectures (“covid-19 lockdown: how students are coping with the online classes and syllabus”). effect of covid-19 on educational institutes according to unesco, since the covid-19 invasion began, school and indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 221 university shutdowns have impacted approximately 1.37 billion learners in 138 nations worldwide. the classroom is therefore no longer accessible to around 60.2 million school teachers and university professors. italy was the very first european country to close down its universities immediately and switch online learning (zubascu, 2020). emerging elearning in india during covid-19 outbreaks covid-19 pandemic has broken an enormous part of india's education system. in consideration of the crisis caused by covid-19, all courses, examinations, and public meetings of central and state universities have been scrapped by the mhrd. it is also tough to anticipate how schools, colleges and universities will reopen. there are barely any alternatives apart from to keep moving from the typical face-to face phase of academic learning to advanced digital platforms. the new reality can be more troublesome for educational institutions that are not so accustomed to the digital manner. e-learning creates a challenge to creativity and accessibility for both teachers and students, but it ensures everyone involved with worksheets, online lectures and assignments. students in urban areas and cities are centred on pcs and cell phones as educators take to online application for lectures, tutorials and evaluations (“coronavirus: in the time of the pandemic, classes go online and on air”). in order to assist students, some organisations are transferring sessions to youtube, whereas kendriya vidyalaya sangathan is transmitting its swayam prabha portal, which has dth and internet lectures. andhra pradesh is seeking to reach doordarshan to minimize major obstacles to access. the zoom application has been embraced by several organisations, others by google classroom. however, the teachers cannot say how productive these are because not all students are configuring (“coronavirus: in the time of the pandemic, classes go online and on air”). the most common problems during online mode study university reports state that some departments are recently organising zoom accounts, a possible direct form for video conferencing. in addition, the university is focusing on this initiative, amending its schedules to the latest teaching strategies (zubascu, 2020). • poor internet connections with video sustained freezing are the technical issue, seeking to make for a rough course experience. • while studying at home anywhere students might be, there seems to be more interruptions than expected, including to family. • the rapid transition to online education has made some students concerned about some criteria for the curriculum whether they need to complete science classroom labs. • the lack of confronting with both teachers and classmates can be especially challenging. • the technique would have never indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 222 been mostly used by professors and students previously (“tackle challenges of online classes due to covid-19”). figure-1: problems during online mode study methods and materials a google online survey questionnaire was developed to assess the online / e-learning study response of participants during the covid-19 epidemic. the online survey was circulated to students from universities in various states of india. sample the questionnaire had been sent to 200 students to gather all the relevant information, and 160 of them responded. there were 4 insufficient responses, so they were not included. a total of 156 participants from various parts of india were listed mostly on criteria of educational degrees as graduates, postgraduate, phds, and post-doctoral students. procedure and survey development an informed consent was submitted by all participants. the selfstructured questionnaire includes questions covering multiple areas: (1) demographic data; (2) activities during lockdown; (3) resources used by students and their effects during covid-19. socioeconomic details were gathered throughout the covid for 19 pandemic days on gender, age, education, residential area. statistical analysis statistical analysis using spss 21.0 was done. for results, descriptive statistics, means, and frequency distribution were used. to measure the relationships among gender and activities during lock down, independent t-test was used, both analyses were two-tailed, with a statistical significance of p < 0.05. the relationship among the variables, mode of study and different conditions was assessed. with p-value, the degree of significance was obtained. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 223 results and discussions responses from 156 respondents, belonging to different states of india were gathered. overall, 156 respondents submitted the questionnaires within 10 days. demographic data table-1: demographic profile of respondents s. no. category frequency percentage age 1. 15-20 years 10 6.4 2. 20-25 years 100 64.1 3. 25-30 years 24 15.4 4. 30-35 years 12 7.7 5. 35-40 years 10 6.4 total 156 100.0 gender 1. male 42 26.9 2. female 114 73.1 total 156 100.0 degree 1. graduation 24 15.4 2. post-graduation 86 55.1 3. doctoral 40 25.6 4. post docs 6 3.8 total 156 100.0 stay with family 108 69.2 friends 20 12.8 alone 28 17.9 total 156 100.0 table-1 summarizes students' demographic information. majority of the respondents were aged 20-25 years (64.1 percent), followed by 25-30 years (15.4 percent), 30-50 years (7.7 percent) and 35-40 years (6.4 percent). there have been 114 (73.1 percent) female respondents in total and just (26.9 percent) males. the participants were from various states of the nation. majority of the respondents were postgraduated (about 55 percent) followed by doctorate about 26 percent, followed by graduates 15.4 percent and only 4 percent respondents were postdoctorate. it shows the various places of stay where they are actually staying due to the pandemic of covid-19. during covid-19 pandemic outbreak, the highest majority of respondents (about 69 percent) lived safely with their family, approximately 18 percent lived alone in indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 224 rented rooms or hostels followed by living with friends (13 percent), nobody from the respondents stayed with their friends. figure-2: study duration during covid-19 outbreak figure-2 indicates majority of the participants (64.1 percent) studied 0-2 hours accompanied by the second majority studying 2-4 hours per day at home, out of them (27 percent) studying 4-6 hours, 6-8 hours (6 percent) and just a few of them (3 percent) studying 8-10 hours at home. table-2: gender of the respondents affects activities during lockdown s. no. activities during lockdown gender of the respondents f value p value male female mean ± s.d mean ± s.d 1. watching tv .57 ± .501 .70 ± .460 5.853 .017 2. playing computer games .33 ± .477 .18 ± .382 14.243 .000 3. reading/writing .81 ± .397 .96 ± .185 47.053 .000 4. cooking .86 ±.354 .82 ±.382 .974 .325 5. exercise/yoga/meditation .76 ± .431 .72 ± .451 1.219 .271 6. social media and internet .90 ±.297 .95 ±. 224 3.600 .060 indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 225 there is a strong gender disparity in time usage between work and household tasks – men are more prone to engage in jobs and females in domestic chores (winn & heeter, 2020). participants were asked to estimate activities involved in different leisure and nonleisure activities. non-leisure activities tasks comprised time spent at reading/ writing, playing computer games, doing exercise yoga meditation and cooking while leisure activities included watching television, using social sites, and playing games. the association between the different activities during lockdown and the gender of the respondent has been examined in table 2. as people face isolation time at home, this led to an ideal condition to be involved in watching television (dixit et al, 2020). female participants were found to watch t.v higher than male students, which indicates the important correlation (p = 0.017) that women are more likely to watch tv, whereas males (μ = 0.33) were found to be even more interested in video games than female students (μ = 0.18), and that's highly significant (p = 0.000) at the level of 0.01. male gender seemed to be more active in playing computer games in another research finding (winn & heeter, 2020). the majority of the students were female, followed by male students (μ = 0.81), who spent their full time reading and writing (μ = 0.96). this also illustrates the highly significant relation through lockdown with female students and reading / writing activities. in developed countries, studies have shown that girls have less time for leisure activities than boys and have a higher workload at school and at home (levison et al. 2001; ritchie et al . 2004). it is evident from the data that male students did more activities such as exercise/yoga/mediation than female respondents in their spare time, although it was not considered to be significant. networking sites and the internet naturally get quite relevant for the modern scenario. almost nothing would be possible without the internet for the present generation. nowadays, almost nothing is going to be possible without the internet. there has been an enhanced use of social sites in the current circumstances of the covid-19 pandemic with an international quarantine state, as individuals have nothing else to do (dixit et al, 2020). in our research, women have been observed to have much more exposure to social sites than male respondents whatever the reason behind it be. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 226 figure-3: resources used during lock-down first, in order to maintain the effectiveness of education in governmental schools and universities, drastic steps are necessary. to encourage teachers to accomplish online teaching, open source database user interfaces and training management software must be introduced (“e-learning: covid-19 pandemic: impact and strategies for education sector in india”). the resources have been used during covid-19 outbreak, presented in figure 3 which is helpful to learn something during the worst conditions. according to the results of the analysis video lecture, about 67.90 percent of the students have considered it effective preceded by e-books (57.70 percent), followed by e-journals and database (41 percent), and further followed by e-newspaper (35.90 percent), followed by e-library (25.60 percent) and the least used resources are e-magazines (21.80 percent). this will assuredly change the academic system and improve teaching and learning quality, offering more choices to choose for students and teachers. table-3: mode of study influences different conditions s. no. items mode of study f value p value offline online mean ± s.d mean ± s.d 1. focus 2.56 ± 1.438 2.38 ± 1.154 8.984 .003 2. concentration 2.74 ± 1.242 2.46 ± 1.203 1.107 .294 3. flexibility 2.36 ± 1.395 2.59 ± 1.400 .000 .985 4. self-discipline 2.59 ± 1.472 2.46 ± 1.203 5.957 .016 5. teacher’s input 2.79 ± 1.783 2.38 ± 1.198 26.448 .000 6. workload 2.59 ± 1.454 2.67 ± 1.500 1.495 .223 indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 227 7. resource availability (internet) 2.36 ± 1.503 2.33 ± 1.101 10.022 .002 8. resource availability (gadgets) 2.23 ± 1.432 2.31 ± 1.120 4.014 .047 9. time management 2.46 ± 1.203 2.69 ± 1.565 3.435 .066 10. distraction level 2.49 ± 1.246 2.64 ± 1.520 2.137 .146 11. self-evaluation 2.59 ± 1.472 2.33 ± 1.255 4.336 .039 after the official announcement of lockdown in india we have to rely on the online education system and have only paved the way to pursue our education despite the ongoing crisis. the online mode of study, focus has been reduced (μ = 2.38) relative focus in offline classes (μ = 2.56), and according to current study results (table 3). focus seems to be very significant (p = 40.003) aligned with offline mode of study in the classroom. as accompanied by concentration, which is also observed to be decreased in online mode (μ = 2.46) rather than offline mode (μ = 2.74), but also if we think about the flexibility, we observed that relative to the classroom study (μ = 2.36), it was more in online mode (μ = 2.59) of study. this could be owing to the freedom to choose options or use multiple resources at a time. whereas self-discipline was noted to still be strong in offline study mode instead of virtual classrooms, this could be due to respect regarding teacher and the classroom environment, but nobody can judge their personalities in virtual. it's just about the information being learned. it also can be concluded from the data that teachers receive high input in the academic setting (μ = 2.79), but it has been noticed to really be reduced in the online mode (μ = 2.38). a lot of effort has to be done by oneself in the virtual classes. the study materials or other resources that were easily accessible on college campuses, such as books, notes, etc., but things were to be managed all on their own with online classes. thus, relative to the offline mode (μ = 2.59), the workload seems to be very high in the online mode of study (μ = 2.67). as we realize, we have to have a reliable internet connection for the online study mode, however this is the biggest virtual study concern. time management was quite good in online mode (µ = 2.69) as compared to offline (µ = 2.46) because once the meeting is scheduled at a time, no excuses can be set for moving anywhere but in classroom study students and teacher both have flexibility with respect to time. it seems that managing online learning requires much more effort than regular classes. so the distraction level was found to be too high in online mode of study but the self -evaluation can be properly done in offline classes rather than online mode of study and these were highly significant. conclusions the focus of this research was to identify the factors responsible for learning difficulties of university education using online and offline lecturer’s responses. even as the country is fighting against the pandemic, educators and students haven't yet betrayed their primary indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 228 responsibility for improving teaching and learning. universities and higher education institutions have immediately turned to implementing virtual courses, online assignment submissions and teacher-student interactions with the lockdown of suspending courses at all schools, colleges and universities. classes are also being taught online at schools, colleges and universities. in general, the present analysis suggests that there are several factors that are responsible for the difficulty in learning. the findings from this study, therefore, the attributes of the participants resist their specific ability to learn due to their undesirable behaviours, family and socio-economic circumstances, psychological issues like less attention, low focus and concentration, technological problems like lack of gadgets, low internet connectivity and self-evaluation . the study was designed to find out the problems online lecturers and students face in teaching and learning approximation in primary colleges of education. after the analysis of the data collected, the following findings are summarized: 1. students felt lack of focus, concentration, self-evaluation etc. 2. the attitude of students’ towards learning is very poor. 3. time management is very poor 4. the online teaching and learning environment are not productive as compared to offline studies. 5. lack of resources either technical or print media. limitations consequently, when evaluating the research outcomes, there are several other limitations to be mentioned. first, the specific structure of the analysis, such as the sampling method, is limited to only individuals with web access and english knowledge; the analysis may also restrict generalisation. second, the research was carried over within a lockout time, which often has its own psychological effect. acknowledgement the authors appreciated all the participants who have contributed to this research. the focus of this paper was to connect with students directly or through online means in order to receive the information about their online study experiences during the covid-19 quarantine. references coronavirus: in the time of the pandemic, classes go online and on air the hindu, assessed on 5/9/2020 https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/in-the time-of-the-pandemic-classes-go-online-and-on-air/article31264767.ece covid-19 lockdown: how students are coping with the online classes and syllabus education today news assessed on 5/11/2020 https://www. indiatoday.in/education-today/featurephilia/story/how-students-are-c oping-up-with-the-syllabus-in-these-quarantine-days indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 229 dixit, a., marthoenis, m., arafat, y. s. m, sharma, p., kar, k. s (2020 )., binge watching behavior during covid 19 pandemic: a cross-sectional, cross-national online survey 289, 113089. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113089 e-learning: covid-19 pandemic: impact and strategies for education sector in india, government news, et government, assessed on 5/11/2020. friedman, j (2020), tackle challenges of online classes due to covid-19 assessed on 4/07/2020 https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/ how-to-overcome-challenges-of-online-classes-due-to-coronavirus florin zubașcu (2020), universities in lockdown: the good, the bad and the ugly of online teaching, science business, assessed on 5/9/2020. jillian winn & carrie heeter, (2009) gaming, gender, and time: who makes time to play, sex roles 61:1–13 doi 10.1007/s11199-009-9595-7 levison, d., moe, k. s., & knaul, f. m. (2001). youth education and work in mexico. world development, 29, 167–188. ritchie, a., lloyd, c. b., & grant, m. (2004). gender differences in time use among adolescents in developing countries: implications of rising school enrollment rates. policy research division working paper, 193. new york: population council. retrieved april 4, 2006, from http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/ wp/193.pdf. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 389 general article artificial intelligence and the future of education vinita kapoor1 & a. k. bakhshi2 1department of chemistry, sri venkateswara college, university of delhi 2former vice chancellor, pdm university, bahadurgarh, haryana; vice chancellor, uprtou, allahabad e-mail: akbakhshi2000@yahoo.com abstract this article deals with artificial intelligence and its impact on education. to start with, the basics of artificial intelligence (ai) are discussed with a special focus on what ai is, how it is related to machine learning and deep learning and how an ai system works with special reference to the importance of data and algorithms. the applications of ai in education, such as personalized learning, personalized curriculum, ai teachers, smart content, smart classrooms, intelligent tutoring systems, etc., are also discussed. the various challenges associated with successfully implementing ai in the education sector are also discussed briefly. finally, how ai could also be helpful in the conduct of research is described. keywords: artificial intelligence, personalized learning, customized curriculum, ai teacher, intelligent grading systems, gamification introduction education is the process of enabling learningbe it knowledge (cognitive domain), physical skills (psychomotor domain), attitudes, etc. (affective domain). learning helps achieve the ultimate goals of education, i.e. to produce a competent professional, a responsible citizen, and a good human being. over the years, the methods of imparting education have changed significantly with the growth of technological developments around the world. information and communication technology (ict), for example, has revolutionized the way education is imparted with an increasing focus on online education, e-learning, moocs, blended learning, online examinations, etc. since technology is a journey and not a destination, in this chain of technological advancements, artificial intelligence is another disruptive technology that is totally going to transform the way education is imparted at present. nep-2020 (nep document) also acknowledges the significant potential of ai and advocates for its incorporation into the education system to enhance efficiency, effectiveness, and accessibility. the internet of things (iot) and artificial intelligence (ai) have already been incorporated into the curriculum for classes vi through x by the central board of secondary education. given the increasing importance of ai in education, even india’s first ai university has now started functioning in karjat, near mumbai, from 2023. what is this ai, how it works and how it is going to transform the education sector in the country with reference to curriculum designing, teaching-learning, assessment, research and the roles of the teachers are the questions that will be addressed in this article. what is artificial intelligence? human intelligence is the ability to indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 390 understand, learn, think, or solve new or complex situations. artificial intelligence (ai), the intelligence of machines, is nothing but simulating human intelligence into computers so that they can think and act like humans. it is worth noting that, unlike human intelligence, which uses the brain, memory and intelligence, artificial intelligence is based on information provided by humans. this is the biggest difference between human intelligence and artificial intelligence. some other differences between artificial intelligence and human intelligence are that ai processes information faster and more accurately adapts to changes, and is goal-oriented. ai machines are capable of perceiving, thinking, understanding language, recognizing sounds and images, learning and problem solving, etc. ai, which is a branch of computer science, is not a single technology but actually encompasses several technologies that work together to enable devices or machines to function with an intelligence that is as human-like as possible. some common examples of ai in our day-today life are google maps, google search engine, spam filters, automatic language translation, wolfram alpha answer engine, chat gpt, and intelligent digital personal assistants like siri, cortana, alexa, etc. all of these are driven by ai. the most innovative developments based on artificial intelligence include recognition of the face and voice, speech recognition, foreign language translation and machine vision, driverless cars, manufacturing robots, chatbots, virtual workers, etc. artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning in the context of artificial intelligence, the terms machine learning and deep learning are often used interchangeably with artificial intelligence. while they are related, they are certainly not synonymous. machine learning is a subset of artificial intelligence that aims to enable computers to perform various tasks without explicit instructions (bell & blackwell,2022; chang et al.,2018). machine learning also refers to the development of computers that can access different types of data and use it to learn on their own. conversely, deep learning is a branch of machine learning that is based on neural networks (fan et al.,2021). neurons are like little messengers in our brains that send and receive messages throughout our body, allowing us to think, feel, move, and interact with the world around us. artificial neural networks on which deep learning is based mimic the functioning of the human brain. the way data is delivered to the machine is the main distinction between machine learning and deep learning. while deep learning uses multilayer neural networks, machine learning methods usually require organised data. how does artificial intelligence work? to perform various tasks with minimal human intervention, ai systems are designed to generate information and make decisions based on it. a knowledge base is a database containing facts, theories, and rules that intelligent machines can use to make decisions. artificial intelligence starts with a lot of information from different sources when building a knowledge base. this information includes speech, text, images, content and results and is the life of information. in order to process and analyse enormous volumes of data, find patterns, and make predictions or judgements based on those patterns, artificial intelligence systems use algorithms and computational models (see figure). therefore, data is the fuel that drives ai innovation and enables ai systems to mimic human intelligence. whether in education, healthcare, finance or entertainment, data-driven indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 391 ai is transforming every industry and shaping the future. without data, ai won’t have the foundation it needs to work effectively. it is important to note that the quality of information is crucial in the field of artificial intelligence. ai systems pick up knowledge from the data they are given, and if this data is biased or lacks diversity, it can result in biased decisions and conclusions. the adage “garbage in, garbage out” applies here; poor or biased data can make ai models ineffective, leading to biased decisions and inaccurate predictions. figure-1: steps in the design of an ai system identification of problem, possible outcomes data analysis select algorithms train the algorithms selection of programming language platform selection (lms) artificial intelligence in education artificial intelligence has the potential to transform the way education is delivered. the power of ai is so great that it is going to redefine 21st century education. some of the changes the world is going to witness in the education sector due to the introduction of ai are: (i) personalized learning: in the field of education, the concept of personalized or individualized learning is becoming increasingly popular and is recognized as the future of education. the traditional teacher-centric method of teaching, which is linear and like a ‘one size fits all approach’ to education, is slowly losing favour among students and educationists as this is not able to meet student’s academic needs or fuel a passion for learning. an educational strategy known as “individualised learning” adjusts lessons to each student’s unique requirements, abilities, and interests. each student is unique, meaning they have different needs, understandings, learning abilities, and knowledge. personalized learning focuses on transforming classroom instruction by customizing tasks, instructions, content, and assessments to align with each student’s unique needs and abilities(bakhshi & rarh, 2023) ai gathers and examines student performance data to provide educators with information to make informed decisions, identify gaps, and improve teaching strategies. (ii) customized curriculum: the first step in personalized learning is developing a personalized or individualized curriculum. ai can assist in curriculum development with the ability to tailor curriculum to the specific needs of each student. ai algorithms can develop personalized learning paths by analyzing student data, including learning preferences, strengths and weaknesses. every student then can receive a study plan based on what they know and how they learn best. personalized learning plans are a unique benefit that ai provides to every student. (iii) artificial intelligence teacher: in the light of personalized curriculum, the next step toward personalized learning is personalized support that ai teachers can provide to each student. visualize a classroom indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 392 where every student has a virtual ai mentor who is always ready to help. these intelligent learning systems use ai algorithms to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of individual students and personalize learning materials accordingly. whether it is providing more explanation, more practice or more resources, ai tutors can provide personalized support to ensure that students learn at their own pace and reach their full potential. (iv) smart content: smart content refers to personalized content that is customized for each user, taking into account demographics, behaviour, and engagement. smart content can be activities, quizzes, lesson plans, etc. this content is dynamically updated based on who is viewing it. it is also called dynamic content, as opposed to the multimedia-rich static content that is the basis of e-learning and moocs. smart content always produces better results than static content and is very useful in the context of personalized learning (grace et al.,2020; silvana & fajar,2016). ai can help you create high-quality training materials that meet your learning goals, including interactive videos, quizzes, and simulations, and recommend resources appropriate for different needs. figure-2: transition from static content to smart content fixed, unchanging information like textbooks, pdfs etc. digital, interactive and multi-media rich adaptive, personalized using ai to adjust to individualized learning needs smart content (v) smart classroom: ai-based virtual classroom or smart classroom is a solution that bridges the gap between physical and remote learning. these virtual classrooms can foster collaboration among students by allowing them to work on group projects, engage in interactive discussions, and share ideas and feedback. this encourages collaboration, communication, and a sense of community among students. in smart classrooms, ai collects and analyzes large amounts of data about student performance, engagement, and learning patterns. ai analyzes student data to provide personalized guidance, adaptive feedback and interventions to meet individual learning needs and improve performance. aipowered virtual classrooms enable teachers to monitor student progress and pinpoint areas of difficulty, facilitating targeted support and resources to assist students in overcoming challenges and attaining academic success. by analyzing large amounts of data faster and more accurately, ai can help indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 393 you derive unique insights from data that would otherwise take weeks or months to process manually. (vi) intelligent assessment system: assessment and evaluation are key components of education systems, but they are time-consuming and inclined to human error. ai can easily simplify the assessment process and make it more accurate and efficient. artificial intelligence tools like gradescope, zipgrade, and classpoint ai can be of excessive help in this regard. ai-based grading systems can analyze and grade student assignments, essays, and even open-ended questions. using machine learning algorithms, these machines can identify patterns and provide students with consistent and reliable advice. this allows teachers to focus on personal instruction and support rather than spending too much time on grading. (vii) artificial intelligence-based supervision: maintaining academic integrity during evaluation has grown in importance as online and remote learning develop. aibased proctoring helps make online exam monitoring more efficient and scalable. ai can use facial recognition, eye tracking, and audio analytics to detect distrustful behavior and perceive plagiarism or aigenerated content to improve educational integrity. (viii) intelligent student support system: ai-based student support systems can provide students with 24/7 support to resolve issues and provide timely assistance. by providing immediate support, ai-based student support systems promote student success and ease the burden on teachers. for example, chatbots can be integrated into educational platforms to answer common questions, advise on administrative procedures, and provide academic advice. these chatbots use natural language processing to understand student questions and respond with relevant information. (ix) natural language processing (nlp): enabling machines to comprehend and interpret spoken and written language similarly to humans is the main goal of this branch of artificial intelligence. nlp integrates computer science, machine learning, deep learning, and linguistics to enable computers to analyse unstructured text or speech data and extract pertinent information from it (khurana et al.,2023; collobert et al,2011). it is a tool used to help machines understand, analyse, process and interpret human speech. nlp plays an important role in many applications, such as chatbots, virtual assistants, speech-totext, machine translation, autocorrection, etc. nlp systems can convert text to speech and speech to text. the steps for this conversion are: (i) people talk to machines. (ii) the machine captures the sound. (iii) audio is converted to text. (iv) text data processing; (v) the data is converted into sound; and finally (vi) the machine responds to the human by playing the audio file. predictive typing and spell check features in search engines that help you by suggesting the next indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 394 word in a sentence when you type a keyword are examples of natural language processing (nlp). as an example, chatgpt exemplifies natural language processing technology powered by artificial intelligence, enabling chatbots to engage in conversations that mimic human interaction and beyond. language models are adept at answering questions and supporting tasks like drafting emails, essays, and coding. (x) gamification and educational games: gamification is based on the theory that if learning is based on game concepts such as competition, incentives, and goal achievement, students will be more engaged in their learning and achieve greater academic success. a variety of e-learning games are available for both individuals and teams. artificial intelligence can be integrated into learning games to provide personalized challenges, track progress and adapt gameplay to individual learning styles, enabling interactive and participatory learning processes. (xi) virtual laboratory: ai can simulate experiments in virtual labs, letting students perform experiments in a safe and controlled environment. virtual labs can provide handson experience in a variety of scientific fields, promoting a deeper understanding of concepts. (xii) interactive simulations: aibased interactive simulations can help students visualize complex scientific phenomena. these simulations can be used to make abstract ideas more concrete by demonstrating concepts in physics, chemistry, biology, and other sciences. (xiii) augmented reality (ar) and virtual reality (vr): by integrating ai with ar and vr technologies, immersive learning experiences in science education can be crafted. this allows students to engage with 3d models, embark on virtual tours, and interact with virtual objects, thereby deepening their grasp of intricate scientific concepts. figure-3: evolution of learning process teacher-centric talk & chalk method online teachercentric ict personalized learning ai indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 395 artificial intelligence in research ai has become an essential part of research in various fields: right from using nlp for literature reviews to providing powerful tools and techniques to quickly analyze large data sets, discover patterns and gain insights through predictive models. deep learning is used for image and pattern recognition tasks (wu et al.,2011) in fields such as biology, astronomy, and medicine, where researchers must analyze and interpret complex visual data (hu & buehler,2023). ai speeds up the drug discovery process by analysing biological data to pinpoint potential drug candidates and forecast their effects (jiménez-lunaa et al.,2021; chen et al.,2023). this approach can markedly decrease the time and cost accompanying developing new medicines compared to traditional, resource-intensive procedures such as wet laboratory testing, validation, and synthesis in drug discovery. complex simulations and models to test hypotheses and predict outcomes can also be easily implemented using ai. ai is also used in climate modelling, satellite data analysis, and environmental monitoring. this helps researchers understand climate change (huntingford et al.,2019; cowls et al.,2023), predict natural disasters, and analyze the impact of human activities on ecosystems (chen et al.,2023). for more than a decade, the authors of this manuscript have been using an ai technique called genetic algorithm (ga) (goldberg,1989) in computational chemistry research, focusing on theoretical designing of low band gap electrically conducting polymers. while designing an in-silico polymer, there are several possible ways to arrange the homopolymer units to form a polymer chain having the desired physical and chemical properties. consequently, generating polymer chains with tailormade properties is highly challenging and requires significant computational resources. to address this issue, our research group has explored the use of metaheuristic optimization and search methods to streamline the process. ga is one such widely used technique in science and technology that has also proven to be very useful in solving optimization problems (arora & bakhshi,2010; arora & bakhshi,2011; kapoor & bakhshi,2013). the authors have been able to successfully calculate and predict the theoretical properties of various binary and ternary conducting polymers, donor-acceptor type copolymers and biopolymers. ai is proving to be a very useful tool in making calculations faster, more accurate and computationally less expensive. (i) disadvantages of ai despite its significant benefits, ai technology also presents numerous risks and potential dangers that warrant consideration. (ii) job replacement ai’s capability to automate processes, rapidly generate content, and operate continuously may result in human job displacement. in fact, many jobs, including those that are repetitive or predictable and those that require critical thinking, critical analysis, research-based, or specialized skills, will be at risk due to ai, automation, and robotics. in this regard, traditional positions of data entry clerks, secretaries, accountants, mechanics, and machine repairmen could be replaced by experts specializing in data analytics, ai, machine learning, big data, and digital transformation. (iii) privacy concerns data gathered and stored by ai systems might be processed without user consent or awareness and could be indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 396 accessed by unauthorized individuals in the event of a data breach. (iv) ethical issues the development of ai systems often lacks transparency, inclusivity, and sustainability, potentially leading to unexplained harmful decisions by ai and negative consequences for users and businesses. (v) environmental costs deploying large-scale ai systems could necessitate substantial energy consumption for data processing, potentially leading to heightened carbon emissions and water usage. high cost of ai implementation ai requires appropriate infrastructure and resources to operate effectively and efficiently. this includes a reliable internet connection, hardware devices, software platforms, data sources, and human expertise. however, many educational institutions lack these prerequisites, which can widen the digital divide and worsen educational inequalities. other negative consequences of ai in education despite the tremendous changes that ai will bring to education, there are some negative consequences of integrating ai into education. these include (a) lack of human interaction due to over-reliance on technology, (b) ai reduces students’ reflective and critical thinking skills, negatively affecting their creativity, (c) ai may pose a threat to teachers’ job security, (d) ai adoption is costly, (e) lack of emotional intelligence, (f) problem of accessibility and equity, and (g) need to train teachers in the use of ai. conclusion artificial intelligence is changing the way we learn, teach, and research. with the ability to personalize learning, deliver personalized curriculum, automate various administrative tasks, deliver smart educational content, create virtual teachers and smart classrooms and more, ai will shape an exciting future for education. nevertheless, it is crucial to confront ethical, environmental, and privacy considerations, ensuring that education remains a guiding light of opportunity and advancement in a constantly evolving world. references arora,v., bakhshi, a.k., (2010), “molecular designing of novel ternary copolymers of donoracceptor polymers using genetic algorithm”, chem. phys., vol.373, pp. 307. arora,v., bakhshi, a.k., (2011), “theoretical investigations on model ternary polypeptides using genetic algorithm—some new results”, 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from scratch”, j. machine learning res., vol. 12,pp. 24932537. cowls, j.,tsamados, a., taddeo, m., floridi, l., (2023), “the ai gambit: leveraging artificial intelligence to combat climate change—opportunities, challenges, and recommendations”, ai and society, vol.38(1), pp. 283-307. fan, j., ma, c., zhong, y., (2021) “a selective overview of deep learning”, statist. sci., vol. 36(2), pp. 264-290. goldberg, d.e., (1989), “genetic algorithms in search, optimization and machine learning”, addison-wesley, new york . grace, e., chang, y., chang seung, y., (2020) “design review of moocs: application of e-learning design principles”, j. comput. in higher edu., vol. 32, pp. 455–475. hu, y. and buehler, m. j., (2023) apl mach. learn., vol.1, pp. 010901. huntingford, c., jeffers, e., bonsall, m., christensen, h., lees, t., yang, h., (2019), “machine learning and artificial intelligence to aid climate change research and preparedness”, environ. res. lett., vol. 14, pp. 124007. jiménez-lunaa, j., grisonia, f., weskampb, n. and schneider, g., (2021), “artificial intelligence in drug discovery: recent advances and future perspectives”, expert opinion on drug discovery, vol. 16( 9), pp. 949–959. kapoor, v., bakhshi, a.k., (2013), “designing novel copolymers of donor-acceptor polymers using an artificial intelligence method”, superlattices and microstructures, vol.60, pp. 280–290. khurana, d., koli, a., khatter, k. & singh, s., (2023) “natural language processing: stateof the art, current trends and challenges”, multimedia tools and appl., vol. 82, pp. 3713–3744. national education policy-2020, government of india. retrieved from https://www. education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/nep_final_english_0.pdf silvana, h., fajar, y., (2016) “user analysis of massive open online courses (moocs) based e-learning system to ensure equal access to education at higher education”, edutech., vol. 15(2), pp. 170. wu, h., liu, q., liu, x., (2019) “a review on deep learning approaches to image classification and object segmentation”, computers, materials and continua, vol. 60(2), pp. 575-597. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 52 research article effectiveness of digital pedagogy on teaching competency in physical science among b.ed. students with special reference to constructivism r. nandhakumar1 & k.govindarajan assistant professor, department of education, regional institute of education, mysuru email: nandha_7025@yahoo.com 2assistant professor, department of education, alagappa university, karaikudi abstract digital technology has changed many aspects of our life. the impact of digital technology in india across the past four decades has been enormous. even in this digital era, there is a huge demand for skilled and competent teachers all over the country. a quality teacher education programme requires changes in pedagogical studies. digital pedagogy can be used to develop the teaching competency among students in the teacher education programme. digital pedagogy is the study and use of contemporary digital technologies in teaching and learning. it can be effectively implemented with constructivist teaching. student teachers can be trained to facilitate the learner to construct knowledge rather than just passively receiving information. the science teacher is expected to be a facilitator of scientific knowledge. pedagogy of physical science is dynamic and ever new domain of knowledge. keeping in view the above concerns of pedagogy of physical science and to bring quality and excellence in the teaching of physical science, the authors have attempted to study the effectiveness of digital pedagogy in the teaching of physical science with a constructivist approach. keywords: constructivism, constructivist approach, digital pedagogy, physical science, teacher education introduction teacher education has grown exponentially in the past ten years to meet the demands of quality teachers in both private and government institutions. after the implementation of the teacher education curriculum framework, 2014, the attention is focused on the quality pedagogical practices at the b.ed. level. student teachers should be properly trained to meet the challenges in the contemporary digital-oriented society (craig blewett., 2020). teachers are expected to handle e-resources. the present teacher education curriculum of physical science includes aims and objectives of teaching physical science, teaching methods and strategies and curriculum reform projects. adequate practices are given to the student teachers before they go for 80 days’ internship in schools. when the digital pedagogy is applied, the teaching competency of the student teachers will be enhanced (salin sn. & noor aida mahmor, 2018). student teachers who use a constructivist approach in the teaching of physical science can develop their teaching competency with the support of digital pedagogy. the researcher used the experimental method to study its effectiveness among the students and teachers of physical science. meaning and concept of digital pedagogy digital pedagogy emphasizes the use of contemporary digital technologies, using digital tools thoughtfully, and paying attention to the impact of digital tools on learning. digital pedagogy indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 53 can be applied to any concept. a teacher should plan, prepare, and execute the digital pedagogy for the selected content. it can be applied to the online environment, face to face environment, and hybrid environment. teachers encourage students and also themselves to think critically about new things (wadmany, rivka, kliachko, sarah, 2014). according to paulo freire (2018), the term pedagogy is not ideologically neutral. there is no such thing as a neutral educational process. there are different forms of digital technologies such as communication technology, web technology, data mining, data warehousing, database technology, and cyber technology. digital pedagogy will be effective only when the teacher uses the desired technology appropriate to the content. teachers and also learners can use the appropriate digital technology in a better way when they are thinking critically about the nature and effects of that technology (valerie anderson, 2020). the use of digital technology will enhance the teachinglearning process and will change the teaching-learning experience. the digital pedagogy varies from the use of presentation software like powerpoint to flipped classrooms. constructivism constructivism emphasizes the construction of knowledge rather than just taking in information. twomey fosnot (1989) defines constructivism by reference to four principles viz., learning, in an important way, depends on what we already know, new ideas occur as we adapt and change our old ideas; constructivism requires meaningful learning through rethinking old ideas and bringing new conclusions about new ideas. the curriculum in a constructivist classroom begins with the whole and expands to include the parts. students work primarily in a group. students’ inquiry, hypotheses, and interests are highly valued. learning is constructed on the ideas that the students already have. thus, the learning is interactive and not repetitive. teachers have an interaction with students to construct their knowledge. knowledge is seen as dynamic with experience. finally, the student’s knowledge and the acquisition of higherorder skills can be assessed through observations and points of view. constructivist teaching constructivist teaching is based on the idea that learning occurs as learners are actively involved in a process of meaning and knowledge construction as opposed to passively receiving information (audrey gray, 1996). knowledge is not a thing simply shared by the teacher in the classroom, but it should be constructed through the active participation of learners in the teaching-learning process and the mental process of development. learners are the builders of the knowledge and the creators of the knowledge. a teacher should facilitate a learning environment that is conducive and suitable for such learners. piaget (1975) viewed that learners encounter an experience or conflict with the way of thinking that gives rise to a state of imbalance. now, negotiation connects teachers and students in a common purpose. it is the customs building teaching to fit the individuals who attend the class. constructivist teaching offers options and choices for the students. there are several components to be included in constructivist teaching. a teacher can incorporate the main components in planning the lesson. the following are from the 5e model encompassing the phases engage, indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 54 explain, explore, extend, and evaluate; steps which educators have traditionally taught students to move through in phases. engage: students are acquainted with the concept through connecting to prior knowledge or linking with earlier lessons discussed, contextual situations, experiments followed by questions to think or analyze. explain: this phase is meant for the treatment of the concepts or the procedures with various strategies and methodologies. explanations given to the concepts, providing illustrations with analogies, asking questions to scaffold are the main activities during this phase of teaching. explore: the teacher will allow students to do some activities or experiments, discussions, and student explanations. the use of appropriate learning resources will support learners to gain knowledge. a teacher can provide a task for collaborative learning. concept maps and graph organizers can be used as scaffolding devices to explain the links and concepts assess the attainment of concepts, check for anticipated and unforeseen misconceptions, etc. extend: this phase includes providing new situations, problems or questions wherein the students can apply the concepts to identify principles learnt in the situations provided or solve the given problem or be able to work in the given situation by applying what is learnt. evaluate: the teacher will review the lesson by asking questions on the subject matter covered in the class by keeping the learning objectives in mind. students’ attainability is evaluated in this phase. the teacher’s role is to clarify misconceptions if any. at the end of the unit, a teacher should relate the application of what is learnt with real life. constructivist teacher and digital pedagogy teachers play multiple roles in facilitating learning, such as connecting to prior knowledge, demonstrating, explaining, reinforcing, giving examples with analogies, giving tasks to perform, scaffolding, forming groups and assigning tasks, assisting and guiding learners and evaluating the learning outcomes. (barber wendy, king & sylvia buchamn, 2015). in all the phases various kinds of technologies can be used to enrich the teaching-learning process effectively. the teacher provides students with experiences that allow them to hypothesize, infer, observe, predict, classify, and invent. the constructivist teacher fosters critical thinking and creates active and motivated learners. constructivist teachers must acquire competencies in various skills including selection, collection, production, reflection, and presentation of digital content. selection: student teachers are instructed to navigate the content in technology-mediated contexts, and evaluate the quality and validity of the sources collection: student teachers are trained to compile exciting and accessible materials for learners. they have to provide a wide range of problem-solving and practical skills to facilitate children’s learning. production: student teachers can create their e–materials, which can help enhance their creativity and digital literacy. digital demonstration will encourage the student teacher to explain any content thoroughly. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 55 reflection: it is important that when creating materials for physical science learners it is important to conduct a needs analysis to present materials that are motivating and age-appropriate and work closely with software developers to create sound pedagogical resources. presentation: an effective presentation is possible with a suitable lesson plan and practices of teaching skills. studentteachers should develop their potential with suitable communication skills and technological skills. statement of the problem the problem selected for the study is “effectiveness of digital pedagogy on teaching competency in physical science among b.ed. students with special reference to constructivism”. the investigator attempts to study the effective use of digital pedagogy by the teacher trainees in physical science. objectives of the study • to study the effectiveness of digital pedagogy among the student teachers in their teaching competency in physical science in the constructivist style of teaching. • to compare the teaching competency in the teaching of physical science with skill-based ict approaches and through the conventional approach. • to find out the achievement of student teachers with digital pedagogy using emerging technologies and the internet to meet the needs of the individual learners. • to find out the achievement of students for the various stages of development of lessons such as engage, explain, explore, extend, and evaluate with the use of digital pedagogy. hypothesis • student teachers who have practised in digital pedagogy will be competent in the teaching of physical science in the constructivist style of teaching. • there is no significant difference between the mean scores of the pretests of experimental and control group students. • student teachers who have practised digital pedagogy differ significantly in their teaching competency. • there is a significant difference between the student teachers using the digital pedagogy and the student teachers using the conventional method in various stages of development of lessons such as engage, explain, explore, extend, and evaluate. need for the study to bring effective improvement in the quality of teacher education, it is necessary to focus attention on emerging technologies. now, many teachers are thinking of using recent technological advancements to enrich their teaching competency. physical science teachers are not exceptional. the use of digital pedagogy at the b.ed. level will support them to enrich their teaching competency. hence, it is important to study the effectiveness of digital pedagogy in physical science at the b.ed. level. scope of the study the investigator attempted to know the effectiveness of digital pedagogy on teaching competency. the study will be of great help for the student teachers and teacher educators since the concept of teaching has been changing from time to time. one can teach well only when he has a better teaching competency. in indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 56 this context, the investigator attempted to study the effectiveness of digital pedagogy on teaching competency at the b.ed. level. review of related literature dominik petko (2012) examines teacher affiliation for the constructivist style of teaching which is often considered to facilitate the pedagogical use of digital media. the study’s survey of 357 swiss secondary school teachers revealed a significant positive correlation between will, skill and tool variables and the combined frequency and diversity of technology used in teaching. m ally (2014) used the competency profile for the digital teacher to train and orient the digital teacher of the future and the research revealed that emerging technologies, artificial intelligence and the internet will make the student-teacher meet the needs of the individual learners. salin s.n and noor aida mohammad (2018) conducted a survey to examine the attributes of meaningful learning that student teachers perceived as enabling them to improve their digital pedagogy. the findings reveal that the attributes of meaningful learning activities contribute to the improvement of teachers’ knowledge of and skills in using web 2.0. sarah prestridge (2008) suggested that skill-based ict practices could be considered for those teachers who are operating in a traditional teachercentred approach where developing skills are in focus. interestingly, these teachers agree with beliefs that align with digital pedagogies. methodology the present study is experimental research. the method used for the study was the experimental method. the nature of the experiment is preposttest equivalent group design. the independent variables in the study were the teaching of physical science. the dependent variable in the study was the teaching competency using digital pedagogy concerning constructivism. the population of the study was those students studying b.ed. and integrated b.ed. programme with a pedagogy of physical science as one of the courses in the karnataka state. a random sampling technique was used to select the sample. the sample selected for the study consisted of 77 student teachers studying b.ed. and integrated b.ed. programmes at the colleges in mysuru district with the pedagogy of physical science as one of the course papers. among them, 39 belong to the experimental group and 38 belong to the control group based on their preference between digital pedagogy and conventional one. the investigator developed a tool and named it ‘digite(a)ch’ that comprises various digital technology tools to facilitate the student teacher to select, collect, produce, and reflect the content cum methodology. this tool was made available to the student-teacher in the cloud platform so that they could operate at any time. the researcher validated it for the present study. the researcher also developed a tool called evaluation proforma which contains criteria for evaluating the teaching competency with special reference to constructivism. student teachers in both the experimental group and control group prepared the unit plan and lesson plans for chapter 8, ‘motion’ in the 9th standard science book of ncert publication. student teachers prepared a suitable lesson plan for teaching the content in the constructivist approach. the experimental group prepared powerpoint, blogs, and stored them in the database. they have downloaded indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 57 the suitable simulations and animations from the websites and stored them in the database. the experimental group prepared questions for continuous assessment to conduct online testing. in this study, the t-test to analyze the differential hypotheses is the statistical technique used. analysis of data the data collected through the experimentation were processed and the results are presented in the tabular form. the mean and standard deviation were calculated for the variables. all the data were analyzed with a level of significance established at 0.05 levels. table-1: ‘t’test for the mean of the pre-test scores of control and experimental group student teachers with respect to the different phases in the teaching-learning process phases group number mean s.d. calculated ‘t’ value remarks engage experimental 39 1.2256 1.1799 0.0030 n.s control 38 1.2271 1.1563 explain experimental 39 0.7524 0.7456 0.0833 n.s control 38 0.7612 0.8795 explore experimental 39 0.5612 0.6854 0.1312 n.s control 38 0.5647 0.6956 extend experimental 39 0.2145 0.5544 0.2141 n.s control 38 0.2204 0.5124 evaluate experimental 39 0.2714 0.8454 0.0385 n.s control 38 0.2965 0.8714 the ‘t’ values from table 1 show that there is no significant difference between the experimental and control groups concerning different phases of the teaching-learning process. the mean scores of the experimental group and control group reveal that both the groups are equal in different phases of the teaching-learning process. hence, the framed null hypothesis is accepted. table-2: ‘t’-test for the mean of differences of pre and post-test scores of control group students concerning phases of the teaching-learning process phases number mean of differences standard error t value remarks at 5% level engage 38 7.7895 2.8102 17.0835 significant explain 38 8.0756 2.7584 18.0124 significant explore 38 8.3125 2.0654 23.2130 significant extend 38 8.5124 2.0456 25.2452 significant evaluate 38 8.6235 1.9968 27.2564 significant table 2 shows that ‘t’ values of the control group are significant at 0.05 level. this reveals that there is a significant difference between the mean scores of pre and post-test of the control group in the different phases indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 58 of the teaching-learning process. it is therefore concluded that the conventional method of teaching has made a significant achievement to the control group students in all the phases. table-3: ‘t’-test for the mean of differences of pre and post-test scores of experimental group students concerning the phases of the teachinglearning process phases number mean of differences standard error t value remarks at 5% level engage 39 11.1254 3.1514 23.5645 significant explain 39 11.8565 3.7545 24.1425 significant explore 39 13.5241 2.5625 26.8456 significant extend 39 14.2151 2.2541 28.3256 significant evaluate 39 14.9656 1.3365 31.256 significant it is found from table 3 that the calculated t values are significant at 0.05 level. this suggests that there is a significant difference between the mean scores of the pre and post-test of the experimental group concerning different phases of the teaching-learning process. it may be stated in other words that the experimental group students practised through digital pedagogy performed significantly in the phases of the teaching-learning process such as engage, explain, explore, extend, and evaluate. table-4: ‘t’-test for the mean of post-test scores of experimental and control groups of students concerning the phases of the teaching-learning process phases group number mean s.d. calculated ‘t’ value remarks engage experimental 39 14.2356 3.2345 8.7584 significant control 38 8.2565 2.8795 explain experimental 39 13.9656 3.4154 7.5142 significant control 38 8.2356 2.4578 explore experimental 39 14.2536 3.1854 7.3564 significant control 38 7.9656 2.5465 extend experimental 39 14.1547 3.0025 10.4174 significant control 38 8.1235 2.1454 evaluate experimental 39 14.2535 3.2464 8.5648 significant control 38 8.4547 2.1014 table 4 shows that the observed ‘t’ value is significant at 0.05 level. it is inferred that the experimental and control group students are not similar in the post-test concerning the different phases of the teaching-learning process. the higher mean scores achieved by the experimental group may be due to the effect of digital pedagogy. the framed hypothesis is accepted. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 59 table-5: ‘t’-test for the mean gain scores of control and experimental groups of students concerning the phases of the teaching-learning process phases group number mean sd ‘t’ value remarks at 5% level engage experimental 39 11.1254 3.1965 6.1325 significant control 38 7.7895 2.7896 explain experimental 39 11.8565 3.1254 7.6545 significant control 38 8.0756 2.4758 explore experimental 39 13.5241 2.6595 7.9965 significant control 38 8.3125 2.2125 extend experimental 39 14.2151 2.5142 8.0145 significant control 38 8.5124 2.1125 evaluate experimental 39 14.9656 2.0123 8.2534 significant control 38 8.6235 2.0656 table 5 shows that the observed ‘t’ values are significant at 0.05 level. it is inferred that the control and experimental group students are not similar in the post-test concerning the phases of the teachinglearning process. the higher mean scores achieved by the experimental group may be due to the effect of the experimental treatment given through digital pedagogy. hence, the framed hypothesis is accepted. findings of the present study based on the pre-test scores, it is observed that both control and experimental group students are having similar mean scores. there is no significant difference in the mean scores of experimental and control groups concerning different phases of the teaching-learning process. based on the analysis of pretest and posttest scores of the control group, it is observed that there is a significant difference of 0.05 level in all the phases of the teaching-learning process which shows that the control group students have performed equally in the pre-test and post-test. the conventional method influenced the control group better. from the analysis of pre and post scores of experimental group students, it is observed that the impact of digital pedagogy was significant among the experimental group. the experimental group of students achieved significantly higher gain scores than the control group students. the experimental group students exposed to digital pedagogy achieved more score gains in the different phases of the teachinglearning process such as engage, explain, explore, extend, and evaluate. discussion and conclusion pre-test scores analysis shows that there was no significant difference in the previous teaching competency of both experimental and control groups in all five phases. this shows that both the groups are equal before the treatment. when the pretest and post-test scores were compared, it was found that the traditional method of teaching and teaching through digital pedagogy was significantly effective. achievement of both groups was found significant. as the gain scores analysis is more suitable and appropriate, it showed that the teaching competency of the students in the experimental group was significantly higher than the students in indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 60 the control group. the digital pedagogy might have helped the students to teach effectively and efficiently as well as it helped to exhibit all constructive teaching skills. it is to be noted that the previous studies as well as the present study have found that significant effects like digital pedagogy in the teachinglearning process led to the effective teaching competency of the b.ed. students in physical science. references audrey gray. (1996). constructivism and learners autonomy in foreign language. conference theory and practice in language studies, finland: academy publisher. 1(3), 273 277, march 2011. avinash.(2014). paulo freire’s pedagogy of the oppressed: book summary, the educationalist, j uly 9, 2014. barber wendy, king, cherry.,&sylvia buchamn.(2015).problem based learning and authentic assessment in digital pedagogy, electronic journal of e-learning.2(1),9-67. carmen marta lazo, divina frau-meigs., &sara osura.(2019). a collaborative digital pedagogy experience in the mooc, australian journal of educational technology,35(5). cathy lewin, sue cosamma., & sarah mcnico.(2018). developing digital pedagogy through learning activity: theory and practice, bera british educational research association. craig blewett. (2020). from traditional pedagogy to digital pedagogy, disrupting higher education curriculum,265-287. crawford, j., & butler – henderson, k. (2020). covid 19: 20 countries’ higher education – intra period digital pedagogy responses, journal of applied learning and teaching, 3(1),1-20. innovations and education in the digital age: reconciling the roles of pedagogy, technology and the business of learning, ieee transaction on engineering management,50(4),403-412. k.govindarajan.(2019). development and analysis of infotainment programme on learning of physical science at secondary school level, international journal of scientific research and education, 28(16). 1522-1525. m ally.(2004). foundations of educational theory for online learning, theory and practice of the online learning. universities and knowledge society journals.11(1): 142. monu bhagat, dilip kumar., & sushma m.balaji. , (2020). application of internet of things in digital pedagogy, computational intelligence in digital pedagogy, 219-234. mynbayeva a, zukhra sadvakassova.,& bakhytkul akshalova.(2018).pedagogy of the 21st century: innovative teaching methods, conference of new pedagogical challenges in the 21st century. retrieved from https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/58060 petko,d, schmid,m.,& brainza,e.(2020). developing a short assessment instrument for technological pedagogical content knowledge and comparing the factor structure of an integrative and transformative model, computers & education, 157(1),66-77. r.nandhakumar.,& k.govindarajan .(2020). effect of database technology on some selected cognitive variables in learning of physics at undergraduate level, turkish online journal of educational technology, 19(4), 75-83. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 61 r.nandhakumar.,& k.govindarajan .(2020). effectiveness of database technology in enhancing learning of physics at higher education level, research and reflections on education, 18(3b), 42-46. revista de psicodidaactica. (2021). effect on the technological pedagogical content knowledge and academic achievement of pre-service teachers, digital pedagogy and cooperative learning, 26(1),53-61, english ed. renee kaufmann, nicholas t.tatum., & t.kody frey.(2017). current tools and trends of new media, digital pedagogy and instructional technology.12(2),121-26 salin sn.,& noor aida mahmor.(2018). improving student – teacher’s digital pedagogy through meaningful learning activities, malaysian journal of learning and instruction, 15(8). sarah prestridge.,& jo tondeur.(2017). preparing beginning teachers for technology integration in education: ready for takeoff, technology, pedagogy and education, 26(2),157-177. twomey fosnot. (1989). a constructivist approach for teaching, new york: teachers’ college press.157-161. valerie anderson. (2020). a digital pedagogy pivot: rethinking higher education practice from an hrd perspective, taylor & francis online, 452-467. wadmany, rivka, kliachko, sarah. (2014). the significance of digital pedagogy: teacher’s perception and factors influencing their abilities as digital pedagogies, journal of educational technology, 22-23. zoe alker., & christopher donaldson. (2014). digital pedagogy – in and beyond the classroom, journal of victorian culture, 21(4),548-549. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 182 research article appropriation of twitter in educational settings by mentor teachers of delhi government schools: a beginning 1manu gulati & 2syedah fawzia nadeem 1mentor teacher, t.g.t (english), directorate of education gnct of delhi, delhi, india, email: mwadhwa22@gmail.com 2professor, iase jamia millia islamia, new delhi, india abstract this study aims to explore how mentor teachers (mts) appropriate twitter in their academic and pedagogic endeavours. it explores the journey of all 190 mentor teachers of delhi government schools using twitter in their educational settings; beginning from training of these teachers on tweeting skills to understanding their twitter usage post one year of the training. tools and techniques of the study were the survey, interviews and content analysis. the findings of the survey and interviews were triangulated with the content analysis of the tweets. five hundred tweets chosen for content analysis were hand-coded into emergent patterns to identify the messages these mentor teachers pass on twitter. findings of the study demonstrate that mentor teachers use twitter to build networks with fellow mentor teachers, teachers and other educational professionals. the study reveals diversity in the extent of twitter usage by the mentor teachers in their educational settings. diversity is also evident in mentor teachers’ sharing of resources related to their respective teaching subjects. mentor teachers’ tweets’ content relate to different themes. inclination was most on the theme of sharing achievements of students, school, other teachers and self. majority of the mentor teachers reported the positive role of twitter in their professional development. keywords: mentor teachers, twitter, network, codes, achievements introduction beginning of the 21st century has witnessed the emergence of social media as a powerful tool of communication. it enables people to share their ideas, thoughts and practices. it has the immense potential to build powerful narratives thereby bringing a positive change in the society. in the last one and a half decade, the use of social media has been on a rise in the educational landscape. social media has helped teachers "foster interaction, collaboration, and contribution" (gunawardena et al. 2009) in their academic and pedagogic endeavours. interactions enhance a teacher's ability to engage in reflective dialogue and also question ineffective routines (kruse & louis 1993, little 2002). interactions and sharing of thoughts and practices are parts of professional development programs of teachers. when teachers participate in professional development programs, they “develop, implement and share practices, knowledge and values that address the needs of all students." (schlager, fusco et al. 2004). indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 183 from this, we can thus infer that social media has the potential to enhance the professional competencies of teachers in their educational settings. amongst the various social media platforms including facebook, twitter, linkedin, instagram, this particular study focusses on use of twitter in the educational settings. one of the prime reasons for choosing twitter is its growing usage by the educators for their professional development in north america and europe. review of literature on the use of twitter in education in a 2012 study, researchers investigated how teachers used twitter in their professional development (forte, humphreys & park 2012). the study was exploratory in nature. data collection tools were online survey and interview. the sample comprised 37 respondents. majority i.e. 78 percent of these had been using twitter for more than 12 months. eight respondents were interviewed telephonically and these interviews were recorded. the respondents were asked to describe how their use of twitter has changed over a passage of time. the findings from an online survey and detailed interviews were gathered along with 2000 tweets related to education. content analysis of these 2000 tweets was done. the findings of the study were that with the use of twitter, teachers built and maintained professional connections with other school teachers and shared new ideas, practices and resources with them. the study hailed teachers on twitter as progressive thinkers who could raise the efficacy of the reform process by using social media for the classroom. in a 2016 study, the researcher examined the way an online community of educators took part in professional development using twitter (wesely, 2016). the community of practice was composed of world language (wl) teachers who used twitter as a social media platform for professional development. this research study took a socio-cultural perspective in approaching and understanding teacher learning. it was a qualitative, netnography study. researcher in the study was a participant observer for more than a year. the key data source was interviews with 9 teachers who were the community members. all the teachers in the community of practice (cop) lived and worked in the united states and taught either spanish or french language. the researcher analysed teacher learning situated in a community of practice on the basis of three essential characteristics specified by wenger in 2006domain, community and practice. evidence of the study demonstrates that the community of practice of educators distinguished themselves as experts in world language education. these educators shared resources and participated in joint discussions using twitter. these discussions lead to collaboration and different projects initiatives and #chats. the #langchat recorded the highest collaborative effort in this community of practice. this study provides ample evidence that in this process of tweeting, learning took place in the community of practice of world language educators. another 2016 study investigated indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 184 the factors affecting administrators' understanding about twitter and it's use over a period of time (cho & rangel, 2016). the study is based primarily upon interviews and 1455 tweets of 17 administrators located in the united states and canada. by approaching structuration theory, the study found that administrators' understanding and use of twitter were based on their social contexts i.e. values, expectations and beliefs. practices of using twitter were neither predetermined nor fixed. in fact, enhanced interactions with colleagues and friends on the use of twitter changed their perception about twitter. some administrators used twitter more frequently while others used twitter less number of times. the reasons for less use of twitter by a few administrators were twitter's panoptic effect, increased surveillance in the online environment. a study on '#pd: examining the intersection of twitter and professional learning’ was conducted in 2016 (biddolph & curwood, 2016). the study focused on use of twitter for professional learning of english language teachers most of whom were from australia. data collection was done from multiple sources through online survey (of all 64 teachers), semi-structured interviews (with 8 participants) and content analysis of 530 tweets that used #ozengchat hashtag. the study gave evidence of use of twitter as an authentic platform to share, promote and acknowledge teachers' ideas and practices. the study reiterated that twitter helped teachers to exercise their agency in choosing professional development programs as per their needs and interests. in a 2019 review study the researcher reviewed 103 peer-reviewed research studies published during the period 2007 to 2017. these research studies focused on use of twitter across educational settings. most of the reviewed research studies were descriptive case studies and were conducted with the students of higher education of north american and european countries. majority of the reviewed studies indicated that use of twitter increases students' motivation, engagement in the class and their learning (anthony & jewel, 2017). another major finding of the study was the professional development of teachers by networking, sharing of ideas, resources, practices and forming a community of practice of teachers. researchers noted many recurring negative issues of twitter usage in education; some of which were infringement to right to privacy, unavailability of sufficient space for expressing oneself and load of handling lots of information. in spite of there being drawbacks in using twitter, there is enough evidence about twitter's potentiality in aiding professional development for teachers and students as well (carpenter 2014; carpenter & krutka, 2015). finally, the study envisaged that most of the analysed studies were spread in north american and european countries. the study suggested an intense need to carry out more studies on the use of twitter in other parts of the world especially within countries of asia and africa continents where use of social media is remarkable. the review of the related literature suggests the need for the use of indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 185 twitter for professional development of teachers in india. a study was thus conducted to support the mentor teachers of delhi government schools to appropriate twitter in their professional endeavours. objectives of the study 1. to enable the mentor teachers to learn the technique of tweeting through training. 2. to enable the mentor teachers to participate in live twitter chats. 3. to know the status of engagement of mentor teachers on twitter post one year of the training. 4. to understand how mentor teachers appropriate twitter in educational settings post one year of the training. there are 1026 schools in delhi which are funded and managed by the government of national capital territory of delhi. teachers teaching in these schools are known as delhi government school teachers. the total number of teachers teaching in delhi government schools is approximately 60,000. out of these, 190 teachers are mentor teachers. most of the mentor teachers are trained graduate teachers (t.g.t.s) and some are post graduate teachers (p.g.t.s). the role of mentor teachers is to provide onsite academic and pedagogic support to teachers of their respective mentee schools. each mentor teacher has been assigned approximately five schools. mentor teachers facilitate theme based and other programs to enhance the professional competencies of teachers. methodology this study was conducted in four phases. in the first phase, mentor teachers were imparted hands-on training of using twitter and participating in live twitter chats. after one year of their usage of twitter in their educational settings, in the second phase, a survey and interview were conducted with the mentor teachers (survey with 190 mentor teachers and interviews with 12 mentor teachers). in the third phase, content analysis of 500 tweets was done. in the fourth phase, findings of the interviews and survey were triangulated with the content analysis of the tweets. training of mentor teachers on tweeting skills five day face to face training programme was conducted for mentor teachers on tweeting skills. providing hands on experience on the technique of tweeting was the essential component during the training. tweets done by the teachers were peer reviewed. main parameters of discussion and review of the tweets were brevity, content of tweet, meaning to be conveyed, appropriate tagging and use of hashtags, number of characters, attaching photos and videos in tweets, time limit of video to be attached, safety, security and privacy issues. mts were oriented in participating in live twitter chats. followed by the training, mts participated in 8 live twitter chats. survey next, post one year of the training, to explore mts educational practices on twitter, an online survey of the entire population (190 mts) was conducted via indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 186 google forms. one hundred and eighty four mts responded to the survey request. of these, 51.6 percent of the mentor teachers were female and 48.4 percent were male. further, 81percent mts were tgts and 19 percent were pgts. almost all mts (97.8 percent) were post graduates. tgts and pgts were of different subjects. twenty five percent of the tgt mts were teachers teaching english, 20.1 percent teaching mathematics, 18.5 percent teaching science, 13.6 percent teaching hindi, 10.3 percent teaching social science, 1 percent teaching other subjects and the rest were pgts. average teaching experience of these 184 mts was 18.7 years. it had a wide range from 3 years to 36 years. standard deviation of teaching experience was 7.2 years. on being asked to share their experience of appropriating twitter in the educational settings through an open ended question in the survey, the respondents shared their experiences in about 50 to 100 words each. interviews twelve participants were selected for a telephonic interview based on stratified random sampling technique2 participants (mentor teachers) teaching each subject at the secondary school level (english, hindi, mathematics, science, social science). these respondents were at least for 1 year on twitter and on average had tweeted at least 4 times a week. each telephonic interview lasted from 15 minutes to 25 minutes. these interviews were recorded and transcribed. the interviewees were asked to share in detail their tweeting experience, the various themes and their description on which they have been tweeting and how they appropriated twitter for their professional development. the analysis of this interview content was done on braun and clarke (2006) approach in which patterns of conceptually related content were identified. content of the tweets shared by teachers in their survey were classified into various themes as identified in the interviews. the researcher could understand from mentor teachers' shared experiences how they appropriated twitter in their educational settings. in this study researcher herself being one of the mentor teachers was a participant observer. she trained the mentor teachers in tweeting skill, observed their tweets and participated in tweeting for more than a year. (may 2019 to september 2020). thus, this analysis is based on grounded theory. however, this analysis does not build grounded theory as no theoretical explanations are developed on the content tweeted by the mentor teachers. this thematic analysis along with the survey details of respondents provided researchers a starting point of content analysis of tweets. content analysis a dataset of 500 tweets related to educational context tweeted by the mentor teachers (respondents) was collected. these 500 tweets were searched by using certain hashtags used commonly by the respondents. these hashtags are #delhigovtschool, # p r o u d d e l h i g o v t e a c h e r , indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 187 #letstalkeducation, #happinessclass, #delhieducationrevolution, #emc, #delhieducationonline. the 500 tweets have been identified in such a manner that they cover tweets tweeted in the entire period of the study (may 2019 to september 2020). these tweets give a fair representation of different periods of school activities and pandemic period activities. this dataset of 500 tweets along with findings from the survey and interviews were triangulated to infer the meaning and essence of tweets tweeted by the mentor teachers. this meaning and essence paved a path for developing an understanding of how mts appropriated twitter in their educational settings. these tweets were hand-coded to identify the emerging themes. for this, two researchers independently analysed 50 tweets in a set. the researchers categorised the tweets in different codes that had been decided after thematic analysis of the interview. both the researchers compared and discussed the codes that finally emerged after the interviews. these codes were achievements, classroom activities, resource sharing, events, online teaching learning and other activities performed by teachers during pandemic, sharing of thoughts and ideas on education, motivational and inspirational quotes. this was followed by 2 iterations. finally, both the researchers reached agreement on 93 percent of their observations. this process helped develop the final code book and meaning of various tweets to be included in this. tweet codes developed remained the same as decided post interviews. each tweet was assigned just one code. tweet codes along with their description have been given in the table below. table-1: tweet codes and description code description achievements students’ achievements, teachers’ achievements, schools’ achievement, achievements of self classroom activities teaching learning activities resource sharing blogs, youtube links, links to tools related to education events parent teacher meeting, annual day, sports meet, school management committee meeting etc online teaching learning and other activities of teachers during pandemic online worksheets, teacher professional development sessions, teachers' duties in hunger relief centres and other field duties. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 188 sharing of ideas and thoughts on education teacher thoughts motivational/inspirational quotes inspiring poetry, famous quotes findings given below are the findings of the study in respect of mentor teachers’ networks and engagement on twitter, their reported experiences in this regard and their appropriation of twitter in the educational settings. mentor teachers' networks and engagement on twitter the survey shared data about mts networks on twitter. their networks were diverse. leaving aside the mentor teacher with the highest number of followers (4000 followers), the range of number of followers (teachers/ educational professional/ educational organisation) of mts on twitter was from 01 to 1116, average 163.2, standard deviation 187.9. range of the people (educational professionals only) whom mentor teachers follow on twitter was 00 to 1684, average 197.1 and a standard deviation of 233.8. this implies that mentor teachers had developed strong networks with educational professionals on twitter. mts’ engagement on twitter in terms of their duration on twitter was also diverse. whereas 19.1 percent of mentor teachers have been using twitter for less than one year, 46.7 percent have been using twitter between 1 and 2 years and 34.2 percent have been using twitter for more than 2 years. further, in the context of the time frame of checking twitter, it was revealed that 58.7 percent mts checked twitter everyday. it is also important to understand the range of average number of tweets per week tweeted by mts in the context of education. the range varied from 01 to 20, average 5.2, standard deviation 3.3. further, responding to their participation in twitter chat, 64 percent respondents reported that they had taken part in twitter chat. further in response to use of subject-specific hashtags in tweets, 48 percent respondents reported that they used subject-specific hashtags. reported experiences of mentor teachers in response to sharing their experiences as a mentor teacher on twitter, in an open ended question; all 184 mts shared their experiences in different ways. mts used different adjectives to share their experiences. some of the reported experiences were ‘good’, ‘very good’, ‘wonderful’, ‘great’, ‘amazing’,‘nice’, ‘excellent’, ‘unique’, ‘brilliant’, ‘useful’, ‘modern’, ‘awesome’, ‘happy’ etc. some other reported experiences were ‘normal’, ‘mix’, ‘not much fond of’, ‘not much happy’ and ‘no comments’ etc. few of the mts shared their twitter experience using a single adjective while the majority reported specific details of their tweets along with the adjectives. mts gave their own perspectives on usage and role of twitter in professional development of twitter. fifteen percent of the surveyed respondents had reported some issue/ issues regarding use of twitter. these indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 189 issues were privacy, civil service conduct rules and trolling. issue of privacy was reported by a high majority of the respondents. the survey data revealed that overall the inclination of the mts was more towards the use of twitter in educational settings and in their professional development. these findings are in tandem with the study conducted by forte, humphreys & park 2012 that hailed teachers on twitter as progressive thinkers who could raise the efficacy of the reform process by using social media for the classroom. understanding mts’ appropriation of twitter in the educational setting mentor teachers' tweets revealed that they were inclined the most towards sharing the achievements of their students, colleagues, schools and themselves on twitter. this also became evident from the interviews and survey data. a few verbatims from the interviews and survey have been shared below. (mt below stands for the serial number of the mentor teacher who was interviewed. s below stands for the serial number of mentor teacher in the survey) ‘sharing achievements of others on twitter spreads happiness around. the teachers of my school feel happy when i share their achievements on twitter, when i post about their work. they work even harder for this now.' mt-2 'i have now started sharing with everyone the courses that i pursue. my achievements, i think this inspires people to join the learning fraternity with me. it motivates me as well.' mt-7 'my students come from marginalised sections of society. a little motivation means so much to them. i regularly tweet on their achievements and i make sure i tell them this. they feel happy, stay connected to me and strive to achieve more.' mt-3 'this year when i saw the results of my mentee school which had increased by 38 percent than the previous year, i was very happy. it is actually a boys’ school. people have notions that no teacher teaches and no student learns in boys’ school. i tweeted about my boys’ school's achievement. i wanted people to know that when everyone in school works together towards a goal, results are fruitful.' mt-11 'being a teacher i find this platform very useful for me to showcase my students' achievements, my online learning, achievement of self, nature related motivational thoughts globally.' s-47 'twitter allows me to share a brief description of the achievements and the work being done in my mentee schools.' s-130 'it is a very nice and motivational thing to let the world and your friends and other eminent persons know about your achievement for your surroundings on good remarks.' s-57 the inclination of teachers towards tweeting the achievements was also evident from content analysis of tweets. thirty two percent of the tweets related to the codeachievements, 17 percent to the codeclassroom practices, 12 percent to the code event sharing. whereas 16 percent of the tweets related to online teaching learning and other activities of teachers during the indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 190 pandemic, only 6 percent related to sharing the motivational thoughts and quotes. eight percent of tweets shared ideas and thoughts on the theme of education and 9 percent related to resource sharing. with this data, the researchers could trace the emergent pattern of delhi government schools’ mentor teachers’ appropriation on twitter in educational settings. conclusion this study aimed at exploring how mentor teachers of delhi government schools appropriate twitter in the educational settings, post one year after their twitter training. findings of the study reveal that mentor teachers use twitter to build networks with fellow mentor teachers, teachers and other educational professionals. these networks help them build connections, share ideas and practices. the study reveals diversity in the size of the network of mentor teachers on twitter. diversity is also evident in the extent of mentor teachers’ twitter usage in educational settings and also in sharing resources related to their respective teaching subjects. mentor teachers’ tweets’ content relate to different themes. inclination was most on the theme of sharing achievements of students, school, other teachers and self. other themes chosen by mentor teachers for tweeting in order of priority were classroom activities, online teaching learning and other activities of teachers during pandemic events, resource sharing, sharing of ideas and thoughts on education, motivational/ inspirational quotes. the study also reveals diverse experiences reported by mentor teachers in respect of tweeting. majority reported the positive role of twitter in their professional development. however, a few did not view twitter with a positive disposition. fifteen percent of mentor teachers raised issues about privacy and civil service rules. in totality, the journey of mentor teachers appropriating twitter in educational settings has begun and moved ahead on a positive note. however, this is just the beginning. there is still a long way to go. (acknowledgement: the researcher manu gulati is deeply indebted to her supervisor for her valuable guidance. she owes a debt of gratitude to her father, her mother and to her husband for their unflinching support throughout this study.) references biddolph, c., curwood, j.s. (2016). #pd: examining the intersection of twitter and professional learning. in m. knobel& j. kalman (eds.), new literacies and teacher learning: professional development and the digital turn: 195-218 cho, v., rangel, v.s. (2016). the dynamic roots of leaders’ twitter use: a structurational perspective on technology use. journal of school leadership. 26: 837-862 forte, a., humphreys, m., park, t. (2012 ). grassroots professional development: how indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 191 teachers use twitter. retrieved https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275274184_grassroots_professional_ development_how_teachers_use_twitter gupta, d. (2014). social media for teachers of english: a hub for professional development. research journal of english language and literature 2(2): 34-38 malik, a., schrum, c.h., johri, a. (2019). use of twitter across educational settings, a review of the literature. international journal of educational technology in higher education. 16. retrieved https://educationaltechnologyjournal. springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41239-019-0166-x rosell-aguilar, f. (2018). twitter: a professional development and community of practice tool for teachers. journal of interactive media in education, 2018(1): 6, pp. 1-12, doi: https://doi.org/10.5334/jime.452 sharma, d., varish. (2020). landscape of social networking sites in schools: an dministrative perspective. indian journal of educational technology 2(2): 29-40 wesely, m. (2016). investigating community of practice of world language educators on twitter. journal of teacher education 64(4): 305-318 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 439 book review a human algorithm: how artificial intelligence is redefining who we are (flynn coleman, counterpoint llc, berkeley, california, 2020 pp. 336, isbn-13 : |978-1640094284) tanmay kulshrestha phd research scholar, university of leeds, united kingdom emailtanmaykul07@gmail.com as artificial intelligence (ai) is gaining traction, its impact can be seen in sectors all around the world. one such is also in the field of education and academia. the launch of openai and the resultant chatgpt has made the task of a student and researcher easier while that of the teacher and reviewer more complex. while still, others argue that chatgpt has democratised plagiarism, for at least now, people are coming forward and admitting to having used it for their academic purposes. in the field of education, ai has the potential to personalise learning according to the pupil’s needs. at the same time, it may also be extended towards tutoring, grading and gaining a real-time feedback mechanism on course quality and its delivery mechanism. this is just one field of ai use and its possible abuse. the task of gathering data, processing it and using it to connote choices and express results has now been levied upon a bunch of codes (algorithms). we witness it around us in a number of ways through the use of automated voice commands using siri, alexa or google, which are all based on intelligent machine learning. stemming from this, the book under review is about directing ai towards our highest values rather than creating cold algorithms that might harm us without meaning to or even reinforce the worst of our values. author flynn coleman is a human rights activist and an environmental advocate. this combination serves well for penning a book that incorporates aspects of the safe and sustainable use of technology, one that fulfils the needs of the current generation without hampering those of the future ones. the author mentions in the beginning of the book that it is a work to comprehend the “relationships with technologies we create” (p.13) in a pursuit to uncover the “definition of humanity” (p. 13). coleman argues that humans are now at the receiving end of technological development and that ai would be able to take over the processes of advancement in ways and methods that humans could not have accomplished on their own. the book investigates the use of ai towards the highest moral values, instead of churning out algorithms which only justify the means and does nothing to support the ends. the book begins with an introductory chapter subtitled ‘a brave new world’, acknowledging through the text the resilience and ingenuity that human and technology interactions brought about. the author goes on to argue that machines are now able to reason and, in the process, become a better and improved version of themselves as the last stage of human-led invention and innovation. from here on, the machines would be capable of improving upon their systems to the point that they indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 440 may not be comprehensible to humans. the independence these machines can achieve would put them on the route of automated course correction. the dilemma, for coleman, lies here. whether to impose a set of moral principles upon the machines or allow the machines to learn, unlearn and re-learn in order to set themselves on a path of course correction, thereby educating humans? it is in a quest to answer this basic question, the book then is divided into ten chapters. chapter 1 begins from the beginning. it gives a brief history of technology right from the greek times to the present. thus setting up a background to the human achievements through history. chapter 2 tries to understand in-depth the meaning of intelligence both at the level of humans and machines and the implications thereof. chapter 3 discusses the disconnect of human to human interaction in the setting up of technological innovations. that a certain class, race, and educational level of people comes to wield the power to government intervention in science and technology becomes problematic. chapter 4 discusses an interesting proposition of the ‘trolley problem’, which is a series of thought experiments designed to raise ethical and moral questions. coleman juxtaposes this problem with ascertaining whether ai will be able to overcome this ethical dilemma by either responding in the same manner as a human brain would or coming up with a whole new set of solutions. the author bases her argument on the pretext that ai is meant to be smarter, more efficient and consistent than humans. so, for the sake of the argument, technology holds the potential to either celebrate human nature or extinguish planetary life itself. chapter 5 and 7 discuss the potential effects of machines on the human workforce. there has been a debate on whether technology will be able to replace human labour from time immemorial. while it has been observed that technology only creates a new workforce, one which is capable of moving ahead of the analogue times, the author tries to assess the situation through the use of statistics. chapter 6 explores the design aspect of ai. whether the ai in question attempts to protect our rights and freedoms or act in complete discordance with them. chapter 8 explores the meanings of what it means to be ‘conscious’. something that we use in the contexts of humans, can that be replicated in the case of machines? chapter 9 focuses on the way we communicate with machines. the transfer of knowledge not just from a single individual but a group of individuals poses its own challenges since human values may vary from person to person. how then is the machine learning capable of accommodating such differing viewpoints. chapter 10 goes on to clarify that this book is an attempt to caution the readers of the flaws and vulnerabilities of humans while at the same time holding the zeal to improve the lives of humans around the world. the book brings to the fore the journey that is yet to be taken forward. on the positive side, the book gives a meaningful and hopeful end to a discussion spanning various uses and abuses of technology. the author described at least one group that is attempting to address each issue she raised. this includes controlling how ai will evolve and incorporating human understanding into it. a human algorithm for the author gives a more nuanced definition to “us” which includes ai itself. it describes the values and relationships in place of the codes that form the basic constituents of an algorithm. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 441 in this book, coleman presents both arguments in favour of and against ai extremely well. while she carefully outlines the ways in which it could be a complete disaster, she acknowledges that it has the potential to be a force for good. she examines a wide range of topics related to ai, including its history, the economy, and even what consciousness is and whether ai can develop it. a complex issue is written about in an understandable manner. there can be no moral machine without a moral person, and empathy—the capacity that humans have to feel what other people are feeling—is the key to developing usable technology that works for everyone, not just a technologically privileged elite. it’s challenging, but not impossible, and this book offers the next progressive government a comprehensive road map for thinking about how to leverage the revolutionary potential of ai to make the world a better place. the book also encourages us to think about ways to widen our own perspectives on the interconnection of our world and the significance of approaching it from the standpoint of empathy. do we want ai to serve us or turn into an existential threat? that is the central question this book poses. if we do this correctly, we get a wonderful new partner; if we do this incorrectly, a new dark era may begin, and we will all perish. how will ai and robotics affect the world’s population as a whole? ai is like a glass onion, to use a metaphor, where each layer presents itself with new information, new sets of challenges and predicaments. while the centre of the onion, in this case, the concept of ai, is very much visible, its effects can only be experienced by going through the onion, layer by layer. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 210 general article expanding the scope of digital initiatives for transforming 21st century school education rashi sharma1 & purabi pattanayak2 1director, department of school education and literacy, ministry of education email: rashi.edu@gov.in via gov.in 2chief consultant, department of school education and literacy, ministry of education abstract the national education policy 2020 (nep 2020) envisages a wider and more intensive role for use of technology for the purposes of improving teaching-learning and evaluation processes, teachers’ preparedness and professional development, enhancing educational access, streamlining educational planning, management and administration including processes related to admissions, attendance, assessments, etc. technology and innovation are central themes for the implementation of the 2030 agenda of the sustainable development goals (sdgs). technology can be used effectively to identify barriers and provide accessible solutions to all children particularly, children belonging to marginalized and socio-economically disadvantaged groups. covid-19 has resulted in the shutting down of schools all across the world and as a result, the landscape of education changed dramatically. with this changing scenario, there is a distinct rise in econtent and e-learning, whereby teaching has been undertaken remotely and on digital platforms. however, the most crucial challenge with regard to the accessibility of these facilities cannot be ignored as the digital divide is seen across countries. in india too, there is a significant gap between those belonging to privileged and disadvantaged backgrounds. many concentrated efforts for bridging the gap in education during covid 19 pandemic have been undertaken by the government to ensure accessibility and availability of high-quality econtent for all children and teachers. therefore, this paper attempts to capture the international and national scenario regarding challenges of availability and accessibility of digital infrastructure, i.e. ict/ digital facilities in india’s schooling system. further, the paper also highlights the recent initiatives which have been undertaken for expansion of digital education by the government of india paving the way for a better future. keywords: digital education, nep 2020, econtent, 21st century skills, covid 19, accessibility, teaching-learning introduction as per undp digital strategy for 20222025 (https://digitalstrategy.undp.org/ documents/digital-strategy-2022-2025abridged-version.pdf), digital is defined as “an ever-evolving range of technologies (like mobile technologies, artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, internet of things, and robotics etc.) that impact nearly all aspects of our life in the world. similarly, a mindset, which translates into a new way of working that enables people and institutions to innovate with technology” (https://www.un.org/ecosoc/sites/www. un.org.ecosoc/files/files/en/2017doc/ role-of-technology-in-implementingthe-sdgs.pdf). technology and innovation are crucial factors towards the implementation of the 2030 agenda and the sustainable development indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 211 goals (sdgs) (https://www.un.org/ ecosoc/sites/www.un.org.ecosoc/files/ files/en/2017doc/role-of-technologyi n implement ing the -sdgs .pdf ) . technology can be used effectively to identify barriers and provide accessible solutions at all levels. we all know that technological revolution or disruption has become the most prominent feature in the 21st century across the globe impacting day-to-day life of all the sections of society. the reliance on technology and its integration into the lives of human beings have opened infinite opportunities and has also thrown unique challenges on society. india’s rise as a leader in information and communication technology and in other cutting-edge domains, such as space has been phenomenal (nep, 2020). the government of india’s flagship programme ‘digital india campaign’ has enabled the transformation of the entire nation into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. while education will continue to play a vital role in this revolution, technology itself will play an imperative role in the improvement of the teaching-learning processes and educational outcomes of the students. with the changing times and emerging challenges, technology will create numerous opportunities for education. as envisaged in national education policy 2020 (nep 2020), new technologies involving artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchains, smart boards, handheld computing devices and adaptive computer testing for student development will emerge as the agents of change. whereas the other forms of educational software and hardware will not just change what students learn in the classroom but in the way, they have been learning, and thus these areas will require extensive research from technological as well as educational front’s perspectives. objectives of the paper the present paper focused on the following objectives: • to understand and assess the impact of the covid-19 epidemic on the school education system. • to identify the challenges being faced by the schools with regard to accessibility of digital infrastructure facilities in the government school system. • to analyze and understand various measures taken by the ministry of education of india for continuing the learning process by providing various facilities during these challenging circumstances. methodology data and information presented in this paper are collected from various reports prepared by national and international agencies on the covid-19 pandemic and based on available literature or secondary sources. the scope of this paper is to evaluate the efforts of india in bridging the digital divide. information and data have been collected from various authentic websites including the dynamic database of the ministry of education i.e. udise+ (unified district information system for education plus). the paper has referred to various initiatives of the government of india which are compiled from various reference materials and documents of the ministry of education. the referred journals and econtents relating to this paper are mentioned in the reference. international scenario during pandemic a number of recent studies and reports, both globally and in the indian context have underlined the lack of access to adequate digital infrastructure and the constraints of digital online learning. the covid-19 pandemic underlined the urgent need to bridge the divide of digital connectivity wherein 2.9 billion people were still found offline (itu, 2021). during this unprecedented challenge thrown by the pandemic, the lack of affordable and accessible internet and appropriate digital skills, barred many indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 212 students, especially those from the socio-economic disadvantageous group (sedg) who were studying from home. the covid-19 pandemic disrupted school education in over 190 countries and affected 1.6 billion students (unesco, unicef, world bank, and oecd 2021). simultaneously, schools worldwide were completely closed for an average of four months in 2020 whereas partial school closures are factored in, the equivalent of almost two-thirds of a typical school year was lost (unesco, 2021). around 369 million students worldwide went without school meals at the peak of the pandemic in april 2020 (world food programme 2021). this led disadvantaged children to dropout or be at higher risk of doing so (unesco, unicef, world bank, and oecd, 2021). for instance, till september 2020, over 300,000 students in peru (about 15 per cent of the student population) had dropped out of school due to its closures. this high drop-out rate has been attributed to economic instability, in addition to various hardships faced in accessing remote learning programs (perez, 2020). further, a longitudinal study in the united states before and during the pandemic, showed that students using remote learning had lower levels of emotional, social, and academic well-being compared to classmates that attended in-person schooling (duckworth et al., 2021). school closures have affected girls in becoming more vulnerable to the challenging circumstances of child marriage, gender-based violence and early pregnancy, leaving 5.2 million girls worldwide in primary and secondary school at risk of dropping out of school permanently (unesco, 2020). in such tough situations, the vast majority of countries have been offering multiple modes of remote learning. according to the joint survey conducted by unesco, unicef, the world bank, and oecd, most countries delivered remote learning through online media (91 per cent) and tv (85 per cent), followed by paper-based take-home materials (82 per cent), and mobile phones (70 per cent) (a survey of education ministries conducted by unesco, unicef, the world bank, and oecd, henceforth referred to as the joint survey. see unesco, unicef, the world bank and oecd (2021)). similarly, the survey also highlights that eighty per cent of governments in the middle east and north africa, 93 per cent in europe and central asia, and 97 per cent in latin america and the caribbean decided to implement multimodal remote learning programs (unesco, unicef, the world bank and oecd (2021)). national scenario the pandemic in india was no different than in other parts of the world. the educational institutions were closed for a longer duration and this has led to learning gaps among children of all agegroups. the major shift to e-learning, during covid-19 pandemic, has exposed long-standing issues of inequality and the digital divide in india. india has a multi-layered formal education system with 264 million students enrolled in more than 1.5 million schools (udise+ 2020-21). the school education sector, particularly the government schools were in any way struggling with the issue of equitable, inclusive and quality education. a study conducted by azim premji foundation states that nearly 60 per cent of indian school children do not have access to online learning opportunities which is further intensified for children with disabilities. among teachers of children with disabilities in their regular classes, more than 90 per cent found them unable to participate in online classes (field research group at the azim premji foundation undertook a study covering 1,522 teachers (in 1,522 schools) and 398 parents in the public indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 213 school system across 26 districts (80,000 children from the most disadvantaged geographies across india) in five states in five states chhattisgarh, madhya pradesh, karnataka, uttarakhand and rajasthan. url: http://publications. azimpremjifoundation.org/2429/1/ myths_of_online_education.pdf). the unicef report on ‘remote learning reachability report’ (2020) stated that only 24 per cent of households have access to the internet across the country. the report also stated that the learning gap is likely to widen across families, as children from economically disadvantaged families cannot access remote learning (https:// economic t imes . ind ia t imes .com/ industry/services/education/just-24per-cent-of-indian-households-haveinternetfacility-to-access-e-educationu n i c e f / a r t i c l e s h o w / 7 7 7 8 4 0 9 2 . cms?from=mdr). according to a similar study conducted by oxfam india, even among students attending urban private schools where half of their parents reported having problems with the internet signal, speed and the cost of mobile data. further, many other surveys and reports also highlight the challenging situation of the availability of econtent. although a lot of digital content has been generated and transmitted to help children to continue learning from home, there is limited evidence on the extent to which this content is actually reaching children, whether they are engaging with it and the impact it is having on their participation and learning. (unicef and unesco, 2021) status of digital infrastructure in schools in india the present status of digital infrastructure available in secondary and senior secondary schools of india needs to be addressed on a priority basis for building a more resilient system for the future and to meet the pace of the digitalization process. unless these core shortcomings are addressed, inequalities will continue to widen. moreover, the covid pandemic raised the issue of accessibility of education which can be seen in the below analysis of graph 1 and graph 2. graph-1: national scenario of digital infrastructure in secondary and senior secondary schools indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 214 at the national level, the overall status of the availability of digital infrastructure can be observed from the given analysis. as per the database of udise+ 202021, out of total of 2,86,597 secondary and senior secondary schools, around 99,616 (34.8 per cent) schools have information and communication technology (ict) facilities, 2,76,505 (96.5 per cent) schools have electricity facility, 1,74,191 (60.8 per cent) schools have internet facility and around 49,228 (17.2 per cent) schools have digital board facility. it can be observed here that ict facilities, internet facilities and digital board facilities need to be facilitated to improvise the functioning of the schools. graph-2: digital infrastructure status in government, government aided and private schools of secondary and senior secondary schools source: udise+ 2020-21 graph 2 also highlights the management-wise infrastructure in terms of the ict and digital facilities available at secondary and senior secondary schools which were found to be inadequate. a detailed state and ut-wise status is given below will provide an insight into the present situation, which will help in preparing a constructive plan of action and will enable equitable access to digital infrastructure (ict, internet, electricity and digital board) across the country. the analysis given below will help the implementing stakeholders to prepare for the future by providing basic facilities in the schools. ict facility in schools: ict in schools provides lots of opportunities by providing the learners with improved educational content and more effective teaching-learning processes. the availability of ict in schools improves the learning process through various provisions of more interactive educational materials that increase the learner’s motivation and potential for improving the quality and standards of students. graph 3 highlights the availability of ict facilities in all states and uts at the secondary and higher secondary schools. many states and uts need to avail the facilities for better functioning of the schools. graph 3 shows the present status in which a large number of states and uts are having challenging situations in the availability of ict facilities in schools. few states and uts such as chandigarh indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 215 (100 per cent), d&d and d&nh (91.8 per cent), kerala (86.3 per cent) and puducherry (82.1 per cent) have better coverage facilities whereas states like andhra pradesh (3.3 per cent), bihar (10.5 per cent), madhya pradesh (6.8 per cent) are showing the challenging scenario. this gap analysis has pointed out that all states and uts must provide 100 per cent ict facilities in the schools so that the online classroom teaching process can be improved. graph-3: state and ut-wise status of ict facility in secondary and higher secondary schools source: udise+ 2020-21 as per udise+ 2020-21, around 99,616 (34.8 per cent) secondary/sr. secondary schools have ict facilities which includes 58,019 (49.7 per cent) govt. schools, 17090 (39.1 per cent) govt. aided schools and 24,507 (19.4 per cent) private schools. table 1 given below provides states and ut-wise status of the availability of ict facility in different management of schools i.e. govt., govt. aided and private schools. table 1 shows the comparative analysis of the availability of ict facilities in govt, govt. aided and private schools highlight the gap anatomy of the availability. this gap analysis is referring to the efforts that need to be undertaken by the states and uts in order to avail the digital infrastructure facilities. based on this state-wise analysis, states and uts may prepare a plan of action to improve the ict facilities. table-1: state and ut-wise status of ict available in secondary and higher secondary schools state/uts name ict facility government govt. aided private schools in % schools in % schools in % india 58019 49.7 17090 39.1 24507 19.4 a & n islands 84 84.0 1 50.0 12 63.2 andhra pradesh 493 6.81 0 0.0 0 0.0 arunachal pradesh 101 30.9 10 29.4 28 24.3 assam 2955 62.5 90 7.9 569 17.5 bihar 635 6.8 17 5.4 580 27.7 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 216 chandigarh 100 100.0 7 100.0 58 100.0 chhattisgarh 1838 38.1 4 3.6 260 11.1 d&d and d&nh 57 98.3 7 87.5 26 81.3 delhi 1023 93.4 156 86.2 302 34.3 goa 45 46.9 222 55.5 15 50.0 gujarat 902 46.2 3456 67.7 971 17.2 haryana 3029 88.5 4 25.0 1643 32.5 himachal pradesh 2179 76.3 647 46.1 jammu & kashmir 1755 67.9 0 0.0 524 29.0 jharkhand 1103 38.1 30 16.5 436 32.4 karnataka 3533 54.0 1636 37.4 1737 17.1 kerala 1241 95.4 1408 98.0 1512 72.6 ladakh 66 51.6 0 0.0 lakshadweep 14 93.3 13 40.6 madhya pradesh 284 3.0 7 2.6 929 11.3 maharashtra 859 43.8 7407 44.9 2630 26.6 manipur 107 23.4 11 12.2 161 24.2 meghalaya 38 29.0 203 27.7 75 9.8 mizoram 107 31.8 34 21.7 5 1.4 nagaland 37 11.7 141 30.5 odisha 4019 67.9 194 4.9 426 21.7 puducherry 139 99.3 20 66.7 157 73.0 punjab 3737 98.7 321 87.9 1415 25.7 rajasthan 10643 68.7 3212 20.2 sikkim 125 57.3 6 54.5 14 37.8 tamilnadu 5968 95.5 220 12.2 1288 22.1 telangana 2679 38.5 1 0.3 0 0.0 tripura 197 19.6 7 21.2 27 23.7 uttar pradesh 582 21.9 1544 30.3 4020 17.3 uttarakhand 511 21.3 65 16.3 519 47.9 west bengal 6834 71.1 2 5.1 155 15.9 source: udise+ 2020-21 (-) no aided schools indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 217 digital board facility: digital board is an interactive screen which displays text, images, videos, etc., and helps students to visualize content better in the teaching process. this also provides students a healthy classroom atmosphere and allows teachers to show the educational content and interact with the students in a more collaborative manner. graph 4 given below highlights the availability of digital board facilities in all states and uts at secondary and higher secondary schools. graph 4 highlights the availability of digital board facilities in all states and uts at secondary and higher secondary schools. the below analysis highlights that very few states and uts such as andaman and nicobar islands (81.8 per cent), punjab (51.8 per cent) and himachal pradesh (45.2 per cent) are showing better coverage facilities whereas other states and uts are showing a severe challenging scenario. a lot of effort is required to be put in place for providing digital boards in the schools by the states and uts so that students can avail the benefit of online learning. graph-4: state and ut-wise status of digital board facility in secondary and higher secondary schools source: udise+ 2020-21 as per udise+ 2020-21, around 49,228 (17.2 per cent) secondary/sr. secondary schools have digital board facility which includes 14,329 (12.3 per cent) govt. schools, 5,044 (11.5 per cent) govt. aided schools and 29,855 (23.7 per cent) private schools. table 2 given below provides states and ut-wise status of the availability of digital board facility in different management of schools i.e. govt., govt. aided and private schools. states and uts need to provide such facilities in the classrooms so that online learning cannot be hampered. this will help children with good quality e contents for better classroom learning processes. table-2: state and ut wise status of digital board facility available in secondary and higher secondary schools state/uts name digital board facility government aided private schools in % schools in % schools in % india 14329 12.3 5044 11.5 29855 23.7 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 218 a & n islands 92 92.0 0 0.0 7 36.8 andhra pradesh 561 7.8 16 2.8 1161 15.8 arunachal pradesh 15 4.6 4 11.8 26 22.6 assam 647 13.7 24 2.1 333 10.2 bihar 92 1.0 6 1.9 475 22.7 chandigarh 18 18.0 3 42.9 38 65.5 chhattisgarh 709 14.7 15 13.6 768 32.8 d&d and d&nh 19 32.8 0 0.0 15 46.9 delhi 300 27.4 17 9.4 503 57.1 goa 4 4.2 60 15.0 9 30.0 gujarat 283 14.5 710 13.9 1438 25.5 haryana 582 17.0 1 6.3 1180 23.4 himachal pradesh 1519 53.2 406 29.0 jammu & kashmir 938 36.3 0 0.0 307 17.0 jharkhand 539 18.6 13 7.1 329 24.4 karnataka 733 11.2 480 11.0 3586 35.4 kerala 370 28.4 193 13.4 960 46.1 ladakh 44 34.4 0 0.0 lakshadweep 10 66.7 8 25.0 madhya pradesh 204 2.2 6 2.2 1068 13.0 maharashtra 467 23.8 2861 17.3 3063 30.9 manipur 17 3.7 1 1.1 83 12.5 meghalaya 18 13.7 124 16.9 47 6.2 mizoram 13 3.9 7 4.5 14 3.8 nagaland 9 2.8 64 13.9 odisha 1618 27.3 75 1.9 306 15.6 puducherry 63 45.0 9 30.0 88 40.9 punjab 117 3.1 6 1.6 4878 88.7 rajasthan 1705 11.0 2079 13.0 sikkim 51 23.4 2 18.2 23 62.2 tamilnadu 1010 16.2 248 13.8 2340 40.2 telangana 401 5.8 14 4.9 966 13.2 tripura 53 5.3 1 3.0 30 26.3 uttar pradesh 180 6.8 134 2.6 2530 10.9 uttarakhand 128 5.3 6 1.5 386 35.6 west bengal 800 8.3 8 20.5 341 34.9 source: udise+ 2020-21 (-) no aided indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 219 schools internet facility: using the internet in the classroom actually gets students more excited about learning which helps students get the chance to directly engage with information rather than passively listen to lectures. graph 5 given below highlights the availability of internet facilities in all states and uts at the secondary and higher secondary schools. this situation affects the overall digital learning in the classrooms which need basic facilities like the internet. few states and uts such as chandigarh (100 per cent), puducherry (100 per cent), delhi (98.8 per cent), kerala (98.2 per cent) and punjab (95.3 per cent) have shown far better facilities in comparison to states and uts like assam (26 per cent), bihar (16.3 per cent), tripura (16.7 per cent), odisha (22.3 per cent), mizoram (17.6 per cent) and meghalaya (23.5 per cent), where the challenges of availing minimum facilities still exist. besides having ict and other facilities, the internet is one of the essential requirements for providing opportunities to continue the classroom learning process. graph-5: state and ut-wise status of internet facility in secondary and higher secondary schools source: udise+ 2020-21 as per udise+ 2020-21, around 1,74,191 secondary/sr. secondary (60.8 per cent) schools have internet facilities which includes 55,984 (48.0 per cent) govt. schools, 24,333 (55.7 per cent) govt. aided schools and 93,874 (74.4 per cent) private schools. table 3 given below provides states and ut-wise status of the availability of internet facilities in different management of schools i.e. govt., govt. aided and private schools. this issue of the availability of internet facilities in govt. aided and private schools hamper the online learning facility for students which required attention due to covid 19 pandemic. states and uts need to put more resources in order to cover all schools. table-3: state and ut-wise status of internet facility available in secondary and higher secondary schools state/uts name internet facility government aided private schools in % schools in % schools in % india 55984 48.0 24333 55.7 93874 74.4 a & n islands 71 71.0 2 100.0 17 89.5 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 220 andhra pradesh 3128 43.2 253 43.6 5752 78.3 arunachal pradesh 65 19.9 21 61.8 79 68.7 assam 1011 21.4 82 7.2 1278 39.3 bihar 805 8.6 30 9.5 1089 52.0 chandigarh 100 100.0 7 100.0 58 100.0 chhattisgarh 1652 34.2 59 53.6 1697 72.5 d&d and d&nh 51 87.9 7 87.5 32 100.0 delhi 1083 98.9 172 95.0 876 99.4 goa 67 69.8 351 87.8 29 96.7 gujarat 698 35.8 3642 71.3 5197 92.0 haryana 2480 72.4 13 81.3 4584 90.8 himachal pradesh 2081 72.8 1269 90.5 jammu & kashmir 562 21.7 0 0.0 1206 66.8 jharkhand 1481 51.2 99 54.4 970 72.1 karnataka 1754 26.8 1838 42.0 7920 78.1 kerala 1276 98.1 1424 99.1 2036 97.7 ladakh 114 89.1 1 100.0 lakshadweep 15 100.0 24 75.0 madhya pradesh 2393 25.4 154 56.2 6445 78.6 maharashtra 908 46.3 11137 67.5 8672 87.6 manipur 46 10.0 9 10.0 464 69.8 meghalaya 27 20.6 216 29.5 139 18.2 mizoram 48 14.3 28 17.8 75 20.6 nagaland 45 14.2 315 68.2 odisha 1335 22.6 374 9.4 932 47.5 puducherry 140 100.0 30 100.0 215 100.0 punjab 3774 99.7 365 100.0 5062 92.0 rajasthan 11897 76.8 12351 77.5 sikkim 86 39.4 6 54.5 32 86.5 tamilnadu 5733 91.7 1511 84.0 5382 92.5 telangana 2324 33.4 102 35.7 4951 67.7 tripura 104 10.4 13 39.4 75 65.8 uttar pradesh 592 22.3 2193 43.1 13068 56.2 uttarakhand 624 26.0 168 42.0 903 83.4 west bengal 7414 77.2 26 66.7 680 69.7 source: udise+ 2020-21 (-) no aided schools indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 221 electricity facility in schools: there is no doubt about the fact that electricity is the most basic requirement for digital education, like laptops, desktops, or even smartphones and digital boards need the power to work. so if the schools are not completely electrified, that is one of the biggest challenges of digital education. graph 6 given below highlights the availability of electricity facilities in all states and uts at the secondary and higher secondary schools. this also gives us the scope to achieve 100 per cent electricity in all schools of india. graph-6: state and ut-wise status of electricity facility in secondary and higher secondary schools source: udise+ 2020-21 as per udise+ 2020-21, around 2,76,505 (96.5 per cent) secondary/sr. secondary schools have an electricity facility which includes 1,13,568 (97.3 per cent) govt. schools, 41,612 (95.3 per cent) govt. aided schools and 1,21,325 (96.1 per cent) private schools. table 4 given below provides states and utwise status of the electricity facility in different management of schools i.e. govt., govt. aided and private schools. it is visible from this table that by covering a few more schools the country would achieve 100 per cent electricity in all govt, aided and private schools. table-4: state and ut-wise status of electricity facility available in secondary and higher secondary schools state/uts name electricity facility government aided private schools in % schools in % schools in % india 113568 97.3 41612 95.3 121325 96.1 a & n islands 100 100.0 2 100.0 19 100.0 andhra pradesh 7020 97.0 575 99.1 7304 99.5 arunachal pradesh 297 90.8 34 100.0 111 96.5 assam 4675 98.9 579 51.0 2803 86.2 bihar 8887 94.8 281 88.9 2035 97.2 chandigarh 100 100.0 7 100.0 58 100.0 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 222 chhattisgarh 4668 96.8 110 100.0 2331 99.6 d&d and d&nh 58 100.0 8 100.0 32 100.0 delhi 1095 100.0 181 100.0 881 100.0 goa 96 100.0 400 100.0 30 100.0 gujarat 1952 100.0 5107 100.0 5646 100.0 haryana 3416 99.8 16 100.0 5026 99.5 himachal pradesh 2854 99.9 1402 100.0 jammu & kashmir 2514 97.2 1 100.0 1778 98.5 jharkhand 2872 99.2 172 94.5 1299 96.5 karnataka 6500 99.4 4375 99.9 10050 99.1 kerala 1301 100.0 1437 100.0 2083 100.0 ladakh 126 98.4 1 100.0 lakshadweep 15 100.0 31 96.9 madhya pradesh 8601 91.2 253 92.3 7901 96.4 maharashtra 1950 99.5 16327 98.9 9818 99.2 manipur 418 91.3 63 70.0 649 97.6 meghalaya 82 62.6 508 69.3 444 58.3 mizoram 325 96.7 152 96.8 348 95.6 nagaland 290 91.8 449 97.2 odisha 5670 95.8 3473 87.6 1777 90.6 puducherry 140 100.0 30 100.0 215 100.0 punjab 3786 100.0 365 100.0 5501 100.0 rajasthan 15457 99.8 15491 97.2 sikkim 218 100.0 11 100.0 37 100.0 tamilnadu 6251 100.0 1798 100.0 5817 100.0 telangana 6923 99.5 272 95.1 7294 99.8 tripura 926 92.3 32 97.0 110 96.5 uttar pradesh 2060 77.5 4616 90.7 20537 88.3 uttarakhand 2326 96.8 387 96.8 1074 99.2 west bengal 9599 99.9 39 100.0 944 96.7 source: udise+ 2020-21 (-) no aided schools initiatives undertaken for the expansion of digital education in india, school closures have affected millions of children from pre-primary to secondary levels of schooling. the major shift from face-to-face to online learning has put the spotlight on the vast inequalities within the education system between and within states. in view of the above situation and to ensure that no child is left behind, it was clear that only online education will not be able to provide universal access and cannot be taken up as the single and possible option. covid-19 has created an opportunity for governments to deal with such situations and also to revamp the system by taking necessary actions and providing needful resources. the indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 223 successful strategy to cope with the prevalent pandemic situation has to be multifaceted and multimodal. india also saw huge migration in the first wave of the pandemic. people in huge numbers migrated to their hometown, so the states and uts were given clear and comprehensive directions (guidelines for children of migrant labourers issued on 27th july 2020 by ministry of education) that children of migrant labourers may be admitted to the nearby schools and they may not be asked for any documents. in order to complement efforts undertaken for online education, a lot of supplementary teaching-learning material in the form of worksheets/workbooks/storybooks etc. was provided to children of all grades. teachers also visited students in small groups and provided them with guidance. some of the important initiatives are listed below: i. enhancing and strengthening the scope of ict under samagra shiksha samagra shiksha, the largest centrally sponsored scheme for school education in india not only provides support for ict and smart classrooms to both govt. and govt. aided schools in all states and uts but also has provisions for making quality econtents for students and teachers. the scheme also provides financial support to states and uts for developing quality econtents under diksha. technology will be able to create lifelong learners who can figure out what concepts children need to learn, unlearn and relearn at various stages of life to live sustainably in a green, regenerative future. acknowledging this, the government of india is committed to ensure learning for all, with equity, to cover all students at all levels of education and in all geographical locations, even in the remotest parts of the country so that digital learning is no longer the luxury of the few people. further, the nep 2020 calls for investment in digital infrastructure, online teaching platforms and tools, virtual labs, digital repositories, online assessments, technology and pedagogy for online teaching-learning. subsequently, the policy also stresses the promotion of multilingualism and the power of language in teaching and learning through innovative and experiential methods, including gamification and apps, by weaving in the cultural aspects of the languages such as films, theatre, storytelling, poetry, and music and by drawing connections with various relevant subjects and with real-life practices. in this context and beyond, technology will be the imminent part of education as it gives practical experience for the future, provides an audio-visual experience, makes studying less boring, a treasure trove of unlimited information, gives additional tools to teachers, and builds more interactive and instills collaborative spirits towards learning practices. ii. pm evidya a comprehensive initiative, pm e-vidya (https://pmevidya.education. gov.in) was launched to amalgamate and synchronize all efforts related to digital/online/on-air education to enable coherent multi-mode access to education. • diksha (digital infrastructure for knowledge sharing) (https:// diksha.gov.in) is the one nation one digital platform for education and is the largest national initiative by any country that provides free access to quality e-content. the content is crowd sourced for learners and teachers, thereby leveraging the unique talent of several individuals, organizations, and institutions through technology. the content on indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 224 diksha is hosted in 36 languages (32 indian languages and 4 foreign languages), including isl. diksha is equally promoting and encouraging learning through local/regional languages. diksha is also being transformed into a platform for the coherence of access with tv and radio. • one class one tv channel: the pandemic has shown the need for resilience and multidimensional models in education. the benefit of using tv is that it supports distance and remote learning, supports learning in the absence of teachers, aids as a support for teachers and complementary learning to schooling, and provides the education to the most disadvantaged during the crisis, also supports parental/caregiver support with learning especially in early childhood education. under the one tv channel initiative, 12 swayam prabha channels (https://pmevidya. education.gov.in/swayam-prabhatv.html) are earmarked for school education under the one class, one tv channel initiative and more than 7,000 programs have been developed. to ensure coherent access through multimodal delivery, the broadcasted content is organised by chapter & topics on diksha to ensure asynchronous usage by anyone, anytime, anywhere. further, as per recent budget announcements, access to tv channels has been expanded substantially to 200 tv channels wherein the ‘one class-one tv channel’ program of pm evidya will be expanded from 12 to 200 more tv channels. this will enable all states to provide supplementary education in regional languages for classes 1-12. • radio broadcasting/podcasts (https://pmevidya.education.gov. in/radio.html) are used for children in remote areas with no means of internet access. more than 3,480 pieces of curriculum-based radio programs have been produced for dissemination on 397 radio stations and also through iradio 1,229 programs have been disseminated. a podcast called shiksha vani of the cbse is also being effectively used by learners of grades 9 to 12. • for children with special needs (cwsn) (https://pmevidya. education.gov.in/cwsn.html), 2,970 indian sign language (isl) based content, mukta vidya vani, an audio streaming podcast and radio vahini, with 24x7 broadcast and talking books (in daisy format) for learners with blindness and low vision have been prepared and also a total of 3,424 audio books have been developed. in addition, around 10,000 isl dictionary words have been uploaded on diksha portal. • manodarpan (https://manodarpan. education.gov.in): to provide psychosocial support for the mental health & well-being of students during the covid outbreak and beyond, the manodarpan initiative has been launched. manodarpan cell was set up in the national council of educational research and training (ncert) and orientation of counsellors associated with the manodarpan helpline was organized. guidelines for the counsellors to provide psychosocial support to callers on the manodarpan helpline were shared. ncert has taken various steps to reach out to school students and their primary stakeholders (parents and teachers) for helping indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 225 them to maintain their mental and emotional well-being during the present times of covid-19 pandemic. to help school students across the country share their concerns and seek help to deal with stress, anxiety and related mental health concerns during and after covid-19, ‘counselling services for school children’ was started in may 2020 by ncert on phone/email through its trained counsellors. this service was provided free of charge by trained counsellors across different regions of the country. • national digital education architecture (ndear) (https:// www.ndear.gov.in): ndear blueprint for school education is prepared in a way that ndear shall act as a super-connector for all players and requirements of the school education ecosystem, from teaching-learning to assessment, tracking of individual progress, to areas related to administration, governance and monitoring process. ndear blueprint focuses on facilitating towards achieving the goals as laid down by nep 2020, through a digital infrastructure for embracing innovations in the education ecosystem, ensuring greater autonomy and equal participation of all the relevant stakeholders. making ndear functional will help in the wider reach of great innovations and solutions by states to be leveraged by others as solutions and ideas that have worked in a particular state would be reusable and reconfigurable by another state. further, student and school registries undertaken by the states for tracking enrolment and learning levels of every individual child would provide real time dynamic data to design appropriate interventions. • emphasis on blended teacher training programmes: nishtha the department of school education and literacy (dose&l) launched the national initiative for school heads and teachers for holistic advancement (nishtha), a national mission in 2019 to improve learning outcomes at the elementary level through an integrated teacher training programme. nishtha (https://itpd.ncert.gov.in) is a unique effort led by the ncert under the aegis of samagra shiksha where an inclusive approach was adapted to augment the capacities of teachers to bring positive change in the education system. the reason which makes nishtha exclusive is that it is an evolving and dynamic training programme and provides abundant flexibility to the states and uts to incorporate and contextualise local flavour and content. initially, nishtha was launched to build the capacities of around 40 lakh elementary teachers and heads of schools including faculty members of scerts, diets and block resource coordinators and cluster resource coordinators. initially, nishtha training was conducted in a faceto-face mode by ncert and around 23,137 key resource persons (krps), state resource persons (srps) and 16,99,931 school heads and teachers of elementary schools were trained under nishtha in 2019-20 in the pre-lockdown period. the covid pandemic posed serious challenges to face-to-face mode training. also, teachers were required to adapt to online teaching, therefore, all nishtha modules were made online and a specific module on covid-related challenges was added. the modules were also translated into 10 regional languages (assamese, bengali, indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 226 bodo, english, gujarati, hindi, kannada, odia, telugu and urdu) and around 24 lakhs elementary school teachers from 27 states and uts and various autonomous bodies have completed online training in june 2021. the live interactive sessions by the experts from ncert and a group of key resource persons providing mentoring to teachers have been able to minimise the limitations of online training and kept the element of vibrancy and synergies alive. now, the scale and scope of nishtha have been expanded and nishtha 2.0 has been launched to amplify the competence of secondary teachers. it has 68 modules including: curriculum and inclusive education; ict in teaching, learning and assessment; personal-social qualities for holistic development of learners; art integrated learning; understanding secondary stage learners; health and wellbeing; school leadership development; vocational education; gender issues in education; initiatives in school education; toy based pedagogy; and school based assessment. states can contextualise these modules in line with their state-specific needs. since the launch on 29 july 2021, it has received responses from 33 states and uts and various autonomous bodies have already on-boarded the course. further, a specialised nishtha 3.0 training to train teachers from ecce to grade v under the nipun bharat mission with emphasis on foundational literacy and numeracy has been launched on 7 september 2021. nishtha 3.0 aims to cover 25 lakh teachers and has 12 modules including introduction to fln mission; shifting towards competency-based education; understanding the learner; transacting 3 months play based school preparation module for grade i children and balvatika; foundational language and literacy; foundational numeracy; learning assessment; involvement of parents and community; integration of ict in teaching, learning and assessment; multilingual education; toy based pedagogy; and school leadership. vision of nep 2020 for expansion of digital education: as mentioned in nep 2020, the scope of technological interventions will be expanded for various purposes of improving the teaching-learning and evaluation processes. simultaneously, emphasis will be given for supporting teacher preparation, focusing on teacher’s professional development, enhancing educational access, and streamlining the process of planning, management, and administration related to admissions, attendance and assessments.” (p-57, national education policy, 2020) the role of education will also be to assist in raising awareness about the potentially disruptive effects of technology and will also address related issues. further, the recent pandemic compelled us to be prepared with alternative modes of quality education and blended learning is the future of the 21st century. the benefits of the availability of online/digital education and existing digital platforms need to be optimised and expanded further to meet the current and future challenges towards improving quality education for all. in this regard, it has become all the more relevant to invest in public digital infrastructure in the education sector that can be used by multiple stakeholders keeping in view india’s large scale diversity, complexity and device penetration. this will also ensure indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 227 that the technology-based solutions do not become outdated with the rapid advances in technology. although the pandemic has receded now and schools have reopened, it has opened the platform for the integration of technology in the day-today classroom transaction processes. the physical classes cannot go back to completely traditional methods; therefore, there is a need to expand the digital infrastructure and repository of econtent. however, persisting disparities in access to ict facilities for students, teachers and limited digital literacy knowledge especially at the community-level are the critical bottlenecks for ascending digital learning across the country. another significant challenge is to monitor the implementation of digital learning facilities. limited information is available on how learners are guided and performed during digital learning. for india to fully implement the policies and programmes and effectively reach the beneficiaries, the focus will also be given to addressing the challenges of operationalization. way forward in order to reverse the learning loss caused during school closure due to covid-19 pandemic, and its detrimental effect on school-going children, various steps have been undertaken by the government of india and states/uts. the budget 2022-23 has clearly emphasised that the thrust of education in 202223 would be on digital education. the focus for school education would be on starting 200 tv channels, settingup of 750 virtual labs in science and mathematics, and 75 skilling e-labs for the simulated learning environment by 2022-23. emphasis will be given on the availability of high-quality econtent in all spoken languages for delivery via the internet, mobile phones, tv, and radio through digital teachers (https:// www.indiabudget.gov.in/). further, a competitive mechanism for the development of quality econtent by the teachers will be set-up to empower and equip them with digital tools of teaching and facilitate better learning outcomes. there is no doubt that the 21st century will be driven by the disruption created by technology, and the divide between ‘have and have not’ will increase more if a substantial section of the population does not get digital access. therefore, it must be our priority to eliminate the digital divide through concerted efforts to ensure equity and inclusion. we can leapfrog in education when we unleash the potential of a billion indians to learn and to help each other learn. education is about learning, and learning should not just be restricted to schools. it should be learning by all, learning for all, learning with all. an approach toward integrating the use of technology with the education system will lead to development. the present initiatives and the collective efforts of the ministry of education, its autonomous bodies, all states/ uts, and tech support partners are aimed at fulfilling our vision of making india a global knowledge superpower and restoring india’s glory as a great centre of learning with effective implementation of the nep 2020. a key role in this regard will be played by artificial intelligence (ai) systems, which will be designed to work with teachers more effectively, and which in turn will assist in continuous improvement in students' learning outcomes. perfect use cases are immersive labs, flipped classrooms, gamification of ncert content, and adaptive and personalised learning. coherent access to econtent is the key to the expansion of the digital universe, a digital repository accessible to all and having a variety of learning indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 228 materials including the creation of coursework, learning games & simulations, gamification and content in multiple languages, with clear operating instructions will complement the learning in classrooms. further, the existing mass media, such as television, radio, and community radio may also be extensively used for telecast and broadcasts. educational programmes may be developed in multiple languages including sign language and in daisy format to cater to the varying needs of the student population. teachers are also required to be trained to use ict in the teaching-learning process and on learner-centered pedagogy and how teachers become high-quality online content creators themselves using online teaching platforms and tools. teachers may also be trained for making online/digital education blended with experiential and activity-based learning. technology may also be used for designing assessment frameworks to assess 21st century skills, portfolio, rubrics, standardised assessments, and assessment analytics. in addition to above, it is also crucial to set standards for a blended mode of learning, econtent, appropriate use of technology, and pedagogy for online/ digital teaching-learning. digital transformation in education has to be inclusive, thoughtfully designed and implemented, to ensure that all processes put students at the centre. we must strive to build a more open, accessible, equitable, inclusive, robust, and transparent education system that is prepared to reap the advantages of technology and promotes a conducive learning environment for each learner. references azim premji foundation (2020), myths of online education: field studies in education, september, 2020, retrieved from url: http://publications.azimpremjifoundation.org/2429/1/ myths_of_online_education.pdf duckworth, a. l., t. kautz, a. defnet, e. satlof-bedrick, s.n. talamas, b.l. luttges, and l. steinberg (2021), “students attending school remotely suffer socially, emotionally, and academically.” educational researcher 50(7): 479-482. retrieved from https://doi.org/10.31234/osf. io/rpz7h icrier and lirne asia (2021), access to services during covid-19 in “digital india” retrieved from url: https://lirneasia.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/covid-in_dissemination-deck-full-set-v8.3.pdf itu publications (2021), measuring digital development: facts and figures 2021, retrieved from https://www.itu.int/en/itu-d/statistics/documents/facts/factsfigures2021.pdf the world bank (2021), remote learning during covid-19: lessons from today, principles for tomorrow, retrieved from https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/ en/160271637074230077/pdf/remote-learning-during-covid-19-lessons-from-todayprinciples-for-tomorrow.pdf ministry of education (2020), national education policy 2020, retrieved from https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/nep_final_english_0.pdf pérez, a. (2020), “300.000 estudiantes peruanos desertan en medio de la pandemia.” retrieved from https://iep.org.pe/noticias/analisis-300-000-estudiantes-peruanos-desertan-en-medio-de-la-pandemia/ as mentioned in remote learning during covid-19: lessons from today, principles for tomorrow (2021) indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 1, january 2023 229 undp (2022), digital strategy 2021-2025, retrieved from https://digitalstrategy.undp.org/documents/digital-strategy-2022-2025-abridged-version.pdf unicef (2020), covid-19: are children able to continue learning during school closures? new york: unicef. united nations educational, scientific and cultural organization (unesco) (2020), “unesco covid-19 education response: how many students are at risk of not returning to school?” retrieved from https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000373992 united nations educational, scientific and cultural organization (unesco) (2021), one year into covid-19 education disruption: where do we stand? 19 march. news. paris, unesco. retrieved from https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000379270 united nations educational, scientific and cultural organization (unesco) and unicef (2021), india case study: situation analysis on the effects of and responses to covid-19 on the education sector in asia. retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/rosa/media/16511/file/india%20 case%20study.pdf united nations educational, scientific and cultural organization (unesco), unicef, world bank and organization for economic co-operation and development (oecd) (2021), what’s next? lessons on education recovery: findings from a survey of ministries of education amid the covid-19 pandemic. unesco, paris, unicef, new york, world bank, washington dc, oecd, paris. retrieved from https://covid19.uis.unesco.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2021/07/ national-education-responses-to-covid-19-report2_v3.pdf world food programme. 2021. “global monitoring of school meals during covid-19 school closures.” retrieved from https://cdn.wfp.org/2020/school-feeding-map vegas, emiliana. 2020. school closures, government responses, and learning inequality around the world during covid-19. url: https://www.brookings.edu/research/school-closures-government-responsesand-learning-inequality-around-the-world-during-covid-19 youth 2030 (2017), 6th economic and social council youth forum concept note “role of technology in implementing and monitoring the sdgs”, retrieved from https://www.un.org/ ecosoc/sites/www.un.org.ecosoc/files/files/en/2017doc/role-of-technology-in-implementing-the-sdgs.pdf https://digitalstrategy.undp.org/documents/digital-strategy-2022-2025-abridged-version.pdf https://www.un.org/ecosoc/sites/www.un.org.ecosoc/files/files/en/2017doc/role-of-technology-in-implementing-the-sdgs.pdf https://www.un.org/ecosoc/sites/www.un.org.ecosoc/files/files/en/2017doc/role-of-technology-in-implementing-the-sdgs.pdf https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/edutech/brief/how-countries-are-using-edtech-tosupport-remote-learning-during-the-covid-19-pandemic http://publications.azimpremjifoundation.org/2429/1/myths_of_online_education.pdf https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/services/education/just-24-per-cent-of-indian-households-have-internetfacility-to-access-e-education-unicef/articleshow/77784092. cms?from=mdr https://itpd.ncert.gov.in https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/ vii editorial as we publish the july issue of the journal in 2023, the fourth and final meeting of education working group (edwg) of g20 under india's presidency got over in pune on 20-21 june, 2023. the outcomes of this meeting and three previous meetings of edwg, which were held in chennai (from 31st january to 2nd february, 2023), amritsar (from 15th march to 17th march, 2023) and bhubaneswar (from 26th april to 29th april, 2023) were presented, discussed and finalized in the meeting of the education ministers of the member countries on 22 june, 2023 in pune. the edwg has shared the best practices of the member countries in the realm of technology enabled learning, research, collaboration, future of work and foundational literary and numeracy (fln). the final report of this edwg and those of other working & engagement groups of various tracks on various themes will be released in form of declaration later in the month of september in leaders' summit in new delhi. the report recommends making tech-enabled learning more “inclusive, equitable, relevant, effective, qualitative and collaborative at all levels”. the focus on inclusive, qualitative and collaborative tech-enabled learning underscores the stance of g20 countries on technological integration in education in light of human rights and sustainable development goals. the g20 education ministerial meeting reaffirmed the need to develop a technology ecosystem, leveraging the potential of digital technologies in enabling inclusive, equitable, contextualized accessible quality education; encouraged the development of standardized frameworks for educational technology; capacity building of teachers and trainers to ensure availability of quality, effective and safe tech-enabled learning and assessment. the criticality of measures required towards overcoming the digital divide for all learners also emerged as one of the important themes and the key role of open educational resources, interoperability of digital resources and leveraging data analytics in hastening educational progress were reiterated. group of twenty presidency, the government of india has prioritized four key areas under the g20 education working group (edwg) which are a) fln and lifelong learning, b) leveraging digital resources and technologies for accelerating educational progress, c) the impact of future of work on education systems, and d) greater synchronicity and collaboration between higher education, research and development and societies within and across boundaries. in case of digital technology, edwg has highlighted the contextuality of the digital transformation of education across the member countries as each g20 member is at a different stage in its journey of the development of sustainable, inclusive and equitable access to tech-enabled learning. the tech-enabled learning in different countries has taken a different route but there have been some commonalities in the initiatives by the g20 actors. the member countries fair differently as the republic of china has reached 100% internet access for all types of schools at all levels, while argentina is focusing on equitable distribution of technological materials under its conectar igualdad policy and italy is working on national plan for digital schools to help digitalize their learning process and methodologies. the three major areas of intervention across the countries have been the development of digital platforms, ensuring infrastructure and equitable access to it, and econtent creation. at the level of infrastructure some countries are focusing on the level of material infrastructure like equipment and others are focusing on providing better connectivity. digital platforms are being used not only for school education but also for higher education and vet and hence serving a plethora viii of educational and learning needs. quality econtent creation is the natural next step with the focus being on the digitization of learning material. therefore, g20 countries are concentrating on creating econtent, for instance, uae created bilingual content, and turkey and india created content for cwsn. the year 2023 has been a momentous year for india’s diplomacy. india is presiding over the g20 forum, a forum where countries meet, debate and discuss the common concerns of sustainable development. when the asian financial crisis of 1997-99 struck, the finance ministers of the group of seven (g7) and the leaders of group of 8 created a new body-g20 (kirton, 2013, p.ix). initially, it was a forum for finance ministers and central bank governors of the 19 countries and the european union to focus on global economics and financial issues and in 2008, it was elevated to the level of leaders’ summit. g20 represents 85% of the global gdp and about two-thirds of the world population. it discusses issues ranging from economics to those of socio-politics including education. this year’s presidency lies with india with the logo of “vasudhaiva kutumbakam” (one earth one family one future). the three-member management group consists of the past, present and future chair/precedency together referred to as troika. the preparations for the g20 summit are conducted through the established sherpa track and financial track which are responsible to prepare and follow up on issues and resolutions adopted at the summits. financial track, led by finance ministers and central bank governors, focuses on the economic and financial issues of the member countries while sherpa track focuses on socio-political issues like education, agriculture etc. sherpa represents the leader of the country. apart from the two tracks, engagement groups also form part of the structure of the g20, which consists of participants from non-government entities like businesses, labour, youth, women and researchers of the member countries who can make policy recommendations to g20 leaders. over the years, different presidencies have led to the constitution of different engagement groups like supreme audit institutions 20 (sai20) was introduced under the indonesian presidency and india under its presidency has created the startup20 engagement group. a lot needs to be done in incorporating extended technologies (ar, vr and mr) and ai in creating digital learning resources. multilateral cooperation is the key to the success of these initiatives. the july 2023 issue has twenty two manuscripts in total. there are nineteen research articles, one review article, one communication article, and one book review. these articles deal with mobile augmented reality, inclusive enrollment policy, ict and disintegrating teaching-learning process, massive open online courses, open educational resources, web-enabled student support services (wesss) in open and distance learning (odl) system, and artificial intelligence. i would like to thank all the authors and reviewers for contributing to taking out the 2nd issue of the 5th volume of the indian journal of educational technology. (abhay kumar) editor indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 214 research article the impact of digital gaming experience on the self-concept of students of delhi ncr pallavi jain1, harish kumar2 & anup kumar rajput3 1research scholar, amity institute of education, amity university, noida emailresearch.pallavi@gmail.com 2domain headeducation, head –aibas & aspess, amity university, noida 3headpublication division, ncert, new delhi abstract children start to comprehend the universe at birth and eventually come to realize their own existence. they gradually establish their self-concept as they engage with their environment and start to identify who they are. technological advancements have led to a rapid increase in the popularity of playing games on digital devices that offer a virtual space  for users to interact through virtual avatars. digital games have now largely taken the place of traditional toys in children’s lives. the gaming metaverse is gaining popularity as it is revolutionizing the cyberspace of gaming into an interactive and interesting 3d platform by providing immersive environments. this quantitative study aims to comprehend how students’ gaming experiences while engaging in virtual gaming platforms affect their self-concept, employing robson’s self-concept scale (1989) and the gaming experience questionnaire (ijsselsteijn et al., 2013). the sample comprises students from delhi ncr. the statistical tools used are mean, standard deviation, t-test, and pearson’s correlation. the study elicits that female participants not only harbor a more positive self-concept but also demonstrate an enhanced involvement in gaming activities compared to their male counterparts. similarly, age group distinctions manifest in self-concept and gaming experiences. the findings also illustrate that positive gaming encounters correlate with elevated self-concept, accentuating the intricate interplay between digital gaming experiences and self-concept formation. keywords gaming experience, metaverse, digital games, self-concept introduction the employment of new and existing instruments in education is a blistering topic  among academics and institutes of learning. a game is a form of play in which players adhere to set rules. the use of games to help teaching and learning is known as educational gaming. the learning experience for students can be improved and additional skills, such as following rules, adapting, problem-solving, interaction, critical thinking, creativity, teamwork, and good sportsmanship can be taught by using games as a supplement to traditional teaching methods. learning shouldn’t be boring and shouldn’t only be rote memory exercises where pupils memorise information or study for tests. to raise student achievement, teachers can benefit from the vitality and creative thinking that technologyenhanced learning offers (houghton et al., 2013). in educational institutions, schools, and homes, a wide variety of educational games are being used. the primary indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 215 goal of using games in the classroom is to help students develop their critical thinking abilities while teaching a particular subject by encouraging them to think creatively while adhering to the rules. in recent years, digital games have proliferated in children’s and adolescents’ lives. children learn informal digital literacy skills through play, and their unstructured encounters with technology may be changing how they learn and generate knowledge. these games  also foster the type of learning that is distinctive to the culture of the information society, and this learning is expected to have long-term effects. games can be used to teach a certain subject, but they can also have an impact on the learners. the purpose of introducing a gaming element in the classroom is to raise student motivation and engagement, improve visual skills, enhance peer interaction and collaboration, and give students the opportunity to apply game principles to real-world situations (zirawaga et al.,2017). games like chess can promote reasoning, logic, and other qualities that are desired in education, but they are not characterised as educational games because they do not deliver content or communicate curriculum material (yue & zin, 2009). we refer to games as educational games if they contain curricular content or other instructional resources (michel, 2016). children start to comprehend the universe at birth and eventually come to realize their own existence. they gradually establish their self-concept as they engage with their environment and start to identify who they are. playing games on a computer or other digital device has become a daily need of children due  to rapid  technological innovation. various electronic devices are used for playing games, the most used is a smartphone.  children are increasingly handling electronic devices at younger ages. digital games, which have largely taken the place of traditional toys in children’s life, are replacing more traditional toys on a regular basis. the pace at which the world is moving today was unprecedented in the past. children’s play has evolved significantly over the past several decades because of the entry of electronic and video games into their world of pretend play. digital natives, also known as net citizens (netizens), are members of the generation that was born in the twenty-first century. they internalise and interpret technology in daily life as if there were no such thing as living without it. in addition to growing up with computers and other technological advancements, the g-generation also experienced the rise of digital gaming. digital gaming is a focus for the g generation (zicherman & linder, 2010). children from the g generation spend a lot of time playing digital games, which helps them develop as players because the g generation is one of the biggest gamers (mcgonigal, 2011). electronic games’ availability on smart phones and electronic touch screen tablets during the past ten years has made this transformation even more noticeable. additionally, most of these games are available for free or a minimal fee for download. these days, kids can enjoy playing these games (of many genres, including action, adventure, sport, and strategy, etc.) anytime, anywhere. the latest and the most trending innovation in the gaming environment is of the metaverse gaming world. the growth of cutting-edge technology like blockchain, real-time rendering technologies, digital twins, artificial intelligence, and 6g communications has aided in the spread of the metaverse (zhong et al.,2017). the concept of the metaverse, a stereoscopic virtual universe that exists side by side with the real world, was indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 216 first introduced in the science fiction named  snow crash (joshua, 2017). the metaverse is viewed as a fresh wave of technological innovation that offers a digital environment for avatarbased communication. the players can enter the gaming world in the form of their virtual avatars and change characteristics of avatars, collect money, defeat opponents, interact with them and do activities as they desire through this mode of gaming structure. the current study collected data from the participants who engaged themselves in such kind of an immersive gaming environment. the impact of electronic games (video games or computer touch screen tablet games) on player behaviour have been studied, with varying degrees of success. on  one hand, certain studies have recorded negative impacts like increased aggression and several medical and psychosocial repercussions, while on the other hand, favourable effects like enhanced hand-eye coordination, reduced  reaction times, and raised self-esteem have also been observed (griffiths, 2002). electronic games that are considered passive entertainment have no relationship to children’s happiness or good selfconcept, but those that are considered active entertainment have connections to  happiness and positive self-concept in children (holder, coleman & sehn, 2009). self-concept is the way a person views himself or herself as a physical, social, spiritual, or moral being (gecas, 1982). self-concept and self-esteem are two different but related concepts that are frequently used interchangeably. selfconcept is best exemplified by a profile of self-perceptions across domains and refers to a student’s perceptions of competency or sufficiency in academic and nonacademic (such as social, behavioural, and athletic) domains. a student’s entire assessment of who they are, including feelings of contentment and happiness in general, is called self-esteem (harter, 1999). by putting self-concept-enhancing techniques into place, schools are more likely to encourage kids’ good self-esteem (manning, 2007). people’s experiences with online gaming have an impact on their self-concept. if people experience  joy and happiness, especially when playing adventure and action games, they typically have a positive self-concept (przybylski, weinstein, murayama, lynch, & ryan, 2012). to increase learners’ selfconfidence, games are essential. games are beneficial as teaching aids because they enliven typically dry and tedious teaching strategies (boyle, 2011). studies also show that by allowing the child to become more technologically adept and self-directed, educational computer programmes have a positive impact on learning and sense of selfworth (wartella & jennings, 2000). overall, playing electronic games proficiently and mastering those yields better results than trying to complete them or advance from one level to another (ryan, rigby, & przybylski, 2006). it is clear from durkina and barberb’s (2002) study with university students that playing computer games helps students develop positive selfconcept, particularly about skills related to computer technology. students who played computer games scored better on self-concept reports than those who did not play. additionally, those who engage with others via computers and social media typically have a positive self-concept (sponcil & gitimu, 2013). compared to kids who don’t play electronic games, those who play them exhibit a better predisposition toward academic success (yee, 2006). this is a significant finding because achievement and self-concept are strongly and favourably correlated (marsh & craven, indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 217 2006). as a result, it is advised to enhance students’ self-concept as a non-cognitive intervention to increase academic achievement (parker, marsh, ciarrochi, marshall, & abduljabbar, 2014). people who enjoy playing video games have a higher sense of self-concept and are more motivated (przybylski et al., 2012). self-efficacy is linked to self-concept because those who have higher selfesteem are typically better at problemsolving and critical thinking (kim & choi, 2014). studies have revealed a link between physical play and a physical selfconcept (babic et al., 2014). for kids to learn something or benefit from the games they play, interaction with others (kory & breazeal, 2014), particularly parentchild interaction (radesky, schumacher & zuckerman, 2015), as well as interactive feedback from their parents, teachers, or siblings is necessary (yannier, koedinger & hudson, 2015). the world health organization (who) media brief 2022 states that children who have crossed or are about to cross puberty can be divided into two general categories: older adolescents and young adults, who fall within the age ranges of 15 to 19 and 20 to 24 years, respectively. this is the time when the personality of an individual starts developing, and they start forming their self-concept. this self-concept is a key component of their personality because it determines their chances of success in the future. given the extreme popularity of video games among older adolescents and young  adults, it is imperative to investigate the benefits of playing online  games during these developmental stages (c. adachi & willoughby, 2015). numerous studies have been under taken regarding the effect of playing games on students’ self-concepts, however it is quite uncommon to find studies that specifically delineate into  the impact of immersive gaming experiences in a virtual world on students’ self-concepts. gaming experience refers to what the players encounter as a result of engaging with a game. common metrics used to analyze these experiences include flow, immersion, competence, challenge, tension, and negative/positive affect (bernhaupt, ijsselsteijn, mueller, tscheligi & wixon, 2008). overall, researchers agree  that games have some influence on how people behave. however, there is a dearth of research on the direct impact of metaverse gaming experiences on students’ self-concept. also, the association among older adolescents and young adults on the self-concept has not been studied in-depth over a long period of time, so it represents an interesting new field of research. for this reason, the objective of this study was to examine the impact of gaming experiences on students’ self-concept. in light of the aforementioned context, the researcher  has  investigated how gaming experiences are affecting older adolescents and younger students’  self-concept. the current study has been guided by the following three research questions. research questions 1. does gaming experience affect the self-concept of students? 2. whether students of different age groups and gender exhibit different self-concept when exposed to gaming experiences? 3. does there exist any relationship between the self-concept and gaming experience of students? to answer the above three research questions, the following three objectives have been achieved. objectives 1. to study the impact of gender and age on the self-concept of students. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 218 2. to study the impact of gender and age on the gaming experience of students. 3. to examine the relationship between the self-concept and gaming experience of students. the following hypothesis are developed and put to the test with the intention of achieving the objectives. hypothesis h01: gender does not have significant impact on the self-concept of students h02: age does not have any significant impact on the self-concept of students h03: gender does not have significant impact on the gaming experience of students h04: age does not have any significant impact on the gaming experience of students h05: there exists no significant relationship between self-concept and gaming experience of students methodology the study was carried out by the researcher using the descriptive survey method. the population of the study comprised of older adolescent (15 to 19 years) and young adult (20 to 24 years) students of ncr of india. utilizing a random sampling technique, the sample for the study was selected. 65 students, 27 males and 38 females who are  enrolled in english-medium schools across both public and private high schools and colleges made up the study’s final sample. the study was conducted on 29 older adolescents and 36 young adults. tools used to assess the gaming experience, the game experience questionnaire (geq) (ijsselsteijn et al., 2013), a self-report measure that aims to comprehensively and reliably characterize the multifaceted experience of playing digital games was used. the self-concept of students considered in the present study was examined using the selfconcept questionnaire (scq) designed and standardized by robson (1989). game experience questionnaire (geq) the geq is popular and widely used in previous studies with different game genres. in parts 1 and 2, the players’ emotions and thoughts are examined while they are immersed in playing the game; in part 3, the post-game module, the players’ feelings are evaluated after they have finished the game. a modular framework is used in the development of the game experience questionnaire, and it consists of:  1. core questionnaire (geq): this module examines seven facets of gamers’ experiences, including immersion, flow, competence, positive and negative affect, tension, and challenge. 2. social presence module (spgq): this module explores players’ interactions with co-players, both real and virtual, examining psychological and behavioral engagement. 3. post-game questionnaire (pgq): this module investigates players’ experiences after a gaming session, encompassing positive and negative aspects, tiredness, and the transition back to reality. the three modules should be given out in the sequence listed above, just after the gaming session has ended. component scores are calculated using the average value of its items. self-concept questionnaire (scq) the research investigation made use of the robson-designed and standardized self-concept questionnaire (scq) developed in 1989 by robson. this scale indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 219 measures one’s perception of oneself (robson, 1989). this scale, comprising thirty items such as “i am in charge of my life” and “i feel emotionally mature,” measures one’s self-perception. each item is rated on an eight-point scale, ranging from total agreement (0) to total dissent (7). the scale has demonstrated reliability (cronbach’s alpha of .89) and clinical validity (i.e., clinical validity of .70) (ata ghaderi, 2005).  higher scores indicate a positive self-image and strong self-esteem, while lower scores suggest rejection and a negative self-image. collection of data with the help of google forms, the data was gathered from the respondents. they were informed beforehand about the study, and information was voluntarily provided by them. by interacting using google forms, the researcher disseminated two questionnaires: the self-concept questionnaire and the gaming experience questionnaire. statistical measures the software system spss 16.0 was used to examine the data. to examine the gathered information, a descriptive statistical analysis was performed on the scores for self-concept and gaming experience. the statistical tools used were mean, standard deviation, t-test, and pearson’s correlation. the total scores of both the  variables under consideration were found to have estimated skewness and kurtosis values that ranged from -1.96 to +1.96 (joreskog, 2001), which tested the assumption of a normal distribution. the information was therefore seen as being normally dispersed. table 1 provides the descriptive data for selfconcept and gaming experience. the parametric statistical test for correlation analysis was used to determine the association between self-concept, gaming experience core module, gaming experience social presence module, and gaming experience post game module after confirming that the assumptions of normality had been met. analysis and discussion the t-test value for each hypothesis analysis has been computed at a significance level of 5 per cent to assess the statistical significance. table1 depicts the descriptive statistics for the levels of self-concept and gaming experience. the sample under study belonging to different gender and age groups exhibit a difference in their self-concept. the gaming experience does not have a significant difference on either of the demographic variables, i.e., gender and age. table-1: descriptive statistics for self-concept and gaming experience variable min max range size mean s.d. variance skewness kurtosis self-concept 65 191 126 65 121.523 31.108 967.722 0.4099 -0.4053 gaming experience 57 221 164 65 134.892 36.873 1359.628 0.3684 -0.2467 following is a discussion of the study’s findings according to each hypothesis. h01: gender does not have significant impact on the self-concept of students based on the results of the selfconcept, all male and female students were identified, and the data collected through questionnaires is tabulated, which yielded the following result: indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 220 table-2: mean scores and standard deviation of self-concept with respect to gender gender number of students average (mean) standard deviation male 27 107.6667 29.0887 female 38 131.3684 28.9766 an analysis of the table 2 indicates that out of the entire sample of 65 students, there are 27 male students and 38 female students. the results show that females have an average score of 131.3684 (sd = 28.9766) which is higher than that of males who have an average score of 107.6667 (sd = 29.0887). males differ significantly from the females when a comparison is made amongst them on the variable of selfconcept wherein females standout by a difference in average of 23.7018. the computed t test value is 3.24 with 63 as the degree of freedom. the tabulated value at the same level is 2 which is less than the computed value. this shows that there is a significant difference in values and the null hypothesis stands rejected. h02: age does not have any significant impact on the self-concept of students based on the results of the self-concept, the students belonging to the category of older adolescent (15-19 years) and young adult (20-24 years) students were identified and their data tabulated, which yielded the following result: table-3: mean scores and standard deviation of self-concept with respect to age age number of students average (mean) standard deviation older adolescents (15-19 yrs.) 29 104.3793 25.1288 young adults (20-24 yrs.) 36 135.3333 28.7173 an analysis of the table 3 indicates that out of the entire sample of 65 students, there are 29 older adolescent and 36 young adult students. the results show that older adolescents have an average score of 104.3793 (sd = 25.1288) which is lower than that of young adults who have an average score of 135.3333 (sd = 28.7173). young adults differ significantly from the older adolescents when a comparison is made amongst them on the variable of self-concept wherein young adults are better than older adolescents by an average difference of 30.9540. the computed t test value is 4.56 with 63 as the degree of freedom. the tabulated value at the same level is 2 which is less than the computed value. this shows that there is a significant difference in values and the null hypothesis stands rejected. h03: gender does not have significant impact on the gaming experience of students to test the above hypothesis, the gaming experience data of male and female students was collected using questionnaire consisting of three modules. the results are tabulated below: indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 221 the results in table 4 show that male students have a total average score of 128.8148 (sd = 26.7439) which is lower than that of female students who have a total average score of 139.2105 (sd = 42.4628). female students differ from the male students by an average difference of 10.3957 when a comparison is made amongst them on the variable of gaming experience. a mean comparison test (t-test) was conducted to determine whether the gender variable influenced the gaming experience. the computed t test value is 1.1224 with 63 as the degree of freedom. the tabulated value at the same level is 2 which is more than the computed value. this shows that there is no significant difference in values and thus the null hypothesis is accepted. the bar graph below shows the item analysis of gaming experience of males and females. as discussed above the gaming experience questionnaire consists of three modules. the first seven key components are a part of the core module. the next three components are a part of the social presence module and the last four are a part of the post gaming module. figure-1: gender-wise comparison of the gaming experience of each item table-4: mean scores and standard deviation of gaming experience (gaming module wise) with respect to gender gaming experience gender number average (mean) standard deviation part-i core module male 27 67.7037 13.1816 female 38 71.921 19.7119 part-ii social presence module male 27 30.9259 11.4654 female 38 35.3421 14.1407 part-iii post game module male 27 30.1111 6.0468 female 38 31.8947 12.5822 total male 27 128.8148 26.7439 female 38 139.2105 42.4628 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 222 the graph shows that, except from the tension/annoyance and negative effect components, results with females are generally better than those with males. this demonstrates that while men are more tenacious and irritable than women, playing games can help them relax more. several studies have been conducted to elicit the hidden components as to why the stress level among males is relatively higher among males in comparison to females. after the players have stopped playing the game, majority of them suffer from the negative experiences of gaming. h04: age does not have any significant impact on the gaming experience of students the above hypothesis is tested by categorizing the students into two categories. the students in the age group of 15-19 years and 20-24 years, the older adolescents, and the young adults respectively. the results are tabulated below: table-5: mean scores and standard deviation of gaming experience (gaming module wise) with respect to age gaming experience age number average (mean) standard deviation part-i core module 15-19 29 68.5862 14.5835 20-24 36 71.4444 19.3383 part-ii social presence module 15-19 29 31.2414 14.6206 20-24 36 35.3333 11.7959 part-iii post game module 15-19 29 32 9.9319 20-24 36 30.4722 10.7690 total 15-19 29 131.9655 34.3610 20-24 36 137.25 39.1001 the results in table 5 indicate that older adolescents have a total average score of 131.9655 (sd = 34.3610) which is slightly lower than that of young adults who have a total average score of 137.25 (sd = 39.1001). older adolescent students differ from the young adult students by an average difference of 5.2845 when a comparison is made amongst them on the variable of gaming experience. a mean comparison test (t-test) was conducted to determine whether the gender variable influenced the gaming experience. the computed t test value is 1.1224 with 63 as the degree of freedom. the tabulated value at the same level is 2 which is more than the computed value. this shows that there is no significant difference in values and thus the null hypothesis is accepted. the item analysis of male and female gamers is displayed in the graph below. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 223 figure-2: age wise comparison of gaming experience of each item the graph shows that the young adults outshine the older adolescents in majority of the components of gaming experience questionnaire barring a few. the older adolescents show higher scores with item components tension/ annoyance, challenge, and negative effect of the core game module as well as the two components of the postgame module (negative experience and tiredness). both the core and post-game modules frequently result in negative effect or experience, which causes players to either feel bored or exhausted, think about other things, or feel regret and wish they had done something more beneficial other than gaming immersion. the items that make up the components showing the variations in the gaming experiences of older adolescents and young adults can be used to elicit these player thoughts. h05: there exists no significant relation between self-concept and gaming experience of students table 6 depicts the findings from the pearson correlation coefficient technique to determine the existence of relationship between gaming experience core module, gaming experience social presence module, gaming experience post game module and self-concept. table-6: correlation matrix between gaming experience and self-concept of students   gaming experience core module gaming experience social presence module gaming experience post game module selfconcept gaming experience core module 1 gaming experience social presence module 0.7637 1 gaming experience post game module 0.6995 0.6695 1 self-concept 0.1063 0.0452 -0.0704 1 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 224 it is evident that there is a strong positive correlation between gaming experience core module and gaming experience social presence module (r = 0.7637). a moderate positive correlation is found between gaming experience core module and gaming experience post game module (r = 0.6995). whereas there is a very weak positive correlation between gaming experience core module and self-concept (r = 0.1063). a moderate positive correlation between gaming experience social presence module and gaming experience post game module (r = 0.6695). the social presence module of gaming experience and self-concept have a weak positive correlation (r = 0.0452). on the other hand, there is a weak negative correlation between gaming experience post game module and self-concept (r = -0.0704). these figures of correlation depict that all the relationships show a positive correlation except the gaming experience post game module and self-concept. this shows that there is a significant difference in values and thus the null hypothesis is rejected. the results reveal that a good gaming experience leads to a high self-concept amongst students, the only exception being with the gaming experience post game module wherein the gaming post game experience is good when the self-concept of students is low which indicates that students whose selfconcept is low is indulging in playing more games to boost up their selfconfidence. the students with low self-concept are finding these game experiences extremely useful. analysis and interpretation of results the results extracted from tables 2-6 reveal noteworthy patterns across various dimensions under investigation. firstly, the mean self-concept of females surpasses that of males, indicating a gender-based discrepancy in selfperception. this disparity is bolstered by a statistically significant difference in the self-concept of male and female students. our results are consistent with other studies (cross & madson,1997; maddux & brewer, 2005). the data also illustrates that older adolescents exhibit a higher mean self-concept than their young adult counterparts, and this contrast between the two age groups is statistically significant. transitioning to gaming experiences, the absence of statistically significant differences in gaming experience, both between genders and across age groups, aligns with bunz et al.’s observations (bunz et al., 2020). while investigations, such as those conducted by apriani et al. (2022), hou (2018), and khan et al. (2017), have reached the consensus that female students exhibit variations in both perception and gaming performance. these results emphasize that further research is imperative to elucidate the reasons behind the observed divergence, necessitating a more indepth exploration of methodological nuances, contextual variations, and the evolving nature of educational practices to enhance the understanding of gender disparities in digital gaming experiences. this collective insight contributes significantly to advancing our comprehension of the intricate relationships between self-concept, gaming experiences, and demographic variables within the studied population. conclusion the findings of this study demonstrated the relationship between metaverse gaming experience and self-concept. the study’s findings show that students who have positive gaming experiences tend to have higher self-concepts leading to a positive self-image and high selfesteem, in contrast to the post-game module, which shows positive gaming experiences even when students have low self-concepts bolstering a negative indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 225 self-image. this suggests that students with lower self-concept might turn to gaming to enhance their mood or gain a sense of accomplishment within the virtual world. even though their selfconcept may not improve significantly after the gaming experience, as indicated by the weak negative correlation, the positive aspects of gaming may still serve as a source of enjoyment or temporary confidence for these individuals. this insight could be valuable for understanding the role of gaming in the lives of students with varying levels of self-concept. the findings of this study are consistent with those of przybylski et al. (2012), who discovered that individuals who played video games exhibited better self-concept. our results corroborate with those of mcphee et al. (2013) and bahatheg (2013), who discovered that playing video games improved one’s selfconcept. electronic and tablet games are neither essentially good nor negative; rather, the effects they have depend on how they are played (eichenbaum et al., 2014). it is suggested to conduct more research studies with a larger sample size on the impact of gaming experiences on children’s development. these studies should include children of various ages, economic and social backgrounds, and intellectual abilities, as well as games from various genres. this is especially important now that kids all over the world use gaming devices extensively. the act of gaming stirs up powerful emotions. however, little is known about the gameplay circumstances that cause a variety of emotions to arise. more research can be done to determine which game scenarios cause unpleasant feelings. references adachi, p. j., & willoughby, t. 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(2009). history educational games design. proceedings of the 2009 international conference on electrical engineering and informatics, 269-275. https://doi. org/10.1109/iceei.2009.5254775 indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 305 book review life 3.0: being human in the age of artificial intelligence (isbn-9781101970317) bytegmark, max, published by penguin, 2018 tanmay kulshrestha junior project fellow (academic), central institute of educational technology (ciet), national council of educational research and training (ncert), new delhi, india email: tanmaykul07@gmail.com “when looms weave by themselves, man’s slavery will end.” —aristotle, 4th century bc the notion that artificial intelligence (ai) will augment instead of replacing humans has become a prevalent idea and an influential one in the study of ai today. it is a reassuring argument, albeit a deeply misguided one. max tegmark, author of life 3.0, writes about what life will be like for humans as and when ai starts to dictate the terms of our daily lives. his book discusses various nuanced societal implications with respect to measures that can be undertaken by humans in their capacity to maximize the chances of a potential that future holds for humanity, technology and an amalgamation thereof. an interesting online activity that one comes to notice is that at times we don’t need to solve captcha’s (completely automated public turing test to tell computers and humans apart) every now and then. this is precisely because now ai, forming a fairly niche arena of human lives, has exploded in the last decade. substantially more rapidly than many had foreseen, machine learning (ml; a subset of ai) frameworks have overtaken the best human go players, are guiding self-driving vehicles, translating texts, naming your photographs, understanding your discourses, etc. this has prompted gigantic interest in ai by organizations and governments, with each showcasing that progress will proceed. this book is about what occurs if and when it does. the book begins by taking the reader through a hypothetical situation wherein ai has exceeded human intelligence and becomes all powerful in the society. however, before delving deep into ai, we need to understand its meaning. it is understood as the intelligence that is possessed by machines. this also includes a machine’s ability to learn as it solves problems with each stage of learning to make itself capable of replicating and improving upon the previously acquired knowledge. acting like the human brain, tegmark also uses the term agi (artificial general intelligence) to denote the ability of machines to learn an intellectual task as good as a human. an astonishing thought that emerges from this discussion is when peter diamindis points out that ai holds a bigger potential than fire or electricity in impacting human conditions. in this way ai is out there to transform society, culture and discourses relating to our indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 306 bodies and human identity. most of our conceptions of technology and ai are shaped by what is showcased in popular culture and hollywood films and the narrative resembles more or less to the machines taking over human jobs, the robots as a clan are out to overtake humans and rule them. however, tegmark takes a nuanced and academically rigorous stance to answer the big question of what happens when the human race ceases to be the smartest species on the planet. tegmark in the first chapter, helps the reader visualize bacteria as an example of what he terms life 1.0. life where both hardware and software underwent evolution and were not formed by design. this is what he called the biological stage. life 2.0 on the other hand has humans as an example, whose hardware that is the bodies evolved through natural processes but whose software that is the mind was largely developed through acquired learnings like knowledge and algorithms used to process information using our senses and the ability to absorb knowledge through reading, writing, singing and even telling jokes. however, mankind reached a stage which the author terms as life 3.0 in which ability to not only design but also evolve and develop both its software and hardware is achieved. this is the technological stage. even though the term ai has often been thrown around by tech giants, it surely has many facets that are yet to be explored. the term ai is most often used in conjunction with ml, however they carry their differences. for a simpler understanding, ai is the ability of machines to carry out functions that we may consider as smart, while ml is the application of ai where in the very machines get hold of significant data and allow them to learn with each and every successive bit of information they receive. the application phase of ai poses broader possibilities than ml. natural language processing, biometric scanning and recognition, speech to text are some of the various nuances that surround us but go unnoticed due to the fool-proof and sophisticated technology that it uses. except for isaac asimov’s ‘three laws of robotics’ which was a part of his short story ‘runaround’, little interest has been assimilated around ai, its potential and its threats. in india niti aayog released a policy paper titled national strategy for artificial intelligence in the year 2018, which took into account the importance of ai in varied sectors. even when these developments are taking place heavily on the technological front globally, on the regulation front, no major comprehensive plan of action has been prepared yet. taking a leaf from other popular science fiction books, tegmark opens the book with a fictional but probable story concerning a super intelligent ai named prometheus. rightly named, prometheus under greek mythology was said to have moulded humans out of clay and taught them the basics of sciences and humanities thereby, proving themselves more capable than the humans. from here the author takes us onto a non-fictional ride of one future of life institute co-founded by himself and his wife and others. in continuation with this, the author takes us into in depth analysis of every indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 307 possible outcome ai might construct. these multiple avenues include, but are not limited to, “gatekeeper” ai, one which is super intelligent and safeguards humanity from being disparaged by further more sophisticated superintelligence; “zookeeper” ai, one which tames humans in a similar fashion as zoo animals; “enslaved gods” ai, one which keeps humans as slaves and lastly “benevolent dictator” ai which on the surface attempts to be caring for the human race but intrinsically aims to rule it. with his background in the discipline of physics, tegmark next treats us to a dream of things to come, "our infinite enrichment" he calls it, that anticipates either ourselves, our artificial plunges, or some cyborg combination thereof. while visiting such obscure thoughts as ‘black hole farming’ and ‘uploading of brain’, tegmark's narration stays comprehensible and precise, with rundowns of key ideas toward the finish of every part. the eye-catching part from the book is the last section's conversation of cognizance, including guilio tononi's integrated information theory. this becomes all the more interesting as the idea of cognizance has not been dealt with in depth in other books that discuss ai. tegmark argues that in case ai is used to expand into the cosmos, it's important that there is an availability of conscience and has a more moral and ethical value to creating the artificial intelligence explosion. although he doesn't hold a firm view, he only covers multiple vantage points from where artificial intelligence can pose to be a boon or a bane to mankind. life 3.0 is about ai and what we can do today to create the best possible future with it. the author deliberately avoids use of jargon as he believes that this is a conversation which everybody needs to join in with. we have traditionally thought of intelligence being limited only to biological beings such as humans. but for the author here, intelligence is only a form of information processing performed by elementary particles moving around in conjunction with the laws of physics. however, tegmark suggests the laws of physics do not talk of machines being able to be more intelligent than biological beings. there are multiple levels of questions that the book tackles ranging from the career advice children need to be given in this day and age of ai, to the more extraneous one’s of whether we should start an arms race of lethal autonomous weapons in the near future. however, the most important of all questions that the author raises is what kind of future do we want to be a part of. because, and as the author puts himself, if we don't know what we want then we are much less likely to get it. self-driving ai vehicles are as of now confronting moral predicaments that we don't have the foggiest idea how to tackle. who should bite the dust in an unavoidable auto collision? the passer by who heedlessly bounced into the road? or then again the driver, when the vehicle dodges the passer by by crashing into a utility pole? as tegmark cites from thinker nick bostrom, we are currently confronted with "philosophy with a deadline." at no other time has a discussion about something that could end human life indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 308 felt so intriguing. be that as it may, ai isn't a diversion, nor is tegmark's book. before human level ai debuts, we should consider the qualities we need machines to have. we don't yet have the appropriate responses. be that as it may, tegmark has the inquiries. the discussion begins now. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 201 research article pandemic and online pedagogy: an exploratory study of impact of gender on teaching-learning process tripti bassi associate professor, department of elementary education lady shri ram college for women, university of delhi, delhi email: triptibassi@lsr.edu.in abstract the covid-19 public health pandemic posed a big challenge to the continuance of school and college education. to shift from classrooms to distant online pedagogy was a challenging enterprise in the absence of digital infrastructures and adequate time available to gain expertise in ict. studies on online learning during the pandemic have explored the aspects of socio-educational factors in access, efficiency issues, satisfaction, problems faced by students and teachers etc. the present paper explores the aspect of gender qua its impact on the online teaching-learning process through an exploratory qualitative study in the light of online pedagogical experiences of final year studentteachers of an elementary teacher education degree programme in a delhi university college while they transacted various subjects to school children in the online mode during their mandatory school internship, as well as their own lived experiences shared while doing a course with the author, combined with the author’s own observations. the study brings out that girls had a disadvantageous experience in the shift to online pedagogy. existing gender disparities got accentuated in times of technologicalpedagogical transition wherein boys had greater access and claims than girls. the loss of physical classrooms also adversely impacted various aspects of the lives of girls. keywords: gender, covid-19, online pedagogy, social interaction, voicing, gender socialisation, multitasking, gendered behaviour introduction the covid-19 pandemic not only shook public health systems and economies across the world but also brought unforeseen challenges in the field of education. the sudden closure of schools and educational institutions ruptured the normal academic calendar and compelled governments and private institutions to push the online education system to everyone’s doorsteps. however, it neglected an important aspect which is whether students have access to the digital infrastructure that is computer, tablet and smartphone including access to internet (bheemeshwar et al. 2020). lack of attention to the accessibility factor has led to gaps in the education of economically weaker and marginalised sections, especially girls. accessibility is not just economic but mediated by socio-structural factors in which gender is an important determinant. gender equality, the sustainable development goal 5, which focuses on empowering girls, seeks to redress existing disparities. in the words of kofi annan, former un secretary general, “there is no tool for development more effective than the education of girls’’. this paper is an attempt to explore and examine how not just economic factors but also the institutions of patriarchy and gender mediate with the access and utilization of technological resources creating several barriers to learning. the exploration has been done through the lived and indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 202 direct experiences of student-teachers of a teacher education programme and their observations while teaching young learners during the internship in a pandemic year, along with the author’s observations while supervising their internship teaching, and during online teaching the course of gender and schooling to these student-teachers. the societal structures enmeshed with patriarchy cause disadvantage to girls in gaining access to online education and deepen gender disparities, this study underlines. rationale and scope digital mode of education and online teaching-learning has been in use by several universities and institutions offering courses mainly in distance mode. what was new during this period was the complete switch-over of the universal classroom teachinglearning to the digital platform due to a public health compulsion, which was not backed up by infrastructural as well as socio-cultural and economic enabling structures and environments. this shift to online pedagogy has come up for study by researchers on several aspects such as the effectiveness of teachinglearning, student attention, perception and acceptance of technology, satisfaction, preparedness, attitude, challenges faced by educators and students, elearning readiness of faculty in higher education, online teaching experiences and strategies, implications for interaction and collaborative learning, awareness and utilisation of social networking etc. this body of research literature mostly covers aspects of interface with technology without going deep into the socio-cultural and economic structures and processes that interfere in the access to and utilisation of online pedagogy. a reason for this could be that majority of these studies are quantitative in nature having gathered their data through survey questionnaires on google platforms and have an inherent limitation in not being able to bring out the larger social dynamics, i.e., caste, class and gender etc. that mediate between the education system and its recipients. socio-cultural realities which affect and are affected by technology can be captured through qualitative social science methods, i.e., observation, narration, experiencesharing, case study, interview, discussion etc. which can serve as guide towards the underlying factors and dynamics at play. the present study tries to explore the gender dynamics and its impact on the teaching-learning process when there was a switch over from traditional classrooms to online classrooms across all stagesschools and colleges. methodology this paper is based on an exploratory study employing qualitative research methodology and techniques. the study sample comprises 52 students of the final year bachelor of elementary education programme (b.el.ed.) in a delhi university college. it uses as data their experiences narrated during the transaction of the ‘gender and schooling’ course by the author. the author used a direct observation method also to make some observations while transacting the course. they are referred to as ‘student-teachers’ because they are 4th year students who have to teach school children (class i to viii) during their internship (practical teaching) course. non-participant observation by the author was another method of data collection while supervising the online classroom teaching by these studentteachers, along with a few interviews taken for greater elaboration. the study uses ethnographic narrations to delve into deeper aspects. convenience sampling is used to collect some qualitative data such that the better articulated ethnographic narratives find mention in the paper to better indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 203 explain the context and situations. the names of all respondents have been anonymised adhering to the norms of research ethics. the paper carries the experiences of student-teachers derived while transacting school subjects to primarylevel children between august 2020 to february 2021 in some government schools and some run by voluntary organisations. the final year students have to be associated with schools as interns between the months of august to february for 17 weeks to do teaching and share other responsibilities. of these, one week is spent in classroom observation and getting to know the school culture. in the next 11 subsequent weeks, the teaching of english/hindi, maths and evs take place in primary class’s i-v. in the last five weeks, the student-teachers teach english, maths and social studies to upper primary classes (vi-viii). due to the covid-19 restrictions, the school internship in 2020 and 2021 had to be carried out in online mode. studentteachers engaged with school students on various platforms as per the school norms such as zoom, google meet or microsoft teams. student groups and continuous interaction are maintained on whatsapp video calling, google classroom or wise app as per the school’s requirements.  the author has in the past several years visited internship schools for supervision where student-teachers taught as interns. due to the shift to online mode, the supervision also was done in online mode, leading to certain direct nonparticipant observations by the author reflected in the present research. research questions the study tries to ascertain the following aspects, which are interlinked and overlapping: • does technology create new barriers to equality in the teachinglearning process? • when technology becomes a ‘critical resource’ for learning (meaning, to education possible only through information communication technology) who lays greater claims over it? • whether gender differentials become pronounced in the course of online teaching, unlike offline teaching? • whether online pedagogy accentuates gender deprivations within the home set-up? • how does gender issue affect learning in the online pedagogy system? • how does online pedagogy compare with classroom pedagogy in reinforcing or overcoming gender barriers? background: review of literature before the covid-19 pandemic struck, efforts to enhance the state of girls’ education had begun to reap benefits in india. the female literacy rate grew from about 9 per cent in 1947 when india became independent to 70.3 per cent in 2017-2018 according to the national statistical office (nso) survey. the gross enrolment ratio (ger) of girls in primary school which increased from 61 per cent in 1970 to 115 per cent in 2015 is much higher than male ger (sarkar 2021). however, the covid-19 pandemic has reportedly reduced the 70 years’ worth of growth (rodriguez 2020). as much as the covid-19 pandemic has pushed the economy back, it has also reversed much of these gains made in the state of girls’ education. the right to education (rte) policy brief estimates that due to the pandemic around 10 million secondary school indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 204 girls in india could drop out of school. this could subject them to the risk of early marriage, early pregnancy, poverty, trafficking and violence (rte 2021), recognizing that education is the most effective way of empowering girls to not suffer patriarchal predicaments. indicators also reveal the existence of inequality in multi-dimensional ways. in 2021-22 academic sessions, according to the data submitted to the haryana education department by private schools, only about 1.7 million students had enrolled against nearly 3 million, the year before. similarly, in andhra pradesh in the academic year 2020-21, more than 60,253 students seem to have dropped out of the system, with a large proportion of dropouts being girls (sarkar 2021).  to ensure access to online education, students first of all require access to smartphones, broadband and wireless internet connections. however, whether all strata of society would be able to afford these remains a question. only around 27 per cent of the indian population has smartphones. in 2019, e-market edu suggested that nearly 35 per cent of the population utilises internet services through smartphones in india, exhibiting remarkable digital exclusion in our country. between rural and urban areas, such a divide is further aggravated. only 21 per cent of the population in rural areas have internet connectivity compared to 61 per cent in urban areas. the world bank report highlights that 1.063 billion people in india lack access to online media (lenka 2020). the annual status of education report (aser) 2021 noted the fact that although the availability of smartphones has increased from 36.5 per cent in 2018 to 67.6 per cent in 2021, it does not translate into access for children. more than 26 per cent of enrolled children had no access to it (aser 2021). in india, the gender gap in mobile internet users is 50 per cent. thus, 21 per cent of women and 42 per cent of men use mobile internet (gsma 2020). similarly, more boys than girls have access to digital infrastructures such as mobile phones, internet services, radio, and media. since girls have much lower access to technology, therefore digital schooling further disengages girls from education and broadens the educational inequalities among learners in india, the poorest girls and especially those residing in rural areas have much lesser access to technology than boys.  studies suggest that only 33 per cent of women, unlike 67 per cent of men, have access to internet. in rural india, gender disparity is stark since 72 per cent of men while only 28 per cent of women have internet access. in addition, mostly intra-household allocation of information and technology (ict) resources is mostly gender-biased hindering the capacity of girls to access home-schooling resources in times of the covid (kundu and sonawane 2020:9). there is a growing body of literature in academic journals on digital education, its benefits and various facets. during covid-19, several new research publications have appeared because online teaching became a mass phenomenon. the results of these studies are diverse and each had its limitation of having been carried out over the digital platform and were mostly survey questionnaire dependent. a majority of these were on the advantages and disadvantages of online learningstudent attention, materials used, modes of study etc. (pandey and kiran 2021), the acceptance level of online learning by students (srivastava and dave 2021), challenges of online learning like access, connectivity, distraction, technophobia, misuse/online abuse (harini and verghese 2021) etc. however, the gender aspect has not been stressed. among the relevant ones for the instant indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 205 study, a study by malhi et al. (2022) on perspectives on learning outcomes show that from the perspectives of teachers that only 11.8 per cent of teachers felt that online teaching led to superior learning vis a vis face-to-face learning while about 50 per cent opined that it led to inferior learning. toor and singh (2022) in their study on socioeducational and family factors affecting internet usage in higher education have observed that there is no significance of gender in terms of internet usage of internet. however, there are other studies on gender as a significant factor in internet usage and purpose (bimber 2000). moreover, toor and singh’s study brings out that maternal education is a significant factor in determining their ward’s internet usagethe higher the educational level of the mother, the higher is the probability of the student to be in a high internet use group. this could mean that the education of women actually breaks the barriers of tradition and leads to empowerment that transmits to future generations and greater gender equality. some other relevant studies have been cited later in this paper for the purpose of building contextual clarity and strengthening the research findings. the national policy on education 2020 emphasizes that the use of technology for online and digital education should adequately address concerns of equity. it recommends that pre-service teacher education should prepare teachers for suitable training and development to be effective online educators, if and when required (npe 2020: 58-59). challenges of home setting: college girls this section contains the accounts of the student-teachers as students themselves in the college as well as the author’s own direct observation while teaching the gender and schooling course to them. their experiences in engaging with young learners are quite insightful as are their own experiences of struggling with their own education amidst domestic responsibilities and care giving roles, coupled with lack of mobility and freedom. multitasking the author’s own experience of teaching in an all-girls’ college reveals that due to various pressures at home and outside, girls are compelled to compromise on their educational goals to fulfil their familial roles. to illustrate, many students stated the following: ‘i remain engaged in household tasks all the time’, ‘while the classes are going on online on google meet, i simultaneously keep washing utensils or cooking food or helping in other works’, ‘if we stay home, we have to do homework’ (classroom discussions). most of the student-teachers expressed difficulty in attending classes on their mobile phones for a longer duration. one issue of course was that eye-related stress arose in many cases. laptops or bigger size computers were not available in many homes. but it also surfaced that wherever these were available, in most cases (16 out of 22), the boys at home (their brothers) used those devices while the girls had to manage with mobile phones, causing the eye-related stress. interestingly, many girls stated that they used mobile phones because it was handy to be kept alongside in the kitchen or wherever they worked while simultaneously attending class. none of the girls reported that their brothers engaged in multitasking while learning as they had to (classroom discussions). the availability and choice of the device to attend the online class points to a gendered notion of entitlement as well as labour: boys have more entitlements over better technology resources while girls have to bear an additional burden indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 206 of domestic work in the process of online learning. a study by khan et al. (2021) shows that distractions are an issue for student engagement with online classes, in that they get diverted due to the desire to open social media sites, check messages etc. they observe that in their study sample, in tiny overcrowded households, the difficulty of having just one ict device which is shared among siblings is leading to gender inequities as parents preferred boys’ education more instead of girls’ education. limits to free expression in online classes, a common feature noticed was the reluctance of the girls to freely express their thoughts. many of them lacked their own personal space since their families resided in tiny settings. they would remain silent when any question was asked and refused to speak out for fear of being overheard by their family members. they appeared more comfortable writing down their experiences in the chat box of google meet. lack of free space at home to share their ideas and family restrictions in freely expressing themselves came out quite vividly in many instances (classroom discussions). as the one below by shobha would illustrate: i feel hesitant to talk because everybody at home listens and says why do you discuss such issues in class? family matters are private matters. that’s why i like to write in the chat box rather than speak (shobha, classroom discussions) the online class could not provide the girls with a break from their patriarchal home set ups, something the offline classes in college could, being separate from the home and offering the girls a space of relief and liberty. the loss of the de facto classroom was also a loss of their social sphere where they would spend time and share with their peers, giving voice to their feelings and thoughts freely. this points to a phenomenon that online pedagogy in the home environment could reinforce a culture of silence among girls while offline classrooms in the colleges gave them a scope for voicing. it is to remember that historically the shift from homeschooling within the four walls of the household to the public schools in public space was a watershed in the status of women’s education and empowerment in that it not only broke the societal restrictions on the movement of girls outside their homes and taboos on their education but also marked the freedom of girls and women to venture out, meet their peers and take part in the outer world as boys did. to voice out sufferings, share and care are crucial in overcoming gender barriers. gender impact of economic stress the massive loss of jobs and livelihoods due to the pandemic-induced lockdown has had an impact on the lives of girls. because of job loss, salary cuts and reduced pay packages of their parents due to covid running the household turned out to be quite a tough proposition. many studentteachers reported that they have had to supplement their family income by giving tuition which formed a major chunk of their daily routine, along with domestic chores. these college students shared that they had to multitask alongside online classes. they not only engaged in domestic chores while taking classes but also gave tuition to supplement the family income. student-teacher reeta stated: “my father lost his job and it became difficult to manage household expenditure; we had to contribute in whatever ways possible. what i could have done was to give tuition and earn. my brother didn’t do any job because nothing was available” indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 207 (reeta, classroom discussions) although part-time jobs helped the family in overcoming economic distress, they also brought about undue stress and anxiety, creating difficulties in managing their regular studies (classroom discussions). there was a phenomenal rise in paid private tuition during the pandemic (from less than 30 per cent in 2018 to 40 per cent in 2021). the increase happened highest among the less advantaged among ‘low’ parental education category children, tuition taking rose by 12.6 per cent compared to 7.2 per cent in the ‘high’ education category (aser 2021). such paid tuition work is what these studentteachers mostly avail to supplement their family income. although it is an economic impact of the pandemic and not of online education per se, the point here is that economic stress is borne by poorer sections and within them, the girls and women have to sacrifice or compromise their education. the access of girls to online pedagogy and utilisation thereof is also got shaped by larger socio-economic processes. many girls had to sacrifice their studies to earn or supplement the family income to support families. my father’s salary was reduced to half of what it was earlier and i have two siblings also. in order to run the household, i started giving tuition along with my college online classes and school internship classes to supplement the family income and assist my father in running the household. it was a difficult time for our family (neetu, student-teacher, interview). the economic impact of the pandemic was more severe on the working class and the deprived and marginalised sections of society. online pedagogy should be situated in the larger socioeconomic dynamics and within that the gender dynamics to understand who got deprived and who could access and how much. unmuting gender issues: situation of school girls low attendance of girls in online classes during the online school internship programme, the foremost issue observed was the lack of availability of digital devices for the primary class students to access online classes. student-teachers reported low attendance of girls in the online classes. the attendance of most of the girls depended on the availability of digital devices and also that it did not clash with their brothers’ classes. secondly, it was due to their preoccupation with household tasks. even little girls were found to be looking after their younger siblings and feeding them when their mother was busy at home. the studentteachers often expressed their hard struggle to ensure the participation of girl students. it was difficult to sustain their interest and keep them motivated amidst numerous calls to run short errands. moreover, their access to digital devices remained limited since their brothers usually had an upper hand in using gadgets. to ensure their attendance, they would call them up telephonically before the class began. in a particular case, a girl student missed many classes because at the time of her class, often her parents would be out of home for some work and she did not have any device to join her online class. consequently, a lag in learning becomes evident, underlining the adverse impact of the pandemic on learning. this has also been highlighted in the annual status of education report 2021 (editorial, epw 2021). routinisation of domestic realm several studies on gender disparities indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 208 reveal that boys enjoy more entitlements than girls within the family in terms of nutrition, education, expenditure and access to gadgets, not to mention the property in de facto terms (dreze and sen 2002). the participation of girls in online classes usually remained low because they lacked both the resources and the entitlements to join these classes, as seen above. an instance from student-teacher rama’s class ii would reveal it vividly. around 3 pm, before i was about to call hamza (a 7-year-old student of class-ii) to take her online class, she rang me up to inform me that she would not be able to attend the class as she was expected to feed her younger brother. hamza was often busy in child-rearing and took care of her siblings. hamza did not know if delhi is a part of india but she accurately knew the time it takes to warm the milk such that it is not too hot or cold to give to her little brother (rama, classroom discussions). families generally rely on the labour of girls for various domestic chores. as sunderi, student-teacher of class v stated: 10-yr old preeti in my class finished household tasks like washing utensils and clothes and helping her mother in the kitchen and then only sat down to attend her online class. even in between the class she attended to calls for domestic tasks (sunderi, interview). similarly, student-teacher vidya reported that an eight-year-old girl, sirisha, a student of class-iii, was unable to focus on her studies. after sirisha washed the dishes, she took a pan bigger than her little fingers to cook rice. she was unable to hold the pan with just one hand since she had inflicted a wound on the other hand while cutting vegetables. afterwards, she woke up her siblings and baked chapatis for them (vidya, classroom discussions). student-teacher shraddha also reported that most girl children in her class (class iv) only responded over audio and kept their videos switched off so that they could attend to routine domestic chores in the meanwhile. the student-teachers identified the following reasons for low attendance of girls: engagement in domestic tasks, family responsibilities, low accountability towards girls’ education and lack of access to equipment/devices to take online classes, among others. families also usually delegate the task of looking after the younger and older family members to girls (classroom discussions). taken for granted status the marginal status of girls in households is the main determinant of their low educational status (wazir (ed.) 2000). in an incident, it was learnt that a class iv girl student tanya’s family wanted a boy child and vowed to shave their daughter’s hair if blessed with a son. when her brother was born, tanya’s head was shaved off. as a result, she refused to show herself in class, feeling conscious of her tonsured look and being sad about losing her hair. such instances underline the taken-for-granted status of girls within the family which impacts their lives and educational contexts. gender socialization silence is a major aspect of their gender socialisation and is taught early to girls. girls learn to express their thoughts in socially acceptable ways and avoid mannerisms and behaviour that might result in their negative representation indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 209 of the image. to illustrate, during a role-play activity in a student-teacher’s class during the internship, wherein learners had to play the role of vegetable sellers, the girls chose male names and identities and dressed up like males with moustaches and beards highlighting as if only males play such professional roles which is not congruent with reality because vegetable vending is also done majorly by women. similarly, during another activity, the student-teachers asked the learners to share their future goals. a girl wanted to be a dancer while another one wanted to be a singer. on the other hand, boys either wanted to be doctors or pilots or ias officers. boys appeared to be more aware of their future goals as compared to girls they also seem to possess more sense of entitlement than girls (classroom discussions). gender socialisation nurtures girls and boys in quite stereotyped roles (dube 1988) girls often tend to internalise that their brother’s academic engagement is more significant and remunerative than their own. they start considering their brothers superior to them in many ways. this is a consequence of their gender socialisation at home and community. as student-teacher pushpa, teaching in class viii narrated: mala (class viii) always left her class 15-20 minutes early as her brother had to attend his class. she said that she has to ensure the timely participation of her brother in the online class since both of them shared a mobile phone (pushpa, classroom discussions) thus, mala missed crucial time to engage in the teaching-learning process and compromised her own education to an extent. the focus that existed in offline classes seemed to be missing in online classes. students have by now learnt how to multi-task at home and during classes they usually are also busy finishing other household chores or family engagements. a student-teacher found out that a girl student had to assist her parents in the family shop while attending her classes. on the other hand, her brothers only attended their classes and were not involved in any other household activity. thus, gender bias in participation in learning was clearly evident in online pedagogy. this aspect of the gender burden of family labour has already been discussed in the context of college girls as well. gendered behaviours in online classes gender socialization begins early in life and we can see its role in the realisation of femininity among girls and masculinity among boys. the pandemic has reinforced such divides whereby girls have become more reclusive while boys continue to be more outgoing and vociferous. online education has pushed children back to the screens, making them more acquainted with various applications like zoom, google meet and whatsapp. however, more boys than girls now possess their own phones or other gadgets. as a class-v student mini stated: i have to borrow a phone from my mother/father to attend classes while my brother always has easy access to the phone. father says he won’t buy phones for every child and asks me to adjust till the regular school resumes (mini, direct observation) both boys and girls were quite conscious of their screen images. they wanted to look smart and presentable. girls especially appeared more conscious of their looks and only with some reluctance agreed to keep the video on (classroom discussions). studentteachers had to devote the initial time of the class to ensure the attendance indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 210 and participation of the learners. as student-teacher sita observes: i have to repeatedly request students to switch on their cameras. some, especially girls, are quite hesitant to do so (sita, classroom discussions). online education is a novel means of communication facilitating learning during pandemics and epidemics. the virtual world made itself real for children and they learnt to cope with adversities and pursue education. however, diversions and distractions have also surfaced adversely impacting the goals of education. these patterns of distractions also exhibit gendered characteristics. often, boys were seen engaging in games based on video games and play stations which are appbased while girls engaged in discussing household routines (observation of internship classes). most boys usually have both resources and space to manoeuvre as per their interests and hobbies. girls usually have little interest or time to include such games as part of their daily routines. these are rooted in the early process of gender socialization. during the supervision of student-teachers, often more boys than girls were observed changing their screen backgrounds and trying to apply different images on the screen in the online class (direct observation; classroom discussions). this adventurism with digital gadgets by boys has to do with issues of socialisation and masculine behaviour, access and a sense of carefreeness which boys tend to adopt early in life, while girls remain behind. online classes and degrees of unfreedom social interaction has a significant impact on successful e-learning as it promotes learning engagement (carini et al. 2006). sher (2009) observes that student-instructor interaction and student-student interaction play an important role in ensuring student learning and satisfaction. as per song et al. (2004) the online courses do not succeed in giving scope for social group formation among students. a study by mutluri and kumar (2022) reveals that there is very little student-student interaction in online classes. in their study 46.5 per cent of the respondents reported that there is ‘very less interaction’ a significant 33.1 per cent of the respondents mentioned that there was no interaction at all. similarly, verma and verma (2022) in their study on the transition from traditional to online pedagogy report that lack of interaction is the second biggest challenge faced by educators and students, following internet/network issues. in offline classroom discussions during the 4th year ‘gender and schooling’ course for student-teachers, sharing of personal experiences and reflections on events, places and people form important aspects of classroom pedagogy for understanding concepts. however, in online classes, students frequently abstained from sharing their thoughts, ideas and beliefs or feelings with the class. they were conscious of the presence of their family members around them who perhaps would not appreciate their ideas or expressions. in this sense, the online class could not succeed in creating a “classroom” as much as the liberating environment that the classroom offers to girls. as a limited solution, the chat box in google meet came to be of help in putting forth and expressing their critical ideas related to gender and sexuality (classroom observation). as student-teacher tara stated: i enjoyed coming to the class because it was a relief from the home environment and neighbourhood. i used to sit and read in the college library where i could have time indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 211 and focus. now with these online classes, we are virtually confined and education seems just reading and writing. i feel my personality development has been hampered by not being able to come to college (tara, classroom discussions). though girls openly hesitate to admit this fact yet they express how they miss the space to delve deeper into educational theories and practices. home somehow is unable to provide them with that space to expand their academic horizons or explore their underlying thoughts or to build networks of academic discourse (classroom discussions). in family situations, many students felt helpless and depressed because of the lockdown when they could not go outside. as student-teacher laxmi shared, “i miss my friends and time out with them which made me feel happy and relaxed” (interview). such cathartic moments in physical interaction and social groups are necessary to ensure their state of calm, well-being, mental and emotional health. restrictions on mobility the mobility of girls usually gets restricted early in life due to sexualityrelated aspects. the fear of bringing dishonour and shame to the family creates a burden on young girls early in life (bhasin 1993). the lockdown again pushed girls to consider the four walls of their house as their destiny. during the pandemic, girls have further got stuck in the domestic space with little respite. the student-teachers themselves expressed their desire to explore the world outside and breathe fresh air. at home, my brother could go outside for short errands and feel the air outside. however, since i was required for domestic work, i could not venture out of the home on any pretext. corona was not only for me but also for my brother yet i remained indoors for months. i like coming to the college and being on my own. i enjoy being with my friends. all of it is so cathartic and relaxing. i missed it so much (rama, classroom discussions). with gradual opening up and relaxation of lockdown restrictions later, the male members of the family could relatively move freely while the female members were expected to avoid going outside since that mostly disturbed the household work (classroom discussions). conclusion as discussed, the online system of education has created opportunities but also posed challenges. it has also contributed to gender-based inequality at home due to the lack of digital devices to log onto virtual classrooms and the expectation that they have to attend to household chores which preoccupy them, reducing their chances of finishing homework and preparing for their next class in advance. access to technology is based on the availability of devices which as research has shown is difficult to ensure for most girls. the differential access to digital technology and devices, which are prerequisites of the online education system, has deepened the gender disparities among boys and girls in homes, taken away the freedoms enjoyed by girls in the school/ college classroom education system and pushed gender boundaries back to the disadvantage of girls. the new situation of online classes has thrown up new variables which cut across the domains of household, economy, family composition, gender divides and social situations. online education has widened the gendered spaces in the homes thereby restricting the freedom of girls. their unequal access to learning is due to the gendered environment inside the indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 212 home. online education has pushed the classroom to the homeroom. the mere fact of girls coming out of their homes and going to school or college used to mark a decisive break in the life of a girl for whom confinement was the norm. in the school space, girls could claim greater equality and freedom. covid-19 has demonstrated that in crisis circumstances, mostly women would have to bear the burden of work and suffer neglect in other spheres which can empower them. for boys and girls, the availability and usability of online technology in education are not going to be equal given existing unequal power relations and gender discrimination at home. household work, sibling care and pressure to earn a livelihood and bear the financial burden of the family in the wake of financial insecurities and hardships due to the loss of employment of the family breadwinner  have posed numerous challenges for young girls. the loss of the physical classroom setting and shift to online education due to the pandemic brings in fresh insights to understand the home as a reinforcer of gender inequality even when girls technically have access to education. findings from the field underline the role of patriarchal structures in creating unequal access to learning. experiences of student-teachers and reflections on their own lives can be immensely useful to form an understanding of gender dynamics within the family, society and educational realm. references bhasin, kamla (1993) what is patriarchy? kali for women: new delhi bimber, b (2000) ‘measuring the gender gap on the internet’, social science quarterly, 81(3), pp. 868-876 carini, r, kuh, g. & klein, s. (2006) ‘student engagement and student learning: testing the linkages.’  research higher education, 47, pp. 1–32 http://doi.org/10.1007/ s11162-005-8150-9. dreze, jean and amartya sen (2002) development and freedom, oup: new delhi. dube, leela (1988) ‘on the construction of gender: hindu girls in patrilineal india’, economic and political weekly, 23(18), april 30, pp. ws11-ws19 editorial (2021) ‘the debilitating effect of school closures’, epw, november 27, 2021 4(48), pp. 34 government of india (2020) national education policy 2020, ministry of human resource development, new delhi. gsma (2020) ‘connected women: the mobile gender gap report 2020’, h t t p s : / / w w w . g s m a . c o m / m o b i l e f o r d e v e l o p m e n t / w p c o n t e n t / uploads/2020/05/gsma-the-mobile-gender-gap-report-2020.pdf. harini c. & varghese alisha liz, (2021) ‘issues, offline to online: a long way to go’, indian journal of educational technology, 3(2), july 2021 https://www. learntechlib.org/primary/p/15156/. khan, m.a. kamal. t., illiyan, a., asif, m. (2021). ‘school students perception and challenges towards online classes during covid-19 pandemic in india. ‘an econometric analysis.’ sustainability, 13, 4786. https://doi.org/10.3390/ su13094786 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 213 kundu, prativa and sonawane, shivani (2020) ‘impact of covid 19 on school education in india: what are budgetary implications? a policy brief’, centre for budget governance and accountability and child rights and you (cry), new delhi. lenka, ajit & chanchal, rajshree (2020) ‘marginalized children and online learning in ‘quarantine times’’, the eastern herald, 25 april, 2020, https://www. easternherald.com/2020/04/25/marginalized-children-e-learningquarantine/ malhi, prahbhjot, bhavneet bharti, anju gupta & manjit sidhu (2022). ‘post covid-19 challenges of online teaching in higher education institutes: teacher’s experiences and satisfaction’ indian journal of educational technology, 4 (1), january 2022, 11-21 mutluri, abraham & n. pramod kumar (2022). ‘paradigm shift in learning and teaching: problems faced by the students to attend online classes during covid-19 pandemic.’ indian journal of educational technology, 4(1), january. pp. 150-165 pandey padmini & u.v. kiran. (2021), ‘covid-19 outbreak: e learning resources and online classes, advantages and disadvantages.’ indian journal of educational technology, 3( 2), july, pp. 220-229 reddy, bheemeshwar & jose, vaidehi (2020) ‘of access and inclusivity: digital divide in online education’, economic and political weekly, september 5, 4 (36), pp. 23-26 rodriguez, liah (2020) ‘covid-19 is undoing 70 years of girls’ education progress in india’, https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/covid-19-impact-indiagirls-education/, july 15, 2020 rte (2021) ‘policy brief on girls’ education’, rte forum, new delhi, https://www.careindia.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/policy-brief-girlseducation.pdf sarkar, susanti (2021) ‘international day of the girl child 2021’, october 11, https://mediaindia.eu/society/international-day-of-the-girl-child-2021pandemicwidens-gender-gap-in-india/. sher, ali (2009) ‘assessing the relationship of student-instructor and student student interaction to student learning and satisfaction in web-based online learning environment’, journal of interactive online learning, 8 (2), 102-120 song, l., singhleton, e.s., hill, j.r., & koh, m.h. (2004) ‘improving online learning: student perceptions of useful and challenging characteristics’, the internet and higher education, 7, pp. 59-70. srivastava sarika & anupama chirag dave (2021) ‘covid-19 scenario of online education: a study based on acceptance level of online learning among students of gujarat during lock down’, indian journal of educational technology, 3(2), july 2021, pp.40-55 toor kamalpreet kaur & singh, vikram (2022). ‘how does socio-educational and family factors predict internet usage in higher education?’, indian journal of educational technology, volume 4(1), january 2022, pp.166-178 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 2, july 2022 214 varghese, t., niveditha, d., & krishnatray, p. (2013). ‘teenagers’ use of social networking media in south indian state’, international journal of scientific and engineering, 4(12), pp. 622-636 verma, vaibhav & verma, rishabh (2022). ‘the transition from traditional to digital teaching-learning due to covid-19: a comparative study’, indian journal of educational technology, volume 4, issue 1, january 2022, 01-10 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 179 research article perception and preference of school student’s towards e-classrooms in india during covid-19 pandemic pratibha barik asst. professor, kushabhau thakre journalism and mass communication university, raipur (c.g.) e-mail id: pratibha.barik@gmail.com & f19pratibhab@iima.ac.in abstract after the outbreak of corona, india’s traditional education structure was completely shifted to e-classrooms. many educational institutions, however, welcomed this new technology development without first examining the availability, price, accessibility, and acceptability of virtual learning among young, developing students. the purpose of the research was to focus on the perception and preference of e-learning of indian school students from class v to xii with the help of an online survey of 816 respondents. the attempt was made to uncover the concrete issues of online classes faced by the school students and further suggestions on how to best utilize this integrated approach in the school education system in near future. thus, the study addresses the student’s perspective towards virtual classes and their expectation and experience to further improve the online education system. the study revealed that students are well equipped with the devices as well as technical knowledge and have good internet connectivity. the students opined that online classes are not effective as it requires self-motivation as well as a lack of direct interaction with the teachers and fellow-mates. however, they appreciated the convenience of e-classrooms, and many felt alienated as a result of their isolation, whereas sitting in front of a computer makes them feel drowsy, and many complained of eye problems. but in the school education system full model of virtual learning may not be possible, but a blended approach can be practiced. key words: online classrooms, e-learning, e-classrooms, virtual classrooms, covid-19   introduction covid-19, a novel coronavirus disease shattered the world and countries were enforced to impose the closures of educational institutions. the indian education system also transformed from traditional classrooms to e-classrooms soon after the first lockdown which was imposed in india on 25th march 2020 and more than 320 million students were affected due to the closure of the school and higher education (according to unesco 2020). this brought a challenge for the educationalist thinktankers, how to continue the learning with traditional teaching methods as lockdown and social distancing was the only ways to slow down the spread of coronavirus. the burden to complete the syllabi within the stipulated academic calendar time frame was a big challenge for them. according to john dewey, american philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer, strongly argued that good education must lead the child’s current interests and abilities organically to logically organized human knowledge. this pandemic has utterly disrupted and raised a question on the indian education system, that’s why our education system in this digital era is indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 180 lagging. though, e-learning is now being heralded as the key to transforming the education sector, in a country like india benefits of virtual classrooms accrue to those for whom the technology is affordable, accessible and adaptable. the study is relevant as school children aged 11 to 18 years old usually use mobile solely to play games or to chat on social media, but today they must sit and study with this device. this unprecedented implementation of the online mode in the education system caught everyone off guard, so in this context, the experience of the students can be helpful to incorporate the e-classrooms in a more convenient and productive way. further, the adaptation of e-learning among students and teachers teaching with this new pedagogy is appreciable. this flourishing technology and innovative change have initiated challenges in the education system with a new learning for both students and teachers. hence, the results of the study can be significant inputs on deciding various attributes necessary for the adaptation of a blended education system approach. in the next section, a brief review of literature is provided, preceded by a research methodology section and then discussion on results and implications of the study with concluding remarks. objectives of the study 1. to explore the attitude and perceptions of school children who have adopted e-classes during covid-19 pandemic. 2. to identify the factors for improving academic performance by adopting e-classes. 3. to identify the future prospect of e-learning in the school education system. review of literature the technological advancement in the current education system has forced educators to think about ways to design online content. for the designing of online course content, preference and perceptions of learners are necessary to be considered for an effective and efficient learning process. preference refers to the willingness of the students to adopt the blended learning approach and factors influencing the e-classrooms. during this difficult period, the main worry is not whether online teaching-learning methods can provide high-quality education, but rather how academic institutions will be able to implement online learning on such a large scale. (carey, 2020). the concept of readiness for online learning was proposed by warner et. al. 1998. readiness of vet clients for flexible delivery including online learning (brisbane: australian national training authority.) in australian vocational education and training sectors, describing three main aspects: preference of the students for online learning, students’ self-confidence with their technological competency and trust in internet and capability to engage in self-directed learning. the concept was further researched by many researchers, smith et al.2003 revealed two preferred factors “comfort with e-learning” and “self-management of learning” are the preferred factors in e-learning. singh & thurman, 2019 defines online learning as learning experiences in synchronous or asynchronous environments using different devices (e.g., mobile phones, laptops, etc.) with internet access. in these environments, students can be anywhere (independent) to learn and interact with instructors and other students”. according to lin and hsieh (2001); mcvay (2001), online learning requires self-directed motivation and learner’s control by reeves (1993) and indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 181 online communication self-efficacy by roper (2007). further basilaia et al., 2020 highlighted that e-classrooms can be successful when there are basic arrangements like, a video conferencing with at least 40 to 50 students can join, good internet connections, lectures accessible on mobile phones also, discussions with students can be done, pre-recorded lectures facility so that students can watch those videos later and instant feedback from students can be achieved and assignments can be taken. previous researchers have documented the favourable and unfavourable perceptions of the students towards online learning mode. apart from favourable conditions, some researchers revealed that students in an online course lack social group formation in an e-learning environment by song et.al (2004). as gunawardena revealed that social presence is a must to maintain the flair in the education system, if the social presence is low the interaction in learning is also low. other than this, social interaction is even essential for successful learning as it promotes learning engagement (carini r, kuh g, and klein, 2006). several studies indicated that students teachers interaction have a significant impact on the students’ perception of virtual classes. various drawbacks were also described by the previous researchers, lack of a sense of community and/or feelings of isolation by vonderwell (2003); lin and zane (2005); sometimes technical problems persist by piccoli et al. (2001); song et al. (2004), delay in responses by petrides (2002); vonderwell (2003), problems in collaborating with the colearners, piccoli et al. (2001); song et al. (2004). further, the weakness of online learning, according to golladay et al. (2000) and serwatka (2003) are e-classrooms that require greater discipline, self-motivation and writing skills as well as self-directed time management. many educational institutes are implementing e-learning as an important method in the modern education era due to its flexibility, ease of use, low cost and to overcome the problem of shortage of faculty members (linjawi and alfadda 2018). further, many studies have been conducted to acknowledge the students’ perception towards e-learning and according to many students loved e-learning, but many gave preference to traditional methods. popovinci and mironov (2015) suggested that acceptance of new technology depends upon its needs and demands, hence e-learning can be acceptable when students find it helpful and fruitful for their studies, whereas lack of information technology skill and internet connectivity can prompt negative perception towards e-learning (silviyanti t m and yusuf y q 2015). many studies have also supported the fact that online class will be as effective as a traditional class if it is designed appropriately (nguyen, 2015). but very few attempts have been made to understand the perception of school students regarding online classes. further, attempts have not been done in this line of school students as traditional teaching is always preferred, so the researcher will try to fill the gap by focusing on the perception of school students towards online learning methodology. data and methods participants 5 english medium schools were randomly selected from raipur city, chhattisgarh and a total sample size of 1000 was selected for the study. initially, the key informants from these 5 schools were identified for an online survey. the link for the google form indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 182 was sent to the key informants through whatsapp and e-mail. after submitting their responses, they circulated the questionnaire among other students like snowball sampling. based on equal ratio proportionate random sampling, from each school, 200 students were randomly selected for the study. total 1000 questionnaires were e-mailed to the students among which 816 participants responded that the relevant rest were rejected from the study. it includes 108 from vth –vith, 156 from viith-viiith, 312 from ixth-xth and 240 from xith-xiith. among them 553 male and 263 female procedures initially, the key respondents were identified from various english medium private schools where the online classes were implemented full-fledged for the online survey. a structured preliminary questionnaire was designed with the help of a literature review and further inputs were taken from discussions with the students. a pilot survey was done with 43 students and feedback was considered for the final questionnaire design the questionnaire was prepared in google form to be sent through e-mail and whatsapp to the students or on their parent’s mobile/e-mail address. the final electronic survey was conducted from august 2020 and closed in november 2020. data analysis the data were collected from the school student’s, attending regular online classes and further, the study was followed with the learner’s perception, preference, availability, constraints, disadvantages, and valuable suggestions. the electronic survey was a researcher generated instrument, blended with a quantitative questionnaire consisting of 29 items on a 5-likert scale and few demographic questions. the data was gathered about: technological competencies and the internet (6 items), attitude towards online classrooms (7 items), flexibility and convenience (5 items), interrelationship with teachers and fellowmates (5 items) and health problems (6 items). the electronic pilot survey was conducted on a small sample of students and minor corrections were done based on the respondent’s feedback. the reliability of the questionnaire was tested through cronbach alpha correlation test (see table.1). table-1: cronbach alpha test s. no. items cronbach’s alpha  1 technical knowledge and internet connectivity  .879  2 online classrooms  .767  3 inter-relationship  .709  4 flexible and convenience  .765  5 health issues  .890 the perception of the students was summarized and analysed by the measure attitudes developed in 1932 by rensis likert, the typical likert scale of 5-point ordinal scale used by respondents to rate the degree to which they agree or disagree with a statement. the likert 5-point scale is considered indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 183 an interval scale. the mean is very significant. from 1 to 1.80 it means strongly disagree, 1.81 to 2.60 means disagree, 2.61 to 3.40 means neutral, 3.41 to 4.20 means agree and 4.21 to 5 mean strongly agree. for data analysis, frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation were calculated to summarize the data. results findings from the analysis of quantitative data gathered from the present study are presented below: basic information regarding online classes due to the covid-19 pandemic the closure of the schools and colleges compel the students for adapt of e-learning, though 21 percent of students suggested the suspension of classes and 5 percent of reading material and assignments should be provided to them. hence, this probes into the matter to analyze the perception of students towards e-learning. (see table.2) table-2: basic information regarding online classes questions response percentage did you attend any online course   earlier? no 87   yes 13 whether your school has begun online classes in the wake of corona? no   yes 1 what will you suggest to meet the current situation? curriculum schedule can be suspended 21   assignments and reading materials can be provided 5   managing with online classes 74 daily screen timing the below figure 1 predicts that 312 students screen timing is from 1-3 hours and only 114 students screen timing is more than 9 hours. figure-1: daily screen timing indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 184 internet connectivity it was found that (608) 75 percent the students have good internet connections in their house. hence, the student’s do not face many technical issues related to weak connectivity, joining problem or instructor’s voice issue. figure-2: internet connectivity device availability majority of the respondents use their parent’s smartphones and laptops (53 percent of the respondents). hence, they do not have a problem of availability of the device for attending online classes (see table-3). table-3: availability of devices available device for the students total no. of students percentage my smart phone, my laptop, parent smart phone 48 6 my smart phone, parent mobile 144 18 my laptop and parent mobile 95 12 my laptop and parent laptop 52 6 my tablet and parent mobile 45 6 my parents mobile and laptop 432 53 respondent’s perception towards online learning 1. technical knowledge and internet connectivity the result on the attitude of students towards technical knowledge and internet connectivity revealed that the students have sufficient equipment like smartphones, laptops, tablets, etc. to participate in online classes and do not suffer from internet connectivity problems. but for the guidance provided before the implementation of online classes and having sufficient data for online classes, they were neutral. as many expressed that after 2-3 classes their net data pack get over. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 185 table-4: descriptive statistics on the attitude of students towards technical knowledge and internet connectivity  questions min max mean sd 1.you have sufficient equipment and facilities (computer/laptop/internet/software) to participate for online lectures 1.00 5.00 3.55 1.16 2.you have sufficient computer knowledge and it skills to manage your online learning 1.00 5.00 3.51 1.15 3.guidelines are provided (ex. how to use relevant online tools) before starting online lectures by your lecturer 1.00 5.00 3.28 1.25 4.have good internet connectivity 1.00 5.00 3.43 1.19 5.have sufficient data for online classes 1.00 5.00 3.34 1.26 2. attitude of students towards online classrooms table 5 reflects the attitude of students towards online classes. the below table depicts that the statement “online tools are easy to use” and “happy about online teaching methods and lecture materials” students were neutral. the students disagreed that online lectures are more effective than traditional classrooms and online learning is fun for them. they were neutral on the questions that with online classes they gained new experience and it has reduced their writing work. table-5: descriptive statistics on attitude of students towards online classrooms  questions min max mean sd 1.online tools are easy to use 1.00 5.00 3.22 1.19 2.happy about online teaching methods and lecture materials 1.00 5.00 2.86 1.23 3.online lectures are effective than traditional/ live classroom lectures 1.00 5.00 2.06 1.12 4.using online learning is fun 1.00 5.00 2.56 1.20 5.gained experience of learning in a new online environment 1.00 5.00 3.36 1.23 6.lack of written work 1.00 5.00 3.18 1.32 3. students relationship with their teachers and fellow mates the result depicted in table 6 that during online classes’ students lack contact with their teachers as well as classmates and they were unhappy about their interrelationship with their fellow-mates and teachers during e-classrooms. students agreed that the lectures and notes are not sufficient for them, and they were neutral to the point that they get the proper facility to clear their doubts. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 186 table-6: descriptive statistics on students relationships with their teachers and fellow mates  questions min max mean sd 1.lack of direct contact with other students/colleagues/friends 1.00 5.00 3.80 1.21 2.lectures and notes are sufficient for me to understand the topics 1.00 5.00 2.69 1.23 3.are you happy about the student-teacher interaction during online teaching & learning process 1.00 5.00 2.80 1.22 4.do you have facility to ask questions or clear doubts during online lectures 1.00 5.00 3.21 1.24 4. attitude of students towards flexibility of online classrooms table 7 displays that student were neutral on the flexibility of online lectures as time schedules were fixed for the classes, but they enjoyed the flexibility of study location as from anywhere they can access online classes. student’s responses towards the motivation for online lecturers were neutral as well as on finding a suitable home environment for e-classrooms. table-7: descriptive statistics on attitude of students towards flexibility of online classrooms  questions min max mean sd 1.flexibility in participating for online lectures 1.00 5.00 3.06 1.23 2.motivation is high in participating online lectures 1.00 5.00 2.86 1.15 3.home environment is suitable for participating online lectures 1.00 5.00 3.05 1.31 4.study location becomes flexible 1.00 5.00 3.44 1.26 5. health issues of students table 8 revealed that due to online classes students suffer from headache problems, irritation in the ears, feeling tired and lethargic and excessive screen timing causes eye problems. they were neutral on the statements that “frustration and lack of interest during lockdown” and “complain about pain on backs, shoulders and neck. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 187 table-8: descriptive statistics on health issues of students due to online classes   questions min max mean sd 1.frustration and lack of interest in learning while being locked down 1.00 5.00 3.09 1.41 2.have complain about extreme pain on backs, shoulders, and neck muscles because of slouching or straining for long periods of time 1.00 5.00 3.18 1.30 3.due to long screen timing have headache problem 1.00 5.00 3.38 1.35 4. excessive use of headphones irritates my ears 1.00 5.00 3.44 1.33 5.feel tired and lethargy due to excess sitting posture 1.00 5.00 3.67 1.31 6.excessive use of screen creates my problem in eyes 1.00 5.00 3.65 1.36 discussion the primary purpose of this research was to examine the perception and preference of school students regarding online classes and to explore the favourable factors useful in future for the blended teaching approach. the study has identified the successfulness and hindrance factors of online learning with respect to student’s perceptions. the factor identified for the successful implementation of e-learning where online classes should not be for long hours as to avoid physical problems due to prolonged sitting posture and working with electronic gadgets, which is supported by thompson’s (2014) revealed the formula of work for 52 min and have to break for 17 min. further, the technical proficiency of learners too is a major requirement for the efficient usage of online classrooms. apart from this, students enjoy the location flexibility and convenience to work in e-classrooms as they have the freedom to join their class anywhere from their home as well as use mobile, laptop, or tablet as per their convenience. poole (2000) found that class schedules should be fixed as per the convenience of student’s and online classrooms can be made better if pre-recorded videos are uploaded so that students can access it anytime. school education system is based on a strong bond between teachers and students, but in online classes it lacks. according to johnson et al. (2008) for the satisfaction of participants, e-learning requires a developed and a collaborative learning space, whereas a strong correlation between learner’s social presence and their over satisfaction (gunawardena and zittle, 1997). further, health issues are one of the major constraints as prolonged uses of electronic devices have the worst effect on their eyes and make them lethargic. in the school education system where the students are learning to be disciplined and collaborative, shifting completely to online mode is very difficult and impossible. hence, the factors found favourable for the successful implementation of e-learning were: indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 188 table-9: factors affecting the success of online classes factors identified availability of device requires suitable devices and electronic gadgets internet accessibility good internet connectivity to attend the classes without interruption data pack sufficient data pack to attend all the classes regularly technical skills knowledge of computer and internet is required easy to use user friendly and less writing work instructor’s competency instructor should be well trained and efficient in computer knowledge flexibility study anywhere and any time interactive inter-relationship between teacher’s-student’s and student’sstudent’s. allowed to switch on their mice as well as cameras regularly motivation needed self-discipline and goal direction time schedule online classes should not be more than 2-3 hours health issues students’ regular follow-up on their health should be taken care soon the school education may think of a blended approach as for small kids’ self-direction study is very difficult. the finding of the study will be very useful in designing the effective structure of online classes as well as for the development of course content for e-learning. conclusions at present, it may be too early to speak about the adaptation of e-learning among students and teachers, but it is necessary to address the constraints and challenges of student’s during e-classes. the findings of the study revealed that most of the school students have adopted the e-classroom pedagogy very successfully. e-learning turned out to be a successful methodology during the pandemic. but students did not find this teaching methodology much effective in comparison to traditional classrooms. further, students enjoyed the flexibility and convenience of virtual classrooms, but they do not have the flexibility to learn anytime as the timetable was fixed and mandated, whereas they enjoyed the convenience of e-classrooms as they were free to join from anywhere. students feel isolated and lack interaction with teachers and fellowmates as the class timing is fixed and they must keep their mice and cameras off during the classes. apart from this due to excessive use of technology, students suffer from eyesight problems, some have irritation in ears because of excessive use of headphones and sitting for long hours make them lethargic. hence, all these factors should be considered while developing e-learning courses at school level to make it more effective. after the covid period is over this new learning will provide a new platform in the indian education system, but it requires a systematic planning and implementation. the outcome of this study will be useful for redesigning blended teaching methodology in the school education system. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 189 references basilaia, g., dgebuadze, m., kantaria, m., & chokhonelidze, g. 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(2004). the effects of teacher social presence on student satisfaction, engagement, and learning. journal of educational computing research, 31(3), 247–271. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 191 websites https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/e-learning-in-india-a-case-of-bad-education/ article32672071.ece https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/coronavirus-education-global-covid19-onlinedigital-learning/. https://government.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/education/how-lockdownreveals-actual-state-of-e-education-in-india/75803841 indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 92 research article effectiveness of online grievance redressal and management system: a case study of ignou learners upendra nabh tripathi1, amit kumar srivastava2 & bhanu pratap singh3 1regional director (i/c), ignou regional centre, varanasi, uttar pradesh, india 2deputy director, regional services division, ignou, new delhi, india, email: amit.aks@gmail.com 3assistant director, regional services division, ignou, new delhi, india abstract online grievance redressal systems have a very crucial role in retention of learners in open and distance learning (odl) systems where learners are geographically away from institution, teachers and peer group and they get very few opportunities otherwise to get their grievances resolved. at any given time ignou is having enrolment of more than 3 million and to address grievances of these large numbers of learners, an online grievance redressal and management mechanism has been developed. in this paper, effectiveness of ignou online grievance redressal and management system (igram) in handling learners’ grievances have been examined by carrying out a survey among the learners who have used igram for their grievance redressal. a questionnaire was developed and administered online to igram users. apart from demographic questions the survey model consists of a set of statements regarding effectiveness of igram portal in handling learners’ grievances. survey results show that majority of learners were satisfied with this online grievance redressal and management system of ignou, however, with few additions/changes like development of mobile app based igram portal, by addressing issue of non-receipt of study material and by putting more efforts in its popularization, igram can be made more effective. keywords: online grievance redressal, open and distance education (odl), learners, learner support, igram, ignou introduction grievance is generally defined as any communication that expresses dissatisfaction about an action or lack of action, about the standard of service/ deficiency of service of an institute and the complainant asks for remedial action. grievance redress mechanism is part and parcel of the machinery of any academic institution. no academic institution can claim to be accountable, responsive and student-friendly unless it has established an efficient and effective grievance redress mechanism. in fact, the grievance redress mechanism of an academic institution is the gauge to measure its efficiency and effectiveness as it provides important feedback on indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 93 the working of the institution. in open and distance learning (odl) institutions, grievance redressal and management are a very important component as it critically supports the final learning outcome of the learners. in odl, learners do not get regular opportunities to interact with their peer group and tutors and learners perform a major part of their studies themselves. in comparison, in conventional mode of higher education, students regularly visit their institutions and they have ample opportunities to get their grievances resolved. ignou has an enrollment of more than 3 million learners and the total fresh intake of learners in 2019, was close to 7.67 lakhs, spread across the 56 regional centers (rcs), 11 recognized regional centers (rrcs) of the army, navy & assam rifles and nearly 1800 learner support centres (lscs) located across different states of india at various places. to address grievances of this huge number of learners, ignou has various mechanisms like e-mail, telephone, by post, social media etc. however, to provide a onestop integrated it solution for all types of student grievances in an efficient, effective and transparent manner a learner friendly grievance redressal web portal named, 'ignou grievance redress and management” (igram) was launched by the university. after being on hold for a while for upgradation, it was relaunched with modification and addition of new features on 5th september, 2018 (ignou annual report, 2018-19). prior to the launch of the integrated grievance management system, igram, the university has a system of redressing grievances of the students through email/phone/face to face interactions through help desks at regional centres. however, one of the biggest limitations of such a system was that tracking of the grievance in terms of its status, earlier reply given & its correlation was not possible. besides this the top management is also not able to track how many grievances are pending at different levels i.e. regional centres, schools of studies, divisions along with the areas to which it relates, so as to take corrective measures on it. with the help of igram university is able to consolidate the different levels/areas in where grievances are emerging, so that appropriate policy interventions could be taken to minimize the grievances of different stakeholders. as per the national education policy 2020, odl must play a significant role in increasing gross enrollment ratio (ger) to 50percent by 2035. in order to support it’s essential that the innovation and expansion of odl must be encouraged, while ensuring quality at the same time. at the same time there is an urgent need to institutionalize learner support services at all institutions offering odl. these must be as responsive, effective and relevant as the ones on offer for full time students of the same higher educational institution (hei). these services will include: providing learning material (e.g. hosting courseware, repositories, open educational resources or oers, moocs), support from help desk services, tutoring and counselling, conduct of classes (through webinars, discussion forums, webcasting), library facilities, virtual labs, e-learning modules, timely feedback indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 94 on performance, online examinations, declaration of results, granting of certifications, redressal of grievances, etc. it ensures the delivery of time-bound and reliable quality of student services and grievance redressal; fines or other penalties or actions may be suitably levied on the concerned persons if not delivered as promised. review of the related literature mukerji, s. and tripathi, p. (2005), deliberated in detail about the different dimensions of the quality education through open and distance learning institutions in india with the primary focus on the student support imparted at different levels i.e. learner support centres, regional centres, hq etc. arambewela et al. (2005) indicated that the quality of education, adequacy of student facilities, reputation of the institutions, marketability of degrees for better career prospects, and the overall customer value provided by the universities were the most important factors that had a strong impact on student satisfaction. it was revealed that students, in general, were satisfied with teaching quality and the quality of lecturers, but were unhappy with the university support and facilities. the use of the internet in the operation of government institutions has been emphasized by many workers (cohen and eimicke, 2002; jorgensen and cable, 2002). the worldwide explosion and acceptance of the internet has shaped several implications for the public sector. rather than duplicating their traditional brick and mortar equivalents, government agencies with digital delivery systems are non-hierarchical, non-linear, interactive in nature, and never closed (schaupp et al., 2010; west, 2008). the current development of e-government services has opened new opportunities to deliver information and services more conveniently and cost effectively to the citizens (wang and shih, 2009). nowadays the existence of an online system to redress grievances of the public is an integral part of e-government. while studying e-governance systems already in use at indira gandhi national open university (ignou) for delivering various student support services online, bhatnagar (2013) concluded that ignou needs to allocate more to its ict budget so that learners and facilitators in its odl system can seamlessly interact and gain in the process. during their study on learner’s expectations on future education policies gowthaman et al. (2017) found that nearly 83.5percent of the learners preferred online grievance submission and redressal and recommended that the odl policy should incorporate technology driven student support. flores (2017) highlighted that support resources must be available at all times for the distance courses and a grievance procedure should always be available for learners, including electronic faculty course evaluations. santosh and dixit (2018) discussed e-governance in the context of distance education and stated that effective use of ict in the education sector will help in enhancing the efficiency, bringing in transparency and cost reduction. subrahmanyam (2018) while discussing use of technology for learner support indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 95 services in ignou highlights effective use of technology by the university for internal processes, digital initiatives being provided for learner’s support, challenges faced in implementation of technology and best ict practices being followed by the university. he also talks about the digital initiatives for learners’ grievance redressal such as ugc (university grants commission) online portal, public grievance portal and other platforms and how these have helped in channelizing the learners’ grievances to the right place for speedy solutions. das and biswas (2018) discusses the current use of ict in higher education in the developing countries, the advantages of the ict tools, and also explores the learner readiness in these countries to use ict for learning purposes. they also describe the different types of learner support services being offered by the odl system and the ict tools being used to offer the services. singh and sahay (2020) analyzed the queries received through igram at ignou regional centre delhi-1 and gave recommendations regarding efforts which may be made to minimize the number of queries at igram further. they advocated the need to include the learner support centres also in igram network so that they may be made to respond through the network itself and thus the response time will be minimized. they also recommended creation of some automated response systems in igram for general queries related to procedures, in order to save time on responses. based upon the above reviews, the need for comprehensive online grievance management is very much essential to manage grievances of millions of learners enrolled in the open and distance learning (odl) institutions. it is also a fact that learners in odl institutions comes from diverse background like some are in jobs, some are freshers preparing for the other competitive examinations, some are doing one additional odl course in addition to the their regular course in other institutions, retired people, jail inmates, transgenders, anganwadi workers etc. and it order to facilitate them to raise query/grievance at the convenience of their home, it’s of utmost importance to have an integrated online support system for learners to resolve their issues related to their course of study. objective of the study the main aim of the study is to analyze the effectiveness of online grievance redressal and management systems for learners in ignou. the specific objectives of the study are as follows: • to study the usefulness of the ignou grievance redressal and management (igram) with reference to demographic variables. • to study use of igram mechanism with respect to ict infrastructure/environment available with the learners. • to study the effectiveness of igram mechanism in resolving learners’ grievances. research methodology a questionnaire based on a 5-point likert scale was designed in which 1 was indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 96 strongly agree, 2 agree, 3 neither agree nor disagree, 4 disagree and 5 strongly disagree. a google form containing the questionnaire was developed and an sms with the link of this google form was sent to 1,200 learners registered under ignou regional centre varanasi who had used igram portal during the period of july 2019 to june 2020 for getting their grievances resolved. there were two sets of questions, the first set asked for demographic and internet access related information and the second set included 11 questions about the effectiveness of the igram portal in resolving learner’s grievances. the questions were drafted in hindi and were structured in such a way that it would be easy for learners to understand the topic and answer properly. the demographic information which was asked for included: learners programme of study, their age and gender, employment and marital status, area (urban or rural) they belong to, device used for internet access, place where they use internet, how they came to know about igram and type of problem they raised on igram. findings and discussion objective 1: in order to examine the usefulness of ignou grievance redressal and management (igram) system with reference to demographic variables, learners were asked some basic questions related to their demography. table-1: data related to demographic variables of igram users demographic variables frequency percentage valid percentage cumulative percentage gender female 21 21.4 21.4 21.4 male 77 78.6 78.6 100 area rural 40 40.8 40.8 40.8 urban 58 59.2 59.2 100 employment status employed 28 28.6 28.6 28.6 unemployed 70 71.4 71.4 100 marital status married 29 29.6 29.6 29.6 unmarried 69 70.4 70.4 100 age group age up to 20 9 9.2 9.2 9.2 age 20-30 63 64.3 64.3 73.5 age 30-40 17 17.3 17.3 90.8 age 40-50 8 8.2 8.2 99 age above 50 1 1 1 100 programme in ignou bachelors 41 41.8 41.8 41.8 certificate 8 8.2 8.2 50 masters 40 40.8 40.8 90.8 indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 97 post graduate diploma 7 7.1 7.1 98 diploma 2 2 2 100 came to know about igram from friend 13 13.3 13.3 13.3 ignou website 71 72.4 72.4 85.7 induction meeting 10 10.2 10.2 95.9 regional centre 2 2 2 98 study centre 2 2 2 100 category of grievances non-receipt of study material 55 56.1 56.1 56.1 non updation of awards/ grades 13 13.3 13.3 69.4 admission related 10 10.2 10.2 79.6 non receipt of degree/ mark-sheet 8 8.2 8.2 87.8 change of electives 2 2 2 89.8 synopsis/ project related 2 2 2 91.8 refund of fee 2 2 2 93.9 others 6 6.1 6.1 100 days in which received response on igram same day 27 27.6 27.6 27.6 in 03 days 32 32.7 32.7 60.3 in 05 days 12 12.2 12.2 72.5 in 10 days 6 6.1 6.1 78.6 more than 10 days 21 21.4 21.4 100 indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 98 interpretation of table total 98 learners, who had used igram portal for getting a response of their grievance, participated in the survey. out of these 98, majorities of the learners were male i.e. 78.6 percent and 21.4 percent were female. 40.8percent of learners using igram were from rural areas and the rest 59.2 percent were from urban areas. availability of internet facilities in rural areas is facilitating rural learners also to use online grievance redressal mechanisms. a good number of learners from rural areas used igram for getting their grievances resolved shows that igram is gaining popularity. out of the total respondents who provided their responses in the survey, 28.6 percent were employed and 71.4 percent learners were unemployed, whereas 29.6 percent learners were married while 70.4 percent were unmarried. maximum 64.3 percent of the respondents belong to the age bracket of 20-30 years, followed by 17.3 percent between 30-40 years, 9.2 percent are of below 20 years, 8.2 percent are in the age bracket of 40-50 years and only 01 percent of the respondents are of above 50 years of age. maximum 41.8 percent of learners who responded to the survey were of bachelor degree programme, followed by 40.8 percent from post graduate degree programme. whereas respondents from certificate programme, post graduate diploma and diploma programme constitute only 8.2 percent, 7.1 percent and 2 percent, respectively. an institution should popularize its grievance redressal mechanism among its clients. in this study 72.4 percent learners reported that they came to know about igram from ignou website, 13.3 percent from friends, 10.2 percent in induction meeting and 2 percent from ignou regional centres (rcs) and equally 2 percent of the student users of igram came to know about it from learner support centres (lscs). it shows that rcs and lscs need to play a more proactive role in popularizing the igram facility among learners. learners should also be informed properly about the availability of online grievance redressal mechanisms in ignou during induction meetings which are held after the start of every academic session on a regular basis. during this study, it was found that maximum grievances received at igram are pertaining to non-receipt of study materials. 56.1 percent of the learners who participated in the survey reported that the grievances raised by them were pertaining to nonreceipt of study materials. as per the present policy of the university, study materials are dispatched to learners from the regional centre as well as the material production and distribution division (mpdd) of the head quarters, addressing the issue of non-receipt of study material can significantly reduce the igram grievances. it was followed by non updation of awards (assignment and term end exam awards) in grade card comprising 13.3 percent of total grievance. 10.2 percent of the grievances were admissions related and 8.2 percent were related to the non-receipt of degree/marksheet, 02 indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 99 percent each related with change of electives, synopsis/project related, refund of fee etc. remaining 6.1 percent of grievances categorized as others were of miscellaneous nature like, evaluation of answer scripts, name/ address correction, examination form submission etc. the grievances in igram are attended to on a day-to-day basis. as per the university’s policy, the grievances received at igram are to be responded to in three working days. in most of the cases at igram the response is given to learners in 03 working days, however, in few cases where the information is to be collected from another place like lscs or from headquarter or in other cases where grievance is to be forwarded to concerned division at headquarters, the response is delayed by another few days. in this study it was found that 27.6 percent learners received a response on the same day of filing their grievance while 32.7 percent learners received their response in 03 days. 12.2 percent learners received responses in 05 days, only 6.1 percent learners received their response in 10 days and in the rest 21.4 percent cases it took more than 10 days to respond to learners. it means in about 60 percent cases learners received their responses within 03 days of submitting their grievance at igram which is as per the university’s policy of responding to learners at igram within 03 working days. objective 2: with reference to this objective feedback from the learners were taken on various parameters related to the availability of the ict infrastructure /environment with them. table-2: data of ict infrastructure available with the igram users ict infrastructure available with learners frequency percentage valid percentage cumulative percentage device used for internet access desktop 2 2 2 2 laptop 6 6.1 6.1 8.2 smart phone 90 91.8 91.8 100 place of internet access cyber cafe 2 2 2 2 home 91 92.9 92.9 94.9 office 5 5.1 5.1 100 interpretation of table in response to the question regarding devices used for internet access, 91.8 percent learners said that they use smartphones for internet access, 6.2 percent use laptops and only 2.0 percent use desktop for internet access. the present igram portal is basically a desktop/laptop version. as more than 90 percent of igram users access the internet on their smartphone, the development of a dedicated mobile app for igram will increase the accessibility of igram. this study reveals that the maximum number of igram users i.e. 92.9 percent access the internet at home, 5.1 percent use the internet in office and only 2 percent users visit cyber cafes for internet access. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 100 objective 3: with reference to this objective feedback from the learners were taken on various parameters related to the effectiveness of igram mechanism in resolving learners grievances table-3: feedback of the learners on various statements regarding effectiveness of igram portal statement strongly agree agree neither agree nor disagree disagree strongly disagree i shall suggest others to use igram portal 30.6 45.9 10.2 7.1 6.1 igram portal is effective in resolving learners problems 26.5 42.9 11.2 11.2 8.2 language used in igram reply was very courteous 27.6 58.2 6.1 4.1 4.1 igram is more effective than email and telephone request in handling student grievances 31.6 41.8 11.2 12.2 3.1 grievance can be registered on igram easily in one go 34.7 48.0 7.1 7.1 3.1 i believe that after the igram complaint was made, the authorities were more responsive 22.4 30.6 20.4 18.4 8.2 igram portal helped me in establishing my faith in ignou grievance management system 21.4 44.9 11.2 14.3 8.2 igram portal is an effective platform for addressing all types of query/grievances 26.5 36.7 19.4 12.2 5.1 using igram portal increases my chance of completing ignou programme in time 20.4 36.7 18.4 17.3 7.1 indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 101 using igram portal i can get responses of my query/grievance in reasonable time 17.3 37.8 20.4 12.2 12.2 information received through igram was very useful 21.4 37.8 11.2 18.4 11.2 interpretation of table there were 30.6 percent learners who strongly agree with the statement that they shall suggest others to use igram portal, while 45.9 percent agree with it. thus, there were a total 76.5 percent learners who agree that they shall suggest others to use igram portal. 7.1 percent learners disagree and only 6.1 percent strongly disagree with the statement and the remaining 10.2 percent learners gave their opinion as neither agree nor disagree. 26.5 percent learners strongly agree with the statement that igram portal is effective in resolving student’s problems and 42.9 percent learners agree with the statement. on the other hand, 8.2 percent strongly disagree and 11.2 percent disagree with the statement. 11.2 percent of learners remained neutral. in the survey, the majority of the learners i.e. 58.2 percent learners agree with the statement that the language used in igram reply was very courteous and 27.6 percent learners strongly agree on it. thus, about 85 percent of learners agree that the language used by officials to respond to their query was courteous in nature. the percentage of learners who strongly disagree with the statement is 4.1 percent and equally 4.1 percent of learners disagree with this statement. in response to this statement, 6.1 percent of learners opted for neither agree nor disagree. in response to the statement that igram is more effective than email and telephone requests in handling student grievances, 31.6 percent learners strongly agree and 41.8 percent learners agree to it. hence, in view of about 73 percent learners, igram is a more effective medium than other modes like email and telephone in handling learners’ grievances. only 3.1 percent learners strongly disagree while 12.2 percent disagree with the statement. there are 34.7 percent learners who strongly agree with the statement that grievances can be registered on igram portal easily in one go and 48.0 percent learners agree with this statement. 7.1 percent learners disagree with this statement and only 3.1 percent strongly disagree on it. in this survey 22.4 percent learners strongly agree and 30.6 percent agree with the statement that after the igram complaint has made the authorities more responsive to their queries. while 18.4 percent disagree and 8.2 percent strongly disagree with the statement. thus, only about 53 percent of learners are convinced that complaints on igram made the authorities more responsive and about 26 percent are not in favour indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 102 of it. 20.4 percent learners remain undecided about the statement. about 44.9 percent learners agree with the statement that igram portal helped them in establishing their faith in ignou grievance management system and there are 21.43 percent learners who strongly agree with this statement. on the other hand, 14.3 percent learners disagree with the statement and there were 8.2 percent learners who strongly disagree with the statement. 11.2 percent of learners neither agree nor disagree with the statement. apart from this, 26.5 percent learners agreed with the statement that igram portal is an effective platform for addressing all types of query/grievances and 36.7 percent learners strongly agreed with the statement. 12.2 percent disagree and 5.1 percent strongly disagree with the statement. 19.4 percent remained neutral i.e. neither agree nor disagree. in response to the statement that using igram portal increases their chance of completing the ignou programme in time, 20.4 percent learners gave their opinion as strongly agree and 36.7 percent agree. on the other hand, 17.3 percent learners who participated in the survey disagree and 7.1 percent strongly disagree with the statement. 18.4 percent of learners gave their opinion as neither agree nor disagree. 17.3 percent learners strongly agree with the statement that using igram portal they can get responses to their query/grievance in reasonable time. 37.8 percent of learners agree with this statement. percentage of learners who strongly disagree is 12.2 percent and equally 12.2 percent of learners disagree with this statement. thus, about 54 percent of learners were satisfied with the response time within which they received solutions to their grievances. in response to the statement that information received through igram was very useful, 21.4 percent and 37.8 percent of learners strongly agree and agree respectively. 11.2 percent and 18.4 percent learners strongly disagree and disagree respectively with the statement. 11.2 percent responded as neither agree nor disagree. thus, about 59 percent of the learners found that information received at igram portal was useful for them and about 29 percent of the learners who took part in the survey found the information at igram not very useful. summarily, during the analysis of data it has been found that in response to the 11 different statements regarding effectiveness of igram in resolving learners' grievances total 67.4 percent learners agree with the effectiveness of igram and only 19.2 percent learners disagree. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 103 table-4: gender-wise feedback of the learners on various statements regarding effectiveness of igram portal gender strongly agree agree neither agree nor disagree disagree strongly disagree male 22.3 41.9 14.5 12.4 8.9 female 37.2 42.0 9.1 11.7 0.0 interpretation of table during the analysis of data 64.2 percent male learners found to be satisfied with the effectiveness of igram in resolving learners’ grievances as in response to 11 different statements of the questionnaire they gave their opinion as either strongly agree or agree and 21.3 percent male learners found to be dissatisfied with igram effectiveness as they gave their opinion as either strongly disagree or disagree. on the other hand, comparatively higher percentage of female learners found to be satisfied with the effectiveness of igram in resolving learners’ grievances as 79.2 percent female learners gave their opinion as either strongly agree or agree and only 11.7 percent female learners found to be dissatisfied with igram effectiveness as they gave their opinion as disagree. none of the female learners gave her opinion as strongly disagree regarding effectiveness of igram in resolving learners' grievances. conclusion keeping in view the immense potential of ignou online grievance redressal and management in speedy and effective handling of learners’ grievances, regional centres and study centres should make more efforts to popularize it among the learners. nowadays more and more people are accessing the internet on smartphone/ mobile which is also evident from the feedback received from learners during the present survey (91.8 percent igram users access internet on mobile), ignou should develop a dedicated mobile app of igram which will increase its accessibility. during the present study it has been found that more than half of the igram grievances (56.1 percent) comprise grievances related to non-receipt of study material. if timely delivery of study material is ensured then it will significantly reduce the number of grievances on igram and as result officials can devote their saved time in addressing other grievances of important nature. this study is based on a survey of igram users of only one regional centre. it is hereby recommended that similar study be conducted from all the regional centres of ignou with a large sample so that results and viewpoints from larger databases could be utilized for further improvement of igram portal. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 104 implications of the study the implication of the research findings were given below: 1. the comparative studies of student satisfaction in relation to various demographic variables provide important i nsight on its effect on student satisfaction regarding igram. 2. the finding of the study also throws light on correlation between effective use of igram portal with respect to ict infrastructure/ environment available with the students. 3. findings of the present study will serve as a base for the research scholars doing research in the field of other institutes of higher learning institutions; hence, it may serve a wide spectrum of research scholars. 4. the findings of this study may also serve as a primary data source to the research scholars for further in-depth study in this field. 5. the findings of this study may be useful for policy makers of odl institutions to study student satisfaction and may take appropriate measures to improve the student satisfaction. 6. the findings may also be used to improve the handling of the igram portal at the regional centres and in different divisions at headquarters to improve the students’ satisfaction regarding igram portal. 7. the findings of the study also focus on the practical suggestions to improve upon the student satisfaction in respect to use of igram portal, which may be proved beneficial to management of grievance portals while formulating the policies in this regard. 8. this study may lead to further research at the micro-level involving other related variables. limitations the feedback of the learners, who had used igram portal for grievance redressal, was taken from only one regional centre i.e. regional centre varanasi out of the 56 regional centres across india. a comprehensive feedback from the learners using igram from all the regional centres would give more insights and that would provide a larger database of valuable inputs of learners for further improvement and better utilization of igram portal in ignou. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 105 references arambewela, r., hall, j., & zuhair, s. (2006). postgraduate international students from asia: factors influencing satisfaction. journal of marketing for higher education, 15(2), 105–127. https://doi.org/10.1300/j050v15n02_05 bhatnagar, h. (2013). e-governance in higher education: a case study of ignou, new delhi. international journal of scientific and engineering research, 4(5): 1071-1075 cohen, steven & eimicke, w. (2001). the use of the internet in government service delivery. e-government 2001. isbn 978-0-7425-1338-9, 9-43. lanham, maryland: rowman & littlefield publishing, inc. das m., biswas p.k. (2018t). ict for learner support services in odl system in developing countries: challenges and the road ahead. in: anjana (eds) technology for efficient learner support services in distance education, springer, singapore. retrieved from https://doi.org/ 10.1007/978-981-13-2300-3_14 flores s. a. (2017). distance learning: preparation & practice for the adult learner. the journal of human resource and adult learning, 13(1): 43-50 gowthaman k. et al. (2017). learners’ expectation on future odl policy of india. asian journal of distance education, 12 (2): 4-19, the asian society of open and distance education, india ignou annual report, 2018-19, ignou new delhi, india siran, m., & purnendu, t. (2005). quality education in india: a mission revisited for distance education institutions. asian association of open universities journal, 1(1), 45–51. https://doi.org/10.1108/aaouj-01-01-2005-b005 new education policy, 2020 santosh, s., dikshit, j. (2018). reforms through e-governance in distance education in india. asian journal of distance education, 13(2), 82-93. retrieved from https://www.asianjde.org/ojs/index.php/asianjde/article/view/271 singh d. p., sahay m. (2020). student support and technological solutions for grievance redressal: a case study of igram at ignou regional centre, delhi -1. edutech e journal of education & technology, retrieved from http://www.edutech.net.in/edutechviewarticle htm?issue=2020 &article=art00004 subrahmanyam, v.v. & gandhi, indira. (2018). use of technology for learner support services: a case study of ignou in ‘technology for efficient learner support services in distance education’ new delhi, springer. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 77 research article inside online classrooms: teachers’ online teaching experiences during covid-19 pandemic pavitra rana1 sarita kumari2 1junior research fellow, department of educational studies, jamia millia islamia,new delhi,india email:pavitrarana18@gmail.com 2assistant professor, department of educational studies, jamia millia islamia new delhi, india abstract as a preventive measure to control the spread of the novel coronavirus nationwide lockdown was imposed in india in march. since then schools in delhi have been closed and online teaching is being done to prevent academic losses. teachers went through a sudden shift from classroom teaching to online teaching. online teaching is new to teachers. in the absence of any standard protocol or a structured approach, it is being delivered in varied ways. the current study explores the experiences of teachers and the opportunities and challenges felt during online teaching. this qualitative study was done using an online questionnaire and telephonic interviews with eight teachers working in different private and government schools in delhi. teachers mainly relied on whatsapp to connect with students and found online teaching interesting and interactive. major challenges highlighted were the non-availability of smartphones and the internet, the speed of the internet, and the lack of student motivation. keywords: online teaching, teachers, schools, covid-19, pandemic introduction on 31 december 2019, a cluster of cases of pneumonia caused by novel coronavirus was identified in wuhan city of hubei province, china and within a few months, there was a 13fold increase in outside china cases of covid-19 as a result of which who declared covid-19 a global pandemic on 11 march 2020 (prasad, 2020). on 30 january, india had its first case in kerala.3 new cases came by february 3, 2020 with no significant rise till march (rawat, 2020). 4 march 2020 became the tipping point when the number of corona positive cases rose to 28, including 12 indian citizens and 16 italian tourists (outlook web bureau, 2020). as the cases of coronavirus disease began to rise in india, on 24 march 2020 nationwide lockdown was imposed. almost all sectors including industries, aviation, banking, retail, education, etc. stopped working with immediate effect. the education of students across the country got adversely affected due to the closure of schools. disrupted classrooms raised concerns amongst the state authorities and in no time schools switched to online teaching (asian indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 78 news international, 2020; sharma, 2020). teachers overnight adapted to a completely new form of teaching. the literature review showed that efforts for online teaching were in progress for quite some time and e-learning was possible via moocs (dhawan, 2020, p.13). india boasts of having the world’s largest free online e-learning platform swayam, as illustrated on the aicte website. india has been prepping up for online education by developing a gamut of e-resources like nptel, virtual labs, a-view, consortium of educational communication (cec), digital libraries, epathshala, e-pg pathshala, diksha, swayam prabha, gyandarshan. but, online education did not get much foothold. the unprecedented circumstances created by covid-19 pandemic resulted in a switch to online teaching and learning and what the world saw was a mega educational experiment in action. education in the year 2020 was supported by online platforms that included learning management systems (lmss) like google classroom, microsoft teams, edmodo, edupage; video sharing websites like teded, youtube; instant messaging platforms like whatsapp, gmail; video conferencing apps like zoom, google meet, google hangouts, skype; online assessment tools like quizizz, google forms, kahoot (addimando et al., 2021; atmojo & nugroho, 2020; basilaia & kvavadze, 2020; sharma, 2020). as there were no pre-designed strategies to run online education for a prolonged period, every country came up with dynamic solutions. various challenges and opportunities surfaced during this period of online teaching. challenges of online teaching indian e-learning scenario has always been plagued by challenges of equity and access, digital divide, low digital literacy. ensuring quality education is another major challenge (dhawan, 2020, p.14). some basic challenges faced during implementation of online teaching are poor network especially in remote areas, lack of smartphones, distraction, low cyber literacy, the requirement of technical support, need of designing specific online curriculum and creating online teaching content, the requirement of training teachers in skills like online interactions and online assessment, the additional cost of internet and hardware, added responsibility on teacher to provide technical support to students, difficulty in dealing with individual differences and ensuring student engagement (atmojo & nugroho, 2020; hasan & khan, 2020; kaup et al., 2020; slimi, 2020; wedenoja, 2020; zhang et al., 2020). regular teaching material, methods, and assessment techniques cannot be used in online teaching. but, instead of delivering specialized content designed for the online mode of teaching, often teachers use classroom teaching content in online classes (fedynich, 2014; wedenoja, 2020; zhou et al., 2020). successful delivery of online teaching depends heavily on the technological abilities of both teachers and students. in the case of school students, lesser access and exposure to online learning tools, difficulty in time management, lack of students’ motivation, social isolation indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 79 are also some barriers (fedynich, 2014; tamm, 2019; windiarti et al., 2019; wedenoja 2020). online teaching becomes challenging especially in the case of the young learners as they may not have the basic technical skills like texting and sharing attachments. in online teaching, there is a limited scope of hands-on activities and interaction required to engage young learners (kim, 2020, p.148). another limitation is the additional requirement of parental support and supervision for online learning of young learners. online teaching put a burden on teachers, in a short span they had to understand the use of digital tools, apply them and try different teaching strategies. alongside, they had to stay in contact and ensure the well-being of students (könig et al., 2020). designing online assessment and ensuring quality is another challenging task for teachers (kaup et al., 2020; könig et al., 2020; slimi, 2020; tamm, 2019). security and privacy concerns of teachers and students, difficulty in teaching practical aspects are added challenges. online teaching suffers due to the lack of regulation, technology infrastructure, and funding (slimi, 2020). opportunities of online teaching due to the increase in the access of touch screen smartphones and the internet; online tools are being used by children from a very young age (kim, 2020, p. 149; edwards et al., 2018). leveraging upon this, online teaching was prescribed from primary to higher education level during the covid-19 crisis in india. online mode of learning offered features like flexibility, accessibility of content, interaction, self-paced learning from the comfort of home. these features along with the affordance to teach from anywhere anytime made online teaching a global solution for continuing education (hasan & khan, 2020, p. 206; kim, 2020, p. 148). online teaching provides an opportunity for synchronous as well as asynchronous communication which increases student participation. online tools are useful in giving creative activities to students and save time and cost of travel (fedynich, 2014; kim, 2020, p. 149). online teaching helps in reforming the methods of teaching in line with the needs of the digital age (zhou et al., 2020). using online platforms teachers could communicate regularly with students and parents, provide learning content, assign work and provide requisite feedback (könig et al., 2020, p. 615). screen sharing during synchronous online classes was appreciated by teachers (basilaia & kvavadze, 2020; kim, 2020, p. 151). online teaching during pandemic has helped in refining the technical skills of teachers and students. online learning has developed critical thinking and problem solving in students and improved their information searching skills. it has also highlighted the need for upgrading the technology infrastructure of educational institutions and the need for the preparation and training of students and teachers (slimi, 2020, p.47). the flexibility of time and space possible through online teaching appeared as its biggest strength in times of crisis and online teaching done in virtual classrooms by qualified teachers served as the best-suited substitute for traditional classroom teaching (manegre & sabir,2020). indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 80 lack of impetus and resistance of stakeholders; had kept online teaching at bay. but, these desperate times have called for desperate measures. due to the covid-19 pandemic opening of schools appears perilous. in delhi at the beginning of september 2020, the total confirmed positive cases soared to 1.7 million and cases have been coming each day (ministry of health and family welfare website). in the given scenario, online teaching has become the new normal across all schools of delhi. research question this study is an attempt to address the following research questions: 1. what types of online teaching practices are being followed by school teachers amid the covid-19 pandemic? 2. what opportunities and challenges were felt by school teachers during online teaching? objectives of the study 1. to study the online teaching practices being followed by the teachers teaching primary, secondary, and senior secondary students amid the covid-19 pandemic. 2. 2. to identify the perceived opportunities and challenges of online teaching. methodology sample of study the present study follows a qualitative design of research. the sample of the study includes 8 teachers. there are 5 prt (primary teacher), 1 tgt (trained graduate teacher), 2 pgt (post graduate teacher) teaching in 7 different private and government schools of delhi. out of 8 respondents, 6 are females and 2 are males. the age of respondents is between 30 to 57 years. the respondents are of varying teaching experience ranging from 3 years to 34 years. teachers who were conducting online classes during the lockdown and were willing to participate were chosen as respondents for the present study. data collection tools data collection was done using an online questionnaire and semistructured telephonic interviews. the questionnaire included 17 questions, with 7 questions related to personal details about gender, classes taught, teaching subject, designation, etc, and 10 questions related to teacher’s online teaching experiences with 2 multiple choice questions and 8 open-ended questions. data collection and analysis data collection was done during junejuly 2020 from the respondents who were taking online classes from the first week of april 2020. thematic analysis of responses of the participants was done and the responses were divided into three broad sections: online teaching practices of teachers, challenges faced and opportunities discovered which are presented in detail in the next section. analysis and interpretation the 8 teacher participants are referred to as t1, t2, t3, t4, t5, t6, t7, and t8 to maintain anonymity. the demographic details and general information provided by the teachers are summarized in table 1. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 81 table-1: details of respondents teacher gender (female: f, male: m) class (es) taught subject(s) taught designation experience (years) type of school students in contact/ total strength platforms used for online teaching t1 f i and ii english, hindi, evs prt 10 private 45/45 whatsapp, email, microsoft teams, youtube t2 f iii english, hindi, mathematics, social science, evs, drawing prt 5 govt. 22/40 whatsapp, youtube t3 f ii english, hindi, mathematics, social science, evs, drawing prt 5 govt. 16/31 whatsapp, youtube t4 m v english, hindi, mathematics, social science, evs, drawing prt 19 govt. 10/40 whatsapp, youtube t5 f i english, hindi, mathematics, social science, evs, drawing prt 14 govt. 19/41 whatsapp t6 f x natural sciences tgt 5 govt. 96/117 whatsapp, youtube, google forms, kahoot t7 f xii political science pgt 3 govt. 50/50 whatsapp, zoom, skype indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 82 t8 m xii painting pgt 34 govt. 45/50 whatsapp, google, youtube, google meet 1. online teaching practices of teachers the first objective was to study the online teaching practices being followed by the teachers teaching primary, secondary, and senior secondary students amid the covid-19 pandemic. for this, the platform used for online teaching, plan of online teaching, type of teaching session, and online teaching strategies of teachers were studied. a) platform used for online teaching in schools of delhi, whatsapp and youtube are the most used platforms across all levels (column 9, table1). the preferred use of whatsapp is due to its availability in most households. it emerged as a platform of choice for online learning because it is easy to access as a free mobile app and is a user-friendly platform. it has features like texting, networking, file sharing, audio recording, audio and video calling which makes it suitable for discussion, knowledge sharing, communication, and collaboration. “students would submit assignments on whatsapp and i would check and give them remarks”..(t6) “i searched teaching content on google and youtube and sent it to my students through whatsapp…explained the theory to the students by audio recording and gave instructions through whatsapp...the students submitted their work by sending photos on whatsapp”..(t8) a teacher also highlighted the possibility of record-keeping using virtual storage space available through whatsapp.“also through whatsapp keeping the record of whatever is taught to them is easy and also (students) they can revise it anytime”.. (t3) youtube, a video platform with millions of videos, provides easy search and sharing options. it is free to access and does not require having an account. videos on youtube are used by teachers as a quick fix teaching aid. “.. interesting videos (shared online) are a nice method and better than methods used in the classroom”..(t4) b) plan of online teaching the plan of teaching has been flexible at the primary, secondary, and senior secondary levels (column 3,table2). “.. every day in primary class one subject is enough. in mcd schools, parents are mostly daily wagers...so flexibility be given for students to let them complete homework at any time”..(t2) “in regular teaching, there were boundaries of periods which is no more”..(t8) this flexibility is partly due to the very nature of online teaching and partly to accommodate the shift from classroom teaching to online teaching. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 83 c) type of teaching session teachers employ mostly asynchronous sessions at all levels (column 4, table 2). but at the primary level, t1 teaching in a private school uses “live session to clear the concepts” using microsoft teams. she shares the schedule of classes with parents. students of private schools have parents who are digitally literate and can provide requisite resources and assistance. t7, a political science teacher in the government school, also prefers synchronous teaching sessions. along with the issues of network and lack of resources, she faces difficulty while using the platform and in assisting the students but she finds live teaching more satisfying. she shares, “first i used the zoom app for conducting online classes as it was most easy to handle but later due to safety concerns i switched to another alternative skype. it was a bit difficult for me as well as for students”. table-2: plan of online teaching and type of teaching session teacher teaching level plan of online teaching type of teaching session t1 primary flexible mostly synchronous and sometimes asynchronous t2 primary more often flexible sometimes fixed asynchronous t3 primary flexible asynchronous t4 primary flexible asynchronous t5 primary flexible asynchronous t6 secondary flexible asynchronous t7 senior secondary flexible mostly synchronous and sometimes asynchronous t8 senior secondary flexible asynchronous d) online teaching strategies of teachers the teaching strategy adopted during online teaching appears as a mix of traditional methods with an increased use of multimedia delivered through online platforms. some efforts are visible where teachers are trying a combination of online tools to make remote teaching more effective. instructions are given using whatsapp; lecture or explanation of content done through google meet, microsoft teams, zoom, skype and by audio notes on whatsapp; support material includes worksheets, pdf of notes and ncert ebook; teaching aid includes, youtube videos, e-content from google; assessment is done using whatsapp, google forms and kahoot, teaching strategies for primary students indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 84 in government schools, teachers are using multimedia like audio, youtube video, pictures, presentations, games to engage students. sharing worksheets is the most preferred way of teaching primary students. “colorful worksheets and interesting videos (shared online) are a nice method …children are more attentive and attracted to audio-visual aids which can be used in online classes”.. (t4) ..“more suitable is giving worksheets. most students respond to this method. they are eager to know the teacher's responses to their work”..(t5) instructions are given by audio message, copies corrected by pictures sent by students, remarks given in audio/text messages on whatsapp. “question and answer session, ppt, video (from the internet), tutorial video (selfmade), assignment, live session to clear the concepts” via microsoft teams are all part of online teaching being done by (t1) a primary teacher of private school. the school has purchased the license and trained teachers to communicate remotely and to conduct synchronous teaching sessions. the teacher would share the schedule and instruct on whatsapp. teaching strategies secondary students there is use of a variety of multimedia resources (text, audio, video, ppt), online platforms (whatsapp, youtube, kahoot), and online resources (e-book, google form) to teach students. as secondary level students can follow instructions easily, the teacher tried to engage them through various platforms. “i started by sharing some notes on class whatsapp groups and made ppts for the students. i would then share the pdf of the chapter from the ncert book and for a better understanding of students, i would share (self-recorded) audio, ppts, youtube videos followed by home assignments. i also took tests using google forms and held quizzes on kahoot”..(t6) teaching strategies for senior secondary students a political science teacher of a government school used a combination of synchronous and asynchronous sessions using zoom, skype, and whatsapp. she had to initially give technical assistance to her class xii students regarding live online classes. …. “all the students were able to see it properly and were able to follow my instructions”.. (t7). later students could easily join classes. a fine arts teacher with 34 years of classroom teaching experience resorted to youtube for teaching painting skills and used e-content from google. “i searched teaching content on google and youtube and sent it to my students through whatsapp”..(t8) 2. challenges faced by the teachers online teaching perplexed teachers and brought a bunch of challenging situations. some of the challenges are due to the digital divide and some are a result of an unplanned switch to online teaching. a) lack of devices and internet in private schools, the teacher can connect with 100percent of students. in contrast, teachers teaching in indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 85 government primary schools can connect with only 44.08percent of students. at the secondary level, the teacher can connect with 82.05percent of students and 95percent at the senior secondary level (column 8, table1). the non-availability of devices is the main reason for limited reach. “the main issue in online teaching is that we are not able to connect with all the students as they are not having any resource with them”..(t3) “but the only negative part is that many parents still do not have a smartphone or sufficient (internet) data”..(t4) “all students are not accessible as everyone is not having smartphones and sufficient data” ..(t5) “students do not have personal smartphones/laptops. students often message to inform me that they missed some information as their father took the phone to work”..(t6) b) cost of internet another challenge in many low-income families is the financial burden of providing internet for their child’s learning. “i feel the cost of the internet might be a burden as well”..(t6). as pointed out by t2 “parents are mostly daily wagers” and most of them lost their work during the covid-19 crisis. providing the internet to sustain the education of their children is difficult. t7 felt that “more (internet) data consumption” restricts students from participating in online activities. many govt. school teachers are restricted to sharing audio messages, text, and pictures to avoid heavy data consumption. c) internet speed and network quality this is a problem faced by teachers who take live classes through video conferencing which is dependent upon the speed and quality of the internet.t1 and t7 find “poor network” a challenge while taking live classes. “another problem was that the voice clarity was not good where there was a network issue at the residence of a few students”..(t7). d) lack of parental support due to the sudden implementation of online teaching, students were not prepared to learn online. in such a scenario, parental support is required for smooth online learning. t2, a government primary school teacher said, “those kids whose parents are illiterate are not able to cope up with online classes”. in government schools, many students are first-generation learners who cannot take the help of their parents and with little or no digital skills they fail to participate in online classes. e) non-responsiveness of students teachers teaching primary and secondary students found difficulty in ensuring the active participation of students. while teaching through remote means, teachers could not ensure 100percent participation. t2 shared “60percent of students responded timely and almost daily”. t3 also said, “many of my students are not responding online”. another primary teacher t4 said, “students are not responding despite so many reminders only a few students gave the response”. “keeping students motivated to learn is also difficult while indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 86 teaching online”..(t6). teachers struggle without any guidance about strategies to ensure the motivation and participation of students in online environments. f) disturbance during online teaching students learn from home. and if the entire family is staying in a small place due to lockdown, it becomes a very inadequate space for learning. t7 during her online classes noted, “most of the time the sounds from their houses or of other people were coming and were disturbing the class”. g) difficulty in hands-on practice t8 specifically pointed this out, as he teaches painting which requires demonstration and hands-on practice. his concern was, “practical cannot be conducted in online teaching… demonstration to show the skills of painting is difficult online”. this challenge is often felt by science, vocational, fine arts, and performing arts teachers. h) feeling of isolation a classroom is also a place of social learning. online teaching misses this aspect as learners participate from different spaces. t8 shared, “.. in online teaching physically the students cannot be connected”. “while conducting the classes i noticed that most of the students were reluctant about showing themselves on the camera…sometimes i felt uncomfortable because i wanted all my students to show themselves on the camera so that i can see their faces”..(t7 3. opportunities faced by the teachers the fact that the entire world resorted to online teaching in times of pandemic, states a lot in itself about the opportunities online teaching and learning provides. in the present study, following opportunities were revealed. a) anywhere-anytime learning online teaching ensures anywhereanytime learning. during the pandemic, this advantage of online teaching has helped in the safe and continuous learning of the student. in the state of crisis, online teaching appeared useful as “we can reach all students who have smartphones”..(t7) “online teaching brought a lot of opportunities like anytime, anywhere teaching and learning. remotely i can reach my students while we all stay safe in our homes”.. (t6) “students can be connected anytime… in regular teaching there were boundaries of periods which is no more”..(t8) b) easy sharing of a variety of multimedia the online platform allows easy access and sharing of multimedia resources. they are user-friendly due to which teachers from varying age groups in the present study have used online file sharing tools to share learning material. “through online teaching, i am able to use audio-visual aids very well”.. (t3) “in classrooms, it’s not possible to show videos and give attractive worksheets”..(t5) indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 87 “i can now use a variety of engaging ways and various audio-visual resources easily”..(t6) “.. there was one good thing which i noticed was that of screen sharing and of reading out the content”..(t8) c) interesting and engaging learning online teaching provides the scope of using interactive aids like “videos and games” (t4) which appeals to the learner and increases engagement. “this method of teaching is more interesting for students as well”..(t5) “because of the live interaction on the online classes students were able to ask their doubts and their doubts were immediately cleared by me so this was a plus point of live interaction through an online class”..(t7) d) flexibility in deciding schedule and content during online teaching, teachers were not restricted to any set pattern and could customize their teaching based on their judgment. t5 shares, “we are allowed to share material at our level also”. t1 now has her own “choice of teaching hours” and she finds it more satisfying than the fixed schedule of classroom teaching. e) professional development online teaching has exposed teachers to a variety of online teaching tools. “i have learned so many new things that are going to be useful in the future”(t6). they have got experience in designing online content and online assessment. they have understood the need of learners in online environments. they have developed skills like problem-solving and critical thinking. discussion from the analysis, it appears that apart from holding the fort in times of crisis, online teaching in the year 2020 gave a fresh perspective to all educators and students. it did serve the purpose of continuing education during tough times and helped in testing the potential of available online resources. online teaching practices of teachers platform of teaching the online platform whatsapp is ubiquitous at all levels and in both govt. and private schools. the ease of use and availability of this platform as a mobile app in almost every smartphone used in india made it more useful than any learning management system. these findings are consistent with the observation and findings of alubthane & alyoussef (2021, p.47,48) , barhoumi (2015, p.236), dhillon (2020), and hasan & khan (2020, p.206), hulst (2020), sharma(2020). plan of teaching teachers are preferably using a flexible plan and asynchronous session as school students do not have enough exposure and access to online tools. as a consequence, they have limited digital skills. similar findings are seen in the work of fedynich (2014), kim (2020) and wedenoja (2020). access to the internet and smartphone is also an issue which deters teachers from having more indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 88 synchronous sessions. teaching strategies as there were no standardized materials and methods specific for online teaching, teachers ended up replicating traditional teaching on online platforms. online teaching requires a specific course design and transaction methods. if classroom teaching practices are used while teaching online then students do not perform well (wedenoja, 2020). providing worksheets during online teaching was found useful by primary teachers. worksheets provided content in a structured manner and manageable chunks so that students can practice properly and teachers can easily check the work and provide required feedback (martin, 2020). challenges faced by teachers the challenge of lack of devices and internet is due to the problems of equity and access and stark digital divide in our country. online teaching during pandemic has only widened the gap between haves and have-nots. parental support is seen missing due to the low economic status of the family and no/ low digital literacy of parents. internet speed and network quality is a digital infrastructure issue that can be resolved. challenges of non-responsiveness of the students and difficulty in handson practice are observed as teachers and students were least prepared for this mode of education. one striking observation was the feeling of isolation in online classes. in live video classes, teachers often find it difficult to teach a screen of black boxes and students feel more vulnerable to keep their cameras on as they do not feel comfortable in showing the surroundings they are sitting in and the idea that everyone can see them makes them uncomfortable (reed, 2020). opportunities discovered by teachers online teaching was like a ray of hope in such grim times as it could afford anytime-anywhere learning. this is of great use when social distancing and isolation is required to break the chain during the pandemic. a plethora of online tools is available with advanced features which are helping teachers in making learning interesting and engaging. the ease of use, availability of mobile apps, and quality user interfaces help teachers in sharing media files conveniently. online teaching allows teachers to decide the schedule and content of teaching which is satisfying for teachers. a similar finding can be seen in the work of borup & stevens (2016, p11). teachers also felt that they developed digital skills, problemsolving, creative and critical thinking, and working under stress which would help them professionally in the future. conclusion the present study found online teaching useful in the times of pandemic. online teaching has ensured continuous learning. despite many challenges teachers have worked assiduously. but, it is evident that we are yet not prepared with suitable infrastructure and trained teachers to teach in a fully online mode. there is a need to develop online content and provision of equitable access to digital resources if we have to take advantage of online teaching. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, 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(2020). “school’s out, but class’s on”, the largest online education in the world today: taking china’s practical exploration during the covid-19 epidemic prevention and control as an example. best evidence of chinese education, 4(2), 501–519. https://doi.org/10.15354/ bece.20.ar023 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 398 general article the ethics of artificial intelligence: a critical examination of moral responsibility and autonomy khalid bashir hajam1 & rachna purohit2 1ph.d. research scholars, department of education, indira gandhi national tribal university, amarkantak, m.p. 2ph.d. research scholars, department of education, indira gandhi national tribal university, amarkantak, m.p. email: rachnapurohit1993@gmail.com abstract the present article aims to critically examine the ethical considerations surrounding artificial intelligence (ai) with respect to moral responsibility and autonomy. the authors illustrate the development of ai requiring careful recognition of its potential impact on society and the demand for considerable accountability and transparency in the design and utilization of ai systems for addressing the ethical issues persisting regarding the implementation of ai. the paper further discusses the crucial role of ai ethical frameworks and guidelines built on moral obligations and autonomy for contemporary society and the necessity of collaboration between different stakeholders to ensure the safe use of ai that promotes the well-being of the people. the article also mentions the various initiatives of the indian government taken to develop and implement ethical ai in the country and specifies the indispensable task of nep 2020 in promoting ai ethically in the indian education system. moreover, the current study suggests the prerequisite research and dialogue on this salient study area of ai to ensure its ethical development and application for the social security and digital safety of the individual as well as the community as a whole. keywords: artificial intelligence (ai), ethics, moral responsibility, autonomy, transparency. overview artificial intelligence (ai) is a common expression that pertains to the making of computer-based systems efficient in executing activities that specifically necessitate the intelligence of humans, including acquiring knowledge, resolving problems, and making decisions. russell and norvig (2010) defined ai as “the study of agents that receive percepts from the environment and take actions that affect that environment”. they manifested ai as a sub-discipline of computer science that centres making intelligent agents capable of reasoning, perceiving, and acting autonomously. domingos (2015) provides a more general definition of ai, describing it as “the quest to build machines that can think like humans”, whereas, goodfellow et al. (2016) expounded it as “the ability of machines to perform tasks that would normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and language translation”. therefore, ai can be described as the exploration of developing intelligent agents that have the ability to autonomously reason, perceive, and take action. artificial intelligence has its period of development from the early days indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 399 of computer science. the concept of machines that can simulate human intelligence has fascinated researchers and scientists for decades, leading to the development of various approaches and techniques for creating ai systems. the earliest developments in ai can be dated back to the 1950s, when researchers began exploring the possibility of creating machines that could “think” like humans (russell & norvig, 2010). in the beginning, ai systems were created with the intention of carrying out elementary tasks like playing games and resolving predicaments related to mathematics. these mentioned systems were founded on rule-based algorithms that were programmed to follow a set of predefined rules. in the 1960s and 1970s, researchers began exploring new approaches to ai, including machine learning and neural networks (jordan & mitchell, 2015). the 1980s and 1990s saw significant advancements in ai, including the development of expert systems, which were designed to mimic the decision-making abilities of humans (russell & norvig, 2010). these mechanisms were utilized in a vast array of implementations, encompassing everything from medical diagnosis to economic prediction. in the early 2000s, researchers began exploring new approaches to ai, including deep learning and natural language processing (floridi & cowls, 2019). today, artificial neural networks are utilized by deep learning algorithms for learning and improving their performance over time, making them exceptionally skilled in tasks like image and speech recognition. processing of natural language algorithms is designed to understand and interpret human language, enabling machines to interact with humans more naturally and intuitively. today, ai is a rapidly growing field with applications in a wide range of industries, including healthcare, finance, and transportation, which has been driven by advancements in computing power and data analytics, as well as increased interest and investment from industry and the government (brynjolfsson & mcafee, 2014) the advent of ai has been influencing almost every sphere of life. experts have been concerned about the drastic impact of ai on individuals and society regarding its various issues, including ethical concerns. the realm of ethics in artificial intelligence (ai) is multifaceted and swiftly evolving, as its creation and implementation bring up a broad spectrum of ethical dilemmas. the foremost ethical concern in ai pertains to partiality and inequity. it can learn from data, and if that data contains biases, the resulting ai systems can perpetuate and even amplify those biases (crawford & calo, 2016). for instance, ai systems employed in recruitment or lending assessments may exhibit discrimination against particular groups based on attributes like race, gender, or age. additionally, transparency and accountability are also ethical concerns that are significant in ai. ai systems are frequently complicated and obscure, which can make it challenging to comprehend how they reach their decisions. this lack of transparency can make it difficult to identify and correct biases or errors in it (floridi & cowls, 2019). additionally, it can be challenging to allocate the responsibility for the actions of ai systems, particularly in cases where the system’s decision-making processes are not transparent. in addition, another ethical issue concerning ai is how it affects human autonomy and decisionmaking. as these systems become more sophisticated, they might be utilized to make choices that can have substantial consequences on individuals’ lives, such as decisions regarding healthcare or criminal justice. this raises questions about the extent to which humans should be involved in these decisions, and whether ai systems can be trusted indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 400 to make fair and ethical decisions (selbst et al., 2019). a variety of ethical frameworks and principles have been proposed to address these and other ethical concerns in ai. these include approaches based on principles such as transparency, accountability, and fairness (floridi & cowls, 2019), as well as principles such as beneficence, nonmaleficence, and respect for autonomy (taddeo & floridi, 2018) while some researchers have proposed the development of ethical codes of conduct and regulations for the development and deployment of ai systems (bostrom & yudkowsky, 2014). thus, ethics in artificial intelligence is a complicated area of study with a wide range of ethical problems and concerns including issues of bias and discrimination, transparency and accountability, and the impact of ai on human freedom for making decisions. moral responsibility in the context of artificial intelligence moral responsibility is a central concept in discussions of ethics and artificial intelligence (ai). as ai systems gradually evolve and become independent, they are able to make decisions that can greatly affect people’s lives. this raises concerns about who should be held accountable for the actions of these systems and how accountability should be assigned. one of the challenges in assigning moral responsibility in the context of ai is the fact that these systems are often designed to learn and make decisions on their own, without direct human intervention. this raises questions about whether responsibility for the actions of an ai system should rest with the humans who created or deployed the system, or with the system itself (dastani & yazdanpanah, 2022). additionally, there may be multiple factors involved in the development and deployment of ai, further complicating questions of responsibility. another challenge is the fact that these systems can be opaque and hard to understand. this can make it difficult to identify and correct biases or errors in the system’s decision-making processes, and can also make it strenuous to assign responsibility for the actions of the system (floridi & taddeo, 2016). to deal with these challenges, some researchers have suggested the development of new ethical frameworks and principles regarding moral responsibility with respect to ai. one approach is to consider the degree of control that humans have over an ai system, with greater control implying greater moral responsibility (gianni et al., 2022). others have proposed the development of new legal frameworks that would clarify the allocation of responsibility for the actions of ai systems. apart from these technical and legal remedies, certain experts have contended that a more extensive cultural transformation may be required to guarantee that ai systems are created and utilized in a moral and reliable way. this could involve promoting a greater awareness of the ethical implications of ai, as well as encouraging greater collaboration between experts in ai and ethics (floridi & taddeo, 2016). artificial intelligence autonomy in the context of ai artificial intelligence (ai) autonomy means the ability of an ai system to make decisions and take actions without direct human input or supervision. the level of autonomy in these systems can vary widely, ranging from simple rulebased systems that make decisions based on predefined criteria, to more sophisticated machine-learning systems that can adapt and learn from experience. as ai systems become more autonomous, it becomes increasingly important to ensure that they act in ways that are consistent with ethical and legal norms and that those responsible indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 401 for these systems are held accountable for their actions (floridi, 2019). in order to address these challenges, some researchers have proposed the use of “explainable” ai, which allows users to understand how ai systems arrive at their decisions and makes it easier to identify and correct errors or biases (doshi-velez & kim, 2017). moral responsibility and ai autonomy for ethical ai the relationship between autonomy and moral responsibility in connection with artificial intelligence (ai) is intricate and has many aspects. as ai systems gain more independence, they can make decisions and execute actions in the absence of human intervention or supervision. this growing autonomy brings up critical ethical inquiries about the moral responsibility of those engaged in their creation and implementation. one way to think about the relationship between autonomy and moral responsibility is through the concept of “explainability”. as ai systems grow more autonomous, they also become more difficult to understand and explain. this can make it challenging to determine who is responsible when an ai system makes a decision that has negative consequences (bostrom & yudkowsky, 2014). to address these problems, some researchers have proposed the development of new ethical and legal frameworks that are better suited to the unique challenges posed by autonomous ai systems (bryson, 2018). others have suggested the use of explainable ai, which allows users to understand how ai systems arrive at their decisions and makes it easier to identify and correct errors or biases (doshi-velez & kim, 2017). besides these technical solutions, it is also crucial to contemplate the societal and organizational factors that can influence the moral responsibility of those involved in ai design and deployment. for example, the incentives and pressures faced by developers and organizations may influence their willingness to prioritize ethical considerations (floridi, 2019). thus, it can be illustrated that autonomy and moral responsibility with respect to artificial intelligence are intertwined concepts. as ai systems grow more self-reliant, it becomes progressively crucial to guarantee that they behave in a manner that aligns with ethical and lawful standards and that those accountable for these systems are held answerable for their conduct. implications of autonomy and morality in ai the artificial intelligence (ai) autonomy for moral development is significant and has important implications for society as a whole. with the increasing independence of ai systems, they can now make decisions that carry significant ethical implications. this raises crucial inquiries regarding the part ai plays in shaping ethical progress and the effects of these systems on both individuals and the community. one potential implication of ai autonomy for moral development is the potential for these systems to shape our moral beliefs and values. as these systems become more ubiquitous, they may become a major source of moral guidance for individuals and society. this raises important concerns about who is responsible for the development and programming of these systems, and how we can ensure that they reflect our shared values and beliefs (bostrom & yudkowsky, 2014). another potential implication of ai autonomy for moral development is the potential for these systems to exacerbate existing moral biases and inequalities. ai systems are only as impartial and unbiased as the data they are trained on, and if this data reflects existing societal biases and inequalities, then the decisions made indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 402 by these systems will also reflect these biases (crawford et al., 2018) giving rise to concernments about how we can ensure that ai systems are designed and trained in a way that is fair and unbiased. in addition to these issues, there are also important questions about how ai autonomy will impact our capacity for moral reasoning and decisionmaking. as ai systems become more autonomous, they may become a crutch for our own moral reasoning, leading to a decline in our own capacity for moral judgment and decision-making (gunkel, 2018). therefore, the implications of ai autonomy for moral development are significant and important for society as a whole. as we progress in the development and implementation of ai systems, it is crucial to take into account their implications and adopt measures to ensure that they align with our collective principles and attitudes. they should be created and trained impartially and equitably and should not compromise our ability to exercise moral reasoning and decision-making. transparency and explainability: road to ethical ai transparency and explainability play an important role in promoting ethical artificial intelligence (ai) by increasing accountability, trust, and understanding of ai systems. transparency implies having the capability to obtain data about the internal operations of ai systems, which encompasses the data utilized to instruct the model, the algorithms employed, and the process of decision-making. it is essential for accountability and trust in ai systems, particularly in sensitive areas such as healthcare, finance, and criminal justice (burrell, 2016). lack of transparency can also lead to biases and discrimination in ai systems, as it can be difficult to identify and correct errors or biases in the system (mittelstadt et al., 2019). explainability is another crucial factor to create ethical ai systems which pertains to the capability of comprehending the process and rationale behind the decisions or suggestions made by ai systems. this is specifically important in instances where the consequences of the decision are significant. explainability allows for increased accountability and trust in ai systems, as it allows stakeholders to understand the rationale behind the decision (lipton, 2018). lack of explainability can also lead to a lack of trust in ai systems, particularly if they operate as “black boxes” with no clear explanation of how they arrived at their decision (mittelstadt et al., 2019). hence, several approaches have been proposed to increase transparency and explainability in these systems. one approach is to develop explainable ai (xai) systems, which are designed to be transparent and provide explanations for their decisions (adadi & berrada, 2018). this can be achieved through techniques such as rule-based systems, decision trees, or visualizations of the decisionmaking process. another approach is to develop post-hoc explainability techniques, which provide elucidation of the decisions made by the blackbox system of ai. this can be achieved through techniques such as feature importance analysis or perturbation analysis (ribeiro, singh, &guestrin, 2016). thus, transparency and explainability are important for promoting ethical ai by increasing accountability, trust, and understanding of ai systems through approaches such as xai systems or posthoc explainability techniques which can help to enhance transparency and explainability in ai systems. initiatives for developing ethical ai in india the government of india has proposed manifold initiatives for developing and implementing ethical ai in the country. these initiatives aim to ensure that ai systems are outlined and used in indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 403 ways that promote human welfare, respect human dignity, and are guided by fairness, justice, and equality principles. some of the key initiatives and frameworks proposed by the government are as follows: y national strategy for artificial intelligence (nsai): the nsai was launched in 2018 to mentor the development and implementation of ai in the country. the strategy includes a focus on developing ethical ai systems that are transparent, accountable, and fair. y national program on ai: the national program on ai was launched in 2020 to promote the development, growth, and deployment of ai in india. the program includes a focus on developing ethical ai systems that align with national values and ethics. y responsible ai for all: niti aayog, the planning commission of the government of india, has published responsible ai approach documents in collaboration with the world economic forum centre for the fourth industrial revolution. these documents aim to establish elaborated ethics doctrines for the design, development, and implementation of ai in india. y standards setting bodies: various standards setting bodies, such as the ieee global initiative on ethics and autonomous and intelligent systems and ethically aligned design, have developed ethical frameworks for guiding the development and use of ai. y ai for all approach document for india: niti aayog has also released an approach document for responsible ai, which provides comprehensive ai ethics principles to mentor the overall planning, development, and execution of ai in the country. y fat/fate principles: ai regulations in india are designed to include fat (fairness, accountability, transparency) or fate (fairness, accountability, transparency, and ethics) principles to assure accountable, ethical, safe, and responsible implementation of ai tools. y national mission on interdisciplinary cyber-physical systems (nm-icps): the launch of nm-icps in 2018 opened the doors to promote research and development in interdisciplinary areas such as robotics, ai, and automation, focussing on developing ethical ai systems that are socially accountable as well as sustainable. y data protection bill: the data protection bill, which is currently under consideration, includes provisions for protecting the privacy and personal data of individuals in the development and use of ai systems (nitiayog, 2018). these initiatives and frameworks aim to ensure that ai technologies are established and used in a manner that coordinates with ethical principles, respects human rights, and fosters the welfare of the society. by incorporating ethical considerations into ai development and deployment, india is taking steps towards responsible and ethical ai use responsibly as well as sustainably. nep 2020 and ethical ai nep2020 is a comprehensive policy framework for education in india. while it primarily focuses on transforming the education system, it also recognizes the importance of integrating technology into education. as a component of this incorporation, the nep 2020 accentuates the significance of ethical considerations when creating and employing ai. ethical considerations indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 404 with regard to ai simply ensure that the construction and operation of ai systems are directed by doctrines such as openness, liability, impartiality, and confidentiality. the nep 2020 recognizes these principles and states that the use of ai in education must be based on ethical considerations. for this, the national education policy (nep) 2020 recommends several measures regarding ethical ai in education. here are some of the key recommendations: y incorporating ethical ai principles in the curriculum: the nep 2020 proposes that the curriculum should include ethical deliberations during the creation and use of ai. this will guarantee that students have the required expertise and knowledge to build and utilize ai systems ethically and responsibly. y encouraging research on ethical ai: the nep 2020 recommends that research on ethical ai be encouraged and supported. this will facilitate the creation of ai systems that possess fairness, transparency, and accountability. y developing guidelines for ai in education: the nep 2020 recommends that guidelines for developing and using ai in education be developed. these guidelines should incorporate ethical considerations and ensure that ai systems are responsibly and sustainably used and build. y ensuring transparency and accountability in ai systems: the nep 2020 recommends that ai systems used in education be transparent in making decisions and using data. this will ensure accountability and fairness in developing and using ai systems. y developing a framework for privacy protection: the nep 2020 recommends the development of a framework for protecting the privacy of students and other stakeholders in developing and using ai systems in education (india, ministry of education, 2020). therefore, nep 2020 acknowledges the significance of ethical ai in education and proposes suggestions to guarantee the responsible and sustainable creation and utilization of ai systems. benefits of ai in education the emergence of artificial intelligence in education (aied) has completely revolutionized every aspect of the educational system. according to baker and smith (2019) the ai technologies implemented in educational settings can be categorized as learner-facing, teacher-facing, and system-facing aied approaches. these approaches have immense advantages that have been discussed below: y learner-facing aied approach: it uses ai tools such as intelligent tutoring systems (its) that are beneficial for students in learning the subject matter. these adaptive learning systems simulate one-toone personalized tutoring (such as moocs) which provides an edge for making decisions regarding the learning path of every individual learner, providing cognitive scaffolding, and engaging students in dialogue. these systems have extensive potential to promote distance education via the implementation of modules in the instructional process, where one-toone human interaction is negligible. based on learner models, its fosters an online collaborative and interactive learning environment. virtual reality, a form of its, can be helpful in engaging and guiding students in authentic virtual reality and gamebased learning environments. the real-time feedback mechanism of ai indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 405 applications provides learners with guidance and prompts when they get confused and stuck during their learning process. y teacher-facing aied approach: it uses ai tools that are helpful in supporting and reducing the workload of teachers regarding attendance, administration, assessment, feedback, and detection of plagiarism via automation. studies have proven that ai systems such as intelligent agents save time for teachers teaching online by leaving the most repetitive tasks on the system. this, in turn, encourages teachers to focus on more creative works. ai tools can also help in providing teacher feedback without intervening in the privacy of the feedback provider, thus providing insights to teachers into their teaching methods and strategies. the adaptive systems help in extracting information regarding the performance of students that can help teachers perform diagnostic tasks for presenting proactive guidance to the students in need. y system-facing aied approach: it uses ai tools that are used by managers and administrators at the institutional level. ai applications can be helpful in simplifying the work and managing the time of the administrative staff by accurately predicting the admission decisions, student retention and drop-out, maintain e-portfolios, perform automated grading, keeping a record of students’ credentials etc. conclusion the significance of ethics in the realm of ai has grown significantly in recent times due to the widespread use of ai in divergent fields. thus, it is crucial to scrutinize the moral responsibility and independence of those involved in creating and deploying ai systems. the article provides a thought-provoking analysis of the ethical considerations surrounding the development and utilization of ai by exploring the issues of moral responsibility and autonomy in the context of ai and examining the challenges and opportunities that arise with the advancement of this technology. the authors argue that the development of ai requires careful consideration of its potential impact on society and that there is a requirement for considerable transparency and accountability in the design and use of ai systems. the authors suggest that this can be acquired with the development of ethical frameworks and directives that prioritize the principles of fairness, accountability, and transparency. furthermore, the article highlights the need for greater collaboration between varied stakeholders, including legislators, industrial leaders, and the public, to ensure that the development of ai is mentored by ethical contemplations that prefer the interests of society as a whole. finally, the researchers underscore the need for continued research and dialogue on this important topic to ensure that ai is made to evolve and used in a form that promotes the 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(2018). ai now report 2018 (pp. 1-62). new york: ai now institute at new york university indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 55 research article deciphering the reaction of m.ed. students towards a mooc developed at the institutional level ashutosh biswal1 & shama p ansari2 1professor, department of education (case), faculty of education and psychology, the maharaja sayajirao university of baroda, vadodara, gujarat 2research scholar, department of education (case), faculty of education and psychology, the maharaja sayajirao university of baroda, vadodara, gujarat emailshamapar25@gmail.com abstract moocs have emerged as an important form of online learning, which continues to be a useful way to reach large numbers of learners without the constraints of geography and time. these are largely self-paced, do not require official enrolment on campus, and are accessible from any device with a reliable internet connection. national education policy 2020 also highlights the importance of leveraging the benefits of technology. the policy recommends pilot studies for online education, online teaching platforms, and tools, content creation and dissemination, addressing the digital divide, virtual labs, teacher training, and incentives, online assessment, blended learning models, and so on. the present study is an attempt in this direction to study the effectiveness of a mooc developed for m.ed. students in terms of reactions of the students on various components like overall effectiveness, course structure, video lessons, assessments, discussion forums, additional resources, instructors’ support, and challenges faced. the study’s findings suggested that m.ed. students found the mooc interesting, self-paced, and flexible. keywords: mooc, research methodology, m.ed. students, reaction scale introduction moocs have emerged as an important form of open distance learning. moocs stands for a massive open online course. these courses are massive because there is no limit on the enrolment of students in these courses. it is considered open because anyone from anywhere with the internet can access it and it is online because all course components like instruction, testing, and discussions are done online. mooc can be defined as a course that has no limits on its enrolment may have a set start and end duration, is open for all irrespective of the background, all components are shared online, and has features of video lectures, discussion forums, online assignments and assessments leading to certifications. according to goel & goel (2012), “open distance learning through moocs has great potential to be infused in teacher education in both pre-service and in-service modes which seems to be a neglected area. teacher education in india has a slow pace in getting access to modernization and has not yet integrated the technological innovations for transacting education.” the researchers in the present study developed a mooc for studentteacher educators and studied its effectiveness with the help of a reaction scale developed and validated by the researcher. the developed mooc enabled students to get acquainted with a new learning method, compelling them to use various authentic open indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 56 educational resources available online, enabling self-paced and flexible learning among them. review of related literature moocs is the new revolution sweeping the higher education sector. as per a study conducted by kaur (2019), the major advantages of moocs in higher education are scalability, free education, removal of other constraints of boundaries, job, etc. force professors to improve lectures in the future, and designed to ensure students keep up, bringing people together from different parts of the world and provide many business opportunities of making platforms and collaborating with universities like coursera and edx. ahmed et al. (2017) examined the evolution of moocs, their characteristics, and their potential and problems in pakistan from the perspectives of teachers and students. they concluded that moocs inspire students and are very useful for students after graduation who cannot return to universities when being in jobs. kilgore (2018) did an empirical study on adult college student’s perceptions about learning mathematics through developmental mathematical xmoocs and emphasized that mooc offers an alternative platform for learning for students who are intrinsically motivated and like to work independently. it also offers confidence to students and motivates them to refresh their skills. latha ( 2019 ) included 500 indian learners who have completed at least one mooc course through coursera, edx, or udacity mooc platforms and found that students in post-graduation have a higher inclination toward studying through moocs, where the behaviour is driven by the internal rewards. sukhbaatar et al. (2018) also explored undergraduates’ and high school students’ perceptions of moocs. they found considered that students consider moocs as a learning resource and as a worthy source of knowledge. salas et al. (2022) studied 122 teachers from the national autonomous university of mexico’s perception of moocs during the pandemic and found that mooc is a viable solution to transform education. soffer & cohen (2015) integrated mooc at the undergraduate level and listed various benefits like a flexible environment and development of 21st-century skills. hence, moocs are a welcome step that brings immense benefits to various stakeholders of the indian education system. rationale with 20-26 million children born annually in india, an estimated 700 million to 1.3 billion young people would demand higher education in the next 35-50 years (kumar, 2018). india’s defining challenge and opportunity for the twenty-first century is to provide great higher education and prepare students for their future livelihoods and jobs. unconventional educational approaches, such as distance and open learning, on-demand education, and other flexible learning models, should be tried and tested, according to a position paper published by ncert in 2006. for today’s youth, flexible systems, futuristic curricula, and a twenty-first-century vocational orientation are necessary. it is critical to persuade the educational system, which has a key role to play in engineering the teaching-learning scenario and making it a more meaningful experience for both teachers and students. mooc is the answer to all these problems and can provide access to education to any massive population. moocs can offer students better and more diversified instruction than individual instructors can offer (daniel 2012). indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 57 research questions the study was comprised of the following research question: to what extent can moocs be effective for professional courses like teacher education? objectives of study 1. to develop a mooc in research methodology for m.ed. students. 2. to implement the developed mooc in research methodology on m.ed. students. 3. to study the effectiveness of the developed mooc in terms of the reaction of m.ed. students on the components i.e.: • overall effectiveness • course structure and planning • video lessons • discussion forums • assessment • additional resources • challenges faced • instructor support methodology research design the present study was experimental research. the design adopted was a single group post-test only design. here, the researcher implemented the designed mooc on the m.ed. students’ and then immediately after the mooc ended, the researcher measured students’ reactions toward it. as the development and designing of a mooc is an exorbitant and time-consuming process, trying it out on a small sample is a highly beneficial way of testing its effectiveness before opening it for global use. hence the researcher adopted this design. variables the independent variable used was mooc and the dependent variable was students’ reaction towards the developed mooc. population and sample of the study the study population was all the students enrolled in two years m.ed. program in india. a convenient sampling technique was used to select the sample. all the 40 m.ed. students studying in the department of education, faculty of education and psychology, the maharaja sayajirao university of baroda, vadodara in the first year of batch 2021-2023 were selected. research tool to study the effectiveness of the massive open online course in terms of the reaction of m.ed. students a reaction scale was implemented consisting of 35 statements. the reaction scale was a 5-point likert type of scale. developed and implementation of the mooc the researchers developed a mooc using the wordpress platform. the developed mooc was divided into three specializations courses on the selected topic of research methodology i.e. introduction to research methodology, type of research methods, and sampling techniques. the students were provided a manual and also given orientation on how the mooc works. students then registered in mooc and started learning on the mooc with fixed start and end dates. after the implementation, a reaction scale was implemented on the m.ed. students. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 58 analysis of data as the study was quantitative the statistical techniques were used to analyze the data. the reaction scale was analyzed using frequency, percentage, and intensity index(ii). in a likert scale, the ii specifies the exact point of intensity chosen by the sample for each item. it is simple to make a judgment regarding the participants’ response to the given statement by converting the data into a single number (chaudhari, 2016; khirwadkar. a & chaudhari. p, 2019; kothari. c. r, 2004; lakhera 2017; kumar, 2016 cited in lakshmi, 2020). i. overall effectiveness eleven statements focused on the reaction of m.ed. students towards the overall effectiveness of mooc. the intensity of each statement along with percentage and frequency is given below: table-1: frequency wise (f), percentages (%), and intensity index wise (ii) reaction (strongly agree-sa, agree-a, undecided-ud, disagree-d, and strongly disagreesd) of m.ed. students towards overall effectiveness of the mooc. sr. no statements sa (f,%) a (f,%) ud (f,%) d (f,%) sd (f,%) ii 1 learning research methodology through a massive open online course (mooc) was interesting. 32 80.0 08 20.0 0 0 0 4.80 2 the mooc was well structured and planned. 31 77.5 08 20.0 0 01 2.5 0 4.72 3 the instructions provided in every lesson were elaborate. 27 67.5 10 25.0 1 2.5 2 5.0 0 4.55 4 the mooc helped me to achieve the given course objectives. 25 62.5 15 37.5 0 0 0 4.62 5 time duration of the course was appropriate. 23 57.5 12 30.0 03 7.5 02 5.0 0 4.40 6 mooc promotes self-paced learning 30 75.0 9 22.5 01 2.5 0 0 4.72 7 i would like to learn other topics of research methodology through moocs 24 60.0 13 32.5 01 2.5 01 2.5 01 2.5 4.45 8 the moocs were flexible to learn at my own preferred time. 26 65.0 14 35.0 0 0 0 4.65 9 the moocs were user-friendly. 25 62.5 14 35.0 0 0 01 4.55 10 this course has increased my interest in online learning. 29 72.5 9 22.5 01 2.5 01 2.5 0 4.65 11 i would highly recommend this course to other students 30 75.0 08 20.0 02 5.0 0 0 4.70 average i 4.62 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 59 for statement 1, 80 per cent and 20 per cent of students reacted strongly agree and agree respectively. the intensity index of 4.80 for the statement showed that most of the students found it interesting to learn research methodology through mooc. 77.5 per cent, 20 per cent, and 2.5 per cent of students reacted strongly agree, agree, and disagree respectively to the statement 2. the intensity index of 4.72 for the statement showed that most of the students found the mooc wellstructured and well-planned. for statement 3, 67.5 per cent and 25 per cent of students reacted strongly agree and agree respectively. the intensity index of 4.55 for the statement showed that all the instructions provided in the lesson were elaborate. 62.5 per cent, 37.5 per cent, and 2.5 per cent reacted strongly agree and agree respectively to the statement 4. the intensity index of 4.62 for the statement showed that most of the students found mooc course objectives achievable. for statement 5, 57.5 per cent and 30 per cent of students reacted strongly agree and agree respectively. the intensity index of 4.40 for the statement showed that the time duration was appropriate. 75.0 per cent and 22.5 per cent reacted strongly agree and agree respectively to the statement 6. the intensity index of 4.72 for the statement showed that most of the students found the course self-paced for statement 7, 60.0 per cent and 32.5 per cent of students reacted strongly agree and agree respectively. the intensity index of 4.45 for the statement showed that students preferred learning other topics also through mooc. 65.0 per cent and 35.0 per cent reacted strongly agree and agree respectively to the statement 8. the intensity index of 4.65 for the statement showed that most of the students found the course flexible. for statement 9, 62.5 per cent and 35.0 per cent of students reacted strongly agree and agree respectively. the intensity index of 4.55 for the statement showed that students found the mooc user-friendly. 72.5 per cent and 22.5 per cent reacted strongly agree and agree respectively to the statement 10. the intensity index of 4.65 for the statement showed that moocs increased student interest in online learning. for statement 11, 75.0 per cent and 20.0 per cent of students reacted strongly agree and agree respectively. the intensity index of 4.70 for the statement showed that students will recommend such a course in the future to others. ii. course structure five statements focused on the reaction of m.ed. students towards the course structure and planning of mooc. the intensity of each statement along with percentage and frequency is given below: table-1.1: frequency wise (f), percentages (%), and intensity index wise (ii) reaction (strongly agree-sa, agree-a, undecided-ud, disagree-d, and strongly disagreesd) of m.ed. students towards course structure and planning of the mooc sr no items sa (f,%) a (f,%) ud (f,%) d (f,%) sd (f,%) ii 1 the course was delivered as outlined in the syllabus. 25 62.5 14 35.0 0 0 1 2.5 4.55 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 60 2 the introduction (learning objectives, instructor information, target group, etc.) given at the beginning of this mooc was clear to me. 30 75.0 8 20.0 2 5.0 0 0 4.70 3 the manual provided to use the mooc was easy to understand. 27 67.5 10 25.0 1 2.5 2 5.0 0 4.55 4 badges at the end of each module motivated me to learn more content through mooc. 27 67.5 9 22.5 4 10.0 0 0 4.57 5 the new platform developed to host moocs was well-designed. 27 67.5 12 30.0 1 2.5 0 0 4.65 average ii 4.60 for statement 1, 62.5 per cent and 35.0 per cent of students reacted strongly agree and agree respectively. the intensity index of 4.55 for the statement showed that most of the students found the course was delivered as per the outline. 75.0 per cent, 20 per cent, and 5.0 per cent of students reacted strongly agree, agree, and undecided respectively to the statement 2. the intensity index of 4.70 for the statement showed that most of the students found instruction clear and lucid. for statement 3, 67.5 per cent and 25.0 per cent of students reacted strongly agree and agree respectively. the intensity index of 4.55 for the statement showed that most of the students found the manual easy to understand. 67.5 per cent and 22.5 per cent of students reacted strongly agree and agree respectively to the statement 4. the intensity index of 4.57 for the statement showed that most of the students found badges motivating. for statement 5, 67.5 per cent and 30.0 per cent of students reacted strongly agree and agree respectively. the intensity index of 4.65 for the statement showed that most of the students found the platform well-designed. iii. video lesson 3 statements focused on the reaction of m.ed. students towards the video lessons in mooc. the intensity of each statement along with percentage and frequency is given below: table-1.2: frequency wise (f), percentage wise (%), and intensity index wise (ii) reaction (strongly agree-sa, agree-a, undecided-ud, disagree-d, and strongly disagreesd) of m.ed. students towards video lessons in mooc sr no items sa (f,%) a (f,%) ud (f,%) d (f,%) sd (f,%) ii 1 examples used in the videos were relevant to the topics. 34 85.0 5 12.5 1 2.5 0 0 4.82 2  the length of the videos used in this mooc was appropriate. 20 50.0 18 45.0 1 2.5 1 2.5 0 4.42 3 interactive videos used in all courses were fun and made the content engaging. 20 50.0 18 45.0 2 5.0 0 0 4.45 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 61 4 the language used in the video was simple and easy to understand. 30 75.0 10 25.0 0 0 0 4.75 average iii 4.61 for statement 1, 85 per cent and 12.5 per cent of students reacted strongly agree and agree respectively. the intensity index of 4.82 for the statement showed that most of the students found examples in videos relevant. 50 per cent, 45 per cent, and students reacted strongly agree and agree respectively to the statement 2. the intensity index of 4.42 for the statement showed that most students found the length of videos appropriate. for statement 3, 50 per cent and 45 per cent of students reacted strongly agree and agree respectively. the intensity index of 4.45 for the statement showed that most of the students found interactive videos engaging. 75 per cent, 25 per cent, and students reacted strongly agree and agree respectively to the statement 4. the intensity index of 4.75 for the statement showed that most of the students found the language used in videos easy. iv. additional resources two statements focused on the reaction of m.ed. students towards the additional resources in mooc. the intensity of each statement along with percentage and frequency is given below: table-1.3: frequency wise (f), percentage wise (%), and intensity index wise (ii) reaction (strongly agree-sa, agree-a, undecided-ud, disagree-d, and strongly disagreesd) of m.ed. students towards additional resources in mooc sr no items sa (f,%) a (f,%) ud (f,%) d (f,%) sd (f,%) ii 1 the course was supported by adequate additional e-resources in form of youtube, pdf documents, and articles. 22 55.0 16 40.0 1 2.5 1 2.5 0 4.47 2 all additional resources provided in the course were relevant to the topic. 26 65.0 14 35.0 0 0 0 4.65 average iv 4.56 for statement 1, 55 per cent and 40 per cent of students reacted strongly agree and agree respectively. the intensity index of 4.47 for the statement showed that most of the students found adequate additional resources in the course. 65 per cent, and 35 per cent of students reacted strongly agree and agree respectively to the statement 2. the intensity index of 4.65 for the statement showed that resources were relevant to the course topic. v. discussion forums there was 1 statement that focussed on the reaction of m.ed. students towards the discussion forums in mooc. the intensity of each statement along with percentage and frequency is given below: indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 62 table-1.4: frequency wise (f), percentage wise (%), and intensity index wise (ii) reaction (strongly agree-sa, agree-a, undecided-ud, disagree-d, and strongly disagreesd) of m.ed. students towards discussion forums in mooc sr no items sa (f,%) a (f,%) ud (f,%) d (f,%) sd (f,%) ii 1 the discussion forum used in mooc helped me in collaborating with my peers. 14 35.0 18 45.0 6 15.0 1 2.5 1 2.5 4.07 average v 4.07 for statement 1, 35 per cent and 45 per cent of students reacted strongly agree and agree respectively. the intensity index of 4.40 for the statement showed that most of the students found discussion forums collaborative. vi. assessment there were 3 statements that focused on the reaction of m.ed. students towards the assessment in mooc. the intensity of each statement along with percentage and frequency is given below: table-1.5: frequency wise (f), percentage wise (%), and intensity index wise (ii) reaction (strongly agree-sa, agree-a, undecided-ud, disagree-d, and strongly disagreesd) of m.ed. students towards assessments in mooc sr no items sa (f,%) a (f,%) ud (f,%) d (f,%) sd (f,%) ii 1 practice multiple-choice questions in each of the courses helped me in revising the content. 24 60.0 15 37.5 1 2.5 0 0 4.57 2 there were adequate quizzes in each course. 24 60.0 12 30.0 2 5.0 2 5.0 0 4.45 3 lessons in the form of activities made the course engaging 29 72.5 11 27.5 0 0 0 4.72 average vi 4.58 for statement 1, 60 per cent and 37 per cent of students reacted strongly agree and agree respectively. the intensity index of 4.57 for the statement showed that most of the students found mcq beneficial to revising the content. 60 per cent and 30 per cent of students reacted strongly agree and agree respectively to the statement 2. the intensity index of 4.45 for the statement showed that most of the students found quizzes adequate in the course. for statement 3, 72.5 per cent and 27.5 per cent of students reacted strongly agree and agree respectively. the intensity index of 4.72 for the statement showed that most of the students found that activities made the course. vii. instructors’ support there were 5 statements that focused on the reaction of m.ed. students towards the instructor’s support in the implementation of mooc. the intensity of each statement along with percentage and frequency is given below: indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 63 table-1.6: frequency wise (f), percentage wise (%), and intensity index wise (ii) reaction (strongly agree-sa, agree-a, undecided-ud, disagree-d, and strongly disagreesd) of m.ed. students towards instructor’s support in mooc sr no items sa (f,%) a (f,%) ud (f,%) d (f,%) sd (f,%) ii 1 as the instructor was always available to help students, i never felt lost in the course 35 87.5 5 12.5 0 0 0 4.87 2 the daily progress report shared by the instructor on whatsapp made me complete the course on time. 39 97.5 1 2.5 0 0 0 4.97 3 enrolment deadlines and course deadlines (start and end date) were informed in advance. 34 85.0 5 12.5 1 2.5 0 0 4.82 4 feedback was given by the instructor on the final graded assignments. 18 45.0 17 42.5 5 12.5 0 0 4.32 5 all my queries were answered through whatsapp by the instructor. 27 67.5 12 30.0 1 2.5 0 0 4.65 average vii 4.72 for statement 1, 67.5 per cent and 12.5 per cent of students reacted strongly agree and agree respectively. the intensity index of 4.87 for the statement showed that most of the students found the instructor always available to help students. 97.2 per cent, 2.5 per cent of students reacted strongly agree and agree respectively to the statement 2. the intensity index of 4.97 for the statement showed that most of the students found daily progress reports help to them complete the course. for statement 3, 85 per cent and 12.5 per cent of students reacted strongly agree and agree respectively. the intensity index of 4.78 for the statement showed that most of the students viewed that deadlines were conveyed in advance. for statement 4, 45 per cent and 42.5 per cent of students reacted strongly agree and agree respectively. the intensity index of 4.32 for the statement showed that most of the students got feedback on final graded assignments. for statement 5, 67.5 per cent and 30 per cent of students reacted strongly agree and agree respectively. the intensity index of 4.65 for the statement shows that all of the queries of students were answered through whatsapp. viii. challenges encountered four statements focused on the reaction of m.ed. students towards the challenges encountered during the implementation of mooc. the intensity of each statement along with percentage and frequency is given below: indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 64 table-1.7: frequency wise (f), percentage wise (%), and intensity index wise (ii) reaction (strongly agree-sa, agree-a, undecided-ud, disagree-d, and strongly disagreesd) of m.ed. students towards challenges encountered in mooc sr no items sa (f,%) a (f,%) ud (f,%) d (f,%) sd (f,%) ii 1 the final graded assignments were long and took a lot of my study time. 2 5.0 2 5.0 2 5.0 21 52.5 13 32.5 4.02 2 there were lots of disturbances in the audio used in the content video of the mooc. 0 0 2 5.0 22 55.0 16 40.0 4.35 3 too much workload was given during each week. 2 5.0 2 5.0 5 12.5 5 12.5 26 65.0 4.27 4 i did not face any major technical difficulties while navigating through moocs. 20 50.0 18 45.0 0 1 2.5 1 2.5 4.37 average viii 4.25 for statement 1, 52.5 per cent and 32.5 per cent of students reacted strongly disagree and strongly disagree respectively. the intensity index of 4.02 for the statement showed that most of the students did not find assignments too long. 40 per cent and 55 per cent of students reacted disagreed and strongly agree respectively with the statement 2. the intensity index of 4.35 for the statement showed that most of the students did not find any disturbances. for statement 3, 65 per cent and 12.5 per cent of students reacted as disagreeing and strongly disagree respectively. the intensity index of 4.27 for the statement showed that most of the students did not find too much workload in the course. for statement 4, 50 per cent and 45 per cent of students reacted strongly agree and agree respectively. the intensity index of 4.37 for the statement showed the majority of students faced no technical difficulties. findings the developed mooc was found to be effective regarding the reaction of m.ed. students towards it. m.ed. students not only found the course interesting but it increased their bend towards online learning. discussion and conclusion majority of the m.ed. students in the present study had favorable reactions toward the use of moocs. even lathe (2019) concluded in an empirical study that post-graduation students are more inclined toward moocs. the study has proved that students are interested in learning through moocs which promotes self-paced and flexible learning among them. kilgore, (2018), israel, (2015), andone & mihaescu ( 2018) also emphasised that mooc is a novel method that promotes self-paced learning. the majority of students found relevant examples in the content video which is in line with the finding of oakley et al. (2016) listing the factors that create a highly liked mooc which included easy materials, convenient time, and practical examples in the course, and many more. aljaraideh (2019) concluded that teachers perceive moocs to provide better learning opportunities to students indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 65 and recommended higher education institutes introduce moocs in their day-to-day learning. students in the present study also want to recommend others to adopt moocs. moocs can be a powerful approach to online learning in the future. they provide students and teachers with a lot of opportunities to learn and grow in their profession. references ahmed, s. s., khan, e., faisal, m., & khan, s. (2017). the potential and challenges of moocs in pakistan: a perspective of students and faculty. asian association of open universities journal. ahuja, r. (2018). moocs are a welcome step towards development. university news, vol 56(6),1821 aljaraideh, y. (2019). massive open online learning (mooc) benefits and challenges: a case study in jordanian context. international journal of instruction, 12(4), 65-78. andone and mihaescu, “blending moocs into higher education courses-a case study,”  2018 learning with moocs (lwmoocs), 2018, pp. 134-136. https://doi: 10.1109/ lwmoocs.2018.8534606. chaudhari, pinkal. (2016). developing and implementing multimedia learning package for enhancing ict skills of student teachers at secondary level. (doctoral dissertation, the maharaja sayajirao university of baroda, vadodara, india).https:// shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/ handle/10603/151391. daniel, j. (2012). making sense of moocs: musings in a maze of myth, paradox, and possibility. journal of interactive media in education, 2012(3). goel, d. r., &goel, c. (2012). the teacher education scenario in india: current problems & concerns. mier journal of educational studies, trends, and practices, 2(2). guo, p. j., kim, j., & rubin, r. (2014, march). how video production affects student engagement: an empirical study of mooc videos. proceedings of the first acm conference on learning@ scale conference. internet usage statistic (2018). https://www.internetworldstats.com/ top20.h israel, m. j. (2015). effectiveness of integrating moocs in traditional classrooms for undergraduate students.  international review of research in open and distributed learning, 16(5), 102-118. kaur, r. (2019). moocs in higher education. challenges and opportunities. in international journal of 360 management review. https://www.ij360mr.com/docs/vol7/spcl/32.pdf khirwadkar. a and chaudhari. p (2019).technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpack) preparedness of the teacher candidates in pre-service programme. international journal of advance and innovative research,6(1)(xiv) kilgore, p. j. (2018).  adult college students’ perceptions about learning mathematics via developmental mathematical xmoocs. university of south florida. kothari, c.r. (2004). research methodology: methods and techniques (2ndrev.ed.) new delhi: new age international (p) limited. kumar, s. (2018). lessons from the nalanda university of ancient times and stanford university of modern era for a new india. nhrd network journal, 11(1), 76-80. lakhera himangani. (2017). development and implementation of a package for enhancing listening speaking reading and writing lsrw skills in english language among secondary cbse students.(doctoral dissertation, the maharaja sayajirao university of baroda, vadodara, indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 66 india). https://shodhganga.inflibnet. ac.in/handle/10603/223594. lakshmi, y. v., das, j., & majid, i. (2020). assessment of e-learning readiness of academic staff & students of higher education institutions in gujarat, india. indian journal of educational technology, 2(1), 31. latha, a. challenges and implications of learning through massive open online course mooc a consumer perspective in india. mhrd (2020). national educational policy 2020. ministry of human resources development. government of india. ncert(2006). national focus group on educational technology. position paper. https://ncert. nic.in/pdf/focus-group/educational_technology.pdf oakley, b., poole, d., & nestor, m. (2016). creating a sticky mooc. online learning, 20(1), 13-24. salas-rueda, r. a., castañeda-martínez, r., eslava-cervantes, a. l., & alvarado-zamorano, c. (2022). teachers’ perception about moocs and ict during the covid-19 pandemic. contemporary educational technology, 14(1), ep343. shah d (2018, 11 dec,) by the numbers: moocs in 2018. https://www.classcentral .com/ report/mooc-hype-year-1/ soffer, t., & cohen, a. (2015). implementation of tel aviv university moocs in academic curriculum: a pilot study.  international review of research in open and distributed learning, 16(1), 80-97. sukhbaatar, o., choimaa, l., & usagawa, t. (2018). students’ perception and experience of massive open online courses in mongolia. creative education, 9(12), 1818-1828. ix editorial “यद्भावो तद्भवित” (yat bhāvo tat bhavati) while presenting the union budget on 1st february 2025, the hon’ble finance minister of the government of india announced the establishment of centre of excellence (coe) on artificial intelligence (ai) in education with an intent to leverage ai to personalize learning, improve assessment, and enhance teacher training in the country. aligning itself with the broad objectives of national education policy (nep) 2020, which are to enhance the access of the educational opportunities to all, improve quality, bring equity into the system, make education more affordable and accountable, coe on ai in education too seeks to bring paradigm shift in the way instructions and assessments hitherto are being organised in the educational landscapes of the country. the perennial contradiction in the indian classroom between the theory and praxis is sought to be bridged by the use of this new technology. theory informs us that every learner is unique while in actuality we administer uniform instructions in class. personalised adaptive learning (pal), powered by ai, is considered to be a bridge between theory and praxis. pal works by constantly assessing student by employing various methods such as quizzes, exercises or simply analysing the way student interacts with the learning system. based on these feedbacks, tailor-made contents are delivered to the student, ensuring a better learning curve for the child. in pal, students receive instant and targeted feedback on their performance, helping them to identify their mistakes and improve their learning. it can be implemented in diverse settings such as online courses, blended learning and traditional classrooms. another area in which ai has been a huge help is in assessment. it not only helps in constructions of questions and altering the difficulty levels of questions administered to students but also helps us to analyse the way a student answer questions; is there a pattern in committing errors, is there any problem in answering questions, etc. these finally help educators to know the learning styles of the students. besides, it help teachers in assessing subjective answers. most importantly, ai does not get frustrated with students, if students take longer time to understand the concept. as is the nature of technology, one can always come back and re start taking feedback from ai. ai has immense potential in the continuous professional development of teachers. teachers are key to any educational setting. ai is not to replace the teachers, especially at the school level. peer interactions and interactions with human teachers are the keystone of children’s learning. ai, like any other technology, is here to help teachers. teachers ought to seek maximum help from ai. just as pal personalizes learning experiences for students, the professional development of teachers, too, can be tailor-made and personalised with an appropriate ai tool. ethical use and the potential biases are much-talked about the concerns of ai in education. its environmental implications are also disconcerting. while ai has been a great help in disaster preparedness, responsiveness of the various systems and sub-systems to climate change, a better resource and energy management, its reliance on increasing number of data centres has created stress on water and energy demands, rare earth elements, e-waste management. it is an opportune time to find sustainable ways of managing ai in education. ai in education besides being smart, must be sustainable too. x in this issue of the journal, 30 manuscripts have been accepted for publication in the category of research articles, review articles and book review. ijet authors explored the benefits of social media technology, adoption and impact of digital learning, digital transformation in education, a study on ict integration in vocational education, prompt engineering with chatgpt, integrating gamification into preschool concepts, smart minds in math, shadow education and online learning. additionally, they examined cyber safety in schools, generative ai in academia, digital technologies, language barriers and emerging rural-urban divide in school education, instructional design in indian higher education, role of technology acceptance in developing critical thinking ability among primary level students. i hope that these articles will spark meaningful discussions among stakeholders, fostering deeper understanding of the topics. (abhay kumar) academic editor indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 85 research article status of ict integration in teacher education institutions of assam: an exploratory study suman baruah1 & ramakanta mohalik2 1ph.d. scholar, department of education, tezpur university, assam 2professor, dept. of education, rie (ncert) bhubaneswar email: mohalikrk@gmail.com abstract the present study is an attempt to explore the status of ict integration in institutional activities, teaching, assessment, professional development, and internship of teacher education institutions (tei) of assam. a survey method was used for the study. the sample consists of four teis, 20 teacher educators (te) and 80 trainees selected randomly from teis affiliated to guwahati university of assam, india. three self-developed questionnaires were used by the investigator for data collection. the collected data were analyzed by using frequency, average and percentage and accordingly interpretations are made. the study revealed thati) all the teis have minimum ict facilities and resources available are in functional condition; ii) majority of teis use ict for performing various institutional activities; iii) majority of the teacher educators were found sometimes using ict for teaching-learning, assessment, and for professional development; iv) most of the trainees were found not using a variety of ict devices and applications for learning and teaching during internship and v) lack of technical skills among teacher educators and trainees are major challenges in the path of effective utilization of ict. the study has proposed for developing techno-pedagogical skills of teacher educators and trainees to effectively integrate ict in teaching-learning, administration, assessment and evaluation as well as professional development. keywords: ict, integration of ict, teacher educators, teacher education institutions, trainees. introduction teacher education plays a vital role in providing quality education to trainees and in-service teachers. information & communication technology (ict) constitutes an essential part of a teacher education programme with the purpose to help in integrating it in teaching, assessment, and professional development. for this to happen, teacher educators must possess knowledge and skills of using ict devices and applications. realizing the significance of ict in teacher education, different committees and commissions in india have stressed ict integration in teacher education. the national policy on education (1986) and programme of action (1992) stressed the need to employ educational technology to improve the quality of education. the national curriculum framework (ncf) 2005 position paper on “teacher education’’ stated that the use of ict in meaningful ways makes it easy for teachers to create interesting projects, problemsolving situations, and virtual exposures to effective learning conditions. the national curriculum framework for teacher education (ncfte) in 2009 recommended that teacher education needs to orient and sensitize the teacher to distinguish between critically useful, developmentally appropriate and the detrimental use of ict. the indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 86 national council for teacher education regulations (2014) has further taken the initiative to make ict literacy a compulsory one in pre-service teacher education. apart from these, the government of india has implemented numerous schemes, programmes and initiatives such as diksha, nroer, e-pathshala, e-pg pathshala, pmevidya, e-yantra, olabs, etc. to promote effective integration of ict in the field of school and teacher education. it is expected that all the stakeholders of school and teacher education need to integrate ict in teaching, assessment, professional development, and administration. review of related literature research in the field of teacher education has indicated a mixed finding concerning the integration of ict in teis. mohalik (2020) reported that 20 percent of trainees use digital devices for using ppt in class, create digital learning materials, and provide feedback to students during internships. lack of infrastructure, competency, poor leadership support and attitude towards ict are barriers in the integration of ict indicated by andoh (2019). nasreen & chaudhary (2018) found that teacher educators and trainees perceived a lack of infrastructural facilities for ict integration in teacher education programmes. pandey (2018) revealed that the utilization of ict is very much essential in the theory classes of teacher education. angadi (2016) reported that the quantity of computers and ict used in teacher education institutions is less and it is mainly focused on the learning of ict skills. aslan & zhu (2016) indicated that pre-service teachers as well as starting teachers need more training to become competent in the use of ict in education. ghavifekr & rosdy (2015) found that technology-based teaching and learning is more effective in comparison to traditional classrooms in teacher education institutions. chemwei & koech (2014) found that there is a moderate level of integration of ict in teacher training colleges. ungar & iiuz (2014) highlighted three integration levels (basic, focused and creative) of ict integration in teacher training. goldstein & shonfeld (2014) stated that teacher training colleges incorporated a variety of ict-based learning assignments related to presentation and learning management. mwalongo (2011) reported that teacher educators use a wide range of ict tools for teaching, administration, professional development, and personal use. the above analysis indicated a smaller number of studies in the area of ict integration in teacher education especially in the state of assam, india. hence, the present study “status of ict integration in teacher education institutions of assam’’ is relevant. the investigators raised the following research questions: research questions • what are the ict facilities and resources available in teacher education institutions? • how ict is integrated by teacher education institutes for performing various institutional activities? • how ict is integrated by teacher educators and trainees for teaching, assessment, professional development, and during an internship in teaching? • what are the different issues and challenges in integrating ict in teacher education institutions? objectives • to study the availability of ict facilities and resources in teacher education institutions. • to study the integration of ict by a teacher education institute for indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 87 performing various institutional activities. • to study the integration of ict by teacher educators for teaching, assessment, and professional development. • to study the integration of ict by the trainees for teaching and learning during the internship programme. • to find out issues and challenges in integrating ict in teacher education institutions. methodology a survey method was used to explore the ict integration in teacher education institutions of assam, india. the sample consisted of four teacher education institutions (tei), 20 teacher educators (te), and 80 trainees selected randomly from teis affiliated to guwahati university of assam. the investigator used three self-developed questionnaires for the principals, teacher educators, and student teachers. each tool consisted of both close-ended and open-ended items. content validity of all tools was ensured by taking experts comments and suggestions during tool development. the test-retest reliability (.67) was estimated for closed-ended items in all the tools by giving seven days gaps. all these data were collected by personal visits to four teis. the collected data were processed and analyzed in ms excel by using frequency, percentage and average and accordingly tables and graphs were prepared as per the objectives of the study. the detailed analysis and interpretation are presented in the following pages. analysis and interpretation table-1: availability of ict facilities in tei’s sl. no. digital devices available (in average/%) usable (frequency & %) 1 desktop 19.25* 77 (100%) 2 laptop 3.25 8 (61.54%) 3 projector 75% 3 (100%) 4 digital camera 75% 3 (100%) 5 scanner 1.75 7 (100%) 6 printer 2.25 9 (100%) 7 interactive white board 2.5 10 (100%) 8 wi-fi connection 100% 4 (100%) 9 smart classroom 0 0 10 computer laboratory 100% 4 (100%) 11 power backup 75% 3 (85.71%) 12 speaker 3.75 15 (100%) 13 router 75% 3 (100%) 14 microphone 2.25 9 (100%) 15 computer table 19.25 77 (100%) *average indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 88 the table-1 indicated that all the four teis were having a computer laboratory, desktop, laptop, wi-fi, etc. and were fully functional. on average, three laptops per teis were available, but all were not functional. 75 percent of teis have digital cameras, projectors, scanners, power backup, and routers. no tei has a smart classroom. table-2: availability of ict application/services in tei’s sl. no. ict applications/services availability (frequency & %) 1 institute website 4 (100%) 2 official email id 4 (100%) 3 facebook/twitter account 3 (75%) 4 online library catalogue 1 (25%) 5 group email for each class 0 (0%) 6 whatsapp group for students class wise 3 (75%) the table-2 revealed that all the four teis have institute websites and official email id. three teis have class wise whatsapp groups for students and facebook/twitter accounts. no teis have a group email for each class and only one institute has the facility of an online library catalogue. table-3: use of ict by tei’s for student-related work sl. no. name of administrative works usage (frequency & %) 1 online application for student admission 3 (75%) 2 online receipt of payment from students 2 (50%) 3 group messaging to parents and students 2 (50%) 4 biometric attendance system for students 4 (100%) 5 online assessment for students 1 (25%) 6 online publication of result 4 (100%) 7 online issue of mark sheet and certificate 4 (100%) 8 online feedback from students and parents 1 (25%) it is found from table-3 that all the institutes are using ict for biometric attendance of students, publication of results and issue of mark sheet and certificate. 50 percent of institutes are using ict for group messaging to parents and students and for online receipt of payment from students. further, 75 percent of institutes are making use of ict for online applications for admission. only 25 percent of institutes are utilizing ict for online assessment and feedback. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 89 table-4: use of ict by tei’s for administration sl. no. name of administrative works usage (frequency & %) 1 online application for recruitment 2 (50%) 2 online tender notice for institute work 0 3 biometric attendance system for teachers 4 (100%) 4 online submission of performance appraisal report of staff 4 (100%) 5 online notice to staff and students 3 (75%) 6 online official record-keeping 1 (25%) 7 online financial management 1 (25%) 8 online issue of books in the library 0 9 online catalogue for library 1 (25%) 10 using ict for teaching 4 (100%) 11 monitoring staff performance via cctv 2 (50%) the table-4 revealed that all teis are using ict for biometric attendance of teachers and submission of performance appraisal reports. 75 percent of teis use ict for online notice to staff and students. further, 50 percent of teis employ ict for application for recruitment, providing e-circular regarding official matters as well as for monitoring staff performance. no teis use ict for online tender notice for institute work and the online issues of books in libraries. only 25 percent of teis use technology for library catalogue, keeping of official records, and financial management. table-5: use of ict for teaching & learning by teacher educators sl. no. items always (n & %) sometimes (n & %) never (n & %) 1 collect study material 12 (60%) 8 (40%) 0 2 read e-books/materials 3 (15%) 17 (85%) 0 3 prepare ppt for teaching 0 20 (100%) 0 4 use ppt in teaching 0 20 (100%) 0 5 create digital learning materials (audio/video) 0 20 (100%) 0 6 communicate online with students 5 (25%) 15 (75%) 0 7 use social networks for teaching purpose 3 (15%) 16 (80%) 1 (5%) 8 use video clips for teaching 0 19 (95%) 1 (5%) 9 use different online library 0 2 (10%) 18 (90%) indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 90 10 use mobile application (edmodo/google class) for teaching 1 (5%) 0 19 (95%) 11 use group email of class for academic purpose 0 6 (30%) 14 (70%) 12 use group whatsapp of class for academic purpose 7 (35%) 12 (60%) 1 (5%) 13 share online material with students 1 (5%) 18 (90%) 1 (5%) the table-5 indicated that 60 percent of teacher educators always use ict for collecting study material from the internet, 35 percent use group whatsapp of class for academic purposes and 25 percent of teacher educators always communicate online with students. all teacher educators sometimes use ict for preparing and using ppt for teaching and for creating digital material. 95 percent teacher educators sometimes use video clips for teaching purposes, 90 percent of educators share online materials with students, 85 percent of educators sometimes use ict for reading e-books, 80 percent of educators use social networking for teaching. further, 95 percent and 90 percent of teacher educators never use any mobile applications and different online libraries, respectively. table-6: use of ict for assessment & evaluation by teacher educators sl. no. items always (n & %) sometimes (n & %) never (n & %) 1 provide online assignments 0 13 (65%) 7 (35%) 2 receive online assignments 0 10 (50%) 10 (50%) 3 prepare test items 5 (25%) 14 (70%) 1 (5%) 4 share student’s result 2 (10%) 7 (35%) 11 (55%) 5 portfolio assessment 0 4 (20%) 16 (80%) 6 conduct online test 0 1 (5%) 19(95%) 7 maintain student’s record 6 (30%) 14 (70%) 0 8 provide feedback via online 0 4 (20%) 16 (80%) 9 blog assessment 0 4 (20%) 16 (80%) in assessment and evaluation, 30 percent of teacher educators always use ict for keeping a student’s record, 70 percent of teacher educators sometimes use ict for preparing test items, 65 percent educators sometimes provide online assignments and 50 percent receive online assignments. further, 80 percent of educators never use blog assessment, online assessment, and google forms. table-7: use of ict for professional development by teacher educators sl. no. items yes 1 use of ict for doing online courses like mooc/swayam 3 (15%) 2 member of any online professional group 4 (20%) indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 91 3 share study materials with the professional group 4 (20%) 4 subscription of online journal 9 (45%) 5 attending orientation/refresher course 13 (65%) 6 creation of digital teaching-learning materials 20 (100%) 7 attend online seminar/workshop 2 (10%) 8 online interaction with subject experts 2 (10%) 9 use of ict for reviewing research 19 (95%) 10 familiarity with data analysis software (spss/alta vista) 10 (50%) 11 use of ict for skill development in teaching/research 20 (100%) it is noticed from table-7 that all teacher educators use ict for skill development in teaching and research and the creation of digital teaching-learning materials. ict is used by 95 percent of teacher educators for reviewing research. 65 percent of teacher educators attended orientation and refresher courses on ict in the last three years; 50 percent of educators were familiar with data analysis software and 45 percent of them have online subscriptions to different journals. table-8: use of ict by the trainees during the internship sl. no. items yes (f & %) 1 planning lesson 47 (58.75%) 2 prepare lesson plan 39 (48.75%) 3 collecting additional information about the topic 76 (95%) 4 find learning resources on the internet for teaching 68 (85%) 5 read online books and other materials 58 (72.5%) 6 develop audio/video materials as learning resources 36 (45%) 7 prepare ppt 33 (41.25%) 8 prepare classroom notes 73 (91.25%) 9 get an idea about innovative strategies for teaching 10 (12.5%) 10 assess students in the classroom 7 (8.75%) 11 provide homework/assignment 6 (7.5%) 12 provide feedback to students 4 (5%) 13 refer to online journal for teaching 13 (16.25%) 14 communicate with peers, student teachers and teacher 79 (98.75%) the table-8 indicated that 98.75 percent of trainees communicate online with peers and teacher educators. 95 percent student teachers use the internet for collecting reference materials during internship. 91.25 percent of trainees use ict for preparing classroom notes, 85 percent of student teachers use the internet for finding learning resources, 72.5 percent of trainees read online books and 58.75 percent of trainees use ict for planning lessons. 95 percent of trainees did not provide online feedback to students and 92.5 percent of trainees did not provide online assignments/homework. 91.25 percent indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 92 of trainees did not use any online assessment technique and 87.5 percent of trainees did not adopt innovative teaching strategies. it can be viewed that although some of the trainees use ict in some areas of teaching-learning, the majority of the trainees do not utilize ict for many important aspects of teaching. table-9: use of applications by the trainees for teaching during the internship sl. no name of applications/websites yes (frequency and %) 1 geogebra 0 2 youtube 78 (97.5%) 3 slideshare 45 (56.25%) 4 blog 13(16.25%) 5 whatsapp 72 (90%) 6 facebook 33 (41.25%) 7 e-pathshala 16 (20%) 8 mail 77 (96.25%) 9 mahara 0 10 digital repository 0 the table-9 reveals that 97.5 percent of trainees use youtube and 96.25 percent use email for teaching and learning purposes during internship. slide share application is used by 56.25 percent, whatsapp by 90 percent and facebook by 41.25 percent of trainees during internship. lower percentages of trainees like 16.25 percent & 20 percent of trainees were using blog & e-pathshala applications, respectively. it is also seen from the above table that most of the trainees did not use different types of applications and even some of them were not aware of various ict applications which can be used for teaching-learning purposes. table-10: challenges of integrating ict in tei’s sl. no. challenges yes (f and %) 1 lack of interest to use ict 2 (10%) 2 poor internet connection 12 (60%) 3 lack of technical support staff in the institute 12 (60%) 4 lack of electricity during office hours 1 (5%) 5 lack of facilities in the classroom 19 (95%) 6 lack of technological knowledge 12 (60%) 7 lack of awareness about the use of ict 11 (55%) 8 lack of time to prepare teaching through ict 16 (80%) 9 non-functional ict equipment 4 (20%) indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 93 table-10 revealed that more than 80 percent of teacher educators opined that lack of smart classroom facilities and lack of time for preparing teaching through ict are the main barriers to ict integration. further, 60 percent of teacher educators viewed lack of technological knowledge, lack of adequate technical support staff, and poor internet connectivity as hampers in the integration of ict. 55 percent of teacher educators considered lack of awareness about the use of ict as one of the issues in ict integration in teis. major findings • all the teacher education institutions have desktops, laptops, printers, white boards, wi-fi connection, and computer laboratory, but 75 percent of teis have a projector, a digital camera and power backup and no tei have smart classrooms for teaching. • seventy-five percent of teis use ict for admission and 50 percent use ict for online payment of fees and group messaging to students and parents, online application for recruitment, notice to staff and students and monitoring students and staff by cctv. no teis use ict for inviting tender for work and issuing library books to students and staff. • the majority of teacher educators sometimes use ict for assessment and evaluation, especially in preparing test items, sharing results and keeping students’ records. • more than 50 percent of teacher educators were found utilizing ict for professional development like using ict for skill development in teaching/research, creating digital teaching-learning materials, reviewing research and attending orientation/refresher courses. • more than 50 percent of trainees use ict for planning lessons, collecting resource materials, reading e-books, preparing class notes, communicating with peers and students. youtube, slide share, whatsapp, and email during the internship. no trainees use mobile applications, such as geogebra, mahara, edmodo, etc. which are very useful for teaching-learning purposes. • lack of technological knowledge, lack of support staff, poor internet connection, and unavailability of smart classrooms were the major challenges in the path of effective integration of ict in teis. discussion of result the findings regarding the availability of ict facilities revealed that all the four teacher education institutions have functional ict devices like computer laboratory, desktop, scanner, printer, interactive whiteboard, website, official email, etc. but all teis do not have a projector, power backup and smart classrooms. this finding is supported by andoh (2019) who reported that lack of infrastructure competency, poor leadership support and attitude towards ict are barriers to the integration of ict. further, angadi (2016) found that the quantity of computers and ict used in teacher education institutions is less. it is also found that ict has not been fully integrated into performing different activities related to students, staff, administration, teaching, assessment, and publication of results. however, in terms of biometric attendance system and online submission of staff’s performance appraisal report, ict has been used adequately. chemwei & koech (2014) indicated that there is a moderate level of integration of ict in teacher training colleges. additionally, goldstein & shonfeld (2014) stated that teacher training colleges incorporated indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 94 a variety of ict-based learning assignments related to presentation and learning management. in terms of teaching, learning and assessment, the majority of the teachers were found sometimes using ict. more than 50 percent of teacher educators were found utilizing ict for their continuous professional development. mwalongo (2011) reported that teacher educators use a wide range of ict tools for teaching, administration, and professional development. it is also revealed that more than 50 percent of trainees use ict for preparing classroom notes, finding learning resources, and planning lessons. moreover, the study indicated poor use of ict applications by the trainees during the internship. mohalik (2020) found that trainees use digital devices during the internship in teaching programmes for planning lessons, preparing learning materials, and presenting the lesson. finally, the study portrayed the lack of relevant devices, technological competency, and staff as a major challenge for effective integration of ict. but nasreen & chaudhary (2018) found that teacher educators and trainees perceived the lack of infrastructural facilities as a barrier for ict integration. educational implications the authorities of teis must provide relevant devices, applications and technical staff so that ict can be effectively integrated into different institutional activities as well as teachinglearning. all the teacher educators must be motivated to develop life-long learning habits by proper utilization of ict based courses like mooc, swayam for their professional development. the use of ict during the internship helps in making the trainees familiar with different ict applications and services, such as nroer, e-pathshala, geogebra, mahara, kahoot, youtube, mentimeter, blog, slideshare, pmevidya, swayamprava tv channels, etc. which are useful for teaching-learning purpose. hence, ict must be taught rigorously in teis, so that all trainees would develop technological pedagogical skills. conclusion integration of ict in teaching and training is becoming a new normal. technology should be utilized to enhance educational practice as well as to create new pedagogical strategies for the improvement of teacher training. teachers can indeed perform better in ict only when they practice it during their training. hence, it needs to be first integrated in the teacher education programme. unless and until teacher educators demonstrate utilization of ict in teaching-learning process, it won’t be conceivable to set up another generation of educators who will viably utilize the new apparatus for teaching and learning. therefore, constructive and meaningful integration of ict in teacher education is inevitable to produce more innovative and creative techno teachers who can effectively teach digital native learners in future. references andoh, charles buabeng. (2019). factors that influence teachers’ pedagogical use of ict in secondary education: a case of ghana. journal of contemporary educational technology, 10(3), 272-288. angadi, g.r. (2016). a framework for evaluating the ict use in teacher education: a case study of the colleges of teacher education in karnataka. international journal of research in social sciences, 6(12), 209-222. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 95 aslan, a. & zhu, c. (2016). influencing factors and integration of ict into teaching practices of pre-service and starting teachers. international journal of research in education and science, 2(2), 359-370. chemwei & koech. (2014). assessment of ict integration into instruction in teacher education institutions in kenya. international journal of advanced research in social science and humanities, 3(12), 89-94. ghavifekr, s. & rosdy, w.a.w. (2015). teaching and learning with technology: effectiveness of ict integration in education. international journal of research in education and science, 1(2), 175-191. goldstein, olzan & shonfeld, miri. (2014). ict integration in teaching and teacher training by faculty members in israeli colleges of education. proceedings of the 25th international conference of the society for information technology & teacher education 2014. (pp. 2648-2653). mohalik, r. (2020). digital literacy and its use by teacher trainees at secondary level in odisha. randwick international of education and linguistics science (riels) journal. 1(2), pp.226 234. doi: https://doi.org/10.47175/rielsj.v1i2.90 mwalongo, alcuin. (2011). teachers’ perceptions about ict for teaching, professional development, administration and personal use. international journal of education and development using information and communication technology, 7(3), 36-49. nasreen, nakhat & chaudhary, firdaus. (2018). perception of pre-service teachers towards ict integration in teacher education in india. proceedings of the international conference on education technology management 2018. (pp. 11-14). doi: https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3300942.3300948 national education policy program of action (1992), ministry of human resource development, department of education retrieved from http://www.kkhsou.in/main/education/ national_policy1992.html national curriculum framework (2005), national council of educational research and training, retrieved from https://ncert.nic.in/pdf/nc-framework/nf2005-english.pdf national council for teacher education (2014) retrieved from https://ncte.gov.in/ webadminfiles/rcdownloadmaterial/1_24_12_2019_637127771228874466.pdf pandey, kavita. (2018). study of ict utilization in theory classes in teacher education in india: theoretical perspective. american international journal of research in humanities, arts and social sciences, 19(1), 36-40. ungar, o. & iiuz, i. e. (2014). levels of ict integration among teacher educators in teacher education academic colleges. international journal of e-learning and learning objects, 10(1), 195-216. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 230 general article digital transformation of education: an overview swati bajpai1 & kiran lata dangwal2 1research scholar, department of education, university of lucknow, lucknow, uttar pradesh 2assistant professor, department of education, university of lucknow, lucknow, uttar pradesh email: kldangwal@yahoo.co.in abstract digital transformation of education is the need of the hour especially during and after this unusual situation of pandemic covid-19, where face to face education has become infeasible. the vacuum created due to the inaccessibility of our traditional system of education has compelled all of us to look for an alternative to the traditional system of education and the virtual world of education in one such kind alternative. such virtualization of education is the result of the digital transformation of education that had been taking place for decades ago not only in our country but all over the world. our educational world has a long history of using technology in almost all spheres of education. so, it becomes very important for all of us to explore our history to know how such a digital transformation of education was started and what was the role of government in this paradigm shift? what interventions, policies and programs of government have been proved as a turning point? all such questions can be answered only through a thorough study of our history. a historical overview of the education system will help us to understand the role of government policies in the implementation of ict in the education system to identify the trends and development in the digitalization of education. in this paper, the focus of the researcher is to highlight all those technologies and initiatives that have been taken for the digitalization of education from time to time by different countries. keeping in mind such objectives of the study, the researcher has selected 7 countries: italy, korea, finland, morocco, portuguese, new zealand, and india and threw light on educational initiatives taken by these countries for the digital transformation of education. keywords: digital transformation, ict initiatives, technology, virtualization, paradigm shift, etc. introduction education being a fundamental right and fundamental need of survival is a matter of both national and international importance, as well as success of any country, is also directly related to their skilled and competent society. so, it becomes very important for a country to create such a strong system of education that can build a strong foundation for its citizens. for which, it is mandatory to upgrade our system of education with the time to meet ever-changing demands of society. digital transformation of education is one of such changes that had been taking place for decades, though it has not reached its full-fledged stage, still playing a very important role in meeting the challenges of increasing population, globalization of education, to address the individualized needs of learners and recently fulfilling the universal obligation of social distancing. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 231 digital transformation of education digital transformation of education means the use of technology in the field of education. the introduction of technology has facilitated a very smooth and gradual transition of the traditional system of education into a digital one. earlier, it started as a supplement to an education, now technology has become an integral part of it. although, it was not an easy journey from the traditional to a digital system of education. it had taken decades to establish a proper system, to train personnel and motivate users to accept the change. for which various agencies including government, semi-government & private agencies had taken multiple initiatives to provide connectivity (at personal, national and international level), to generate digital educational content, to arrange training and orientation programs for users, to develop low-cost equipment required for digital education and organized various other promotional activities to encourage digital education. here, we will discuss the education system of different countries in terms of their digitalization. when these countries have started adopting ict in their education system and what type of measures and policies, they have taken to ensure the gradual digitalization of their system of education. why there is a need for digital transformation of education “necessity is the mother of invention” is a famous proverb. when there is a need or problem, there is a solution to that problem. likewise, digital transformation of education also addresses multiple problems and needs of the education system such as: • to address the issue of increasing population • to provide equal access to quality education to all • to open the door of education for all anytime, anywhere • to optimize the use of available resources both physical and human resources • preservation, conservation, and transfer of educational resources • to preserve the educational assets in digital form • to globalize, individualize, and universalize the system of education • to create a virtual system of education • to provide a platform to intellectuals for virtual interaction an overview to digital transformation of education in this paper, the researcher had discussed the education systems of only seven countries: italy, korea, finland, morocco, portuguese, new zealand, and india and highlighted the major initiatives taken by these countries towards the digital transformation of education. the major reasons why the researcher had chosen these counties are: • to cover the different digital educational initiatives taken by different countries across the world as much as possible • to cover countries from different regions of the world • availability of data • limitation of time and resources italian system of education the first national ict initiative of italy in the field of education was the “national plan for informatics” launched in 1985 for the professional development of indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 232 science and mathematics teachers of upper secondary schools. but the “programme for the development of educational technologies” initiative taken in the early 1990’s had been proved as a milestone in the field of the italian education system as it provided autonomy and funds to the schools to establish technological labs and also facilitated professional development of their teachers. a large-scale national programme for teacher’s professional development was launched in 2000 to develop ict awareness and knowledge among the teachers and also to encourage them for its educational use. in 2007, a new large scale initiative for ict introduction in schools “national plan for digital schools” was launched to introduce ict directly into the classroom activities at all levels of education including all subject streams. four initiatives that have been taken under the “national plan for digital schools” are: 1. piano limto provide funds for interactive whiteboards in the schools 2. cl@sse 2.0to create ict based learning environment in the schools 3. scuol@ 2.0to promote innovations to the traditional method of education 4. editoria digitale scolasticato provide digital books to the students other than these initiatives, there are some more initiatives that have been taken for the digitalization of education and these are: • database sd2 managed by the institute for educational technologies of the national research council in genoa and it offers online service of documentation, training, and updating to the teachers. • the internet site ‘indire’ managed by the library of pedagogical documentation situated in florence and provides information and resources to the teachers and students. • ote: technological observatory managed directly by the ministry of education and it provides technical assistance to schools in italy. korean system of education in korea, computers have been included in their school curriculum since the 1970’s, although the formal plan to introduce ict in education took place in 1987 with the launch of the “computer education strengthening plan”. in 1996, the ministry of information and communication appointed an informatization promoting committee which proposed a master plan for informatization promoting popularly known as master plan i (1996). the major focus of this plan was to set up ict infrastructure and to achieve this objective, initiatives like edunet (1996), riss (1998) and keris (1999) were taken. edunet was the first comprehensive educational information service of korea, while riss was the first research information service system of korea. keris came into existence with the merger of the korean multimedia education center (kmec) and the korean research information center (kric) as per the keris act. keris framed the guidelines for elementary and secondary schools for the use of ict in education. to strengthen the use of ict in education, master plan ii came into existence in 2001. under master plan ii, initiatives like educational content sharing system (2001), national education information system (neis), cyber home learning system (2004), and e-learning global cooperative centre (2006)  were taken to invigorate the use of ict in education. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 233 in 2006, master plan iii was launched for the further advancement of ict in education and for these initiatives like digital textbook development plan (2007), uclassroom (2007), operation of digital textbook model schools (2008), cyber security centre (2008), and kocw (2010) were taken under master plan iii. further, master plan iv (2010) and master plan v (2014) also came into existence for smart education and student-centred learning respectively. finnish system of education finland’s system of education is considered as one of the successful systems of education across the world and this is because of their efficient teachers, availability of the best quality infrastructure and resources and their traditional curriculum & pedagogy. integration of ict in the finnish system of education is attributed to the policies that had been launched from time to time for digitalization of education such as education training and research for the information society (1995), national strategy (2000-2005), information society program for education training and research (2004-2006) and the national knowledge society program (2007-2015). these policies have played a very important role in establishing their ict infrastructure, developing ict literacy among the users, addressing issues related to its implementation and ict integration with the community & their daily life. ubiquitous information society strategy (2008), a joint initiative of the ministry of education and the national board of education, led by the ministry of transport and communications and run by an inter-ministry advisory board was taken to encourage ict in teachinglearning and to identify best practice innovations in schools. all these finnish policies played a very important role in the development of ict infrastructure, professional development of teachers, development of digital content and technology-based digital tools of teaching–learning. moroccan system of education in morocco, integration of ict in the education system started with the launch of the ‘national charter of education and training’ in 1999, wherein article 10 assimilation of ict and computer facilities in education had been emphasized along with the promotion of distance learning. further, a ‘national action plan’ was prepared in 1999 under the supervision of king mohammed vi who declared the period of 1999-2009 as the “education decade’’. thereafter, the government of morocco identified five themes: education, governance, private sector development, e-commerce, and access and included them in their ‘e-maroc plan’ to facilitate the use of ict in almost all the sectors of society including education and to reduce the cost of using computer and internet facilities. apart from these, there are some more initiatives, such as catt (1999), marwan project (2002), cvm (2002), genie (2005), civics, bridge, alef, and maf that have been taken to promote the digitalization of education in morocco. portuguese system of education in portugal, the system of education is mostly centralized and managed by the ministry of education along with the ministry of science, technology and higher education. as far as integration of ict in the portuguese system of education is concerned, lisbon strategy (a european union [eu] plan) and portugal’s strategic national plan were prepared for the upgradation of education as well as for ict integration in education. these two plans led to the development of ‘portugal’s technological indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 234 plan for education’ which was although prepared by the concerned ministry but also approved by a resolution of the council of ministers in 2007 which means portugal’s technological plan for education was approved by the entire government. it was a comprehensive plan with four major dimensions of a) technology goals, b) content goals, c) training goals and d) investment & financial goals. to accelerate the pace of ict integration in education, to develop ict infrastructure and to provide ict access to students, many other programs were started such as technological kit (to lower down a student to computer ratio), voice over internet protocol: voip (to provide voip & video conferencing solutions to the schools), internet in the classroom: local area networks (to provide wireless access in local area network), high-speed broadband internet (to provide access to high-speed internet), portugal’s laptop distribution programs (to distribute laptops to the students and teachers) and ict competencies program (to trained teachers with ict skills and ict implementation in the classroom). new zealand system of education in new zealand, the first digital strategy to implement ict in different sectors of society including health, governance, commerce and education was released in 2005. in 2008, digital strategy 2.0 was released with a major focus on investment in fibre-based broadband and adopting different strategies for rural and urban areas. the first national plan for ict integration in education ‘ict strategic framework for education’ was released in 2006-2007. this framework for education covered primary, secondary as well as the tertiary levels of education with four major dimensions of a) connection, b) capability, c) content, d) confidence. ‘ict strategic framework for education’ was initially developed for the period of 2008 -2012. some other initiatives taken for ict implementation in the field of education includes school network upgrade program–phase 1 (snup-1) and school network upgrade program–phase 2 (snup-2) (to provide connectivity to small schools), school network upgrade program–phase 3 (snup-3) (to prepare schools for fibrebased, 100 mbps connectivity), tela laptop scheme, 2003 (to provide subsidized laptops to teachers), the computer access new zealand trust (to provide recycled computers to schools), the national ict helpdesk (to provide software and hardware support to schools) and the ministry of education (to provide free of cost basic software to schools such as ms office, antivirus etc.) indian system of education in india, the use of technology in education has a history of years since british rule. in 1930, the first educational and cultural program was aired by british broadcasting corporation (bbc) through broadcasting radio and in 1937, all india radio (air) broadcasted educational programs for school students. further, the invention of television and its acceptance as a medium of information exchange led to the introduction of educational television for secondary schools in delhi in 1961. in 1975, satellite instructional television experiment (site) was launched to develop rural communities through education. the use of computers in education started with the launch of computer literacy and studies in school (class) in 1984. besides these initial initiatives, the government of india had taken two major initiatives named inflibnet (1991) and nmeict (2009). these are not single initiatives, but umbrella terms for multiple initiatives that have been taken under these two initiatives for different levels of education including primary, secondary, senior-secondary, higher and technical education. the list of initiatives indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 235 that have been taken under inflibnet are e-shodhsindhu (consortium for higher education e-resources), shodh shuddhi (to enhance research quality by providing plagiarism detection software to member educational institutions), n-list program (to provide an access to e-resources to colleges), infoport (a gateway to all indian scholarly e-content), ir@inflibnet (institutional repository of inflibnet), ojas (open journal access system, but services has been terminated since 2016), shodhganga (an open repository of indian theses), shodhgangotri (an open repository of indian synopses submitted to educational institutions for ph. d. program), indcat (a union catalogue), soul (a library automation software), e-pg pathshala ( to provide e-content to postgraduate level students), vidyamitra (an integrated e-content platform to provide an access to all education e-content through a single-window interface), vidwan (a premium database of experts), research project database (to provide information about ongoing and completed project of faculty members) and many others. while initiatives that have been taken nmeict are virtual lab (to provide a remote access to labs to those who don’t have an access to costly lab equipments), sakshat (one stop educational portal, an integrated platform to provide an access to all educational e-content), e-yantra (an initiative taken for engineering students), a-view (to provide a platform for teaching-learning in real time through video conferencing), swayam (an indigenous mooc), swayam prabha (34 dth channels dedicated to educational programs), fossee (to promote the use of floss tools in academia and research), gian (to provide an opportunity to learn from international faculties), nptel (to provide e-content to science and engineering students), e-acharya (an integrated platform to provide e-content), national digital library (to provide an access to all type of educational e-content), sos (to provide tools for analysis of system), spoken tutorial (to provide an access to free and open software) and baadal (a cloud orchestration and virtualization management software to maximize the utilization of ict infrastructure), etc. national academic depository (nad) is an online depository of academic awards including certificates, diplomas, degrees, mark sheets, etc. it provides 24×7 hours accessibility to academic awards to its stakeholders. its stakeholders are not only students but also educational institutions, verifying entities, the ministry of education, ugc and digilocker. the current situation italycurrently, the use of technology and ict in italy is not confined to the only secondary and vocational levels of education, but has also become an inseparable part of their education system at the primary level. ict technologies, interactive whiteboard technologies, multimedia equipment, and internet facilities are now available to all levels of education including primary, lower secondary, upper secondary and vocational education. teachers are being trained to use ict to improve student’s performance, and attainment, educational communication and cooperation as well as to achieve specific learning goals. koreain korea, the government has started the use of ict in education to strengthen its system of education. now, their focus is on smart education where s means self-directed, m stands for motivated, a is adaptive, r means resource-enriched and t stands for technology embedded. in schools, students are not only learning through traditional methods but also actively using ict at all possible levels to become a new generation of learners. a digitized indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 236 curriculum is being used to reflect the modernization of education. not only teachers and students, but also society is being encouraged to utilize the ict facilities to become a digital society. finlandin finland, the national board of education, responsible for education systems all over the country, has implemented national ict policy all across primary and secondary educational institutions to ensure the development of ict infrastructure and strategies required to meet the national framework. teachers have been trained to achieve mastery over the ict skills, using ict tools for educational purposes, to develop digital content, create digital networks of institutional management, etc. moroccoin the moroccan system of education, ict is being used to achieve two major objectives of making students digitally literate and secondly in developing different digital pedagogical approaches to achieve the national goals of education, i.e. using innovative methods and approaches in educational institutions. genie programme of morocco was awarded  unesco king hamad bin isa al-khalifa prize in 2017 for its considerable efforts and impact on the use of technology in the field of education. portugueseportuguese system of education managed by the centralized ministry of education has developed ict infrastructure and resources to reform and modernize the education system at the school level through a national initiative ‘technical plan through education’. now, their schools are interactive places of learning with ict trained teachers and school staff to create an information society. proper government guidelines have been issued for teachers to develop ict competencies. teachers are being provided with three levels of certificate for digital competencies. new zealandthe government of new zealand has launched the ultrafast broadband project to provide fibre-based ultra-highspeed internet connectivity to all the schools by 2020. schools have been developed and facilitated to use ict infrastructure for the modernization of the education system. the government is also providing heavy funds for the professional development of teachers in terms of digital competencies. indiaalthough the government of india had already taken multiple initiatives for digitalization of education since 2016, it has accelerated its pace of taking and implementing new ict initiatives for integration of technology in education, such as online educational portals, content in digital form for different levels of education, virtual classrooms, online admission and examinations as well as digitalization of administration and management activities. in 2016, it launched 28 new initiatives and programmes at different levels of education, but due to lack of awareness and encouragement, these initiatives were not reaching their endusers. but now because of this pandemic of covid-19, both teachers and students are forced to learn and explore these new digital ways of learning and with the passing of time, they are becoming more sincere, confident and technosavvy with the use of these ict initiatives and programs. discussion after studying the education system of the above countries, we concluded that the use of technology in the system of education was started decades ago but the major advancement in the terms of formal policies and concrete initiatives took place after 1980. almost all the countries have spent lots of money, time and attention on establishing educational ict infrastructure, providing training for use of ict in education, indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 237 development of low-cost tools for digital education, creating digital content & making it freely accessible to all, organising orientation programs to bring awareness among users and motivating them. being completely aware of the importance of ict in education, the government of above-described countries put lots of effort into the digitalization of education but still, it has not reached its optimum level and the major problem is concerned with proper implementation and execution of these policies along with other challenges of insufficient funds, resources and trained manpower. for which a lot of research is required to identify the area of problems and to properly address them. though digitalization of education is mandatory in the current scenario, its opportunities should also be taken into consideration. like programs and policies taken for the advancement of ict in education, the government should also make policies and take measures to address the challenges related to them. references avvisati, f., hennessy, s., kozma, r. b., & vincent-lancrin, s. (2013). review of the italian strategy for digital schools. oecd education working papers, 90. bakia, m., murphy, r., anderson, k. & trinidad, g.e. (2011). international experiences with technology in education: final report. usde. 149-159, 227-237, 247-257. besio, s. (2002). international experience of ict usage in education, information technologies in education. 15-25. bottino, r. m. (2003). ict, national policies, and their impact on schools and teachers’ development. ifip advances in information and communication technology, 132. 41-47. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-35701-0_4 bottino, r. m. (2004). the evolution of ict-based learning environments: which perspectives for the school of the future? in british journal of educational technology (vol. 35, issue 5). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0007-1013.2004.00413.x bottino, r. m. (2014). ict as a catalyst of innovation. 3-10 . https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662 43927-2_1 falloon, g.. (2018). new zealand’s ict-in-education development (1990–2018). 10.1007/978 981-15-6157-3_8. farrell, g., isaacs, s., hamdy, a., hare, h., tchinda, j. t., mangesi, k., ... & fall, b., faso, b., kenya, g.-b., liberia, l., madagascar, l., mali, m., mauritius, m., mozambique, m., niger, n., rwanda, n., tome, s., seychelles, p. s., & leone, s. (2007). survey of ict and education in africa volume 2: 53 country reports. survey of ict and education in africa volume 2, 2(2).5-7. hajji, k. a. (2018). ict in education system: comparing morocco and korea. the world of islam. 8. 8-12. ict initiatives of moe”, ministry of education. goi https://www.education.gov.in/hi/ict initiatives (accessed jan. 3, 2021) keris. wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/keris (accessed jan. 1, 2021) kimmo, k., & thonbo, r. (2017). finland country report on ict in education. european schoolnet. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 238 4-7. ouatiq, a., riyami, b., mansouri, k., & qbadou, m. (2019). towards ict integration in higher education in morocco, challenges and opportunities. icssd 2019 international conference on smart systems and data science. https://doi.org/10.1109/icssd47982.2019.9003069 thankachan, b. (2012). ict in indian education: a brief history. https://brijuthankachan.com/2012/12/07/ict-in-indian-education-a-brief-history/ (accessed jan. 5, 2021) indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 376 review article influence of social media on adolescent mental health: a gendered perspective aynee arif1, shazia manzoor2 & javaid rashid3 1researcher, department of social work, university of kashmir, j&k 2phd, professor, department of social work, university of kashmir, j&k. she is currently heading the department email: shazia@uok.edu.in 3phd, assistant professor, department of social work, university of kashmir, j&k abstract this study attempts to understand the relationship between social media (sm) usage and adolescent mental health (amh) with a focus on the gendered coping mechanisms employed by adolescents to mitigate the negative impacts of excessive digital engagement. the objective is to examine the literature and evidence available as to how adolescent boys and girls develop distinct strategies to manage sm addiction and its associated stressors. using a systematic literature review and thematic analysis of empirical studies, this research identifies key patterns in coping mechanisms and support systems. findings indicate that adolescent boys predominantly adopt problemfocused strategies, such as seeking solutions or engaging in physical activities, while girls tend toward emotion-focused coping, including seeking emotional support and selfsoothing practices. the study also highlights the influence of peer and family networks in shaping coping behaviours. however, a critical gap persists in empirical research concerning adolescents’ perceptions of sm and how these coping strategies evolve over time and across diverse socio-economic and cultural contexts. the study emphasizes the need for longitudinal, culturally sensitive research to deepen our understanding of these dynamics. it concludes by advocating for tailored, gender-responsive interventions to support mental health in adolescents in the technological age, addressing both the risks and potential aspects of sm use. keywords: amh, sm addiction, gendered coping mechanisms, peer and family support, digital well-being introduction the increasing integration of digital technology into everyday life has greatly changed how individuals, especially adolescents, interact with the world around them. social media (sm) platforms have emerged as pivotal spaces for communication, socialization, and self-expression. however, concerns regarding the potential negative effects of these platforms, particularly on mental health, have gained significant interest from researchers, academicians, and psychosocial professionals. among the most vulnerable groups to the adverse effects of sm are adolescents, who are still undergoing crucial developmental stages in their psychological and social lives (valkenburg & peter, 2009). adolescence is a time of heightened emotional and cognitive development, during which individuals are particularly sensitive to social influences. as a result, the nature and frequency of sm engagement can play a considerable role in shaping adolescents’ mental well-being. previous studies have indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 377 highlighted the potential links between excessive sm use and mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and sleep disturbances (twenge et al., 2018). while these effects have been widely documented, less notice has been taken of the fact that how gender influences the nature and extent of these impacts. gender plays a crucial role in influencing how adolescents engage with sm and how they experience its effects. for example, research has shown that females are more inclined to use sm for social comparison and emotional support, which can lead to heightened feelings of mental unease and dejection. in contrast, males may be more prone to using sm for gaming or competitive activities, which can lead to issues such as internet addiction or issues related to body image (valkenburg & peter, 2009). these gender-specific patterns of engagement could result in different mental health outcomes, making it imperative to explore these variations in depth. objectives this paper aims to understand genderspecific aspects of sm addiction and its impact on the mental health of adolescents. while analyzing usage patterns, psychological effects, coping strategies, and support systems, the study seeks to understand how sm addiction manifests differently in males and females, influencing their mental well-being. through this exploration, the study intends to inform the development of targeted strategies and policies that can promote positive mental health in adolescents navigating the digital landscape. method this study adopted a systematic literature review approach to examine the psychological effects of social media use on adolescents, with a focus on gendered coping mechanisms and support systems. the review followed prisma (preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses) guidelines that ensured a structured and transparent methodology. a comprehensive search was conducted across five academic databases— pubmed, sage, sciencedirect, cureusspringer, and google scholar—using predefined keywords, including “adolescent mental health,” “social media addiction,” “gendered coping mechanisms,” “peer and family support,” and “digital well-being.” boolean operators (and, or, not) were employed to refine search results and ensure the inclusion of peer-reviewed journal articles and reports published post-2000, a period marked by the rapid expansion of sm platforms. the initial search yielded relevant studies for the period 2000 onwards, which were then screened for eligibility based on relevance to adolescent psychological well-being. studies were filtered using inclusion and exclusion criteria, focusing on those that explicitly examined the impact of sm on mental health dimensions such as anxiety, depression, self-esteem, and addiction. following a two-stage screening process (title/abstract screening and full-text review), 34 studies were selected for thematic analysis. thematic synthesis was employed to analyze and categorize findings, identifying recurring themes and patterns in how adolescents experience and cope with the psychological effects of sm use. particular attention was given to gender-specific coping mechanisms and the influence of peer and family support systems in moderating negative psychological outcomes. this review not only synthesizes existing literature but also identifies key research gaps, providing recommendations for future indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 378 studies and intervention strategies aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of sm on adolescent mental health. understanding sm and gender sm has become an inescapable and integral part of contemporary life, particularly for adolescents, reshaping how they interact, communicate, and perceive themselves in a digital world. what began as a simple form of online communication has evolved into a global phenomenon, connecting billions of users across diverse platforms and offering unprecedented opportunities for self-expression, social interaction, and access to information (best et al., 2014). for adolescents navigating the often tumultuous journey of identity formation, sm serves as both a playground and a stage for exploring their selves, connecting with others, and discovering new facets of their identity (cataldo et al., 2020). through sm, adolescents can engage with peers, share experiences, and participate in online communities centered around common interests and values (best et al., 2014). while sm offers numerous benefits, it also presents significant challenges, particularly concerning amh. research has consistently highlighted the growing concerns surrounding the negative psychological effects of excessive sm use, including anxiety, depression, diminished self-esteem, and body image issues (keles et al., 2020; schønning et al., 2020). the constant exposure to idealized depictions of life— be it through meticulously curated posts or filtered photos—can exacerbate feelings of inadequacy, leading to unhealthy comparisons, particularly for adolescents who are shaping their self-concept and identity (cataldo et al., 2020). as they seek validation and approval from their online peers, adolescents may feel disconnected from their true selves, heightening their vulnerability to mental health issues. in addition to these psychological consequences, sm exposes adolescents to a range of risks, including cyberbullying, online harassment, and exposure to harmful or inappropriate content (odgers & jensen, 2020; popat & tarrant, 2023). the relative anonymity and distance offered by online platforms create an environment where individuals may behave in ways they would not in face-to-face interactions, leading to heightened vulnerability and distress. for adolescents, these online behaviours can take a toll on their mental well-being, further complicating their ability to navigate the challenges of growing up in a hyperconnected digital world (odgers & jensen, 2020). despite these significant concerns, sm remains an inseparable part of adolescent life, with platforms such as youtube, tiktok, instagram, and snapchat dominating the digital landscape (vogels & gelles-watnick, 2023). the prevalent use of sm-tools in adolescents underscores the need for a rigorous inquiry into its effects on their mental health, particularly through a gendered lens. gender differences in sm use and its psychological impact are evident, as different genders engage with digital platforms in different ways, influenced by societal expectations and cultural norms, there is an urgent need for research that examines how gender shapes the nature of sm use and its corresponding mental health outcomes (richards et al., 2015) in india, where sm usage has surged in recent years, the mental health implications for adolescents are of particular concern. with over 448 million sm users as of 2021, india ranks second globally in terms of digital engagement, making its youth highly susceptible to both the positive and negative effects of sm (gupta et al., 2022). despite the increasing penetration of digital platforms, gender disparities in sm usage persist, with men often being indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 379 more active on sm than women. this disparity can contribute to women’s under-representation in digital spaces, potentially exacerbating existing gender inequalities in the form of access to opportunities and resources. understanding the intersection of sm use, gender, and amh in the indian context is crucial for crafting more effective and practical strategies that deal with the distinctive challenges faced by young people, especially adolescent girls. the influence of sm on the adolescent mental landscape is multifaceted and complex. while it offers significant opportunities for connectivity and self-expression, it also exposes adolescents to a variety of risks and challenges. sm’s influence on mental health and well-being is not the same and uniform; it is shaped by how individuals engage with digital platforms and how gender differences mediate this engagement. the following sections of this paper delve into the major themes related to sm use and mental health, with a specific focus on gendered perspectives. through a rich literature review, we aim to better understand these dynamics and provide recommendations for interventions that can be critical to lessen the adverse effects of sm on the mental health of adolescents. the intersection of gender and sm tool’s use has been the subject of growing academic interest. gender-specific differences in sm engagement are not only impacted by individual preferences but also by overarching cultural and societal factors. for instance, studies have demonstrated that adolescent girls tend to be more focused on relational and emotional aspects of sm, using it as a means of social comparison and seeking validation (herring & kapidzic, 2015). this tendency can increase the feelings of inadequacy and anxiety, as young girls often compare their lives and appearances to the curated, idealized images of others online. the constant exposure to these unrealistic representations can significantly contribute to the development of body discontent and depression among adolescent females. on the other hand, adolescent boys may engage with sm in a more performance-driven way, focusing on self-presentation, gaming, and achievement-based activities (khalaf et al., 2023). these behaviours can foster competitiveness and sometimes contribute to feelings of inadequacy when they fail to meet the standards set by their peers or the online community. moreover, excessive use of gaming and other interactive forms of media can lead to issues like addiction, reduced face-to-face interactions, and neglect of other areas of life, further exacerbating mental health problems (popat & tarrant, 2023). understanding these gendered experiences of sm use is essential for tackling the mental health concerns of adolescents in the technological age. analysis and major themes the major themes discussed in this section emerged through a meticulous thematic analysis of the literature, guided by an objective to study the nuanced relationship between the usage of sm technologies and the mental health of adolescents. the thematic analysis, as a qualitative method, involves identifying, organizing, and interpreting patterns within data. for this study, a structured, iterative approach was employed: first, a comprehensive review of relevant studies was conducted, followed by coding and categorization of key ideas. this process revealed significant patterns that coalesced into distinct themes reflecting social technological tools’ impact on younger populations. central to the findings is the paradoxical nature of sm—simultaneously a source of connection and a potential trigger for psychological distress. the themes indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 380 also illuminate how gender influences coping strategies, with adolescent boys and girls adopting distinct approaches to tackle the stressors connected with digital engagement. moreover, the importance of social support systems, both virtual and offline, became evident as a critical factor in lessening adverse outcomes. these themes not only capture the intricacies of adolescents’ engagement with sm technologies but also offer insights into potential interventions that can foster healthier digital habits. each of these themes is discussed in detail in the following sections, offering a comprehensive knowledge of how adolescents manage the intricate digital terrain and its impact on their well-being. 1. gendered patterns of sm use the innovations of sm have basically changed the way individuals interact with the world, providing new avenues for interaction, communication, and self-expression. this digital shift is particularly pronounced among adolescents, a group that has become deeply integrated into the sm landscape. adolescence is a crucial developmental stage characterized by significant physical, cognitive, and social changes during which individuals increasingly seek autonomy, explore their identities, and negotiate their social roles (cataldo et al., 2020; gross, 2004). as adolescents navigate these developmental milestones, sm serves as both a platform for experimentation and a tool for exploring their social environments. gender has emerged as a key factor influencing adolescents’ engagement with sm, shaping not only the frequency of use but also the patterns of interaction and the content consumed. while both males and females engage with sm in similar quantities, the nature and purpose of their use differ considerably. research shows that adolescent females, in particular, are more active on sm platforms than their male counterparts. they tend to check their accounts multiple times a day, often allocating substantial amounts of time to engage with content, interact with peers, and maintain social connections (keles et al., 2020; schonning et al., 2020). this pattern is partially explained by the role of sm in the lives of adolescent girls, where it serves as a primary space for social validation, emotional support, and relationship maintenance (keleş et al., 2020; pujazon-zazik & park, 2010). in contrast, adolescent boys typically use sm in a more passive, goal-oriented manner. rather than engaging in ongoing social interactions, they mostly use sm tools for particular interests, such as accessing news, gaming content, or engaging in informational exchanges. this distinction highlights a key gender divide in sm usage: girls tend to prioritize social engagement, while boys are more focused on information consumption and entertainment. the gendered differences in sm use are further reflected in the content shared and the nature of interactions. adolescent females are more likely to engage in self-disclosure, sharing personal thoughts, feelings, and experiences on these platforms (pujazon-zazik & park, 2010; weiser, 2000). this openness is often linked to their desire for emotional connection and support from their peers. in contrast, adolescent males are more inclined to focus on content that aligns with their interests, such as sports, gaming, and competitive interactions. these gendered patterns suggest that the motivations behind sm use are shaped not only by personal preferences but also by broader cultural expectations and social norms (herring & kapidzic, 2015). moreover, the psychological impact of sm is experienced differently by adolescent boys and girls. girls are particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of sm, indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 381 including body image issues, anxiety, and cyberbullying, which often arise from exposure to idealized beauty standards and the pressure to conform to societal expectations of appearance (kelly et al., 2018; twenge & martin, 2020). these concerns can exacerbate feelings of insufficiency and lead to challenges vis-a-vis mental health. boys, on the other hand, may experience issues related to excessive gaming, online violence, and exposure to unsafe content, which can also contribute to negative psychological outcomes. the types of sm platforms preferred by adolescents further underscore these gendered differences. girls are drawn to visually oriented platforms such as instagram and snapchat, which emphasize sharing images, videos, and personal moments to create a curated online identity. these platforms prioritize social validation through positive feedback, which includes likes, comments, and shares, reinforcing the importance of social feedback and interaction. boys, however, tend to favour platforms like youtube and gaming forums, where content creation and participation in gaming communities are more prevalent. this distinction highlights how gender influences the ways adolescents navigate digital spaces and engage with content that aligns with their interests and identities (anderson & jiang, 2018; spies shapiro & margolin, 2014). privacy is another key area where gender differences emerge. adolescent females are more likely to be concerned with protecting their online image and regulating their privacy settings, ensuring that their content is visible only to selected individuals (herring & kapidzic, 2015). this careful curation of their digital presence reflects a desire to maintain control over their self-representation and manage how others perceive them online. in contrast, adolescent boys tend to be less concerned with privacy settings, often sharing content more freely and without considering the long-term consequences of their online actions (popat & tarrant, 2023). this discrepancy suggests that boys may be less aware of or less concerned with the potential risks of online exposure, which can have implications for their digital safety and security. both genders, however, experience peer pressure on sm, though the nature of this pressure varies. girls are more susceptible to comparisons with online beauty standards, which can lead to body dissatisfaction and anxiety about their physical appearance (barker, 2009; twenge & martin, 2020). on the other hand, adolescent boys may feel more influenced by peer pressure related to gaming preferences, technical interests, or competitive behaviour in online environments (booker et al., 2018; pujazon-zazik & park, 2010). these gendered experiences of peer pressure demonstrate how sm acts as a space where adolescents not only seek connection but also navigate societal expectations and group dynamics. 2. gender differential and sm impact the theme discusses the varying psychological consequences of sm tools use for adolescent of all genders, with a emphasis o mental health aspects like anxiety, despair, and self-esteem. it is divided into three sub-themes: psychological impact, which discusses how sm addiction contributes to negative mental health in the form of anxiety, depression, and identity struggles, with girls being more vulnerable; social comparison and self-esteem, which examines how adolescents’ inclination to compare themselves to other users on sm platforms negatively affects their self-worth, with girls being more affected by appearance-related comparisons; and cyberbullying and harassment, which highlights the indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 382 gender differences in experiencing and responding to online bullying, with girls being more likely to be victims and suffering greater psychological distress. the theme collectively emphasizes the necessity for gender-sensitive strategies to address the unique impacts of sm on mental health of adolescents. (a) psychological impact the psychological consequences of sm addiction on adolescents are concerning, with excessive usage linked to anxiety, sadness, low self-confidence, identity issues, and poor sleep quality. research suggests that girls may be more vulnerable to these negative impacts, particularly in terms of cyberbullying and mental health problems (keleş et al., 2020). popat and tarrant (2023) systematic review reveals a connection between adolescent sm use and psychological issues such as depression, anxiety, selfesteem struggles, and body image concerns. further studies confirm that sm addiction exacerbates feelings of isolation and depression in adolescents (naslund et al., 2020). research by odgers and jensen (2020) underscores the harmful impact of sm on selfesteem and identity, especially through constant comparisons to others and exposure to unattainable beauty standards. this finding aligns with the (twenge et al., 2018) longitudinal study, which links sm use to heightened anxiety levels, particularly due to pressures to maintain a curated image. also, the research highlights that disproportionate sm use is correlated with insomnia, negatively affecting mental health. gender differences in sm’s psychological impact are significant, with adolescent girls experiencing greater distress compared to boys, especially concerning body image and mental health (bergagna & tartaglia, 2018). parents’ concerns about sm’s harmful effects on their children’s well-being are valid, as adolescents often encounter harmful content and engage in excessive use, amplifying their susceptibility to mental health issues (o’keeffe & clarke-pearson, 2011). moreover, the surge in sm use among indian young populations has significant mental health implications, particularly for young girls. regular exposure to idealized online personas and impractical beauty values can lead to increased feelings of insufficiency, body displeasure, and despair. gender-specific differences in sm engagement, with adolescent girls focusing more on relational and emotional aspects, contribute to heightened vulnerability to adverse psychological impacts such as unease, low self-confidence, and identity issues. also, excessive sm use is linked to insomnia and exacerbated feelings of isolation, further compromising amh. the gender disparities in the impact of sm on well-being underscore the need for tailored interventions and increased awareness among parents, teachers, and policy stakeholders to address this pressing complex issue of younger populations. (b) social comparison and selfesteem sm addiction exacerbates adolescents’ tendency to engage in comparison behaviour, negatively affecting self-esteem. sm platforms provide adolescents with opportunities to compare themselves to peers, celebrities, and influencers, particularly in indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 383 terms of appearance, lifestyle, and achievements (keles et al., 2020). studies by (appel, gerlach, & crusius, 2016) show that passive sm use, such as viewing content without engaging, can increase feelings of inadequacy and envy, which in turn heightens depression risk. research by popat and tarrant (2023) indicates that adolescent girls are more likely to experience detrimental effects of social comparison on their self-esteem. long-term impacts include heightened feelings of inadequacy and a sense of social disconnection (ardiana & tumanggor, 2020; schønning et al., 2020). the extensive use of digital platforms has made it easier for adolescents to engage in comparison behaviour, which often leads to feelings of inferiority and anxiety. these comparisons are not limited to appearance but extend to achievements, social status, and lifestyles, contributing to a complex web of psychological impacts (vogel et al., 2015). gender differences are notable, with adolescent girls being particularly vulnerable to appearance-related comparisons, leading to increased dissatisfaction with their physical appearance. in contrast, adolescent boys tend to be more affected by comparisons related to achievements and social status (mingoia et al., 2017; nesi & prinstein, 2015). understanding these gender-based differences is crucial for devising specific interventions to address the mental health implications of sm use. addressing the negative psychological consequences of sm obsession among adolescents, particularly the disparate influence on girls, is essential for promoting their overall well-being and healthy development. (c) cyberbullying and harassment cyberbullying is a major concern in the digital era, with both boys and girls experiencing its harmful effects. the anonymity and broad reach of online platforms amplify the psychological impact of cyberbullying, leading to feelings of isolation, anxiety, and depression (schønning et al., 2020). research shows that girls mostly fall into the trap and become victims of cyberbullying compared to boys, which suggests that gender differences play a paramount role in the experience and influence of online harassment. female victims of cyberbullying tend to experience greater psychological distress than their male counterparts (betts et al., 2020; kowalski et al., 2014; selkie et al., 2016). gender norms also influence how adolescents respond to cyberbullying: girls generally defend victims, while boys mainly prefer silence. also, females are more likely to engage in relational aggression in online spaces, whereas boys may exhibit more physical aggression (snell & englander, 2010). these gender differences underscore the need for gender-sensitive strategies in preventing and addressing cyberbullying. moreover, engaging in cyberbullying has been linked to increased depressive symptoms and anxiety issues, underscoring its detrimental effect on adolescent well-being (popat & tarrant, 2023). while some research indicates that girls are disproportionately affected by cyberbullying, other studies find no significant gender differences in the experience of cyberbullying (navarro & jasinski, 2013). while understanding the nuances of gender-based differences, researchers and policymakers can develop more indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 384 effective strategies to mitigate the negative consequences and empower adolescents to tackle the digital world and its technologies in a productive, healthy, safe and resilient manner. 3. coping mechanisms and support systems the ever-present and accessible sm technologies have raised significant concerns about its influence on mental health of adolescents, particularly regarding addiction and the resulting negative effects. this review explores the various coping mechanisms employed by adolescents to manage these challenges. while much research has focused on the harmful consequences of excessive sm usage, there is limited empirical evidence on how adolescents perceive these platforms and how they use coping strategies to manage their addiction to them (khalaf et al., 2023). research shows that adolescent boys and girls tend to employ different coping strategies to deal with the mental and psychological effects of sm addiction. adolescent boys are often more likely to use problem-focused coping mechanisms, which involve actively seeking solutions and trying to change the circumstances that are causing stress or discomfort. for instance, they may look for answers to their concerns or take actions aimed at reducing the influence of sm tools on their self-concept and well-being. in contrast, adolescent girls typically use emotion-focused coping strategies, such as seeking emotional support from close friends or family members, or engaging in self-soothing activities like hobbies, exercise, or relaxation techniques (mahon & hevey, 2021; khalaf et al., 2023). further distinctions emerge when it comes to how each gender diversifies their coping methods. boys might opt for distractions such as physical activities, sports, or hobbies to alleviate the psychological stress of sm usage. in contrast, girls may turn to discussing their worries with others, seeking advice, or sharing their experiences in online or offline spaces as a means of emotional release (o’reilly et al., 2019). the importance of genderspecific support networks also plays a critical role in adolescents’ coping mechanisms. research indicates that adolescent boys tend to seek assistance from their male peer groups, whereas girls are more likely to find support from female friends or family members. these gendered differences highlight the need for tailored support systems that can help adolescents manage sm addiction in a way that is sensitive to their unique needs and coping styles. for instance, therapeutic interventions and support programs can benefit from acknowledging these gendered approaches, ensuring that they provide the right type of emotional, social, or behavioural guidance to adolescents. recognizing and addressing the different ways boys and girls cope with sm addiction is crucial for developing effective and practical interventions, strategies and support systems. by doing so, we can better equip adolescents to navigate the complexities of sm while protecting their mental health. discussion this review, while critically examining the intricate relationship between mental health and sm usage, also focused on the coping mechanisms adolescents employ to manage the potentially addictive and adverse effects of sm technologies. the findings highlight several important gaps and complexities that require further exploration. the influence of sm on the psychosocial health of adolescents is multifaceted, and understanding how adolescents cope with its challenges requires a nuanced and contextsensitive approach. one of the most indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 385 striking observations from the literature is the clear gendered divergence in coping mechanisms. adolescent boys tend to favour problem-focused coping strategies, such as engaging in physical activities or seeking to resolve the stressful situations that arise from sm interactions. in contrast, adolescent girls generally adopt psycho-social and emotion-focused coping mechanisms, seeking emotional support from their social circles or engaging in reflective, self-soothing activities. these findings suggest that coping mechanisms are not only shaped by individual preferences but are also deeply embedded in gender norms and expectations. boys’ tendency to engage in distraction through physical activities and girls’ inclination toward emotional support underscores the necessity of considering gendered approaches when designing interventions for adolescents struggling with sm addiction. however, while gender differences were found to be significant, the intersectionality of several other factors and forces, such as age, socioeconomic status, and cultural context, also warrants further attention. it is crucial to specify that these coping patterns are not universal and may vary across different cultural and socioeconomic contexts. the limitations of the existing studies in accounting for these variables should be addressed in future research. moreover, the importance of support systems, particularly peer groups, is a recurring theme across the literature. adolescent boys often rely on male friends, while girls seek comfort from female peers or family members. this gender-specific pattern in support-seeking behaviour highlights the role that social networks play in amh. peer relationships are crucial in offering both emotional validation and practical advice. however, these findings also point to a potentially under-explored area: the role of family support systems and the influence of adult figures such as parents, teachers, and mental health professionals in shaping adolescents’ coping strategies. future studies must go beyond peerbased support to consider how parental involvement and guidance can help adolescents develop more adaptive coping mechanisms and improve their mental health outcomes. despite the growing research and evidence, several methodological gaps remain. most studies are cross-sectional, which limits our understanding of the long-term effects of sm usage on the mental health of adolescents. the short-term focus of existing research makes it difficult to discern whether the coping strategies adolescents develop in response to sm addiction are sustainable over time, or if they evolve as adolescents age. this lack of longitudinal research is a significant limitation and calls for the need for studies that track the same cohort of adolescents over an extended period, to better understand the lasting consequences of sm use on mental health. moreover, much of the existing evidence fails to address the nuances of different sm platforms. while some studies examine the general impacts of sm, few provide insights into the specific features of platforms—such as instagram, tiktok, or facebook—and how these features might influence adolescents differently. the nature of sm, with its varying emphasis on imagesharing, videos, or live interactions, likely shapes adolescents’ coping mechanisms in unique ways. it also emphasized that more platform-specific research be done to understand the differential impact of various types of sm on amh and coping strategies. cultural factors also play a critical role in shaping how adolescents engage, experience and cope with sm addiction. much of the existing literature, particularly from western contexts, fails to account for the diverse cultural dynamics that may influence coping mechanisms. in nonwestern societies, where community structures, family roles, and societal indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 386 expectations differ, adolescents may adopt different coping strategies or rely more heavily on familial or community support. cultural sensitivity in research is essential to understanding these differences and developing interventions that are not only effective but also culturally appropriate. critical takeaways adolescent boys and girls employ distinct coping mechanisms, with boys tending to use problem-focused strategies like physical activity, while girls are more inclined toward emotion-focused coping, such as seeking emotional support. interventions must, therefore, be gender-sensitive to effectively address sm addiction in adolescents. further, peer groups play a central role in adolescents’ coping processes, but the support from family members— particularly parents and educators— also needs greater emphasis. future research should explore how adult involvement can enhance adolescents’ ability to cope with sm-related stress. a significant gap in the literature is the dearth of longitudinal studies that study the long-term effects of sm use on the mental health of adolescents and how coping strategies evolve. understanding these long-term effects is critical for designing sustained interventions. future studies should focus on the specific nature of different sm platforms and how they affect adolescents in unique ways. the focus should shift from general studies to platformspecific ones to understand the diverse impact of digital spaces on amh. similarly, the role of culture and context in shaping adolescents’ experiences with sm addiction must be prioritized in future research. studies should include diverse cultural perspectives to better understand how sm affects adolescents in various parts of the world. this review emphasizes the interwoven interplay between sm use and the psychosocial health of adolescents, underscoring the need for a multi-dimensional approach to studying coping mechanisms and support systems. while current research provides valuable insights into gendered coping strategies, peer support, and the need for more longitudinal studies, significant gaps remain in understanding the broader cultural, familial, and platform-specific factors that influence adolescent responses to sm. as digital platforms continue to evolve and get complicated while becoming an increasingly pervasive part of adolescents’ lives, addressing these gaps will be crucial in developing more effective, tailored interventions to support mental health of younger populations in the complex digital age. future research must adopt a more interdisciplinary, culturally aware, and long-term perspective to provide a 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(2015). who compares and despairs? the effect of social comparison orientation on sm use and its outcomes. personality and individual differences, 86, 249–256. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 209 research article quantitative insights from research on artificial intelligence for digitally empowered teachers: a bibliometric analysis desmin davis1, manoj praveen g.2 & abdul gafoor k.3 1research scholar, department of education university of calicut email: srrosemaria14@gmail.com 2associate professor, department of education, university of calicut 3professor, department of education, university of calicut abstract to implement ai-enhanced pedagogy in indian schools, educators must understand the importance of ai in education, stay updated on current research, know india’s position in this field, and identify what digitally empowered teachers need to become professionals in this area. using bibliometric analysis, this study provides the insights needed to guide these educators. we can properly implement ai-enhanced pedagogy in schools only if digitally empowered teachers improve their awareness of artificial intelligence. as shapers of today’s students, their expertise is essential. in this study, the researchers conducted a bibliometric analysis based on publications collected from the dimension database. the key term for the study was “artificial intelligence”. the researchers used a quantitative method, and the search strategy was limited to title and abstract only, the publication year was limited to 2014-2023, and the research field is limited to education to exclude research other than the field of education like robotics, machine learning, programming, etc. the research findings throw light on the need for international collaboration for digitally empowered teachers in india for their professional development in artificial intelligence. the recorded citation count of 443 for india suggests a discernible variance in global academic recognition when compared to the united states. this dissimilarity in citation metrics may signify disparities in research output, levels of international collaboration, or the overall impact of indian research within the broader global academic community, thereby highlighting important considerations for further investigation and analysis. this investigation revealed quite a few interesting findings related to citation, co-citation, and bibliography. keywords: digitally empowered teachers, bibliometric analysis, publication and citation trend, co-citation, bibliographic coupling introduction with the emergence of technology, particularly artificial intelligence, we can reimagine the classrooms, replacing the four walls, blackboard, and constricted space with immersive virtual worlds. as the world around us is changing at an unprecedented pace, shouldn’t our learning spaces change the traditional education model to keep pace? (chen et al., 2020) highlight the importance of artificial intelligence in education, especially in instruction, administration, and learning. artificial intelligence will help in personalized learning and prepare learners and educators to face the challenges of educational technology (hamal et al., 2022). (xue & wang, 2022) suggest that as there are many possibilities for artificial intelligence in education, it is necessary to create awareness among teachers in this field. the research possibilities on indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 210 artificial intelligence will certainly create such an awareness among teachers (hagger & mcintyre, 2000). here the researchers are trying to do this by bibliometric analysis. bibliometric analysis, a crucial tool in research evaluation, involves quantitatively examining scholarly publications (sethi et al., 2016). for digitally empoweredteachers, navigating the vast sea of academic information is essential for staying current in their fields. bibliometric analysis assists researchers in identifying influential publications, tracking research trends, and making informed decisions about resource allocation (scientometrics recent advances, n.d.-b). the databases and visualization tools are used by educational researchers to give valid information regarding emerging research areas and trends to provide guidelines for digitally empowered teachers to focus on academic efforts related to such areas. digitally empoweredteachers can enhance their professional development and contribute their best to the educational field by using bibliometric data. we can use vosviewer as a powerful tool to extract research data files from various database types for bibliometric analysis and visualization. literature review ai and big data analytics research is expanding in five fields: business, engineering, healthcare, sustainable operations, and hospitality tourism (thayyib et al., 2023). as an emerging field of expertise, educational artificial intelligence has the potential to transform our learning experiences (bates et al., 2020). artificial intelligence can influence human performance (yang et al., 2021). hwang et al. (2022) studied the role of artificial intelligence in nursing and found its positive impact. park and kwon (2023) suggested that ai programs were effective in technology education. garcia et al. (2024) highlight the need for integrating artificial intelligence in medical education. through a bibliometric analysis, it was concluded that artificial intelligence can advance health education (zapata et al., 2024). singh et al. (2023), through a bibliometric pattern, say that artificial intelligence can help attain sustainable development goals. nica et al. (2024) highlight the influence of fuzzy logic and ai in financial analysis, marked by a growth in research outputs and global collaborations. fijačko et al. (2024) explain the capabilities of generative artificial intelligence in their bibliometric analysis. rahman et al. (2024), in their bibliometric study, indicate a rising pattern of artificial intelligence in language learning. ivanova et al. (2024) understand artificial intelligence as a transformative force. looking at the research done on artificial intelligence, it is clear that it has a lot of impact on today’s society. the relevance of the current study lies in how to effectively raise awareness among digitally empowered teachers so that they can successfully incorporate this into indian school education pedagogy. for this purpose, primarily they should be aware of the research updates in this field and should know where india lies in the area of this research. need and significance of the study androshchuk (2022) suggests that bibliometric analysis helps teachers understand where to find relevant information and how to apply it in practice, allowing for the qualitative use of information and communication technologies in teaching generation z students. for digitally empowered teachers, it’s crucial to keep up with the latest education research. bibliometric indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 211 analysis helps them do this by using a systematic approach to figure out impactful academic articles (donthu et al., 2021). by using tools for bibliometric analysis, digitally empowered teachers can quickly find key publications, spot new trends, and make the most of scholarly resources (kalantari et al., 2017). this not only makes their research easier but also helps them make smart choices, creating a culture of always learning and innovating in the classroom. a trend analysis of research in artificial intelligence (ai) within the field of pedagogy is essential to stay abreast of the rapidly evolving landscape of educational technology. our teaching and learning methodologies can be improved by integrating artificial intelligence into pedagogical practices. tracking trends allows educators, researchers, and policymakers to identify emerging patterns, innovative applications, and best practices in aidriven educational tools. this analysis not only informs the development of more effective and personalized learning experiences but also facilitates the identification of potential challenges and ethical considerations associated with ai in education. by keeping pace with the evolving trends in ai pedagogy, stakeholders can make informed decisions, foster collaboration, and ultimately contribute to the enhancement of educational outcomes in the digital age. objectives of the study the main objective of the study is to answer the following research questions. y how can digitally empowered teachers use the latest publication and citation trends in educational research on artificial intelligence to enhance their professional outcomes? y which authors in “artificial intelligence” are the most influential, according to co-citation analysis, and how can digitally empowered teachers benefit from this? y which countries have gained the most citations for their research contributions in “artificial intelligence,” and how can digitally empowered teachers use insights from these leading nations? y which journals have the most influence in publishing research on “artificial intelligence” in education, and how can digitally empowered teachers use these journals to stay informed and enhance their teaching practices? method here the researchers used the quantitative method as it involves the systematic measurement and analysis of scientific literature using numerical and statistical techniques. bibliometric analysis relies on numerical data such as the number of publications, citations, and various metrics (e.g., h-index, impact factor). the method uses statistical tools and techniques to analyze patterns, trends, and relationships within the data. this includes co-citation analysis, citation analysis, and network analysis. bibliometric analysis was done on “artificial intelligence” in the field of education research design: descriptive bibliometricthis design focuses on summarizing and describing patterns within a specific set of publications. it includes analyzing publication trends, citation patterns, co-citation patterns and bibliographic coupling. fig 1 explains the research design. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 216 findings y there is a consistent upward trend in both the number of publications and citations related to artificial intelligence in the field of education from 2014 to 2023 y leading authors in the field of artificial intelligence in education are gwo-jen hwang (national taiwan university of science and technology), dragan gasevic (australia), cynthia breazeal (massachusetts institute of technology), haoran xie (hong kong), and simon j. buckingham shum (australia). authors from india do not find a place on this list. this suggests a need for international collaboration to enhance the professional development of digitally empowered teachers in the current scenario. y the observed citation count of 443 for india implies a relatively lower degree of global academic recognition compared to the united states. this difference in citation metrics may be indicative of variations in research output, international collaboration, or the impact of indian research within the global academic community. y the prominence of “computers and education artificial intelligence” with the highest impact factor and the most citations underscores its significant influence in the field. conclusion the application of bibliometric analysis in the realm of artificial intelligence (ai) in pedagogy provides invaluable benefits for educators and researchers alike. publications and citations related to artificial intelligence in education, spanning from 2014 to 2023, showed an ongoing upward trend, which underscores the growing significance of this field in the present educational landscape. this finding agrees with the study of bozkurt et al. (2021) which suggests a rise in artificial intelligence studies in the field of education on themes like adaptive learning, personalization, ai in higher education, etc. the prevalent influence of nonindian leading authors and the lower citation count for india in comparison to the united states highlight the need for international collaboration in shaping educational practices. digitally empowered teachers should recognize the pivotal role played by influential journals like “computers and education artificial intelligence” to stay updated with the research trends. in the present landscape, a proactive approach to balancing awareness of impactful journals and fostering global collaborations emerges as a valuable strategy for digitally empowered teachers, enabling them to effectively enhance their professional development within the dynamic realm of ai in education. by understanding where india stands in ai research, teachers can identify specific areas where knowledge and resources are lacking. this can help them focus on those gaps and seek out the best international resources, tools, and research to integrate into their teaching practices. digitally empowered teachers can study the successful ai-enhanced pedagogical practices of these leaders and adapt them to fit the indian educational context, bringing proven methods into their classrooms. knowing that india is behind can make teachers aware of the need to collaborate with international researchers and institutions. teachers can use the analysis to design curricula that incorporate ai concepts, ensuring that students are learning current and relevant information. this can help prepare students for future careers in ai and technology, bridging the knowledge gap from the ground up. by using bibliometric analysis in these indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 217 ways, digitally empowered teachers in india can turn the current challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation, significantly enhancing the quality of education through ai. (acknowledgement: we would like to express our gratitude to the university of calicut, for providing us with the research facilities in preparing this article.) reference androshchuk, i., banit, o., shtepura, a., rostoka, m., &cherevychnyi, g. (2022). modern information and educational environment in the context of the theory of generations. international journal of pedagogy, innovation and new technologies. https://doi. org/10.5604/01.3001.0016.2095. bates, t., cobo, c., mariño, o., & wheeler, s. (2020). can artificial intelligence transform higher education? international journal of educational technology in higher education, 17, 1-12. chen, l., chen, p., & lin, z. (2020). artificial intelligence in education: a review. ieee access, 8, 75264–75278. https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2020.2988510 de oliveira, o. j., da silva, f. f., juliani, f., barbosa, l. c. f. m., & nunhes, t. v. 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(2024, january). emerging technologies in education: a bibliometric analysis of artificial intelligence and its applications in health sciences. in seminars in medical writing and education (vol. 3, pp. 49-49). indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 361 communications cyber-safety: concepts, threats, and essential measures rejaul karim barbhuiya assistant professor, central institute of educational technology (ciet), national council of educational research and training (ncert), sri aurobindo marg, new delhi emailrejaul.karim@ciet.nic.in abstract the rapid advancement of technology has led to a digital revolution, impacting various aspects of our lives and elevating the importance of cybersecurity. as society increasingly relies on technology for communication and learning, cybersecurity awareness has become crucial. the covid-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of digital tools in education, necessitating a comprehensive approach to address cybersecurity challenges for students and teachers. this research article explores the background and significance of cybersecurity, focusing on evolving cyber threats faced by educational institutions and society. it addresses cyberbullying, misinformation, and fake news, advocating for responsible netizenship and media literacy among students. the study comprehensively examines cyber threats, ranging from malware-based attacks to social engineering and denial-of-service incidents. emphasising cybersecurity as an integral pillar of the digital age, the research stresses the need for robust strategies to safeguard data, ensure privacy, and create a safe online environment for students, teachers, and the broader community. the study aims to gain insights into the profound impact of cyber threats on individuals and institutions, highlighting the significance of cybersecurity in the digital landscape. essential measures like user education, device configuration, network security, and identity management are proposed to strengthen defences and secure the digital environment. the paper addresses children’s cyber safety concerns, focusing on combating cyberbullying, misinformation, and scams. it presents effective awarenessraising strategies and preventive measures, emphasising the role of education campaigns and parental involvement. this research strives to safeguard education in the digital age by promoting responsible online behaviour and fostering a secure digital environment. the research contributes to the current initiatives towards cyber safety and security by demonstrating the importance and critical role of awareness in the cyber safety and security strategy of the country. the major contribution is the advancement of the theoretical and practical basis for cyber security awareness in proposing a model framework for developing awareness. keywords: cybersecurity, cyber safety, cyber threats, cyberbullying, digital education introduction in recent years, the rapid advancement of technology has ushered in a new era of digital connectivity that permeates every aspect of our lives. as our society increasingly relies on technology for communication, learning, and information dissemination, the significance of cybersecurity has reached unprecedented heights (clark & hakim, 2017). the covid-19 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 362 pandemic has further catalysed the adoption of digital technology by teachers, students, and schools, propelling them to embrace these tools at an accelerated pace (jena, 2020; kidd & murray, 2020). the digital landscape offers tremendous opportunities for education, empowering students, schools and educators with innovative learning tools and access to a vast pool of knowledge. however, this digital revolution also comes with inherent risks, as the cyber world presents an ever-expanding frontier for threats and vulnerabilities (schia, 2018). it exposes educational institutions as well as society as a whole to diverse cyber threats, ranging from malicious attacks, data breaches, misinformation, and cyberbullying. as we embrace the benefits of a digital world, it becomes imperative to have a comprehensive understanding of the intricacies of cybersecurity and to develop robust strategies that safeguard the data and its integrity, preserve privacy, and ensure a safe online environment for students, educators, and the broader community. figure-1: cybercrimes in us for the year 2021 (image source, cc by-nd) this research article aims to explore the background and significance of cybersecurity in light of these developments. it seeks to shed light on the multifaceted challenges posed by cyber threats that have evolved into sophisticated and pervasive forms while exploring the strategies to ensure the safety and security of individuals and institutions in the digital domain. the article sheds light on the rising instances of cyberbullying, misinformation, and fake news, emphasising the promotion of responsible netizenship and media literacy among students. the objectives of this study encompass a holistic examination of cyber threats, ranging from malware-based attacks and social engineering schemes to denial-ofservice incidents. by gaining a deeper insight into the various facets of cyber threats, this work aims to elucidate their profound impact on individuals, organisations, and society. moreover, the research aims to highlight the importance of cybersecurity as an integral pillar of the digital age, elucidating the key components of a robust cybersecurity strategy to fortify defences against potential threats. special attention is devoted to enhancing cybersecurity awareness indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 363 and implementing safety measures within educational settings, recognising the pivotal roles of students, teachers, and parents in fostering a secure online environment for future generations. the rest of the article is organised as follows section 2 reviews existing guidelines and mechanisms about cyber safety. section 3 defines the related key concepts, section 4 explores major categories of cyber threats, and section 5 is about cybersecurity measures and awareness. section 6 delves into cyber safety concerns and the need for awareness. section 7 focuses on cyber safety and responsible behaviours. finally, section 8 is on discussions and the way forward. review of literature given the importance of awareness about cyber safety and security (rahman et al., 2020, zwilling et al., 2022), various countries are adopting specific measures for awareness through their education system. many countries assign cybersecurity awareness and education to one or more dedicated government departments or organisations (kortjan & von solms, 2014). the cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency (cisa) of the usa acknowledged the heightened risks of cybersecurity for the k-12 sector and it has come out with an online toolkit (cisa, 2023) containing guidelines and resources for schools to combat cyber threats and various resources for students and teachers to learn about cyber concepts are available (niccs, 2022). recognising limitations at the school level, these guidelines recommend for reporting and collaboration with dedicated expert agencies to combat cyber issues. the united kingdom (uk) also has national policies for cybersecurity education and skill development, including national curriculum, and cyber security, and online safety content (knott et al., 2023). in canada, the organisation public safety canada coordinates across departments and agencies for cyber safety and security. in india, the indian computer emergency response team (cert-in, 2023) is the nodal cyber incident response centre that also works on raising security awareness among citizens., and provides technical assistance and advice to deal with cyber crimes. the cyber-security awareness and education framework by kortjan & von solms (2014) for south africa proposes five layers: i. strategic layer for reflecting the overall vision of the government regarding cyber-security awareness and education. ii. the tactical layer lists the schemes to be employed to realise cybersecurity awareness and education goals. iii. preparation layer detailing the schemes identified in the tactical layer. iv. the delivery layer identifies the target beneficiaries. v. monitoring layer for monitoring the progress of the scheme towards fulfilling the goals. zwilling et al., (2022) studied the relationships between cyber security awareness, knowledge and behaviour among management students across four countries: israel, slovenia, poland and turkey. two broad aspects analysed were the connections between a) previous cyber knowledge and level of cyber security awareness and b) awareness and safe habits or behaviour. the arrival of the 5g mobile network is further pushing the emergence of internet of things (iot) where the vulnerabilities are beyond the traditional measures like firewalls, passwords, etc. (fagen et al., 2021; hero et al., 2023). indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 364 this indicates the need for students as well as teachers to be fairly equipped with cybersecurity knowledge in order to safeguard them in the cyber world. key concepts and definitions cyber threat a cyber threat is a potential security risk that might exploit weaknesses or vulnerabilities of a digital system or asset, including its users (abomhara & køien, 2015). cyber threats encompass an array of malicious activities, such as malware, social engineering, data breaches, and more, which could compromise the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of information. preventative measures can mitigate cyber threats and safeguard information security (safa et al., 2019). preventive measures include, among others, putting robust cybersecurity protocols, periodic risk assessments, user education, and advanced security technologies. cyber attack a cyber attack involves deliberately exploiting weaknesses or vulnerabilities within an information system, intending to infiltrate, disrupt, or cause damage to a digital system, network, or asset (li & liu, 2021). these malicious acts are carried out by cybercriminals, commonly referred to as hackers, who can be individuals, organisations, or even state-sponsored entities. cyber attacks encompass various forms, such as ransomware, phishing, online fraud, and identity theft, among others (sabillon et al., 2016). to counter the threat posed by cyber-attacks, implementing preventative measures such as regularly updating software, conducting security audits, and user education is crucial. cybersecurity cybersecurity safeguards ict (information and communication technology) systems and their contents from various threats, such as attacks, disruptions, and unauthorised access (fischer, 2014). it encompasses a range of activities and measures aimed at protecting computers, computer networks, related hardware and devices, software, and the information they store and communicate within cyberspace (clark & hakim, 2017). cybersecurity refers to the state of being protected from these threats and encompasses the broader field of efforts dedicated to implementing and enhancing protective activities and measures. there is no precise definition of cybersecurity due to its multifaceted nature. however, cybersecurity remains a crucial and constantly evolving area of awareness for every individual and organisation in ensuring the security and integrity of digital systems and information in the modern digital landscape (dash & ansari, 2022). cyber safety cyber safety is a subset of cybersecurity that promotes safe and responsible behaviour in the cyber world (bada et al., 2019; chang & coppel, 2020). it involves educating individuals, especially children and young people, about the potential risks of using the internet and how to protect themselves from online dangers, such as cyberbullying, scams, and inappropriate content (rahman et al., 2020). by teaching safe browsing practices, safeguarding personal information, and recognising online threats, cyber safety helps build a resilient digital community. cyber safety practices ensure a healthier and more secure online experience for students, parents and teachers. information security a closely related concept is information security, which safeguards information and information systems from unauthorised access, use, disclosure, indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 365 disruption, modification, or destruction (fischer, 2014). this includes creating a robust and secure environment to safeguard sensitive data and maintain the trust, confidentiality, and reliability of information and the systems that store and manage it (zissis & lekkas, 2012). the primary objective of information security is to ensure the protection of information in three key aspects: figure-2: aspects of information security a. integrity: ensuring that information remains unaltered and protected against improper modification or destruction. this includes measures to ensure that an individual can’t falsely deny having performed a particular action and to determine whether a given individual took a specific action, such as creating information, sending a message, approving information, and receiving a message. b. confidentiality: preserving authorised restrictions on access and disclosure of information. this involves implementing methods to protect personal privacy and proprietary information from being accessed or disclosed by unauthorised entities. c. availability: ensuring that information is readily and reliably available for access and use by authorised users when needed, avoiding disruptions or downtime that could hinder its access or use. cyber threats: categories and impact there exist diverse types of cyber threats, with cybercriminals and hackers continually striving to devise novel methods to infiltrate digital systems with diverse objectives. mitigating certain cyber-attacks requires considerable technical intricacy in manipulating program code and software configurations. however, in consideration for the readers’ comprehension, this section exclusively addresses commonly encountered cyber threats that exhibit a lesser degree of technical complexity. starting from this point, the terms cybersecurity, cyber threat, online safety, and cyber attack will be used interchangeably in this article to discuss security issues in the digital world. malware-based threats malware-based threats arise from malicious software designed to infiltrate, damage, or steal information from computer systems. these malicious software include, among others, viruses, ransomware, and spyware. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 366 viruses computer viruses are malicious programs that can infect regular files on a computer and get transferred from one computer to another through a pen drive, as email attachments, and in various other ways. viruses can attach themselves to other documents, executable files or multimedia contents, and when those infected files are opened, the virus starts doing bad things to your computer. viruses may also propagate through email attachments, whereby, upon opening or downloading such attachments, the virus program becomes operational and initiates its malicious activities (serazzi & zanero, 2003). viruses have the capacity to remain concealed within various types of files, including videos, software, documents, and images. obtaining such content from unreliable or unfamiliar persons or websites may lead to the inadvertent downloading of viruses into a system. viruses can corrupt data, steal information, or disrupt the normal functioning of the infected device. ransomware ransomware is a malware that infects crucial data and files within a user’s computer system. it encrypts the victim’s files and data, or locks the system’s screen, and then demands a ransom payment for getting the key required to decrypt those files or unlock the computer and regain access (beaman et al., 2021). the infamous wannacry ransomware attack in 2017 (mohurle & patil, 2017) was a large-scale global assault, resulting in significant financial repercussions across numerous sectors worldwide, including hospitals, companies, universities, and government organisations in over 150 countries. ransomware is typically disseminated through unsolicited email attachments or embedded web links within email communications. spyware and keyloggers spyware is a type of malicious software that scammers try to install on users’ computers secretly. it is intended to spy on the user’s activities and gather sensitive data such as browsing habits, websites they visit, passwords, login credentials, and documents stored on the targeted computer (talukder & talukder, 2020). it allows the cybercriminal to spy on what users are doing on their computers: the websites they visit, the files they create/use and other details they store on pc. keyloggers is a particular type of spyware that secretly records every keystroke a user makes on their keyboard and sends this data back to the scammer over the internet (talukder & talukder, 2020). cybercriminals exploit this captured keystroke information to access sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords, credit card details, and other confidential data. attackers use a wide range of tricks to get their spyware and keyloggers installed onto the user’s computer. this involves luring users into clicking on spam email links or visiting specially designed websites intended to infect their computers. other sources of spyware and keyloggers are free games or music that one can download online. social engineering attacks social engineering refers to the art of influencing individuals or organisations to disclose sensitive information, and the process of doing so is known as a social engineering attack. it involves leveraging social interactions to persuade a target to comply with a specific request from an attacker, wherein the social interaction, persuasion, or request involves a computer or related entity. this form of attack relies on exploiting human psychology, trust, and vulnerability to gain unauthorised access to confidential data, systems, or resources. social engineering attacks do not directly indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 367 target technological vulnerabilities but instead exploit the inherent weaknesses in human behaviour to achieve their malicious objectives. figure-3: major types of social engineering attacks phishing attacks phishing attacks are the most common form of fraudulently obtaining private and confidential information through deceptive phone calls or emails. these attacks often involve using fake websites, emails, advertisements, and various false offers or advertisements (salahdine & kaabouch, 2019; quayyum et al., 2021). for instance, calls, messages, or emails from a fake lottery department about winning prize money, and requesting the target to click on a malicious link and provide credit card details, insurance information, personal details, or asking for a transfer of some processing fee. other types of social engineering attacks include: • baiting offering free software or media downloads that contain malware. • pretexting impersonating someone with authority and obtaining information from individuals or organisations. • quid pro quo: promising service or benefit in exchange for sensitive information. denial-of-service (dos) it involves overwhelming the target system with excessive illegitimate traffic or data, causing it to fail to respond to legitimate users (dong et al., 2019). a distributed denial-of-service (ddos) attack aims to disrupt the normal functioning of a target website, server, or network resource, and thereby denying service to legitimate users. ddos attacks use multiple compromised computers, known as “botnets,” to carry out the attack. the objectives of ddos attacks include causing financial losses due to downtime and damaging the organisation’s reputation. essential measures to ensure cybersecurity need for cybersecurity measures the digital economy is expected to constitute approximately 24.3 per cent of the global gdp (xuetong, 2020) by 2025. additionally, e-conomy india (2023) projections indicate that india’s internet economy will likely represent 12-13 per cent of its gdp by 2030. the dynamic growth of the digital economy, indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 368 fuelled by internet-based digital technology innovation, leads to fierce international competition while also drawing the attention of cybercriminals. in the digital age, schools increasingly use technology for various purposes, such as online classes, student records management, examination processing, and administrative tasks. given their handling of vital personal data, schools are vulnerable to cyber threats. as a result, cybersecurity becomes indispensable for schools and students as well to protect their sensitive information. in a nutshell, cybersecurity is essential and indispensable in the digital age to protect individuals, organisations, and nation, due to the following reasons: i. protecting sensitive data: personal data, financial records, personal communication, and other information are stored and exchanged online. likewise, schools collect and store vast amounts of sensitive student data, including personal information and academic records. robust hence, cybersecurity measures are necessary to safeguard this data from unauthorised access or use. ii. preserving privacy: as individuals and organisations carry out more online activities, ensuring their privacy protection is essential. in the context of education, schools rely heavily on online learning platforms and communication tools. security and privacy of online learning environments are crucial for students. cybersecurity helps prevent unauthorised surveillance, identity theft, and other privacy violations. iii. ensuring business continuity: as organisations rely heavily on digital systems and networks for their operations, strong cybersecurity can safeguard against attack and ensure business continuity. iv. protecting critical infrastructure: cybersecurity is vital to protect critical infrastructures such as power grids, transportation networks, and healthcare systems, as they can severely paralyse cities and challenge national security. v. protecting national interests: today, cybersecurity is closely linked to national security. protecting critical infrastructure, government systems, and sensitive information is essential to safeguard a nation’s interests and sovereignty. basic cybersecurity measures a comprehensive cybersecurity plan for organisations to defend against cyberattacks is built upon its three key pillars: a. people: users must be educated about and adhere to fundamental data security principles, such as using strong passwords, being cautious about email attachments, and regularly backing up data. b. processes: the plan should include a well-defined framework to handle attempted and successful cyberattacks. it should cover various aspects, such as identifying attacks, safeguarding systems, detecting and responding to threats, and recovering from successful attacks. c. technology: utilising computer security tools like firewalls, dns filtering, antivirus software, and email security solutions is essential to protect devices such as computers, smartphones, routers, and cloud services. the essential cybersecurity measures for all organisations, regardless of their size, include the following: indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 369 a. device configuration: ensure systems have unnecessary functionalities removed or disabled. set higher system security configurations and regularly update the operating system and other application software. b. identity and access management: grant users system privileges and rights based on their specific roles. for example, it is necessary to define roles and access privileges for technical administrators, teachers, and students in a school setting. implement multifactor authentication, requiring both passwords and otp through mobile networks to log in to the school portal/lms. practice lifecycle management of users, like removing student credentials when they leave the school or when a teacher resigns. c. network security: establish robust security settings in firewalls and routers. employ authenticationbased access for both incoming and outgoing network connections. implement password-based access for your devices, such as printers, scanners, etc., linked to wi-fi or other networks. d. removable media controls: discourage using pen drives, hard drives, or other portable storage devices on systems and disable such ports. prefer cloud-based data transfer methods instead. if necessary to use removable media, scan all devices for malware before their use. by implementing these basic cybersecurity measures, organisations can have the first level of readiness against cyber threats while maintaining a safer and more secure digital environment. cyber safety concerns and awareness for children cyber safety concerns for children cybersecurity awareness is an approach to educating users about the diverse cyber threats and the vulnerability of computers and data to such threats (rahim et al., 2015). children nowadays spend a considerable amount of time on online activities, either for education or for entertainment. while the internet provides numerous opportunities, it also presents various risks. because of their young age, children frequently overlook safety and security concerns. they get lured with malicious offers and prompts, putting their privacy and safety at risk and often realising the consequences only after it’s too late (quayyum et al., 2021). • in the context of social networks, raising awareness among young individuals regarding the potential privacy-related risks they may encounter is crucial. children frequently tend to divulge their realtime locations online to a broad audience. moreover, they often engage in geo-tagging photographs taken with smartphones and share them on online platforms. regrettably, such geo-tagging practices can risk their online privacy, making them vulnerable to potential threats. • the use of smart toys by young children introduces another dimension of risk, as inadvertent disclosure of sensitive information can occur during interactions with these devices. particularly concerning are voice-based smart toys, which may inadvertently expose children’s voice content to eavesdroppers, consequently exposing them to the possibility of audio injection attacks facilitated through these devices. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 370 • online games are becoming more interactive and immersive in nature. as children engage in virtual worlds and multiplayer environments, they may encounter various risks and threats, such as, • communication with strangers, disclosing their personal information, • getting lured through fake websites promising free ingame currency, rewards, or cheats, • in-game purchases, financial loss and conflicts with parents • addiction and excessive screen time negatively impact children’s physical health, mental well-being, and academic performance, including social isolation, addiction, aggression, and even self-harm and suicide in extreme cases (dahabiyeh et al., 2021). cyber bullying cyberbullying is the act of harassing, intimidating, or causing harm to others through online or digital communication channels. among school students, cyberbullying is a significant issue on social media, instant messaging, email, as well as online gaming platforms. the victims of cyberbullying are often peers, teachers, or anyone else within the school community. while online, students often perceive a sense of unchecked autonomy, believing they have the liberty to engage in any activities of their choosing while remaining unnoticed. cyberbullying encompasses several harmful actions, including: • sending hurtful, offensive, or threatening messages: cyberbullies use social media platforms, messaging apps, or email to send messages that are hurtful, offensive, or threatening. they may use derogatory language, insults, or name-calling to humiliate the victim. • social exclusion: cyberbullies spread rumours or gossip about the victim while deliberately excluding them from online groups, isolating them from their peers. • creating fake profiles or impersonation: cyberbullies create fake profiles or accounts in the victim’s name and use them to post offensive content online or engage in harmful interactions with others, causing harm to the victim’s reputation. • publicly sharing embarrassing or private information: cyberbullies publicly share embarrassing or private information, photos, or videos of the victim without their consent. this humiliation can cause significant emotional distress and even instigate the victim to consider drastic measures. • online polls and surveys for public shaming: cyberbullies create online polls or surveys targeting the victim, posing hurtful or offensive questions to shame or embarrass them publicly. this further contributes to their emotional distress and humiliation. combating cyber bullying cyberbullying can have severe and longlasting effects on the victim’s mental, emotional, and even physical well-being. understanding the different forms of cyberbullying is essential to effectively recognise and address this harmful behaviour. preventing and combating cyberbullying among school students requires a comprehensive approach involving preventive measures and intervention strategies, such as: indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 371 a. educating about responsible online behaviour: students should be educated on responsible online behaviour, including understanding digital footprints, cyber ethics, and the potential consequences of cyberbullying. additionally, they should be made aware of the importance of responsible social media use and safeguarding personal information. b. implementing anti-cyberbullying policies: schools should develop and enforce anti-cyberbullying policies, ensuring that students are wellinformed about the repercussions of engaging in cyberbullying behaviour. if needed, schools can employ trained counsellors to resolve conflicts between the victim and the cyberbully, c. fostering a positive and inclusive school culture: to cultivate a positive and inclusive school environment, promoting respect, kindness, and empathy among students can reduce cyberbullying incidents. d. establishing an anonymous reporting system: schools should establish a confidential reporting system, allowing students to report cyberbullying incidents without fear of retaliation. if cyberbullying incidents get noticed, schools must immediately investigate the incidents, identify the perpetrators, and protect the victim. schools should involve law enforcement agencies in severe cases of criminal cyberbullying incidents. e. involving parents in monitoring digital activities: encouraging parents to become role models for their children by adhering to a structured schedule for digital gadget usage, maintaining open communication, and monitoring their children’s online experiences and behaviours. misinformation and fake news in recent years, fake news and misinformation have gained significant traction through social media and other online platforms. fake news refers to intentionally fabricated or distorted news items presented as factual information, while misinformation consists of factually incorrect information presented as news to deceive consumers. the prevalence of social media has exacerbated the problem, enabling rapid dissemination and a broader reach of false information (sharma et al., 2019). deceptive communication through the internet can have far-reaching consequences, affecting financial, political, and societal aspects. fake news has been linked to influencing national elections, damaging reputations, and inciting violence and chaos. photographs or videos of past events are often misrepresented as something else on social media. false and provoking captions accompanying these images or videos lead to the rapid spread of rumours or fake stories and, at times, escalate into physical violence, riots, and social chaos. misinformation about health tips, home remedies, etc., spread through social media and instant messaging groups can also harm public health. research suggests that people tend to believe in information aligned with their ideologies, leading to the sharing of false information within like-minded communities. given the vast amount of information available online and the speed at which it can spread, combating misinformation and fake news in the age of the internet is a complex and ongoing challenge. dealing with misinformation and fake news requires a multifaceted approach, including media literacy indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 372 education, fact-checking initiatives, responsible sharing, technological solutions, and global cooperation. cyber safety awareness the importance of cyber safety and cybersecurity awareness for everyone is significant, especially with the added complexity of cyber threats during the covid-19 pandemic (bada et al., 2019; chang & coppel, 2020; dash & ansari, 2022;). education and awareness campaigns are crucial in promoting cybersecurity awareness among individuals, organisations, and society (jena, 2020; khan et al., 2020; rahim et al., 2015). these campaigns teach people about online threats in the forms of malware, phishing, ransomware, and social engineering, making them more cautious online. they also educate about essential security measures, like strong passwords, two-factor authentication, and safe browsing habits. moreover, these programs are vital in educating children and teenagers about data privacy, cyberbullying, responsible social media use, and avoiding financial fraud through phishing and other tactics. raising awareness through such campaigns is essential for inculcating secure and vigilant online behaviour. cyber safety and responsible behaviour this section enlists some of the good practices for safeguarding against cyber threats. it also talks about the practice of cyber hygiene in a digital environment and the online behaviours can save us from the ethical and legal concerns related to the cyber world. strategies for safeguarding against online scams a. be vigilant and think critically on receiving a message claiming to be from authority and asking for urgent action, take a moment to pause and question its legitimacy. consider whether a genuine authority figure would demand such quick action. b. search on the internet if a message or news appears suspicious, perform a quick internet search with a brief description of the matter along with the term “scam”. a. second level verification even while you receive an email from a supposedly trusted organisation, verify its authenticity by calling it. ensure not to use the phone number provided in the email footer. b. caution during online payment use known and trusted platforms for handling credit card transactions and other online payments c. report suspicious incidents don’t feel embarrassment or reluctance in reporting scams. file a police report or notify relevant authorities such as the national cybercrime portal (https://cybercrime.gov.in/) or cybercrime helpline number 1930 about any cybercrime. safety measures to prevent cyber attacks this subsection summarises the cybersecurity best practices that can mitigate the chances of cyberattacks. it recapitulates a list of best practices related to social media usage, password management, software updates, hardware updates, and other cybersecurity measures. social media usage i. be cautious on social media platforms and avoid accepting friend requests from strangers. trust online users only if you know them in real life. ii. refrain from sharing sensitive personal information on social indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 373 media, such as address, phone number, and date of birth, etc., to prevent identity theft. iii. share personal photos and videos only with trusted friends using appropriate privacy settings on social media platforms. iv. immediately notify the social media service provider if you come across a fake account created with your personal information. v. verify each message, photo or video before posting or sharing on social media, as they may contain fake news, misinformation, or sensitive information. password management i. never use easy-to-guess passwords such as your mobile number, email address, home address, pin code, date of birth, etc. ii. always set strong passwords containing a mix of alphabets both uppercase and lowercase, numbers, and special characters (e.g., @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _ + | ~ = thank you for reaching out ’ { } [ ] : “ ; < > / , etc.) for social media accounts and all other websites requiring username and password to access. iii. regularly change passwords (usually once every 3 months) to enhance security and prevent malicious activities. never reuse the same password for multiple accounts or websites. iv. use two-factor or multi-factor authentication (e.g., requiring both password and mobile otp to log in to your banking portal) to add an extra layer of security to your accounts. software and network management i. regularly update your operating system, antivirus software, and other installed software applications to remove vulnerabilities that hackers may exploit. ii. download software from the original website only, and never go for websites that promise software for free. iii. install mobile apps only from legitimate and trusted sources or app stores and keep your mobile device updated with the latest android/ios version. iv. install trusted and legitimate antivirus protection software. v. keep the firewall in the operating system always on. vi. secure your wi-fi networks by setting a password to access them. avoid using public wi-fi without a vpn to prevent unauthorised access to your data. email and data protection i. avoid opening emails from unknown senders and carefully scrutinise email attachments or the links given for potential threats and phishing links. ii. while forwarding an email from a chain of emails to a new user, check whether that email chain contains any sensitive or confidential information. before forwarding an email that is part of an email chain with a new user, ensure that it does not contain any sensitive or confidential information iii. regularly backup your important data on different devices or cloud storage to ensure data availability and recovery during a cyber-attack. discussion and way forward cybercriminal gangs are continuously innovating ways to exploit vulnerabilities and enhance the efficiency of their attacks. as time progresses, the indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 374 complexity of these attacks is on the rise. for instance, the ransomware report (2023) from the indian computer emergency response team (cert-in) highlights a notable 53 per cent increase in reported ransomware incidents in 2022 compared to the previous year. the report also draws attention to a worrying skill gap in managing ransomware attacks, assessing the scope of infections, inadequate it inventory lists, and improper computer network configurations, identified as critical areas of concern while combating cyber threats. promoting digital literacy among common citizens, especially in rural areas, is a challenging but crucial task to empower them with the knowledge and skills for safe internet navigation. the national education policy (nep, 2020) has advocated the integration of digital technology across education, encompassing enrollment, transfer, assessment, and providing access to interactive learning resources utilising ar, vr, 3d, and other emerging technologies. consequently, it becomes imperative to incorporate ageappropriate cybersecurity education programs into schools (pencheva et al., 2020) and teacher education curriculums, equipping students and teachers to address the intricacies of cyber safety and security effectively. references abomhara, m., & køien, g. m. 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(2022). cyber security awareness, knowledge and behavior: a comparative study. journal of computer information systems, 62(1), 82-97. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 166 research article how does socio-educational and family factors predict internet usage in higher education? kamalpreet kaur toor1 & vikaram singh2 1assistant professor, mai bhago college of education,ralla, mansa (punjab), affiliated to punjabi university, patiala emailtoor.kamalpreet@yahoo.com 2research fellow, dept of education,punjabi university patiala abstract this study aims to identify the socio-educational and family factors that predict internet usage by analyzing a sample of 910 college students selected from four districts of himachal pradesh using a self-prepared internet usage scale. this scale has 33 items in total which are classified into four dimensions namely educational, social, and online as well as entertainment purposes using factor analysis. high and low internet users are classified based on the mean +_ sd criteria. multinomial logistic regression is performed both for the direction of variable association as well as magnitude among variables. a multinomial logistic regression model was performed to evaluate the impact of gender, residential background, type of family, parental education and employment and family income on the likelihood of students using the internet in which a low internet usage group is entered as a reference group. from the regression analysis, it is found that type of family, stream of study, parental educational level along parental employment significantly predict usage of the internet among college students. keywords: internet usage, college students, multinomial logistic regression introduction according to the ‘digital india’ report by the internet and mobile association of india (2019) india has 504 million internet active users, and the internet penetration rate will stand at around 50 percent in 2020 (34 percent in 2017). hence, india has become the second-largest online market in the world ranked only behind china. it depicts that the internet has become an essential part of the lives of indians and its usage is shaping the habits and attitudes of the masses. everyone in society uses it for a multitude of purposes, such as information, connectivity, entertainment and online transactions. the digital india campaign is also launched to transform the entire nation into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. while education plays a critical role in this transformation, technology itself plays an important role in the improvement of educational processes and outcomes. thus, the relationship between technology and education (at all levels) is bi-directional (government of india, 2020). in the field of higher education, the internet is serving dual purposes from information sharing to as a learning aid. higher education of india is also undergoing such technological and mass media revolutions, therefore higher educational institutions have been shaping their educational system according to the needs of learners as they try to integrate technology in the teaching-learning process. the internet is making it easier for students to learn when, how, and where they indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 167 want. it is not only an assistive device now, but also in the current covid-19 period, physical classes at schools and colleges have been replaced by online teaching. classroom teaching has been converted fully into digital format in the current scenario. college students are now oversurrounded by the digital world, and they appear to be more vulnerable to developing internet dependency than any other group in society (kandell, 1998). owing to this reason, this generation is named as ‘net generation’ or ‘digital natives’ as their personality is being shaped under the influence of the internet. naturally, their habit of internet usage is affected by several factors. thus, through this study, an attempt has been made to locate different factors affecting the internet usage of students who are getting higher education. findings of this study would be helpful to make a judicious blend of human resources and technology which will facilitate allround development of the learner and ultimately will result in a sea change in the field of higher education. review of related literature internet usage has been explored under the name of different variables, such as excessive usage, dependency, addiction, problematic internet usage as well as social networking sites usage and all these variables studies on different samples along with a stream of study (chandran, 2010; loan, 2011; amutha & kennedy, 2015; prabhu, 2016; kaur, 2017), gender (beranuy et al. 2009; flad, 2010; varaghese et al., 2013; sharma et al., 2014; thakur, 2014; amutha & kennedy, 2015; krishnamurthy & chetlapalli, 2015; yosi et al., 2015; arjunan & edward, 2016; sattari et al.,2016; kaur,2017, sharma & shrama,2017), residential background (loan,2011), socioeconomic status (prezza et al., 2004; singh,2018; ghosh et al,2019), family functionality (satan,2013), parenting approaches (wu et al,2016), parental education and employment (praveen & krishnaleela,2018). most of these studies have explored intensity/ prevalence estimates of the internet in different groups and reported varying results depending on the criteria used and sample studied. from the review of related literature, it is also clear that even though there are certain studies that have explored the impact of a stream of study, gender on internet usage patterns still these studies do not give a clear picture of prediction of which group among demographic and socio-economic factors has higher tendency to use the internet in indian population more specifically college students. the age of a particular group plays a substantial role in influencing internet usage (eitel et al, 1998; teo et al., 1999; taylor et al.,2003; yi, 2008; berner et al., 2014; rahman et al. 2020) therefore, age-wise majority of college students are in the age group of 20 to 21 years and this particular group has its factors that would be explored through this study. no studies available in the literature have explored factors of essential internet usage among indian populations as most studies focus on internet addiction, problematic internet usage and social networking sites. these studies have reported huge variations in prevalence rates due to difficulty in the conceptualization of internet addiction, heterogeneity of population, lack of standard diagnostic criteria and difficulty in differentiating essential and non-essential internet use. therefore, this study is unique which tries to investigate factors exploring essential usages of the internet through a self-developed research tool among college students because most research studies in literature have analysed internet usage patterns and determinants of internet usage of the general population like the internet banking, e-shopping, e-government indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 168 services. hence, the nature of this study is not a prevalence study of internet usage both due to sample as well as measurement criteria. the researchers have viewed internet usage from different theoretical perspectives, such as the internet as an assistive tool that is used for a multitude of essential purposes like getting knowledge (education), watching movies/listening to music (entertainment), making new relationships through various social media platforms (social) and usage of internet for digital payments (online). in all these manners, this study is a novel initiative which focuses on undergraduate students who are getting an education in one of the states of india and to identify predictors of both levels of internet usage (high and low) and analysis includes socioeducational aspects, such as gender, stream of study, residential background along with home-related variables, such as type of family, parental education and employment and annual income. material and methods research methodology: descriptive method of research that includes a correlational study is followed to examine the predictive efficacy of socioeducational and family factors in the internet usage of college students. research tool: data of this paper is obtained through a self-constructed internet usage scale that consists of 33 items which are classified into four dimensions namely educational, social, and online as well as entertainment purposes using factor analysis. the scoring for statements is made by giving weightage of “1, 2, 3, 4 and 5” for endorsement in terms of being “never, rarely, sometimes, often and always”. the score range of the scale is 33 to 165 and a higher score indicates the high level of internet usage. the reliability of this scale was calculated by test-retest method (0.95) and internal consistency reliability was tested by calculating cronbach alpha (0.83). content validation of the scale is achieved by showing the preliminary draft to experts in the field of psychology, education and language and construct validity established by confirmatory factor analysis. sample of the study: the target population of this study is undergraduate students who are studying in 118 colleges of 12 districts of himachal pradesh which were affiliated to himachal pradesh university, shimla during the academic session of 201920. from a total of twelve districts of the state, only ten districts are included in the sample as two districts namely kinnaur and lahaul-spiti are excluded due to their schedule tribe population representation. firstly, for the selection of districts due weightage is given to their parliament constituencies and districts are classified into four clusters and from each cluster one district namely una, kangra, shimla, mandi are selected randomly. secondly, two colleges from each district are selected based on the geographical location of the colleges. lastly, 910 students from total of eight colleges by giving due weightage to the stream of study (arts, commerce, science) who are studying in the final year of their bachelor classes are taken as a sample of the study. classification of sample based on predictor/explanatory variables: out of the total 910 respondents 34.06 percent (310) respondents are male as compared to 65.93 percent (600) respondents are female. most students have rural background (72.19 percent) and only 27.80 percent of respondents are from urban areas. talking about the stream of study, 37.91 percent of respondents have a science stream followed by humanities (31.86 percent) and commerce (30.21 percent). the sample is almost equally distributed across types of families. seventy indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 169 percent of parents have studied up to secondary level. a large majority of mothers are housewives (92.96 percent) and fathers of 57.80 percent of respondents are working in agriculture and allied sectors. data related to the annual income of the family show that more than fifty percent of respondents belong to the low-income group. statistical analysis: data analysis was performed using spss version 20. for inferential statistics, the chi-square test was applied to examine significant associations between internet usage and various explanatory variables. then, the multinomial logistic regression (mlr) was applied to investigate how a set of socio-demographic variables predict the possibility of internet usage among college students. the dimensional aspects of internet usage (educational, social, online and entertainment) are not considered for the analysis, therefore only summated scores are used in the analysis of data categorization of the students based on internet usage: the sample of 910 college students is classified into two dichotomous variables, such as high and low internet usage based on the mean +_ sd criteria. the mean internet usage score of the total sample turned out to be 111.34 along with sd 14.43. accordingly, out of a total sample of 910 college students, 141 students had a score of 96 and below in internet usage were designated as low internet usage group and 174 college students had a score of 125 and above were classified as high internet usage group. thus ‘1’ value is assigned to the low internet usage group and ‘2’ is given to the high internet usage group. for this case, one set of mlr for high internet usage group and low internet usage is obtained in which low internet usage group is entered as the reference group. categorization of the students based on explanatory variables: further, all other predictor variables or explanatory variables are categorical, and these variables are grouped into dummy variables and coding is given accordingly. results: the results of the chi-square analysis testing show there is a significant association of stream of study, parental education with internet usage among college students which can be exhibited in table 1. table-1: association between socio-educational and family factors and internet usage socio-educational and family factors categories low internet usage (141) high internet usage (174) total df chisquare gender male 48 58 106 1 0.01 female 93 116 209 residential background rural 109 127 236 1 .77 urban 32 47 79 stream of study humanities 52 50 102 2 13.27**science 60 55 115 commerce 29 69 98 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 170 type of family nuclear 74 84 158 1 .55 joint 67 90 157 maternal education up to elementary 42 27 69 2 9.85**up to secondary 90 129 219 graduation and above 9 18 27 paternal education up to elementary 23 13 36 2 6.11**up to secondary 95 132 227 graduation and above 23 29 52 maternal employment non-working 132 162 294 1 .033 employed 9 12 21 paternal employment agricultural and allied 91 95 186 2 4.00private job 15 30 45 government job 35 49 84 annual income (rupees) low (2 lakh) 72 94 166 2 .37 average (2 to 4 lakh) 44 49 93 high (more than 2 lakh) 25 31 56 **p, <.01 table 2 shows the most significant estimated predictive effects of socioeducational and family factors in internet usage by multinomial logistic regression model where low internet usage group is considered as a reference group. table-2: multinomial logistic regression model coefficients predictors categories coefficients se walid df sig. exp(b) (odd ratio) probability (%) gender male -.12 .26 .21 1 .64 .883 0.46 female* 0b . . 0 . . residential background rural -.092 .29 .09 1 .75 .912 0.47 urban* 0b indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 171 stream of study humanities .17 .29 .34 1 .56 1.18 0.54 science .96 .30 10.04 1 .00 2.61 0.72 commerce * 0b . . 0 . . type of family nuclear .12 .24 .25 1 .61 1.12 0.53 joint* 0b . . 0 . . maternal education elementary -1.15 .61 3.50 1 .06 .31 0.23 secondary -.55 .53 1.06 1 .30 1.57 0.61 graduation and above * 0b . . 0 . . paternal education elementary -.05 .57 .01 1 .91 .94 0.48 secondary .51 .40 1.66 1 .19 1.67 0.62 graduation and above * 0b . . 0 . . maternal employment non-working .09 .49 .03 1 .84 1.10 0.52 employed* 0b . . 0 . . paternal employment agriculture and allied -.15 .29 .28 1 .59 .855 0.46 private job .26 .40 .42 1 .51 1.30 0.56 government job* 0b . . 0 . . annual income (in rs.) low (2 lakh) -.07 .33 .04 1 .82 .93 0.48 average (2 to 4 lakh) -.26 .36 .54 1 .46 .76 0.43 high (4 lakh and above)* 0b . . 0 . . *reference category gender: gender of students and internet usage is not significantly associated with each other (chi-square=.018) and value of the odd ratio (.883) of male college students is although close to 1.00 still it is less than 1.00 represents that male college students have to remain in 46 percent probability (.883/(1+.883) x100) low internet usage in comparison of female college students. residential background: in addition to this, the residential background is not significantly associated with internet usage as chi-square values are reported to be non-significant (0.772, 0.551). rural college students have a 47 percent probability of low internet usage (odd ratio=.912) as compared to students having urban backgrounds. stream of study: regarding stream of study the value of chi-square is connoted to be significant (13.27: indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 172 p<.01) and depicts that stream of study and internet usage are significantly associated with each other students. the results of the logistic analysis reveal that it is seen that more than 1.00 odd ratio (1.18) of students having humanities stream revealed that there is a 54 percent probability of high internet usage in the humanities group about the reference group which is commerce group. in the same way, a more than 1.00 odd ratio (2.61; p<.01) of science stream depicts that student having the science stream are found to be almost more than two times to use the internet regarding commerce groups. this means college students studying in science stream have 72 percent probability of being part of a high usage group in comparison to the commerce stream. type of family: on the other hand, students having nuclear families have 53 percent probability of high internet usage as the odd ratio is greater than one (1.12). maternal education: chi-square values for maternal education in terms of internet users reported to be 9.85 which is significant at .01 levels and reveals that there is a significant association between maternal education and internet usage. in maternal education, the odds ratio of college students whose mothers are educated up to elementary level is .31 and the odds of college students whose mothers are educated up to secondary level is 1.57 and this value is greater than one. therefore, college students whose mothers are low in their education level have a 23 percent probability of being in a low internet usage group and college students whose mothers are average in their education level have a 61 percent probability of being in a high internet usage group as compared to students having a high level of maternal education. paternal education: when considering paternal education, odds ratio of college students whose fathers are educated up to elementary level and secondary level in the logistic analysis showed that those college students having paternal education level up to secondary level are found to be almost two times more likely to use the internet (odd ratio:1.67) and have 62 percent probability of being remained in high internet usage and less than 1.00 odd ratio for students having an elementary level of paternal education (.94) exhibits 48 percent probability of being remained in low internet usage group with reference to students having high a level of paternal education. similarly, the chi-square values for paternal education are 6.11 among college students which are significant. this shows that paternal education and internet usage are significantly associated with each other. parental employment: parental employment does not significantly show an association between internet usage in college students as chi-square values turned out to be not significant both for maternal employment and paternal employment. still, college students whose mothers are non-working have a disposition of internet usage and have a 52 percent probability of remaining in the high internet usage group (odd value=1.10) as compared to students having employed mothers. college students whose paternal employment in agriculture and allied services have 45 percent probability (odd ratio=.855) of being in the low internet usage group and college students whose fathers are in the private jobs have 46 percent probability (odd ratio=1.30) of being in high internet usage group with respect to college students who fathers are working as government employees. annual income: lastly, chi-square values depicting non–significant association between internet usage and annual income (.374), still college students whose family income is low, indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 173 and average have 48 and 43 percent chances (odd values=0.93;0.96) of less usage internet as compared to college students having high levels of family income. conclusion empirical findings reveal that students having nuclear families, having science and arts stream with an average level of parental education (up to secondary) and whose fathers are in private jobs and mothers are non-working have a significant possibility of being in high internet usage and they are at high risk of internet addiction because there is a thin line between inappropriate and productive uses of the internet. discussion these results are corroborated with the studies conducted in the field of psychology, education and organizational behaviour which have shown that demographic factors influence significantly internet usage (taylor et al., 2003; aghajani and zamini, 2012; ajuwon and popoola, 2014; wu et al, 2016; rahman et al. 2020). there are significant stream-wise differences in usage patterns of internet usage favouring arts stream (chandran, 2010; prabhu, 2016; kaur 2017), science stream (amutha & kennedy, 2015). gender is an essential demographic factor affecting usage of the internet and gender difference is also visible both in the frequency of usage of internet as well as purposes of internet usage. males use the internet for longer hours, while women are moderate users (bimber, 2000; winker, 2005; hamissi et al., 2013; bahrainain, 2014; hasan et al., 2014; kaur, 2014; sharma et al., 2014; singh, 2015; yosi & david, 2015; arjunan & edward, 2016; prabhu, 2016; sattari et al., 2016; gedam et al., 2017; kaur, 2017; cry, 2020; kumar, 2020). male students use the internet for making new friends through social networking sites (varghese et al., 2013; thakur,2014; krishnamurthy & chetlapalli, 2015), seeking information (thanuskodi, 2013) and for online gaming (kilic & guzeller ,2020) whereas girls use for educational assistance (thanuskodi,2013; varghese et al., 2013; thakur,2014). however, in the present study gender does not emerge as a significant predictor of internet usage. these results are consistent with the literature (chew, 2004; masters, 2008; mohammed, 2013; khan and awan, 2017; singh, 2018; rahman et al. 2020). the reason may be that the involvement of women in digital technology has been increasing day by day and the digital divide among male and female users has been narrowed. furthermore, the residential background of the students does not significantly predict internet usage and these findings are contradicted by loan (2011), whereas supported by arjunan & edward, 2016 who concluded no significant variation in the internet usage in relation to the residential background. annual income does not come as a significant predictor in the present study, whereas socio-economic status and family income lead to internet addiction as reported by taylor,2003; prezza et al., 2004; debell and chapman 2006. additionally, results of the study show that the nuclear family system contributes to internet usage. the reason may be that nowadays in workaholic society both parents are busy round the clock in their jobs and pay insufficient attention to their wards, therefore children are free to use the internet without monitoring their parents. it is seen that family plays a protective role in reducing pathological internet usage (zhen et al., 2011) and family functionality affects internet addiction (yen et al., 2007 and yen et al., 2009; wu et al. 2016). the parental educational level more particularly indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 174 average level of education along with the type of parental employment significantly predicts internet usage among college students. therefore, it can be said that levels of parental education and employment significantly contribute to the usage of the internet. these results are compatible with the findings of debell & chapman, 2006; ozgur, 2016 who concluded that the educational level of parents is positively related to internet usage among the students. recommendations finally, after knowing the socioeducational and family predictive factors through this study, educators may categorize students in particular groups according to their usage level and can provide them guidance according to their needs and can design the best educational environment for the students. the findings will be helpful to understand students’ behaviours and use the internet for essential purposes and may assist higher education, libraries, information centres, and other agencies when making policies regarding future information technology; distance education programs; and digital resources. the internet itself is a value-neutral thing and it is only a medium. what makes it good or bad is the content of internet usage, the way the internet is used and how much it is used; all these decide the balance between opportunities on one side and harms on the other side. the indian society, with its socio-economic and cultural diversity, may often find itself unable to grapple with the multiple nuances of internet usage (prakash, 2020). therefore, for the judicious use of the internet, there is a need to recognize various factors associated with internet usage in shaping the behaviour of the youngsters in this digital world, so that students will have to be educated in safe and healthy practices for internet use. appropriate preventive and interventional strategies need to be developed to encourage rational use of the internet to protect the physical and mental health of the users. comprehensive prevention programs for students should be carried out to increase awareness regarding excessive use of the internet. the colleges/ universities curriculum must have customized programs to elicit a response from students and bring about the best in them and to channelize their energies in a way, where there is a positive impact of technology. an age that is ruled by the internet should be monitored and constant guidance sessions should be given by teachers and counsellors for shaping the future of the indian digital ecosystem as well as safeguarding the well-being of youngsters. lastly, with reference to limitations of this study, it is worthwhile to mention that only summative score of internet usage scale has been considered in the analysis, therefore in future predictive effects of socio-demographic variables for various patterns of internet usage such educational, social, entertainment as online can be studied to get overall picture of technology. furthermore, in the present research, only a set of socio-demographic variables is selected to study correlates of internet usage. other combinations of sociopsychological predictors can be chosen for future study. internet usage varies over time; it would be significant to replicate these findings across time (during and after the corona pandemic). future studies should be focused on essential and non-essential internet usage at different levels of education, such as school, college and university to enhance understanding the concepts of internet usage and internet addiction. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 175 references aghajani, h., & zamani, b. e. 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(2011). relationship between adolescents’ alienation and pathological internet use: testing the moderating effect of family functioning and peer acceptance. acta psychological sinica. retrieved from http:/www.cnki.com.cn indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 1 research article web-enabled student support services (wesss) in open and distance learning (odl) system: a case study amit kumar jain1 & punam kumari singh2 1assistant regional director, ignou regional centre karnal plot no. 5, sector 12 (part-1) karnal, haryana, emaildramitkrjain@ignou.ac.in 2retd. senior regional director, dehrdaun, uttrakhand abstract the concept of the odl system focuses on open access to education and training to make the learners free from the constraints of time and place, and offering flexible learning, curriculum or other elements of structure opportunities to individuals and groups of learners. ignou is serving its best in developing the attitude and aptitude among the learners for education for those who cannot afford to go far. effective student support services are a vital means of enabling students to cope with the academic and personal pressures of distance education. this research explored the implementation of web enabled student support services by ignou regional centre karnal, in order to obtain feedback from the learners amidst covid 19 pandemic. keeping in view of the probability of responding to the questionnaire, a random sample was drawn from the 3400 learners of pg, ug, diploma and certificates programmes, admitted for july 2019 (fresh) under regional centre karnal. an online questionnaire was used for the collection of the primary data that contained 12 items based on the likert scale in addition to 16 open-ended questions. the likert scale items ranged (5 point scale) from (1) strongly disagree (2) disagree (3) neither agree nor disagree (4) agree (5) strongly agree. the other 16 items pertaining to the learner profile and using resources were also included in the questionnaire. the findings indicate a positive attitude among the ignou odl learners towards learning through web-enabled mode/online mode. keywords: odl, ignou, online support services introduction indira gandhi national open university (ignou), one of the world’s largest universities, has continuously endeavoured to build a knowledge society through the open and distance learning (odl) system. odl is a tool for those who have no access to conventional education but want to continue their education to compete in the changing world. open learning serves as an easy source of education for the marginalized and disadvantaged and inaccessible territories sections of society. support services are very significant elements for all educational institutions in general; however, for distance learners, these services are more essential than traditional (f2f) counterparts. one of the most important reasons for this is that learners and instructors do not share the same physical environment and that distance learning settings generally require intrapersonal interactions rather than interpersonal ones. some learners in distance learning programs feel isolated because of this geographical and transactional distance (moore, 1993). furthermore, some fail to feel a sense of belonging to the institution because of a lack of self-management skills, lack of motivation levels, and the need of being socialized. this is likely to lead to high drop-out and failure rates and nonindian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 2 completion of studies as suggestions in the literature indicate (simpson, 2003; belawati and zuhairi, 2007; fraser and killen 2006; nsamba and makoe, 2017). in order to overcome all these problems, support services have emerged as a critical element for an effective and sustainable distance education system. student support services are developed by distance education institutions to help students with their learning. these services cater for students’ cognitive, emotional and social needs. they serve as the interface between the institution and the student (krishnan, 2012) because they compensate for the isolated “individual” by making the necessary basic facilities available, in the absence of “live support” from the teacher (pulist, 2001). the emergence of the internet and related networks such as the world wide web has had and will increasingly have a radical effect on the transformation of education and training in all sectors. the impact is already significant in all developed countries, and the great majority of developing countries are despite difficulties and fears seeking to take part in the emerging global educational community. within the context of distance education support services, it is natural to include technology-based and web-based services and also related materials. moreover, institutions in the education sector are expected to use ict (information and communication technologies) effectively in order to be successful in educational activities and programs. in terms of the sustainability of the system, an institution should provide distance education services through ict-enabled processes to support all stakeholders in the system, particularly distance learners. ignou today is making a valuable contribution towards the digital revolution in the field of education. it is leading the way for promotion of ict applications across all its operations, from teaching–learning to provide technology-based support services. the aim of this study is to explore the effective use of technology, digital initiatives in providing for learner’s support, and challenges faced by the learners. research methodology a single case study research design was used in the study. keeping in view of the probability of responding to the questionnaire, a purposive random sample was drawn from the 3400 learners of pg, ug, diploma and certificates programmes, those are admitted for july 2019 (fresh session) at various learner support centres under regional centre karnal. the questionnaire was then administered to all 3400 learners and a later response of 300 learners was received. tools and data analysis an online questionnaire through google forms was developed and used for the collection of the primary data containing 12 items based on the likert scale in addition to 16 open-ended items.  the likert scale items ranged (5 point scale) from (1) strongly disagree (2) disagree (3) neither agree nor disagree (4) agree (5) strongly agree. part 1 consists of questions on personnel information of the students, part 2 consists of questions on resources and availability of ict infrastructure and view of the learners on online support services. part 3 consists of statements about student satisfaction with online student support services. while part 4 consists of questions i.e. positive aspects of online services and faced problems or challenges during availing the online support services. the raw scores are obtained after scoring the questionnaire. the following statistical techniques were adopted to realize the given objectives and to test the hypotheses i.e. (a) descriptive indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 3 analysis (mean and s.d) and (b) test of significance (t-test). the mean and the standard deviation of the attitude scores of the entire sample were calculated. the mean and standard deviation of the attitude scores of all the sub-samples were also calculated. the test of significance (t-test) was used in order to find out the significance of the difference between any two means of the attitude scores of the sub-samples involved in this study. result and discussion in the present study, it is observed that 63.67 per cent of male learners showed interest towards education through odl mode in comparison to females 36.33 per cent. among these learners, the majority of the respondents were from master’s (pg) and bachelor’s (ug) degrees (43 per cent and 44 per cent). and very few numbers were recorded from diploma (9 per cent) and certificate (4 per cent) programmes (figure 1). data reveal that more than half of the learners pursuing the study through the odl system are unemployed (70 per cent) and belong to rural (60 per cent) backgrounds followed by employed (30 per cent) and urban backgrounds (40 per cent). in the present scenario, the use of ict gadgets is also perceived and recorded that 85.33 per cent of learners are using the smartphone for their study as well as fewer are using the laptop (10.67 per cent) and desktop (4 per cent) (figure 2). some financial glitches may be among these learners due to the majority of the rural background learners. data reveal that the majority of the learners are using the ignou regional centre website (57.33 per cent) and approaching the learner support centres (28.33 per cent) to collect the updated information for their study and a less number of the learners are using other social media of regional centre i.e. facebook page 4.00 per cent, while negligible numbers are noticed on the way to twitter account (figure 3). figure-1: programme wise number of respondents figure-2: acquired source of ignou online services indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 4 figure-3: source of information about ignou web enabled support services as evident from the result (figure 4), 48.33 per cent of learners are interested to study in offline mode with the odl system, some of the learners (36.67 per cent) showed their interest in web counselling video sessions, while very less number showed interest to study through web counselling audio (4.33 per cent) and facebook live session (10.67 per cent). the response of the learners was obtained to evaluate their satisfaction level with ignou towards web enabled student support services amidst covid-19. from the data, it is evident that 7 per cent learners strongly appreciated gv/gd/irc session of ignou, 10 per cent facebook live sessions, 18.67 per cent twitter, 14.67 per cent e-gyankosh and e-content, 17.33 per cent online submission of assignments, and 11.33 per cent for online counselling session. on the other hand, more than half recommended these online support services i.e. gv/gd/irc session (63.33 per cent), fb live sessions (55.33 per cent), twitter (63.33 per cent), e-gyankosh (65.33 per cent) and e-content (65.33 per cent) online submission of assignments (50 per cent) and online counselling session (70 per cent). while less than 2 per cent showed unwillingness 7.67 per cent online submission of assignments and less than 20 per cent neither agree nor disagree and less than 10 per cent disagree except for fb live sessions (12.33 per cent) and online submission of assignments (13.33 per cent) (figure 5). figure-4: preferred mode of study indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 5 similarly, more than half learners (51.67 per cent) agreed to study online mode. results on the basis of respondents show that the open education system is providing qualitative education (69.33 per cent) and they are getting related valuable information through weblinked support services (61.67 per cent). the majority of the learners (73.33 per cent) relied on online support services for smooth study. though, use of the online support services is a financial challenge recorded (agreed) by 74.67 per cent of learners, while less than 10 per cent strongly agreed and strongly disagreed (figure 6). however, it is observed from the respondent that overall more than half (63.61) of learners agreed with online support services, less than fifteen per cent neither agree nor disagree (14.39), strongly agree (10.95 per cent), disagree (9.17), and negligible were strongly disagreed (1.89 per cent) with web linked services (figure 7). thus, a positive attitude was seen among the learners towards odl learning through various aspects of online mode amidst covid-19. figure-5: ignou online support service including online counselling sessions figure-6: various sides of online student support services (osss) indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 6 figure-7: overall views of learners for online support services conclusion with the advancement in icts, heterogeneous and diverse learners’ groups who are geographically scattered and have increasing expectations from all concerned, necessitate effective support services to ensure proper guidance and learning conditions in open and distance learning systems. learner support services include not only the availability of high-quality academic programmes but also ensuring that the students receive their study material on time, assignments are assessed and evaluated within the stipulated time frame and provided academic guidance. web-linked devices are becoming ubiquitous while technological fluency is becoming a common expectation. it has been found that learners are increasingly using various ict tools during their studies. odl emerged as an effective tool to educate learners, particularly residing in far-flung areas and who are not able to have access to education due to tough geographical conditions, social and financial issues. the odl system and its associated learner support services need to be extended to reach the unreached and improve the quality of these services. there is a need to develop ways and means to improve upon the internal and external environment of the distance education system to avoid stagnation. periodical surveys and feedback from learners and other associates are needed to review and fill the gaps in the present system as well as a centralized system may be developed for providing the web-enabled student support services by the open universities at all levels including learner support centres. references belawati, t. & zuhairi, a. (2007). the practice of a quality assurance system in open and distance learning: a case study at universitas terbuka indonesia (the indonesia open university). the international review of research in open and distributed learning, 8(1): 1-15. fraser, w. & killen, r. (2005). the perceptions of students and lecturers of some factors influencing academic performance at two south african universities. perspectives in education, 23(1): 25–39. krishnan, c. (2012). student support services in distance higher education in india: a critical appraisal. international journal of research in economics & social sciences, 2(2): 459-472. moore, g.m. (1993). theory of transactional distance. in d. keegan, theoretical principles of distance education, 1, 22-38. new york: routledge. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 7 nsamba, a. & makoe, m. (2017). evaluating quality of students’ support services in open distance learning. turkish online journal of distance education, 18(4): 91-103. pulist, s.k. (2001). student support services in correspondence distance education in india: a historical perspective. journal of distance education, 8(1): 66-82. simpson, o. (2003). the future of distance education – will we keep on failing our students? presentation at a conference: the future of distance education. cambridge, uk. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 11 research article post covid-19 challenges of online teaching in higher education institutes: teacher’s experiences and satisfaction prahbhjot malhi (professor)1, bhavneet bharti (professor)2, anju gupta (professor)3 & manjit sidhu4 1department of pediatrics, post graduate institute of medical education and research, chandigarh, email: pmalhi18@hotmail.com 2director principal, dr. b. r. ambedkar state institute of medical sciences, mohali, punjab 3department of pediatrics, post graduate institute of medical education and research, chandigarh 4assistant professor, department of psychology, mehr chand mahajan dav college for women, chandigarh abstract the study examined factors related to teachers’ satisfaction and their perspectives of the benefits and challenges of the online mode of teaching in colleges and universities during the time of the pandemic. the cross-sectional study utilized a google form that was delivered to college and university teachers through social media platforms and the snowball sampling technique was used. the questionnaire elicited basic demographic and teaching experience information, views regarding online teaching experience, satisfaction with the same, online platform used, limitations, and advantages. the main outcome measure was the level of satisfaction with online teaching. the study was cleared by the ethical committee of the institute. the participants included 422 teachers (58.1 percent males). overall, 36.9 percent reported being satisfied with their online teaching experience. satisfaction was related to the educational stream taught, and medical and science faculty reported a significantly lower level of satisfaction with the online platform (χ²=13.41, p=.037). only 11.8 percent of the teachers concurred that online teaching led to superior learning among students and nearly half (49.8 percent) opined that it led to inferior learning. collaborative efforts of the government and academic teaching institutions are needed to facilitate the adoption of a meaningful alternative to the conventional mode of teaching and learning. keywords: online teaching, teachers’ satisfaction, higher education, covid-19, distance learning introduction in the post-covid era, the educational landscape changed rapidly and almost all educational institutes across the world closed and face-to-face classes were suspended to contain the novel virus. it is estimated that nearly 1.5 billion students around the world are currently affected by the closure of educational institutions due to the pandemic and perforce engaged in online remote learning platforms (unesco, 2020). there was an abrupt demand that teachers change their teaching style and rapidly shift and adapt to the technology-enabled virtual education format so that students could continue learning with minimal disruption from the comforts of their homes. in western countries, advances in information and communication technology have made web-based learning a viable and popular choice in higher education both for learners and educators (cojocariu, lazar, nedeff, indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 12 & lazar, 2014; wu, 2016). some of the advantages of online teaching include increased accessibility and affordable options. most educational institutions have adopted the synchronous learning mode wherein the students attend live lectures and engage in realtime interactions with their teachers (mcbrien, cheng, & jones, 2009). the transition was sudden and caught the college and university faculty by surprise as few were prepared or had any experience in the virtual delivery of academic curriculum in india (mishra, gupta, & shree, 2020). since india has marked regional and household digital inequalities in access to technology, this shift led to a major disruption in education for many students and teachers alike (government of india, 2020). moreover, the move increased the demands on teachers who were struggling to balance the stress of coping with the novel contagion and at the same time respond to the new challenges of service obligations of providing education remotely, especially in developing countries (fernandez & shaw, 2020; oyedotun 2020; rapanta, botturi, goodyear, guardia, & koole, 2020; tuma, nassar, kamel, knowlton, & jawad, 2021). for example, a study from jordan reported that a little more than half of the teachers reported increased difficulties with remote teaching due to intermittent internet connectivity and online fatigue (tuma et al., 2021). oyedotun (2020) suggested that the rapid change to online pedagogy due to the pandemic in developing countries has brought to the fore the inequities in the education sector of the developing nations including lack of devices and internet access in the rural areas, limited training among teachers to impart teaching on the online platform. in this paper, we address the gap in the research by examining teacher satisfaction of teaching a fully-online under and postgraduate academic courses. the main aims of the current research are to examine teachers’ satisfaction with remote teaching and to understand their perspectives regarding the benefits and challenges of the online mode of teaching in colleges and universities during times of the pandemic. the possible limitations, challenges, and experiences of instructors of an implemented distance education curriculum are examined to share the findings and provide recommendations. indeed, understanding teacher barriers is vital for the optimal implementation of remote learning in higher education. methodology the study utilized a cross-sectional design and the findings are based on a google form that was designed and delivered to college and university teachers through email, whatsapp, and social media platforms. emails were sent to a few faculty members from premier indian institutes with a request to circulate the survey link to their colleagues and the snowball sampling technique was used. the institutes surveyed included the indian institute of technology (iits), indian institute of management (iims), all india institute of medical sciences (aiims), national institute of technology (nits), and central universities. an effort was made to ensure that all the main streams of education and the indian states were represented. the data were collected between january to february 2021. a total of 422 higher education teachers, residing in 27 states and two union territories of the country, responded to the survey. the questionnaire elicited basic demographic (age and sex), and teaching experience information (basic degree, designation, number of years of teaching experience, the average size of the class taught, working in government or private sector, the education indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 13 stream). the questionnaire also elicited specific information regarding online teaching experience, satisfaction with the same, the type of online platform used, main limitations and advantages, and perception of students’ learning outcome. the main outcome measure was the level of satisfaction with the online teaching and this was measured on a 5-point likert ranging from very dissatisfied (1) to neutral (3) to very satisfied (5). this was converted to a 3-point scale while conducting the analysis. the questionnaire was pilot tested and modified and it was ensured that it did not take more than 10 minutes to complete. participation in the study was voluntary and confidentiality was assured. providing identification information such as email addresses was voluntary. only those respondents who consented to participate in the research study were included. ethical approval was granted by the ethics committee of the institute vide letter int/iec/2021/591-126, dated 22.1.2021. results the participants included 422 teachers (mean age= 42.18 years, sd= 9.04; 58.1 percent males), mostly from government institutes (82.2 percent), teaching undergraduate (19.7 percent) postgraduate (17.5 percent), and both underand postgraduate courses (62.8 percent). on an average, the faculty had 12 years (sd=8.05) of teaching experience, however, the majority reported that they had little experience of online teaching before the pandemic and the majority lacked the technical knowledge and only 21 percent had previously taught an online course/s. a little more than half (51.7 percent) reported that they had received some training from their institutes and an additional 8.1 percent reported that they had taken some course to update themselves regarding virtual teaching. most teachers had some technical support from their educational institutes and 61.8 percent reported that they were provided with computers and infrastructure to support e-teaching during the pandemic. despite the support, more than half (55 percent) reported an increase in expenditure related to web-based teaching. the most popular online platforms used were google meet (61.1 percent), zoom (32 percent), google classroom (30.1 percent), microsoft teams (23 percent), whatsapp group chats (23.5 percent), and webex (21.1 percent). most of the faculty reported that these platforms were user-friendly and posed no major user difficulty. however, nearly half (48.6 percent) of the respondents had cyber security concerns with the use of these platforms. the major modality of teaching was through the use of synchronous live streaming tutoring sessions. more than half (55 percent) of the participants reported taking online classes both from the office and home and only 18.5 percent reported taking classes exclusively from home. to identify the salient characteristics of effective online instructors, the participants were asked to identify the most important features of online educators. results indicated that teachers ranked passion for teaching, good subject knowledge, passion regarding the subject being taught and facilitating student engagement in the classroom as some of the distinctive characteristics (table 1). thirty-six (8.5 percent) respondents reported being ‘very satisfied’ and an additional 28.4 percent reported that they were ‘satisfied’ with their fully online teaching experience. four percent of the participants reported being ‘very dissatisfied’ and 17.3 percent were ‘dissatisfied’ and 41.7 percent responded with ‘neutral’. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 14 table-1: percent reporting on the important characteristics of effective online teachers categories not important percent (n) somewhat important percent (n) very important percent (n) passion of teaching 0.9 (4) 11.4 (48) 87.7 (370) good subject knowledge 0.9 (4) 13.7 (58) 85.3 (360) passion about the subject 0.5 (2) 16.4 (69) 83.2 (351) facilitates classroom engagement 2.6 (11) 24.2 (102) 73.2 (309) flexible and open to feedback 4.0 (17) 24.4 (103) 71.6 (302) good time manager 2.6 (11) 34.8 (147) 62.6 (264) trained in online teaching 13.3 (56) 39.8 (168) 46.9 (198) table 2 presents the percentage of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with online teaching by the background characteristics. results indicated that there were no differences among educators on satisfaction by gender, designation, type of institute, number of students in the class, and number of classes taught per week. satisfaction was related to the educational stream taught and medical and science faculty reported a significantly lower level of satisfaction with the online teaching platform (χ²=13.41, p=.037). higher satisfaction was reported by teachers who had some prior online teaching experience (χ²=10.47, p=.005) and by those who had greater teaching experience (χ²=12.60, p=.05). table-2: background characteristics and percent satisfied/dissatisfied with online teaching characteristics percent satisfied percent (n) percent dissatisfied percent (n) χ² p value gender male (245) female (177) 37.6 (92) 36.2 (64) 23.3 (57) 18.6 (33) 1.97 .373 designation assistant prof (244) assoc/additional (97) professor (81) 34.0 (83) 39.2 (38) 43.2 (35) 21.3 (52) 20.6 (20) 22.2 (18) 3.17 .530 type of institute government (347) private/aided (75) 37.6 (92) 37.5 (130) 22.5 (78) 16.0 (12) 2.62 .270 stream taught engineering (162) humanities (125) medical (61) science (74) 42.6 (69) 40.0 (50) 27.9 (17) 27.0 (14) 24.7 (40) 16.0 (20) 23.0 (14) 21.6 (16) 13.41 .037 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 15 teaching experience (yrs.) <5 (97) 5-10 (111) 11-20 (128) >20 (86) 16.0 (25) 24.4 (38) 34.0 (53) 25.6 (40) 30.0 (27) 24.4 (22) 24.4 (22) 21.1 (19) 12.60 .050 no. of students (class) <40 (141) 40-80 (181) >80 (100) 36.9 (52) 39.8 (72) 32.0 (32) 23.4 (33) 20.4 (37) 20.0 (20) 2.73 .603 no. of classes taught (week) less than 5(151) 6-15(210) >15(61) 39.1 (59) 34.8 (73) 39.3 (24) 24.5 (37) 19.0 (40) 21.3 (13) 3.88 .422 previous online experience no (333) yes (89) 33.3 (111) 50.6 (45) 23.7 (79) 12.4 (11) 10.47 .005 table 3 presents the percentage of teachers who agreed with online teaching pros and cons by level of satisfaction. results indicated that educators who were more satisfied with online teaching relative to those who reported being dissatisfied were more likely to agree with the myriad advantages of web-based teaching such as increased interaction (χ²=51.44, p=.0001), greater flexibility (χ²=59.8, p=.0001), recording of lectures and replaying them at a convenient time (χ²=24.53, p=.0001), active participation of students (χ²=59.8, p=.0001), and increased creativity (χ²=17.02, p=.002). on the other hand, no differences were found among satisfied and dissatisfied faculty on some of the cons of online teaching such as increased workload associated with virtual delivery of classes, limited face-to-face contact and longer preparation time associated with online teaching. table 3: percent agreement with online pros and cons by satisfaction with online teaching statements satisfied (n=156) percent (n) not satisfied (n=90) percent (n) χ² p value interaction is higher in online than traditional class 19.9 (31) 1.1 (1) 51.44 .0001 greater flexibility in online teaching 64.7 (101) 24.4 (22) 59.8 .0001 lectures can be recorded and replayed 78.8 (123) 50.0 (45) 24.53 .0001 students are actively involved 30.1 (47) 1.1 (1) 92.67 .0001 increased workload in online teaching 60.9 (95) 68.9 (62) 2.13 .713 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 16 face to face contact with students is missing 85.3 (133) 93.3 (84) 4.94 .293 online teaching requires being creative 86.5 (135) 66.7 (60) 17.02 .002 technical issues make online teaching frustrating 31.4 (49) 61.1 (55) 28.96 .0001 longer preparation time for an online class 55.8 (87) 57.8 (52) 0.44 .979 passive and lower participation of students 58.3 (91) 91.1 (82) 42.78 .0001 difficulty in motivating students in online mode 57.7 (90) 86.7 (78) 27.57 .0001 teachers were also asked to report whether they felt that online teaching was associated with superior learning as compared to face-to-face teaching. only 11.8 percent of the teaching faculty concurred that online teaching led to superior learning among students and nearly half (49.8 percent) opined that it led to inferior learning. interestingly, teachers who felt that online teaching was associated with a superior outcome were more likely to report being satisfied with the web-based platform as compared to the faculty who felt it was associated with inferior learning (fig 1). a little less than two-thirds (63 percent) of the teachers preferred a hybrid mode of teaching in the future and only 35.1 percent wanted to continue with the traditional classroom teaching. it seems that the e-learning platforms cannot completely replace the traditional classrooms as most preferred a blended mode after the pandemic. figure-1: percent teachers satisfied with online teaching by student learning outcome discussion the study examined teachers’ satisfaction with their web-based teaching experiences post the lockdown. satisfaction with this novel mode of teaching was generally low as the faculty struggled with several indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 17 challenges including lack of adequate training for using the online platform, increased expenses, limited teacherstudent engagement, and doubts about whether students were learning from the e-learning platform. in addition, other issues cited by some participants included the adequate provision of basic online teaching facilities, unlimited internet connection plans and a stable power supply. some of the distinctive characteristics for effective online teaching affirmed by the faculty included passion for teaching and the subject, expert knowledge of the subject and teacher’s ability to facilitate student engagement in the classroom. indeed, evidence indicates that passion is a salient feature and has a positive effect on the academic achievement, commitment, and motivation of the students (carbonneau, vallerand, fernet & guay, 2008; ruiz-alfonso, vega, & beltran, 2018; serin, 2017). interestingly, besides subject matter knowledge and passion, respondents also opined that educators need a wide range of different skills and these include instructors’ ability to create effective learning environments by student engagement, being open to feedback and exercising flexibility. indeed, identification of characteristics that contribute towards involvement in online teaching can help in preventing burnout and increasing the involvement of the faculty in their profession (green, alejandro, & brown, 2009). instructors also struggled with a lack of skills to create an engaging online learning environment for their students. satisfaction was particularly low among medical and science faculty as they lacked resources and support for content development. previous studies have found that academic subjects like medicine and sciences that depend on lab skills and handson experiences require educational resources of excellent quality to impart adequate training (al-balas et al., 2020; o’doherty et al., 2018; sindiani, obeidat, alshdaifat, 2020). previous studies have documented that the distance education format is perceived as less effective and satisfying by students and teachers alike (khalili 2020; tuma et al., 2021). most of the educators surveyed preferred to shift to a hybrid mode of instruction as they felt that traditional face-to-face teaching was superior for coaching skills and a clinical-driven curriculum. although previous research indicates that educators are more likely to be satisfied when they have flexibility in ‘what, how, when, and where they teach rather than follow strict and rigid curricula and guidelines (archambault & crippen, 2009; bolliger & wasilik, 2009; hawkins, barbour, & graham, 2012; murphy & rodríguezmanzanares, 2008; velasquez, graham, & osguthorpe, 2013), however, when teachers have with little or no training in online pedagogy the challenges can be considerable (o’doherty et al., 2018; khalili 2020). our results indicated that greater satisfaction was reported by respondents when they had some prior online tutoring experience. there is a need to provide higher education teaching faculty some training to enhance their professional skills regarding remote instruction. since a significant proportion of respondents were dissatisfied with the online platform and virtual delivery of instruction this can lower the quality of the course and lead to inferior learning outcomes. there are several technology online tools such as multimodality, live cloud recordings of lectures, instant feedback, chatting and posting questions that need to be exploited by the educators to provide enhanced and personalized learning experiences for the technology-driven generation of students. unless higher education tutors are trained in online pedagogy the indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 18 benefits to students and professional satisfaction will remain elusive. indeed, online instruction requires pedagogical content knowledge that is linked to digital technology tools to enhance students’ learning experiences (rapanta et al., 2020). several studies have documented that trainer’s satisfaction is central to optimal and quality learning of the students (bolliger & wasilik, 2009; stickney, bento, & aggarwal, 2019). results indicated that satisfaction with online instruction was related to the perceptions of the faculty about the advantages that the web-based platform provided them including interactive technologies and web features like chatting that encourage active participation of learners, use of creative tools like mentimeters, and short quizzes to enhance and test learning. it is anticipated that newer instructional strategies would further enhance student participation and student-teacher interaction and promote collaborative learning (bao, 2020; evans, ward, & reeves, 2019; kebritchi, lipschuetz, & santiague, 2017). regardless of the challenges, online instruction is here to stay and can greatly facilitate and enhance the standards of education (ayebi-arthur, 2017). the demand for quality online educators who provide personalized learning experiences to learners is indeed going to increase over time with technological advancement ((donahoe, rickard, holden, blackwell, & caukin, 2019; mishra et al., 2020). it is envisaged that use of technology will become an integral part of academic learning in the coming years and gradually replace the traditional and teacherdriven classroom. unfortunately, in resource-poor countries, the digital learning platform is limited to students who are tech-savvy and can afford smartphones, computers, and a fast internet connection (altbach & de wit 2020). keeping this in mind, the government of india has initiated the swayam, an educational portal to provide quality online learning for all and bridge the digital divide gap in the country. the portal provides several free distance learning courses at the school, undergraduate and postgraduate levels. the ministry of human and resource development (mhrd) and university grants commission (ugc) have made available several e-books, e-journals, online depositories, webbased tv channels, and virtual labs such as the national digital library of india, e-shodhsindhu, e-gyankosh and gyandarshan. information about these vital resources needs to be widely disseminated to educational institutions so that these resources can be adequately utilized and educational institutes can adapt to the novel educational reality. the main drawback of the study is the use of a convenience sampling technique that limits the generalizability of the findings. it also remains possible that those who were more satisfied with the digital platform were more likely to respond and this may have overestimated the satisfaction rates. nevertheless, the study has several strengths including a large sample size and the pan-india representation of teachers from all the educational streams. it is anticipated that the growing pains of remote-based learning will be overcome soon and the forum would provide increased, equitable and affordable opportunities for all students. future studies need to compare online and traditional classroom teaching to student engagement and learning outcomes. conclusions in sum, collaborative efforts of the government and academic teaching institutions are needed to facilitate the adoption of meaningful alternatives to indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 19 the conventional mode of teaching and learning. there are myriad opportunities for transforming instructional practices and expanding the remote learning platform by collaborating with other national and international academic institutes. indeed, the e-learning platform can unlock immense opportunities for strengthening education in resourceand experiencepoor countries. key findings and implications for stakeholders: 1. teachers need the training to enhance their skills to create an engaging online learning environment for their students. 2. it is anticipated that remote learning would provide increased, equitable, and affordable opportunities for all students. 3. collaborative efforts of the government and academic teaching institutions are needed to facilitate the adoption of meaningful alternatives to the conventional mode of teaching and learning. references al-balas, m., al-balas, h. i., jaber, h. m., obeidat, k., al-balas, h., aborajooh, e. a., al-taher, r., & al-balas, b. (2020). distance learning in clinical medical education amid covid-19 pandemic in jordan: current situation, challenges, and perspectives. bmc medical education, 20(1), 341. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02257-4 altbach, p. g., & de wit, h. (2020). post-pandemic outlook for higher education is bleakest for the poorest. international higher education, 102, 3–5. https://www.internationalhighereducation.net/api-1/article/!/action/getpdfof article /articleid/2904/productid/29/filename/article-id-2904.pdf archambault, l., & crippen, k. (2009). k-12 distance educators at work: who’s teaching online across the united states. journal of research on technology in education, 41(4), 363–391. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2009.10782535 ayebi-arthur, k. (2017). e-learning, resilience, and change in higher education: helping a university cope after a natural disaster. e-learning and digital media, 14(5), 259–274. https://doi.org/10.1177/2042753017751712 bao, w. (2020). covid-19 and online teaching in higher education: a case study of peking university. human behavior emerging technology, 2(2), 113-115. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbe2.191 bolliger, d., & wasilik, o. (2009). factors influencing faculty satisfaction with online teaching and learning in higher education. distance education, 30(1), 103–116. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587910902845949 carbonneau, n., vallerand, r., fernet, c., guay, f. (2008). the role of passion for teaching in intrapersonal and interpersonal outcomes. journal of educational psychology, 100(4), 977-987.  https://doi.org/10.1037/a0012545 cojocariu, v.-m., lazar, i., nedeff, v., & lazar, g. (2014). swot analysis of e-learning educational services from the perspective of their beneficiaries. procedia-social and behavioral sciences, 116(2014), 1999–2003. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.01.510 donahoe, b., rickard, d., holden, h., blackwell, k., & caukin, n. 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(2017). issues and challenges for teaching successful online courses in higher education: a literature review. journal of educational technology systems, 46(1), 4–29. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047239516661713 khalili h. (2020). online interprofessional education during and post the covid-19 pandemic: a commentary. journal of interprofessional care, 34(5), 687–690. https://doi.org/10.108 0/13561820.2020.1792424 mcbrien, j. l., cheng, r., & jones, p. (2009). virtual spaces: employing a synchronous online classroom to facilitate student engagement in online learning. the international review of research in open & distributed learning, 10(3), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v10i3.605 mishra, l., gupta, t., & shree a. (2020). online teaching-learning in higher education during lockdown period of covid-19 pandemic. international journal of educational research open, 1 (2020),100012. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedro.2020.100012 murphy, e., & rodríguez-manzanares, m. a. (2008). contradictions between the virtual and physical high school classroom: a third-generation activity theory perspective. british journal of educational technology, 39(6), 1061–1072. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8535.2007.00776.x o’doherty, d., dromey, m., lougheed, j., hannigan, a., last, j., & mcgrath, d. (2018). barriers and solutions to online learning in medical education an integrative review. bmc medical education, 18(1), 130. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-018-1240-0. oyedotun, t.d. (2020). sudden change of pedagogy in education driven by covid-19: perspectives and evaluation from a developing country. research in globalization, 2 (2020), 100029. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resglo.2020.100029. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resglo.2020.100029 rapanta, c., botturi, l., goodyear, p., guardia, l, & koole, m. (2020). online university teaching during and after the covid-19 crisis: refocusing teacher presence and learning activity. post digital science and education, 2, 923–945. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-020-00155-y indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 21 ruiz-alfonso, z., vega, l., & beltran, e. (2018). what about passion in education? the concept of passion, why it is important and how teachers can promote it. european scientific journal, 14(1), 19-28. https://doi.org/10.19044/esj.2018.v14n1p19 serin, h. (2017). the role of passion in learning and teaching. international journal of social sciences & educational studies, 4(1):60-64. https://doi.org/10.23918/ijsses.v4i1p60 sindiani, a. m., obeidat, n., alshdaifat, e., elsalem, l., alwani, m. m., rawashdeh, h., fares, a. s., alalawne, t., & tawalbeh, l. i. (2020). distance education during the covid-19 outbreak: a cross-sectional study among medical students in north of jordan. annals of medicine and surgery (2012), 59, 186–194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amsu.2020.09.036 stickney, l,t,, bento, r.f., & aggarwal, a. (2019). online higher education: faculty satisfaction and its antecedents. journal of management education, 43 (5), 509-542. https://doi.org/10.1177/1052562919845022 tuma, f., nassar, a. k., kamel, m. k., knowlton, l. m., & jawad, n. k. (2021). students and faculty perception of distance medical education outcomes in resource-constrained system during covid-19 pandemic. a cross-sectional study. annals of medicine and surgery (2012), 62, 377–382. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amsu.2021.01.073 unesco. (2020). covid-19 education: from disruption to response. retrieved from https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse/ velasquez, a., graham, c. r., & osguthorpe, r. d. (2013). caring in a technology-mediated online high school context. distance education, 34(1), 97–118. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2013.770435 wu, b. (2016). identifying the influential factors of knowledge sharing in e-learning 2.0 systems. international journal of enterprise information systems, 12(1), 85–102. https://doi. org/10.4018/ijeis.2016010105 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 420 general article crafting products for the masses: a stakeholder feedbackbased approach for identifying key factors for product development himanshu jain software engineer, meta inc., san francisco, california email: himanshukj17122000@gmail.com introduction software development can be challenging, especially when catering to a large consumer base. developing a well-conceived product can be a time-consuming process, spanning from several months to a few years, contingent upon market dynamics and team size. designing and developing a product for a large population requires an understanding of the diverse user needs, strong design principles, robust infra and well-managed communication strategies between the different people working on it. it requires delving deeper into each of these areas to deliver a strong product for a wide-ranging audience. this article identifies key factors for product development based on expert feedback through structured research among key stakeholders. literature survey product development is a dynamic process vital for businesses seeking to introduce new offerings or improve existing ones. literature on this topic encompasses various perspectives, methodologies, and considerations. the early stages of product development involve idea generation and conceptualization. researchers emphasize the importance of creativity and market analysis to identify opportunities and meet customer needs (biemans et al., 2018). concurrently, scholars highlight the significance of feasibility studies, emphasizing technical, economic, and operational viability (koen et al., 2001). as the process progresses, attention shifts towards design and prototyping. design thinking, a human-centred approach, is often advocated for fostering innovation and user-centricity (brown, 2008). additionally, rapid prototyping techniques facilitate iterative refinement and validation of concepts (gibson et al., 2015). effective collaboration among crossfunctional teams emerges as a critical success factor throughout product development (dahan & hauser, 2002). literature underscores the role of communication, shared goals, and interdisciplinary expertise in overcoming challenges and accelerating progress. moreover, considerations extend beyond the development phase to encompass aspects like marketing, distribution, and sustainability (bellini et al., 2019). sustainable product development frameworks emphasize environmental and social responsibility alongside economic objectives (schaltegger & burritt, 2018). in summary, literature on product development offers insights into a multifaceted process, encompassing ideation, design, collaboration, and sustainability, vital for achieving competitive advantage and meeting evolving market demands indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 421 research objective the key objective of this research is to identify factors that contribute to product development. research methodology research methodology for identifying the most important factors for product development typically involves a structured approach combining qualitative and quantitative methods. here’s an outline of such a methodology: literature review: conduct a comprehensive review of existing literature on product development to identify potential factors influencing the process. this helps in understanding the current state of knowledge and provides a foundation for the study. expert interviews: interview experts in product development, including practitioners, academics, and industry professionals, to gather insights on key factors they perceive as critical. these surveys: develop a structured survey questionnaire based on insights from the literature review and expert interviews. the survey should be distributed to a representative sample of stakeholders involved in product development, such as product managers, engineers, designers, and marketers. quantitative data collected through surveys can help in identifying the relative importance of different factors. data analysis: analyze the survey data using appropriate statistical techniques such as factor analysis, regression analysis, or importance-performance analysis. these analyses can help in identifying the most significant factors influencing product development and understanding their interrelationships. case studies: conduct case studies of successful and unsuccessful product development projects to explore how different factors contributed to their outcomes. case studies provide rich qualitative data that can complement the quantitative findings and offer in-depth insights into real-world experiences. delphi method: consider using the delphi method to reach a consensus among a panel of experts on the most important factors for product development. this iterative process involves multiple rounds of structured communication and feedback until convergence is achieved. validation: validate the identified factors through additional rounds of expert interviews or focus groups to ensure their relevance and applicability in different contexts. documentation and reporting: document the findings of the study, including the identified factors, their importance rankings, and any insights gained from the analysis. prepare a detailed report outlining the research methodology, findings, implications, and recommendations for product development practitioners and researchers. for the purpose of this research, expert interviews have been used as a methodology. by following this research methodology, an attempt has been made to systematically identify and prioritize the most important factors influencing product development, thereby informing decision-making, and improving the effectiveness of product development process. hypothesis the following factors play an important role in product development: market research, infrastructure and technology, pilot testing, localization, scalability, user interface, performance optimization, community outreach, performance measurement, security, and privacy. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 422 research design this qualitative research is based on interviewing experts in product design and requesting them to identify the contribution of the factors identified, or any other factors they might identify in terms of their impact on quality of product development. data collection the responses to a structured interview questionnaire were collected from over 35 experts from the field of product development, and the data was analysed using factor analysis. data analysis the interview response data suggests that the factors impacting product development fall under the following 3 clusters: cluster 1: market research, pilot testing, localization, community outreach, user interface cluster 2: infrastructure and technology, security and privacy, scalability cluster 3: performance optimization, performance measurement the first cluster could be referred to as the user-alignment cluster since it deals with understanding the customer and trying to make the product as per the preferences, demands, needs and feedback of the customer. the second cluster could be referred to as the technology cluster since it deals with infrastructure and technology aspects of making the product scalable, secure, and safe. the third cluster could be referred to as the outcome cluster since it deals with understanding the results and performance of the product. this research finds that the first cluster is the most important in terms of its contribution to product development with 80 per cent of the experts identifying this as the most important factor followed by cluster 3 and 2 which find support from 15 per cent and 5 per cent of the experts. analysis and conclusion this analysis and conclusion section discusses the importance of each of the factors that were considered in this research. also included are some market practices. market research is the most important step of the process of product development and usually happens during the ideation phase itself. there is a need to conduct thorough market research through surveys, interviews, and data analytics in order to identify user features like demographics, preferences, behaviours and pain points. these qualitative and quantitative methods provide some insight into the user’s demands and expectations. after this phase, there is a need to study the users to identify different user groups. these groups can be based on the demographics/behavioural patterns but can help identify features in our product to target different user groups. this also provides an idea about whether the product would succeed in the target market or not or what features would need to be modified in order to find a product-market fit. to build products for millions/ billions, there is also a need to focus on the infrastructure powering the product. there is a need to build an easily scalable infrastructure that is capable of handling high traffic as well as data inflows/outflows and to estimate the maximum traffic for the product and build the infrastructure accordingly. with the advent of cloud technologies, this step has been made much easier since technologies like aws, google cloud and microsoft azure provide lowindian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 423 cost solutions for scalable, reliable, and robust cloud infrastructure. other than traffic management, there is also a need to focus on database designing and error-proof backend systems. for that, there is a need to have strong functional database designs that help in the quick retrieval of data, as well as backend systems that can handle edge cases and exceptions. this step is important since no one likes a product that breaks down frequently and more often than not, people would end up switching to other products because of this unreliability. experience (ux) and user interface (ui) attract a customer and play an important role in customer acquisition. there is a need to prioritize product designing in order to create intuitive, accessible and engaging designs for the product. this is another area where market research would come in handy as research data can be used to design interfaces/experiences that cater to all the diverse user groups being targeted. user testing (beta-testing) can also be used to iterate the designs based on feedback from the users. this would help to get feedback from a neutral population without launching the product to the entire target population. based on the feedback, ui/ux challenges can be addressed and make it more usable. to reach a wide population, there is a need to also include accessibility features for differently abled groups and other diverse user groups. there is a need to also understand the importance of each and every flow/design piece of their product and not undermine any colour, font style, and content change feedback. even the slightest ui change has the potential to impact millions positively or negatively. figma is the most common tool used by companies to design their products before even implementing them so using it to gain some initial design feedback would help the product development process a lot. localization is the process of making something local in character. from a product development perspective, the process of customizing the product to suit the different cultural and linguistic requirements of the target audience is referred to as localization. this can also include the regulatory requirements (ui has a lot of requirements that the other regions may not have). translating content in different languages is the most common form of localization major products provide. it can also be in the form of cultural adaptation and regional customization. this should play a part in product design to have products that can expand into new markets without any significant design and engineering overhead. as it has been mentioned before, there is a need to develop content and features while keeping in mind the different user groups and their preferences. even while developing the product, there is a need to make sure it is scalable in terms of engineering efforts. this means that scalability and flexibility need to be prioritized to accommodate future enhancements, such as new features and product updates. there is a need to keep on iterating on the product and use data-driven insights and feedback to develop new offerings. the product should continuously be refined, and different versions should be launched as new insight comes in and new features are developed. there are many development technologies that provide scalable frameworks like react, angular and dart. these provide the component’s architecture and allow the re-use of the code as much as possible. nobody likes a super slow product that takes hours to load. performance optimization is another in which the product can score big and get loads of customers. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 424 in order to gain more customers, there is a need to identify the devices, platforms and network capabilities of the target population and optimize the product’s performance accordingly. this means that the product shouldn’t be computationally heavy if the target area is a hilly region with limited connectivity. there is also a need to estimate the maximum traffic expected and try to work on solutions to minimize loading times. performance testing is another way to identify loopholes and fix them before launching the product to the public. error handling is also important in this field, as the product should be stable enough to handle edge cases as well as exceptions thrown. a good example of this is the launch of the fblite product by meta inc. the product helps meta tap into the lower-tier markets and is a very efficient product that stores everything on the server and renders everything using that. this makes sure that the app size itself is small and can be used on older and outdated devices. cloud services like aws offer tools like loadbalancing in order to optimize resource allocation as well as loading times, so try to find out-of-the-box solutions in order to minimize the development times. since the product may work with a large customer base, it also needs to implement robust security measures to safeguard user data, data privacy and confidentiality. there is a need to be aware of the different industry and regulatory requirements such as dma, gdpr or hipaa in order to meet industry standards for security and ensure compliance with the legal authorities. conducting internal audits, network vulnerability assessments and bug bounties are other effective ways to de-risk product launches. there are also many online tools that provide security to products, such as cloudflare, which can be made use of to develop security and data privacy features. just having a strong product wouldn’t help reach a wide consumer base; there would be a need to develop effective strategies to reach and engage with the target population. there is a need to make the most of online platforms like social media and cold emails to meet people and acquire new customers. organizing events such as hackathons or bug bounties can also help reach out to a wider group and potential collaborators. it would also help to support community engagement through user groups and efficient customer service. using ai tools like aipowered chatbots here can help reduce costs while internal teams are hired for customer engagement and customer service. it would be very rare that a product is launched without any future iterations if the aim is to reach a large population. this means that there will be continuously iterating of the product and working with other people to develop new features and improve the existing features based on customer feedback. as the team grows, this process can slow down the work and can affect product launch cycles. in order to mitigate this, proper project tracking and management must be adhered to. it can help to make use of agile methodologies like scrum and project tracking tools like jira to facilitate rapid development cycles and frequent releases. these can be hard to ramp up at first but in the long term, they can really help with the development issues of the product. continuously updating the product would make sure the product doesn’t become obsolete and matches the market dynamics. it would also allow to continuously provide great customer experience. there is a need to encourage innovation and experimentation in the team to keep on continuously improving the product and to focus on maintaining a strong as well as diverse team in order indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 425 to gain unique insights and also to have experts focused on different parts of the product. there is also a need to establish key metrics for the product and use them to form product decisions. these metrics can help acquire new users, retain old users, and also understand user satisfaction with the product. these indicators could be anything ranging from product performance to user impressions on different parts of the products. there is a need to make the most of data logging in order to log important features that would help with the next iteration of the product. all this data must be standardized by using data analytics tools like power bi or by making their own dashboards. data can be analysed to monitor user behaviour and identify the latest trends in order to pivot the product accordingly. there is also a need to use this data to do research studies and highlight any positive impact as part of the community outreach efforts. to conclude, building a product for a large population requires a mix of many different facets as mentioned before. this is not an exhaustive list of factors but prioritizing these should definitely help the organization develop products that resonate with diverse audiences, continuously grow and acquire new customers and are able to deliver value at scale. by inculcating these features in the product development lifecycle, the product development team would be setting itself up for success and launching an effective product. references y biemans, w. g., et al. (2018). from idea to product: a market-pull and technology-push perspective. journal of product innovation management, 35(3), 422-440. y koen, p. a., et al. (2001). fuzzy front end: effective methods, tools, and techniques. journal of product innovation management, 18(3), 211-224. y brown, t. (2008). design thinking. harvard business review, 86(6), 84-92. y gibson, i., et al. (2015). rapid prototyping: principles and applications. john wiley & sons. y dahan, e., & hauser, j. r. (2002). the virtual customer. journal of product innovation management, 19(5), 332-353. y bellini, e., et al. (2019). product design for marketed sustainability: from green design to social innovation. sustainability, 11(3), 592. y schaltegger, s., & burritt, r. (2018). business cases and corporate engagement with sustainability: differentiating ethical motivations. journal of business ethics, 147(2), 241259. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 263 research article comparative study of effectiveness of fishbowl strategy in synchronous and asynchronous mode of online learning 1manali joshi & 2jayashree shinde 1research scholar, department of educational technology and programme coordinator, teaching learning centre, sndt women’s university, mumbai, india, email: manalijo@gmail.com 2director, teaching learning centre (pmmmnmtt-moe) and faculty, department of educational technology, sndt women’s university, mumbai, india abstract educators have used online learning modes extensively to stimulate and nurture the process of learning. however, online learning sometimes may lead to one-way lecturing. this can leave the online learners experiencing loneliness, low self-motivation, lack of interest, etc. educators need to create opportunities for learners to interact with their fellow learners. this generates the need to explore different pedagogical approaches which keep them engaged in the learning process. cooperative learning (cl) offers a solution. cl has been proved to impart academic, psychological, and social benefits to learners when implemented. however, more focussed studies should be conducted to understand its effectiveness in the online environment, particularly in india. this paper revolves around a study aiming at finding effectiveness of fishbowl strategy in online learning. it is a discussion oriented, unique strategy with the potential of imparting rich learning experience to the learners. here it is essential to remember that both synchronous and asynchronous modes of online learning offer different ways for interacting with peers. thus, it is essential to study if both the modes can support the strategy and help learners to get maximum benefit from it. in order to study this aspect, ‘two experimental groups pretest-posttest design’ was used. the study was conducted on higher education teachers across the country. learners were expected to participate in the discussion willingly hence the purposive sampling technique was used. wiziq virtual classroom and google groups were used as synchronous and asynchronous platforms respectively. statistical analysis of the achievement test scores indicated effectiveness of strategy in both the modes equally. thus, this paper will give insight to readers regarding planning cl activity using online learning platforms for better learning experience. also, it will give some perspective regarding utilizing both synchronous and asynchronous modes of online learning with equal ease. keywords: cooperative learning strategies, synchronous online learning, asynchronous online learning, fishbowl strategy indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 264 introduction today’s educational approach has become more learner-centred and technology driven. also, the diverse nature of today’s classroom has increased demands on the teachers. it emphasizes on use of a variety of teaching methodologies favouring active participation of learners by means of online learning tools. to face these challenges teachers need to equip themselves with different educational approaches. considering these aspects, one cannot ignore the blooming field of ‘online learning’. it is one of the fastest growing trends in the 21st century. it is the new face of teaching-learning. online learning offers flexibility to the learners in terms of course selection, time, nature of the course, resources available, etc. online learning online learning can be grouped broadly into two categories: synchronous (sync) and asynchronous (async) learning. during synchronous learning, learning experiences are delivered in real time, whereas asynchronous learning happens without real-time interaction. a more effective synergy of synchronous and asynchronous interaction is required for enhancing quality of learning experiences. both the modes have their own benefits and limitations. many hybrid learning models include a blend of asynchronous as well as synchronous online learning. however, models which use a strictly synchronous or asynchronous learning approach have some distinctly different features (best_schools, 2020). synchronous online learning offers benefits like active discussion, immediate feedback, and a personal familiarity that one can only get through real-time interaction. it also provides more dynamic exploration of topics, ideas, and concepts (lawless et al, 2020). video conferencing tools like zoom, gmeet, skype, wiziq, chatrooms can come handy to deliver enriching learning experiences (trach, 2018). on other hand, some of the methods of asynchronous online learning include self-guided lesson modules, streaming video content, virtual libraries, posted lecture notes, and exchanges across discussion boards or social media platforms. thus, it is completely based on the learner's understanding. the major limitation of this mode is lack of personal touch resulting into lonely experience (lawless et al, 2020). asynchronous platforms include email, google groups, discussion forums, social media groups, collaborative documents in the cloud, etc. (trach, 2018). the quality and integrity of the educational process in distance learning largely depends upon sustained, twoway communication (kung-ming, 2005). thus, it is very essential to provide more opportunities to learners to connect with each other to exchange ideas and to construct knowledge. cooperative learning is the good solution to bring elements of organised interactivity in online learning. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 265 cooperative learning cooperative learning consists of two words; “cooperation” and “learning”. so, collectively it focuses on working together to achieve desired goals. cooperative learning is process driven, i.e., those involved engage in a social process and must pay attention to that process for them to achieve their desired end point. it usually involves people working in groups (at least two people are involved, usually more). there may be “group products” towards which learners are working and there may be “individual products” which are achieved through the people in the group helping each other deal with their own individual learning concerns (agarwal and nagar, 2011, p.19). cooperative learning allows learners to negotiate, plan, investigate, evaluate their learning outcome together. rather than working individually and in competition with each other, learners are given the responsibility of creating a learning community where all learners participate in significant and meaningful ways. fishbowl strategy during fishbowl, the facilitator chooses a group of learners to discuss a given topic. the rest of the class watches, listens, and observes the discussion. a secondary discussion occurs concerning the outcomes and process of the first. steps of the fishbowl strategy are depicted in figure-1 (yabarmase, 2013, fishbowl, n.d.). step 1 selection of the content step 2 selection of fishbowl group members step 3 guiding discussion step 4 role reversal step 5 evaluation and summary figure-1: steps of the fishbowl strategy indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 266 cooperative learning in online environment cooperative learning strategies lend themselves easily to the online learning environment. they are found to impart a variety of benefits when implemented in online learning. these strategies are known to enhance language proficiency, intrinsic motivation of students (yoshida, 2014), social interaction (duckworty, 2010), communication skills (soh, 2011) and academic achievement when implemented using discussion forums (kupczynski, 2012). they are more suited to web 2.0 applications. the prerequisite for incorporating cls in online learning is ‘technical and interpersonal skills’ of the learners (stape, 2009). over the period various cls are tested for their effectiveness. strategies such as jigsaw strategy (yashavantrao, 2010; lin, 2010), team – pair – solo strategy (nair, 2010) and students teams – achievement division (stad) strategy (adesoji, 2009) are studied to test its effectiveness in the online environment. in one study, fishbowl strategy was used in online learning to understand roles played in the courtroom by law students. in the process, learners observed role played by their group members in online set-up and shared their opinion (douglas, 2010). in another study, researcher used webdialogos tool to conduct online fishbowl discussion in collaborative environment (john peter, 2018). in a comparative study (miller, 2008) effectiveness of online thread discussion and fishbowl discussion was studied. both the approaches were equally appreciated by learners in collaborative environment. thus, the researcher felt the need to have focused and strategy-oriented studies using various online learning tools. also, she felt the need to find effectiveness of these cls in both the modes of online learning. as technology is evolving every day, new ict tools are introduced at an alarming rate. thus, the researcher sensed the need to explore various tools and see which tools will be best suited to implement interesting cls. objectives the objectives of the study are as follows: 1. to test effectiveness of fishbowl strategy in synchronous mode of online learning in terms of academic achievement 2. to test effectiveness of fishbowl strategy in asynchronous mode of online learning in terms of academic achievement 3. to compare effectiveness of fishbowl strategy in synchronous vs. asynchronous mode of online learning in terms of academic achievement methodology it was decided to use the experimental method for the said study. the true experimental method was used for the present study and ‘two experimental group pre-test post-test design’ was used. table-1 presents the research design used for the study. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 267 hypotheses the following hypotheses were formulated to test the objectives: 1. h0: there will be no significant difference between pre-test and post-test scores of the participants for fishbowl strategy in synchronous mode of online learning 2. h0: there will be no significant difference between pre-test and post-test scores of the participants for fishbowl strategy in asynchronous mode of online learning 3. h0: there will be no significant difference between post-test scores of the participants for fishbowl strategy in synchronous mode and asynchronous mode of online learning pre-test treatment post-test experimental group 1 o1 xt1 o2 experimental group 2 o1 xt2 o2 table-1: research design for ‘two experimental group pretest-posttest design’ variables the variables of the study were as listed below: independent variables: 1. fishbowl strategy in synchronous mode of online learning 2. fishbowl strategy in asynchronous mode of online learning dependant variable: academic achievement sample higher education faculty members across india with at least one year of teaching experience were selected as a sample. it was essential for the participants to take part in the activity willingly and join the discussion actively. hence, ‘non-probabilitypurposive sampling technique’ was used. initially, eighty participants registered for the program. seventyeight participants appeared for the pretest which was based on the selected content. none of the participants scored 80 percent or more, so all were selected as a sample. by the end of the study, seventy-four participants completed the activity and appeared for post-test. sample, therefore, comprised 74 participants containing 42 female participants and 32 male participants with their teaching experience in higher education ranging from 1 year to 29 years. sample was from the nine states of india. selection of content “cooperative learning” was selected as the content for the study which focused on ‘concept of cooperative learning’. the details of the module are as listed below: topic: concept of cooperative learning sub topics: a. meaning and definition of cooperative learning indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 268 b. elements of cooperative learning c. cooperative learning vs collaborative learning resource identification a variety of online resources were identified for the selected content. these resources were in the form of videos, web pages and pdf of information, case-based learning material, etc. selection of cls it was decided to select one cls and implement in both synchronous as well as asynchronous mode of online learning. many clss were studied extensively before finalizing one cls for this study. after extensive referencing, it was decided to use fishbowl strategy for learning the selected content. rationale for selecting fishbowl strategy fishbowl strategy is most suitable for learning discussion-oriented content. it helps learners to analyse the content, listen and understand opinions of others, rationalize and put-forth their views and opinions. in addition, fishbowl allows learners to understand perspectives of their group members and develop empathy and tolerance. it also helps develop much needed social skills like teamwork, conflict-resolution, effective communication, respect and active listening. thus, the fishbowl strategy was selected to give a fulfilling learning experience to the learners. development of tools parallel achievement tests based on revised bloom’s taxonomy were developed. pre-test and post-test consisted of objective type questions. formation of two experimental groups the main objective of the pre-test was to form two parallel groups for the study. it was also necessary to eliminate samples already possessing mastery over the content. the pretest was administered to all registered participants. all participants scored less than 80 percent. two parallel groups formed based on criteria mentioned below: a. scores were sorted and matching of mean was used for the final formation of groups. b. ‘institution of affiliation’ was another level of sorting. it was essential to avoid the problem of contamination. thus, care was taken to add participants from one institution in the same group. lottery method was used to assign labels ‘group a’ and ‘group b’ to two experimental groups. implementing fishbowl strategy in synchronous and asynchronous mode of online learning two separate courses were created on moodle lms. all learning resources and announcements were posted on two individual courses created for two experimental groups. two separate whatsapp groups were indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 269 created for troubleshooting. no academic deliberations were allowed or encouraged on these wa groups, ensuring use of selected ict platforms for participating in the activity. the group a was treated through asynchronous mode for the selected topic and vice versa. google group discussion was used for group a where activity was conducted in asynchronous mode. wiziq virtual classroom platform was used for group b to discuss in the synchronous mode. implementing fishbowl in asynchronous mode of online learning two google groups were formed for conducting the discussion on the topic. specific google groups invites were sent to participants for joining the respective group. all the details regarding the activity were posted as a google group thread. group a participants were divided in 2 sub-groups viz. a1 and a2, each having 19 participants. the grouping was done on the basis of pretest scores. the scores were sorted initially and then means were matched. further 8 participants were selected randomly from each sub-group based on their pre-test score. this sub-group was termed as ‘fishbowl group’. care was taken to maintain balance between high achievers, mid achievers, and low achievers in the group. thus, the fishbowl group contained two high achievers, two low achievers and four mid achievers selected randomly by chit method. details of grouping strategy are shown in figure-2. figure-2: grouping for ‘asynchronous fishbowl strategy’ group a (38 participants) group a1 (19 participants) fishbowl group a1 (8 participants) fishbowl group a2 (8 participants) outer group a1 (11 participants) outer group a2 (11 participants) google group 1 google group 2 divided into two parallel groups group a2 (19 participants) indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 270 during the first phase of the fishbowl strategy, fishbowl group participants discussed the topic ‘concepts of cooperative learning’. meanwhile, outer group participants observed the discussion and they were suggested to take notes of points they would like to opine on in the second phase. they did not take active participation in the discussion. outer group participants had given only viewing rights to ascertain that the discussion would take place amongst fishbowl group members only. three hours were allotted for the first phase. participants were given the deadline, but were given freedom to login anytime during these hours as per their own convenience. figure 3 represents discussion threads for fishbowl activity in asynchronous mode. figure-3: fishbowl activity in ‘asynchronous mode’ of online learning indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 271 group b (38 participants) group b1 (19 participants) fishbowl group a1 (8 participants) fishbowl group a2 (8 participants) outer group a1 (11 participants) outer group a2 (11 participants) wiziq group 1 wiziq group 2 divided into two parallel groups group b2 (19 participants) after the time out, phase two began. during phase two, outer group members were given editing rights. this enabled them to post their views, opinions, observations, and comments on discussion that happened during phase one between fishbowl group members. the forum was kept open for the outer group participants throughout the night. all participants were encouraged to check discussion threads as per their convenience. implementing fishbowl in synchronous mode of online learning fishbowl strategy was implemented in ‘synchronous mode’ of online learning for group b. the synchronous session was implemented using ‘wiziq’ virtual classroom platform. two wiziq sessions were scheduled. participants of group b were divided into two sub-groups. groping is done by following the same procedure described for asynchronous fishbowl strategy. details of grouping for the activity are shown in figure-4. wiziq virtual session link was shared with the respective participants through email. ‘whiteboard’ was used to post instructions. during phase one, fishbowl group participants initiated the discussion while outer group participants played the role of silent but vigilant observers. ‘chat’ feature of wiziq was used for conducting the discussion. it was observed that the fishbowl group completed their discussion in about 20 minutes. the outer group participants then started sharing their views, opinions and observations related to the earlier discussion. it was the second phase of the strategy. at the end of the second phase, the session was summed up by randomly selected participants. role of facilitator during cooperative learning activity, facilitators let learners take change of their learning process and intervene wherever necessary. during the complete process, the researcher played the role of a facilitator. she encouraged participants to design their own learning and conflict management strategy. she focused on giving constructive feedback to group members if required, to avoid any misinterpretation of the resources or incorrect conceptual understanding. results and discussion three objectives were formulated and tested for the purpose of comparing effectiveness of fishbowl strategy in figure-4: grouping for ‘synchronous fishbowl strategy’ indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 272 synchronous vs asynchronous mode of online learning. the result and corresponding discussion are given below: objective 1: the objective of the research was ‘to test effectiveness of fishbowl strategy in synchronous mode of online learning in terms of academic achievement’. the corresponding null hypothesis “there will be no significant difference between pre-test and post-test scores of the participants for fishbowl strategy in synchronous mode of online learning” was tested by calculating t-ratio. table-2 depicts calculation of t-ratio of pre-test and post-test scores for fishbowl strategy in synchronous mode of online learning. table-2: calculation of t-ratio of pre-test and post-test scores for fishbowl strategy in synchronous mode mean sd sem n sed critical value t-value pre-test scores 5.22 1.69 0.28 36 0.293 2.03* 2.1791 post-test scores 5.86 1.22 0.20 36 calculated t-value > critical value of t at 0.05 level of significance. thus, the null hypothesis is rejected. the two-tailed p value equals 0.0361 by conventional criteria, this difference is statistically significant. the result of the t-test indicates that there is a significant difference between pre-test and post-test scores of the participants participating in fishbowl strategy in synchronous mode of online learning in favour of post test scores. objective 2: the objective of the research was ‘to test effectiveness of fishbowl strategy in asynchronous mode of online learning in terms of academic achievement’. the corresponding null hypothesis “there will be no significant difference between pre-test and post-test scores of the participants for fishbowl strategy in asynchronous mode of online learning” was tested by calculating t-ratio. table-3 depicts calculation of t-ratio of pre-test and post-test scores for fishbowl strategy in asynchronous *at 0.05 level of significance indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 273 mode of online learning table-3: calculation of t-ratio of pre-test and post-test scores for fishbowl strategy in asynchronous mode mean sd sem n sed critical value t-value pre-test scores 5.05 1.58 0.26 38 0.322 2.71* 4.0041 post-test scores 6.34 1.19 0.19 38 *at 0.01 level of significance calculated t-value > critical value of t at 0.01 level of significance. thus, the null hypothesis is rejected. the two-tailed p value equals 0.0003. by conventional criteria, this difference is statistically significant. the result of t-test indicates that there is significant difference between pre-test and post-test scores of the participants participating in fishbowl strategy in asynchronous mode of online learning in favour of post test scores. objective 3: the third objective of the research was ‘to compare effectiveness of fishbowl strategy in synchronous vs. asynchronous mode of online learning in terms of academic achievement’. the corresponding null hypothesis “there will be no significant difference between post-test scores of the participants for fishbowl strategy in synchronous mode and asynchronous mode of online learning” was tested by calculating t-ratio. table-4 depicts calculation of t-ratio of post-test scores for fishbowl strategy in synchronous vs asynchronous mode of online learning. table-4: calculation of t-ratio of post-test scores for fishbowl strategy mean sd sem sed n critical value t-value fishbowl sync mode 6.34 1.19 0.19 0.281 36 2.000* 1.7137 fishbowl async mode 5.86 1.22 0.20 38 indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 274 *at 0.05 level of significance calculated t-value < critical value of t at 0.05 level of significance. thus, the null hypothesis is retained. the two-tailed p value equals 0.0909. by conventional criteria, this difference is not statistically significant. there is no significant difference between post-test scores of the participants participating through fishbowl strategy in sync mode and async mode of online learning. therefore, fishbowl strategy was found to be equally effective in both sync mode and async mode of online learning in terms of academic achievement. conclusion fishbowl strategy was found to be effective in online learning. this strategy can be implemented effectively in both synchronous and asynchronous mode of online learning in order to improve academic achievement of learners. when compared for effectiveness in synchronous vs asynchronous mode of online learning, fishbowl strategy was found to be equally effective in terms of academic achievement. along with the significant increase in the achievement, fishbowl strategy helps enhance higher order thinking and other cognitive abilities of the learners. it allowed participants to interact with each other, understand different perspectives and analyse group discussion before precisely expressing their own view points. they were engaged in interactions and negotiations, even in an online environment. the joy and satisfaction of learning on your own and learning together could be created by these activities. it is suggested that more cooperative learning strategies can be tested in online learning environments in synchronous as well as asynchronous environments. qualitative analysis of the user-generated data can further be analysed to understand patterns of knowledge generation and learner dynamics in online learning environment. reference agarwal, r., & nagar, n. (2011). cooperative learning (pp. 11-40, 143-162). delhi: kalpaz publications. best_schools. (2020, september 03). synchronous learning vs. asynchronous learning. https://thebestschools.org/magazine/synchronous-vs asynchronous-education/#:~:text=synchronous learning is online or, asynchronous and synchronous online learning. creating a 21st century learning environment through cooperative learning. (2018, august 09). retrieved august 25, 2020, from https://www.rite. education/2017/07/23/creating-a-21st-century-learning-environment through-cooperative-learning/#:~:text=creating a 21st century learning environment through cooperative learning,-july 23, 2017&text=structured cooperative learning provides opportunities for technology or indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 275 expensive resources. duckworth, a. h. (2010). cooperative learning: attitudes, perceptions, and achievement in a traditional, online, and hybrid instructional setting. 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(2013). the fishbowl strategy: an effective way to improve students’ speaking ability. indonesian journal of english language teaching, 9, 137 144. http://ojs.atmajaya.ac.id/index.php/ijelt/article/view/653/513 yoshida, h., tani, s., uchida, t., masui, j., & nakayama, a. (2014). effects of online cooperative learning on motivation in learning korean as a foreign language. international journal of information and education technology,4(6), 473-477. retrieved july 1, 2014, from www.ijiet.org/ indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 67 research article mobile augmented reality in teaching upper primary school science: perspectives of subject handling teachers vijila asokan 1 & p. ponnusamy 2 1senior lecturer, district institute of education & training (diet), coimbatore tamil nadu 2assistant professor, department of educationgandhigram rural institute (dtbu), gandhigram, tamil nadu email: pponnusamy56@gmail.com abstract the incorporation of technology into education is necessary and inevitable in our technological society of today. the application of mobile augmented reality (mar) in education is becoming gradually more significant in the global dissemination of knowledge. the majority of school teachers in tamil nadu use mar, and they have sufficient experience using it in the classroom. this research investigates how upper primary school science instructors view the usefulness of mar in the classroom. to gather the necessary data, 135 science teachers were randomly selected from the coimbatore district of tamil nadu and given the teacher perception scale on mobile augmented reality. the study’s key findings show that the majority of teachers believed that mar helped them reasonably when teaching science at the upper primary level, and there was a significant difference between perception teachers in terms of gender, but not in terms of locality or teaching experience of teachers. keywords: augmented reality, content teaching, perception of teachers, student learning, upper primary schools introduction in today’s technologically advanced culture, it is more challenging than ever to keep students’ attention and active participation in the classroom due to the various stimuli in their learning environment that make them more demanding during the learning process. while teaching science content in schools, most of the teachers use traditional way teaching and learning, and many times they use twodimensional media according to their convenience. the science content is related to three-dimensional things, and a teacher handling this subject may not make the students immerse in the subject at the expected level. as a result, there is a need to integrate technology into teaching and learning to increase student motivation and commitment to academic activities (shapley et al. 2011). the purpose of integrating technology into classroom activities is to improve the teaching and learning processes, especially in science-related subjects. nowadays, the application of augmented reality (ar) in teaching and learning is becoming more and more important, gaining a foothold in the educational system from elementary school to higher education (huang, li, & fong, 2016; carlson & gagnon, 2016). augmented reality can be expressed as the synchronized blending of digital and physical information using different technological devices. according to di serio, et al. (2013), ar system has the characteristics, such as the combined nature of real and virtual indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 68 images within virtual surroundings; reciprocated association between real and virtual images; and interaction implemented in accurate time. further, it involves computer-generated files, including visuals, sounds, films, or digital information, encrusting various environments. perfect interaction between the actual and virtual environments is supported by ar as well (singhal et al., 2012), and virtual objects and real-time visuals are provided simultaneously (azuma et al., 2001). this helps the students to have access for gaining more knowledge than they usually would have through their sense organs. early on, this technology was employed with equipment like headmounted displays, but it is now simple to use with any computer or mobile device (sirakaya, and sirakaya, 2018). the majority of science topics in tamil nadu school textbooks have twodimensional square-shaped qr codes that allow for the storage of a wide range of numeric characters and may then be seen using a qr reader application. in tamil nadu, the state council of educational research and training (scert) and the department of school education (dse) provided adequate in-service training programmes for school teachers on how to use mobile augmented reality (mar) technology during their subject teaching through mobile and computer devices. the purpose of using mar technology in the school system is to promote a better understanding of an abstract concept among students through proper motivation, participation, and engagement in classroom practices. in this context, a study investigated upper primary school science teachers’ perspectives on the utility of mar technology in classroom practices. literature review according to khairuldin et al. (2019), augmented reality (ar) is technologydriven learning that incorporates virtual items into authentic learning scenarios to fill in information gaps. students who attend school can retain a high level of motivation and engagement by using augmented reality (ar) technology (rasalingam et al. 2014). further, as per alnajdi et al. (2020), ar gives students the chance to see how theories are put into practise while also giving them the chance to observe and learn from real-world situations. additionally, ar reduces students’ anxiety levels when learning science (beyoglu et al., 2020). according to bistaman et al. (2018), augmented reality (ar) gave primary school pupils effective learning opportunities and helped teachers include their students more actively in classroom activities. as per tashko and elena’s (2015) research, augmented reality dramatically increased students’ interest in, comprehension of, and interiorization of the learning materials. arici et al. (2019) found that smartphone applications and markerbased content are the most popular types of augmented reality (ar) utilised in science education since they can be generated more quickly. according to lu et al. (2021), students’ perceptions of the ar app improved their awareness, learning, knowledge, and engagement. this finding allayed worries about how to keep students interested while teaching and learning about real-world chemistry. the study’s findings, according to yilmaz (2021), showed that ar is the best method for teaching abstract concepts in science classes that don’t involve direct observation and assessment. the usage of ar in other science education courses is similarly well-received by students. also abdullah et al. (2022) found that ar significantly improved students’ achievement, interest, and scienceprocess skills. alnajdi (2022) discovered that indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 69 integrating augmented reality and quick response (qr) codes in teaching enhances and improves student performance. the research findings of saputra et al. (2022) demonstrate that augmented reality in scientific education materials might enhance students’ comprehension and learning motivation. because the learning skills are so enjoyable, augmented reality has a beneficial impact on students’ passion for learning science. this prevents students from becoming disinterested in their studies. objectives of the study • to examine the perceptions of science subject handling teachers at the upper primary school level on the usefulness of mobile augmented reality in teaching science and • to analyse the impact of gender, locality, and teaching experience on their perception of the usefulness of mobile augmented reality in teaching science. research questions • what are the different perspective levels of upper primary school science teachers on the usefulness of mar in classroom practices? • in which components of instruction through mar, the science teachers are strong or weak? • whether the upper primary school science teachers differ in their perception of the usefulness of mar in classroom practices? methodology of research the study’s survey technique of inquiry was adopted to find out how certain teacher participants viewed the value of mobile augmented reality (mar) in teaching upper primary students in science. the researchers contacted upper primary school teachers before the survey and talked with them about the convenience of mar in their classroom instruction. they addressed their experiences using mar from a motivational, instructional, educational, and technical perspective. after interacting with the teachers, the researchers gave them a research tool the teacher perception scale on mobile augmented reality (tps-mar) along with appropriate instruction. sample a total of 135 school science teachers who teach classes from sixth to eighth were selected randomly from the coimbatore district of tamil nadu as a study sample. self-developed research tool: the distribution of the sample selected is furnished in the following table. table-1: sample distribution sample frequency percentage gender male 57 42.22 female 78 57.78 locality rural 78 57.78 urban 57 42.22 experience less than 10 years 53 39.26 10 years and above 82 60.74 in general 135 100.00 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 70 research tool used a self-developed research toolthe teacher perception scale on mobile augmented reality was used in this study with four components, such as, motivational aspects; content teaching; student learning; and technical aspects. each component of the scale contains five statements and all statement items are set against a five-point rating from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). each subscale has a maximum score of 25, and therefore, the composite scale has a maximum score of 100. when developing the tool, the content validity was confirmed by soliciting feedback from the jury, and the test-and-retest methodology was used to determine the reliability of the composite tool (0.78). the utility of mobile augmented reality in teaching science was divided into three categories, namely, low useful, reasonably useful, and more useful based on the teachers’ perception scores. the teachers’ perception of the utility of mobile augmented reality in teaching science is considered to be more useful if the perception scores were above one standard deviation from the mean score (mean + sd). likewise, the teachers’ perceptions of the usefulness of mobile augmented reality in science teaching are considered to be low useful if the perception scores were less than one standard deviation from the mean score (mean sd). according to the ratings between mean + sd and mean sd, teachers believe mobile augmented reality in teaching science in upper primary classes is reasonably useful. research findings and discussion teachers’ perspective level on mobile augmented reality (mar) the perspectives of teachers regarding the usefulness of mobile augmented reality in teaching science at upper primary classes concerning their mean and standard deviation scores in the teacher perception scale for mobile augmented reality are summarised in the following table. table-2: teachers’ perception level on the usefulness of mar usefulness of mar in teaching science low useful reasonably useful more useful n (=135) 24 93 18 % 17.78 68.89 13.33 mean (m)= 63.68 & standard deviation (sd) = 5.12 according to the data in table 2, the sample’s mean and standard deviation on the teacher perception scale are 68.68 and 5.12, respectively. further, it is found that 13.33 per cent of the science teachers believed that mar was more useful to them for their classroom instructional purposes, 68.89 per cent felt that it was used reasonably, and 17.78 per cent felt that it was low useful for teaching science subjects. utility of mar: strength and weakness the following table examines the strengths and weaknesses components of mar in teaching and learning science contents at upper primary level classes. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 71 table-3: profile on mar utility teacher perception mean (m) remark motivational aspects 15.93 strong m > gm content teaching 16.37 strong m > gm student learning 15.87 weak m < gm technical aspects 15.52 weak m< gm grand mean score (gm) 15.92 by comparing the sample’s mean scores for each component to the overall mean of the component mean scores for the research instrument, the usability of mobile augmented reality in teaching science was assessed. the assumption is that the mar is strongly supporting the teacher to teach the subject in classroom practices if the mean of any component is more than the grand mean of mean scores of components; otherwise, it is regarded to be a weak one. according to the information in table 3 above, teachers who teach science in upper primary schools said that mar was very helpful for motivating students and teaching science content, but not so much helped them for boosting student learning and in terms of technical aspects. various research studies reported that the accomplishment of any technologybased instruction depends on factors, such as ability, interest, and involvement of students in learning (huang, chen, & chou, 2016). the study results of erbas & demirer (2019) found that using the augmented reality technique had no impact on the science achievement of ninth-grade students, contrary to the research report of lindgren, et al. (2016) which found that students at the middle school level displayed high levels of interest in learning science. furthermore, billinghurst (2021) noted in his research study that many teachers encountered technical difficulties when utilising ar. analysis of teacher perception scores on mar: variable wise the following table provides a comparison of the mean scores of teachers on the teacher perception scale concerning various teacher variables. table-4: variable wise comparison of mean scores of sample variable wise teacher perception score male female total locality experience in years mean n sd mean n sd mean n sd rural 10 years and above 77.11 19 4.70 79.97 30 4.25 78.86 49 4.60 less than 10 years 78.92 13 4.59 80.44 16 5.07 79.76 29 4.84 total 77.84 32 4.67 80.13 46 4.50 79.19 78 4.68 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 72 urban 10 years and above 75.73 15 7.94 80.83 18 5.40 78.52 33 7.05 less than 10 years 78.90 10 6.62 82.14 14 6.99 80.79 24 6.89 total 77.00 25 7.47 81.41 32 6.08 79.47 57 7.02 total 10 years and above 76.50 34 6.27 80.29 48 4.68 78.72 82 5.68 less than 10 years 78.91 23 5.43 81.23 30 6.00 80.23 53 5.82 total 77.47 57 6.01 80.65 78 5.21 79.31 135 5.76 in accordance with the results of a study by dirin et al. (2019), stated that, female participants’ perception of using ar technology was better than male participants, the mean scores of the teachers given in the above table show that the mean score of female teachers is better than that of male teachers. additionally, teachers in urban areas score well than those in rural areas. this finding may be attributable to the technical resources offered in schools, and it is corroborated by the findings of a study by putiorn et al. (2018), who noted that teachers in rural schools found it challenging, in terms of technical aspects, to implement augmented reality (ar) technology. additionally, teachers with less than ten years of teaching experience scored well than  those with ten or more years of experience. the experienced teachers, due to their age and health conditions, may found hard and less comfortable to use of the latest technologies in the classroom practices than the young teachers. in addition to the aforementioned, an anova test was carried out to determine whether there was a difference in significance between the mean scores of teachers according to the variables of gender, locality, and teaching experience of the teacher sample. the results are provided in the following table. table-5: three-way anova test teacher perception scores source sum of squares df mean square f-value p-value gender (a) 311.66 1 311.66 9.97 0.00 locality (b) 2.67 1 2.67 0.09 0.77 experience (c) 88.17 1 88.17 2.82 0.10 a x b 30.32 1 30.32 0.97 0.33 a x c 19.78 1 19.78 0.63 0.43 b x c 9.22 1 9.22 0.30 0.59 a x b x c 0.50 1 0.50 0.02 0.90 within 3969.66 127 31.26     total 4444.93 134       the results from the table above indicate that gender affected teachers’ perceptions on the usefulness of mar in teaching science at the upper primary indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 73 level (f = 9.97; p = 0.00); however, locality and teaching experience had no effect on the teachers’ perceptions because their corresponding p-values were greater than 0.05. additionally, there was no interaction effect of gender, locality, and teaching experience on teachers’ perceptions of the usefulness of mar in teaching science. conclusion according to the main findings of the present study, the upper primary school teachers have viewed that mar as reasonably useful to them in teaching science subjects in upper primary classes. the use of augmented reality in education is growing in acceptance at all levels of the worldwide educational system. it is more participatory than other traditional classes because both students and teachers in this setting are constantly involved in virtual modes of academic activities. when used in a school setting, ar helps the students and teachers to get pleasure in teaching-learning processes and hold unforgettable learning experiences. students will remember the knowledge they have learned in the classroom better as a result. through the use of the ar technology, the students will get improvement in their learning skills and maximise their content understanding. therefore, the school administrators may set up the necessary classroom infrastructure and support their teachers by providing them with the right technology tools to boost students’ academic performance. references abdullah, n., baskaran, v. l., mustafa, z., ali, s. r., & zaini, s. h. (2022). augmented reality: the effect in students’ achievement, satisfaction and interest in science education. international journal of learning, teaching and educational research, 21(5). alnajdi, s. m. (2022). the effectiveness of using augmented reality (ar) to enhance student performance: using quick response (qr) codes in student textbooks in the saudi education system. educational technology research and development, 1-20. alnajdi, s. m., alrashidi, m. q., & almohamadi, k. s. (2020). the effectiveness of using augmented reality (ar) on assembling and exploring educational mobile robot in pedagogical virtual machine (pvm). interactive learning environments, 28(8), 964-990. arici, f., yildirim, p., caliklar, s., & yilmaz, r. m. (2019). research trends in the use of augmented reality in science education: content and bibliometric mapping analysis.  computers & education, 142, 103647. azuma, r., baillot, y., behringer, r., feiner, s., julier, s., & macintyre, b. (2001). recent advances in augmented reality. ieee comput. graph. appl., 21(6):34–47. http://doi. org/10.1109/38.963459 beyoglu, d., hursen, c., & nasiboglu, a. (2020). use of mixed reality applications in teaching of science. education and information technologies, 25(5), 4271-4286. billinghurst m (2021). grand challenges for augmented reality. front. virtual real. 2:578080. http://doi.org/10.10.3389/frvir.2021.578080 bistaman, i. n. m., idrus, s. z. s., & abd rashid, s. (2018, june). the use of augmented reality technology for primary school education in perlis, malaysia. in journal of physics: conference series (vol. 1019, no. 1, p. 012064). iop publishing. carlson, k. j., & gagnon, d. j. (2016). augmented reality integrated simulation education in health care. clinical simulation in nursing, 12(4):123–127. di serio, a., ibáñez, m. b., & delgado, c. (2013). impact of an augmented reality system on students’ motivation for a visual art course. computers & education, 68: 586-596. http://doi. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 74 org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.03.002 dirin, a., alamäki, a., & suomala, j. (2019). gender differences in perceptions of conventional video, virtual reality and augmented reality.  int. journal of interactive mobile technologies (ijim), 13(06): 93–103. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijim.v13i06.10487 erbas, c., & demirer, v. (2019). the effects of augmented reality on students’ academic achievement and motivation in a biology course. journal of computer assisted learning. 35(3):450-458. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12350 huang, t. c., chen, c. c., & chou, y. w. (2016). animating eco-education: to see, feel, and discover in an augmented reality-based experiential learning environment. computers & education, 96: 72-82. huang, y., li, h., & fong, r. (2016). using augmented reality in early art education: a case study in hong kong kindergarten. early child development and care, 186(6): 879–894. khairuldin, w. m. k. f. w., embong, a. h., anas, w. n. i. w. n., ismail, d., & mokhtar, w. k. a. w. (2019). an augmented reality (ar) approach in educational integration of du’a in islam. international journal of academic research in progressive education and development, 8(1), 32-39. lindgren, r., tscholl, m., wang, s., & johnson, e. (2016). enhancing learning and engagement through embodied interaction within a mixed reality simulation. computers & education, 95: 174-187. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2016.01.001 lu, a., wong, c. s., cheung, r. y., & im, t. s. (2021). supporting flipped and gamified learning with augmented reality in higher education. in  frontiers in education  (vol. 6, p. 623745). frontiers media sa. putiorn, p., nobnop, r., buathong, p., & soponronnarit, k., (2018). understanding teachers’ perception toward the use of an augmented reality-based application for astronomy learning in secondary schools in northern thailand.  global wireless summit (gws), pp. 7781, http://doi.org/10.1109/gws.2018.8686716. rasalingam, r. r., muniandy, b., & rass, r. (2014). exploring the application of augmented reality technology in early childhood classroom in malaysia. journal of research & method in education (iosr-jrme), 4(5), 33-40. saputra, d. s., mulyati, t., & susilo, s. v. (2022). perception of elementary school teachers and students on digital augmented reality learning media. perception, 14(1). shapley, k., sheehan, d., maloney, c., & caranikas-walker, f. (2011). effects of technology immersion on middle school students’ learning opportunities and achievement. the journal educational research, 104: 299-315. singhal, s., bagga, s., goyal, p., & saxena, v. (2012). augmented chemistry: interactive education system. international journal of computer applications. http://dx.doi.org/10.5120/7700-1041 sirakaya, m., & sirakaya, d.a., (2018). trends in educational ar studies: a systematic review. malaysian online journal of educational technology, 6(2): 60–74. tashko, r., & elena, r. (2015). augmented reality as a teaching tool in higher education. international journal of cognitive research in science, engineering and education, 3(1), 7-15. yilmaz, o. (2021). augmented reality in science education: an application in higher education. shanlax international journal of education, 9(3), 136-148. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 111 research article why do moocs fail on completion rate? an analysis of swayam courses gaurav singh assistant professor, school of education indira gandhi national open university, new delhi email: gaurinedu@ignou.ac.in abstract massive open online courses (moocs) have transformed the traditional open and distance learning (odl) system and bridged the arbitrary distance between face-to-face and odl in the last decade. since their starting in 2012 (commonly known as year of mooc), moocs have gained momentum and attracted millions of learners worldwide, and india is not an exception. swayam (a mooc platform launched in 2016 by the government of india) is the most prominent mooc provider in india. while judging the success of any mooc, there are two distinct criteria. one is enrollment (massiveness) and another is retention and completion rate (certification ratio). moocs offered on swayam are also being judged on these two criteria. the average completion rate is approximately 4.60 percent on swayam. to explore the reasons for the low completion rate, the researcher has collected, and analyzed the perception of 537 dropout learners from two swayam courses and concluded that many learners are dropping out from swayam mooc because they have never joined the course with the intent of certification. other important reasons identified in the study are course instructors’ failure in sustaining the interest of learners and engaging them in class; non-availability of all modules at the same time; offering the courses in english and not in hindi or other regional languages; lack of clarity in announcements, longer duration of lectures, and the challenge of sustaining learners’ motivation such courses. the researcher has suggested the implications of these findings for course coordinators, host institutions, and policymakers. keywords: mooc, swayam-mooc, completion rate, mooc dropping out background of the study massive open online courses (moocs) have gained momentum in the past decade. around the world, many universities/institutions have offered the mooc; even the new york times declared the year 2012 as “year of mooc” (pappano, 2012) because of the hype. the first mooc was offered in 2008; since then, moocs have seen phenomenal growth in the 21st century (lederman, 2019). as mooc has become an almost a decade old phenomenon and many big players at the international level and india are offering thousands of moocs every year, this is a time to reflect on some critical issues. one of the most debated issues related to moocs is their retention and completion rate. while reviewing various popular moocs worldwide, retention and speed of completion have emerged as common issues. there are two dimensions of looking at the success of any mooc; one is enrollment, and the other is the rate of completion. believers of both aspects have their arguments and reasons. moocs offered for knowledge indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 112 purposes are looked at in terms of enrolment figures. the term “massive” in mooc refers to it. a mooc attracts people. since starting, the considerable enrollment number has been a key determinant. the mooc offered by harvard and the massachusetts institute of technology has attracted around 370,000 students in its first official course (pappano, (2012). during 201719, the online programme offered by national institution for open schooling for untrained in-service teachers through the indian mooc platform swayam has attracted nearly 1.4 million learners. “many students took moocs for knowledge or edification, rather than for a credential, (reich and ruipérez-valiente, 2019)”. the statistics available with various mooc platforms reflect the popularity of moocs in terms of numbers (shah 2020), but some critics do not agree with it. they argue that many platforms do not provide enough learning progress data analytics; therefore, only considering the enrollment is not a good idea. reich and ruipérez-valiente (2019) show that during five years of moocs offered by mit and harvard moocs, the course completion rate did not increase substantially; instead, it fell. they also highlight that for participants who joined the mooc from 2013-14 to 201718, only 3.13 percent of the participants completed their courses, a decrease of 4  percent compared to the figures from two previous years and a nearly 6  percent decrease from 2014-15. on the indian mooc platform swayam, the completion rate is also around 4.61 percent at present. (swayam, april 2021), anyone who starts a mooc barely completes it (murrey, 2019). if this is the scenario and worldwide data reflects it, it is urgent to investigate it. while reviewing the articles and reports, the researcher had come across many such instances. the researcher has also offered two mooc courses on the swayam platform in which enrolment was 8311 and 2900, respectively, in july 2020 cycle. still, less than 10 percent of learners have participated in all activities, and less than 3 percent have applied for certification. this decrease in the number of participants completing the course called for an in-depth study to explore the possible reasons for such a low completion rate. review of the literature the researcher has reviewed various articles/researches done on the issue. the review’s objectives were to identify the possible reasons identified by other researchers and have an overview of the problem. huntemann, in a report published by murrey (2019), hinted that if the learners “struggle on a course section, it might be because the material is not worded clearly … or videos are too long”. it indicates that issues related to course design are important. the video length is an issue as in many moocs, especially being offered on the swayam platform, the video length is about 30 minutes each. as learners in india are not well equipped with ict learning skills and their attention span is also less, the duration of the video can be an issue. guest (2019) identified that one way to keep students engaged in the free classes offered by hundreds of universities is to provide a certificate of completion for a fee. he quoted s. sriram, an associate professor of marketing at the stephen m. ross school of business, according to sriram, “the act of paying for the certificate and the motivation derived from wanting to earn the certificate leads to a 10 to 12 percent rise in student engagement.” but certification asks for a fee. sometimes, the cost is too high; it may not be affordable to many learners in india. waters (2020) found that most people who signed up for any course for free never finished it. according to him, the course completion rates are around 10 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 113 percent, though he found that the paid courses had better completion rates. leonard (2019) believed that though the number of moocs has increased, many moocs are not fulfilling the promises and completion and retention rates are very low, undermining the hype that moocs are for everyone. newton (2020) has also reported that moocs had abysmal completion rates from the start, these courses have attracted tens of thousands of learners, but very few stuck around long. this does not mean that there was no effort to increase the retention rates. many course instructors have practised various strategies to increase the retention rate. but all are not successful. a comprehensive study by nine researchers, kizilceca et al. (2020), found that efforts to put “interventions” at the front of mooc classes did not boost completion rates, even though the authors had good reason to think they would. they went ahead and commented that moocs are mainly  the “marketing tools and revenue sources” for “certificate” sellers. ahearn (2019) reported that only 5 to 15 percent of students earn a certificate in a mooc. but a contradictory finding was also reported by him about 2u with 88 percent completion rate, harvard business school with an 85 percent completion rate, and at acumen with an 85 percent rate of completion, which was initially only 5 percent, which is a rare phenomenon in online courses and mooc. he further highlighted his strategies like making students complete an application, imposing a final deadline, availability of learning materials for specific intervals, a series of “live” or synchronous events, integrating platforms like facebook live, zoom, slack, and whatsapp for continuous engagement, etc. reports available at class central (shah, 2020) and other platforms suggest that contrary to the completion rate, enrollment increases by the day in moocs. every year, thousands of new courses are added on various platforms like edx, coursera, swayam, future learn, udacity, etc. analysis of the review gives two apparent signals. one, the low completion rate is a worldwide phenomenon, and two, there are encouraging examples, where efforts are consistently made to increase the completion rate successfully. statement of the research problem outcomes of the review and personal experience of the researcher as course coordinator of two swayam courses has propelled the researcher to conduct a study with the dropout learners of the swayam courses. the researcher has formulated the following research statement: to study “the reasons for dropping out from the mooc: learners’ perception”. operational definitions • dropping out: in the present context, dropping out means the learners who enrolled themselves in swayam mooc courses, but did not appear in the term-end examination, i.e., did not apply for the certification. • mooc: though mooc stands for massive open online courses, in the present context, mooc means two courses offered on the swayam platform by the researcher, i.e., learning and teaching and pedagogy of science. • learners’ perception: the learners who have enrolled themselves in the mooc, but have not completed the course and left it without certification. the reasons enlisted by the learners to leave the course have been considered as learners’ perceptions. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 114 delimitations of the study • the study is delimited to only the learners of two swayam courses, i.e., learning and teaching and pedagogy of science, in july 2020. • the exact contact details of the learners were not possible keeping the privacy clause in mind; the sample was taken from informal telegram groups associated with the courses. • the tool developed for the study was not the standardized one; it was an online tool developed using the google form. objectives of the study • to study the perception of dropout learners towards mooc completion. • to analyze the reasons enlisted by the learners for dropping out of a mooc. research design the research is a qualitative survey conducted in post-facto settings, i.e., after dropping out from mooc, learners’ perception was collected. population and sample as already stated, that study is delimited to the learners enrolled in two swayam moocs, i.e., learning and teaching and pedagogy of science in the july 2020 cycle. the total enrollment in the course “learning and teaching” was 8133, and in the course “pedagogy of science” was 2990, i.e. total enrollment was 11,123. only 252 and 128 learners have submitted their final assignment after completing all the tasks. the rest of the learners were considered to drop out. hence, the population for the study is 10,743. as it was impossible to use personal contact details available with the course coordinator due to ethical and privacy issues to collect the perception, the telegrams groups were used as the sampling frame. the number of learners in the telegram groups was 2059 and 731 for both courses. the online tool link was circulated with the learners in these groups, and request reminders were sent five times in a time of 15 days. a total of 537 learners have submitted their responses. these 537 learners may be considered as the sample for the study, from which responses were collected conveniently. the response rate is 19.25 percent. tool for the data collection the researcher developed an online tool for collecting the data. in the tool, some possible reasons identified by the researcher during the literature review were categorized under the six (06) broad categories, i.e., course design, content and language, activity and quizzes, lack of communication, length and duration, and personal reasons. under each category, reasons already identified were listed, and learners were asked to identify the causes most suited to them for leaving the course inbetween. with already listed reasons, learners were also asked to identify/give the grounds, that they found suitable, but is/are not listed in the tool. the content validity of the tool was established by a review of the tool by experts, i.e., expert validity. being a qualitative tool, there was no definite answer of any items; hence, the reliability was not established in any numerical value. all the reasons given by the learners were collected; their frequencies and percentages were calculated to analyze the data. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 115 analysis and interpretation of the data • reasons for enrolling in the courses the first item of the tool was framed to find out why the learners preferred to enrol in the course. the six pre-identified reasons were given in the choice with an openended option under any other reason. the findings are tabulated as below: table-1: reasons for attending the course reasons for attending the course n percentage interest in the topic 34 6.33 just for knowing about the swayam platform 26 4.84 excited to do a mooc course 31 5.77 earning certificate for professional development 12 2.23 exploring the modules 63 11.73 understanding about design and development of mooc 27 5.03 any other reason: part of b.ed. curriculum 201 37.43 any other reason: preparing for competitive examination 143 26.63 as shown in table 1, 37.43 percent of the learners have joined the course, because it was part of their degree programme, i.e., part of b. ed, the curriculum at their university. but surprisingly, the second largest group was those learners preparing for any competitive examination like tet, which stands at 26.63 percent. the third important reason was that 11.73 percent of learners were only exploring the modules, which meant content exploration was their key motive, not the completion or certification. though there were other reasons, these three are found as the most important reason for enrolling in the programme. • the stage of leaving the course the second item in the tool was related to the stage at which they have left the course. though the modules were 16 weeks, the long curriculum is distinctly divided into four major areas, having 16 weekly modules. hence, only seven options were given to the learners, i.e., after enrolling, after reading about the course, after completing 1-4 units, after completing 5-8 units, after completing 9-12 units, after completing 13-16 units and after exploring submission requirements for the terminal assignment. responses have been shown in the graph below: indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 116 figure-1: the stage of leaving the course from figure 1, it is evident that most learners have left the course in middle sections, i.e., 21 percent after completing 9-12 units and 19 percent after finishing 5-8 units. but an important number of learners have left the course even after going through only 1-4 units, i.e., 16 percent. only 8 percent of learners have reported leaving the course after going through the submission requirements of terminal assignments. the data is so distributed on this aspect that conclusive reasons cannot be extracted. • reasons for leaving the course o course design: the first dimension of the study to identify the reasons for leaving the course was related to “course design.” total five options were given to learners in this section. one additional option was given if the learner did not find any reason for course design. as shown in figure 2, the analysis reflects that for 49.91 percent of learners, there was no reason related to course design, which has prompted them to leave the course in between. however, 32.4 percent of learners have cited why all modules were not available simultaneously. this observation is in tune with the finding that nearly 26.63 percent of learners have joined the course to prepare for competitive examinations. they may be looking to get all content in one go. but, as these were 16 weeks long moocs, modules were released weekly as per the schedule. other reasons were not important in this section as only 6.52 percent of learners found the course design complex. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 117 figure-2: reasons related to course design o content and language: the second dimension of the study was to find out reasons related to content and language. the researcher has enlisted five reasons in this section with one option “no reason related to content and design”. the finding of the section is as follows: figure-3: reasons related to the content and language graphs in figure 3 indicate that the most important reason related to content and language was that the content of the course was in the english language only. about 31.28 percent of learners have cited this as one of the reasons to leave the course. the second preferred reason was also related to language, i.e., the language used by experts in the video was not easily understandable to 27.75 percent of the learners. the third important reason was the learners’ monotonous videos (24.58 percent). this is well accepted and valid as most of the videos are talking heads without much interactivity. this sometimes makes indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 118 the video boring, and learners prefer to read the content despite watching the videos. the important finding can be concluded from this section that, in total, 97.21 percent of learners have cited at least one reason related to content and language, and most of these are associated with language. this reflects that course coordinators should look seriously at the language used in videos, and text should be compatible with the learners’ linguistic abilities. o quizzes and forums: like most moocs, swayam moocs also have two essential quadrants for continuous assessment and interaction, i.e., module end quizzes and discussion forums. generally, after each module, a module end quiz is given to learners to respond; the instructors post a discussion forum question for discussion, interaction (peer-to-peer and teacher-learner, both). in both the moocs, these components were given with every module. the researcher tries to find out if there is any reason related to these components that triggered the dropping out. the response on this aspect was collected with the help of six items, i.e., discussion forums were compulsory, quizzes were challenging to respond to, instructions to activities were not clear, too many forums to respond to, only one attempt was given in quiz, feedback was not given in forums along with an item that there was no reason associated with quiz and forum. the findings have been shown in the following pie-chart: figure-4: reasons related to quizzes and forums the pie-chart responses indicate that around 53 percent of the learners did not consider any reason related to quizzes and forums for dropping out from mooc. though, a few have reported some issues associated with these two aspects like for around 15 percent of learners, feedback not given on the forum posts was a reason; for 13 percent, only one attempt was given in the quiz was a matter of concern. for nearly 10 percent, compulsory discussion forums were the issue. these three indicators are also essential and can be used in subsequent cycles for improvement. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 119 o communication with learners: in any long-duration mooc, continuous communication with learners is a key consideration. in swayam mooc, announcements are the main communication tools. though discussion forums are also there to maintain two-way communication, the communication through discussion forums is mainly academic, and most of the time, it is related to the content. the researcher also used a parallel medium of communication in the telegram channel. still, all learners have not joined the channels, as it was officially integrated with the swayam platform. the researcher asked the learners about issues related to communication with the help of five items, along with an article citing no reason related to communication is an issue. outcomes on this dimension as presented graphically as under: figure-5: reasons related to communication with the learners analysis of the data related to the aspect of communication indicates that lack of clarity in announcements (32.03 percent) was the key issue followed by controlled release of the information (26.44 percent) and too much gap between the course announcement and course start (13.41 percent). however, 18.25 percent of learners have reported no reason related to communication. this result is expected as the announcement section was not functioning correctly due to some technical glitch at swayam central, and course instructors were releasing only necessary information. the announcement section was never used for informal communication with the learners; a telegram channel replaced it, but hardly 25 percent of learners subscribed. o length and duration: as both, the moocs offered on swayam were of 16-weeks duration. four (04) weeks gap between course announcement and course publishing and one month time was enhanced due to unforeseen situations arising due to covid-19. learners were also asked about this aspect, because the review has suggested that short duration moocs have better retention rates. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 120 figure-6: reasons related to length and duration the graph in figure 6 indicates that the course length was the biggest reason for this dimension, contributing to dropout. nearly 46 percent of learners have cited this reason, though 33.15 percent did not consider length or duration of the course as a reason to drop out from the system. 14.53 percent of learners have cited the lack of sufficient time to study as a reason for dropping out. this finding supports the argument that moocs should not be of longer duration. o personal reasons: despite the reasons enlisted in sections 1-5, the researcher also collected personal reasons (if any), contributing to leaving the courses without completion. the distribution of learners’ responses is shown in figure 7. figure-7: personal reasons contributed to dropping-out indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 121 the chart in figure 7 indicates that 35 percent of learners cited their workload as a primary reason, contributing to their decision to drop. still, researchers also found that lack of motivation is an important contributor to dropping out as well with 30 percent responses. 17 percent of learners have cited other commitments, whereas, for 10 percent of learners, family/work circumstances contributed to their decision to drop out from the course. this finding indicates that sustaining learners’ motivation in a mooc is still a challenge for course instructors. o other reasons: apart from the listed grounds in the tool, learners were asked to cite any other reason they found a vital contributor to their decision to drop out of the course. though, most learners have not cited any reason in this category, a few have mentioned the reasons like high examination fee for certification (62), non-availability of courses in hindi/regional language (38), no approval of credit transfer at their institution (32), not matching with their curriculum (16), etc. major findings and discussion • in the present study, it was found that there is no single reason, which can be pointed out as a contributor to the decision of learners for dropping out from the course. but, the analysis of their responses has indicated a few important points. • most of the learners joined the courses, as they were part of their formal teacher training programme (37.43 percent) or were preparing for competitive examinations (26.63 percent). only 2.23 percent have said that they have joined the course for certification purposes. this finding indicates that viewing the success of a mooc with a viewpoint of completion rate or certification rate cannot be the sole criteria. most learners join such learning courses and not for certification purposes. • the rate of dropping out from the course is higher in the middle of the course. this reflects that course instructors fail to sustain learners’ interest and engage them in the course after a course of time. the study found that most learners have dropped out of the course between 5-12 weeks. • the most important reason for the course design-related aspects was the non-availability of all modules simultaneously (32.4 percent). this also supports the study’s first finding, as many learners join the courses for competitive examination/selfstudy purposes; they look for all the content of courses at the same time. • on the language-related aspect, the study has indicated that availability of the content of the courses in only english language (31.28 percent), language used by experts not easily understandable (27.75 percent), and monotonous videos (24.58 percent) are found to be the most important reasons. this finding reflects in a multilingual country like india; courses are needed in hindi and other regional languages. there are not many takers for the courses in the english language. • though there was no important reason highlighted by the learners related to quiz and discussion forum, few have hinted that these were not giving the feedback on the forum posts (15 percent), only one attempt for the quiz (13 percent) and making discussion forum compulsory (10 percent) are some of the reasons. this finding shows the ways to improve the practices while running the course. the course instructors’ more meaningful and continuous indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 122 involvement can improve on all such aspects. • on the aspect of communication, the research has indicated that reasons like lack of clarity in announcements (32.03 percent), controlled release of the information (26.44 percent) and too much gap between the course announcement and course start (13.41 percent) are some areas of concern. these sometimes contribute to the dropout of learners from the mooc. this also demands continuous communication and interaction between the course instructor and learners. • a very important finding from the study is that learners do not prefer a lengthy mooc. longer duration courses attract a higher dropout rate; nearly 46 percent of learners have confirmed this assumption in the survey. • longer duration courses demand more time for learning engagement, which many learners find difficult. the finding also confirms that 35 percent of learners cited their workload as a reason for dropping out and lacking motivation (30 percent). sustaining learners’ motivation in longer duration courses is always a challenge for the course coordinators. course instructors need to find the ways and means to sustain learners’ interest and motivation. there are some strategies suggested by researchers like ahearn (2019), including making students complete an application, imposing a final deadline, the learning materials available only for specific intervals, a series of “live” or synchronous events, integrating platforms like facebook live, zoom, slack, and whatsapp for continuous engagement, etc., which the course instructors can practice in future cycles. • the study also highlighted a few other important reasons like high examination fee for certification, non-availability of courses in hindi/ regional language, no approval of credit transfer at their institution, not matching with the curriculum, etc. about which course instructors have to think and find a solution. if there is nothing new in the mooc, very few takers will sustain themselves in the course. educational implications though this study is delimited to only two swayam courses, which were offered in the first cycle, the study’s findings have broader implications. the educational implications of the study can be categorized as below: • implications for the courseinstructors the study suggests that course instructors need to find a solution for sustaining learners’ interest and motivation. various strategies indicated by many researchers need to be incorporated or new strategies can be identified, practised, studied, and shared. linguistic aspects in videos and interactivity need to be looked upon—continuous and precise communication with learners is very important. discussion forums should be replied to continuously, and learners should be engaged through announcements. • implications for host-institutions the institutions offering moocs should ensure the updated curriculum, preferably the model curriculum, to match most institutions/universities. institutions should encourage moocs in hindi and other indian regional languages. if possible, bi-lingual moocs can be experimented with to some extent. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 123 • implications for policy-makers the monotonous structure of swayam mooc needs to be revisited. it will be better if freedom is given to the course instructor to decide the number and length of videos and not a fixed duration imposed based on credits. swayam platform requires a user-friendly interface with attractive templates. a single template is not fit for all types of courses. at present, learner analytics is not given to course coordinators, due to which they are unable to track the progress and engagement of learners in the course. more learner analytics should be at the disposal of the course coordinators, which will help them, strategize the inputs to be added for engagement and sustainability of learners in the courses. references ahearn, a (2019). moving from 5% to 85% completion rates for online courses, june, 06, edsurge,https://www.edsurge.com/news/2019-06-06-moving-from-5-to-85 completion-rates-for-online-courses guest, g. (2019). research shows certificates boost mooc completion rates, michigan news, the university records, august, 23, https://record.umich.edu/articles/research shows-certificates-boost-mooc-completion-rates/ kizilceca, r. f., reichb, j., yeomansc, m., dannd, c., brunskille, e., lopezf, g., turkayg, s., williamsh, j. j., & tingleyf, d. (may, 2020). scaling up behavioral science interventions in online education, https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/117/26/14900.full.pdf lederman, d. (2019). why moocs didn’t work, in 3 data points, inside higher education, https:// www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2019/01/16/study-offers data-show-moocs-didnt-achieve-their-goals#:~:text=among%20all%20mooc%20 participants%2c%203.13,percent%20the%20two%20previous%20years. leonard, w (2019). so why did moocs fail to live up to the hype? university world news, february 08, https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20190207110446568 murray s. (2019). moocs struggle to lift rock-bottom completion rates, financial times, march 04, https://www.ft.com/content/60e90be2-1a77-11e9-b191-175523b59d1d newton, d. (2020) the “depressing” and “disheartening” news about moocs, forbes, june 21, https://www.forbes.com/sites/evangerstmann/2021/01/02/at-least-12 republican-senators-vow-to-challenge-bidens-election-when-congress-counts-the electoral-votes-on-wednesday/?sh=35a215b44571 pappano, l. (2012). the year of the mooc, the new york times, nov, 02, https://www.nytimes. com/2012/11/04/education/edlife/massive-open-online-courses-are-multiplying-at-a rapid-pace.html?action=click&module=relatedlinks&pgtype=article reich, j and ruipérez-valiente, j. a. (2019). the mooc pivot, science, 363, (6423), 130-131 doi: 10.1126/science.aav795 shah, d. (2020). by the numbers: moocs during the pandemic, august 16, the report by class central https://www.classcentral.com/report/mooc-stats-pandemic/ swayam central (2021). national coordinators, https://swayam.gov.in/nc_details/ waters, m. (2020). moocs are getting the last laugh, may 27, the hustle, https://thehustle. co/05272020-moocs-are-back/ indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 124 research article blogging during the pandemic: an action research j. karthika1 & akshaya.n2 1assistant professor in english, pg department of english (self-support), sdnb vaishnav college for women, chennai, tamil nadu email: karthikanagendrakumar@gmail.com 2research scholar, school of social sciences and languages, vellore institute of technology, chennai, tamil nadu abstract the paper focuses on the advantages of using a class blog to improve the writing skills of postgraduate literature students. the pandemic enabled all the learners to use technology uniformly, and therefore, it was possible to use a class blog to improve the writing skills of the learners. an action research was planned and conducted to improve the engagement level of the postgraduate students during the pandemic and also to enhance their writing skills as well. feedback was collected at the end of the semester to gauge the impact of using blogs in the classroom. the usage data retrieved from the class blog has also been analyzed quantitatively to measure the engagement level of the learners. both the quantitative and the qualitative data obtained at the end of the semester show improvement in the engagement level of the learners. the writing skills of a few of the learners showed considerable improvement. the action research revealed that the opportunity provided boosted the confidence of the majority of the learners in the classroom in expressing their thoughts in writing. the reflection of the teacher and learners revealed the positive impact of feedback on the entire writing process. keywords: class blog, technology enhanced english language learning, blended learning, pandemic learning, english writing skills, feedback, engagement, whatsapp voice notes introduction the pandemic has forced traditional english classrooms to transform into technology-enhanced language teaching and learning spaces. the english language and teaching in india were largely confined to brick-andmortar learning spaces prior to the pandemic; however, the pandemic forced teachers to adopt an online, blended learning model. the necessity of continuing teaching and learning during the pandemic has forced the teachers and administrators of colleges to adopt online learning and teaching with alacrity despite the financial and infrastructural challenges involved in setting it up. this paper describes the teaching and learning of english using a classroom blog and focuses on the advantages of using a class blog to improve the writing skills of postgraduate students of literature. the pandemic enabled all the learners to use technology uniformly, and therefore, it was possible to use a class blog to improve the writing skills of the learners. literature review blogs or weblogs are interactive online journals that can be used in language classrooms to improve the writing skills of the learners. it facilitates meaningful and engaging discussion ( jan lacina, j and griffith, r (2012) among peers and indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 125 between the teacher and the learners. blogging, which promotes collaborative learning, helps the learners to coconstruct knowledge along with their peers. christina melly (2018) used classroom blogging to give practice in writing to ninth-grade high school at st. louis, missouri. in her study, more than the grading, she found that peer feedback provided the necessary impetus for the learners to continue blogging. kendra n. bryant (2013) used classroom blogging to improve the engagement and writing skills of her learners and created an embodied learning environment in her classroom. linda carol jones and amalie holla(2013) conducted an experimental study with 18 students who were enrolled in two different courses at a midwest american university and found a strong correlation between personality and participation in blogging activity in an academic setting. the researchers used the big five personality inventory that had previously helped researchers identify the association of openness, agreeableness, neuroticism, extraversion, and conscientiousness with social blogging. the study tracked the blogging habits of the students with their personality types and found that the students who chose to blog were high in extraversion and high in neuroticism. ahluwalia, g., gupta, d., & aggarwal, d., (2011) used blogs as a means to supplement in-class language learning activities. the experimental study was conducted with 42 first-year engineering college learners through a survey and the learners’ perception of using blogs was measured, and their motivation increased. in 2008, the pew internet, along with the american life project and the national commission on writing, conducted a research study to find out the impact of technology on writing. the study found that teen bloggers, in particular, engaged in a wide range of writing outside of school, like short writing, journal writing, creative writing, letter writing, and music or lyrics writing. compared to non-bloggers, teen bloggers were more productive outside of school and wrote more frequently than other teens. previous studies in using blogs in second language teaching and learning contexts show that more research is needed to understand the complex relationship between blogging, personality, and motivation. this action research attempted to gauge the engagement of the learners while using blogs. student engagement in academic environments like schools (parsons, s. a., nuland, l. r., & parsons, a. w., 2014; wang, m.-t., & holcombe, r., 2010; freedricks, j. a., blumenfeld, p. c., & paris, a. h. 2004) and colleges (li, m., yu, l., qin, y., lu, p., & zhang, x., 2016; tsai, s., & wu, t. 2019) and online learning environments (herridge, a. s., mcnaughtan, j., & james, l. j., 2020; bodily, r., charles r.g, c.r., and bush, m.d.,2017) has been discussed adequately even before the pandemic. however, this study attempts to throw light on student engagement in the online environment during the pandemic in particular. the term student engagement has been interpreted in different ways by varied academicians and researchers, and jonasson, c. (2012) points out how even among the teachers and students, there is a divergent perception with regard to the term ‘engagement’. student engagement in an online environment refers to both cognitive and affective engagement of the learners in an academic activity. the online environment with relevant content would not only promote deep learning but also motivate the learners to persist and be consistent in their online academic activity. jennifer a fredricks et.al., recommend studying student engagement as a multifaceted construct that involves behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement. behavioural engagement indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 126 refers to appropriate task behaviour by following the rules, completing tasks within the given timelines with involvement in the learning process, and active and consistent participation in academic discussions with peers and teachers. emotional engagement refers to the interest and investment that the learners have in participating and completing a learning activity. it is the “student’s psychological investment in an effort directed toward learning, understanding, mastering the knowledge, skills or crafts that the academic work is intended to promote” (newmzann, f., wehlage, g. g., & lamborn, s. d., 1992). cognitive engagement refers to motivation to learn with persistence, self-regulated efforts to understand, learn and complete the given task and awareness and voluntary use of learning strategies. julianne c. turner (1995), who equates motivation to cognitive engagement in her research study, identified categories of behaviour during reading activities, namely the use of reading strategies, the use of learning strategies, evidence of volitional control strategies, and evidence of persistence. the finding of the study suggested that the “motivation is neither in the student nor in the program, but in each child’s encounter with the reading and writing task” (turner, j. c. 1995). in this study, the engagement level of the learners is interpreted based on the behavioural, emotional and cognitive engagement of the participants. a field quasi-experiment was carried out by yu-min wang and chei-chang chiou (2022) to examine the efficacy of blog teaching in higher education. according to the study, integrating blogs into university instruction improves students’ achievement and sense of fulfilment from their studies. the researchers also found that better blogs increased student engagement, which enhanced learning results even more. this study adds to the increasing amount of data that shows blogs can be an efficient teaching tool in higher education settings. sakip kahraman (2021) looked into the usage of blogs as a cutting-edge assessment method to support students’ development of professional skills and authentic learning. third-year planning students participated in the study, which discovered that blogs promoted peer review, reflective practice, and enhanced learning effectiveness. even though there was some initial pushback and worries about academic rigour, students eventually realised that blogging helped them comprehend course material and professional practices better. the study underlined how crucial peer and teacher support is to improving the usefulness of blog-based assessments. a very recent study conducted in 2024 by mark o’rourke and andreanne doyon looked at the usage of blogs as a cutting-edge evaluation tool to improve professional skill development and authentic learning. the study, which involved third-year planning students, found that blogs enhanced learning efficiency and encouraged reflective practice and peer evaluation. although students first voiced worries about the level of academic rigour, they eventually discovered that blogging helped them get a deeper grasp of both professional practices and course material. to maximise the usefulness of blog-based evaluations, the research emphasized the significance of peer feedback and instructor support. research questions 1. can the use of blogs for writing assignments improve the english language proficiency of the learners? 2. will the use of blogs increase the engagement of learners in academic activity in the online classroom environment? indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 127 research context and participants this study was conducted in sdnb vaishnav college for women, chennai, tamil nadu, with 39 second-year post-graduate learners pursuing their masters in english. as the study falls under action research, purposive sampling was employed to select the participants. the inclusion criteria applied are as follows: (i) students in their second year of the course (ii) students registered in the course of m.a english (iii) students who have a personal device to participate in the study due to the pandemic the first-year postgraduates did not get to meet their peers nor their teachers. as a teacher, i joined at the end of the first semester and found a silent indifference in the classes due to a lack of interaction among peers and a lack of familiarity with the teacher. due to regular internal assessments and the pressing need to finish the assigned portions, the teacher found it difficult to establish a proper working relationship with the learners. during the seminar presentations, the teacher found that the majority of the learners had difficulty articulating their ideas while presenting and in writing as well. therefore, to help them understand their problem area in language, the teacher attempted to give specific language feedback immediately after every presentation by highlighting the grammatical errors in their sentence construction. as the majority of the learners did not trust the teacher and were not sure of the intention of the feedback, they refused to process the feedback. the agonizing longevity of the pandemic, with all its unpredictability, stifled the natural enthusiasm of the learners in learning and made them indifferent to the serious academic routine which the teacher tried maintaining, assuming it would help the learners. after a semester, the teacher found it difficult to break through the wall of indifference and silence among the learners and decided to introduce class blogging to improve the engagement level of the learners and the writing skills of the post-graduate learners. procedure the learners were assigned three writing assignments for the semester. the first assignment was a self-introduction, during which they were encouraged to podcast, write or video record about themselves. the teacher gave a model self-introduction about herself as a sample. the second writing assignment was a reflective essay. they were asked to write about any one or two of their teachers (in school or college) who they considered were good teachers. a sample was provided for this as well. the rubric for the first and second assignments was simple and focused on content, language, and engagement level. the engagement was given more weightage of 10 marks, while content and language together were given 10 marks. the emphasis was on making the learners read and comment on other posts. the third assignment involved topics from the “english language teaching” theory paper. choosing their topic of interest, they were asked to write a detailed essay of 800-1000 words. reference books and articles were given in the google drive of the google classroom, and students were also encouraged to use any standard journal articles from the internet. in case they found it difficult to find appropriate reading material for their selected topics, they were asked to inform the teacher so that she could try and help them with it. they were specifically instructed to desist from using materials from substandard online sources. however, indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 128 if they found interesting and relevant materials or videos, they were asked to provide links at the end of their blog as additional resources. it was mandated that the essay should be written in their own words without copying exactly from original sources; instead, they were encouraged to summarize the main ideas and acknowledge the source properly. they were informed that the essay should be followed by a detailed reference section where they list out all the sources, namely the books, the articles, the videos, or online articles. after providing the references, the learners were asked to give two discussion questions based on their written essays for their team members to discuss. the discussion questions should not be ‘yes or no’ type of questions or ‘comprehension questions’ but questions that would make their team members reflect and give their opinions. each group would contain 10 members, and the discussion questions would be answered in the comment section by all the nine group members. the blog writer should respond to all the group members’ responses. the same topics should be taken as seminars in the class for about a 10 to 15-minute presentation where they would explain the concept using a ppt and not read the essay. they were informed that the marks would be deducted for late submission or for not responding to comments in their own posts within the deadline provided. data analysis and discussion: the class blog named ‘avid english learners’ (http://avidell.blogspot.com/) was created in the month of june, and on june 29 2021, the first sample post was published by the teacher. detailed instructions regarding accepting the blog invitation to the post’s drafting and publishing information were communicated through google classroom. the last blog post of assignment three was posted by one of the learners on october 10, 2021, and commenting on posts continued actively till november. after that, it tricked down. therefore, the entire class was actively involved in blogging for about four months. the total number of posts that were published in the classroom blog was 125. the usage statistics from the blog revealed that the total number of comments was 2633, and the total number of views was 6792. [appendix-1] a structured google form survey consisting of both openended and closed-ended questions was administered to all 39 learners at the end of the third semester to collect their feedback. [appendix-2] out of the 39 learners, 86 per cent of the learners reported that they enjoyed using blogs for academic activity. 84 per cent of the learners conceded that they liked reading and commenting on others’ posts. figure-1: i liked reading and commenting on other’s posts indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 129 figure-2: the comments from my peers regarding my post motivated me to a larger extent around 59 per cent of the learners were happy with the peer comments they received for their blog post but 41 per cent of the learners were not satisfied with the number of comments from their peers. in the following detailed analysis section the pedagogical considerations are discussed with primary focus on the qualitative open-ended questions responses gathered from the survey and based on the observation of the teacher as well. pedagogical considerations in blogging in this section, the pedagogical considerations for using blogs to improve writing skills and engagement levels in each of the three writing assignments are discussed in detail. first writing assignment the behavioural and emotional engagement level was highest in the first post due to three major reasons. firstly, many of the participants were first-time users, and since the blog was about themselves, the learners took it as an opportunity to interact and learn about their peers. they had the freedom to introduce themselves in their own way, so they were innovative to make their first post appealing. however, it should be stated that only 52 per cent of the learners said that they enjoyed writing about themselves, and another 20 per cent said that they felt neutral about it. around 33 per cent of the learners were not happy about talking about themselves, but they complied merely to finish the academic task. the second major reason was the feedback from the teacher that they received for all their posts for the first topic. feedback was given in two ways: written comments and whatsapp voice notes. the written comments under each learner’s blog were dialogic in response to the content, whereas the whatsapp voice notes were directly related to the grammatical accuracy of the content. while 82 per cent of the learners felt that the peers’ comments were motivating and encouraging, around 18 per cent replied negatively. the negative response could be attributed to the non-participation of some learners in not commenting on others’ blogs. most of the learners enjoyed the comments on their blog but they were not equally motivated to read all their peers’ blog posts and comments. many of the respondents said that even though they wanted to read everyone’s blog and comment, they did not have that kind of time. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 130 in the previous semester the teacher had given specific language feedback to learners immediately after their seminar presentations and found that most of them were offended because of it. the teacher understood her mistake when she conducted anonymous feedback that she collected from the entire class at the end of the second semester, and therefore, the private whatsapp voice notes were used to avoid such embarrassment for the learners. in the survey, while all 39 learners agreed that the feedback from the teacher in the comment section was motivating, 85 per cent of the learners said that they benefited from the language-related feedback given using whatsapp voice notes. the teacher gave a model selfintroduction about herself to encourage the learners to write an honest and unreserved narrative and hoped to persuade her learners as well. the post by the teacher, who was serious and stern in the second semester, was read with mixed reactions, and gradually, the learners started commenting on the teacher’s post. emboldened by the responses of the teacher to their comments, many other learners also started commenting unreservedly. there was a sense of curiosity among all the students, and they took time to read others’ posts and felt comfortable commenting. therefore, the first blog was a success as it became a platform that initiated friendships. thirdly, the first post was given during their semester holidays as an assignment even before the semester started, and therefore, the learners had a lot of time to indulge in it all with leisure and write without any other academic commitments. following is the reflection of learner (priyadharshini j) on why blogging worked for her. my experience of blogging was beneficial, in many ways. importantly, i discovered myself and i came to know about the people of my age. i liked the whole process as well as the progress. from writing down my thoughts, prioritizing, organising into a format, posting it, to receiving comments and teacher’s feedback about my views and language. the process and the guidance helped me think better, correct my errors and improve my skills. the feedback and comments motivated and induced confidence, indeed! it can also be safely inferred that the cognitive engagement was also high because the discourse in the blog was within their present level of competence and was not very cognitively demanding. for some of the slow learners, reading the writing of their own peers provided appropriate cognitive challenge, which figure-3: the whatsapp feedback from my teachers helped me to improve my communication indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 131 lev vygotsky (1962) calls a zone of proximal development, which is defined as the ideal challenge for a learner as the level a little beyond the easy reach of the learner but that which is achievable with appropriate scaffolds or support from an able peer or a teacher. this is also similar to i+1 concept of stephen krashen (1981), where he says only if the input is just above the learner’s current level of competency would the learner be really involved in the learning process. the blog writing of the peers served as an engaging and appropriate input for most of the learners. second writing assignment in the second blog activity, the behavioural engagement of all the learners remained high as all of them completed their blog posts within the deadline. there was a slight dip in the affective engagement of the learners, which could be inferred from reduced student-to-student interaction compared to the first blog. there were three reasons that could be attributed to the dip in affective engagement among the learners. firstly, the curiosity waned as it was the second activity, and therefore, the initial burst of enthusiasm frittered away. secondly, the third semester started bringing with it a host of other academic commitments, which made it difficult for them to concentrate wholly on the written task. thirdly, as the semester started, the teacher too had other teaching and institutionalrelated commitments and, therefore, did not have the time to respond to all the posts and give individual feedback through whatsapp voice notes. the second post resonated with most of the learners on a personal level as it made them walk down their memory lane with nostalgia. in the second writing activity, the learners were asked to write about their favourite teachers and were asked specifically to reflect on their individual personality traits and professional expertise, which made them good teachers. in the third semester, they were doing “english language teaching” as an elective course. they were asked to elaborate on the teaching methodology and materials that the teacher employed, which made their classes interesting and informative. the writing assignment was given with the intention of making them critically examine the role of a teacher in an english classroom and their role in the teaching and learning process of an individual learner and the entire class as a whole. following is a feedback from learner 26 (rose esther rani) well, blogging was the first assignment that really made me sit and write for pages without complaining; when there is no bar set, we get to show our creative side, and that’s exactly what i liked very much about blogging. i felt quite hard to read all my fellow peer’s blogs and comment on it but i would be lying if i said that’s a drawback because i felt alive reading the comments posted by my peers in my post, so my point is blogging was fun i would rate my experience 9/10 third writing assignment the third post was completely academic, and the interaction dropped to the lowest. since the topics were completely academic, most of the learners complained that it took so much time to read and even more time to understand. this time, the learners were informed that the group members should compulsorily answer the questions posted by the blogger in the comment section. most of the students were hesitant to comment as they struggled to understand the new concepts. learner 32 (sheetal mundra) shared the following disadvantage about writing the third assignment in the classroom blog: indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 132 “… understanding concepts from each others’ content was an issue. trusting each others’ research was another issue because no one knows which resource is “right”, and no one likes to correct anyone over the “comments” section either. we could only rely on our teacher to correct it for us. moreover, as a student, i cannot imagine the amount of time and energy that it takes for a teacher to patiently go through everyone’s blogs and comments.” the behavioural engagement suffers when the teachers do not give very clear instructions regarding the expected outcome of an academic task and when the teacher fails to continually respond to the learners. (skinner, e. a., & belmont, m. j. 1993). in the third writing activity, there was confusion among the learners with regard to the veracity of the content and that certainly was revealed by the way the learners failed to meet the deadlines. the teacher, due to other teaching commitments, did not find the time to interact with the bloggers individually, which also resulted in behavioural and affective disengagement with the academic task at hand. the expected level of cognitive engagement in the third writing activity was very demanding, and therefore, the slow learners found it difficult. even the advanced learners were unsure of their content knowledge and were very apprehensive about writing the post. the teacher realized only after giving the writing activity that she herself could have given academic articles to read and asked them to summarize or critically evaluate the research article. in that case, the anxiety with regard to the appropriacy of the content knowledge that they were all anxious about could have been avoided. using a blog in a large class was challenging and was not only difficult pedagogically for the teachers but also for the learners as well. it was difficult for both the teachers and the learners to read and comment individually on all 39 posts. time and energy needed for that was more, and therefore, even if the learners were behaviourally, affectively and cognitively engaged in the blogging process, the large numbers did pose a great challenge. around 35 per cent of the learners stated that they did not have the time to read and comment on all the posts in the google form survey. technological advantage and issues in blogging the choice of medium encouraged a section of the learners to dabble with images, sound files, youtube video recording, editing and screen recording. the freedom to choose the way in which they can express themself was liberating for many of the learners. learner 35 (sri takshara) had this to say about the technological features of creating a blog. i felt blogging to be an interesting alternative to the regular class assignments. it allowed me to experience autonomous learning where there was no stress pressure or limitation being laid on me as i had the freedom to express my thoughts. blogging has helped me express my creative side through all the fonts, backgrounds, and pictures. it also kept me motivated throughout the assignment, and the comments section acted as a platform for discussion with my classmates and teacher alexander mcneece (2019) posited that student engagement nurtures a growth mindset, competence, and autonomy in learners. the blogs, which had advanced technological features, allowed for creative expression and helped to engage the learners in the writing task. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 133 the freedom of choice made them feel liberated and responsible and also promoted autonomous learning among the participants. however, it should also be recorded that another section of learners were new to digital tools and were overwhelmed with ordinary word processing itself and had difficulty in formatting their blog posts. while it was easy to type the blog post using a laptop, it was strenuous to key in using mobile devices. moreover, many features were not accessible on mobile devices, and therefore, these challenges put off their initial interest in the writing activity itself. findings the private classroom blog gave the learners an opportunity to engage in reading, analyzing, and commenting on both formal academic texts and also informal nonacademic texts such as personal narratives. classroom blog facilitated meaningful interaction among the learners and improved the interpersonal relationship between the learners and the teacher as well. moreover, blogs are innately motivating to learners as the readers of the blogs are their own peers. as the learners were writing not for grades alone but for authentic audiences, the learners were all the more motivated, and as a result, the quality of their writing improved to a considerable extent. learners took more care of their language as they were posting it online, and their peers were going to read it as well. while the majority of the learners gained knowledge of academic conventions of usage and grammar by reading the work of their peers, some felt demotivated due to their inadequacy in expressing their ideas coherently and accurately. the blog also gave the learners an opportunity to interact with digital media and be involved in the full writing process, including web searching, reviewing, drafting, revising, and editing. using a classroom blog to enhance students’ writing abilities offers numerous benefits and implications for teachers. blogging encourages regular writing practice, allowing students to explore various genres, which helps them develop versatile writing skills. it fosters immediate feedback through peer reviews and teacher interaction, promoting a culture of constructive critique that refines their work. moreover, a classroom blog fosters creativity and personal expression, allowing students to develop their unique voice and increasing motivation through engaging assignments. for teachers, this approach requires adapting instructional strategies, including setting clear guidelines, providing professional development on blogging practices, and balancing structure with creative freedom. overall, classroom blogging can significantly improve writing skills, engage students, and develop critical digital competencies, benefiting both learners and educators in the process. conclusion the introduction of a classroom blog to enhance the writing skills of tertiary learners during the pandemic has yielded significant pedagogical benefits. the study revealed that blogging provides an effective platform for improving writing abilities through teacher and peer feedback while also fostering greater learner engagement. the classroom blog encouraged motivation and attention to language use by prompting students to write for real audiences rather than solely for grades. as a result, students and their teachers were able to build supportive learning communities and strengthen interpersonal relationships. while most students gained confidence and improved their academic writing standards through this creative exercise, the study also highlights the challenges indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 134 faced by some students in expressing themselves clearly and coherently. however, by interacting with digital media, students developed important writing and digital skills. the study emphasizes the importance of offering an innovative tool that blends formal and informal elements to maximize the impact of blogging on students’ learning. in conclusion, the study’s results contribute to understanding how classroom blogging can improve writing abilities, encourage creativity, and equip students with digital skills. it also provides valuable insights for teachers on how to integrate technology into pedagogy in ways that meet the diverse needs of learners, boost engagement, and enhance the overall teachinglearning process. references ahluwalia, g., gupta, d., & aggarwal, d., the use of blogs in english language learning: a study of learner perceptions, national university of colombia, faculty of human sciences, department of foreign languages, vol. 13, no. 2, october 2011 pages 29-41 bodily, r., charles r.g, c.r., and bush, m.d.,(2017) “online learner engagement: opportunities and challenges with using data analytics” source: educational technology, january-february, vol. 57, no. 1 (january-february 2017), pp. 10-18 bryant, n kendra “me/we”: building an embodied writing classroom for socially networked, socially distracted basic writers, journal of basic writing, fall 2013, vol. 32, no. 2 (fall 2013), pp. 51-79 freedricks, j. a., blumenfeld, p. c., & paris, a. h. (2004). school engagement: potential of the concept, state of the evidence. review of educational research, 74(1), 59-109. herridge, a. s., mcnaughtan, j., & james, l. j. (2020). online orientation among community college students: academic engagement and sense of belonging. journal of applied research in the community college, 27(1), 17-31. jan lacina, j and griffith, r. (2012) “blogging as a means of crafting writing” the reading teacher, dec 2012 / jan 2013, vol. 66, no. 4 (dec 2012 / jan 2013), pp. 316-320 jonasson, c. (2012). teachers and students’ divergent perceptions of student engagement: recognition of school or workplace goals. british journal of sociology of education, 33(5), 723–741. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23256180 kahraman, s. (2021). the effects of blog-based learning on pre-service science teachers’ internet self-efficacy and understanding of atmosphere-related environmental issues. canadian journal of science, mathematics and technology education, 21(1), 186–206. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42330-021-00137-7 krashen, s (1981) second language acquisition and second language learning, oxford, pergamon. lenhart, a., arafeh, s., & smith, a. (2008). writing, technology, and teens. washington, dc: pew internet and the national writing commission. li, m., yu, l., qin, y., lu, p., & zhang, x. (2016). college student academic motivation and engagement in the college english course. theory and practice in language studies, 6(9), 1767-1773. melly, christina “ ‘can we blog about this?’: amplifying learner voice in secondary language arts” the english journal, vol. 107, no. 3 (january 2018), pp. 12-18 mcneece, a. (2019). loving what they learn: research-based strategies to increase student engagement (research-based strategies for increasing student engagement and building self-efficacy). solution tree. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 135 newmann, f., wehlage, g. g., & lamborn, s. d. (1992). the significance and sources of student engagement. in f. newmann (ed.), student engagement and achievement in american secondary schools (pp. 11-39). new york: teachers college o’rourke, m., & doyon, a. (2024). rethinking assessment strategies to improve authentic representations of learning: using blogs as a creative assessment alternative to develop professional skills. international journal of educational technology in higher education, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-024-00483-0 parsons, s. a., nuland, l. r., & parsons, a. w. (2014). the abcs of student engagement. the phi delta kappan, 95(8), 23–27. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24374604 skinner, e. a., & belmont, m. j. (1993). motivation in the classroom: reciprocal effect of teacher behavior and student engagement across the school year. journal of educational psychology, 85, 571-581 tsai, s., & wu, t. (2019). the influences of student engagement on academic achievement for college students: the moderating effect of reading engagement. educational policy forum, 22(1), 1-24. turner, j. c. (1995). the influence of classroom contexts on young children’s motivation for literacy. reading research quarterly, 30(3), 410–441. vygotsky, l (1962/1996) thought and language, mit press, cambridge, ma. wang, y.-m., & chiou, c.-c. (2022). empirically examining the effectiveness of teaching blogs on university course instruction. sage open, 12(3), 215824402211047. https://doi. org/10.1177/21582440221104782 appendix-1 usage data retrieved from the blog name no. of comments on 1st post no. of comments on 2nd  post no. of comments on 3rd post l1 40 20 4 l2 38 18 6 l3 39 36 6 l4 31 19 5 l5 31 15 9 l6 36 11 8 l7 53 23 6 l8 39 16 8 l9 40 18 8 l10 23 12 4 l11 34 26 5 l12 35 13 6 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 136 name no. of comments on 1st post no. of comments on 2nd  post no. of comments on 3rd post l13 40 26 13 l14 37 14 9 l15 42 28 5 l16 42 18 6 l17 28 13 8 l18 33 16 5 l19 47 25 10 l20 17 23 6 l21 48 19 4 l22 34 17 5 l23 42 25 9 l24 47 26 8 l25 41 16 7 l26 59 32 7 l27 35 27 13 l28 28 21 8 l29 28 11 5 l30 33 19 6 l31 47 17 6 l32 46 23 6 l33 51 26 7 l34 56 32 4 l35 54 33 6 l36 43 22 4 l37 33 12 5 l38 23 13 4 l39 27 12 8 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 137 appendix-2 following was the feedback collected at the end of the study with five pont likert scale [ strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, strongly disagree] blog review 1. i enjoyed blogging 2. i liked reading and commenting on others’ posts. 3. writing the blog helped me to write better. 4. the comments from my peers, regarding my post motivated me to a larger extent. 5. the comments from my teacher regarding my post helped me to write further. 6. the whatsapp feedback from my teacher helped me to improve my communication. 7. i was not interested in writing about my own self in a blog. 8. blogging did not help me to improve my writing skill. 9. i did not receive as much comments as i expected. 10. i did not have time to read and comment on all of my friends blogs. 11. i did not like feedback pertaining to grammar in whatsapp. 12. what did you like about the classroom blogging? (you are expected to write a paragraph by summing up your experience as a blogger. kindly mention your name if you are comfortable in sharing) 13. what are the things that you did not like about blogging? (feel free to write your honest reviews) indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 73 research article effectiveness of online support services during covid-19: a case study of ignou pravat kumar jena assistant regional director, ignou regional centre, bhubaneswar email: pravat@ignou.ac.in abstract the pandemic covid-19 has compelled human society to maintain social distancing and it has not allowed us to continue our education through the traditional face to face mode. it has taught us to opt for platforms with technologies, which have not been used before. in this situation, many students are preferring their education through open and distance learning (odl) or online learning mode. most of the educational institutions are also offering online support services to tackle the pandemic covid-19 situation. in order to understand the effectiveness of online support services an online survey using google form was conducted among learners, coordinators, and counsellors of indira gandhi national open university (ignou) during the lockdown period for covid-19. the data collected through questionnaires were put together in the form of tables and a simple percentage method is used for the analysis. their views are analyzed and found some important factors which are required to enhance the effectiveness of online support services. it is very interesting to note that about 88 percent of learners prefer online mode of admission but only 17 percent of learners prefer a soft copy of the study materials. maximum learners are agreeing to continue online induction meetings and online counselling classes in future. the majority of the learners, coordinators & counsellors recommended conducting online examinations and online evaluations. keywords: online support services, odl system, effectiveness, covid-19, ignou introduction education enables human beings to lead them in the right direction. real education enables one to stand on one’s legs and makes them perfect. perfection indicates the ability of human beings to address various aspects of life encountered in society. the development of an individual and the progress of a nation depend on education. the education sector is a critical determinant of a country’s economic future. but, the sudden outbreak of covid-19 has badly affected the education sector of the whole world. the pandemic covid-19 has not allowed us to continue our education through the traditional face to face mode. the entire idea of education from the primary level to the highest level realized a major change and it has taught us to adopt new methods of education with technologies. in this situation, many students are preferring their education through odl or online learning mode. odl facilitates open entry and access to learning opportunities enhances the employability skills of the learner and makes them achieve their goals in life. distance education institutions play a vital role in providing higher education to all irrespective of the limitations imposed by social status or demographic constraints. the odl system was encouraged in the early eighties and became famous in india after the establishment of ignou in 1985. since then ignou has been playing the leading role in india for the odl system. the support services at ignou are managed through the indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 74 regional services division (rsd) with the support of regional centers (rcs) and learner support centers (lscs). rcs are established by the university to coordinate and supervise the work of lscs in the region (ignou profile). the lscs are headed by a coordinator with other supporting functionaries. the academic counsellors are mostly drawn from the conventional system of higher education. the rcs and lscs provide facilities in terms of admission, counselling, assignment evaluation, conducting term end examination (tee) etc. the  covid-19 has affected educational systems worldwide, leading to closures of schools, colleges and universities. most governments temporarily closed educational institutions in an attempt to reduce the spread of pandemic covid-19. the only way to stop the spread of this deadly virus was to maintain social distancing. india went under complete lockdown from the 25th of march, 2020. it has affected approximately 825 million students due to school closures in response to the pandemic (wikipedia).  in india, more than 32 crores of students have been affected by the various restrictions and the nationwide lockdown for covid-19. though it is an exceptional situation in the history of education, covid-19 has created many challenges and opportunities for educational institutes to strengthen their technical knowledge and infrastructure (pravat, 2020a). the lockdown has given them a ray of hope for teachers and students to continue their educational activities online. the ministry of human resource development (mhrd), govt. of india has taken several digital initiatives to continue learning during the pandemic covid-19 (pravat, 2020b). during the lockdown period for covid-19, online learning is the best platform to keep learners/educators engaged and safe by maintaining social distance. the govt. of india has initiated different online learning platforms to continue educational activities during the lockdown period which have also been recognized by unesco and world bank (pravat, 2020c). ignou has not stopped its support to the learners and has been providing online support services during the pandemic covid-19. based on the mhrd/ugc order (ugc), ignou has also used various platforms and ict initiatives to reach out to learners all over the country and internationally in partner institutions. in an earlier study, garg, s et al. (2013) had emphasized on digitization of all support services of ignou including admission, counselling, and assessment system. they had also suggested proper training to all stakeholders of ignou on digitized support services. sood, n (2020) has studied the online teaching-learning process of ignou during covid-19 and found that the majority of the learners (about 74 percent) expressed excellent and very good experience on online teaching-learning methods. the study by agarwal, s et al. (2020) also support that online learning is feasible and student satisfaction is very high. in most of the studies, network connectivity and technical knowledge were the major problems faced by teachers as well learners. in this study, an attempt has been made to understand the effectiveness of online support services provided by ignou during covid-19 times. objective of the study the objective of the study is to: • analyze and understand the effectiveness of online support services during pandemic covid-19. • analyze the views/perceptions of learners and their suggestions for future learners. • analyze the views/perceptions of coordinators/counsellors and their advice for improvement of the system. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 75 • suggest corrective measures to improve the online support services of ignou. sample size and methodology of the study an online survey was conducted among ignou learners during the lockdown period for covid-19. the structured questionnaires were distributed to the email addresses of learners, coordinators, and counsellors of ignou regional centre, bhubaneswar through google form. records of students were obtained from university records. two sets of questionnaires were prepared, one is for learners and the other is for coordinators/counselors. for learners, the google form consisted of 20 questions with 1 open-ended question for their comments and 427 learners responded. the google form for counselors/coordinators consisted of 15 questions with 1 open ended question for their comments and 50 counsellors/coordinators responded. the sample size for analyzing the responses of learners is 427, whereas the sample size for coordinators/ counsellors is 50. the study undertaken includes both primary and secondary data. the primary information for the study was collected through questionnaires. the secondary data was obtained from various journals, books, magazines, and websites. the data collected through questionnaires were put together in the form of tables and a simple percentage method is used for the analysis. the perceptions/views of learners, coordinators and counsellors are collected and an attempt has been made to understand the effectiveness of online support services of ignou during the pandemic covid-19. lessons learned on the effectiveness of online support services of ignou are personal views of the author which are based on analysis of the data received from the respondents and his own experience. limitations of the study every research study has some limitations. some of the limitations observed in the study are pointed as below: • the primary data is collected through a structured questionnaire and the sample size is only limited to 427 learners and 50 coordinators/ counsellors. • the perception of the respondents is limited to the period of the study. • the study is limited to the lockdown period due to pandemic covid-19. findings of the study to understand the various factors on the effectiveness of online support services of ignou, one online survey was conducted and a total of 427 learners and 50 counsellors/coordinators responded. their responses are analyzed through the following tabular data and figures: table-1: programme wise classification of learners programmes master’s degree (mdp) bachelor’s degree (bdp) management (mp) bachelor’s of education (b.ed) p.g diploma diploma certificate no. of respondents (%) 142 (33.26%) 123 (28.81%) 9 (2.11%) 45 (10.54%) 32 (7.49%) 56 (13.11%) 20 (4.68%) indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 76 among the respondents, it is observed that the highest number of learners from the master degree programme attended online classes, whereas the lowest number of learners of management programmes attended the online classes. sizable learners from both mdp and bdp are showing interest in online classes as per the present sample. figure-1: employment status of learners it is observed from figure-1 that the highest numbers of unemployed learners (43.09 percent) are showing interest in online support services. the govt. employed learners are showing more interest than the private and selfemployed learners for online activities. the lowest numbers of retired persons are showing interest in online support services. table-2: social status of learners social status married unmarried male female rural urban tribal no. of respondents ( %) 115 (26.93%) 312 (73.07%) 196 (45.90%) 231 (54.10%) 268 (62.76%) 140 (32.79%) 19 (4.45%) data shows that more unmarried learners and more female learners are responding in online activities. rural learners are found to be more responsive than urban learners for online activity. figure-2: social category of learners data of respondents of the sample as shown in figure-2 shows that more general and obc category learners are responding towards online activities, whereas fewer responses have been received from sc, st, and ews sections. figure-3: age group of learners indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 77 the figure-3 indicates that more young learners in the age group of 18-25 years are responding in online activities, whereas very fewer responses are received from the learners in the age group of 41-60 years. table-3: responses of learners on modes of admission query what was the mode of your fresh admission in ignou? do you have internet connection with your own mobile/laptop/ computer? how did you take online admission in ignou? option offline mode online mode yes no it was done by myself using mobile/ laptop/ computer it was done by others it was done by relatives with my knowledge not applicable no. of respondents (%) 72 (16.86%) 355 (83.14%) 417 (97.66%) 10 (2.34%) 269 (63%) 60 (14.05%) 60 (14.05%) 36 (8.9%) analysis of the above data shows that about 83 percent of learners have done their admission through online mode. the above study on the availability of facilities shows that 97 percent of the learners are having internet connectivity with their mobile/laptop/computer. about 63 percent of learners had done their admission by themselves using their own gadgets, whereas about 28 percent of learners had done their admission through others. table-4: preference of learners on the mode of admission & type of study materials query which mode of admission of ignou do you prefer? which type of study materials of ignou do you prefer to study? option offline mode online mode hard copies of materials soft copies of materials no. of respondents (%) 51 (11.94%) 376 (88.06%) 353 (82.67%) 74 (17.33%) it is observed from the above data that about 88 percent of learners prefer the online mode of admission, but about 17 percent of learners prefer soft copy of the study materials. though maximum learners prefer the online mode of admission, very few learners like to follow soft copies of the materials. it indicates that learners are more comfortable in using hard copies of study materials during this era also. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 78 table-5: perceptions of learners on online induction meeting query have you attended any online induction meetings? if yes, how did you feel by attending the online induction meeting of ignou? if no, what was the reason for not attending the online induction meeting of ignou? option yes no satisfied not satisfied satisfied to some extent not applicable did not get any prior information do not have the facility to attend online meetings faced network connectivity problem unable to use the technology not applicable no. of respondents (%) 247 (57.85%) 180 (42.15%) 109 (31.5%) 22 (6.36%) 57 (16.47%) 158 (45.66%) 117 (27.4%) 27 (6.32%) 116 (27.17%) 26 (6.09%) 141 (33.02%) in this sample, about 58 percent of learners have attended online induction meetings and about 48 percent of learners are satisfied with attending the same. very few learners (6 percent) are dissatisfied with the online induction meetings. the reason for not attending the online induction meeting indicates that about 27 percent of learners did not get any prior information, 27 percent faced network connectivity problems, 6 percent had no proper facility and 6 percent could not use proper techniques. table-6: opinion of learners on online counselling classes query have you attended any online counselling classes? if yes, how did you feel about attending online counselling classes? if no, what was the reason for not attending online counselling classes? option yes no satisfied not satisfied satisfied to some extent not applicable did not get any prior information do not have the facility to attend online meetings faced network connectivity problem unable to use the technology not applicable no. of respondents (%) 115 (26.93%) 312 (73.07%) 99 (23.19%) 26 (6.09%) 14 (3.28%) 288 (67.45%) 177 (41.45%) 24 (5.62%) 99 (23.19%) 27 (6.32%) 100 (23.42%) table6 shows that about 27 percent of total learners have attended online counseling classes and about 26 percent of learners are satisfied in attending the same. very few learners (6 percent) are dissatisfied with online counselling classes. the reason for not attending the online counselling classes indicates that more learners (about 41 percent) did not get any prior information, 23 percent faced network connectivity problems, 6 percent had no proper facility and 6 percent could not use proper technique. table-7: views of learners on online induction meeting & counselling class query do you recommend an online induction meeting of ignou to continue in future? do you recommend the online counselling classes to continue in future by ignou? option yes no agree to some extent never yes no agree to some extent never no. of respondents 303 (70.96%) 45 (10.54%) 67 (15.69%) 12 (2.81%) 307 (71.9%) 46 (10.77%) 68 (15.93%) 6 (1.41%) indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 79 as per the data of table-7, maximum learners (about 87 percent) agreed to continue online induction meetings in future, but about 13 percent of learners disagreed with the proposal. similarly, more learners (about 88 percent) agreed to continue online counselling classes in future, but about 12 percent of learners disagreed with the plan. table-8: recommendation of learners on online assessment query do you recommend the process of submission of online assignment responses and evaluation by ignou? do you recommend for conducting tee and evaluation through online mode by ignou? option yes no agree to some extent never yes no agree to some extent never no. of respondents (%) 247 (57.85%) 90 (21.08%) 70 (16.39%) 20 (4.68%) 199 (46.6%) 122 (28.57%) 75 (17.56%) 31 (7.26%) table-8 shows that about 74 percent of learners recommended online submission and evaluation of assignments, but about 26 percent of learners disagreed with the proposal. similarly, about 65 percent of learners agreed to conduct tee and evaluation through online mode, but about 35 percent of learners disagreed with the plan. table-9: overall perception of learners on online support services query your overall experience on online support services provided by ignou option excellent satisfactory pleasant not satisfactory not applicable no. of respondents (%) 117 (27.4%) 157 (36.77%) 66 (15.46%) 37 (8.67%) 50 (11.71%) about 27 percent of the learners stated that their experience on online support services of ignou is excellent. though the majority of the learners (about 52 percent) are satisfied/feel pleasant, about 9 percent did not have such an experience and are dissatisfied. hence, a learner-friendly approach from functionaries at all levels of the open university towards optimizing learner satisfaction would encourage the learners to actively pursue their studies. table-10: social status of counsellors/coordinators gender employment status present location male female govt. employee private employee retired self employed rural urban tribal 40 (80%) 10 (20%) 31 (62%) 15 (30%) 2 (4%) 2 (4%) 7 (14%) 39 (78%) 4 (8%) indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 80 data from above table-10 shows that male respondents are higher than females. about 92 percent of the total counselors/coordinators are employed but very few (4 percent) of them are self-employed. only 4 percent of retired counsellors/coordinators have responded to the queries. it is observed that most of the respondents of the sample belong to the urban belt and very few of them belong to the tribal belt. table-11: preference of counsellors/coordinators on the mode of admission & type of study materials query do you have an internet connection with your own mobile/ laptop/ computer? which mode of admission of ignou do you prefer? which type of study materials of ignou do you prefer to follow? options yes no offline mode online mode hard copies of materials soft copies of materials no. of respondents (%) 50 (100%) 0 (0%) 1 (2%) 49 (98%) 21 (42%) 29 (58%) it is observed from the above data that almost all respondents are using their own mobile/laptop. 98 percent of counsellors/coordinators prefer the online mode of admission, but only 2 percent prefer the offline mode. nearly 60 percent of coordinators/counsellors prefer soft copy of the study material and 40 percent prefer to use hard copies. though maximum coordinators/ counsellors prefer online mode of admission, about half of them like to follow hard copies of the materials. table-12: perceptions of counsellors/coordinators on online induction meeting query have you attended/ conducted any online induction meeting of ignou? if yes, how did you feel by attending/conducting an online induction meeting of ignou? option yes no satisfied not satisfied satisfied to some extent not applicable no. of respondents (%) 8 (16%) 42 (84%) 8 (16%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 42 (84%) in this sample, only 16 percent of coordinators/counsellors have conducted/attended online induction meetings and all of them are satisfied with this online activity. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 81 table-13: perceptions of counsellors/coordinators on online counselling classes query have you conducted any online counselling classes of ignou? if yes, how did you feel by conducting online counselling classes of ignou? option yes no satisfied not satisfied satisfied to some extent not applicable no. of respondents (%) 13 (26%) 37 (74%) 13 (26%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 37 (74%) in this sample, only 26 percent of coordinators/counsellors have conducted online counselling classes and all of them are satisfied in conducting the online counselling classes. table-14: recommendations of counsellors/coordinators on online induction meetings & counselling classes query do you recommend an online induction meeting of ignou to continue in future? do you recommend the online counselling classes to continue in future by ignou? option yes no agree to some extent never yes no agree to some extent never no. of respondents (%) 39 (78%) 1 (2%) 10 (20%) 0 (0%) 37 (74%) 3 (6 %) 10 (20%) 0 (0%) table-14 shows that 98 percent of coordinators/counsellors approved the online induction meeting in future, but only 2 percent of coordinators/ counsellors disapproved to proposal. similarly, 94 percent of coordinators/ counsellors approved online counselling classes in future, but only 6 percent disapproved of the plan. table-15: recommendations of counsellors/coordinators on online assessment query do you recommend the process of submission of online assignment responses and evaluation by ignou? do you recommend conducting tee and evaluation through online mode by ignou? option yes no agree to some extent never yes no agree to some extent never no. of respondents (%) 38 (76%) 3 (6%) 9 (18%) 0 (0%) 18 (36%) 12 (24%) 19 (38%) 1 (2%) indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 82 table-15 shows that about 94 percent of coordinators/counsellors recommended online submission and evaluation of assignments, but very few coordinators/counsellors (6 percent) disagreed with the proposal. similarly, about 74 percent of coordinators/ counsellors agreed conducting tee and evaluation through online mode, but 26 percent disagreed with the plan. table-16: overall perceptions of counsellors/coordinators on online support services query your overall experience on online support services provided by ignou option excellent satisfactory pleasant not satisfactory not applicable no. of respondents (%) 15 (30%) 9 (18%) 16 (32%) 2 (4%) 8 (16%) 30 percent of counsellors/coordinators described their experience on online support services of ignou as excellent. though half of the counsellors/ coordinators feel satisfactory/pleasant about online support services of ignou, 4 percent did not have such an experience and are dissatisfied. one option was also given in the questionnaires for the learners and counsellors/coordinators to share their remarks on any other points on online support services of ignou. some of the important remarks by learners are listed as below: • the online learning facilities provided by ignou are very good, but it needs some improvement. prior information through sms should be delivered to the registered mobile numbers so that more learners can participate. • some are requesting ignou to facilitate the online submission of dissertation work/project work. some are requesting ignou to conduct online workshops and practicals also. • some learners pointed out that the online classes are not applicable for all learners due to the unavailability of proper network facilities in some remote areas or the lack of technical knowledge of the learners. • some learners suggested that offline support services should be provided in addition to online support services. • some learners thanked ignou for providing online class recordings available on youtube & facebook links. some proposed ignou to start a fully online assessment system. some of the important remarks by coordinators/counsellors may be listed as: • lscs should be provided with all online facilities with required technical gadgets. special application software for providing seamless online support services should be developed and implemented by ignou. • all lsc functionaries and counsellors should be oriented properly about the online support services of ignou. • the remuneration of counsellors for the online counselling classes should be higher than face to face counselling classes. discussion & conclusion analysis of this study reveals some major points as discussed below: indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 83 • most of the learners have done their admissions through online mode using their own mobile/laptop/ computer. • though maximum learners prefer the online mode of admission, very few learners like to follow soft copies of the materials. it indicates that learners are more comfortable in using hard copies of study materials during this era also. • more learners are satisfied in attending the online induction meetings and very few of them are dissatisfied. the main reason for not attending the online induction meeting indicates that either they could not get any prior information or faced network connectivity issues. • the measure reason for not attending the online counselling classes indicates that they could not get any prior information and faced network connectivity problems. so, ignou should take the proper initiative to provide prior information regarding the online activities, so that more learners can avail the facility. • maximum learners are agreeing to continue online induction meetings (about 87 percent) and online counselling classes (about 88 percent) in future. • the majority of the learners (about 74 percent) recommended online submission and evaluation of assignments. similarly, most of the learners agreed to conduct of online examinations and evaluations. • though most of the coordinators/ counsellors prefer the online mode of admission, about half of them like to follow hard copies of the materials. • during lockdown for covid-19, few coordinators/counsellors could conduct online counselling classes with induction meetings and all of them are satisfied. • the majority of the coordinators/ counsellors recommended for continuing the online counseling classes and online induction meetings in future. • though half of the total counsellors/ coordinators felt satisfactory/ pleasant about online support services of ignou, very few of them did not have such an experience and are dissatisfied. • ignou should strengthen its online support service system to tackle the pandemic situation like covid-19 and should come forward to resolve the difficulties faced by the stakeholders. from the analysis of the paper, it is clear that most of the stakeholders are comfortable with the online support service system of ignou. ignou should provide proper orientation to all the counsellors and lsc functionaries on the provision of efficient online support services. the university policies must include various individuals from diverse backgrounds including remote regions, marginalised and minority groups for effective delivery of online support services. as most of the stakeholders of ignou are satisfied with online support services, it should be continued after the pandemic covid-19 also. further, a detailed statistical study may be undertaken to explore the possibilities of making online support services more effective. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 84 references agarwal, s., kaushik, j.s. (2020). “students perception of onlinelearning during covid pandemic”, the indian journal of pediatrics (https://doi.org/10.1007/s12098-020 03327-7). garg, s., ghosh, c.k. & khare, p. (2013). “on adding value to learning experiences through support services: case study of ignou”, asian journal of distance education, 11(1), 19-37. ignou profile. retrieved from http://www.ignou.ac.in/ignou/aboutignou/profile/2 mhrd (2020). “covid-19 stay safe: digital initiatives”, retrieved on oct. 25, 2020 from https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/covid19.pdf pravat ku. jena (2020a). “challenges and opportunities created by covid-19 for odl: a case study of ignou”, international journal for innovative research in multidisciplinary filed, 6(5), 217-222. pravat ku. jena (2020b). “impact of pandemic covid-19 on education in india”, international journal of current research, 12(7), 12582-12586. pravat ku. jena (2020c). “online learning during lockdown period for covid-19 in india”, international journal of multidisciplinary educational research, vol-9, issue5(8), 82-92. sood n. (2020). “online teaching-learning during covid-19: experience of nursing programmes of ignou”, global and lokal distance education, 6(1), 3-13. wikipedia (2021). “impact of the covid-19 pandemic on education”, retrieved on march 10, 2021 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/impact_of_the_covid-19_pandemic_on_ education ugc (2020). “let covid 19 not stop you from learning ict initiatives of mhrd and ugc”, letter from ugc dated 25-03-2020 (https://www.ugc.ac.in/pdfnews/1573010_on-line learning---ict-initiatives-of-mhrd-and-ugc.pdf) indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 239 general article ict resources for teaching-learning process gulshan mufeed1 & rasheed ahmad2 1assistant professor, central institute of educational technology (ciet) national council of educational research and training (ncert), new delhi, email: gulshan.ciet@gmail.com 2assistant professor, department of education, aligarh muslim university centre murshidabad, west bengal abstract ict is a big buzzword for its use in education. a lot of emphases is on the integration of ict technologies in the teaching-learning process. consequently, the teachinglearning process is shifting from chalk and talk to online mode. the pandemic covid-19 exponentially accelerated this process in education. but this also created a lot of hitches in front of the stakeholders, the paper presents a wide-ranging overview of the use of ict in the teaching-learning process. it also discusses abundant digital tools which can be used to make teaching learning more effective. introduction the exponential development of technology and easier access to information has brought tremendous changes in the social, political, economic and educational fields. this change further accelerated due to the covid-19 pandemic. the pandemic brought the whole world to instil, including education. that’s why the use of digital technology in education has already gained acceptance. the need is to educate the teachers, students, parents and school administrations to manage the new technologies, become able to solve the problem with the help of technologies and make a decision. this has tipped the balance between skills and knowledge slightly more in the direction of skills, particularly problem solving and thinking skills. the teachers, researchers and experts in the field of education are continuously putting their effort to raise the standard of the student’s achievements in their learning process by examining how students learn effectively. to deal with the sudden transition from face-to-face teaching mode to online teaching mode, the institutions have developed some alternative plans, under the guidance of various agencies like the ministry of health, mhrd and ugc, etc. the ugc has issued guidance to conduct online classes smoothly in which ugc suggested reducing the curriculum, flexible timing of online classes, alternative ways of assessment and evaluation. the teacher education institution also shifted to online mode. at an earlier stage, most of the teachers were not prepared to deal with such a situation because they were not skilled enough to use online platforms for the teaching-learning process (tlp). universities organized several workshops, short-term courses and webinars to train the teachers to harness the opportunities in this diverse situation. these initiatives play a significant role in enabling teachers to utilize online resources fruitfully. as we know the covid-19 pandemic pushed the teachers to the limit in every aspect of life but the leverage indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 240 of technology, especially digital technology, provides learning continuity when the students cannot be present in the classroom (anna dabrowaski, 2020). however, there are several barriers to the success of the online tlp ranging from teachers’ and students’ preparedness, easy access to the online resources and devices and student support at home. ict resources ict is a diverse set of technological tools and resources used to communicate and to create, disseminate, store and manage information”. according to national policy on ict in school education (2012) “icts are defined as all devices, tools, content, resources, forums, and services, digital and those that can be converted, into or delivered through digital forms, which can be deployed for realizing he goals of teaching-learning, enhancing access to and reach of resources, the building of capacities, as well as management of the educational system. ict tools can be employed to improve the learners’ ability of understanding. garcíavalcárcel (2014) goes so far as to say that the ict becomes the channel for communication and information that is essential for guaranteeing learning environments that are open, interactive, replete with incentives, sources of information, motivating for students, and focused on developing skills. the use of ict as a resource of tlp has the following functions: 1. it promotes, arouses and maintains the learner’s interest. 2. it enables the learner to organize information, create new knowledge, link the knowledge and apply it to new situations. 3. provide an environment for learners to create and express ideas. 4. it guides the learners’ learning. 5. it provides the opportunity for learners to assess knowledge and skills. 6. it provides an environment for observation, exploration and experiments with simulation, animation and videos. ict aids are employed in the teaching and learning process, it involves most of the sensory organs of students and also makes learning more real to students (abdulai & akaglo,2020). in edgar dale cone of experiences, the cone shows the progression of learning experiences from concrete to abstract rather than as a prescription for instruction with media (lee & reeves,2007). edgar dale introduced the modern media in education, postulated the “cone of experience”. the arrangement of dale’s cone of experiences is not based on difficulty level but abstraction and also several senses involved in learning. the cone of experiences can be categorized into 11 stages starting from concrete experiences at the bottom of the cone and becoming more and more abstract as we move upward to the peak of the cone. thus, the moving from verbal symbol (peak of the cone) to direct and purpose experiences, the degree of abstraction gradually decreases and learners become more participative edgar dale’s cone experience recommends more learning from reality, simulation and various types of active and experiential learning (lee & reeves,2007; abdulai & akaglo,2020). the ict resources use multiple senses in the formation of experiences. the selection of these resources or tools is responsible for bringing a change in the classroom environment. the availability of a wide range of such teaching-learning material will catalyze the transformation of classrooms into ict-enabled classrooms. therefore, the teacher must be competent enough indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 241 to select and critically evaluate digital content and resources. initially, the teachers may start with the computer lab, later on, more classrooms can be equipped with appropriate ict resources making way for ict-enabled classrooms. ict resources for the tlp the development of digital technology provides an abundance of ict resources and tools to enhance the teachinglearning environment. various ict resources can be analyzed based on their use in the tlp. the ict can be categorised as: • informative resources • collaborative resources • learning resources • resources for assessment and evaluation • resources for professional development ict as an information resource the use of ict has become increasingly important in academics and most of the academic activities are switching over to ict-based resources and services. it has opened new avenues like online learning, e-education, e-journal, cdrom database, e-books, web-based resources, etc. (singh, krishna & jaiswal, 2014). the major resources of learning before the invention of digital resources were libraries only. the development of ict-based technologies forced most libraries, not only in india but all over the world to go online and become a rich source of information. the national digital library of india (ndli) is a huge resource of digitally available learning resources written by millions of authors across various subjects in different languages. the national repository of open educational resources (nroer) is another huge resource of learning materials for school and teacher education. similarly, diksha (digital infrastructure for knowledge sharing) also considered as one nation one digital platform is a storehouse of educational resources which is available as a portal and app as well for easy access to all. this highly developed digital environment provided a scenario to teachers and learners with ample flexibility and an abundance of learning content and direct access to it. the internet enables the teachers as well as learners to find out additional information to address a topic from basic to advanced levels. for example, if you search ‘teaching and learning’ on google, you will get billions of pages in less than one second. thus, the internet becomes a huge resource of information. online databases are also some other ict resources that provide information. ict as collaborative resources the learning environment depends on engagement among stakeholders. no engagement means no attention, no attention leads to no effective instruction, no effective instructions lead to no sufficient development regardless of whether the technology is used or not. the learning environment can be enhanced by the collaborative learning process. the collaborative learning approach involves teamwork and is based on the constructivist theory of learning. the constructivist theory of learning refers to the learners constructing their knowledge upon the foundation of their previous learning. this type of learning has many academic, psychological and social benefits. collaborative learning is a way of constructivist learning and it encourages students to see situations from different perspectives, creates an environment where they can practice social and leadership skills (social indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 242 benefits) and provides a satisfactory learning experience that significantly reduces anxiety (psychological benefits) (garcía-valcárcel, 2014). collaborative learning works very efficiently with ict; it places the learners in the process of generation, managing and sharing of information by interaction with each other in a virtual community driven by ict resources. thus, collaboration is the cornerstone for the success of technology-enhanced learning in the classroom. at this time, most of the learners use the internet through their smart mobile. therefore, most of the social networking sites, the forum moved to inform of the app. facebook, whatsapp, google classroom, edmodo, youtube, email, blogs, wikis are some of the examples of collaborative tools in the tlp. the edmodo and google classrooms are very easy to use among all collaborative resources. ict as a learning resource ict learning resources offer the possibility of acquiring knowledge, attitude and procedure during the tlp (gonzalez, 2011). ict can supplement learning activities by using several ways, such as digital educational resources, interactive tutorials, simulation, ebooks and open knowledge reinforcement exercises. ict-based learning resources provide a lot of teaching-learning materials created by teachers, educators, experts, researchers and learners. interactive tutorials provide enriched learning materials with pictures, animations, simulations and videos. the most interactive resource for learning can be simulation. the simulation is a type of modelling that provides an opportunity for the learner to engage in the construction of knowledge and experiences by experimenting with the model. thus, the simulation provides a constructivist environment in which the learner learns the thing by “learning by doing approach”. just as children do simulation activities by role-playing, adults use computer simulations to understand complex systems, real situations or dynamic processes. the simulation model is very useful for science subjects. the virtual laboratory allows the learners to perform experiments from anywhere at any time without using the actual laboratory (bajpai, 2013). the educational electronic books (ebooks), audios and videos, podcasts are other digital resources that enable learners to enhance and create their knowledge (gonzalez, 2011). there are various e-resources where anyone can find a large number of e-books, videos and audios on different educational subjects. epathshala, a digital initiative of ncert provides a large number of ebooks, videos, audios and other educational resources for students, teachers, parents and researchers. ict as resources for assessment the term ‘assessment’ in education means the procedure that is used to collect information about the knowledge, attitude and skills of a learner. based on the assessment, the teacher judges the student and gives feedback on their progress, strength and weakness. thus, the assessment plays a vital role in the educational process. the rapid development of ict in education enables the teachers to use different technologies and their applications to assess the students’ progress. ict-based assessments can be various types i.e. computer or laptopbased and mobile device-based. with the help of ict, a teacher can assess the students’ performance in different formats i.e. text, image, audio, video and simulation-based. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 243 • computer-assisted assessment or computer-aided assessment (caa); • computer-based assessment (cba) computer-assisted assessment computer-assisted assessment refers to the use of a computer to facilitate, manage and support the assessment and evaluation of the learners’ progress. a teacher can use caa at any stage of the tlp. caa is mostly used for scoring multiple-choice questions and questions with short-answer responses using an optical mark reader (omr). the caa can be used to identify the learners’ difficulty in the subject of trends and patterns within the learners’ group. it can be also used diagnostically to identify students who would benefit from extra direction or support. computer-based assessment computer-based assessment (cba) is generally done by the computer. it is used mostly in digital tools for assessment-related activities. it can be used for summative, formative or diagnostic purposes. this type of assessment includes multiple-type questions (mcq), other objective type questions, essays and short answer questions. this type of assessment can be used from anyplace and anywhere with laptops, tablets and smartphones. this type of assessment is an integral part of e-learning teaching and training. for example, the assessment tools of google classroom are computer-based assessments. the concept mapping tools are also part of it. ict as a resource for professional development the professional development of the teachers is another important factor that can influence the teachinglearning environment in the classroom. professional development means the acquisition of skills for personal and career development. there are various courses such as in-service and pre-service courses, designed for the professional development of the teachers. ahmad & chopra (2015) emphasized that the teachers have to be fully equipped to integrate ict in their pedagogy. for this, they need extensive training on how to use ict in their tlp. the pandemic covid-19 also established the fact that teachers need a continuous professional development program on ict integration in tlp. the enhancement of ict especially, moocs provided the opportunity to design and develop tailor-made courses for career advancement. different institutions and organizations developed and are developing a large number of courses according to the needs of the learners. there are various platforms that provide these courses either free of cost or on nominal fees such as coursera, edx, udacity, ivercity, novoed, udemy, swayam, etc. the swayam is developed by the government of india, which provides a platform of learning for various courses of school education, graduation, postgraduation, professional education of different streams. besides this, the teachers can also use blogs, social sites, social bookmarking, podcasts and youtube to share ideas, opinions and understanding of any topic. final discussion the covid-19 shifted the whole education system online. this sudden shift created a lot of problems in front of the stakeholders of education i.e. teachers, students, parents and school administration. where it created a lot of problems, it also provided the solution to various problems. due to this online education, the tlp has been continuously moved on. but the use of technology in education gives us some lessons also, such as; indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 244 • no technology is a panacea for education most current, capable digital technology resources do not offer quick easy or universal solutions for educational problems. the digital technologies, materials and strategies are usually tools in a larger system and must be integrated carefully with other resources and with teaching activities. the pandemic covid-19 forced stakeholders of the education system to shift to digital technologies for continuing education. but the overuse of digital technologies can create more problems than the solution provided by it in education. judicious and realistic planning is necessary to harness the potential of digital technologies in education (roblayer, 2011). • teachers usually do not develop the teaching materials and curriculum teaching is one of the most time and labour-intensive jobs in society. generally, the teachers do not develop software or create complex technology-based teaching materials. most of the time the companies, personnel in funded projects at different levels develop the learning materials. this is one of the most crucial issues in the field of digital education. because those developers develop the learning materials by generalized needs. therefore, these learning materials fail to cater to the local needs. unless teachers are not involved in the field of material development, the local needs will always be left out. • technically possible but not equally desirable and feasible a popular saying is that today’s technology is yesterday’s science fiction. but science fiction also shows us that technology brings undesirable as well as desirable changes. for example, ict has allowed attending professional conferences online, rather than traveling to another location, but it is also correct that people continue to want to travel and meet face to face (roblayer,2011). human cloning is technologically possible but not acceptable in society. technology demands us to become a critical consumer of its power and capability and also decide which science fiction can become reality. • things change faster than teachers can keep up the resources and methodologies of teaching are changing continuously. technological development further accelerated this change. gone were those days-if, indeed, they ever existed, when a teacher could rely on the same handouts, homework, or lecture notes from year to year. it is very difficult to predict the new technological development in the field of education but it would be different from the present. that’s why, the teachers must anticipate and accept the inevitability of change and the need for continual investment of their time (roblayer, 2011). conclusion the development of ict technologies changes the teaching-learning environment. the teaching-learning process is now moving from traditional chalk and talks to an ict-enabled environment. the real change in classroom teaching will be visible when the teachers will be able to integrate the ict in every spare part of the tlp, indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 245 whether it is an objective formulation, contents selection and methodology of teaching or evaluation in the classroom. a good education depends upon the good teacher, in the same way, the effective integration of ict in the tlp depends upon the teachers with good ict skills. there are various ict resources especially, moocs which provide tailor-made courses for teachers’ professional development. besides this, blogs, digital bookmarking, simulation tools, podcasts, youtube, etc. provide the opportunity for the teachers to develop their professional skills related to a different field. thus, the teachers need to keep themselves upgraded with new ways of teaching. today is the age of videos and podcasts and children can easily learn through this interactive media and hence teachers of the current era need to keep up with the current technology (rani & surana, 2015). a good teacher needs to explore themselves and try innovative educational measures to teach children. references abdulai, i., b. & akaglo, e. (2020). proficiency of teachers in the use of ict in teaching social studies: a case of selected senior high schools in the amansie west district in the ashanti region of ghana. international journal of innovative research and advanced studies (ijiras),7(5), pp-218-226. retrieved from http://www.ijiras.com/2020/vol_7-issue_5/paper_33.pdf al-said, m., k. (2015). students’ perceptions of edmodo and mobile learning and their real barriers towards them. tojet: the turkish online journal of educational technology, 14(2), pp-167-180. bajpai, m. (2013). developing concept in physics through virtual lab experiment: an effectiveness study. nd techno learn: an international journal of educational technology, 3(1), pp43-50. bhattacharjee, b. and deb, k. (2016). role of ict in 21st century’s teacher education. international journal of education and information studies. 6(1), pp.1-6 cacheiro gonzález, m.l. (2011). ict resources for educational purposes. education in a technological world: communicating current and emerging research and technological efforts. (edt.) méndez-vilas. retrieved from http://www.formatex.org/ict/chapters.html dymoke s. and harrison, j. (2008). reflective teaching and learning. new delhi, sage publication india pvt. ltd. egyankosh.(n.d.) ict and assessment (unit-11). retrieved from http://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/46312/1/unit-11.pdf ekici d., i. (2017). the use of edmodo in creating an online learning community of practice for learning to teach science. mojes: malaysian online journal of educational sciences. 7(2), pp-91-106. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 246 garcía-valcárcel, a., basilotta, v. and lópez salamanca, c. (2012). ict in collaborative learning in the classrooms of primary and secondary education. comunicar, media education research journal, 42(21), pp-65-74. ghavifekr,s., kunjappan, t.,ramasamy, l. and anthony, a.(2016).teaching and learning with ict tools: issues and challenges from teachers’ perceptions. mojet: malaysian online journal of educational technology, 4(2), pp-38-57. https://lidtfoundations.pressbooks.com/chapter/edgar-dale-and-the-cone-of experience/ kumar j., a., bervell b., & osman s. (2020). google classroom: insights from malaysian higher education students’ and instructors’ experiences. education and information technologies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-020-10163-x. lee, s.j., & reeves, t.c. (2007). edger dale: a significant contributor to the field of education technology. education technology,47(6),56. mhrd (2012). national policy on information and communication technology (ict) in school education. retrieved from https://smartnet.niua.org/sites/default/ files/resources/revised_policy%20document%20ofict_0.pdf rani, s. & surana, a. (2015). teacher’s professional development through ict resources & gadgets. international journal of students research in technology & management, 3 (01), pp 234-240 roblyer, m. d. (2008). integrating educational technology in education (fourth edition). new delhi, pearson publication. singh a., krishna k.m., & jaiswal s. (2014). use of ict-based library resources and services and its impact on users: a case study of the university of allahabad. srels journal of information management, 51(2), pp93–98. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 48 introduction it is evident that students need guidance and help from their teachers and other sources in order to flourish in their academic lives. however, research studies show that there are a significant number of students in the classroom who feel hesitant to ask their teachers for guidance and support in certain areas. among different factors, the fear of being alienated from their academically successful peer groups is also one that causes hesitancy (karabenick, 2003; peeters et al., 2020; ryan & pintrich, 1997). sometimes, it leads them to be victims of an inferiority complex situation. this hesitation can hinder their learning performance and achievement, as they may struggle to effectively grasp the concepts being taught (baker, 2017). the rapid advancement of information and communication technology (ict) in the era of globalisation has opened up research article understanding post-graduate students’ online academic help-seeking behaviours in india sanjib malo phd student, department of education (cie), university of delhi email: smalo@cie.du.ac.in abstract in the post-covid-19 era, the internet has become an integral tool for academia, encompassing teachers, educational researchers, educationists, students, and parents. it is widely utilised to solve various problems, learn innovative concepts in different subjects, and expand knowledge in areas of interest. specifically, students at different educational levels frequently turn to the internet for assistance in understanding and improving their academic work. this behaviour aligns with the concept of online academic help-seeking, which is often described as a “self-regulating learning strategy” (newman, 1994). to investigate the online academic help-seeking behaviours of postgraduate students of central universities in india, this study aimed to understand how students seek online academic help to meet their academic needs, which online channels they use, how they utilise these channels to accomplish academic tasks, and whether any external factors influence their online academic help-seeking behaviours. adopting a qualitativeexploratory design, the study engaged 38 postgraduate students from diverse academic disciplines, selected through purposive sampling. data were collected via an online questionnaire comprising both closedand open-ended questions, and analysed using thematic analysis. the findings highlight that online academic help-seeking is a crucial learning strategy, enabling students to address academic challenges and enhance their subject understanding through varied online platforms, depending on their level of internet self-efficacy. however, external factors such as socioeconomic status and language barriers significantly impact students’ ability to seek online academic help. the study emphasises the need for educational institutions to address these challenges, ensuring equitable access to online academic resources and preventing any student from being excluded from the benefits of digital learning. keywords: online academic help-seeking, internet self-efficacy, external factors, postgraduate students, higher education in india indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 49 new possibilities and perspectives for individuals in various sectors (mäkitalosiegl et al., 2011). as a consequence, the internet has become a valuable tool for getting effective assistance and accomplishing tasks efficiently (comer, 2019). in recent times, it has played a significant role for everyone involved in academia, including teachers, educational researchers, educationists, students, and parents (mouratidis & papagiannakis, 2021). it serves as a platform to address a wide range of problems, explore innovative concepts in various subjects, and expand knowledge in areas of interest (comer, 2019). through the internet, students get access to a vast array of online learning resources, platforms, and communities that can provide the help and support they need (zimmerman, 1990). online channels such as educational websites, forums, virtual tutoring platforms, and social media networks allow them to seek assistance beyond the confines of the classroom (cheng & tsai, 2011). as a result, they can connect with experts, educators, and peers from diverse backgrounds and locations, expanding their perspectives and learning opportunities (comer, 2019). this behaviour is often described as a “self-regulating learning strategy” of the students (newman, 1994) that promotes independent problem-solving skills, and fosters a sense of autonomy in students’ academic pursuits (newman, 1994; zimmerman, 1990). it reflects the metacognition and regulation skills of the students (aleven et al., 2003; gonida et al., 2019) and provides an alternative approach for them to comprehend topics they may feel uncomfortable asking their teachers about in a traditional classroom setting. by actively engaging in the selfregulating learning strategy, students can independently seek clarification and support from a wide range of resources available on the internet (tseng & chai, 2011). numerous studies conducted globally have demonstrated a relationship between students’ online academic help-seeking behaviours and their internet self-efficacy, which refers to their belief in their ability to exert effort and complete tasks effectively online (cheng & tsai, 2011; ding & er, 2018). through online academic helpseeking, students can bridge knowledge gaps, gain new perspectives, and ultimately achieve better academic outcomes (tseng & chai, 2011). a study conducted by ding and er (2018) found that students with high internet selfefficacy are more likely to navigate online platforms, access appropriate sources of assistance, and effectively accomplish their academic tasks. by leveraging their internet self-efficacy, they can actively seek help and support online, tailoring their learning experiences to their specific needs (cheng & tsai, 2011). this empowerment enables them to become independent learners, develop critical thinking skills, and enhance their problem-solving abilities. hence, it is crucial for students to cultivate their internet self-efficacy and utilise online platforms effectively to maximise the benefits of online academic helpseeking in their learning journey (ding & er, 2018). at present, almost every higher education institution in the world has adopted the blended learning method to encourage learners to be self-regulated (fan & lin, 2022). influenced by this method, students have begun to take online help from different platforms to do well in their academic work (hao et al., 2017). it is to be mentioned that when there were no provisions for finding adequate quality academic materials in the library, learners faced a lot of problems understanding certain phenomena and matters related to their education, but now they are able to access a myriad of academic readings to be academically self-reliant. this indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 50 virtual assistance helps them develop their knowledge and understanding in a broader way in the era of globalisation to become competent in the global academic as well as economic arenas (ding & er, 2018). in a developing country like india, where 68.8 per cent of the total population, or 833 million people, lives in village areas (census of india, 2011), the influence of online learning among students pursuing higher education is very significant. they are now no longer only accustomed to reading printed texts but are going beyond them (naik et al., 2021). since this is an era of globalisation and advanced science and technology where there is no scarcity of quality learning materials over the internet, students seek online academic help using their internet self-efficacy from different channels to do their studies well (fan & lin, 2022). it helps them understand things better and become knowledgeable, productive, and self-reliant. literature review and research questions student help-seeking when a student asks his/her teacher for clarification about their classroom assignment, this is considered a kind of help-seeking behaviour (qayyum, 2018). help-seeking is a cognitive and metacognitive activity that entails a number of acts, such as recognizing the need for assistance, explicitly articulating the difficulties, and formulating inquiries to ask for help (doebling & kazerouni, 2021; newman, 2008). it is a very important component of self-regulated learning (gall, 1981). a student can seek both non-academic and academic help (qayyum, 2018). non-academic help implies seeking assistance in different fields other than academia, such as administration, personal life, career-building, technology, human relationships, etc. on the other hand, academic help refers to the assistance that students seek from their teachers, peer groups, and other academicians in the field of academia to enhance their learning experiences. academic help-seeking behaviours are crucial for students’ academic excellence, as they can access support through diverse online and offline channels. therefore, while defining the concept of academic help-seeking, qayyum (2018) opines that “it is one among many learning strategies students use to improve their learning, including studying more, organising one’s studying, note-taking, outlining notes and readings, reviewing, choosing engaging assignments, and managing expectations, including lowering aspirations” (p. 1). academic helpseeking is a key behaviour that can help both face-to-face and online students learn more effectively (qayyum, 2018). it is a process of being aware of the need for assistance, deciding that assistance is required, locating helpers, eliciting assistance, and assessing the assistance (aleven et al., 2003; cheng & tsai, 2011). there are a variety of factors that affect the decisions of students about their academic help-seeking behaviours, such as the learner’s motive (karabenick & knapp, 1991), the perception of menace to their self-esteem from aid resources (karabenick, 2003), and their faith in the resource’s utility (price et al., 2017). online academic help-seeking online academic help-seeking is described as the spontaneous request for assistance from others over the internet (cheng & tsai, 2011). it refers to getting help using internet resources such as search engines, emails, or online platforms like social network sites and different educational mobile applications with the goal of solving indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 51 academic challenges (hao, 2016). as a result, looking for online material for academic reasons has progressively emerged as a significant sort of helpseeking activity on the internet (fan & lin, 2022). when students effectively utilise their self-regulatory skills to select appropriate online academic resources, they can reap significant benefits, leading to an enhanced learning experience (doebling & kazerouni, 2021). researchers have looked into how the internet environment might assist learners in improving their aid-seeking tendencies (mäkitalo et al., 2011; puustinen et al., 2011). mäkitalo-siegl et al. (2011) discovered, for example, that the web-based learning environment had a favourable impact on learners’ help-seeking activities, particularly when there was a low degree of guidance on the teacher’s part. with regard to online academic help-seeking, cheng and tsai (2011) identified three types of student behaviours: (1) information searching (for example, surfing google or similar search engines for information to address academic issues); (2) formal query (for example, requesting support from teachers or tutors through email); and (3) informal query (for example, making virtual requests for academic assistance to peers or unknown academicians). nevertheless, accessing online academic support necessitates internet self-efficacy, as students require confidence in their ability to navigate and utilise digital resources effectively. without this proficiency, students may encounter difficulties in locating and leveraging suitable online academic help, potentially hindering their academic success. internet self-efficacy internet self-efficacy is commonly defined as a student’s confidence in his/ her ability or expected outcomes in an internet-based learning environment (tsai et al., 2011). students with a high level of internet self-efficacy performed better in online learning than those with a low level of internet self-efficacy (kuo et al., 2020). studies conducted earlier have found that students’ internet selfefficacy is directly tied to their prior internet experience (joo et al., 2000; wu & tsai, 2006). when students had a favourable experience in online settings—for example, experiencing constructive criticism or having a sense of success on the internet—they would possess higher levels of positive confidence and attitude towards utilising the internet (chu & tsai, 2009; wu & tsai, 2006). liang and tsai (2008) found a significant positive correlation between internet self-efficacy and students’ preferences for internet-based learning environments. specifically, their study revealed that students with higher levels of internet self-efficacy exhibited a stronger inclination towards exploratory learning, preferring to investigate information from diverse sources and engage in online inquirybased learning activities. the surge in online learning due to the covid-19 pandemic the rapid advancement of information and communication technologies has significantly transformed the landscape of teaching and learning. the covid-19 pandemic, which disrupted conventional face-to-face education, compelled thousands of higher education institutions worldwide to cease in-person operations and adopt online learning as a primary mode of instruction (abdelfattah et al., 2023; oraif & elyas, 2021). during this period, online education emerged as the most accessible format for higher education. students, educators, and researchers were required to swiftly transition to digital platforms, incorporating online courses, virtual classrooms, and electronic textbooks into their academic indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 52 routines. this shift demanded that educators exhibit readiness to embrace online learning as a viable alternative to traditional pedagogical methods. duffin’s (2023) research reveals that 65 per cent of surveyed educators expressed support for integrating open educational resources into their teaching practices, while 63 per cent advocated for competency-based education systems. the global health crisis has underscored the necessity for a transition from traditional teaching approaches—such as lectures, seminars, and laboratory work—toward online education. however, despite the apparent benefits, the adoption of online learning has not been without challenges. in the context of india, the implementation of online learning is significantly influenced by socioeconomic disparities. research by goswami et al. (2021) highlights the difficulties faced by socially and economically marginalised groups— such as scheduled castes (sc), scheduled tribes (st), other backward classes (obc), women, and students from rural areas—during the shift to online education. key barriers include the high cost of high-speed internet, inadequate digital infrastructure, and poor connectivity (goswami et al., 2021; ministry of human resource development, 2020). malo (2021) corroborates these findings, emphasising the disproportionate challenges faced by marginalised students in accessing online education. additionally, vashistha et al. (2024) report that students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds often lack the necessary experience to effectively use digital devices, further hampering their educational outcomes. despite these challenges, many students pursuing higher education in india continue to leverage online resources to enhance their academic performance. however, in this context, there is a dearth of qualitative research exploring how students actively engage with online platforms to improve productivity in their educational pursuits. recognizing this gap, the present study aims to investigate this underexplored dimension of online learning within the indian context. research questions the research questions guiding this study were: how do students pursuing higher education in india seek online academic help to meet their academic needs? what types of ‘online channels’ (cheng & tsai, 2011)—such as e-tutor systems, social networking sites, and other platforms—do they utilise for this purpose? how do they leverage these channels to complete their academic tasks? additionally, are their online academic help-seeking behaviours influenced by external factors? these questions have been explored through a flexible approach in this research. referring to the categorization of online academic help-seeking behaviours proposed by cheng and tsai (2011), this study has aimed to understand india’s central university’s postgraduate students’ online academic help-seeking behaviours. the central universities, also known as public universities, are under the responsibility of the ministry of human resource development (now known as the ministry of education), union government of india. it was established by an act of parliament (ministry of human resource development, government of india, 2012). here, students from different parts of the country come to study, irrespective of caste, religion, gender, or economic condition. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 53 methodology research design the study adopted a qualitativeexploratory design to gain a comprehensive understanding of the online academic help-seeking behaviours of postgraduate students at a central university in india. exploratory research requires a qualitative approach to understanding phenomena (denscombe, 2003), as it provides indepth insights, flexibility, and a focus on participants’ context and experiences. this approach enables the exploration of underlying reasons and dynamics, contributing to future research and theory development. participants sample background and selection: the study included a total of 38 postgraduate students as participants. the selection of participants was carried out among diverse academic disciplines within different central universities in india, chosen through a purposive sampling technique. gender distribution: among the participants, 21 were male and 17 were female. this distribution indicates a slight imbalance towards male participants, with males comprising approximately 55.26 per cent of the sample, while females constituted approximately 44.74 per cent. age range: the participants’ ages ranged from 20 to 25 years, corresponding to young adulthood. this stage is considered a critical university developmental age, characterised by developmental tasks focused on experiencing and managing independence and autonomy (alesi et table-1: background of the participants category sub-category number of participants (n) percentage (%) total participants 38 100 academic discipline science 11 28.95 arts 24 63.16 commerce 3 7.90 socioeconomic background middle class 25 65.79 lower middle class 13 34.21 geographical location of participants delhi 15 39.47 uttar pradesh 3 7.89 west bengal 4 10.53 bihar 6 15.79 maharashtra 1 2.63 assam 8 21.05 arunachal pradesh 1 2.63 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 54 al., 2023). this age range was chosen to ensure that the participants were in a similar phase of life, primarily focused on their postgraduate studies. by limiting the age range, the study aimed to minimise potential variations due to significant age-related factors. internet usage habits: a significant majority of respondents (74 per cent) reported spending more than 21 hours per week on internet usage, while the remaining proportion (26 per cent) allocated less than 21 hour weekly to online activities. data collection tools and procedure to address the research questions, an online questionnaire was developed to gather pertinent data. the questionnaire comprised a mix of closedand open-ended items. the closed-ended questions elicited demographic information, including gender, age, academic discipline, geographical location, socioeconomic status, and internet usage patterns, thereby providing a comprehensive participant profile. conversely, the open-ended questions were designed to facilitate in-depth, qualitative responses, enabling participants to express their thoughts, opinions, and experiences regarding online academic help-seeking behaviours, uninhibited by predetermined response categories. this dual approach yielded a rich dataset, combining quantitative and qualitative insights for analysis. to facilitate the data collection process, a digital platform was employed, which is a google form. participants were provided with a unique link to the google form, which they could access through their internet browser on any device, such as laptops, smartphones, or tablets. upon opening the link, participants were presented with the questionnaire, where they could read each question and provide their responses in the provided text boxes. this ensured that participants could complete the questionnaire at their own convenience and from any location with internet access. once participants completed and submitted the form, their responses were automatically received by the researcher. the data collection period spanned nearly four months, allowing participants sufficient time to respond to the questionnaire. the extended duration ensured that a diverse range of participants could contribute their insights and experiences, potentially enhancing the representativeness of the sample and enriching the data collected. data analysis this study is grounded in cheng and tsai’s (2011) categorization of online academic help-seeking behaviours, which served as the foundation for coding the collected data. however, while coding the data, a few additional themes emerged that extended beyond cheng and tsai’s framework, including the impact of socioeconomic factors on digital access and the influence of language on online academic helpseeking. the participants provided responses in either english or assamese. grammatical errors in english responses were corrected, while assamese responses were translated into english. to capture these nuances, the researcher employed thematic analysis (aronson, 1994), a qualitative research method suited for identifying, analysing, and reporting patterns and themes within data (javadi & zarea, 2016). this analysis method helped uncover meaningful insights and understand underlying themes or patterns that emerge from participant responses (braun & clarke, 2012). it also allowed to integrate both a priori codes (based on cheng and tsai’s indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 55 (2011) categorization) and emergent themes, providing a comprehensive understanding of students’ online academic help-seeking behaviours. findings and discussion the present generation is living in an era of advanced science and technology. individuals, from students to teachers, academicians to scientists, businessmen to entrepreneurs, all take advantage of information and communication technology (ict) to get their stuff done effectively (player-koro, 2012; sarkar, 2012; uluyol & şahin, 2014). in this process, the internet—a worldwide system of computer networks—plays a pivotal role, without which it is very difficult to survive in this era (comer, 2019). the internet helps us get things done quickly and very effectively with ease, be it academic, personal, social, economic, or business-related issues, etc. (castells, 2001). this section analyses how and why postgraduate students in india use the internet for online learning, specifically examining their online academic help-seeking behaviours under various themes. information searching information searching is the first category of online academic helpseeking behaviours of a student as classified by cheng and tsai (2011). the data that came out of the study paints a great picture of how the students pursuing their postgraduate courses in different subjects at the central universities in india took to the internet to search for information on certain topics to get their doubts clarified and develop their understanding (bailey & lee, 2020; metzger, 2003; tanveer et al., 2020). a few of their responses in this regard are depicted below, giving them pseudonyms. respondent: anand “i use google most of the time to seek information on different subjects. for example, if i need to know about a certain topic that is not clearly given in the book to which i am referring in my course, i type the keywords in the search engine of google and get reading materials there. it helps me a lot to clear up my doubts and improve my understanding of the topic.” respondent: rohit “sometimes we do not find some information appropriately in books, and for this we have to rely on other sources. to fill this gap, i take help from the internet. most likely, i use google, youtube, and google scholar to find the needed information. it saves my time and energy. a student like me greatly benefits from this process.” respondent: chahana “when i encounter difficulties downloading articles from google scholar, i rely on our university’s e-library system to access necessary reading materials. the e-library has subscriptions to numerous international publishers and journal databases. if i still face challenges, i supplement my searches using alternative platforms: libgen, anna’s archive, z-library, proquest, duckduckgo, and sci-hub.” respondent: upasana “i take help from youtube videos to understand the topics of my syllabus that seem difficult to me to understand by reading. on youtube, you are able to find a indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 56 lot of academic videos on almost all topics that you want to learn about. it is the best platform for me to understand anything, be it academic or current issues, etc.” respondent: anupam “when i need to learn about a specific topic, i instantly turn to chatgpt. it provides a comprehensive overview, allowing me to grasp the essence instantly. chatgpt has been invaluable in clarifying various concepts. additionally, i utilise chatgpt to refine my sentence structures for academic writing, which significantly enhances the standard of my language.” respondent: dhiraj “alongside chatgpt, i also utilise meta ai and gemini for my studies. these platforms prove helpful, but i regularly verify the authenticity of the data they provide, as they occasionally supply inaccurate information.” the platforms (search engines and online resources) used by the participants (students) of the study include widely known ones such as google, google scholar, and youtube, as well as specific resources like the e-library of the university, chatgpt, meta ai, gemini, e-journals, library genesis, anna’s archive, z-library, proquest, duckduckgo, and sci-hub. these platforms cater to the specific academic needs of the students, including providing access to scholarly journals, research papers, books, and other resources (cheng & tsai, 2011). they offer participants the opportunity to delve deeper into their subjects and obtain critical understanding through reliable and comprehensive materials (culduz, 2024; simamora et al., 2020). although ai chatbots like chatgpt, meta ai, and gemini offer valuable insights, their limitations necessitate careful evaluation (schei et al., 2024). students must critically assess and verify information through multiple sources to avoid potential pitfalls, such as outdated data or biased perspectives, ensuring academic integrity and reliability (annuš, 2024; dwivedi et al., 2023). when asked about the availability of study materials on the internet, most participants stated that western academic books and articles are easily accessible online. however, they noted that the same may not be true for indian academic resources. in this regard, two participants’ responses are given below. respondent: amir “on the internet, you can find as many books as you want freely, but most of them are written by foreign authors and published abroad.” respondent: preeti “it’s really difficult to download books freely from the internet that are published by indian authors in our country. to clarify my confusion regarding certain topics, therefore, i go through western writers’ books. they are easily available on google.” when selecting online reading resources, participants consider two key aspects: surface-level factors such as title, abstract, and writing style, and credibility indicators like peer-reviewed sources from renowned publishers (e.g., sage, taylor & francis, springer) and indexing in databases like scopus, web of science, or ugc-care. however, some participants expressed concerns about the authenticity of freely available online resources, questioning their reliability without proper in-text citations and peer review (kankam et al., 2024; tang et al., 2021). therefore, indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 57 they emphasise the importance of verification, highlighting the need for critical evaluation of online information to ensure academic integrity. their responses are cited below. respondent: ashish “when i need in-depth information on a specific topic, i prefer reading relevant articles. to determine relevance, i review the article’s abstract to assess its alignment with my academic needs. if the abstract meets my requirements, i proceed to read the article; otherwise, i discard it. i particularly value articles available online that include proper citations, as this ensures the authenticity and credibility of the information.” respondent: sanjana “i prefer research journals from renowned publishers like sage, taylor & francis, and springer for my academic purposes, particularly those indexed in databases such as scopus, web of science, or ugc-care.” while most participants reported not facing difficulties in finding information online, a few mentioned encountering challenges. in this case, one of the participants, tina, reveals, “most of the time, i face difficulty getting access to authentic and quality reading materials. because of this, i get unmotivated to study.” according to kuo et al. (2020), students’ low internet self-efficacy could be the cause of this difficulty. to overcome these challenges, they need guidance from peers or teachers in the classroom on how to find authentic learning materials on the internet (ong & quek, 2023). formal query according to cheng and tsai (2011), formal query is the second category of a student’s online academic helpseeking behaviours. this category refers to students seeking support and clarification from their teachers or e-tutors through virtual multi-media platforms (cheng et al., 2013; lee et al., 2014; liu, 2017; martín-arbós et al., 2021). the communication between the student and the teacher in this context is considered formal (martín-arbós et al., 2021). in the study, participants were presented with a questionnaire that focused on the concept of “formal query” as proposed by cheng and tsai (2011). the collected data revealed that most of the students do seek help from their teachers and e-tutors to enhance their understanding of specific topics. when faced with challenges in finding authentic and relevant materials for their subjects, students turn to their teachers for assistance, and the teachers provide them with the necessary support (doebling & kazerouni, 2021). from this perspective, the participants responded, respondent: rakesh “sometimes when i don’t find appropriate materials on the internet, i ask the subject teacher to provide us with the readings. he/she shares them through email or whatsapp.” respondent: vivek “whenever i have some doubts or queries regarding certain topics, i send texts on my e-teacher’s whatsapp or mail him on the same, seeking support. he or she then shares quality materials over there. it is really very helpful.” indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 58 in this study, it was found that participants predominantly utilise platforms such as whatsapp and email to seek virtual assistance from their teachers. whatsapp, in particular, provides an instant messaging platform that allows for quick and both synchronous and asynchronous communication, enabling students to receive timely responses and support from their teachers (bouhnik & deshen, 2014; reeves et al., 2019). these communication tools offer convenient and direct channels for students to reach out to their teachers, ask questions, and seek clarifications regarding specific subject matters (bouhnik & deshen, 2014; cheng & tsai, 2011; reeves et al., 2019; sharma et al., 2011). this interaction fosters a supportive learning environment where teachers act as mentors and facilitators, helping students receive timely responses, even when mentors may not be available for immediate face-to-face interaction. it saves time and allows students to make progress on their projects without significant delays. few participants mentioned that in cases where a larger group of students faces challenges understanding a particular subject, virtual audio-visual meeting applications like google meet and zoom are commonly employed by teachers. in this regard, one of the study’s participants, shruti, says, “when we have difficulty understanding certain contents of the syllabus, we ask our teachers to take a class on the same. sometimes, they take classes in virtual mode using google meet or zoom.” platforms like google meet and zoom offer features such as video conferencing, screen sharing, and realtime interaction that facilitate effective communication and collaboration between teachers and students (adenegan & abiodun, 2018; wiyono et al., 2021). by leveraging these applications, teachers can conduct virtual classes, hold discussions, and provide explanations in a more interactive and engaging manner. this form of virtual communication facilitates direct and personalised support, enabling mentors to address specific challenges or provide suggestions for improvement (wiyono et al., 2021). this promotes a sense of inclusivity and allows students to actively participate in the learning process (nuraziza et al., 2021). therefore, it can be anticipated that the use of virtual audio-visual meeting applications not only aids in addressing group difficulties but also helps in establishing a friendly rapport between students and teachers. furthermore, some participants mentioned that when working on projects or dissertations, they often discuss any issues or challenges they encounter with their mentors through virtual means like whatsapp, email, or audio-visual meeting applications. one of the participants, satish, responded, “i remember that when i was doing my dissertation work, several times i took guidance from my mentor through email to appropriately analyse the collected data. you can’t meet your mentor every day due to his engagement at various works and in this case, online channels like email or whatsapp play a significant role.” these platforms provide convenient and efficient channels for students to communicate with their mentors and receive timely guidance and support (adenegan & abiodun, 2018; bouhnik & deshen, 2014; reeves et al., 2019; wiyono et al., 2021). by utilising virtual means of communication, students can benefit from the expertise and guidance of their mentors without the constraints of physical proximity (sofiindian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 59 karim et al., 2022). they can maintain a continuous flow of communication, seek clarifications, and receive valuable input throughout the project or dissertation process. this virtual engagement fosters a collaborative and supportive relationship between students and mentors, ensuring that students receive the necessary guidance to excel in their academic work (ratten, 2023). informal query it is interesting to note that according to cheng and tsai (2011), informal queries are identified as the third category of online academic help-seeking behaviours. this category refers to students seeking virtual assistance from their peers or unknown academicians to accomplish their academic tasks in a convenient manner. the data collected through the questionnaire revealed that a significant portion of participants, approximately 82 per cent, engaged in seeking virtual help from their peers or unknown academicians through various online channels. they mentioned several online channels that they commonly use for informal queries, such as email, facebook, linkedin, whatsapp, researchgate, academia, unacademy, and byju’s, among others. they utilise these platforms to connect with subject specialists, authors, and academicians worldwide (gao, 2022; lee et al., 2023) . some participants expressed that they rely on a few of these channels to obtain high-quality research articles that are not freely available on the internet, expanding their access to diverse knowledge sources. in this perspective, aditi utters, “when i am not able to download an essential article for free on the internet, i send a request to its original author on researchgate to share it with me. this way, i collect the articles that i want to read for my academic benefits.” the data revealed that participants found value in engaging with global academics through informal queries. a similar finding was also reported in the study conducted by green (2018). these interactions provided them with insights into the education systems of different countries and valuable information about admission procedures for traditional and professional higher education courses. one of the respondents, riya, says, “for my further studies, i am these days having interaction with different professors around the globe with the help of my linkedin account. they show cooperation regarding various aspects of academia. at first, i didn’t have any idea how to get admission to a foreign university with a scholarship, but thanks to the linkedin platform, i now have some basic ideas regarding the same. it has helped me a lot.” this aspect underscores the significance of connecting learners and teachers from around the world, as it fosters social harmony and contributes to the holistic development of individuals. by interacting with academics from diverse backgrounds and geographical locations, participants gain a broader perspective on various education systems (zalli, 2024). they can learn about the unique features, approaches, and practices employed in the educational institutions of different countries. this exposure to diverse educational systems enhances participants’ understanding of global perspectives and promotes a more inclusive and comprehensive outlook on education. additionally, participants acquire information about the admission procedures for traditional and professional higher education courses in different countries. this knowledge can be particularly valuable for those considering pursuing further indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 60 studies abroad or seeking insights into alternative educational pathways. engaging with global academics allows participants to gather firsthand information and advice, helping them make more informed decisions regarding their academic pursuits and future career paths (fabriz et al., 2021). participants in the study expressed a strong interest in discussing academic matters with peers from different locations, highlighting the positive impact of such interactions. engaging in discussions with peers from diverse backgrounds was seen as a valuable opportunity to enhance their understanding of various subjects and academic topics. one of the participants, ashish, responds, “i come across different research scholars on platforms like linkedin, academia, researchgate, and facebook, with whom i can discuss various academic issues. sometimes, we can collaborate on research papers to get them published in reputed journals.” another respondent, aditya, elicits, “i use email and whatsapp most of the time to convey my basic academic doubts to my research supervisor so that i can get clarification within a short span of time.” interacting with peers from different locations brings together different perspectives, experiences, and knowledge. participants find that engaging in discussions with peers from diverse backgrounds provides them with new insights, alternative viewpoints, and unique approaches to understanding and tackling academic challenges (bjøntegaard, 2015; virkkula, 2016). these interactions broaden their understanding of various subjects, expose them to different methodologies and perspectives, and enrich their overall learning experience. furthermore, participants emphasise that collaborative work on projects and research papers can be facilitated through these interactions. working together with peers from different spaces enables them to pool their diverse expertise and resources, leading to more comprehensive and well-rounded outcomes. by combining their knowledge, skills, and perspectives, participants are able to approach academic tasks from multiple angles and produce more robust and innovative work. collaborating with peers from different locations also fosters valuable cross-cultural exchanges and interpersonal skills that help them learn each other’s cultural backgrounds, communication styles, and collaborative practices (sahadevan & sumangala, 2021). these interactions enhanced their ability to work effectively in diverse teams, appreciate different perspectives, and develop intercultural competence. impact of socioeconomic factors on digital access socioeconomic factors significantly influence students’ digital access (alajeely et al., 2023; zdravkov, 2024). specifically, income level, educational background, geographic location, and family structure and resources impact affordability, availability, and proficiency in utilising digital technologies (joshi et al., 2024). this study revealed that most students from lower-middle-class backgrounds face a digital divide due to their households’ low income and poor internet connectivity, both at home and in institutions. this limitation hinders their online learning opportunities, digital literacy development, and ultimately, academic performance, perpetuating unequal educational outcomes (afzal et al., 2023). the findings underscore the need for targeted interventions. the following responses from respondents indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 61 illustrate this concern: respondent: dilip “i don’t have a laptop for my academic pursuits. financial hurdles create numerous challenges in accessing quality education.” respondent: bidisha “i live in a remote village with poor internet connectivity, making it challenging for me to utilise virtual platforms like youtube, google meet, and zoom, which hampers my online learning.” studies conducted by korkmaz et al. (2022) and muthuprasad (2021) have also reported similar findings, highlighting the need to bridge the digital divide. to achieve this, essential measures such as affordable digital infrastructure, digital literacy programs, accessible educational resources, and community-based initiatives must be ensured. educational institutions should also play a vital role in this context by providing high-speed internet on campus and adequate computers with subscriptions to renowned publishers and databases (ministry of human resource development, 2020; simamora et al., 2020). research has shown that institutions offering these amenities significantly enhance students’ academic performance (simamora et al., 2020). by addressing socioeconomic disparities and promoting equitable digital access, educators and policymakers can foster an inclusive and supportive learning environment for all students. influence of language on online academic help-seeking language plays an indispensable role in students’ academic success (met, 2008). proficiency in language significantly affects students’ ability to articulate their needs, comprehend online content, and engage with digital learning materials (ramadan elbaioumi shaddad & jember, 2024). students whose home language differs from the dominant language of online educational resources may encounter significant obstacles in seeking online academic help. these obstacles can lead to misunderstandings, misinterpretations, or incomplete comprehension of academic instructions. this study’s findings support this notion, as reflected in the responses of several participants: respondent: pranjit “having studied in a vernacular medium until graduation, i now face difficulties adjusting to english-language academic materials. choosing the right reading materials is challenging, and i often struggle to express myself in english. academic english proves especially daunting.” respondent: suchita “i face difficulties seeking online academic help due to my limited knowledge of english vocabulary. if reading materials were available in the vernacular medium, i would have benefited immensely.” the excerpts demonstrate that language limitations can deter students from seeking online help, potentially jeopardising their academic success. the national education policy 2020 recommends placing special focus on making content available in all indian languages, ensuring that digital resources reach teachers and students in their respective mediums of instruction whenever possible (ministry of human resource development, 2020). research suggests that students from linguistically diverse backgrounds can benefit significantly from: indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 62 multilingual online resources, culturally sensitive support services, and language-specific academic guidance (kroll & dussias, 2018). in this regard, teachers, therefore, should receive rigorous training in learner-centric pedagogy and in developing high-quality online content using teaching platforms and tools. the teacher’s role should be highly emphasised in facilitating active student engagement with both the content and their peers (ministry of human resource development, 2020). implications for higher education the study focuses on the online academic help-seeking behaviours of postgraduate students at india’s central university. the findings suggest that online academic help-seeking is considered a “self-regulating learning strategy” (newman, 1994), which implies that students actively take initiative in seeking assistance to support their learning process. the study highlights the significance of various online channels that students use for helpseeking purposes. these channels are reported to play a crucial role in students’ help-seeking behaviours, indicating their importance as valuable resources for academic support (cheng & tsai, 2011). given the study’s findings, higher education institutions can take steps to support and encourage students’ use of various online channels for academic help-seeking. they should stay updated with the evolving technological landscape and continually assess the effectiveness and appropriateness of the recommended online channels for academic support. the higher educational institutions can consider implementing strategies to scaffold and foster students’ engagement with these platforms outside the traditional classroom setting so that students gain a better understanding of their academic subjects (qayyum, 2018). for example, while search engines and online platforms offer quick and convenient access to information, the higher education institutions can help students develop effective search strategies by supporting their digital literacy. this may include using appropriate keywords, understanding search algorithms, and employing advanced search techniques to locate relevant and reliable sources. students should also be encouraged by their educational institutions to critically evaluate the information they find and ensure its credibility and relevance to their studies. students who struggle with english should be made aware of alternative ways to access reading materials in their vernacular medium. in this regard, institutions can prioritise developing content in all indian languages to ensure accessibility in students’ mediums of instruction. additionally, teachers should receive rigorous training in learner-centric pedagogy and the creation of high-quality online content using teaching platforms (ministry of human resource development, 2020). conclusion and future work the study highlights the importance of online academic assistance as a learning strategy for students. it emphasises that students, based on their internet self-efficacy, employ a variety of online channels to seek help and address their academic concerns. this process not only aids in better understanding the subject matter but also facilitates knowledge expansion. additionally, it fosters a sense of social harmony among learners and teachers, contributing to overall personality development. however, this study acknowledges certain limitations, particularly as digital alternatives continue to expand. the primary aim of this qualitative study indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 63 references abdelfattah, f., alawi, a. m. a., dahleez, k. a., & saleh, a. e. 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(1990). self-regulated learning and academic achievement: an overview. educational psychologist, 25(1), 3–17.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/s15326985ep2501_2 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 367 review article management on the silver screen: transforming learning through cinema kalpana kataria associate professor, delhi university, bharati college, janak puri, delhi abstract the present article aims to explore the existing literature available on the use of movies as a pedagogy to teach management in higher education, along with the discussion on the advantages and barriers to the use of movies as pedagogy for management education and also suggesting the scope use of movies to teach management in the indian context. the literature review underscores the importance of research literature in identifying gaps and justifying investigations. to ensure quality, only peer-reviewed works from scopus (2013-2024) were considered, resulting in 820 articles. ten papers, meeting specific criteria and focusing on movies, pedagogy, teaching, management, and higher education, were ultimately selected for review. the inclusion criteria involved articles published exclusively in peer-reviewed journals and those written in english. the study reveals enhanced learning effectiveness with the use of movies as a teaching tool over traditional ones. current-generation students exhibited heightened engagement and enjoyment with this way of learning. the study advocates for educators to use movies as a pedagogical tool for more interactive, experiential classrooms to leverage the benefits of this tool effectively. however, the study focuses solely on teaching a management course. this study is limited to the revisiting of existing literature concerning the use of movies as a pedagogical tool to teach management only from scopus and google scholar. there are many other databases that can provide more insight into the context of novel dimensions applicable to the use of movies to teach management and other courses effectively in india. movies as a pedagogical tool in higher education for management provide practical benefits, enhancing engagement, catering to diverse learning styles, and fostering cultural sensitivity. they bridge theory and application, promote critical thinking, and facilitate discussions on ethics, offering flexibility and cost-effectiveness. movies as a pedagogical tool in higher education for management studies offer benefits such as enhanced engagement, accessibility, and diverse perspectives. however, challenges include stereotyping, misrepresentation, and a potential compromise in academic rigour, raising concerns about the limited realworld application and the interpretative nature of movies. this study navigates a literary quandary, championing roleplays’ educational efficacy yet acknowledging their waning relevance amid technological exposure. uniquely, it delves into fostering increased student engagement, distinguishing itself through a focus on enhancing classroom participation. keywords: cinema, movies, films, management, teaching, pedagogy and higher education introduction in the contemporary landscape, higher education’s role in management education is paramount, moulding future leaders for the dynamic global business scene. beyond traditional disciplines, specialized programs offer multifaceted insights into organizational dynamics, strategic thinking, and leadership. real-world indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 368 case studies, industry interactions, and practical experiences foster a holistic learning environment. the integration of emerging technologies and sustainability addresses modern organizational challenges. management education emphasizes soft skills, critical thinking, and effective communication, recognizing interpersonal dynamics’ significance. interdisciplinary approaches blur traditional discipline boundaries, preparing students for a multicultural business world. technology integration, including online platforms and data analytics, revolutionizes learning, reflecting the evolving workplace. as the business landscape transforms, management education remains pivotal in nurturing innovative, socially responsible leaders. in today’s world, management education is taking on a more interdisciplinary approach. the lines between fields like “finance”, “marketing” and “human resources” are blurring as institutions focus on developing well-rounded individuals who can handle a wide range of challenges. collaborative projects, teamwork and exposure to global perspectives are key elements helping students prepare for an increasingly multicultural and interconnected business environment. technology is also playing a major role in transforming management education. online platforms, simulations and data analytics are now essential tools, offering students more interactive and immersive learning experiences. this digital shift not only makes education more accessible but also reflects the changing nature of the workplace. in summary, management education today is dynamic and evolving. it goes beyond just teaching theory; it emphasizes practical skills, ethics, and adaptability. as the business world continues to change, management education is essential in shaping capable, innovative and socially responsible leaders ready to face future challenges. the genesis of management education in india the dawn of management education in post-independence india emerged in the 1950s and 1960s, driven by the need for skilled professionals to manage growing industries. the indian government initiated the establishment of institutes, notably the indian institutes of management (iims) from 1961 onwards in calcutta, ahmedabad, and bangalore. these institutions aimed to provide quality management education, contributing to economic progress. the curriculum evolved to address changing business dynamics, incorporating specialization in finance, marketing, human resources, and technology. today, india’s management education is diverse, with numerous business schools offering programs at various levels, fostering skilled professionals and contributing significantly to research and knowledge in the field. this development reflects a proactive response to economic challenges, laying the groundwork for india’s emergence as a global economic performer. pedagogy pedagogy is both an art and a science, guiding the way we teach and learn. it shapes the entire educational processfrom organizing lessons to selecting the best teaching strategies and developing a deeper conceptual framework for learning. at its core, pedagogy uses a variety of tools and methods to foster learning and shape a person’s cultural and intellectual foundation (semenovich, a., & t, 2022). effective pedagogical practices do more than teach; they inspire curiosity, support knowledge acquisition and encourage both intellectual and personal growth. from signature teaching methods indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 369 and active learning techniques to competency-based curricula, educators tailor their approaches to meet the diverse desires of all students including those with special learning requirements (mahyatun & suryadi, 2022; sabbagh, august 2022). moreover, socially just pedagogies aim to empower and liberate students, particularly those from marginalized or disadvantaged communities. in essence, pedagogy is a rich, multidimensional field that integrates theories, principles and practices to create meaningful and impactful learning experiences for all. the power of cinema: transforming education through film using moviesa blend of moving images, dialogue, and sound effects has become an increasingly popular and effective tool for engaging students across a wide range of subjects in today’s educational landscape ( arora poonam & yadav, 2022; tedoradze, 2022). as a visual medium, films have a unique ability to captivate student’s attention enriching the learning experience and making it more personalized (kebaya & mokaya, 2023; sugesh & calaivanane, 2023). by offering a sensory-rich experience, movies cater to different types of learners, enhancing both comprehension and retention (kebaya & mokaya, 2023). movies engage multiple senses through their visual and auditory elements, making it easier for students to absorb and remember information ( arora poonam & yadav, 2022; tedoradze, 2022). they also simplify complex concepts by presenting them in a more relatable and accessible way, enabling learners to make stronger connections with the material (kebaya & mokaya, 2023). additionally, films promote critical thinking by encouraging students to analyze and interpret visuals cues and narratives, deepening their engagement and understanding (kebaya & mokaya, 2023). by incorporating movies into education, teachers can create an energetic and collaborative environment that fosters vigorous participation and deeper learning. compared to traditional teaching methods, films offer a multisensory experience appealing to auditory-visual learners as well as those who thrive on multimodal learning. however, using movies in education does come with challenges. integrating entertainment with learning can be tricky, even though it improves language and social skills (sugesh & calaivanane, 2023). additionally, the trend toward shorter audiovisual materials due to modern technology may undermine the full benefits of films (ljujić & miljković, 2022; parker, 2009). the success of using movies in the classroom also depends on proper guidance from instructors (besek & pandey, 2023). furthermore, with students already surrounded by technology, they may become easily distracted, reducing the effectiveness of movies as an educational tool (besek & pandey, 2023). objectives of the study this article seeks (i) to delve into the current literature surrounding the use of movies as an educational tool, (ii) to examine the benefits and drawbacks of employing indian movies as a pedagogical approach to management education, and (iii) to propose avenues for integrating movies into management teaching specifically within the indian context. methodology a literature review plays an essential role in research as it helps researchers familiarize themselves with prior studies, identify gaps in knowledge and justify the need for further exploration. to uphold the integrity of this research, only peer-reviewed articles from reputable scholarly journals were considered. the data for this study was sourced from indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 370 scopus, the leading database for social sciences, covering more than a decade of insight from 2013-2024. the search was specifically confined to keywords, titles and abstracts, resulting in a total of 820 articles. the search terms were embedded within these elements, ensuring relevance to the gathered publications. keywords such as “movies,” “cinema,” “films,” “pedagogy,” “teaching,” “management,” and “higher education” were specified to narrow the focus. ultimately, 10 articles were chosen for in-depth analysis. to refine the literature further, specific filters were applied: only articles published in peer-reviewed journals were included, and only those written in english were considered. this methodical approach ensured that the review highlighted the most pertinent literature in the field. findings movies play a transformative role in education by fostering comprehension, critical thinking and cultural awareness (kebaya & mokaya, 2023; sugesh & calaivanane, 2023). this approach encourages students to critically reflect on what defines a successful career, both for themselves and others, throughout the course of their professional lives (tosti-kharas & levinson, 2024). they offer a visually captivating way to convey historical concepts, support language learning and cultivate social skills (jalmav & subekti, 2022; ipek, 2022; aravopoulou, stone, & weinzierl, 2017; kataria & kumar, 2024). by integrating films into the curriculum, educators enrich learning experiences, bridging the gap between theory and real-world applications (kankal, patra, & panda, 2023) while also catering to diverse learning styles and encouraging active participation. innovative pedagogy in management education involves leveraging films as a powerful teaching resource to enhance student engagement and understanding (kankal, patra, & panda, 2023). the use of movies in pedagogy can be categorized into three paradigms: “teaching level,” “teacher-student interaction and “student learning” (suresh & kolluru, 2022). these frameworks aim to alleviate educator’s anxieties and foster a more conducive learning environment for students (aravopoulou, stone, & weinzierl, 2017). however, the integration of films in management education remains underutilized, often due to a fragmented approach where individual lecturers bear responsibility for quality and content. to address this issue, an integrated teaching approach such as the “integrative and interactive approach”, which combines design thinking with analytical reasoning is essential (lee & lo, 2014; carr, montano, titera, & hyman , 2024). research indicates that repeated exposure to examples from films can enhance student’s deductive reasoning when grasping management concepts. similarly, guidelines for theory construction and reflective question can boost inductive reasoning skills (lee & lo, 2014). educators are encouraged to adopt unconventional methods that promote academic success and foster positive attitudes in their students (suresh & kolluru, 2022). feature films have become popular tools for illustrating various topics and concepts in management education, offering not only entertainment but also motivation. yet, the potential of movies extends far beyond these functions. they can serve as theory-rich narratives that deepen student’s understanding of complex management issues (huczynski & buchanan, 2006; mathews, fornaciari, & rubens, 2012). over time, films can influence emotional responses, perceptions and even personal lives, making them valuable for teaching leadership skills and management principles (pasek, 2008). when selecting films, educators should consider contextual self-theory, taking into indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 371 account factors such as student’s age and cultural backgrounds (ilander, 2010). while the use of movies to teach entrepreneurship has been explored, it presents a unique opportunity (huczynski & buchanan, 2004). analyzing film narratives can provide fresh insights into organizational processes and dynamics, enriching the field of management education. a comparative study demonstrated that students who engaged in the innovative learning experience of watching accounting-related films and taking tests based on them achieved higher exam scores than their peers who did not participate. this highlights a significant positive impact on final exam performance (merello, barberá, porcuna-enguix, porcuna-enguix, & zorio-grima, 2023). the study involved 25 students and incorporated four films allowing learners to explore various idioms and improve their listening and speaking skills (tedoradze, 2022). students found the movie-based approach engaging and beneficial for enhancing their language and social skills, expressing highly positive attitudes toward it (sugesh & calaivanane, 2023; kataria & kumar, 2024). the study utilized a qualitative research design, employing open-ended questions with 38 english as foreign language teacher candidates selected through convenience sampling in a fouryear elt program. thematic analysis revealed key themes and patterns in their responses (ipek, 2022). teaching english through films proved effective in creating exposure and providing the right context for language use. movies help students connect language with real-life situations, a connection often lacking in traditional teaching methods. they also alleviate boredom and make the learning process more engaging ( arora poonam & yadav, 2022). the primary conclusion of the paper is that using films as teaching aids in kenyan secondary schools enhances student’s comprehension, focus and retention skills while developing a range of competencies including social, cultural, cognitive, critical and creative thinking-all essential components of a competency-based curriculum (sugesh & calaivanane, 2023). visual media like cinema make management concepts more digestible and impactful compared to lecture-based methods. they cultivate critical thinking and equip students with essential managerial skills. indian movies such as “swadesh,” “rocket singh,” “lagaan,” “corporate,” and “chak de! india” are widely utilized in management education. this paper delves into the significance of using films as an effective pedagogical tool in management education (mantha, november 21, 2019). the study also highlights additional films which are easily and freely available on youtube for teaching management, including “the corporation,” “corporate,” “ek kadam”, and “the guru.” discussions real-world applications incorporating movies as a vibrant pedagogical tool in management education at the higher education level offers transformative potential that significantly enriches the learning experience. the captivating visuals and compelling narratives of films elevate student engagement and participation, effortlessly translating abstract theoretical concepts into relatable scenarios that spark lively and thoughtprovoking discussions. furthermore, movies cater to a variety of learning styles, promoting inclusivity and effectively reaching a diverse student body. by curating films from different global regions, educators foster a rich global perspective and cultural sensitivity, enhancing students’ indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 372 understanding of management practices across cultures. this exposure not only broadens student’s cultural horizons but also equips them with the skills needed to navigate the complex challenges of leadership in an interconnected, global business environment. analyzing management scenarios depicted in films sharpens students’ critical thinking and decisionmaking abilities, empowering them to apply analytical insights to real-world situations. movies act as a practical bridge between theoretical frameworks and their real-world applications, providing concrete examples that vividly link academic concepts to the complexities of the business landscape. their cost-effectiveness makes them an appealing choice for institutions facing budget constraints, and the integration of technology through streaming platforms further enhances the learning experiences, particularly in online settings. additionally, films serve as a springboard for meaningful discussions on ethics in management, encouraging students to delve into their values and develop a nuanced understanding of ethical considerations in professional roles. the inherent flexibility of using movies allows educators to tailor lesson plans to suit various topics, objectives and classroom dynamics, resulting in a responsive and engaging curriculum that keeps students invested in their learning journey. cultural repercussions utilizing movies as a teaching tool in higher education management studies reveals a complex tapestry of social implications. on the bright side, incorporating films can significantly boost student engagement and accessibility, accommodating various learning styles while promoting cultural awareness through diverse viewpoints. this approach not only sparks critical thinking but also fosters essential leadership and teamwork skills, exposing students to ethical dilemmas that prepare them for the challenges of the real world. on the flip side, challenges lurk in the shadows, including the potential for stereotyping, misrepresentation and an excessive focus on entertainment that could dilute academic integrity. there is a risk that reliance on technology and limited real-world applications may hinder student’s holistic development. additionally, the subjective nature of film interpretation can complicate efforts to ensure consistent learning outcomes for all students. challenges in integrating films as teaching tools for management education when integrating movies into management education, educators encounter vital considerations such as copyright challenges, ensuring accessibility and effectively structuring discussions post-viewing. thoughtful incorporation of films is key to transforming them into a valuable educational resource that connects theoretical knowledge with practical skills, equipping students to navigate the complexities of today’s business landscape. to maximize the benefits while minimizing potential drawbacks, educators need to carefully curate their film selections, striking a harmonious balance between entertainment value and academic rigour. complementary strategies such as incorporating realworld case studies, practical experiences and open dialogues are essential for providing a well-rounded management education. these elements enrich movie-based learning, offering students a broader perspective on managerial scenarios. by approaching these factors with care, institutions enable educators to leverage the potential of cinematic indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 373 pedagogy. this method not only enhances the learning experience but also prepares students for the varied and ever-changing world of modern management. in this vibrant educational setting, the use of films emerges as a strategic choice, boosting engagement, promoting critical thinking and delivering a comprehensive understanding of management principles. conclusion this study highlights the pivotal role of educators in shaping and enhancing student learning through the strategic use of films. this approach seeks to deepen student’s understanding and skills in grasping management concepts. the findings reveal that business executive students can glean valuable insights and lessons in management from indian cinema. moreover, films serve as an effective pedagogical tool facilitating experiential learning. a dedicated credit course centered around movies could be developed, providing an enriching array of educational opportunities at the higher educational level while ensuring student satisfaction. movies deliver a multisensory, multimodal learning experience that accommodates diverse learning preferences. they vividly illustrate complex topics, transforming abstract ideas into engaging and memorable content. additionally, films support interdisciplinary education by weaving together multiple subjects into cohesive narratives. by encouraging students to analyze biases and diverse viewpoints, movies nurture critical thinking skills. digital platforms further enhance accessibility, allowing educators to curate film selections tailored to specific learning objectives, thereby creating a dynamic and personalized educational atmosphere. the innovative application of films in education is continually evolving, paving the way for a future where learning is both enlightening and enjoyable. however, this study is limited to the exploration of management courses and relies solely on existing literature available on scopus and google scholar regarding the use of films as a teaching tool in this field. there are numerous other databases that could provide additional insights into novel approaches for utilizing films in management and other disciplines in india. future research could delve into various aspects of film pedagogy and its influence on management education. studies might examine the longterm effects of film-based training on educators’ practices and professional growth. tracking the progress of teacher candidates who have engaged with film assignments throughout their careers could yield valuable insights. comparative analysis could also be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of film-based instruction against other teaching methods, highlighting the unique advantages of using films as educational resources. references arora poonam, p., & yadav, r. (2022). an experimental study on effectiveness of teaching english through english movies. international journal of health sciences (ijhs), pp 1345913467. aravopoulou, e., stone, m., & weinzierl, l. (2017). modernising the curriculum and pedagogy– to be or not to be? using film and online video to engage students and enhance learning. international journal of higher education management, 4(1). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 374 besek, j., & pandey, a. (2023). streaming verstehen: whither feature film in the classroom? teaching sociology, 51(2), 170-180. carr, j., montano, s., titera, j., & hyman , a. (2024). disasterologists at the movies: an innovative use of twitter for disaster education. journal of college science teaching, 53(2), 170-176. huczynski, a., & buchanan, d. (2004). theory from fiction: a narrative process perspective on the pedagogical use of feature film. journal of management education, 28(6), 707-726. huczynski, a., & buchanan, d. (2006). feature films in management education: beyond illustration and entertainment. journal of organizational behavior education, 1, 73-94. ilander, g. p. ( 2010). the use of feature films to promote entrepreneurship. international journal of information and operations management education, 3(3), 284-302. ipek, h. (2022). using film in teacher training: opinions, insights, and recommendations. shanlax international journal of education, 10, 186-195. jalmav, h., & subekti, a. (2022). preparing indonesian pre-service english teachers’ readiness to teach through teacher-themed movies. in elt forum: journal of english language teaching, vol. 11, no. 3, pp. 179-190. kankal, b., patra, s., & panda, r. (2023). pedagogy innovation and integration of films in management education: review and research paradigms. the international journal of management education, 21(2), 100804. kataria, ,., & kumar, a. (2024). using movies as a pedagogy to teach manangement in higher education: a bibliometric analysis. educational administration: theory and practice, 30(4), 1043-1050. https://kuey.net/menuscript/index.php/kuey/article/view/1607 kebaya, c., & mokaya, g. (2023). using film as an active instructional tool in teaching and learning in kenyan secondary schools. in competence-based curriculum and e-learning in higher education, (pp. 103-120). igi global. lee, v., & lo, a. (2014). from theory to practice: teaching management using films through deductive and inductive processes. the international journal of management education, 12(1), 44-54. lin, p., & mei, h. (2023). analysis of research papers on the use of english movies in chinese senior high school english teaching in the past three years. journal of educational technology development and exchange (jetde), 16(1), 24-48. ljujić, b., & miljković, j. (2022). using film as an educational medium in higher education. nastava i vaspitanje, 71(1), 67-80. mahyatun, b., & suryadi, l. (2022). pedagogik anak berkebutuhan khusus. jkp (jurnal konseling pendidikan), 6(1), 43-58. mantha, r. (november 21, 2019). movies as pedagogy in management education –a study. impact of current events on the future of business international conference 2019. mathews, c., fornaciari, c., & rubens, a. (2012). understanding the use of feature films to maximize student learning. american journal of business education (ajbe), 5(5), 563-574. merello, p., barberá, a., porcuna-enguix, l., porcuna-enguix, r., & zorio-grima, a. (2023). movies, ethics and accounting: a teaching experience. economic research-ekonomska istraživanja, 36(2), 2142825. parker, r. d. (2009). watch this clip: using film as an augmentation to lecture and class discussion. academy of educational leadership journal, 13(4), 129. pasek, z. (2008). it’s all there: teaching complex management content using feature film. in 2008 annual conference & exposition , (pp. pp. 13-820). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 375 sabbagh, c. (august 2022). pedagogies. in socializing justice (pp. pages 108–c5.p167). oxford academic. semenovich, s. k., a., p., & t, k. (2022). pedagogy: theory and practice of the pedagogical process. sugesh, k., & calaivanane, r. (2023). a comparative study of the haptic technique: french language learning through movies for higher secondary education. international journal of innovative research and scientific studies, 6(2), 460-468. suresh, v., & kolluru, m. (2022). pedagogy innovation for management graduates: application of design thinking. international journal of innovation science, 14(3/4), 659-674. tedoradze, t. ( 2022). using movies in teaching idioms. language and culture. tosti-kharas, j., & levinson, j. (2024). from “how-to” to “why do?” a film-centered pedagogy for teaching contemporary careers. journal of management education, 48(2), 367-398. wagner, s. (2021). importance of using film in social studies education. learning to teach language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies through research and practice, 10(1). indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 192 research article revisiting the pedagogy of teaching learning: students' perspective c. renuga devi assistant professor, department of education, mother teresa women's university, kodaikanal, india, email: renugajp@gmail.com abstract pedagogy of teaching refers to the way teachers deliver the content of the curriculum to a class. designing pedagogies that produce meaningful learning through educational concepts, competencies, content, evaluation, learning and teaching practices is paramount. learning is dependent on the pedagogical approaches that teachers use in the classroom. online learning during this pandemic has changed much more than the content and approaches. the digital generation and the changes taking place in the present scenario like covid 19 lockdown, technological advancements in teaching learning and flexibility in learning demands for innovation in teaching. this article brings out the need for revisiting the pedagogy of teaching learning process on par with the changing educational scenario from the perspective of students. a sample of 97 students undergoing b.ed and m.ed special education courses in various specializations from the state of tamil nadu recorded their views upon the unanticipated transformation in the teaching learning process and its outcome in developing their knowledge and accessibility of resources. findings of the study suggest that teachers have to augment their skills according to the emerging trends and untangle their conventional pedagogical approach in teaching by adapting to the technological changes. keywords: revisiting, pedagogy, teaching learning, students' perspective introduction pedagogy is globally stated as an approach to teaching. it signifies methods of teaching that comprise teaching styles, strategies, assessment and feedback. this process is regulated by the social and psychological phenomenon and development of learners. pedagogy as an academic discipline studies the methodologies through which knowledge and skills are transmitted to the learners in an educational environment which encompass meaningful classroom interaction. pedagogy of teaching refers to how teachers convey content of the subject or curriculum to learners in the classroom. the process describes how a teacher carefully uses prior learning of students, imparting new learning experience and realizing end goals of the curriculum in a thoughtful and introspective manner. pedagogy is defined simply as the method, and practice, of teaching. it encompasses: • teaching styles • teaching theory • feedback and assessment indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 193 pedagogy also includes the practical and the theoretical aspects of teaching which comprises various strategies and techniques adopted to teach effectively, teacher-student interaction, content for instruction, mutual goals agreed between the teacher and student and a variety of ways adopted for content delivery to the learner. a very essential thing about pedagogy is to design a meaningful learning material with good content, adopting effective evaluation strategies and finally executing it successfully. effective pedagogies are inclusive and take the diverse needs of a range of learners, as well as matters of student equity, into account. these ideas regarding learning and development are particularly salient to education, given evidence that preexisting knowledge systems can inform a variety of instructional behaviours such as the selection of pedagogical techniques and the interpretation of subject matter (schoenfeld 2000). learning is dependent on the pedagogical approaches teachers use in the classroom. a variety of pedagogical approaches are common in the classroom, but some strategies are more effective and appropriate than others. the effectiveness of pedagogy often depends on the particular subject matter to be taught, on understanding the diverse needs of different learners, and on adapting to the on-the-ground conditions in the classroom and the surrounding context. in general, the best teachers believe in the capacity of their students to learn, and carefully utilize a range of pedagogical approaches to ensure this learning occurs. effective pedagogy can lead to academic achievement, social and emotional development, acquisition of technical skills, and a general ability to contribute to society. . the digital generation and the changes taking place in the present scenario like covid-19 lockdown, technological advancements in teaching learning and flexibility in learning demands innovation in teaching. innovative methods of teaching are methods of teaching that involve new ways of interaction between teacher and student in the process of mastering curriculum specified to attain the learning outcomes of a specified course. through experimenting with different pedagogical techniques in the classroom, teachers amass a catalogue of knowledge about what works and what does not work. this type of learning is also known as experiential learning (kolb 1984). wit, heerwegh and verhoeven (2012) stated that if online learning can improve the ict skills among the students, it is important for universities to distinguish the ways in which they want to use their skills with their learning styles. ict skills are necessary for students because they need to benefit from online learning so that they can improve themselves in their studies and learning styles. if students can adapt with online learning easily, it shows that online learning has been implemented successfully in the educational institution. online learning during this pandemic is changing much more than the content and approaches. learning happens online and students in addition to listening lectures are expected to present their seminars, assignments indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 194 and lesson plans online. with this alternative, students can develop their technological skills as well as improve their teaching skills and communication with their lectures or other students in the classroom or outside of the class. the integration of icts provides countless opportunities and possibilities for learners in both higher education and general education. icts are significant tools for empowering knowledge and information; therefore, there is a strong need for policymakers and teachers to be aware of how technologies interact and work to use them effectively. the covid-19 crisis has raised salient questions about the necessity, importance and usefulness of certain curriculum content. it has highlighted the relevance of certain trends, particularly the authenticity of learning situations. this requires varied, flexible and authentic learning activities. in this regard, the authentic learning experiences resulting from the covid-19 lockdown could be used to contextualize student realities during the pandemic. this represents an opportunity to rethink curricular content and approaches. need for revisiting the pedagogy in present context pedagogy of the twenty-first century cannot be equated with the pedagogy of the twentieth century. the social behaviour of people gets highly influenced by digital technologies as they influence the way people think, communicate and channelize their influence on other people. changes in society, student expectations, and technology are motivating higher education faculty (university and college) to rethink pedagogy and teaching methods. the increased emphasis on applying knowledge to meet the demands of 21st century society, such as developing and using skills like critical thinking, independent learning and the use of relevant information technology requires active learning in rich and complex environments, with plenty of opportunities to develop, apply, assess and practice such skills. this enables students to learn after graduation and educate them with the skills to manage their own learning throughout life, so they can continue to learn after graduation. according to sclater (2012), education is also the process of facilitating learning, or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits. there are many methods in education to get knowledge including storytelling, discussion, teaching, training, and direct research. this pandemic has mandated yet another method of teaching learning restricted only to online learning even though online teaching learning happened earlier in a meagre way in the form of video conferencing and teleteaching. with the recent developments in information and communication technologies (icts), there is a significant change in our daily life. eventually, integrating icts into teaching and learning offers significant potential for higher education institutions and new challenges for educators, through their capacity to facilitate new kinds of education in digital environments. online learning becomes more effective indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 195 with the continuation of traditional classes with online classes. this makes teaching learning a potential to facilitate "24/7" student learning 'anytime and anywhere', a university education which is available worldwide and delivered from anywhere in the world (parry, 2015). segall and avner (2004) stated that the focus of teacher education should move forward from traditional practices in order to adopt creative techniques through which the students inherently recognise the pedagogical nature of the content and its application in the context of teaching. conceptualization of pedagogical content knowledge has to be re-thought based on teacher efficacy and student readiness and participation in determining teacher professionalism park et.al (2008). higher education institutes (heis) are now fast adapting to alternative pedagogy to engage students remotely and to continue the teaching and learning process in a “teach-fromhome-students-at-home" situation. the covid-19 pandemic-induced pedagogy has confronted the shape of traditional teaching and learning methods. teaching flexibility to suit the student's needs should be the new apparatus for individual teachers to bring out the essential learning outcomes with maximum virtual outreach. the lockdown presents higher education institutions an opportunity to adopt an alternative pedagogy that uses technological tools to facilitate academic activities in the virtual world. online learning is more geared towards self-regulated learning and is ideal for student teachers to instil their teaching skills that are mandated for future generation students. thus, this study was developed to find out the teaching learning pedagogy that proves to be effective with adaptability to the changing scenario in the process of teaching learning. online learning becomes more effective with the continuation of traditional classes with online classes. online learning has also not undergone the same scrutiny as classroom teaching and researches on online teaching demonstrated mixed results (ryan et al., 1999; kenny, 2002; atack and rankin, 2002; kozlowski, 2002). educators of the 21st century classroom have to integrate ict in teaching learning with the rapid advancement and shift in learning process as an outcome of the pandemic. teaching practice also has evolved radical change with the vital impact of the post covid-19 classroom influenced with the swift development in the teaching learning process. the outcomes of this research will be helpful in developing a new learning approach in teacher education with the combination of both traditional and online learning and hence it is expected that the result of this study will reveal the effectiveness of learning experiences obtained by special education student teachers through traditional classroom and online classroom. online learning using ict prepares learners for the future technology based classrooms and facilitates to meet the advancements of the 21st century teaching learning. moreover, online learning positively transforms the skills of special education student teachers to prepare and introduce activities in the indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 196 teaching and learning process which can significantly change their overall teaching skills to suit the 21st century classroom. in indian context, online teaching is a relatively new phenomenon as compared to traditional classroom teaching and this covid-19 induced sudden lockdown made the transition to online teaching imperative. hence the study aims to study the following objectives to identify the perspective of special education student teachers in terms of their learning experiences gained in both traditional and online classrooms. objectives of the study 1. to find out the learning experiences of special education student teachers through various modes of learning. 2. to compare the learning experience of special education student teachers through regular/online mode in terms of • developing knowledge • offering effective learning resources meaningful online learning and teaching needs a proper planning to cater diverse needs of the students. compromise in this planning leads to unproductive learning, resulting in nonaccomplishment of learning objectives and learning outcomes. given these concerns, the present research seeks to answer the following research questions: 1. what are the learning experiences acquired by special education student teachers regarding various modes (regular, online and both) of teaching learning? 2. which of the two classrooms (regular and online) develop indepth knowledge about a content? 3. which of the two classrooms (regular and online) offers good learning resources to acquaint with learning of new content? design and sample a quantitative survey was used to examine the learning experience of students from undergraduate and postgraduate special education courses through online and regular classrooms. a sample of 97 students undergoing b.ed and m.ed special education courses with specialization of visual impairment, hearing impairment, intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder and multiple disability from four special education teacher training institutions from tamil nadu were selected using purposive sampling technique. the demographic details of the participants are given in table 1. table-1: demographic details of participants area category number percentage (%) gender male 8 8.2 female 89 91.8 age range 21 to 30 85 87.6 indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 197 31 to 40 8 8.2 above 40 4 4.1 residence rural 46 47.4 semi urban 11 11.3 urban 40 41.2 course b.ed 87 89.6 m.ed 10 10.3 specialization visual impairment 26 26.8 hearing impairment 27 27.8 intellectual disability 32 33.0 autism spectrum disorder 5 5.2 multiple disability 7 7.2 analysis of table 1 states that the majority of the respondents of the study (91.8 percent) are female student teachers and belonged to the age range of 21 to 30 years which constituted 87.6 percent of the sample. respondents from rural and urban areas comprised almost the same percentage (47.4 percent and 41.2 percent, respectively) whereas 11.3 percent are from semi urban areas. majority of the respondents (89.6 percent) represented student teachers studying b.ed special education whereas 10.3 percent belong to m.ed special education. 26.8 percent of respondents belong to the visual impairment specialization course, 27.85 percent of respondents belong to hearing impairment specialization course, 33 percent of respondents belong to intellectual disability specialization course and 5.2 percent of respondents belong to multiple disability specialization course. method and materials the learning experiences of special education student teachers in online and regular classrooms were collected using a questionnaire that consisted of two sections. first section comprised demographic details of participants and second section with 15 statements reflecting their experiences on online and regular classroom learning offered by their respective institutions and teachers. the questionnaire was developed with a focus upon the nature of the learning experienced by the students through online and regular classroom in terms of developing knowledge, flexibility, provision of learning resources, mentoring and support system with four options. developed questionnaire was converted to google form and mailed to the sample through their respective email as the data were collected during mid-may, 2020 when all institutions of india had switched to online mode of teaching due to covid-19 pandemic. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 198 results and discussion research questions framed based on the objectives of the study were answered by analysing the data collected from the respondents through percentage analysis, anova and tukey multiple comparison. research question 1: what are the learning experiences acquired by special education student teachers regarding various modes (regular, online and both) of teaching learning? data gathered from the 97 students pursuing special education courses with various specializations at different levels were used to answer this research question. frequencies of each item were calculated manually and then converted into percentages to show the attitude of participants towards revisiting the pedagogy of teaching in learning. table-2: experience of special education student teachers in frequencies and percentages s.n learning experience n regular online both fr % fr % fr % 1 flexible learning experience 97 60 61.9 3 3.1 34 35.1 2 support from teachers 97 69 71.1 4 4.1 24 24.7 3 offers good learning resources to learn new content 97 49 50.5 16 16.5 32 33.0 5 discussion, quiz, interaction 97 70 72.2 7 7.2 20 20.6 6 promotes creativity 97 53 54.6 14 14.4 30 30.9 7 better student support services in learning 97 63 64.9 5 5.2 29 29.9 8 exposure to theoretical and practical aspects 97 80 82.5 3 3.1 14 14.4 9 flexibility in taking up assessments assignment, test 97 56 57.7 17 17.5 24 24.7 10 mentoring, supervision, feedback support 97 66 68.0 9 9.3 22 22.7 11 promotes skill development 97 48 49.5 10 10.3 39 40.2 12 attend to individual specific need of the student 97 67 69.1 8 8.2 22 22.7 13 sharing of knowledge among students 97 56 57.7 4 4.1 37 38.1 indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 199 from the table (1) it is observed that, the learning experience provided to the students by regular classroom is comparatively high when compared to online classroom and both classroom. 82 percent of the respondents recorded that regular classrooms provide a highquality transaction and exposure to theoretical and practical aspects and 72 percent of the respondents felt that regular classrooms provide for interactive learning experience through discussion and quiz and 71 percent of recorded that support from teachers is high when compared to online and both (regular and online) classrooms. respondents further recorded that online classroom provides least flexible learning experience (3 percent) and exposure to theory and practical aspects (3 percent) and sharing of knowledge among the students (4 percent) when compared to regular classroom and both (regular and both) classroom. regular classroom learning (49 percent) and both online and regular classroom learning (40 percent) share the majority of skill promotion activities related to teacher education. response to the above research question reveals that learning experience acquired by special education student teachers through regular classrooms in terms of flexibility, support from teachers, student support services, sharing of knowledge among students and exposure to theoretical and practical knowledge is relatively high when compared to online and both modes of classrooms. in the study conducted by (hasan, n., & khan, n.h. 2020) it is established that online learning may be used as a supplement to offline/face-to-face learning as in the case of blended learning and flipped learning. the complete and only use of online mode of teaching and learning is perceived to be distracting and lacking support and interaction with teachers and fellow peers that makes it less effective and more burdensome. research question 2: which of the two classrooms (regular and online) develop in-depth knowledge about a content? table-2: anova for significance difference among the programme in developing depth knowledge depth knowledge sum of squares df mean square f sig. between groups 8.360 3 2.787 3.331 0.023within groups 77.805 93 .837 total 86.165 96 from table (2) it is found that the calculated value of f is significant at 5% (p<0.05) level [f(3, 93) = 3.331, p = 0.023]. hence, it is inferred that there is significant difference among regular, online and both classrooms in developing depth knowledge about a content among the special education students studying i & ii year b.ed special education and i & ii year m.ed special education. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 200 table-3: multiple comparisons: tukey hsd multiple comparison of classroom in developing depth knowledge (i) programme (j) programme mean std. error sig 95% confidence level lower bound upper bound i b.edspl.ed ii b.edspl.ed i m.edspl.ed ii m.edspl.ed -.27405 -1.22000 .44667 19835 .47527 .39518 .514 .056 .672 -.7930 -2.4634 -.5872 .2449 .0234 1.4805 ii b.edspl.ed i b.edspl.ed i m.edspl.ed ii m.edspl.ed .27405 -.94595 .72072 19835 .48142 .40255 .514 .209 .284 -.2449 -2.2054 -.3324 .7930 .3135 1.7738 i m.edspl.ed i b.edspl.ed ii b.edspl.ed ii m.edspl.ed 1.22000 .94595 1.66667* .47527 .48142 .59041 .056 .209 .029 -.0234 -.3135 .1221 2.4634 2.2054 3.2112 ii m.edspl.ed i b.edspl.ed ii b.edspl.ed i m.edspl.ed -.44667 -.72072 -1.66667* .39518 .40255 .59041 .672 .284 .029 -1.4805 -1.7738 -3.2112 .5872 .3324 -.1221 *. the mean difference is significant at the 0.05 level. the tukey honestly significant difference (hsd) test was performed under the significant result of anova in developing in depth knowledge about a content through online classroom and regular classroom among students of b.ed special education i and ii year and m.ed special education i and ii year. multiple comparison results presented significant statistical differences among students pursuing m.ed special education i year when compared to all other categories of students. the mean difference of m.ed special education i year students is significant (p = 0.05, p < 0.05)when compared to b.ed special education i year and m.ed special education ii year respectively. hence it can be specifically inferred that m.ed special education i year students develop in-depth knowledge about a content through online mode of teaching when compared to m.ed special education ii year and b.ed special education i year students. in the study conducted by (abdelrahman mohamed ahmed, 2020) it is established that icts prepare learners for the future and trains them to meet the technological advances of the 21st century. moreover, icts positively change how activities are prepared and introduced in teaching and learning, which can significantly change the overall academic performance of the student teachers. this lines up with the response to the above question that master educators (m.ed special indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 201 education) prefer online learning rather than other two modes of learning when compared to b.ed special education student teachers. research question 3: which of the two classrooms (regular and online) offers good learning resources to acquaint with learning of new content? table-4: tukey hsd multiple comparison of classroom in offering learning resources (i) programme (j) programme mean std. error sig 95% confidence level lower bound upper bound intellectual disability multiple disability .16518 .36640 .991 -.8544 1.1847 autism spectrum disorder -.20625 .42227 .988 -1.3813 .9688 visual impairment -.21394 .23185 .887 -.8591 .4312 hearing impairment -.62847 .22946 .056 -1.2670 .0100 from table-4 multiple comparison results presented significant statistical differences among students pursuing special education in hearing impairment when compared to all other specialization. the mean difference of students pursuing special education in hearing impairment is significant (p = 0.05) when compared to students pursuing special education courses in multiple disability, autism spectrum disorder, visual impairment and intellectual disability. hence it can be specifically inferred that students pursuing special education with hearing impairment as their specialization put forward that online classes offer good learning resources to acquaint with learning of new content than regular class. in the study conducted by (hasan, n ., & khan, n.h. 2020) it is revealed that the highly preferred mode by student teachers during online learning was teacher-made text materials and textbook materials compared to all other modes of materials and texts. conclusion pedagogies are constantly evolving. it can be modified for 21st-century learning based on the changing scenario in teaching and learning. a pedagogy must fit the audience, and focus on helping students develop an understanding of the material beyond basic memorization and surface knowledge. students should be able to relate concepts back to the real world, and even their own lives. elearning indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 202 provides positive impact when used and best utilized by teachers and lectures and also helps in the application of 21st century skills in the education system (masoumi & lindström, 2012; khasawneh et al., 2016). every pedagogy is different. a good starting point is to create a philosophy of teaching that outlines the objectives of being a good teacher adapting to changing scenarios. also, an inspirational teachers' effectiveness is reflected in the plan to relate the work in the classroom to professional development to progress in the career. then, design classroom experiences around this philosophy, work with students to adapt methods to encourage positive responses, and determine strategies to evaluate and assess their performance. also, consider technology can be integrated into lesson plans and class work, as well as promote inclusivity. zinger et.al (2017) further adds that both pre-service teacher education programs and in-service teacher professional development (pd), plays crucial roles in promoting teacher technological pedagogy and improved classroom practice. the analyses of this study revealed that student teachers enjoyed learning through online mode, as it provided them with depth knowledge and adequate learning resources for learning enrichment. based on the findings of this study, it is suggested that teachers have to augment their skills according to the emerging trends and untangle their conventional pedagogical approach in teaching by adapting to the technological changes. taking all of this into consideration makes for a great recipe for a successful pedagogical approach. the more a teacher is aware of the way of teaching, the better he/ she understands what works best for the students. references aigerim mynbayeva, zukhra sadvakassova and bakhytkul akshalova (december 20th 2017). pedagogy of the twenty-first century: innovative teaching methods, new pedagogical challenges in the 21st century contributions of research in education, olga bernad cavero and núria llevot-calvet, intechopen, doi: 10.5772/intechopen.72341. available from: https:// www.intechopen.com/books/new-pedagogical-challenges-in-the-21st century-contributions-of-research-in-education/pedagogy-of-the-twenty first-century-innovative-teaching-methods abdelrahman mohamed ahmed. (2020). "integrating ict in teaching and learning at sultan qaboos university: current status and future recommendations," international journal of information and education technology, vol. 10, no. 12, pp. 897-904 barton,t. (2019). pedagogy in education retrieved on 12.07.2020 from https:// servelearn.co/blog/pedagogy-in education indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 203 canadian commission for unesco (2020) education and covid-19: challenges and opportunities retrieved on 23.02.2021 from https://en.ccunesco.ca/ idealab/education-and-covid-19-challenges-and-opportunities che aziz, r., nik hashim , n.a., ahmad nordin, a.n., hosayni, h.s., suhaimi, n.f., &muhamed yusoff, a. (2020). determinant factors that affect elearning approach in teaching and learning at higher education: a literature review. journal penyelidikan sains sosial (jossr), 3(8), 4251. gül, leman figen. (2015). the changing trends in education. frontiers in ict. 2. 10.3389/fict.2015.00001. hasan, n ., & khan, n. h. (2020). online teaching-learning during covid-19 pandemic: students’ perspective. the online journal of distance education and elearning, 8(3), 202-213 khasawneh r, simonsen k, snowden /j, higginsj, beck g.(2016). the effectiveness of e learning in pediatric medical student education. med educ online, 21. kolb, d. a, (1984). experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and development. englewood cliffs, nj: prentice -hall inc. masoumi, d., & lindström, b. (2012). quality in elearning: a framework for promoting and assuring quality in virtual institution. journal of computer assisted learning, 28(1), 27-41. park, soonhye & oliver, j.. (2008). revisiting the conceptualisation of pedagogical content knowledge (pck): pck as a conceptual tool to understand teachers as professionals. research in science education. 38. 261-284. 10.1007/s11165-007-9049-6. pujari, a, k. (2020) a pandemic pedagogy to overcome covid disruptions retreived on 07.08.2020 from https://www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/a pandemic-pedagogy-to-overcome-covid-disruptions ryan et al., 1999; kenny, 2002; atack and rankin, 2002; kozlowski, 2002 in hasan, n ., & khan, n. h, (2020). online teaching-learning during covid-19 pandemic: students’ perspective. the online journal of distance education and elearning, 8(3), 204 schoenfeld, a. h. (2000). models of the teaching process. journal of mathematical behavior, 18(3), 243–261. sclater, n. (2012). elearning in the cloud. international journal of virtual and personal learning environments, 1(1), 10-19. segall, avner. (2004). revisiting pedagogical content knowledge: the pedagogy of content/the content of pedagogy. teaching and teacher education. 20. 489-504. 10.1016/j.tate.2004.04.006. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 204 zinger, doron & tate, tamara & warschauer, mark. (2017). learning and teaching with technology: technological pedagogy and teacher practice. unesco [united nation education, scientific and cultural organization] (2018). effective and appropriate pedagogy retrieved on 12.08.2020 from https://l earningportal.iiep.unesco.org teachers andpedagogy pedagogy (august 25, 2020) retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/pedagogy indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 192 research article impact of hand therapeutic exercises using touch devices on handwriting performance: case studies in school children smitha john1 & renumol v. g.2 1school of engineering, cochin university of science and technology kochi, kerala emailsmithajohnkunnel@gmail.com 2school of engineering, cochin university of science and technology kochi, kerala abstract handwriting is one of the complex tasks in school years and it is very important for academic excellence. however, various learning disorders can interfere with the learning of basic skills such as reading and writing. the primary objective of this study was to explore whether the digital learning environment reshapes the characteristics of handwriting performance in children with handwriting difficulties. hence, we have conducted two case studies on two school children studying in 5th and 6th grade. these students were selected for the study based on poor handwriting performance as reported by their class teachers. as part of the study, they have participated in a training session using the ‘dexteria’ software. this software comprises two fine motor activities and a letter tracing activity. the principle behind this study is that improving fine motor skills may improve handwriting skills. after the training programme, the experimenter has introduced some fine motor activities using crayons and colour pencils to observe the influence of the touch-based training in their drawing and colouring. they were also asked to write some text to compare the preand post-training handwriting samples. it was observed that their fine motor control in drawing skills and handwriting was improved. these case studies were conducted as part of ongoing research work to develop an application for children with handwriting difficulties. keywords: fine motor skills, ipad with dexteria application, handwriting difficulty, handwriting performance introduction handwriting is considered an important developmental ability and an essential ingredient for the academic success of a child (feder, k. p., & majnemer, a., 2007). it is used in many situations such as notes preparation, examinations, class worksheets, homework, etc. this skill consumes considerable time in a regular classroom routine (ziviani, j., & elkins, j., 1986). acquisition and performance of handwriting skill are related to the perceptual-motor abilities in children (laszlo, j. i., & bairstow, p. j., 1984). illegible handwriting, poor motor control and speed stroke are the core handwriting problems experienced by dysgraphic children (chang, s. h., & yu, n. y., 2013). handwriting legibility is related to the reading ability of a child, and it is derived from the connection theory of reading and writing (rose 2004). legible handwriting is an important skill and deserves great attention by teaching professionals and health practitioners (feder, k. p., & majnemer, a. (2007). in the early school years, paper and pencil was a common practice used by children. however, indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 193 the popularity of smart devices, such as tablet computers, kindle, laptops, etc. introduced a new way to young children’s learning experience in the interactive environment (crescenzi, l., et al., 2014; neumann, m. m., & neumann, d. l., 2017). thus, education becomes smart which fosters their academic performance (neumann, m. m., & neumann, d. l., 2017). the objective of this study was to explore whether the touch-based digital environment reshapes handwriting performance in school children. we have introduced an ipad application named dexteria for developing fine motor skills in school children with handwriting difficulties. dexteria has three activities, two direct hand-therapeutic fine motor exercises (tapping and pinching) and a letter tracing activity (upperand lowercase alphabets). the participants were asked to perform these activities under the observation of the experimenter. this paper describes 2 case studies where 2 schoolchildren underwent dexteria based training to reinforce their fine motor skills to reshape their handwriting performance. the paper is organized as follows: section 2 describes the related literature, section 3 explains the methodology, section 4 describes the results followed by a discussion and section 5 concludes the study. related works handwriting is one of the interesting and complex tasks in human communication (rosenblum, s., et al., 2013). a good handwriting sample can be related to different abilities of a person and the theory of handwriting (hollerbach j.m., 1981). grissmer, d., et al., (2010) have identified that fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination have influence on handwriting skills. these skills are age-based developments, which interact with physical, mental, and cognitive developments in children (accardo, a. p., et al., 2013: feder, k. p., & majnemer, a., 2007). fine motor development is one of the important aspects of every child to complete their daily activities and it is improved through different practices (ungerleider, l. g et al., 2002). mchale, k., & cermak, s. a. (1992), noted that most of the children in elementary schools spent 30-60 percent of the whole day completing fine motor activities, such as writing and other manipulating tasks. research has found that the integration of fine motor activities with picture cards in the classroom has an impact on school skills, such as pencil grip and motor development (ohl, a. m., et al., 2013). west, j., & haskins, e. (1995), introduced training on fine motor skill development using crayons and pencils in kindergarten to accomplish kids’ academic and pre-academic tasks. in school years, the achievement of every child is determined by their academic performance, behaviours, multicurricular activities, and their school readiness (pianta, r. c., et al., 2007) and these are measured in terms of handwriting, literacy, and math abilities. research studies have proved that the use of e-learning tools, learning management systems (lms), web-based technologies and other ict-related tools provide a great opportunity to improve the quality of the learning process. murray-smith, r., et al., (2002), have investigated the use of personal digital assistants (pda) in teaching and shown that it enabled the full participation of individuals with special needs. adam, t., & tatnall, a. (2008), have identified that the use of information and communication technology (ict) environments provide learning resources and improve the lives of people with learning difficulties. kumar, k. r. a., et al., (2011) have discussed various techniques to facilitate humancomputer interaction. becker, h. j. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 194 (1986), has identified that systematic use of a computer could support individualized learning and attention. another study showed that assistive technology with tactile experience could support the handwriting ability of preschool children (neumann, m. m., & neumann, d. l., 2017). the unique benefits of touch screen portability and easy navigation allow young children for independent practice and learning with multimedia effects (mize, m. k., et al., 2018). martín, e., et al., (2019) showed that touch devices let a direct interaction between students and devices. it also enables students to focus on the content presented and learn how to use these devices easily. from the literature study, it is obvious that technology-enhanced learning has an impact on young children’s learning experience and quality. motivated by these studies, the authors have conducted case studies on two children who have handwriting difficulty, checking the impact of hand therapeutic exercises using touch-based devices on their handwriting performance. methodology the main objective of this study was to explore whether the touch-based digital environment with hand therapeutic exercises reshapes handwriting performance in school children. we have used case study as the methodology and selected two students having poor handwriting. it was a pretest post-test-based experiment. the same set of tasks was given in the pre-test and post-test. the idea was to check the influence of a fine-motor skill development application on these students’ handwriting performance. there are physical factors such as handeye coordination, pen-grip, hand and wrist flexibility, etc. that play a role in the development of handwriting skills and research has proved that fine motor skill influences handwriting. moreover, the handwriting theory (hollerbach, j. m., 1981) views handwriting production as a constrained modulation of an underlying oscillatory process where vertical and horizontal oscillations are responsible for letter formation. 1). participants the participants were two female school children studying in 5th and 6th grade in different schools in kochi, kerala. we call them participant-1 and participant-2 respectively to identify them. these students were selected for the study based on a report from their class teachers, about their poor handwriting performance. according to their academic performance, they were strong in mathematics and good at reading. they had issues in comprehension and writing. the students participated in the experiment after getting written consent from their parents. the participants were given a pencil, a pen, a ruled notebook and a four-line notebook to record their handwriting performance on pre-test and post-test. they were free to choose among these items. 2). procedure to evaluate the participants’ current handwriting performance, a pre-test was conducted using paper and pen/ pencil. participant-1 was asked to copy regular class works from a textbook in a rule book and participant-2 was asked to copy an english passage from a storybook in a four-line notebook. the experimenter collected these pre-test samples (see figure 1) and measured various parameters on handwriting performance. the handwriting rubric used for this study was retrieved from www.yourtherapysource.com/ rubricshandwriting. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 195 figure-1: pre-test samples from participant1 and participant 2 after the pre-test, then as part of the training process, they were introduced to the fine motor skill development app dexteria (see figure 2) run in ios. it comprises three activities, such as ‘tap it’, ‘pinch it’, and ‘letter tracing’ (both upper and lower case). the first two activities are touch-based hand therapeutic exercises to warm up the hand and the third activity was for letter formation. each participant was allotted 30 minutes of training on a tablet computer for the hand therapeutic exercises and 10 minutes for the letter tracing activity (see figure 3). thus, one participant got a total of 40 minutes of training in a day. the training period was in 8 weeks and each participant received an average of 24 hours of training on the ‘dexteria’ app to strengthen their hand muscles and handwriting readiness. figure-2: screenshot of dexteria application with 3 activities -tap it, pinch it and write it indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 196 figure-3: participants interacting with ‘dexteria’ application using tablet computer each day after the training session, the experimenter asked them to copy a passage from the given storybook to observe their daily progress. it was then graded using the rubric (see table 1) and charted to see the progress throughout the training period. it was observed that their fine motor control in the handwriting process was improving. the entire experiment was conducted individually in a university laboratory and the experimenter observed the participants during the training process. the rubric has various parameters on handwriting performance, such as the letter formation, size of letters, the spacing of letters, placement, and neatness for copying tasks. for each participant, the experimenter measured their handwriting performance in pretest and post-test in terms of letter formation, placement, spacing of letters, neatness, and letter sizing using the likert scale from ‘1’ to ‘5’, where ‘1’ indicates distorted letter and ‘5’ indicates perfectly written letter. during the training process, the parents of the participants were allowed informally to observe their performance. table-1: handwriting rubrics used for performance evaluation parameters of handwriting 5 4 3 2 1 final score letter formation all the letters are formed correctly most of the letters are formed correctly (more than 75%) some of the letters are formed correctly (50-75%) few of the letters are formed correctly (2550%) less than 25% of the letters are formed correctly indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 197 placement all letters are oriented correctly on the lines most of the writing samples are oriented correctly on the lines (more than 75%) some of the writing samples are oriented correctly on the lines (50-75%) little of the writing samples are oriented correctly on the lines (2550%) less than 25% of the writing samples are oriented correctly on the lines letter sizing all letters are sized correctly most of the letters are sized correctly (more than 75%) some of the letters are sized correctly (50-75%) few of the letters are sized correctly (2550%) less than 25% of the letters are sized correctly spacing of letters all letters are spaced correctly most of the letters are spaced correctly (more than 75%) some of the letters are spaced correctly (50-75%) few of the letters are spaced correctly (2550%) less than 25% of the letters are spaced correctly neatness writing assignments are always neat without erasures, torn paper or crossouts most (>75%) of the writing assignment is neat without erasures, torn paper or cross outs some (5075%) of the writing assignment is neat without erasures, torn paper or cross outs little (2550%) of the writing assignment is neat without erasures, torn paper or crossouts less than 25% of writing assignment is neat without erasures, torn paper or crossouts results and discussion over this course of case study research, it was observed that their fine motor control in drawing and handwriting was improved. this was visible through the pictures as well as their handwriting performance. the degree of handwriting performance of each indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 198 student on their written expression was uniquely different. the results of the case study, along with the findings of both the participants are given below: participant-1: throughout the study, we have focused on handwriting performance and fine motor skill development. during the first week of training, it was observed that participant-1 had expressed a lack of interest in the training process. but after one week of training, the participant has gained confidence in handwriting and the overall performance of the participant was improved by eight weeks of training. this was visible through their handwriting performance and pictures. we have assessed the handwriting performance based on five attributes, such as letter formation, placement, spacing of letters, neatness, and letter sizing. the initial performance of the child was an average of 2.42 for these five attributes. in the second week, the participant scored 3.39, while in the third week scored 4.24 and in the last week, the participant scored 4.6. the increase of score from the first week to the last week was 2.18 points on the 5-point ‘likert’ scale. this result shows that ipad-based training for fine motor skill development was effective for improving the handwriting performance of participant-1. the handwriting sample after 8 weeks of training is given in figure 4. figure-4: post-test sample from participant-1 participant-2: in this case, the participant had started school years with nominal writing skills, but after third grade, the handwriting skills became sluggish and meagre. hence, the participant had displayed a lot of hindrance with respect to handwriting development. also, the pressure applied to the tripod by the participant varied from pencil to pen. this would make a discontinuity in the fluid movement of handwriting. hence, the experimenter suggested to this participant to maintain a uniform tripod grip. during the fine motor activities on the ipad, we were trying to strengthen the participant’s hand muscles to control the tripod and improve the letter formation. after the pre-test, we evaluated the initial performance on indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 199 handwriting and got an average score of 2.46 for the 5 handwriting parameters as mentioned in the rubrics in table 1. the participant has scored an average score of 2.96 in the second week, during the third week the participant has scored an average score of 3.56 and in the last week, the participant has scored 4.32. the progress of this participant from the beginning to the last week was 1.86 points on the 5-point likert scale. hence, we can say that the fine motor activities on a touch device were effective for participant-2 also. the sample of improved handwriting is shown in figure 5. figure-5: post-test sample from participant-2 after the training program, the experimenter introduced some fine motor activities using crayons and colour pencils to observe the influence of touch-based training in drawing and colouring. the pictures drawn (see figure 6) by them showed visible improvement in their fine motor skills. figure-6: participants’ fine motor activities on paper using crayons and colour pencils indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 200 in addition to these evaluations, we have conducted a feedback session for the parents to give their valuable feedback/ suggestions on the training process. they mentioned that the technologybased training enabled a better tactile experience for the children, and they were more attentive and motivated during this training than a conventional training method. they stated that the dexteria application did not provide any feedback when the participant’s haptic movement went wrong. moreover, the ‘pinch it’ activity was tougher for the children, especially at higher levels of the activity where the number of the crabs and the speed of the crabs were high. legible handwriting is one of the most important tools for students in their academic excellence (feder, k. p., & majnemer, a., 2007). the results of this study indicate that fine motor control has an impact on handwriting performance and drawing skills. personalized writing style becomes the product of many factors, such as model system, artistic ability, muscular control, nature of employment, frequency of writing and exposures to the writing of others, and it is developed throughout the childhood to adolescent years (desai, b., & kalyan, j. l., 2013). in the context of the digital age, computer mediated communication (cmc) can have a positive effect on students and interpersonal interaction. therefore, today’s teachers prefer the implementation of these technologies into their classrooms (everett, d. r., & ahern, t. c., 1994). digital writing supports the students to promote their critical thinking and enrich learning across different writing experiences. hence, technology is an effective vehicle to help all pupils to develop their skills individually (chicu, s. et al., 2014). these case studies were conducted as part of ongoing research work to develop an educational game for children with handwriting difficulties. the major drawback associated with the dexteria application is that it does not provide any visual or oral feedback when the participant’s haptic movement goes in a wrong manner. moreover, this app is proprietary, hence may not be affordable to children from lower socio-economic backgrounds. but our idea is to develop an android app that would be simple and affordable. it may be complementary to the traditional teaching-learning system used for students with learning difficulties. this case study has given an idea about the pros and cons of the existing tools, which may help us to design a better technology-based tool for handwriting. india’s educational vision is to provide basic education for every child through mainstream schools. sooner these schools will be fully equipped with active learning environments to support the students with learning disorders also. in this context, we plan to introduce some technology-based tools for students with writing disorders to support their academic achievements. they also need individual attention during their learning process, which can be achieved through personalization of the proposed software. conclusion and future work handwriting is one of the complex tasks in school years, so it is very important to the students who have writing difficulties. this study examined the impact of training on the dexteria app in handwriting performance. it was obvious that there was an improvement in the handwriting performance of the participants after the training. so, we can conclude that the fine motor development activities using dexteria have an impact on handwriting performance and drawing skills. motivated from the case study results, we are planning to develop simple software to help students having handwriting difficulties. we have studied indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 201 the prerequisites for new software and the use of touch-technologies can play an important role in setting an active learning environment for students with handwriting issues. to collect further requirements for the software, we have visited various special schools in kerala and interacted with the teachers, therapists, and students with dysgraphia. we hope that the use of touch-technology based training interfaces can play an important role in setting an active learning environment for students with writing difficulties. references accardo, a. p., genna, m., & borean, m. (2013). development, maturation and learning influence on handwriting kinematics. human movement science, 32(1), 136-146. adam, t., & tatnall, a. (2008). using ict to improve the education of students with learning disabilities. in learning to live in the knowledge society (pp. 63-70). springer, boston, ma. becker, h. j. (1986). instructional uses of school computers. reports from the 1985 national survey. issue no. 1. instructional uses of school computers. chang, s. h., & yu, n. y. (2013). handwriting movement analyses comparing first and second graders with normal or dysgraphic characteristics. research in developmental disabilities, 34(9), 2433-2441. chicu, s. o., ţicău, a., & şoitu, l. (2014). training for new technologies. handwriting with new technologies. procedia-social and behavioral sciences, 142, 781-785. crescenzi, l., jewitt, c., & price, s. (2014). the role of touch in preschool children’s learning using ipad versus paper interaction. australian journal of language and literacy, the, 37(2), 86-95. desai, b., & kalyan, j. l. (2013). forensic examination of handwriting and signatures. international journal of innovative research and development (issn 2278–0211), 2(5). everett, d. r., & ahern, t. c. (1994). computer-mediated communication as a teaching tool: a case study. journal of research on computing in education, 26(3), 336-357. feder, k. p., & majnemer, a. (2007). handwriting development, competency, and intervention. developmental medicine & child neurology, 49(4), 312-317. grissmer, d., grimm, k. j., aiyer, s. m., murrah, w. m., & steele, j. s. (2010). fine motor skills and early comprehension of the world: two new school readiness indicators. developmental psychology, 46(5), 1008. handwriting rubrics, retrieved from, www.yourtherapysource.com/rubricshandwriting. hollerbach, j. m. (1981). an oscillation theory of handwriting. biological cybernetics, 39(2), 139-156. kumar, k. r. a., ravi, s., & srivatsa, s. k. effective e-learning approach for students with learning disabilities. international journal of scientific & engineering research, volume 2, issue 11, november 2011 1 issn 2229-5518. laszlo, j. i., & bairstow, p. j. (1984). handwriting: difficulties and possible solutions. school psychology international, 5(4), 207-213. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 202 martín, e., roldán‐alvarez, d., haya, p. a., fernández‐gaullés, c., guzmán, c., & quintanar, h. (2019). impact of using interactive devices in spanish early childhood education public schools. journal of computer assisted learning, 35(1), 1-12. mchale, k., & cermak, s. a. (1992). fine motor activities in elementary school: preliminary findings and provisional implications for children with fine motor problems. american journal of occupational therapy, 46(10), 898-903. mize, m. k., park, y., & moore, t. (2018). computer-assisted vocabulary instruction for students with disabilities: evidence from an effect size analysis of single-subject experimental design studies. journal of computer assisted learning, 34(6), 641-651. murray-smith, r., williamson, j., borland, j., & gray, p. (2002). supporting early intervention programmes for special-needs children with personal digital assistants. neumann, m. m., & neumann, d. l. (2017). the use of touch-screen tablets at home and pre school to foster emergent literacy. journal of early childhood literacy, 17(2), 203-220. ohl, a. m., graze, h., weber, k., kenny, s., salvatore, c., & wagreich, s. (2013). effectiveness of a 10-week tier-1 response to intervention program in improving fine motor and visual– motor skills in general education kindergarten students. american journal of occupational therapy, 67(5), 507-514. pianta, r. c., cox, m. j., & snow, k. l. (eds.). (2007). school readiness and the transition to kindergarten in the era of accountability. baltimore, md: paul h. brookes publishing. rose, r. v. (2004). the writing/reading connection. retrieved from https://www.peterson-handwriting.com/teacher_support/research-teacher support.html rosenblum, s., engel-yeger, b., & fogel, y. (2013). age-related changes in executive control and their relationships with activity performance in handwriting. human movement science, 32(2), 363-376. ungerleider, l. g., doyon, j., & karni, a. (2002). imaging brain plasticity during motor skill learning. neurobiology of learning and memory, 78(3), 553-564. west, j., & haskins, e. (1995). approaching kindergarten: a look at preschoolers in the united states. national center for educational statistics, washington, dc. ziviani, j., & elkins, j. (1986). effect of pencil grip on handwriting speed and legibility. educational review, 38(3), 247-257. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 16 introduction internship is essential because it develops the pre-service teacher (pst)’s professional identities, social interactions and pedagogical practices (caires et al., 2012). an internship programme is where the knowledge of subject content, pedagogy and technology are connected, and psts can practically apply it in the actual classroom (ismaeel & al mulhim, 2022). a productive and meaningful internship experience is significant for every pst. the advancement of web technologies has the potential to continuously change the face of education. the covid-19 pandemic made it obligatory for teacher education institutions to use digital platforms to provide internship experiences to future teachers. the crisis created an opportunity for psts to have their internship in online mode, which requires new skills and selfefficacy. even though online internships are not common in many countries, many studies have documented the challenges and opportunities of an online internship and called for teacher education programmes worldwide to incorporate more space for online internships. in the post-covid-19 pandemic era, online courses will proliferate at all levels of education. hence, teacher education curriculum must be reviewed regularly to ensure it can develop the psts’ competencies relevant to the emerging education scenarios. the national education policy 2020 (mhrd, 2020) of india envisioned digital transformation in education and stressed integrating technologies to improve education at all levels. further, it proposed bringing new technologies (artificial intelligence, research article online and offline internship experiences of science pre-service teachers in delhi: implications for teacher education kothai nayagi n research scholar, department of education, university of delhi, delhi email: kothainayaginatarasan@gmail.com abstract the advancement of web technologies and their applications is tremendously changing education around the world, which requires teachers to acquire techno-pedagogical competencies and experiences of it. the present study explored the secondary science pre-service teachers (psts) lived experiences of both online and offline teaching in their internship during the third wave of the covid-19 pandemic. this phenomenological research conducted semi-structured interviews with 14 science psts just after their internship. the analysis revealed that participants got oriented and familiarised with using the technologies to explore more ways of teaching and had meaningful experiences despite the challenges they faced. the study highlighted the significance of school students’ interaction in developing participants’ pedagogical competencies and for the effective teaching and learning process both online and offline. the study recommended the strategies of blending online and offline internships to develop the science psts’ techno-pedagogical competencies to facilitate the digital transformation in education. keywords: internship experiences, online teaching, offline teaching, covid-19, science pre-service teachers indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 17 machine learning, blockchains, smart boards, handheld computing devices, adaptive computers, etc.) to the teaching and learning process as well as to the assessment. hence, the technological competencies of future teachers are essential for integrating technology into their pedagogical subjects. science teachers, in particular, must have techno-pedagogical competencies due to the subject’s numerical and practical nature. it will enable the science teachers to provide their students with quality hands-on and experiment-based learning experiences. understanding psts’ online internship experiences will help the teacher education curriculum and policymakers to know the potentials and pitfalls of online internship environments and further strengthen them through necessary modifications. in this context, the study aims to understand the secondary science psts’ both online and offline teaching experiences in schools during the third wave of covid-19 in delhi, india. the information gained from this study will benefit teacher education programmes by providing the appropriate training and adjustments to future teachers during their internship program to handle the students both online and offline. review of related literature to effectively engage in the online teaching and learning process, the teacher requires the knowledge of integrating technology and pedagogy to specific content. the sudden change from the traditional mode to distance online education during the covid-19 pandemic was not smooth for many teachers, students and other stakeholders. the lack of technopedagogical competencies among teachers and psts has often been stated in many studies conducted in india (tabassum, 2022; kamel & illiyan, 2021). teacher education institutions in india offer a specialised paper on information and communication technology (ict) to enhance the psts’ professional capacity in fulfilment of the national curriculum for teacher education (2014) norms and regulations. however, tabassum (2022) stated that one of the significant challenges faced by the psts during their virtual internship was a lack of training in choosing appropriate pedagogical techniques to teach mathematics in online classes. moreover, psts learned theoretical aspects of different pedagogy from their teacher education course; however, it was not sufficient to teach on the online platform (iradel et al., 2021). it indicates the gap in teacher preparation programs, as it ignores the importance of incorporating the teachers’ technological skills with professional competencies. annamalai et al. (2022) pointed out that psts developed a negative experience towards online teaching due to students’ lack of participation in online learning as they had insufficient digital infrastructure. bansal et al. (2019) mentioned a discrepancy between teacher education orientations and school internship experiences. the limited infrastructure facilities at indian schools also challenge the psts to engage a constructivist approach in their teaching and learning process, which was expected from the teacher education course. during the pandemic time, the challenges were acute due to limited digital infrastructure. cavanaugh et al. (2009) claimed that student interaction is the key to an effective online class. however, studies (al abiky, 2021; bunyamin et al., 2021; tabassum, 2022; yusnilita, 2020) highlighted that student had low motivation in the online learning environment, which challenged the psts’ practice. especially, psts found it difficult to cope with students’ diversity indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 18 in learning (tabassum, 2022). brinia and psoni (2021) asserted that a lack of interaction between the teacher and students contributed to the low engagement level in online learning. iradel et al. (2021) explained that the psts had trouble in adjusting and managing the online class as they were majorly prepared for face-to-face. in addition, time management was another obstacle faced by psts during their virtual internship (dhimmar & patel, 2023; waters & russell, 2016). avsar erumit et al. (2021) surveyed psts’ beliefs towards online science education, and they found a negative belief towards the online platform, as it was not appropriate for the practical nature of subjects. further, psts faced difficulties assessing the student’s progress on online platforms due to limited training (al abiky, 2021; iradel et al., 2021; tabassum, 2022). iradel et al. (2021) propounded that psts should be trained for the rapidly changing learning styles and online modalities. despite many challenges, the online internship helped the psts to develop their pedagogical and technological skills (pepito, 2022) with a supportive system from teacher education institutions (iradel et al., 2021). a study conducted by annamalai et al. (2022) revealed that online practicum increased the psts’ confidence level in teaching and facilitated active learning. similarly, yusnilita (2020) study found that online classes provide more flexibility for students to work collaboratively and reduce the learning gap during the crisis (kamel & illiyan, 2021). moreover, psts mentioned in a study by avsar erumit et al. (2021) that online education supports their teaching with various materials, which could be easily accessible through the proper platforms. regarding the effectiveness of virtual internships, waters and russell (2016) mentioned that online teaching gave a more realistic image of teaching for psts. similarly, theelen et al. (2020) recommended the virtual internship for teacher education as it helps in reducing psts’ anxiety in teaching. nevertheless, ismaeel and al mulhim (2022) argued that the traditional faceto-face teaching practice would help psts adopt proper teaching methods in the actual teaching context. ismaeel and al mulhim (2022) conducted a survey to compare the traditional and online internship experiences of 120 psts during a pandemic. the study concluded that a traditional internship is generally better than an online internship as per the technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpack) model. further, the study suggested blending the traditional and online internships to develop the psts’ skills to integrate the technology and pedagogy in the given teaching context. besides, online internship facilitates a range of opportunities for pre-service teachers. it gives limited scope on real school experiences and a grip on their learning experiences. many studies have been associated with the challenges and opportunities of the online internship. the present study tries to understand the secondary pre-service science teachers’ lived internship experiences, where they had both online and offline teaching experiences. it represents the gap in the literature that the current research aims to address. research methodology this qualitative study used phenomenology research. “a phenomenological study describes the common meaning for several individuals of their lived experiences of a concept or a phenomenon” (creswell & poth, 2016, p.75). it was considered most appropriate for this study since it focused on the lived experiences of science psts during their internship. purposefully selected 14 secondary indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 19 at the beginning of data collection, consent to participate in this study was obtained from the participants. semi-structured interviews were conducted with the science psts after completing their internship programme. interviewees’ anonymity is ensured by using the initial letter of the word “participants (p)” and a number from 1 to 14. creswell and poth’s (2016) steps in the phenomenological analysis were used to analyse the data. first, the researcher’s judgments and prejudices were kept aside to not to affect the analysis process. second, the relevant quotes from the participants’ textual descriptions were identified. third, the relevant topics were grouped into themes to give meaning. fourth, the textual descriptions were written, and verbatim quotations were added to discuss the meaning of the science psts’ experiences. fifth, the structural descriptions were written to identify the true essence of the phenomenon. further, to represent the participants’ teaching experiences accurately, they were asked to validate the findings. findings challenges lack of infrastructure the science psts who practised in government schools struggled to conduct online classes due to the unavailability of devices (e.g., smartphones, laptops) and limited accessibility of good internet connections among students. these technology barriers minimalised the science psts’ online teaching experiences and influenced their pedagogical approaches. for example, p7 stated: i thought to use socrative quiz and all other online apps to teach science. however, students did not have devices. they could not join and participate. that is why i did not use those apps. i just posted ppts, videos and images in whatsapp. to ensure effective teaching for students learning in that difficult time, participants made youtube videos on their own and posted them in whatsapp groups. however, the inaccessibility of technology and the overload of online assignments affected poor students’ participation and learning. p1 underlined: science psts from the department of education, university of delhi, for the academic year (2020-2022) participated in this study. given that, due to the third wave of covid-19 and hazardous air pollution levels that caused subsequent lockdowns in delhi, they had a few weeks of simulation followed by both online and offline teaching experiences as per their allotted school requirements in their 16-week internship period (between november 2021 to february 2022).  nine of them were males, and five were females. table 1 details the type of schools where the science psts were placed for their internship. table-1: type of schools where the science psts were placed for their internship type of school government governmentaided private kendriya vidyalaya science psts p1, p3, p4, p7, p8, p12, p13, p14 p6 p2, p5, p9, p10 p11 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 20 even though online learning was just through discussion via whatsapp, the number of participants was meagre. we got a few responses for our videos, homework and worksheets, which the delhi government gave. also, the science psts faced problems in conducting activities during offline classes due to a lack of lab and other basic facilities in government schools. students’ less motivation in learning the science psts stated several problems concerning students’ lack of previous knowledge, varied levels of students’ participation while doing activities, higher class students’ nonparticipation in discussions, and irregular attendance, which affected the teaching-learning process. the lack of contact between the school system and students reduced their motivation for online learning. the science psts did not have enough time and opportunities to develop a good rapport with the students, so they faced challenges in managing both online and offline classrooms. p8 pointed out: when i was teaching the concept number of image calculation for the 8th class, i noticed that students did not know odd and even numbers, so i started explaining what odd and even numbers are. so, i did not complete the lesson plan. and p4 stated: every day, i saw 5 or 6 new students’ presence, so mostly, i revised and was not able to continue the chapter. one big problem stated by the participants was that students were copying answers from online sources during assessment. hence, science psts faced the problem of assessing the student’s understanding level in learning during their teaching. due to access and technological barriers, participants could not ask students to open their cameras and see their reactions during the teaching and learning process. p2 explained: if i ask certain things, what do you think about them? students searched the definitions on google and spoke. sometimes, their answers were beyond their comprehension level. so, when i asked for an explanation, they were blank and unaware. this was the case in online classes. and p6 added: students who participated in regular classes did more cheating. they just copied the answer from online sources without mindy. so, the assessment was a major problem in getting them to understand. science psts’ fewer opportunities the participants who practised in private schools had few opportunities to practice the different pedagogical approaches and to teach in a regular class. mostly, they just revised the topics during extra class time. for instance, p10 mentioned: we only got a few extra periods for practice, which are not compulsory for the students to attend. so, we interacted with only a few students. we did not get school cooperation and exposure of other activities like assembly, making time tables, sports etc. most of the time, the participants were indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 21 informed about the content to be taught just before the day or just a few hours ago. so, they did not get enough time to plan the pedagogical approach, homework, or assessments for that lesson and discuss them with their respective pedagogy teacher. overcoming hardships adopting interactive tools the science psts got opportunities to develop their pedagogical and technological skills in both online and offline platforms. their varied pedagogical approaches were based on the topic, the class level and the mode of the classes they got. mostly, participants used the lecture cum discussion method in online classes (in the platform like google meet and zoom). they made ppts, images, and youtube videos. additionally, they incorporated graphics interchange format (gif) and 3d images in their teaching to get students’ full participation and tried to connect science with their everyday life experiences. some science psts with enough infrastructure (e.g., laptop, internet connection) and opportunities have used various online apps that are freely available to teach specific topics. they found that those learning apps gave the students real experiences, helped them understand the complex concepts better, and increased their curiosity to learn more about it beyond the textbook content. for example, p6 stated: i introduced students to the stellarium mobile app, saying it is like a personal telescope; you can install it on mobile. the next day they just searched the whole galaxy, observed the international space station and asked many questions about it. so, ict tools were handy to engage students more. similarly, p8 mentioned: i used one video, a kind of gif, to show the students how the light passes through their pupil and lens and how it forms an image on the retina. it was a successful method because i took the test of 10 things to recognize from the human eye. they could able to recognize what the retina and optics are. so, they were able to understand because of the video. and p11 detailed: i want to teach beyond the textbook content, so i tried one virtual trip with the 7th class to teach about water conservation. i showed a 3600 view of stepwell in gujarat through the google arts and culture app. i also used zygote body (3d anatomy atlas) to teach ‘the respiratory system’ to the 11th class students. i showed them how actually the lungs are placed and the functions of the heart, muscles and skeleton. i used that app because i could remove each part one by one so that students could see the internal and external anatomy of the human body. additionally, p7 explained: to teach the ‘sound’ concept, i used youtube videos to help students understand different sounds. first, i played sounds like trumpet, harmonium and guitar. then i asked them questions. they answered correctly. it was also kind of an assessment. students liked the videos and participated well. moreover, participants mentioned that teaching through online platforms enables them to show or cite real-time examples that are not available in textbooks to connect science with the student’s experiences and make them indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 22 think about it. for instance, p11 stated that, to teach water-related problems, i showed recent newspaper clippings and video of the chennai and mumbai floods. further, i asked the students what do you think about the flood problem? what do you think about urban planning? how do we plan a city? students responded to those.  also, participants used various assessment apps like kahoot, quizizz and google forms to asses students’ learning at the end of the classes. they also did some activities with students during offline classes. students’ curiosity in learning all the participants stated that students’ interests and curiosity contributed much to the teaching and learning process. the science psts’ most liked part of the internship was interaction with the students in offline class as it helped them understand their needs. students’ curiosity in doing activities, questions and answers during discussions motivated the science psts to improve their teaching strategies. p11 cited his experience with students in discussion as their lesson progressed: in teaching the ‘why do we fall ill?’ chapter in class 9th, i had to explain prevention and treatment. so, i kept citing many examples related to covid-19. students were asked many questions about covid-19 and oral and breast cancer. they might be willing to know about that. all their questions were addressed. support system the science psts pointed out that feedback and suggestions from their regular/rotational supervisors during simulation teaching and internship were constructive in developing their lesson plans, managing the classroom and practical teaching during difficult times. peers’ appreciation and feedback gave them confidence in teaching. p9 underlined: during blended mode class, i got suggestions from my supervisor and peers like paying equal attention to all sets of students, the vocabulary i should use, keeping less text in ppt, sequence of lesson planning and the necessity of connecting the concepts. those helped me to develop my confidence in teaching. in the later classes, my supervisor complimented my efforts. similarly, p7 stated: my supervisor appreciated how the chapter ‘reaching the age of adolescence’ was taught. in those classes, girls participated more in the discussions, which went well. it gave me confidence in teaching. accomplish success feeling of satisfaction the science psts felt satisfied with their teaching practice despite the challenges. they felt happy when they saw that students had learned from their instruction. the third wave of covid-19 created an opportunity to learn and practice more online pedagogy to teach science. those experiences developed their skills to manage to teach both online and offline during difficult times. p13 stated: my experience was great with students. they were very interactive, very encouraged and curious to inquire about things. i learnt a indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 23 lot, especially how to manage and cater to the class’s needs, even in difficult times. and p14 added: it was a good experience; we want to learn how to use and progress with the developing technologies. we learned and explored a lot of apps and interactive class forms. i enjoyed the company of peers and had good online and offline teaching experiences. meaningful learning the participants mentioned that their internship experience was enriching since they developed many skills like time management, giving autonomy to students in learning, and practising open-mindedness and reflective thinking based on their experiences at school. p14 underlined: initially, my lesson plan was short, and my supervisor pointed out that my teaching style led to rote learning. i have reflected on why i was doing that. the reason that i comprehended was that my learning experiences at school as a student influenced me greatly. later, i developed my teaching skills through more activities. and p2 mentioned: i have learned from my peers’ classes that we should give students space to pose questions. so, that they will learn. the classes should not be monotonous, it should be interactive. moving ahead the teaching experiences of psts have led them to provide a few suggestions to improve the internship programme. they suggested improving the infrastructure facilities and opportunities for proper training at schools. further, they added that the teacher education programme should include demonstrations of pedagogy teachers’ teaching by using different pedagogical approaches with the school students and more training on peer observation and reflective journal writing. continuous feedback from their supervisors was also requested, along with financial support during their internship. for example, p14 stated: it is challenging to engage students based on child-centered educational theories. i want to see our pedagogy teachers’ teaching style to learn how to use different constructivist teaching methods. discussion based on the experiences from the first and second waves of the covid-19 pandemic, the secondary science psts in this study were also trained to teach online. the findings revealed that limited digital infrastructure restricted the participants’ online teaching practices. this result is in agreement with many recent studies (annamalai et al., 2022; bunyamin et al., 2021; pepito, 2022; tabassum, 2022), which suggested providing sufficient digital infrastructure facilities for students and teachers to maximize online teaching and learning like the findings of bansal et al. (2019), the participants in this study underlined the need to develop school infrastructure facilities and ample opportunities for constructivist practice and learning. also, they have been asked for financial assistance indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 24 during their internship, as suggested by tabassum (2022). one of the study findings highlighted that the student’s lack of previous knowledge and irregular participation placed the science psts in a difficult position to develop confidence in their efforts to continue the online teaching. this may be attributed to the findings of bunyamin et al. (2021) and yusnilita (2020), who claimed that the covid-19 pandemic created a learning gap and decreased the students’ interest in learning, which challenged the psts to continue their teaching. waters and russels (2016) suggested improving the psts’ communication skills to motivate the students to learn in an online environment. like tabassum’s (2022) finding, the study disclosed that the online platform had some constraints in tracking the students’ genuine learning and progress. al abiky (2021), iradel et al. (2021) and tabassum (2022) suggested developing the skill set among psts to assess the student’s performance in the online environment. many challenges have significantly affected the participants’ facilitation of practice teaching. this study’s findings highlighted that meaningful input from the pedagogy teachers in developing lesson plans and supervisors’ and peers’ advice and suggestions during simulation classes were helpful for improvement. the participants also received feedback after teaching in the actual classroom for further improvement. similar to iradel et al. (2021) and ugalingan et al. (2021) findings, the encouragement and support from teacher education institutions and students’ curiosity helped the participants in their meaningful practice as they tried out varied strategies in online teaching. unlike tabassum (2022) finding, the participants used different technological tools/applications that were readily available to them to maximize the students’ learning, indicating their advanced technopedagogical skills. this also confirmed the previous findings (dhimmar & patel, 2023; ismael & al mulhim, 2022) that online internships facilitated the psts to use various technological applications to present the content and develop their skills to integrate technology and pedagogy. participants were satisfied with the learning apps and other teaching-learning platforms as they facilitate collaborative learning. avsar erumit et al. (2020) study also suggested incorporating more training on web-based applications such as web 2.0 tools and virtual labs to support students’ learning in science. moreover, the students’ participation in online discussions, activities and quizzes motivated the science psts to adopt various strategies to teach science. it supports the notion that students’ engagement is critical for developing pedagogical competence among psts (rospigliosi, 2020). like pepito’s (2022) findings, the science psts in this study were promptly accommodated in an online environment. further, they developed the skill of time management and how to facilitate the students’ autonomy for effective teaching and learning during their internship. figure 1 illustrates the challenges, overcoming hardships, accomplishing success and their suggestions observed from the science psts’ online and offline internship experiences. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 25 figure-1: challenges, overcoming hardships, accomplishing success and suggestions observed from the science psts’ online and offline internship experiences challenges overcoming hardships accomplish success and suggestions y lack of digital and physical infrastructure in government schools y limited access to digital devices and poor internet connection at home y lack of opportunities in private schools y students’ lack of previous knowledge and their irregular participation y students’ less motivation to learn in online classes y classroom management y difficulties in assessing students’ learning in an online environment y adopting various technological tools/ applications to teach science and to do assessment y students’ curiosity in learning y support and feedback from teacher educators (pedagogue, supervisors) and peers y meaningful learning (online and offline teaching, time management, students’ needs, students’ autonomy and reflective thinking) y suggestions y proper training at schools y teaching demonstrations from a pedagogy teacher y training on peer observation and reflective journal writing y financial support y continous feedback from supervisors overall, the study’s findings indicated that science psts developed and used their techno-pedagogical competencies in their teaching. however, in agreement with avsar erumit et al. (2020), this study finding also revealed that the science psts’ online teaching experience was not up to the level of offline teaching experience as it eased the interaction with students (brinia & psoni, 2021) to realize their problems and understand the functions of the schools’ system. similarly, ismaeel and al mulhim (2022) and theelen et al. (2020) argued that online internships were ineffective in developing the psts’ skills of reinforcement managing students and their problems. further, they asserted the importance of providing offline teaching experience to develop psts’ pedagogical content knowledge for actual classroom teaching. finally, virtual internships can be used as peerto-peer training or positive models to reduce the psts’ anxiety as suggested by theelen et al. (2020). similar to ismaeel and al mulhim (2022), this study suggested adopting blended teaching internships to develop the psts’ skills to meaningfully integrate technology, pedagogy, and content into their teaching for future education. conclusion and implication the science psts in this study had very distinctive internship experiences. the study findings witnessed that technologies facilitate science psts to explore more ways of teaching, and they got familiarised with new technologies. they developed the skills to use various technological applications and handle the students in the online class, which they would not have developed in an offline internship setting. hence, teacher education courses should pay more attention to the practical aspects of integrating technologies into the teaching and learning process to equip psts with more subject-specific tools. at the same time, offline teaching experiences are also significant since they provide opportunities to understand students’ diversity in learning and facilitate interaction with students, which flourished the psts’ pedagogical competencies. thus, the study propounded a blended internship mode to prepare highly qualified indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 26 teachers for more effective online and offline teaching and learning. in order to enrich the psts’ competencies, more constructive feedback and interaction with the supervisors need to be strengthened in the new educational environment. teacher education programmes in india and elsewhere need to examine the chances and challenges of the blended internship mode for further improvement. reference al abiky, w. b. 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(2020). how the coronavirus pandemic may be the discontinuity which makes the difference in the digital transformation of teaching and learning. interactive learning environments, 28(4), 383-384. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2020.1766753 tabassum, f. virtual internship programme: issues and challenges faced by prospective mathematics teachers during 2nd wave of covid-19. journal of xi’an shiyou university, natural science edition, 18(01), 468-479. https://www.xisdxjxsu.asia/v18i01-47.pdf theelen, h., willems, m. c., van den beemt, a., conijn, r., & den brok, p. (2020). virtual internships in blended environments to prepare preservice teachers for the professional teaching context. british journal of educational technology, 51(1), 194-210. https://doi. org/10.1111/bjet.12760 ugalingan, g., edjan, d., & valdez, p. n. (2021). online internship experiences among preservice esl teachers in the philippines: challenges and opportunities. tesl-ej, 25(3), n3. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ej1332291.pdf waters, s., & russell, w. (2016). virtually ready? pre-service teachers’ perceptions of a virtual internship experience. research in social sciences and technology, 1(1). https://www. researchgate.net/publication/306254943 yusnilita, n. (2020). the impact of online learning: student’s views. eternal (english teaching journal), 11(1). https://doi.org/10.26877/eternal.v11i1.6069 ix editorial मन एव मनुष्याणां कारणं बन्धमोक्षयोः । (the mind is the cause of bondage and emancipation for humans) (brahmabindu upanishad) the avowed goals of nep 2020 are to increase access to educational opportunities, enhance the quality of the education offered to millions of students, bring equity into the educational systems given the existence of vast diversities in the population, make education more affordable, and create an accountable educational system. the use and integration of technology in education, too, have similar concerns regarding access, quality, equity, affordability, and accountability. in india, the scale at which we are functioning is staggering. we have more than 334 million students studying in more than 900 universities, 17000 teacher education institutions and 1.5 million schools, of which nearly 1 million are government schools. continuous professional development (cpd) of 10 million teachers and imparting skill development to youth comprising two-thirds of india’s population remain challenging tasks before us. as per aser (2021) report, 67.6% of all enrolled children have at least one smartphone available at home, but 26% have no access. the 75th round of the household social consumption survey by nsso (2020) revealed that nearly 4% of rural households and 23% of urban households only possessed computers, and almost 24% of the households in the country had internet access in the survey year, 2017-18. the proportions were 15% among rural and 42% among urban households. across india, only one in ten households had a computer — whether a desktop, laptop or tablet. moreover, having computers or the internet had no guarantee that one use them also, as only a small percentage of indians above the age of 5 years (20 %) had the basic digital literacy to use digital devices or access the internet. given the context in which we operate, the use and integration of technology in education have to do with children’s learning more than the technology itself. there is a tendency to consider technology a panacea for all the ills of the country’s educational system, and each time a new technology emerges, one starts believing that the miracle is around the corner. miracles have not happened despite using technology in a big way. we have yet to achieve 100 % literacy rates; quality education has remained elusive to the vast majority of students; technology has failed to empower students to overcome the discriminations and challenges faced by children with special needs (cwsn) or children belonging to marginalised sections. therefore, the use and integration of technology in education cannot be seen bereft of the socio-economic context. many studies have pointed to the lack of adequate infrastructure and teachers’ training as the key barriers to effective technology integration in diverse educational settings like india. teachers’ fear of being replaced by technology too impedes the use and integration of technology. addressing these challenges requires coordinated and collaborative interventions from various quarters at various levels. recently, we have seen similar expectations for using artificial intelligence in education (aied). aied has immense opportunities to offer. one area in which it can help is overcoming the central contradictions (that we provide uniform instructions to a class of diverse learners) that exist in any classroom. aied makes personalised adaptive learning (pal) a possibility. as teachers have to work increasingly in x artificial intelligence (ai) rich environments, their training on various aspects of ai, such as data mining, algorithms, and machine learning, as well as their ethical and human use, is paramount. an algorithm, which is the keystone of ai, can be biased, reflecting the mindset of the developers or data on which the algorithm is based can be specious. therefore, responsible use of ai is sine qua non for its application in education. it must be remembered that it can solve many of our educational problems, but not all of them. technology is best served if we lead them, not viceversa. in november 2024, the union cabinet approved an ambitious one nation one subscription (onos) scheme, which seeks to provide the best international scholarly articles, papers and journals to all the stakeholders, viz., students, researchers, teachers, faculty members, scientists of all disciplines, including those in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, etc. a total of ` 6,000 crore has been allocated for this initiative, from 1 january 2025 to 31 december 2027. the funding will cover the subscription charges for all participating institutions across the three years. access to journals is being provided through a national subscription coordinated by the information and library network (inflibnet) centre, an autonomous inter-university centre of the university grants commission (ugc), gandhinagar, gujarat. one can access the journals through a unified portal, “one nation one subscription“ (https://www. onos.gov.in/). this is a crucial scheme, especially for institutions that face a resource crunch in subscribing to quality and costly international journals. moreover, different institutions paid a hefty amount as subscription charges for the same journals, thus indulging in wasteful expenditure of the public money. this edition brings together a diverse collection of research articles, review articles, general articles, communication and book review exploring critical themes in digital and blended learning. these articles delve into the teacher’s attitude towards blended learning, the impact of swayam moocs, and the effectiveness of online and offline internship training. our authors examine blogging as a form of action research, the use of branching programming learning materials in economics, and the role of revised bloom’s taxonomy in ai-driven digital learning environments. additionally, they explore the mental health effects of social media on educated individuals, the potential of augmented reality in mathematics education, and the rise of augmented podcasts and youtube educational videos as transformative tools. this compilation not only contributes to academic discourse but also offers valuable insights to educators, researchers and policymakers navigating the digital educational era. (abhay kumar) editor indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 143 research article gender, technology and representation: analysis of ban’s u syiem (2013) avishek suman1 & poornananda d s2 1department of journalism and mass communication, kuvempu university, shankaraghatta, karnataka emailavisheksuman23@gmail.com 2department of journalism and mass communication, kuvempu university, shankaraghatta, karnataka abstract the film is a medium that has the ability to bring change to society. films, especially regional films, influence the audience since they connect more with the local content. the advancement in film production technology has not only improved the film-viewing experience but also provided an opportunity to filmmakers to offer a variety of content. this puts the filmmakers in a privileged position as they decide what the viewers will consume although films may or may not represent reality. this study analyses the first animation film of meghalaya, u syiem (2013) with representation theory as a framework to understand the portrayal of male and female characters in the film. the study also includes an interview with the film’s director to understand the process of developing and creating characters in the film. the study aims to provide new perspectives to viewers and learners in understanding various aspects of men’s and women’s roles in a matrilineal society through the nuances of animation technology. keywords: gender; representation; khasi film; technology; animation; u syiem introduction technology has the ability to promote gender equality and empower women. it provides women with increased “access to education, employment, and entrepreneurship”, while “challenging traditional gender roles and stereotypes that often restrict their potential” (mint, 2023). the use of technology to promote gender equality has made significant progress, especially in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic. “remote work, flexible schedules, online education, and mentorship programs” have offered vital support and platforms for women to develop their “social and intellectual capabilities” (mint, 2023). despite these promising advancements, the tech industry remains predominantly male-dominated, with women underrepresented in various roles, including engineering, leadership, and decision-making positions (goldstaub, 2021). women in technology face gender pay gaps and encounter biases and stereotypes that hinder their career advancement and recognition (slotboom, 2022). to ensure an inclusive and thriving environment where gender is not a barrier, there is still work to be done. technological advancements have revolutionized various sectors including healthcare and education. this article examines the film industry, focusing on an animation film, which heavily relies on the nuances of technology. technology plays an important role in today’s film production process. it has changed how films are made, distributed, screened, and consumed. the inclusion of technology in cinema is “to trigger the audience’s empathy and bring them indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 144 closer to the story” (li, 2021). on-screen it has helped provide an enhanced film experience to the viewers, off-screen it engages the audience with sharp images and visuals (sharma, 2022). the history of cinema started with silent black and white films, then colour and sound were introduced, followed by vfx, and animation. animation films are a popular form of visual storytelling that use drawings, computer-generated imagery (cgi), or other forms of visual art to bring characters and stories to life. these films have been entertaining audiences of all ages for decades, and their popularity has grown over the years. animation films come in many styles and genres, from light-hearted comedies to heart-wrenching dramas. some of the most popular animation film genres include family films, action and adventure films, fantasy films, science fiction films, mythological epics, etc. one of the main benefits of animated films is that they allow filmmakers to tell stories that might be difficult or impossible to tell in liveaction films. because animation films are not bound by the laws of physics or the limitations of the real world, they can explore fantastical concepts and create characters and settings that are truly unique (lascala, 2022). animators can create any character or setting they can imagine, and they can use visual effects and computer-generated imagery (cgi) to create stunning and intricate visuals that would be difficult or impossible to achieve in live-action videos. additionally, animation films can use “exaggeration and caricature to create characters that are larger-thanlife” and more expressive than their live-action counterparts (hilder, 2023). another advantage of animated films is that they can appeal to a wide range of audiences. while some may think of animated films as primarily for children, many animated movies are designed to appeal to adults as well. animation films have been gaining popularity in india recently, both among children and adults. indian animation films have come a long way since their inception in the early 1900s with the first animated film agkadyanchi mouj (matchstick’s fun) directed by dada saheb phalke (chakraborty, 2023). the pea brothers, directed by gunamoy banerjee became the first film released in theatres in 1934 (ghose & gupta, 2018). today, indian animation films cover various genres, styles, and themes. one of the most popular indian animation films of all time is the ramayana: the legend of prince rama released in 1992. this animated retelling of the epic of ramayana became a cult classic for its beautiful animation and engaging storytelling. other notable indian animation films include the hanuman series, chhota bheem, and mighty raju. these movies have gained popularity among children for their colourful characters and lively storylines. in addition to films, indian animators are also producing animated series for television and streaming platforms. netflix’s mighty little bheem is a popular animated series featuring the adventures of the popular character, chhota bheem, and has been wellreceived by audiences worldwide. indian animators are also increasingly venturing into the realm of adultoriented animation. the web series the legend of hanuman has been praised for its stunning animation and engaging storytelling. indian animation films also incorporate traditional indian art and culture, helping to promote and preserve india’s rich heritage. one example of a successful indian animated film is hanuman, a 2005 movie based on the hindu epic ramayana. in recent years, the indian animation industry has grown significantly, indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 145 with studios producing high-quality animated films that are viewed by audiences worldwide. representation of characters in animation films a number of studies have been conducted to understand the representation of characters in animation films. jimenez’s (2022, p. 2) analysis of disney animated films found that women characters were given more “pervasive roles”. it was also found that while 63.3 per cent of the characters were male, only 36.6 per cent were females (jimenez, 2022). a similar study by sims (n.d) on the analysis of disney films found that there has been no change in the portrayal of characters. the characters are portrayed stereotypically with male characters possessing masculine traits. many early animated films perpetuated traditional gender stereotypes, portraying women as passive and men as dominant and aggressive. in more recent years, there has been an attempt toward more inclusive and diverse depictions of gender in animation films. shehattah (n.d.) examined the depiction of male main characters in three animated films and found that characters exhibited various typical traits associated with masculinity. despite this, the protagonists reveal a modest advancement in the representation of males within the chosen animated films. fischer’s (2010) evaluation of how female and male characters are depicted in five animated films found that they do not fall into gender stereotypes. female characters were portrayed in various roles and were depicted with less stereotypical imagery. similarly, male characters were shown in diverse roles with characteristics that did not conform to typical stereotypes. in 2008, gillam and wooden conducted an analysis of how masculinity is portrayed in pixar’s films. the study discovered a transformation in how male characters were represented. previously, they were portrayed as dominant and powerful. however, in recent years, male characters have been depicted with masculine and feminine traits. palupi’s (2019) analysis of three animation films found that disney portrays its princesses as strong and self-reliant. however, the princesses are not portrayed as capable of completing their goals without assistance from men. they tend to believe they are less proficient than men in achieving their goals. the results suggest that gender stereotypes persist in animated films. nevertheless, a positive change is noticeable as female and male characters are often depicted in nonconventional ways. the present study the literature review indicates that the characters have been portrayed stereotypically in animation films. there are very few studies conducted on indian animation films. hence, this study will analyse the first animation film of meghalaya, u syiem to answer the following question: how the male and female characters have been represented in the film? what was the process of developing and creating characters in the film? this study is significant because most films emerge from patriarchal societies that follow patrilineal social structures. although meghalaya has a matrilineal social structure unlike the other states in india, it is still a patriarchal society. however, it is one of the few regions where “women enjoy social mobility and there are no bars to achieve economic mobility.” (rathanayak, 2021). indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 146 theoretical framework this study draws on stuart hall’s (1997) concept of representation to understand the representation of characters and character design in film. representation theory seeks to explain how meaning is created and conveyed through cultural representations, such as “language, images, and symbols” (hall, 1997, p. 15). according to hall, these representations are not simply reflections of “reality”, but are constructed through social processes that are shaped by power relations and historical contexts. at the heart of hall’s representation theory is the idea that cultural representations are always encoded with meanings that reflect the dominant ideologies of the society in which they are produced. these ideologies are not necessarily consciously held by individuals but are rather the product of the social and historical conditions that shape the cultural context. hall argued that representations are never neutral or objective, but are always produced within specific historical, social, and cultural contexts. he also emphasized the importance of understanding the power relations that shape the production and reception of representations, and how they can reinforce or challenge dominant ideologies and social norms. representation theory as a theoretical framework has been used by many scholars to understand how different forms of media portray individuals, groups, and communities. parvez (2022) employed representation theory to investigate how gender is depicted in films featuring female superheroes. according to the study’s findings, two out of three films portrayed the female lead characters as deviating from traditional gender roles. sharma and pathak (2022) employed the representation theory to analyze the social issues that the director of parasite portrayed in different “scenes, shots, and sequences” of the film, which won an oscar. similarly, a study conducted by fatimah et. al. (2022) applies representation theory to investigate the portrayal of japanese individuals and their interactions with koreans in the film, pacchigi (2005). stuart hall’s representation theory helps us understand how different media and popular culture portray individuals, groups, and communities. method a scene-by-scene textual analysis was done to understand the representation of the male and female characters in the film. textual analysis is a “methodology that involves understanding language, symbols, and/or pictures present in texts to gain information regarding how people make sense of and communicate life and life experiences” (hawkins, 2017). the study also includes an interview with the film director to understand the process of developing and creating characters in the film. as animation is not restricted by reality, it does not require real-life characters which gives the makers the freedom to decide on the appearance and traits of the characters. hence, the interview with the filmmaker is important to understand the idea behind the character design. analysis of u syiem (2013) the film is based on the life of the freedom fighter, u tirot sing syiem. at a very young age, tirot singh loses his father in a battle. upon his mother’s request, he leaves the nongkhlaw region to receive training. this is also a custom in the khasi tradition, where the chief should receive good training for the coming years to be a rightful king. he spends his childhood with his uncle receiving training in warfare, craftsmanship, and other arts. after a decade, tirot singh returns to the nongkhlaw region and is bestowed with the responsibility of a king who is indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 147 well-versed in the art of military warfare and combat and well-educated in administrative studies. he takes up the responsibility and life is very peaceful in the village until the east india company comes to him with a proposal to build a road for uninterrupted trade. the king signs the treaty in consultation with his durbar (local council) for the welfare of his people but little does he know about the intention of the east india company. as soon as the treaty is signed, a battalion of soldiers arrives in the region creating havoc. women and villagers are harassed, and the childhood friend of tirot singh is killed. looking at the sufferings of his people the king feels betrayed by the east india company and decides to fight against the british. the king fights the british army in the khasi hills for four years and signs a peace treaty following his surrender to the british. he eventually dies in bangladesh. a scene-by-scene analysis was carried out to understand the representation of characters. the analysis has been categorised on the following themes: speaking characters and representation time; character roles and traits; appearance and costume. speaking characters and representation time the first thing that is noticeable while analysing the film is the number of male and female-speaking characters in the films. the male characters outnumber the female characters in the film. there are nine male-speaking characters in comparison to only two female characters. there are multiple scenes in the film when the king, tirot singh addresses the “people” of the village. in these scenes, there are only male characters in the village, not even a single woman is found in the frame. in the cremation scene of tirot singh’s childhood friend, village people are seen standing alongside tirot singh. in this scene, except for tirot’s mother all the characters are male. this creates the impression that the village consists of only male residents. similarly, when it comes to on-screen representation time, male characters get more on-screen space than females. male characters get an on-screen time of 46 minutes and 30 seconds, whereas female characters get only 8 minutes and 59 seconds. figure 1 shows the representation of time and speaking characters in percentage. figure-1: speaking characters and on-screen representation time indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 148 character roles and traits the two female characters not only get less on-screen representation time but also their roles are not central to the story. the two female characters in the film play the roles of a mother and tirot singh’s childhood friend. the mother is portrayed stereotypically as caring, self-sacrificing and dependent. when tirot singh is young, his mother sends him away from her to learn, get trained, and acquire skills to become a king so he can protect the people of the village. though the mother is very close to tirot singh, it is his uncle who makes decisions along with tirot singh. after the return of tirot singh, there are very few scenes with the mother and when she is present in the scene she is seen just as a spectator and not as a speaking character. she has no role in the film to drive the plot or the story forward. the other female character, tirot’s friend is also portrayed as dependent and submissive. the film has two major scenes with her and in both scenes, she is portrayed as dependent and submissive. in both scenes, she can be seen running away from danger in fear and getting help from the male character to rescue herself from the situation. the female characters are portrayed as dependent, submissive, caring, and selfsacrificing. on the other hand, the male characters are portrayed as strong, independent, responsible, and brave. for instance, when tirot singh leaves the village for training, the mother tells him, “you have to promise me to be strong, responsibility is in your hands now”. and when tirot singh returns, the voice-over says “after a decade-long wait, he returned to his people, a man, his stature strong, muscular, and bold ready to bear the burden bestowed upon him. a brave leader to watch over the welfare of his kingdom and his people. such stereotyped images of male and female characters can be seen throughout the film. appearance and costume the characters in the film can be seen wearing traditional and non-traditional dresses. the khasi traditional dress for women is jainsem and for men is a dhoti with a turban and a jacket. keeping in mind it is a period drama, the decision to go with the traditional dress is suitable for the film. however, the difference is in their representation. the male lead character, his mother, and his uncle can be seen wearing the traditional dress which reflects the khasi culture and tradition. the traditional dress worn by u syiem signifies him as the leader of the village and a king who represents the khasi tribe and stands for his people. but, the childhood friend of u syiem, wears jainkyrshah throughout the film. jainkyrshah is also a traditional attire of the khasi tribe. it is one side shoulder drape cloth, more like an apron, worn by khasi women while doing chores at home or in public. jainkyrshah symbolizes modesty and respect and khasi women wear it to protect themselves from the stains of cooking or other chores. in the film, the childhood friend of u syiem wears jainkyrshah which signifies two things. first, it means she is involved only in domestic work at home which can be seen in the first scene where she is carrying a basket of fruits and heading to her home. second, as jainkyrshah is worn by women to protect themselves from stains, in the film it acts as a symbolic tool that she wears to protect herself from the people around her. in both scenes, she wears jainkyrshah and runs away from danger to protect herself. character design the main character in the film is u syiem, his mother, uncle, childhood friend, and a british officer. as mentioned earlier in this paper, an interview was conducted with the film’s director to understand the character design. the character indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 149 design of the films was all imaginative and no real-life references were taken. the looks and appearance of tirot singh have been described in many books as tall and having a well-composed body. however, the director decided to exaggerate and stylize the characters to appeal to a wider audience. the character design was influenced by indian and foreign films. the director has taken the character’s reference from ramayana (1992) and the prince of egypt (1998). hence, the characters were designed with stereotypical traits, which are a “tried and tested formula” and can be seen in commercial films. the makers went for the exaggerated and stylized characters since it was a fictional feature film, not a documentary or experimental film, and they wanted the characters to be accepted and liked by the audience. the makers followed the concept of shape language to communicate the personality of the characters. the male lead characters were developed on an inverted triangle shape to make the characters look strong, muscular, and dominant. the director wanted the mother to be a neutral character and hence decided to follow a rectangle shape to design the character. the childhood friend of u syiem was designed on an hourglass shape so the shoulders and hips are of proportional width, and have a defined waist. all other characters were developed on either square or rectangular shapes. discussion this study looks at the portrayal of male and female characters in the first animation film of meghalaya. this study found that the male characters dominate the on-screen space, and the characters were portrayed stereotypically. the characters designed were also stylized and exaggerated to appeal to a larger audience. hall (1997) states that cultural representations are never neutral or objective, but are always constructed through social and historical processes that are shaped by power relations. the film begins with a disclaimer “while the story is inspired by actual events, certain characters, and characterization were fictionalized for the purpose of dramatization”. it means that this film is not an accurate representation of reality and such representation can reinforce harmful stereotypes, which can lead to discrimination and prejudice. meghalaya is a matrilineal society where women can be seen occupying spaces from offices to the marketplace. however, in the film, very less representation time is given to women characters and the roles given to them are not central to the story. this shows that women are less important in a society where only male members lead and make decisions. how can inaccurate representations in the film be harmful to society? it cannot be denied that gender disparity is on the rise in meghalaya but this region is known for its unique matrilineal social structure and this is not reflected in the film. the film follows the representation trend of other major film industries in stereotypically portraying the characters. in the film, women were portrayed as dependent and submissive whereas the male characters were portrayed as independent and strong. such representation can form negative perceptions and reinforce stereotypes in society. the stereotypes can also be seen in the film regarding physical appearance. the character design for the film is exaggerated. the male lead characters are given a well-composed muscular body, and the female characters are portrayed as thin and simple looking. this type of portrayal can reinforce harmful stereotypes by shaping the viewer’s perception of beauty and perfection, based on the images they consume. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 150 the director in his interview said that the film is not an accurate representation of reality and that the references for the film have been taken from hollywood and hindi films. as hall (1997) stated that representations are always encoded with meanings that reflect the dominant ideologies of the society in which they are produced. the film, u syiem has been dramatized and stylized to appeal to the audience. for instance, the director has taken the character’s reference from ramayana (1992) and the prince of egypt (1998). further, the director talks about the representation of male characters and how a v-shaped body can make the character look dominant and powerful and be seen in films like hercules, 300, etc. the director went for a tried and tested formula for character design which can be accepted by the audience. even an animated cartoon character like jerry in tom and jerry will turn into a v-shape if it needs to be portrayed as powerful. the male and female characters in the film, u syiem are portrayed stereotypically and the character designs were also exaggerated. one of the reasons for the stereotypical portrayal can be related to laura mulvey’s theory of the male gaze. the film’s creators such as the director, screenplay writer, animators, and vfx artists were predominantly male, as seen in other tech industries, which may have influenced their perspective regarding the portrayal of the characters. similarly, simone de beauvoir also wrote on the perspective of representation by a male, which states “representation of the world, like the world itself, is the work of men; they describe it from their own point of view, which they confuse with absolute truth” (beauvoir, 1952, p. 143). as stated earlier in this article, animation films provide animators with the freedom to create diverse characters and settings limited only by their imagination. with the advancements in technology, the visual aspects of animation are becoming increasingly realistic. consequently, it is crucial for animators to take on the responsibility of accurately representing society, particularly when it comes to the portrayal of issues related to gender. in the state of meghalaya, animation is still in its early stages, and it should not simply follow the trends set by commercial live-action films. instead, it should prioritize depicting society in a manner that benefits everyone. conclusion this study looks at the representation of male and female characters in the first animation film of meghalaya. u syiem. the study found that the male and female characters are portrayed stereotypically and the character design is stylized. this type of portrayal can generate negative perceptions about gender and gender roles which get fixed in people’s minds especially “children from a very young age and accordingly are forced to fit in with society’s expectations of them” (childrens society, 2020). for a more comprehensive understanding of gender depictions in animation films from meghalaya, it is recommended that further research be conducted when more films are produced in the future. this article specifically analysed one animation film, which currently stands as the first and only animation film from meghalaya. regional cinema, unlike hindi cinema, influences the local audience as it is rooted in their culture and should portray the reality which can challenge gender roles and stereotypes, and help in building a more inclusive and dynamic society. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 151 references beauvoir, s. d. (1952). the second sex. new york, ny: random house. chakraborty, p. (2023, march 20). blue mountain blues: a jumbo tale in eight minutes — one frame at a time. the south first. https://thesouthfirst.com/featured/blue-mountain-blues-ajumbo-tale-in-eight-minutes-one-frame-at-a-time/ childrens society. (2020, september 1). how gender roles and stereotypes affect young people. https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/what-we-do/blogs/how-gender-roles-affectyoung-people fatimah, e. r., andayani, s., gunawan, g. s., & bellatrix , a. (2022). social representation of japanese character in film pacchigi (2005). eudl. https://eudl.eu/pdf/10.4108/eai.9-102021.2319661 fischer, s. (2010). powerful or pretty: a content analysis of gender images in children’s animated films, [master’s thesis, auburn university] https://etd.auburn.edu/bitstream/ handle/10415/2065/thesissabrinafischer.pdf?sequence=2 gillam, k., & wooden, s. r. (2008). post-princess models of gender: the new man in disney/ pixar. journal of popular film and television, 36(1) 2-8. https://doi.org/10.3200/jpft.36.1.2-8 ghose, k., & gupta, v. (2018). the history of indian animation (1912-1961) part 1. global journal for research analysis, 7(2), 37-38 https://www.worldwidejournals.com/global-journal-forresearch-analysis-gjra/recent_issues_pdf/2018/february/february_2018_1517837896__76. pdf goldstaub, t. (2021, march 09). i work in ai – we need to deal with how biased technology is against women. independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/ voices/artificial-intelligence-tech-covid-b1812888.html hall, s. (1997). representation: cultural representations and signifying practice. london: sage publication. hawkins, j. m. (2017). textual analysis. in m. allen (ed.), the sage encyclopedia of communication research methods. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781483381411 hilder, r. (2023, january 12). 27 expert character design tips. creative bloq. https://www. creativebloq.com/character-design/tips-5132643 jimenez, s. (2022). the representation of women in disney animated films. [bachelor’s thesis, university of nebraska]. digital commons. https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/university_ honors_program/181?utm_source=digitalcommons.unomaha.edu%2funiversity_honors_ program%2f181&utm_medium=pdf&utm_campaign=pdfcoverpages lascala, m. (2022, november 30). 50 greatest animated movies of all time, from classics to recent films. good house keeping. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/parenting/ g23282475/best-animated-movies/ li, m. (2021). the role of vr/ar technology in film industry. press books. https://uw.pressbooks. pub/cat2/ mint. (2023, march 07). back breaking barriers: how technology is empowering women in the workforce https://www.livemint.com/news/india/how-technology-is-opening-variousroutes-for-gender-equality-in-2023-11678172114057.html parvez, y. h. (2022). gender representation in female superhero movies. ssrn. https:// papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4221785 palupi, d. d. (2019). fictitious story of independent women: analysis of main characters’ indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 152 roles in new disney princess movies. etnolingual, 3(1), 1-12. rathnayake, z. (2021, march 30). khasis: india’s indigenous matrilineal society. bbc. https:// www.bbc.com/travel/article/20210328-why-some-indians-want-more-mens-rights sharma, a. b., & pathak, j. p. (2022). representation of social issues in parasite: a critical discourse analysis. journal of positive school psychology, 6(8), 9291-9301. sharma, s. (2022, may 6). how advanced technology is revolutionising filmmaking. rain dance. https://raindance.org/how-advanced-technology-is-revolutionising-filmmaking/ shehattah, s. (n.d.). the representation of male leads in selected animated films:a visual analysis. https://cse.journals.ekb.eg/article_147198_ed3c54e843ff2bedc8a7506f797836e9. pdf sims, a. n. (n.d.). representations of gender in disney full-length animated features over time, [master’s thesis, hanover college]. https://psych.hanover.edu/research/thesis12/ papers/sims%20paper.pdf slotboom, m. (2022, july 20). gender inequality in tech. yellow training. https://www.yellowtraining.com/about-us indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 163 research article gendered digital divide among secondary students: the aftereffects of covid 19 pandemic on offline education in greater guwahati area sudeshna nath1, tajbina yasin2 & fariza saidin3 1assistant professor, department of education, govt. model college, borkhola 2research scholar, department of psychology, rajiv gandhi university (a central university) emailyasintajbina@gmail.com 3assistant professor, department of psychology, assam down town university abstract education can be divided into several contexts: gender being the major one. the present research study has been conducted against the backdrop of the covid19 pandemic, keeping in mind the intention to study the digital and educational divide on a gender basis and also to find out the aftereffects of gender inequality in both teaching-learning perspectives after returning to traditional classes. the sample consists of 400 students and 40 teachers from the greater guwahati area to attain their relevant information by the use of a socio-demographic data sheet, a self-constructed questionnaire for students, and an information schedule for teachers. the results revealed inequality among the genders (among males and females) in the case of socio-demographic background. though in the initial days, slow speed was perceived among males and females but males seemed to outperform females in matters of classroom instruction. a less inquisitive attitude towards online learning among female students is assumed to be the factor for such disparity. keywords: digitalization, gender disparity, educational divide introduction as the grip of the pandemic became stronger, people started adapting themselves to it and continued to work from their homes. similarly, all educational institutions tried to incorporate the digitization of education and accepted the sudden shift from classroom to online teaching (das et al., 2020). as now the process of digitization of education entered into the scenario, there were scenes of the digital divide which defined the concept where people neither had equal access nor had equal ability to use ict. this further enhanced the concept of the variety of digital divides, which took certain specific offshoots as follows: gender divide, age divide, and income divide (singh, 2010). the utmost concern among the several digital divides is the gender digital divide which implies not understanding the methods and usages of digitalization and moreover not getting equal access to know about it. men and women are always compared in some or another way, and women’s equality in every platform is always compromised. the concept of gender divide has always been a significant inequality, and it has been more hyped by the digital revolution (saha&zaman, 2017). every human has the right to adhere to education. it is a process that did not gain much importance some four or five decades earlier and was considered rather a choice to opt for it, but in indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 164 today’s arena, it isn’t a choice but a basic right for all. the growth of an individual and the gate of opportunities only get opened through education. a country’s national development is dependent upon the educational quality its citizens receive (singh & rabindranath,2020). education is a platform of serving everyone equally. still, women’s participation is prohibited. in india, education for girls is still a matter of consideration. the main concern of this paper is to bring to light that during this pandemic, as all the services have transformed their base from offline to online, educational services also had to be a part of these transformations. the educational institution was active by adopting online measures with the effort of not disrupting the learning culture. but many students were unable to be a part of this online teachinglearning process. hence, many learners were affected during these persistent lockdown periods (das et al.,2020), and among these learners, the major setback was in the lap of the girl child. according to the latest national statistical survey, the reason is that in india, one in every ten households can purchase a computer, desktop, or laptop, and nearly a quarter of all homes have internet facilities in their devices, which includes smartphones as well (nso,2020). as the girl child faces a lot of challenges in acquiring education (singh & rabindranath, 2020), contributing to its first position in the race of educational divides, also being in a household where there is only one device, the male child gets the primary opportunity of accessing it whereas the female child is considered to be of secondary importance because in india the male plays a primary and the female plays a secondary role (odomore, 2015). gender disparity in the platform of education has always been a consistent and underlying problem in indian society, particularly for girls belonging to lower socio-economic backgrounds (rekha & devkaran, 2017). moreover, in this current scenario, the impact of lower socioeconomic status (gopalan & misra, 2020) plays a hindrance in many households making it difficult for many bread earners to provide equal accessibility to their learners, thus contributing to a deeper gap in the digital divide. hence in the era of digitalization of education combined with the gender gap, it has become a questionable issue in the situation of post lockdown where several schools and colleges had opened after a long gap. so, it would be interesting to study the observable effects on the students and how they are coping with the new normal, and whether this disparity persists. review of literature das et al. (2020) examined the impact of covid on sustained online education among students, teachers, and parents of primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. the online survey was used to collect relevant data. the authors highlighted the importance of online pedagogy and its rewarding benefits through a variety of sources but also leave a question of the digital divide in education considering accessibility. singh & rabindranath (2020) examined the gender divide in education to evaluate gender divide in education, emphasizing the need for girl’s education. data were collected from various sources like articles, research papers, journals, the internet, etc., and qualitative research was used to analyses the data. the finding reveals the existence of the gender divide and its effect on girls students. improving the homogeneity of society through flourishing girls’ education is mentioned in this study. korlat, et al. (2021) stated in their study that digital learning was immediately required due to the indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 165 covid-19 epidemic, which presented difficulties for all students, but notably for underprivileged groups in a virtual setting. the purpose of this study was to look at gender inequalities in the digital learning environment that students experienced in the spring of 2020 since some studies show that boys and girls continue to use technology and related abilities differently. biological sex was primarily employed as the only predictor of gender in earlier research looking into gender disparities in digital learning. it has been found that girls outperformed males in terms of perceived teacher support, intrinsic value, and learner engagement, but no significant gender differences were detected in attitudes of competency in digital learning. their findings also demonstrated the unmistakable advantages of an androgynous gender role self-concept for all examined aspects of digital learning. norman, et al. (2022) stated in their study that the covid-19 epidemic has disturbed approximately 1.6 billion pupils globally and forced the closure of thousands of schools. it has already made the existing digital gaps more difficult and further displaced disadvantaged kids digitally. various tactics have been employed to address the educational digital gap faced by disadvantaged pupils in an effort to lessen the impact of this problem. in order to better understand this scenario, the current study looks at the digital educational divide for pandemicvulnerable pupils in terms of access, connectivity, usage, and exploitation. the responses to a survey, which was given to 518 at-risk adolescents in schools between the ages of 10 and 15, were examined. the results show that asynchronous learning is a more powerful concept than synchronous learning and that creativity skills are more important for the learning of vulnerable students than productive skills. nayak & alam (2022) stated in their study that the covid-19 pandemic and the digital divide negatively impacted the educational system for socially disadvantaged groups like the adivasis and other vulnerable groups. this research paper tries to analyse the factors combined with worsening the educational system for these groups. the research examines how the covid-19 epidemic rearranged the pre-existing problems of educational inequality and how the digital divide has developed in a way that has especially impacted young tribal females. the results show that in addition to issues with accessibility and infrastructure, cultural and social factors related to the perceived benefits of education for girls and mindset or beliefs held by parents and teachers regarding the efficacy of digital mode of education delivery also contribute to and reinforce the digital divide for tribal girls living in the hinterlands. the study emphasizes rethinking the digital learning environment and offering policy solutions to address the growing digital gap and educational disparities among socially disadvantaged groups based on the information gathered from the interview. guo, c., & wan, b. 2022, examined that online education has grown in popularity over the past several years in the educational field. the argument over whether online education narrows or expands the gap persists, despite the fact that many people think technology has the potential to reduce inequality. according to the report, there was a digital divide in online education throughout the epidemic. it was mostly discussed in terms of variations in the amount of equipment and network quality, students’ capacity for online learning, and their results from offline learning. these results imply that achievement inequalities cannot be indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 166 closed just through the expansion of online education. the advancement of educational fairness necessitates the efforts of several stakeholders and interventions that are especially geared toward underprivileged pupils. objectives • to study the pattern of digital and educational divide among the secondary students of greater guwahati in terms of gender amidst corona pandemic. • to identify the aftereffects of such gender disparity on the learners in offline classes at secondary schools. research question • what is the pattern of the gendered digital and educational divide among the secondary students of greater guwahati amidst the corona pandemic? • is such a gender disparity creating different parameters of readjustment as aftereffects among the learners in the offline classes? conceptual framework of the study: the context of the research study focuses on the prevalence of the educational divide due to the existing pandemic triggered by the digital divide. such digital disparity has given way to an enormous educational gap between males and females owing to various psycho-social perspectives. this phenomenon persists even after schools have reopened, eventually creating an educational lag among female students since some girls could not gather the courage to return to their schools. the rate of regular attendance in online classes has severely impacted their performance in offline physical classroom transactions. keeping in view of the prevailing educational scenario, efforts have been made to collect data and information on the existing status of classroom transactions on the basis of gender in the greater guwahati area. the responses were collected from the male and female students of classes 8 to 10 studying in government schools only. methodology research method the descriptive survey method of research has been adopted to conduct the research study as the situational status of education in the government schools was studied. all the necessary data was gathered on the gender responses to education during online and offline classes through the teacherlearner perspective. sample and sampling technique the purposive sampling technique was selected as the sampling technique for making sampling-related decisions. a total of 8 government schools from the greater guwahati area have been considered for the research purpose. a sample size of 400 students, comprising 200 males and 200 females, was decided, along with 40 teachers, for a better understanding of the data. research tool the following tools were considered for the research study: 1. a socio-demographic data sheet to collect the demographic profile of the sampled students. 2. self-constructed questionnaire for students to take an opinion on the recent trend in learning. 3. information schedule for teachers to extract information on the prevailing gender status in education. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 167 the data collection procedure after getting approval from the principals of the government schools in the region of greater guwahati, the tools were administered to the sampled students. the responses were collected after the teachers and students were assured of the confidentiality of their respective responses. the necessary scoring of the data and interpretation was done for generalization. analysis table-1: socio demographic profile of students demographic variables male female gender 200 200 category general or unreserved 140 133 obc 35 41 sc 15 13 st 10 13 domicile urban 127 115 semi-urban 73 80 rural 0 5 family type joint 71 94 nuclear 129 106 siblings yes 155 180 no 45 20 approximate monthly income above 50,000 45 40 25,000 – 50,000 70 56 15,000 – 25,000 74 86 below 15,000 11 18 sources of income only mother 77 91 only father 71 55 both the parents 40 33 other sources 22 21 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 168 table-2: online learning experiences of students reflecting gender disparity (the learner perspective): favorable no opinion unfavorable online experience male 66 65 69 female 54 55 91 participation in online platform male 90 20 90 female 56 47 97 acquaintance with devices and gadgets male 158 12 30 female 130 17 53 accessibility issues (internet, geographical and electricity) male 106 14 80 female 60 13 127 familiarity in using apps male 153 13 34 female 125 11 64 regularity in online class male 150 0 50 female 99 10 91 table-3: table showing the trend of gender responses in continuity from online learning situations to post pandemic classroom scenario (the teacher perspective): themes related to educational divide and gender disparity male female start of online class active participation from the first day of online class. absence seen in larger percentages during the initial days of online class. attendance percentage during online classes regularity was observed with a seemingly good percentage. irregularity in maintaining attendance affecting the overall female attendance. regularity in offline classes a slow pace was observed in the initial days. with more weeks passing through, a positive trend was observed in their appearance in the school campus. a much slower pace continues in their presence and participation in the school campus. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 169 lag observed in educational tasks and classwork due to slow momentum in class activities online, they seemed to be lagging in certain areas of their class activities. with continued classroom instruction although, males have better equipped with bridging the essential academic gaps. the irregularity in attendance affected their grip on academic activities and class works. the persistent gap seems to increase with lower academic output. lack of confidence and self esteem academic confidence and level of attention was poor due to sudden transition in classroom transaction. might require some reasonable amount of time to build up the previous momentum. academic confidence and focus was very poor compared to the males. absence from class and inactivity eroded their courage to attend classes again in the offline mode. exam anxiety lack of a proper routine and classroom discipline has been causing anxiety issues while dealing with evaluation sessions physically after a long time. exam anxiety was higher among the females leading to withdrawal from examinations. such anxiety also drives them to cause further absence in schools. maladjustment in physical classroom adjustment capacity was mediocre. an urge was observed among the males to attend physical classes for assimilation with the classmates. adjustment with the transition was poor. it was observed that females had the urge to avoid more and more physical classroom interactions. inability to build emotional rapport with teachers the emotional element in interaction was missing for both the teachers and the students. after a long disruption and mediation of electronic means, the emotional rapport among the males has taken a backseat. the same was observed in case of females too. the only factor different from males was that their irregularity negatively impacted their rapport with their teachers. physical and mental fatigue physical fatigue observed as classes have restrained their freedom compared to online classes mental fatigue was observed compared to physical tiredness as the class work seemed too overburdened indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 170 laboratory work lag observed in execution of practical classes. output is negligible similar pattern of lag observed. time management time management skills weakened. the efforts are on to bring them to normal pace of learning within restricted settings. time management worsened due to poor participation in class activities. efforts are on to increase their attendance for discipline and regularity. findings and discussion opinions were gathered from an equal number of male and female students as well as teachers on the status and quality of education received by the students amidst corona pandemic. the responses were categorized on the basis of their frequency, highlighting their impact on the digital and educational divide between boys and girls. further revelations on the continuity in disparity in offline classroom mode were also analyzed qualitatively with a brief discussion on the scenario in the government schools of greater guwahati city. certain psycho-social factors have emerged as major demarcating determinants of gender experiences in the offline education context. discussion on gender disparity owing to the digital and educational divide: on the assessment of the sociodemographic profile of the sampled students, it was found that few students belonged to reserved and backward communities. most of the students were from the general or the unreserved section of society. while some girls had residences in rural areas, the majority of the girls and boys belonged to urban and suburban locations. even most of the girls belonged to joint families and boys to nuclear families. girls were found to have more siblings than boys. mothers were the only sources of income for both genders, but girls especially were found to be in the lower economic group. the disparity is evident among the genders in the case of socio-demographic background. girls are in the inferior category, which might be a major cause for digital disparity on a gender basis. on taking into account their online class experiences, it was observed that males showed active participation from the first day of online class, and regularity in attendance was maintained. in the case of females, the absence was seen in larger percentages during the initial days of online classes; thereby inducing irregularity in overall female attendance. the overall online experience was very favorable among males supporting their participation in online classroom interaction. the girls showed lesser acquaintance with devices and gadgets compared to boys. the males were also ahead of the girls in using updated learning applications on both mobile phones and laptops. such digital disparity has, of course, given rise to the educational divide along the lines of gender differences. the unavailability of technological devices and technical assistance has lowered the curve of learning progress among female students, making it an educational divide between males and females in the path of learning (korlat et al. 2021). it has created an educational lag in the females showing consequences in the offline mode of teaching-learning transaction. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 171 such a gender disparity puts females in the more disadvantaged category and vulnerable category compared to their male counterparts. such a disadvantaged state can also be viewed as an extension of the pre-existing gap that exists between the learners on the basis of gender affiliations long before the pandemic. the pandemic has transitioned the school structure into cyberspace, but the girls’ problems have not been lodged even an inch considering the change involved (guo& wan, 2022). while there is a host of research done to validate how much technological interventions in the educational scenario have widened the learning gap between girls and boys, there are studies that are in stark contrast to the data we have extracted from the sample data. ruiz et al. (2020) observed that instruction laced with ict allowed for more fluidity in the learning of sciences among women when compared with their performance in the traditional methods. the desirability of such a transition did not get affected by gender lines. social theories could be better suggested for more inclusion of females in the education sector and filling up the digital gender gaps with better policymaking (david & philips, 2020). discussion on the persisting gender disparity in offline classes at schools: with the reopening of schools after a prolonged duration of covid threats, students were obliged to make the transition to offline classes again. in this context, a slow pace was observed in the initial days among both male and female students. although a positive change was observed in the case of males in the later working days. a lag in educational tasks was observed, but with continued classroom instruction, males seemed to bridge the academic gaps better. the irregular attendance broadens the persistent gap among females affecting their academic confidence and retention level. anxiety issues developed among the students while dealing with evaluation sessions physically after a long time. exam anxiety was higher among the females leading to withdrawal from examinations and causing further distancing from schools. after a long disruption of physical transactions and mediation of electronic means, emotional adjustment among the males has taken a backseat. the same was observed in the case of females, too, but their adjustment capabilities were poorer, negatively impacting their rapport with their teachers. females were mentally more fatigued than males, who, on the other hand, were more tired physically. lag was observed in both genders, equally keeping up with the practical classes. time management skills worsened in the new restrictive schedule of the schools. here females were found to be less accommodative in the fixed schedule due to lesser participation in academic interactions. such an extensive lockdown period has already accustomed the girls to the so-called “gendered expectation” of doing household chores, taking care of the younger siblings, looking after the house, and other related gender biases in the family. due to degrading family income among the lower income group due to the pandemic, boys were selected over girls to continue their education after the situation started normalizing (nayak&alam, 2022). girls have been found to be constrained with regard to the learning space when shared with male students in schools both online and offline. such a shift back and forth into the new digital ecosystem has further impacted the inclusion of girls giving a severe blow to equity in educational opportunities (mathrani et al. 2020). indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 172 conclusion in india, women’s participation in education is still a matter of consideration. as all the services have transitioned from offline to online, educational services were active by adopting online learning culture. but females were severely affected during the lockdown of schools. a gender gap is still being observed in the status of education even after the reopening of schools. most importantly, females were less inquisitive towards the online learning trends creating obstacles in their later adjustments in face-toface interaction with the teachers in the physical classroom settings. the inclusion of technology in education is here to stay, suggesting the new normal in education. now the time has come to work on social inclusion and develop better policies for implementation. references das, m., bhuyan, c., & sultana, f.s. (2020), ‘covid-19 pandemic-induced teaching-learning experiences: some realities from assam (india)’, international journal of innovation, creativity and change.14 (6), 353 – 376. ford, k.(2021). addressing the gender digital divide is critical to ensure no one is left behind from covid-19 retrived from https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/nsoreport-shows-stark-digital-divide-affects-education/article32554222.ece gopalan, h. s., & misra, a. (2020). covid-19 pandemic and challenges for socio-economic issues, healthcare and national health programs in india. diabetes & metabolic syndrome, 14(5), 757–759. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsx.2020.05.041 guo, c., & wan, b. (2022). the digital divide in online learning in china during the covid-19 pandemic.  technology in society,102122. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/nsoreport-shows-stark-digital-divide-affects-education/article32554222.ece korlat, s., kollmayer, m., holzer, j., lüftenegger, m., pelikan, e. r., schober, b., & spiel, c. (2021). gender differences in digital learning during covid-19: competence beliefs, intrinsicvalue, learning engagement, and perceived teacher support. frontiers in psychology, 12, 637776. kumari, s.a., &manukonda, r. (2020) gender divide in education in india: a criticalstudy based on functionalist theory of education. journal of critical reviews, 7 (2),574-578. nayak, k. v., &alam, s. (2022). the digital divide, gender and education: challenges for tribal youth in rural jharkhand during covid-19. decision, 1-15. norman, h., adnan, n. h., nordin, n., ally, m., &tsinakos, a. (2022). the educational digital divide for vulnerable students in the pandemic: towards the new agenda2030. sustainability, 14(16), 10332. palomares-ruiz, a., cebrián, a., lópez-parra, e., &garcía-toledano,e.(2020).ict integration into science education and its relationship to the digital gender gap. sustainability, 12(13), 5286. mdpi ag. retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su12135286 raluca david &toby phillips (2022) the gender digital gap: shifting the theoretical focus to systems analysis and feedback loops, information, communication & society, doi: 10.1080/1369118x.2022.2069507 saha, s.r.,&zaman, 0. (2017) gender digital divide in higher education: a study on university of barisal, bangladesh. osr journal of humanities and social science. 22(1), 11-17. soomro, k.a., kale, u., curtis, r. et al. (2020). digital divide among higher education faculty. int j eductechnol high educ17, 21. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 173 vyas, j. (2017). gender disparity in education sector in india: a quantitative analysis rekha & dev karan assistant professor, deptt. of economics. annexure participant demographics questionnaire instructions complete the following demographic information. please note that all personal information will be kept completely confidential, and none of the responses you provide will be connected to your name, email address, or other identifying information. socio-demographic datasheet 1. gender • male • female 2. category • general or unreserved category • obc • sc • st 3. domicile • urban • semi-urban • rural 4. family type • joint • nuclear 5. siblings • yes • no 6. approximate monthly income • above rs. 50,000 • rs. 25,000 – 50,000 • rs. 15,000 – 25,000 • below rs. 15,000 7. sources of income • only mother • only father • both the parents • other sources student questionnaire on recent trends in online learning introduction thank you for participating in this questionnaire. your valuable opinions and insights will contribute to our understanding of the recent trends in online learning. please take a few minutes to answer the following questions. all responses will remain confidential and will be used for research purposes only. 1. how was your online experience in learning during the covid-19 pandemic? • favourable • unfavourable • no opinion 2. how would you rate your participation in the different online platforms like zoom, google meet, teachmint, etc? • favourable • unfavourable • no opinion 3. what was the status of the accessibility standards (electricity, internet facilities, geographical concerns) during online classes? • favourable • unfavourable indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 174 • no opinion 4. were you comfortable in using the different applications both in the laptop and mobile phones? • favourable • unfavourable • no opinion 5. would you say that your participation in the online platform was regular? • favourable • unfavourable • no opinion information schedule for teachers to extract information on the prevailing offline education based on gender status thank you, teachers, for participating in this questionnaire, which aims to gather information about the prevailing offline education system based on gender status. the purpose of this research is to understand any existing disparities, challenges, and opportunities related to gender in the field of education. your responses will be treated confidentially, and the aggregated data will be used for statistical analysis and research purposes only. please answer the following questions to the best of your knowledge and experience. please note that the answers need to be gender specific only. a. can you state the status of the students on the first initial days of online class and instruction? b. what was the status of the online attendance of students? c. what was the status of the regularity of the students in offline classes? d. discuss the gap observed in the regular classroom tasks and homework given to the students. e. do you think there is considerable deterioration in the students’ selfconfidence post-pandemic? if yes, why? f. have you observed stress and anxiety related to classroom evaluation? g. what is the quality of adjustment levels among the students in the physical infrastructure as opposed to the virtual environment postpandemic? h. do you think online and virtual classes have disrupted the emotional element of a classroom? if so, why? i. have you observed any kind of lethargy or tiredness among the students during long hours of school? please elaborate. j. do you think there is a drift from regular laboratory work? k. give your comments regarding the time management skills of the students. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 190 research article understanding the potential of augmented reality to improve mathematical education meenakshi p.k1, indu.h2 1research scholar, department of education , avinashilingam institute for home science and higher education for women, coimbatore, tamilnadu email18phedp004@avinuty.ac.in 2deputy dean & professor, department of education , avinashilingam institute for home science and higher education for women, coimbatore, tamilnadu abstract since augmented reality (ar) has the potential to completely transform conventional teaching methods, it is highly significant in the field of mathematics education. its ability to enhance visualization by providing dynamic and interactive representations of complex mathematical ideas is one of its main advantages. the purpose of the study is to evaluate their awareness and attitude toward the use of ar in math education. the study employed the descriptive survey method. 122 upper primary mathematics teachers from the coimbatore district are the subjects of the current study. there were 66 female and 56 male math teachers in the study sample. therefore, based on mean scores, there is no discernible difference in the awareness score between gender, years of experience, and educational attainment. while there is no discernible difference in years of experience or educational attainment, there is a significant gender difference when looking at the attitude score. the study’s conclusions point to a possible paradigm change in instructional strategies as ar becomes a game-changing tool for improving student learning. additionally, the study suggests that curriculum modifications are necessary to smoothly integrate ar and bring instructional materials into line with the quickly changing technology environment. keywords: augmented reality, mathematics education, school teachers, awareness and attitude introduction mathematics is a crucial tool in everyday life, influencing our activities and decisions (manjunath, 2021). it is essential for problem-solving, creativity, and critical thinking, and is used in various fields, including science, engineering, and economics (peter, 2011). mathematical literacy, which includes competencies such as mathematical thinking and reasoning, is a key skill for navigating the complexities of the 21st century (rizki, 2019). despite its importance, many students struggle to see the real-life applications of mathematics, and it is often perceived as a dry and irrelevant subject (manjunath,2021). the fundamental mathematical operations—addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and certain geometrical shapes—have a great deal of application in everyday life (devlin, 2005). the development of mathematical knowledge and abilities in schools depends on the methodical and efficient teaching of mathematics (târnoveanu, 2017) . this involves using various teaching methods tailored to the learning abilities of students (yanushkevichiene, 2016). since mathematics is crucial for both academic performance and problem-solving, it is indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 191 necessary to foster a favorable attitude toward it (târnoveanu, 2017). attitudes, as defined by zanna and rempel (1988), are complex psychological constructs influenced by affect, cognition, and individual differences (haddock, 1993). this inclusive definition, proposed by eagly (2007). maio (2013) emphasizes the evaluative nature of attitudes and their role in shaping behaviour. further explores the link between attitudes and behaviour, highlighting their unique psychological content, structure, and function. however, wicker (1969) raises a critical question about the relationship between attitudes and behaviour, suggesting that the two may not always align. it involves a combination of cognitive, affective, and behavioural components that shape how individuals perceive and respond to the world around them (eagly,et al., 1993). this study examines attitudes toward the use of augmented reality (ar) in math instruction, both favourable and negative.it influences a teacher’s behaviour or utilizing ar in teaching mathematics favourably or unfavourably. the condition of knowing something is called awareness by ( baars, b. j.1997). according to the current study, awareness is the condition of being educated about integrating the use of augmented reality into math instruction. ar is a technology that allows users to interact with virtual objects superimposed on realtime visuals (azuma r 1997 & 1999). augmented reality (ar) overlays digital information on real-time photographs to create an interactive and dynamic environment (milgram et al., 2013). augmented reality (ar) provides a platform for teaching abstract concepts that are hard to visualize mentally, as suggested by (kaufmann 2003) ; (núñez et al., 2008); (shelton et al., 2002), and (wu et al., 2013). ar leverages multimedia elements like texts, pictures, audio, and video, along with 3d models (shelton et al., 2002), to enhance the learning experience. some of the studies conducted in teaching mathematics of geometric objects (i̇bili ,2013) , prisms (tosik gün, et al., 2017) geometric objects (i̇bili et al.,2013) & (tosik gün, et al., 2017) using ar. need and significance of the study any child has to learn mathematics to be able to use their skills and knowledge in a variety of contexts. mathematical qualification plays a significant role in the curriculum as it is one of the defining features of scientific culture (kothari commission, 1986). developing logical and problem-solving abilities among children is the major objective of teaching mathematics as the development of children’s ability for mathematization i.e. students’ thought processes must be mathematized (ncf, 2005). the study of mathematics enhances one’s capacity to solve problems and think critically, creatively, and logically, which has an enormous impact on every day life(sharma, 2021; dahiya, 2014). these are adaptable talents that are essential in a variety of fields (evans, 2000). mathematics is not only relevant in the workplace but also in daily life, where it is used in a wide range of activities (yeo, 2010). in this sense, mathematics is one of the basic disciplines taught in schools, and many pedagogical approaches are used to raise students’ mathematical success levels. (gervasoni, 2008) emphasizes the need for successful mathematics pedagogy, while (chen, 2020) focuses on the integration of subject knowledge and information technology in high school mathematics education. (pokharel, 2020) highlights the importance of innovative activities, worksheets, and teaching aids in making mathematics learning joyful and effective. (chaman, indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 192 2014) underscores the significance of mathematical knowledge and competence in secondary school education. despite having implemented various teaching strategies to teach mathematics, the slow learners couldn’t achieve the expected attainment. this is because the learners couldn’t imagine their concepts. in this regard, slow learners find it difficult to make use of their abstract thinking. slow learners often struggle with abstract thinking in mathematics, particularly in areas such as reflective abstraction, mathematical reasoning, and problemsolving strategies (wafiqoh, 2022). to address this, specific measures and methods to cultivate their abstract thought ability. in the context of writing, slow learners face challenges in narrative text due to their limited abstract thinking (husain, 2020). this is further compounded by difficulties in understanding mathematical concepts and performing arithmetic operations (metikasari, 2019). to overcome these challenges, it is important to provide clear conceptions and use teaching aids to help slow learners understand and apply abstract concepts. generally, the mathematics teachers stick with the chalk-and-talk method in which most of the mathematical problems are written on a blackboard and explain the concepts orally by the teacher. to modify the teaching strategy and enhance the professionalism among the teachers by using augmented reality in teaching mathematics. how for the mathematics teacher have wider knowledge about augmented reality and to what extent does their attitude in utilizing augmented reality in teaching mathematics? review of literature it has been shown that integrating augmented reality (ar) into mathematics instruction promotes pupil understanding and engagement with the material. the potential of ar to increase motivation and comprehension, which will result in a deeper comprehension of concepts in mathematics, is being highlighted by (buentello-montoya, 2021) and (coimbra, 2015) . the use of augmented reality (ar) to visualize mathematical objects and create a more relevant learning environment is discussed in (yingprayoon, 2015) and (carvalho, 2014), which lends greater weight to this. the considerable potential of augmented reality in mathematics teaching is highlighted in the literature research. because it encourages motivation, collaboration, and real-world relevance, augmented reality (ar) has the potential to substantially enhance the mathematics learning experience (coimbra, 2015; kazanidis, 2019; chao, 2018). it can promote a deeper comprehension of mathematical ideas, resulting in the absorption of information and the growth of persistent competencies (coimbra, 2015).enhancing learning results, augmented reality apps can also offer clear learning situations and more participatory encounters (kazanidis, 2019). moreover, ar has the potential to improve students’ comprehension of mathematical ideas, especially when it comes to volume and 3d composition (chao, 2018). the technology’s capacity to combine the real and virtual worlds can help students grasp abstract ideas, enable embodied representations of mathematical ideas, and foster collaborative learning (bujak et al., 2013). the use of ar in mathematics education presents both benefits—such as improved learning and motivation—and challenges—such as technical issues and resistance to new technology (palancı, 2021). despite these difficulties, ar and virtual reality (vr) technologies have been found to have potential benefits in mathematics learning, particularly in the areas of socio-emotional, cognitive/ indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 193 meta-cognitive, and pedagogical development (cevikbas, 2023) . teachers face difficulties in creating ar-assisted learning media, including conforming to hardware and software standards and gaining access to pertinent resources. statement of the problem integrating augmented reality is the modern trend in teaching core subjects in schools for the academic excellence of the students as well as to enhance the professionalism of teachers. it is anticipated that all educators possess a strong attitude and awareness when it comes to using augmented reality in the teaching of mathematics. if so what extent is their attitude and awareness in integrating ar in teaching mathematics? hence the study is carried out by the researcher entitled “the role of augmented reality in enhancing mathematics education: a study on awareness and attitude”. objectives of the study to determine if the use of augmented reality (ar) in math instruction by upper primary teachers is significantly impacted by factors such as gender, years of experience, and educational background. research questions do upper primary mathematics teachers exhibit differences in their attitude and awareness of the integration of augmented reality in mathematics instruction based on gender, educational qualifications, and years of experience? method research design: the study followed the descriptive survey approach. a descriptive survey design is a widely used method in research, particularly in social sciences, to describe characteristics of a population or phenomenon being studied. in this design, the researcher collects data without manipulating the environment. the goal is to gather quantifiable information to describe patterns, trends, or phenomena. population and sample: the study’s population consists of upper primary mathematics teachers in the coimbatore area. the samples for the research were selected using a cluster sampling method. this method involves dividing the population into clusters (which could be based on schools or geographic areas), and then randomly selecting clusters for inclusion in the sample.56 male and 66 female teachers of mathematics from the coimbatore district made up the samples. the study’s sample includes 122 upper primary mathematics teachers in total. design and development of tools of study questionnaire: to evaluate awareness and attitude toward augmented reality in integrated mathematics instruction, the researcher has examined several earlier studies. it was discovered that no tools were accessible to measure attitude and awareness scales related to the incorporation of augmented reality in mathematics education. as a result, the researcher created two original instruments for the investigation. • attitude towards integrating augmented reality in teaching. • awareness of integrated augmented reality in teaching mathematics the researcher reviewed several literates and discussed with the subject experts the selection of items for the tools. the items of the two tools are arranged separately for attitude and awareness in integrating ar in teaching mathematics. after drafting the english version of the items, the indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 194 same was translated into tamil for easy understanding of the ar in integrated mathematics teaching. in the initial development of the tools for measuring attitude and awareness regarding the integration of augmented reality (ar) in teaching mathematics, a total of 43 items were selected for the attitude scale and 36 items for the awareness scale. these tools were designed to assess teachers’ perspectives on ar and its application in mathematics education. subject experts who are directly involved in mathematics teaching and have ict experience at both school and college levels were consulted to review the tools. the experts were requested to provide their opinions and suggestions on various aspects, including the language, simplicity, relevance, and validity of the items in both tools. based on the feedback from the subject experts, the researcher made necessary modifications to improve the clarity and appropriateness of the statements. this process ensured that the tools were not only easy to understand but also aligned with the study’s objectives. both tools included closed-ended questions to systematically assess the participants’ knowledge of ar and its practical application in integrating ar with mathematics teaching. these revisions helped ensure that the tools were valid measures of the teachers’ attitudes and awareness regarding ar integration in mathematics classrooms. validity: the content validity of 2 tools was established in consulting with a team of 5 subject experts in the field of mathematics who have experience in utilizing ict teaching. they have analyzed the appropriateness of the items for the assessment. reliability: thirty upper primary school teachers who were not engaged in the study were given the two tools as a sample. to test the consistency between the two sets, every item in each of the two tools is split into two equal halves at random. the splithalf method was employed by the researcher to determine the two tools’ reliability. the study employed the alpha approach to determine each tool’s internal consistency independently. the researcher rejects items in the two tools with alpha values less than 0.25 and larger than 0.80. there are 35 items in the attitude toward integrated augmented reliability in mathematics education scale, which is the last instrument. the pearsoncorrelation was found for attitude towards integrating ar in teaching mathematics to be 0.89, and awareness of integration of ar in teaching mathematics was found to be 0.87. this indicates consistency between two sets with high reliability. scoring procedure: the attitude towards augmented reality in teaching mathematics scale has a 5-point likert type, with positive statements scoring 5 points and negative statements scoring 5 points. the awareness of augmented reality in teaching mathematics scale has a 3-point likert scale, with no negative statements. the maximum score is 60, and the minimum is 0. results and discussion do the upper primary mathematics teachers differ in their attitude and awareness in integrating augmented reality in teaching mathematics concerning their gender, educational qualifications and years of experience? for testing the research question, the following results were found by the investigator. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 195 table-1: attitude and awareness result based on gender variable n mean s.d. levene’s test t-test for equality of means f sig. t sig. result awareness score male 56 34.61 14.481 0.055 0.815 -0.488 0.626 ns female 66 35.89 14.531 attitude score male 56 133.07 12.090 15.433 0 23.709 0 s female 66 57.89 22.165 awareness score: according to levene’s test, the equal variances assumption between the groups is confirmed with non-significant findings (p = 0.815). the null hypothesis cannot be rejected since there appears to be no discernible difference in awareness scores, according to the t-test (t = -0.488, p = 0.626). as a result, there is no statistically significant difference between the two groups’ mean awareness ratings. attitude score: for attitude scores, levene’s test finds a violation of the equal variances assumption (p < 0.001). there is a considerable difference in the mean attitude scores between the two groups, as indicated by the very significant p-value (0, almost zero) of the subsequent t-test that takes uneven variances into account. these results support the notion of uneven variances. table -2 : attitude and awareness result based on educational status variable n mean s.d. levene’s test t-test for equality of means f sig. t sig. result awareness score ug & b.ed 73 36.01 14.709 0.059 0.808 0.666 0.507 ns pg b.ed 49 34.24 14.171 attitude score ug & b.ed 73 88.63 42.128 0.000 0.983 -1.226 0.223 ns pg b.ed 49 98.02 41.034 awareness score: for equal variances assumed (p = 0.808) and not assumed (p = 0.507), both surpassing the 0.05 significance threshold, non-significant findings are shown by levene’s test for awareness scores. this implies that both possibilities satisfy the premise of equal variances. when equal variances are not assumed, the t-test, taking uneven variances into account, confirms a nonsignificant p-value (0.507), showing no discernible difference in the mean awareness ratings between the two groups. attitude score: a substantial breach of the equal variances assumption is found using levene’s test for attitude scores, with p-values for equal variances assumed and not assumed being 0.000 and 0.223, respectively. even yet, the t-test with unequal variances indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 196 assumption produces a non-significant p-value of 0.223, meaning that, when all other factors are held constant, there is no discernible difference in the mean attitude scores between the two groups. table-3: attitude and awareness result based on teaching experience variable n mean s.d. levene’s test t-test for equality of means f sig. t sig. result awareness score < 10 yrs 73 35.23 15.265 3.449 0.066 -0.067 0.947 ns > 10 yrs 49 35.41 13.331 attitude score < 10 yrs 73 93.93 40.660 0.509 0.477 0.485 0.629 ns > 10 yrs 49 90.12 43.717 awareness score: levene’s test for awareness scores gives p-values of 0.066 and 0.947 for equal and unequal variance assumptions, respectively, both beyond the 0.05 significance threshold. this implies that both possibilities satisfy the premise of equal variances. the fulfilled assumption is supported by the t-test with unequal variances assumption, which confirms a non-significant p-value (0.947) showing no significant difference in mean awareness scores between the two groups when equal variances are not expected. attitude score: for equal and unequal variance assumptions, respectively, levene’s test for attitude scores produces non-significant p-values of 0.477 and 0.629, both of which surpass 0.05. this implies that both possibilities satisfy the premise of equal variances. the t-test with unequal variances assumption confirms that there is no significant difference, as evidenced by the non-significant p-value (0.629). findings of the study • the mean scores for the awareness score do not significantly differ between the two groups (al-enezi, 2018). on the other hand, the assumption of equal variances is broken for the attitude score, where the mean scores for the two gender groups diverge significantly (dirin 2019). • whether or not the premise of equal variances is satisfied, there is no discernible difference in the mean scores for the awareness and attitude scores between the two groups of educational status. furthermore, regardless of whether the premise of equal variances is satisfied or not, there is no discernible difference in the mean scores for the awareness and attitude scores between the two groups of years of experience. implication of the study it is simpler to incorporate current technology into the teaching of mathematics when teachers have a positive attitude and are highly informed of how to integrate augmented reality into their lessons. they can also increase professionalism, improve student academic accomplishment, and employ modern technology more effectively. it has been demonstrated that using augmented reality (ar) into mathematics instruction improves student engagement and learning results. the depiction of 3d geometrical objects made possible by ar can help indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 197 students comprehend and remember mathematical ideas (yingprayoon, 2015). additionally, it promotes understanding, motivation, and a greater level of engagement with the material (coimbra, 2015). meaningful learning can result from the use of augmented reality (ar) in mathematics instruction, which can foster a more engaging and dynamic learning environment (carvalho, 2014). additionally, the use of ar technology in stem-based mathematics education holds great promise (kramarenko, 2019). ar can improve critical thinking skills, spatial reasoning, and problemsolving abilities (anggraini, 2020). it can also enhance learning motivation and confidence (young, 2016), and foster spatial ability in middle school students (ozcakir, 2021). furthermore, ar can provide a better understanding of geometrical structures and improve learning abilities in mathematics (yingprayoon, 2015). recommendation of the study based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that a high level of awareness and positive attitude in integrating augmented reality in teaching mathematics are necessary to implement in the teacher education curriculum for b.ed trainees. so that prospective teachers could learn augmented reality and its effectiveness for the enhancement not only in mathematics but also in other subjects. secondly, the nodal agency in the department of school education scert and rmsa must impart in-service training programs to the mathematics teachers. at all the levels of the school, a system should be created to implement augmented reality in teaching mathematics with proper infrastructure. the students also encouraged that the teacher must emphasize the integration of augmented reality in teaching mathematics with respect to gender, educational qualification and years of experience. conclusion however, it is essential to be aware of potential challenges and limitations when implementing ar in mathematics education. these may include the cost and availability of ar devices, the need for proper teacher training, and ensuring that ar applications align with curriculum objectives. in general, greater learning results, more student engagement, and better readiness for the digital age can result from awareness of and favourable attitudes toward augmented reality in mathematics education. by embracing ar technology responsibly and effectively, educators can create a more inclusive, interactive, and dynamic learning environment for students. 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(pp. 315–334). editions de la maison des sciences de l’homme. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 205 research article effect of edusat lectures on scientific creativity among high school students in haryana 1sandeep berwal, 2ritu ahlawat & 3suman chaudhari 1professor, department of education, chaudhary ranbir singh university, jind, haryana, india, email: berwal_suhani@yahoo.com 2assistant professor, g.v.m., college of education, sonipat. haryana, india 3ph.d. research scholar, department of education, chaudhary ranbir singh university, jind, haryana, india abstract the study attempted to explore the effect of technology-based teaching on improving the scientific creativity of high school students in haryana. the sample comprised 200 class ix students studying in four government schools of the sonipat district. this was an experimental study using a pre-test/post-test equivalent group design in which the control and experimental group were equated on socio-economic status and intelligence levels. the verbal test of scientific creativity by sharma and shukla was administered at the pre-and-post treatment phase. the results reveal that technology-based edusat lectures were not more effective than the normal classroom teaching in enhancing the scientific creativity of high school students. it is suggested that while developing edusat lectures immense power of multimedia should be utilized to stimulate divergent thinking of students. the study has implications for policymakers, media personnel, teachers, students, parents and experts involved in the edusat lecture delivery system. keywords: effect, edusat, scientific creativity, high school, haryana introduction scientific creativity has been defined by researchers in different manners and contexts. besemer and treffinger (1981) stated that novelty, resolution, elaboration, and synthesis are the distinguishing features of scientific creativity. mansfield and busse (1981), based on their review of literature, have identified five basic ingredients of a creative act: problem selection, best efforts for problem solution, dealing effectively with restrictions, facing varying obstacles, and authenticating and extending the work. ochse (1990) conceptualized creative persons as those who contribute something original and valuable to society and culture. guilford (1950), a major contributor in the field of creativity research, described “creativity as being grounded in the ability to manipulate ideas in fluent, flexible, elaborate, and original ways”. his views are supported by torrance (1967) maintaining that creativity is exogenous and transferable in mental manipulations while sternberg (1988) linked creativity with the development of insight. according to shively (2011), the four key abilities closely associated with the creative process are fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 206 creativity plays a crucial role in the process of science. problem-solving, hypothesis formulation, experiment planning, and technical innovation require a specific type of creativity peculiar to science. kocabas (1993) stated that scientific creativity is composed of motivation for scientific work, ability to formulate a scientific problem, ability to search for the solution, ability to assemble and narrow the probable solutions to the problem, and keeping patience and stamina in view of the limitations imposed by circumstances. hu and adey (2002) argued that scientific creativity can be described in three domains namely product, trait, and process. the product part depends on scientific phenomena, scientific knowledge, and the nature of scientific problems while the trait is evaluated by three structures namely fluency, flexibility, and originality. imagination and new thinking are the characteristics of the process domain. in view of runco and nemiro (1994), scientific creativity is closely associated with the problem-finding behaviour of an individual whereas heller (2007) believed that if a person is capable of solving a scientific problem innovatively then he/she possesses a certain level of scientific creativity. ugras (2018) explained scientific creativity as a phenomenon whereby something new and somehow valuable is formed in science. mukhopadhyay and sen (2013) argued that creativity in science education has emerged as an independent field of research, and is drawing increasing attention of science educators, while adzliana et al. (2012) have treated scientific creativity as fundamental to the achievement of a person, organization or country. the research has emphasised the role of creativity in education and especially in science education and schools are considered as the most appropriate place to foster it. sternberg and lubart (1996) think that schools must nurture creativity in students, making them bold to take risks and such behaviour may lead to innovations and discoveries. the prevalent educational system in india is based on a model that was evolved in europe in the 19th century when the aim was to produce proficient workers and submissive civil servants. this system was intended to cater to the industrial requirements prevailing at that time, but the situation in the 21st century is quite different. the contemporary era needs persons with new thinking and flexible ideas since the requirements of society are changing on a day to day basis. this requires schools to be open to instill such skills and become a field for exploration, inquiry, and reflection of ideas. however, existing classroom practices in the indian schools indicate that the problems and materials are given to the students by teachers. this prevents the development of new thinking among students. in such a situation, the students rarely get a chance to think and demonstrate independently. in most of the cases, the teachers used to narrate the scientific knowledge and theories from textbooks. in science classes, the students are hardly allowed to perform experiments freely to reflect on their thoughts and practices. this is more prevalent in government schools where there is also a lack of laboratory equipment and chemicals and other facilities. it has been indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 207 experienced that independent thinking is rarely appreciated by the school world rather students are directed to follow monotonous steps decided and performed by the classroom teachers. this type of education not only diminishes the promotion of original, flexible, and divergent thinking but kills the student's instincts to explore the problems scientifically. guimbal (2015) has observed in “the indian express” that “most of the students in the country are indulged in memorization of lessons, dates and other pieces of texts or information to be able to write in their exams”. it means that students' main objective appears to be getting good marks by memorization of facts while diminishing the application of critical thinking in a solution to a problem. google chief executive officer sundar pichai (2017 cited in “the times of india”, 2018, march 12) also expressed his distress about indians not being flexible and lacking original thinking in work. one of the key reasons for unemployment in the country has been cited as a lack of original thinking among aspiring candidates. similar observations were made by wozniak, the co-founder of apple, in his interview with “the times of india” in 2018. while extending this debate, wozniak commented that indians lack creativity and original thinking because of an illstructured academic system. in 2014, india was ranked 66 out of 140 countries by the united nations development programme in terms of innovation (“the times of india”, 2018, march 12). the reports in newspapers and personal observations by eminent personalities of the 21st century suggest that the education system in india is not upto the mark and it lacks the promotion of innovative and original thinking among students. it has been noted that the focus of the existing school system is on preparing students to study hard and getting good jobs rather than motivating them to think critically. the use of technology for learning and innovations is minimum, especially in rural areas and government schools where the maximum school population exists. the outdated pedagogy, with a minimal or complete absence of technology, is among the probable reasons for the lack of critical thinking and new ideas. the conventional pedagogy discourages original thoughts and innovative thinking but promotes memorization and indoctrination. the unavailability of teachers and science laboratories, particularly in rural government schools, makes the situation worst. therefore, it is important to work for a complete overhaul of the quality and method of teaching used in today's education system to inculcate and enhance scientific creative skills among school students. brinkman (2010) stated that “teaching students to be creative is a task teachers do not take because most teachers only recognize approaches for teaching for the best learning results rather than teaching for the discovery of new knowledge and creative ideas”. however, park et al. (2006) argued that teachers should use curriculum transactions as an opportunity to develop creativity by practicing creative teaching in the classrooms. the government of india in 2002 launched an educational satellite popularly called edusat to serve the indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 208 educational needs of all categories of learners including science students who may lack facilities, especially in remote and rural areas. in this mode, the school students, sitting at a distance, receive instructions through lectures prerecorded by eminent experts which are later telecast through edusat. this type of setting provides an opportunity for classroom teachers, sitting in remoterural schools, to become more creative and instill creativity in students by using the latest technology of animation and visual effects while presenting abstract concepts. visual experimentation is added as per the demand of the content. the use of animation and simulated experimentation facilitates the learning process to understand abstract ideas directly (bates, 1998). the use of captions/ titles/ topics on the screen helps the students to read/ write/ note the learning points and move at their own pace. the prerecorded lessons may be used time and again to understand the concept better and explore the issues minutely. the animation and experimentation used by experts make the lectures lively and generate interest among the students to think in a new and novel way. research shows that edusat not only increases the attendance and retention of school students but also helps the teachers in making their teaching more effective and innovative (chaudhary & garg, 2010). in haryana, the edusat project was launched in 2007 to provide better education to all with a focus on rural and remote areas. initially, 9000 schools were selected for the “haryana edusat project” and the government established utkarsh society under the aegis of the education department to implement it. under this project, the curriculum-based pre-recorded videos are telecast from panchkula studio as per time-table. currently, five channels, four direct to home (dth) and one satellite interactive terminal (sit), are used for this purpose. these channels cater to the educational needs of elementary, secondary, technical, and higher education students. the government has also created a website www.haryanaedusat.com to help the students in this kind of learning. however, doubts and concerns as regards the effectiveness of edusat lectures have been expressed by many researchers at the national level. in a report by azim premji foundation, it was put forward that edusat lectures produced no robust evidence of improvement in the learning outcomes of students. the pedagogical model of education implemented via edusat provided little opportunity for students to interact with teachers because prerecorded lessons are transmitted through receive-only terminals (rots) where students have no chance to ask questions. in a similar study, dalal (2016) noted that the lack of trained manpower, improper monitoring, and missing administrative ethics had affected the performance of edusat adversely. this argument is supported by the comptroller and auditor general (cag) of india report in 2013 that 56 percent of the edusat terminals in government schools in haryana were non-functional (siwach, 2013). similarly, “the indian express” (2014, april 17) revealed that the edusat has failed in indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 209 haryana because of lapses and lack of monitoring. despite a few discouraging pieces of evidence, it has been felt that in recent times, edusat has tremendous potential to be utilized for inculcating new knowledge, scientific and creative temperament. it has been cited repeatedly in the literature that the use of technology increases student's motivation as well as engagement for learning and promotes the constructionist approach in teaching and learning (godzicki et. al. 2013). halatand karakus (2013) suggest students who are facilitated with technology for teaching and learning are more likely to make meaning and construct their understanding of complex ideas with observed motivation. in a study, li and zeng (2017) found that online courses can stimulate students' interest in learning and improve their creativity through video teaching. research evidence also suggests that exposure to modern technology enhances creativity and high order thinking skills which is not found in the conventional approach (yushau, mji & wessels, 2005). the edge of teaching through technology in comparison to conventional methods has been reported by many researchers but whether it also helps in nurturing scientific creativity and new thinking is a question that must be answered through empirical investigations. significance of the study the main aim of implementing new technologies in education is to advance the quality of education and foster better interactivity between the teachers and learners. embracing new technology is not a challenge but acclimatizing it to several educational, pedagogical, and social realities is a major challenge. it has been widely acknowledged by educators that creativity in science education is an important issue and educators must work on methods and techniques to improve it. although creativity has been studied by researchers for many years, there are not many studies that suggest ways and measures for improving creativity in science. for all these reasons, scientific creativity is a subject that needs to be emphasized. also, it is needed to investigate how students’ scientific creativity is affected by teaching them through technologybased edusat lectures. a great benefit of edusat lectures is that it offers numerous opportunities for creative instructions. the presenter can facilitate animations, panel discussions, oral lectures, experimentation, brainstorming, and more. although there are limitations, it brings the opportunity for better education especially in rural and remote areas where access and lack of facilities are an issue. it aims to energise the students taking them from passive mode to active mode using the expertise of scholars in the transaction of the curriculum in an enjoyable mode. learning to be creative requires active engagement and stimulating divergent thinking. therefore, it requires investigation whether the lectures transmitted through edusat positively increase or inhibit the scientific creativity among high school students. objectives following were the objectives of the study: indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 210 1. to study the existing level of scientific creativity among high school students. 2. to study the effect of edusat lectures on different dimensions of scientific creativity among high school students. 3. to study the effect of edusat lectures on overall scientific creativity among high school students. hypotheses the following hypotheses were generated for the study: 1. after the exposure to edusat lectures, there is no significant difference between pre-test and post-test levels of scientific creativity among high school students. 2. after the exposure to edusat lectures, there is no significant difference between the scientific creativity of experimental and control group students. methodology sample a sample of 200 science students from the ixth class of two urban and two rural area government schools of the sonipat district of haryana was drawn randomly. in the first instance, 20 schools were approached for the experiment but finally, four schools agreed to cooperate. in total, 583 students were studying in the ixth class of those four schools. all the 583 students were administered to jalota’s (1972) group test of general mental ability (hindi) and socioeconomic status scale by kulshreshta (1972) to equate them on intelligence and socioeconomic status parameters. based on scores on the test of general mental ability, these 583 students were further divided into three groups i.e. high, average, and low intelligence levels group, similarly, all 583 students were also enlisted into three groups having a high, average, and low socio-economic status based on their socio-economic status scale scores. the further analysis showed that 42 students were common to the high intelligence as well as high socioeconomic status. these 42 common subjects/students were divided randomly into two groups equally i.e. 21 to the control group and 21 to the experimental group. the same procedure was followed while dividing the students into the control group and the experimental group from the average group (92 students) and the lower group (72 students) of intelligence and socio-economic parameters. out of these 206 common subjects in high, average, and low groups of intelligence and socio-economic parameters, 200 were selected by weeding out two students from the high, average, and low groups. hence, in this way, a sample of 200 students was obtained randomly divided into control and experimental groups 100 each. through equating and matching of subjects, an attempt was made to eliminate systematic bias and minimize the effect of the intervening variables. thereafter, dividing the subjects to the control and experimental group randomly, the measures of two intervening variables (intelligence and socio-economic status) between the control and the experimental groups were tested statistically, to ensure the equivalence of the two groups. the ‘t’-test was applied to find out the indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 211 difference between intelligence and socio-economic status test scores of the experimental group and the control group. the results showed that the t-value between the groups was not significant. it means that no significant differences existed between the intelligence and the socio-economic status of control and the experimental group, indicating that they belonged almost to the same kind of intelligence range and socio-economic milieu. design and procedure the study employed a pre-test/post-test equivalent group experimental design. the study included an experimental group and a control group. in this, true experimental design equivalence of the groups was provided by the matching of subjects, on two confounding variables i.e. intelligence and socio-economic status, to the experimental and control treatment. the experimental group was taught through pre-recorded edusat lectures and the control group through the conventional lecture method. tools for data collection the study employed three tools namely socioeconomic status scale by kulshreshta (1972), group test of general mental ability (hindi) by jalota (1972) and verbal test of scientific creativity by sharma and shukla (2005) for data collection. the socioeconomic status scale by kulshreshta (1972) was used because this is a standardised scale with high reliability and validity, which especially measures the socio-economic status of the subjects belonging to the urban and rural areas. moreover, in order to establish the relevance of the scale by kulshreshta (1972) in the present context; the reliability and validity of the scale were rechecked. the scale was administered on a sample of 50 students. the test-retest method was used to check the reliability, and the coefficient of correlation was found 0.72. construct validity was calculated by comparing the scale with the socioeconomic status scale by bhardwaj (2001). the coefficient of correlation was found to be 0.63. these values showed that the test is reliable and valid in present times also. similarly, the group test of general mental ability (hindi) by jalota (1972) was found appropriate in current times because no other standardised test with such high reliability and validity was available for subjects whose medium of instruction and examination was hindi. moreover, it is still considered as the most referenced and widely used tool to measure intelligence of hindi speaking subjects. the verbal test of scientific creativity by sharma and shukla (2005) was used to assess the scientific creativity of subjects before and after the experimental phase. it had 12 items. each item was scored for the “fluency, flexibility, and originality” dimension of scientific creativity. analysis and interpretation of results in the first phase, the existing level of scientific creativity among class nine government high school students was determined. the scientific creativity test indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 212 was administered to both groups. the results of the pre-test of both the groups for overall and dimension-wise scientific creativity are presented in table 1. table-1: difference in the mean scores of experimental and control group on scientific creativity pre-test test group n mean s.d ‘t’ value level of significance overall scientific creativity pre-test experimental 100 40.39 14.71 0.09 not significant at 0.05 levelcontrol 100 40.30 14.87 dimensions of scientific creativity fluency pre-test experimental 100 17.26 5.86 0.56 not significant at 0.05 levelcontrol 100 17.47 5.30 flexibility experimental 100 12.83 4.49 0.79 not significant at 0.05 levelcontrol 100 13.11 4.88 originality experimental 100 10.05 6.70 0.21 not significant at 0.05 levelcontrol 100 9.98 6.41 table-1 indicates that the overall scientific creativity mean scores of the experimental and control group on the pre-test are 40.39 and 40.3 respectively (obtained t = 0.09, not significant at 0.05 level). further, the calculated ‘t’ values 0.56, 0.79, and 0.21 for different dimensions of scientific creativity test namely fluency, flexibility, and originality respectively were also not significant at 0.05 level. this shows that before the exposure to edusat lectures, the two groups started from essentially the same level of overall scientific creativity and almost similar levels of different dimensions of scientific creative ability. the first phase was followed by the treatment phase. in the treatment phase, the control group was taught by the traditional lecture method and the experimental group by pre-recorded edusat lectures. after the treatment phase, the results of pre-test and post-test on overall and dimensionwise scientific creativity level of the experimental group were calculated and the same is presented in table-2. table-2: difference in the mean score of experimental group on scientific creativity pre-test and post-test variable group test n mean s.d ‘t’ value result overall scientific creativity experimental group pre-test 100 40.39 14.72 16.47 significant at 0.01 levelpost-test 100 47 13.96 dimensions of scientific creativity indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 213 fluency dimension experimental group pre-test 100 17.26 5.86 12.66 significant at 0.01 levelpost-test 100 20.02 4.90 flexibility dimension pre-test 100 12.83 4.49 12.51 significant at 0.01 levelpost-test 100 14.92 4.36 originality dimension pre-test 100 10.05 6.70 10.46 significant at 0.01 level post-test 100 12.3 6.36 table-2 shows that the mean and standard deviation values of the experimental group on overall scientific creativity pre-test and posttest were 40.39 ± 14.72 and 47± 13.96 respectively. the ‘t’ value obtained was 16.47, which shows a significant difference in scientific creative levels of the experimental group before and after the treatment. as indicated by the higher mean value of the post-test, there was an increase in scientific creativity among subjects exposed to edusatlectures. the obtained ‘t’ values between the pre-test and post-test mean scores of the experimental group on fluency, flexibility, and originality dimension of scientific creativity were 12.66, 12.51, and 10.46respectively. this indicates that edusat assisted instructions had registered significant improvement in the selected dimensions (fluency, flexibility, and originality) of scientific creativity. based on the results, the first null hypothesis, “after the exposure to edusatlectures, there is no significant difference between pre-test and post-test levels of scientific creativity among high school students” was thus rejected. therefore, it can be concluded that teaching through edusat lectures is effective in enhancing scientific creativity among high school students. post-testing of the control group on the scientific creativity variable was done to analyse the effect of traditional classroom teaching without utilizing edusat lectures on these particular variables. results of the pre-test and post-test scores of the control group, regarding overall scientific creativity and its dimension, are presented in table-3. table-3: difference in the mean score of control group on scientific creativity pre-test and post-test variable group test n mean s.d ‘t’ value result overall scientific creativity control group pre-test 100 40.3 14.88 17.4 significant at 0.01 levelpost-test 100 47.71 13.13 dimensions of scientific creativity indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 214 fluency dimension control group pre-test 100 17.47 5.30 11.11 significant at 0.01 levelpost-test 100 19.71 5.09 flexibility dimension pre-test 100 13.11 4.88 7.85 significant at 0.01 levelpost-test 100 14.99 4.42 originality dimension pre-test 100 9.98 6.41 9.03 significant at 0.01 level post-test 100 12.62 5.88 table-3 shows that concerning the overall scientific creativity of the control group, the t-value was 17.4 which indicates a significant difference in mean scores of the control group during the pre-test and post-test stage. table 3 also indicates that the calculated ‘t’ values of the control group on different dimensions viz. fluency, flexibility, and originality were 11.11, 7.85, and 9.03 respectively. all these obtained ‘t’ values reveal a significant difference between the pretest and post-test scores of the control group on varied dimensions of scientific creativity. the mean scores indicate an increase in the post-test scientific creativity level in comparison to the pre-test level of students who were taught using the normal chalk and talk method. the results reveal that both the groups experienced significant improvement in fluency, flexibility, originality, and overall scientific creative ability from the beginning of the intervention to the end of it. to analyse which method was more effective in enhancing the scientific creativity among high school students, post-test scores of the experimental and control group were compared and tested statistically as presented in table-4. table-4: difference in the mean scores of control and experimental group on overall scientific creativity post-test test group n mean sd t-value result post-test experimental group 100 47 13.95 0.83 not significant at 0.05 levelcontrol group 100 47.71 13.12 table-4 demonstrates that after the exposure of the experimental group to edusat lectures, the mean and standard deviation scores came to be 47 ± 13.95 while the scores of the control group for the mean and standard deviation for overall scientific creativity were calculated to be 47.71 ± 13.127. the obtained ‘t’ value between the two groups was 0.83, which was not significant at the 0.05 level. it means that after the treatment phase, there was a marginal edge to the control group for overall scientific creativity. however, scientific creativity was increased in both groups after the treatment phase. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 215 it can, therefore, be concluded that both the methods seem to be equally good in enhancing overall scientific creativity and the effect of edusat lectures was not at all visible when compared to the conventional method. based on results obtained from the analysis of the data, the second null hypothesis i.e. “after the exposure to edusat lectures, there is no significant difference between the scientific creativity of experimental and control group students”, is thus accepted. the analysis leads to the conclusion that edusat lectures were not more effective than the normal classroom teaching in enhancing the scientific creativity of high school students. further, the post-test scores of both groups were analyzed on various dimensions of scientific creativity and presented in table-5. table-5: difference in the mean score of control and experimental group on different dimensions of scientific creativity post-test dimensions scientific creativity test group n mean s.d ‘t’ value level of significance fluency pre-test experimental 100 20.02 4.90 0.98 not significant at 0.05 levelcontrol 100 19.71 5.09 flexibility experimental 100 14.92 4.36 0.22 not significant at 0.05 levelcontrol 100 14.99 4.42 originality experimental 100 12.30 6.36 0.91 not significant at 0.05 levelcontrol 100 12.62 5.88 table-5 shows the dimension-wise effect of enhancing scientific creativity. the calculated ‘t’ values are 0.98, 0.22, and 0.91 for different dimensions of the scientific creativity test. based on the difference in mean scores on different dimensions of the scientific creativity test, it can be inferred that students of the experimental group and control group had shown an almost equal increase. it can be concluded that edusat lectures and traditional methods were equally effective in increasing all three dimensions of scientific creative ability. discussion and conclusion the results indicate that edusat lectures were not more effective than the normal classroom teaching in increasing the scientific creativity of high school students. in the absence of direct empirical research studies on the effect of edusat lectures on scientific creativity, the present findings seem in agreement with the studies conducted on the effect of television on creativity. the study by runco and pezdek (1984) falls completely in line with the findings of the present study as they argued that the effect of watching television and listening radio on children's creativity is not different. another study conducted by keyne (2003) showed that television viewers with large screen time scored indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 216 lower than moderate viewers on the creativity test. also, kant (2012) found an insignificant relationship between creativity and viewing of television by secondary school children. in contrast to the findings of this study, macbeth (1996) observed that watching television increases children‘s imagination and creativity. singer and singer (2001) found that technology improved the quality of creative products and it had a positive impact on the creativity of children. the present findings also do not support yushau, mji, and wessels (2005) who found that exposure to modern technology enhances creativity and high-order thinking skills which are absent in the conventional pedagogy. the results revealed that edusat lectures proved to be not more effective than traditional classroom teaching in enhancing the scientific creativity of high school students. the possible reasons may be that the content presented and the methods adopted in the presentation were not able to enhance the divergent thinking of the students which is the foremost essential of scientific creativity. science lectures transmitted through edusat failed to assist the development of scientific creativity more than the normal chalk and talk method. therefore, it is essential to make use of different learning approaches, methods, and techniques to ensure the development of scientific creativity among high school students. it was expected to achieve these objectives through the use ofedusat technology, but the results are contrary to the expectations. the failure of edusat lectures in bringing desired results for developing scientific creativity in comparison to the conventional method may be due to the reason as noted by dalal (2016) that edusatlacks trained manpower and proper monitoring. one other reason for the present findings might be the lack of two-way communication between students and the resource persons delivering the lectures. usually recorded lectures are transmitted and there is no scope of students’ active participation during the transmission of the lecture, which is very much needed to stimulate divergent thinking among the students. moreover, scientific creativity requires motivation (kocabas, 1993) but this study indicates that this component might be missing in edusat lectures. it can be suggested that while developing these lectures immense power of media and technology should be utilized to stimulate divergent thinking of students along with developing their convergent thinking. pedagogical changes in these 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(2017). study of the impact of online courses on mem students’ creativity. proceedings of the 2nd international conference on education, management, and systems engineering, 16-20. retrived from: http://dpi proceedings.com/index.php/dtssehs/article/view/12732 macbeth, t.m. (1996). indirect effects of television: creativity, persistence, school achievement, and participation in other activities. tuning in to young viewers: social science perspectives on television. 149–219. mansfield, r. s.,&busse, t. v. (1981). the psychology of creativity and discovery.chicago: nelson-hall. mukhopadhyay, r. & sen, m.k. (2013). scientific creativity. a new emerging field of research: some considerations. international journal of education and psychological research, 2(1), 1-9. ochse, r. (1990). before the gates of excellence: the determinants of creative genius. cambridge university press. new york park, s., lee, sy., oliver, j.s., &cramond, b. (2006). changes in korean science teacher’s perceptions of creativity and science teaching after participation in an overseas professional development program. journal of science teacher education.17, 37 64.doi: 10.1007/s10972-006-9009-4 runco, m.a., &nemiro, j. (1994). problem finding, creativity, and giftedness. roeper review: a journal on gifted education, 16(4), 235-241. doi:10.1080/02783199409553588 runco, m. a., &pezdek, k. (1984). the effect of television and radio on children’s creativity. human communication research, 11(1), 109–120. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2958.1984.tb00040.x sharma, v. p, & shukla, j. p. (2005). verbal test on scientific creativity. agra: national psychological corporation. shively, c.h. (2011). grow creativity. learning and leading with technology, 38(7), 10-15. singer, d. g.,& singer, j. l. (2001). handbook of children and the media. london: sage publication. siwach, s. (2013, may 17). haryana’s edusat sends wrong signal. the times of india. retrieved from https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/ haryanas-edusat-sends-wrong-signal/articleshow/ sternberg, r.j. (1988). the nature of creativity: contemporary sociological perspectives. new york: cambridge university press. sternberg, r.j., &lubart, t.i. (1996). investing in creativity. american psychologist, indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 219 51 (7), 677-688. doi:10.1037/0003-066x.51.7.677 govt. society failed to use 90-cr edusat fund. (2014, april 17). the indian express. retrieved from: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/govt society-failed-to-use-rs-90cr-edusat-fund/ steve wozniak points at the lack of creativity in indian education system. (2018, march, 12). the times of india. retrieved from:http://timesofindia. indiatimes.com/articleshow/ 63265853.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest &utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst torrance, e.p. (1967). understanding the fourth-grade slump in creative thinking. final report on cooperative research project no. 994, the office of education) athens: georgia studies of creative behaviour, university of georgia. ugras, m. (2018). the effect of stem activities on stem attitudes, scientific creativity and motivation beliefs of the students and their views on stem education. international online journal of educational science, 10(5), 165-182.doi: 10.15345/iojes.2018.05.012 yushau, b., mji, a.,& wessels, d. (2005). the role of technology in fostering creativity in the teaching and learning of mathematics. pythagoras, 62, 12-22. doi:10.4102/pythagoras.v0i62.110. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 241 research article exploring the factors of smartphone addiction: an exploratory factor analysis rajendra prasad assistant professor, department of education, central institute of education (cie), university of delhi email-jareduggu@gmail.com abstract overuse of smartphones (smartphone addiction) has become a nuisance in student life. therefore, this study had an objective to explore the factors of smartphone addiction among undergraduate (ug) students. the descriptive research method was adopted with a quantitative approach.  591 ug students were selected randomly from different colleges of the university of delhi. under the descriptive statistics, the index of skewness and kurtosis and its standard errors were computed to test the normality of the data set. as an inferential statistic, “exploratory factor analysis” (efa) was applied to explore the factors of smartphone addiction. further, “kaiser-meyer-olkin measure of sampling adequacy”, (kmo) was applied to test sampling adequacy. in addition to it, “bartlett’s test of sphericity’’, was applied to test intercorrelations among variables. multicollinearity was verified by determinant. the varimax rotation method was applied to rotate the factor matrix under orthogonal rotation. the analysis of the data set provides evidence as a result that smartphone addiction has six factors namely ‘time’, ‘interference’, ‘psychological worry and concern’, ‘dependency’, ‘craving’, and ‘technology use and privacy’ this study explains the total 35.397 per cent of the total variance. ‘time’ as a factor had the highest explained variance i.e. 16.895 per cent among all six factors whereas the factor namely ‘technology use and privacy’ explained 2.766 per cent of the total variance which was the lowest among all the factors. keywords: smartphone addiction, compulsive behavior, and factor loading. introduction the 21st century is the age of technology and science. those countries that are doing well in the fields of technology, communication, and electronics are generally labeled as advanced countries. this advent of technology had provided a ground for a ‘today’s essential commodity, i.e., smartphone’ which was invented and designed by ibm in 1993. those smartphones were sold by bellsouth (hosch, 2023). since then, smartphones has been playing a significant role in connecting people across the globe. the significance comes from the superb features that provide various interactive services through wireless facility, access to the internet, wi-fi, web browsing for real time communication. the portability enhanced the smoothness of computing, along with that touchscreen, typing keyboard, voice typing, gaming, embedded memory, digital camera made smartphones pandora box of real time usage as well as ‘a must for’ synchronous and asynchronous transmission which attracts the mass across the world. this is the reason that smartphone users are multiplying rapidly across the world. the ownership of smartphones in the population is highest in germany at 82.4 per cent. a large portion of the population in japan i.e. 78.4 per cent also use smartphones, indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 242 followed by italy 77.5 per cent, us 73.7 per cent, russia 73.2 per cent whereas the ownership of smartphones in india is 45.7 per cent (horwath, 2023). however, there is a prediction of exponential increase in the number of smartphone users in india. one billion indians will have a smartphone by 2026 as reported by (business standard, 2023). the smartphone is a kind of device that has a double-edged sword. the exponential increase in number of smartphone users might not show a clear picture of usage as per time and need. intelligent use may be put to the advantage whereas overuse and misuse may put the users in miseries. moreover, there is a great debate on the abuse and addiction of smartphones and its influence on health and interpersonal skills of youths, not only globally but in india to be particular. here in this research, the researcher talked about two types of addiction, physical and behavioural. in physical addiction, the use of substances is involved for instance the consumption of drugs or alcohol whereas behavioral addiction refers to compulsive use or dependency to get pleasure or enjoyment e.g. smartphone addiction.    nowadays, smartphone addiction is a great concern due to its constant overuse as 52.8 per cent of even medical students were found addicted to smartphones as investigated by (liu et al., 2022). generally, an addicted person feels that very important things are missing if they don’t have a mobile with them. having a smartphone has become a very important part of life like food, home, and clothes. it has also been observed that youths keep scrolling through their smartphone even if they do not have reason to scroll through it. youths also keep busy on their smartphone if they encounter a tense situation or avoid someone. the youths become so dependent on their smartphone that creates the situation of nomophobia (fear/tension without being smartphone) which builds the foundation for health risks and interpersonal problems.   theoretical framework psychology associated with smartphone: a connection with skinner’s theory of respondent response and operant response skinner was very much  interested in introducing reinforcement as an independent variable to measure its effect on behavior. in this context, he introduces the types of reinforcement schedule which includes ratio schedule and time schedule to verify how these schedules affect the behavior like how frequently learning occurs, rate of response and how the particular behavior persists over period of the time in absence of reinforcement. ratio schedule means the portion of current responses whereas  time schedule refers to passage of time (lefrancois, 2000). although skinner did many experiments to know the influence of reward and punishment on behavior. his famous experiment was on pigeons. he closed the one pigeon into the lever box in which food came out as a reward if a lever of the box was pressed. there was nothing that excited and created curiosity in this experiment. simply press the lever and get the food if you are hungry. but generally, people get habituated about rewards when it is not known to them how much reward they will get and when. pigeon knew well that they would get food by pressing the lever so the pigeon pressed the lever only in that situation in which he was hungry.  on pressing the lever, if sometimes pigeon gets the food and sometimes pigeon doesn’t get the food then the pigeon will stick to the lever box and keep pushing the lever continuously. (skinner 1938, as cited in singh, 2006). indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 243 similarly, in the case of gambling, the designer of the gambling machine also created gambling addiction by developing the design of the gambling machine in which gamblers gamble until they have money. similarly, mobile companies applied this psychology to smartphones and designed the attractive features of smartphones. you must be thinking about the similarity among skinner’s experiment, gambling machine, and smartphone. let’s make it clear through different examples.  similarity: skinner’s experiment, gambling machine, and smartphone hitting the lever in the hope of getting food by pigeon or pressing the button of the slot machine by the gamblers in casino (gambling device) or scrolling the screen of a mobile phone anywhere or checking the timeline of facebook. there is one common thing in all the above examples that people want to know what is about to come in the form of reels or text messages or videos (rewards like skinner’s experiment). he/ she starts to think about what would be the next reels/message (reward) or how many likes/comments have come on my social media posts (reward). it is like an attractive net in which the humans are stuck and pulled deep down in the ocean of entertainment. a person who is so absorbed in entertainment is unable to control the urge of using his/ her smartphone.  smartphone addictionconsequences for eye vision and brain the excessive use of smartphones has negative consequences on the eyes because (39.7 per cent) of students had dryness and pain in the eyes whereas (66 per cent) of students reported ocular problems due to prolonged use of the smartphone as investigated by (issa et al., 2021). in addition to it, nayak et al. (2021) found that even after one hour of smartphone reading, the problem of tiredness, sore eyes, and discomfort increases. they further, reported that binocular problem like blurred vision was also noticed. concerning the smartphone consequences to the brain, it is evident that the excessive use of smartphones is harmful to the brain (seo, 2017), a neuroradiologist, did research on “smartphone addiction creates an imbalance in the brain” and found that “smartphone and internet addiction increases the level of neurotransmitter called gaba in one region of the brain which slows down brain’s signal”. similar consequences like a foggy mind, headache, and even decreased vision have also been investigated by (sharma, 2021), a neurological scientist & head, of the department of neurology, aiims. she also reported the significant change observed in “frequencies of brain wave patterns”. furthermore, similar findings have also been reported by a group of researchers that “excessive use of mobile phone may be a serious problem. it might cause neurological damage which are not observable immediately but in the long term, it may decrease the brain’s reserve capacity that might be a great cause of neurological diseases” as examined by (salford et al., 2003). smartphone addictionfriendship, social isolation, psychological wellbeing, and road accidents  although smartphones provide the opportunity to make friends in the virtual world through various social media platforms. however, it is very harmful for social well-being in real-life as it is evident that loneliness was found to be high correlated with smartphone addiction as investigated by (singh and kumari, 2021). similar findings have also been endorsed by (yilmaz et al., 2022). further, due to being a university student, the separation begins not only from family but also from local and school friends. smartphone addiction additionally multiplies in raising the magnitude of loneliness. this social loneliness might cause indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 244 impact on negative social behavior such as communication, understanding emotions and facial expressions of others, and social interaction. hence, not only quantity but also the quality of the real relationship starts to deteriorate slowly and unknowingly due to a lack of face-to-face interaction. moreover, smartphone addiction also discourages students from participating in physical activity. hence, under such circumstances, the possibility of obesity cannot be ignored. in addition to it, smartphone addiction is not only harmful for psychological well-being but has other health risk factors because it is established that smartphone addiction is significantly correlated with sleep deprivation which implies that higher smartphone addiction has higher sleep deprivation (kokkaparambil and james, 2023). a similar finding has also been reported by (rathakrishnan et al., 2021) that those students who were smartphone addicted, had poorer sleep quality while quality sleeping is not for just rest; rather it is essential for good psychological well-being and physical health otherwise sleep deprivation may have very adverse consequences in form of “irritation, depression, anxiety, fatigue in the daytime, poor respiratory system, the problem of cardiovascular, week immunity and digestive system, weight gain, poor balance, and concentration” as medically reviewed by (johnson et al., 2023). further, statistics also reveal that mobile phones are a great cause of road accidents in the country, a report titled “road accident in india 2021”, reveals that there were 6753 accidents in 2020 which resulted in 2917 fatalities. similarly, 2982 fatalities in 2021 as reported by (ministry of road transport and highways, 2021). hence, the above statistics are sufficient to understand how the mobile phone is dangerous and life-threatening concerning road accidents. therefore, it is necessary for us to explore those factors which make ug students addicted.  the research at the international level shows discrepancies in their findings. in the case of gender, a contradiction is noticed, both male and female respondents were the same in their smartphone addiction as investigated by (keshky et al., 2023; samaha and hawi, 2016; wu and chou, 2023) but a study in tunisia revealed that male university students were at high risk of smartphone addiction in comparison to female students (turki et al., 2023). similarly, on the factor of academic performance, samaha and hawi (2016) found that high smartphone addiction leads to poor academic performance. in contrast, bennett (2020) does not find any relation between smartphone usage and academic performance. as far as dependency and anxiety are concerned, a study done in south korea and lebanon showed higher scores on the smartphone dependency test which was identified as the probable cause of anxiety (lee et al., 2016; samaha & hawi, 2016). in contrast, a group of researchers reported a negative correlation between smartphone use and anxiety (stankovic et al., 2021; cumino et al., 2017). similar findings (on smartphone dependency) were also reported by (bagcı & peksen, 2018; zamri et al., 2023). in addition to it, those females addicted to smartphones showed high levels of loneliness and were likely to feel lonelier (zamri et al., 2023). likewise, kim et al. (2015) did a study and found that depressed people rely more on mobile phones to alleviate their negative feelings. further, concerning sleep quality and smartphones, parlak et al. (2023) reported a significant correlation between smartphone addiction and poor sleep quality. apart from it, on the factor of family income, gökçearslan et al. (2018) presented that family income had no significant effect on smartphone addiction. in contrast to the above indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 245 findings, parlak et al. (2023) found that smartphone addiction increases with an increase in family income. apart from these contradictory researches, there are researches which focused on factors of smartphone addiction. as per liu et al. (2022) perceived stress, study pressure, and isolation are some of the factors responsible for smartphone addiction. similarly, a study done by meena et al. (2021) showed loneliness had a strong correlation to smartphone addiction but shyness and social anxiety were moderately correlated, whereas, external locus of control were weakly correlated to smartphone addiction. on the other hand, kim (2021) presented the different factors that adolescents with low economic status, high academic stress, or low perception of parental support, or those who have been victims of bullying, are more likely to be addicted to smartphones. further, factors reported by munasinghe (2016) are also not consistent with other researches as he confirmed that common reasons for using a smartphone by students are usefulness, loneliness, gender, and family income level.it is probably difficult to generalize international research studies in indian settings. international researches are probably difficult to generalize in indian settings. the first reason is being contradictory findings. second, changes in geographical area\location show different factors related to smartphone addiction, which limits the external validity of the research. it may be due to various reasons like cultural, socioeconomic, political, historical, and environmental factors. moreover, the local context widely influences the research outcomes. hence, it is essential to include the indian context to explore factors of smartphone addiction that may enhance the relevance.  at the national level, research findings are also contradictory. some research findings support that gender influences smartphone addiction while others contradict it. chatterjee and kar (2021) found that male students showed high smartphone addiction in comparison to female students but oswal et al. (2020) found no association between smartphone addictions with gender. on the factor of academic performance, chaudhary and tripathy (2018) showed a negative correlation between smartphone addiction and academic performance whereas oswal et al. (2020) found no association of smartphone addiction with academic performance. concerning sleep quality and insomnia, various studies confirmed that smartphone addiction leads to impaired sleep quality (chatterjee and kar, 2021; ghogare et al., 2021; govarthini, 2023). in contrast, snekha (2023) indicated that there was no significant relationship between smartphone addiction and quality of sleep. further, in view of income, kundapur et al., (2020) present evidence that smartphone addiction is more prevalent in the family with higher economic status whereas pooja et al. (2022) found no significant relation between family income and smartphone addiction. likewise, a study done by pradeep et al.(2022) confirmed that gender, number of peers, and social quality of life were associated with increased risk of cell phone addiction and age, empathy, communication skills but physical quality of life were associated with reduced risk of cell phone addiction. similarly, handa and ahuja (2020) reported that the fear of missing out is one factor responsible. however, malik and devi (2018) reported various other factors such as cheap internet facilities, behavioral addiction, dependency, communication, a symbol of status, and personal use, etc. as factors responsible for smartphone addiction. therefore, there is great variation in findings at national level. hence, this contradiction should be indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 246 studied carefully and thoughtfully to understand the cause of the underlying difference. all these variations in research findings culminated in an idea to carry out research to understand the most important factor of smartphone addiction which contributes maximum (explained variance). significance of the study although the smartphone has numerous advantages, but it has also emerged as a source of many problems not only for social, personal, and academic, but also for health and psychological wellbeing. many researches have been conducted related to smartphone addiction based on various issues and demographic variables such as gender (keshky et al., 2023; samaha and hawi,2016, wu and chou,2023), education level (samaha and hawi, 2016; bennett, 2020), family income (gokcearslan et al., 2018), caste (tenhunen, 2018), age (gromik,  & litz, 2021), and habitat (sowndarya &  pattar, 2018) that explains which group has the higher addiction and the lower addiction towards the smartphone but a very important issue has been ignored i.g. identification of highly contributing factors to smartphone addiction.  therefore, in order to minimize the adverse effects of smartphone addiction, it is necessary to determine those factors that are largely accountable for making ug students addicted to smartphones. when it is known which factor has contributed and how much (explained variance) in smartphone addiction then appropriate efforts can be made to reduce the adverse effects of a particular highly contributed factor. such kind of evidence will not only be helpful to the parents but also the teachers and the psychologist to make ug students smartphone addiction free.  therefore,  this study is a need of hour to detect those factors which are highly responsible for making ug students addicted.    statement of the problem exploring the factors of smartphone addiction: an exploratory factor analysis objective to explore the factors of smartphone addiction among undergraduate students.  research question  what are the factors which are accountable for smartphone addiction among undergraduate students?  functional definition of terms used smartphone addiction-  smartphone addiction is a problematic behavioral pattern of students that involves excessive and compulsive use of smartphone, over dependency and inability to control its overuse. undergraduate students-  undergraduate students refer to those students who enrolled themselves in different undergraduate programs. research methodology research method based on the nature of the research problem and its objective, the descriptive research method was applied with the quantitative approach. the population of the study those undergraduate students, who registered themselves under any undergraduate program at different colleges of the university of delhi, constitute the population of this study. sample and sampling technique initially, 650 undergraduate students were selected randomly from different indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 247 colleges of the university of delhi. however, 59 students were excluded from this research because of the non-completion of the scale. thus, this research comprises 591 ug students as sample. data collection construction of smartphone addiction scalea description concerning the collection of scientific data, based on the likert scale method, a five-point smartphone addiction scale was constructed to measure smartphone addiction of ug students with the help of experts, personal experiences, and literature. initially, 64 questions were constructed. for the purpose of validation of the scale, it was also sent to the experts with a request to assess the scale on the criteria of 10 point rating scale and whether every item of the scale can examine the smartphone addiction for which this scale has been constructed. the average rating for each item was computed and only those items were retained in the final version of the scale which were rated an average of 7 or above by the experts. hence, 9 questions were dropped from the scale due to low ratings. a pilot study was also done to rectify the administrative problems of the scale. the administration of scale was done on a small group of students. minimum 55 and maximum 275 scores were possible on this scale. z-score norms were also developed to interpret the raw data meaningfully. statistical analysis to analyze the raw data,  various measures of descriptive and inferential statistics were applied.  the assessment of the normality of the data was done through descriptive statistics. therefore, the index of skewness and kurtosis along with its standard errors were computed. the assumptions of exploratory factor analysis were examined by three statistical tests like “kaiser-meyer-olkin test of sphericity” which authenticates the sampling adequacy whereas intercorrelations among variables was confirmed by  bartlett’s test of sphericity”. further, in order to verify the multicollinearity of the data, an index of determinant was calculated. after being satisfied from the cutoff criteria of all three tests, exploratory factor analysis was applied. testing of normality of the data set table-1: showing skewness, kurtosis, and its standard errors. it is evident from table 1, that the data has a positive skewness. the coefficient of skewness is (0.194) which is not too much larger than the standard error (0.101) of skewness. in addition to it, the coefficient of the skewness is very close to the normal value of the skewness i.e. (0). further,  if the index of skewness is divided by the standard error of the skewness, it (skewness= +1.92) falls   between +1.96 to -1.96.  similarly,  the computed value of the kurtosis is (-.003) which is too close to the normal value of the  (.263). furthermore, the value of kurtosis (-.003) is also divided by its standard error (0.201), it falls (kurtosis = 0.01) between +1.96 to -1.96. although, there is a very slight deviation in the indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 248 index of skewness and kurtosis of the data set, but it is very negligible. hence, the data are normally distributed in the distribution and follow the assumption of normality.  table-2: showing the value of the determinant sl computed value of determinant normal value of determinant 1. 1.07 .00001 it is evident from table 2, that the index of the determinant is 1.07 which is higher than the normal index of the determinant i.e. (.00001) which signifies that the data set is absolutely free from the problem of the multicollinearity and fit to apply to the exploratory factor analysis. table-3: showing the value of the “kaiser-meyer-olkin test” to determine the sampling adequacy and the value of “bartlett’s test of sphericity test” to determine the interrelations among the variables in order to determine the sampling adequacy,   the measure of the sampling adequacy was applied. for this purpose, “kaiser-meyer-olkin test” (kmo) was adopted. it is revealed from table 3, that the determined value of the kmo test is 0.880 which is greater than the normal cut-off criteria (0.05) of the kmo test which implies that the data set has sampling adequacy to run the exploratory factor analysis. similarly, in order to secure the intercorrelations among the variables, “bartlett’s test of sphericity ”, was applied. it shows from table 3, that the calculated value of “bartlett’s test of sphericity ”, is 7847.528 which is significantly high at 0.0001 level of significance. therefore, the null hypothesis that “all variables are not interrelated”, is rejected. therefore, due to the rejection of the above-mentioned null hypothesis, the alternative hypothesis that “all variables are interrelated”, is accepted. hence, the above analysis infers that the data set have inter-correlation and is suitable to run the factor analysis. process of factor extraction in order to extract the factors, principal component analysis was used. further, concerning the rotation of the factor matrix, the varimax rotation method was used under the orthogonal factor rotation. as far as  “coefficient display format” is concerned in spss, the coefficient below (.40) was suppressed. the details of extracted factors are given below in table 4 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 249 table-4: total variance explained total variance explained component initial eigenvalues extraction sums of squared loadings rotation sums of squared loadings total % of variance cumulative % total % of variance cumulative % total % of variance cumulative % 1 9.292 16.895 16.895 9.292 16.895 16.895 4.688 8.524 8.524 2 2.809 5.108 22.003 2.809 5.108 22.003 4.412 8.022 16.546 3 2.478 4.506 26.509 2.478 4.506 26.509 2.902 5.277 21.822 4 1.811 3.292 29.801 1.811 3.292 29.801 2.724 4.953 26.776 5 1.556 2.830 32.631 1.556 2.830 32.631 2.520 4.581 31.357 6 1.522 2.766 35.397 1.522 2.766 35.397 2.222 4.040 35.397 extraction method: principal component analysis. it is evident from table 4, that only six factors have greater than one eigenvalue which provides evidence that this research has only six factors of smartphone addiction which emerged from 55 variables. further, altogether these six factors cumulatively share and explain 35.397 per cent of the total variance. factor one has the highest eigenvalue i.e. 9.292, and followed by factor two-2.809, factor three-2.478, factor four-1.811, factor five-1.556, factor six-1.522. the details of the labeling of the above six factors have been explained below in table 5. table-5: showing the rotated component matrix and factor loading of components of smartphone addiction rotated component matrix factor 1:time factor loadings/component 1 2 3 4 5 6 the prolonged use of smartphones has made me more lazy. .675 my working capacity is compromised due to excessive time spent on my smartphone. .670 i try to minimize the time spent on my smartphone but i am unable to do so. .633 i am well aware of the adverse effects of excessive use of smartphone still i overuse it. .564 i want to spend little time on my smartphone but get so involved that i spend more time than expected. .554 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 250 i get distracted by smartphone apps while i am studying. .523 due to prolonged use of smartphone i feel strain in my eyes. .492 i want to do physical activity but it gets compromised due to my excessive engagement on my smartphone. .477 before start studying, i like to pass some time on my smartphone. .441 .416 i think that the duration of smartphone usage is increasing rapidly. .417 factor 2:interference i am using my smartphone and scrolling through social media even in my dreams. .654 i love to spend my time on my smartphone rather than spending time with my family members. .529 i desire to have multiple smartphones. .499 due to excessive use of smartphone through headphones and buds, i have begun to face difficulty in the frequency of listening in a normal manner. .495 i get too much involved with my smartphone that i even forget about the humans around me. .490 sometimes i am so engaged with my smartphone that i turn a deaf ear and do not respond to my family members. .476 due to excessive use of smartphone, my study time is being compromised and it leads to late submissions of assignments. .459 .469 due to too much use of smartphone i get headaches and dizziness. .405 .457 my concentration begins to lose if i do not look at my smartphone for some time. .448 i get angry/ irritated when someone interrupts me while scrolling my smartphone. .444 i wish to use my smartphone during lectures in the classroom. .442 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 251 factor 3:psychological worry and concerns i don’t want my smartphone should be seen or guarded by parents. .647 i feel uncomfortable when someone is scrolling or using my phone. .626 i get defensive when someone ask me what i am doing on my smartphone .569 i do not want that my parents should know my smartphone password. .494 i feel annoyed when my phone does not work properly. .400 factor 4:dependency i feel very anxious as if a very important thing is missing when i don’t have my smartphone with me. .545 i cannot compromise to have a smartphone. .497 i feel it is impossible to keep away or give up smartphone. .494 i want my smartphone with me even if there is no need. .473 i always want to have a smartphone with the latest technology. .429 i feel smartphones have become an essential part of our lives just like food, home, and clothes. .411 i feel very anxious and tense if the battery of my smartphone is low or dead. .409 factor5:craving i prefer using my smartphone while waiting for someone (college/ railway station/ bus stand). .601 i like to use my smartphone even while eating. .495 i like to have smartphone beside me while sleeping .431 in the vacant period, i use a smartphone to fill the gap between two classes at college. .414 indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 252 factor 6:technology use and privacy i like to book tickets through my smartphone. .641 i prefer to make payments through my smartphone. .568 i keep my smartphone updated and virus-free. .471 i keep my smartphone password very complex so that one should not be able to anticipate. .467 i like to do online shopping through my smartphone. .461 i always keep my smartphone protected by a password. .401 extraction method: principal component analysis. rotation method: varimax with kaiser normalization.a a. rotation converged in 14 iterations. factor 1: time it is evident from table 5, that ten variables are loaded significantly in factor one. the close observation of all these attributes indicates that all attributes are represented by ‘time’. therefore, this factor is labeled as time that explains 16.895 per cent of total variance which is the best and maximum amount of explained variance among all six factors. further, it is also exhibited from the rotated factor matrix that variables like the prolonged use of smartphone has made me more lazy, and has the highest factor loading (.675). similarly, my working capacity is compromised due to excessive time spent on my smartphone (.670), which has the second highest factor loading. likewise, ‘try to minimize the time spent on my smartphone but i am unable to do so. (.633), has the third highest factor loading. at the fourth level, attributes such as being well aware of the adverse effects of excessive use of smartphones still i overuse it, loaded in this factor with factor loading (.564). further, ‘ i want to spend little time on my smartphone but spend more time than expected (.554), which has the fifth top factor loading in the factor matrix. in addition to it, variables like ‘distracted by smartphone apps during study time’ also loaded with the factor loading of (.523), and followed by ‘due to prolonged use of smartphone i feel strain in my eyes (.492), physical activity gets compromised due to excessive engagement on smartphone (.477), ‘before start studying, i like to pass some time on smartphone’ (.441) loaded in the above factor with good degree of factor loading. at last, variable like ‘the duration of smartphone usage is increasing rapidly’ (.417), loaded in the ‘time’ factor with the lowest factor loading. this factor not only consists of a very good number of attributes but also explains the maximum portion of total variance to understand the phenomenon of smartphone addiction. the scale of the factor loading for the ‘time’ component is between .675 and.417. the index of eigenvalue for this factor is 9.292 which is greater than the eigenvalue of the rest of all five factors. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 253 factor 2:  interference with reference to table 5, it is evident that eleven variables are loaded significantly in factor two. the analysis of all the variables provides evidence that all attributes are represented by the ‘interference’. therefore, this factor is named as ‘interference’ which retains 5.108 per cent of the total explained variance. the interference factor has the second maximum explanation power of smartphone addiction. the variance is distributed in the elevenfactor loading such as “i am using my smartphone and scrolling through social media even in my dreams” (.654), which has the uppermost factor loading whereas ‘love to spend time on smartphone rather than with my family members’ (.529), has second top factor loading. similarly, the ‘desire to have multiple smartphone’ (.499), has the third highest loading. furthermore, ‘due to excessive use of smartphone, face difficulty in the frequency of listening in a normal manner’ (.495), and have fourth highest loading. in addition to it, an attribute like ‘i get too much involved with my smartphone that i even forget about the humans around me’, is loaded in the above factor with factor loading of (.490). surprisingly, sometimes i am so engaged with my smartphone that i turn deaf ears and do not respond to my family members (.476), which has the sixth highest factor loading for the ‘interference’ factor. at the seventh level, ‘due to excessive use of smartphone, my study time is being compromised and it leads to the late summation of assignments’, is loaded with factor loading of (.469). apart from it, a variable such as ‘due to too much use of smartphone i get headaches and dizziness’, has the eighth highest factor loading (.457). correspondingly, ‘my concentration begins to lose if i don’t look at my smartphone for some time (.448), has the ninth highest factor loading, and followed by getting angry/ irritated when someone interrupts me while scrolling my smartphone (.444). lastly, an attribute like ‘i wish to use my smartphone during lectures in the classroom, has the lowest factor loading for this factor. (.442). the range of factor loading confines between .654 and .442. further, concerning the eigenvalue of this factor, it is 2.809. factor 3:  psychological worry and concern concerning table 5,  the factor matrix demonstrates that five variables are loaded in the factory matrix. the closed observations of these attributes signify that all variables express worry and concerns. it is the reason that this factor is named as ‘psychological worry and concern’ which contributes 4.506 per cent of the total explained variance. further, the explained variance is distributed into the five factor loadings such as attributes like ‘don’t want my smartphone should be seen or guarded by parents, which possesses the maximum amount factor loading (.647) in the above factor. further,  ‘feel uncomfortable when someone is scrolling or using my smartphone’, has the second highest factor loading (.626). likewise, at the third level, ‘get defensive when someone asks me what i am doing on my smartphone, loaded with factor loading of (.569) in the rotated factor matrix, and followed by ‘don’t want my parents should know my smartphone password (.494). at last, ‘i feel annoyed when my smartphone phone does not work properly’ has loaded with the smallest factor loading of  (.400) in this particular factor. as far as the concern of the distribution of factor loading in the above factor,  it is between 0.647 and 0.400. it is also evident from table 5, that the index of eigenvalue of this factor is 2.478 which is larger than factor four, five, and six.  indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 254 factor 4:  dependency   further,  with reference to table 5, it can be observed that seven variables are loaded significantly on the fourth factor which is related to important things missing, not compromising to have a smartphone, impossible to keep it away, want a smartphone even there is no need, desired to have the latest technology, smartphone as an essential part of life, and feel anxious in case battery dead. all these attributes represent the dependency of students on the smartphone. therefore,  this fourth factor is named as ‘dependency’. the factor ‘dependency’ shares 3.292 per cent of the total explained variance which is distributed into the seven different factor loadings like ‘feel very anxious as if a very important thing is missing when i don’t have a smartphone with me, has loaded with toppest factor loading (.545). similarly,  ‘cannot compromise to have a smartphone, has the second highest factor loading (.497) in the factor matrix. likewise, in third place, variable like ‘feel it is impossible to keep away or give up smartphone’, loaded with factor loading of (.494). in addition to it, i want my smartphone with me even if there is no need, has the fourth-highest loading (.473). furthermore, ‘want to have a smartphone with the latest technology, is at sixth rank and is loaded with factor loading of  (.429), and followed by ‘feel smartphone have become an essential part of our lives just like food, home, and clothes (.411). lastly, i feel very anxious and tense if the battery of the smartphone is low or dead, and has the lowest factor loading (.409). the range of between the highest and lowest factor loading for this factor is between .545 and .409. the index of eigenvalue for the above factor is 1.811 which is greater than factors five and six. factor 5: craving further, table 5, demonstrates that four variables are grouped together which are highly correlated like using a smartphone while waiting, even eating, sleeping, and to fill the gap between two classes at college. all these attributes show the desire or passion of students towards the smartphone. therefore, this factor is named as ‘craving’ which shares 2.830 per cent of the total variance explained that is distributed into four-factor loadings like “prefer using my smartphone while waiting for someone (college/ railway station/ bus stand), has uppermost factor loading (.601) in this factor while i like to use my smartphone even while eating, has second greater factor loading (.495), further, at the third level “i like have smartphone beside me while sleeping”, has third highest factor loading (.431). similarly, at last “in the vacant period, i use my smartphone to fill the gap between two classes at college”, which has the lowest factor loading (.414). the spectrum of factor loading is between .601 and 0.414. regarding eigenvalue, the factor craving has 2.830 as the eigenvalue.  factor 6: technology use and privacy from the analysis of the aforementioned table 5, it is evident that six correlated attributes form a group that comprises variables like ticket booking, doing payments, online shopping, protection by password and keeping password complex, carefulness about updation, and making smartphone virus-free. all these attributes are well described by the technology use and privacy. therefore, this factor is labeled as ‘technology use and privacy’ which explains 2.766 per cent of the total variance. this variance is shared by six-factor loading such as “like to book indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 255 tickets through my smartphone, which has the highest factor loading (.641) whereas  “prefer to make payments through my smartphone”, which has the second highest factor loading (.566). similarly, “ keep my smartphone updated and virus free”, and has the third highest factor loading (.471). in addition to it, variable like i keep my smartphone password very complex so that one should not be able to anticipate, has the fourth highest factor loading (.467) in the factor matrix, followed by i like to do online shopping through my smartphone (.461) and i always keep my smartphone protected by a password (.401). the range of factor loading for this factor is between .641 and .401. as far as the eigenvalue is concerned, it is 1.522.   findings of the study based on analysis of the data the following results were drawn. • the index of determinant, “kaisermeyer-olkin measure of sampling adequacy”, and “bartlett’s test of sphericity ‘’ was suitable as all these parameters were found fit to run the exploratory factor analysis.  • smartphone addiction has six factors namely ‘time’, ‘interference’, ‘psychological worry and concern’, ‘dependency’, ‘craving’, and ‘technology use and privacy’. • this study has  35.397 per cent of explained variance of smartphone addiction whereas it has 64.603 per cent of unexplained variance which is not known.  • out of the explained variance of this study, ‘time’ as a factor shares 16.895 per cent of the total variance which is the maximum variance among all six factors of smartphone addiction. hence, time as a factor is the dominant factor in the smartphone addiction of students. • the second factor i.e. ‘interference’, had 5.108 per cent of the total explained variance which was the second dominant factor for smartphone addiction, followed by ‘psychological worry and concern’ 4.506 per cent, dependency 3.292 per cent, and craving 2.830 per cent. • components like ‘technology use and privacy’ explained 2.766 per cent of the total variance which had the least explained variance among all six factors. • the highest factor loading of .675 was found in factor one i.e. ‘time’ whereas, in contrast to it, the lowest factor loading of .400 was noticed in factor three i.e. ‘psychological worry and concern. discussion this study was conducted with the prime objective of exploring the factors of smartphone addiction. the findings have provided great insight regarding smartphone addiction among undergraduate students. the data analysis suggests that there are six factors that are accountable for smartphone addiction i.e. ‘time’, ‘interference’, ‘psychological worry and concern’, ‘dependency’, ‘craving’, and ‘technology use and privacy’. there might be numerous potential reasons for such findings. it is evident from the research that in the situation of depression humans rely upon the mobile to alleviate their negative feelings as reported by (kim et al., 2015). further, perceived stress, study pressure, and isolation are also big reasons for smartphone addiction as investigated by (liu et al., 2022). in addition to it, when a student starts to think too much about their academics and future career it builds additional apprehensions and worries. therefore, students may start to use smartphone as entertainment devices which lead to spend more time indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 256 to smartphone to release worriedness, apprehensions, and pressure. it may make them slowly and unknowingly addicted. research also supports that high academic stress is the leading reason for being smartphone addicted as examined by (kim, 2021). apart from it, extreme dependency on smartphones is also a significant reason for smartphone addiction as investigated by (lee et al., 2016; bagci & peksen, 2018; zamri et al., 2023). apart from it,  social media applications such as whatsapp, and facebook instagram have addictive features, which propels human’s endless desire to check social media messages, reels, and other forms of entertainment. further, the findings contradict the claim of fidan (2016) who investigated that mobile addiction has seven factors relapse, silence, mood modification, mobile internet tendency, tolerance, conflict, and withdrawal, whereas in contrast to the findings of fidan (2016), this research has the six factors of smartphone addiction. similarly, although the findings are also inconsistent with the findings of fernandez (2017) as he reported the different factors of smartphone addiction like tolerance, withdrawal, disruption, disregard, loss of control, and preoccupation but this research has a slight resemblance with his findings because the number of factors are same in both the researches i.e. six. however, the meaning and context of the factors are different. the basic reason for the inconsistency with the findings of fernandez (2017) is that the smartphone addiction scale was in spanish and french language whereas in this research the smartphone addiction scale was developed in the english language which might be the potential cause of differences in the findings. further, no research was found that corroborates with the findings of this research. based on the findings of this research, there are great implications to organizing the guidance and counseling program for undergraduate students because the university of delhi has students from multilingual and multicultural backgrounds where the most of the students come from every corner of the country and reside as either paying guest or hostlers which keep away from the observation of the parents and other family members. as a result, this freedom provides a lot of scope to spend uncontrolled time on smartphones which increases the possibility of smartphone addiction.  hence,  on the pattern of the above argument, the data of this research builds evidence that ‘time’ as a factor has explained the highest variance which implies that time is the highest contributing factor in smartphone addiction. further, an unexpected factor loading was also noticed that “the prolonged use of the smartphone has made me more lazy”, which is highest across all factor loadings which indicates that more time spent on smartphone is not only dangerous to compromise academic performance but also for overall personality development because it is already established through research that smartphone addiction lead to poor academic performance of the students as reported by (samaha and hawi, 2016). similar findings have also been endorsed by (khan et al., 2019; rathakrishnan et al., 2021). it is recommended that in the future, another side of the time factor needs to be exploreed “how much time do students spend on their academics using the smartphone as a device?” moreover, it is also suggested that research may be done to explore the remaining unexplained variance of smartphone addiction. conclusion concerning the associated research question of this research i.e. what are the factors which are accountable indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 1, january 2024 257 for smartphone addiction among undergraduate students? the analysis of the primary data provides certain conclusions that smartphone addiction has six factors i.e. ‘time’, ‘interference’, ‘psychological worry and concern’, ‘dependency’, ‘craving’, and ‘technology use and privacy’. it is observed that time as a factor has a huge impact on smartphone addiction which consists of ten variables. similarly, eleven variables are observed by the interference factor which has the second highest impact on smartphone addiction. likewise, five variables are observed under the psychological worry and concern factor which has the third best influence on 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(2023). smartphone addiction and loneliness among students. jurnal kemanusiaan, 21(1), 85-94. https://doi.org/10.11113/jur.kemanusiaan.v21n1.425 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 209 research article attitude of teachers towards utilization of information and communication technology (ict) in secondary schools of assam with special reference to kamrup district alpana das1, jonali chetia2 & dr. gayatree goswamee3 1phd research scholar, pqh school of education, university of science & technology, meghalaya (ustm) emailalpana.maatu@gmail.com 2professor, pqh school of education, university of science & technology, meghalaya (ustm) 3professor & dean pqh school of education, university of science & technology meghalaya (ustm) abstract the use of ict in secondary schools is a recent dimension. the utilization of ict has changed the total scenario of the education system. the attitude of teachers plays a vital role in the utilization of ict in schools and the teaching process as a whole. the present study tries to investigate the attitude of teachers towards the utilization of ict in secondary schools of kamrup district assam. this study is designed to find out the attitude of secondary school teachers in relation to their ages, gender and working area, i/e. urban or rural. a descriptive survey method has been adopted by the researcher for the study. in order to collect the primary data about the attitude of teachers, an attitude scale was developed by the researcher using likert 5-point scale and it was standardized by following proper standard procedure. the population of the study was comprised of 3329 secondary school teachers teaching in govt provincialized secondary schools, and the sample of the study was 400 teachers, which is above 10 per cent. the study found various attitude levels among male/female, rural/urban, and junior/senior teachers towards the utilization of ict in teaching in secondary schools of kamrup district of assam. keywords: ict, attitude, attitude scale, secondary school introduction technology has always influenced the education system from time immemorial but the introduction of computers, the internet, and other ict tools have influenced in such a way ict become an integral part of the education system. broadcasting technology like television, radio etc., have been used in education for a long but presently, mobile, computers, projectors, interactive whiteboards, satellite-based network systems, e-learning systems etc., have changed the total scenario for the last two decades. it is seen that information and communication technology (ict) has played a most prominent role in the development of society in the 21st century. it is beyond doubt that it has added a new dimension to the whole education system. at present, acquiring information is not merely dependent on hard copy books or reports but can be accessed within moments through ict gadgets. now the whole world’s information is in the palm of our hand. ict brings changes, developments, opportunities and facilities to teachers, not only in the teaching process but also in the management and administration indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 210 of education vastly. ict has created such an environment where the teaching process becomes more fruitful, investing less time and less effort. using ict tools, teachers can be more competent in delivering information to learners. the requirement is necessary ict tools and systems and the skill to use ict in a proper way by the teacher. so, teachers should acquire the knowledge & skill to use the ict tools. he should possess the right command of when, how and where to use ict in the teaching process to enhance his teaching quality. teachers can do best practices of ict, but it depends on some factors which influence the utilization of ict in school education by the teachers in the teaching process. broadly there are two factors, one is external, and the other is internal. the external factors are ict infrastructure, technical support, financial support, human resource support etc. the internal factor is the attitude of the teachers towards ict utilization. according to many experts, external factors can be fulfilled in a short period but the attitude of human beings takes time to change. according to myers (1996), severy brigham and schlenker (1976) defined attitude as an orientation towards an object in one’s environment inferred from behavior. attitude also can be defined as a predisposition to act in a negative or positive way towards a person, object, idea or event. here in this research paper, the researcher tried to find out the attitude of teachers towards ict, whether positive or negative and the difference in attitude in relation to area, gender, and experience among teachers. many studies show that due to a lack of proper infrastructure and proper training, teachers are not able to use ict in the teaching process, but on the contrary, in some research, it was also found that teachers are reluctant to use ict despite having ict facilities in schools. so, teachers who do not have a positive attitude are not interested in using ict in the teaching process. whereas they are using the internet for social sites and other works. according to the international computer and information literacy study (icils), farallon et al. (2014) and other studies found that teachers from different countries and areas use ict in different frequency. review of literature dedun (2013) in his research work, “a study of teacher attitude towards the use of ict in classroom of secondary school of sabarkantha district”, tried to focus on the teacher’s attitude. the objective of the study was to compare the attitude towards the use of ict in secondary schools’ classroom teaching depending on gender, medium of instruction, and organization type. the researcher collected data from secondary school teachers and found that there was a significant difference between male and female teachers towards the use of uct. male teachers have more positive attitudes than female teachers. there was a significant difference between granted school and self-financed schools teachers. the study also showed that there is no significant difference between the attitude of gujrati school and english medium school. mwila, p. (2018) assessed the attitudes of secondary school teachers toward the integration of ict in the teaching process in kilimanjaro, tanzania, in the work “assessing the attitudes of secondary school teachers towards the integration of ict in the teaching process in kilimanjaro, tanzania.” the study discovered that male and female teachers had favourable attitudes toward incorporating ict into their teaching processes. furthermore, it was reported that there is a link indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 211 between a teacher’s age group and attitudes toward the integration of ict in the teaching and learning processes. based on these findings, the study concluded that ict integration into the teaching process was heavily influenced by teachers’ and students’ attitudes toward ict integration; positive ict attitudes are expected to promote ict integration in the teaching and learning process. the study recommended that curriculum developers integrate ict into a curriculum while taking economic, cultural, political, social, educational, and catalytic rationales into account. gibson, p. a. et al. (2014), in their work, ‘changing teachers, changing students? the impact of a teacherfocused intervention on student’s computer usage, attitudes, and anxiety’ found that technology intervention itself had a positive effect on students’ attitudes toward and use of computers for educational purposes. the results suggest that it is possible to increase students’ attitudes toward computer use through intense interventions aimed at their teachers. buabeng, charls – andah (2015) in his study “ict uses in ghanaian secondary school’’, the researcher primarily tried to investigate secondary school teacher’s perspectives towards ict use. the result shows teachers’ low competence in the use of ict in secondary school. moreover, the study indicates that male teachers were more competent in ict than female teachers. again, the perceived administrative support for women teachers was more than that of male teachers. this study also shows that there is no significant difference in public and private school teachers’ access to ict, administrative support, self-efficiency, competencies and training. emergence of the problem it is found that in different parts of the world, research was carried out to study the attitude of teacher towards use ict in teaching (osodo et.al (20101); suri and sharma (2017), dedun (2013). in assam, studies have been found to carry out about the attitude of university teachers towards the use of ict in teaching (moyuri sarma (2017); rahman (2022). it is found that very few studies have been conducted regarding the attitude of secondary school teachers towards the utilization of ict in school education. the secondary stage is the most important stage where scientific outlook and technological skills should be developed in students. and in assam, most of the students go to provincialised school, and most of the students are from the lower middle class who goes for vocational course and join new job for livelihood. so, teachers should be willing to use ict in teaching to make future citizens technologically sound. but the researcher, after visiting the secondary school, came to realize that though minimum ict facilities are provided to school most of the teachers are not using it. the schools are provided with ict facilities like 10 computers, laptops, projectors, various software, ups, generator, computer table-chair and other accessories. the researcher also found that many of the computers are not working properly in most of the schools, both urban and rural schools. it is observed that the computer teacher is using the ict facility at a regular level. so, the researcher wanted to know whether the teachers have positive or negative attitudes towards the use of ict in teaching. whether female and senior teachers have a positive attitude towards it. considering these, the researcher tried to find out the attitude of secondary school teachers of assam, with special reference to kamrup districts. area of study the area of the study is kamrup district (both the kamrup metropolitan and indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 212 kamrup rural). kamrup metropolitan district has an area of 1528 sq. km and a population of approx. 12,60,419 as per the census of 2011, and kamrup district has an area of 3105 sq. km and a population of approx. 15,17,542 as per the census of 2011. kamrup metropolitan is the most developed district of assam, where the city of guwahati and dispur, the capital of assam, is situated, and kamrup rural district is a rural district similar to another rural district. there is lots of difference between the two districts with respect to the developmental pattern, various facility, amenities, socio-economic conditions of the people etc. so, the researcher found it ideal for the proposed study. objectives of the study the objectives for the study are as follows: i. to study the attitudinal level of secondary school teachers towards the utilization of ict in relation to rural and urban areas ii. to study the attitudinal level of secondary school teachers towards the utilization of ict in relation to male and female gender iii. to study the attitudinal level of secondary school teachers towards the utilization of ict in relation to their age research questions i. is there any comparison of attitudinal level between rural and urban secondary teachers towards utilization of ict? ii. is there any comparison of attitudinal level between male and female secondary school teachers towards utilization of ict? iii. is there any comparison of attitudinal level between more experienced and less experienced secondary school teachers towards utilization of ict? hypothesis of the study three (03) hypotheses were formulated on the basis of the objectives of the study as follows: i. h01: there is no significant difference in the level of attitude towards the utilization of ict in between urban and rural teachers ii. h02: there is no significant difference in the level of attitude towards the utilization of ict in between male and female teachers iii. h03: there is no significant difference in the level of attitude towards the utilization of ict in between junior and senior teachers methodology method: the researcher has adopted the descriptive survey method. population: the population of the study is 3329 teachers teaching in 266 provincialized, assamese medium secondary schools in kamrup district (both urban & rural) where ict facilities are provided by the government. all the teachers, both male, female, senior, and junior, teaching different subjects were considered. sample: out of 3329 teachers, 400 teachers were selected as the sample of the study. out of them, 200 were from urban areas and 200 were from rural areas. a simple random sampling technique has been adopted by the researcher. tools: to collect primary data about the attitude of the teachers, the researcher developed an attitude scale. the researcher followed the 5-point likert-type scale while arranging the statements of the scale. these 5 points are strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree and strongly disagree. initially, 100 statements (62 positive and 38 negative) were considered in the scale in 04 dimensions. pre-piloting of the scale was done, and as a result, out of 100 items, 63 remained by dropping 43 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 213 items and adding 06 items to the scale. after that, the piloting of the statement was performed by distributing the draft scale to 10 secondary school teachers selected purposively from assamese medium secondary schools where ict facilities are provided by the government. it is found that 11 statements were not responded to by many of the teachers, maybe these statements are confusing or not bearing proper meaning or are irrelevant. so, these 11 statements were rejected. hence, a total of 52 statements remained after the piloting. try out of the scale was done by administering the scale to 100 teachers of provincialized secondary schools where ict facilities are provided. item analysis was done, and the ‘t’ value was calculated, and the item with ‘t’ value greater than 1.96 is only accepted. 42 items were found with a ‘t’ value greater than 1.96. so, the final scale consists of 42 statements (22 positive and 20 negative). the reliability of the final scale was tested by split half method and found as 0.8162, and content validity and languages of the scale were checked by experts. the score for responses for positive statements was given as: strongly agree-5, agree-4, neutral-3, disagree-2 and strongly disagree-1 and for negative statement reversed way, i.e., strongly agree-1, agree-2, neutral-3, disagree4and strongly disagree-5. procedure of data collection: the researcher personally visited the school teachers and distributed the hardcopy of the tool (attitude scale), and they were told to select their own feeling against all 42 statements. it was also said that their data would be kept as secret. data analysis and interpretation general information about ict teachers: personal information about the teachers is given in table 1. table-1: personal information about teachers particulars options no. of teachers % gender female 197 49.2 male 203 50.8 age in years 20 29 42 10.5 30 39 125 31.2 40 49 134 33.5 50 60 99 24.8 qualification b a 75 20.5 b a, pgdca 392 15.0 b sc 19 15.4 b.a, b. ed 7 1.6 b sc, pgdca 31 7.6 b sc, b ed 87 21.4 ba, bed 3 0.7 m a 35 8.4 m sc 16 3.9 m sc, b. ed 24 5.6 m.a, b ed. 61 14.8 m. sc, m. phil 1 .2 ma, pgdca 1 .2 ma, phd 1 .2 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 214 experience in years 5 9 100 22.3 10 13 117 29.3 14 17 23 6.8 18 21 81 20.2 22 25 26 6.5 26 29 42 10.5 30 33 20 5.0 34 37 2 .5 a. around 49.2 per cent of the teacher respondents are female, and nearly 50.8 per cent are male. b. the age range varies from 20 to 60 years, and the maximum percentage (58.3) varies from 40 to 60 years of age. c. 82.2 per cent of teachers are found to be graduates, 32.9 per cent are postgraduates and the rest 0.2 per cent phd holders. d. the experience of teachers varies from 5 to 37 years. 58.4 per cent of the teacher’s experience ranges between 5 to 17 years. location the locational information about the teacher is given in table 2. table-2: residing locality of teachers particulars no. of teachers % location rural 200 50.0 urban 200 50.0 total 400 100.0 district kamrup (m) 200 50.0 kamrup rural 200 50.0 50 per cent of the teachers work in rural areas, and the rest in urban areas. also, 50 per cent of the teachers are from kamrup (metro) and the rest from kamrup (rural) district. occupation related information the occupation-related information about the teacher is given in table 3. table-3: occupation-related information about teachers particulars nature no. of teachers % appointment mode contractual 106 26.5 permanent 294 73.5 tet teacher no 251 62.8 yes 147 36.8 ict training no 257 64.2 yes 143 35.8 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 215 availability of ict at home no 27 6.8 yes 372 93.0 subject taught arabic 1 .2 assamese 70 17.4 assamese, hindi 1 .2 assamese, social science 1 .2 assamese, social studies 1 .2 computer science 70 17.0 computer science, hindi 4 0.8 computer science, social science 3 0.6 english 10 2.5 english and social science 3 0.6 english, assamese 1 .2 general science 1 .2 hindi 18 4.5 mathematics 86 21.4 mathematics, science 4 1.0 sanskrit 5 1.2 science 45 11.2 science, mathematics 8 1.9 social science 12 2.7 social science, english 1 .2 1. 73.5 per cent of teacher respondents are found to be permanent, and 26.5 per cent are on contractual appointment. 2. 36.8 per cent of the teachers are found to be tet-qualified teachers. 3. 93 per cent of the teacher respondents stated that they either possess a computer/laptop at home. 4. a variety of subjects were found to be taught by the teachers based on their qualifications (vide table 3). objective (i): to compare the attitudinal level of secondary school teachers towards the utilization of ict in relation to rural and urban areas the attitudinal level of rural and urban teachers is given in table 4. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 216 table-4: attitudinal level of rural and urban teachers range of z scores attitudinal level rural urban no. of respondents % no. of respondents % +2. 68 & above most favourable 5 2.5 2 1.0 +1.38 to +2.67 favourable 80 40.0 111 55.5 -0.05 to +1.37 somewhat favourable 101 50.5 79 39.5 -1.37 to -0.06 unfavourable 12 6.0 7 3.5 -1.38 & below most unfavourable 2 1.0 1 0.5   200 200 figure-1: attitudinal level of rural and urban teachers it is found that only 2.5 per cent teachers from rural area and 1 per cent of the teachers from urban area have most favourable attitude towards the utilization of ict. 38.5 per cent from rural areas and 55.5 per cent of the teachers from urban areas have favourable attitudes, and 48.5 per cent from rural areas and 39.5 per cent of the teachers from urban areas have somewhat favourable attitudes (shown in table 4). only 3.5 per cent from rural areas and 9.5 per cent of the teachers from urban areas have unfavourable attitudes, and 0.5 per cent from rural areas and 1 per cent of the teachers from urban areas have the most unfavourable attitudes towards the utilization of ict. the table depicts the attitudinal level of rural and urban teachers shown in fig. 1. objective (ii): to compare the attitudinal level of secondary school teachers towards the utilization of ict in relation to male and female gender attitudinal level of female and male teachers is given in table 5. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 217 table-5: attitudinal level of female and male teachers range of z scores attitudinal level female male no. of respondents % no. of respondents % +2. 68 & above most favourable 4 2.03 3 1.48 +1.38 to +2.67 favourable 139 70.55 70 34.48 -0.05 to +1.37 somewhat favourable 49 24.87 106 52.21 -1.37 to -0.06 unfavourable 4 2.03 22 10.83 -1.38 & below most unfavourable 1 0.51 2 0.98   197 203 it is found that nearly 2 per cent of the female teachers and around 1.5 per cent of the male teachers have a most favourable attitude towards the utilization of ict; near about 70.6 per cent of the female teachers and around 34.5 per cent of the male teachers have favourable attitude; and 24.9 per cent of the female teachers and around 52.2 per cent of the male teachers have somewhat favourable attitude. only 2 per cent of the female teachers and around 11 per cent of the male teachers have unfavourable attitudes, and 0.5 per cent of the female teachers and around 1.0 per cent of the male teachers have the most unfavourable attitude towards the utilization of ict. the attitudinal level of female and male teachers is graphically shown in fig. 2. figure-2: attitudinal level of female and male teachers objective (iii): to compare the attitudinal level of secondary school teachers towards the utilization of ict in relation to their age attitude of senior and junior secondary school teachers towards the utilization of ict is given in table 6. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 218 table-6: attitudinal level of senior and junior teachers range of z scores attitudinal level senior teachers junior teachers no. of respondents % no. of respondents % +2. 68 & above most favourable 4 2.39 3 1.28 +1.38 to +2.67 favourable 51 30.54 91 39.06 -0.05 to +1.37 somewhat favourable 98 58.68 124 53.22 -1.37 to -0.06 unfavourable 13 7.78 13 5.58 -1.38 & below most unfavourable 1 0.59 2 0.86   167 233 in the present study the teachers who fall in between 20 to 39 years are considered as junior and in between 40 to 60 years is senior teacher. more than 2 per cent of the senior teachers and around 1.5 per cent of the junior teachers have the most favourable attitude towards the utilization of ict; near about 30.5 per cent of the senior teachers and around 39.6 per cent of the junior teachers have a favourable attitude; and 58.6 per cent of the senior teachers and around 53.2 per cent of the junior teachers have somewhat favourable attitude. nearly 8 per cent of the senior teachers and around 6 per cent of the junior teachers have an unfavourable attitude, and 0.6 per cent of the senior teachers and around 0.9 per cent of the junior teachers have most unfavourable attitude towards the utilization of ict. graphically it is shown in fig 3. figure-3: attitudinal level of senior and junior teachers indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 219 hypothesis (i): h01: there is no significant difference between the attitude of urban and rural teachers towards the utilization of ict in secondary schools. in order to justify this hypothesis, collected data are subjected to statistical analysis to test the significance. ‘t-test is conducted with the available information put forward in table 7. table-7: attitude of urban and rural teachers towards the utilization of ict category n mean standard deviation df ‘t’ value significance rural 200 150.51 15.503 398 0.501 not significant urban 200 149.86 10.102 the calculated value of 0.501 is less than the tabulated value of 1.96 at 0.05 level, the null hypothesis is accepted. thus, it follows that there exists no significant difference between the attitude of urban and rural teachers towards the utilization of ict in secondary schools. hypothesis (ii): h02: there is no significant difference between the attitude of male and female teachers towards the utilization of ict in secondary schools of kamrup district. in order to justify this hypothesis, collected data are subjected to statistical analysis to test the significance. ‘t-test is conducted with the available information put forward in table 8. table-8: attitude of male and female teachers towards the utilization of ict category n mean standard deviation df ‘t’ value significance female 197 145.27 10.587 398 7.966 significant at 0.01 level male 203 154.95 13.507 as the calculated value of 7.966 is greater than the tabulated value of 2.58 at 0.01 level, the null hypothesis is rejected. thus, it follows that there is a significant difference between the attitude of male and female teachers towards the utilization of ict in secondary schools of kamrup district. hypothesis (iii): h03: there is no significant difference between the attitude of senior and junior teachers towards the utilization of ict in secondary schools of kamrup district. in order to justify this hypothesis, collected data are subjected to statistical analysis to test the significance. ‘t-test is conducted with the available information put forward in table 9. table-9: attitude of senior and junior teachers towards the utilization of ict category n mean standard deviation df ‘t’ value significance senior teachers 167 151.05 13.140 398 1.124 not significant junior teachers 233 149.56 13.015 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 220 as the calculated value of 1.124 is less than the tabulated value of 1.96 at 0.05 level, the null hypothesis is accepted. thus, it follows that there exists no significant difference between the attitude of senior and junior teachers towards the utilization of ict in secondary schools. findings following are the findings of the present study a. attitudinal level of rural teachers found to be favorable among 93 per cent, and in urban areas, it is 96 per cent. b. among the female teacher’s attitudinal level is favorable at 97.45 per cent, and that of male teachers is 88.17 per cent. c. 91.61 per cent of senior teachers and 93.56 per cent of junior teachers have favorable attitude towards the utilization of ict d. there exists no significant difference between the attitude of urban and rural teachers towards the utilization of ict in secondary schools of kamrup district e. there exists a significant difference between the attitude of male and female teachers towards the utilization of ict in secondary schools of kamrup district. f. there exists no significant difference between the attitude of senior and junior teachers towards the utilization of ict in secondary schools. discussion the study shows that all the teachers from the rural and urban areas of kamrup district have favorable attitudes towards the utilization of ict in secondary schools. the findings of the present study are supported by findings of different studies as learned from the review of the literature. the findings of the present study that there exists no significant difference between the attitude of urban and rural teachers towards utilization of ict in secondary school teachers are supported by aggarwal and ahuja (2013) in their research study, “attitude of students – teachers towards the use of ict and its impact on academic achievement”. the findings of the present study that no difference exists between the attitude of the junior (unexperienced) and senior (experienced) teachers is supported by the study done by ahmed showkat (2014) in “a study of secondary school teachers’ attitude towards information and communication technology (ict) in jammu and kasmir”. again, a significant difference between the attitude of male and female secondary school teachers is found in the study. female teachers are having more favourable attitude than males as found. this is supported by a research study in arunachal pradesh done by ms. ligang suniya (2018). it is also supported by the findings of angadi (2014), dedun (2013), sadik (2006). but on the contrary, the studies like parmar (2015), yusuf & balogun (2011), tesci (2014) found that there is no gender difference in attitude towards the utilization of ict in education. it is observed that though ict facilities are not adequate to meet the needs of students but still the teachers were showing a positive attitude towards the utilization of ict in secondary schools of kamrup district in assam in different dimensions including teaching-learning process, school administration, schoolrelated communication, and personal development. conclusion this study reveals that the attitude of the teacher about the use of ict in indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 221 school education depends on how much they are confident about using it in school. and also depend on to what extent teachers are using ict in their day-to-day life and professional life. from the study, it has been clear that a maximum number of teachers are having computers or laptops for personal use. they are aware of the fact that by using ict, they can transfer the information to the students in a fruitful manner. and ict become beneficial for school administration and communicating people too. it is a good sign that teachers from rural areas and senior teachers are also having positive attitudes toward ict use. it is found that female teachers have a more positive attitude towards the utilization of ict. as assam is a state where women are also given priority for all school activities, and it was found during data collection most of the computer teachers were female and were in view that they should be given proper training to use ict and they use ict facilities whatever available with the help of other teachers if needed. the result of the study also showed that senior teachers or aged teachers had positive attitudes and there was no significant difference between both groups of teachers. it may be the result of the pandemic situation. because during the pandemic lockdown, they used online tools and made the best use of ict to maintain the continuity of course, and the same may be the reason exist no difference in the attitude of rural and urban teachers. during data collection, the researcher got an opportunity to talk to the teachers, and most of the senior teachers, both in urban and rural areas had a view that due to the situation created by covid19 pandemic, they had to learn how to use ict tools for teaching purpose. and teachers have a positive attitude to continue the online classes to overcome the natural challenges and maintain the continuity of regular classes. it has been found from the observation during the data collection that most of the computers are not in working condition and not wellmaintained too. but it is a good sign that the teachers have a positive attitude, and if proper facilities are provided and improves the maintenance of provided facilities by the concerned authority and proper training is provided to teachers, they can use the best of ict facilities for teaching as well as for other school activities. reference dedun s k (2013). a study of teacher attitude towards the use of ict in classroom of secondary school of sabarkantha district. global research analysis, 2(3), 63-64. issn 2217-8160 gibson, p. a. et al. (2014). changing teachers, changing students? the impact of a teacherfocused intervention on students’ computer usage, attitudes, and anxiety. computer & education, 71, 165-174. mwila, p. (2018). assessing the attitudes of secondary school teachers towards the integration of ict in the teaching process in kilimanjaro, tanzania. international journal of education and development using information and communication technology (ijedict), 14 (3), 223-238 buabeng, c.a. (2015). ict uses in ghanaian secondary school. international journal of information and learning technology, 32, 300-312 ndibalema, p. (2014). teachers’ attitudes towards the use of information communication technology (ict) as a pedagogical tool in secondary schools in tanzania: the case of kondoa district”, international journal of education and research, 2(2), 1-16 payal, kanvaris, v.k. (2018). learning with ict: use & barriers from teachers’ perception. international journal of recent scientific research, 9(1), 23545-23548 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 222 mingaine, l (2013). skill challenges in adoption and use of ict in public secondary schools, kenya. international journal of humanities and social science 3(13), http://kerd.ku.ac. ke/123456789/932 kundu, a., dey, k n (2018). barriers to utilization of ict in education in india with a special focus on rural area. international journal of scientific research and reviews, 7(2), 341-359, issn:2279-0543 mndzebele, n. (2013). challenges faced by the school when introducing ict in developing countries. international journal of humanities and social science invention, 2(9), 01-04, issn online: 2319-7722 & print: 23197714 kumari, s.n.v., d’souza f. (2016). secondary school teachers’ digital literacy and use of ict in teaching and learning. international journal of computational research and development, 1(1), 141-146. issn: 2456 – 3137 minikutty, a., sandhya r. m, (2015). ict literacy: a study among higher secondary school students. paripex indian journal of research, 4(4), 4-6. issn 2250-1991 ranjan, b.k (2017). a study on status of ict uses in the various teachers training institution of tribal areas. international journal of advance educational research, 2(6), 375-379. issn: asfar, n., zainuddin, z. (2015). secondary student’s perceptions of information, communication and technology (ict) use in promoting self-directed learning in malaysia. the online journal of distance education and e-learning, 3(4). www.tojdel.net fanai, l., chhangte, r. (2016). computer usage among secondary school teachers of aizawl district, mizoram. imperial journal of interdisciplinary research, 2. annexure (this is for information only to the reviewer. not a part of the paper) attitude scale—statement (42) and responses sl. no. statement response (kindy tick one) strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly agree 1. ict tools helps in classroom management 2. ict tools improve the standard of teaching 3. use of ict tools in classroom would help me to be a better teacher 4. i like to encourage my students to use computer 5. i do not feel more confident using ict tools in my classroom indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 223 6. i can teach better without the help of ict tools 7. use of ict has increased my good relation with fellow teachers 8. i got easily bored while teaching with ict tools 9. i feel, student get bored when ict tools are used in classroom 10. i feel use of ict provide better access to information for teaching 11. ict use can make classroom teaching more interesting 12. i think ict can take the place of teacher 13. i think ict cannot replace teacher 14. ict has brought positive changes in education system 15. ict tools can motivate the students to learn 16. use of ict can make teaching more enjoyable 17. i feel use of ict has no influence in my teaching process 18. i can teach better without using ict tools 19 use of ict in school is just wastage of time 20. i do not get time to use ict tools due to my work load in school timing indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 224 21. ict provide new information to teachers for teaching purpose 22. one can become better teacher after using ict tools in classroom teaching 23. ict makes education accessible to all 24. only trained teachers can use ict properly in school 25. ict based education in the secondary schools is not a matter of importance 26. using ict, the teachers can be more enthusiastic 27. ict has decreased the book reading habit of students 28. ict has reduced the writing skill of students 29. ict encourage selflearning among students 30. it is difficult for me to use ict tools in my classroom 31. using ict tools, one can teach more in less time 32. ict is main factor of modernization 33. our future generation should be skilled in use of ict 34. it is not easy to incorporate ict in secondary schools of assam indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 225 35. use of ict can increase communication among teachers and students 36. use of ict can decrease communication between teachers and students 37. ict do not fulfill the intellectual needs of students of secondary school in proper way 38. school administration can be more organized by using ict 39. ict can be used to impart quality education 40. use of ict tools does not help me in my teaching process 41. training for operation of ict tools is not important for me to teach in a better way 42. use of ict increases laziness among students getting all information easily indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 75 research article higher education during and after covid-19: is online education the new normal? krishnan chalil1, md asraul hoque2 & sanjay kumar3 1professor & head, department of development studies, dean, school of social science and policy, central university of south bihar (gaya), bihar 2icssr doctoral fellow, department of development studies, school of social science and policy, central university of south bihar (gaya), bihar email: mdasraul@cusb.ac.in 3research scholar (ph.d.), department of development studies, school of social science and policy, central university of south bihar (gaya), bihar abstract the covid-19 pandemic has transformed indian education into a new phase with technology coming upfront. all educational institutions from primary to universities have adopted technology-mediated education. it has opened up new directions in the education arena and online education becomes the ‘new normal. many edtech startups have also boomed in this period to capitalize on the market for online education. it is in this context that this study analyses the impact of online education on indian higher education during this pandemic through a case study of the learning experience of a central university in india. the study was limited to the discipline of social science. out of the 182 students of the school of social sciences and policy of the central university of south, bihar contacted through google form, 100 forms have been rated in proper order. so these 100 students constituted the sample for this study. being a new platform for education, the students have faced some difficulties in coping with it. however, it was found that despite the challenges and limitations, the students experienced online education as an alternative to conventional education. keywords: online education, digital divide, edtech startups, swayam introduction covid-19 has brought about an unprecedented crisis across the world economy. it has affected all sectors of the economy. the production and services sectors have been affected badly during this pandemic. governments all over the world are in a dilemma on how to combat the hither-to-unknown crisis. among the various sectors seriously impinge on during the covid -19 crisis is education in general and higher education in particular. the day when education was restricted to clearly delineated rooms, frequently called classrooms, is passed, right? a person may study everything they want now with the aid of technology, at their own pace, at a time that works for them, and all with the press of a button. similarly, various institutions, autonomous bodies, and even private players have come forward with solutions to mitigate the problem of education during these difficult times. online education is the most soughtafter mechanism adopted by and large by most countries. as an illustration, after indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 76 the world health organization declared the new coronavirus a pandemic on march 11, universities all over america closed their doors in an effort to stop the virus’ spread. the university of washington took the initiative on march 6, 2020, by canceling all in-person classes chiodini, j. (2020). a wave of colleges and universities around the nation soon followed suit, including duke, stanford, harvard, columbia, barnard, n.y.u., princeton, and stanford. both wealthy and emerging nations share a similar situation unesco report. (2020). all these universities have shifted to virtual class classrooms sun, l., tang, y., & zuo, w. (2020). to capitalize on the increasing demand for online education, many edtech startups have been emerging across the world naylor, r. (2020). the edtech industry is expected to grow and generate close to $2 billion by 2021, according to reports by kpmg and google. famous edtech startups include byju’s, adda247, alolearning, aptuslearn, asmakam, board infinity, classplus, cybervie, egnify, embibe, extraaedge, istar, jungroo learning, globalgyan, lido learning, pesto, vedantu, edubrisk, zoom classroom, zoom business, toppr, unacademy, coursera zheng, b., hsi lin b, c., & kwon, j. b. (2020). some of the digital e-learning platforms in india like shagun online junction, national repository of open educational resources (nroer), diksha, e-pathshala, swayam, swayam prabha, other online platforms for education approximately 55 school boards, 359 state universities, 123 deemed universities, 47 central universities, and 260 private universities are affiliated with the national academic depository (nad), which is controlled by the ugc. to give content to students pursuing higher education and doctoral degrees, the national digital library of india is administered by the ministry of human resource development (mhrd) as part of the national mission on education through information and communication technology (nmeict). another important project of the mhrd and goi is called virtual labs, and it is administered by nmeict. it is a partnership between 12 iits that aims to offer online courses and study materials via virtual laboratories, where 700+ virtual experiments are created and promoted for candidates to study and comprehend. review of literature before and after the outbreak of the pandemic, a few attempts were done by scholars to understand the effect and problems of online education on different levels of education across the world. as a preface to this paper, it is meaningful as well as helpful to go through such studies. it will also provide a proper guideline to frame the present study on sound footings. the learning and teaching environment have undergone a noticeable transformation thanks to web technologies. supporters of online learning have observed that it can be efficient in possibly removing barriers while providing more convenience, flexibility, current content, personalized learning, and feedback compared to a typical classroom teaching environment. (harasim, 1990; matthews, 1999; swan et al., 2000) brown, g., & wack, m. (1999) matthews, d. (1996). rivals, however, are worried that students in an online setting may feel alone (brown, 1996), confused, and disappointed (hara & kling, 2000), and that student’s interest in the subject and learning effectiveness may be diminished (r. maki, w. maki, patterson, & whittaker, 2000). (bhushan, 2020) carried out a survey to learn more about the realities of the online alternative and other approaches to opening higher education institutions. the survey’s findings support the absence of indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 77 internet access. it was challenging to conduct online classes. the ability of the teachers to use it resources needs to be developed. there is a problem with students access to online classes that have to be resolved. many private unaided institutions believe that there will be a significant drop in enrollment, a hike in fees that will shift the incidents to students, and a decrease in the employment of contract teachers and temporary teachers. the government may offer a financial stimulus package in the situations mentioned above. the university grants commission may provide the university more freedom to make judgments that are appropriate for the situation. 200 university administrators from 53 different countries participated in a survey by times higher education (2020). one hundred per cent of university instruction has been or will be relocated online, according to 53 per cent of respondents. according to 33 per cent of respondents, covid-19 has caused or will cause the relocation of more than 75 per cent of university instruction online. the main reason people do not intend to migrate online is not a lack of resources, technical expertise, or availability; rather, it was because specific disciplines or modules cannot be taught online. more than 80 per cent said the move was successful. only 9 per cent firmly concur that online instruction is of a higher caliber than instruction provided before the covid amendment. for classes that had to be moved online, 79 per cent of respondents said they would ask students for course evaluations. sixty per cent of respondents felt that in at least some subjects, a continuous evaluation is a valid substitute for online final exams. they also mentioned how difficult it is to transfer all applied disciplines and professional courses to online teaching and learning. a study was done (vaccani, 2016) to determine whether webcast lectures are equally effective as live lectures as a teaching tool in medical school. third-year medical students were given three lectures on otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (oto-hns) as part of their usual academic program; one group attended live lectures, and the other group watched webcasts of the lectures. the same instructor delivered the same content in all lectures, whether broadcast live or online. a student satisfaction survey, performance on the oto-hns portion of their written exam, and performance on an otohns osce station during the general end-of-year osce assessment session were employed as the three outcome measures. study results showed that both sets of students performed equally well on the written test. performance in the osce station’s webcast group was superior to that of the live lecture group. in the opinion of most students in the webcast group, it was a useful educational tool. the majority of participants reported that they found it helpful to watch the lectures more than once. (litao sun et al., 2020) discuss their experience with statewide distance learning in chinese institutions during the covid-19 pandemic. we examine the findings of a statistical survey done among 39,854 students at southeast university in china to have a better understanding of the efficacy of such extensive online education. about 50 per cent of students thought the intended learning objectives had been fully accomplished, and 46 per cent thought they had been mostly attained. intriguingly, most students concurred that, in addition to ensuring continuity in the classroom, teachers contributed a pleasant vibe to help pupils deal with the stress of being in quarantine. however, when asked about “focus and restraint,” students were less enthusiastic and indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 78 gave it a relatively low score. this indicates that there is a greater need to improve self-discipline and concentration in the face of distractions like sluggish network speed, a noisy environment, and a lack of professional equipment. to lessen the effects of unreliable networks and boost student engagement, students suggested mixing recorded films and live classes with greater online interactivity. one of the most popular recommendations was to offer a unified teaching platform with playback features and an adequate quantity of homework. according to the (kpmg, 2017) survey study, online education will continue to grow in popularity among prospective students, professionals, and others driven by features like simple and ondemand access to content, self-paced learning opportunities, and interactive and modular learning modes. due to the lack of connection with peers and instructors, roughly one-third of online students also hold the view that online learning cannot replace traditional learning. (saxena et al., 2016) believed that the educational system is transforming. there is a growing understanding that education must be regarded from the perspective of lifelong learning. people are starting to take control of their education. as a result, “e-learning,” a new educational phase, has emerged. the term “elearning” describes creative ways to use technology to share information and provide more people access. through the development, application, and management of suitable technology processes and resources, online education’s primary goal is to facilitate learning and enhance performance. by removing the barriers between students and the rest of the world, these elearning techniques are converting the static learning environment into a dynamic one. the main barrier to the widespread adoption of this technology-driven learning, despite encouraging trends in india as a whole, is the lack of internet connectivity in smaller towns and semiurban areas. only once these problems are resolved can the enormous promise of learning tools like gamification, videobased learning, competency training, etc. be realized. it is anticipated that india would see a profound transition in the upcoming ten years, driven by companies that are bringing technologydriven education to a pan-indian scale through digital learning. (mcgrath, 2020) a study by britain’s open university found that compared to traditional face-to-face courses, preparing and delivering e-learning courses uses an average of 90 per cent less energy and generates 85 per cent less co2 emissions per student. according to data on the state of elearning in corporate education published by certifyme.net, 72 per cent of the firms surveyed felt that elearning gives them the ability to maintain their competitive edge by keeping up with developments in their particular industry dash, s. k., & sidharth, r. (2022, july 19). the same ibm study from 2014 found that investing in online training boosts productivity by $30 for every dollar spent, mostly because workers can quickly resume their jobs and put their newfound knowledge to action. after introducing an elearning programme, ibm discovered that participants retained roughly five times as much information without having to spend additional time in training. companies can cut expenses by reducing the time employees spend in training by teaching more material in a shorter time and allowing them to return to work sooner. the research institute of america discovered that elearning enhances retention rates by 25 per cent to 60 per indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 79 cent, whereas face-to-face training has far lower retention rates (8–10 per cent). this is because elearning gives students more control over the learning process and allows them to review the material as much as necessary. compared to learning the same subject in a traditional classroom setting, e-learning often consumes between 40 per cent and 60 per cent less employee time, according to a brandon-hall study. this is because it may be completed whenever the student needs it and asynchronously, preventing interruptions to workflow. some students find it difficult to engage in digital learning when they lack reliable internet access and/or technology. according to oecd data, only 34 per cent of students in indonesia have access to a computer for schooling, compared to 95 per cent of students in switzerland, norway, and austria (http://www.oecd. org/pisa/). in the us, there is a noticeable difference between those from rich and poor families: although almost all 15-year-olds from a privileged family reported having a computer to work on, only around 25 per cent of those from underprivileged backgrounds did. only 23.8 per cent of indian families, as reported in the key indicators of household social consumption on education in india report based on the 2017–18 national sample survey, have access to the internet (nsso, 2018). furthermore, only 4.4 per cent of rural homes have computers, compared to 23.4 per cent of urban households. only 33 per cent of women have internet connectivity, according to iamai’s (internet and mobile association of india) 2019 india internet report bolliger, d. u., & halupa, c. (2018). this ratio is even more alarming when one realises that 67 per cent of men in the same nation have internet access. in rural areas, only 28 per cent of women and 72 per cent of men have access to the internet, respectively. (joshi, 2017) provides evidence that student performance as measured by grade is independent of the mode of instruction by comparing student performance measures and assessments of learning experience from online and traditional sections of a required quantitative methods & techniques course taught by the same instructor. in quantitative techniques classes more so than in other subject areas, persistence in an online environment could be difficult. online classes may also see a decrease in participation aggression and a change in the type and volume of engagement. in this light, it is relevant to look at how beneficiaries in the indian setting view online education. reviews of the experience with online education shed information on the system’s strengths and weaknesses. however, further study is necessary for this innovative field of teaching. this study describes the models and issues of online education provided by a central university in india in the context of its student body. research questions 1. what is the role of online education in the aftermath of covid-19? 2. what are socio-economic features of online learners? 3. what is the online education endeavor in india? 4. what are learners’ perceptions of problems of online classes? 5. what is the experience of learners about online education? objectives of the study the general objective of the study is to examine the trend and experience of online education in the country. the specific objectives of the paper are: indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 80 1. to understand the role of online education in the aftermath of covid-19. 2. to review the online education endeavor in india, and 3. to analyse the experience of learners with online education methodology the study has used both primary and secondary data. primary data were collected from a randomly selected 100 post graduates currently undergoing education through online mode. the students belonged to the school of social science and policy of the central university of south bihar1. the survey was conducted in april-may 2021 using a structured questionnaire. secondary data were collected from various published and unpublished sources. empirical experience we have conducted a quick survey among the postgraduate students who were undergoing online learning during the covid-19 period at the central university of south bihar. the following paragraphs portray the information collected from them. socio-economic features of the online learners in any social science study, the demographic and other social features are to be understood to carry out any serious research. so, we have endeavored to do that exercise first. the socio-economic features of the sample students are given in table 1. table-1: socio-economic characteristics of the sample population sl.no. characteristics number percentage 1 gender male 16 16.0 female 84 84.0 2 residential status rural 54 54.0 semi-urban 24 24.0 urban 22 22.0 3 caste forward 59 59.0 backward 35 35.0 sc/st 6 6.0 4 marital status married 4 4.0 unmarried 96 96.0 5 monthly income (rs.) below 10000 48 48.00 10000-20000 26 26.00 20000-3000 19 19.00 above 30000 7 7.00 source: sample survey indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 81 the gender-based distribution of the sample reveals that 84 per cent are females. on the basis of residential status, 78 per cent of the sample beneficiaries are from rural and semiurban areas. caste-wise, 59 per cent are from the forward community, 35 per cent are from backward castes and only 6 per cent of the sample is from sc/st. according to marital status, 96 per cent are unmarried. the financial status of the sample students reveals that 48 per cent of them have a monthly income of less than rs.10,000. similarly, about 26 per cent of students have a monthly income between rs.10,000 and 20,000. a general conclusion of the discussion is that on average the students who undergo online education belong to all income classes, caste, and gender groups. technology and platforms used for online learning online education requires technological support. so, equipment is a prerequisite for successfully completing the program. an inquiry in this regard has been conducted among the sample learners. the results are provided in table 2. the main equipment for online learning is desktop computers, laptops, smartphones, tablets, etc. it is seen that 80 per cent of learners use their smartphones for online learning. around 15 per cent use desktop computers and only 5 per cent have laptop availability. the second important requirement is internet connectivity for accessing classes. the learners can go for broadband connection or major other companies. in the case of bihar students, it is seen that the majority are using the jio network followed by airtel. as 80 per cent of the learners learn through smartphones, a question was asked about the trademark of the phone. it is seen that realme, samsung galaxy, and oppo are the major brands used by learners. to the question on the data pack used by the learners, it is seen that 60 per cent purchase 1.5. gb daily package and 20 per cent 2 gb daily data package. table-2: platforms used for online learning types of equipment used for online learning desktop computers laptops smartphone tablets 15.0 5.0 80.0 0.0 internet networks used for accessing classes airtel jio vodafone bsnl 20.0 78.0 1.0 1.0 brand names of smartphones used realm samsung galaxy oppo others 67.0 17.0 14.0 2.0 daily data pack used 1 gb 1.5 gb 2 gb 3 gb and above 10.0 60.0 20.0 10.0 source: sample survey indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 82 expenditure for data packs to stand the monthly expenditure for using the internet for online education before and after online education, it is revealed that before online education was mandatory, 78 per cent were using a below rs.149 pack. but its share decreased to 23 per cent after online education started. while the monthly expenditure was between rs.150-249 pack, earlier only 16 per cent were the users, but after the online education, the share of this group has increased to 56 per cent. in conclusion, the monthly expenditure for using the internet after online education has increased considerably. table-3: monthly expenditure for the internet before and after online education (figures are percentage users) sl.no. range of expenditure (rs.) before after 1 <149 78.00 23.00 2 150-249 16.00 56.00 3 249-399 6.00 15.00 4 >399 0.00 6.00 total 100.00 100.00 source: sample survey location of online classes an inquiry was carried out to understand the accessibility of online education location-wise. it is really interesting to see that 81 per cent of them access online education from their own home. only 6 per cent uses neighbors’ home and 9 per cent relatives’ home and 4 per cent use public institutions like the public library, anganwadi, etc. table-4: location of accessing online classes location male female total at own home 9.00 72.00 81.00 neighbours’ home 3.00 3.00 6.0 relatives home 4.00 5.00 9.00 public institutions 0.00 4.00 4.00 total 16.00 84.00 100.00 source: sample survey opinions about online classes information has been sought from the learners about the different dimensions of online support. the information in this regard is presented in table 5. the learners’ perception of online classes revealed that 40 per cent perceive it as ‘good’, while 28 per cent feel it as ‘average’ and 11 per cent consider it as ‘excellent’. but it is serious to see that about 21 per cent perceive that online classes have only ‘poor’ standards. regarding the quality of study materials, 35 per cent grade it as ‘very good and 29 per cent ‘good’. but at the same time, indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 83 28 per cent find the study materials as ‘average’, and 8 per cent see it as ‘poor’ only. regarding satisfaction with online classes, 16 per cent are ‘highly satisfied, and 42 per cent have stated ‘satisfied’. at the same time, it is seen that 31 per cent are ‘dissatisfied’ and 11 per cent are ‘highly dissatisfied’ about online classes. video classes are the most preferred medium for online classes. table-5: opinion about onlinestudy support (figures are in percentages) perceptions about online classes excellent good average poor 11.00 40.00 28.00 21.00 quality of study materials very good good average poor 35.00 29.00 28.00 8.00 satisfaction level of online classes highly satisfied satisfied dissatisfied highly dissatisfied 16.00 42.00 31.00 11.00 preferred mode of online classes video classes whatsapp audio clips email 84.00 16.00 6.00 4.00 source: sample survey learners’ perceptions of problems of online classes in accessing online classes, the learners are confronted with various constraints. an inquiry in this regard was conducted among the sample learners and their opinion is presented in table 6. in the rural areas, the learners were assigned irregular power supply as the first rank followed by low internet bandwidth. the third and fourth ranks assigned by them are low voltage and technical errors. as far as urban learners are concerned technical errors were assigned the first rank followed by long hours of online classes. the third problem they feel is the absence of peer groups. table-6: major problems in proper access to online education (rank) sl.no. problem rural semi-urban urban 1 low internet bandwidth iii viii vi 2 irregular power supply iv vii v 3 voltage instability v v vii 4 technical errors vi iv i 5 long hours of online classes viii vi ii 6 lack of interaction with faculty i ii iv 7 absence of peer group vii i iii 8 data shortage ii iii viii source: sample survey indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 84 discussion the aforesaid discussion on the impact of online education during the period of covid-19 pandemic has brought out some revealing facts. countries all over the world have come forward to promote education through online platforms. though it is new to india, indian universities have picked up fast. even the governments have come forward with exclusive education channels like the kite-victors channel of kerala. similar to that many universities have started various types of learning management systems (lms). the most popular learning management system adopted by educational institutions in india is inflibnet lms (ilms). similarly, various teachers have used google meet, zoom, webex, jitsi meet, etc., for delivering online classes. as our study reveals online education has both positive and negative features. on the positive side, in times of a pandemic like covid-19, online education is a blessing. as students and teachers cannot move from their homes, but to continue their education, online is the only medium. it will prevent the spread of disease. secondly, online education provides learners with the classes of the best teachers. also, they can use different courses offered by swayam and other online learning structures. on the negative side, online education has innumerable issues. first, in developing countries like india with a high digital divide, online education is not at all accessible to large numbers. secondly, online education requires some basic infrastructure at the disposal of learners like computer/ smartphone, internet connectivity, regular power supply, high bandwidth of internet, etc. these requirements demand that the learners should have enough income to make these facilities available. moreover, the major problem as revealed by our study is that in rural areas most online learners face low bandwidth connectivity and irregular power supply. thirdly, in a family with more learners who venture into online learning, some of them have to forgo online classes someday as the family may not have adequate gadgets. fourthly, the majority of people still adhere to the traditional model of learning and think that employing technology in the classroom is confined to powerpoint presentations, even though a small number have adapted to the new ways of learning. so, these flipsides of online learning are also seriously looked into. most of the findings of the present study conform to the findings of the recent studies on online education referred to in the literature review. conclusion and suggestions the present scenario of the pandemic due to covid-19 has forced society and administration to abruptly close academic institutions, basically nonoperating the face-to-face mode of teaching, for more than five months now. the prevailing situations also clearly indicate the non-opening of the face-to-face mode of teaching for at least one more semester i.e., the odd semester of 2020-21. therefore, in this critical situation, there is a need to transform our teaching, learning, and assessment approaches by using quality online resources, strategies, and digital platforms. the global footprint of the digital world and e-learning is growing. with the advancement of technology, online education in india has advanced significantly. india is one of the countries where technological development is accelerating exponentially. india boasts the most technologically savvy people with a population of more than 1.3 billion with access to high-speed internet and smartphones. india’s way of life has changed as a result of the internet’s growth. many people in india prefer to indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 85 learn online due to the abundance of online courses and the ever-growing knowledge available. the advantages of online education are the same: classes can be attended anywhere, not having to commute allows for more time for studying or other responsibilities, and the structure is more accommodating to students with physical disabilities or illnesses. the survey conducted by the author found that online classes are no better than regular classes because of the absence of peer groups, lack of interaction with teachers, and inexperience with the online experience. similarly, the teachers are not well trained in online teaching which results in the supply of long notes which are difficult to read on mobile phones. some students are unable to access classes due to the sparing of the same phone as other members of the family. the slow speed of networks, irregular power supply, and lack of adequate study infrastructure at home make the continuity of online classes very difficult to use effectively. in a poor country like india, these problems are very serious in the case of marginalized communities and dalits. so, adequate information and communication technologies (icts) should be ensured to make the online classes functional. similarly, broadband connectivity, subsidized data packs for students, and other measures should be implemented to ensure the participation of weaker sections in the online platform. otherwise, our inclusion agenda will be questioned and polarization in society will happen. a few suggestions are here for the practitioners. before going for any pre-scheduled online class in real-time synchronous mode, faculty members are required to provide e-material to the students through lms and/or using other asynchronous modes like email, whatsapp, google meet, etc. the e-materials should preferably be in the form of self-instructional handouts/ concept notes/key points/short videos/ small excerpts/preloaded material lms. the faculty members will avoid giving long readings/full pdf books as e-material. once the students have gone through the shared e-materials, an online synchronous video interaction session of a maximum of one hour in one go will be advisable by the concerned teacher on a particular topic/or group of topics. instead of delivering a lecture like a face-to-face class using video meeting technology, the session should focus to discuss critical highlights of the topic and taking the questions/doubts of the students. if required, video lectures may be recorded and uploaded on the learning management system (lms) beforehand so learners can view them before and after the class. if these types of measures are introduced, there is no doubt that online education will be the new normal in the indian educational sphere. references a. joshi, c. a. j. 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(2020). key factors influencing psychological distress in university students: the effects of tertiary entrance scores. studies in higher education, 8, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.10 80/03075079.2020.1776245 press information bureau government of india ministry of statistics & programme implementation. (2018). key indicators of household social consumption on education in india nss 75th round. pib delhi. sun, l., tang, y., & zuo, w. (2020). coronavirus pushes education online. nature materials www.nature.com/naturematerials. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-020-0678-8 technopak – simplilearn, saxena, a., singh, p., jain, r., & ahuja, d. (2016, august). whitepaper on digital learning market in india. www.technopak.com. https://smartnet.niua.org/sites/ default/files/resources/whitepaper-on-digital-learning-market-in-india.pdf unesco report. (2020). online education implemented during covid-19 are not inclusive. unesco. https://www.duupdates.in/unesco-report-2020-online-educationimplementedduring-covid-19-are-not-inclusive. vaccani, j.-p., javidnia, h., & humphrey-murto, s. h.-m. (2014). the effectiveness of webcast compared to live lectures as a teaching tool in medical school. medical teacher, 1–5. https:// doi.org/10.3109/0142159x.2014.970990 zheng, b., hsi lin b, c., & kwon, j. b. (2020). the impact of learner-, instructor-, and courselevel factors on online learning. computers & education, 150, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. compedu.2020.103851 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 1 research article how have the swayam moocs impacted indian higher education? an inquiry through data mining approach suman kalyan panja assistant professor, department of education, assam (central) university, silchar, assam emailsumanpanja03@gmail.com abstract examining the phenomenon “how have the swayam moocs impacted indian higher education (he)?” is the study’s goal. the study web of active learning for young aspiring minds (swayam), a local mooc platform that houses all indian moocs, is where the data is gathered. the results of the study shed light on a variety of aspects of swayam moocs and their worth to the indian he. first, there is a noticeable heterodoxy in the nine national coordinators’ contributions to the growth of moocs. the national program on technology enhanced learning and consortium for educational communication are determined to cover about 74 per cent of swayam courses. second, the length of the courses suggests that students can pick any size of course that is suitable for their academic growth. thirdly, most courses can be transferred for credit, per academic evaluation. fourth, he courses are more likely to be offered (95 per cent) than school education (se) courses (5 per cent). fifth, according to the syllabi-formation principle, all of the courses in se are advanced, but only 13 per cent and 81 per cent of the courses in he, respectively, are introductory and advanced. sixth, swayam moocs largely meet the demands of students studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (stem). keywords: mooc, technology-enhanced learning, data mining, higher education, stem, educational policy research introduction the way educational transactions are carried out has drastically changed in the twenty-first century. it is thought that the subjects of education and educational technology have seen a rebirth in the age of the digital revolution. everyone needs to get used to using information and communication technology (ict) in everyday activities including educational components because of the recent covid-19 pandemic. given the ict industry’s explosive growth, the government of india (goi) seeks to radically transform the way education is now delivered. india has one of the biggest educational systems in the world. due to its vastness and demographic variety, the nation’s educational transactional procedures occasionally run into problems. massive open online courses (moocs) are being proposed as a potential remedy to these constraints. all the indian moocs are being transacted through the sole national online platform study web of active learning for young and aspiring minds (swayam). swayam is dedicated to meeting students’ educational needs from secondary education (se) to higher education (he) through technology advancement. the most recent national education policy, 2020 (nep 2020), calls for significant modifications to the current structure of he to bring about indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 2 an educational revolution. the reforms cover a wide range of topics, such as the establishment of the academic bank of credit (abc) framework, globalisation and privatisation of he, providing students with numerous entry and exit points for their course structures, etc. (ministry of human resource development, 2020). it has been seen recently that educational technology (edtech) businesses are working hard to gain or enhance their share of educational practices. edtech giants are working nonstop to gather, edit, and share a big data bank with the global educational stakeholders to succeed in their endeavours. as a result, technical terms like ‘data mining’ and ‘big data analytics’ come into the context. “data mining is defined as a process used to extract usable data from a larger set of raw data. it implies analyzing data patterns in large batches of data using one or more software. data mining has applications in multiple fields, like science and research. as an application of data mining, businesses can learn more about their customers and develop more effective strategies related to various business functions and in turn leverage resources more optimally and insightfully. this helps businesses be closer to their objective and make better decisions. data mining involves effective data collection and warehousing as well as computer processing. for segmenting the data and evaluating the probability of future events, data mining uses sophisticated mathematical algorithms. data mining is also known as knowledge discovery in data (kdd)” (the economic times, 2022). the key here is to consider how, despite these technical restrictions, the same concept of data mining may be applied to the context of education using the eyes of an educational researcher. what kinds of conclusions does the exercise lead to if it is continued? the backdrop of the current study is provided to answer these questions. the introduction explores the intersection of technology and education. with moocs at its centre, the technology acceptance model (tam) seems to be a key concept in associated activities and education research. abdulaal (2021) studies the landscape of egyptian universities. perceived utility, accessibility, and exogenous variables are the aspects that impact user reactions to mooc activities. adomaviciuti et al. (2023) examine the e-learners’ behavioural features. by repeating their research on 44 distinct nations, they capture the impact of a greater contextual precipice. the results show that tam only accounts for the mooc participants’ intention to continue. the ability of the model to forecast the two other e-learning behaviours, the desire to finish and the intention to cancel moocs, is limited. it is clear from moocs and tam that the study topic and its setting have output viability. what does the existing body of literature suggest in this regard? method a review of the literature on the use of moocs in he and its various facets descriptive research explains the existence of several mooc types in the literature (suresh and srinivasan, 2020). out of the variety of moocs available, the moocs is seen as a model for social inclusion in education (marta-lazo et al., 2019). the structural and operational components of mooc are examined. the development of multilingual material, the availability of credit transfer, the right design, quality, and delivery of course continue to be important research concerns (trehan et al., 2017). a group of scholars proposes flexible learning paths in he using the accessibility of moocs in support of achieving indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 3 sustainable development goals (sdg4) in education (martin and godonoga, 2020). the contribution of support units’ entrepreneurial endeavours to the digital transformation of norwegian he is examined by langseth et al. (2023). it is praised that mooc study findings can be used to virtually complete laboratory tasks in regards to augmented reality (makransky et al., 2019). according to the perspectives of mooc participants, some academics have expressed doubt about the notion of success and dropout requirements (henderikx et al., 2017). suggestions for minimising such a crisis include automatic urgency detection in discussion forums (alrajhi et al., 2024), self-regulated learning (onah et al., 2024), and proper course design (nujid and tholibon, 2024). moocs are often criticised for their assessment and instructional practices. solutions include learner-centric assessment (blum-smith et al., 2021; shah et al., 2023), mixed evaluation techniques (meinert et al., 2018), appropriate use of instructional design (ntourmas et al., 2022), pedagogy in language moocs (wong, 2021), etc. gu (2024) investigates how incorporating reinforcement learning enhances the general pleasure, engagement, and performance of students. the sustainability of mooc platforms in india is contingent upon several elements, including content, pedagogy, and usability (garg et al., 2023). a review of the literature on mooc research in the context of the indian education system (ies) the nep 2020 anticipates that moocs will significantly influence the growth of institutions that are future-ready (mittal, 2020). malik and hooda (2023) advocate for the effective integration of technology and pedagogy to improve access, equity, and quality in he in india. a vision framework (jain et al., 2014) shows how the use of moocs is expected to alter india’s educational system. in addition to using more conventional teaching techniques, staff and students from ten state-run universities in india found that taking moocs aided them in meeting their learning goals (kundu and bej, 2020). according to a comparison study of indian consumers of two different mooc platforms, each group has varied learning requirements (sanzgiri, 2020). indian he  stakeholders’ perspectives on government e-learning initiatives are shown through a case study (singh et al., 2021). the intention of educators (virani et al., 2023) and students (singh, 2022) to use moocs is explored when using tam in indian contexts. positioning their research in the indian he context a group of academics is found to be advocating for better education in india, despite the majority of studies supporting the applicability of mooc for quality he (nemer and o’neill, 2019). according to pramanik (2018), swayam moocs are still allegedly in the testing stage. the ministry of education (moe, formerly mhrd), goi, periodically releases announcements to assist the development of moocs in india (university grants commission, 2016a). the circulations help the researcher to look into the development and application of moocs in india. moe published a notice describing the credit system for online learning courses through swayam in the gazette of india to increase awareness of moocs among the teaching-learning community in india (university grants commission, 2016b). rationale of the study studies are being done on a range of aspects of moocs and how they relate to he (vide section 2.1). numerous studies have examined moocs, the indian educational context, and swayam separately. these studies have described academic (e.g., singh et al., indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 4 2021; viriani et al., 2023), administrative (e.g., jain et al., 2014; malik and hooda, 2023), and technical aspects of mooc design (university grants commission, 2016a,b). however, very little study is observed by the researcher evaluating swayam moocs’ impact on the ies. to the best of our knowledge, this is the first effort of its sort to investigate the native mooc platform’s (swayam) academic contribution across the country. meanwhile, swayam has been conducting mooc transactions since 2017 (banchariya, 2019). it is anticipated that swayam has gathered a sizable amount of data on numerous mooc related topics after years of operation. the available literature shows a knowledge gap that might be filled by highlighting the contributions of swayam moocs to indian he. research question (rq) the sole rq acts as the cornerstone for constructing the research objective. rq: how have the swayam moocs impacted the indian he? methodology the background for the inquiry is the ies (like singh, 2022) in general and indian he in particular, following malik and hooda, (2023) for instance. this phenomenological investigation is based on the tam theoretical underpinnings (e.g., abdulaal, 2021; viriani et al., 2023). the website of the relevant official body (i.e., swayam) is www.swayam. gov.in which provided the data for this case study (banchariya, 2019; sanzgiri, 2020). when accessing the website, users can examine two different sorts of courses: those that are in progress (i.e., for the current semester) and those that are upcoming (i.e., for the following semester). the researcher decided to inquire about the ongoing (enrolment closed) category of 1170 courses because of the erratic nature of the database for future courses (referring to the following semester). data was gathered between september 10 and september 30, 2022. the purpose of the study’s inquiry is established through the use of descriptive data analysis (kundu and bej, 2020). because they are always to some extent blended into other types of traditional course categories, the calculations in this study do not take into account any special national program on technology enhanced learning (nptel) or annual refresher program in teaching (arpit) courses. yang et al. (2024) screen learners’ emotional input on several course aspects while reporting on mooc course development strategies. to present the results of their research, they make use of text mining, deep learning, and the multi-attribute decision-making method. in an independent study, mendoza et al. (2024) chose to use the process mining approach to analyse the language mooc participants’ procrastination patterns. the current investigation’s goal has nothing to do with creating a mooc or learning about the mooc process. according to the economic times (2022), the problem’s nature makes it inappropriate to use text mining (yang et al., 2024) or process mining (mendoza et al., 2024). instead, it lends itself more to a data mining strategy. henceforth, the subsequent steps of analysis (i.e., data screening and data analysis) use data mining methodology to produce a meaningful interpretation (i.e., data synthesis) out of this large amount of raw data. several criteria are used to analyse data, and these are covered in detail in the section that follows. figure 1 represents the conceptual framework of the research. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 5 figure-1: conceptual framework of the research data collection data screening data analysis data synthesis database searched: www.syayam.gov.in screening criterias: different categorical variables as included in the main tex database searched: www.syayam.gov.in done on the basis of descriptive analysis duration of data collection: 10-30th september, 2022 database of 1170 courses screening technique: 1. manual 2. non consideration   of courses which   are being run on   repeat 3. non consideration   of nptel/arpit   course analysis technique: descriptive statistics results rq: how have the swayam moocs impacted the indian he? the majority of the ies is comprised of se and he. advancing to he necessitates having a solid foundation in se. swayam mooc availability is now lensed in compliance with se/ he. moocs only partially (5 per cent) met the needs of se, with 95 per cent of the courses addressing he. the relevant results are shown in figure 2. figure-2: accessibility of swayam moocs in terms of se/he during the analysis, the researcher carefully considers the titles of the courses. some of the courses are obvious candidates for the foundational, introductory, or fundamental course categories. these courses are grouped as introductory types in this study to provide uniformity. the remaining courses are under the advanced category. the analysis overview is shown in figure 3. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 6 figure-3: the classification of all swayam moocs the researcher was unable to find any introductory-style curriculum for se students, even though the education community views these pupils as novices. the result suggests that the creation and delivery of swayam courses should place a larger emphasis on the level(s) of content difficulty. swayam filters mooc coordinators swayam is supported by nine national coordinators, including the university grants commission (ugc), nptel, national institute of technical teachers training and research (nitttr), national institute of open schooling (nios), national council of educational research and training (ncert), indian institute of management bangalore (iimb), indira gandhi national open university (ignou), consortium for educational communication (cec), and all india council for technical education (aicte). figure 4 displays a list of the contributions made to the mooc by the swayam coordinators. figure-4: contributions from swayam coordinators the mooc coordinators’ distinctive contributions reveal a striking heterodoxy. nearly half (47 per cent) of the current moocs are created by nptel. cec covers 27 per cent of the remaining mooc corpus. therefore, it is unlikely that nptel and cec will complement 74 per cent of the swayam courses. course duration the moocs are reported to run anything from 4 to 24 weeks when the course length is taken into account. the majority of courses endure 12 weeks, but other courses with the highest enrolment often last 8 to 15 weeks. in terms of course duration, the running course spectrum exhibits a somewhat typical frequency distribution (figure 5). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 7 figure-5: runtime for moocs it demonstrates that students have a wide range of course length options to further their academic and professional endeavours. scalability of the course duration is thought to provide mooc participants greater freedom in their learning and goal-setting, both short and long term. course credit academic evaluation of courses completed through the swayam platform is assessed following the goi advocacy for the introduction of the credit transfer option (ugc, 2022). the researcher portrayed how effectively the current moocs offered a credit transfer option in light of swayam learning (figure 6). figure-6: credit transfers possibility the outcome shows that almost every course is transferable for credit toward an academic assessment. this viability offers the chance to take into account swayam moocs for native learners’ academic pursuits. course category the goal of the current study is to evaluate swayam moocs’ impact on the indian he. the corpus of moocs is microscopically analysed across several areas to respond to this rq (figure 7). figure-7: discipline-specific swayam moocs indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 8 similar to figure 4, figure 7 shows how the swayam platform’s course categories are disproportionally distributed. it’s clear that the platform essentially meets the demand for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (stem) education. conversely, most students don’t pursue fields like health science, law, architecture and planning, or even teacher education. the activities of national coordinators are evaluated for each course discipline. figures 8-16 displays the microanalysis. figure-8: contributions to architecture and planning figure-9: contributions to the engineering and technology figure-10: contributions to health sciences figure-11: contributions to humanities and arts indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 9 figure-12: contributions to the legal profession figure-13: contributions to the management and commerce sector figure-14: contributions to mathematics and science figure-15: contributions to teacher education figures 8–15 supplement figure 4’s report on the discipline-specific analysis, which also aids in identifying the primary contributor for each discipline. learners may use this filtering strategy to choose the right mooc for their future enrolment by taking into account their favourite discipline and keeping the main contributor in mind. the contribution of swayam moocs on the ies (se/he) is summarised in figure 16. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 10 figure-16: contribution of swayam moocs to the ies figure 16 helps us visualise the gestalt view and provides a concise answer to the rq based on our disjointed studies from figures 2–15. the gestalt view (figure 16) is important as it depicts the research problem’s macro analysis (at the ies level), whereas figures 2–15 show meso (at the se/he level) or micro (at certain disciplines) representations of the same. discussion on results of the rq the knowledge offered by each of the categorical elements used to generate the rq can be very useful to the education community. only 5 per cent of swayam moocs are specifically designed to meet the demands of se; the other 95 per cent of courses are focused on he (figure 2). another interpretation of these theoretical data suggests that whereas beneficiaries of moocs for se show a stronger reliance on the traditional educational system, beneficiaries of moocs for he show a greater interest in the online learning environment. given that se places a stronger focus on institutional processes, such a result raises the question of how students will be able to seamlessly transition to an online learning environment for he. bates’s (2019) assessment and the present appraisal of moocs’ suitability for he are equivalent. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 11 the course corpus contains only advanced se issues; no basic courses are present (figure 3). to create moocs for se, more thought should be given to the sort of course or level (introductory/advanced). thus, a balanced instructional design of course content or pedagogy is sought (garg et al., 2023; ntourmas et al., 2022). of the nine national mooc coordinators, nptel seems to be the most active in terms of its contribution (figure 4). the current observation is supported by earlier observations (chauhan and goel, 2017). because the courses may be accessed from a mobile device, the overhaul efficacy (of nptel) can be explained (gulati, 2008). it might be claimed that accessibility and technology have been major factors in this, supporting malik and hooda’s advocacy (2023). however, the researcher believes that since the swayam app is already available on the google play store, factors other than the standard or accessibility of the courses are greatly influencing this situation. the well-known reputation of the iits, which has substantially increased the attraction of nptel courses over those provided by other national coordinators, maybe another factor. the issue of academic elitism or the branding of he in various mooc learning contexts is becoming relevant (naidu, 2020; rambe and moeti, 2017). the responsibility for providing engineering courses via swayam falls on nptel. the researcher wonders why other coordinators haven’t been able to create moocs of the same scale given the expertise of nptel coordinating institutes. an inquiry of this nature prompts an investigation of the other swayam coordinators regarding their infrastructure, workforce planning, workforce expatriation, financial budget, etc. from now on, the concept of moocs’ scalability in various educational contexts is becoming more prevalent here (gu, 2024; rodes et al., 2021). students can enrol in courses that last 4 to 24 weeks (figure 5). however, it seems that 12-week courses are the most popular. these results sharply contrast with those of wong (2021), who found that most language moocs are completed in no more than six hours. in their research, onah et al. (2024) critique the rigidity of moocs. it is emphasised that the current data indicate a flexible e-learning environment through swayam, which contradicts their observations. in keeping with the same idea, students may easily define short and long term learning goals and manage their time. figure 6 from this study on the efficacy of swayam courses shows that 93 per cent of moocs are acceptable for credit transfer. this result is by the recent goi guideline (ugc, 2016b). stem related topics are covered in 56 per cent of the courses, as shown in figure 7. it implies that swayam courses often accommodate stem students’ needs. the new research is consistent with prior studies (iacono and vercelli, 2023; majid et al., 2020). business and commerce (12 per cent) and humanities and arts (20 per cent) disciplines both have fewer moocs available (figure 7). the usage of moocs in critical professions including law, health, planning, architecture, and teacher education, however, is extremely limited. the numerous and subjective disciplines of he are underserved by swayam moocs, allowing many other fields to suffer from a lack of access to top-notch content. thus, swayam appears to expand limited learner choice and learning routes on the listed fields, in contrast to the novel mooc platform (onah et al., 2024). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 12 limitations and practical implications limitations/future direction of research the study is exclusive to swayam, a native mooc platform. therefore, the study’s conclusions cannot be completely valid from a worldwide standpoint. future research can be conducted by using an international mooc platform to gauge its impact globally. in the current study, the researcher tries to determine how indian moocs have impacted its he. a cross-national study on two or more international mooc platforms (e.g., sanzgiri, 2020), in the researcher’s opinion, would offer a clearer picture of this area in different contexts. practical implications the discussion section of the study touches on several areas of education, including se, he, and the usage of moocs on the swayam platform. out of the analyses, the researcher believes that the study findings may have some practical implications. practical implications for policymakers in india the researcher notices a large disparity in the number of moocs available that are pertinent to se/he (figure 2). educational policymakers and mooc creators (blackmon, 2018) have the chance to work together and improve performance in this field. why did nptel continue to produce the most moocs in comparison to the other coordinators, maintaining its position as having the highest productivity? the results of the analysis need to be confirmed, and it is anticipated that other coordinators too will be able to apply them (figure 4). swayam continues to be highly effective in fulfilling the criteria of stem courses in the case of he, while other professions like teacher education, law, health science, architecture, and planning, etc., continue to be undervalued. the policymaking authority is anticipated to step in and defuse the situation (figure 7). practical implications for educators in india only 5 per cent of moocs relevant to the indian se are now available (figure 2). the results strongly imply that there are more moocs required for school pupils. teachers connected to se may step up to help ease the situation. figure 3 shows that no introductory moocs for se are found; instead, all are of the advanced variety. therefore, a strict pedagogical perspective is required from school educators, in this direction. figure 2 demonstrates that 95 per cent of swayam moocs are connected to he. the growing accessibility of moocs can help students succeed in their he and careers. faculties in he may advise their students to increase mooc participation and spread swayam awareness. the variety of moocs that are offered is seen in figure 5. students now have the choice to enrol in any short or long term course that best meets their needs. instructors can serve as mentors by offering their advice to students to help them choose the right course(s). in 93 per cent of instances, swayam moocs can be transferred for credit during academic assessment (figure 6). students can gain from the flexibility of e-learning in addition to their regular education and academic performance. educators might use this chance to organise their curricula in a way that keeps mooc learning as a viable option for students in addition to institutional indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 13 learning (kursun, 2016; university grants commission, 2021). conclusions the study’s findings include several significant insights about swayam moocs and their impact on indian higher education. first of all, in terms of accessibility, he courses are more likely to be offered than se courses (95 per cent vs. 5 per cent, as shown in figure 2). secondly, for se and he, the distribution of introductory and advanced courses is not done with pedagogy in mind (figure 3). thirdly, there is a clear heterodoxy in the contributions made to the expansion of moocs by the nine national coordinators. the nptel and cec’s total coverage of the swayam courses is found to be roughly 74 per cent. nptel emerges as the platform that is most actively involved in the creation of e-content when the diverse contributions of various mooc coordinators are taken into consideration. there are no records of courses that ugc has developed (figure 4). fourth, there is a variety of course lengths available, ranging from 4 to 24 weeks, providing more flexibility to e-learners in managing time and setting their learning goals accordingly (figure 5). fifth, the majority of courses are recognised under goi guidelines as transferable for credit (figure 6). finally, swayam moocs substantially satisfy the needs of stem students, according to 56 per cent of study respondents. the least well-fed industries tend to be those in teacher education, law, health science, architecture and planning (figure 16). the results of the study show some practical repercussions for the indian education community. a few of the study’s conclusions are applicable universally. realising equity throughout se/he and among many student groups from various subjective he domains would undoubtedly be a difficult issue for mooc creators, educational policymakers, and administrators. the limitations of this study point toward potential areas of future research. the conclusions of this contextual study are thought to have some general applicability to the field of education in terms of mooc learning, he, and stem. references abdulaal, m. a. d. 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(2022, june 3). request to adopt university grants commission (credit framework for online learning courses through study webs of active learning for young aspiring minds) regulations, 2021-reg., (d.o.f.no.1-8/2017(swayam). https://www.ugc.ac.in/pdfnews/1033053_letter-online-learning-courses.pdf. virani, s. r., saini, j. r., & sharma, s. (2023). adoption of massive open online courses (moocs) for blended learning: the indian educators’ perspective. interactive learning environments, 31(2), 1060-1076. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2020.1817760. wong, b. t. m. (2021). a survey on the pedagogical features of language massive open online courses. asian association of open universities journal, 16(1), 116-128. https://www. emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/aaouj-03-2021-0028/full/html. www.swayam.gov.in. (n.d). retrieved on 10th-30th september 2022. yang, p., liu, y., luo, y., wang, z., & cai, x. (2024). text mining and multi-attribute decisionmaking-based course improvement in massive open online courses. applied sciences, 14(9), 3654. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14093654. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 248 review article complex networks, communities, and clustering: a survey biswajit saha1, amitabha mandal2, soumendu bikas tripathy3 & debaprasad mukherjee4 1department of computer science & engineering and department of information technology, dr. b. c. roy engineering college, durgapur1, west bengal emailsahabiswaji@gmail.com 2department of computer science & engineering and department of information technology, dr. b. c. roy engineering college, durgapur1, west bengal 3camellia institute of engineering & technology & camellia institute of polytecnic, budbud, west bengal, 4department of computer science & engineering and department of information technology, dr. b. c. roy engineering college, durgapur1, west bengal email-mdebaprasad@gmail.com abstract this paper is an extensive survey of literature on complex network communities and clustering. complex networks describe a wide variety of systems in nature and society, especially systems composed of a large number of highly interconnected dynamical entities. complex networks, like real networks, can also have community structure. there are several types of methods and algorithms for the detection and identification of communities in complex networks. several complex networks have the property of clustering or network transitivity. some of the important concepts in the field of complex networks are small-world and scale-free networks, evolving networks, the relationship between topology and the network’s robustness, degree distributions, clustering, network correlations, random graph models, models of network growth, dynamical processes on networks, etc. some current areas of research on complex network communities are those on community evolution, overlapping communities, communities in directed networks, community characterization, and interpretation, etc. many of the algorithms or methods proposed for network community detection through clustering are modified versions of or inspired by the concepts of minimum-cut-based algorithms, hierarchical connectivity-based algorithms, the original girvan–newman algorithm, concepts of modularity maximization, algorithms utilizing metrics from information and coding theory, and clique based algorithms. keywords: networks, clustering, communities, hierarchy, information, modularity introduction complex networks complex networks describe a wide variety of systems in nature and society esp., systems composed of a large number of highly interconnected dynamical entities. the internet, social networks, business networks, large circuits, networks of chemicals linked by chemical reactions, transportation networks, power networks, networks of citations of documents/ web pages, indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 249 etc, are some of the popularly cited examples of complex networks. two of the many important questions in this field are: a) are there any unifying principles underlying the topology complex networks, and b) from the perspective of nonlinearity, how colossal networks of interacting and/or communicating dynamical systems will behave collectively, given their individual dynamics and coupling architecture. one of the intuitive approaches to capture the global properties of such complex systems is to model them as graphs, where nodes represent the dynamical units, and links/edges represent the interactions between the nodes. it has now been widely recognized that the topology and evolution of realworld complex networks are controlled by various organizing principles of topology and dynamics. researchers have been addressing structural and topological issues of complex networks, e.g., a) characterization of the complex interconnection architectures to comprehend the unifying principles that are the foundations of realworld complex networks, and b) constructing models to simulate the growth and replicate the structural properties of these complex networks. researchers have also addressed the complex networks’ dynamics, e.g., characterization of the collective behavior of large ensembles of dynamical systems that interact through complex interconnections topology. some of the important concepts in the field of complex networks are smallworld and scale-free networks, evolving networks, the relationship between topology and the network’s robustness, degree distributions, clustering, network correlations, random graph models, models of network growth, dynamical processes on networks, etc. [1-4]network communities community structures are quite common in real networks. complex networks have a community structure if the nodes of the networks can be grouped into sets of nodes where each set of nodes is densely connected, at least internally. for non-overlapping network communities, the complex network should split into groups of nodes with dense connections internally but sparser connections between the groups. overlapping network communities are also possible, and they are found in many real-world complex networks, e.g., social networks. an alternative way of expressing the network community concept, inclusive of the overlapping and non-overlapping issues, is that pairs of nodes are more likely to be connected if they are both members of the same community(ies) and less likely to be connected if they are not members of the same communities. the communities can themselves also join together to form meta-communities, and those metacommunities can join together, and so on, in a hierarchical fashion. it is now well accepted that the identification of the community structure of complex networks provides insight into the relationships between network function and topology. there are several types of methods and algorithms for the detection and identification of communities in complex networks. but, roughly, these methods can be divided into 4 categories (not exclusive): a) node-centric (algorithms utilizing the information that each node in a group satisfies certain properties), b) group-centric (algorithms utilizing the connections within a group as a whole, i.e., the group as a single entity satisfies certain properties without zooming into node-level), c) network-centric (algorithms utilizing the process of the partitioning of the whole network into several disjoint sets), and d) hierarchyindian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 250 centric (algorithms utilizing the processes of construction of hierarchical structures of communities). there are other categories of algorithms/methods of community detection in complex networks, but they are not being discussed here. the optimal methods to detect network communities vary depending on applications, complex networks, computational resources, etc. some current lines of research on complex network communities are those on community evolution, overlapping communities, communities in directed networks, community characterization, and interpretation, etc.[5-8]. figure-1: communities in complex networks [46], 2022 figure-2: communities in complex networks [47] 2018 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 251 clustering several complex networks have the property of clustering or network transitivity. it is the property that two vertices of the network that are both adjacent to the same third vertex have an increased probability of also being adjacent to one another. clustering of network communities is the task of grouping a set of nodes in such a way that nodes in the same group (cluster) are more similar, in some measure(s), to each other than to those in other groups (clusters), based on the abovementioned adjacency property. the choice or design of clustering algorithms and their corresponding controlling functions, e.g., distance measure/ norm, threshold/cut-offs for similarity/ dissimilarity measures, number of final expected stable clusters, degrees of randomization, criteria for cluster partitioning or merging, etc., depending on the complex networks being clustered and the nature and function of the communities to be identified in them. the clustering of network communities can also be formulated as a multi-objective optimization problem. the differences in the cluster/ community models and their properties reflect the differences between the various clustering and network community detection algorithms. some popular cluster/community models are a) connectivity models, e.g. hierarchical clustering algorithms create models utilizing distance-based interconnections between nodes or already existing communities, b) centroid models, e.g. models those characterize clusters/ network communities by mean vectors computed from set of properties of sets of nodes , c) distribution models based on statistical distributions of the values features of the nodes in multidimensional space, d) density models, based on density or sparseness of connections/ regions in data space, and a very important category e) subspace models e.g. in bi clustering/ co-clustering where clusters/network communities are modeled with respect to both cluster members and pertinent set of features of the nodes, g) graphbased models e.g models/ algorithms based on quasi-cliquessubset of nodes in a graph/complex network, where a significant fraction of node pairs in the subset are connected by edges, considered as cluster/ community seeds for building up larger clusters or communities. many of the algorithms or methods proposed for network community detection through clustering are modified versions of or inspired by the concepts of minimum-cut-based algorithms, hierarchical connectivitybased algorithms, the original girvan– newman algorithm, concepts of modularity maximization, algorithms utilizing metrics from information and coding theory, and clique based algorithms [9-12]. research questions and topics in complex network clustering and community detection the contemporary research questions and topics in this field are generative models, communities in time-evolving networks, characterization, modeling and the analysis of communities, impact of community structure and its dynamics on networked systems, modularity and the use of modularity maximization as the basis for community detection, stochastic strategies (that require little or no information about the network topology at the expense of their performance), recovery of stochastic models (finds the latent partition of networks nodes into the communities which are equal to or correlate with the truth communities used for generation of the given network), overlapping community structures, multilayer community benchmarks, incremental indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 252 clustering, online/real time community finding, predicting community evolution, measuring the quality of the obtained evolving communities, finding provably optimal algorithms, designing wellcontrolled benchmark systems on which the proposed algorithms can be tested and compared, modular centrality using local and global strategies, taxonomy of various community detection algorithms, and real-world applications of networked systems. classification of community detection clustering algorithms in complex networks community detection clustering algorithms in complex networks can be classified as hierarchy-based algorithms, information-theoretic algorithms, modularity-based algorithms, and some other special categories. hierarchy based algorithms a hierarchical clustering method works by means of grouping data into a tree of clusters. it starts by considering every data point as a distinct cluster. then, it executes the subsequent steps repeatedly. at first, the two clusters which can be closest together are identified. then, the two maximum comparable clusters are merged. this continues till all the clusters are merged. in hierarchical clustering, the goal is to produce a hierarchical series of nested clusters. a diagram called a dendrogram (a tree-like diagram that statistics the sequences of merges or splits) graphically represents the hierarchy. it is an inverted tree that depicts the order in which factors are merged (bottom-up view), or clusters are broken up (topdown view).hierarchy-based algorithms are one of the main types of community detection clustering algorithms in complex networks. silva et al. [13] 2007 utilized the concept of topological orders among input data represented as graph and developed an algorithm to obtain clusters in different scales. the algorithm consisted of initially the network construction from input data and, secondly, the hierarchical partitioning of the formed network. the algorithm, although being completely free of the computation of the physical distances among input data, was found to constantly produce a connected graph with heavily linked nodes within a community and sporadically linked nodes among different communities. the authors applied their algorithm to the problem of pixel clustering. zhang et al.[14] 2007, proposed a hierarchical clustering approach, based on the graph diffusion kernels of networks, to reveal the community organization of different levels of complex networks. they verified the method on some networks with well-known community structures and found that the algorithm is an effective one. guang xu et al.[15] 2012, proposed a new algorithm called latent community discovery, for community detection in complex social networks. specifically, their algorithm divides the core actors based on a hierarchical probabilistic model and a statistical topic model, which are normalized by the network arrangement in data. their algorithm is inspired by the pareto principle, which accounts for the uneven existence of two different types of network actors, esp. the core actors who typically occupy only a small share of the nodes but have a large influence on the complex network. they tested their algorithm on three large social networks and found its performance competitive to the existing popular algorithms for this category of problems. de oliveira et al. [16], 2008 propose a clustering algorithm based on graph theoretic representations and community discovery in complex networks. initially, they represent indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 253 the input data as a network and then divide the network into sub-networks to create data groups. in the first stage, each of the nodes has a randomly assigned initial angle. this initial angle is gradually modified according to agreement with the neighbors’ angle. ultimately the network reaches a steady state. in this state, the nodes in the same cluster have comparable angles. this process is repeated and results in a hierarchical and graded divisive clustering. simulations by the authors demonstrate that this algorithm has the potential to find clusters in different forms, compactness, and proportions. the algorithm also has the capability to generate clusters with diverse refinement grades. furthermore, the proposed algorithm is also robust and efficient. malzer, c., & baum, m. [17] 2020, in their research, demonstrated the combination of dbscan* and hdbscan clusters due to the application of an extra threshold value. they also showed the potential benefits of this hybrid approach when clustering data having various types of densities are used. their approach is beneficial in cases where a low minimum cluster size is required, and avoiding an abundance of micro-clusters in high-density regions is required. campello et al. [18] 2020, in their review article, discussed the statistical notion of density-based clusters, classic algorithms for deriving a flat partitioning of density-based clusters, methods for hierarchical density-based clustering, and methods for semi-supervised clustering. they concluded with various open challenges associated with density-based clustering. information theoretic algorithms information theory involves the quantification of information in a dataset with the help of several statistical measures. the most used informationtheoretic measures are entropy and its variation. entropy is a measure of uncertainty about a stochastic event or, in other words, it measures the amount of missing information related to an event. the idea of information gave rise to other measures of information like mutual information, conditional mutual information, divergency, entropy, crossentropy, joint entropy, and conditional entropy. there are two important issues in clustering: a) how the similarity (or dissimilarity) between objects or clusters in the dataset can be measured, and b) finding out the criterion function that is to be optimized. in both these cases, information theoretic measures are used in information theoretic clustering. using the essentials of information theory as a clustering criterion takes advantage of the underlying statistical information that the data carries. information theoretic algorithms are another major type of community detection clustering algorithms in complex networks. cravino et al. [19] 2012, employed the overlapping community arrangement of a linkage of tags/labels to improve text clustering. based on a small data set of news clips/ excerpts, the authors construct a network of co-occurrence of userdefined labels of metadata fields in news excerpts. they describe a weighted cosine similarity closeness measure, which takes into account both the excerpt vectors and the tag vectors. thereafter, they compute the tag weight using the correlated tags that exist in the discovered community and then use the ensuing vectors, together with a novel distance metric to identify socially biased document clusters. yang et al. [20] 2006, proposed an unsupervised graphical clustering algorithm for finding community in complex networks by determining the dissimilarity between nodes and incorporating them into a dissimilarity indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 254 distance matrix, which when sorted according to the scores, becomes equivalent to an intensity image. the clusters are indicated by dark blocks of pixels along the main diagonal. it is now acknowledged that trust in electronic commerce has become one of the most significant concerns in online applications, with consumers searching for the best trustworthy of goods and service providers and looking for ways of confirming which service providers are the most trusted. zhang et al. [21] 2012, have studied the critical problem of trust network and trust community clustering for the analysis of the user’s most trusted relationship for electronic commerce applications. in their model, the nodes represent the various subjects involved in the trust, the connections denote relationships, and the weight of the links indicates the strength of the relationships. initially, the algorithm constructs a trust network having the weight value of links. subsequently, the clustering properties of the relationship according to the weights and the path lengths are analyzed. finally, the algorithm categorizes the most trusted subjects for a user to the same cluster. two metrics, i.e., direct trust information degree and global trust information degree, are utilized to assess trust relationships among the subjects. this principle also gives an efficient shortest-path algorithm to construct trust networks. all the above information generated is incorporated into the clustering algorithm based on the coefficient and path length for the e-commerce trust network community. zhang and zhong [22] 2013, dealt with this problem by considering the aspects of the small-world nature of trust communities and the metric local trust recommendation degree. piccardi et al. [23] 2011, analyzed the issue of clustering of financial time series based on the network community analysis methodology, i.e., the partitioning of the nodes of a network. a network with n nodes is associated with the set of n time series, and the weight of the link, which quantifies the similarity between the two corresponding time series, is defined according to a metric based on symbolic time series analysis. thereafter, probing for network clusters leads to the identification of groups of nodes (i.e., time series) with strong similarity. the authors verify the algorithm on us and italian stock exchange time series data, and the steadiness of the clusters over time is seen to be satisfactory and better than those achieved using the minimal spanning tree and the hierarchical tree-based algorithms. piccardi and calatroni [24] 2010 studied the same problem in its full generality, according to the same methodology, in previous work and found satisfactory results. though community detection in social networks is usually based on graph clustering employing the structural information, i.e., linkage structure or node topology, for group identification, but huang and yang [25] 2012, used the semantic information present in the posts of social media to find hidden communities in these media. they incorporated the assumption that content issued by users may express relations between users/ entities. this method is suitable for detecting communities in networks that continuously evolve, e.g., social networks. liu et al. [26] 2008 applied the concept of network community clustering to an important biomedical problem known as functional analysis of protein cavities. it is known that the functions of a protein are chiefly determined by its structure, and surface cavities i.e. pockets or clefts, are generally considered as possibly active sites where the protein carries out its functions. the authors proposed indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 255 a feasible solution to the problem of functional assignment by protein cavity clustering, i.e., geometrical clustering based on the geometrical community structure of pocket similarity networks. firstly, they introduce a pocket similarity network to methodically describe structural correspondence among pockets. the pockets are connected if they have structural similarity beyond a certain threshold. thereafter, the surface pockets are clustered into structurally related pocket groups via a graded process. the authors then reference these small pocket groups as structural patterns which represent similar functions in different proteins. their experimental results show that identified pocket groups are biologically meaningful in terms of their functional features. rui and fengming [27] 2011 proposed an algorithm to construct a distributed trust network in information sharing and exchange channels e.g., instant messengers, file-sharing tools, etc. but, it is well known that the formation of the communities is a self-organizing and evolving autonomous phenomenon, being regulated primarily through internal and member dynamics of the community. for example, users join communities based on their interests. these kinds of network communities are highly vulnerable to the spreading of malicious software, pilfering of users’ information, and attack by malicious users. thus, to form safe and reliable communities, the authors present an algorithm by incorporating the trust value of nodes computed based on their past behaviors and constructing the communities based on similarity in trust values. xie et al. [28] 2011 propose a new algorithm for detecting community structures in weighted complex networks. the method constructs a weighted complex network with respect to the similarity between document pairs calculated by the cosine function. then the algorithm searches for the dense sets and applies it to cluster text documents represented by the vector space model. zhang et al. [29] 2013, dealt with the issue of trust in e-commerce based on social networks using the metric of trust information degree based on mutual information between subjects. they incorporated their previously developed metrics, direct trust information degree, and global trust information degree, to build trust relations among subjects. clustering coefficients and global trust information degree were adopted to construct trust communities. guan-yu [30] 2011 has developed an algorithm (named mapping vertex into vector algorithm) which converts all vertices in a network into vectors and finds the communities in large-scale complex networks through clustering, based on the similarity between these vertex vectors. you-yuan et al. [31] 2009, addressed the problem of web services clustering with the help of the detection of community structure in complex networks. they did this by proposing an algorithm in which the words are denoted by nodes, and the edge weights of the network are computed from the words’ coappearances. the authors applied the newmann’s algorithm to this network and extracted the clusters of words. thus service clustering was achieved by using the relationship between the words and the services, and that too with acceptable levels of precision and accuracy, as claimed by the authors. modularity based community detection a network that has been effectively divided into communities has fewer edges between communities than one might anticipate. simply some careful observers would assert that this proves indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 256 there is substantial community structure if the number of edges between two groups is only what can be predicted based on accidental chance. on the other hand, it is reasonable to assume that something interesting is occurring if the number of edges between groups is significantly less than what is predicted by chance, or equivalently if the number within groups is significantly larger. utilizing the concept of modularity, it is possible to quantify the idea that actual community structure in a network relates to a statistically notable arrangement of edges. modularity is the number of edges lying within groups minus the predicted number in an analogous network with edges distributed at random, up to a multiplicative constant. positive values of modularity indicate the likelihood of a community structure and are either positive or negative. as a result, one can specifically search for community structure by looking for network divisions that have positive, and preferably high, values of modularity. modularity-based community detection is another major type of community detection clustering algorithm in complex networks. liu and li [32] 2011, developed a novel metric representation, the co-neighbor modularity matrix, to assess the quality of community/clustering identification, by which the problem of community detection is transformed into that of a problem of clustering of eigenvectors in euclidean space. thereafter, the network community architecture is identified with a spectral clustering algorithm. one major advantage of this algorithm is that it is free from the noise generated by the initial mean points of clustering e.g., in the k-means category of algorithms. scibetta et al. [33] 2013, addressed the strategy of a division of the network into clusters or district-metered areas for the detection of water losses from water distribution networks since the measurement of incoming/outgoing flows for each cluster or district-metered area allows for a quantification of water losses. the authors use the community detection approach developed in the complex network theory to identify clusters or district-metered areas in water distribution systems. the method aims to find solutions satisfying the constraints of maximization of modularity and the reduction of the number of communities. the authors claim that the method is adequately scalable. sharma and purohit [34] 2013, have also applied the spectral clustering algorithm for tracking community formation in complex social networks. zhuhadar et al. [35] 2012, have proposed the design of a visual recommender system to recommend learning resources to cyber learners within the same community, by using a community detection algorithm on the large-scale complex networks of cyber learners and learning resources, based on web usage data of the subjects. their algorithm uses a heuristic that initially accomplishes clustering by force-based visualization algorithm. subsequently, the algorithm utilizes the information on network modularity to choose good decompositions from those found using visualization algorithms. yu and ding [36] 2010 applied modularity clustering objective function for network community discovery. they have shown that a normalized form modularity clustering is equivalent to the prevalent normalized cut spectral clustering. they then use this information to interpret and solve the modularity clustering problem and further corroborate the algorithm on some data collections. singh et al. [37] 2020 presented a comprehensive analysis of the dynamic community detection algorithms in terms of computation time and accuracy. in order to provide detailed indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 257 and extensive analysis, they tested dynamic algorithms on small, medium, and large real-world network datasets. they provided some guidelines that may help to choose the best dynamic community detection algorithms for the given complex dynamic networks based on the analysis results and network properties. hu et al. [38] 2020 presented a new algorithm based on spectral clustering to detect the communities. experiments demonstrated that the proposed algorithm exceeded other state-of-the-art community detection algorithms among several real-world networks from diverse domains and synthetic networks. the proposed algorithm provided a high-quality and accurate performance in a wide range of data sets. al-andoli et al. [39] 2021 proposed an original deep auto encoder with particle swarm optimization (pso) and continuation algorithms to reveal community structures in complex networks. their work also proposed various other methods to work in the absence of continuation and to enable premature convergence. other algorithms it is popularly accepted that social networks offer a dominant abstraction of the organization and dynamics of varied kinds of people or people-totechnology interaction and also endorse the use of collaborative technologies for partnerships among different groups. it is also acknowledged that finding subgroups within social networks is important for understanding and possibly influencing the formation and evolution of online communities. in this context, sharma and joshi [40] address the issues of tracking online communities in large-scale complex social networks. they infer the dynamics of the communities to a significant extent from the online interactions of the nodes by tracking the evolution of known sub-communities over time. verma and butenko [41] 2013, use the clique relaxation concept of k-community for network community identification. the clique relaxation of k-community is a connected subgraph such that endpoints of each edge have, at the minimum, k shared neighbors within the subgraph. an important aspect of this method is that it does not use any previous information about the organization of the network. by defining a cluster as a k-community, the proposed algorithm aims to provide a clustering of a network into k-communities with varying values of k. lu et al. [42] 2013 proposed a novel network community structure clustering algorithm based on genetic theory. their work puts forward the idea of applying a clustering ensemble-based genetic algorithm in the domain of complex social network mining. their procedure introduces a clustering ensemble into the crossover operator and then utilizes the clustering information of the parents to generate new individuals. this seems to avoid the problems that are triggered by merely swapping strings between crossover operators without consideration of their contents. in population generation, markov random walk approach is used to sustain the diversity of the entities as well as the clustering accuracy. the algorithm also uses a local searching mechanism in crossover operators to reduce the searching space and improve the speed of convergence. eagle et al. [43] 2012, demonstrate in what way using network community identifying methods can be used to recognize sub-goals in problems in a logic tutor. then those community structures can be utilized to produce high-level hints among sub-goals. the authors do this by presenting a new data structure, the interaction network, for representing interaction data from open problem-solving environment tutors. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 258 complex networks in education in their research article, jacobson and wilensky [44] 2006 stated the rationale for students to learn new scientific perspectives which are related to the study of complex systems. they discussed various research carried out on issues related to learning these ideas. they also proposed a set of research issues that are related to general design principles to create environments and tools which will be helpful for the students to learn scientific ideas about complex physical and social systems. they discussed five design principles that have the potential to give promising learning sciences research. the five design principles are a) to experience complex systems phenomena; b) to make explicit the complex systems framework; c) to encourage collaboration, discussion, and reflection; d) to construct theories, models and conduct experiments; e) to learn trajectories towards deep understandings and explorations. in their research, they mentioned the importance of mainstream students to actively learning about complex systems in the physical and social sciences. they also stated that research discovering student learning of complex systems, which is conceptually challenging knowledge, may actually help in pushing the boundaries of knowing the kinds of advanced knowledge that students are capable of learning. additionally, they pointed out that conceptual perspectives and methodologies from complex systems have the ability to influence theory and research problems of fundamental importance to the domain of learning sciences itself. in their research article, kunihiko et al. [45] 2016, examined the improvement in collaborative work between faculty and staff in university settings and also identified the strengths and weaknesses of the university by using both swot analysis and complex network analysis. calculating multiple indices of a complex network and analyzing characteristics of the network may be further carried out in the future. this research work is an example of the application of complex networks in the domain of learning more particularly in university education. table-1: classification of the algorithms sl no. classification reference of the paper 1 hierarchy based 13. silva, t. c., & zhao, l. (2007, october). pixel clustering by using complex network community detection technique. in seventh international conference on intelligent systems design and applications (isda 2007) (pp. 925-932). ieee. 14. zhang, s., ning, x. m., & zhang, x. s. (2007). graph kernels, hierarchical clustering, and network community structure: experiments and comparative analysis. the european physical journal b, 57(1), 67-74. 15. xun, g., yang, y., wang, l., & liu, w. (2012, december). latent community discovery with network regularization for core actors clustering. in proceedings of coling 2012: posters (pp. 1351-1360). indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 259 16. de oliveira, t. b., zhao, l., faceli, k., & de carvalho, a. c. (2008, june). data clustering based on complex network community detection. in 2008 ieee congress on evolutionary computation (ieee world congress on computational intelligence) (pp. 2121-2126). ieee. 17. malzer, c., & baum, m. (2020, september). a hybrid approach to hierarchical density based cluster selection. in 2020 ieee international conference on multisensor fusion and integration for intelligent systems (mfi) (pp. 223-228). ieee. 18. campello, r. j., kröger, p., sander, j., & zimek, a. (2020). density-based clustering. wiley interdisciplinary reviews: data mining and knowledge discovery, 10(2), e1343. 2 information theoretic 19. cravino, n., devezas, j., & figueira, á. (2012, june). using the overlapping community structure of a network of tags to improve text clustering. in proceedings of the 23rd acm conference on hypertext and social media (pp. 239-244). 20. yang, s., luo, s., & li, j. (2006, august). a novel visual clustering algorithm for finding community in complex network. in international conference on advanced data mining and applications (pp. 396-403). springer, berlin, heidelberg. 21. zhang, s., chen, j., zhong, h., fang, z., & shi, j. (2012). trust network and trust community clustering based on shortest path analysis for e-commerce. international journal of u-and e-service, science and technology, 5(2), 31-42. 22. zhang, s., & zhong, h. (2013). trust network and small world trust community clustering for e-commerce. int. j. hybrid inf. technol, 6, 1-14. 23. piccardi, c., calatroni, l., & bertoni, f. (2011). clustering financial time series by network community analysis. international journal of modern physics c, 22(01), 35-50. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 260 24. piccardi, c., & calatroni, l. (2010, february). clustering time series by network community analysis. in 2010 complexity in engineering (pp. 94-96). ieee. 25. huang, h. h., & yang, h. c. (2012, august). semantic clustering-based community detection in an evolving social network. in 2012 sixth international conference on genetic and evolutionary computing (pp. 91-94). ieee. 26. liu, z. p., wu, l. y., wang, y., zhang, x. s., & chen, l. (2008). protein cavity clustering based on community structure of pocket similarity network. international journal of bioinformatics research and applications, 4(4), 445-460. 27. zhu, r., & liu, f. (2011, july). a clustering algorithm of community in distributed network based on trust. in 2011 eighth international conference on fuzzy systems and knowledge discovery (fskd) (vol. 2, pp. 1070-1073). ieee. 28. xie, j., & szymanski, b. k. (2011, june). community detection using a neighborhood strength driven label propagation algorithm. in 2011 ieee network science workshop (pp. 188-195). ieee. 29. zhang, s. z., fang, z. x., chen, j. g., & shi, j. (2013). community clustering model for e-commerce trust based on social network. journal of zhejiang university (engineering science), 47(4), 656-661. 30. wang, g. y. (2011). algorithm for detecting community of complex network based on clustering. jisuanji gongcheng/ computer engineering, 37(10). 31. ou, y. y., zhang, h. s., & men, h. (2009). web services clustering based on detecting community structure in complex network. journal of application research of computers, 6. 3 modularity based 32. liu, j., & li, l. (2011). network community detection based on co-neighbor modularity matrix with spectral clustering. in applied mechanics and materials (vol. 55, pp. 1237-1241). trans tech publications ltd. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 261 33. scibetta, m., boano, f., revelli, r., & ridolfi, l. (2013). community detection as a tool for complex pipe network clustering. epl (europhysics letters), 103(4), 48001. 34. sharma, s., & purohit, g. (2013). a novel framework for tracking online community interaction in social network. international journal of information acquisition, 9(02), 1350011. 35. zhuhadar, l., yang, r., & nasraoui, o. (2012, december). toward the design of a recommender system: visual clustering and detecting community structure in a web usage network. in 2012 ieee/wic/ acm international conferences on web intelligence and intelligent agent technology (vol. 1, pp. 354-361). ieee. 36. yu, l., & ding, c. (2010, july). network community discovery: solving modularity clustering via normalized cut. in proceedings of the eighth workshop on mining and learning with graphs (pp. 34-36). 37. singh, d. k., haraty, r. a., debnath, n. c., & choudhury, p. (2020, february). an analysis of the dynamic community detection algorithms in complex networks. in 2020 ieee international conference on industrial technology (icit) (pp. 989994). ieee. 38. hu, f., liu, j., li, l., & liang, j. (2020). community detection in complex networks using node2vec with spectral clustering. physica a: statistical mechanics and its applications, 545, 123633. 39. al-andoli, m., cheah, w. p., & tan, s. c. (2021). deep autoencoder-based community detection in complex networks with particle swarm optimization and continuation algorithms. journal of intelligent & fuzzy systems, 40(3), 4517-4533. 4 other 40. sharma, s., & joshi, n. k. enhancement of existing clustering algorithm for tracking online community in social network. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 262 41. verma, a., & butenko, s. (2013). network clustering via clique relaxations: a community based. graph partitioning and graph clustering, 588, 129. 42. lu, n., jin, y., & qin, l. (2013). network community structure clustering algorithm based on the genetic theory. journal of advances in computer networks, 1(2). 43. eagle, m., johnson, m., & barnes, t. (2012). interaction networks: generating high level hints based on network community clustering. international educational data mining society. summary and conclusion the topology and evolution of complex real-world networks are controlled by various organizing principles of topology and dynamics and happen to be a major research area. researchers have been addressing structural and topological issues of complex networks as well as complex networks’ dynamics for quite some time. some of the important concepts that have evolved in the field of complex networks are smallworld and scale-free networks, evolving networks, the relationship between topology and the network’s robustness, degree distributions, clustering, network correlations, random graph models, models of network growth, dynamical processes on networks, etc. researchers apply several types of methods and algorithms for detecting and identifying communities in complex networks, which can be generally divided into 4 categories. the optimal methods to detect network communities vary depending on applications, complex networks, computational resources, etc. some current lines of research on complex network communities are those on community evolution, overlapping communities, communities in directed networks, community characterization, and interpretation, etc. several complex networks have the property of clustering or network transitivity. many of the algorithms or methods proposed for network community detection through clustering are modified versions of or inspired by the concepts of minimumcut-based algorithms, hierarchical connectivity-based algorithms, the original girvan–newman algorithm, concepts of modularity maximization, algorithms utilizing metrics from information and coding theory, and clique based algorithms. consequently, community detection clustering algorithms in complex networks can be broadly classified into hierarchy based algorithms and theoretic information algorithms. moreover, there has been a lot of research work carried out by eminent researchers in the fields of both hierarchy based algorithms and theoretic information algorithms, as well as modularity based community detection. also, in the case of social networks finding subgroups is important for understanding and possibly influencing the formation and evolution of online communities. researchers have inferred the dynamics of the communities to a significant extent from the online interactions of the nodes by tracking the evolution of known sub-communities over time. researchers have also used the clique relaxation concept of k-community for network community identification wherein by defining a cluster as a indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 263 k-community, the aim is to provide a clustering of a network into k communities with varying values of k. work has also been carried out based on genetic theory, and a novel network community structure clustering algorithm has been proposed based on it. apart from these, significant research work has also been carried out based on network community identifying methods that can be used to recognize sub-goals in problems in a logic tutor. then those community structures can be utilized to produce high-level hints among sub-goals. as can be seen, community detection in complex networks is an active research area. it has got real-life applications in the fields of large-scale engineering, social media analysis, biomedical data analysis, online education, business and economics, etc. it is hoped that this survey will be of great help to the scientific community and senior researchers. references albert, r., jeong, h., & barabási, a. l. 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(2007, october). pixel clustering by using complex network community detection technique. in seventh international conference on intelligent systems design and applications (isda 2007) (pp. 925-932). ieee. zhang, s., ning, x. m., & zhang, x. s. (2007). graph kernels, hierarchical clustering, and network community structure: experiments and comparative analysis. the european physical journal b, 57(1), 67-74. xun, g., yang, y., wang, l., & liu, w. (2012, december). latent community discovery with indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 264 network regularization for core actors clustering. in proceedings of coling 2012: posters (pp. 1351-1360). de oliveira, t. b., zhao, l., faceli, k., & de carvalho, a. c. (2008, june). data clustering based on complex network community detection. in 2008 ieee congress on evolutionary computation (ieee world congress on computational intelligence) (pp. 2121-2126). ieee. malzer, c., & baum, m. (2020, september). a hybrid approach to hierarchical density based cluster selection. in 2020 ieee international conference on multisensor fusion and integration for intelligent systems (mfi) (pp. 223-228). ieee. campello, r. j., kröger, p., sander, j., & zimek, a. (2020). density‐based clustering. wiley interdisciplinary reviews: data mining and knowledge discovery, 10(2), e1343. cravino, n., devezas, j., & figueira, á. (2012, june). using the overlapping community structure of a network of tags to improve text clustering. in proceedings of the 23rd acm conference on hypertext and social media (pp. 239-244). yang, s., luo, s., & li, j. (2006, august). a novel visual clustering algorithm for finding community in complex network. in international conference on advanced data mining and applications (pp. 396-403). springer, berlin, heidelberg. zhang, s., chen, j., zhong, h., fang, z., & shi, j. 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(2006). complex systems in education: scientific and educational importance and implications for the learning sciences. the journal of the learning sciences, 15(1), 11-34. takamatsu, k., kirimura, t., bannaka, k., noda, i., mitsunari, k., omori, m., ... & nakata, y. (2016, july). swot analysis and complex network analysis to enhance governance in universities by collaboration between academic and administrative faculty. in 2016 5th iiai international congress on advanced applied informatics (iiai-aai) (pp. 1188-1189). ieee. disney, a. (2022, october 27). network clustering. cambridge intelligence. https://cambridgeintelligence.com/keylines-network-clustering/ pirker, j. (2018). social network analysis in games user research. in games user research (pp. 491-499). oxford university press. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 175 research article sociological impact of mass media on youth with special focus on internet in kashmir iqra nahvi1& humaira showkat2 1phd. research scholar, institute of kashmir studies, university of kashmir emailiqranehvi3@gmail.com 2faculty, institute of kashmir studies, university of kashmir abstract “mass media” refers to the forms of communication that reach a large audience. newspapers, radio, magazines, books, movies, advertisements, television, and the internet are examples of mass media. in today’s era of information age, the internet stands out as an extraordinary technological innovation. this expansive global network of interconnected computers, predominantly relying on wireless communication systems, provides ubiquitous access to diverse forms of interactive communication, overcoming the constraints of physical distance. it has improved every aspect of human life, including how people work, communicate, conduct business, trade, study, teach, and research. the study aims to explore how media is used and how the internet affects young people. purposive sampling was used for the current study. the area of study was srinagar city, and most participants were students from various educational institutions. the interview schedule method was used for the data collection. the study’s participants comprised 100 respondents between the age group of 15 35. the results demonstrate that the internet has a positive impact, and young people frequently utilize it for academic and educational purposes. keywords: internet; mass media; media; social; youth. introduction humanity had been divided by geography, race, language, culture, distinct historical developments, and traditions that varied from village to village from the beginning of civilization until the start of the industrial revolution. in all communities, past and present, there have long been common ways of living, but a broad popular culture could only emerge once communication had advanced. the evolution of communication directly impacts the history of man (heintz & scottphillips, 2023). the first requirement of civilization is the ability to communicate more comprehensively and efficiently. (frank, 1979). new technological methods are appealing and significant in today’s world. our society is changing rapidly, which is tied to and, in some ways, dependent upon the creation of new production methods, standards of living, and other innovations. the societal changes that result from the advancement of communication techniques are even more significant and intricate. the cornerstone of social interaction and the foundation of almost every other technical advancement is communication. (maciver and page, 2006). there have been many inventions in the communication field, such as the invention of the alphabet, newspapers, the printing press, the typewriter, the telegraph, the fax machine, the radio, and television. still, none of these has had such a significant impact in such a short period as the invention of cell indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 176 phones and the internet (vasmatics, 2010; wei, 2002). internet scenario in india the idea of the internet has been growing in india since 1995, but it only really got going in 1998. silicon valley employee sabir bhatia made history by selling hotmail to microsoft in december 1997 for $400 million. jerry young and david fallo raised $ 2 million to launch yahoo. in the following year, amazon was launched. according to a nasscom (national association of software and service companies) report, the number of internet users in india went from a pitiful 0.7 million users in november 1998 to over 1.8 million users by the end of the year 2000. with 1.058 billion users as of march 2016, india is currently the second-largest telecoms market in the world. india had about 662 million broadband subscribers as of the end of 2019. only 19 million of them used fixed-line services, according to a telecom regulatory authority of india annual report. the remaining individuals used wireless dongles and mobile phones to access broadband internet (akram et al., 2023). source: telecom regulatory authority of india, tech sci research internet scenario in jammu and kashmir in 2015, the number of internet customers in jammu and kashmir surpassed 35 lakhs for the first time, according to the telecom regulatory authority of india. in this article, zargar (2021) reported that 59 lakhs of all broadband customers were in jammu & kashmir. according to the telecom statistics report of the ministry of communications, there were only about 80,000 fixed-line subscribers, according to estimates provided by executives of the three telecom companies providing broadband services in jammu and kashmir—bharath sanchar nigam limited, reliance jio, and airtel—the number of broadband subscribers in the union territory has since nearly doubled to 1.5 lakhs, with the majority of them being fixed-line users. reliance-owned jio is the telecom provider that seems to have experienced the most significant growth in wireline subscribers. jio had 4,128 members when it launched its fiber-to-the-home service in jammu & kashmir in september 2019. according to trai’s monthly telecom subscription data, the number of customers more than doubled in just 14 months, reaching 57,451 in november 2020. in contrast, the government-owned bsnl had 1,13,382 fixed-line subscribers at the beginning of november 2020, but that number fell to 95,714 by the end of the month—a decrease of 17,668 subscribers. significance of the study a person’s life in particular and society at large are being affected by the development of mass media in increasingly apparent ways (lotz et al., 2022). these developments significantly impact how people work, communicate, conduct commerce, trade, educate, and conduct research. the need for the internet is increasing every day. it has developed into a vital communication and learning tool among young people. therefore, conducting an objective study to comprehend how the internet affects young people in srinagar city while considering its sociological effects on society is worthwhile. this work is largely based on fieldwork between april 2018 and september 2018. review literature nature and history of mass media: the communication platforms that transmit knowledge and meanings (contents) between people and groups make up mass media. these communications occur across a common language, indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 177 set of symbols, conduit (medium), or platform that is equally accessible to all participants. the full range of technologically based communication mediums, from the telephone to sophisticated internet technologies, is a mass media platform. platforms for mass media can be active or passive. users who contribute to creating the media material and communications can exchange information through an active media platform. (bosch, 2022). the most prevalent example of such a platform is the internet, where we frequently act as users and content creators. when using a passive media platform, such as watching a movie or television program, the user has little to no direct control over the material. even though this programming is unquestionably helpful, enjoyable, and informative, we can only control what, when, where, and how we choose to watch a program. we are typically passive consumers of media content, and this idea holds for most of the books, periodicals, and albums we purchase (sterin &winston, 2017). religious, political, and economic issues had a significant role in the historical forces that fueled the emergence of mass media (mcquail, 2022). the protestant reformation people in the catholic church in the 16th century relied on priests to explain what the bible said. martin luther, however, objected to some church customs in 1517. he desired a closer connection between individuals and the bible. within 40 years, protestantism, luther’s new branch of christianity, had taken root in half of europe. millions of individuals were urged to read. the bible, which is by far the best-selling book, became the first mass media product in the west. the spread of the bible and other books was made feasible by printing and papermaking technology advancements. the printed book made the widespread distribution and interchange of ideas possible. democratic movements political democracy was a second factor that encouraged the development of the mass media. the ordinary people of france, the united states, and other nations began to demand and win participation in government starting in the 18th century. they simultaneously want access to previously closed educational institutions as well as literacy. democratic governments, conversely, were dependent on informed citizens and promoted the expansion of a free press. these days, t.v., in particular, shapes our entire political worldview. industrialization of capitalism industrialization fueled by capitalism was the third main factor that fueled the expansion of the mass media. a literate and numerate workforce was necessary for modern enterprises. to conduct business effectively, they also needed quick means of communication. additionally, it emerged that the media was a significant source of profit. the global cd market generated $32 billion in revenue in 2003. two-thirds of american magazines’ $29 billion in income in 2003 came from advertising. these instances show how the mass media is a significant industry. (brym and lie, 2007). it is evident that the media sector disseminates mass culture, and as people continue to watch and use technology, they unwittingly become mesmerized by mass culture. the cultural industry has completely molded and conditioned people’s perceptions of reality. owners, the market environment, and financial support (from capitalists) all impact how the media operates. information is now more easily accessible due to the development of new media. however, this information is still impacted by capitalism. one must consider who creates, controls, disseminates, and consumes the content in new media. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 178 the primary method of producing information on new media is based on capitalism; advertisements, emails, yahoo, and google are all products of capitalism and are made to be profitable. many pieces of information available online are difficult to get and must be purchased. for instance, when conducting research, a web of scientific papers from publishers like elsevier, springer, etc., is not open access; accessing these papers requires a subscription. this suggests that knowledge in new media is neither pluralistic nor democratic (everyone cannot access it). information from new media is accessible, but access is restricted and keyed. the new media are used to make money in the capitalist society. new media and communication technologies exist, but neither the dissemination of information nor access to it is ever democratized or made available to all people because capitalism designed new media to maximize profit. the only way to accomplish this is to impose restrictions on information and transform new media into a platform or medium for advertising that makes money. one supports capitalism by paying for some classified material online (apuka, 2017). table-1: the development of mass media indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 179 the origins of mass media can be traced back to early forms of art and writing and to the invention of printing. the printing press was created by johannes gutenberg in 1450, the first printed newspaper appeared in antwerp in 1605, marconi created radio in 1895, john logie baird created television in 1925, and tim berners-lee created the internet (also known as the world wide web) in 1989. theoretical background a web of social connections makes up society. there is a significant connection between the individual and society. structural functionalism is one way to examine how the media interacts with society. the foundation of functionalism is a biological parallel. according to this perspective, society is seen as a complex system of interconnected pieces, each of which performs a distinct function essential to ensuring society’s smooth and consistent operation. these are referred to as functions. at two different levels, the uses and purposes of mass communication are examined (oseifrimpong et al., 2022). on the one hand, the mass media’s roles in society as a whole (this method is known as macro analysis). however, the approach shifts from a global to a micro perspective to examine how individuals use mass media. at the individual level, elihu katz’s 1974 uses and gratification approach refers to the functional approach. in its most basic form, this theory holds that how the media affects an audience will depend on the purposes for which they use it and the varied joys and interests (gratification) they derive from it. people use the media for entertainment, information, companionship, and so on (perse, 2001). structure and features of the internet a global network of computer networks makes up the internet. a set of two or more networks that are electronically connected and capable of communicating with one another is what this phrase indicates in more technical terms (nath, 2022). they function as a single network as a whole. the computers must, however, be able to communicate in a common language for this to operate. the tcp/ip protocol is the name computer programmers give to the universal language created for the internet. transmission control protocol/internet protocol is referred to as tcp/ip. it is a collection of protocols controlling how information is transferred between computers through networks. i.p. resembles an envelope’s address. it specifies where a computer should send a specific message. tcp divides the data into transmissionefficient packets, which it reassembles at the destination. people can connect to the internet in one of two ways: by paying an internet service provider (i.s.p.), a business that connects customers to the internet for a fee. many businesses, including several local phone providers, employ i.s.p.s. second, by using a paid online service like prodigy or america online. these services offer a connection to the internet and some unique features. an individual can use various tools and services for communication and information exchange once they are online. email, telnet, newsgroups, and the internet are a few of the most crucial characteristics (osei et al., 2023). (a) email: you can email one or many of the millions of people connected to the internet. email operates on a client/ server setup. sending and reading users using email must access a different computer (the server), which houses their mailbox. email communications can be more than just text. you can also send attachments like spreadsheets indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 180 or graphic images. email is typically quick, affordable, and dependable. it is the internet resource that is used the most. despite its benefits, email is improper (such as informing someone they have been dismissed) because it is less professional than a printed letter. email is less private than a letter in an envelope since it can pass through multiple computers and be accessed by other users. spam represents a constant menace. spam, the digital equivalent of junk mail, consists of unwanted pitches for get-rich-quick schemes, miracle treatments, and other products that clog people’s email inboxes and are laborious to delete. (b) telnet: in a technical sense, remote log-in uses telnet. it enables you to “get into” computers at other locations, to put it simply. once you are “in,” you can access various resources, including databases, library card catalogs, weather forecasts nationwide, and the most recent sports scores. in other words, telnet services enable you to connect to systems on opposite sides of the globe as if they were just a few miles apart (hughes, 2022). (c) newsgroups people can read and post messages on groups of topic-organized electronic message boards known as newsgroups. while some newsgroups focus on current affairs, “newsgroups” refers to topical discussion groups. people interested in the subject write the data or articles that make up the news. the articles are available for others to read and comment on. the newsgroups are located on usenet, a unique network that is a part of the internet (hughes, 2022; osborne, 2022). (d) world wide web: a network of information sources called the world wide web (w.w.w.) uses hypertext, which enables users to connect one piece of information to another. websites are not linear. this implies that the user can move between pieces of information without following a hierarchical path. according to chaqfeh et al. (2023), a user can jump from the middle of one document to the middle of another. the w.w.w. integrates motion, sound, images, and text. (ibid). three things flow along communications: people, goods, and information, making communications and communications technology important variables in determining the size of society. global one-to-one contact is made feasible through email facilities. in many fields, it improves efficiency and helps save time and money. according to et to kurihara al. (2008), the internet connects us to instant information exchanges and makes us wealthy in education, academia, healthcare, business, culture, mass media, and entertainment. there have been significant developments in the corporate world in the twentyfirst century. these adjustments result from ongoing computer, internet, and communication technology developments. our culture is transitioning from an information society to a global society thanks to computers and the internet. the information society blends fundamental change with continuity (dudeja, 2003). additionally, the media industries are currently through a phase of change in which outdated technology is being adjusted to suit contemporary interests. the internet, which uses standard computer modems and outdated telephone wires, is the most fascinating example. many of us are accustomed to the media environment has undergone a significant transformation due to the development of new media technologies over the past 20 years. the internet is how most that the majority of us work and live. (dizard, 2007). the internet has produced the most significant effects of the computer on society. internet communication is faster, less expensive, and more dependable than previous communication methods like postal mail or long-distance phone indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 181 conversations. during the 1990s, internet use increased rapidly, notably in the world. the prior adoption of personal computers, which were used to access the internet, was one factor in the internet’s quick uptake. (singhal and rogers,2001). the education system has undergone substantial changes due to the rapid expansion in the availability of computers and other technologies in classrooms. “all forms of communication, regardless of format” is how “media” is defined. this definition of “media” encompasses many sign systems, including print, graphics, animation, music, and motion pictures. technology allows students to collaborate, for instance, during group projects when they discuss the subject and how to use technology to address their questions (gan et al., 2023). today, working in life is impossible without technical assistance. without current communication tools, it just is not possible to impart education. modern technology using computers as a fulcrum quickly replaces traditional classroom instruction (chandra, 2005). according to the study of ivwighreghweta and igere (2014), most pupils have access to the internet and are proficient users of it. according to this study, most students use the internet for academic purposes, including gathering reading materials, preparing for exams, and promoting research. the writers made the case that the internet is now considered a new learning instrument. most young people are passionate internet users for communication, entertainment, and education. they see the internet as a versatile medium, and the research has ranked the top five reasons people use it: computer affinity, information, entertainment, avoiding boredom, and online social connection. 2001 (valkenburg and soeters). in the late 20th century, manuel castells’ (1996) sociological work introduced the idea of network society. according to him, a net is founded on microelectronics and supported by information and communication technology. forms of digital communication characterize the network society, whereas modes of transportation and communication define the industrial society. according to castells, network societies are developing considerably more quickly than the older societies typical of the industrial age. castells point out that social changes, not technological advancements, ultimately shape civilization and influence how technology is created. the characteristics of a network society, according to castells, are: (1) nodes can engage anytime and anyplace thanks to technical support (2) infrastructure that controls physical resources via a power grid for information: (3) because nodes can move around the network and are mobile, communication is not confined by time or geography. “space of flows” is the term for this. the essential component of the network society is information, which is embedded in horizontally spreading networks. individualism and communalism are close since people exist in the network, making people more sociable (castells, 1996; saha, 2002). youth concepts and definitions india and the world the term “youth” is typically used to describe the time between adolescence and middle age. as defined by various authorities, the defining criteria of youth include age. the u.n. used the 15–24 age range to define youth. the national youth policy’s initial definition of youth (from 2003) placed them in the 13–35 age range. the national youth policy 2014 changed this definition, defining “youth” as anyone between 15 and 29. in order to demonstrate trends and changes over an extended period, we used the youth age range of 15 to 35 in the current study. in this background, research questions indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 182 were identified, which are as follows: 1. what is the purpose of using mass media by youth? 2. is the internet a trend or a necessity? research methodology an exploratory research design has been applied to the current study. the paper is based mostly on fieldwork conducted at several educational institutions in srinagar. primary data for this study was gathered through interviews that included both open-ended and closedended questions. the majority of the inquiries were objective. the sample area was picked as srinagar city. students from universities (university of kashmir), colleges (amar singh college, women’s college), and schools (burn hall, presentation convent) were chosen as the universe for this study. secondary data was gathered from books, newspapers, magazines, and journals. one hundred respondents made up the sample. purposive or judgment sampling was used in the current investigation. the fundamental premise of judgment sampling is that, by using sound judgment and a suitable technique, one can select the relevant cases for inclusion in the sample and produce satisfactory samples in light of one’s requirements. the respondents were divided based on sociodemographic characteristics such as gender, age, and level of education. the figure below shows the additional categorization of the respondents’ numbers. description of sample total number of samples: (n) = 100 male population (m) = 50, female population (f) = 50 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 183 graph-1: extent of exposure towards newspaper source: author’s contribution graph-2: extent of exposure towards radio source: author’s contribution indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 184 graph-3: extent of exposure towards television source: author’s contribution graph-4: extent of exposure towards the internet source: author’s contribution indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 185 graph-5: internet in today’s world source: author’s contribution graph-6: gadgets to access the internet source: author’s contribution indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 186 graph-7: exposure towards social networking sites source: author’s contribution graph-8: usage of the internet for online shopping source: author’s contribution indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 187 graph-9: usage of the internet based on educational qualification source: author’s own contribution graph-10: impact of internet source: author’s contribution indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 188 graph-11: internet users on the basis of age group source: author’s contribution findings and discussion the current study aims to explore and analyze how the mass media, especially the internet, has affected young people in srinagar sociologically. the study shows that 84 per cent of males and 76 per cent of females read newspapers. newspapers are readily available and practical, according to the respondents. it provides news and information about current affairs while allowing one to appear more knowledgeable at social gatherings. according to the study, 58 per cent of female and 52 per cent of male respondents do not listen to radio. respondents mentioned the absence of radio sets at home as a factor for not listening to the radio. while 48 per cent of the male respondents listen to the radio, they connect their headphones, which operate as an antenna, to their mobile phones to access the radio. from the overall sample, 24 per cent of the male respondents were classed as radio listeners who tune in for less than an hour, 22 per cent tune in for between an hour and two hours, and 2 per cent tune in for more than three hours. additionally, this study shows that 42 per cent of the female respondents listen to the radio. out of these, 26 per cent of respondents listen for less than an hour, 12 per cent listen for between one and two hours, and 4 per cent listen for longer than three hours. according to the respondents, radio is still a reliable medium for accessing local music and news. according to the study, 60 per cent of females and 66 per cent of males watch television for between one and four hours per day. according to the respondents, television is currently the best medium with the greatest audience reach for advertisers, introducing new products, and creating new entertainment material. 100 per cent of males and females access the internet. respondents stated that they use the internet extensively daily and thus frequently utilize it for educational and academic purposes. according to the study, 68 per cent of male respondents indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 189 believe that the internet is a blessing in today’s environment, compared to 12 per cent who think it’s a curse and 20 per cent who think it’s a mixture of both. while 60 per cent of the female respondents claimed that the internet is a blessing in today’s environment, 12 per cent said it is a curse, and 28 per cent said it is a mixture of both. according to the report, 68 per cent of males and 90 per cent of females use mobile phones to access the internet for social networking and academic purposes. they said that because they are portable, mobile phones are light and may fit in a pocket or purse. it was discovered that more people own mobile phones than previously thought, and this is because inexpensive smartphones and data subscriptions are readily available. while 32 per cent of males and 10 per cent of females use p.c. to access the internet to manage their academic work and presentations, respectively.19 per cent of the respondents between the age of 15 and 20 years, 53 per cent, of the respondents between the age group of 20 to 25, 20 per cent of the respondents between the age group of 25 to 30 years and 8 per cent of the respondents between the age group of 30 to 35 years use the internet. it is more common and more well-liked among young people. online purchasing is done by 68 per cent of females and 58 per cent of males. the outcome shows that younger women outperform their male counterparts. unsurprisingly, it was shown that women are generally more engaged in internet buying than males. they commonly purchase clothing, footwear, and accessories from online retailers like flipkart, amazon, snapdeal, and myntra. according to the study, 64 per cent of men and 56 per cent of women believe the internet has improved society and made it a better place to live. according to the respondents, using the internet for email, learning, employment, and information research are all possible. while 36 per cent of males and 44 per cent of females believe the internet harms customs and behavior, respectively. according to the responses, it causes addiction. if they don’t go online, they feel irate and cranky, and this is reflected in their behavior. 100 per cent of the males and 100 per cent of the females who responded claimed they use the internet to access social networking sites. the respondents claimed they exchanged experiences, thoughts, perspectives, and reviews on social networking sites. millions of individuals use the internet to connect with others, learn about various topics, and share their experiences and knowledge. they also mentioned using s.n.s. to check on other people’s status. according to the respondents, they use social networking sites to strengthen their bonds with friends and family. according to a study, facebook is the most popular networking site, followed by whatsapp, youtube, instagram, twitter, and linkedin. furthermore, internet-using students made up 19 per cent of the respondents. 53 per cent of the respondents were graduates, and 28 per cent were postgraduates, making up the majority of the sample. according to the respondents, the internet has emerged as their most popular tool. in conclusion, it is evident that younger generations, who swiftly adopt new media, use the internet in all of its forms and that it has become an essential part of their daily lives. conclusion every culture experience change and no society can be stagnant. the social structure of civilization has completely changed as a result of the transition from nomadic to agrarian to industrial to informational societies. since then, the pace of technological development has hastened this social shift. with the development of science and technology, mass media can now reach a wider indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 190 audience with the newspaper, radio, television, and even mobile phones, which offer a variety of services like longdistance calls, music and radio listening, games, photography, voice and video recording, and internet browsing. one of the greatest innovations of all time is the internet. the way people connect, work, and learn is changing as a result of internet technology. it is a strong tool that unquestionably ushers in a new era. according to the study, 84 per cent of men and 76 per cent of women read the newspaper to be more educated at social gatherings. while 48 per cent of the men and 42 per cent of the women surveyed listen to the radio and use their mobile phones to access the radio by plugging in headphones. the best and most widely used media nowadays is television, which is watched by 66 per cent of men and 60 per cent of women. radio was not entirely replaced by television, but it did significantly alter how it was used. both male and female responders who use the internet regularly are 100 per cent. the study shows that although the use of advanced internet technologies in mass media communication has multiplied, conventional media are still in use. the results appear consistent with dizard’s (1997) assertion that the media industries are through a phase of transition during which outdated technology is being modified to suit contemporary desires. in a similar vein, conventional media have not vanished due to the internet; rather, their use has evolved. 64 per cent of men and 56 per cent of women who responded believe that the internet impacts society. the respondents claimed they use the internet daily, frequently check their emails, and communicate online to save time and money. these results are consistent with the kurihara et al. (2008) study, which found that the internet has a positive effect, connects us with instant information exchanges, and makes one wealthy in areas like education, academics, medical treatment, mass media, and email facilities, allowing for one-to-one communication globally. both 100 per cent of male and female respondents access the internet. they said the internet is a blessing today, and it was discovered that they use it for academic and educational purposes. the research by ivwighreghweta & igere (2014), which demonstrates how the internet links with quick information, discovering course learning resources, and retrieving pertinent academic materials, is consistent with these findings. this study is a modest attempt to understand how the internet has affected srinagar’s youth. for a more thorough investigation, there can be other factors that need to be taken into account. it is possible to approach this research from a variety of theoretical perspectives. references apuke. o. d. (2017). another look at the political economy of the mainstream and new media: the capitalist’s influence. journal of mass communication and journalism. 7(4), 21657912. doi: 10.4172/2165-7912.1000341 bösch, f. (2022). mass media and historical change: germany in international perspective, 1400 to the present. berghahn books. brym, r. j., & lie, j. (2007). sociology. u.s.a.: thomas wadsworth. castells, m. (1996). rise of the network society. the information age: economy, society and culture. massachusetts: blackwell publishing. chandra, r. (2005). impact of media and technology in education. delhi: kalpaz publication. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 191 chaqfeh, m., asim, r., alshebli, b., zaffar, m. f., rahwan, t., & zaki, y. (2023). towards a world wide web without digital inequality. proceedings of the national academy of sciences, 120(3), e2212649120. dizard, jr. w. (1997). old media new media, mass communication in the information age. new york: longman. dudeja, v. d. (2003). information technology and human resources development. new delhi: commonwealth. frank, j. c. (1979). screen and society. chicago: nelson hall. gan, w., ye, z., wan, s., & yu, p. s. (2023). web 3.0: the future of internet. arxiv preprint arxiv:2304.06032. heintz, c., & scott-phillips, t. (2023). expression unleashed: the evolutionary and cognitive foundations of human communication. behavioural and brain sciences, 46, e1. hughes, l. e. (2022). history of computer networks up to ipv4. in third generation internet revealed: reinventing computer networks with ipv6 (pp. 31-40). berkeley, ca: apress. ivwighreghwete, o, & igere, m.a. (2014). impact of the internet on academic performance of students in tertiary institutions in nigeria. journal of information and knowledge management, 5(2), 47-57. kurihara, y., takaya, s., harui, h., & kamae, h. (2008). information technology and economic development. new york: information science reference. lotz, a. d., eklund, o., & soroka, s. (2022). netflix, library analysis, and globalisation: rethinking mass media flows. journal of communication, 72(4), 511-521. maciver, r. m., & page, h. c. (2006). society-an introductory analysis. new delhi: surjeet publication. mcquail, d. (2022). mass media. in key topics of study (pp. 117-120). routledge. nath, k. (2022). evolution of the internet from web 1.0 to metaverse: the good, the bad and the ugly. osborne, l. n. (1998). topic development in usenet newsgroups.  journal of the american society for information science, 49(11), 1010-1016. osei, b. a., & kwao-boateng, e. (2023). critical review on internet of things (iot): evolution and components perspectives. industry 4.0-perspectives and applications. osei-frimpong, k., mclean, g., islam, n., & otoo, b. a. (2022). what drives me there? the interplay of socio-psychological gratification and consumer values in social media brand engagement. journal of business research, 146, 288-307. perse, e. m. (2001). media effects and society. london: lawrence erlbaum associates publishers. saha, s. k. (2023). history of science: a brief overview. the history and philosophy of science, 13-25. singhal, a., & rogers, m.e. (2001). india’s communication revolution. new delhi: sage publication. sterin, j. c., & winston, t. (2017). mass media revolution. new york: routledge. telecom regulatory authority of india, tech sci research https://www.ibef.com indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 192 valkenburg, m., & soeters, e., (2001). children’s positive and negative experiences with the internet: an exploratory survey. communication research, 28(5), 652-675. doi: 10.1177/009365001028005004 vasmatics, g. (2010). the revolution of communication and its effect on our life. international scientific journal. university “pavaresia” vlore. wei, r. (2023). evolving mobile media: changing technology and transforming behaviour. mobile media & communication, 11(1), 25-29. zargar, s. (2021, feb 05). most of jammu and kashmir still do not have 4g mobile internet. broadband is growing. retrieved from scroll.in website: https://scroll.in/article/985830/ most-of-jammu-and-kashmir-still-does-not-have-4g-mobile-internet-broadband-isgrowing#:~:text=jammu%20and%20kashmir%20accounted%20for,of%20the%20ministry%20of%20communications indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 44 research article awareness of plagiarism among student teachers of indian teacher educational institutions subaveerapandiyan a1 & r nandhakumar2 1former chief librarian, department of library and information science dmi-st. eugene university lusaka, zambia e-mail:subaveerapandiyan@gmail.com 2former assistant professor, regional institute of education mysore abstract today, the internet is a rich source of study materials, and google scholar offers free access to a large number of scientific articles. there are excellent research publications available in many more databases. students have the option of easily copying the material. reusing, paraphrasing, patchwriting, and ghostwriting without citing the original documents are plagiarism. plagiarism is increasing in academics, particularly in research. this study aims to study the awareness of plagiarism and to analyze the reasons for plagiarism. the study samples are the student teachers in india. for this study, we used a survey method, and the author prepared a questionnaire to collect data from the student teachers. study respondents are the student teachers of the regional institute of education mysore; purposive sampling was used to select samples. the total number of study respondents is 207. the findings of the study revealed that over 70 per cent of respondents mentioned reasons for plagiarism as lack of relevant literature studying, lack of preparation and time, difficulty checking every piece of work, do not know the manual citation style, lack of knowledge about bibliographic management software and also they stated that getting easily available materials on the internet is also a reason for plagiarism. the study recommends that teachers teach or conduct awareness programs on plagiarism, avoiding plagiarism, citation style, and software. keywords: academic research, plagiarism, academic integrity, academic writing, academic ethics introduction for many decades, copying others’ ideas has been happening worldwide. to avoid the imitation of others’ works, most institutions introduced plagiarism rules and regulations (dey & sobhan, 2011). even though some situations are unavoidable, the educational institute provides examples of students copying friends’ assignments, exam papers, and unpublished works (martin & sloan, 2009). anti-plagiarism software, such as turnitin, was developed in the 20th century to manage plagiarism and content similarly. this plagiarism software’s features are finding text similarities, paraphrase detection, improper quotation highlighting, multilingual detection findings, automatic recognition of missing and inaccurate citations, and sentence and grammar corrections. students who are interested in publishing their articles should correct the plagiarism. it is the responsibility of the higher education institution to alert the students. teachers must encourage the students to present quality materials (levin & pazdernik, 2018). nevertheless, most colleges and indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 45 institutes have not fully adopted and enforced plagiarism concepts at the graduate and postgraduate levels. teacher education programs are prevalent in indian universities. student teachers are the future teachers. educational ideas and philosophical, sociological, and psychological underpinnings are taught in teacher education schools (kutieleh & adiningrum, 2011).  india is a place of multiculturalism and various regional languages. education in contemporary indian society is also one of the courses in teacher education. student teachers should be trained to reflect on their ideas, share their teaching experiences, and suggest incorporating ideas into the curriculum. so it is essential to encourage the students to publish articles. while publishing their articles, they must be careful about plagiarism (sapatnekar, 2004). plagiarism means copying or stealing someone’s ideas, inventions, thoughts, and expressions and making them their own. most plagiarism happens because of not giving the proper citations and acknowledgment to the authors or referred resources. plagiarism-related words are scientific misconduct, cheating, fabrication and falsification, data manipulation, academic integrity, text recycling, and verbatim (clarke, 2006). causes and consequences of plagiarism in the indian context in india, only academics have had a firm understanding of plagiarism during the previous few decades. students enrolled in ph.d. programs are required to submit plagiarism reports alongside their theses. before submitting journal articles, it is required to perform a plagiarism check. (vij et al., 2020). due to these pressing needs, researchers are using plagiarism software. however, the need to avoid plagiarism is now realized at all levels (awasthi, 2019). teachers must know the importance of avoiding plagiarism and its adverse effects. before turning in work, teachers should advise their students to examine them for plagiarism. teachers must ensure the originality of pupils’ work. students could worry about failing. teachers should so support students and assist them in avoiding plagiarism (krishan et al., 2020). teachers can also be careful in avoiding plagiarism in their teaching notes and other literature. plagiarism destroys students’ reputations and the professional reputation of teachers. the teacher will give some punishment to the student for plagiarism. teachers should correct students when plagiarizing (pathak & malakar, 2016). as it affects the academic reputation of teachers and students, awareness of plagiarism is required for the student teachers as they are the present students and future teachers. many software tools are now available to detect plagiarism. the use and utilization of this software are needed during their teacher education programs (rai et al., 2010). student teachers will be encouraged to use the available materials to detect plagiarism. in bringing these things into practice, we can avoid the consequences of plagiarism which is now considered the biggest flaw in indian writing. review of literature javaid et al. (2020) conducted research with pakistani university’s first-year and final-year electrical engineering students about plagiarism. their study result shows no significant differences between first-year and final-year undergraduate students. because of the lack of awareness of university policies, plagiarism rules, and regulations, students continuously commit the same errors. the study findings show that many easily available materials tempt students to plagiarise. the study additionally shows a lack of students’ knowledge about plagiarism, and it was suggested that students indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 46 need awareness programs, workshops, research method papers at the undergraduate level, and punishment. merkel (2021) did qualitative survey research on students’ understanding of plagiarism. the study sample is a norwegian university of science and technology undergraduate teacher educator students. the result of the study shows that students have the perception of plagiarism as stealing one or more than one intellectual idea and concept. it is called copying, stealing, and without giving proper citations, using others’ work as their own. however, there is poor referencing style, citation management knowledge, and limited awareness of plagiarism rules and regulations. furthermore, some students think it is the shortest way to success, lack knowledge in managing time, and intentionally commit plagiarism. the study suggests a few points for avoiding plagiarism, such as citations have to be taught and adopted as much as earlier in college days. farahian et al. (2021) examined the understanding of plagiarism among english language students. they collected the data from five countries: canada, china, india, iran, and turkey. the result of the study shows that canadian students have more awareness of plagiarism than chinese students. the cultural influences show the different understandings between the countries. furthermore, asian students mentioned that a lack of awareness of citation manual rules and styles and academic writing skills are prime reasons for plagiarism. according to pagaddu (2021), procrastination is another reason men and women commit plagiarism differently. contrarily, women like to meet deadlines, and as a result, they are less prone to plagiarize than men. contrarily, men tend to procrastinate more and submit assignments at the last minute. khathayut et al. (2022) investigated 137 thai undergraduate students about plagiarism and planned behavior. the survey result investigation shows that students lack an understanding of plagiarism; usually, they do patchwriting and ghostwriting. students’ actions contributing to plagiarism include indifference, lack of self-assurance in their writing abilities, ignorance of how to cite sources correctly and why, and a lack of time to turn in a report to the teachers. furthermore, the result of the study reveals that students did not get support from the university because the university does not organize workshops and awareness programs on plagiarism. university teachers’ roles in managing academic integrity were studied by gottardello and karabag (2022) using purposive sampling. the ideal function of a teacher in higher education was highlighted as going beyond simply conveying knowledge in the classroom. the research revealed that academic integrity was covered in the course module and updated last year. discussion on self-plagiarism, giving out a manual, citations, and other topics were disclosed by professors. a survey on plagiarism and pre-service teachers’ competence in referencing and citation was done by bautista and pentang (2022). descriptive and correlational research methods were used in the study. the findings indicated that while most pre-service teachers have a reasonable understanding of citing and citation, their awareness of plagiarism is only moderate. additionally, the findings indicated a significant correlation between academic success, understanding of references and citations, and awareness of plagiarism. it is advised that organizations give librarians and educators the tools they need to instruct psts in citation and indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 47 referencing techniques. the instructor knowledge on plagiarism issues study was conducted by hasanah and dewantara (2022). according to the study’s findings, 92.7 per cent of faculty members spend their time teaching students about plagiarism, including its various forms and terminology. however, 63 per cent of faculty members discover plagiarism among the students their instructor oversees in academic writing. students are first made aware of the risks of plagiarism. faculty then educates students on how to deal with plagiarism by offering tips and tricks to avoid it. faculty also forewarns students by threatening sanctions against those who plagiarize. finally, faculty uses plagiarism detection tools/software to identify plagiarism in students’ assignments. objectives of study 1. to examine student teachers’ awareness of plagiarism 2. to know the attitude towards research writings among indian student teachers 3. to identify the most critical factor responsible for plagiarism research questions the following inquiries served as the study’s compass: i. what causes plagiarism among teacher educator students? ii. what expectations and perceptions do student teachers have regarding plagiarism? methodology the research methodology used in this study was a descriptive survey. primary data were collected from the students of ba b.ed, bsc b.ed, msc.ed, b.ed, m.ed programmes. a questionnaire was prepared and shared in the student’s mail for data collection. purposive sampling was used, and the authors adopted the survey method because it is cost-effective and convenient to collect and analyze the data. the sample comprises a large number of female student teachers. the research was conducted with the permission of the regional institute of education mysore authorities, and the students were invited to participate in an online survey. questionnaires were distributed to 500 students, and 207 students responded. the authors surveyed from february to march 2022. the authors analyzed quantitative and qualitative data; the researcher used descriptive and inferential statistics with quantitative data. the authors use the following democratic variables for statistical data analysis: gender, course, and year of study. for data collection, the author used google forms and for data analysis, along with the excel worksheet. the responders gave their agreement after being fully informed. the study’s objectives and implications were explained to the respondents. the respondents received guarantees about privacy, security, and anonymity. out of 100 responses, 41.4 per cent were responsive. none of the responders received a prize or cash. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 48 data analysis and findings table-1 socio-demographic details of respondent socio-demographic details of the respondent’s variables frequency responses percentage gender female 156 75.4 male 51 24.6 mother tongue hindi 15 7.2 kannada 42 20.3 malayalam 50 24.2 tamil 29 14 telugu 54 26.1 others 17 8.2 medium of instruction in higher secondary level english 195 94.2 hindi 0 0 kannada 5 2.4 malayalam 2 1 tamil 1 0.5 telugu 3 1.4 odia 1 0.5 residence rural 89 43 urban 118 57 age 17-23 143 69.1 23-27 50 24.1 27-35 8 3.9 35-50 6 2.9 course ba b.ed 47 22.7 bsc b.ed 68 32.9 msc.ed 46 22.2 b.ed 29 14 m.ed 17 8.2 total 207 100 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 49 table 1 shows the socio-demographic details of the respondents. the total number of respondents in this study is 207. participant gender distribution showed more female respondents, 156 (75.4 per cent), and males, only 51 (24.6 per cent). further, the table shows the respondents’ first language or native language. the results revealed that the majority of the respondents have the native language, telugu 54 (26.1 per cent), followed by malayalam 50 (24.2 per cent), kannada 42 (20.3 per cent), tamil 29 (14 per cent), hindi 15 (7.2 per cent), and other languages 17 (8.2 per cent) including oriya 6, tulu 4, konkani 2, kodava 2, jasari1, bengali 1 and marathi 1. in addition, mediums of instruction at higher secondary levels are studied. english 195 (94.2 per cent), kannada 5 (2.4 per cent), telugu 3 (1.4 per cent), malayalam 2 (1 per cent), tamil, and odia each 1. 118 (57 per cent) respondents hail from urban and 89 (43 per cent) from rural backgrounds. the ages of the respondents are in the range of 17 23 years 143 (69.1 per cent), 23 27 years 50 (20.7 per cent), 27 35 years 8 (3.9 per cent), and 35 50 years (2.9 per cent). course-wise, more respondents are bsc b.ed 68 (32.9 per cent), msc.ed 46 (22.2 per cent), b.ed 29 (14 per cent), and m.ed 17 (8.2 per cent). knowledge and beliefs about plagiarism the authors attempted to study the knowledge and beliefs of student teachers about plagiarism and the plagiarism checker. the authors also wanted to check student teachers’ awareness of avoiding plagiarism. the details are given below. table-2: knowledge and beliefs about plagiarism knowledge and beliefs about plagiarism yes no do you know what plagiarism means? 186 (89.9%) 21 (10.1%) do you have an awareness of avoiding plagiarism 123 (59.4%) 84 (40.6%) do you need training on awareness of plagiarism? 133 (64.3%) 74 (35.7%) have you used a plagiarism checker? 50 (24.2%) 157 (75.8%) do you know bibliographic management software? 18 (8.7%) 189 (91.3%) respondents were asked about plagiarism. table 2 shows that 186 (89.9 per cent) student teachers know about the meaning of plagiarism, 123 (59.4 per cent) know about avoiding plagiarism, 133 (64.3 per cent) respondents expected training on plagiarism, and 157 (75.8 per cent) respondents did not use plagiarism checker. reasons for plagiarism or motivator of plagiarism the authors wanted to study the reason behind the occurrence of plagiarism and wanted to check the motivator of plagiarism. the details are given below. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 50 table-3: reasons for plagiarism or motivator of plagiarism reasons for plagiarism or motivator of plagiarism yes no i do not know citation manual styles (e.g. apa, mla, chicago, etc.,) 132 (63.8%) 75 (36.2%) i do know how to cite the document in text citation 94 (45.4%) 113 (54.6%) i do not know how to use reference management software (e.g. mendeley, zotero, etc.,) 148 (71.5%) 59 (28.5%) lack of knowledge of academic writing 140 (67.6%) 67 (32.4%) lack of preparation and time 152 (73.4%) 55 (26.6%) lack of relevant literature reading 161 (77.8%) 46 (22.2%) do you think the internet is a reason for plagiarism? 147 (71%) 60 (29%) do you think vast resources are reasons for plagiarism? 105 (50.7%) 102 (49.3%) do you have the experience of copying entire text from online without modifying anything? 85 (41.1%) 122 (58.9%) if one cannot write well in a foreign language (e.g., english), it is justified to copy parts of a similar paper already published in the language. 95 (45.9%) 112 (54.1%) i could not write a scientific paper without plagiarism 76 (36.7%) 131 (63.3%) lack of interest and enthusiasm for publishing quality research works 135 (65.2%) 72 (34.8%) difficult to check every piece of work 152 (73.4%) 55 (26.6%) table 3 identifies reasons for plagiarism: 63.8 per cent lack knowledge of citation manual styles (e.g., apa, mla, chicago, etc.,). likewise, 71.5 per cent lack familiarity with using reference management software (e.g., mendeley, zotero, etc.,); 67.6 per cent lack knowledge of academic writing, 73.4 per cent lack preparation and time, 77.8 per cent lack relevant literature reading, 71 per cent of respondents thinks the internet is a reason for plagiarism, 50.7 per cent thinks vast resources are reasons for plagiarism, 65.2 per cent lack of interest and enthusiasm for publishing quality research works and 73.4 per cent challenging to check every piece of work. who can control plagiarism? next, the authors studied how to control the occurrence of plagiarism. they wanted to study who is responsible for controlling plagiarism. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 51 table-4: who can control plagiarism? limiting plagiarism respondents percentage author 74 35.8 editor 22 10.6 reviewer 25 12.1 plagiarism software 83 40.1 do not know 3 1.4 from table 4, which explains who can control plagiarism, 40.1 per cent of respondents tell plagiarism software, and 35.8 per cent tell self-control. table-5: how can we control plagiarism? how can we control plagiarism? respondents percentage collecting fine 63 30.5 degree withdrawal 48 23.2 do not know 3 1.4 other 53 25.6 it is evident from the table-5 that most respondents mentioned collecting fines 63 (30.5 per cent), is a way of punishing plagiarism followed by other reasons such as withdrawal of their work 48 (23.2 per cent) and the others do not know about it. effects of plagiarism the authors wanted to get student teachers’ ideas about plagiarism and raised some questions to answer this. table-6: plagiarism concept makes you stressed or relaxed plagiarism concept is respondents percentage stress 116 56 stress-free 72 34.8 do not know 19 9.2 table 6 reveals that most student teachers feel stress due to plagiarism. 116 (56 per cent) feel stress, but 72 (34.8 per cent) are stress-free, and 19 (9.2 per cent) do not know. table-7: are you expecting a plagiarism-free tool? are you expecting a plagiarism-free tool? respondents percentage yes 161 77.8 no 46 22.2 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 52 table 7 shows the expectation of plagiarism detection tools. 161 (77.8 per cent) expected it free, and the rest of 46 (22.2 per cent) did not expect it free of cost. table-8: if yes, means from where? if yes, means from where? respondents percentage (n=207) oss online platform 54 26.1 government 71 34.3 institute or university 91 44 library 68 32.9 do not know 42 20.3 table 8 shows that the students expect the plagiarism tool available in universities 91 (44 per cent) followed by the government agencies71 (34.3 per cent), library 68 (3.9 per cent), open source software online platforms 54 (26.1 per cent), and do not now 42 (20.3 per cent) discussion from the present study, it is evident that plagiarism must be avoided as it affects the reputation of academic writings and research works. most of the participants in this survey are female, and their medium of instruction at the school level is english. they are well-versed in english. the medium of instruction of their present teacher education program is also english. as a foreign language, it has its limitations. most of them hail from urban areas, and most belong to the 18-23 age group. they have studied various teacher education programs such as b.ed., b.sc., b.ed., b.sc.,ed., m.ed, and m.sc.,ed. out of 207 participants, the majority (181) know about plagiarism, but only a few (50) have used plagiarism checkers. understanding citation manual style and reference management software is necessary for student teachers. 63 per cent to 71 per cent of student teachers are aware of it. many of them pointed out that the lack of preparation time and related literature is the primary reason for plagiarism. the respondents viewed that only authors can hold the responsibility and collecting fines from the authors will control plagiarism. many of them expect plagiarism-free tools from the government that may be available in libraries. conclusion plagiarism will give stress to both authors as well as publishers. it affects the reputation of any academic work. many plagiarism detection tools are now available. the department of higher education at the state and central levels should take the initiative to detect plagiarism in the works of academic writers, researchers, teachers, and students. people preparing their assignments and research works are visiting libraries for reference, literature review, and collection of materials for the conceptual framework. so highquality plagiarism checkers should be made available in libraries. awareness of plagiarism is essential for student teachers as they will guide future generations. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 53 (acknowledgement: to honor the memory of dr. r. nandhakumar, a former assistant professor at the regional institute of education in mysore, india. i am grateful for your help in writing this study data collection and data analysis.) references awasthi, s. 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(2009). plagiarism, integrity, and workplace deviance: a criterion study. ethics & behavior, 19(1), 36–50. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508420802623666 merkel, w. (2021). simple, yet complex: pre-service teachers’ conceptions of plagiarism at a norwegian university. scandinavian journal of educational research, 0(0), 1–13. https://doi.or g/10.1080/00313831.2021.1939778 pagaddu, j. v. a. (2021). the gender dimension of plagiarism: a case study. international journal of english literature and social sciences, 6(1). https://ijels.com/detail/the-genderdimension-of-plagiarism-a-case-study/ pathak, n. n., & malakar, k. (2016). use of anti plagiarism software for detection of plagiarism in research work in the north east region with special reference to gauhati university. 10th convention planner, 210–219. http://ir.inflibnet.ac.in:8080/ir/handle/1944/2030 rai, s., kalakoti, p., syed, m. m. a., yadav, s., sharma, m., jain, r., kalra, g., singh, d., & shrivastava, s. (2010). plagiarism: prevention and detection. australasian medical journal, 3(12), 833–834. roig, m. (n.d.). avoiding plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and other questionable writing practices: a guide to ethical writing. 2006, 71. sapatnekar, s. m. (2004). plagiarism. the journal of the association of physicians of india, 52, 527–530. vij, r., makhdumi, g., & soni, n. k. (2009). encouraging academic honesty through antiplagiarism software. 439–448. http://ir.inflibnet.ac.in:8080/ir/handle/1944/1068 review article edu-2.0: social media as tool of quality learning for underprivileged biju. p. r. * and gayathri . 0. ** *assistant professor, department of political science, government brennen college, kera/a. email-bijugayu@gmail.com **assistant professor, department of political science, government college madappally, kera/a, email-gayubijuspeak@gmail.com abst ract choice of social media as a medium for instructions makes it a political weapon for the underprivileged. impregnated with rigid social hierarchy, where access to quality educational content is inaccessible for the underprivileged people; social media provides enormous 'situations of power' that entail quality content delivery to every doorstep. the co-production of educational contents by millions of users on youtube, facebook, biogs, wikis, and various other platforms require fine-tuning instructional methods and redefining the premises of peer reviewed contents produced by experts and professionals. this review article explores how social media create edu-2.0 in india; a neologism used in this review article that signifies the proposition that the underprivileged citizens' access to quality educational content has a direct correlation with the co-production of user generated contents on internet platforms. at present, access to education is worse in india since the logic of a pre-modern social system arbitrates access to education at least for the underprivileged population, saywomen, religious minorities and belonging to scheduled castes (scs). this access increases once content delivery significantly endorses social media. keywords: edu-2.0, social media, learning, instructional medium, pedagogy, co-production of knowledge. introduction social media platforms, particularly, google meet, google classroom, zoom, telegraph, webex and others have become widely sought after tools of content delivery in educational scenarios. their significance increased predominantly in the covid-19 affected world. biogs, facebook, and others have been in vogue for couple of years m in the educational world. however, more than being a medium used for instructional purposes, social media's use in classroom settings helps people negotiate with the logic of a rigid hierarchical social structure in india that thwart poor people's access to education. this correlation between social media and learning needs investigation. indian journal of educational technology i volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 the problem can educational content generated on social media and its user generation bypass traditional ways of content delivery where trained professionals and experts hold sway over production and dissemination. this is an important question regarding education, since access to the same in india seems impeded by factors that are unique to the social system in india. in a time, user generated contents hold influence over most of the social realms,­ say, political campaigns, healthcare, business, and others, its significance on the educational sector demands more attention. in this background, now, a new pedagogy works for the teeming millions: the pedagogy of the oppressed. this paper calls the edu2.0, the pedagogy of the oppressed. so neologism helps us to understand the question: can socia l media help overcome the apparent structural constrains to education in the indian society? will it help those who have no access to quality education? whether use of social media as an educational tool finds resolution to the questions of access, quality, cost, time, geography and parity, which conventionally remains a challenge to policy makers, government and stakeholders? will the content produced by users on various social media platforms cause a re-definition of educational content vis-a-vis those generated by experts and professionals? these are specific questions addressed in this study. literature review there are works that remind us of the i indian journal of educational technology volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 need to reconsider educational content in the age of social med ia(standish, 2008). allan collins and richard halverson (2009) recounted that educators must think about rethinking education in the age of connected platforms. some writers argue that self-directed activities, collaborative productions, mass publications and technology­ based learning are significant at present (crook, 2008). other writers would argue that learners should be 'active co-producers' of knowledge rather than 'passive consumers' of content (lee and mcloughlin 2010). many educators maintain social media is successful in incorporating what goodyear and ellis (2008) call 'serious student­ centred learning'. there are arguments to develop' pedagogy 2.0 implying 'innovative pedagogies that facilitate learner choice and autonomy' (lee and mcloughlin 2010: 1 ). the 1,800 open courses at mit are open to free access from anywhere. what does it signify? educationalists have compelling reasons to re-examine entirely the nature of learning in the light of social media. the constructivist and socio-cultural learning theories substantiate this. douglas thomas and john seely-brown's (2011) have recounted that learning based on the principles of collective study, play and innovate rather than individualized instruction keeps going on change (mchugh, 2011 ). there is growing logic that most powerful learning is social rather than individual (kalantzis, and cope, 2008). current learning theories emphasize the importance of social involvement for motivation, construction of knowledge m as a source of support (schaffert, and hilzensauer, 2008). the co-construction of knowledge through group action leads to deeper understanding and collaborative learning develop critical thinking, shared understandings and lead to long-term retention of learning materials compared to more traditional knowledge transfer models (kreijins, kirschner, and jochems, 2003). feedback is essential for learning whether from teachers to students, between students, and from students to teachers, says hattie (2009). george siemens (2004) has put it aptly that learning needs to be conceived in terms of the 'capacity to know more' through digital media platforms rather than relying on the individual accumulation of prior knowledge in terms of 'what is currently known' (chatti, amine, and quix, 201 o: 80-99). teachers become designers, coordinators, moderators, mediators and mentors, rather than instructors or lecturers. students not only have to assume the role of supporting each other in their learning endeavours, but also jointly create both the learning content and context, developing their own rules and strategies for cooperation and content production while endorsing inclusion and equity (redecker, et al., 2009). the importance of biogs in the fields of education has increased because of the changes in the classroom dynamics, says mora and espinosa uuana-espinosa, 2007). a study by nardi and team (2004: 41-6) has recounted five major motivations for blogging: documenting one's life; providing commentary m and opinions; expressing deeply felt emotions; articulating ideas through writing; and forming and maintaining community forums. in the educational sector, biogs are being used to satisfy a variety of communication needs to favour e-learning practices. in a study by leslie (october 2003), a matrix of the possible uses of weblogs in education is shown. these possible uses are analyzed in a two dimension space: who uses the weblog (instructors or students) and for what(writingorreading). while following this same matrix, a list of possible uses is provided in a study by lowe (lowe, a.j. blog use in teaching): improving writing skills, encouraging reflective writing, reading student weblogs for assessment, sharing resources and ideas, recording progress and process, course administration, group work, etc. ju hasz's(2008)''y outube only'' classroom pointed out that mainstream reports did not take the idea of a youtube classroom seriously, portraying the class as undeveloped. mainstream media's biases treated the class and youtube as a joke. several studies have documented the youtube and its educationally applicable dimension (burgess, and green, 2009; manovich, 2008; cheng, dale, and jiangechuan, 2007 and lange, 2008). the literary survey above found that pedagogy requires some kind of fine­ tuning, as there is growing use of social media in learning environment. the literature cited and reviewed above point to some important changes in educational world. we move away from thinking of knowledge as a substance indian journal of educational technology i volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 that we transmit from student to teacher, to a social view of learning. participation and collaboration is going to be the basis of learning. content creation is becoming participative. in this background, the survey has found that a growing literature gap in india about the relationship between social media and educational scenario is mounting up. this review article caters light to that aspect. conceptual definition the label edu-2.0 used in this article refers to an array of online platforms that can be educationally applicable for learning atmosphere. there are biogs, facebook, twitter and youtube. many people share content on facebook, and twitter. people create and share content on youtube and text on chat forums. people post about academic events on internet platforms. they share news about an educational conference, or mark a like on an educational event on social networking sites. it is also done no matter where you are in a train, a bus or flight or by some other means. these are all about edu-2.0. the term 'edu-2.0' refers to a range of integrated online tools that can be either internet-based or networked. the political significance of the term is that it can measure whether social media embedded learning processes bypass traditional barriers such as access to education for the underprivileged. background of the study in 2009, authors of this review article started a teaching blog. we posted assignments and seminar topics, lecture notes, and official seminar i indian journal of educational technology volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 notifications. students from different places connected with the blog in the meantime. the comment section was growing, with over 500 shares for many posts on an average; the blog was useful in terms of user traffic. but now that situation changed. biogs have become outdated. youtube and other video streaming platforms have occupied its place. the business model youtube represents is such that content creators are desperate for subscriptions, views, and likes. youtubers compete for creation of quality contents that attract audience instantly. the benefactors of this competition on video streaming platform are certainly useful. if one goes to educational platforms on youtube, quality contents are aplenty which attract a vast audience, and the success of which depends on the business model youtube represents. civil service aspirants access content on various youtube channels where free classroom lectures on various topics are available. there are youtube channels that provide free classroom lectures for cbse (central board of secondary education) students at all levels. plenty of contents free on channels from physics and political science to languages and literary theories caters to college and university students. whatsapp has taken the old role of blogging sites for content sharing, by which educational institutions are now instantly connecting with seekers of information alternatively. schools and colleges have created whatsapp groups for every batch and class, where instant sharing of information and educational content has revolutionized the very foundation of traditional instruction iii methods. a new entrant in to this scenario is online webinars and online courses. zoom, microsoft teams, google meet and cisco webex have brought in a recent addition to physical classrooms. one need not to go in to a physical place for education. universities offer short­ term courses for faculty development in higher education, which helps teachers, particularly women who find it difficult to attend courses because of family constraints. courses come to your doorsteps. assignments, class tests, and class activities have taken over by google classroom, telegraph and moodie platforms. the medium that guided young academics to new ideas a generation ago were few, with higher levels of abrupt and unwritten formalities, and were exclusionary. nowadays, the best students are using social media to scavenge for the information that matters to them. schoolchildren explore the web for study materials. academicians need not to indulge in library, while browsing for massive volumes to take plentiful notes. education experts say internet has been facilitating guaranteed access to information. now internet has altered the conventional parameters of knowledge production, dissemination and sharing. knowledge is not just confined to reading and printing. many educationists believe educational arena is in a good position to use social media based tools to support the collective creation of knowledge amongst students and the wider community (kimmerle, moskaliuk, and cress, 2009). many universities are now striving to m develop ways of using social media to support these new forms of learning (conole, and alevizou, 2010). leading western universities have found social media useful for extending its classroom and learning process through networking. the courses and classroom settings of such universities are also available at the streaming videos. harvard university, for example, has their classroom and curricular aspects on social media. see, posterous <harvardsocial.posterous. com >, facebook <www.facebook.com/ harvard>, youtube <www.youtube. com/user/harvard>, itunes <itunes. harvard.edu>, twitter <twitter.com/#!/ harvard>, foursquare <https:// foursquare.com/harvard>, social media group <abcd-socialmedia.scribo. harvard.edu>. this is just an example of one university. imagine the number of educational institutions, that all maintain socia l media policies like this! any modern university, educational institutes and research centres maintain its own social media policies and maintain social media accounts. here they tag links, share, and upload information pertaining to courses, lecture notes and videos of classroom lectures. students apply for admission online, which chop off paperwork and amplify administrative effectiveness. applicants receive e-notifications regarding admission, course schedules, billing procedures, and other useful information. one can pay fees online and seek their examination results. teachers prefer to receive tutorials online, which not only lends itself to faster transmission but also avoids the difficulty in reading a manuscript. in the indian journal of educational technology i volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 same way, some faculties not only put up their course material on the website, but their lectures also, which attract widest potential audience. students who could not attend lecture classes can also benefit from them. assignments, term papers, etc., are useful for submitting online and teachers can share such submissions through social media platforms so that it can reach out to a larger audience instantly. the faculty and students remain connected through email and social media sites on which students receive instructions, fix appointments, send essays or assignments, etc. in fact, students who have access to internet will facilitate a round-the-clock classroom experience. with the availability of new technologies, common access to internet and to information, new types of social interactions mediated by technology, these cause a shift in how we learn and teach. obviously online platforms for higher education have two important advantages, learners can take a more active part in their education; and second, learning platforms offer 'anytime, anywhere learning' (becta 2007). the aim of online learning platforms is to provide an online learning environment that supports quality learning and teaching, and connects students, teachers and parents, anywhere (deecd 2010). education remains unattainable for a large section among young people. women, tribes, minorities and scs are still out of the game. besides this, barriers to education such as quality, access, and cost are still lingering the prospects of quality education to many sections. here comes the significance of i indian journal of educational technology volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 social media in education. blog for class room on the blog link indianbloggers.org/, one would get a list of popular bloggers in india. from an educational point of view, biogs are the development of traditional learning logs for students and teachers, whether as a complement to traditional lectures or as an e-learning tool. the blog http:/ /education.trak. in/, for example, says everything about indian education, colleges, universities, guidance, and information. consider the blog links of educational institutions offering educational content below. department of economics, mg college, trivandrum­ http://mgceconomicsdept.blogspot.in/, kerala university youth festivalhttp:// kera !au n iversityyouthfestival2014. blogspot.in/, unizoa, the alumni association of department of zoology, university college, trivandrum, kerala, indiahttp://unizoa-unizoa.blogspot.in/, a blog that disseminates information on social science conferences, jobs, courses, etc. in india and abroadhttp:// thesocia i sci encei nforme r. b i ogspot. in/, research in centre for studies in science policyhttp://cssp-jnu.blogspot. in/, swaraj musingshttp://gandhimgu. blogspot.in/. the biogs listed above have widely scaled for reflective journaling; summarizing class room discussions, reflecting on what students learned during a class activity or project, sharing ideas for applying what they have learned to their own practice, and so on. these biogs promote reflection and analysis. the biogs listed m above promote a habit of writing. further, using blogging for educational purposes enables an opportunity to take advantage of the social media tools which students are using in their personal and often professional lives. another benefit of blogging to students who are in education is that it gives them an opportunity to learn to use tools as aids to instruction with their own students. finally, blogging is used to introduce students to social media tools. biogs triumph over the traditional social barriers impregnated with the lives of marginalised people with access to education. this forms the political value of biogs in a society that has social cleavages. facebook for learning room to read, a global organization seeking to transform the lives of millions of children in the developing world through a focus on literacy and gender equality in education, is a case in point. facebook profile says that "we partner with communities across asia and africa to support literacy and gender equality in education" <facebook.com/ roomtoread/timeli ne>. facebook helps students develop relationship skills by gaining a better understanding of the feelings of other people and their social system. when they see others shar ing their personal feelings online, it is easier for them to empathize and identify with their experiences and comment with support. facebook provides many other pedagogical advantages to both teachers and students. facebook as a networking platform connects students with each other, indirectly m creating a learning community, a vital component of education. it provides instructors opportunities by which students can help and support one another by building their courses atop the community already established by the students themselves. facebook also increases both teacher-student and student-student interaction. the nature of social learning has been changing at a moderately rapid pace in india, precipitated in part by the widespread use of facebook. sharing photographs, revealing demographic information, displaying interests, and conducting online conversations are just a few of the features utilized on facebook. the following list summarizes the different ways how facebook integrates into a course. profile page: an instructor creates a profile page for him or her. group page for a class: a separate page created specifically for a course. replacing/duplicating web courses functions on facebook: discussions that traditionally have taken place on web course can also occur on facebook discussion boards. integration of facebook applications: there are several useful applications that will expand the functionality of facebook for class. facebook is not only a great way to find old friends or learn about what is happening on weekends; it is also an incredible learning tool. one could utilise facebook for class projects, for enhancing communication, and for engaging students in a manner that might not be entirely possible in indian journal of educational technology i volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 trad itional classroom settings. twitter for learning twitter hash tag #classroom20 takes users to a community level feature hosted by the website www. classroom20.com/, which introduces that it is a social network for those interested in web 2.0, and participative technologies in the classroom. if you follow the hash tag at #professorv1, one would get the whole updates on the activities at professor v's teaching cafe <teachingcafe.ning.com>, which is also one of the interactive communities for the cause of education. the hashtags #ed chat is a weekly bammy award winning twitter conversation that any educator can join to discuss and learn about current teaching trends, how to integrate technology, transform their teaching and connect with inspiring educators worldwide. twitters classroom capabilities are limited only by an educator's imagination. twitter can perform a useful educational tool, giving students and teachers a simple way to communicate that goes beyond office hours and classrooms. with the use of a simple hashtag (#}, it becomes incredibly easy to curate tweets, giving students a simple way to follow the information that is associated with a specific class. alternatively, teachers can create accounts or twitter lists specific to a course that students can then follow, making it easy for them to find each other on twitter. there are loads of great educational hashtags that have been created that one can search out and see what other i indian journal of educational technology volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 educators are providing. if you are a social studies teacher or need history resources, check out #sschat. maybe english is your taste, and then there is #engchat. maybe you are looking for just general education resources. then one should do a search for #edchat. if you just log in to cybrary man <www. cybraryman .com/edhashtags. htm i>, one can get plenty of educational hashtags. twitter can be used in novel ways to make classroom interaction in an unprecedented manner. a lot of twitter application has educational values. especially tweets and retweets are powerful instruments for making classrooms beyond the walls of the institution. twitter could be more effective to send reminders to students about homework and assignments, and provide relevant information for their next class. using twitter on a smart phone ensures that students receive notifications and can keep pace with the latest class news. this is where twitters sms service can also come in use. teachers can use this to their advantage by tweeting interesting educational links for their students to read. sending out a tweet to give students a reading assignment is an instantaneous way to keep them prepared for their class ahead of time. teachers can easily collaborate with each other on twitter too, exchanging ideas and teaching tools. with the use of a hashtag, it is easy for any group of people to connect on twitter, so why not teachers? the hashtag #edchat, #edtech and more give instant access to links, thoughts and tweets from educators from all over the world. history teachers can use twitter to iii communicate with students using the voice of a historical figure, by creating a twitter account in that person's name. students can get a feel, for it used what kind of language, interactive way. it can even encourage them to interact with the historical figure, using the same language and style. creative writing professors can use twitter to encourage student creativity in a challenging format. writers and poets use twitter to share their micro poems with the world, using hashtags like #poetweet or #micropoem. the social network could be great for encouraging students to write haikus or six word stories, a concept that began when ernest hemingway was challenged to write a story in six words. twitter is the perfect tool to convey a concept or story with as few words as possible. in a classroom setting, twitter use contributes to a discussion and gives students and teachers a way to keep the conversation going long after the class is over. professors have already used this method in large classrooms, with a projection screen at the front of the class, displaying the search results for the chosen hashtag for the discussion. using an application like tweet deck, or any desktop app with a self-updating feature, is the ideal way for the tweets to be displayed during class. hashtag learning experiences could extend learning practices beyond the 'walls' of the classroom and it could bring about far-reaching implications since access and equity in education is disadvantageous to marginalised communities in india. it helps in m bringing change in current events to the curriculum, and students can become more engaging and participative than ever before. as it could connect students from across multiple sections or institutions and streams of education, indeed the political significance of twitter in educational practices far exceeds the basic function it was thought of. reach out to experts in the field just by a click. as it can pull the world into your classroom, the power of twitter is unbelievable. video streaming for learning kevin kelly, (21 november 2008) the founder of wired magazine and lawrence lessig, stanford law professor and creative commons founder, says our cultural shift today as one from book literacy to screen fluency. here what they mean is video formats, which a new vernacular is developing in motion. it is a 'world beyond words', where tv, movies and all audiovisual work will find themselves with a table of contents, abstracts, indexes and rendering them searchable within a short span of time. lessig predicts that television and movies will be "bookified (lessig, 2008). video is not new to education, but they offer new capabilities for educational practices. professors use youtube content that can be useful teaching aid in the classroom atmosphere. indeed, educationalists believe universities are in a good position to use social media practices to support the collective creation of knowledge amongst students and the wider community. several universities are now str iving to develop ways of using social media to support these alternative forms of indian journal of educational technology i volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 learning. leading universities have their classrooms on youtube. for example, there are youtube pages for universities such as mit <outube.com/user/mit>, yale university <www.youtube.com/ user/yalecourses>, harvard kennedy school <www.youtube.com/user/ harvardkennedyschool>, princeton university <www.youtube.com/user i princetonuniversity/videos>, columbia university <www.youtube.com/user/ columbiauniversity>, and stanford university <www.youtube.com/user/ stanforduniversity>. educanon <www.educanon.com> is a free web platform that simply let teachers to slot in online video content into their lessons. using videos from youtube, vimeo, or teachertube, now teachers can make assignments directly on the pinnacle of that video content. in fact, screen learning makes students more interested in a learning activity. more obviously, video content sharing is significant to a generation who are unnecessarily put attention to the screen of various sorts, be it touch, swipe, or any other of that sort. in 2012, google launched youtube for schools, which aimed at giving teachers easy access to youtubeedu. it was an educational library replete with free, high-quality educational videos, which sort out the enormous video contents, uploaded to youtube by different educators at different points of time from different parts of the world. youtubeedu promoted by the company officials is a youtube section devoted to academic content. calling this new site 'a free, self-organizing, the democratic website containing the entire world's knowledge', youtubeedu i indian journal of educational technology volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 promises an environment in which 'any qualified teacher can contribute and absolutely anyone can learn'. it features lectures and other materials from hundreds of colleges and universities, including stanford, harvard, and the massachusetts institute of technology (mit). youtube is not the only internet site offering higher education lectures and courses. one competitor is big think. ted talks, and talks at google, zeitgeist are other examples of video platforms that provide rich but free educational content. another website, education for all, offers more than video with its courses. the site provides syllabus materials that accompany courses, plus reading lists. the link for a course on financial markets, taught by robert schiller, a professor of economics at yale university, even added copies of the exams and solutions as well as a discussion forum for viewers. the site also includes a complete set of four chineselanguage courses available with a package of downloadable textbooks and audio recordings of dialogues. then there is academic earth, a site that also offers video courses and lectures from top scholars. founded by richard ludlow, a yale graduate, academic earth's mission is to "give everyone on earth access to a world-class education". it draws material from harvard, mit, princeton, stanford, yale, and berkeley and says that 50 percent of users come from outside the united states. like many other educational sites, it has a facebook page and a presence on twitter. m indeed, video offers more mobility, ensures distance learning easy, and increased access ensures youtube and other video hosting services more apt for education at door steps in a society that traditionally denied access to its majority. certainly, youtube based educational practices offer a ray of hope to communities on the social walls of social hierarchy. it is a more political choice. edu2.0: indian scenario a study by sunil tyagi (2012: 28-43) in the national capital territory of india about the use of social media among faculties found that user generated content holds implication to the stratified society in india. it gains a role in quality enhancement. it brings down quality disparity between rural and urban india. indira gandhi national open university (ignou) uses radio, television, and internet technologies. for instance, students can subscribe:­ e-resources <www.ignou.ac.in/ignou/ footer/subscribed%20e-resources> ignou homepage <www.ignou.ac.in > virtual classrooms <www.ignouonline. ac.innirtualclass.htm> ignou online <www.ignouonline.ac.in> ignou wiki <ieg.ignou.ac.in/wiki/index. php/main_page> using internet and television, the government adopted national programme on technology enhanced learning (2007) (nptel): a concept similar to the open courseware initiative of mit and is an initiative of seven iits and iisc for creating e-contents. it hosts a youtube channel <www.youtube. com/user/nptelhrd> and a facebook m page. eklavya initiative; has been using internet and television channels to promote distance learning. consider eklavya technology channel <www. tv14.net/eklavya-technology-channel> india 2007. it is a distant learning joint initiative between the iits and ignou. it hosts a facebook page. premier educational institutes in india are not away from social media for content dissemination, especially iits, iims and nits. for instance; iit gandhinagar has facebook, youtube, and twitter pages. iim calcutta has been managing youtube, facebook, twitter, and linkedln pages. libraries in india also have developed collaborating and publishing platforms on social media sites. a library blog has created to keep update the students, faculty and other staff members of buest (baddi university of emerging sciences and technology). seminar, symposium, workshop and academic events have been updating through social media sites. biogs are popular, for example, blogger titled the social science informer <thesocialscienceinformer.blogspot. in>. admission to various colleges are notified by specific biogs, for example, 'admissions to various courses in india' <admissionsindia.blogspot.in>, i.e., a blog that collaborate and network for latest admission notification to various courses in india, offered by universities, colleges and other higher education institutions. in addition, m-learning has been sweeping indian educational scenario. mobile devices, tablets, and symbian are popular for teaching-learning indian journal of educational technology i volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 purposes. it makes education portable, impulsive, efficient and thrilling. by this, students can record the lectures, provide feedback, read e-books, access internet and practical exercises and use software for educational activities. the government of rajasthan had extensive infrastructure building for information and communication technology. the state's information technology department launched its own education social network for learning. educational institutions such as hlc international, st patrick's school, chennai public school (cps) and rosary matriculation higher secondary school are using youtube, facebook, twitter and ustream to interact with students, parents, alumni and well-wishers, says times of india report (mathai, 22 august 2011 ). portals such as studyplaces. com and tutorvista are functioning as information exchanges for students. web portals such as 100percentile. com provide online examinations. the mathguru.com offers solved questions on the cbse mathematics curriculum. india benefits from the internet and social media platforms, since they hold power to cut across a plenty of variables that historically turned hostile towards the educational opportunities of a very large segment of its population. the edu2.0 beseems realisable in the indian context by a wider application of the following social media platforms. they are facebook, twitter, youtube, and biogs. in recent times, whatsapp has become a leading take among educators and learners. fostering networks and communities is an essential element of a learning i indian journal of educational technology volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 platform. it has been recognising for some time that principals, teachers, students and parents can connect and form communities organised around relationships and ideas. through an online community, members can reflect, comment, and contribute to conversations, equally. the conversations become 'learning activities' that can involve 'experts', as well as all members of the community. the need for communication tools in the learning process has often been underestimated by educators. especially those who feel comfortable with the traditional ways of teaching should come of age. more recently, an increasing number of learning environments have been transforming into digital forms in the education scenario. conclusion this review article reads that the co­ production of content by ordinary social media users has political significance. content delivery on social media helps bypass traditional barriers to access quality education for poor people. online video conferencing platforms such as webex, google meet and zoom platforms can be added value which helps people bypass barriers to access educational content. youtube lecture contents for beneficiaries across all levels of learning available free benefit not only society, but it helps people overcome social hierarchy that prevents access to quality education. it is apparent that edu2.0 seeks to answer challenges that the educational domain in india has faced for decades. m more than that, new media embedded education destroys a range of variables that impedes the attainment of education. minority social groups in india because of social factors such as gender, caste, geography, quality, access, and cost cannot leverage opportunities of higher education. digital media gives the potential to wipe out the structural barriers to the educational setting in india. the internet has no caste, gender, race, class, etc. this means edu2.0 has political potential since it reflects the pedagogy of the oppressed. this form of education has more reasons to be popular among marginalized communities than the mainstream. colleges and universities are fast embracing social media for academic purposes. in the age where crowd, mass participation, producer public and user contents shape the knowledge system, any attempt at reforming the educational system could not bring in excellent result until and unless it properly addresses an attempt to reincorporate social media into curricular and pedagogical aspects. schools are developing connected learning methodologies to enhance erudition among kids; they are fast adopting social networking sites in their everyday learning activities. references british educational communications technology agency becta. (2007). 'emerging technologies for learning: volume 2, coventry. retrieved on 12 january 2019. http://www.mmiweb.org.uk/publications/ict/emerging_tech02.pdf. burgess, j and green, j. (2009). you tube, cambridge: polity press. chatti, m., amine, j and c quix, (2010). 'connectivism', international journal of learning technology, 5(1 ), pp. 80-99. cheng, x., dale, d, and l jiangechuan, (2007). 'understanding the characteristics of internet short video sharing: youtube as a case study', retrieved on 17 august 2019. <http://arxiv.org/ps_cache/arxiv/pdf/0707 /0707.3670v1 .pdf>. collins, allan and halverson, richard. (2009). rethinking education in the age of technology: the digital revolution and schooling in america, new york: teachers college press. conole, g and alevizou, p. (2010). 'a literature review of the use of web 2.0 tools in higher education', higher education academy. crook, c. (2008). 'theories of formal and informal learning in the world of web 2.0', in s livingstone, (ed). theorising the benefits of new technology for youth, oxford: oxford university press. goodyear, p., and ellis, r. (2008). 'university students' approaches to learning, distance education, 29(2), pp. 141-52. hattie, j. (2009). visible learning: a synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement, london: routledge. m indian journal of educational technology i volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 juana-espinosa, susana de and sergio lujan-mora. 2007. the use of weblogs in higher education: benefits and barriers. http://gplsi.dlsi.ua.es/proyectos/ webeso/pdf/inted07.pdf. accessed on 15 august 2020. juhasz, a. (2008). 'why not (to) teach on youtube', in g. lovink and s. niederer (eds), video vortex reader: responses to youtube, institute of network cultures: amsterdam, pp. 133-140. kalantzis, m., and cope, b. (2008). new learning: the science of education, port melbourne: cambridge university press. kelly, kevin. (21 november 2008) 'becoming screen literate', new york times magazine. 21 november 2008 online at <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11 /23/magazine/ 23 wwln-future-t.html?ref=magazine>, kimmerle, j., moskaliuk, j and u cress. (2009). 'wiki-supported learning and knowledge building',journa/ of computer assisted learning, 25 (6), pp. 549-61. kreijins, k, kirschner, p and w jochems. (2003). 'identifying the pitfalls for social interactions in computer supported collaborative learning environments: a review of the research', computers in human behavior, vol. 19, no. 3, pp. 335-353. lange, pg. (2008). '(mis)conceptions about youtube'. in g. lovink and s. niederer (eds), video vortex reader: responses to youtube, amsterdam: institute of network cultures. lee, m, and mcloughlin, c. (2010). web 2.0-based e-learning, hershey pa: information science reference. leslie, s. (october 2003). m'atrix of some uses of biogs in education', edtechpost, <http:/ i edtech post.ca/word press/2003/1 0/09/matrix-of-some-uses-ofb logs>. lessig, lawrence. (2008). remix: making art and commerce thrive in the hybrid economy. new york: penguin press. lowe, a.j. blog use in teaching. dragster activity. internet: http://www.webducate. net/dragster2/examples/bloguse/. visited january 20th 2006. manovich, l. (2008). 'the practice of everyday (media) life', in g. lovink and s. niederer (eds), video vortex reader: responses to youtube, amsterdam: institute of network cultures, pp. 33-44. mathai, kamini. (22 august 2011 ). 'schools use social media to connect with parents', times of india. mchugh, josh. (2011 ). 'connecting to the 21st century student', <http://www.edutopia.org/ikid-digital-learner#>. i indian journal of educational technology volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 iii nardi, b.a., schiano, d.j., m gumbrecht and l swartz, (december 2004). 'why we blog', communications of the acm, 47(12), pp. 41-46. redecker, christine., kirsti ala-mutka., margherita bacigalupo., anusca ferrari., and yves punie, (2009). learning 2.0: the impact of web 2.0 innovations on education and training in europe, report, luxembourg: office for official publications of the european communities. schaffert, sand hilzensauer, w. (2008). 'on the way towards personal learning environments: seven crucial aspe•cts', elearning papers, no.9, barcelona. <http://www.elearningeuropa.info/main/index.php?page=home>. siemens, g. (2004). 'connectivism: a learning theory for the digital age', <www.elearnspace.org/ articles/con nectivism .htm>. standish, p. (2008). 'preface',journal of philosophy of education, 42, 3-4, pp. 349-53. thomas, d., and brown, j seely. (2011 ). a new culture of learning, charleston, sc: createspace. tyagi, sui i. (2012). 'adoption of web 2.0 technology in higher education: a case study of universities in national capital region, india', international journal of education and development using information and communication technology (ijedict), vol. 8, issue 2,, pp. 28-43. m . indian journal of educational technology i volume 3, no. 1, january 2021 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 256 research article learning-by-teaching based framework for flipped classroom ajeet k rai 1 & amit gautam 2 1associate professor, faculty of education (k.) banaras hindu university, varanasi email: ajeetrai04@gmail.com 2associate professor, niepa, new delhi abstract flipped classroom has emerged as a promising instructional innovation, and academia shows a keen interest in research related to it, as evidenced by the spurt in related studies. simultaneously the experts and the research community caution against the flipping of the classroom with an unfounded belief that it is simply a matter of reversal of the roles of the students and teachers at home and in class without due consideration of the theoretical aspects of the flipping process. researchers recommend using empirically validated design models when shifting their classroom from the traditional to the flipped structure. however, there is a need to boost the research related to the instructional design model for a flipped classroom since such studies are quite rare vis the growing literature on flipped classroom. the present study, a part of a broader funded project to validate an instructional design model for a flipped classroom in a teacher education institute in india, proposes a prospective framework to design a flipped classroom based on the theoretical inputs frequently identified in the related literature synthesized with the theory of learning by teaching. the instructional model developers or designers and the teachers are the prospective audience of the proposed framework. the framework is robust and can be used across various disciplines. the framework is, in particular, relevant to those disciplines that demand frequent application of the knowledge and skills in practical situations like that of pre-service teacher programs. keywords: filliped learning, self-learning, collaborative learning, learning by teaching, instructional framework introduction flipped learning (fl) as a blended format for classroom learning is a ‘transformative’ and innovative ‘pedagogical’ approach wherein “direct instruction moves from the group learning space to the individual learning space, and the resulting group space is transformed into a dynamic, interactive learning environment where the educator guides students as they apply concepts and engage creatively in the subject matter.” (flipped learning network (fln), 2014). fl is believed to achieve the educational goals of collaborative, communication, creativity, and critical thinking skills (jacqueline, 2015; long et al., 2017; leroux & nagel, 2018; zhao et al., 2021; padugupati et al., 2021) even though certain studies reported no effect of fl on students’ performance (akcayir & akcayir, 2018; yin & leighton, 2020). however, the studies unanimously reported learners’ satisfaction with the engaging experiences created in the flipped format of learning (almodaires et al., 2018) with greater control of their learning in the asynchronous phase, (shao & liu, 2021). recently there has been a spurt of interest in flipped learning-related instructional design models and frameworks (lee et al., 2017; hastuti indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 257 et al., 2022) as a “systematic tool…… in understanding related instructional variables” (lee et al., 2017, p. 434), as a guide for designing a flipped class, and as a valuable resource for the teachers willing to flip their classroom in the true sense (lo, 2018; lawson et al., 2019) across all disciplines including that of teacher education (almodaires et al., 2018; cabero-almenara et al., 2021; candas & altun, 2023). the primary author of this paper, a teacher, has been using the presentation of coursebased content by the students as an instructional strategy for a long time in undergraduate and postgraduate programs. this strategy is linked directly to the theory of learning by teaching. however, integrating the principle of learning-by-teaching in flipped learning frameworks is underrepresented in the literature. this paper is embedded in the theoretical premises related to instructional design models for a flipped class and the operationalisation of learning by teaching. the purpose of the paper is to identify the core principles of flipping the class particularly those related to the pre-class learning space, the in-class learning space and the principles related to the synthesis of the two learning spaces. a thematic review of the literature was done using eric and scopus databases along with google search to achieve the purposes. the analysis of the literature was done to identify the key principles that were synthesized to ideate a prescriptive framework to model the flipped class. structure of flipped classroom flipped learning marks a paradigm shift in the structure of the learning space. there is a minimum of two learning spaces, viz., the asynchronous online learning space called the preclass learning space (pcls) and the synchronous face-to-face actual classroom learning space or the in-class learning space (icls) (diningrat et al., 2023). some researchers include a third learning space as an asynchronous post-class learning space (pocls) (ma et al., 2018; chiang & wu, 2021; xiao, 2022). intentionally, the pcls aims at achieving lower-level learning outcomes. the inclass and post-class learning spaces aim at achieving higher-level complex learning outcomes. functionally, the two spaces have different roles and responsibilities for the teacher and the students (crișan & albulescu, 2018). the presentation and lecturing aspects of the conventional classroom are assigned as self-learning tasks in the pcls. the basic knowledge and understanding related to the content are meant to be self-learned through self-regulation by the students at their own pace. the teacher provides the learning resources in variegated forms for self-learning. the in-class time thus spared by shifting the learning of the basics in the pcls is used to engage students in complex learning tasks involving collaboration, communication, and problem-solving skills in the icls (lee et al., 2017; li et al., 2020; zhao et al., 2021; diningrat et al., 2023). a third component in the structure of a flipped class is the integration component. integration refers to some instructional task(s) that can help the learners link their learning in the pcls and the icls. further, the design decisions for fl are well informed by the learning theories and principles. principles guiding pre-class learning space behaviourism and cognitivism are the overall theoretical inputs into the design of pcls (lo, 2018; diningrat et al., 2023), emphasizing knowledge acquisition and retention. the principle of self-learning informs the pcls design decisions ( zainuddin & perera, 2018; kim et al. 2021) and is considered a significant indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 258 determiner of the effectiveness of learning in the icls and pocls ( sletten, 2017; huang & hew, 2021; kim et al., 2021). self-learning is key to promoting self-regulation capabilities among the learners where self-regulation is defined as an active learner initiative to “monitor, regulate and control their cognition” (pintrich, 2000). another theoretical input is the principles of multimedia instruction (mayer, 2014) based on the dual coding theory (clark & paivio, 1991). it asserts that the retention of learning is directly related to the use of multiple channels in communication. mayer recommends presenting the learning materials (in the pcls) through different channels of communication (audio, visual and textual) making the materials more accessible to the students according to their preference for learning modality (capone et al., 2017; lage et al., 2000) along with graphical representations (concept maps for example) in several cases (kaye & kim, 2023) providing greater flexibility for learners to choose their preferred modality (yasar & polat, 2021). video lectures (vl) are invariably used as a learning resource in the pcls (arslan, 2020). vls are flexible learning resources that allow learners to stop and play at their own pace and time (xiu et al., 2019). further, vls make learning interactive through embedded quizzes as perceived by the students (scagnoli et al., 2019) and increase their learning motivation (tse et al., 2019). the video and text materials as learning resources are prepared following the principles of segmentation, personalization, and signaling (mayer, 2014). the complexity and size of the learning material are recommended to match the ability of the learner to process the materials i.e. the cognitive load that the students can handle (mayer et al., 2003). the vls are consequently, chunked to make them manageable for the students and sustain their learning motivation (crawford & senecal, 2017; lee et al., 2017; petre, 2020). the video lectures and textual materials are presented using personalized ways of communication and employ different ways to highlight the key ideas in the learning material (zainuddin & attaran, 2016; lo, 2018). personalized communication in the pcls is believed to compensate for the actual presence of the teacher. signalling, or highlighting the key ideas in the learning materials helps the learner retain the learning material for a longer time. principles guiding in-class learning space the raison d’etre of the flipped class is to create more time and space for students’ active engagement. the actual face-to-face time and space spared by the asynchronous pcls is used to engage students in deep learning tasks and active knowledge construction. accordingly, the constructivist perspective in general and social constructivism in particular inform the design of learning tasks in the icls (yelamarthi et al., 2016). constructivism is a woolly term (woolfolk, 2013) that includes any activity or method that promotes students’ construction of knowledge in an active and engaged manner. constructivism presents learning as a meaningful engagement of the learners. an important principle guiding the design decisions for icls is the principle of active engagement. this principle demands creating learning tasks that are engaging for the students. students are engaged when they are interactively involved in the learning tasks. students are involved in the learning tasks at the affective, behavioural, and cognitive levels in engaging learning tasks (archambault et al., 2009; fredricks et al., 2004). collaborative learning indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 259 approaches, an operational implication of the social-constructivist perspective on learning, are frequently used in fl as an engaged learning task. the principle of cl thus advocates peer interaction and teacher-student interaction as a primary source for meaningful learning and knowledge construction. the collaborative interactions are significant for the development of critical social and communication skills ((akçayır & akçayır, 2018; gomez-lanier, 2018; karabulut-ilgu et al., 2018). the principle is translated during fl into peer collaboration and student-teacher collaboration. the collaborations are achieved through a range of learning tasks in the flipped class such as small group discussion (gomez-lanier, 2018; lo, 2018; arslan, 2020; diningrat et al., 2023) project-based learning (deng, 2018; yin & leighton, 2020; hastuti et al., 2022), collaborative problem solving (laoha & piriyasurawong, 2018). the principle of scaffolding is another important principle that underpins the design of icls. icls in the flipped class learning spaces redefines the roles and responsibilities of the teacher and learners. the students are promoted to self-learn, and the teachers are expected to guide and facilitate their learning. scaffolding is temporary assistance by which a teacher helps the learner to know how to do something “so that the learner will be able to complete a similar task alone” (gibbons, 2015). scaffolding is an important responsibility for the teachers. thus, the teachers are creators of learning tasks and facilitators of students’ learning (guo, 2019). in other words, the most significant role of the teacher is to provide scaffolds to promote deep learning. the scaffolds can take various forms during in-class learning, such as providing hints or prompts to students, giving feedback on their ongoing tasks, and responding to students’ queries across all the learning spaces (guo, 2019). principles related to motivational needs motivation is important to sustain students’ active engagement in the learning task. self-determination theory (sdt) (cole et al., n.d.) is an important theoretical input for consideration in a flipped classroom (lo, 2018). according to the sdt, autonomy, competence, and relatedness are the three significant psychological and cognitive needs that determine students’ engagement. the principle of self-learning (described above) addresses the need for autonomy in learning. the principles of student engagement and collaborative learning (described above) guide tasks that enable students to construct their knowledge. the principle of scaffolding (described above) infuses the sense of autonomy and belongingness with learning among the learners. teachers’ feedback is vital as a scaffold to steer students’ movement along the learning path. it promotes self-efficacy among learners and boosts their confidence (narendran et al., 2018). teachers’ feedback as a scaffold satisfies the motivational need for competence (akçayır & akcayır, 2018; diningrat et al., 2023). the motivational need for relatedness is addressed through the provision of social interaction in the form of peer interaction and teacherstudent interaction. the reviewed studies used a range of small-group collaborative learning tasks, such as solving a problem or completing a project (chis & muntean, 2018) or small-group discussion tasks (akcayır & akcayır, 2018) based on the principle of collaborative learning. these interactions create opportunities for learners to associate with each other and with the learning task, fostering a sense of relatedness. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 260 principles related to the integration of pre-class and in-class learning space integration of the learning and assessment tasks across the different learning spaces is an essential requirement for a flipped class (lee et al., 2017; wang et al., 2019). the link between different learning spaces is explicitly or implicitly established. several principles are discernible and are used by researchers and designers to establish a link between the learning spaces in the flipped classroom. the principle of objective clarification is used to relate, delineate, and communicate the objectives based on certain classification systems (revised bloom’s taxonomy, for example). the objectives, it is assumed, establish the links between the different learning spaces of the flipped class and consider the communication of information about the goals of learning and behavioural expectations from the students out of learning as a scaffold that can help the students see the link between the activities in the pre-class and iclss. generally, the lower-level objectives in the taxonomy are used as the overall guide to design learning materials for the pcls, and the higher-level objectives are used to guide the design of the icls (yelamarthi et al., 2016; guo, 2019; hall & lei, 2020; sivakumar, 2023). further, learning is context-specific. the contextual learning theory suggests that “learning occurs only when students process new information or knowledge in such a way that it makes sense in their frame of reference” (hull, 1995). the principle of contextualizing learning is employed in designing learning tasks that relate the theoretical knowledge and skills to be learned in the flipped classroom with the real-world problems wherein the knowledge and skills are to be used. merrill, (n.d.) recommended the inclusion of some problems as a context for learning since learning is promoted when the (a) learners solve real-world problems through (b) activation of prior knowledge and by providing an opportunity for learners to (c) demonstrate their knowledge, (d) apply knowledge and (e) integrate knowledge (hall & lei, 2020). thus, learning is contextualized in some reallife problems that can help the students integrate, organize, and translate their learnings in real-world situations (donaldson, 2017; hall & lei, 2020) enabling them to see the learning tasks in different learning spaces as linked and associated (hall & lei, 2020; park & suh, 2021; rusnayati et al., 2023). another important idea, relevant to fl is the concept of just-in-time-teaching (jitt). jitt is a pedagogical technique (novak, 2011; novak & patterson, 2010) that acts as a feedback loop. in a flipped classroom, the jitt “creates a direct link between the pre-and in-class activities” (rowley & green, 2015, p. 15). as the name suggests, it is meant to provide a situation in which the student can demonstrate their learning, and based on their response, some further learning tasks are introduced immediately to overcome their misconceptions or any lacuna in their learning. jitt, in the context of the fl, consists of ‘jitt exercises’ in the pcls and a ‘jitt response’ in the icls (rowley & green, 2015, p.15). the jitt exercise frequently includes a video-embedded quiz and an overall quiz based on the learning materials presented in the pcls. in these exercises, students usually have to read, watch, or carry out an activity and then answer questions related to the task. the students’ performance on the jitt tasks in the pcls (often in the form of video-embedded quizzes, writing the summary of the video lectures or text materials etc.) are used as learning analytics by the teacher to identify topics or problems for group activities in the icls. these tasks based indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 261 on the students’ learning analytics are thus used as a jitt response in the icls (rowley & green, 2015; lee et al., 2017; shiau et al., 2018). jitt tasks based on the learning materials (video lectures and reading text materials) in the pcls are more engaging and interactive. principle of learning by explicit teaching the idea of involving students in teaching tasks evolved out of the general theory of learning by teaching (lbt) by jean-paul martin (stollhans, 2016). lbt is considered a strategic way to engage students in complex cognitive tasks following the social and developmental learning theories and can be achieved in variegated forms (grzega & schöner, 2008; chis & muntean, 2018; gao & wang (2019) consider it as an active learning strategy since the students learn to verbalize. since it involves active student engagement in knowledge organization, presentation, and clarification, it is deemed a constructivist strategy. teaching experience provides richer learning experiences to the learners. it provides opportunities for learners to reflect on their understanding. lbt acquires a range of forms. one of the earliest forms of learning qualified as lbt is peer tutoring in which individuals in a cohort learn by teaching each other (goodlad and hist, 1989; topping, 1996; duran, 2017). collaborative peer group tasks (for example think-pair-share task) are another form of lbt. in this case, the peers in the groups interact and teach each other. however, teaching in such contexts is implied, and hence, this form of lbt is termed in this paper as learning by implicit teaching. a corollary phrase is coined viz learning-by-explicit-teaching (let) by the authors to designate the learning tasks that involve students in preparing, presenting (or explaining), and clarifying a given content in the class in the form of mini-lectures. the rationale for the term emanates from the assumption that greater cognitive processing is involved when the student learns to explain or present for others (peers in this case) than when the student learns for himself or herself (fiorella & mayer, 2013; duran, 2017; stollhans, 2016). teaching, as a let task, is approached by the students as a problem, and solving the problem includes preparing and presenting the content that, in turn, promotes their learning (merrill, 2002; stollhans, 2016; hall & lei, 2020; yin & leighton, 2020). lbt is consequently assumed to be a potential theoretical input in the overall framework for fl. an initial activity recommended by several researchers in the icls is the mini-lectures for the activation of prior knowledge and as a link between the two spaces of learning (talbert, 2017). the proposed framework capitalizes on the attached significance of mini-lectures in the classroom and the opportunities for self-regulated learning (in the pcls) to transform the mini-lecture into a student activity in the form of let based on the theory of lbt (crouch & mazur, 2001; stollhans, 2016). finally, the evaluation of the let task provides a sort of analytics on learning that the teacher can use in the small group collaborative learning tasks for the icls and helps in the remediation of learning errors. synthesis of the principles: apple framework for flipped class the innovative framework for flipping the classroom (a-p-p-l-e) in higher education is rationally proposed through a juxtaposition of the various principles identified through a review of the literature and the additional principle of learning by explicit teaching. assimilation: flipped class includes the pcls and the icls. the pcls involves assimilating the basic knowledge and indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 262 skills related to the target content through self-paced and self-regulated learning. this stage is appropriate for achieving the lower level cognitive goals like knowing and understanding. video lectures with embedded quizzes, reading materials, and references for further reading are plausible learning materials used in this phase. the embedded quiz and/or some overall assessment task (taking notes, writing a summary or even a quiz) can be used as the jitt exercise in the pcls. preparation and presentation: it is a small group learning task. a small group of students from the larger cohort is assigned a teaching task in each cycle of the flipped class. each cycle of flipped class can be a weekly cycle. the learning task includes preparing a small chunk of the content for presentation in the icls. the presentation is a mini-lecture. the role of the members in the small group in each teaching task is pre-decided. the preparation phase of the let task is completed in the pcls in collaboration with the teacher. the presentation phase is carried out in the icls as the initial activity of each cycle of the flipped class. the presentation is done for the whole class. it is followed by an interactive question-answer session for the class with the teacher as the moderator. the teaching task as described above helps in the activation of the prior knowledge among the students. it also prepares the background for peer group interaction. the interactions following the teaching task provide feedback on students’ learning. further, the teacher uses the feedback to create different inclass group learning tasks. learning for clarification: misconception is a common event in any learning situation. the learners in the icls work collaboratively to identify and remedy their misconceptions or learning errors. the time and space of icls are used to address the students’ misconceptions and to expand their cognitive processing. the teacher can analyze the students’ presentations in conjunction with the post-presentation interactions in the class and the student’s responses to the quizzes in the pcls. the analysis yields important data as additional input into the learning tasks in icls. the smallgroup learning tasks are completed collaboratively and hence help in the development of social skills. the collaborative learning tasks help enrich students’ abilities and skills, including social skills, communication skills, and critical thinking skills. extension: the ability to use the learned concepts and skills in variegated reallife contexts is the raison d’etre of all instructional efforts. the proposed framework advocates a problem-based assignment to be communicated to the students at the beginning of each cycle of fl. the problem is created by the teacher and shared with students in small groups. the students are expected to complete the learning task based on the learning achieved in the pcls and iclss in small groups. a post-class learning space is thus visualized in which the students collaboratively complete the assigned task generally as a longterm project related to a unit/sub-unit of the course targeted in each cycle of flipped classes. problem-based learning tasks are recommended and used by other researchers as well particularly for their potential to enhance the learning of low achievers (chis & muntean, 2018) and the general ability to foster critical thinking skills (listiqowati et al., 2022). further, if the problem task is provided in advance it serves as a context for the learners to integrate and organize their learning in the pre-class and iclss. a representation of the framework ideated in this paper is presented in figure 1. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 263 figure-1: apple framework for flipped class concluding remarks flipping the class is not merely a shift of the learning tasks in space and time. it is a matter of deliberation and planning. the design of fl is advocated to be supported by appropriate theoretical premises and the creation of a framework is the initial step towards adopting a  flipped learning approach. several frameworks have been proposed recently. the addie framework was used to develop and validate the instructional design model for flipped learning (lee, lim and kim, 2017). similarly, the flipped learning wheel framework was developed with a focus on collaborative learning and peer feedback (luo, et al, 2020). the apple framework proposed in this paper is unique in that it integrates the principle of learning by explicit teaching with the established principles of flipped learning. the salience of the proposed framework to innovative instructional practices is substantiated by the opportunities for learners (one small group at a time) to engage in deep learning through the preparation and presentation learning task and is thus in compliance with the nature of the  constructivist class. the framework also creates opportunities through the collaborative project to apply their knowledge in real-life situations. the framework is useful for courses that demand the application of learned knowledge and skills in a real-world problem is desirable. the general applicability of the framework in the context of all practical-based courses makes it a robust framework. simultaneously, the framework is flexible enough to allow for changes in the format of learning tasks in the actual classroom situation as per the  course requirement and the constraints of the educational situation. this flexibility makes it relevant across a wide range of disciplines and fields of study, with practical courses in their program of study. nevertheless, the readers are expected to interpret the framework in light of the validity of the principles reportedly used in designing the flipped classroom and the notion of let. the framework is based entirely on the review of the literature and the authors’ personal experiences with learning-by-explicit-teaching (let) indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 264 in their classrooms. the principles guiding flipped learning identified from the literature were synthesized with the notion of let to create the framework. the framework is prescriptive and its empirical validity is to be established through actual translation of the different phases into instructional tasks. the framework is a knowledge artefact and since it includes a technologyintegrated approach to instruction, the contextual factors and the stakeholders’ (students’) perspective are important in translating the framework into instructional practice. any instructional translation of the framework needs to be tested and retested, revised and refined through inputs from repeated piloting of the instruction based on the approach. consequently, design educational research as a development research approach is the recommended method for instructional design for flipped learning based on the framework and validate the same (van den akker, 1997). reference akçayır, g., & akçayır, m. 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(2021). innovative pedagogy and design-based research on flipped learning in higher education. frontiers in psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/ fpsyg.2021.577002. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 277 review article digital inclusion in education: mapping and management biswajit behera assistant professor, department of education, central university of punjab, bathinda, punjab, email: biswajit70behera@gmail.com abstract digital technologies have an impact on transforming learning and literacy in combination with other social and economic factors. this impact implies future complexities in relation to digital inclusion. digital inclusion in education is understood as a blend of issues on digital literacy, digital skill, and the digital divide. in this paper, mapping and management of issues of digital inclusion in education are discussed. reviews related to access to technology and outcomes of the internet and technology used to obtain the skills are discussed to understand the grounds of digital inclusion. digital-related determinants such as ict experience, ict use, and ict training are mostly covered in 21st-century digital skills studies. mapping of digital inclusion is strongly related to socioeconomic background, race, and gender as one dimension, the gap between capacities, abilities among low and high educated students as second dimension and the differences in outputs among students in terms of access, usage, motivation, and skills as the third dimension. management of digital inclusion needs to be undertaken on why students are not able to evaluate and integrate digital information effectively, to critically judge the suitability of a large amount of information online, to understand the ethical and social usage of information, to interpret the reference to a paper and journal, to search databases effectively, to determine the validity of the information found online and understanding copyright issues. keywords: digital literacy, digital skills, digital divide, and digital inclusion introduction technology has revolutionised the way we work & think and give opportunities to access the world. the power of technology is being experienced by the increasing number of educators. the increase of digitalisation in its various spheres like information, communication, social relations, entertainment, education, and economy is producing what several authors have called ‘industrial revolution’ (clark, 2005). there is a rapid growth of industry due to digital interference. the focus is on making technology central to enabling change (ndlm, 2019). in this technologically loaded world, students need to acquire more skills, adaptability to prepare them for the future workplace. so, the future of education is digital. the rapid diffusion of new technologies impacts the nature of learning and literacy. digital technologies have an impact on transforming learning and literacy. technology transforms learning and literacy not only by itself but also in combination with other social and indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 278 economic factors. this transitional stage implies that the future of learning in the 21st century will be quite complex. one of the complexities relates to digital inclusion. digital inclusion along with related terms such as digital equality and digital equity is used to emphasise the interrelated processes in determining the extent to which students are digitally included. the issues through interconnected means of digital inclusion are mapped in figure 1. digital inclusion in education is understood as a blend of digital literacy, digital skill, and the digital divide. in this paper, mapping and management of issues for digital inclusion in education are discussed. figure-1: interconnected means of digital inclusion (author’s conceptualisation) digital literacy (dl) digital literacy is defined as the skills and knowledge regarding the fluent use of digital tools and resources in real life situations. it is identified with the use of digital devices and websites and is included in learning and teaching activities (lindstrom & niederhauser, 2016). dl refers to the use of digital tools to create meaning and communicate effectively with others. dl behaviours include icon identification, digital navigation, technical operations of devices, knowledge of digital terminology, user control methods like scrolling, storage and retrieval and use of hyperlink. in addition, coding skills, scanning, creating digital texts and critical skills such as analysing, evaluating online information, blogging, online social networking, accessing and synthesising online sources are predicted as digital literacy skills. mapping digital literacy digital generations are engaged with technologies. accurate knowledge of the level of current digital skills and competencies are required. digital literates deal with the basic knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to participate in society through online engagement. digital literacy is developed through digital participation and situational embedding of basic digital competencies. nevertheless, students lack the inadequate digital literacy skills needed for digital learning (muresan & gogu, 2013). this may be due to the fact that students are using technology for social media or indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 279 entertainment but not for learning (shopova, 2014). nevertheless, access to technology and outcomes of the internet and technology used to obtain the skills are the grounds of digital literacy. the following three factors guide the conceptualisation of digital literacy: access to technology, working skills, and behavioural skills (figure 2). figure-2: three-factor conceptualisation of digital literacy (author’s conceptualisation) access to technology is essential to determine students' access to computers, internet connection, tablets, and smartphones. working skills are based on computer basics, internet navigation, communication, and information search and management (table 1). the elements of behavioural skills are manifested in day-to-day activities (table 2). table-1: working skills fundamentals of computer install software on a computer, prepare a powerpoint presentation rename a folder, empty the recycle bin scan a document internet navigation connect to a wireless device, set a website as the home page protect private data, create a safe password online shopping communication identify fraudulent email, open an attachment create a personal profile on a social network website, interact with other users on an online forum indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 280 information search and management search for information, collect information compare information from several sources, determine the reliability of data organise information for present and future use, save a document in a specific location reproduce content (i.e. copy and paste) present information through a video, understand graphical display table-2: behavioural skills critical thinking recognise and address the originality of digital content, autonomy, real time thinking ict in daily life online participation, internet for communication, frequently back up files and important data, name folders meaningfully to facilitate information retrieval social interaction interact with online communities, willingness to collaborate with others, respect the norms of social conduct online security legal and ethical issues of digital environments, comply with the legal rules of digital content, aware of copyright issues, report inappropriate online activity managing literacy for digital inclusion a requisite for participation in the global learning society is digital literacy. so, digital participation to manage the following necessities is suggested for an inclusive learning society. • universal equitable and open access to digital enabled learning environments, tools, and digital resources for all. • development of local and vernacular quality digital content with the partner of teachers and students. • critical use of shared digital resources. • enable sharing of ict infrastructure for the learning community. • promote research, evaluation, and experimentation using ict tools • the ethical use of ict needs to be infused in the curriculum. • integration of ict tools and free & open-source software for content preparation • development of digital learning resources including audios, videos, interactive multimedia, e-books, virtual as well as augmented learning resources. • creation of learning management system (lms) • creation of management of information system (mis) to enable assessments, monitoring, regular feedback and enhanced learning of students. digital skills society is shaped by technologies. digital indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 281 information is accessed universally. the increasing importance of digital platforms has brought modifications in the skills and knowledge of digital learning. so, digital skills are important for educational systems. digital skills determine information and technical skills. digital skills are the abilities to use computers or smartphones allowing students to share similar knowledge among their peers. van laar et al. (2107) addressed digital skills as socalled twenty-first century skills. use of information and communication technology shows more open access to a computer and internet. this demands a higher command of ict skills and the ability to work with the internet. such experience establishes digital skills. the digital skills determine high-level skills which are covered under 21st century skills. oecd recommends that identifying and fostering the development of 21st century skills are either supported or enhanced by ict and digital skills (oecd, 2010). nevertheless, during technology-enhanced settings, learners interact to learn by giving explanations or making communication on each other’s contributions. learners’ online collaboration consists of meaningful interaction between peers. thus, working through the internet highlights their collaboration and communication skills. mapping of 21st-century digital skills digital skills are necessary to equip the education systems with high-level skills. in literature, these skills are mostly called twenty-first-century skills or digital skills. according to van laar et al. (2017), 21st-century skills include (i) communication and collaboration (ii) critical thinking, creative thinking, and problem-solving. these skills are generally about what students can do with knowledge and how they can apply that knowledge in school and social life (unesco, 2017). although different definitions and classifications of 21stcentury skills have been put forward so far, ferrari (2013) states that these skills include information, communication, content creation, safety, and problemsolving competencies. information skills are the ways of browsing, searching, filtering, evaluating, storing, and retrieving information. the communication skills include interaction, sharing information & content, engagement, and collaboration through digital technologies. creation of content consists of developing content, integrating and re-elaborating it, copyright and licenses, and programming using technologies. safety involves protecting devices, managing & protecting personal digital data, and protecting the environment. online problem-solving skills are resolving tasks by using digital tools, collaborative problem-solving, innovating, and creatively using technology. the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to use digital technologies to search, select, and organise digital information and content are the digital skills and competencies. basic digital competences encompass digital problem solving, digital citizenship, digital information seeking and organising, digital content creation, digital communication, and collaboration. it consists of fundamentals of familiarity with hardware and software, and all the indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 282 basics needed for operational usage of the most common digital tools used to interact in the digital world. many terms are used to reveal the level of digital skills: it skills, ict skills, computer skills, digital competence, or digital literacy. unesco (2017) has defined the term digital skills as a range of different abilities, many of which are not only 'skills' per se, but a combination of behaviours, expertise, know-how, work habits, traits, dispositions, and critical understandings. van laar et al. (2017) viewed digital skills as part of digital literacy. besides the skills to operate digital devices, the skills required to perform tasks and solve problems in a digital environment are known as digital skills (ng, 2012). an individual's skill in using ict includes technical knowledge and cognitive skills required to handle hardware and software environments. many research findings emphasise the need to focus not only on technical mastery aspects and on the conceptual understandings of technology but also on the higherorder cognitive skills and sociorelational knowledge (calvani et al., 2012). the digital literacy of students falls in two ways: information literacy and multimedia literacy. learners who are developing their information literate skills define different types of ability, such as subject expertise, societal participation, use of research tools, and indicators to determine the credibility of sources, and understand publications that are widely considered "standard". multimedia literacy refers to the ability to interpret, design, and create content that makes use of images, photographs, video, animation, music, sounds, and texts (frau-meigs et al., 2017). researchers believe that students must develop the necessary digital skills for the meaningful use of the internet (jenkins et al., 2009). litt (2013) focused on the uni-dimensional aspect of internet skills for the arguments about digital skills. students' digital skills are categorised under many resources: material, intellectual, social, and cultural. inequalities are seen in the demographic, socio-economic, and psychological dimensions of individuals. the demographic variable includes age, gender, and social background; the psychological dimension covers an individual's trait and intelligence; education, economic status, and income position of individuals are classified under socio-economic dimensions. digital skills studies are largely limited to demographic and socioeconomic determinants (scheerder et al., 2017). factors such as age, gender, socioeconomic status, personality traits, intelligence, and ict experience are responsible for determining digital skills. the intellectual determinants of skills depend upon students' learning styles, motivation, intelligence, and other fundamental skills. similarly, social determinants concern social networking using digital media. attitude towards culture and tradition of one's society are also determining factors of possession of digital skills. managing skills for digital inclusion universal access requires that all students should have access, affordability, and the ability to avail and use the internet. these factors are essential in response to human rights indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 283 (unesco, 2018). the management of 21st century digital skills is vital for members of the learning society to ensure the practice of accessibility. this involves carrying out meaningful activities in a program of media and information literacy. the universal use of digital tools and the internet is an essential requirement for creating, communicating, problem-solving, and socialising for both formal and informal learning. for creating a digital environment, it involves understanding how to use, design, edit, and create pictures, audios, and videos. managing online applications for students’ learning are based on the following dynamics: • understand the basic ict concepts of hardware, software appliances, and networks. • know the fundamentals of operational usage of digital tools. • awareness of the commonly used digital devices and applications • use digital device and internet • structure your own digital environment depending on accessibility, and settings. • identify needs and select an appropriate digital solution and apply it. • solve technical problems. • develop self-efficacy using digital technologies. digital divide the digital divide is characterised by distinguishing those who 'have' technologies from those who 'have not' got them. this describes observed inequalities of access to computers, to the internet and associated digital technologies. the digital divide is reduced by the goal of universal access to information and acquiring actual skills with the availability of technology. mapping digital divide inequalities in the availability of technology and internet access in different parts of the country are major considerations of the digital divide. these considerations are strongly related to socioeconomic background, race, and gender. jones (2013) stated the digital divide in referring to technology-related social stratification based on racial, gender, and class distinctions as a gap of both access and uses of technology. this is termed as the first level of the digital divide. the second level of the digital divide is the phase of inquiry to know the actual differences in usage and skill outcomes. the majority of the students' population having access to technology possesses insufficient skills. this causes digital exclusion among them. research shows that low-level educated individuals spent more hours on the internet but were unable to benefit out of that (van deursen and van dijk, 2014). it is due to the fact that they tend to engage more in social networking and gaming. on the other hand, high proficiency students take maximum benefits in minimum use of the internet. they use the internet for their development of knowledge and skills. this explains the gap between capacities, abilities among low and high educated students. this is the third level of the digital divide which concerns the indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 284 differences in intangible outputs among students. the gap influences digital inclusion in terms of access, usage, motivation, and skills. according to norris (2003), the digital divide stands for every discrepancy within the online community. he distinguishes digital divide in three ways: first, "global divide," referring to the divergence between the developed and the developing countries in the use of the internet; second, "social divide," the division between the informationrich and the poor in every nation; third, "democratic divide," a gap that exists between those who engage in social life through on-line and those who do not. he argues that socio-economic factors control on-line technology. seong-jae (2010) identifies the digital divide as disadvantages of those who are unable to make use of technologies in their day to day life. the less privileged groups tend to use ict for entertainment purposes whereas the educated employ for learning effectively. jenkins (2009) termed the 'participation gap' to describe basic inequalities and lack of opportunities for participation in access to technologies. besides, the digital divide is viewed as educational and social inequity among the oppressed and less privileged of the society. clark and gorski (2002) mentioned that educationally oppressed are one of the dimensions of the digital divide. the digital divide refers to both the gap of access to technology and learner usage of technology. this creates a gap in pedagogical practices. by which, the students are excluded by the curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, and other facets of formal schooling. this is an alarming situation in india and around the world. managing the digital divide towards inclusion the digital divide entails differences in access based on socioeconomic divisions (van deursen & van dijk, 2014). inequalities in the availability of technology and internet access are due to issues of socio-economic background. most studies on the digital divide are based on basic demographic and socioeconomic predictors of access such as gender, age, education, income, and employment status (dimaggio et al., 2004). when individuals gained access to the technological infrastructure, their lack of skills and usage habits were noticed for the cause of digital exclusion. the digital divide approach based on inequalities in internet access has evolved into a divide that includes variation in skills to use the internet (fuchs, 2009; selwyn, 2004). the gaps in student’s capacity for accomplishing learning outcomes in turn influences digital inclusion. several studies have demonstrated that once access to technology is equal, the differences in how effectively it is used relate to economic, cultural, and social variables (jara et al., 2015). institutions should manage future literacy for the global knowledge society by teaching digital literacy, knowledge assessment, and skills of digital communication & cooperation. digital learning opportunities as well as competencies and skills related to problem-solving, communication, and critical thinking are the magnitudes of digital equity and inclusion. as more computers and internet access indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 285 become available, the differing uses and effects of technology that characterize the digital divide have become the focus of inclusiveness. the steps to bridge the digital divide are as follows: • providing integrated and global solutions through e-government reaching out to all rural students. • efforts to bridge the digital divide through various means such as infrastructure development, setting up e-governance, community information centre, e-libraries, partnership with academic institutions • innovative projects to use technology for rural development • ct infrastructure, creation, storage and retrieval of digital resources, use of software, technical support, networking using telecommunication and satellitebased communication to enhance learning digital inclusion in education technology pervades digitalisation. information is offered through the internet which increases the outcomes of digitalisation. therefore, students need to update their ict knowledge and skills continuously. they need to strive for their renewing of skills through both formal and informal learning environments. in the education sector, students need to learn, unlearn, and relearn to retune and upskill themselves throughout their lifetime (anthonysamy et al., 2020). the diversity in using ict represents the socio-cognitive motivations of students. their interest in ict, perceived ict competence, working autonomously and social relatedness plays a major role in digital education. mapping the context and purpose of using ict are many: for socialisation, entertainment, leisure time activities, and learning. ict skills for learning are a major component of achieving digital equity among the masses. many students do not master ict use; they have only basic levels of competence in information literacy, they do not have problem-solving skills in technologyrich environments (oecd, 2013). the variation of use by students in the extent of availability of ict is due to variations in pedagogical and technical support. technology-based learning facilitates in organising & evaluating information, argumentation, and presentation of knowledge (spektor-levy and granotgilat, 2012). ict knowledge and skills are understood as an essential requirement of basic education. using ict successfully to solve informationrelated tasks requires specific technical knowledge as well as generic cognitive skills. students fail; causing digital exclusion: • not able to evaluate and integrate digital information effectively (tang & chaw, 2016) • not able to critically judge the suitability of a large amount of information online (ng, 2012) • not able to understand the ethical and social usage of information • not able to interpret the reference to a paper and journal • not able to search databases indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 286 effectively (shopova, 2014) • not able to determine the validity of the information found online • not understanding copyright issues when using digital information for sharing purposes. digital inclusion is important for those who understand the role of the internet and digital technologies in the emerging knowledge-based society (norris, 2003; selwyn, 2004). however, many students do not have access to the internet and related technologies. this results in them being digitally excluded. managing digital inclusion the issue of socio-economic status is a challenge for students' learning. the educational institutions should identify their students' level of competence and take steps to minimise the gap in their ability differences. these challenges, summarised from literature, can broadly be classified into the following areas: • institutional and financial factors including availability, affordability, and access to resources, and socioeconomic status • socio-cultural factors including societal, institutional, and family support • it establishes dispositional and attitudinal elements; developing a ‘mind-set’ towards technological innovations. • language and cultural barriers • individual factors such as schooling experiences and performance, aspirations and expectations, selfconfidence, and self-esteem. diverse students with digital diversity can be recognised through critical pedagogy. premises of critical pedagogy interrogates education in exploring economic, linguistic, and institutional barriers to digital inclusion. teemant and hausman (2013) recommended critical pedagogical practices that focus on the potential for democratizing effects and strengthening learner activity. the shift is articulated towards inquiry-based, student-centred learning that promotes higher-order technology uses and study of issues relevant to learner lives and situations. conclusion an analysis of the digital divide highlights how digital inequality compounds the discrimination faced by the poor and the technologically illiterate. education technology is accessible, available, and affordable only to certain privileged sections of the society in the education system. the deprived section excludes from the information society causing digital exclusion. the majority of the student population does not get access to the internet as they live in remote and interior villages. therefore, ict technology is inaccessible, unavailable, and unaffordable to the rural poor and the marginalized. this results in the gross neglect of the needs of the neediest. this is the challenge of digital inclusion and equity. research on performances in ict skills of students is, therefore, turned into research on the digital divide and digital inclusion. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 287 references anthonysamy, l., koo, c. & hew, h. 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(2017). the relation between 21st century skills and digital skills: a systematic literature review. computers in human behaviour, 72, 577-588. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 329 review article multimodal learning analytics (mmla) in education – a game changer for educators asha. s1 & joshith. v. p.2 1research scholar (first author), department of education, central university of kerala, periye (po), kasaragod, kerala email: ashasankar249@gmail.com 2professor (second author), department of education, central university of kerala periye (po), kasaragod, kerala abstract multimodal learning analytics (hereafter mmla) has developed as a potential educational strategy, utilising several data modalities to get deeper insights into students’ learning experiences. this article thoroughly examines mmla techniques and their use in educational settings. mmla provides a comprehensive knowledge of learners’ behaviours, interactions, and cognitive processes by combining different data sources such as video, audio, gesture, and physiological data. the article opens with a quick introduction to learning analytics and its growing importance in learning environments. it goes over how to use multimodal data, including gaze, facial expressions, body language, and activity, to get insight into student engagement and collaboration patterns. wearable gadgets and sensors enhance mmla by collecting physiological data and providing insights into students’ emotional moods, cognitive load, and physical involvement. moreover, the article explores the use of kinect sensors for body language tracking. the study findings concluded on the feasibility of using mmla through a learning analytics model for higher education. educators can receive meaningful insights from mmla by leveraging its power to optimise teaching practises, develop personalised learning experiences, and identify students who may require more support. integrating different data modalities enables educators and researchers to make better-informed decisions, paving the path for a more successful and learner-centred education system. keywords: multimodal learning analytics, learning analytics, multimodal data, microsoft kinect introduction technology has significantly impacted the way learning is assessed in classrooms. online tests, interactive whiteboards, and educational apps have replaced conventional teaching methods. this has made it possible for teachers to evaluate their students in an engaging and effective way. technology integration has improved assessments by making them faster, more adaptive, and more personalised. generally speaking, technology has transformed the assessment process, giving teachers more precise insights into student learning and assisting students in realising their full potential. teachers can use the recently popular learning analytics tools to examine student data, identify learning gaps, and alter instruction. learning analytics (hereafter la) refers to the measurement, collection, analysis, and reporting of data about learners and their learning contexts for understanding and optimizing learning and the environment in which it occurs (siemens & baker, 2012). in simpler indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 330 terms, la combines student data with intelligent analysis to improve student performance. learning analytics seeks to comprehend and enhance learning (ochoa & worsley, 2016). past learning analytics research has produced practical data-driven strategies that help educators understand and assess their efforts and innovations in designing learning activities (lockyer & dawson, 2012). most studies on learning analytics and educational data mining (eda) have focused on cognitive tutors and online courses. these systems are highly structured and can only be used through interactions that take place on a computer (perveen, 2018). cognitive tutors are computer programs that offer personalized guidance to students based on their progress (guo et al., 2021), while educational data mining refers to analysing educational data to understand learning patterns (alvarezgarcia et al., 2024; sarker et al., 2024). since many institutions of higher learning use la, it has been regarded as an emerging field of study that merits more investigation (guzmán-valenzuela et al., 2021). research studies have shown that online learners who frequently interacted with the learning analytics dashboard demonstrated greater academic performance (kokoç & kara, 2021). learning analytics can transform how we support learning processes, enhancing learning practises and leading to a deeper understanding of students’ learning experiences (viberg et al., 2018). figure 1 shows the basic architecture of the learning analytics process. figure-1: basic architecture of a learning analytics process (corner, 2022). academic achievement, student engagement, and behavioural data are just a few of the data types that la uses to pinpoint learning patterns, monitor student progress, and direct instructional decisions. by incorporating information from various sources, such as text, images, audio, and video, multimodal learning analytics broadens the possibility of this idea. multimodal learning analytics (mmla), as a new trend in learning analytics, leverages advances in multimodal data (e.g., speech, eye gaze, heart rate, and body movement data) to capture and mine learning processes and to address the challenges of investigating multiple, complex learning-relevant indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 331 constructs in learning scenarios (xu et al., 2023b). mmla may be defined as a set of techniques employing multiple sources of data (video, logs, text, artefacts, audio, gestures, biosensors) to examine learning in realistic, ecologically valid, social, mixed-media learning environments (mangaroska et al., 2020). the main goal of multimodal learning analytics (mmla) is to combine these various sources of learning traces into a single analysis (ochoa, 2017). mmla is a subdomain that aims to integrate various learning traces into la research and practice by emphasising understanding and optimising learning in digital and real-life circumstances where actions are not always facilitated over a computer or digital device. in mmla, learning evidence is gathered from various sources, including log files, electronic documents, audio and video recordings, pen movements, position tracking apparatus, biosensors, and other modalities useful for analysing or measuring learning. a more complete picture of the learner’s actions and internal state is presented by combining various modalities (blikstein, 2013). this paper discusses the theoretical aspects of learning analytics, its contributing factors, multimodal learning analytics, and the modalities and their application in education. background learning analytics (la) people have studied the teaching and learning processes for a very long time, kept track of pupil outcomes, looked over educational or professional data, made assessments, and used data to strengthen teaching and learning. building on these well-established fields, learning analytics uses computational analysis methods from data science and artificial intelligence (ai) to take advantage of the fresh possibilities presented by the collection of new types of digital data from students’ learning activities. learning analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of data about learners and their contexts, for purposes of understanding and optimising learning and the environments in which it occurs (what is learning analytics? society for learning analytics research (solar), n.d.). this broad definition of learning analytics was developed at the inaugural global meeting on learning analytics and knowledge (lak’11) of the society for learning analytics and research (solar). learning analytics employs data analysis techniques to comprehend students’ performance, engagement, and learning habits. then, decisions are made with these insights in mind and educational practices are enhanced. the whole process is typically illustrated using clow’s (2013) learning analytic cycle: understanding learning and learners, collecting data, defining metrics, and deriving interventions aimed to optimizing the educational processes (nistor & hernández-garcíac, 2018). let’s see how a traditional la operate in a university context. a university, for instance, wants to raise student retention rates and pinpoint the elements that influence student achievement. they implement learning analytics by gathering information from various sources, such as student grades, course attendance, online interactions, and library usage. the university learns from data analysis that students who regularly attend classes, participate in online discussions, and use library resources typically have better grades and higher retention rates. they also discover a link between lower overall student performance and courses with low student satisfaction ratings. the university makes several decisions in light of these revelations. they start by implementing targeted interventions, indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 332 like sending tailored notifications to students who frequently miss class, giving struggling students extra support, and enticing students to participate in online discussions. these interventions are designed to boost student engagement, attendance, and learning outcomes. second, the university reviews the teaching strategies and curriculum for the courses with low student satisfaction. to increase student engagement and satisfaction, they take feedback from the students into account, alter the course material, and add more interactive learning activities. the university can identify trends and patterns in student behaviour and performance using learning analytics. this enables them to take proactive measures, tailor the educational experience, and make decisions based on the best information available to increase student success and the calibre of education. a summary of the above example is illustrated in figure 2. figure-2: learning analytics cycle (khalil, m; ebner, 2015) in order to understand the past, present, future, and potential outcomes, la employs the methodologies of descriptive analytics, diagnostic analytics, predictive analytics, and prescriptive analytics (figure 3). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 333 figure-3: types of learning analytics (athmika, 2019) there are numerous benefits of having la in education, like identifying target courses, curriculum improvement, determining student learning outcomes and keys for improvement, as well as personalised learning. the main issue with using la is that it only processes traditional data like log files and click stream data, where the computer is a key component in the process. as learning is not exclusively a computer-mediated process, analysis of these unimodal data will not give a complete picture of the learning trajectory. however, this gap is filled by taking multiple data modalities into consideration. thus, the infusion of different types of modalities in la research gave rise to a new dimension called multimodal learning analytics (mmla). before examining the specifics of what mmla entails, let’s take a broad look at multimodal data and the ways these are collected. in order to address the prospective growth of this emerging discipline, the following research questions were deeply studied to come up with certain valid conclusions in this area. research questions the thematic research on learning analytics tries to address the following research questions 1. what are the different factors contributing to developing the construct learning analytics theoretically? 2. how does learning analytics utilize the different modalities of data for predicting learner performance? method this review adopts a systematic approach to identify and synthesize the theories that contribute to the development of learning analytics, focusing on how different modes of data collection can be leveraged to optimise learning outcomes. by systematically analysing the literature, this review highlights the theoretical underpinnings that have shaped learning analytics research, particularly in multimodal learning analytics (mmla). the primary objective indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 334 is to explore the contributing factors that help develop domain learning analytics. the paper then addresses the role of learning analytics in utilising the different modalities of data and how multimodal learning analytics applies to learning environments. the review emphasizes theoretical contributions and frameworks from prior research to better understand the evolution of learning analytics as a field, particularly how data-driven insights have been applied to enhance personalized learning and improve educational outcomes. data sources and search strategy to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the theoretical aspects of learning analytics, a systematic search was conducted across two major academic databases: scopus and google scholar. these databases were chosen due to their extensive multidisciplinary research coverage and relevance to educational technology and analytics studies. the search was limited to peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers published between 2010 and 2022 to capture the field’s most relevant advancements and theoretical developments during this period. a broad range of keywords and search terms were employed to encompass various aspects of learning analytics, including the use of multimodal data. the key search terms used were: “multimodal learning analytics”, “k-12 classrooms”, “learning analytics tools”, “data collection methods in learning analytics”, “educational data mining”, and “theoretical models in learning analytics”. these terms were combined using boolean operators (and, or) to refine the search results and ensure coverage of different perspectives and approaches to learning analytics. for example, “multimodal learning analytics” and “k-12 classrooms” was used to specifically target studies related to the k-12 educational context, while “learning analytics tools” or “educational data mining” was used to broaden the scope of tools and methods used to collect and analyse student data. the search strategy ensured that both specific and general learning analytics models were captured to provide a holistic view of the theoretical landscape. inclusion and exclusion criteria the inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to filter relevant studies for the review. studies were selected based on the following: inclusion criteria 1. studies focused on theoretical or conceptual development in learning analytics or multimodal learning analytics. 2. peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers published between 2010 and 2022. 3. research that addressed the use of learning analytics in k-12 classrooms. 4. articles that discussed various modes of data collection (e.g., gaze, body language, facial expression, etc.) and their application in optimizing learning outcomes. 5. studies that included models, frameworks, or theories relevant to learning analytics or data integration. exclusion criteria 1. articles not directly addressing theoretical aspects of learning analytics. 2. studies focusing exclusively on higher education or adult learning environments unrelated to k-12 settings. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 335 3. non-peer-reviewed sources, including reports, book chapters, or editorials. 4. papers that did not provide substantial contributions to the development of theoretical constructs in learning analytics. a systematic search was conducted across multiple academic databases, including scopus and google scholar. the search was limited to journal articles and conference papers published between 2010 and 2022. keywords and search terms such as “multimodal learning analytics, k-12 classrooms, learning analytics tools” were combined with boolean operators (from the scopus database) to capture a broad range of relevant studies. data synthesis and analysis a narrative synthesis approach was adopted to integrate the findings of the selected studies. the focus was on identifying recurring theoretical themes, such as how learning analytics frameworks have evolved to incorporate multimodal data and how these developments have impacted learning outcomes. studies were grouped based on the following themes: 1. theoretical models of learning analytics. 2. the role of different data types (gaze, body language, facial expression) in enhancing learning outcomes. 3. theoretical frameworks that support integrating learning analytics tools in k-12 classrooms. where applicable, the review highlights how including multimodal data has contributed to more personalized and adaptive learning experiences, particularly through continuously monitoring students’ learning processes. development of learning analytics: contributing factors due to the growing accessibility of enormous databases of student learning data, la can be extensively used to track and analyse student learning in greater detail and depth than ever before. following the pandemic, there has also been a worldwide rise in interest in individualised learning. the emergence of novel educational technologies like learning management systems (lms) and virtual learning environments (vles) have widened the avenues for data collection through learning analytics. besides, the following are five distinctive areas depicted by the ‘learning analytics in higher education adoption model’ that have contributed to the theoretical framework of la in higher education (lester et al., 2017a). 1. organizational theory 2. technology alignment and adoption 3. faculty/advisor beliefs and behaviours 4. student use and action 5. ethics and privacy organizational theory learning analytics is a juncture where man and machines intersect, so a good structure in the organization is required. even though la can do wonders in the educational field, organizations do face some difficulties in adopting this latest technology. these hurdles include  a lack of interest, time, money, training, incentives etc. (lester et al., 2017). organizational theory in the la context indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 336 suggests the significance of having good institutional preparation and an institutional commitment. technology alignment and adoption the most popular technology adoption models that are relevant to la are the technology adoption model (tam) (venkatesh & davis, 2000) and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (utaut). according to the utaut (venkatesh et al., 2003) theoretical model, behavioural intention influences how technology is actually used. the direct impact of four main constructs, including performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions, determines the anticipated likelihood of adopting the technology. age, gender, experience, and voluntariness of use all act as moderators of the influence of predictors (lester et al., 2017b; venkatesh et al., 2003). though educational institutions strive to get higher ranks through improved academic outcomes for their students, they are less enthusiastic about imbibing this latest technology. the sooner the institutions align with la, the better the outcomes. faculty/advisor beliefs and behaviours today, la allows teachers to effectively scaffold and support students’ digital learning. for that, teachers must be highly proficient in digital technology and have mastered the communication, cooperation, creativity, and problemsolving abilities necessary for 21stcentury learning to succeed. however, teachers need help understanding the linked digital pedagogical practises and subject-matter expertise and how the technological components might be utilised to promote learning (sheffield et al., 2018). therefore, education professionals’ decisions to incorporate novel practises, like la, into their pedagogical practises are heavily influenced by their professional beliefs and the behaviours that go along with them (lester et al., 2017a). student use and action the major beneficiaries of any teachinglearning process are the learners. though la tools greatly help instructors, the major advantage is what they offer to students. la provides learners with real-time feedback while interacting with a personalized learning dashboard (arnold & pistilli, 2012). this helps students understand their learning progress comprehensively (lester et al., 2017b). ethics and privacy following worries from governments, stakeholders, and civil rights organisations about privacy and the ethics involved in the handling of personal data, the widespread adoption of learning analytics (la) and educational data mining (edm) has recently slowed down and, in some notable cases, even been reversed (drachsler & greller, 2016). the learning analytics community exchange (lace) has developed an 8-item checklist named as delicate checklist that operationalizes essential ideas and inquiries for privacy and ethics in learning analytics (ferguson et al., 2016). the delicate checklist assists in identifying potential barriers to the adoption of learning analytics and the implementation of reliable learning analytics for higher education (see figure 4). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 337 figure-4: delicate checklist for trusted learning analytics (drachsler & greller, 2016) multimodal data traditional learning analytics typically use unidimensional data (schwendimann et al., 2017), out of which most learning management systems utilising click stream data have their own limitations. real learning is complex, so the learner’s behaviour, cognition, and learning contexts are equally important. digital data, physical data, physiological data, psychometric data, and environment data are the categories under which the data in mmla fall (mu et al., 2020). for instance, audio, video, electrodermal activity data, eye-tracking, user logs, and clickstream data are typical examples of such multimodal data (blikstein & worsley, 2016). following are some of the different modes of data that are relevant for learning, though the list is incomplete. gaze gaze means to look at something steadily and intently, especially something that indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 338 arouses curiosity and attention, which is a necessary component of learning. the attention level can be assessed using an eye tracker, just like a teacher assessing the students during a demonstration or a lecture. the main methods for recording gaze are monitor-mounted eye-trackers and special eye-tracking glasses, which are invasive and too expensive to be extensively used in educational settings. past research used video recordings for gaze capturing in mmla (raca & dillenbourg, 2013). they created a multi-camera system to record teacher actions and student reactions during class. a portable eye tracker worn by the instructor, a quantitative feedback form, and detailed conversations with students about how the lessons they took and their participation affected them were used to supplement the data. a camera, or a collection of cameras, was assigned to record the subject(s)’ head and eyes. the gaze direction information is extracted from the video recording using computer vision techniques. recently, online gaze recording software has made tasks much easier and more economical in terms of cost. body language (gesture, posture and body movements) figure-5: tracking body language using a sensor in an educational setting, body language is the non-verbal form of communication that involves gestures, posture, body movements, physical clues, etc., between a learner and the learning material, between the learners, and between the learner and the teacher. figure 5 shows the tracking of students’ body language in a classroom. because of the reasonable ease of taking video in real-life surroundings, as well as the accessibility of affordable 2-d and 3-d sensors and efficient computer vision algorithms for feature mining, posture, gesticulations, and motion, have been the modes most frequently studied in mmla (figure 2). the most common device used for automatic extraction of human motion is the microsoft kinect (zhang, 2012). through a mixture of video and depth capture, kinect (figure 6) can provide researchers with a reconstructed skeleton of the subject for each captured frame, which is ideal for capturing body postures and gestures (“handbook of learning analytics,” 2017). newer versions of the kinect sensor can also extract hand gestures (andres vasquez et al., 2015). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 339 figure-6: microsoft kinect device and its sensors action the primary application of action footage and investigation in mmla is expertise assessment. for example, the analysis of hand and wrist movement can determine the level of expertise in an engineering building activity (blikstein, 2014). the percentage of time a learner uses a calculator when solving mathematical problems can be measured (ochoa et al., 2013). in problem-solving sessions, (ochoa et al., 2013) tracked the position and angle of the calculator (figure 7). the student using the calculator at that specific frame in the video was then inferred from the position and angle of the calculator (“handbook of learning analytics,” 2017). figure-7: determination of calculator use for expertise estimation (ochoa et al., 2013) facial expression facial expressions are also a form of nonverbal communication that conveys a learner’s immediate thoughts and emotions about a learning experience. in an educational environment, facial expression tracking is the process of capturing and analysing students’ facial expressions during learning activities indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 340 to acquire insights into their emotional states, engagement levels, and cognitive processes. in this context, facial expression tracking entails detecting and analysing student facial movements, muscle contractions, and expressions using technology such as cameras or specialised facial recognition software. these technologies can recognise a variety of facial expressions, such as happiness, sadness, surprise, rage, and others. multimodal learning analytics tries to identify how students respond to learning materials, interactions with classmates, or instructional tactics by tracking facial expressions. it can reveal important information regarding students’ emotional engagement, degrees of interest or boredom, and potential sources of confusion or frustration. data from facial expression monitoring can be integrated with other modalities, such as audio analysis, gaze tracking, or interaction patterns, to provide a more complete understanding of students’ learning experiences. tracking facial expressions using a video camera is the most economical way of doing it in a real classroom. multimodal learning analytics (mmla) in education by its very nature, learning is frequently multimodal. learning can be achieved through any form of interaction between people where considerably complicated data can be encoded, including studying a text, attending a lecture, observing an event via electronic or physical tools, and other modes of human interaction (“handbook of learning analytics,” 2017). a student gesticulating in agreement when a teacher asks if the lesson has been grasped or the instructor highlighting a point during an explanation are just two examples of feedback loops that are used in the learning process. although they typically encode less complex information, these feedback modes are crucial to the process. traces of interactions occurring in each relevant mode should be obtained if learning is to be analysed, understood, and optimised (ochoa, 2017). multimodal learning analytics (mmla), as a new trend in learning analytics, leverages advances in multimodal data (e.g., speech, eye gaze, heart rate, body movement data) to capture and mining learning processes and address the challenges of investigating multiple, complex learning-relevant constructs in learning scenarios (xu et al., 2023a). mmla may be defined as a set of techniques employing multiple sources of data (video, logs, text, artefacts, audio, gestures, gaze, biosensors) to examine learning in realistic, ecologically valid, social, mixed-media learning environments (mangaroska et al., 2020; ochoa, 2017). it emphasizes extracting these data from various modes of communication, irrespective of the medium on which they are encoded or recorded (ochoa, 2017). a promising method has been described as the combination of physiological information from the central nervous system (e.g., electroencephalography, or eeg) and external behaviours (e.g., eye movements) (zheng et al., 2019). recent research has demonstrated that combining multimodal data streams significantly improves accuracy and yields more user experience insights (zheng et al., 2019). for context-aware environments, for instance, brain and eye movement signals convey significant information about users’ social and emotional information (lee & anderson, 2017). so, one research challenge is to use data-driven insights and multimodal user data to design skills that back human learning. whether an action is finished, the user creates rich information frequently overlooked when developing learning-supporting indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 341 technologies (e.g., facial expression, eye movement, and brain activity). the term ‘multimodality’ might have been used since learners use various approaches to construct their knowledge. multimodal learning analytics can be used to realize how successfully learners practice the prospects aimed at learning. multimodal data from wearables and online courses, on the one hand, enables more precise statements about the specific learning scenario, and, on the other, it increases students’ personal perceptions of emotional states (andrade et al., 2016), their perception of stress, and their sense of well-being or energy (ciolacu & svasta, 2021). this method offers educators more opportunities for individualised instruction and student support while enabling a more thorough understanding of student learning. integrating learning analytics and multimodal learning analytics can revolutionise education by enabling teachers to make data-based decisions and improve student learning outcomes. mmla emphasises group projects, hands-on activities, and face-to-face interactions  while downplaying the computer screen as the primary object of the interface. though the role of computers cannot be completely removed, the advantage of having compact, innovative computational devices like wearables, microcomputers, etc., is that they may be easily integrated with any complex learning environment. results & discussion in this paper we have identified certain contributing factors for the theoretical development of learning analytics in higher education. they are organizational theory, technology alignment and adoption, faculty/ advisor beliefs and behaviours, student use and action, ethics and privacy. this is on par with what lester et al. (2017a) have described as the main areas of la in the higher education model. apart from the aforesaid technical components, ethics and privacy should also be given due concern while dealing with student data. drachsler & greller (2016). the second research question was to analyse how learning analytics utilizes the different modalities of data for predicting learner performance. the use of multimodal data, including gaze, facial expressions, body language, and activity, can give insight into student engagement and collaboration patterns. blikstein and worsley (2016) list audio, video, electrodermal activity data, eyetracking, user logs, and click-stream data as typical examples of multimodal data. wearable gadgets and sensors enhance mmla by collecting physiological data and providing insights into students’ emotional moods, cognitive load, and physical involvement. conclusion at present, multimodal learning analytics is the most modern and potential form of learning analytics because it allows for the analysis of natural means of learning and interaction patterns during learning activities that are individual-based or group-based. it utilises all available sources for data (motion, conversation, gestures, writing, online logs, etc.) for enhanced comprehension of the learning process, offline or online. the introduction of sensors allows for the micro-level refinement of the physical data collected, like the angle of head movement and finger movement on the display. educators and researchers can use this multimodal method to investigate the relationships between facial expressions and various learning outcomes, instructional tactics, or pedagogical interventions. it has the potential to assist educators in improved understanding of pupils’ learning pathways as well as cognitive indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 342 functioning, even in compound and open-ended educational settings. multimodal learning analytics data can inform instructional decisionmaking, allowing educators to alter their teaching strategies, provide personalised feedback, or identify students needing further support. meanwhile, when tracking various data in educational contexts, it is critical to keep ethical factors such as student privacy and informed consent in mind. references alvarez-garcia, m., arenas-parra, m., & ibar-alonso, r. 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(2019). emotionmeter: a multimodal framework for recognizing human emotions. ieee transactions on cybernetics, 49(3), 1110–1122. https://doi.org/10.1109/tcyb.2018.2797176 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 159 research article qualitative investigation into the mental health effects of social media among educated individuals annu biswas1& shinjan ghosh2 1assistant professor of psychology, department of psychology, school of health and medical sciences, adamas university, kolkata email: annu1.biswas@adamasuniversity.ac.in 2shinjan ghosh: licensed clinical psychologist (rci no. a90691), assistant professor, department of psychology, school of health and medical sciences, adamas university, kolkata abstract in today’s digital era, social media has become an integral part of daily life, offering both opportunities and challenges for mental health. while it fosters social connections and provides platforms for sharing experiences, it also exposes users to risks like cyberbullying, information overload, and unhealthy comparisons. this qualitative study explores the nuanced relationship between social media usage and mental health within the educated bengali community, focusing on individuals who engage with social media regularly and have experienced its negative effects. using purposive sampling, seven participants aged 35 to 45 were selected, each with a minimum of two hours of daily social media usage and prior negative exposure. a focus group discussion was conducted, and the data was thematically analyzed to uncover both positive and negative perceptions of social media’s impact on mental health. key findings reveal the dual nature of social media, highlighting its role in emotional support and mental health awareness, as well as concerns related to low self-esteem, cyberbullying, and social media addiction. the study emphasizes the need for digital literacy, early intervention, and responsible content creation as strategies to mitigate these risks. keywords: social media, mental health, educated users’ perspectives, qualitative analysis introduction a fundamental aspect of almost everybody’s lives in the 21st century is the technological advancement of media (nesi, 2020). a showground within the world of electronic media consists of internet services on telecommunication devices such as phones, instant messaging applications, interactive multiplayer video games, virtual reality sites, social networks, emails, and the list is endless. the young generation of the new millennium is the first to grow up with what is considered technology. people are immersed in a world of social media. this generation is “always connected” when they enter the critical mental and physical growth developmental stages. they have constant exposure and interaction with cell phones, computers and the internet (vaingankar et al., 2022). one very crucial and prominently most important feature that technology accompanies is that the millennial now finds it very easy to remain attached to friends, family, and acquaintances, thereby creating a large social network and sphere of influence. they are used to staying in touch with relatives on a more regular basis and find that they need constant social interaction when going about everyday activities (khalaf et al., 2023). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 160 it is proposed that the alluring prospects of advanced technology constitute what is termed a relatively safe place to have social interaction without requiring the social skills demanded in in-person interaction (zsila & meyes, 2023). the environment of social media might provide a comfortable setting for an introverted or shy child to interact with peers. it is believed to contribute a stage for everybody to remain connected to relatives, with updates about the events in their lives. on the contrary, critics argue that one concerning aspect of growing up in this century is the desensitization to aspects that were formerly understood as taboo (daneback et al., 2018). with the increased participation in this shared virtual social space and the open web available as an instant tool, many have been subjected to a myriad of content that some would deem not inappropriate, such as pictures and videos of violence, pornographic material, language and conversation that includes lewd or obscene content, notorious social issues and more (nicklin et al., 2020). controversy has it that there are psychological and societal repercussions that might be consequent from repeated and regular participation in social media. advanced equipment is a hiding room for the destructive and often lethal bullycyberspace (kaloeti et al., 2021). it is the utilization of the internet or other digital devices such as emails, messaging, texts, networking websites, web pages, blogs, chat rooms or interactive game sites to send negative and harmful messages and images. social media presents a virtual, unreachable world in which others may find an easy platform for cyber bullying, particularly sex badgering (finkelhor et al., 2022). cyber-bullying is relational aggression intended to make the victim feel frightened, humiliated, helpless, and too often hopeless (giumetti et al., 2022). it can be anonymously done. perpetrators can torture and harass without detection. it can be conducted 24/7, and it constantly appears on the phone and computer that a young person uses on a daily basis. it assaults privacy boundaries in a way that magnifies horror as it makes damaging materials public to an infinite audience who can instantly download, save or forward them to others. statistics reveal every 25 per cent of students from 6th grade and above have been exposed to virtual bullying in the united states (peebles. e, 2014). ncrb data accounts state that cybercrimes in india increased by 63.48 per cent from 2018 to 2019, which saw an expansion of 12.32 per cent in 2020 (kaur et al., 2023). perpetrators usually engage in social sabotage of others. girls are twice as likely victims than boys. on the other hand, boys are further expected to target girls and less aggressive males. sexual and homophobic harassment is emerging as a prevalent aspect of cyberbullying (elipe et al., 2017). cyberbullying is most prevalent among 15 and 16-year-olds, and the more that young people share their identities and thoughts on social networking sites such as myspace and facebook, the more likely they are to be targeted than those who do not use the sites. one of the consequences of virtual sexual harassment is the dismissal by many young adults that it’s not a valid form of harassment (biber et al, 2002). while the scope of sexual harassment has changed greatly with the popularity of social media, education among teens has not. often, the traditional teachings and warnings of previous generation are the standards by which children now-a-days gauge the seriousness of the situation (bozzola et al, 2022). if they haven’t been touched inappropriately or lived in person, they may not recognize the violation as harassment. also, many cases remain under-reported as with indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 161 reporting, one may face the public embarrassment and humiliation that might ensue with online sexual bullying (aitchison et al., 2021). what was formerly taken as confidential and delicate has now become public for all eyes to see. even though there are numerous aspects to sexual relationships that go beyond virtual flirting and visual objectification of bodies, assumptions have it that young people of this age are becoming indifferent to the knowledge and are indulgent in things that are not meant to blast out to the public. however, extremely private affairs are published on various social media platforms or pornographic websites as a form of revenge porn (walker et al., 2017). also, it is not yet fully understood whether online discussions and contents of a sexual nature are desensitizing personal, emotional and physical implications of sex in the young generation, leading to sexual dysfunction in extreme cases (park et al., 2016). youthful communities may find themselves lacking or unworthy when exposed to photos and videos of naked models and pornography stars; this is another major concern. unease due to body image is more virulent than ever. it isn’t known to what extent the social media is or is not inflicting a plethora of self doubt and physical insecurity (jiotsa et al., 2021). since there is no interactional evidence prevalent in the culture and neither such data exists in the scientific community due to ethical restraints, it is not known how young people feel and know what is appropriate and what isn’t in case of sexual bullying and if they feel confident of what’s okay and what isn’t while using social media. whether and to what extent the young generation is aware of maintaining a privacy boundary for their safety isn’t entirely comprehended, despite knowing that the internet is a permanent place of online content and everything leaves a digital footprint (olinder et al., 2020). once things are out on the internet, they can remain there indefinitely. only those who experience and live with social media on a day-to-day basis can explain to what extent it is an obligation or mess of their lives. the force of social media that it imposes through its pros and cons in real life needs to be pictured so that the uncertainty and vagueness about its impact can be made distinctive and sharpened, which is not possible unless the speculations mentioned above are approached with an aim to providing a scientific answer regarding “how and what” in the media impacts the perception of the real world of these individuals. this will lead to effective measures that can be taken to protect the youth from the supposed disadvantages. justification for the study the paucity of in-depth understanding of how impact of social media is perceived, especially among educated and informed classes of the society who have faced negative consequences themselves, directs towards a need for better comprehension. it is essential to know how they interpret the weight of social media on their own mental health and the measures to tackle its impact. therefore, this research paper attempted to understand how the “educated section” of society “using social media on a regular basis” and “had formerly experienced negative events” using it “perceive social media usage, its negative & positive influences on mental health and possible interventions in the present” that can be further proposed for policy changes. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 162 aim of the study this study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of how individuals representing the educated section of the bengali society with negative exposure to social media perceive the impact of social media on mental health and probable suggestions they have as interventions for dealing with it. research methodology to convene the objective of the study, a focused group discussion (fgd) was performed, as this method is appropriate for presenting impending and original postulations, participants’ views and opinions. the interview was carried out on a sample of 7 partakers chosen through purposive sampling and the researcher moderated throughout the interview. table 1: characteristics of the participants participant 1 gender and origin: male, west bengal age and profession: 35 years, research scholar educational level: phd (pursuing) social media usage daily: yes, history of being cyber stalked hours of social media usage: more than 10 waking hours participant 2 gender and origin: male, west bengal age and profession: 37 years, marketing manager educational level: mba social media usage daily: yes, history of online sexual harassment. hours of social media usage: more than 15 waking hours participant 3 gender and origin: female, west bengal age and profession: 39 years, school teacher (pgt) educational level: masters, m.ed social media usage daily: yes, history of account being hacked. hours of social media usage: 6-8 waking hours participant 4 gender and origin: female, west bengal age and profession: 42 years, physician (dermatologist) educational level: mbbs, md dermatology social media usage daily: yes, history of both children with cyber bullying hours of social media usage: 2 – 2.5 hours roughly participant 5 gender and origin: female, west bengal age and profession: 45 years, consultant clinical psychologist educational level: m.phil in clinical psychology social media usage daily: yes, deals with clients of internet addiction hours of social media usage: 6-7 hours daily participant 6 gender and origin: male, west bengal age and profession: 41 years, social media influencer educational level: ma social media usage daily: yes, had identity theft & misuse on social media hours of social media usage: 1416 hours, heavy use. participant 7 gender and origin: female, west bengal age and profession: 43 years, researcher educational level: phd, postdoc social media usage daily: yes, history of internet addiction hours of social media usage: 3-4 hours daily description: the participants selected had past negative exposure to social media usage, the highest educational qualification being a masters's degree in a relevant discipline and the age range of 35 to 45 years. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 163 inclusion and exclusion criteria y participants for the study were chosen based on the following inclusion criteria: y having regular social media use with at least 2 hours of daily engagement y prior negative experiences from social media usage y minimum educational qualification of masters in any relevant area y age range: 3545 years y must belong to the bengali community exclusion criteria y anybody not giving consent to participate in the study y anyone with prior experience of partaking in a similar kind of research activity data collection and analysis the questions for the interview were pre-decided by the researcher; new questions were data-driven and were prompted by the researcher during the interview process. the interview took place under controlled conditions at an official setup. the duration of the interview was 40 minutes. the language used for the interview was english. the complete interview was recorded in audio format with the consent of the participants and transcribed later for analysis purposes. the data was thematically analyzed to generate themes and sub-themes for an in-depth understanding of the perceived impact of social media on mental health among the sample. the raw data was structured into codes and themes as per the steps as follows: • familiarizationthe researcher read the transcripts multiple times to get accustomed to the data • identifying thematic frameworkto support the theory-based strategy of positive & negative social media impact on mental health and possible interventions, a thematic framework was followed. • indexingadditional codes and themes were derived from the data • mappingquotes from the interview were assigned under codes, and these codes were rearranged to the right theme. • interpretationfinally, with the analysis, the process was completed. this method has been adapted from the framework model to ease data collection and investigation for the current exploration (pope et al., 2000). lastly, findings have been compared and corroborated with the available literature. ethical considerations were duly maintained in terms of informed consent, prior agreement for participation and confidentiality of the participants’ identity throughout the interview as well as during transcription of data and analysis process. results the verbatim references provided insights into the participants’ views and experiences, illustrating the main themes of the discussion. based on the verbatim references provided in the focused group discussion on how social media impacts youth mental health, several sub-themes have been identified within the main themes. these sub-themes have offered a more detailed understanding of the participants’ perspectives. the data is represented as below: indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 164 table 2: optimistic perception among the participants theme sub theme illustrative quotes from the interview positive impact of social media emotional support and connection “i think social media can be a platform for emotional support and connection. it helps young people like me to find like-minded individuals and communities that can provide a sense of belonging.” (p1) dissemination of mental health information “i agree. it also allows for the propagation of mental health information and resources, which can be beneficial for youth seeking help or information.” (p3) raising awareness to reduce stigma “social media can be a powerful tool for raising awareness of mental health issues. i have seen that actually. it’s a platform where young people can share their stories and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health.” (p6) table 3: harmful aspects of social media theme sub theme illustrative quotes from the interview concerns and negative impacts comparison and low selfesteem "one concern i have is the constant comparison that happens on social media. young people often compare their lives to the curated and idealized versions they see online, which can lead to feelings of inadequacy and low selfesteem." (p2) cyberbullying "i'm worried about cyberbullying. my children have faced online harassment, and i've seen the devastating impact it can have on their mental well-being." (p4) anxiety and depression due to pressure to conform "as a mental health counsellor, i've noticed that excessive social media use can contribute to anxiety and depression, especially when young people feel pressured to maintain a certain image or keep up with trends." (p5) balancing online and offline lives to reduce risk of addiction "i think there's also a risk of addiction. social media platforms are designed to keep users engaged, and some young people may struggle to find a healthy balance between online and offline life." (p6) sleep disturbances "from a research perspective, i've seen studies linking heavy social media use to sleep disturbances and reduced face-to-face social interactions, which can impact overall mental well-being." (p7) information overload due to overwhelming content "i've observed that social media can sometimes lead to information overload. young people are bombarded with news, opinions, and images, which can be overwhelming and contribute to stress." (p3) fear of missing out (fomo) and anticipating social exclusion "additionally, the fear of missing out is real. seeing others' seemingly exciting lives and experiences online has made many of my friends, family and even i feel left out, which can negatively affect our mental health." (p1) indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 165 table 4: prospective suggestions theme sub theme illustrative quotes from the interview potential solutions and strategies digital detox and screen time management "to address fomo and comparison, it's crucial for individuals to practice digital detox and limit their screen time. encouraging young people to take breaks from social media can help them regain perspective." (p1) education and digital literacy "schools can play a role by including digital literacy and mental health education in the curriculum. teaching students how to critically evaluate online content and manage their digital well-being is essential." (p3) open communication "parents should maintain open communication with their children about their online experiences. creating a safe space where kids can talk about any issues they encounter online is vital." (p4) early intervention "as mental health professionals, we should be proactive in offering support and resources for youth dealing with social media-related stress. early intervention can make a significant difference." (p5) responsible content creation "content creators, like myself, should be mindful of the impact our content can have on young audiences. promoting authenticity, positivity, and responsible online behavior is essential." (p6) policy considerations for content moderation "policymakers can consider regulations or guidelines for social media platforms to encourage responsible content moderation and limit the exposure of young users to harmful content." (p7) promoting offline activities "encouraging offline activities and hobbies is crucial. schools and parents can promote extracurricular activities that allow young people to disconnect from screens and engage in real-life experiences." (p2) table 5: role of consumers theme sub theme illustrative quotes from the interview collaborative approach youth involvement "absolutely, and it's also crucial for young people themselves to be part of this conversation and advocate for their own well-being." (p1) discussion table 2 is reflective of participant quotes depicting their “perception regarding the positive impact of social media” on youth mental health. the chief sub-themes that have been distinguished are three in number with supportive verbatim data. the indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 166 first eminent sub-theme, “emotional support and connection”, provides insight into participants’ understanding of reasons for dependency on social media as they attribute its usefulness to discovering like-minded individuals and communities that provide them with a sense of belongingness. literature corroborating this finding indicates that social media is a place where youth seek meaningful connections that, over time, displace the social reality of youth, which consists of face-to-face enriching and deeper social interactions (smith et al., 2021). another sub-theme, “dissemination of mental health information,” is indicative that youth who seek mental health supervision for psychological issues they deal with often seek information from social media as they consider it as beneficial. this finding, too, is confirmed in literature as studies have shown a high level of reliability that youth develop towards information that is being circulated over social media (majerczak et al., 2022). however, when information is pertaining to physical and mental health, the credibility of these is much in speculation due to factors such as internet bots, fake accounts, clickbaits, filter bubbles, and even internet trolls (buckels et al., 2014). the third sub-theme, “raising awareness”, is reflective that youth perceive social media as a platform for sharing stories and reducing stigma surrounding mental health. this belief among youth is authenticated through a unique literature stating that there is a strong positive relationship between the components of social media campaigns, public awareness and behavioural change, and hence with this scope, youth might opt to share over social media, their personal experiences for better reach and spreading knowledge (abuhashesh et al., 2021) table 3 pertains to “concerns and negative impacts of social media on mental health” as perceived by the participants. there have been 7 subthemes identified under this broader theme that have emerged from the data. participants suggested that today’s youth engage in comparing themselves constantly with whatever they see online. if the comparisons lead to the realization that one is not close to how one is supposed to be with respect to the ideal conceptualizations of self, it leads to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. this finding is supported by studies suggestive of social media usage leading to depression, feelings of isolation and shrinking self-esteem (andrade et al., 2023). participants raised concerns regarding cyberbullying and its devastating impact on mental well-being due to extreme online harassment that is faced by youth today, especially teenagers who are novices on social media usage. this finding is confirmed through major studies stating that adolescents who underwent online harassment developed depressive symptoms compared to those who were never exposed to cyberspace nuisance (maurya et al., 2022). participants expressed that the propensity to develop psychiatric conditions, such as anxiety and depression, is prevalent among young people with excessive social media use. the pressure to conform has been reasoned as the cause for it, which means youth often face the pressure to uphold a certain image to keep up with the trends to maintain their status quo within society. investigational studies showing how peer pressure considerably predicted adolescents’ addictive usage of social media and consequent co-morbid psychiatric states support this notion held by the participants (xu et al., 2023). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 167 participants emphasized that the engaging design of social media platforms keeps the users engaged and can cause addictive tendencies. therefore, this necessity for a healthier balance between online and offline life has been pressed by the participants. a study by lin, su & potenza, 2018, suggests that online and offline integration is eminent to unite self-identity and interpersonal functioning supports this stance. also, it is suggestive that subjects practising a balance between online and offline life experience higher life fulfilment and lower internet dependence. it was opined by the participants that constant flow of news, opinions and images can get psychologically overwhelming and contribute to stress due to information overload. jiang & beaudoin, 2016 also suggested that individuals using social media face too much information or the complexity of information might go beyond processing capacity. the sub-theme of “fear of missing out (fomo)” is indicative that participants have experienced feelings of being left out if do not check their social media handles constantly. also, frequent monitoring of others’ seemingly exciting lives while not being in a capacity to experience the same, can direct towards the feelings of social exclusion and distress. this appends to the negative effect on mental health. consistent with this view, one study suggested raising awareness of the psychological effects of social media usage in consideration of social comparison and the precedential anxiety that results (alabri. a., 2022) table 4 comprises the theme of “potential solutions and strategies” as suggested and perceived by the participants. there are 6 sub-themes that have been identified under this theme with corresponding data. participants have proposed that taking breaks from social media is essential for regaining a balanced perspective towards self and others. reducing screen time, as per participants, is essential for digital detoxification. an expert study complements this belief as it states that boundless use of technology results in major physical and psychological disorders. so, digital detoxification needs to be sustained by old methods, such as gardening, artwork, and reading, in order to divert the mind from tech devices (bhattacharya et al., 2019). beginning from the school level, the importance of digital literacy in order to facilitate the critical evaluation of online content that one is exposed to and the consequent outcome on mental health has been argued by the participants. a relevant experimental study is indicative that with the introduction of digital literacy programs, there were reportedly larger improvements in functional skills and psychiatric outcomes amongst the populace with serious mental conditions due to excessive internet consumption (camacho, e. &torous, j. 2022). the importance of open parental communication has been acknowledged by the participants in order for children to share their online experiences without hesitation. they emphasized the significance of a safe space where concerns can be communicated without delay before it becomes a mental health issue. this area is quite underresearched as one bibliometric study highlights current research trends for cyber parental control and has mixed opinions regarding providing a safe internet environment by making parents practice control over using internet access (altarturi et al., 2020). as per participants, youth dealing with social media stress ought to be provided with early intervention in the form of psychological services like counselling, therapy and medications, whichever is necessary. also, proactive indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 168 support in terms of resources and accurate information regarding where to seek help needs to be given to make a noteworthy impact in their lives. although much of the literature doesn’t directly talk about any forms of psychotherapy designed to cater to social media or internet addiction, a review study is suggestive that cognitive restructuring and psychotherapeutic strategies might facilitate individuals tormented by social media addiction due to unmet needs for real-life relationship satisfaction (xuan et al., 2020). the necessity of responsible content creation to promote authenticity, positivity and mindful online behaviour on the part of users has been recommended by the participants. this recommendation is supported by literature stating that in today’s time, any online content or post has the capacity to quickly influence millions of people, especially adolescents with limited cognitive faculty, to judge the worth of the content, persuading people to do and not do certain behaviour (yuvarani et al., 2021). regulatory guiding principles for social media spaces to encourage responsible content upload to regulate and channel the exposure of harmful content to young users need to be under policy consideration as per participants. this notion is supported in the literature as essential elements for social media policy that have been identified but not implemented stringently are citizen conduct, legal issues, content, acceptable use and security (hrdinová et al., 2010). participants have the opinion that for young individuals, especially adolescents, encouraging offline activities and hobbies, & promoting extracurricular activities can allow them to disconnect from screens while engaging in real-life experiences. multiple studies confirm this view indicating that offline activities can enhance the quality of social relationships shared both online and offline (falavarjani et al., 2019). table 5 showcases the value of collaboration among the youth in advocating the significance of reasonable social media usage and subsequent mental health. while not much literature identifies the importance of youth involvement, nations have already been called upon to advocate actively and put mental health to the core front by the world health organization. mental health is the agenda can be put forward with the collective efforts of policymakers at the government level, advocacy groups, mental health professionals, families and organizations (funk et al., 2015). hence, anything, including excessive social media usage, that impacts mental health and subsequently alters physical health must not be taken lightly and should be proactively taken under advocacy initiatives. conclusion in concluding remarks, it can be affirmed that the current study provides an indepth understanding of how individuals who have had negative experiences with social media don’t necessarily view using social media as totally negative. rather, they have a balanced perspective and view the impact of using social media on mental health both positively and negatively. accordingly, they have suggested measures to tackle the negative exposure, most of which have been long-established through scientific investigations. it becomes essential, henceforth, to not take social media consumption for granted, as with good aspects, it comes with a myriad of negative exposure which has the full potential to impact one’s psychological health in a detrimental way. this research paper discusses the need to indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 169 seriously take advocacy of the internet and handling of social media with its psychological impact on policy changes. recommendations educational institutions and parents need to emphasize digital literacy programs that can help individuals critically evaluate online content. these programs should equip young users with the skills to discern credible information from misleading or harmful content. encouraging open, safe space and non-judgmental communication about online experiences is crucial. this can help in early interventions to prevent or tackle mental health concerns arising from social media use. it is essential to educate youth about the significance of balancing online and offline activities, and promote breaks from social media, diversifying offline hobbies and extracurricular activities that enhance mental health. psychological issues exacerbated by excessive social media use require intervention through services of counseling and therapy, and therefore, mental health advocacy is recommended. policymakers and social media platforms have to stringently implement regulatory guidelines that check answerable content creation and appropriate content upload. lastly, the youth of today is encouraged to advocate for responsible social media usage and mental health awareness as their voices will play a noteworthy role in influencing policy changes and public awareness campaigns. further scope of investigations future research can delve deeper into the existing regulatory guidelines and their effectiveness in protecting the youth from harmful content on social media in addition to overall online environment and user experiences prevalent in today’s time. the efficiency of digital literacy programs in equipping young minds with skills to critically evaluate online information can be assessed to highlight the impact of such programs on mental health outcomes. investigating the function of parental control and its consequence on creating a secure online atmosphere for children can be a valuable area of study. also, further studies can focus on the development and evaluation of specific interventions and psychotherapeutic strategies aimed at mitigating the result of excessive social media use on mental health. finally, an investigation into the involvement of youth in advocacy initiatives and the actual impact of their efforts on policy changes and mental health awareness is a promising area of study. references abuhashesh, m. y., al-dmour, h., masa’deh, r., salman, a., al-dmour, r., boguszewicz-kreft, m., &alamaireh, q. n. 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(2000) 320:114–6. doi: 10.1136/bmj.320.7227.114 vaingankar ja, van dam rm, samari e, chang s, seow e, chua yc, luo n, verma s, subramaniam m. social media-driven routes to positive mental health among youth: qualitative enquiry and concept mapping study. jmir pediatr parent. 2022 mar 4;5(1):e32758. doi: 10.2196/32758. pmid: 35254285; pmcid: pmc8933808. walker, k & sleath, e 2017, ‘a systematic review of the current knowledge regarding revenge pornography and non-consensual sharing of sexually explicit media’ aggression and indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 172 violent behavior, vol 36, no. september-october, pp. 9-24 https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j. avb.2017.06.010 xu, x., han, w., & liu, q. (2023). peer pressure and adolescent mobile social media addiction: moderation analysis of self-esteem and self-concept clarity. frontiers in public health, 11, 1115661. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1115661 xuan, y. j., & amat, m. a. c. 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(2021). the power of social persuasion–digital marketing for brands by the consumers using instagram reel during the pandemic period 202021. e-isbn, 41. zsila, á., reyes, m.e.s. pros & cons: impacts of social media on mental health. bmc psychol 11, 201 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-023-01243-x indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 390 review article adoption and impact of digital learning: insights from educational research gopika j. s.¹ & rekha r.v² ¹librarian, dr mgr janaki college of arts and science for women, chennai emailgopikajs332@gmail.com ²associate professor, department of library and information science, pondicherry university, puducherry abstract this comprehensive study explores the field of digital learning, following its development from jay cross’s ground breaking theories in 1999 to its current use and effects on educators and students. the study looks at the fundamentals of digital learning, adoption rates, and the attitudes and opinions of educators and students. it examines the various elements that affect the effective integration of digital learning, including the acceptance of new technologies, instructional approaches, and socioeconomic differences. in addition, it evaluates how the covid 19 pandemic affected digital learning, explaining the difficulties and possibilities it brought to the field of education. the study emphasises the significance of digital infrastructure, teacher training, and curricular integration in improving digital learning experiences. it emphasises the need to address hurdles, including uneven access to technology, teacher preparedness, and socioeconomic inequality, in order to promote a more inclusive digital learning environment. the paper also makes recommendations for ways to enhance digital learning for teachers and students, focusing on interactive platforms, thorough evaluation techniques, and ongoing improvement goals. additionally, the study points out important directions for further investigation, such as the ways in which digital learning might advance inclusion and equality, how well it works for kids with special needs, and how it affects students’ social-emotional learning outcomes. the collective outcome of this study endeavours to direct decision-makers, instructors, and interested parties towards improving digital learning methodologies, guaranteeing their effectiveness, inclusiveness, and involvement in the educational environment. keywords: digital learning, covid 19, pandemic, education, digital infrastructure introduction with the introduction of digital technology, education has undergone an enormous revolution, improving teaching and learning strategies in many ways. modern educational paradigms have been completely transformed by the technical, social, and psychological advances that have resulted from its integration. educators are leading this change by merging digital technologies with traditional ways to increase efficacy and student engagement. this change is further accelerated by the younger generation’s openness to adopt technology in the classroom due to their familiarity and comprehension. digital learning provides personalised learning opportunities, enhanced engagement, and broad access to indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 391 educational resources to meet the requirements of students. it makes education more inclusive by acting as a bridge for people who are limited by geography, resources, or physical constraints. furthermore, teachers gain from better teaching resources, which improve their techniques and students’ learning results. however, issues still need to be solved, particularly in providing fair student access to technology and internet connectivity. research methodology this review employs a systematic approach to identify and synthesise relevant literature on the adoption and impact of digital learning in education. search strategy literature searches were conducted in scopus and web of science. keywords such as “digital learning,” “covid 19”, “pandemic” “education”, and “digital infrastructure” were utilised in combination with boolean operators (e.g., “and,” “or”). inclusion and exclusion criteria articles were included if they were focused on digital learning, and the role of digital learning in education provided they were published in peer-reviewed journals. articles published before 2016 were excluded from the current study. a total of 49 articles were reviewed for this study. digital learning when jay cross first proposed the idea of digital learning in 1999, he focused on how technology might be used to provide students more control over the four aspects of their education: time, place, path, and pace (yoon et al., 2012). this method uses information and communication technology to encourage student interaction using purpose-built digital materials aligned with specific educational objectives. fundamentally, digital learning uses technology in synchronous and asynchronous learning contexts, including computers and networked devices. these techniques enable learner-centric personalised education by overcoming temporal and geographic limitations. digital learning finds applicability across numerous fields and professions in an era distinguished by the rapid distribution of knowledge, albeit with varying interpretations depending on perspective. the american society of training and education (astd) offers a standard definition of digital learning, which defines it as students using digital media to further their education. this includes corporate networks, interactive tv, satellite transmissions, the internet, and other digital media (lin et al., 2017). digital learning is centred around giving students independence. this freedom promotes self-sufficiency and offers a variety of learning choices, including places, methods, and collaborative spaces. students are motivated by this method, which promotes active participation in their educational process. furthermore, instructors play an important part in digital learning; they must be proficient in technology skills and expertise. educators must comprehend technology as they negotiate this cutting-edge frontier inside the traditional educational setting, representing a progressive advancement in teaching methods (lin et al., 2017). adoption of digital learning  adoption of digital learning has become increasingly popular in the educational environment in recent years, significantly influencing both students and teachers. according to su et al. (2023), student involvement is impacted by factors indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 392 other than task performance; therefore, it is crucial to work together to increase self-efficacy and modify task execution techniques. according to vezne et al. (2023), peer cooperation and good online communication benefit students’ attitudes towards online classes and task completion. this highlights the need to emphasise skill development and emotional components of participation. participation in online courses is essential to promoting cognitive and affective engagement, especially regarding the participation component. bharucha (2020) suggests using social media as a teaching tool to increase student involvement. compared to several other nations, educational technology in india is still in its infancy despite significant changes to how education is delivered. practising technology solutions that address users’ problems and concerns is required to maximise ict-related education activities. however, even with these resources at their disposal, kids need to make full use of technology in the classroom, meaning that user barriers and related problems must be fixed. in research on the acceptability of online learning and exams, bisht et al. (2020) investigated the role of gender in adopting online education. after examining variables including difficulty, mental strain, and study habits, the study concluded that, compared to traditional tests, online exams were often less stressful and more acceptable. online education was widely accepted with modest misgivings by students, with a greater receptivity shown by female students. phutela and dwivedi (2020) point out that because e-learning technologies are so widely accessible, students are highly motivated to use them. however, the amount of acceptance is determined by various factors, with questions about the legitimacy of courses if someone else completes them. wong (2020) argues that although online learning increases student autonomy and competency, it falls short of meeting basic educational requirements since it lacks the face-to-face social interaction that characterises conventional educational environments. in research assessing ict integration in education, nikolic et al. (2019) emphasised the need for a more successful digitalisation approach in educational institutions. they emphasised the importance of sufficiently training teachers to use ict in the classroom since one of the biggest obstacles is their lack of competency. ict is being used in classrooms more and more because of its potential to help students learn more effectively and because students are encouraging to do so. weber and birgit (2019) investigate the social disparities in european teens’ internet usage, discovering that youngsters from wealthy homes use the internet more advantageously than their less fortunate counterparts. in order to optimise learning processes, azeez and vyver (2018) provide a comparative assessment of the m-learning and e-learning practises in south african universities. they argue that instructors and students must adapt to these new technology breakthroughs for these learning methodologies to have a good partnership. there are benefits and drawbacks to traditional teaching approaches regarding digital learning. in order to make the most progress possible, they support taking advantage of the chance to solve the shortcomings of conventional education and modernising it. according to shaha and barkas (2018), academic success and student involvement in digital learning environments correlate significantly positively. they support more indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 393 investigation into the best ways to use digital material to raise student interest. thanji (2018) studied the factors influencing satisfaction, the effectiveness of online learning, and behavioural intentions to use the technology acceptance model (tam). the study illustrated the influence of efficient online learning resources on student satisfaction by showing a positive correlation between course components, design elements, technology, and individual and environmental factors. in addition to inperson instruction, bentaa and dzitaca (2014) discussed their experiences with moodle, an interactive online learning environment, in romanian higher education. their research showed that students who used the moodle platform were more satisfied and interacted with one another, demonstrating the platform’s positive effects. lu and hao’s (2014) study on chinese primary school students’ internet use for learning and entertainment at home highlights the necessity of focusing on and comprehending children’s internet usage habits. in order to create a tool to evaluate the efficacy of e-learning systems, agrawal et al. (2016) looked at how university students in delhi and uttar pradesh perceived e-learning. this instrument covered topics including system quality, information quality, and the viewpoints of students and instructors. in descriptive research on e-learning practises at gujarat’s higher education institutions, vijaya lakshmi (2012) found that fundamental digital technologies were widely used and that pedagogical components needed to be given more attention, which resulted in a lack of understanding among teachers and students. the development of digital learning presents a multifaceted picture of opportunities, difficulties, and varying effects in various educational contexts. harnessing technology’s promise while tackling its related challenges is essential to creating inclusive, productive, and dynamic learning environments as it continues to transform educational paradigms. digital learning perception and attitude among students  students’ perspectives and attitudes towards digital learning are crucial in effectively imparting digital learning. anderson et al.’s (2022) assessment looked at how student communities were affected by the quick transition to online instruction during the pandemic. according to the results, most pupils maintained a deep or strategic learning style. despite feeling that the emergency online learning term was beneficial, students preferred the traditional classroom setting because of a subjective sense of belonging and connection to the physical campus. ma et al. (2022) evaluated k-12 chinese students’ digital learning experiences. the findings emphasise the significance of a perceived learning environment in affecting student engagement, as mediated by emotional and cognitive factors. while family support circumstances have minimal influence on student involvement, the study underlines the need to create an optimum online learning environment while considering emotional and cognitive elements to promote engagement. based on socioeconomic class, harris (2020) finds a substantial variation in the success rates of digital learning. in contrast, no discernible variation in south carolina, us success rates according to gender, race, or teen mothers. the study’s conclusions suggest that virtual learning environments are a helpful choice for students who find it challenging to stay on target in indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 394 class. one of the problems with online learning is the belief that it benefits students who are self-directed learners, exhibit intense levels of intrinsic motivation, and possess excellent time management, literacy, and technical skills. the relationship between students’ digital involvement and their accomplishment goal orientation was investigated by mädamürk et al. (2020). there were four distinct groups with distinct accomplishment goal orientation traits: avoidance-oriented (wanted to avoid academic work), mastery-oriented (focused on learning and academic performance), successoriented (determined to thrive and excel over others), and indifferent (had all achievement targets at an average level). the results imply that students with the least adaptable motivational profile—avoidance-oriented—are likely to be less excited about digitally aided learning. however, students with high or moderate performance ambitions may want more digital courses. therefore, it is vital to consider the motivational traits of students while integrating various digital resources, as digitally mediated learning cannot be seen as instantly stimulating for students. in order to create an inclusive conceptual framework and determine whether or not students’ readiness and perspectives for digital learning affect their performance and happiness, wei and chou (2020) conducted a survey. according to the findings, pupils with a favourable opinion of digital learning are more prepared. still, the study also found that students’ opinions on online education had little impact on how well they completed courses or performed in online learning environments. additionally, students’ perceptions of online learning and course satisfaction were indirectly impacted by their confidence in their computer/internet skills for online preparedness. alqurashi (2018) aimed to examine the relationship between student satisfaction and perceived learning in online learning environments and four independent variables: olse (“online learning self-efficacy”), lci (“learner-content interaction”), lii (“learner-instructor interaction”), and lli (“learner-learner interaction”). the study’s findings highlight the significance of these four independent variables on both perceived learning and student happiness. the lii is the second-highest predictor in online learning environments, with the olse being the most critical contributor and predictor. furthermore, it was shown that the interaction between learners and material had the most impact on students’ satisfaction, whereas the contact between learners and learners had no discernible effect. al-rahmi et al. (2018) employ the technology acceptance model to analyse students’ intentions for e-learning use at malaysia’s university of technology. results indicate a favourable relationship between self-efficacy and e-learning. the key indicators of students’ eagerness to use e-learning were self-efficacy, e-learning content, student happiness, and perceived utility. according to the survey, students have a favourable opinion of e-learning and its intended use in education. hubalovskya et al. (2018) evaluated the impact of versatile e-learning within educational analytics on primary school students’ learning effectiveness. according to the results, primary school curricula can include adaptive e-learning characteristics. the study supports that certain students may complete their academic goals more quickly than others. therefore, using adaptive components in elementary school e-learning enables a customised approach to cognitive computing-based e-learning activities. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 395 students’ interactions with digital technology frequently occur in a particular educational setting (bulfin et al., 2016). today’s student populations employ technology in learning environments in an independent or self-sufficient manner. instead, a lot of students continue to rely on educational resources and approach their institutions for help. they suggest that educators and administrators take the lead in proactively determining the extent to which students are exposed to digital technologies. it is essential to comprehend the digital cultures of the students as well as the reality that some will have less digital experience than others. this is because the students’ level of engagement with digital learning tools and, therefore, their technological achievement level may be impacted. a high degree of confidence was positively correlated with more computer access and past experience utilising digital tools for creative, social, educational, and organisational goals. this confidence was correlated with favourable feelings while employing digital technology in the classroom. teachers and school administrators should actively regulate the amount of time students spend on digital devices. digital learning perception and attitude among teachers teachers must possess knowledge, abilities, and a multifaceted perspective in various technological domains to employ digital technology in their education effectively. integrating new technical knowledge, improving digital competence, confidence, exploration passion, and fostering a positive perspective towards technology should be the top priorities in teacher training. encouraging digital technology usage and enhancing instruction efficacy need accessible and understandable training for educators at all levels (hanifah et al., 2023). during the covid 19 pandemic, there was a notable increase in ict resources, enabling educators to modify their online instructional programs and techniques. however, the majority of educators noted a need for more resources and training, underscoring the digital gap in the educational system. teachers also pointed out that certain students did not have access to the resources and instruction needed to use online learning technology, suggesting even further disparities (martín et al., 2022). the association between faculty members’ desire to teach online and their level of tolerance for change was investigated by gratz and looney (2020). they looked at the relationship between motivators and obstacles to change or issues with learning online. among the issues mentioned by participants were their incapacity to teach their subject matter online, their lack of time to be ready for online classes, and their ignorance or insecurity about teaching online. monetary incentives, more flexibility, and keeping up with many delivery options were suggested motivators. the study demonstrated a clear correlation between faculty resistance to change and reported difficulties. this suggests that faculty members hesitant to change had a negative attitude towards change, found short-term changes unpleasant, and were more likely to encounter difficulties when teaching remotely. faculty and students have different views and perspectives about technology and experiences depending on the user. faculty and students are experiencing cognitive dissonance on various scenarios they have experienced in their everyday lives due to covid 19. however, because teaching faculty members were reluctant to adjust to technology and students’ virtual engagement, it has led to a shift in higher education in india. due to the current situation, most indian universities have indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 396 heavily incorporated technology, and student participation much outperforms traditional classroom engagement (shenoy et al., 2020). zimmer et al., 2020) focus on teachers’ viewpoints and methods for integrating digital literacy (dl) in the classroom. the “digital learning identity survey (dlis)” was developed to assist educators in identifying and understanding their digital learning identities. the validity and reliability of the dlis with preservice instructors were investigated in this study using both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. based on their approaches to improving their learning, the dlis will help pre-service teachers advance digital learning and improve their dli, according to the results. pre-service teachers benefit from the dlis as a resource for learning more about their position as digital learners. teachers will also be in a better position to engage in skill development to enhance their dli, which will lead to student achievement if they are able to recognise their dli. according to kolo and zuva (2018), teachers are less receptive to e-learning in comparison to students. due to their age and attitude, the professors were uncomfortable with technology, while the pupils were millennials and had no trouble embracing it. the authors also suggest that to fully understand the difficulties, educators encounter with e-learning, future research should focus on educators’ age and attitude concerns. digital learning during covid 19 regarding the teaching-learning system in every academic and educational institution, the covid 19 pandemic poses substantial challenges and is a creative disruption. simultaneously, there is a good chance that we will pick up more creative methods that are more suited for the upcoming generation of learners. the delivery of education is now more often done through digital means. digital learning is an advanced method of teaching and learning that uses ict (information and communication technology) to facilitate collaboration and interaction. while it was necessary to close schools during covid 19, doing so brought about a lot of challenges, especially for students from families with limited resources. one significant problem that might prevent many students from engaging in digital learning is unequal access to technology. even with the availability of technology, marginalised students often have parents who cannot afford to stay at home and support their children, which reduces the effectiveness of digital learning. furthermore, for many special needs children, online learning is less useful than in-person training. the study by ewing and cooper (2021) revealed that the teacher’s top priority, frequently emphasised in the curriculum, was students’ involvement and connection. students’ interaction with classmates and teachers is at a lesser level. they thought digital education was challenging and less personalised. parents were still hopeful about online learning but were less involved with teachers. although the pandemic has hastened the use of new technologies in schools, this is not the same as the gradual incorporation of technology. technological help, infrastructural availability, and teacher and student attitudes all have a significant impact on the effectiveness of online learning. students were apprehensive throughout covid 19, but their eagerness to learn abated (gautam and gautam,2021) the attitudes of educators and students towards digital learning in the context of covid 19 were investigated by herzallah and stavissky (2021), who also looked at the potential effects of the rapid and abrupt change to indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 397 digital learning on young pupils and impoverished communities. the study’s findings indicate that age affects instructors and students, with younger and older teachers typically facing transitional difficulties. additionally, it was shown that teachers with less technology proficiency are less likely to make use of the many opportunities available, and pupils strongly correlate technical proficiency with impressions of digital learning. additionally, there were variations in gender and industry displayed by both teachers and pupils, and the move to digital learning may widen these disparities. higher education institutions in india have implemented several initiatives to provide instruction during covid 19. from the instructors’ point of view, these measures haven’t been all that effective. teachers face various difficulties when teaching online, including a lack of technology resources, interruptions from family members, insufficient training, and a lack of technical knowhow, clarity, and direction. online instruction cannot be successful without addressing the issues that teachers face. when creating a long-term plan for online education, they need to be acknowledged and considered (joshi et al., 2021). faculty members from 22 different nations were surveyed by pandya et al. (2021) to see whether there had been any notable changes in education between the pre-covid and covid 19 pandemic periods. the authors found a substantial variance in teacher preparedness, assessment techniques, and teaching strategies when examining the variations by treatment. nonetheless, there was little difference between pre-covid and covid regarding instructional materials or technical support. scully (2021) discovered that secondary school leaders in ireland are confident technology users, and the majority believe that digital technology can considerably improve educational quality. in terms of technological infrastructure, most irish schools are well-equipped. although schools expected to continue delivering services during the shutdown, obstacles were highlighted, particularly in remote schools and those serving underprivileged students. leaders believe there is a need for development in the area of teachers’ “digital expertise.” students’ stress and self-efficacy levels substantially impacted their online learning engagement, which impacted their online learning results. despite their excitement for it, students thought online learning was less rigorous and less successful than in-person training. during the covid19 pandemic, students’ desire for learning is becoming more and more critical if they are to continue participating in online courses and achieve successful learning outcomes. according to aguilera-hermida’s (2020) study, students’ motivation declined as they transitioned to digital learning, and interaction was a motivating component for students. students had a negative attitude towards digital learning by expressing that they found it challenging and unpleasant and demonstrating that they lacked the necessary resources. the academic standing of graduate and undergraduate students in west bengal throughout the epidemic was examined by kapasia et al. (2020). even though a sizable portion of students use digital learning environments, many find online learning extremely challenging. to create a robust education system that ensures that developing brains have the abilities for productivity and employment, reasonable and intentional steps must be taken. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 398 barriers to digital learning in addressing concerns about the digital gap through resource supply and training, chomunorwa et al. (2022) conducted research emphasising the need for digital transformation and equitable access to learning resources. the results highlight the significance of motivation, opportunity, and aptitude factors in the adoption of new technologies and support the use of tailored devices that provide unrated access to educational materials. kennedy (2022) draws attention to differences in access to technology, particularly in african countries, and underscores the need for targeted assistance to address these gaps. notwithstanding these difficulties, it highlights the efforts made by educators to offer equitable learning opportunities. it stresses the need to address technology access to create a more welcoming remote learning environment. mahanta and sharma (2022) also shed light on the challenges, primarily related to access issues, that assam state, india, has regarding online teaching and learning. it highlights how important it is to deal with issues like inadequate study spaces and slow internet in order to increase the efficacy of online learning. moreover, the research highlights the advantages of heightened accessibility to electronic resources. for successful online learning experiences, it highlights the necessity to create interesting course materials, attend to students’ needs, and provide online security rules. the analysis of online engagement during the covid 19 epidemic highlights our educational system’s remarkable resiliency and commitment, as instructors quickly adjusted to meet students’ diverse requirements despite heavier workloads. nonetheless, challenges emerged due to students’ unequal access to resources and teachers’ lack of readiness (martin et al., 2022). this article looks at how reading, physical navigation, and memory are three cognitive domains where learning, knowing, and remembering are impacted by digital technology. baron (2021) asserts that technology has an effect, most notably on schooling. we must consider the implications for formal and informal learning since digital technology can impair our ability to remember things, navigate spaces, and promote shallower reading. we would aim to use digital technology to enhance our cognitive capacities without allowing it to take over our thoughts. lacka et al.’s 2021 study provides evidence that students are more effective in achieving a variety of higher education outcomes when they do not use digital tools to further their education. additionally, they demonstrate that although students using virtual learning may accomplish the same results, doing so calls for more inputs—namely, time and resources—which reduces student efficiency. they also found that the least successful students utilise social media in reaching higher education objectives. tankó (2021) talks about health issues and rising screen time as hurdles to digital learning during the pandemic. it highlights how critical it is to address social injustices, give educators specific it training, and modify teaching methods for virtual classrooms. kaushik and agrawal (2020) looked at the factors that influence students’ decision to use online learning environments. the study claims that because indian students are optimistic and creative, they are receptive to digital learning. however, apparent discomfort among them could have kept them from embracing digital learning environments because of issues or obstacles related to digital learning. to lessen discontent and worries, educational institutions and interested parties should indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 399 investigate user-friendly applications and technologies and provide technical support to help students feel at ease using modern digital learning resources. when teaching and evaluating students virtually, indian educators face four different kinds of problems (joshi et al., 2020). the absence of essential infrastructure, outside disruptions, and family interruptions during teaching and evaluation were among the serious problems identified in residential settings. among the institutional support problems identified are a lack of funds for purchasing contemporary technology and a lack of technical assistance, clarification, and advice. teachers’ technical issues were caused mainly by a lack of technical support, including access to technology, a lack of knowledge of online learning environments, and security issues. concerns with instructors, including a lack of passion, a gloomy perspective, course integration with technology, and a lack of technological abilities, have been highlighted as the fourth issue preventing them from participating in online teaching and examinations. the widespread use of digital learning can provide both possibilities and difficulties to traditional education. to achieve greater growth, conventional education must change to fit the current technology period; e-learning should be viewed as an ally, not a rival, to traditional education (hong et al., 2018). a review of the state of high-quality e-learning system models was done by nikoli et al. (2018). many qualities and indicators were used to analyse the quality models of e-learning systems. it was challenging to assess the efficacy of e-learning systems since pedagogy and software quality were taken into account. it was discovered that content is crucial to raising the calibre of e-learning systems. the main challenges facing the quality models under examination are the lack of validation and a framework for improving the quality models. the report also points out that educational institutions should establish a quality assurance department to maintain the calibre of e-learning technologies. students benefited from the quality and knowledge sharing. however, the uptake of e-learning is unaffected by innovation or trust. it has also been observed that information interchange and system quality are the two main success factors that characterise how effective e-learning systems are (salloum et al.,2018) suggestions to improve digital learning among the students and teachers recommendations for improving digital learning among students and teachers. 1. improve digital infrastructure:  provide funds to strengthen the digital infrastructure, particularly in rural regions, by offering dependable internet connection and digital gadgets like smartphones, laptops and tablets. provide school computer laboratories with internet access to enhance learning. 2. teacher training and development:  provide educators with thorough instruction and chances for professional growth so they may improve their digital literacy and pedagogical abilities. organise webinars, workshops, and peer learning sessions to equip educators with effective digital teaching strategies. 3. integrate digital curriculum:  introduce digital resources into the curriculum by creating interactive learning tools, digital books, and resources that align with the curriculum and cater to diverse learning preferences. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 400 4. use interactive learning platforms:  use learning management systems (lms) and interactive platforms to increase student-teacher engagement, facilitate conversations, and offer timely feedback on assignments and assessments. 5. digital assessment and feedback: to evaluate students’ conceptual knowledge, use online assessment tools such as assignments and quizzes. give prompt comments  to help students track their progress and discover areas for growth. 6. address language barriers:  to accommodate a varied student body, ensure digital learning resources are offered in local and english languages. 7. foster peer learning and collaboration:  to build community among students in a virtual environment encourage peer mentorship, group projects, and online conversations among students. 8. student support services:  build programmes to help students struggling with digital learning or requiring more academic assistance. provide technical help and counselling. 9. involve parents:  encourage parents and guardians to assist their children’s digital learning experiences by offering resources and assistance. 10. assess digital equality: to guarantee that all students have equitable access to digital learning resources, track and resolve issues related to digital equality on a regular basis. helping economically disadvantaged pupils will help close the digital gap. 11. blended learning approach: consider a hybrid learning paradigm that offers flexibility and balances traditional and digital teaching techniques. 12. continuous assessment and improvement:  regularly assess the effectiveness of digital learning initiatives using surveys, feedback from students and instructors, academic achievement data, and other metrics. use this information to refine and strengthen the digital learning environment. these suggestions aim to improve the digital learning environment for instructors and students by making it more effective, inclusive, and engaging. scope for further research some areas for further research were discovered through the study, and they are as follows: 1. exploring the potential of digital learning to promote equity and inclusion for students from marginalised communities. 2. research can be done to investigate the effectiveness of digital learning for students with special needs and disabilities. 3. a study can be conducted to investigate the impact of digital learning on the social-emotional learning outcomes of students, including their emotional well-being, self-esteem, and interpersonal skills. conclusion the rapid integration of digital technology into education has marked a monumental shift in teaching and learning methodologies. it has transformed educational paradigms by leveraging technological, social, and indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 401 psychological advancements. teachers are pioneering this transformation by combining digital tools with traditional approaches to enhance efficacy and student engagement. this shift is buoyed by the younger generation’s inherent openness and familiarity with technology in educational settings. the concept of digital learning, rooted in jay cross’s initial proposition in 1999, centres on providing students autonomy over time, place, path, and pace in their education. it harnesses information and communication technology to foster student interaction through purpose-built digital materials aligned with specific educational objectives. this approach empowers students with independence, promoting self-sufficiency and diverse learning choices across locations, methods, and collaborative spaces. instructors play a pivotal role, requiring technological proficiency and pedagogical expertise to navigate this innovative frontier within traditional educational settings. the adoption of digital learning has witnessed a significant surge in recent years, affecting both students and teachers. studies highlight the multifaceted impact on student involvement, attitudes, and academic performance, shedding light on peer cooperation, gender, technology acceptance, and socio-economic disparities. challenges persist, such as equitable access to technology and teacher training and addressing barriers inhibiting successful digital learning experiences. the reception of digital learning among student’s showcases varying attitudes and perceptions. age, motivation, selfefficacy, and the perceived learning environment influence it. students’ readiness for digital learning does not necessarily correlate with their course performance, indicating a nuanced relationship between attitudes and actual outcomes. similarly, teachers’ perspectives on digital learning demonstrate varying levels of acceptance and readiness. challenges educators face include resistance to change, inadequate training, and difficulties integrating technology into teaching practices. acknowledging and addressing these challenges is crucial in fostering a conducive environment for effective digital learning. the covid 19 pandemic has propelled digital learning to the forefront, accentuating its potential and challenges. it underscored disparities in access, effectiveness, and the need for targeted support, especially for marginalised communities. despite the resilience exhibited by educators, obstacles emerged due to the digital divide and uneven access to resources, impacting the quality and inclusivity of remote learning experiences. barriers to digital learning encompass a range of challenges, from technological disparities and insufficient infrastructure to disparities in content quality and access. mitigating these barriers requires tailored solutions addressing technological accessibility, teacher training, content development, and social disparities. the recommendations for improving digital learning among students and teachers encompass various facets, emphasising infrastructure enhancement, teacher training, curriculum integration, assessment, language inclusivity, peer collaboration, parental involvement, equity assessment, blended learning, and continuous improvement. further research avenues beckon in exploring digital learning’s potential for promoting equity and inclusion, its effectiveness for students with special needs, and its impact on social-emotional learning outcomes. these inquiries promise to deepen indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 402 our understanding of digital learning’s multifaceted effects and its evolving role in shaping modern education. in essence, digital learning stands as a transformative force with vast potential to revolutionize education. understanding its complexities, challenges, and opportunities is fundamental to fostering inclusive, dynamic, and productive learning environments. references agrawal, v., agrawal, a., & agarwal, s. 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(2021). development and validation of the teachers’ digital learning identity survey.  international journal of educational research, 105(101717), 101717. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 115 research article pre-service teachers’ perceptions about augmented reality (ar) applications in science learning anju v1 & thiyagu, k2 1m.ed. student, department of education, central university of kerala, kasaragod 2assistant professor, department of education, central university of kerala, kasaragod abstract the pre-service teachers’ perception of augmented reality applications is studied as they are one of the best technologies for making science learning interesting. the main objective is to study the level of pre-service teachers’ perception of augmented reality applications in science learning using a normative survey and the sample of pre-service teachers in the kasaragod and alappuzha districts were collected through simple random sampling. the tool used for this study is the perception scale, and its reliability is tested through cronbach’s alpha (0.977) and split-half method (0.948). the content validity is established by consulting the experts and construct validity through factor analysis. the study found that half of the pre-service teacher (58.6 per cent) has a moderate level of perception, 34.3 per cent have a low level, and 7.2 per cent have a high perception of augmented reality applications in science learning. the main conclusions from the study are that pre-service teachers were found to have an insufficient perception of augmented reality applications in science learning. the teacher educators and pre-service teachers should be provided with proper training regarding the appropriate usage of augmented reality applications. keywords: perception, augmented reality applications, pre-service teachers, science learning, etc. introduction in today’s digital world, every aspect of our life is influenced by technology, and it plays an enormous role in education. new technologies have emerged, which make the teaching-learning process meaningful and exciting. augmented reality applications are gaining popularity as it makes learning a joyful experience by providing a multi-sensory experience. augmented reality combines virtual objects with real ones or scenes to maximize natural and intuitive user experience in realtime. it is an interactive environment where virtual things enhance reallife experiences. according to azuma (1997), augmented reality must have three characteristics: combining the real and virtual worlds, having real-time user interaction, and being registered in a 3d space. augmented reality allows the user to see the natural world and aims to supplement reality without completely immersing the user inside an artificial environment (kesim & ozarslan 2012). digital information, which can be text, audio, images, video, 3d objects, etc., is cloaked in the real world so that it emerges as part of the actual domain. the significant reason for the popularity of ar applications is that it does not segregate the user from the physical environment (tzima et al., 2019) (kounavis et al., 2012). augmented reality applications are very effective in learning science as it helps to understand abstract concepts easier and gives an in-depth understanding of the concepts (yilmaz, 2021). they also increase students’ achievement, contribute to the meaningful learning indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 116 of abstract subjects, and increase the student’s interest and motivation toward science learning (yildirim, 2020). to effectively integrate augmented reality applications in science learning, the teacher should possess adequate techno-pedagogical knowledge, that is, what type of ar apps should be used to teach a particular topic for a certain level of learners. hence it is essential to give appropriate training to pre-service and in-service teachers regarding the effective integration of augmented reality applications in science learning (thiyagu, 2021). most studies focused on students’ and teachers’ views on the practical usage of augmented reality applications, but the studies on preservice teachers’ views are negligible. therefore, the investigator attempts to study the perception of pre-service teachers toward augmented reality applications in science learning. review of research literature augmented reality technology has its roots in computer science interface research. (sutherland et al., 1977) many science fiction movies like ‘the terminator (1984) and ‘robocop’ (1987) have used the fundamentals of ar. the term” augmented reality” was first used by tom caudell, at boeing in 1990. he was asked to improve the expensive diagrams and to mark devices used to guide workers on the factory floor (thomas& david 1992). he proposed replacing the large plywood boards that contained each plane’s wiring instructions that were individually designed with a head-mounted apparatus that displays a plane’s specific schematics through high-tech eye ware and projects them onto multipurpose, reusable boards (chauhan et al., 2017). augmented reality is technology in which virtual objects are blended with the natural world and they interact with each other. augmented reality applications are used in several areas, and the most important of these areas is the field of education. ar technology allows combining natural objects and virtual information to increase students’ interaction with physical environments and ease their learning. developing ar applications enables students to learn complex topics in a fun and easy way through virtual reality devices (lin et al., 2013). students interact with objects in the virtual environment, which helps them learn more about them (yildiz, 2021). ar is an apt tool for teaching abstract concepts that do not feature direct observation and examination in science education. students show positive opinions about using ar applications in science education (yilmaz, 2021). sahin& yilmaz (2020) studied the impact of learning materials developed with augmented reality (ar) technology on middle school student’s achievement and attitudes towards the course and to determine their attitudes towards ar applications. students in the experimental group had higher levels of achievement and more positive attitudes toward the study than those in the control group. additionally, the results also revealed that the students preferred to continue the use of ar applications in the future and showed no signs of anxiety when using ar applications. in addition, the academic achievements and attitudes of the students in the experimental group showed a positive, significant, and intermediate correlation. the research literature review showed innumerable integration of augmented reality applications in education. some significant projects in integrating ar in education are the aumentaty project, developed by the labhuman laboratory (http://www.labhuman. com) at the polytechnic university of valencia in spain. the build ar project by the hitlabnz laboratory (http:// www.hitlabnz.org) at the university indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 117 of canterbury in new zeeland. both projects mentioned above were developed to implement ar in the classrooms by furnishing tools to design educational ar apps. some of the research projects funded by the european union, like connect (20052007), create (2004), and arise (20062008) were focused on integrating informal learning in a learning environment. researchers have used aurasma (http://www.aurasma.com) extensively used as a tool in different learning strategies (parton & hancock, 2012; connolly & hoskins, 2014). science center to go project (http://www.sctg. eu) is one more example of integrating ar into lessons to improve the quality of science education. magicbook (billinghurst, kato, & poupyrev, 2001) is among the first few integrations of ar in textbooks. this type of ar book can be used as a regular textbook. still, it has additional features like visualizing virtual content like 3d objects, animations, or videos (martín-gutiérrez et al., 2017). objectives of the study the following are the main objectives of the study. 1. to find out the pre-service teachers’ level of perception towards augmented reality applications in science learning. 2. to assess the familiarity of augmented reality applications in science learning among pre-service teachers. purpose and research questions this study intends to determine the pre-service teachers’ level of perception towards augmented reality applications in science learning. the following research questions were developed based on fulfilling the needs of the objective of the study. 1. what is the level of pre-service teachers’ computer skills? 2. how long do the pre-service teachers have experience in using the internet? 3. what is the familiarity of augmented reality applications in science learning among pre-service teachers? 4. what is pre-service teachers’ exposure level towards augmented reality applications in the classroom through their teachers’ usage? 5. what is the experience level of using augmented reality applications in science learning during internship among the pre-service teachers? 6. what is the level of the pre-service teachers in terms of their familiarity with ar textbooks? 7. what is the level of familiarity with ar tools among the pre-service teachers? 8. what is the pre-service teachers’ familiarity with different augmented reality applications? 9. what is the pre-service teachers’ opinion of the purpose of using augmented reality applications in science learning? 10. what are the pre-service teachers’ opinions on the effective use of augmented reality applications in science learning? 11. what are the pre-service teachers’ perceptions of augmented reality applications in science learning? 12. what is the pre-service teachers’ level of perception towards augmented reality applications in science learning? indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 118 methods of research the study intended to determine the pre-service teachers’ level of perception of augmented reality applications in science learning. therefore, the present study was conducted using the normative survey method. population of the study in this study, the target population will be the pre-service teachers who are studying the science stream irrespective of the nature of management and universities but located in the alappuzha and kasaragod districts, kerala. for this study, 181 samples were collected using a random sampling technique. tool for the study the investigator developed a rating scale for finding the pre-service teachers’ perception of augmented reality applications in science learning. the tool was prepared after referring to so many reviews of related studies. the researcher discussed fixing her final tool with the supervisor, senior students, and ph.d. scholars. format and language, the wording of items used by the researcher were simple, and the respondent could easily follow these items. the investigator used a self-made tool entitled “perception of augmented reality applications in science learning rating scale (paraslrs)”. the researcher standardized the tool with the help of the supervisor. reliability of the tool in the present study, the investigator employed cronbach’s alpha and splithalf method to establish the reliability of the tools. the cronbach’s alpha value obtained is 0.977, which indicates a high level of internal consistency of the tool. therefore, the tool is reliable. the investigator employed a splithalf method to establish the ‘γ’ value of the tools. then the reliability of the tools was estimated by the spearmanbrown formula. the spearman-brown coefficient value of the tool is 0.948. thus, the reliability of the tools was established. validity of the tool the content validity is established by consulting the experts and construct validity through factor analysis. statistical techniques used the investigator used frequency and percentage analysis to describe the data. spss statistics version 25 was used for analyzing the collected data. analysis of data reporting of the findings is organized according to the research questions. research question 1 what is the level of pre-service teachers’ computer skills? table-1: analysis of the sample in terms of rating the level of skills with computer skills in computer no. of pre-service teachers percentage (%) beginner 34 23.1 intermediate 92 62.6 advanced 21 14.3 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 119 the above table (table 1) presents the sample distribution in terms of their level of skills in using the computer. as seen from the table, 23.1 per cent of the sample is beginners, 62.6 per cent are intermediate, and the remaining 14.3 per cent are advanced computer users. it is seen that more than half [62.6 per cent] of the sample have intermediate skills with the computer. it might be the consequence of integrating ict in teacher training programs, thus increasing computer skills among preservice teachers. research question 2 how long do the pre-service teachers have experience in using the internet? table-2: analysis of the sample regarding their experience in using internet years of experience no. of pre-service teachers percentage (%) <3 years 1 0.6 3-5 years 27 14.9 above 5 years 153 84.5 the above table (table 2) presents the sample distribution in terms of their experience in using the internet. as seen from the table, 84.5 per cent of the sample has over five years of experience in using the internet, 14.9 per cent have been using the internet for 3-5 years, and the remaining 0.6 per cent has less than three years of experience. it is clear from the findings of the table that the majority of the sample [84.5 per cent] have above five years of experience using the internet. as a result of the revolution in telecommunications in india, internet services have become cheaper, and internet exposure significantly increased during the pandemic period. thus, the majority of pre-service teachers have experience in using the internet. research question 3 what is the familiarity of augmented reality applications in science learning among pre-service teachers? table-3: analysis of the sample regarding their familiarity of ar applications in science learning familiarity of ar apps no. of pre-service teachers percentage (%) yes 89 49.2 no 92 50.8 the above table (table 3) presents the sample distribution regarding their familiarity with augmented reality applications in science learning.  as seen from the table, 49.2 per cent of the samples are familiar with augmented reality applications in science learning, and 50.8 per cent responded that they are not familiar with augmented reality applications in science learning.  it is clear from the table that half of the study samples are not familiar with augmented reality applications in science learning. it may result from a lack of proper training for the pre-service teachers in augmented reality applications in science learning. research question 4 what is pre-service teachers’ exposure level towards augmented reality applications in the classroom through their teachers’ usage? indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 120 table-4: analysis of the sample regarding their teacher’s usage of the ar applications teacher’s use of ar no. of pre-service teachers percentage (%) yes 45 24.9 no 136 75.1 the above table (table 4.) presents the sample distribution regarding the teacher’s use of ar applications in the classroom. as seen from the table, 24.9 per cent of the sample responded that their teachers use augmented reality applications in their class, and 75.1 per cent responded that their teachers do not use augmented reality applications in their class.  the majority [75.1 per cent] of the pre-service teachers are not made familiar with augmented reality applications by their teachers. it may be due to teacher educators’ lack of awareness about augmented reality applications.  research question 5 what is the experience level of using augmented reality applications in science learning during internship among the pre-service teachers? table-5: analysis of the sample regarding their experience of using ar apps during internship usage in internship no. of pre-service teachers percentage (%) yes 34 18.8 no 147 81.2 the above table (table 5.) presents a distribution sample regarding their experience using augmented reality applications in science learning during their internship.  as seen from the table, 18.8 per cent of the sample used augmented reality applications in science learning during their internship, and the majority of the samples, 81.2 per cent, have not used augmented reality applications in their internship. even though 49.2 per cent [table 3] of pre-service teachers are familiar with augmented reality applications, only 18.8 per cent use ar in their internship, indicating they are not confident in using it. it may result from not properly training pre-service teachers about the effective integration of ar applications in science lesson plans. research question 6 what is the level of the pre-service teachers in terms of their familiarity with ar textbooks? table-6: analysis of the sample regarding rating the level of their familiarity of ar textbooks ar textbooks familiarity no. of pre-service teachers percentage (%) yes 22 12.2 no 159 87.8 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 121 the above table (table 6) presents the sample distribution regarding their familiarity with ar textbooks.  as seen from the table, 12.2 per cent of the samples are familiar with ar textbooks, and the majority of the samples, 87.8 per cent, are unfamiliar with ar textbooks.  it indicates that although 49.2 per cent [table 3] of pre-service teachers are familiar with augmented reality applications, they are unaware of various other aspects of ar applications in science learning. it may be due to a lack of training in pre-service teachers about augmented reality applications. research question 7 what is the level of familiarity with ar tools among the pre-service teachers? table-7: analysis of the sample regarding rating the level of their familiarity of ar tools familiarity of ar tools no. of pre-service teachers percentage (%) head – mounted displays 28 15.5 handheld displays 23 12.7 spatial displays 21 11.6 pinch gloves 5 2.8 others 26 14.4 none of these 107 59.1 the above table (table 7) presents the sample distribution in terms of their familiarity with ar tools.  as seen from the table, 15.5 per cent are familiar with head-mounted displays, 12.7 per cent are familiar with handheld displays, 11.6 per cent are familiar with spatial displays, 2.8 per cent is familiar with pinch gloves, 14.4 per cent are familiar with other ar tools, and remaining 59.1 per cent are not familiar with any of these ar tools. it specifies that although 49.2 per cent [table 3] of pre-service teachers are familiar with augmented reality applications, they are unaware of various other aspects of ar applications in science learning due to a lack of proper training given to pre-service teachers about augmented reality applications.  research question 8 what is the pre-service teachers’ familiarity with different augmented reality applications? table-8: analysis of the sample regarding the level of their familiarity of different ar apps ar applications not used intermediate advanced f % f % f % arloopa 161 89 16 8.8 4 2.2 assembler edu 163 90.1 17 9.4 1 .6 google expeditions 128 70.7 47 26 6 3.3 autumn visualizer 159 87.8 20 11 2 1.1 ar vr molecules 156 86.2 23 12.7 2 1.1 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 122 the above table (table 8) presents the sample distribution regarding their familiarity with different augmented reality applications.  as seen from the table, 89 per cent have not used arloopa, 8.8 per cent have intermediate familiarity, and only 2.2 per cent have advanced knowledge. in the case of assemblr edu, 90.1 have not used it, 9.4 per cent have intermediate familiarity, and only 0.6 per cent have advanced knowledge. 70.7 per cent have not used google expeditions, 26.0 per cent have intermediate familiarity, and only 3.3 per cent have advanced knowledge.  in the autumn visualizer, 87.8 per cent have not been used, 11.0 per cent had intermediate familiarity, and only 1.1 per cent have advanced knowledge. 86.2 per cent have not used ar vr molecules, 12.7 per cent have intermediate familiarity, and only 1.1 per cent has advanced knowledge. 81.2 per cent have not used anatomy 4d, 13.8 per cent have intermediate familiarity, and only 5.0 per cent have advanced knowledge. in the case of science ar, 78.5 per cent have not used it, 16 per cent have intermediate familiarity, and only 5.5 per cent have advanced knowledge. in the case of elements 4d, 82.3 per cent have not used it, 14.9 per cent have intermediate familiarity, and only 2.8 per cent have advanced knowledge.  it is seen from the table that the majority of the pre-service teachers are not familiar with specific augmented reality apps in science learning. it indicates that pre-service teachers’ knowledge about augmented reality applications in science learning is limited.  research question 9 what is the pre-service teachers’ opinion of the purpose of using augmented reality applications in science learning? the sample was asked to rate their opinion about the purpose of using augmented reality applications in science learning. they were given the following four statements and asked to rate them; multiple responses were allowed. 1. helps in understanding abstract concepts 2. in depth understanding of scientific concepts 3. provides multi-sensory learning experience 4. promotes active learning anatomy 4d 147 81.2 25 13.8 9 5 science ar 142 78.5 29 16 10 5.5 elements 4d 149 82.3 27 14.89 5 2.8 table-9: analysis of the sample regarding their opinion of purpose of using ar apps purpose of using ar apps f % helps in understanding abstract concepts 76 42 in depth understanding of scientific concepts 85 47 provides multi-sensory learning experience 107 59.1 promotes active learning 117 64.6 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 123 the above table (table 9) presents the sample distribution in terms of rating their opinion of the purpose of using augmented reality applications in science learning. forty-two per cent of pre-service teachers believe that the purpose of using augmented reality applications in science learning is because it helps in understanding abstract concepts. forty-seven per cent believe that it helps in-depth understanding of scientific concepts and 59.1 per cent thinks that it provides a multi-sensory learning experience. the majority of 64.6 per cent pre-service teachers think that it promotes active learning. it shows that even though the pre-service teachers’ familiarity with various ar tools or ar apps is limited. they do have a favourable opinion about the purpose of using ar applications in science learning. research question 10 what are the pre-service teachers’ opinions on the effective use of augmented reality applications in science learning? the sample was asked to rate their opinion about the effective use of augmented reality applications in science learning. they were given the following three statements and asked to rate them; multiple responses were allowed. 1. selecting the appropriate ar applications 2. effective integration of ar applications in the lesson 3. using interactive ar applications ensuring active student participation table-10: analysis of the sample regarding their effective use of ar apps in science learning effective use of ar apps in science learning f % selecting the appropriate ar applications 87 48.1 effective integration of ar applications in the lesson 113 62.4 using interactive ar apps ensuring active student participation 121 66.9 the above table (table 10) presents the sample distribution in terms of rating the level of their opinion about the effective use of augmented reality applications in science learning. 48.1 per cent of pre-service teachers believe that the effective use of augmented reality applications in science learning is because of selecting the appropriate ar applications. 62.4 per cent thinks that the effective use of augmented reality applications in science learning is because of the successful integration of ar applications in the lesson. the majority, 66.9 per cent, think that using augmented reality applications in science learning is effective because interactive ar applications ensure active student participation. it indicates that the pre-service teachers have strong opinions about using augmented applications effectively in science learning. research question 11 what are the pre-service teachers’ perceptions of augmented reality applications in science learning? indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 124 table-11: analysis of sample regarding of the perception towards ar apps in science learning statements sd da n a sa f (%) f (%) f (%) f (%) f (%) i feel augmented reality applications make the science class more interesting. 09(5.5) 13(7.2) 25(13.8) 49(27.1) 85(47.0) i feel ar applications help learners to understand abstract science concepts better. 04(2.2) 23(12.7) 15(8.3) 85(47) 54(29.8) ar applications help in-depth understanding of scientific concepts. 6(3.3) 11(6.1) 35(19.3) 73(40.3) 56(30.9) i believe that the practical use of ar applications can significantly change the science learning process. 10(5.5) 16(8.8) 19(10.5) 78(43.1) 58(32) ar applications create a joyful learning experience for learners. 9(5) 12(6.6) 23(12.7) 73(40.3) 64(35.4) i think ar applications bring significant change to science learning. 2(1.1) 23(12.7) 25(13.8) 79(43.6) 52(28.7) i feel ar applications promote learner-centred learning 3(1.7) 10(5.5) 49(27.1) 78(43.1) 41(22.7) ar applications inculcate various science process skills. 7(3.9) 22(12.2) 29(16) 88(48.6) 35(19.3) i will use ar applications in the future of my science teaching and learning 11(6.1) 12(6.6) 29(16) 84(46.4) 45(24.9) i believe ar application usage results in a high level of achievement in science learners. 9(5) 23(12.7) 41(22.7) 73(40.3) 35(19.3) i feel ar application usage creates a positive attitude toward science learning. 11(6.1) 12(6.6) 32(17.7) 84(46.4) 42(23.2) i think ar applications reduce the scientific anxiety of learners. 17(9.4) 29(16) 42(23.2) 63(34.8) 30(16.6) i believe ar applications can replace paper-based textbooks, physical models, posters, and printed manuals in future. 13(7.2) 23(12.7) 58(32) 59(32.6) 28(15.5) indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 125 i feel we should get more opportunities to use ar applications in our internship. 4(2.2) 16(8.8) 44(24.3) 73(40.3) 44(24.3) i feel we need special training to use ar applications in our classroom teaching. 12(6.6) 16(8.8) 23(12.7) 71(39.2) 59(32.6) i believe ar applications are an optimal tool for teaching abstract topics. 10(5.5) 18(9.9) 30(16.6) 88(48.6) 35(19.3) ar applications help the students to self-evaluate. 10(5.5) 25(13.8) 49(27.1) 74(40.9) 23(12.7) i believe ar technology may help teach students with different learning styles. 7(3.9) 11(6.1) 40(22.1) 91(50.3) 32(17.7) i feel ar applications facilitate the integration of theory and practice. 7(3.9) 16(8.8) 33(18.2) 96(53) 29(16) ar applications help evaluate the various aspects of the students, like creativity, critical thinking, etc. 7(3.9) 20(11) 50(27.6) 76(42) 28(15.5) ar applications help to identify the effectiveness of class in the context of students' perception, engagement, interactivity, and comfort with the activity. 8(4.4) 16(8.8) 39(21.5) 94(51.9) 24(13.3) ar applications provide a multisensory learning experience. 10(5.5) 13(7.2) 32(17.7) 76(42) 50(27.6) i feel ar applications increase students' attention span compared to traditional methods. 7(3.9) 21(11.6) 32(17.7) 84(46.4) 37(20.4) ar applications increase student engagement in the classroom. 8(4.4) 17(9.4) 43(23.8) 65(35.9) 48(26.5) i believe ar applications increase long-term memory retention of scientific concepts. 8(4.4) 15(8.3) 35(19.3) 73(40.3) 50(27.6) i feel ar applications increase students’ motivation for science learning. 5(2.8) 16(8.8) 28(15.5) 88(48.6) 44(24.3) using ar applications for evaluation reduces exam stress among students. 5(2.8) 30(16.6) 36(19.9) 81(44.8) 29(16) indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 126 i feel ar application is effective in teaching 3d spatial and kinesthetic content. 7(3.9) 15(8.3) 35(19.3) 81(44.8) 43(23.8) i feel ar applications increase student participation in science learning activities. 8(4.4) 13(7.2) 42(23.2) 86(47.5) 32(23.8) the above table (table 11) presents the sample analysis regarding perception towards augmented reality applications in science learning. ar 1:  i feel augmented reality applications make the science class more interesting. among 181 pre-service teachers, 27.1 per cent agreed, and 47 per cent strongly agreed that they feel augmented reality applications make the science class more interesting. 7.2 per cent disagree, and 5 per cent strongly disagree with this statement.13.8 per cent gave neutral responses. ar 2: i feel ar applications help learners to understand abstract science concepts better. among 181 pre-service teachers, 47 per cent agreed, and 29.8 per cent strongly agreed that they feel ar applications help learners to understand abstract science concepts better. 12.7 per cent disagree, and 2.2 per cent strongly disagree with this statement.8.3 per cent gave neutral responses. ar 3: ar applications help an in-depth understanding of scientific concepts. among 181 pre-service teachers, 40.3 per cent agreed, and 30.9 per cent strongly agreed that they feel ar applications help an in-depth understanding of scientific concepts. 6.1 per cent disagree, and 3.3 per cent strongly disagree with this statement.19.3 per cent gave neutral responses. ar 4: i believe that the effective usage of ar applications can make significant changes in the science learning process among 181 pre-service teachers, 43.1 per cent agreed, and 32 per cent strongly agreed that they believe that the effective usage of ar applications can make significant changes in the science learning process. 8.8 per cent disagree, and 5.5 per cent strongly disagree with this statement.10.5 per cent gave neutral responses. ar 5:  ar applications create a joyful learning experience for learners. among 181 pre-service teachers, 40.3 per cent agreed, and 35.4 per cent strongly agreed that they feel that ar applications create a joyful learning experience for the learners. 6.6 per cent disagree, and 5.0 per cent strongly disagree with this statement.12.7 per cent gave neutral responses. ar 6:  i think ar applications bring significant change to science learning. among 181 pre-service teachers, 43.6 per cent agreed, and 28.7 per cent strongly agreed that they feel that ar applications bring significant change to science learning. 12.7 per cent disagree, and 1.1 per cent strongly disagree with this statement.13.8 per cent gave neutral responses. ar 7: i feel ar applications promote learner-centred learning among 181 pre-service teachers, 43.1 per cent agreed, and 22.7 per cent strongly agreed that they think that ar applications promote learner-centred learning. 5.5 per cent disagree and 1.1 per cent strongly disagree with this statement.27.1 per cent gave neutral responses. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 127 ar 8: ar applications inculcate various science process skills. among 181 pre-service teachers, 48.6 per cent agreed, and 19.3 per cent strongly agreed that they feel that ar applications inculcate various science process skills.12.2 per cent disagree and 3.9 per cent strongly disagree with this statement.16 per cent gave neutral responses. ar 9:  i will use ar applications in the future of my science teaching and learning among 181 pre-service teachers, 45.4 per cent agreed, and 24.9 per cent strongly agreed that they would use ar applications in the future of their science teaching and learning.6.6 per cent disagree, and 6.1 per cent strongly disagree with this statement.16 per cent gave neutral responses. ar 10:  i believe ar application usage results in a high level of achievement in science learners. among 181 pre-service teachers, 40.3 per cent agreed, and 19.3 per cent strongly agreed that ar application usage results in a high level of achievement in science learners.12.7 per cent disagree, and 5 per cent strongly disagree with this statement.22.7 per cent gave neutral responses. ar 11: i feel ar application usage creates a positive attitude to the learners toward science learning. among 181 pre-service teachers, 46.4 per cent agreed, and 23.2 per cent strongly agreed that ar application usage creates a positive attitude toward science learning. 6.6 per cent disagree, and 6.1 per cent strongly disagree with this statement.17.7 per cent gave neutral responses. ar 12:  i think ar applications reduce the scientific anxiety of learners. among 181 pre-service teachers, 34.8 per cent agreed, and 16.6 per cent strongly agreed that ar applications reduce the scientific anxiety of the learners. 16 per cent disagree, and 9.4 per cent strongly disagree with this statement.23.2 per cent gave neutral responses ar 13:  i believe ar applications can replace paper-based textbooks, physical models, posters, and printed manuals in future. among 181 pre-service teachers, 32.6 per cent agreed, and 15.5 per cent strongly agreed that ar applications have the potential to replace paperbased textbooks, physical models, posters, and printed manuals. 12.7 per cent disagree, and 7.2 per cent strongly disagree with this statement.32 per cent gave neutral responses. ar 14: we should get more opportunities to use ar applications in our internship. among 181 pre-service teachers, 40.3 per cent agreed, 24.3 per cent strongly agreed that they should get more opportunities to use ar applications in the internship, 8.8 per cent disagreed, and 2.2 per cent strongly disagreed. 24.3 per cent gave neutral responses. ar 15: we need special training to use ar applications in classroom teaching. among 181 pre-service teachers, 39.2 per cent agreed, and 32.6 per cent strongly agreed that they need special training to use ar applications in the classroom teaching 8.8 per cent disagreed, and 6.6 per cent strongly disagreed with this statement.12.7 per cent gave neutral responses. ar 16:  i believe ar applications are optimal for teaching abstract topics. among 181 pre-service teachers, 48.6 per cent agreed, and 19.3 per cent strongly agreed that they believe ar applications are an optimal tool for teaching abstract topics. 9.9 per cent indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 128 disagree, and 5.5 per cent strongly disagree with this statement.16.6 per cent gave neutral responses. ar 17: ar applications help the students to self-evaluate. among 181 pre-service teachers, 40.9 per cent agreed, 12.7 per cent strongly agreed that ar applications help the students to self-evaluate, 13.8 percent disagreed, and 5.5 per cent strongly disagreed with this statement. 27.1 per cent gave neutral responses. ar 18:  ar technology may help teach students with different learning styles. among 181 pre-service teachers, 50.3 per cent agreed, and 17.7 per cent strongly agreed that ar technology might help to teach students with different learning styles. 6.1 per cent disagree, and 3.9 per cent strongly disagree with this statement. 22.1 per cent gave neutral responses. ar 19:  i feel ar applications facilitate the integration of theory and practice. among 181 pre-service teachers, 53 per cent agreed and 16 per cent strongly agree that ar applications facilitate the integration of theory and practice. 8.8 per cent disagree, and 3.9 per cent strongly disagree with this statement. 18.2 per cent gave neutral responses ar 20:  ar applications help evaluate the various aspects of the students, like creativity, critical thinking, etc. among 181 pre-service teachers, 42 per cent agreed, and 15.5 per cent strongly agreed that ar applications help evaluate the various aspects of the students, like creativity, critical thinking, etc. 11 per cent disagree and 3.9 per cent strongly disagree with this statement. 27.6 per cent gave neutral responses. ar 21:  ar applications help to identify the effectiveness of class in the context of students’ perception, engagement, interactivity, and comfort with the activity. among 181 pre-service teachers, 51.9 per cent agreed, and 13.3 per cent strongly agreed that ar applications help identify the class’s effectiveness in the context of students’ perception, engagement, interactivity, and comfort with the activity. 8.8 per cent disagree, and 4.4 per cent strongly disagree with this statement. 21.5 per cent gave neutral responses. ar 22: ar applications provide a multisensory learning experience. among 181 pre-service teachers, 42 per cent agreed, and 27.6 per cent strongly agreed that they feel ar applications provide a multi-sensory learning experience.7.2 per cent disagree, and 5.5 per cent strongly disagree with this statement. 17.7 per cent gave neutral responses. ar 23:  i feel ar applications increase students’ attention span compared to traditional methods. among 181 pre-service teachers, 46.4 per cent agreed, and 20.4 per cent strongly agreed that they feel ar applications increase students’ attention span compared to traditional methods .11.6 per cent disagree, and 3.9 per cent strongly disagree with this statement. 17.7 per cent gave neutral responses. ar 24: ar applications increase student engagement in the classroom. among 181 pre-service teachers, 35.9 per cent agreed, and 26.5 per cent strongly agreed that they feel ar applications increase student engagement in the classroom. 9.4 per cent disagree, and 4.4 per cent strongly disagree with this statement. 23.8 per cent gave neutral responses. ar 25: i believe ar applications increase long-term memory retention of scientific concepts. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 129 among 181 pre-service teachers, 40.3 per cent agreed, and 27.6 per cent strongly agreed that they believe ar applications increase long-term memory retention of scientific concepts. 8.3 per cent disagree, and 4.4 per cent strongly disagree with this statement.16 per cent gave neutral responses. ar 26: ar applications increase students’ motivation for science learning. among 181 pre-service teachers, 48.6 per cent agreed, and 24.3 per cent strongly agreed that they feel ar applications increase motivation for science learning. 8.8 per cent disagree, and 2.8 per cent strongly disagree with this statement.15.5 per cent gave neutral responses. ar 27:  using ar applications for evaluation reduce exam stress among the students. among 181 pre-service teachers, 44.8 per cent agreed, and 16 per cent strongly agreed that using ar applications for evaluation reduces exam stress among students. 16.6 per cent disagree, and 2.8 per cent strongly disagree with this statement.19.9 per cent gave neutral responses. ar 28: ar application effectively teaches 3d spatial and kinesthetic content. among 181 pre-service teachers, 44.8 per cent agreed, and 23.8 per cent strongly agreed that ar application effectively teaches 3d spatial and kinesthetic content. 8.3 per cent disagree, and 3.9 per cent strongly disagree with this statement.19.3 per cent gave neutral responses. ar 29:  i feel ar applications increase student participation in science learning activities. among 181 pre-service teachers, 47.5 per cent agreed, and 17.7 per cent strongly agreed that ar applications increase student participation in science learning activities. 7.2 per cent disagree, and 4.4 per cent strongly disagree with this statement.23.2 per cent gave neutral responses. when analyzing the individual response regarding augmented reality applications in science learning, some pre-service teachers responded neutrally, and some disagreed with certain aspects of augmented reality applications. some expressed their strong agreement with some features of augmented reality applications, and a few students responded as strongly disagreed with some particular statements. after analyzing the complete response, the output showed that most preservice teachers moderately perceive augmented reality applications in science learning. the remaining students have a low-level perception, and a few have a high perception of augmented reality applications in science learning. research question 12 what is the pre-service teachers’ level of perception towards augmented reality applications in science learning? table-12: analysis of sample regarding the level of perception towards ar apps in science learning perception level on ar apps frequency percentage (%) low 62 34.3 moderate 106 58.6 high 13 7.2 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 130 the above table (table 12) presents the sample analysis regarding the level of perception towards augmented reality applications in science learning. as seen from the above table, 62 (34.3 per cent) of the sample have a low level, 106 (58.6 per cent) of the sample have a moderate level, and 13 (7.2 per cent) of the sample have a high level of perception toward augmented reality applications in science learning. graph-1: graph shows the level of perception of pre-service teachers towards ar apps this study gained more insights into pre-service teachers’ perceptions of augmented reality applications in science learning. more than half of the sample (58.6 per cent) has moderate level perception, but there are, however, still 34.3 per cent of pre-service teachers who have a low level of perception. this can be due to several factors; even though ar applications have been popular worldwide for the last couple of years, it has not been popular in india. it may also be because students do not have access to smartphones and reliable internet services. in the beginning, operating ar applications required additional equipment like various ar tools. in india, even though smart classrooms are gaining popularity, the availability of ar tools is negligible. furthermore, the lack of awareness among teacher educators also adds to the low perception among the pre-service teachers. 7.2 per cent of pre-service teachers have a high level of perception towards augmented reality applications in science learning due to the availability of smartphones and reliable internet service. recommendations for future research • future research must focus on preservice and in-service teachers in special education, as augmented reality applications would enormously help in the teachinglearning process of special children. the teachers should know how to integrate various augmented reality applications successfully according to the needs of the children. • in the future, the perception of teacher educators to augmented reality applications in science learning can be studied. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 131 • future research should investigate whether using augmented reality applications in science learning would increase students’ interest in science subjects. • further studies should be conducted to identify the technical barriers the pre-service teachers might have in integrating augmented reality applications in their classes. • in the future, a detailed study can be made by using a large sample covering other districts and states, and more variables can also be included.  • further research will be conducted to determine the influence of augmented reality applications on students’ academic performance and behaviour. • the challenges teachers face while integrating augmented reality applications can be studied in the future. conclusions in the current scenario, ict-integrated learning is gaining popularity, and many schools are equipped with smart classrooms; the teachers should be proficient in integrating ict into their lesson plans. in this scenario, the pre-service teachers’ perception of augmented reality applications in science learning is studied as augmented reality applications are one of the best technologies for making science learning interesting. the following are the conclusions derived from the study: • pre-service teachers were found to have an insufficient perception of augmented reality applications in science learning. • the pre-service teachers should be allowed to use various augmented reality applications in their internship as it would help them gain confidence to use them in the future.  • the inadequacy of pre-service teachers in identifying various ar apps and ar tools may be because they don’t know how to use them. following are the educational implications of the study: • the pre-service teachers should be trained to integrate augmented reality applications in the lesson plan effectively, identify the appropriate science ar apps for a particular concept and student level, and develop ar apps to make them suitable for their lessons. • teacher educators should be given special training in integrating various ar apps in their classrooms. they should also teach the preservice teachers about effectively integrating ar apps into their lesson plans. • teacher educators should encourage students to use ar apps in their studies and implement them effectively in their future classes. • pre-service teachers should be allowed to use ar apps in their internships. it would give them the confidence to use it in the future. • this study helps determine the level of perceptions of augmented reality applications in science learning among pre-service teachers. • this study is significant from a global perspective. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, 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(2021). augmented reality in science education: an application in higher education. shanlax international journal of education, 9(3), 136-148. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 409 book review faking it: artificial intelligence in a human world (by toby walsh, speaking tiger books, new delhi, 2023, pp. 248) tanmay kulshrestha phd research scholar, university of leeds, united kingdom emailhytk@leeds.ac.uk in faking it: artificial intelligence in a human world, toby walsh, a leading professor of artificial intelligence (ai), provides a thought-provoking and accessible exploration of the rapid advancements in ai and their profound implications on humanity. the book begins by dispelling common misconceptions about ai, clarifying that current systems are not sentient enough and do not have a genuine understanding or consciousness like humans do. however, walsh masterfully illustrates how ai is already surpassing human capabilities in many domains, from playing complex games to diagnosing diseases. he begins his book in the preface with the first line stating that this book is out of date, as the speed, skill and scale of ai is so rapid and dynamic that by the time one finishes reading the book, a new development would have taken place in the world of ai and computing. the book’s title is an ominous reference to the danger posed by ai that becomes capable enough to imitate human intelligence to the level of perfection. this becomes problematic, especially when corporations start to build systems and mechanisms designed to deceive human intelligence by surrounding us with deepfakes, computer-generated audio and videos that are identical to the real thing. in the field of education and learning, ai poses a new and advanced challenge. with the breakout of chatgpt, sora (textvideo generation) and its subsequent alternatives, ai has become even more ubiquitous than before. adept at writing school or college assignments, research articles, editorials or even food recipes, the limit to the generative pre-trained transformer (gpt) is only the prompts that are given. beyond that, there is no control over the veracity of the content, originality of the write-up or even the authenticity of its sources. in a world where fake news and unverified claims spread faster than a forest wildfire, having a language learning model taking over human actions has far-reaching and substantial consequences. one of the book’s key strengths is the way walsh contextualizes the development of ai within the broader sweep of human history and technological innovation. he draws insightful parallels between the current ai revolution and past technological disruptions, helping readers appreciate both the transformative potential and the existential risks posed by intelligent machines. a particular highlight is the author’s nuanced discussion of the ethical challenges surrounding ai. he delves into the issues of algorithmic bias, privacy, algorithmic decisionmaking, and the displacement of human labour. walsh does not shy away from hard questions, making a compelling case for the urgent need to ensure ai systems are designed and deployed with robust safeguards and a strong moral framework. with the advent of thinking computers dating back to research conducted by alan turing, a british mathematician, titled computing machinery and indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 410 intelligence to the coining of the term ai six years later by john mccarthy, an american computer scientist, we have come a long way for machines to guide our thoughts. this has led to algorithms being designed in a way that understands our tastes and preferences in films, music, and social media, churning out suggestions that keep us hooked online. however, walsh attempts to inform us through his work that ai can actually never become as intelligent or creative as humanly possible. it thus becomes pertinent to ask, for the purposes of the discussion in this book, can ai be creative? the answer lies in the title of the book. walsh argues that ai can only assist as much as it is being assisted. its learning is limited to the scope of its data. ai can be creative, but only for ‘faking creativity’. walsh makes a compelling case in “faking it” that while ai systems have become remarkably adept at producing human-like creative outputs, true creativity remains elusive. the key lies in understanding the fundamental differences between artificial and human creativity. for example, ai language models like gpt3 can generate remarkably coherent and even poetic text when prompted with the right inputs. they can compose short stories, poems, and even song lyrics that may initially seem creative. however, this “creativity” is ultimately a reflection of the training data the ai was exposed to, not an innate spark of original thought. similarly, ai art generators like dall-e can produce unique and visually striking images based on textual prompts. but these images are essentially collages of visual elements the ai has encountered before, recombined in novel ways rather than manifesting truly original ideas. the title “faking it” is apt because while these ai-generated outputs may appear creative on the surface, they lack the deeper human qualities of creativity. a human artist or writer draws from their lived experiences, emotions, and unique perspectives to craft something that is genuinely novel. in contrast, ai creativity is ultimately bounded by its training, unable to transcend the limitations of its data. the machine learning models powering creative ai are powerful tools, but they do not possess the same spark of imagination, intuition, and personal expression that distinguishes human creativity. the ai is, in a sense, “faking” creativity by replicating patterns it has learned rather than generating truly original ideas. this distinction is crucial for understanding the capabilities and limitations of ai, especially as these technologies become more advanced and integrated into our lives. one potential criticism of toby walsh’s “faking it” is that the book, at times, oversimplifies the complexities and nuances of artificial intelligence. while the author does an admirable job of making technical concepts accessible to a general audience, there is a risk of painting ai capabilities and limitations with too broad a brush. for example, walsh’s assertion that current ai systems are not sentient and do not have genuine understanding or consciousness as humans do is a widely accepted view, but the question of machine consciousness remains an active area of philosophical and scientific debate. the nature of consciousness and whether it can truly emerge in artificial systems is still not fully understood. similarly, walsh’s characterization of ai creativity as mere “faking” may overlook the potential for ai systems to generate outputs that, while not truly original in a human sense, still demonstrate novel combinations and emergent properties that push the boundaries of what we consider creative. as ai techniques become more sophisticated, the line between artificial and human creativity may continue to blur. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 411 that said, these criticisms do not detract the reader from the overall quality and importance of walsh’s work. faking it remains a highly informative and accessible introduction to the current state of ai, its capabilities, and the critical challenges it presents. in conclusion, faking it is a masterful exploration of the past, present, and future of artificial intelligence. toby walsh’s insights and warnings serve as a vital roadmap for navigating the transformative, and at times unsettling, implications of ai. this book is an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the technology that is rapidly reshaping our world. while ai can enhance and augment human creativity, it cannot replace the depth and uniqueness of the human creative experience at least not yet. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 251 research article a moodle based case library to foster ability to solve classroom management problems for beginner teachers manoj praveen g. associate professor, farook training college, farook college po, kozhikode, kerala, india, email: manojpraveeng@gmail.com abstract knowingly or unknowingly, teachers use problem solving skills in the classroom for a range of ill-structured problems as that of classroom management. the researcher was interested to find out whether case based reasoning to foster ability to solve classroom management problems hosted on a moodle based virtual learning environment is beneficial to the in-service teacher training of beginner teachers or not? in the present study the case library consists of prior experiences as cases in the form of stories enriched with scaffolds which include cartoons, hint questions, excerpts of underlying theory and expert solutions that help the learner to understand the problem and design their own alternate solutions to the problem. the present study is an experimental study in which pre-test post-test non-equivalent group design is used. the population for the present study is high school teachers teaching in government and government-aided schools of kerala, india. to conduct the experiment, 46 teachers with an experience of 10 years or below were selected conveniently. out of which 20 teachers were in the control group and 26 were in the experimental group. the teachers in the experimental group were required to take part in an online course on case based reasoning using a case based library on a moodle platform. the findings of the study revealed that, there was a significant mean difference in ability to solve classroom management problems between experimental and control groups. the present study suggests the use of case based reasoning instructional module for solving classroom management problems. keywords: moodle, case based library, ability to solve classroom management problems, case library introduction problem solving is a difficult and an intricate way of learning (jonassen & serrano, 2003). it is a cognitive ability in which correct or appropriate processing of mental information is critical to successful performance (carroll, 1993). cognitive tasks are mental processes that function to produce a thoughtful response. these tasks may be reasoning, problem solving, planning, organizing, abstract thinking, etc. therefore, problem solving ability is a person’s cognitive capability to understand the nature of problems and take actions to solve them accordingly. classroom management, including both instructional and behavioural indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 252 management, is a significant issue for teachers, school leaders, system administrators and the public (egeberg, mcconney& price, 2016). classroom management is the process of ensuring that classroom lessons run smoothly despite disruptive behaviour by students (al-zu’bi, 1988). it is important that teachers need to be trained in managing classroom processes as well as content. classroom management is all of the things that a teacher does to organize students, space, time and materials so that student learning can take place (wong & wong, 2014). effective teaching and learning cannot take place in a poorly managed classroom. marzano, marzano and pickering (2003) called teachers as ‘classroom managers’ who solve numerous problems ensuring successful knowledge transfer. knowingly or unknowingly, teachers use problem solving skills in the classroom for a range of ill-structured problems as that of classroom management. case based reasoning could be one of the wonderful ways to tackle illstructured problems. “case-based reasoning means using old experiences to understand and solve new problems” (kolodner, 1992). case based reasoning (cbr) addresses issues in memory, learning, planning and problem solving (slade, 1991). kolodner (1992), explained that the efficient way to solve ill-structured problems is through case based reasoning. as jonassen (2011) explains, “cases, (a) as problems to solve are instances of problems that will be the focus of learning, (b) as worked examples are instances of the process for solving wellstructured problems, (c) as case studies are instances of how others have solved ill-structured problems, (d) as analogies are instances of structurally similar problems, (e) as prior experiences are descriptions of previously solved problems that are reminded by the problem to be solved, (f) as alternative perspectives are instances of different perspectives on the problem to be solved, (g) as simulations are interactive instances of the problem to be solved that can be experimented with by learners”. cases are stories and to solve these cases certain scaffolds are necessary such as theoretical inputs, prior experiences, worked examples, expert opinions, etc. which create a problemsolving learning environment. the researcher is interested to find out whether case based reasoning to foster ability to solve classroom management problems hosted on a moodle based virtual learning environment is beneficial to the inservice teacher training of beginner teachers or not? the reason why the researcher chose the moodle platform is that moodle has a greater reach and could teach case based reasoning to solve classroom management problems without organizing face to face learning sessions. therefore, moodle platform will allow these beginner teachers scattered geographically to access the instructional materials at their own time. also, teachers need not be taken away from their classes. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 253 the study will focus on these following research questions: 1. what effect does online case based reasoning have on the abilities of in-service teachers in solving the classroom management problems? 2. what will be the attitude of beginner teachers towards employing online case based reasoning in solving classroom management problems? jonassen (2011) explains case library as, “stories that are made available to learners. the stories in the library are indexed in order to make them accessible to learners when they encounter a problem. those indexes may identify common contextual elements, solutions tried, expectations violated, or lessons learned. each experience in a case library represents the experiences that others have had while trying to solve problems”. in the present study the case library consists of prior experiences as cases in the form of stories enriched with scaffolds which include cartoons, hint questions, excerpts of underlying theory and expert solutions that help the learner to understand the problem and design their own alternate solutions to the problem. cases are instances of anything from a sentence-level or pictorial example to a complex, multi-page case study to a complex simulation of a problem. problems, worked examples, case studies, structural analogues, prior experiences, alternative perspectives, and simulations are all examples of cases (jonassen, 2011). in the present study, a case is a real-world classroom management experience elicited from a beginner teacher and crafted carefully into the structure of an intriguing story snippet. according to kolodner (1992), “casebased reasoning can mean adapting old solutions to meet new demands; using old cases to explain new situations; using old cases to critique new solutions; or reasoning from precedents to interpret a new situation or create an equitable solution to a new problem”. a classroom management problem is the felt difficulty of teachers when they attempt to realize instructional objectives in the classroom, when; (a) a teacher cannot control emotions while students misbehave, (b) a teacher cannot manage a student who misbehaves, (c) a teacher cannot manage students owing to lack of moral development, (d) a teacher cannot manage a group of students who misbehave, (e) a teacher cannot manage students owing to ineffective teaching-learning method, (f) a teacher cannot manage students with psychological problem, (g) a teacher cannot manage students owing to lack of infrastructure. methodology the present study is an experimental study in which pre-test post-test nonequivalent group design is used. the experimental and control group consisted of beginner teachers who were identified purposefully from different schools of the state of kerala, india. the population for the present study is high school teachers teaching in government and government-aided indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 254 schools of kerala, india. to conduct the experiment, 46 teachers with an experience of 10 years or below were selected conveniently. out of which 20 teachers were in the control group and 26 were in the experimental group. to develop the case library, the investigator interviewed beginner teachers (with a teaching experience of up to10 years) from aided and government high schools of the state of kerala, india. for this a semi-structured interview schedule was constructed to elicit real life experiences from the beginner teachers that could be turned into cases of classroom management problems. the researcher interviewed 150 beginner teachers from 6 out of 14 districts of the state of kerala, india. all the teachers were interviewed individually. the average time taken to interview a beginner teacher was around 25 to 30 minutes. the researcher audio recorded the interview only after the consent from the beginner teacher. the interviews were conducted in a closed room where the beginner teachers were given absolute privacy from their co-workers and superiors, so they could without fear share their uneasy experience with the researcher. these cases were crafted into engaging stories without losing the reality of the case but enriching the readability, and often reserving the climax of the problem to appear in the last paragraph of the story. the researcher after discussions with experts and review of literature understood that for a case based reasoning system to work properly, a case library is necessary to store all the cases (stories) and its associated paraphernalia. therefore, the investigator designed this case based problem solving learning environment on the principles and theories put forward by schank (1982), kolodner (1992), aamodt and plaza (1994), jonassen (2007, 2011) and others. after collecting relevant cases during the first phase, the investigator defined the raw and scattered information given by the beginner teachers into cases (stories). later, the investigator indexed these cases into several themes and identified teaching moments and associated cases. the investigator identified seven themes on which all the cases on classroom management problems could be grouped into. the seven themes were: theme 1: a teacher who cannot control emotions while students misbehave. theme 2: a teacher who cannot manage a student who misbehaves. theme 3: a teacher who cannot manage students owing to lack of moral development. theme 4: a teacher who cannot manage a group of students who misbehave. theme 5: a teacher who cannot manage students owing to ineffective teachinglearning methods. theme 6: a teacher who cannot manage students with psychological problems. theme 7: a teacher who cannot manage students owing to lack of infrastructure. all the elicited cases from beginner teachers were unresolved problems. only experts in the field could give guidelines to solve them using their year long experience and problem solving skills. the case library is incomplete indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 255 with solutions. therefore the researcher interviewed experienced teachers and teacher educators to draw out solutions on the cases collected from the beginner teachers. the reason for this is, the researcher argues that, during their exceptionally long years of service until now, the experienced teachers may have encountered similar cases earlier and may have been successful in applying the solution. even if they have not encountered a similar case in the past, they can use their experience to solve the problem defined in the case. we selected connoisseurs with long years of experience (at least 30 years), presidential or state government awardees in teaching, experienced teachers with exceptional repertoire of contributions to the society, one who is or had been involved in the training of in-service teachers, one who has served in various capacities as members of curriculum and textbook development in the state, etc. to hear the cases we elicited from beginner teachers and we sat with them to craft solutions or guidelines to solutions. these expert solutions were attached to the associated cases, so that the beginner teacher could take insights, inspirations and understand the characteristics of a solution while learning to solve the problem in the teaching moment. thereafter scaffolds were added into the case library. the scaffolds here are those which help the learner to get acquainted with the teaching moments and the associated cases. it also helps in understanding the problem to be solved. the three scaffolds are: hint questions: these multiple-choice questions were asked after reading the teaching moment where it set the tone for solving it. there were six hint questions which the beginner teacher had to answer. the questions are: (1) according to your viewpoint, what is the nature of the teacher in this case? (2) how did the problem begin in the case according to your viewpoint? (3) were there any symptoms of the classroom management problem? (4) was there a critical incident which was related to classroom management? (5) who is the real problem maker in this case? (6) how did the teacher think to act in this case? cartoons: the cartoons should depict the critical situation contained in the problem. they also help the learners to align themselves with the problem situation. a visual, especially comic in nature, makes the problem solver at ease and helps to keep his/her cool while attempting the problem. underlying theories: the underlying theories are those psychological theories that are associated with the teaching moment. while embedding the theories into the case library, it was kept in mind that statements were neither technically worded nor were they realistically simple to suggest the solutions straightaway. finally, there were seven problemsolving learning environments (psles). each psle meant one introductory case used as the teaching moment along with scaffolds and three associated cases with expert solutions. according to jonassen (2011), problem solving learning environments (psles), “assume that learners must engage indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 256 figure-1: problem solving learning environment of theme 1a teacher who cannot control emotions while students misbehave. with problems and attempt to construct schemas of problems, learn about their complexity, and mentally wrestle with alternative solutions” (p. xxi).there are seven problem solving learning environment (psles) based on the seven themes. figure-1 depicts one of the problem solving learning environment (psle). “assume that learners must engage with problems and attempt to construct schemas of problems, learn about their complexity, and mentally wrestle with alternative solutions” (p. xxi).there are seven problem solving learning environment (psles) based on the seven themes. figure-1 depicts one of the problem solving learning environment (psle). developing a module with a set of seven themes on moodle platform moodle is a virtual learning environment (vle) that is based on open source principles and the educational philosophy called social constructivism. it is a free learning management system that enables you to create powerful, flexible, and engaging online learning experiences. the moodle platform lets one assume either of the three roles of administrator, teacher or student. the teacher role allows one to customize the course by adding subject content and other resources. it also allows one to create activities such as assignments and quizzes to evaluate the students. in the present study, this test was administered as a pre-test to post-test to the beginner teachers to find out their problem solving ability. this test was administered to beginner teachers with up to 10 years of experience. the beginner teachers were presented with seven cases from seven different themes on classroom management problems with associated questions. also, attached to each case is three associated questions which must be answered by beginner teachers. the first question is ‘what is your assessment of the situation?’ here, the expected response of the teacher is to explain how they identify the problem situation, indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 257 figure-2: the symbolic representation of the study understand the problem situation and help them think about the situation so that they may be warmed up to answer the next questions. the second question is ‘what could have been done to avoid this problem?’ the third question is ‘what should be done after the problem has occurred?’ in the present study, a 5-point likert scale to find out the attitude towards moodle based case based reasoning was administered to the experimental group. this attitude scale contains eight statements to be rated and three open-ended questions to be subjectively answered. the rating is divided into five categories, i.e., strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree and strongly disagree. a rubric was developed to assess solutions of classroom management problems. the criteria of the rubric serve as guidelines to frame and report solutions in a standard format. however, the rubric does not serve as a final say on the solutions to the problem situation in the classroom as common sense is also given importance. the rubric was developed as a guide to assess the solution to the problem and has five criteria. each criterion hints to assess the solutions to classroom management problems. the hints to assess the solutions to classroom management problems are ranked as excellent, good, satisfactory and poor. the essence of each criterion has been explained below: this tool, even though it was for assessment, also served as a template for redefining thought processes towards solving problems. the tool was administered to both the control and experimental group as one of the interventions. the experimental group were administered this tool after completing the moodle course and while attempting the post-test, to craft their solution. the control group also administered this tool while attempting the post-test, to craft their solution. the research design a flow chart describing the steps of the research design is given in figures-2 and 3. g1 o1 x o2 g2 o3 c o4 o1 , o3, pre tests o2 , o4, post tests o2 o1,gain score o4 o3 ,gain score g1 experimental group g2 control group x -application of experimental treatment c -application of control treatment indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 258 the researcher conducted a pilot test before entering the actual intervention. the pilot test was conducted on 10 beginner teachers. the researcher found that giving seven cases in classroom management ability test took a lot of time for the beginner teachers to answer in a day. therefore, the investigator decided to reduce the number of cases from seven to four. in the first stage of the experiment, the beginner teachers were given a classroom management ability test. the pre-test included four cases and were given to teachers over two days. the experimental group was taught through a moodle based module employing case-based reasoning. the intervention was only through online mode. the control group was not given any online course or face to face courses on classroom management. the control group was however, given a rubric to think how to solve classroom management problems. the rubric was given when they were attempting the post-test. the classroom management problem solving ability test was readministered after the completion of the treatment period. figure-3: design of the study interviewing less experienced teachers developing case based psle designing and developing case library pilot test allocation of experimental and control group pre-test experimental group teaching through moodle based larger learning environment rubric for assessing solutions control group rubric for assessing solutions pre-test attitude towards case based reasoning scoring and consolidation statistical techniques analysis and interpretation hosting the module (case library) on moodle indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 259 statistical analysis, interpretation and findings the effect of the case based reasoning on the ability to solve classroom management problems was tested using t test. a t test for small sample was performed to determine if a statistically different significance existed between the experimental group using a case based library and the control group with no case-based reasoning strategies on ability to solve classroom management problems. table-3 shows the result of the t test performed for the total sample. group 95% ci for mean differencewith case based reasoning without case based reasoning m sd n m sd n t df ability to solve c l a s s r o o m management problems 6.98 4.32 27 0.10 1.94 20 4.79, 4.98 6.63* 45 * p < .01. there is a statistically significant mean difference in ability to solve classroom management problems between experimental and control groups. the 27 beginner teachers who received the case based reasoning intervention (m = 6.98, sd = 4.32) compared to the 20 participants in the control group (m = 0.10, sd = 1.94) demonstrated significantly better ability to solve classroom management problems, t(45) = 6.63, p = .003.results show that (figure-4) beginner teachers who received the case based reasoning intervention tend to have a higher ability to solve classroom management problems than do beginner teachers who did not receive the case based reasoning intervention. table-3: summary of t test on the gain scores of ability to solve classroom management problems indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 260 figure-4: categorized box plot for the experimental and control groups for the dependent variable: ability to solve classroom management problems this result reveals that case based reasoning is effective in increasing the ability to solve classroom management problems among beginner teachers at high school level. the box plot with very few outliers in both groups reveals the obvious advantage of the experimental group who used case based reasoning by a higher mean on gain-scores of ability to solve classroom management problems. conclusion the study aimed to find out the effect of case based reasoning on the ability to solve classroom management problems among beginner teachers at high school level. the findings of the study revealed that, there was a significant mean difference in ability to solve classroom management problems between experimental and control groups. also, there were no significant main or interaction effects of gender and attitude towards using case based reasoning on the ability to solve classroom management problems among beginner teachers at high school level. educational implications the present study suggests the use of case based reasoning instructional module for solving classroom management problems. as we are in a digital era and as computer facilities become more and more available, it is necessary to offer courses through the internet. more and more learners are joining online courses in india. as of today, india has the third largest online learners in the world (businessworld, 2020). therefore moocs based on case based reasoning to support the teacher indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 261 community to equip them to solve classroom management problems are a must in this era of multiplicity of classroom management problems. this study also suggests teaching of classroom management with case based reasoning in teacher preparation courses as real life problem solving is the need of the hour in pre-service teacher education. (acknowledgement: the investigator acknowledges icssr for providing funding for this research project vide f. no.02/135/2017-18/rp/major dated 29-12-2017) references aamodt, a., & plaza, e., (1994). case-based reasoning: foundational issues, methodological variations, and system approaches. ai communications, 7(1), 39-59. retrieved from http://www.iiia.csic.es/~enric/papers/ aicom.pdf al-zu’bi, z.h., (2013). classroom management problems among teacher students training at hashemite university. european journal of business and social sciences, 2(3), 140-149. retrieved form http://www.ejbss.com/recent.aspx businessworld. (2020). india is the 3rd largest online learning market. retrieved january 1, 2020, from, http://www.businessworld.in/article/india-is-the 3rd-largest-online-learning-market-with-1-3-learners/03-05-2016-97614/ carroll, j. (1993). human cognitive abilities: a survey of factor-analytic studies. usa: cambridge university press. egeberg, h. m., mcconney, a., & price, a. (2016). classroom management and national professional standards for teachers: a review of the literature on theory and practice. australian journal of teacher education, 41(7). http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2016v41n7.1 jonassen, d. & serrano, j. (2003). case-based reasoning and instructional design: using stories to support problem solving.educational technology research and development, 50:2, 65-77. http://www.jstor.org/stable/30221151 jonassen, d.h. (2004). learning to solve problems: an instructional design guide. san francisco: pfeifer. jonassen, d.h. (2011). learning to solve problems: a handbook for designing problem solving learning environments. new york: routledge. kolodner, j.l. (1992). an introduction to case-based reasoning. artificial intelligence review, 6:1. marzano, r., marzano j. & pickering, d. (2003). classroom management that works. retrieved july 1, 2017, from http://www.ascd.org/publications/ books/103027/chapters/the-critical-role-of-classroom-management.aspx indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 262 schank, r.c. (1982). dynamic memory: a theory of learning in computers and people. new york: cambridge university press slade, s. (1991). case-based reasoning: a research paradigm. ai magazine, 12(1), 42-55. https://doi.org/10.1609/aimag.v12i1.883 wong, h., & wong, r. (2014). the classroom management book. mountain view, ca: harry k. wong publications, inc. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 153 research article open educational resources and intellectual property rights: a study on the awareness of oer and ipr among elementary teacher educators manoj k. saxena1 & aakriti singh2 1head & dean (education), campus director, central university of himachal pradesh, dharamshala (hp) 2icssr doctoral research fellow, school of education, central university of himachal pradesh, dharamshala (hp) abstract digitalization is a major factor in education that brings advancements and mitigates educational boundaries. the accessibility of education has undoubtedly improved because of technological innovations. computers and smartphones are such technological equipment that is most accessible to everyone, and both offer a broad selection of programs that make educational content available online in different formats. in this age of technological advancements, it is crucial to protect both the author’s intellectual property rights and the credibility of the available content. for such circumstances in education, open educational resources (oer) are the workable alternative. this paper aims to measure the awareness of oer and intellectual property rights (ipr) among the diet teachers of himachal pradesh. future primary teachers who will shape the young brains of our country are being prepared by teachers in diets. teachers use both open educational resources and online educational content, thus, they must be acquainted with these resources and how to use them effectively. online content and oer are made available under several licenses and  iprs. providing acknowledgment and monetary gains to the creator or innovator can encourage the educational community, whereas a lack of understanding of ipr could obstruct societal and economic growth. therefore, any country must spread awareness about oer and licensing and apply it effectively. keywords: diet, oer, ipr, creative commons introduction universal elementary education depends primarily on the role of the teacher. a teacher can take the lead in raising the standard of primary education by incorporating value orientation, environmental and health education, and other topics. district institutes of education and training (diet) were established in each state and district as the first and only significant institutional investment in elementary teacher education (sarangapani, 2016). the teacher educators of diet institutes have significant importance in elementary education as they are responsible for creating competent elementary teachers. as a result of the district primary education program (dpep) implementation, more organizations and institutions are now involved in delivering public education at various levels (azam, & saing, 2017). to achieve the success of the educational objectives of these institutions open access (oa) resources play a vital role. as the world is exposed to an explosion of knowledge, and education is no longer restricted to instructor and student inside the confines of four walls (saxena, & hans, 2018) teacher also needs to upgrade themselves to cater to the need of young curious minds. a teacher educator must be trained in indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 154 pedagogy, science, and technology, as well as using open sources available in education. they need to know how to use the numerous open-access  and open  educational resources that are available in abundance on various digital platforms. open access contents are freely accessible online teaching, learning, or research resources that may or may not be edited, remixed, or disseminated in any other way but the educational materials that are openly licensed, freely distributable, in the public domain or made available under a license to utilize intellectual property are known as open educational resources, or oers (university of mary washington, 2022). the integration and adoption of technology and online educational materials is a challenging process that requires  comprehensive strategic planning on the part of the policy and decision-makers (hashim, 2007, as cited in ghavifekr, & hussin, 2011). in this digital age, teachers are significantly less likely able to use digital teaching aids in classrooms (szyszka et al., 2022). the open educational resources provide access to a wide range of international educational materials, which creates several opportunities for digital learning. open licenses under intellectual property rights are closely related to the concept of open educational resources. it is necessary to understand the permissions given under the copyright license before using any educational content. copyrights are a type of intellectual property right, along with patents, trademarks, and industrial property rights. intellectual property rights help to protect the rights of an original author. intellectual property is tied to human creativity and ingenuity (teixeira & ferreira, 2019). it takes work, time, energy, talent, money, and other resources to develop or create anything new. the proper application of intellectual property rights in any country or organization may hinder the overall development of the entire country (sreeragi. 2021). to receive ipr’s benefits, one must register with the work under appropriate legal authorities. ipr has mainly two categoriescopyrights and industrial property rights. the copyrights include literary and artistic work, while the industrial property rights cover the patent, trademark, industrial design, and geographical indication (gaikwad, 2020). ipr gives people the legal right to prevent others from doing certain actions, such as pirating, forging, copying, and in some situations, using others’ independently developed ideas without the original  author’s knowledge. policymakers must include intellectual property rights (ipr) in the basic education framework of the education system and promote ipr registration by facilitating inventors and creators (chudasama, & patel, 2021). the oer supports and facilitates the creators’ rights. the oer are generally released with creative commons (cc) license, which gives the freedom of copying, distributing, modifying, or using the resource for commercial purposes depending upon the type of cc license. oer websites established by numerous national institutions to make their educational materials accessible to all individuals have helped open educational resources (oers) gain popularity over time in india (deivam, & devaki, 2022). oer is available in different forms and types. since oer will positively impact teaching and learning, the oer policy framework must distinguish between various oer types and give a precise definition of each (ebner et al., 2022). review of related literature in light of the possibility that epigone  could be a future creator, marjit, & yang (2015) investigated the connection between ipr and r&d incentives. according to their research, indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 155 giving rise to such a possibility can lead to the development of fresh insights that defy accepted thinking. they look at the fundamental connection between intellectual property rights (ipr) and rewards for r&d in the context of copycats who may be future innovators of both simple and complicated technologies. most of the higher educational institutes (heis) lack ipr policies due to several obstacles, such as a lack of qualified staff, a holdup in research funding, and a lack of creative facilities and lack of qualified ipr specialists who can assist instructors, researchers, and students at heis is one of the challenges that have a detrimental impact on ip generation (sattiraju et al., 2021). teachers cannot do their jobs as effectively without a grasp of the complexity of global evolution as well as without the necessary skills and competence (sharifi & imani, 2013). chidi & babalola (2016), examine how open access and creative commons may be used as instruments to balance intellectual property rights while also ensuring that information is easily created and accessible. the study supports that creative commons and open access are served as balancing ways for the public interest and intellectual property rights. open educational resources which released with creative commons are used as a model to help a unified approach in ipr (mcandrew & cropper, 2011, pp. 2-3). oer are all publicly available materials used for learning, education, and training, and the quantity of oer, as well as its accessibility and dissemination through learning object repositories, has grown significantly in recent years (clements & pawlowski, 2012). all oer is distributed under an open license that gives the necessary permissions from the owner of the intellectual property to use the material, and the most wellknown of these licenses is creative commons (kumar & prabu, 2021). the academic community is actively debating using open educational resources (oer) in teaching, which are divided between outright resistance, partial adoption, and full acceptance (menzli et al., 2022). oer was utilized by teachers to enhance their instructional techniques, acquire fresh perspectives, and deepen their understanding of certain subjects (admiraal, 2022). the advantages of oer can not be neglected by the educational community. to fairly use of such resources, it is important for the elementary teachers to distinguish such resources from other copyright materials. in the research gap, it was found that this research aims to find out the awareness level of oer and ipr among elementary teacher educators of himachal pradesh. the objective of the study the goal of this study was to determine whether the diet teachers of himachal pradesh are familiar with the concept of ipr and oer. the level of awareness will indicate how the diet teacher educators are aware of these resources. utilizing educational materials healthily and legally has several advantages, including lessening financial burdens and increasing recognition of original work. the objectives of this study are • to evaluate diet teacher educators’ familiarity with oer. • to study the ipr knowledge level of diet teacher educators. • to study the relationship between diet teacher educators’ level of oer and ipr awareness. hypotheses of the study • diet teacher educators’ awareness of oer does not differ significantly in relation to gender and teaching experience. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 156 • diet teacher educators’ awareness of ipr does not differ significantly in relation to their gender and teaching experience. • the awareness of oer and ipr among diet teacher educators is not significantly correlated. delimitations of the study the study is delimited to 54 teacher educators of 9 diets of himachal pradesh. methodology the present study followed the descriptive survey method. the sample of 54 teacher educators from diet institutes of himachal pradesh is selected with a random sampling method. the 9 diet institutes are selected out of 12 government diet institutes of himachal pradesh. the data is collected with the help of a self-developed questionnaire and prepare a google form link to send to the 90 teachers who were selected for the study with the help of a random sampling technique. out of 90 teacher educators, 61 responses were received. the researcher has selected 54 responses for the study, which were completed in all aspects. survey instrument a structured questionnaire was used in the survey. the relevant literature on ipr and oer served as a basis for the development of the research tools. the survey questionnaire has 3 parts. i. demographic information ii. awareness of ipr iii. awareness of oer the instrument was evaluated by six subject experts in the field of education and open educational resources who determined its face and content validity. the required revisions were then made in accordance with their recommendations. the reliability of the test is evaluated with the test-retest method. the cronbach’s alpha score of reliability was found 0.73, which is under the acceptability threshold. respondents were asked to rate their degree of agreement with each statement on a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 meant “strongly agree,” 4 meant “agree,” 3 meant “undecided,” 2 meant “disagree,” and 1 meant “strongly disagree.”. data interpretation and findings: the data of the study were analyzed with the help of spss in the light of the objectives. the data was analyzed with quantitative analysis, and the outcomes were tabulated. table-1: analysis of items sl. no. items mean sd 1 copyright license use for intellectual property right. 4.10 0.67 2 ipr license protects the rights of author. 4.31 0.74 3 copying the online content without the author permission is an illegal activity. 4.22 0.88 4 plagiarism is not illegal if the author is cited in the work. 2.30 0.89 5 it is necessary to cite, quote and acknowledge the author when you use his/her work. 4.33 0.64 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 157 6 any educational content available online can be use freely and without any restriction. 2.22 0.86 7 ipr license helps to prevent infringement. 4.13 0.80 8 all literary work published with copyright 3.63 0.76 9 oer stands for open educational resources 4.24 0.75 10 all oer are released with ipr license. 3.67 0.97 11 every educational content available online are oer. 2.70 0.87 12 oer are free to use by anyone. 4.07 0.72 13 oer can be remix to make new educational content. 3.76 0.91 14 photos and videos can be oer 2.78 0.64 15 free courses are available on oer repositories. 3.83 0.73 16 oer are released under creative commons license. 4.02 0.62 the survey consists of 16 items. item no1-8 measures the awareness of intellectual property rights, and item number 9-16 measures the awareness of open educational resources. the item no-4, 6, and 11 are negatively worded and are scored in a reverse manner. the highest means for items 1 and 9 in table 1 demonstrate that instructors are highly knowledgeable about the concepts “copyright license use for intellectual property right” and “oer stands for open educational resources,” with mean values of 4.10 and 4.24, respectively. the demographic details are given in table 2. table-2: demographic details of the sample demographic status item n percentage gender male 26 48.1 female 28 51.9 experience less than 10 years 47 87 11-20 years 4 7.4 21 and above 5 5.6 the total respondents are 54 and 26 are male, and 28 are female teachers of different diet from himachal pradesh. the maximum per cent (87 per cent) of teachers have less than 10 years of teaching experience, and only 7.4 per cent and 5.6 per cent of teachers are under the category of 11-20 and above 21 years of experience, respectively. table-3: awareness level of oer level frequency percentage low 35 64.8 average 4 7.4 high 15 27.8 total 54 100 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 158 the awareness level of oer from the survey is shown in table 3. from the table, it shows that 64.8 per cent of teachers have low awareness of oer, while the average level has only 7.4 per cent and only 27.8 per cent of teachers have a high level of oer awareness. thus, it can be concluded that the awareness level of oer of the diet teachers is at a low level. table-4: awareness level of ipr level frequency percentage low 20 37 average 16 29.6 high 18 33.3 total 54 100 from the table 4 above, it is evident that 37 per cent of instructors had low awareness of ipr, compared to 29.6 per cent who have moderate awareness and 33.3 who have high awareness. the knowledge level of ipr among diet instructors is, therefore, poor, despite the fact that there is no significant variation in the percentage. null hypothesis-1 “diet teacher educators’ awareness of oer does not differ significantly in relation to gender and teaching experience.” table-5: oer awareness among diet teacher educators in relation to their gender and teaching experience tests of between-subjects effects dependent variable: oer awareness source type iii sum of squares df mean square f sig. corrected model 4.514a 4 1.129 .112 .978 intercept 11173.029 1 11173.029 1104.231 <.001 gender .000 1 .000 .000 .997 experience 1.297 2 .649 .064 .938 gender* experience .613 1 .613 .061 .807 error 495.801 49 10.118 total 40899.000 54 corrected total 500.315 53 r squared = .009 (adjusted r squared = -.072) the above table:5 explored the ‘f’ value and significant level related to oer awareness among teacher educators in relation to their gender and teaching experience. the above analysis shows the value of significance between oer awareness among the gender and teaching experience as follows: the gender of respondents with respect to oer awareness among teacher educators related ‘f’ value is 0.00 with a significant probability is .997. “the null hypothesis is accepted since it indicates indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 159 that the ‘f’ value is not significant at the 0.05 level of significance”. so it can also be deduced that there is no significant gender difference in oer awareness among teacher educators at diet institutions. the teaching experience of respondents with respect to oer awareness among teacher educators related f value is 0.064 with a significant probability is .938. “the null hypothesis is accepted since it indicates that the f value is not significant at the 0.05 level of significance,” and it can also be deduced that there is no significant difference  among diet teacher educators’ awareness of oer based on their teaching experience. the gender*experience with respect to oer awareness among teacher educators related to “f value is 0.61 with significant probability is .807 which shows that ‘f’ value is not significant at 0.05 level of significance” and it can be concluded that there is no significant difference between the oer awareness among teacher educators based on their gender and teaching experience. null hypothesis-2 “diet teacher educators’ awareness of ipr does not differ significantly in relation to their gender and teaching experience.” table-6: ipr awareness among diet teacher educators in relation to their gender and teaching experience tests of between-subjects effects dependent variable: oer awareness source type iii sum of squares df mean square f sig. corrected model 29.385a 4 7.346 1.088 .373 intercept 12895.202 1 12895.202 1910.327 <.001 gender 26.372 1 26.372 3.907 .054 experience 5.049 2 2.524 .374 .690 gender * experience 26.937 1 26.937 3.990 .051 error 330.763 49 6.750 total 46356.000 54 corrected total 360.148 53 r squared = .082 (adjusted r squared = .007) an analysis of table-6 leads to the conclusion that the ‘f’ value and significant level related to ipr awareness among teacher educators in relation to their gender and teaching experience. the above analysis shows the value of significance between ipr awareness among the gender and teaching experience as follows: the gender of respondents with respect to ipr awareness among teacher educators related ‘f’ value is 3.907 with a significant probability is .057. it shows that the “f value is significant at 0.05 level of significance. thus the null hypothesis is rejected,” and it can be concluded that there is a significant difference between the ipr awareness among teacher educators of diet institutes based on their gender. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 160 the teaching experience of respondents with respect to ipr awareness among teacher educators related to “f value is .374 with significant probability is .690, which shows that ‘f’ value is not significant at 0.05 level of significance and the null hypothesis is here accepted,” so it can be concluded that there is no significant difference between the ipr awareness among teacher educators based on their teaching experience. the gender*experience with respect to ipr awareness among teacher educators related to “ f value is 3.99 with significant probability is .051 which shows that ‘f’ value is significant at 0.05 level of significance.” it concluded that there is a significant difference between the ipr awareness among teacher educators on the basis of their gender and teaching experience. null hypothesis 3: “the awareness of oer and ipr among diet teacher educators is not significantly correlated.” table-7: significant correlation between awareness of oer and ipr awareness of oer awareness of ipr awareness of oer pearson correlation sig. (2-tailed) 1 .157 .257 n 54 54 awareness of ipr pearson correlation sig. (2-tailed) .157 .257 1 n 54 54 table 7 shows the value of pearson correlation between awareness of oer and ipr awareness is 0.157 with a significant value of .257, which shows the minor positive correlation between the awareness of oer and ipr, but the “value is not significant at 0.05 level of significance, and the null hypothesis-3 is accepted”. we may conclude that there is no significant relationship between the oer and ipr awareness among diet teacher educators. discussion the objectives of the study were to explore the level of awareness towards oer and ipr as the oers are a type of open source that have the power to change academic practice in response to the effects of fast-advancing technology (hatzipanagos & gregson, 2015). the study revealed that 64.8 per cent of teacher educators have low and only 27.8 per cent of teacher educators have a high awareness of oer. however, the awareness of ipr among teachers is low, i.e., 37 per cent and 33.3 per cent high. the extended technological uses in educational curricula reflect more significant social developments, which demand for teachers to acquire fundamental knowledge of intellectual property as a component of digital literacy (starkey et al., 2010). according to unesco, governments, higher education institutions (heis), and businesses should collaborate to continuously develop the framework for digitally transforming teaching (unesco-ichei, 2022). the study reveals a minor but not significant positive correlation between the oer and ipr awareness among teacher educators. conclusion due to recent major developments in worldwide information availability, ideas concerning the rights and responsibilities of intellectual property indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 161 are transforming in the educational technology field. likely, a teacher who lacks this advanced knowledge will not be able to impart technical literacy skills to students, such as protecting one’s own ideas, using others’ ideas lawfully, and respecting others’ intellectual property rights. studies show that teacher educators differ significantly in computer anxiety based on their region and gender (saxena, kumar, & singh, 2019). the educational community needs to involve in the growing, open education movement, which can create and utilize open resources that contribute to the availability of freely shared information through open licenses that enable usage, editing, translation, enhancement, and sharing by anyone. references admiraal, w. (2022). a typology of educators using open educational resources for teaching. international journal on studies in education (ijonse), 4(1), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijonse.60 azam, m., & saing, c. h. (2017). assessing the impact of district primary education program in india. review of development economics, 21(4), 1113-1131. chidi, h. e., & babalola, m. (2016). creative commons and open acces: balancing intellectual property rights and public good in contemporary times. port harcourt journal of business law, 2. chudasama, d., & patel, s. (2021). importance of intellectual property rights.  journal of intellectual property rights law, 4(2), 16-22p. clements, k. i., & pawlowski, j. m. (2012). user-oriented quality for oer: understanding teachers’ views on re-use, quality, and trust. journal of computer assisted learning, 28(1), 4–14. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2729.2011.00450.x deivam, m., & devaki, n.(2022) open educational resources (oers) for teaching and learning.  in s. anabalagan & p. jeyalakshmi (eds.), empowering teacher education and it vision by 2022 (pp.14-22). insta publishing. ebner, m., orr, d., & schön, s. (2022). oer impact assessment: a framework for higher education institutions and beyond. approaches to assess the impact of open educational resources. open education studies, 4(1), 296-309. gaikwad, a. (2020). a study of intellectual property rights and its significance for business. journal of computational acoustics, 10(september), 552–561. https://www.researchgate. net/publication/344217569_a_study_of_intellectual_property_rights_and_its_ significance_for_business ghavifekr, s., & hussin, s. (2011). managing systemic change in a technology-based education system: a malaysian case study. procedia-social and behavioral sciences, 28, 455-464. hatzipanagos, s., & gregson, j. (2015). educational resources: a distance learning perspective. the electronic journal of e-learning, 13(2), 97–105. www.ejel.org kumar, s., & prabu, m. (2021). perception of oer and oep. … , m.(2021). perception of oer and oep. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3929297 marjit, s., & yang, l. (2015). does intellectual property right promote innovations when pirates are innovators?. international review of economics & finance, 37, 203-207. mcandrew, p., & cropper, k. (2011). open educational resources and intellectual property rights. unesco institute for information technologies in education, moscow, russia. http://oro. open.ac.uk/28784/ indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 162 menzli, l. j., smirani, l. k., boulahia, j. a., & hadjouni, m. (2022). investigation of open educational resources adoption in higher education using rogers’ diffusion of innovation theory. heliyon, 8(7), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09885. sarangapani, p. (2016). preparing to teach : a study of elementary teacher education in a diet. december. https://doi.org/10.13140/rg.2.2.25920.74241 sattiraju, v. k., pandey, r., pallela, r., sircar, a., ligade, v. s., muragundi, p. m., & janodia, m. d. (2021). intellectual property rights policies of higher education institutions (heis) in india: a cross-sectional study. journal of science and technology policy management. https:// doi.org/10.1108/jstpm-01-2021-0002 saxena, m. k., & hans, d. (2018). ict: an agent of happiness in education. brics journal of educational research, (8), 44. sharifi, a., & imani, m. n. (2013). identifications of skills required by high school teachers & students to apply ict. procedia-social and behavioral sciences, 83, 841-845. saxena, m. k., kumar, s., & singh, a. (2019). computer anxiety and individual failure in computer usage among teacher educators of universities and colleges: a study on fdp participants. international journal of information dissemination and technology, 9(4), 191-195. sreeragi, rg. (2021). intellectual property rights (ipr): an overview. emperor international journal of library and information technology research 1(2), 27-30. http://dx.doi.org/10.35337/ eijlitr.2021.1205 starkey, l., corbett, s., bondy, a., & davidson, s. (2010). intellectual property: what do teachers and students know? international journal of technology and design education, 20(3), 333–344. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-009-9088-6 szyszka, m., tomczyk, ł., & kochanowicz, a. m. (2022). digitalisation of schools from the perspective of teachers’ opinions and experiences: the frequency of ict use in education, attitudes towards new media, and support from management. sustainability, 14(14), https:// doi.org/10.3390/su14148339 teixeira, a. a., & ferreira, c. (2019). intellectual property rights and the competitiveness of academic spin-offs. journal of innovation & knowledge, 4(3), 154-161. university of mary washington (n.d), what are oer and how do they differ from open access, library-licensed and affordable course content? open educational resources retrieved from https://provost.umw.edu/oer/what-are-oer/ unesco-ichei (2022). research report on digital transformation of higher education teaching and learning. april. https://en.ichei.org/uploads/download/2022-0516/62820a2a9bceb.pdf indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 1 introduction one of the fundamental principles of nep-2020 is the integration of technology in educational transactions and reaching the socio-economically disadvantaged groups, cutting across the barriers of language, location, and digital divide. in higher education, the policy recommends multidisciplinary, holistic, equitable, and progressive quality higher education to fulfil the requirements of the techno-modern era and achieve sustainable development goal 4 (sdg4) by 2040 (national education policy, 2020). further, this revolutionary policy paves the way for transforming the regulatory system of higher education and establishing and expanding national-level initiatives for managing technology-based implementations such as neft, ndear, diksha, and swayam. with the advent of disruptive technologies and a plethora of technological platforms, future learners shall witness borderless classrooms irrespective of geographical location and independent of any educational facilitators (kumar & ganesh, 2022). research article students attitude for blended learning at higher education level kalakoti uday kumar1, qudsia hafeez2 & busi sujatha3 1ugc-jrf ph.d scholar (2021-2026), department of education, university college of education, osmania university emailudaykalakoti9347@gmail.com 2icssr-pdf scholar (2021-2022), department of education, university college of education, osmania university 3assistant professor, department of education, university college of education, osmania university abstract education has leapt over from the conventional mode to the modern way of teaching with the accessibility of various online platforms. a hybrid instruction model called blended learning, conglomerates the strengths of each conventional and online mode of learning experiences. this study explores to what extent university students have an attitude towards the blended learning approach with the objectives laid to investigate and compare the attitude of undergraduate and postgraduate students belonging to two science and two non-science streams their gender, and undergraduate and postgraduate education level. the paper analyses the result of a survey conducted on 160 students randomly selected through stratified random sampling comprising 40 students from each of the four departments of osmania university, including 20 undergraduates and 20 postgraduates, equally representing 20 males and 20 females. the data collected through an opinionnaire on four different aspects of the blended learning model, i.e. bl environment, bl structures, bl implementation, and bl assessment and evaluation; on a 5-point likert scale showed significant differences exist among different streams, gender, and educational level of students towards blended learning method. keywords: blended learning, ict skills, higher education, students attitude indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 2 nep 2020 para 24.4 (i) recommends using effective blended learning models. as per ugc (2022), blended learning is a meaningful merging of digital learning resources with in-class instruction. this significant fusion of on-campus and online modes provides a better learning environment. a few essential characteristics of blended learning include (i) increased student engagement, (ii) provision for self-reliance, continuous, and experiential learning, (iii) improved student learning outcomes, (iv) flexible learning environment, and (v) enhanced peer-to-peer and peer-to-teacher interaction. the different modes/structures of blended learning, according to ugc (2022), are(i) blended “on-campus (face-toface class) model” this requires the replacement of some time of in-person classes with online activities. (ii) blended “virtual class model” is mainly conducted online with a significant amount of on-campus academic learning like discourses and laboratory experimentations. (iii) “the flipped classroom model” this requires students to watch a lecture video online and perform practical activities like group work, projects, and exercises in the classroom. (iv) “the rotation model” this may involve students moving in from one station to another like lab, individual, or station rotation; including an online learning lab. (v) “the self-blend model” this requires students to make their own choices for courses online and in person as per their needs and interests. (vi) “the blended mooc” students access moocs outside the classroom and meet in person discussions and classroom activities. (vii) “flexible-mode courses” this hybrid instruction model allows students to choose to attend the class either physically or online. blended learning requires suitable technologies and online platforms for implementing various teaching-learning approaches such as internet-based, project-based, tab-based remote learning, online assessments, and virtual labs; and teaching techniques that can be implemented are cooperative learning strategies, discussions on case studies, brainstorming, mind-mapping, conceptmapping, creative presentations, etc.; so an indian model /framework is created for its implementation following the ipsit model that is to (i) recognize resources and learnerfocussed activities, (ii) provide materials and make lms activity announcements, (iii) providing support and scaffolding for learners, (iv) identifying gaps in learning and providing comments, and finally (v) evaluating (ugc, 2022). in this context, the study tries to understand the attitudes of graduate and postgraduate students genderwise from four different streams, viz. science, engineering, arts, and social science, and education departments of osmania university and its affiliated college in telangana towards blended learning model which seeks students attitudes upon (i) bl environment, includes opinions on the features of blended learning model; (ii) bl structures, includes opinions on the different modes/structures of blended learning model and synchronous and asynchronous e-learning; (iii) bl implementation, includes opinions on availability of ict infrastructure and indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 3 digital technology at the university level and at individual level; and (iv) bl assessment and evaluation, includes opinions on online and offline mode of examination and feedback. at the higher education level, a few key findings of aishe 2019-20 (2020) report are (i) infrastructure for institutions at the university level (para 2.8), 94 per cent have libraries, 85 per cent have laboratories, 81 per cent have computer centres, 62 per cent have solar power generation, 55 per cent are connected to nkn (national knowledge network), 40 per cent are connected to nmeict. (ii) pupil teacher ratio (ptr) (para 2.4.1) in universities and colleges is 28 in regular mode; (iii) at the higher education level, the gross enrolment ratio (ger) (1823 years), (para 2.3), is 27.1 per cent, comprising 26.9 per cent of the male population and 27.3 per cent of the female population, (iv) gender distribution (para 2.2.4), 50.8 per cent of males and 49.2 per cent of females are enrolled at the undergraduate level, whereas slightly less, 40 per cent male and 60 per cent female at the postgraduate level; (v) discipline/subject-wise enrolment (para 2.2.3), the majority of undergraduate students are in the arts stream, followed by science, commerce, engineering, and technology. whereas the management and social science streams contain most of the students at the postgraduate level. review of literature adenekan and jatto (2023) studied 130 postgraduate students’ attitudes towards blended learning and reported a positive attitude, with 94.7 per cent of postgraduates stating blended learning as beneficial, 89.5 per cent as interesting, 94.8 per cent of respondents cited internet connectivity issues as a major challenge for implementing blended learning; conversely, 84.2 per cent supported physical classes for understanding some topics, and 89.5 per cent stated blended learning reduces physical attention. tamang and naraginti (2022) found favourable attitudes of post-graduate science stream students concerning the implementation of the blended learning model. zhu et al. (2013) also found an optimistic attitude toward hybrid learning from university students when exposed to the online learning environment. according to mahato et al. (2021) demographic variables such as gender, locality, semester, internet user, family type, caste, and guardian’s occupations had no significant impact when compared to the significant differences in educational streams like arts, science, and commerce, of post graduate students for a hybrid model of learning. aladwan et al. (2018) indicated a positive attitude of university students towards blended learning and stressed its effectiveness over classical approaches of imparting knowledge, where students take immense responsibility for their own learning process. whereas falah and chairuddin (2022) reported drawbacks with regard to internet connections and limitations with instructors’ strategies for online teaching-learning. in another study conducted by bindu and bharathi (2022) on university students’ perceptions of the mode of examination pattern, viz., online and offline examinations, the results revealed mixed interest as the majority of students were already adjusted to the traditional offline system indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 4 and its easiness to pass. however, students expressed their positive opinions on the associated benefits of online examinations such as timesaving, less tiring, minimized cheating with accuracy and the possibility of obtaining fast results, and eco-friendly in less paper usage. bhosale (2022) reported that the all india gaming federation (aigf) has observed that gamification of educational content has proven to be an essential tool in making the content easier to understand with the use of gaming elements. children with learning disabilities and introverts can learn in an interactive way, improving handeye coordination, reaction time, and reflexes in children, which is handy in several real-life situations. gamification of the syllabus is slowly gathering attention post-pandemic, as children are using apps and techniques to learn difficult concepts. das (2021) studied the outlook of students and instructors concerning hybrid models to be more positive, efficient, and more viable than traditional learning and online learning and stated the need for teachers to select a proper blended learning model. huang (2016) revealed university students’ positive attitude towards mixed learning, as most students preferred blended learning to either f2f or online learning alone, while f2f learning was preferable and advantageous for learning world knowledge and facilitating learners’ interests in learning english, whereas e-learning was helpful in listening skills. similarly, bakeer (2018), through an experimental study, found positive attitudes of undergraduate students towards english language courses taught through the blended learning model enhanced students’ language skills as well as learner autonomy and motivation. further, munir et al. (2021) reported that all participants agreed that blended learning facilities promote a better understanding of efl subjects. kintu et al. (2017) surveyed 238 university students; and found male students performed better than females in a blended learning environment. results showed blended learning design features (technology quality, online tools and resources) and student characteristics (attitudes to blended learning, and self-regulation) predicted student satisfaction with blended learning as an outcome. singh (2020), in the context of nep-2020 and the reach of technology, stated that the availability of computers is far less than 5 per cent in countryside households compared to 23.4 per cent in metropolitan areas. similarly, less than 15 per cent of rural inhabitants are connected online as against 42.0 per cent of urban inhabitants. the majority of the students from underprivileged communities do not have online learning devices/internet connectivity/electricity. students belonging to both urban and rural zones mainly use mobile phones for accessing internet connectivity. based on prisma guidelines, ashraf et al. (2021) conducted systematic reviews on blended learning and found that the majority of the studies were conducted at higher education level with students as the participants and indicated that a dearth of ict infrastructure and skills are the most frequent problems experienced by educators, pupils, and organizations. it was found that the majority of studies did not focus on any particular subject matter. moreover, blended learning affects students psychological (self-regulation, satisfaction, and engagement) and behavioral outcomes (academic performance in various subjects). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 5 in the light of review of literature, it felt significant to conduct a fresh study of different subject streams and education level of osmania university students to understand their attitudes towards blended learning. objectives of the study (1) to investigate the attitude of undergraduate and postgraduate students belonging to science, engineering, arts and social science, and education streams towards the blended learning model. (2) to compare the attitude of undergraduate and postgraduate students belonging to science, engineering, arts and social science, and education streams towards the blended learning model. (3) to investigate the attitude of undergraduates and postgraduates towards the blended learning model with respect to gender. (4) to compare the attitude of undergraduates and postgraduates towards the blended learning model with respect to gender. (5) to investigate the attitude of undergraduates with that of postgraduates with respect to educational level, belonging to science, engineering, arts and social science, and education streams towards blended learning model. (6) to compare the attitude of undergraduates with that of postgraduates with respect to educational level, belonging to science, engineering, arts and social science, and education streams towards blended learning model. hypotheses of the study (1) there is no significant difference between the attitude of undergraduate and postgraduate students belonging to science, engineering, arts and social science, and education streams towards the blended learning model. (2) there is no significant difference between the attitude of undergraduates and postgraduates towards the blended learning model with respect to gender. (3) there is no significant difference between the attitude of undergraduates with that of postgraduates with respect to educational level, belonging to science, engineering, arts and social science, and education streams towards blended learning model. methodology a descriptive survey study was conducted on 160 students randomly chosen via stratified random sampling from the population of students studying in science, engineering, arts and social science, and education departments of osmania university and one of its affiliated colleges in telangana. forty students from each of the four departments comprising, viz. (i) 20 postgraduate students from the university college of science and 20 undergraduate students from its affiliated college; each consisting of 10 boys and 10 girls. (ii) 20 postgraduate students and 20 undergraduate students from the university college of engineering, each consisting of 10 boys and 10 girls. (iii) 20 postgraduate students from the university college of arts and social sciences and 20 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 6 table:1overall student’s opinion towards blended learnin frequency percent valid percent cumulative percent strongly disagree 33 20.6 20.6 20.6 disagree 33 20.6 20.6 41.3 undecided 33 20.6 20.6 61.9 agree 29 18.1 18.1 80.0 strongly agree 32 20.0 20.0 100.0 total 160 100.0 100.0 undergraduate students from its affiliated college, each consisting of 10 boys and 10 girls. (iv) 20 postgraduate students and 20 undergraduate students from the university college of education, each consisting of 10 boys and 10 girls. altogether, the sample is 80 undergraduates and 80 postgraduates by education level and 80 boys and 80 girls by gender. the independent variables considered are gender, education level, i.e. undergraduate students and postgraduate students, and different streams, i.e. science, engineering, arts and social science, and education student’s attitudes towards the blended learning model as a dependent variable. the data was collected through an opinionnaire consisting of 52 statements on four different aspects of the blended learning model, i.e. (i) blended learning environment (14 questions), (ii) blended learning structures (16 questions), (iii) blended learning implementation (14 questions), and (iv) blended learning assessment and evaluation (08 questions); based on a likert scale with five possible outcomes (strongly agree, agree, undecided, disagree, and strongly disagree); to find whether any significant differences exist among the sample towards blended learning approach. the tool was validated, and the reliability coefficient was found to be .694, calculated using cronbach’s alpha for these 52 questions, which indicated a reliable instrument for executing the study. analysis and interpretation this section includes descriptive and inferential analysis of the sample for the set objectives and hypotheses. objective 1: “to investigate the attitude of undergraduate and postgraduate students belonging to science, engineering, arts and social science, and education streams towards the blended learning model”, crosstabulations are performed of the frequencies of students opinion towards blended learning with respect to different colleges, viz. ucs, uce, ucass, ucedn. table 1 shows, there is not much difference among the frequency of total opinions of students i.e. strongly disagree (33, 20.6 per cent), disagree (33, 20.6 per cent), undecided (33, 20.6 per cent), agree (29, 18.1 per cent) and strongly agree (32, 20.0 per cent) towards blended learning model. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 7 table 2 shows the total sample; university college of science (ucs) and university college of arts and social sciences (ucass) students showed favourable attitudes, whereas university college of engineering (uce) and university college of education (ucedn) students showed unfavourable attitude towards blended learning model. objective 3: “to investigate the attitude of undergraduates and postgraduates towards the blended learning model with respect to gender”, crosstabulations are performed of the frequencies of students opinion towards blended learning with respect to students gender. table-2: cross tabulation of students opinion towards blended learning among four colleges, viz. ucs, uce, ucass, ucedn ucs college total uce ucass ucedn total bl strongly disagree 5 14 3 11 33 disagree 6 14 2 11 33 undecided 6 4 15 8 33 agree 4 1 18 6 29 strongly agree 19 7 2 4 32 total 40 40 40 40 160 table-3: cross tabulations of students opinions towards blended learning with respect to students’ gender male gender total female total bl strongly disagree 19 14 33 disagree 19 14 33 undecided 12 21 33 agree 14 15 29 strongly agree 16 16 32 total 80 80 160 table 3 shows that, compared to male students, female students exhibit a positive attitude towards blended learning. objective 5: “to investigate the attitude of undergraduates with that of postgraduates with respect to educational level, belonging to science, engineering, arts and social science, and education streams towards blended learning model”, crosstabulations are performed of the frequencies of students opinion towards blended learning with respect to students educational level. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 8 table 5 indicates distribution of students sample, comprising each 40 making 25 per cent of the sample from four different colleges viz. university college of science (ucs), university college of engineering (uce), university college of arts and social sciences (ucass), and university college of education (ucedn). table-4: cross tabulations of students’ opinions towards blended learning with respect to students’ educational level u.g. educational level total p.g total bl strongly disagree 18 15 33 disagree 16 17 33 undecided 14 19 33 agree 13 16 29 strongly agree 19 13 32 total 80 80 160 table 4 shows that undergraduate students have a slightly more favourable attitude towards blended learning than postgraduate students. hypothesis 1: there is no significant difference between the attitude of undergraduate and postgraduate students belonging to science, engineering, arts and social science, and education streams towards the blended learning model. table-5: the distribution of students among four colleges, viz. ucs, uce, ucass, ucedn college frequency valid percent cumulative percent ucs 40 25.0 25.0 uce 40 25.0 50.0 ucass 40 25.0 75.0 ucedn 40 25.0 100.0 total 160 100.0 table-6: f-value of students among four colleges, viz. ucs, uce, ucass, ucedn total bl anova sum of squares df mean square f sig. total bl between groups 8225.619 3 2741.873 9.690 .000 within groups 44142.825 156 282.967 total 52368.444 159 from table 6, the f-ratio is found to be 9.690 (3df), and the p-value is .000<0.05α, which is statistically significant. therefore, the null indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 9 hypothesis is rejected, and the alternate hypothesis is accepted, which states that there is a significant difference between the attitude of undergraduate and postgraduate students belonging to science, engineering, arts and social science, and education streams towards the blended learning model. further, post hoc comparisons were conducted to compare students among four colleges, viz. ucs, uce, ucass, ucedn with respect to students attitudes towards blended learning. table-7: post hoc comparisons of students among four colleges, viz. ucs, uce, ucass, ucedn total bl college comparison college fisher lsd test mean difference sig. total bl ucs uce ucass ucedn 17.77500 3.25000 12.95000 .000 .389 .001 uce ucs ucass ucedn -17.77500 -14.52500 -4.82500 .000 .000 .201 ucass ucs uce ucedn -3.25000 14.52500 9.70000 .389 .000 .011 ucedn ucs uce ucass -12.95000 4.82500 -9.70000 .001 .201 .011 post hoc comparisons from table 7 revealed significant pairwise differences in students’ attitudes toward blended learning between the mean scores of colleges, i.e. ucs and uce p-value is .000<0.05α; ucs and ucedn p-value is .001<0.05α; uce and ucass p-value is .000<0.05α; ucass and ucedn p-value is .011<0.05α. whereas insignificant pair-wise differences existed in students’ attitudes toward blended learning between the mean scores of colleges, i.e. ucs and ucass p-value is .389>0.05α; uce and ucedn p-value is .201>0.05α. hypothesis 2: there is no significant difference between the attitude of undergraduates and postgraduates towards the blended learning model with respect to gender. table-8: gender-wise distribution of students among four colleges, viz. ucs, uce, ucass, ucedn gender frequency valid percent cumulative percent male 80 50.0 50.0 female 80 50.0 100.0 total 160 100.0 table 8 presents the distribution of students by gender, i.e. 80 male and 80 female students, each making 50 per cent of the sample. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 10 table-9: mean values of students towards blended learning with respect to students gender total bl gender n mean std. deviation total bl male 80 202.0375 19.43014 female 80 206.4250 16.60164 table 9 shows that the mean value of 206.4250 with sd 16.60164 is higher than the mean value of 202.0375 with sd 19.43014. female students showed slightly better attitudes towards blended learning than male students. table-10: independent samples t-test value of students towards blended learning with respect to students gender total bl levene’s test for equality of variances t-test for equality of means total bl f sig. t df sig. (2-tailed) mean difference 1.440 .232 -1.536 158 .127 -4.38750 table-11: education-wise distribution i.e. undergraduates and postgraduates level of students among four colleges, viz. ucs, uce, ucass, ucedn education level frequency valid percent cumulative percent u.g. 80 50.0 50.0 p.g. 80 50.0 100.0 total 160 100.0 table 10 reveals that the f-ratio is found to be 1.440 (158 df), and the p-value is .232>0.05α, which is statistically not significant. the t-ratio is found to be -1.536 (158 df), and the p-value (2-tailed) is .127>0.05α, which is also statistically not significant. it is inferred that the null hypothesis; there is no significant difference between the attitude of undergraduates and postgraduates towards the blended learning model with respect to gender, is accepted. hypothesis 3: there is no significant difference between the attitude of undergraduates with that of postgraduates with respect to educational level, belonging to science, engineering, arts and social science, and education streams towards blended learning model. table 11 presents distribution of students by education level i.e. undergraduate and postgraduate students comprising each 80 making 50 per cent of the sample. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 11 table 12 shows the undergraduate student’s mean value of 205.0250 with sd 17.77637 is higher than the postgraduate student’s mean value of 203.4375 with sd 18.59076. undergraduate students show a slightly better attitude towards blended learning than postgraduate students. table-12: mean values of students towards blended learning with respect to students educational level total bl education level n mean std. deviation total bl u.g. 80 205.0250 17.77637 p.g. 80 203.4375 18.59076 table-13: independent samples t-test value of students towards blended learning with respect to students’ educational level total bl levene’s test for equality of variances t-test for equality of means total bl f sig. t df sig. (2-tailed) mean difference .037 .847 .552 158 .582 1.58750 table 13 reveals that the f-ratio is found to be .037 (158 df), and the p-value is .847>0.05α, which is statistically not significant. the t-ratio is found to be .552 (158 df), and the value (2-tailed) is .582>0.05α, which is also statistically not significant. it is inferred that the null hypothesis that there is no significant difference between the attitude of undergraduates with that of postgraduates with respect to educational level, belonging to science, engineering, arts and social science, and education streams towards the blended learning model is accepted. key findings 1. overall opinion of students opting strongly agree and strongly disagree towards blended learning model remained mostly similar. 2. university college of science (ucs) and university college of arts and social sciences (ucass) students showed positive attitude towards blended learning model than compared to university college of engineering (uce) and university college of education (ucedn) students. 3. compared to male students, female students had a positive attitude towards blended learning. 4. undergraduate students showed a positive attitude towards blended learning as opposed to postgraduate students. 5. significant difference exists between the attitude of undergraduate and postgraduate students belonging to science, engineering, arts and social science, and education, towards blended learning model. 6. the attitudes of undergraduate and postgraduate students towards blended learning varied significantly a. significant difference exists with respect to the university college of science (ucs) indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 12 and university college of engineering (uce) and university college of education (ucedn). b. significant difference exists with respect to the university college of engineering (uce) and university college of science (ucs), university college of arts and social sciences (ucass). c. significant difference exists with respect to the university college of arts and social sciences (ucass) and university college of engineering (uce), university college of education (ucedn). d. significant difference exists with respect to the university college of education (ucedn), university college of science (ucs), and the university college of arts and social sciences (ucas). 5. there is no gender-specific difference among the attitudes of undergraduates and postgraduates towards the blended learning model. 6. there is no specific difference among the attitudes of undergraduates with that of postgraduates with respect to their educational level, belonging to science, engineering, arts and social science, and education streams towards blended learning model. discussions the results show no significant difference among students with respect to gender in their attitude towards the blended learning model, which is supported by mahato et al. (2021) study that examined the post-graduate student’s attitudes toward blended learning as for their gender did not differ significantly; but with respect to their streams (arts, science, and commerce) differs significantly. similarly, the present study shows significant differences among the four streams chosen viz. science, engineering, arts and social sciences, and education, in view of tamang and naraginti (2022). with respect to blended learning assessment and evaluation, on online and offline modes of examination and feedback, the majority of the students opted for the offline mode due to its adherence and convenience; as bindu and bharathi (2022) had studied that the majority of students are already adjusted to traditional offline system and its easiness to pass. adenekan and jatto (2023); das (2021); tamang and naraginti (2022); aladwan et al. (2018); bakeer (2018); huang (2016); falah and chairuddin (2022) found the attitude of students and teachers towards hybrid learning as positive, effective and more viable compared to conventional learning and online learning; supports the present study. falah and chairuddin (2022); ashraf et al. (2021); singh (2020) reported that the majority of the students from underprivileged communities lack specialized digital devices, services, and resources. hence, students had mixed reactions to the haves and have-nots of digital infrastructure over blended learning implementation. falah and chairuddin’s (2022) study provided several shortages wherein access to the internet was the main problem along with teachers’ deficiency in experiencing e-learning. so, university teachers are required to update, upgrade with the latest technological setups, and implement blended learning in educational transactions, as supported by studies by munir et al. (2021), ashraf et al. (2021), and kintu et al. (2017). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 13 references adenekan, tolulope e. & jatto, victor omeiza. (2023). attitude of students towards blended learning. library philosophy and practice (e-journal). 7752. https://digitalcommons.unl. edu/libphilprac/7752/ aladwan fatima, fakhouri n. hussam, alawamrah abedalsalam, & rababah osama (2018) students attitudes toward blended learning among students of the university of jordon. modern applied science, 12(12), 217-227. doi: 10.5539/mas.v12n12p217 https:// www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/mas/article/view/0/37534 on 15-11-2022. ashraf azeem muhammad, yang meijia, zhang yufeng, denden mouna, tlili ahmed, liu jiayi, huang ronghuai, burgos daniel. (2021). a systematic review of systematic reviews on blended learning: trends, gaps and future directions. psychology research and behavior mangement, 14, 1525-1541. a_systematic_review_of_systematic_reviews_on_ blended_learning_trends_gaps_and_future_directions bakeer m. aida. (2018). students’ attitudes towards implementing blended learning in teaching english in higher education institutions: a case of al-quds open university. educational implications 1. students at higher education levels should be provided opportunities for learning through different models of blended learning. 2. enhanced access to digital devices and increasing digital literacy among institutions teachers and students would ease in implementation of blended learning models. 3. technological and digital communication infrastructure and greater connectivity between students and teachers should be improved at the institutional level. 4. orientation programs must be introduced for institution teachers to incorporate appropriate blended learning models in pedagogical approaches. 5. changes in the part of curriculum transaction through blended learning models and appropriate allotment of credits should be implemented by the institution. 6. for the implementation of nep2020, it is crucial to integrate blended learning models to leverage technology for providing quality higher education to the masses. conclusion since the pandemic has already paved the way for technology to be a precursor in educational resilience, therefore it becomes imperative for teachers to exploit the plethora of resources available online and offline. hence, the blended learning hybrid model taps the best of both, i.e. virtual and offline learning. blended learning is at its nascent stage. therefore, university teachers should create appropriate blended learning environments and provide opportunities for students to explore the benefits of hybrid learning strategies. (acknowledgment: the scholar, kalakoti uday kumar (2021-2026), is the awardee of the ugc junior research fellowship. the scholar, dr. qudsia hafeez (20212022) is the awardee of icssr postdoctoral fellowship. this paper is largely an outcome of the research funding agencies, the university grants commission (ugc) and indian council of social science research (icssr). however, the responsibility for the facts stated, opinions expressed, and the conclusions drawn is entirely of the authors. ) indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 14 international journal of humanities and social science, 8(6), 131-139. doi: 10.30845/ijhss. v8n6p15 htps://www.researchgate.net/publication/327107004_students’_attitudes_towards_ implementing_blended_learning_in_teaching_english_in_higher_education_ institutions_a_case_of_al-quds_open_university bhosale arpika (2022, october 20). where games and education meet…education has never been as gamified as it is today. consumer connect initiative, the times of india. arathi r. 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(2022). students attitudes toward blended learning through google classroom in general english course. ellite journal of education, linguistics, literature and language teaching, 5(1), 1-9. doi: 10.33059/elite.v5i01.5249 https://www. google.com/search?q=attitude+of+university+students+towards+blended+learning& ei=plgry5onm8kssempiuug8ak&ved=0ahukewitm7qjqzv8ahvcswwghyq1az4q4 dudca8&uact=5&oq= attitude+of+university+students+towards+blended+learning& gs_lcp=cgxnd3mtd2l6lxnlcnaqazikcaaqrxdwbbcwazikcaaqrxdwbbcwazikcaaq rxdwbbcwazikcaaqrxdwbbcwazikcaaqrxdwbbcwazikcaaqrxdwbbcwazikcaa qrxdwbbcwazikcaaqrxdwbbcwa0oeceeyaeoeceyyafaawabg9anoaxabeacaaq ciaqcsaqcyaqdiaqjaaqe&sclient=gws-wiz-serp government of india. (2020). all india survey on higher education 2019-20. https://aishe.gov. in/aishe/viewdocument.action?documentid=277 government of india. ministry of human resource development. (2020). national education policy. https://www.mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/nep_final_english_0.pdf huang, qiang. (2016). learners perceptions of blended learning and the roles and interaction of f2f and online learning. ortesol journal, 33, 14-33. https://eric. ed.gov/?id=ej1152429 kintu justice mugenyi, zhu chang, & kagambe edmond. (2017). blended learning effectiveness: the relationship between student characteristics, design features and outcomes. international journal of educational technology in higher education, 14(7), 1-20. doi:10.1186/s41239-017-0043-4 https://www.researchgate.net/ publication/311910208_blended_learning_effectiveness_the_relationship_between_ student_characteristics_design_features_and_outcomes https://www.researchgate. net/publication/354985504_ kumar rajnish and ganesh selva r. (2022). dealing with online and blended education in india. springer link, 49(2), 195-201. doi: 10.1007/s40622-022-00320-1 https://link.springer. com/article/10.1007/s40622-022-00320-1 mahato paritosh, behera kumar santosh, ansary shamsi mazhar. (2021). attitude of post graduate students towards blended learning. the online journal of distance education and e-learning, 9(2), 221-227. https://www.tojdel.net/journals/tojdel/articles/v09i02/v09i02-04. pdf munir, muhayyang maemuna, limbong sunarlia, ariyani amra. (2021). students’ attitudes on blended learning-based instruction in indonesian efl classroom. gnosi: an interdisciplinary journal of human theory and praxis, 4(2), 146-162. https://gnosijournal. com/index.php/gnosi/article/view/110 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 15 singh devyani & cam corporate team. (2020, august 21). nep 2020: an interplay of cation and technology. india corporate law. https://corporate.cyrilamarchandblogs. com/2020/08/nep-2020-an-interplay-of-education-and-technology/ tamang rubi & naraginti amareswaran reddy. (2022, march 29). attitude of postgraduate students towards blended learning. ssrn. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers. cfm?abstract_id=4069316#:~:text=the%20result%20revealed%20that%20the, questionnaire%20to%20collect%20the%20attitude university grants commission. (2022). blended mode of teaching and learning: concept note.https://www.ugc.ac.in/pdfnews/6100340_concept-note-blended-mode-ofteaching-and-learning.pdf vemula muttu. (ed.). (2023). digital transformation in education during covid-19, prospects and challenges. hyderabad: neelkamal publications private limited. zhu yue, au wing, yates c. r. greg. (2013). university student’s attitudes toward online learning in a blended course. aare annual conference, adelaide. (ed603297). eric. https://files. eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ed603297.pdf indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 96 research article use of ict in teaching-learning process in elementary level teacher education institutions of odisha ratikanta sahoo1 & laxmidhar behera2 1teacher educator, district institute of education and training (diet) dhenkanal, odisha 2professor of education, regional institute of education (ncert) bhubaneswar, odisha-751022 emailbehera17@yahoo.co.in abstract preparing teachers for the twenty-first century requires the use of information and communication technology (ict) in teacher education institutions (teis). in this context, the present study examines the availability of ict resources in elementary level teacher education institutions of odisha. the study focused on the use of ict in teachinglearning processes i.e. transaction of theory and field-based activities. the study also analyzed the perspectives of student teachers and teacher educators on the use of ict in the teaching-learning process. the sample of the study consisted of six diets selected randomly from thirty diets of the state. six principals, thirty-six teacher educators (te), and 120 student teachers of 6 elementary level teis of odisha participated in the study as respondents. a descriptive survey method approach was followed for data collection and analysis. the study found that all teis have a computer/ict lab on their premises and they are well connected with the internet and other digital equipment, but most of the teacher educators were not literate on computer knowledge, so they are facing challenges to implement ict based teaching-learning practices. the poor networks obstruct the smooth use of ict in the classes in most of the sampled teis. based on findings, the paper presents educational implications. keywords: ict, elementary level teacher education institutions, diet, teachinglearning process, teacher educators, student– teachers introduction preparing pre-service teachers with ict skills and expertise is now considered a critical component of every teachereducation programme to prepare them to meet the educational demands of the twenty-first century. most teacher preparation programmes now provide ict expertise and training to ensure that aspiring teachers are well trained to use ict in their classrooms. (gülbahar, 2008). in light of the growing importance of ict in 21st-century teaching-learning skills, it’s worth investigating whether ict is part of the elementary school teachers’ toolkit from the start. some studies have shown that most teachers are hesitant to use ict in their classrooms because it was not part of their teacher training or their first year of teaching. (prensky, 2001; rosenthal, 1999). as a result, when ict was implemented, teachers found it difficult to adapt to new ways of working. teacher cognitions take years to form, according to verloop, van driel, and meijer (2001), so they can’t easily be modified. however, ict has been described as having the ability to encourage creative teaching by offering a variety of resources that can be used to facilitate learning (almekhlafi & almeqdadi, 2010), and it has thus become an integral part of elementary indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 97 teacher preparation. unesco has made incorporating ict into education a priority in its efforts to ensure justice and access to education. to promote ict in education, unesco takes a systematic and all-encompassing approach. access to education, equity, quality learning and teaching, teacher professional development, and educational management and governance will all benefit from ict. integration of information and communication technologies (icts) in elementary teacher education is a means to support high-quality teaching and learning, involving teacher educators, teachers, student teachers and leaders. it requires how best to explore the uses of ict for meaningful learning of students. in the present digital world, students must be given opportunities to learn with effective and efficient integration of icts in the classroom. integrating information and communication technologies (icts) in education is highly challenging, especially in the teacher education sector. while there are several factors for the successful integration of icts in teaching and learning, professional development of teacher educators, strong leadership support, and institutional commitment play a significant role. as we can understand that nowadays ict plays an important role in teachinglearning process. the use of ict in the classroom helps both teachers and students in their teaching-learning process. the use of ict in teaching motivates students towards learning. ict helps teachers to transact the classes easily instead of arranging a lot of readymade tlms. now a day, most of the elementary teacher training programs around the world have ict integrated skills in their training component (yüksel & kavanoz, 2011). thus, compared to their predecessors, the elementary level pre-service teachers of today are in a better position to make ict a part of their teachinglearning process because of the training they have received. the use of ict in the teaching-learning process is a relatively new phenomenon and it has been the educational researcher’s focus. teachers and administrators face the difficult task of effectively integrating technology into classroom activities. e-learning, e-communication, easy access to knowledge, online student registration, online advertising, reduced burden of holding hardcopy, networking with resourceful people, and other innovations that ict has brought to the teaching-learning process are just a few of the innovations that ict has brought to the teaching-learning process. all of these variables, however, increased the likelihood of effective ict incorporation in the teaching-learning process. if teachers and administrators are to be persuaded of the importance of using ict in their teaching-learning process and administration, further training of teaching personnel in pedagogical issues and administration training for administrators should be increased. need and justifications the teaching-learning process has changed in the twenty-first century, and teachers must be able to incorporate ict tools into their lessons to fulfil today’s educational requirements (kong et al., 2014). as a result, new teachers need to incorporate ict into their teachinglearning practices as soon as possible. several types of researches have been undertaken to determine the extent to which pre-service teachers use ict. the majority of studies find that preservice teachers use ict in their lesson delivery far too infrequently. (al-ruz & khasawneh, 2011; dawson, 2008; liu, 2012). ineffective teacher preparation systems have been blamed in several types of researches for the lack of ict use (albirini, 2006; liu, 2012; scheeler, 2008). indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 98 one of the most frequently mentioned limitations of teacher education programmes is that they primarily provide students with ict information, rather than how to effectively integrate ict into curriculum material (oblinger & obliger, 2005; wachira & keengwe, 2011). teachers’ competency levels in using ict in their teaching-learning activities must be increased by effective preparation (koh & frick, 2009). the new generation of elementary preservice teachers has been dubbed “digital natives,” a term that refers to a generation that grew up in the digital age. (vodanovich, sundaram & myers, 2010). digital natives are also defined as having a high degree of enthusiasm for using information and communication technologies (junco, 2014). this raises the possibility that they will use ict in their classrooms more often. however, according to many surveys, the majority of these pre-service teachers use various ict services widely outside the classroom for personal use and very little in the classroom for teachinglearning activities. the majority of research on pre-service elementary teachers’ use of ict has centred on determining how well teacher training programmes prepare teachers to use ict in their teaching-learning activities. (liu, 2012; murley, jukes, & stobaugh, 2013). effectiveness of ict i.e. mobile applications have been reported in the monitoring of activities of diets of odisha (nayak and behera, 2019) the use of ict in the teaching-learning process is to improve teaching-learning and appraisal processes, promoting teacher training and professional development, enhancing educational access and streamlining educational planning, management, and administration, including admissions, attendance, and assessment processes, among others. (nep, 2020). in the present scenario educational technology, such as resources, techniques, and materials are being used for improving the quality of education. the systematic use of ict resources is important for the effectiveness of teaching and related activities so that we can achieve better learning outcomes. apart from the curricular boundaries different universities, colleges, training institutes, different sectors of the job even if in some schools ict is used preferably and frequently. so, elementary teacher education institutions, such as diets, an educational and training institute, must be linked with the use of ict in the teaching-learning process. use of ict may reduce the use of paper in the teaching-learning process. a page of paper may not be visible to all students in a big classroom/more than 100 students in a classroom. but one page in the computer attached with a projector can be visible to all learners in the class. so, the use of ict can save a lot of money and other resources. many videos related to subject-based science-related 3-d pictures, innovative, motivated & inspiring videos can be used in the regular classroom. so, every diet should use ict in their regular classes and training sessions for better visibility of learners. using the internet, blogger, google classroom, zoom meet, etc. in teaching-learning can enhance the learnability within the educational process. online quiz competitions, assignments and other types of evaluations can be done very easily. so, it is essential to use ict in the teachinglearning process of different elementary teacher education institutions for enriching ict knowledge among preservice student teachers and in-service teachers. the present study attempts to address the issues by investigating the use of ict in the teaching-learning process in elementary level teacher education institutions (teis) of odisha. the rationale behind this study was to see the ict used by teacher educators, student teachers and other stakeholders in preparing elementary teachers and indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 99 other associated teaching-learning activities. it’s critical to determine if ict is included in this collection of abilities because, as liu (2012) points out, this framework lays the groundwork for their future teaching-learning practices; if ict isn’t included from the start, it might be difficult to incorporate it later. objectives 1. to study the availability of ict resources in elementary level teacher education institutions of odisha. 2. to study the use of ict in the teaching-learning process i.e. transaction of theory and fieldbased activities. 3. to study the perspectives of the use of ict by student teachers and teacher educators of elementary level teacher education institutions of odisha. research questions 1. whether ict lab or all the components related to ict lab are available in each elementary level teacher education institution i.e. computer, laptop, led tv, projector, and internet facility? 2. what are the uses of ict in elementary level teacher education institutions? 3. how are icts used in the teachinglearning process of elementary level teacher education institutions? 4. what are the challenges/problems faced by the student-teachers in the use of ict in pre-service teacher education programmes? methods and procedure research design: the study adopted a descriptive survey research method. population: as per the directorate of te and scert, odisha (2020) there are 30 district institute of education and training, 04 block institute of education and training, 31 government elementary teacher education institutions (eteis), 02 government elementary teacher education institutions (sc & st development) and 01 non-government aided secondary training school managed by minority community of the state. the population of the study consisted of all the diets in the state of odisha, including all the heads of the institutions, pre-service teachers and teacher educators. sample: from the population, 6 elementary level teacher education institutions (diets) were randomly selected by the researcher. in those institutions, all the heads of the institutions were the participants of the study. from each sampled institute twenty pre-service teachers and six teacher educators of the selected institutions were again randomly selected for the study. the details of the sample are presented in table 1. table-1: details of sample of the present study name of the sample diets no. of student teachers no. of teacher educator/ senior teacher educator no. of principal diet, kalahandi 20 6 1 diet, khordha 20 6 1 diet, kendrapada 20 6 1 diet, keonjhar 20 6 1 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 100 diet, sonepur 20 6 1 diet, rayagada 20 6 1 total 120 36 6 tools: self-developed questionnaire for student teachers and teacher educators, interview schedule for principal and observation schedule were used for the present study. questionnaires consisted of a series of questions (close and open-ended). procedure of data collection: the data were collected with the help of a self-developed questionnaire, interview schedule, and observation schedule. • a structured questionnaire consisting of 16 items was used to collect data from the 2nd year d.el. ed. student-teachers relating to the use of ict for learning purposes. • besides that, personal interviews were conducted to elicit candid responses from the teacher/sr. teacher educators and principals with the help of the interview schedule. • with the help of an observation schedule, the researcher observed the use of ict in some theory classes, practical classes, and some other activities by the students and teacher educators. the availability of equipment of ict and their maintenance were also observed by the researcher in the ict lab and classrooms. delimitations of the study the present study was limited to 6 diets in the state of odisha, india. biets and other elementary teacher education institutes have not been covered under the scope of the study. the study was conducted during the session 2018-19. data analysis and interpretation the data gathered were analysed by using both quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques. 1. availability of resources in sampled diets table-2: number of resources available in different diets resources diet – a diet – b diet – c diet – d diet – e diet – f ict lab 1 1 1 1 1 1 internet connected connected connected connected connected connected computer 17 25 25 21 30 24 laptop 2 4 3 3 4 3 projector 2 3 2 3 3 2 sound box 2 2 1 2 8 2 led tv 1 1 0 1 2 1 pen drive 10 5 3 1 6 8 printer 6 3 2 4 5 1 related cds, dvds 3 15 1 1 15 1 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 101 it becomes clear from table-2 that all diets have a computer/ict lab on their premises. all diets are also connected to the internet. all institutes also have computers, laptops, projectors, etc. some diets have less no. of pen drives and cd/dvds. one diet has no led tvs. 2. use of ict in diets for different activities table-3: use of different types of ict resources (in %) uses of ict diets i ii iii iv v vi vii viii ix avg. % of use of resources theory classes in pste a 57 29 71 71 29 0 43 29 14 38 b 14 14 29 29 14 0 14 0 29 16 c 0 29 57 71 71 0 71 43 14 40 d 0 90 90 90 20 0 90 50 10 49 e 100 100 100 100 100 0 100 50 50 78 f 0 0 0 0 50 50 0 0 0 11 practice teaching/ internship a 29 29 29 43 29 0 14 29 0 22 b 0 14 29 14 0 0 0 0 0 6 c 14 14 43 14 0 0 14 14 43 17 d 0 70 80 60 0 0 90 50 0 39 e 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 100 100 33 f 0 0 50 0 50 0 0 0 0 11 teachers training / iste a 43 43 57 57 43 14 43 29 14 38 b 29 0 14 14 0 0 14 0 14 9 c 14 14 86 71 57 0 71 43 71 47 d 60 90 90 90 50 0 90 70 10 61 e 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 f 0 0 0 50 0 50 0 0 0 11 research activity a 29 43 57 14 14 14 43 29 14 29 b 0 14 14 14 14 0 0 0 0 6 c 14 43 57 43 14 0 57 43 43 35 d 10 80 90 30 20 10 90 70 10 46 e 100 100 100 50 0 0 100 100 0 61 f 0 0 0 50 0 50 0 0 0 11 planning & material development a 57 43 29 43 43 14 29 29 14 33 b 0 14 0 0 0 0 14 14 14 6 c 29 57 71 43 29 0 29 57 86 45 d 20 90 90 20 20 20 80 80 20 49 e 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 50 94 f 0 0 0 0 0 50 50 0 0 11 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 102 assessment/ evaluation a 43 43 57 29 29 14 14 14 14 29 b 0 29 29 14 14 0 14 14 0 13 c 43 71 29 0 14 14 0 43 57 30 d 60 80 80 20 10 10 80 80 10 48 e 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 f 0 0 50 0 50 0 0 0 0 11 n.b: i-ict lab, ii-computer, iii-laptop, iv-projector, v-sound box, vi –led tv, vii-pen drive, viii-printer, ix-cds/dvds from table-3, it has been reflected that in almost all institutes’ tes are using led tv very few times for any types of activities in diets. they are mostly feeling comfortable with the resources like a projector, laptop, and soundbox. out of six sample diets; one diet has used almost all resources in each activity. figure-1: use of ict in diets for different activities from the data given in figure 1, it has been reflected that most of the tes are using ict in their theory classes and teachers’ training. teacher educators from two of diets out of six sample diets are using ict in most of the sectors compared to that other of diets. but it is observed that in practice teaching and research activity, the use of ict is very lesser than that of other activities. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 103 figure-2: average percentage of tes using ict in teaching and beyond the teachinglearning process from figure 2, it has been reflected that the highest percentage of tes from different diets is using ict in finding/ accessing information, while the lowest use of ict in case of communication with parents. two diets are using ict most of the time in different aspects compared to other diets. but on average, most of the tes are using ict in the case of finding/accessing information, personal development, teaching-learning, making presentations, communication with students and preparing lessons. it is observed that the use of ict in the monitoring and evaluation of students’ performance and preparing report cards is minimal. figure-3: use of ict by teacher educators in teaching – learning process indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 104 from figure 3, it has been reflected that almost all tes are using technology for downloading, internet surfing, and subject-specific purposes very often. most of the tes are lacking the use of word processing and photoshop. among all diets, one diet’s tes are using technology in the above cases very few times. two diets are using ict frequently. 3. maintenance of ict resources figure-4: maintenance of ict resources indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 105 from figure 4, one diet (c) needs to keep more focus on the development of ict labs. internet facility is very low in diet (d), which is situated in hilly and forest areas. almost all diets have proper maintenance of computers, but there is a lack of adequate laptops. maintenance of projectors, soundbox, led tv, printers, and pen drive is in average condition. all the sampled diets do not have sufficient and well cds/dvds resources. 4. challenges faced by the principals, teacher educators and studentteachers in use of ict figure-5: challenges faced by the principals, teacher educators, and student-teachers from figure 5, it is clear that the students – teachers, teacher educators and principals of different diets are facing challenges for the use of ict in teaching– learning process. 1) most of the tes have inadequate computer knowledge because of a lack of basic computer training. 2) there are some diets where regular power cuts happen. inverters/ batteries are there only for computer lab, not for all the classrooms. 3) availability of the internet is a problem in two diets. 4) use of ict resources is a challenge for a te in the class for completing the session in time due to inadequate training. 5) computer labs of some diets are not up to date with recent resources. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 106 major findings the major findings of this research are described below: • approximately (90–95) percent of teacher educators (tes) are using ict in their theory classes and in teachers’ training programs to make the process more effective. • resources like projector, laptop, and soundbox are mostly used by almost all institutes’ tes. the use of led tv was very less. • the majority of teacher educators (tes) from different diets are using ict in finding/accessing information, while the lowest in use of ict in the case of communication with parents. but on average, most of the tes are using ict in the case of finding/accessing information, personal development, teachinglearning, making presentations, communication with students and preparing lessons. • it is observed that the use of ict in the monitoring and evaluation of students’ performance and preparing report cards is not very satisfactory. • the majority (95 percent) of tes are using technology for downloading, 79 percent using internet surfing and subject-specific purpose. all diets have a computer/ict lab, computers, laptops, projectors, etc. some diets have less no. of hard discs like pen drives, and cd/ dvds. in most of the sampled diets, there is a problem with high-speed internet connection. • in one of the sampled diets, ict lab is not in good condition and the internet facility is very low. almost all diets have proper maintenance of computers, but inadequate laptops. maintenance of projectors, soundbox, led tv, printers, and pen drive is in average condition. these are also challenges in the adequate use of ict in the teachinglearning process. • some diets are having regular electric power cuts. inverters/ batteries are available only for computer labs, but these are not available for all the classrooms. frequent network problems occur in most of the diets. • as all tes have no basic computer knowledge, operating/ connecting ict resources is a challenge for a te in the class, by which a te can’t complete the session in time. • there are also not sufficient resources which are required in ict based teaching–learning process in some diets, which creates many problems for successful completion of a class. • some diets have no ict instructors and some have ict instructors. teacher educators and ict instructors have inadequate training on ict use and integration. inadequate training is a challenge for the smooth operation of ict resources. discussion the first objective was to study the availability of ict resources in diets of odisha. it was framed to know if the actual resources related to ict are available in diets or not. this is also found that all diets have a computer/ ict lab on their premises. all diets have arranged the internet connections with the computer(s), according to their availability. internet connection problems occur in many of the diets. this may be due to the different geographical environments, unavailability of all the required instruments/materials related to network connection and irregularity indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 107 of electricity supply. all diets have computers, laptops, projectors, led tv, soundbox, etc. the number of resources are not the same in all sample diets. some diets have fewer hard discs, pen drives, and cd/dvds. the numbers may be due to less knowledge of the staff (teaching and non-teaching) or principals about the proper use of ict resources. further, it is noticed that maintenance of lab is not done equally in all diets. maintenance of all the above-mentioned resources is in average condition. the second objective was to study the use of ict in teaching-learning process i.e. transaction of theory and field-based activities. it was framed to know how the teacher educators implemented the technological knowledge in their theory and practical classes. this is also found that most of the tes are using ict in their theory classes, in different curricular and co-curricular competitions, research activities, and inservice teacher’s training programmes which is contradictory with the previous research findings of albirini (2006); liu (2012); and scheeler (2008). most of the science tes are using ict in their classes. most of the tes are using projectors, laptops, and soundbox. they mainly use powerpoint presentations for their teaching-learning process. but their use of led tv is very negligible. this may be due to some diets focusing on more use ict, whereas others are not so serious about the use of ict in their institutions which is supported by the previous studies of al-ruz & khasawneh (2011); dawson (2008) and liu (2012). it is observed that the use of ict in the monitoring and evaluation of students’ performance and preparing report cards is not very satisfactory. most of the tes use ict for internet surfing and downloading. out of the sample diets, teacher educators of two diets are using ict frequently. this may be due to a lack of coverage of training and orientation for all tes. all the tes of the diets in odisha have not taken the training for computer literacy (computer literacy tes are very low). the te & scert also has initiated to give training on ict integration to tes. this will have an impact on quality teacher preparation at the elementary level. a mobile application is designed by te & scert to monitor the progress of different activities of diets. this will be helpful for the quality improvement of pre-service teacher education programmes. further, it is observed that one sample diet uses ict for teachinglearning, in different curricular and co-curricular competitions, in-service training programmes most of the time compared to other sample diets. the innovation may be used by other diets of the state. the third objective was to study the perspectives of the use of ict as per the views of student teachers and teacher educators. it was framed to know the challenges faced by the studentteachers and teacher educators. it is found that there are some diets where regular power cuts happen. inverter/ batteries are there only for computer labs and these are inadequate for all the classrooms. high-speed internet is not available and frequent network problems occur in most of the diets. this may be due to the irregular electricity supply and different geographical areas. operating/connecting of ict resources is a challenge for a te in the class, which a te can’t complete the session in time, this may be due to all tes are not aware of the basic computer knowledge as studied earlier by oblinger & obliger (2005) and wachira & keengwe (2011). there are also not sufficient resources which are required in teaching–learning process in some diets, which creates many problems for a successful transaction of class. the computer lab of some diets is not up to date. further, it is evident that some indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 108 diets have no ict instructors which creates a big challenge for smoothly operating ict resources; this reflects in earlier research of liu (2012) and murley, jukes, & stobaugh (2013). all these problems are happening due to the less knowledge or no knowledge of the head or staff of the institutions about the use and maintenance of ict resources supported in previous studies by albirini (2006), liu (2012) and scheeler(2008). implications and conclusion the nep (2020) envisions quality education by the integration of technology in the teaching-learning process of school education and teacher education. the study was conducted to find out the uses of ict in the teachinglearning process of elementary level teacher education institutions in the state of odisha. based on the findings, the paper suggested certain implications which will have an impact on the student-teachers, teacher educators, principals, and the state for designing a better curricular environment in teis. the te and scert, odisha has taken initiatives for establishing and enabling the environment to promote the usage of ict  especially in higher secondary and secondary govt./aided schools in rural areas and enrichment of existing curriculum and pedagogy by employing ict tools for teaching and learning (http://scertodisha.nic.in/ictinitiative-in-teachers-education/). more ict resources need to be provided to all elementary teacher education institutions. as all teacher educators have not been oriented with ict, so accordingly a plan may be designed. refresher training on ict may be planned. curriculum planners may design the syllabus for students– teachers of diets on ict. teacher educators may be inspired by the teacher educators of other diets who are using ict in their regular classes innovatively. they may try to enhance their capacity on ict. teacher educators can exchange thoughts on the use of ict from one another to enhance the use of ict. they may take interest in giving an orientation on computer knowledge to their student teachers. more effort needs to be made by teacher educators and student teachers in the integration of ict for assessment, field-based activities apart from monitoring and governance by the state. the te & scert has also begun to provide tes with training on ict integration. this will affect on the standard of elementary teacher training. the te & scert have created a mobile application to monitor the progress of diet activities. this would continue to increase the efficiency of the pre-service teacher education programme in the state. references albirini, a. 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(2011). in search of pre-service efl certificate teachers’ attitudes towards technology. procedia computer science, 3, 666-671. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 353 review article unleashing the power of ai: revolutionising indian classrooms with ai-driven pedagogical breakthroughs kavitha k1 & v. p joshith2 1research scholar, department of education, central university of kerala, thejaswini hills, peiye, kerala emailkavithakrishnan229@gmail.com 2 professor and head, department of education, central university of kerala, thejaswini hills, peiye, kerala abstract artificial intelligence (ai) is revolutionising education by enhancing accessibility, customisation, and engagement. ai applications, such as virtual tutoring, automation, and adaptive learning, are gaining ground in various domains of education. forecasts about ai’s journey in education indicate that nearly all educational sectors, from school education to various technical, professional, and non-technical higher education fields, will progressively rely more on ai technologies and tools. the growth of ai technology over time and how it can be utilised in the education sector, ranging from cutting-edge methods of instruction to effective instructional strategies and universal access to education, are addressed briefly in this article. further, it explores ai’s many potential application-related impacts on indian education. it has been suggested that challenges such as socio-religious taboos, knowledge gaps, digital divide, shortage of specialists, and inadequate training initiatives must be addressed to incorporate ai technologies ethically in indian education effectively. keywords: artificial intelligence, ai educational application, teaching and learning, ai in indian education introduction technology remains a powerful catalyst, enhancing quality of life by fostering socio-economic creativity and innovation. it has reshaped education by increasing accessibility, customisation, and engagement. the oecd skills outlook 2021 underscores its role in developing 21st century competencies, while the internet has broadened access to online education (fernándezbatanero et al., 2022). moreover, technology enables educators to tailor instruction to individual needs, revolutionising learning by boosting student engagement and unlocking new educational opportunities (haleem et al., 2022). artificial intelligence (ai) has become a global focal point due to its transformative impact on daily life. alan turing’s pivotal 1950 question, “can machines think?” (turing, 2009, p. 23), laid ai’s foundations. ai involves creating systems with human-like intellectual capabilities, such as reasoning and learning from experience (moradi et al., 2022). the 21st century has witnessed ai’s rapid advancements across society, driven by increased information accessibility and computational power (liu et al., 2018). intelligent automation (ia), one of ai’s most significant applications, is reshaping industries like manufacturing, healthcare, and finance by boosting productivity and lowering costs (coombs et al., 2020; yoshida et al., 2022). in healthcare, ai-driven indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 354 diagnostics enhance patient outcomes and reduce expenses (dastjerdi et al., 2023). further, conversational ai systems, such as siri and alexa, are revolutionising human-tech interaction through natural language processing (nlp) and machine learning (ml) (khurana et al., 2023). meanwhile, modern generative ai tools like chatgpt streamline information retrieval, minimising the need for human intervention (ray, 2023). education, also evolving with ai, is no exception, particularly in areas like intelligent tutoring, adaptive learning, assessment design, and learning analytics (brusilovsky, 2024). ai innovations like chatgpt are shaping a new educational paradigm where ai tutors rival human capabilities (bill gates on ai revolution, 2023). the present article will explore the evolution of ai technology and its diverse applications in education, from innovative teaching methods to personalised learning strategies and broadening access to education. it will also explore the potential implications of ai on the indian education system, highlighting its transformative role in shaping the future of learning. ai: a historical overview ai has a long history, evolving continuously as an interdisciplinary field involving informatics, logic, cognition, systems science, and biology (hsiaowuen hon, 2019). the development of ai began in 1943 with the proposal of an artificial neuron model, marking the start of artificial neural network research (kandpal and mehta, 2019). science fiction also contributed to the concept of intelligent robots, with early depictions like the tin woodsman in the wonderful wizard of oz (lowne cathy, 2023) and maria from metropolis (pfeiffer lee, 2023) by the 1950s, philosophers, scientists, and mathematicians began investigating ai. the pivotal dartmouth conference in 1956, organised by john mccarthy, marvin minsky, nathaniel rochester, and claude shannon, formally introduced the idea of creating machines that could reason and solve problems (dick, 2019). meanwhile, ai faced challenges in the 1960s due to hardware limitations and algorithmic flaws, leading to a temporary decline (margeret, 1996). however, research on the backpropagation algorithm in the 1970s spurred advancements as computer performance improved (chakravarthy, 2019). by the 1980s, back-propagation neural networks gained widespread recognition, and algorithms based on neural networks began advancing rapidly (hinton and salakhhutdinov, 2006). these developments laid the foundation for ml algorithms, which allowed computers to learn from data, eventually leading to the rise of deep learning. the timeline in figure 1 illustrates the critical developments in ai between 1930 and 2000. figure-1: artificial intelligence timeline note. from history of ai, by rockwell anyoha (2017) https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2017/history-artificial-intelligence/ indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 355 by the 1990s and 2000s, many significant ai milestones had been achieved, such as advancements in voice recognition and natural language processing (nlp). a significant breakthrough came in 1997 when ibm’s deep blue defeated world chess champion garry kasparov, marking a pivotal moment in ai decisionmaking (anyoha rockwell, 2017). in 2006, the proposal of deep learning (deng and yu, 2014) propelled ai further, with the exponential growth of mobile internet fuelling more applications in the early 21st century. the 2016 victory of alphago over the world go champion (silver et al., 2016) intensified discussions on ai’s societal impact. today, innovations in deep learning, big data, nlp, and data science continue to advance rapidly, with companies like google, facebook, ibm, and amazon driving the development of cutting-edge ai technologies. the educational  possibilities of ai: from teaching to governance educators worldwide are rethinking the purpose of education as ai rapidly integrates into our lives, professions, and classrooms. ai has the potential to accelerate the transformation of education systems toward inclusive learning, equipping young people to thrive and shape a better future (world economic forum, 2023). it can further address significant challenges, innovate teaching practices, and expedite progress toward sdg 4 (unesco, 2023). beijing consensus on ai and education urges countries to develop policies and strategies to promote educational innovation through ai (unesco, 2019). ai impacts education in three key areas: (a) learning by supporting personalised learning systems, (b) teaching by automating feedback and assessment, and (c) administration by providing datadriven insights to decision-makers (baker et al., 2019). thus, ai can be applied across the following beneficial spectrum of education. offering an environment for personalised learning personalised learning adapts instruction to meet each learner’s capabilities, needs, interests, and learning styles (mötteli et al., 2023). this approach tailors the speed and methods of teaching to optimise learning for individuals (bailey l. w, 2019). ai can be crucial in customising education by adapting instruction to learners’ preferences, adjusting difficulty levels, and providing targeted feedback to enhance progress (huang andyu, 2023). further, ai can evaluate learners’ backgrounds, identify strengths and weaknesses, and suggest relevant courses. examples include the mooc buddy robot, which offers personalised learning resources (holotescu et al., 2007), and knewton’s adaptive platform, alta, which helps fill knowledge gaps (schroer, 2022). other ai-powered platforms like gradeslam, duolingo, cerego, dreambox, smart learning suite, and aleks also deliver personalised learning experiences. setting up an intelligent automated grading system an automated grading system employs ai techniques such as pattern recognition, ml, and nlp to evaluate student work based on predetermined criteria (zhu et al., 2020). this system can assess student responses, check for accuracy and completeness, and assign grades according to guidelines set by educators or institutions. research indicates that when thoughtful feedback is provided, student submissions can indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 356 improve by 96 per cent (haldeman et al., 2018). gradescope is an ai-based tool that uses a configurable rubric to deliver precise feedback and grading. round-the-clock smart virtual tutoring service recent advancements in ai technology have led entrepreneurs to develop online “virtual tutors” with ai capabilities (alam, 2023). these platforms can provide tailored and responsive instruction across various disciplines and academic levels (h. mohamed and lamia, 2018). they offer a convenient option for students lacking access to in person instruction or those seeking to learn at their own pace, as they are accessible from anywhere with an internet connection. a notable example is jill watson, a teaching assistant at georgia institute of technology, who impressed students with her quick and accurate responses, only to reveal she was an ai program from ibm (watson et al., 2016). virtual tutors can be utilised in various educational contexts, including blended learning, remote learning, and e-learning, particularly in fields with scarce expertise. examples of aibased virtual tutoring services include duolingo for language learning, amira for dyslexia assessments and progress reports, and platforms like edtech foundry, thinkster math, italk2learn, and querium. delivering timely, intelligent feedback intelligent feedback systems can help educators and students evaluate essays and provide corrections, promoting academic integrity by checking for plagiarism. using ml and nlp, grammarly is an ai-powered tool that enhances writing clarity, boldness, and error-freeness (grammarly spotlight, 2019). turnitin also offers plagiarism detection and feedback on originality and citation validity, while quill provides insights on vocabulary, syntax, and sentence structure. overall, ai feedback systems can improve the quality of written work by minimising errors and plagiarism and delivering immediate feedback to enhance student learning (biswas and bhattacharya, 2023). generating automated smart academic content ai can also streamline the development of classroom activities and formative assessments, alleviating the time educators spend on these tasks (bahrini et al., 2023). smartest learning is an ai-supported platform that simplifies content generation for educators. additionally, tools like lumen5 convert text into engaging videos, while openai’s chat gpt-3 generates high-quality text on various topics, including articles and product descriptions. other ai content generators include eduaide.ai, magicschool ai, jasper, copy smith, and article forge, while examsoft, gamma ai and classpoint serve as ai-enhanced test preparation tools. from augmented reality (ar)/virtual reality (vr) to extended reality (xr) several studies have documented the positive learning outcomes of integrating ar and vr technology across various disciplines (ting-chia hsu, 2017). ai-powered ar/vr technology can create hyper-immersive environments that facilitate experiential learning, promoting interaction similar to inperson engagement (gandedkar et al., 2021). extended reality (xr), which merges physical and digital worlds, includes virtual, augmented, and mixed reality. ai-based xr technologies enable object recognition, gesture recognition, emotion recognition, and predictive analysis (cunha et al., 2023). for example, labster offers an ai-based virtual lab indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 357 where students practice laboratory skills through over 300 virtual science simulations. zspace combines ar and vr to provide personalised learning experiences, while virtualspeech uses immersive vr simulations to help students improve their public speaking skills (marr bernard, 2021). gamification fuelled by ai gamification in education enhances engagement by integrating game elements into learning environments (dichev and dicheva, 2017). ai-powered gamification can ensure more engaging and personalised experiences for users. for instance, brainly is an aidriven platform that promotes student collaboration on assignments, while kahoot! customises learning through discussions, polls, and quizzes, allowing students to compete for points. classcraft personalises the educational experience and provides immediate feedback using ai. other notable aibased gamification platforms include quizizz, teachable machine, and minecraft education. automating tasks to lighten the workload the educational process comprises many manual responsibilities. ai can automate routine tasks like grading and lesson organisation, freeing educators’ time and allowing students to enhance their curiosity and skills (pillai et al., 2023). this is achievable with ai-driven grading tools, scheduling tools, virtual assistants, content development tools, etc. with the help of zapier, one can automate tasks by connecting 4000+ applications.  ensuring universal access to education education is crucial for seizing opportunities and enhancing living standards. unfortunately, many learners still lack access to quality education. however, ai advancements can help address some barriers to education accessibility(singh et al., 2024). ai can promote universal access by delivering personalised educational experiences and customising learning materials to meet individual needs (kabudi, 2022). this is especially beneficial for students in remote areas or those with limitations. additionally, ai can break language barriers using translation technologies to convert instructional materials into various languages, enabling students to learn in their mother tongue (y. a. mohamed et al., 2024). popular ai-based translation tools like gemini, deepl, and anuvadini utilise advanced nlp algorithms and neural machine translation for accurate translations. ai-driven content creation tools can enable teachers to quickly develop high-quality instructional materials, which is particularly helpful in regions with a shortage of skilled educators (celik et al., 2022). moreover, ai-powered chatbots can provide immediate support and guidance to learners lacking access to traditional services like school counsellors, offering emotional support and academic advice (kavitha et al., 2024). ai technology can also significantly benefit learners with special needs. for instance, cowriter aids students with dyslexia by utilising predictive text technology for spelling and grammar assistance. ai-powered computer vision tools can assist visually impaired learners by recognising and describing objects and text in real-time. emoreact provides emotional support to learners with behavioural challenges by detecting emotional changes through facial recognition. similarly, brain power’s ai tool helps students on the autism spectrum practice social interactions and develop essential skills through gamified activities. in conclusion, ai indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 358 can potentially transform education, enhancing access, equity, and inclusivity for all learners. the potential possibilities of artificial intelligence in revolutionising indian classrooms according to a recent report from the united nations population fund india (2022), india has surpassed china to become the world’s most populous nation, with 1.4286 billion people. notably, 26 per cent of the population is aged between 10 and 24, making india a particularly young country. this youthful demographic represents a significant asset for the nation, providing india with a competitive edge on the global stage (hameed and mathur, 2020). to harness this potential, offering superior education that integrates modern technological advancements is essential. in today’s age of globalisation, learners must be digital natives to adapt to rapid changes, advance in their careers, and commit to innovation and sustainable development (bagur et al., 2020). breakthrough technologies can enhance educational experiences, sharpen skills, and improve living standards and societal well-being (afshari et al., 2009). by effectively utilising 21st-century technological innovations, educational institutions can transform the learning process. the covid-19 pandemic has further accelerated this shift, pushing online and technology use beyond traditional classroom and book-based learning (joshi et al., 2021). the recent national education policy (nep) 2020 in india aligns with the 2030 agenda for sustainable development, focusing on inclusive and equitable quality education, as outlined in sdg goal 4. aiming to transform india into a “vibrant knowledge society,” the nep (2020) emphasises the importance of digitisation and modern technology in education. significant steps have been taken to strengthen ict infrastructure through initiatives like nrf, swayam, swayam prabha, and netf (singh dhillon et al., 2022). the indian government has launched the national educational alliance for technology (neat) to support ai in education and provide customised learning opportunities, particularly for economically and socially disadvantaged groups. the niti aayog’s discussion paper on responsible ai (2021) highlights education as a sector with high potential for ai to address societal needs, enhance personalised learning, and reduce dropout rates (kasinathan, 2020). the government launched neat 3.0 in january 2022 with backing from nep 2020 to constitute a bridge between ed-tech companies, educational institutions, and learners. this was crucial to providing superior educational opportunities nationwide, particularly in tier 2 and tier 3 towns and villages. the government further acknowledged the potential of technology and the rapidity with which it may reach tiny towns and villages with a qualified instructor at their fingertips. in the union budget for 23–24, the education sector received its highest-ever allocation of inr 1.12 lakh crore, mainly emphasising upskilling young people and advancing digitalisation.   meanwhile, to make it possible for the indian education system to be a part of the global education system, the ministry of education has placed a promising emphasis on introducing ml, ai, and 3-d visuals in the education system of india. furthermore, ai has emerged as a critical component of development and innovation across sectors; it is essential for young people to learn its fundamental concepts early. unesco’s (2022) report, “state of the education report for india 2022: here, there, everywhere,” also recommends increasing ai utilisation indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 359 in indian schools to accelerate progress toward achieving sdg 4. data from the education ministry’s online portal revealed that 12,53,019 students in india were not attending school in the 2022–2023 academic year, including 6,97,121 male students, 5,55,854 female students, and 44 transgender students (ht correspondent, 2023). among these, 3,22,488 were secondary-level students, and 9,30,531 were in elementary education. according to a 2019 unesco report, three-fourths of indian children with disabilities under five do not attend any educational institution, with 27 per cent having never been enrolled and 12 per cent having dropped out (ramachand mythili et al., 2019). ai can be the critical component of the universal learning objective that india has always promoted. the andhra pradesh government and microsoft ai have successfully piloted a project to identify and manage dropouts in visakhapatnam (rao, 2018). the aienabled device can make predictions through reaction recognition, performance and reasons analysis of the student’s performance and potential causes leading to dropping out of school (bhaduri, 2020). by leveraging ai tools, education can be made more accessible to students who need specific monitoring and support, such as those who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speak a different dialect. due to the diverse levels and types of intelligence and abilities, educators have been striving for a long time to develop a curriculum, course, or teach a skill that appeals to all involved learners. personalising education for every learner is a huge process that takes a lot of time and effort, which is unattainable, especially in a country like india, where diversity is the primary challenge. however, ai is a technology that can eliminate these obstacles. aside from aiding teachers and students in designing educational programmes that specifically cater to their needs, ai can also provide an analysis of the strategy’s overall effectiveness. ai can adapt to an individual’s skill level, desired learning objectives, and each learner’s learning rate to optimise learning. ai-driven technologies can further evaluate pupils’ schoolwork, pinpoint their growth gaps, and suggest programmes, providing various opportunities for individualised learning (sayed et al., 2023). this can boost student motivation and significantly lower dropout rates. according to the unesco 2021 state of the education report for india (2021), “no teacher, no class,” the nation has approximately 1.2 lakh singleteacher schools, 89 per cent of which reside in rural regions. as per the report, india needs an extra 11.16 lakh teachers to compensate for the present shortage. the education system would undoubtedly benefit from the additional assistance offered by ai, considering the condition of most schools in rural parts of india. ai has the dynamic potential to enhance online education in india (fauvel et al., 2018), which is expected to reach us$ 1.96 billion by the end of 2022, and 47 per cent of learning management tools will be ai-enabled by 2024, along with an anticipated annual growth rate of artificial intelligence in education by 40.3 per cent between 2019-25 (pawar, 2022). ai can assist educators with administrative tasks, including grading papers, scheduling parentalteacher meetings, and providing learner feedback. this frees up their time so they can focus more on the innovative aspects of instruction. the eagle 5.0, a kind of humanoid robot, a collaborative learning model (clm), was first implemented in indian schools by indus international in hyderabad and bengaluru (collaborative learning model — indus bangalore, 2022). based on this framework, educators would indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 360 share daily duties with robot assistants who accompany them while they teach in classrooms. assessment and grading tasks that took educators days to prepare and complete are now possible concurrently by ai.  during the inspected assessment while taking exams, an ai-driven system can accomplish this by streaming audio and video and recognising faces and pictures as much as a person can. as a result, it can detect and comprehend examinees’ movements, interpret the response script, and accurately grade students’ work based on their merits and performance. additionally, an ai-enabled tool could simplify the laborious tasks associated with administering school and competitive exams since it can recognise images, faces, movements, and directions. with knowledge and careful management, this one-time investment can save significantly more annually over the present examination system. in a survey conducted by analytics insight (artificial intelligence: a technology bridging the education gap, 2022), 46 per cent of the respondents believed that ai could predict school dropout rates in india, 65.9 per cent of participants believed that ai could enhance the efficiency of individualised education, 31.7 per cent of participants believed that the models of ai could enhance personalised and about 34.1 per cent of the participant’s believed that the educational apps of ai help in covering the syllabus in their homes before ai can effectively integrate into the indian educational system, several challenges must be addressed. a primary obstacle is the lack of expertise and understanding of ai technology among learners and educators. many educators in india are not adequately trained to teach ai, and numerous students are unfamiliar with the concepts (kim et al., 2021). effective implementation of ai in education requires a solid grasp of the field. additionally, many villages still lack sufficient access to electricity, making deploying ai technologies costly and challenging. this contributes to a significant digital divide, where students in urban areas have far greater access to technological resources than their rural counterparts. however, the it ministry’s recent announcement of a nearly $30 billion investment to ensure that the last-mile 5g network reaches every village in india offers hope for bridging this divide and realising a “rural digital india.” ai integration into the indian educational system necessitates significant infrastructure and resource expenditures, including fast internet access, innovative technology and software, and skilled staff. as per the report of the ministry of education, govt of indiaudise+ 2019-20, only one-fourth of teachers in india were reportedly trained to deal with the technologyoriented teaching-learning process, and only 22.28 per cent of all management schools in india had internet facilities. moreover, only 38.54 per cent of all management schools, of which only 30.03 per cent of government, 62.97 per cent of government-aided, and 59.88 per cent of private schools had computer facilities. the incapacity of several educational institutions in india to invest in these essentials could also slow down the successful integration of ai into the classroom. concerns have been raised about ai exacerbating existing biases, the digital divide, and educational inequalities. to avoid such issues, ai research and implementation must adhere to ethical guidelines (williams et al., 2023). additionally, there is no standard framework for teaching ai in academic institutions, requiring a unified curriculum and clear guidelines to equip learners with the indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 361 skills needed for future job markets. meanwhile, the digital divide poses a significant challenge, as unequal access to technology creates disparities in learning opportunities. students from marginalised communities may lack the necessary resources, such as internet connectivity and digital devices, further widening the educational gap in ai learning (asrani, 2022). other challenges include socio-religious taboos, student knowledge gaps, a lack of emotional engagement, and a shortage of qualified professionals and training programs. furthermore, ai’s use in education raises concerns about privacy and security and an over reliance on ai tools (wu et al., 2023), highlighting the need for stringent measures to safeguard student data. addressing these issues is crucial for ai to transform indian education effectively. conclusion although the future of ai in education is not yet fully established, it is predicted that almost all fields of education, including school education and  technical, professional and  nontechnical fields of  higher education, will be more reliant on technologies and tools in the future to foster a wellrounded learning environment for learners as well as educators. new and innovative ai tools are being created every day, and it is anticipated that these tools will assist 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(2023). how ai can transform education for students and teachers |https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/05/ai-accelerate-students-holisticdevelopment-teaching-fulfilling/ wu, x., duan, r., & ni, j. (2023). unveiling security, privacy, and ethical concerns of chatgpt. journal of information and intelligence. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jiixd.2023.10.007 yoshida, a., kumazaki, h., muramatsu, t., yoshikawa, y., ishiguro, h., & mimura, m. (2022). intervention with a humanoid robot avatar for individuals with social anxiety disorders comorbid with autism spectrum disorders. asian journal of psychiatry, 78, article 103315. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2022.103315 zhu, m., liu, o. l., & lee, h. s. (2020). the effect of automated feedback on revision behavior and learning gains in formative assessment of scientific argument writing. computers & education, 143, article 103668. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103668 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 83 introduction the educational landscape of the 21st century has been profoundly reshaped by the integration of technology within teaching and learning practices. one of the most impactful advancements in this realm is technology-enabled assessment, which has emerged as a powerful tool that empowers educators to nurture the holistic development of students. in an era marked by rapid digital transformation, it is essential for teachers to develop the competencies required to effectively harness technology in the assessment process (smith & johnson, 2020). technology-enabled assessment provides educators with unparalleled opportunities to create personalized and engaging learning experiences. by leveraging interactive multimedia platforms, formative assessment tools, and sophisticated learning analytics, teachers can obtain real-time insights into students’ progress and allow them to adapt their instruction to meet individual learning needs (brown & lee, 2021). this adaptability enhances the learning experience and fosters an environment where students can thrive academically and develop key skills. beyond academic performance, the use research article teachers’ competencies in effective technology-enabled assessment for holistic development of students dipak bhattacharya assistant professor of education, department of education, dukhulal nibaran chandra college, aurangabad, murshidabad, west bengal email: dipakbhattacharya7@gmail.com abstract the 21st century has witnessed a profound transformation in education with the integration of technology-enabled assessment. this study aims to identify the key competencies that teachers require for effective technology-enabled assessment for the holistic development of students at the secondary level of school education. a descriptive survey method was used for collecting data from 60 secondary school teachers in suti, murshidabad, west bengal, through a self-constructed 5-point scale. the results highlight significant gaps in teachers’ digital literacy, with a lack of formal training in educational software and applications and familiarity with learning management systems and online platforms for assessments. teachers also face challenges in analyzing and interpreting assessment data, leading to difficulties in providing personalized feedback and adapting instructional methods. the study underscores the urgent need for teacher training and professional development programmes, specifically targeting digital literacy, data analysis, and the design of innovative assessments. ethical considerations, including data privacy and the promotion of digital citizenship, are also identified as critical issues that require attention. by addressing these competencies, teachers can effectively implement the potential of technology-enabled assessments, foster vital skills in students and prepare them for success in the digital age. ultimately, this study emphasizes the importance of empowering teachers to become agents of change through the development of their competencies, which can guide students towards becoming well-rounded and adaptable individuals in the ever-evolving digital world. keywords: holistic development, school education, secondary level, teachers’ competencies, technology-enabled assessment indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 84 of technology in assessments supports the cultivation of critical life skills such as problem-solving, collaboration, critical thinking, and digital literacy (garcia & martinez, 2019). these competencies are crucial for students to succeed in an increasingly interconnected digital world. furthermore, technologyenabled assessments empower students by encouraging self-directed learning and motivating them to take active ownership of their educational journeys. when teachers possess the skills needed to leverage these technological tools, they can act as agents of transformative change and guide students to become well-rounded, adaptable individuals prepared for future challenges. technology-enabled assessment is essential for the holistic development of students, as it goes beyond simply measuring academic performance and plays a critical role in nurturing social, emotional, and cognitive growth. traditional assessment methods often focus solely on academic achievement, but technology-enhanced assessment methods allow for a more comprehensive approach, offering insights into a student’s overall development. one of the primary advantages of technology-enhanced assessment is its ability to provide real-time feedback, which enables teachers to make timely instructional adjustments that meet the unique needs of each learner. by leveraging data-driven insights, educators can identify areas of improvement and celebrate achievements, thus fostering a continuous learning cycle that benefits students. additionally, technology in assessments supports differentiated learning paths, allowing for personalized instruction that caters to the diverse learning needs of students. this adaptability ensures that each student is appropriately challenged, whether they need additional support or further enrichment. as a result, technology helps create a more inclusive learning environment where every student, regardless of ability, has access to the resources and opportunities necessary for success. another significant advantage of technology-enabled assessment is its role in promoting selfregulation and critical reflection—skills vital for lifelong learning. with access to immediate feedback, students can actively engage with their learning process, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and make adjustments to their approach. this self-awareness helps students become more independent and motivated learners, taking ownership of their educational journey. moreover, technology-integrated assessment fosters the development of emotional intelligence and social skills. through collaborative and projectbased learning tools, students are encouraged to work together, solve complex problems, and communicate effectively. these experiences not only enhance their academic understanding but also teach valuable interpersonal skills, such as teamwork, empathy, and conflict resolution. these competencies are essential for students as they navigate real-world challenges in a rapidly changing and interconnected society. ultimately, technology-enabled assessment serves as a powerful mechanism for developing wellrounded individuals who can navigate the complexities of the modern world (albinson, cetinkaya, & orman, 2020). however, effective implementation of technology-enabled assessment comes with its own set of challenges. educators must address ethical considerations, including data privacy and security, and work to bridge the digital divide to ensure equitable access for all students (unesco, 2022). it is, therefore, essential for teacher training and professional development programmes to prioritize building digital competency, foster an understanding of ethical practices, indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 85 and empower teachers to navigate the complexities of digital tools and data responsibly. this article highlights the significance of teachers’ competencies in effective technology-enabled assessment for the holistic development of students. by embracing technology, teachers have the potential to revolutionize the educational experience, cater to diverse learner needs and foster essential skills for the future. as we continue to embrace the digital revolution in education, empowering teachers with the necessary competencies will be instrumental in maximizing the potential of technology-enabled assessment to shape the next generation of lifelong learners. objective of the study 1. to identify the key competencies that teachers require for effective technology-enabled assessment for the holistic development of students at the secondary level of school education. research question of the study 1. what specific competencies do secondary school teachers believe are critical for implementing technology-enabled assessment effectively? operational definitions of the key concepts: competencies of teachers: in the study, teachers’ competencies refer to their proficiency in utilizing digital tools and technologies to enhance assessment practices. the present study focused on the following five competencies of teachers for technology-enabled assessment: ‘competencies of teachers in digital literacy and technology skills’, ‘competencies of teachers in data analysis and interpretation’, ‘competencies of teachers in personalization and differentiation’, ‘competencies of teachers in pedagogical practices and innovative assessment design’, ‘competencies of teachers in ethical use of technology in assessment’. technology-enabled assessment: it refers to the integration of digital tools and platforms in the assessment process to evaluate and enhance students’ learning. this approach encompasses a variety of methods, including online quizzes, interactive assessments, and digital portfolios that facilitate real-time feedback and data collection. this approach not only streamlines the assessment process but also fosters engagement and collaboration among students and supports their holistic development by promoting critical thinking, problemsolving skills, and digital literacy. the present study focused on technologyenabled assessment competencies of teachers at a secondary level of school education. holistic development of students: it refers to the comprehensive growth and maturation of learners across multiple dimensions, including cognitive, emotional, social, physical, and ethical aspects. this approach emphasizes the importance of nurturing the whole child rather than focusing solely on academic achievement. holistic development promotes a balanced education that integrates various learning experiences, including collaborative projects, creative activities, and community engagement, allowing students to connect knowledge to real-world applications. by prioritizing holistic development, teachers aim to cultivate well-rounded individuals who are prepared to thrive in diverse environments and contribute positively to society. the present study highlighted on holistic development of secondary school students based on technologyenabled assessment. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 86 conceptual framework the conceptual framework presented here outlines the role of technologyenabled assessment in advancing educational outcomes through a structured, multi-dimensional approach. at the centre of this framework is the focus on ‘technologyenabled assessment’, which acts as a bridge between teacher competencies, professional development, and the barriers associated with implementing technology in assessment. each element in the framework supports the holistic development of students. teacher competencies in ‘digital literacy and technology skills’, ‘data analysis and interpretation’, ‘personalization and differentiation’, ‘pedagogical practices and innovative assessment design’, and ‘ethical use of technology in assessment’ are essential for creating effective learning environments. professional development opportunities such as workshops, online courses, and peer collaboration equip educators with the necessary skills to adopt and integrate technology meaningfully. however, successful implementation often faces barriers, including a lack of resources, insufficient training, and resistance to change within educational institutions. together, these components contribute to enhanced student learning outcomes, as technology-enabled assessment provides performance data and enables gathering of student feedback. this framework, therefore, emphasizes a collaborative approach to leveraging technology in assessment to drive holistic development and improve learning outcomes. figure-1: conceptual framework review of related literature the integration of technology in assessment practices has increasingly gained attention as educators and researchers recognize its potential to enhance student learning and support holistic development. technologyenabled assessment not only facilitates real-time data collection but also indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 87 enables personalized feedback, aligning with the evolving educational needs of the 21st century (hartnett, brown, & anderson, 2014). this shift towards technology is increasingly being seen as a way to promote more interactive and learner-centered approaches that emphasize the development of a broad range of student skills, including cognitive, social, emotional, and digital competencies (gulikers, bastiaens, & kirschner, 2004). research emphasizes the need for teachers to develop digital competencies to navigate technologyenabled assessments effectively. shute and rahimi (2017) provide an overview of how formative assessments can be enhanced through digital tools, discussing platforms that support personalized feedback and adaptive learning paths. their findings suggest that formative digital assessments help in identifying individual student needs, making real-time intervention possible, which is essential for promoting holistic development. ertmer and ottenbreitleftwich (2010) highlight that digital literacy and proficiency with educational tools are crucial for teachers to create engaging and adaptive assessments. teachers’ competencies in using technology for formative assessment tools and learning management systems can lead to enhanced student outcomes (pawar & yoon, 2021). however, studies indicate a general lack of training in these areas, as educators often lack the skills to analyze and interpret data, hindering personalized feedback and intervention (fletcher, iannucci & scanlon, 2024). a study by cifuentes, maxwell, and bulu (2011) points to the gap in teacher training programmes related to digital assessment tools. their findings reveal that teachers often feel unprepared to integrate technology-based assessment methods due to limited exposure and training. innovative assessment design facilitated by technology allows teachers to move beyond traditional testing methods. according to wiliam (2006), incorporating interactive and gamified assessments fosters critical thinking, problem-solving, and student engagement. these methods, when supported by technology, encourage students to actively participate in their learning journeys, which is essential for holistic development (looney, 2019). furthermore, technology-enabled assessment supports collaborative learning through peer reviews and group projects, enhancing skills necessary for success in the digital age. collaborative assessments, when designed properly, offer opportunities for students to engage in meaningful interactions with peers, providing constructive feedback and developing skills in teamwork, communication, and conflict resolution. this collaborative aspect is particularly beneficial in developing social and emotional intelligence (youngren, 2021). despite its benefits, technology-enabled assessment presents challenges, including ethical considerations around data privacy and digital equity. unesco (2024) stresses the importance of teachers’ awareness in navigating data privacy and promoting responsible digital citizenship among students. in regions with limited access to digital resources, a digital divide persists, creating inequalities in assessment experiences (anderson & kumar, 2019). teachers must be equipped not only with technical skills but also with the ethical frameworks necessary to safeguard student data and ensure that all students have equal access to digital learning resources. teachers’ competencies in handling these ethical and logistical challenges are critical to ensuring that technologyenhanced assessment methods benefit all students equitably (yadav, 2024). professional development programmes are essential to bridging gaps in teachers’ digital skills and enhancing their competencies in using educational indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 88 software and platforms. darlinghammond et al. (2017) suggest that continuous training enables teachers to adapt their instructional methods to accommodate technology-enabled assessment, ultimately supporting student growth. effective teacher training should prioritize data analysis, personalized feedback strategies, and digital literacy, equipping teachers to manage and utilize technologyenhanced tools in a meaningful way (guskey & yoon, 2009). selwyn (2016) examines the ethical dimensions of technology in education, emphasizing issues of student data privacy, consent, and the implications of data tracking. this study encourages schools to adopt clear policies and educate both students and teachers on responsible data practices to safeguard privacy. the literature suggests that while technology-enabled assessment holds significant potential for holistic development of students, the effectiveness of these assessments hinges on teachers’ digital competencies, innovative assessment strategies, and a strong understanding of ethical considerations. addressing these competencies through targeted professional development can empower teachers to harness technology in ways that foster student success in a rapidly evolving digital world. significance of the study the significance of the study lies in its comprehensive exploration of five crucial categories that play a pivotal role in leveraging technology for the holistic development of students. the study recognizes the importance of equipping teachers with digital literacy and technology skills. as technology becomes an integral part of education, teachers must possess the knowledge and confidence to navigate digital tools, platforms, and resources effectively. understanding how to use technology for instructional purposes empowers educators to create engaging and interactive learning experiences, enhancing student motivation and fostering a deeper understanding of concepts. technology-enabled assessment generates a wealth of data that can inform instructional decisions. this study emphasizes the significance of teachers’ competencies in analyzing and interpreting data derived from various assessment tools and platforms. by interpreting data insights, teachers can identify students’ strengths and areas for improvement, providing personalized feedback and targeted interventions to cater to individual learning needs. technology allows for personalized and differentiated learning experiences. the study highlights the importance of teachers’ competencies in tailoring instruction to meet the unique needs and preferences of each student. by leveraging technology, teachers can adapt content, pace, and assessments to align with individual learning styles, fostering a more inclusive and effective learning environment. effective technology-enabled assessment goes beyond traditional methods. this study emphasizes the significance of teachers’ competencies in employing innovative assessment designs that align with pedagogical practices. by integrating technology into assessment, educators can move beyond conventional approaches, embracing formative assessments, interactive quizzes, and multimedia projects that facilitate active learning and deeper engagement. as technology integration in education expands, ethical considerations become critical. the study underscores the importance of teachers’ competencies in adhering to ethical principles when using technology for assessment. respecting student privacy and data security and promoting equitable access to technology are essential aspects that teachers must prioritize while employing technology-enabled assessment methods. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 89 figure-2: location map of study area source: http://www.maplandia.com/india/west-bengal/murshidabad/suti/ & google image the significance of this study lies in its comprehensive focus on five key points that shape the successful implementation of technology-enabled assessment for the holistic development of students. by addressing digital literacy, data analysis, personalization, innovative assessment design, and ethical considerations, the research provides valuable insights and recommendations for educators, policymakers, and stakeholders. embracing these competencies empowers teachers to leverage technology as a powerful tool for enhancing student learning experiences, fostering comprehensive growth, and preparing the next generation of learners for the challenges of the digital age. context of the educational setting suti, located in the murshidabad district of west bengal, is a rural area where ‘beedi industry’ plays a dominant role in the economy. here, secondary education faces challenges such as limited access to digital infrastructure, including internet connectivity and modern devices. teachers often lack formal training in educational technology, hindering their ability to implement technologyenabled assessments effectively. despite these obstacles, government initiatives like digital india are gradually improving access to technology in the region. however, the rural setting also presents opportunities for collaborative learning, where teachers and students can support each other in overcoming technological challenges. with targeted professional development, teachers in suti can enhance their digital competencies and effectively use technology to foster holistic student development. addressing these challenges will be crucial in preparing students for success in the digital era. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 90 enabled assessment for the holistic development of students. responses of teachers were scored on spread sheet (excel) and tabulated. frequency and percentage were calculated with the help of spread sheet (excel) software and presented in the following tables. table-1: competencies of teachers in digital literacy and technology skills proficiency in using digital devices (e.g., computers, tablets, smart phones) for educational purposes. very proficient proficient moderately proficient somewhat proficient not proficient 01 (1.67%) 02 (3.33%) 03 (5.00%) 04 (6.67%) 50 (83.33%) received formal training in utilizing educational software and applications for instructional activities and assessments. yes, extensively yes, to some extent no, but i have some experience no, i have not received any training not applicable 00 (0.00%) 00 (0.00%) 02 (3.33%) 58 (96.67%) 00 (0.00%) methodology research method: the present study was followed by the descriptive survey method. investigator had collected data through a 5-point scale (by using google form) from teachers at secondary level of school education. population and sample: the investigation was carried out among 60 teachers of secondary level of school education at suti, murshidabad, west bengal. the study’s sample was selected using the convenience sampling method. the study’s target population was teachers of secondary level of school education residing in the murshidabad district of west bengal. tool: the researcher utilized a selfconstructed 5-point scale to measure the competencies of teachers in effective technology-enabled assessment for the holistic development of students at the secondary level of school education. the investigator utilized an internal reliability test to evaluate the reliability of the research tool. the reliability of the self-constructed tool was 0.82 (cronbach’s alpha). the content validity of the self-constructed 5-point scale was assessed by the researcher by taking experts’ views. analysis and interpretation the objective of the study was to identify the key competencies that teachers require for effective technologyenabled assessment for the holistic development of students at the secondary level of school education. the study explores five crucial categories that are required among teachers for effective technologyindian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 91 table 1 indicates that 83.33 per cent of teachers have not any proficiency in using digital devices (e.g., computers, tablets, smartphones) for educational purposes. 96.67 per cent of teachers have not received any formal training in utilizing educational software and applications for instructional activities and assessments. 100 per cent of teachers are not familiar with learning management systems (lms) and online platforms for managing and delivering assessments. 80 per cent of teachers feel very uncomfortable in troubleshooting basic technical issues that may arise during technologyenabled assessments. familiarity with learning management systems (lms) and online platforms for managing and delivering assessments. highly familiar familiar moderately familiar somewhat familiar not familiar 00 (0.00%) 00 (0.00%) 00 (0.00%) 00 (0.00%) 60 (100%) comfortable in troubleshooting basic technical issues that may arise during technologyenabled assessments very comfortable comfortable neutral somewhat uncomfortable very uncomfortable 01 (1.67%) 02 (3.33%) 02 (3.33%) 07 (11.67%) 48 (80.00%) table-2: competencies of teachers in data analysis and interpretation confidence in analyzing assessment data to identify students’ strengths and areas for improvement very confident confident moderately confident somewhat confident not confident 02 (3.33%) 02 (3.33%) 04 (6.67%) 07 (11.67%) 45 (75.00%) used assessment analytics software to interpret data and make data-driven instructional decisions yes, frequently yes, occasionally no, but have some experience no, have not used any analytics software not applicable 00 (0.00%) 00 (0.00%) 01 (1.67%) 59 (98.33%) 00 (0.00%) ability to identify patterns and trends in assessment results to inform your teaching practices and curriculum planning highly skilled skilled moderately confident somewhat skilled not skilled 02 (3.33%) 03 (5.00%) 05 (8.33%) 08 (13.37%) 42 (70.00%) indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 92 utilized assessment data to adjust teaching methods and strategies for better student outcomes always often sometimes rarely never 02 (3.33%) 04 (6.67%) 05 (8.33%) 04 (6.67%) 45 (75.00%) table 2 reveals that 75 per cent of teachers are not confident in analyzing assessment data to identify student’s strengths and areas for improvement. 98.33 per cent of teachers have not used any analytics software to interpret data and make data-driven instructional decisions. 70 per cent of teachers are not skilled in identifying patterns and trends in assessment results to inform their teaching practices and curriculum planning. 75 per cent of teachers never utilized assessment data to adjust teaching methods and strategies for better student outcomes. table-3: competencies of teachers in personalization and differentiation used assessments to cater to diverse learning styles and individual student needs always often sometimes rarely never 25 (41.67%) 12 (20.00%) 05 (8.33%) 08 (13.33%) 10 (16.67%) incorporated adaptive learning tools and platforms to personalize assessments and provide targeted feedback yes, regularly yes, occasionally no, but willing to try no, have not used adaptive tools not applicable 00 (0.00%) 00 (0.00%) 02 (3.33%) 58 (96.67%) 00 (0.00%) ability to use strategies that accommodate students with varying abilities and learning preferences during technologyenabled assessments highly effective effective moderately effective somewhat effective ineffective 02 (3.33%) 02 (3.33%) 08 (13.33%) 08 (13.33%) 40 (66.68%) addressed individual student needs while designing technologyenabled assessments very well well adequately not very well poorly 02 (3.33%) 02 (3.33%) 01 (1.67%) 22 (36.67%) 33 (55.00%) indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 93 table-4: competencies of teachers in pedagogical practices and innovative assessment design design technologyenabled assessments that promote critical thinking, problemsolving, and creativity among students very well well adequately not very well poorly 02 (3.33%) 02 (3.33%) 04 (6.67%) 19 (31.67%) 33 (55.00%) familiar with innovative assessment methods, such as gamified assessments and project-based evaluations, and how to integrate them into teaching highly familiar familiar moderately familiar somewhat familiar not familiar 00 (0.00%) 00 (0.00%) 02 (3.33%) 01 (1.67%) 57 (95.00%) used technology to create assessments that encourage collaborative learning and peer assessment always often sometimes rarely never 01 (1.67%) 02 (3.33%) 05 (8.33%) 02 (3.33%) 50 (83.34%) ability to design technology-enabled assessments that engage students and foster a positive learning experience highly skilled skilled moderately confident somewhat skilled not skilled 00 (0.00%) 00 (0.00%) 01 (1.67%) 02 (3.33%) 57 (95.00%) table 3 highlights that 41.67 per cent of teachers always used assessments to cater to diverse learning styles and individual student needs. 96.67 per cent of teachers have never used adaptive learning tools and platforms to personalize assessments and provide targeted feedback. 66.68 per cent of teachers do not have any ability to use strategies that accommodate students with varying abilities and learning preferences during technology-enabled assessments. 55 per cent of teachers poorly addressed individual student needs while designing technologyenabled assessments. table 4 describes that 55 per cent of teachers poorly designed technologyenabled assessments that promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity among students. 95 per cent of teachers are not familiar with innovative assessment methods, such as gamified assessments and projectbased evaluations, and how to integrate them into teaching. 83.34 per cent of teachers never used technology to create assessments that encourage collaborative learning and peer assessment. 95 per cent of teachers are not skilled in designing technologyenabled assessments that engage students and foster a positive learning experience. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 94 table 5 indicates that 85 per cent of teachers are unable to ensure the security and integrity of technologyenabled assessments to prevent cheating or academic dishonesty. 70 per cent of teachers are not aware of the ethical considerations related to collecting and using student data during technology-enabled assessments. 75 per cent of teachers never promote digital citizenship and responsible technology use among students when conducting assessments online. 96.67 per cent of teachers believed that they are not capable of addressing ethical dilemmas that may arise during technology-enabled assessments in an appropriate and responsible manner. table-5: competencies of teachers in ethical use of technology in assessment ensure the security and integrity of technologyenabled assessments to prevent cheating or academic dishonesty strongly agree agree neutral disagree strongly disagree 00 (0.00%) 00 (0.00%) 04 (6.67%) 05 (8.33%) 51 (85.00%) aware of the ethical considerations related to collecting and using student data during technologyenabled assessments yes, wellinformed yes, to some extent no, but have some understanding not aware of the ethical considera tions not applicable 00 (0.00%) 00 (0.00%) 10 (16.67%) 42 (70.00%) 08 (13.33%) promote digital citizenship and responsible technology use among students when conducting assessments online always often sometimes rarely never 02 (3.33%) 01 (1.67%) 07 (11.67%) 05 (8.33%) 45 (75.00%) ability to address ethical dilemmas that may arise during technologyenabled assessments in an appropriate and responsible manner highly capable capable moderately capable somewhat capable not capable 00 (0.00%) 00 (0.00%) 00 (0.00%) 02 (3.33%) 58 (96.67%) indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 95 in the present study investigator had used factor analysis statistical method to summarize and interpret the data scientific and systematic way. this strategy helped researcher to explain interrelationships among variables in terms of their common underlying dimensions i.e. factors. investigator had used spss and amos statistical software to analyze the data. table-6: kmo and bartlett’s test kmo measure of sampling adequacy 0.619 bartlett’s test of sphericity approx. chi-square 1265.134 df 190 sig. 0.000 the kaiser-meyer-olkin (kmo) is a statistical measure used to calculate the sampling sufficiency which needs to be more significant than 0.05 level for an appropriate study to proceed. factor analysis can be inappropriate if the sample size of the study is below 50. the present study has a 60 sample size and 0.619 sampling ampleness (mentioned in table 6), which is enough for factor analysis. bartlett’s test is used to assess the consistency of the relationship among factors. table 6 highlights that bartlett’s test of sphericity is significant at 0.01 level. figure-3: factor analysis result (standardized) indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 96 the present study has analyzed data through the confirmatory factor analysis method. the study has found a total of 45 variables (20 observed table-7: factor analysis result (standardized) to identify the latent variables code variables factor loadings digital literacy and technology skills (dlts) dlts1 proficiency in using digital devices 0.91 dlts2 formal training 0.22 dlts3 familiarity with lms 0.25 dlts4 comfortable in troubleshooting basic technical issues 0.65 data analysis and interpretation (dai) dai1 confidence in analyzing assessment data 0.69 dai2 used assessment analytics software 0.39 dai3 ability to identify patterns and trends in assessment 0.50 dai4 utilized assessment data to adjust teaching methods and strategies 0.53 personalization and differentiation (pd) pd1 used assessments to cater to diverse learning styles 0.28 pd2 incorporated adaptive learning tools and platforms 0.37 pd3 ability to use strategies 0.66 pd4 addressed individual student needs 0.50 pedagogical practices and innovative assessment design (ppiad) ppiad1 design technology-enabled assessments to promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity 0.66 ppiad2 familiar with innovative assessment methods 0.31 ppiad3 used technology to create assessments 0.60 ppiad4 design technology-enabled assessments to engage students and foster positive learning experience 0.33 ethical use of technology in assessment (euta) euta1 security and integrity of technology-enabled assessments 0.96 euta2 awareness of the ethical considerations related to collecting and using student data 0.68 euta3 promote digital citizenship and responsible technology use 0.96 euta4 ability to address ethical dilemmas 0.66 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 97 variables and 25 unobserved variables). the study is recursive in nature, which means no variable in the study has any effect on itself. the result of the study indicates that it has five major variables such as ‘digital literacy and technology skills’ (dlts), ‘data analysis and interpretation’ (dai), ‘personalization and differentiation’ (pd), ‘pedagogical practices and innovative assessment design’ (ppiad), ethical use of technology in assessment’ (euta). the majority of the observed variables (dlts1, dlts4, dai1, dai4, pd3, ppiad1, ppiad3, euta1, euta2, euta3, and euta4) have high factor loading values (more than 0.5). a few observed variables, such as dai3 and pd4, have equal 0.50 factor loading values. some observed variables like dlts2, dlts3, dai2, pd1, pd2, ppiad2, and ppiad4 have less than 0.50-factor loadings values. this means these observed variables are also influential factors for the development of teachers’ competencies in effective technology-enabled assessment for the holistic development of students. table-8: factor analysis result (standardized) to identify the correlations variables estimate dlts <--> dai 1.053 dai <--> pd 1.291 pd <--> ppiad 1.266 ppiad <--> euta .915 dlts <--> euta 1.076 dlts <--> pd .755 dlts <--> ppiad .945 dai <--> ppiad 1.321 dai <--> euta 1.009 pd <--> euta .732 table 8 points out that five major variables, such as ‘digital literacy and technology skills’, ‘data analysis and interpretation’, ‘personalization and differentiation’, ‘pedagogical practices and innovative assessment design’, and ethical use of technology in assessment’ are highly correlated (above 0.70) among each other. it means all major variables are influential factors for the development of teachers’ competencies in effective technologyenabled assessment for the holistic development of students. findings of the study y the study has found a total of 45 variables (20 observed variables and 25 unobserved variables). the result of the study indicates that it has five major variables such as ‘digital literacy and technology skills’, ‘data analysis and interpretation’, ‘personalization and differentiation’, ‘pedagogical practices and innovative assessment design’, and ethical use of technology in assessment’. the majority of the observed variables (dlts1, dlts4, dai1, dai4, pd3, indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 98 ppiad1, ppiad3, euta1, euta2, euta3, and euta4) have high factor loading values (more than 0.5). few observed variables like dai3 and pd4 have equal 0.50 factor loadings values. some observed variables like dlts2, dlts3, dai2, pd1, pd2, ppiad2, and ppiad4 have less than 0.50-factor loadings values. y the results of the study indicated that five major variables such as ‘digital literacy and technology skills’, ‘data analysis and interpretation’, ‘personalization and differentiation’, ‘pedagogical practices and innovative assessment design’, ethical use of technology in assessment’ are highly correlated (above 0.70) among each other. y 83.33 per cent of teachers have not any proficiency in using digital devices (e.g., computers, tablets, smart phones) for educational purposes. y 96.67 per cent of teachers have not received any formal training in utilizing educational software and applications for instructional activities and assessments. y 100 per cent of teachers are not familiar with learning management systems (lms) and online platforms for managing and delivering assessments. y 80 per cent of teachers feel very uncomfortable in troubleshooting basic technical issues that may arise during technology-enabled assessments. y 75 per cent of teachers are not confident in analyzing assessment data to identify student’s strengths and areas for improvement. y 98.33 per cent of teachers have not used any analytics software to interpret data and make data-driven instructional decisions. y 70 per cent of teachers are not skilled in identifying patterns and trends in assessment results to inform their teaching practices and curriculum planning. y 75 per cent of teachers never utilized assessment data to adjust teaching methods and strategies for better student outcomes. y 41.67 per cent of teachers always used assessments to cater to diverse learning styles and individual student needs. y 96.67 per cent of teachers have never used adaptive learning tools and platforms to personalize assessments and provide targeted feedback. y 66.68 per cent of teachers do not have any ability to use strategies that accommodate students with varying abilities and learning preferences during technology-enabled assessments. y 55 per cent of teachers poorly addressed individual student needs while designing technology-enabled assessments. y 55 per cent of teachers poorly designed technology-enabled assessments that promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity among students. y 95 per cent of teachers are not familiar with innovative assessment methods, such as gamified assessments and project-based evaluations, and how to integrate them into teaching. y 83.34 per cent of teachers never used technology to create assessments that encourage collaborative learning and peer assessment. y 95 per cent of teachers are not skilled in designing technology-enabled assessments that engage students and foster a positive learning experience. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 99 y 85 per cent of teachers are unable to ensure the security and integrity of technology-enabled assessments to prevent cheating or academic dishonesty. y 70 per cent of teachers are not aware of the ethical considerations related to collecting and using student data during technology-enabled assessments. y 75 per cent of teachers never promote digital citizenship and responsible technology use among students when conducting assessments online. y 96.67 per cent of teachers believed that they are not capable of addressing ethical dilemmas that may arise during technology-enabled assessments in an appropriate and responsible manner. discussion the present study delves into the essential competencies that teachers need to effectively employ technology-enabled assessment for the holistic development of secondarylevel students. the study’s findings underscore several critical gaps in teachers’ competencies like digital literacy, data analysis skills, and their ability to design innovative, personalized assessments issues and shed light on the urgent need for comprehensive training and professional development programmes to address these shortcomings. comparing the findings of this study with previous research, it becomes evident that the challenges identified in this study are not isolated occurrences but are consistent with the broader landscape of technology integration in education. the literature review highlighted the growing importance of digital competencies in education, with shute and rahimi (2017) noting the essential role of technology in formative assessments, particularly through personalized feedback and adaptive learning tools. however, the current study found that 96.67 per cent of teachers had not received formal training in educational software and applications, and 100 per cent were unfamiliar with learning management systems (lms) and online platforms for assessments. this finding mirrors the work of cifuentes, maxwell, and bulu (2011), who found a gap in teacher preparation programmes for digital assessment tools, leading to a lack of confidence in utilizing technology for assessment purposes. this gap in digital literacy, as identified in the study, is an essential barrier to the effective integration of technology-enabled assessments. the review of literature also depicted the importance of teachers’ ability to analyze and interpret assessment data to offer personalized feedback, a key competency identified by ertmer and ottenbreit-leftwich (2010) and pawar & yoon (2021). in the present study, 75 per cent of teachers were not confident in analyzing assessment data, and 98.33 per cent had never used analytics software to interpret data. this significant deficiency in data interpretation abilities is concerning, as it limits the potential of technologyenabled assessments to support personalized learning and intervention. the literature suggests that addressing this gap through professional development could improve teachers’ capacity to use data effectively, enhancing student outcomes, as discussed by shute and rahimi (2017). innovative assessment designs, such as gamified assessments, project-based evaluations, and collaborative learning, were emphasized in the literature as essential for fostering critical thinking and student engagement (wiliam, 2006; looney, 2019). however, the present study’s findings revealed that 95 per cent of teachers were not familiar indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 100 with innovative assessment methods, and 83.34 per cent had never used technology to create assessments that encourage collaborative learning. this gap aligns with the concerns expressed by garcia and martinez (2019), who noted the need for teachers to be trained in innovative assessment strategies that foster critical thinking and collaboration. the lack of familiarity with these methods underscores the need for professional development programmes that focus on innovative, technology-driven assessment strategies. the review of literature also discussed the ethical dimensions of technology in education, particularly concerning data privacy and digital citizenship, as highlighted by unesco (2024). the current study corroborates these concerns, revealing that 70 per cent of teachers were not aware of ethical considerations related to collecting and using student data during technology-enabled assessments. moreover, 75 per cent of teachers reported not promoting digital citizenship and responsible technology use among students. these findings echo the call from unesco (2024) and yadav (2024) for a deeper focus on ethical issues in teacher training, particularly in the context of technology integration. teachers must be equipped not only with technical skills but also with an understanding of ethical and responsible technology use to ensure equitable and secure assessments. overall, the present study’s findings are consistent with the broader discourse in the literature, which stresses the need for comprehensive teacher training in digital literacy, data analysis, innovative assessment strategies, and ethical considerations. by addressing these competencies through targeted professional development, teachers can become more effective in leveraging technology to enhance student learning and support holistic development. this study aligns with the recommendations of darling-hammond et al. (2017) and guskey & yoon (2009), who emphasized the importance of continuous training in enabling teachers to adapt their instructional practices to accommodate the demands of technology-enabled assessments. educational implications the findings of the study reveal critical insights into the competencies of teachers in utilizing technology-enabled assessment for the holistic development of students. these findings have significant educational implications: 1. teacher training and professional development: the study highlights the urgent need for comprehensive teacher training and professional development programmes focusing on digital literacy and technology integration. teachers must be equipped with the necessary skills to use digital devices, educational software, learning management systems, and online platforms effectively. 2. data analysis and interpretation: teachers need support in data analysis and interpretation to make informed instructional decisions. professional development should focus on using analytics software to interpret assessment data and identify students’ strengths and areas for improvement, leading to personalized feedback and targeted interventions. 3. personalized learning and differentiation: to foster an inclusive learning environment, teachers should receive training in designing technology-enabled assessments that cater to diverse learning styles and individual student needs. utilizing adaptive learning tools and platforms can help personalize assessments and provide targeted feedback. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 101 4. innovative assessment design: teacher training programmes should emphasize innovative assessment methods, such as gamified assessments and projectbased evaluations, and how to integrate them into teaching. these assessments can promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity among students. 5. ethical considerations and digital citizenship: teachers must be aware of ethical considerations related to data privacy, security, and responsible technology use during technology-enabled assessments. promoting digital citizenship among students will help create a responsible and ethical online learning environment. 6. collaborative learning and peer assessment: teachers should be encouraged to use technology to design assessments that foster collaborative learning and peer assessment. this can enhance student engagement and provide valuable learning experiences. 7. addressing ethical dilemmas: teachers need support and guidance in addressing ethical dilemmas that may arise during technology-enabled assessments. professional development programmes can help teachers develop strategies for handling such situations appropriately and responsibly. 8. promoting positive learning experiences: teachers should be empowered to use technology to create assessments that engage students and foster positive learning experiences. engaging and interactive assessments can enhance student motivation and learning outcomes. 9. equity and access: policymakers and educational institutions should work towards bridging the digital divide to ensure equitable access to technology-enabled assessment tools for all students. providing access to technology for both teachers and students is crucial for successful implementation. 10. curriculum integration: the study underscores the need to integrate technology-enabled assessment seamlessly into the curriculum. teachers should receive support in aligning assessment practices with pedagogical goals, promoting effective teaching and learning. the study’s educational implications emphasize the importance of empowering teachers with the necessary competencies to leverage technologyenabled assessment effectively. by addressing these implications through teacher training and professional development initiatives, educational institutions can create an environment that fosters holistic student development, prepares learners for the future, and maximizes the potential of technology in education. limitations of the study while this study provides valuable insights into the competencies required for effective technology-enabled assessment, there are several limitations to consider. 1. the study was conducted with a sample of only 60 secondary school teachers from suti, murshidabad, west bengal. 2. the focus of the study was specifically on secondary school teachers’ competencies in technology-enabled assessment, excluding other aspects of teaching indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 102 practice that may also influence students’ holistic development. 3. the study only examined secondary school teachers’ perceptions at a particular point in time, without investigating changes in competencies over an extended period. 4. the data collected through a selfconstructed 5-point scale is based on self-reporting, which may lead to response biases such as social desirability or overestimation of competencies. teachers may have provided answers they perceived to be ideal rather than their actual practices, potentially influencing the accuracy of the results. these limitations suggest that while the findings are significant, further research with a larger and more diverse sample, as well as longitudinal studies, could provide a more comprehensive understanding of teachers’ competencies in effective technology-enabled assessment for holistic development of students. conclusion the study sheds light on the critical importance of teachers’ competencies in effective technology-enabled assessment for the holistic development of students at the secondary level of school education. the findings highlight significant gaps in teachers’ digital literacy and technological skills, as well as their lack of training in utilizing educational software and online platforms for assessments. this lack of proficiency hinders their ability to create engaging and personalized learning experiences for students. furthermore, the study reveals that a majority of teachers struggle with analyzing and interpreting assessment data, limiting their capacity to identify students’ strengths and areas for improvement. this deficiency hampers their ability to provide targeted feedback and interventions, impeding students’ progress and growth. innovative assessment designs that promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration are also lacking among the teachers surveyed. this highlights the need for professional development programmes that familiarize educators with cutting-edge assessment methods, such as gamified assessments and project-based evaluations, to enrich student learning experiences. additionally, ethical considerations and data privacy concerns emerge as significant challenges for teachers. many educators are unaware of the ethical dilemmas that may arise during technology-enabled assessments and lack the knowledge to navigate such situations responsibly. in conclusion, the study underscores the urgency for comprehensive teacher training and professional development programmes that prioritize technology integration and digital literacy. equipping teachers with the necessary competencies to leverage technology effectively will empower them to create engaging and personalized learning experiences, foster essential skills, and ensure the holistic development of their students. addressing these competencies will not only shape the future of education but also prepare students to thrive in the digital age, becoming adaptable, critical thinkers, and responsible digital citizens. policymakers, educational institutions, and stakeholders must collaborate to bridge these competency gaps and harness the full potential of technologyenabled assessment for the betterment of education. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 103 references albinson, p., cetinkaya, d., & orman, t. 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(2020). examining teachers’ digital competencies and their relationship with student achievement. educational technology & society, 23(2), 1-13. unesco. (2022). the use of technology in the assessment of learning outcomes: opportunities and challenges. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000378784 unesco. (2024). what you need to know about digital learning and transformation of education. https://www.unesco.org/en/digital-education/need-know wiliam, d. (2006). assessment for learning: why, what and how. https://www.researchgate.net/ publication/258423298_assessment_for_learning_why_what_and_how yadav, v. (2024). equity in education: addressing the digital divide. https://www.linkedin.com/ pulse/equity-education-addressing-digital-divide-vanshika-yadav-id8ec youngren, j, (2021). impacts of collaborative learning on student engagement. dissertations, theses, and projects. 483. https://red.mnstate.edu/thesis/483 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 101 research article empowering thinkers: unlocking the potential of digital learning efficacy in fostering critical thinking skills pallavi jain1, harish kumar2 & anup kumar rajput3 1research scholar, amity institute of education, amity university, noida emailpallavi.jain@s.amity.edu 2domain headeducation, head –aibas & aspess, amity university, noida 3headpublication division, ncert, new delhi abstract this research examines the impact of digital learning efficacy on students’ critical thinking skills. as digital platforms increasingly shape modern classrooms, students’ ability to effectively engage with these tools plays a key role in developing their capacity to analyse information, assess credibility, and make informed decisions in an increasingly complex digital landscape. differences in digital learning efficacy are associated with how students interact with digital content, influencing their ability to think critically in a digital learning environment. using a quantitative methodology, the research surveyed 440 students, assessing their digital learning efficacy with a self-constructed tool and examining critical thinking competencies using the critical thinking scale by hemant lata sharma and priyamvada (2012). anova and post hoc tests were used to analyse differences in critical thinking across varying levels of digital learning efficacy. the results indicated that students with higher efficacy in using digital learning tools demonstrated significantly stronger critical thinking skills. these findings highlight the importance of enhancing digital learning efficacy to improve critical thinking, offering valuable insights for educators and policymakers. keywords digital learning, critical thinking, digital learning efficacy, education technology introduction in the digital age, the shift from traditional to online and hybrid learning environments has become increasingly prevalent. educational institutions worldwide are integrating digital learning platforms to enhance access to information, flexibility, and personalised learning experiences. as technology reshapes education, understanding how students engage with and navigate these digital tools is crucial. digital learning efficacy, a student’s confidence and ability to use these platforms effectively, is emerging as a key determinant of academic success. given that online education requires students to be more autonomous, self-regulated, and adaptable, digital learning efficacy plays a vital role in shaping their academic performance and engagement in virtual learning spaces. critical thinking, defined as the ability to reason, analyse, and make decisions based on evidence and logic (paul and elder, 2014), is a fundamental skill for success in the digital learning environment. it enables students to process complex information, solve problems, and make informed judgements—abilities that are crucial indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 102 in an era where digital platforms serve as primary sources of knowledge. in digital learning contexts, critical thinking becomes even more essential as students navigate vast amounts of online content, evaluate the credibility of sources, and engage in self-directed learning. however, fostering this skill presents unique challenges, requiring students to discern relevant information from misinformation and develop independent analytical capabilities (akyüz and samsa, 2009; ayad, 2010). the primary goal of instruction is to empower learners to take responsibility for their own learning by equipping them with the necessary tools and skills (noll and wilkins, 2002). with technological advancements, learning has expanded beyond traditional classrooms into virtual environments, yet there is no clear consensus on how best to cultivate critical thinking in these settings. scholars have debated the effectiveness of different instructional approaches, including constructivist learning, active learning, team-based learning, and discussion using digital media (benson and samarawickrema, 2009; saadé and kira, 2009; saadé and otrakji, 2007). macknight (2000) cautioned that modern digital media often present pre-packaged information so convincingly that critical thinking may seem redundant. however, research also suggests that online learning environments can support critical thinking by enabling mastery learning, flexible pacing, and anonymous discussions (burgess, 2009; thomas and morin, 2010). student engagement in online courses is a multifaceted concept influenced by factors such as limited social interactions, weaker student-teacher relationships, and the need for learners to adapt to virtual environments (derakhshesh et al., 2022; yuyun, 2023). sustaining consistent engagement can be challenging due to concerns related to persistence and efficiency (lorenzo, 2012). rahman (2021) emphasised that low student engagement remains a significant obstacle in online learning. self-efficacy plays a crucial role in shaping individual behaviour, fostering goal achievement, and driving motivation for progress (stice et al., 2006). bandura (1977, 1986) introduced self-efficacy into psychological literature, defining it as an individual’s belief in their ability to organise and execute actions required to achieve specific outcomes. grounded in social cognitive theory (bandura, 1977) and locus of control theory (rotter, 1966), self-efficacy influences learners’ competence, as individuals with higher self-efficacy are more likely to accomplish desired outcomes due to their confidence in managing tasks (bandura, 2006; chang et al., 2014; bernacki et al., 2015). the rapid advancement of computerbased technologies has coincided with the widespread adoption of web and internet-based learning, driving researchers to examine self-efficacy within virtual learning environments. as a result, distinct self-efficacy constructs tailored to online contexts—such as computer self-efficacy, internet selfefficacy, and online learning selfefficacy—have garnered increasing attention (gautam et al., 2020; kuo et al., 2021). self-efficacy in using digital systems has been shown to significantly enhance their effective utilisation (ulfert et al., 2022). online self-efficacy has been associated with other key constructs, including online engagement (han et al., 2021; heo et al., 2021; kuo et al., 2021). for example, kuo et al. (2021) investigated the relationship between online learning self-efficacy and student engagement in web-based learning. analysing data from 4,285 students, they found that higher online learning self-efficacy positively influenced learners’ engagement in online courses. similarly, alemayehu and chen (2021) indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 103 examined the impact of online learning self-efficacy on engagement among 354 students. using structural equation modeling, their study confirmed a significant positive effect of learning self-efficacy on engagement in virtual learning environments. derakhshan and fathi (2023) examined the interactive role of online self-efficacy in predicting online engagement, finding that higher online learning self-efficacy positively influenced engagement among efl students. investigating selfefficacy in virtual learning environments is crucial, as it offers valuable insights into the factors that enhance learners’ engagement and success in online education. given the growing reliance on digital platforms for educational delivery, it is imperative to examine how digital learning efficacy fosters critical thinking skills. this study explores the relationship between digital learning efficacy and critical thinking, investigating how students’ confidence in using digital tools influences their ability to analyse, reason, and make informed decisions. by identifying the mechanisms through which digital learning efficacy enhances critical thinking, this research contributes to the ongoing discourse on improving the quality and effectiveness of digital education. literature review critical thinking has long been recognised as an essential skill in education, fostering students’ ability to analyse, evaluate, and synthesise information logically (ennis, 1985; facione, 2000). it plays a crucial role in problem-solving and decisionmaking, enabling individuals to navigate complex academic and professional environments. employers increasingly value critical thinking as a key competency, emphasising its importance in workforce readiness (desai et al., 2013; preiss et al., 2013; sarkar et al., 2016). research indicates that students who develop strong critical thinking skills tend to adapt more effectively to the evolving demands of the workplace, highlighting the need for educational strategies that enhance these cognitive abilities (lowden et al., 2011). with the rise of digital learning, technology has been increasingly integrated into educational settings to support the development of critical thinking. studies suggest that digital learning platforms, when used effectively, provide interactive and student-centred experiences that enhance cognitive engagement (lopezperez et al., 2011; carmichael and farrel, 2012; foo and quek, 2019). digital tools, such as moodle and other e-learning systems, facilitate problem-solving and reasoning by offering diverse learning resources, collaborative activities, and immediate feedback. more recently, lionenko and huzar (2023) examined how structured digital interventions contribute to the development of problem-solving and analytical skills in primary school students. their findings emphasise that digital tools significantly enhance critical thinking when structured learning approaches are applied, though they also highlight barriers such as technological limitations and insufficient teacher training. the positive impact of digital learning on critical thinking is further supported by wardani et al., 2019, who found that web-based learning environments lead to significant improvements in students’ analytical and reasoning skills. similarly, pedraja-rejas et al. (2024) conducted a systematic review on mobile learning and concluded that mobile-supported reflective learning, immersive experiences like augmented reality, and interactive applications positively influence students’ ability to critically analyse and synthesise information. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 104 their research highlights the importance of self-regulation in digital learning, emphasising that structured and adaptive digital environments maximise cognitive engagement. self-efficacy has been identified as a key factor influencing students’ ability to engage effectively in digital learning environments. bandura (1997) defined self-efficacy as an individual’s belief in their ability to perform specific tasks successfully. research suggests that students with higher digital learning efficacy exhibit greater engagement, leading to improved critical thinking outcomes (bandura, 2006; chang et al., 2014; bernacki et al., 2015). kuo et al. (2021) found that students with higher online learning self-efficacy participated more actively in web-based learning, demonstrating stronger analytical skills. alemayehu and chen (2023) further confirmed that self-efficacy positively influences student engagement, reinforcing the idea that confidence in digital skills enhances students’ ability to process complex information critically. derakhshan and fathi (2023) explored the relationship between digital learning efficacy and cognitive engagement among efl students, finding that higher self-efficacy led to increased participation and deeper cognitive processing. hysaj and hamam (2023) examined multicultural students in digital learning environments, revealing that structured online discussions significantly improved their critical thinking skills. their study emphasised that digital learning efficacy enables students to engage more meaningfully in discussions, leading to stronger analytical reasoning. al-shaye (2021) further supported this perspective, demonstrating that digital storytelling enhances critical reading, critical thinking, and self-regulated learning, particularly in language education. despite the potential of digital learning to foster critical thinking, some scholars have raised concerns about its limitations. george et al. (2024) warned that over-reliance on ai-driven decision-making may erode independent cognitive effort, potentially diminishing students’ ability to engage in critical analysis. the pew research centre (2023) also reported concerns about cognitive offloading, suggesting that automation and algorithm-driven learning could contribute to the decline of independent reasoning skills. these studies highlight the need for structured digital learning interventions that prioritise engagement without compromising critical thinking development. although digital learning tools have the potential to foster critical thinking, there is limited research examining how students’ efficacy in using these tools affects their development of such skills. as schools and universities increasingly adopt digital learning platforms, understanding the link between students’ proficiency in digital competence and their capacity for critical thinking is crucial for optimising educational outcomes. the gap in literature regarding the direct link between digital learning efficacy and critical thinking among school students creates a compelling case for the study. this research offers significant unique perspectives into this relationship, supporting as well as expanding upon existing literature in several ways. research objectives and questions this research aims to achieve the following objectives: y to assess the level of critical thinking among students. y to evaluate the level of digital learning efficacy among students. y to examine variations in students’ critical thinking skills across different levels of digital learning efficacy. y this study endeavours to explore the following questions: indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 105 y what is the level of critical thinking among students? y what is the level of digital learning efficacy among students? y how do students’ critical thinking skills differ across varying levels of digital learning efficacy? hypothesis: students’ critical thinking shows no significant difference across different levels of digital learning efficacy. methodology research framework a quantitative research model was adopted to examine the association between digital learning efficacy and critical thinking among students. the study utilised a descriptive survey method, incorporating both descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. data collection was conducted through surveys and standardised tests, ensuring a structured and comprehensive approach to the research. participants the population consists of secondary school students of class x enrolled in private unaided recognised schools affiliated with the central board of secondary education (cbse) in delhi. to ensure a representative sample, a stratified random sampling technique was employed. the list of cbseaffiliated private unaided recognised secondary schools was sourced from the official cbse website (saras portal), which categorises schools of delhi into 11 districts. the data collection process followed a structured approach, beginning with the compilation of a comprehensive list of these schools, followed by district-wise segregation. a random selection method using an ms-excel formula was then employed to choose two schools from each district, resulting in a total of 22 schools, ensuring fair representation. schools were formally approached through email correspondence and follow-ups, with written applications submitted where necessary. approvals were secured through telephonic discussions or in-person meetings with school authorities. in cases where schools declined participation, the process was repeated to select an alternative school through randomisation. once approvals were obtained, students of class x were randomly chosen from each selected school to participate in the study. a total of 440 respondents evenly distributed across schools were included in the final analysis, ensuring a robust and diverse dataset. this systematic selection process enhanced the reliability and validity of the collected data, making it truly representative of the target population. finally, the completed questionnaires were collected from students, concluding the structured data collection process. the student cohort was organised into three groups according to their digital learning efficacy scores: high, medium, and low efficacy. data collection tools digital learning efficacy was assessed using a self-constructed survey tool, where students rated their confidence and competence in utilising digital learning platforms. the digital learning scale comprises 25 items distributed across eight parameters to ensure balanced representation. the parameters include awareness, accessibility, usability, engagement, relevance, satisfaction, long-term impact and challenges. each item in the scale is rated on a five-point likert scale, with response options ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. the scoring weights vary for positive and negative statements to ensure indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 106 accurate response representation, where positive items are scored from 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree) and negative items are scored inversely, from 5 (strongly agree) to 1 (strongly disagree). the total digital learning score for each participant is derived by summing the individual scores across all items, ranging from a minimum of 25 to a maximum of 125. a higher score reflects a more positive experience and higher digital learning efficacy, whereas a lower score indicates lower digital learning efficacy. the face and content validity of the scale was confirmed through consultations with five experts in the field of digital education. reliability was measured using cronbach’s alpha, yielding a high score of 0.86, indicating strong internal consistency and reliability of the survey instrument. the critical thinking scale, designed by hemant lata sharma and priyamvada (2012), served as a tool to measure critical thinking abilities. it is designed to assess the skill of forming conclusions from reasoning (thinking process) and reflecting on the resulting conclusions (thought outcomes), with a focus on both affective and cognitive dimensions. cognitive disposition includes analysis, evaluation, inference and selfregulation. the scale contains 85 items to measure critical thinking. reliability was confirmed with a test-retest score of 0.987 and a split-half reliability of 0.915. validity was established through face and construct validity, reviewed by 20 experts in psychology and educational psychology (shinde, 2023). data analysis to analyse the association between digital learning efficacy and critical thinking, anova was conducted, comparing the mean critical thinking scores across the three levels of digital learning efficacy (high, medium, and low). additionally, tukey’s test, as a post hoc analysis, was utilised to examine specific group distinctions. findings table 1 provides comprehensive descriptive statistics on students’ digital learning efficacy, highlighting their confidence and perceived effectiveness in using digital platforms for education. the mean score of 95.59 indicates that, overall, students have a marked degree of proficiency and self-confidence in digital learning abilities. the median result of 95, closely aligning with the mean, suggests a balanced distribution of efficacy scores, with an equal number of students achieving scores above and below 95. the most frequent score, represented by the mode of 91, indicates that many students feel moderately effective in using digital tools for learning. additionally, the standard deviation of 10.25 reflects moderate variability in digital learning efficacy among the student population. table-1: descriptive statistics for digital learning efficacy among students variable mean median mode standard deviation digital learning 95.59 95 91 10.25 to further analyse the variable, digital learning, which originally has a continuous score ranging up to 125, it is converted into a categorical variable. this transformation is achieved by segmenting the scores based on the mean and standard deviation, following a commonly used statistical method. specifically, scores are grouped into three categories: ‘low’ for scores that are less than one standard deviation below the mean, ‘medium’ for scores lying indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 107 within one standard deviation of the mean, and ‘high’ for scores surpassing one standard deviation above the mean. this approach simplifies analysis, improves comparability, and helps identify distinct patterns and relationships that might be obscured in a purely continuous analysis. research suggests that categorising continuous variables enhances the clarity of findings, making them more meaningful and accessible in educational research. the unesco guidelines for data collection to measure sdg 4.4.2 highlight the importance of robust data categorisation in research to ensure comparability across different educational settings. the document provides strategies for segmenting and classifying educational data to improve its utility for policy-making and analysis. it stresses that organising data into meaningful categories can yield deeper insights into digital literacy and educational trends (unesco institute for statistics, 2022). by transforming digital learning scores into categorical data (refer table 2), this study aims to provide clearer insights into how students’ critical thinking skills differ across varying levels of digital learning efficacy. high efficacy: scores > 105.84 (16 per cent of students) medium efficacy: scores between 85.34 and 105.84 (72 per cent of students) low efficacy: scores < 85.34 (12 per cent of students) table-2: distribution of digital learning efficacy levels among students digital learning efficacy percentage of students high (>105.84) 16% medium (85.34 ≤ scores ≤ 105.84) 72% low (<85.34) 12% total 100% table 3 provides detailed descriptive statistics on students’ critical thinking abilities, which reflect their capacity to engage in higher-order thinking and problem-solving. the average score of 328.40 reflects that students possess a significantly advanced critical thinking aptitude. this implies that most students demonstrate strong cognitive abilities. the median score of 328, being close to the mean, indicates that the distribution of critical thinking scores is balanced, reflecting an equal division of students scoring above and below the threshold. the mode of 340 shows that 340 is the most common score among students, suggesting that a notable portion of students perform well in critical thinking tasks. with a standard deviation of 29.83, there is a moderate spread in critical thinking abilities among students, implying that while many students display similar critical thinking skills, there is some degree of variation. this analysis highlights the overall high performance in critical thinking among the student population, with some variation in individual abilities. table-3: descriptive statistics for critical thinking among students variable mean median mode standard deviation critical thinking 328.40 328 340 29.83 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 108 in table 4, the differences in mean scores across the three groups were examined to determine if there are significant variations in critical thinking skills among students with varying levels of digital learning efficacy. the calculated f-value for critical thinking in relation to digital learning efficacy is 31.47, which is notably higher than the critical value at the 0.01 significance level. this suggests that the differences observed between the groups are statistically significant. since the p-value (p< 0.001) is less than 0.05, it confirms that there is a significant difference in critical thinking skills among students with different levels of digital learning efficacy. consequently, the null hypothesis, which posited that there is no significant difference in critical thinking skills across these groups, is rejected. table 4: anova results comparing critical thinking across digital learning groups source sum of squares df mean square f sig. between groups 48741.50 2 24370.75 31.47 <.001 within groups 338454.40 437 774.50 total 387195.90 439 notes: anova = analysis of variance; df = degrees of freedom; f = f-ratio; sig. = significance level (p-value). to further explore where these differences occur, a post hoc test (tukey’s test) was conducted (refer table 5). the results of this test helped pinpoint which specific groups of students, categorised by their levels of digital learning efficacy, show significant differences in their critical thinking skills. table-5: post hoc test results for critical thinking across digital learning groups (i) digital learning efficacy (j) digital learning efficacy mean difference (i-j) std. error sig. high digital learning efficacy medium digital learning efficacy 22.841* 4.491 .020 low digital learning efficacy 39.029* 6.293 .004 medium digital learning efficacy high digital learning efficacy -22.841* 4.491 .020 low digital learning efficacy 16.187 5.174 .217 low digital learning efficacy high digital learning efficacy -39.029* 6.293 .004 medium digital learning efficacy -16.187 5.174 .217 notes: the mean difference is significant at the 0.05 level for values highlighted with asterisks (*). negative mean differences indicate that the second group (j) had higher scores than the first group (i). std. error = standard error, sig. = significance (p-value). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 109 the mean difference in critical thinking skills between students with high and medium digital learning efficacy is 22.841, with a standard error of 4.491. this difference is statistically significant (p = .020), indicating that students with high digital learning efficacy have significantly better critical thinking skills compared to those with medium efficacy. additionally, the mean difference between students with high and low digital learning efficacy is 39.029, with a standard error of 6.293. this difference is also statistically significant (p = .004), demonstrating that students with high efficacy outperform those with low efficacy in critical thinking. however, the mean difference between students with medium and low digital learning efficacy is 16.187, with a standard error of 5.174, and is not statistically significant (p = .217), suggesting that critical thinking skills do not differ significantly between these two groups. overall, the post hoc test results indicate that students with high digital learning efficacy show significantly stronger critical thinking skills compared to those with medium or low efficacy, while the difference between medium and low efficacy groups is not statistically significant. the results of the study provide strong evidence that digital learning efficacy plays a significant role in shaping students’ critical thinking abilities. students with high digital learning efficacy demonstrated significantly better critical thinking outcomes compared to their peers with medium or low efficacy. these findings highlight the importance of fostering digital learning efficacy as a pathway to improving critical thinking. discussion while previous research has explored the potential of digital learning in fostering critical thinking, this study contributes to literature by examining the specific role of digital learning efficacy. the findings align with existing studies that emphasise the importance of self-efficacy in digital education, reinforcing the idea that students who feel confident in their digital abilities engage more effectively with learning materials and develop stronger critical thinking skills. kuo et al. (2021) and alemayehu and chen (2023) similarly found that students with higher digital learning efficacy exhibit greater engagement and analytical reasoning, supporting the argument that selfefficacy plays a crucial role in shaping learning outcomes. derakhshan and fathi (2023) further confirmed that digital learning efficacy predicts cognitive engagement, indicating that confidence in using digital tools facilitates deeper cognitive processing. the study’s findings also align with research emphasising the role of structured digital interventions in enhancing critical thinking. lionenko and huzar (2023) demonstrated that digital learning tools, when structured effectively, significantly improve problemsolving and analytical reasoning skills. similarly, pedraja-rejas et al. (2024) highlighted that mobile learning applications and immersive digital experiences enhance students’ ability to critically evaluate information. these studies reinforce the conclusion that digital learning efficacy not only facilitates engagement but also enables students to navigate digital resources effectively, leading to stronger critical thinking development. despite these positive findings, the study also acknowledges challenges associated with digital learning. george et al. (2024) cautioned that over-reliance on ai may lead to cognitive offloading, this study suggests that digital learning efficacy acts as a mitigating factor, ensuring that students actively engage in analytical reasoning rather than passively consuming information. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 110 conclusion this study demonstrates that digital learning efficacy significantly impacts students’ critical thinking skills. as digital learning becomes more embedded in education, fostering students’ confidence in using digital platforms is crucial for enhancing critical thinking and other higher-order skills. educators and policymakers should prioritise the development of digital learning efficacy as part of broader educational reforms aimed at improving student outcomes. the findings have important implications for educational practice. educators should focus not only on providing access to digital tools but also on building students’ confidence and competence in using these tools. targeted digital literacy programs, structured online discussions, and personalised support mechanisms can help students develop digital learning efficacy, ultimately enhancing their critical thinking skills. this study also reinforces bandura’s self-efficacy theory in educational contexts, demonstrating that students’ belief in their digital abilities influences both their engagement and higher-order cognitive skills. as digital education continues to evolve, future research should explore strategies to further enhance digital learning efficacy, ensuring that technology serves as a catalyst for enhancing critical thinking skills rather than passive information consumption. references akyüz, h. i̇., & samsa, s. 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(2023). investigating university student engagement in online learning: a case study in efl classroom. indonesian journal of applied linguistics, 12(3), 634-653. https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v12i3.46035 indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 149 research article best foot forward through transformed til paradigm for effective online learning in india: a survey study with higher education students in delhi-ncr nidhi goel1, pranjal gupta2, apoorvi gupta3, vibha gupta4 & anjali gupta5 1department of education-b.el.ed, aditi mahavidyalaya, university of delhi, delhi, india 2independent researcher, new delhi, india 3student pursuing masters in urban management, cept university ahmedabad, india 4department of biotechnology, jaypee institute of information technology, noida, india 5department of vocation, ramanujan college, university of delhi, new delhi, india, email: anjalirgupta@rediffmail.com abstract the outbreak of covid-19 enforced an abrupt and complete nationwide lockdown in india that was justified in its goal of preventing the spread of infection in a highly populous country like ours with poor health infrastructure and limited coping abilities. the best option to continue the disrupted education of millions of students was to transfer the delivery of course content through internet-based platforms. this led both teachers and students of regular indian universities to continue their teaching learning process by rapid conversion of physical classrooms to online classes with both the stakeholders having no previous experience of participating virtually. the main objective of the study is to examine the perspective of students enrolled in higher education institutes, mainly in delhi/ncr on the effectiveness of online learning mode as compared to traditional face to face classes. the study also analyses whether it has been able to transform the mindset of students towards online learning. the research methodology is quantitative by adopting a survey method for gathering data from a pool of respondents by asking a series of questions in a structured manner. by adopting a convenience sampling technique, 210 undergraduate and 39 postgraduate students had been approached to participate in this survey. the findings and conclusion brought out many hurdles faced by the students even in delhi and adjoining regions. knowing e-learning practice is going to play a prominent role in future education and realising an urgent need to redefine contemporary learning pedagogies for effective web-based delivery, this study proposes modification in the customary roles of all three stakeholders, namely, teacher, institute, and learner -til keywords: online learning, student perception, teacher, institute of higher education, learner, covid-19 pandemic indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 150 introduction the covid-19 outbreak that brought the world to a standstill resulted in a complete lockdown of india by midmarch 2020 so as to contain the spread of the pandemic. although no sector remained unaffected by this action of the indian government, the education sector probably was the worst hit, as shutdown on such a short notice halted the learning process. considering the future of millions of students at stake, in no time the academicians at all levels be it at school or at higher education, embraced tech-led learning, i.e. online learning or e-learning. many definitions exist for e-learning, the prominent being, a mode of training enabled electronically and empowered by the use of digital technologies (such as cdroms, internet, dvds, intranet, etc), that is independent of time and place, can be delivered as live (synchronous) or as prerecorded (asynchronous) sessions (fee, 2005; abbad, morris & de nahlik, 2009; algahtani, 2011). there are numerous well-accepted benefits of e-learning such as better accessibility to higher education , cost and time advantage and flexibility for students to pursue education at their pace along with managing official work or home responsibilities (oye et al., 2012; pasha & gorya, 2019). india's higher education encompasses education pursued (a degree/diploma) in any field of science, engineering, arts, commerce, architecture, etc., after completion of 12 years of schooling. therefore, graduation, post-graduation, m. phil, mba, ph.d. as well as certificate, diploma or pg diploma are included under higher education definition. university grants commission (ugc) under the aegis of the ministry of human resource development (mhrd) is the statutory body that is responsible for maintaining education standards in higher education institutions (heis) in the country. as per the all india survey of higher education (aishe) report, absolute enrollment in all heis (993 universities + 39931 colleges) in the period 2018-19 corresponded to 3.73 crore students which were taught by 14.16 lakh faculty (aishe report, 2019). training such a large number of learners is a mammoth task for any hei with its limited campus and resources. therefore, one would have expected that with the advancement in information technology and rapid progress in online learning in the rest of the world, this learning style would be adopted quickly by the indian heis as well. however, in india, the elearning culture is still not popular and higher education is delivered in a traditional face-to-face (f2f) manner. aversion towards online learning could be majorly due to the non-availability of infrastructure rather than reluctance on the part of educators and students to change their existing teaching-learning methodologies. a national sample survey carried out by the ministry of statistics & programme implementation, government of india, for the period of 2017-2018 on 'key indicators of household social consumption on education in india' (key indicators, 2018) revealed the disparity that exists in the proportion of rural and urban households that have access to computers (4.4percent versus 23.4percent) and internet facility (15percent as against 42percent). in fact, only 8percent of the population indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 151 (between the age group 5 and 24) that is in the process of attaining formal education can boast of both a computer and a stable internet connection. another important factor that could be affecting the adoption of e-learning is the students’ self-motivation and their engagement in a faceless environment (nehme, 2010; artino, 2008; keller, 2008). the main objective of this study was to find out the effectiveness of online learning from the learner’s viewpoint, who in lieu of covid-19 were suddenly shifted from traditional to online mode of learning. an additional objective was to assess whether this unexpected experience has transposed the mindset of students towards this mode of learning. if the learners can foresee the value of this pedagogy they might opt for online education, resulting in achieving the gross enrolment ratio from the current 26.3percent (2018) to 50percent by 2035, as targeted in the new education (nep, 2020). research methodology questionnaire /survey development in order to achieve the objective of the study, quantitative research methodology has been adopted using survey method (jackson, 2011) and preparing a questionnaire in a structured form to collect the data from the respondents. an initial questionnaire was prepared based on literature reviews, web resources and newspapers. several iterative rounds of discussions amongst the authors and few students, in relevance to the proposed questions and objectives of the study, led to the development of the final questionnaire (appendix a in supplementary materials). the first section collected general information related to the respondent’s university, course/ program and the place of residence from where they were accessing online classes. the second section included objective type questions to gather their perspective on the effectiveness of online learning, wherein they had to rate the convenience, structure of course content, course delivery and the communication between both parties on a likert scale of 1 to 5 (low to high). out of 21 questions, there were 6 multiple choice questions, 03 questions based on opinion scale, 8 likert scale questions and 4 true/false questions. while framing questions, major focus was given on student’s adaptability for online mode of teaching in theory papers, practicals, extra-curricular activities etc. the survey also aimed at soliciting essential attributes such as the time and discipline required for the online curriculum, satisfaction with the virtual mode of assessment, support during laboratory/practical based courses and extracurricular activities. additionally, a couple of openended questions where the students had to (1) give reasons if dissatisfied with the virtual mode of assessment and (2) specify which course taught online was easy, were also included in the questionnaire. responses to open-ended questions were analyzed qualitatively by sorting through the information and extracting the relevant content. lastly, the participants were asked to state preference out of online, f2f and hybrid modes of learning post covid-19. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 152 distribution of survey and sample size the survey was conducted through google forms and the link was shared with the students of private as well as government educational institutions, majorly located in delhi and national capital region (ncr). an attempt was made to target students pursuing diverse streams for instance humanities, sciences, engineering, education, etc. the target population consisted of undergraduates as well as postgraduates and a total of 249 responses were analyzed. the study employs a non-probability sampling technique as every survey was not picked up randomly. this convenience sampling technique (convenient to the researchers), resulted in snowball sampling as students further forwarded the link of google form to their peers. this pilot-scale study was a costeffective method for reaching students in multiple institutes/universities residing all over india in the shortest span of time. data analysis the proportion of respondents belonging to the undergraduate cadre was much higher than the postgraduates. also, a higher number of responses were elicited from government-funded organizations over private universities. accordingly, for the parameters examining effective online learning, data were analyzed for each of these subgroups independently to detect any significant differences or associations between these dimensions. microsoft office excel (2007) spreadsheet software has been used in organizing and plotting all data. analysis & results respondent characteristics among the 249 responses received for the survey, 85percent of the surveys belonged to the undergraduate cadre with the remaining being postgraduates. total of 69 percent of the total respondents were from government universities and the rest 31 percent were from the private universities (table-1). the heterogeneous responses provide credibility to the survey process. the respondents were residents of different states of india i.e. 90 percent of them were from delhi and neighboring states (59 percent in delhi, 19 percent in up and 13 percent haryana) and only 9 percent of them located in other states of india. table-1: number of respondents from each educational program from government and private colleges program government colleges private colleges undergraduate courses b.com (h) 25 1 b.el.ed 56 0 b.sc.(h) microbiology 19 0 b. a (h) political science 9 0 indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 153 b.tech 6 34 b.voc 37 0 b. a. (hons.) applied psychology 1 0 b. des. fashion communication 0 1 bachelor's of business administration 1 2 b.a (h) english 1 0 b.a (h) economics 1 0 b.sc (h) physics 1 0 fashion and lifestyle business management 0 8 b.a (h) social sciences & humanities 1 0 b.a program 1 0 mbbs 0 1 b.a (h) history 1 0 bachelors in media and communication 0 1 japanese (h) 1 0 b.sc. home science 1 0 postgraduate courses m.sc. microbiology 1 7 m.tech 2 0 mba 0 9 pgdm 0 4 masters in planning 3 1 masters in urban management 0 6 m.sc in management of built environment 0 1 masters in sustainable development 1 0 ma psychology 1 0 m.ed 1 0 masters in early childhood care & education 1 0 *master in economics, data analytics and 0 1 corporate finance 0 1 total 172 77 grand total 249 *being pursued at école polytechnique, france indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 154 (the universities where these respondents are enrolled include colleges of delhi university, ignou, jnu, central university of punjab, guru gobind singh indraprastha university, indraprastha institute of information technology, indraprastha college for women, jaypee institute of information technology, delhi technological university, symbiosis centre for management studies pune, cept university ahmedabad, deenbandhu chhotu ram university of science & technology, asian business school, bennett university, amity university, shiv nadar university, school of planning & architecture delhi, politecnico di milano, bharati vidyapeeth college of engineering delhi, kasturba medical college of manipal, netaji subhas university of technology, institute of management technology ghaziabad and pearl academy delhi) assessing students perception of the effectiveness of online learning fig.-1a depicts the students' opinion on convenience and quality of online learning by putting together their responses on a scale of 1-5 (with 1 scored as lowest and 5 scored as highest). out of 249 surveys, only about 30 percent of the respondents rated convenience, the structure of the content and its delivery above 3. similarly, barring 14 percent of respondents, the rest indicated student participation in online classes to be moderate (28 percent) or low (58percent). in terms of effective intercommunication between the students and the facilitators during online delivery, 26 percent of students were in favour of the classes being interactive. the analysis was also performed by segregating the responses into undergraduate (black bars in fig.-1b) and postgraduate students (grey bars in fig.-1b), indicating that the perception of the postgraduate students towards the effectiveness of online learning was slightly more positive as opposed to their juniors. this outcome could be accredited to the fact that this cadre of respondents is more focused and mature (fig.-1b). fig. 2: students’ perception of the effectiveness of online learning (a) pie representation for percent responses obtained (on likert scale of 1 to 5) for convenience, content structure and delivery, student participation and student-teacher communication. responses were analysed after segregating the undergraduate (ug) and postgraduate (pg) students indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 155 (b) and subsequently separating the participants from government heis and private universities (c) the numerical value on top of each bar corresponds to an explicit percent response and is mentioned for better clarity the researchers also tried to analyse the quality of online teachinglearning processes based on the type of heis. black bars in fig.-1c represent students' responses from government organizations whereas grey bars are responses from students enrolled in private institutes. there is no considerable difference in the effectiveness of an online mode of teaching as perceived by students. one reason could be that 90 percent of the respondents are from delhi-ncr and are techsavvy, having easy access to resources and network connectivity. on comparing the online curriculum to the regular on-campus classes, it was inferred that the majority of students (76 percent) had to put in additional or similar time in absorbing the contents clearly. also, 75 percent of students acknowledged the fact that it required more self-discipline to attend classes online. this falls in with the existing belief that in the absence of f2f interaction with teachers or classmates, successful outcome necessitates online learners to be more selfdisciplined. importance of class environment for learning the sample students have been accustomed to the offline mode of campus learning throughout their lives and hence, not surprisingly, a unanimous consensus (97percent) reiterates the importance of a conventional class environment for learning (highly important-72percent, sometimes important-25 percent & not that important-3 percent). problems in online learning as specified by the respondents anticipating the lack of experience and expertise in using online tools as barriers for the smooth conduct of online classes, the attitude of the surveys to adapt to computer-based technology was assessed by asking if they were open to expanding their skill sets. a positive finding of the study is that 91 percent of the respondents, representing generation z or zoomers, indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 156 are comfortable in learning new skills and have no reticence to technology, however, it appears that most of them find online learning unsatisfactory and miss the classroom, teacher and peer interaction. the survey also asked which mode of learning is preferable post covid-19, to which 46 percent of respondents voted for conventional classroom learning, 45percent pitched for blended mode (combining regular classroom with some online courses) while only 9percent opted for exclusive online education. fig.-2 is a compendium of responses stating the problems encountered by students during online classes. the respondents were provided the option to select multiple parameters from the common list of problems as apparent to the authors, for instance network issue, lack of working equipment such as mobile/laptop, self-discipline, interest and coordination between teachers. a choice was provided to state any additional issues faced by them. the top three obstacles turn out to be network issues (206 tics), coordination problems between teachers resulting in the clashes of classes (145 tics), and lack of interesting content (122 ticks). other problems put across by the respondents (tabulated as an inset in fig.-2) are related to the absence of teacherstudent interaction (especially where only the content has been provided with no ensuing discussion), inadequate planning and communication by authorities, difficulty in reading on mobile phones, background distractions leading to the loss of concentration, and lack of time due to pending household chores. figure-2: main problems faced by the surveys during online classes in fact, some of these cataloged problems reinforce the earlier observation made by 58percent of students wherein online learning is reported as less participative and interactive (fig.-1a). few respondents drew attention to some disciplinespecific problems such as the need for practical exposure in life sciences, medical field, etc. to exclusively quote indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 157 one respondent, "clinical knowledge can't be taught online. it requires a hospital setting with hand-on practice." these drawbacks have not been included in fig.-2 because hands-on experience / practical aspects of the curriculum in online mode have been discussed in a separate section. only 11 respondents out of 249 (~4 percent) did not face any difficulty in online learning. if the quality of education is to remain uncompromised during the ongoing pandemic, some tangible solutions have to be worked out before the commencement of next semester. understanding the obstacles faced by online learners is vital in formulating student-centric policies. assessment is an integral part of a curriculum. on asking the participants (as an open-ended question in the survey), whether they are satisfied with the assessment conducted online, 50percent of the respondents responded affirmatively. for those who portrayed dissatisfaction, common key reasons are summarized in table-2. major apprehension is towards the online exam's inability to differentiate between a righteously submitted answer sheet over a dishonest one, causing disadvantage to students using ethical means. additionally, the suitability of essay type questions for subjects related to humanities or solving of mathematical problems through online assessments has been raised. technical glitches such as poor internet connectivity, unexpected power cuts, equipment failures and the crashing of assessment portals at the very end have made the process tougher. table-2: summary of responses to if not satisfied with the methods of assessment, kindly state the reason for the same s. n. reasons for not being satisfied with the online mode of assessment 1 cheating is easier in an online mcq based test 2 timely submission of timed online exams cannot be guaranteed due to technical problems such as computer/mobile hardware issues at that crucial time, power blackout, 3 student presentations given in a classroom setup have a lot of value as classmates ask questions and the presentation is a two way process but in the virtual mode we prepare a video of the presentation and send it to our respective teachers for their assessment. also first preparing a presentation followed by video recording and then finally uploading is very time consuming (because of large sizes) and feels like a complete waste of time for 5 or 10 marks. 4 assignments that require writing are copied and pasted 5 i am more comfortable in writing regular exams than these online exams because of 6 maths mcq based online exam is either wrong or right but in the regular mode of examination where you have to show the steps for answer, even if concept or some steps are correct and answer is wrong due to silly mistakes, teachers give marks during indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 158 7 students have explored different ways to cheat during viva also 8 no coordination between faculties of different disciplines to limit the number of assignments and quizzes, too many assignments all at the same time from various 9 lacking practice to answer an exam online especially in humanities 10 the non-delhi students are among the most disadvantaged. the outstation students are 11 not able to express our answers with full of satisfaction towards the end, the survey delved into the coverage of the practical component and the justice done towards the extracurricular activities that took place during online classes. 62percent of the respondents agreed that they were unable to pursue their favorite activities. the hands-on laboratory classes were replaced with virtual laboratories especially in the areas of life sciences and vocational subjects. such labs are simulations of real experiments and do not require any infrastructure or equipment, enabling the learners to follow a particular procedure via a web browser at their own convenience. in india, the ministry for human resource development launched vlabs portal (vlabs, 2012), with an aim to provide technical education to those college students with inadequate labfacilities. while teaching online during the covid-19 era, theoretical briefing was accompanied by these simulated experiments wherever possible, however, most of the lab projects were replaced with review work on relevant topics. only 19percent of the survey participants communicated satisfaction for the practical component indicating that hands-on activities are severely affected and need to be worked on for the effectiveness of the course content (fig.-3). figure-3: students response to the effectiveness of practicals conducted online on a scale of 1-5 (5 being the highest level of satisfaction) indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 159 discussion meaningful online education model in india the unforeseen corona pandemic forced every educational institute to shut down and pivot from "brick and mortar" classes to online classrooms to maintain continuity in learning as well as the cognitive and affective development of students. conventional methods of education with projectors, smart boards, whiteboards, etc. were swiftly replaced with the digital communication tools and learning platforms. in fact, surprisingly in a country like india, where higher education has not yet embraced technological innovations, the initial shift from the formal classroom to online classroom did not pose too much of a problem, at least in the capital city. barring the connectivity hiccups and infrastructure unavailability, both students and teachers managed to ease into the online format. but having reached this level is this the right way forward? the intent of the current study was to investigate if exposure to online learning has influenced the mindset of students in delhi-ncr. the study assumed that in a metropolitan city, the internet fluctuations and technical knowhow may not be deterrents, and therefore, students may opt for this pedagogy of e-learning because of flexibility or convenience. this survey, despite being small and restricted to a particular region, provides interesting insights. although unanticipated, it is clear that the biggest hurdles encountered by respondents during the delivery of online classes have been internet connectivity and mobile signal issues. therefore, if this is the situation for the students residing in the capital city of india, then what can be said about net accessibility for those residing in the remote villages of the country. this is probably the reason for india's slow progress in embracing online education and technological advances. however, distance learning is the only logical option available for continuing education for millions in the uncertain pandemic situation we are in today. authors feel that under the lockdown circumstances, when the paramount interest lies in keeping students safe, these concerns can be taken care of with an asynchronous teaching style (algahtani, 2011), involving minimal internet usage for downloading and uploading purposes. further, as per the latest report from the ministry of electronics & information technology (meity), the torchbearer of the digital india programme, there are ~2.9 lakh functional common service centres (cscs) with ict infrastructure resources located at almost all gram panchayats across the country (meity, 2019; 2020). students can make use of these facilities for downloading learning content and uploading assignments, probably free of cost or at a nominal cost. the survey reinforces some commonly held beliefs about virtual learning such as the need of more self-discipline, time and motivation, low level of class participation, communication gap with teachers (fig.-2), lack of practical hands-on-training (fig.-3) as well as extracurricular opportunities and additional factors such as unfair assessments (table 1) and failing to take indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 160 care of socio-emotional needs. indeed all these factors make a 100 percent transition from f2f to virtual format (post covid-19) an unlikely eventuality which is not under deliberation at all. however, for ensuring the continuity, quality, and outreach of the university curriculum, when heis are forced to close down as a result of the covid-19 pandemic, online education is the only option available to all stakeholders. no perfect roadmaps are available, but solutions can be extracted from our ancient education system, well-known for its holistic culture and nurturing students for their potential. taking a cue from this, the government of india has launched liberal national educational policy (nep, 2020). the new framework allows universities to offer online degrees, in addition to traditional and distance learning degrees. recognizing the need and importance of strengthening and expanding access to online education, iit madras has launched the first online degree program in india (iitm, 2020). this is the time to rethink our academic structures for effective e-learning and the authors envisage the collaboration between 3 stakeholders – teacher, institute of higher education, and the learner. to reap the fruits of e-learning, all the contributors need to join hands and take ownership of their extended responsibilities (fig.-4). figure-4: the til handshake for effective e-learning. each collaborator’s characteristics and the explicit role is highlighted with bullet points with this regard, the major challenges of online education appear to be the availability of infrastructure and other support mechanisms, the mindset of all stakeholders, and their affinity for digital technologies, motivation, and engagement of learners, use of innovative pedagogies by teachers for better interactions, etc. the following sections discuss the role of each contributor in the delivery of effective online education. teacher (t)as a facilitator, the teacher indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 161 plays an important role in the adoption, expansion and persuasion of online education. they need to identify and analyse the student’s motivational aspect, include more interactive tools of online instruction and assessment, make screen sharing student friendly, monitor students’ performance at regular intervals and communicate their inputs timely (keller & suzuki, 2004; perrin, 2005). for this, it is important that teachers undergo proper training programs for online content delivery (yengin et al., 2010; judahil et al., 2007). in order to create a sense of engagement some humorous activity can be undertaken and collaborative learning can be established through projects and peer-supported activities. here, it is emphasized that teachers should be accessible, adaptable, flexible and empathetic in their approach towards students. to evaluate academic achievements, formative assessment by teachers should be continuous throughout the course (baleni, 2015; hargreaves, 2005; wiliam et al., 2004). the purpose of assessment must not be to label or rank but to identify areas of strengths and weaknesses. a range of tools such as assignments, quizzes, projects, presentations including peer assessment may be employed for this purpose. the criteria and rubrics for assessment must be pre-determined and shared with students. institution of higher education (i)a vital role needs to be played by heis so that proper implementation and acceptance of online education takes place throughout the country. it needs to ensure the availability of digital infrastructure and invest in creating standardised online education platforms. the requirement of any software in the course should be taken care of by building it as a part of the learning management system. both, the teacher and student need to be comfortable with the technology for the smooth execution of an online program, therefore mandatory training/orientation programs should be arranged to empower them with technical know-how. institutional support should include help desk and counseling services to take care of grievances and issues related to technology and infrastructure access, hosting courseware and discussion forums, library facilities, virtual labs, conduct of online examinations, declaration of results, granting of certifications, etc. one of the important and critical features for effective online learning is assessment (bransford et al., 2000) which should be reliable, credible and vigilant. assessments should be automated and plagiarism software incorporated through various tools. learner (l)learner will provide the final stamp of approval on the successful dissemination of the online learning program. the concept of basic education and hence also of online learning is to focus on the needs of individual learners (marc, 2002). in the online system of education, self-discipline and initiative are expected from the learner to fulfil personal learning goals (wolfe, 2000; draves, 1999). the greatest advantage of e-learning is the flexibility of time (smedley, 2010; hemsley, 2002), that is sought by the learner while pursuing a course. also it provides the learner with the freedom of one’s pace resulting in indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 162 increasing satisfaction and decreasing stress (codone, 2001; algahtani, 2011; klein and ware, 2003). e-learner can harvest these benefits only with proper infrastructure and right degree of technological knowhow, judicious time management, self-discipline, high intrinsic motivational level, overcoming a sense of isolation through discussion forums, chats, messages, and finally accepting the entire demand of the system with an open mindset. conclusion it is anticipated that the number of students in a classroom post covid-19, especially at the initial part of the reopening of the higher institutes, will be low due to the requirement of maintaining physical distance. so, emergency operated remote learning mode will dominate the education sector. teachers will have to be prepared for teaching modules/ sessions in both synchronous and asynchronous styles. apart from live online lectures through zoom/google/ skype and offline content delivery via videotaped classes, online education in india is being conducted through radio and television also. when electricity and network issues are major challenges for virtual learning, these are still the most powerful communication tools available to poor and underprivileged (rajagopalan, 2020). encouragingly, nep 2020 launched on 29 july, 2020 by the ministry of human resource development, government of india, promotes online and digital education. it advocates use of online courses/ modules, digital repositories, tv channels, etc. for expanding open and distance learning as well for increasing ger in higher education. apart from the initiatives from the government, there is a need to fill the present gaps in the role of the three main stakeholders–teachers (t), institutions of higher education (i) and learners (l). the study envisages institution support to both t and l for effective e-learning, which is only at an initial stage in india and has a very long way to go to touch the satisfaction level and to compete globally. the survey carried out reflects that irrespective of hurdles faced by the students, most of them see the hybrid model becoming the future trend. in fact, more targeted surveys will help in understanding different aspects of online education and the need and resources available to learners in our country. if, the proposed features of the three stakeholders can be asserted along with government's supporting policies, the authors believe that e-learning will play a pivotal role in shaping india's future (acknowledgements: special thanks to preshtha gupta for normalizing the responses obtained from the survey. authors are grateful to dr. r.k. gupta (principal, ram lal anand college, delhi university) for his encouragement in conducting this study and for his critical acumen of the manuscript.) indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 163 references abbad, m. m., morris, d., & de nahlik, c. 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(ed.), learning and teaching on the world wide web (pp. 1-22). academic press. yengin i. et al(2010) roles of teachers in e-learning:how to engage students & how to get free e-learning and the future . procedia social and behavioral sciences 2 (2010) 5775–5787 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.03.942 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 278 book review glocal policy and strategies for blockchain: building ecosystems and sustainability gülsün kurubacak (anadolu üniversitesi açıköğretim fakültesi, turkey), ramesh chander sharma (dr. b.r. ambedkar university, delhi, india), and hakan yıldırım (eskişehir osmangazi university, turkey) copyright: © 2023 |pages: 335, doi: 10.4018/978-1-6684-4153-4 isbn13: 9781668441534| isbn10: 1668441535| eisbn13: 9781668441558| isbn13 softcover: 9781668441541 yash paul sharma assistant professor in zoology, department of education, central university of kerala emailyashraina007@gmail.com blockchain is a technology that allows for the secure and transparent recording and sharing of data without the need for a central authority or intermediary. it is essentially a distributed ledger maintained and updated by a network of computers or nodes rather than a single entity. one example of how blockchain technology can be used in education is through the issuance and verification of academic credentials, such as diplomas or degrees. traditionally, these credentials are issued by universities or other educational institutions and are often subject to fraud or misrepresentation. blockchain technology can help to address these issues by providing a secure and tamper-proof way to store and share academic credentials. in a blockchain-based credentialing system, a student’s academic achievements would be recorded and verified on a blockchain ledger rather than on a paper certificate or transcript. the student would have full control over their credentials and would be able to share them with potential employers or other institutions in a secure and verifiable way. for example, the massachusetts institute of technology (mit) has developed a blockchain-based system called blockcerts that allows students to receive and share digital academic credentials. the system is based on the bitcoin blockchain and uses cryptographic keys to ensure the authenticity and integrity of the credentials. by using blockchain technology for credentialing, students can have greater control over their academic records and more easily share their achievements with potential employers or other institutions. it also helps to prevent fraud or misrepresentation, as the credentials are verified and secured through the blockchain ledger. the current book, “glocal policy and strategies for blockchain: building ecosystems and sustainability” under review, focuses on the intersection of blockchain technology and policy, exploring how governments and other organizations can develop effective strategies for integrating blockchain into their operations while addressing the unique challenges posed by the technology. there are eleven chapters which are organised under different sections. the first chapter, “blockchain: a legal indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 279 perspective,” examines the legal perspective of blockchain technology and discusses the opportunities, risks, and challenges associated with its use. it follows a three-pronged approach, discussing legal and regulatory compliance issues, business applications, risks, and their mitigation, as well as the potential for using the technology for the public good. the second chapter, “a blockchainbased tourism industry: how promising can it be?”, discusses that blockchain technology has the potential to transform the tourism industry by improving trust, automating processes, and reducing costs through its characteristics such as decentralization, disintermediation, security, transparency, and immutability. however, the adoption of blockchain in tourism is limited due to several challenges, including a lack of awareness and expertise, high energy consumption, and regulatory frameworks for data management and income taxation. despite these challenges, the potential benefits of blockchain technology make it an essential area to watch in the future for the tourism industry. in the third chapter, “strategic planning and policy framework for implementation of blockchain technology in education in india,” the authors discuss the potential of blockchain technology in various sectors, including education, and the indian government’s initiatives toward its adoption. this chapter highlights the strategic planning and policy framework for implementing the technology in india and provides an overview of its current status and challenges in education. the authors of this chapter aim to showcase the multidimensional use of blockchain and its potential for future growth in india. chapter 4, “investigation of purchasing applications after digital change in industrial markets,” discusses how the demands and needs of consumers in global markets have changed due to cultural interaction and increased use of the internet for online shopping, leading to a rise in the demand for fast delivery and product diversity. the text also mentions how companies have started using online web pages in supplier selection and exploring the purchasing processes in industrial markets and the impact of digital transformation on them. chapter 5, “from black to green: ecofriendly learning with blockchain technology,” discusses the potential use of blockchain technology in education systems and how it can be designed to create environmentally-friendly learning environments. despite concerns about the energy consumption and emissions associated with blockchain, the authors suggest that there is not enough data to support this claim. the chapter outlines a framework for integrating green technologies and blockchain in education and presents suggestions for creating eco-friendly learning environments. the 6th chapter, “blockchain: an exploratory review of applications in marketing,” explores the potential of blockchain technology and its strategic benefits, including the ability to revolutionize existing business models and speed up processes while reducing transaction costs. it emphasizes the importance of business professionals understanding the implications of blockchain technology and integrating it into strategic initiatives. the chapter explains blockchain in the context of business strategies and provides examples of its applications. in chapter 7, “augmenting learner support services with the use of blockchain technology”, the author explores the potential applications of blockchain technology in managing indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 280 internal processes in education, specifically in open and distance learning systems and learner support services in india. it discusses the introduction and recent developments of blockchain, as well as the strategies of the indian government to adopt it, while also addressing the challenges of implementation and the implications of using blockchain technology in education. chapter 8, “get ready for blockchain technology: a probe into its potential for indian schools”, is about how blockchain technology could potentially improve schooling in india by providing enhanced digital accuracy, openness, cost-saving operations, and a constructivist learning paradigm. the author proposes a framework for blockchain implementation (fbi) in school operations to contribute to the effective implementation of the technology. the article is desk research that reviews existing literature and evaluates the potential of blockchain technology in indian schools. chapter 9 looks into the “potential of the internet of things (iot) and blockchain technology in the collaboration and integration of the retail supply chain” and reports that the use of industry 4.0 technologies in supply chain management has become a popular topic due to their ability to enhance efficiency, performance, and sustainability. however, the retail industry is facing challenges related to collaboration and integration, and this study uses a literature review to explore the potential of technologies such as iot and blockchain to address these challenges. the study identifies various characteristics, themes, and potential solutions for collaboration and integration in the retail supply chain and provides recommendations for small and medium-sized enterprises. the authors of chapter 10, “internal audit functions in cyber security governance: turkey’s bank sector case”, discuss the growing concern over cyber-attacks in the banking sector due to the increased use of technology and digital transformation. it emphasizes the need for validation of cybersecurity governance mechanisms to ensure financial transactions occur within acceptable risk levels. the article proposes exploring blockchain technology as a potential solution for implementing continuous audit methods in cybersecurity governance. the last chapter of this book, “the impact of blockchain technology on accounting, auditing, and assurance practices: turkey case”, reviews national and international literature to examine the impact of blockchain technology on accounting, auditing, and assurance practices. the advantages and disadvantages of blockchain technology are evaluated, and it is concluded that blockchain has a significant effect on these practices. to sum up, the book is an excellent resource that focuses on exploring the intersection of blockchain technology and policy. the book covers a range of topics, including the potential applications of blockchain in both the public and private sectors, legal and regulatory compliance issues, business applications and risks, and the potential for using blockchain technology for the public good. the book also examines the impact of blockchain technology on accounting, auditing, and assurance practices. the book aims to provide insights into effective strategies for integrating blockchain technology into organizations while addressing the unique challenges posed by the technology. this book can be a useful resource for policymakers, business leaders, academics, researchers, and anyone interested in understanding the potential impact of blockchain indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 281 technology on various industries and its associated legal and regulatory issues. the book covers a broad range of topics related to blockchain technology, including its applications, challenges, and opportunities in different sectors, making it a valuable resource for individuals seeking to gain a deeper understanding of this emerging technology. additionally, the book’s examination of the impact of blockchain technology on accounting, auditing, and assurance practices could be particularly useful for professionals working in these fields. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 138 research article access and use of diksha for school teachers and students amid covid-19: an assessment of rural rajasthan ratna verma1, debendra nath dash2, and mahima purohit3 1associate professor, iihmr university, prabhu dayal marg, near sanganer airport, jaipur email: ratna@iihmr.edu.in 2assistant director, mahatma gandhi national council of rural education, dohe, moe, goi 3research officer, iihmr university abstract the covid-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented disruptions in education worldwide. with the closure of schools, the entire focus of the education system shifted to digital education. the study assessed the access and use of the online education platform diksha during the pandemic in rural areas of rajasthan. it employed mixed methods research and covered 100 government schoolteachers and 100 students of grades 9-12. the study findings indicate that 96 per cent of teachers learnt to use diksha during a pandemic and used the portal for lesson plans, assessments, question banks, and improving teaching skills. 95 per cent of students used diksha to access digital textbooks and interactive worksheets. education through diksha has bridged the learning gap among rural children during the pandemic. the study also assessed challenges faced by teachers and students related to internet connectivity and interruptions. keywords: covid-19, diksha, online education, teachers, students introduction as enshrined in the indian constitution, under article 21-a, the fundamental right of access to education is of immense importance for a nation’s overall development. education plays a pivotal role in improving knowledge, skills, attitude, personality, and values, thus enabling a person to make informed choices to lead a dignified life. since the launch of the right to education act, india has progressed dramatically in terms of increasing enrollment rates in schools (shah & steinberg, 2019). however, completing school education is still a challenge for many children living in poor and low-income families. the indian education system is one of the largest in the world, with more than 1.55 million schools managed by the state governments (department of school education & literacy, 2021). however, ensuring equal access and quality education for all remains a major challenge, especially in bridging the education gap between the affluent and marginalized sections of society. to promote educational equity and to bridge the education gap, the government of india has introduced several initiatives, including the latest national education policy 2020. the new education policy has emphasized the need to employ technology and digital platforms to improve the education ecosystem in the country at all levels. the policy recognizes the benefits and potential risks of technology and endorsed bridging the digital divide and ensuring equal access to online indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 139 and digital education for all. it calls for pilot studies, the development of digital infrastructures, online teaching platforms and tools, content creation and distribution, and the use of mass media for educational broadcasting to meet diverse learning needs and ensure widespread support. the indian government imposed a lockdown in response to widespread infection with the covid-19 virus. the pandemic adversely impacted all sectors of the country’s economy, with education being the hardest hit (gupta et al., 2020). amid the covid-19 pandemic, when traditional offline education channels became inaccessible due to lockdowns and social distancing, online education platforms became the primary means to deliver education to continue providing learning opportunities to school children. the crisis was a challenge but also provided an opportunity for education providers and duty-bearers to advance their technical knowledge and digital infrastructure. the digital india programme facilitated education in rural, remote areas through online portals, educational channels, digital learning platforms and internet availability. however, there has also been a shift towards online education as a new solution during the pandemic. this shift highlights the significance of assessing the effectiveness of online education platforms such as diksha (digital infrastructure for knowledge sharing), which the government of india introduced in 2017 to support and promote digital learning and education in the country (sharma, 2021). this research focused on assessing the effectiveness in access and use of diksha amidst covid-19 in rural areas of rajasthan. it aims to explore how the diksha platform helped rights holders (children) and duty bearers (teachers) ensure education continuity and bridge the education gap during the pandemic. by analyzing the policies, infrastructure, and challenges related to online education, this study aims to provide valuable insights and recommendations to strengthen the effectiveness of the scope of digital learning via diksha in rural india (swayam, 2022). the study also expanded the scope and opportunities for teachers and parents to use digital learning, reflect on their experiences, and further build prospects of using diksha. the findings can guide interventions and investments to ensure that children and youth in rural india have equitable access to quality education during a crisis such as covid-19. research objectives and questions the major objective of the study is to assess access and use of diksha platform among students and teachers in the government rural schools of rajasthan amidst covid-19 pandemic. the major research questions of the study are: y what is the level of access to and usage of the diksha platform among schoolteachers and students in rural rajasthan during the covid-19 pandemic? y what challenges do teachers and students in rural rajasthan face in accessing and using the diksha platform during the covid-19 lockdown? methodology the methodology employed for the study involves an exploratory research design, combining primary and secondary research methods with both qualitative and quantitative analysis. the sample for this study consisted of 100 teachers and 100 students of grades 9 to 12 from rural areas of the udaipur and jaipur districts of rajasthan who indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 140 have used the diksha online education portals during the covid-19 lockdown. a two-stage random sampling approach was used to determine the sample size. the villages were selected in the first stage based on random sampling procedures, followed by teachers and students in the second using the purposive sampling method. the distribution of respondents is as follows: table-1: sample size district teachers students total sample size udaipur 50 50 100 jaipur 50 50 100 total 100 100 200 table 1 shows that the study was conducted in 30 villages in the jaipur and udaipur districts of rajasthan and covered 40 schools, 20 schools each from the jaipur and udaipur districts in rajasthan. literature review national education policy 2020 the sustainable development goals 2030 were adopted by india in the year 2015 (kannan, 2021). the sdg-4 reflects the global education development agenda’s focus on ensuring inclusion and equal quality education for all by 2030 (kalita & boruah, 2020). the nep 2020 is the 21st century’s first education policy that aims to respond to the various escalating development needs of our nation (ministry of human resource development, 2022) and achieve targets under sdg 4 by 2030 the education policies introduced before nep have mainly addressed concerns related to equity and access to education in their implementation (maseeh, 2023). the nep 2020 was introduced to build a new and improved education structure that is allied with the sustainable development goal 4 (ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all). this gave rise to modern education which is built on indian traditions and value systems (pendor, 2022). in addition, this policy recommends revising all components of the education structure including its governance and regulation. education system amidst covid-19 pandemic in response to the covid-19 pandemicdriven lockdown in india, educational institutions were forced to shutter their physical classrooms, exams, and assessments. this abrupt shift necessitated a rapid adoption of online learning platforms as the primary mode of education delivery (upadhyay & khode, 2018). this transition brought about numerous challenges for both students and educators, particularly in adapting to digital teaching methods (jadhav, bagul, & aswale, 2020). however, it also offered a unique opportunity for resilience and preparedness in the face of future crises. the pandemic underscored the importance of strengthening technological infrastructure in education, as highlighted by jadhav, bagul, and aswale in 2020. the digital india vision emerged as a pivotal strategy to tackle these challenges. the government at both central and state levels, as well as private institutions, played a significant role in promoting indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 141 digital learning. the human resource development department (mhrd) also took proactive steps by launching the ict project, a consolidated platform for online learning resources (shraim & crompton, 2020). this collective effort aimed to ensure uninterrupted education in the midst of the pandemic. digital education schemes and portals digital education and technology are rapidly becoming the future of learning in india. this approach involves using technology and digital devices to enhance education. it offers accessible learning opportunities for students worldwide, as demonstrated during the covid-19 crisis. digital learning tools bridge gaps in traditional classroom instruction and often prove more efficient. studies have shown that students prefer digital platforms for quicker and more efficient access to knowledge, reducing the use of paper. digital technology also enables cost savings, efficient resource utilization, and broadened educational reach. the indian government supports various digital platforms and tools like google classroom, zoom, gotomeeting, and microsoft teams for communication and moocs for higher education and professional development (lai & widmar, 2021). usage of modern ict for teaching and learning in indian higher educational institutions has become paramount. the development that information technology has brought to the field of education cannot be overemphasized. the modern perspective of e-learning is becoming more diverse as it is being influenced by many factors. sun et al. (2008) categorized these factors into six dimensions: student, teacher, course, technology, system design, and environmental dimensions. though user satisfaction is one of the salient factors in determining the success of a system, students are more concerned about the quality of course content in terms of e-learning systems (adebayo, saini, & singh, 2021). digital education initiatives of the ministry of education the ministry of education, formerly known as the ministry of human resource development (mhrd), has spearheaded numerous digital education initiatives to revolutionize learning in india. among these initiatives are swayam (panda, et al., 2019), providing free online courses with interactive assessments; the national digital library, offering an extensive repository of educational resources; and diksha, an integrated platform providing e-learning resources and teaching aids to teachers, students, and parents (diksha, 2022). these initiatives have bridged the digital divide, expanded access to quality education, and empowered learners with diverse knowledge sources, ultimately transforming the landscape of education in india (kumar & selva ganesh, 2022). results the study examined responses from rural jaipur and udaipur districts to evaluate the access and usage of the diksha portal. graph-1: awareness on use of diksha graph 1 evealed that a significant majority of teachers (96 per cent) and students (95 per cent) in rural areas are aware of the portal. however, a small indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 142 percentage (over 4 per cent of students and 5 per cent of teachers) remain unaware of its existence and usage in education. this suggests a growing awareness of digital education in india among rural teachers and students. diksha is an online platform offering a wide array of courses, spanning from high school to higher education and skill sector courses. the effectiveness of the portal hinges on increasing awareness among potential users and recognizing its potential for fostering lifelong learning skills. government circulars, orders, and teacher training on diksha contributed to raising awareness, especially during the covid-19 lockdown when online education gained significant attention nationwide. graph-2: source of access to diksha graph no 2, depicts the responses of the study participants regarding the different sources utilized by the students and teachers to access the diksha portal. the study has shown that the majority of the teachers i.e., 86 per cent, have used mobile-based apps as their source of access, and the remaining 14 per cent of the teachers shared official websites and link diksha as their source of access to the portal. among students, the primary source for accessing the portal was the official website of the online platform, accounting for 77 per cent, while 23 per cent used the mobile app. in contrast, teachers had a higher usage rate of the portal, with many using the official mobile app, which was readily available to them. the covid-19 pandemic compelled students to switch to online platforms like diksha for their education when schools and colleges were closed. this sudden shift created challenges for students who were not accustomed to these digital learning platforms. graph-3: percentage of respondents registered on diksha as per the data indicated in graph 3, it can be clearly observed that 72 per cent of students have registered for courses on the central education ministry’s diksha portal, while 28 per cent have not. this increasing student registration suggests a growing interest in online education in india. in comparison, teacher registration on the portal shows a slightly higher trend, with 87 per cent of teachers indicating they have registered for courses. this implies that teachers have actively engaged with the portal, likely using it for course creation and delivery. however, 13 per cent of rural teachers in the study have yet to register. the rising trend in registration among both teachers and students in rural areas signifies increased access to curriculum-aligned content on the platform. as registered users of diksha, these individuals have greater access to varied educational materials, contributing to the education of marginalized children and enhancing their learning outcomes through digital initiatives. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 143 graph-4: reasons for using the portal the data in the graph 4 suggests that the most common reasons for using these portals are self-assessment with 97 per cent of students, question bank and exam preparations by 99 per cent of students, practice and homework by 99 per cent of students, and teacher lesson planning rather than direct student engagement in the learning process. moreover, teacher-developed resources on diksha have been highly effective, benefiting 96 per cent of students in their lesson learning. overall, diksha has proven to be a valuable tool, providing quality educational resources and aiding the academic progress of rural students. knowledge and skill building with 98 per cent of students, respectively. these findings underscore the platform’s significant impact in enhancing academic performance and preventing dropouts during school closures. chart-1: teaching learning material used by students chart 1 reveals that digital textbooks and interactive worksheets are the most favored learning materials among students, with 95 per cent and 98 per cent utilization rates, respectively. digital textbooks are appreciated for their convenience, accessibility, and costeffectiveness, providing a wide array of educational resources. interactive worksheets, on the other hand, enhance engagement and active learning. in contrast, tv guides are utilized by only 7 per cent of respondents, potentially due to limited tv programming access or alternative preferences, while lesson plans find use among a mere 3 per cent of students, indicating their primary role in teacher lesson planning rather than direct student engagement in the learning process. graph-5: major challenges being faced by teachers and students graph 5 illustrates the challenges encountered by teachers and students when using online portals like swayam/ diksha in rural areas. the primary challenge, faced by 52 per cent of both teachers and students, is internet speed and interruptions, mainly due to inadequate internet infrastructure in rural areas. additionally, many students lack access to digital devices, exacerbating the digital divide, particularly evident during the pandemic. the second challenge, lack of technical skills, is reported by 19 per cent of teachers and only 3 per cent of students, suggesting a need for teacher training and support. the third challenge, lack of available resources, affects 41 per cent of students but none of the teachers and is related to the scarcity of devices like computers or smartphones in rural areas. addressing indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 144 these challenges is crucial for making online education accessible in rural regions, requiring improvements in infrastructure, connectivity, training, and resource provision. while online education platforms like diksha and swayam have shown positive outcomes during the pandemic, efforts to promote digital education and raise awareness in rural areas must continue, considering the challenges faced by some teachers and students. discussion overall, the study assessed the access and use of an online education platform, diksha, in the context of rural areas amid the covid-19 pandemic, and it emerged from the study very strongly that the use of diksha played a crucial role in ensuring education and continued learning for teachers and students in rural areas of the country. the education department provided detailed guidelines and facilitated the use of diksha during covid-19, generating widespread awareness among students and teachers. however, some teachers and students are still unaware of these platforms, highlighting the need for continued efforts to promote digital education and raise awareness in rural areas. the study also shows that most teachers and students have faced challenges in using online portals, with internet speed/interruption in the internet being the primary challenge. other challenges include limited technical skills and available resources such as digital devices. these challenges underline the need for improvements in digital infrastructure, connectivity, and training to ensure that online education platforms can provide maximum benefit to students and teachers in rural areas. conclusion the constitution of india has given fundamental rights to education, which is guaranteed under article 21-a. in india, education has a crucial role in the expansion and development of the entire society, particularly in the ramifications for the economic, social, and technological underpinnings of society. the indian government has launched a number of initiatives, including diksha as digital infrastructure, to reduce the gap in education and bring educational parity. the nep 2020 strongly emphasizes the value of enhancing education via the use of technology and digital platforms. in reaction to widespread covid-19 infection, the indian government instituted a lockdown. the pandemic adversely affected all areas of the country’s economy, but the education sector was the hardest devastated. this study examined the effectiveness and use of diksha during covid-19 in rural areas. the study broadened the range of options for educators and students to use digital learning, think back on their knowledge, and further develop diksha usage prospects in the country’s marginalized areas. the findings of the study provided valuable insights into diksha usage patterns and preferences of teachers and students in rural areas regarding online education portals. the data indicates that teachers exhibit higher engagement with the diksha portal, utilizing it for various purposes such as course registration, resource creation, and peer collaboration. this study highlighted the effectiveness of platforms like diksha in supporting teacher professional development and enhancing classroom instruction. for students, the online portals have proven to be instrumental in accessing assessment aids, question banks, exam preparation materials, and in-class resources, which substantially contributed to their academic performance and knowledge acquisition. the diksha platform has indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 145 bridged the learning gap through a broader educational landscape available online during the covid-19 pandemic. however, the study also identifies challenges faced by teachers and students, particularly related to internet connectivity and interruptions. these obstacles need to be addressed to ensure equitable access to online education in rural areas. recommendations improving internet infrastructure: to strengthen the digital learning environment for children in rural areas, collaborative efforts are required among educational institutions, government agencies, telecommunication companies and civil society organizations. investments in digital education infrastructure need to be enhanced, such as expanding network coverage and improving bandwidth, to reduce internet-related challenges and ensure accessibility of learning facilities to all at all times. digital literacy training: comprehensive training and capacity-building programs should be designed and implemented to enhance the digital literacy skills of both teachers and students. these programs should focus on familiarizing them with online portals, optimizing their usage, and effectively integrating digital resources into the teaching and learning process. continuous evaluation and improvement: regular monitoring and evaluation of utilization of the diksha portal should be conducted regularly by including feedback from users, particularly teachers and students. this should be actively sought and considered for making necessary updates and improvements to the portal for education purposes. partnerships and collaboration: strengthening partnerships between educational institutions, government bodies, and ed-tech companies can promote developing and delivering high-quality online education resources/ services. collaborative efforts can help in leveraging expertise, sharing best practices, and ensuring that online portals cater to the specific needs of rural areas. awareness campaigns: launching awareness campaigns at the grassroots level is crucial to inform teachers, students, and parents about the benefits of online education portals. these campaigns should highlight the potential of these platforms in improving learning outcomes and guide how to access and utilize them effectively. by implementing the recommendations based on the study, the existing challenges can be addressed, and this will further unlock the full potential of online education platforms in rural areas during the crisis and school closures. empowering teachers and students with reliable connectivity, digital literacy skills, and access to highquality resources will contribute to an inclusive and equitable education system. (acknowledgement: the authors acknowledge the financial support of mahatma gandhi national council of rural education, department of higher education, ministry of education, goi) references adebayo, s. o., saini, m., & singh, j. (2021). indian government e-learning initiatives in response to covid-19 crisis: a case study on online learning in indian higher education system. education and information technologies, 26(6), 7569–7607. https://doi. org/10.1007/s10639-021-10585-1 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 146 ambadkar, r. s. (2020). e-learning through swayam moocs-awareness and motivation among commerce students.  international journal of scientific and technology research, 9(2), 3529-3538. diksha. gov.in (2022). diksha portal. online. available at: https://diksha.gov.in/ [acccessed on: 02-10-22] gupta, m., abdelmaksoud, a., jafferany, m., lotti, t., sadoughifar, r., & goldust, m. (2020). covid-19 and economy. dermatologic therapy, 33(4), e13329. https://doi.org/10.1111/ dth.13329 jadhav, v. r., bagul, t. d., & aswale, s. r. (2020). covid-19-19-19 era: students’ role to look at problems in education system during lockdown issues in maharashtra, india. international journal of research and review. kalita, s. and boruah, a.s., national education policy (2020) with special reference to higher education system in india: an analysis of the perspectives of teachers kannan, v. (2021). national education policy (nep) 2020 and scsvmv. csi transactions on ict, 9(1), 11-15.) kumar, r., & selva ganesh, r. (2022). dealing with online and blended education in india. decision, 1-7. lai, j., & widmar, n. o. (2021). revisiting the digital divide in the covid-19-19‐19 era. applied economic perspectives and policy, 43(1), 458-464. maseeh, m. (2023). innovations and new reforms in teacher education: adapting to vision of national education policy (nep) 2020. vidya: a journal of gujarat university, 2(2), 262-266. ministry of human resource development (2022). national education policy 2020. online. available at: https://www.education.gov.in/en/nep-new [acccessed on: 02-10-22] ministry of human resource development (2022). national education policy 2020. online. available at: https://www.education.gov.in/en/nep-new [acccessed on: 02-10-22] panda, s. p., mahapatra, r. k., & saibabu, k. (2019). a study of webs of active learning for young aspiring minds (swayam)-a mooc platform of india. kiit journal of library and information management, 6(1), 1-14. pendor, s. m. (2022). nep 2020 use of technology in education.  sumedha journal of management, 11(3), 75-79. shah, m., & steinberg, b. (2019, may). the right to education act: trends in enrollment, test scores, and school quality. in aea papers and proceedings (vol. 109, pp. 232-38) sharma, a. (2021). guide for diksha implementation in schools  (no. 50). ict india working paper. shraim, k., & crompton, h. (2020). the use of technology to continue learning in palestine disrupted with covid-19-19-19. singh, m., adebayo, s. o., saini, m., & singh, j. (2021). indian government e-learning initiatives in response to covid-19-19-19 crisis: a case study on online learning in indian higher education system. education and information technologies, 26(6), 7569-7607. sun, p.-c., tsai, r. j., finger, g., chen, y.-y., & yeh, d. (2008). what drives a successful e-learning? an empirical investigation of the critical factors influencing learner satisfaction. computers & education, 50(4), 1183–1202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. compedu.2006.11.007 swayam. gov.in (2022). diksha portal. online. available at: https://swayam.gov.in/ [acccessed on: 02-10-22] indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 147 department of school education & literacy (2021). ministry of education. online. available at: https://dsel.education.gov.in/rte [acccessed on: 02-10-22] upadhyay, s., & khode, s. swayam: an overview of new online learning opportunity. impact of research on society: evolving perspectives. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 230 research article efficacy of digital self learning material (slm) on blogging developed for teacher educators and student teachers 1urvashi sachdeva & 2jasim ahmad 1research scholar, department of teacher training and non-formal education (iase), faculty of education, jamia millia islamia, new delhi, india, email: urvashisachdeva26@gmail.com 2professor, department of teacher training and non-formal education (iase), faculty of education, jamia millia islamia, new delhi, india abstract blogging is one of the modern information and communication technologies (icts) which is establishing its role as an important pedagogical tool. if blogging has to be used for the said purpose, one should know the ‘how-to-do-it’. a digital self learning material (slm) on blogging has been developed by the researchers which was shared with the purposely selected teacher educators and student teachers as an intervention. a single group pretest posttest design was used for this study. mean, standard deviation and t values were computed for the statistical analyses of pretest and posttest scores. means of posttest scores for teacher educators (m= 19.267) as well student teachers (m=14.970) were observed to be almost double of the means of pretest scores (m=8.600 for teacher educators; m= 8.000 for student teachers). computed t values (-11.674 for teachers educators and -11.092 for student teachers) were found to be much higher that the critical t values at 95 percent and 99 percent confidence levels. a significant difference between the means of pretest and posttest scores of the sample proved the efficacy of the digital slm developed by the researchers. keywords: ict, digital self learning material, blogging, teacher educators, student teachers introduction history has never witnessed mankind's connections as much as today. these endless connections could have been made possible only because of the electronic infrastructure called information and communication technologies. human lives have transformed personally and professionally due to these icts. blogging, which stands for the practice of writing a blog, is one of booming icts which has a global impact. weblogs, or simply blogs, have seen considerable growth lately on the internet. blogs can be considered as an online digital diary which is used for recording of one’s thoughts (ray and hocutt 2006). blogging is characterized by documenting ideas through frequent online posts. it gives ample opportunities for self-expression, sharing, collaboration, cognitive as well as professional development. in addition to text, blogs can also have indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 231 graphics, images, audio as well as video content. there is a growing body of literature on using blogs as an effective pedagogical tool (churchill 2009; stiler and philleo 2003). using blogs, podcasts, wikis have enabled students to showcase their creativity with the help of technology (mapuva, stoltenkamp, & muyengwa, 2010). using blogs for teaching and learning a.k.a. educational blogging is not a new phenomenon but in india, it is still in its infancy stage. to start using a new technology, one should have the knowledge of that technology. with this aim in mind, researchers of this study have created a digital self learning material (slm) on blogging which gives learners theoretical as well as practical knowledge of blogging. literature review the concept of blogging is not new. this technology took birth in the 1990s but it progressed slowly especially in india. when the talk is about the role of blogging in pedagogical practices, it is yet to blossom here. some international studies which highlight the usefulness of blogging for teachers and students have been mentioned below. blogging will take time to establish its role in indian education context. researchers of this study intend to contribute to this direction. sevilay cirak kurt and ibrahim yildirim (2021) in their research study explored the role of blogging on the reflective thinking and selfefficacy of pre-service teachers and in addition to confirming the positive role of blogging on the aforesaid variables, it was also pointed out by the respondents that blogging contributed to their personal and professional development as well. the study by katia ciampa and tiffany l. gallagher (2015) revealed that the use of blogs to promote collective inquiry by teachers has both advantages and challenges. the blog was seen by the participants in this study as a platform to promote the exchange of information, teaching methods, and appraisal practices, as well as networking between colleagues. teachers who were reserved, introverted, and reflective were more likely to benefit from blogs. participants faced some challenges too. these included low amounts of perceived utility and perceived ease of use, lack or inadequate amount of inservice teacher training on the use of the blog, time constraints, technological problems, etc. the use of blogs as a reflective platform in the training processes of english as a foreign language (efl) student teachers from taiwan was explored by shih-hsien yang (2009). these student teachers were learning english as a requirement for their future employment. they used blogs to critically reflect on their learning processes and for their professional growth. the noteworthiness of blogging in preservice teachers' professional learning was also found by keith turvey and mike hayler (2017) in their study. they found this practice significant in two ways firstly, through its potential for collaboration and secondly, through its compatibility with a narrative conception of professional learning. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 232 hashem a. alsamadani (2018) investigated the effectiveness of online blogging for students' individual and group writing skills. this study highlighted the role of blogging in revolutionizing efl pedagogy. this study also recommended that blogging should be made a part of writing classes and school curriculum. similarly, jasminka kochoska and josif petrovski (2017) investigated the importance of classroom blogs and their role in strengthening the connections between home, school and the world. serhiy boltivets, soumen acharya and agnes santos (2018) in their paper discussed how blogging in an educational setting produces several benefits and they explored the disadvantages of blogging too in this setting. in the chapter 2.1 blogging of the book titled ‘the k-12 educational technology handbook’, poth, fernando, okoye and karlin (2020) have identified the skills required to start and maintain a blog, mentioned the characteristics of good posts, explored the dangers and have suggested guidelines for safe blog use and finally they have highlighted the benefits of blogging with students. digging deep into the literature on the effectiveness of self learning materials on learning and achievement, researchers observed that numerous studies in different fields or subject areas have been done in india as well as abroad that prove the effectiveness of slms consistently. a majority of them highlighted the convenience and freedom these slms offer to learners. research question from the studies above, it has been concluded that blogging can be used as a great pedagogical tool if the stakeholders of education viz. teachers and students are made competent in this technology. for this said purpose, the researchers have made an attempt to enlighten teacher educators and student teachers on blogging through the creation of digital self learning material. though there is a lot of technical content available on blogs and blogging on the internet, still there was a need for customized content specifically developed and having demonstrations from the own subject area of teachers educators and student teachers. the research question that guided this study was that – is there any significant difference in participant’s theoretical and practical knowledge of blogging after going through the digital slm? objectives of the study objectives of this research study were: 1. to develop digital self learning material (text module) for enlightening about the theoretical background of blogging. 2. to develop digital self learning material (video module) for demonstrating the ‘how-to’ of blogging through google blogger. 3. to check the efficacy of developed digital slm through single group pretest posttest design. methodology research design the present study used a single group indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 233 pretest posttest design. a digital self learning material (slm) on blogging has been developed by the researcher as an intervention. figure-1: experiment design population teachers educators and student teachers of delhi ncr constituted the population for this study. sample sample consisted of 17 teacher educators and 52 student teachers (b.ed. students) from a teacher education institute in delhi ncr. sampling technique used purposive sampling was used by the researchers to gather data. as blogging is a web 2.0 tool, the sample to be selected must have knowledge of web 1.0. that was the reason for selecting the sample through purposive sampling. research instruments • digital self learning material: this consisted of a text module and two linked videos on blogging as a pedagogical tool. meaning & history of blog and blogging, types of a blog, structure and different components of a blog, why should teachers blog? – these all were covered in the text module and part 1 of video whereas part 2 of video demonstrated deeply how to create a blog, write a post, change the theme and layout of a blog and ultimately how to publish a post. this was demonstrated using ‘blogger’ from google. selection of google’s blogger for demonstration was finalized by researchers in another research study undertaken specifically to find the best representative application/ software/ service for the purpose. • pretest and posttest: these were constructed using google forms. both the tests have 20 equivalent multiple choice questions (maximum marks = 22) based on the theoretical and practical aspects of blog and blogging using blogger from google. validity of the tests was established by experts and reliability of the tests was established by test-retest method. procedure the duration of this study was three weeks. one week before the intervention, participants underwent a pretest. as a part of intervention, a text module having links to the videos on blogging was given to the participants. they were asked to try their hands-on blogging as demonstrated in the videos. at the end of the intervention i.e. after 2 weeks, participants were given the posttest. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 234 data analysis pretest in the form of google form was shared with the selected participants (17 teacher educators and 52 student teachers) one week before the intervention and all of them responded. but in the posttest, response rate was lesser. as a result, only the scores of those participants were considered who responded both to pretest as well as posttest (15 teacher educators and 33 student teachers). the same has been presented in table 1 in the coming pages. figure-2 shows the pretest and posttest means for the group of participants (n=48) and more than double the increase is clearly visible in the posttest mean. in this case, the sample group was taken together as a whole. figure-2: group pretest and posttest scores figure-3 represents the pretest and posttest means for the teacher educators (n=15). the pretest mean for teacher educators was 8.600 which increased to 19.267 in the posttest. this proves the efficacy of the intervention i.e. digital self learning material on blogging. figure-3: teacher educators’ pretest and posttest scores indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 235 figure-4 shows the pretest and posttest means for the student teachers (n=33). the huge difference between the pretest mean (8.000) and posttest mean (14.970) point towards the sound quality of intervention. figure-4: student teachers’ pretest and posttest scores figure-5 represents the compiled mean scores of the group, teachers educators and student teachers. increase in mean posttest scores is clearly visible in all the three cases. figure-5: compiled pretest and posttest scores pretest and posttest mean scores and their standard deviations for the group, teacher educators and student teachers are presented in table-1. t values are computed for each and compared with the critical t values at 95 percent and 99 percent confidence levels. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 236 sample n pretest posttest df t value critical t value (at 95% confidence level) critical t value (at 99% confidence level) m sd m sd group 48 7.85 2.82 16.04 3.72 47 -14.899 +/2.011 +/2.684 teacher educators 15 8.60 2.52 19.26 1.98 14 -11.674 +/2.145 +/2.977 student teachers 33 8.00 2.79 14.96 3.48 32 -11.092 +/2.037 +/2.738 n= number; m= mean; sd = standard deviation; df = degrees of freedom findings the researchers have developed a digital self learning material on blogging and it was shared with a sample as an intervention. the efficacy of this digital slm is evaluated by the difference in the mean scores of pretest and posttest. paired t test was applied to check the significance of difference of these means. only the scores of those participants were considered who gave both pretest as well as posttest. data presented in table-1 shows a clear and around double the increase in the mean scores of posttest over pretest in all the three cases of sample i.e. group, teacher educators and student teachers. this difference in means can be credited to the efficacy of the self learning material on blogging developed by the researcher. in the first case when the entire sample was taken as a group (n=48), t value was calculated as -14.899 at df=47 using spss. the computed t value was found much higher than the corresponding critical t values at both 95 percent (t value = +/2.011) and 99 percent (t value = +/2.684) confidence levels. this means that the difference in the means of pretest and posttest is significant and the digital slm on blogging is effective. when only teacher educators (n=15) were taken as sample in the second case, t value was calculated as -11.674 at df=14 using spss. again the trend was the same and the computed t value was found much higher than the corresponding critical t values at both 95 percent (t value = +/2.145) and 99 percent (t value = +/2.977) confidence levels. this is considered as a significant difference and the efficacy of digital slm on blogging is proved. in third scenario, when only student teachers (n=33) were taken as sample, again the similar pattern was observed and the computed t value (-11.0920 was found much higher than the corresponding critical t values at both 95 percent (t value = +/2.037) and 99 percent (t value = +/2.738) confidence levels. this difference is considered significant statistically and the efficacy of digital slm on blogging as an intervention is proved. discussion of the findings as the computed t value was found higher than the critical t value in all indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 237 the three cases of sample studied, this shows that the digital self learning material (consisting of a text module and two demonstration videos) developed by the researchers is successful in achieving the objectives for which this was made. after going through this slm, participants could create a blog on their own and they shared their blog address in the posttest as well. this digital slm is effective in equipping the sample with blogging skills. implications of the study the internet has been the source of information for ages now. each one of us has taken so much from it. the time has come when we should think of contributing back to the internet. this is possible through content creation. blogging is one of the booming technologies which can help in that. not only this, blogging also connects teachers and students virtually. for this study, the researchers have created a digital self learning material on blogging. the effectiveness of the slm was confirmed by teacher educators and student teachers who participated in the study. this slm can be used by one and all to learn the skill of blogging. as this is a slm, one can learn as per his or her own convenience and time. happy blogging!!! references alsamadani, h. a. (2018). the effectiveness of using online blogging for students' individual and group writing. international education studies, 11(1), 44-51. boltivets, s., acharya, s., & santos, a. (2018). educational blogging: implications, benefits and challenges to pedagogical practice. psychreg journal of psychology, 2(2), 105-114. churchill, d. (2009). educational applications of web 2.0: using blogs to support teaching and learning. british journal of educational technology, 40(1), 179-183. ciampa, k., & gallagher, t. l. (2015). blogging to enhance in-service teachers’ professional learning and development during collaborative inquiry. educational technology research and development, 63(6), 883-913. cirak kurt, s., & yildirim, i. (2021). the effects of blogging on pre-service teachers’ reflective thinking and self-efficacy. reflective practice, 22(2), 233–249. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623943.2021.1879772. kochoska, j., & petrovski, j. (2017). blogging in the 21st-century classroom. international journal of science and research (ijsr), 6(1), 861-864. mapuva, j., stoltenkamp, j. & muyengwa, l. (2010). blogs, wikis, podcasts: harnessing technology for enhanced learning achievement through powerful web tools. international journal of instructional technology and distance learning, 7(12), 1–17. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 238 poth, r. d., fernando, a., okoye, r., & karlin, m. (2020). blogging. the k-12 educational technology handbook. ray, b. b., & hocutt, m. m. (2006). teacher-created, teacher-centered weblogs: perceptions and practices. journal of computing in teacher education, 23(1), 11-18. stiler, g. m., & philleo, t. (2003). blogging and blogspots: an alternative format for encouraging reflective practice among preservice teachers. education, 123(4), 789 -798. turvey, k., & hayler, m. (2017). collaboration and personalisation in teacher education; the case of blogging. teaching and teacher education, 68, 42-52. yang, s. -h. (2009). using blogs to enhance critical reflection and community of practice. educational technology & society, 12(2), 11–21. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 408 general article revolutionizing open schooling: a nep-2020 perspective on ict integration rajiv kumar singh director (academic), national institute of open schooling, noida, up email: diracad@nios.ac.in abstract information and communication technology (ict) is an integral aspect of daily life across the globe. ict tools, such as computers, the internet, and mobile devices, have revolutionised the education landscape by providing unrestricted access to educational resources. the recent developments in ict and the emergence of disruptive technologies have supported the accessibility, equity, and quality of education. this article delves into the need of integrating ict in open and distance learning (odl), highlighting its ability to bridge geographical barriers, offer diverse learning opportunities, and enhance the quality of education. the article focuses on the ict initiatives undertaken by the national institute of open schooling (nios), a pioneer organisation of open schooling in india. nios is the world’s largest open schooling system which benefitted about 4.08 million learners in the last five years (nios, 2021-22). nios has embraced various platforms like diksha, pmevidya, swayam, and web radio to expand access to teaching-learning resources, ensuring an engaging and personalized learning environment. qr code integration in self learning materials (slms) and the deep library access further enrich the learning experience. this article underscores the pivotal role of ict in shaping the future of education in the perspective of nep-2020. keywords: nep-2020, ict, open and distance learning (odl), open schooling, school, education introduction information and communication technology (ict) has become an inseparable part of daily lives worldwide. it is shaping the way people communicate, work, and learn. ict refers to the variety of tools and resources based on technology which are ‘used to transmit, store, create, share or exchange information’ (unesco, 2009). the computers, internet, television, radio are the ict tools to share resources viz. text, graphics, videos, audios, podcasts, animations, live and recorded broadcast/telecast etc.  in the context of education, ict practices have a transformative impact. over the years, ict played an important role in transforming the access and delivery of education. it is not just about formal education; both informal and non-formal education have been equally or more influenced by ict. in particular, open and distance education institutions, both in developed and developing nations, have promptly recognized the possibilities of ict (rahman, 2014). thus, ict is increasingly considered as a means to improve the quality of odl (kadada & tshabalala, 2019). in the odl system, learners often face the challenge of being geographically separated from the indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 409 conventional educational institution. in such a scenario, it is difficult for learners to interact with tutors, fellow learners, and access study materials (arinto, 2016) at distance mode. despite geographical barriers, various ict tools like computers, mobile phones, social media, radio, and television hold immense potential to connect learners with facilitators and content (vasudevaiah, 2016). studies such as the one on mozambique’s open schooling project using aptus devices (cossa, nakala, & cherinda, 2021) demonstrate the promise of ict in expanding access to learning materials offline. however, successful implementation requires ongoing technology updates, compatible devices, increased user capacity, and broader content coverage (cossa, nakala, & cherinda, 2021). this aligns with rahman and yeasmin’s (2019) research on india’s national institute of open schooling (nios), which highlights their use of ict (wi-fi, smartboards) for courses and exams, online/tv broadcasts, and virtual learning for students. nios is even expanding its ict infrastructure to meet the growing demand for ondemand examinations. while das (2019) emphasizes the potential of ict in education, particularly its ability to transcend borders and provide access to top educators, he also acknowledge challenges like resource limitations, lack of trained personnel, and infrastructure issues. however, das (2019) also proposed solutions like raising awareness, community involvement, and infrastructure development, which offer a roadmap for overcoming these barriers. by integrating ict into the open schooling system with these considerations in mind, learning gap could be bridged. this aligns with india’s existing policy initiatives for ict integration in school education. the national policy on ict (2012) aimed to utilise ict in school education to enhance access, quality, and equity in education. it emphasises the need for digitising educational resources to make them widely available and extensively used. in 2015, the ‘digital india’ program was launched by the ministry of electronics & information technology, government of india. it focused on transforming the country into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. it covered initiatives related to infrastructure, governance, and services, utilising technology to bring about positive change in the country. additionally, the ‘samagra shiksha’ (2018), a flagship program on education also emphasises the use of ict for access to quality education, aligning with the motto “sabko shiksha achhi shiksha” (moe, 2021). ict@school scheme is being implemented under samagra shiksha to support digital infrastructure and pedagogy in school education. finally, the national education policy (nep, 2020) can be seen as a torch bearer to recognise the significant role of ict in shaping the future of education. nep (2020) recommended that all states and reputable institutions like ncert, cbse, and nios should develop teaching-learning resources in various regional languages. it will ensure the accessibility of quality educational resources to the learners. the developed resources should be uploaded on the diksha (digital infrastructure for knowledge sharing) platform which fosters learning and eliminates language barriers. moreover, nep (2020) advocated that the platforms of diksha and swayam (study webs of active-learning for young aspiring minds) shall be integrated to enrich the learning experience for school students by providing user-friendly and quality resources. the policy further recognised the concern of digital divide. hence, it supported the use of existing mass media like television, radio, and community radio for telecasts and indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 410 broadcasts of educational content. these platforms can be used to access resources in different languages in offline mode. it supports resources to reach the unreached and caters to the diverse needs of learners. nep (2020) also acknowledged the necessity of investing in open, interoperable, and evolvable digital infrastructure in education. it will support multiple platforms and solutions, considering india’s scale, diversity, and device penetration. by building a robust digital infrastructure, the ict-based solutions will remain relevant and effective amid rapid technological advances including disruptive technologies. overall, the policy guided towards making education more resilient and future-ready. by leveraging ict initiatives, we can empower our society with inclusive, equitable, and quality education. this aligns with policy recommendations and helps bridge the digital divide while enriching the learning experience. prior to delving into ict initiatives for open schooling, it is important to explore the need of ict integration in the odl system. need of ict integration in odl system the integration of ict in the odl system has emerged as a game-changer, revolutionising access to learning and educational resources worldwide. odl systems are designed to provide flexible and inclusive learning opportunities to diverse learners. sustainable development goal 4 also emphasised on access to inclusive and quality education that can be achieved through integrating ict (muyinda, mayende, maiga, & oyo, 2019).emerging technologies, as noted by mbatha (2014), have significantly impacted the methods of teaching and learning in odl systems.  one of the most significant advantages of incorporating ict in odl is the unrestricted access to a vast repository of educational resources available globally. ict has become a significant platform for enhancing access to education and the delivery of educational resources and services in educational systems worldwide (isuku, 2018). open educational resources (oers), moocs (massive open online courses) and other online resources, have made high-quality educational materials freely accessible to learners, as advocated by gaba and li (2015). these resources offer a plethora of learning opportunities for both informal and formal education, bridging gaps in accessibility (hoosen & butcher, 2017). the integration of ict has significantly contributed to overcoming geographical barriers between educators and learners, making education accessible worldwide (fozdar, 2015). kant (2020) stresses the importance of utilising ict as an asset in conjunction with other resources to efficiently and effectively deliver education. the odl system has evolved as a flexible teaching approach in recent decades, enabling learning and teaching anywhere and anytime with multimedia and technology support (faridi and ouseph, 2014). letseka and karel (2015) highlighted that the odl system enables quality teaching and learning experiences through modern technologies. emerging iterations of ict promote the sharing of information, resources, and experiences, creating networking opportunities that connect students, tutors, and institutions (fozdar, 2015). learners can access digital libraries and multimedia content to gain exposure to diverse perspectives. the advantages of an adaptable educational environment made possible by ict are becoming increasingly evident, with many odl institutions, especially in developed nations, adopting ictsupported or ict-based instruction (fozdar, 2015). ict effectively addresses challenges related to expenses, teacher indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 411 shortages, quality, and obstacles associated with time and distance (mcgorry, 2002). awadhiya, miglani, and gowthaman (2014) observe that odl institutions worldwide are adopting ictbased teaching and learning methods, distributing quality education to widely dispersed learners. they suggest that ict, particularly the integration of smartphones, holds potential for delivering learner support services and educational content, thereby enhancing the retention of open and distance learning (odl) students. content designers and educators benefit from ict integration as it allows them to adapt existing content to fit their curricula, expediting slm development (hoosen & butcher, 2017). teachers lacking expertise in certain subjects can rely on professionally designed learning materials to bridge the learning gaps. ict simplifies access to academic materials, streamlines course registration processes, and eliminates the need for physical travel to access information (isuku, 2018). kant (2020) emphasised the role of ict in adopting a learner-centric approach and how it can be harnessed to enhance the capacity, cost-effectiveness, and quality of education. simulations, as noted by herd and mead richardson (2015), provide learners with access to laboratory experiments even when physical laboratories are unavailable. ict transmits content, accommodates diverse learning preferences, ensures convenient access, and provides valuable feedback (kadada & tshabalala, 2019). ict elevates the quality of education, introduces new educational resources, enables 24/7 learning, and grants students access to a multitude of online resources (shan fu, 2013). these technologies liberate students from the constraints of time and location, enabling communication with educational institutions through email, smartphones, and skype (kadada & tshabalala, 2019). furthermore, icts enable students to submit assignments for online evaluation and retrieve graded assignments and results (kadada & tshabalala, 2019). to sum up, the ict integration has brought forth a multitude of advantages, from global access to educational resources and flexible learning opportunities to customised content delivery and enhanced quality in education. as we move forward, exploring initiatives like those undertaken by the national institute of open schooling (nios) in harnessing ict potential becomes paramount. nios, along with other institutions, can build upon the foundation of these advantages to further democratise education, bridge divides, and foster a culture of lifelong learning.  ict initiatives by national institute of open schooling (nios) established in november 1989, the national institute of open schooling (nios), formerly known as national open school (nos), operates as an autonomous organisation under the ministry of education, government of india. nios offers a diverse range of courses, including vocational, life enrichment, community-oriented, general, and academic programs at both secondary and senior secondary levels. additionally, it provides elementarylevel courses through its open basic education programs (obe). nios has the authority, as per a government gazette notification, to examine and certify learners registered with it for pre-degree level courses, encompassing academic, technical, and vocational disciplines (moe, 2021). the national institute of open schooling (nios) has embraced ict initiatives to enhance the quality and accessibility of education. as a pioneering institution in the field of open and distance learning, indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 413 to digital resources, enabling learners to delve deeper into topics and engage with multimedia content. swayam (study webs of active learning for young aspiring minds) swayam platform facilitates the hosting of courses ranging from class 9 to postgraduation, making them accessible to anyone, anywhere, at any time. these courses, created by top educators in the country, are freely available to all learners. notably, more than 1,000 carefully selected faculty members and teachers from across the nation have contributed to their development. the courses on swayam are organised into four sections: (1) video lectures, (2) specially developed downloadable/ printable reading materials, (3) selfassessment tests, and (4) an online discussion forum for addressing queries. to enhance the learning experience, audio, video, multimedia, and advanced pedagogies and technologies are incorporated. to ensure the delivery of high-quality content, nine national coordinators have been appointed, including nios (swayam portal).  nios’s engagement with swayam showcases its commitment to open learning for a diverse audience. nios contributes by offering open schooling courses on swayam, broadening access to quality education. in this platform, there are different parts for the learners viz. e-tutorial and multimedia instructions and lectures by best tutors, e-contents, self assessment, discussion forum etc. the course materials of nios are uploaded in e-pub, pdf format along with qr code. nios delivers its curriculum through the swayam platform, catering to secondary, senior secondary and vocational courses for learners and individuals seeking to upskill or enhance their knowledge across various domains. nios coordinates 18 subjects at the secondary level and 20 subjects at the senior secondary level, consistently addressing learner inquiries and engaging in interactions with them. pmevidya direct to home television (dth-tv) channels pmevidya dth-tv channels were launched in 2020 to provide continuous learning support during the covid-19 pandemic. they offered a remote learning platform of television, bridging the gap caused by lockdowns and enabling students to study from home. nios offered many live sessions and recorded video lectures through the pmevidya dth-tv channels. this initiative ensures that learners can continue their education remotely and mitigate learning gaps, irrespective of challenging circumstances. nios is managing the coordination of pmevidya channels #17, #18, #19, and #20. both pre-recorded video programmes and live interactive pcp sessions are being transmitted on these channels. the pcps for learners cover all the subjects at secondary and senior secondary levels. in addition, vocational and sign language-based content is also transmitted regularly. vocational programs provide practical training and sign language-based courses are beneficial for learners who are hearing impaired or have difficulty hearing. these sessions provide interactive learning achievement and give a platform to connect with the subject experts. nios programs on radio recognizing the significance of audiobased learning, nios’s radio programs on interactive web radio of mukta vidya vani play a pivotal role in reaching learners who have limited access to digital platforms.  mukta vidya vani, an internet based service by nios, facilitates live interactive audio pcps and audio programs, which are web-streamed daily. subject experts indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 414 and course coordinators utilise this platform to conduct real-time pcps and provide academic support to learners. these pcps’ recordings are accessible 24/7 on the nios website (www.nios. ac.in) and its youtube channel. besides, nios operates a community radio station named radio vahini fm 91.2 mhz, where it broadcasts programs covering a wide range of social topics, including education, issues related to children with special needs (cwsn), yoga, adolescence education, physical and mental health, meditation, youth and women empowerment, sanitation and cleanliness awareness, voter’s rights, and more. this audio content can also be found on the youtube channel @niosradiovahini. these educational broadcasts cover subjects spanning the nios curriculum and provide an alternative mode of academic support. nios ensures that its radio programs are informative, engaging, and aligned with the needs of diverse learners. digital library deep (digital education and e-resources platform) deep (digital education and e-resource platform) is a collection of material such as ejournals, ebooks, edatabase, magazines, and newspapers. deep is available on an eportal i.e. https:// digitallibrary.nios.ac.in/. deep is an initiative to build digital infrastructure in alignment with the vision of nep, 2020.  the deep library aimed to address key challenges related to access to education. it serves as a tool in combating knowledge scarcity, particularly for individuals who are not enrolled in regular schools or those facing limitations in accessing learning resources due to socio-economic constraints. importantly, the deep library extends its benefits beyond nios learners, encompassing other students, teachers and researchers. it hosts content in multiple languages, making it accessible to a broader audience. with interfaces available in eight widely spoken indian languages, including kannada, punjabi, marathi, bhojpuri, urdu, maithili, awadhi, and english, the deep library ensures that individuals from various linguistic backgrounds can seamlessly explore its extensive eresources. moreover, the deep library is equipped with a range of user-friendly features, including options for printing and saving content. it goes a step further by providing a repository of valuable reference materials, encompassing dictionaries, encyclopaedias, and directories.  the impact of the deep library is evident in its remarkable outreach, with over 2,20,000 visitors accessing its invaluable resources. this underscores its significance for knowledge dissemination through access to quality resources to diverse learners, at anytime, anywhere.  virtual open school (vos) the virtual open schooling initiative of nios provides an online platform where learners can access slms, supplementary educational resources, and multimedia content. nios’s vos ensures that learners have a self-paced, interactive, and engaging learning experience, enabling them to study at their convenience. the vos encompasses a range of features for enhancing the learning experience. these include the provision of job-oriented courses, enabling live and interactive sessions that foster active engagement and participation of the learners. additionally, vos incorporates online tutor marked assignments (tmas) and evaluation processes to streamline the assessment and feedback mechanisms. moreover, it offers remote proctored assessments, ensuring that evaluations can be indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 416 investing in robust digital infrastructure is crucial for scaling ict-based educational solutions in odl. creating open and, interoperable public digital infrastructure can support multiple platforms and solutions, addressing india’s scale, diversity, and complexity. this infrastructure is essential for nios to provide seamless access to educational resources across the country. secondly, ai can revolutionize personalized learning in odl by analyzing student data to provide customized educational content. ai-driven adaptive learning platforms can offer real-time feedback and personalized learning paths, addressing individual student needs. this ensures that each learner can progress at their own pace, maximizing their potential. furthermore, ai can help educators to identify learning gaps and provide targeted interventions at open schooling. gautam and dua (2021) suggested to odl institutions to embrace ai to improve pedagogy and program development. thirdly, machine learning (ml) can further enhance personalized learning experiences by predicting learning difficulties and recommending customised resources. ml algorithms can analyze patterns in student performance, helping educators design effective instructional strategies. furthermore, blockchain technology can ensure secure and transparent record-keeping for student credentials and performance. implementing blockchain at odl can streamline administrative processes and enhance trust in the educational system, crucial for open schooling where physical presence is minimal. in terms of instructional transection, smart boards can facilitate interactive and engaging learning experiences in odl environments through live or recorded video streaming. providing odl learners with handheld devices pre-loaded with educational content can ensure continuous learning without relying solely on internet connectivity. incorporating multimedia content such as 3d/7d vr, ar, simulations, and educational games can make learning more engaging and effective. vr and ar can offer immersive learning experiences, allowing learners to explore complex concepts interactively. for instance, virtual labs can provide practical hands-on experience in a controlled digital environment, overcoming the limitations of physical lab infrastructure, which is particularly beneficial for odl learners. however, adaptive assessment can provide a more accurate assessment of learners abilities by adjusting the difficulty of questions in real-time based on the learner’s performance. this approach can offer more personalized and fair assessments. to overcome challenges in odl, academic staff at nios need rigorous training to become effective online educators. professional development programs should focus on learnercentric pedagogy, digital content creation, and the use of online instructional tools. digital divide is also a notable challenge in integrating ict in odl system. to ensure equitable access to digital education in odl, concerted efforts such as the digital india campaign and the provision of affordable computing devices are essential. leveraging mass media like television and radio can also reach odl learners with limited digital access. educational content should be available in all major indian languages to cater to diverse linguistic groups. additionally, effective blended learning models should be developed and replicated, combining online and offline methods to provide a holistic educational experience for open schooling learners. finally, the most important aspect is setting up the standards and guidelines for content, technology, and pedagogy for maintaining the quality of digital education. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 417 thus, the integration of ict in open schooling, guided by nep-2020, promises to transform education by enhancing access, equity, and quality. by leveraging disruptive technologies and innovative approaches, an inclusive, engaging, and effective educational ecosystem within the odl framework can be created, which will further empower learners across india to reach their full potential. conclusion in conclusion, the integration of ict in the odl system has opened up transformative possibilities in education. ict has redefined the way learners’ access, engage with, and benefit from educational resources. it has not only made quality education accessible but has also democratised learning by eliminating various socioeconomic barriers and enhancing the learning experience. ict in open schooling has transformed school education, breaking down the confines of the traditional four-wall classroom and ushering in an era of boundary less quality learning. as we look forward, it’s imperative to recognize the critical role ict plays in shaping the future of education, particularly in open schooling systems like that of the national institute of open schooling (nios). nios has embraced a range of ict initiatives, aligning with nep-2020 recommendations, to bridge geographical divides through reaching the unreached and provide accessible, equitable and quality education to learners across india. the journey ahead involves continued collaboration and innovation in utilizing platforms like diksha, pmevidya, swayam, and nios radio platforms to ensure quality learning experience for students. the integration of qr codes and the deep library further ensures access to educational resources and facilitates knowledge dissemination. incorporating ict into open schooling not only empowers learners but also strengthens the foundation of inclusive, equitable, and quality education. nios and similar institutions are at the forefront of this transformation, working towards a future where education knows no boundaries, access is universal, and the pursuit of knowledge is lifelong. references arinto, p. b. (2016). issues and challenges in open and distance e-learning: perspectives from the philippines. the international review of research in open and distributed learning, 17(2). awadhiya, a. k., miglani, a., & gowthaman, k. (2014). ict usage by distance learners in india. turkish online journal of distance education (tojde), 15(3), 242-253. retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/276839578_ict_usage_by_distance_ learners_in_india  cossa, s.p., nakala, l., & cherinda, n.a. (2021). open and innovative schooling: an implementation experience in fifteen secondary schools across mozambique. journal of learning for development, 8(3), p. 601-610. retrieved on 6 june 2024 from https:// www.semanticscholar.org/reader/4a4dcf0437fd0b1f227ea6e17c32ee71439e845e das, k. (2019). the role and impact of ict in improving the quality of education: an overview. international journal of innovative studies in sociology and humanities, 4(6), 97-103. retrieved 2 june 2024 from https://ijissh.org/storage/volume4/issue6/ijissh-040611. pdf indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 418 diksha (n.a.). diksha (digital infrastructure for knowledge sharing). national informatics centre. retrieved from https://pmevidya.education.gov.in/diksha.html  faridi, m. r., & ouseph, s. n. (2014). new directions and challenges for odl: building collaborative business approach. european scientific journal, 1(special), 217-223. retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/kujtim-bytyqi/publication/263661555_ principles_of_state-building_the_case_of_kosovo/links/0f31753b9889103c56000000/ principles-of-state-building-the-case-of-kosovo.pdf#page=228  fozdar, b. i. (2015). open and distance learning (odl): a strategy of development through its potential role in improving science & technology knowledge. international journal of emerging technologies in learning, 10(2). 9-16. retrieved from https://online-journals. org/index.php/i-jet/article/view/4176  gaba, a. k., & li, w. (2015). growth and development of distance education in india and china: a study on policy perspectives. open praxis, 7(4), 311-323. retrieved from https:// search.informit.org/doi/pdf/10.3316/informit.663822364460364  gautam, a., & dua, a. (2021). applications of artificial intelligence in open and distance learning. technolearn: an international journal of educational technology, 11(2), 59-66. https://doi.org/10.30954/2231-4105.02.2021.1  herd, g., & mead richardson, a. (2015). world report on tvet — the promise and potential of ict in tvet. retrieved from http://oasis.col. org/bitstream/handle/11599/824/ unesco%20world%20report%20-%20ict%20in%20tvet%20-%20herd%20%2b%20 mead%20 richardson.pdf hoosen, s., & butcher, n. (2017). considerations in costing odl and icts in tvet. using icts and blended learning in transforming tvet, 185. retrieved from https://www.nba.co.za/sites/ default/files/2021-04/2017_latchem_using-icts-and-blended-learning.pdf#page=200  isuku, e. j. (2018). challenges and prospects of ict facilities in improving access to the open distance learning programme of african universities: research evidence from nigeria. us-china education review a, 8(6), 259-266.  kadada, c., & tshabalala, t. (2019). information and communication technologies’(icts) enhancing teaching and learning in odl. international journal of social sciences & educational studies, 6(2), 14. kant, n. (2020), “blockchain: a resource of competitive advantage in open and distance learning system”, in sharma, r.c., yildirim, h. and kurubacak, g. (eds), blockchain technology applications in education, igi global, pp. 127-152, doi: 10.4018/978-1-5225-9478-9.ch007. letseka, m and karel, k. (2015). pass rates in open distance learning. in m. letseka (ed.), open distance learning (odl) in south africa (pp. 65-75). new york: nova publishers.  mbatha, b. (2014). global transition in higher education: from the traditional model of learning to a new socially mediated model, the case of the university of south africa. international review of research in open and distance learning, 12(2), 25– 36. mcgorry, s.y. (2002), online, but on target?, internet-based mba courses a case study. internet and higher education, vol. 5 no. 2, pp. 167-175. retrieved from https://www. sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/s1096751602000891  mhrd (2012). national policy on ict in school education. government of india. retrieved from https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/upload_document/ revised_policy%20document%20ofict.pdf  moe (2020). national education policy 2020. govt. of india. retrieved from https://www. education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/nep_final_english_0.pdf  moe (2021). national institute of open schooling (nios). department of school education and literacy. retrieved form https://dsel.education.gov.in/nios  indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 419 moe (2021). samagra shiksha. retrieved from https://samagra.education.gov.in/docs/ samagra_shiksha.pdf muyinda, p. b., mayende, g., maiga, g., & oyo, b. (2019). widely acclaimed but lowly utilized: congruencing odl utilization with its wide acclaim. universal journal of educational research, 7(2), p. 400 412. doi: 10.13189/ujer.2019.070213. nios (2021-22). nios academic prospectus 2021-22. retrieved from https://www.nios.ac.in/ media/documents/prospectus/2021/academic_prospectus-2021-22-final.pdf rahman, h. (2014). the role of ict in open and distance education. turkish online journal of distance education, 15(4). retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/ publication/273898911_the_role_of_ict_in_open_and_distance_education rahman, m. m., & yeasmin, s. (2019). dynamics of peer-to-peer (p2p) quality review: a case of national institute of open schooling (nios) of india. commonwealth of learning. retrieved 2 june 2024 from https://oasis.col.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/a2a5ffed-ad5e448d-8fe5-4c362720518a/content shan fu, j. (2013). ict in education: a critical literature review and its implications. international journal of education and development using communication and information technology (ijedict), 9(1), 112-125. retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/ publication/285059779_ict_in_education_a_critical_literature_review_and_its_ implications swayam (2023). about swayam. moe, govt. of india. retrieved from https://swayam.gov. in/about  unesco (2009). guide to measuring information and communication technologies (ict) in education. unesco institute for statistics. isbn: 978-92-9189-078-1. retrieved from https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000186547 vasudevaiah, g. (2016). promoting usage of ict in open and distance education programs. the international journal of indian psychology, 3(3), 77-79. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 439 book review nexus: a brief history of information networks from the stone age to ai (by yuval noah harari, fern press (paperback), 2024 pp.528) tanmay kulshrestha phd history, university of leeds, united kingdom emailhytk@leeds.ac.uk yuval noah harari’s nexus: a brief history of information networks from the stone age to ai presents a sweeping historical and philosophical analysis of the role that information networks have played in shaping human societies. following in the intellectual tradition of his earlier works, such as sapiens and homo deus, harari offers a broad and interdisciplinary exploration of how human civilizations have built, expanded, and managed information networks from their origins to the present day. in nexus, harari traces the evolution of these networks, from ancient mythologies and bureaucracies to modern ai-driven systems, with a critical eye on the tensions between information, truth, and power. harari’s overarching thesis in nexus is clear: human history is, to a significant extent, a history of information networks, and these networks have not only facilitated the coordination and growth of societies but also entrenched delusion and misinformation. harari argues that information does not simply reflect reality; it also creates it by forging connections between individuals and groups. while this argument is compelling, harari’s analysis also raises significant questions about the nature of truth, the role of technology, and the future of governance in a world increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence. the nature of information and its role in human history harari begins nexus by problematizing the concept of information itself, which he defines not merely as knowledge or data but as the connective tissue that binds human societies together. drawing from a variety of historical examples, harari explores how early human societies relied on myths and bureaucracies to structure their collective existence. the foundational role of stories and symbols in human cooperation, as outlined in the first section of the book, emphasizes that large-scale human networks have always been held together by shared beliefs, many of which are far removed from empirical reality. one of harari’s central contentions is that much of human progress has been driven not by the accurate representation of reality but by the ability to spread and sustain shared narratives—whether religious, political, or ideological. for example, harari highlights how the bible, despite its historical inaccuracies, served as a powerful force in uniting vast populations across different eras. this argument resonates with harari’s broader view of history, articulated in his earlier works, where he consistently emphasizes the importance of shared fictions in the development of human civilizations. in nexus, harari pushes this argument further by suggesting that the power of these networks lies not in their truthfulness but in their capacity to connect individuals and groups, thereby facilitating social cohesion and political power. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 440 this raises a critical question about the nature of truth in human societies: if much of human progress has been driven by shared fictions, does truth matter? harari’s answer, though nuanced, is troubling. while he acknowledges that truth plays a role in certain areas—such as scientific and technological advances—he argues that the success of a network often depends more on its ability to create order and coherence than on its adherence to factual accuracy. this claim, though provocative, can be critiqued for its ambiguity. while it is true that myths and narratives have played significant roles in shaping societies, harari does not fully engage with the ways in which truth and accuracy are crucial to the stability and longevity of these networks, especially in modern democratic societies. the shift to inorganic information networks in the second part of nexus, harari shifts his focus to the rise of inorganic information networks, particularly those driven by computers and artificial intelligence. he argues that the development of these technologies marks a fundamental shift in how information is produced, stored, and disseminated. unlike the organic information networks of the past, which were grounded in human cognition and social cooperation, the new inorganic networks operate at speeds and scales that far exceed human capabilities. harari’s analysis of ai is both insightful and alarming. he points out that ai is fundamentally different from previous technological innovations because it is not merely a tool that humans use but an autonomous agent that can process information and make decisions independently. this distinction is crucial, as it suggests that the rise of ai could lead to a decoupling of human societies from the information networks they have created. as harari notes, silicon-based technologies, unlike their carbon-based predecessors, are not constrained by the limitations of human biology or psychology. this allows them to operate continuously and without error—at least in theory—creating a network that is always “on” but not necessarily aligned with human values or interests. harari’s critique of ai-driven networks is particularly relevant in the context of modern political and economic systems. he warns that as ai continues to evolve, it could erode the very foundations of democratic governance by making it increasingly difficult for humans to control the flow of information and the decisions that shape their lives. this concern is well-founded, as ai-driven systems already play significant roles in areas such as finance, healthcare, and law enforcement. however, harari’s argument could benefit from a more detailed exploration of the ways in which ai might be integrated into existing human networks rather than simply supplanting them. while he raises important concerns about the autonomy of ai, he does not fully consider the possibility that humans might retain some degree of control over these systems, even as they become more complex and powerful. information, power, and the future of democracy harari concludes the book by examining how ai and cutting-edge information technologies could reshape politics. he presents a nuanced view, highlighting both the promise and peril of ai’s growing influence. while ai offers hope for tackling global challenges like climate change, disease, and poverty, harari cautions that it may also empower authoritarian governments and undermine democracy. this dual nature of ai as a potential savior or indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 441 threat forms the crux of his analysis of its political ramifications. harari’s analysis of the potential for ai-driven totalitarianism is particularly compelling. he draws parallels between the rise of ai and the development of earlier totalitarian systems, such as those in nazi germany and the soviet union. however, he argues that ai presents a unique challenge because it is capable of processing vast amounts of data and making decisions with a level of speed and precision that far exceeds human capacities. this, he warns, could lead to the emergence of a new form of totalitarianism, one in which power is concentrated not in the hands of a human dictator but in the algorithms that control the flow of information. one of harari’s most thought-provoking arguments in this section is his claim that the struggle between democratic and authoritarian systems in the 21st century will be shaped by the control of information networks. he suggests that countries that are able to harness the power of ai to manage their information networks will have a significant advantage over those that cannot. this argument is particularly relevant in the context of the growing rivalry between the united states and china, both of which are investing heavily in ai research and development. while harari’s concerns about the political implications of ai are wellfounded, his analysis could be critiqued for being somewhat deterministic. he presents a rather binary view of the future, in which ai either saves humanity or leads to its destruction. this binary framing overlooks the possibility of more nuanced outcomes, in which ai is integrated into human societies in ways that enhance rather than undermine democratic governance. furthermore, harari does not fully engage with the ethical and philosophical questions raised by the development of ai, such as the nature of consciousness and the limits of machine intelligence. these questions, while beyond the scope of harari’s historical analysis, are crucial to understanding the full implications of the ai revolution. conclusion nexus: a brief history of information networks from the stone age to ai is a thought-provoking and intellectually ambitious work that offers a sweeping analysis of the role of information in human history. harari’s central argument—that information networks, rather than truth, have been the driving force behind human progress—raises important questions about the nature of knowledge, power, and governance in the modern world. his analysis of the rise of ai and its potential impact on political systems is particularly timely, given the rapid pace of technological change. however, while harari’s arguments are compelling, they are not without their flaws. his critique of the naive view of information, which holds that more information leads to better decisions, is well-founded, but he does not fully engage with the ways in which truth and accuracy are essential to the stability of democratic societies. similarly, his analysis of ai, while insightful, could benefit from a more nuanced exploration of the ways in which humans might retain control over these systems. despite these shortcomings, nexus is an important contribution to the ongoing debate about the role of information and technology in shaping the future of human societies. harari’s ability to synthesize complex historical, technological, and philosophical arguments into a coherent narrative makes this book a valuable read for anyone interested in the intersections of history, technology, and politics. as humanity stands on the brink of a new era dominated by ai and digital networks, indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 442 nexus offers both a cautionary tale and a call to action, urging readers to critically assess the systems that shape their lives and to consider how they might regain control of the information networks that increasingly govern the world. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 121 research article elearning readiness of higher education faculty members y. vijaya lakshmi assistant professor, school of education, central university of gujarat, gandhinagar, gujarat, india email: vijaya.lakshmi@cug.ac.in; jayayanduri@gmail.com abstract the covid-19 pandemic has forced all institutions of higher education around the world to search for various new strategies to ensure the continuity of learning. this emergency elearning situation created by the pandemic forced the faculty members of higher education to integrate information and communication technology in their teaching learning practices more than ever before. the present cross sectional survey study explores the readiness of higher education faculty members towards elearning in terms of their technological readiness, pedagogical readiness, resource readiness and attitude. a selfdeveloped likert scale consisting of 62 items measuring various dimensions of elearning readiness was used to collect the data from 421 faculty members. the findings of the study revealed that demographic factors like age, gender, level of education, designation and discipline does not have any significant influence on the elearning readiness scores of faculty members while teaching experience had a significant influence. the overall score of e-learning readiness was found to be satisfactory. the technological readiness of faculty members was found to be high compared to their other elearning readiness dimensions scores. faculty members were found to be least ready in terms of their pedagogical readiness and attitude towards elearning. to increase the elearning readiness of faculty members, the higher education institutions should organize more and more training and also provide the faculty members with adequate software and hardware required for adoption of elearning practices. keywords: elearning readiness, higher education, technological readiness, pedagogical readiness, resource readiness, attitude, elearning readiness of higher education faculty members introduction the growth and adoption of education technology is on a rise in education and covid-19 has increased this adoption further. with the outbreak of covid-19, all over the world, an emergency e-learning situation is created in educational setup (michael, 2020) and we are left with no other option than to adopt technology driven teaching methods. elearning is being looked up as a potential solution to ensure continuity of learning at all schools and universities. the world economic forum reported a surge in the use of language apps, virtual tutoring, video conferencing tools, and online learning software in the last three months (li & lalani, 2020) and india is no exception to this. there is an e-learning boom in indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 122 the country with online classes (zoom, whatsapp, skype etc.) becoming the norm for students, parents and teachers (praveen, 2020). all this makes it mandatory to reconsider the current delivery and pedagogical methods in schools and higher education institutions which is a major challenge on the part of teachers (richa, 2020). majority of the traditional higher education institutions are scrambling towards elearning to ensure normality in education and also to resume the academics without much gap once the covid-19 crisis is over (abhishek, 2020). the success of this emergency e-learning depends to a great extent on the readiness of teachers and students to accept and adopt it. parameters like quality of faculty members, quality of it infrastructure, acceptance of use of digital teaching technologies in teaching learning, trust/confidence on elearning practices would determine the success of this emergency elearning. hence, it is rational to know the elearning readiness of faculty members and students. objectives the purpose of the present study is to explore the elearning readiness (elr) of higher education faculty members with respect to various demographic factors and e-learning dimensions and hence the following are the objectives of the study: 1. to study the dimension wise elearning readiness of the faculty members of higher education institutions of gandhinagar district with respect to their age, gender, teaching experience, discipline, education level, designation. 2. to study the overall elearning readiness of the faculty members of higher education institutions of gandhinagar district. 3. to study the dimensions of elearning readiness. method data for the present study were obtained from the faculty members of higher education institutions located in gandhinagar district, gujarat using a cross sectional survey design. 154 higher education institutions/colleges listed in all india survey of higher education 2018-19 (mhrd, 2019) was considered as a population frame for the present study and out of it, 60 colleges/institutions were selected using simple random technique and from those 60 institutions, the tool was distributed randomly to around 800 faculty members. 421 faculty members who responded constituted the sample of the study and thus the response rate was 53 percent with 45 percent female (n= 188) and 55 percent male (n=233). around 75 percent of the faculty members were between the ages of 21 and 40. as high as 70 percent of faculty members had teaching experience between 1 to 10 years and 25 percent of them had teaching experience between 11 to 20 years. most of the respondents (55 percent) were from science & technology discipline followed by faculty members from social sciences discipline (37 percent) and arts & humanities (8percent). an inventory was constructed to collect the data for the current study. a thorough review of literature (azimi, indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 123 2013; doculan, 2014; kaur & abas, 2004; mercado, 2008; oketch, 2014) helped to identify the possible dimensions of elearning readiness and the statements to be included in them. after making the corrections as per the suggestions given by the experts who were requested to validate the inventory, the final tool consisted of 62 items including 12 negative statements. the inventory had a total of 5 sections including a section on demographic information. the statements under the dimensions of elr were measured using a likert scale consisting of 5 point rating items scored between 1 for strongly disagree and 5 for strongly agree. negative statements were reverse scored before computing the dimension wise score and total elr score. there were unequal number of statements in each dimension which ranged from 21 to 12 as follows: tr -21 likert items (maximum score would be 105 and the minimum would be 21), rr 15 likert items (maximum score would be 75 and the minimum would be 15), a-14 likert items (maximum score would be 70 and the minimum would be 14), pr-12 likert items (maximum score would be 60 and the minimum would be 12). the demographic characteristics of respondents like discipline, designation, gender, age, their education level and teaching experience were also collected. the inventory had an overall cronbachalpha coefficient of 0.88 indicating high level of internal consistency of the statements. its subsections which are dimension wise had cronbach-alpha coefficients of 0.88, 0.94, 0.90 and 0.56 for tr, pr, rr and a respectively. the data was analyzed using spss and results were presented using descriptive statistics and wherever required box plots and bar charts were used to present the results. influence of demographic factors was tested using one-way anova. results and discussion age and elr dimensions the sample for the study consisted of faculty members from various age groups. the youngest faculty was of 21 years age and the eldest was of 60 years. figure-1 (a), (b) represents the age wise score of elr of faculty members and the mean scores obtained by them on different dimensions of elr i.e., tr, pr, rr and a respectively. from figure 1 (a), it can be observed that the maximum and minimum score of elr of faculty members belonging to various age groups is almost the same except for the faculty members in the age group of 51 to 60 years. the interquartile range (iqr) indicated by the height of the boxes shows that the spread of elr scores is more in faculty members belonging to the age group of 31 to 40 years when compared to other age group faculty members. the figure also indicates that the median score of elr of faculty members belong to age groups of 21 to 30 years and 31 to 40 years is more than the median score of elr of faculty members of 41 to 50 years and 51 to 60 years age groups. the results of one way anova ( f (3, 417) = 0.247, p = .863) indicated that there was no significant influence of age on elr scores which is in line with the findings of many studies which stated that age does not have any significant impact on perception towards technological challenges (aldowah, 2017), attitude towards indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 124 elearning (alenezi, 2012; al gamdi & samarji, 2016), elearning readiness (oketch et. al., 2014), satisfaction with elearning(fleming, 2017) and the present finding is in contrast to the findings of studies which stated that age can have a significant effect on elr (al-fadhli, 2009; islam, 2011; nauaf, 2010; navani & ansari, 2016; soydal et. al., 2011), perception regarding contextual challenges (adelabu, et al., 2014; aldowah, 2017; osika, et al., 2009), institutional barriers (lloyd, et al., 2012), ict anxiety (mcmahon, et al., 1999), technology access and skills (doculan, 2014), use of new technology (o"donnell, 1991; tusubira and mulira, 2004). further, from figure 2, it can be interpreted that the faculty members in all age groups scored highest in terms of their tr. however, the mean score of their pr is least in all age groups. the faculty members also scored less in a dimension of elr. thus, it can be concluded that the faculty members belonging to different age groups are symmetrically distributed in terms of their elr scores and there are no obvious outliers in any of the samples. it can also be concluded that there is no significant effect on age on elr scores. further, from the dimension wise mean scores we can conclude that even though the faculty members’ are technologically ready for elearning, their readiness in terms of their pedagogical practices and attitude towards elearning is very low. figure-1 (a): box plot displaying the elr scores of faculty members according to their age group; (b) dimension wise readiness mean scores of faculty members with respect to their age group gender and elr dimensions the sample for the study consisted of 45percent female faculty members and 55percent male faculty members (female: m = 226.08, sd = 22.55; male: m = 229.74, sd = 27.46). figure 2 (a) and (b) represents the gender wise score of elr of faculty members and the mean scores obtained by female and male faculty members on different dimensions of elr respectively. from figure 2 (a), it can be interpreted that the maximum score of elr of male faculty members is more than the maximum score of female faculty members. also, the minimum score of elr of male faculty members is less than the minimum score of elr of female faculty indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 125 members. the iqr indicates that the variability of elr scores is more among male faculty members than in female faculty members and the median score of elr of male faculty members is more than that of female faculty members. it also shows that the elr scores of both female and male faculty members are symmetrically distributed and there are no obvious outliers in any of the samples. the result of one way anova ( f (1, 419) = 2.165, p = .142) indicated that there was no significant influence of gender on elr scores which is in line with the findings of many studies which stated that gender does not have any significant impact on elr (agboola, 2006; oketch et. al., 2014; soydal et. al., 2011) perception towards elearning (mutiaradevi, 2009; wong & atan, 2007,) and the present finding is in contrast to the findings of studies which stated that gender differences were observed with regard to perception towards: effectiveness/readiness of elearning (islam, 2011; so & swatman, 2005; taha, 2014; volery, 2000), barriers towards elearning (al gamdi & samarji, 2016; lloyd, et al., 2012), technological challenges (aldowah, 2017; goulãoak, 2013; o"donnell, 1991). fleming, becker & newton, (2017) claimed that there is significant difference in the virtual learning style of males and females. alenezi, 2012; navani & ansari, 2016 claimed that gender has significant correlation with regard to attitude towards elearning. further, from figure 2 (b), it can be interpreted that both female and male faculty members are almost equal in terms of their tr. both female and male faculty members scored least in terms of pr followed by their least score in a dimension. they both scored higher on rr when compared to pr and a. thus, it can be concluded that gender does not have any influence on elr scores of faculty members and they both are technologically ready for elearning. however, their readiness in terms of their pedagogical practices and attitude towards elearning is very low. figure-2 (a): box plot displaying the elr scores of faculty members according to their gender; (b) dimension wise readiness mean scores of faculty members with respect to their gender indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 126 teaching experience and elr dimensions as high as 70 percent of the faculty members who participated in the survey had teaching experience between 1 to 10 years. the maximum years of teaching experience was 37 years and the minimum was one year. figures 3 (a) and (b) respectively, represent teaching experience wise score of elr of faculty members and the mean scores obtained by them in relation to their teaching experience on dimensions of elr. as only three faculty members belong to the group of 31 to 40 years of teaching experience, the discussion about this group is not done here. further, from figure 3 (a), it can be interpreted that the faculty members who had an experience between 11 and 20 years had the least minimum score of elr followed by the faculty members’ minimum score of elr in the experience group of 1 to 10 years. from the figure, it is also clear that the median score of elr of faculty members whose experience is between 1 to 10 years and 21 to 30 years is more than the median score of elr of faculty members whose teaching experience is between 11 to 20 years. the iqr indicates that the spread of elr scores is more among faculty members who have experience of 11 to 20 years than compared to faculty members in other experience groups. the plot also indicates that their elr scores are symmetrically distributed. further, it is also clear that there are no significant outliers in any of the samples. also, the result of one way anova (f (3, 417) = 2.876, p = .036) indicated that there was significant influence of teaching experience on elr scores. alshangeeti, alsaghier, & nguyen, 2012 also reported that acceptance of online learning is highly dependent on the length of teaching experience and navani & ansari, 2016 also claimed that there is positive correlation of teaching experience with elr. lloyd, et al., 2012 also concluded that there is a strong effect of experience on resistance to online education. further, figure 3 (b) shows that faculty members in all groups of teaching experience scored high in tr. faculty members having teaching experience between 11 to 20 years had a least mean score of tr followed by faculty members who have 1 to 10 years of teaching experience. it can also be interpreted from figure 3 (b) that the faculty members scored higher on tr when compared to other dimensions. also, their score on rr is higher than scores of pr and a. thus, it can be concluded that teaching experience has an influence on elr scores of faculty members and irrespective of their teaching experience, the faculty members' readiness in terms of their pedagogical practices and attitude towards elearning is low. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 127 figure 3 (a): box plot displaying the elr scores of faculty members with respect to their teaching experience; (b) dimension wise readiness mean scores of faculty members with respect to their teaching experience discipline and elr dimensions the sample for the study constituted of 55 percent faculty members from science & technology (m = 230.28, sd = 24.92), 37 percent of faculty members from social sciences (m = 225.10, sd = 25.94) and 8 percent of faculty members from arts & humanities (m = 227.29, sd = 25.68) discipline. thus, the mean score of elr of science & technology faculty members is higher than the overall mean score of elr (m = 228.11). further, figure 4 (a) and (b) respectively represent the discipline wise score of elr of faculty members and the discipline wise mean scores by them on dimensions of elr. the maximum score of elr of faculty members belonging to arts & humanities discipline is less than the maximum score of elr of faculty members belonging to social sciences and science & technology discipline (vide figure 4(a)). the elr scores of faculty members belonging to social sciences and science & technology disciplines are more symmetrically distributed than the elr scores of arts & humanities faculty members. further, it is also clear that there are no obvious outliers in any of the samples. the result of one way anova (f (2, 418) = 1.969, p = .141) indicated that there was no significant influence of discipline on elr scores. al gamdi & samarji, 2016 reported that there were not significant differences even in the subscale scores among the faculty members belonging to various disciplines. while, alsaghier & nguyen, 2012 reported that the discipline to which the faculty members belonged to had a strong influence on their rating towards or against online teaching. from figure 4 (b), it is clear that the mean score of tr of faculty members of all the three disciplines is greater than their mean scores on other readiness dimensions i.e., pr, rr and a. the faculty members of all the three disciplines have scored the least mean score in pr followed by their readiness score on a. thus, the mean score of readiness of faculty members of all the three disciplines is higher in their tr followed by rr, a and pr. thus, it can be concluded that discipline does not have any influence on elr scores of faculty indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 128 members and all the faculty members are technologically ready for elearning. however, their readiness in terms of their pedagogical practices and attitude towards elearning is very low. figure 4 (a): box plot displaying the elr scores of faculty members with respect to the discipline; (b) dimension wise readiness mean scores of faculty members with respect to their discipline level of education and elr dimensions the majority of faculty members (49percent) are post graduates (m = 228.12, sd = 28.01), and around 38percent of them are doctorates (m = 227.37, sd = 22.39). figure 5 (a) and (b) respectively, represent the elr scores of faculty members according to their level of education and the mean scores obtained by them on dimensions of elr. from figure 5 (a), the iqr shows that the elr scores of faculty members who are post doctorates (pd) is more spread than the elr scores of post graduates (pg), doctorates (d). further, the elr scores of graduate (g) faculty members are negatively skewed while the elr scores of faculty members of other levels of education are distributed symmetrically. the maximum score of elr of pg faculty members is highest followed by the maximum scores of pd, d and g faculty members. the median score of elr of pd faculty members is highest followed by the median score of pg, d and g faculty members. further, there are no obvious outliers in any of the samples. the result of one way anova (f (4, 416) = .401, p = .808) indicated that there was no significant influence of the level of education of faculty members on their elr scores. agboola, 2006; mutiaradevi, 2009; oketch et. al., 2014; parlakkiliç, 2015 concluded that faculty members' level of education does not have a significant effect on their perception towards elearning or their elr. on the other hand, nauaf, 2010 claims that the level of education of faculty members significantly influenced their perception towards elearning. further, from figure 5 (b), it can be interpreted that faculty members with various levels of education scored highest in tr followed by their rr and a scores. the faculty members in all the groups scored least in terms of their pr. thus, it can be concluded that level of education does not have any influence on elr indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 129 scores of faculty members and they are technologically ready for elearning. however, their readiness in terms of their pedagogical practices and attitude towards elearning is very low. figure 5 (a): box plot displaying the elr scores of faculty members with respect to their level of education; (b) dimension wise readiness mean scores of faculty members with respect to their level of education designation and elr dimensions the majority of faculty members (70percent) are assistant professors (m = 229.11, sd = 24.57), and around 19percent of them are lecturers (m = 224.69, sd = 27.85) and around 10percent of them are associate professors and professors. figure 6 (a) and (b) respectively represents the designation wise score of elr of faculty members and the mean scores obtained by them on dimensions of elr i.e., tr, pr, rr and a. from figure 6 (a), it is clear that the median score of elr of professors is highest followed by the median scores of assistant professors, lectures and associate professors. the iqr shows that the elr scores of lecturers are more consistent around the median followed by the elr scores of assistant professors, associate professors and professors. thus, the elr scores of professors are more scattered than other faculty member groups. the elr scores of lecturers, assistant professors and professors are symmetrically distributed and the elr scores of associate professors are skewed towards the higher scores of readiness. the maximum score of elr of professors is lower than the maximum score of other faculty members. the result of one way anova (f (3, 417) = .929, p = .427) indicated that there was no significant influence of designation of faculty members on their elr scores. this finding is in contradiction to the studies of o"donnell, 1991; lloyd, et al., 2012 who stated that the position of faculty members significantly influenced their perceptions towards technological integration, cost/benefit barriers and barriers to online teaching. further, from figure 6 (b), it can be interpreted that tr of faculty members of various designations is highest when compared to their pr, rr and a. they all scored least in pr followed by their least scores of a and rr. thus, it can be concluded that designation of faculty members indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 130 does not have any influence on elr scores of faculty members and they are technologically ready for elearning. however, their readiness in terms of their pedagogical practices and attitude towards elearning is very low. figure 6 (a): box plot displaying the designation wise elr scores of faculty members; (b) dimension wise readiness mean scores of faculty members with respect to their designation elearning readiness the elr score (all dimensions scores added together) of faculty members ranged from 157 to 293 (m = 228.11, sd = 25.42) and were normally distributed (vide figure 7 (a), (b), table 1), with skewness of .030 (se = 0.119) and kurtosis of -.346 (se = 0.237). from figure 7 (a) it is also clear that there are no significant outliers in the elr scores. as high as 75percent of faculty members scored above 210 and 25percent of them scored above 247.50 (vide table 1). from table 1, it can be concluded that the elr score of the 95percent of the faculty members of higher education institutions of gandhinagar district will lie between 304.394 and 151.826. table-1: descriptive statistics of elr statistic std. error elearning readiness mean 228.11 1.239 95% confidence interval for mean lower bound 225.67 upper bound 230.54 5% trimmed mean 228.09 median 227.00 std. deviation 25.428 interquartile range 38 percentiles 25 210.00 50 227.00 75 247.50 source: research data indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 131 figure-7 (a): box plot displaying the elr scores of faculty members; (b) distribution of elr scores of faculty members dimensions of elearning readiness table-2 shows the descriptive statistics of dimension wise mean score of elr. technological skills/components and pedagogical skills play a very important role in successful implementation of elearning (lloyd, 2012; muhannad anwar al-shboul, 2019; oketch, 2014; soong et al., 2001; tarus & gichoya, 2015). in the present study it was observed that faculty members scored highest in the tr dimension and least in the pr. joseph, 2010 ; adiyarta et al., 2018; edumadze et al., 2014; nisperos, 2014 emphasized that technological skills need to be improved to improve the effectiveness of elearning. eslaminejad et al., 2010 suggests that pedagogical innovations are required to improve the effectiveness of elearning. around 50percent of the faculty members scored more than the mean score of tr (vide table 2). the 50th percentile score of rr (vide table 2) indicates that 50percent of the faculty members scored more than the mean score of rr. similarly, the 50th percentile score of a (vide table 2) shows that around 50percent of the faculty members scored more than the mean score of a and the 50th percentile score of pr (vide table 2) shows that around 50percent of the faculty members scored less than 49. in this dimension, around 64percent of faculty members scored more than the mean score. from figure 8, it can be interpreted that the median score of tr dimension is highest followed by the median score of rr, a and pr. the scores of pr are skewed towards the lower side and the outliers in pr indicate the presence of very least scores in this dimension. the outliers in each of these dimensions are mild and hence it can be said that the influence of these outliers on overall elr score is not strong (vide figure 7 (a)). indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 132 table-2: descriptive statistics of dimensions of elearning readiness tr pr rr a mean 76.55 46.74 54.80 50.02 std. deviation 14.264 10.157 9.186 5.952 skewness -.245 -1.650 -.096 -.452 kurtosis -.405 2.709 -.010 .625 5% trimmed mean 76.81 47.79 54.89 50.20 percentiles 25 67.00 45.00 49.00 47.00 50 77.00 49.00 54.00 50.00 75 88.00 53.00 61.00 54.00 source: research data figure-8: box plot displaying the dimensions wise readiness scores of faculty members a further item wise analysis of the statements on the basis of their mean scores is presented in tables 3 & 4 which show the list of dimension wise top four statements and bottom four statements respectively. from these tables it can be concluded that in terms of their tr, the faculty members are good at basic digital skills but lack the important skills like developing podcasts, e-books, e-quiz, discussion boards and blogs which are very essential for developing content in elearning platform. with regard to pr dimension, even though faculty members believed in basic principles of teaching, they all believed that teacher centered teaching is better than learner centered teaching which is not in favor of principles of elearning. they also scored least with regard to their views on integrating various digital tools in teaching and development of question banks for the courses that they teach. thus, the faculty members are indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 133 not ready in terms of the pedagogical dimension of elearning. in terms of rr, it is good to know that the majority of the faculty members expressed that everyday they have access to reliable and unlimited internet connection, personal computer/laptop and a printer. however, they expressed that video editing software and e-content creating software are not available with their institutions which reduced their rr. a good point to observe is that many of the faculty members disagreed that their institutions do not have sufficient human resources or do not give any special credit for supporting elearning practices. this indicates a positive institutional environment towards elearning. with regard to the attitude dimension of elearning, the majority of the faculty members are aware about elearning and believe that elearning improves the quality and efficiency of teaching. they also do not feel that elearning is difficult to handle and frustrating to use and it increases the workload of teachers, which are very good signs for adoption of elearning practices in higher education institutions. on the contrary, they also expressed that use of elearning practices will not bring much difference in face to face teaching. the faculty members also do not strongly believe that elearning reduces communication barriers between teacher and student. however, the faculty members feel shy to use technology and they also do not consider themselves as experts in using elearning technologies and hence these could be the reasons for their lower score on a dimension of elearning. table-3: top four statements in each dimension of elr tr pr rr a downloading and saving files from internet teaching should be planned according to needs of students access to reliable internet connection in institution * feel shy to use technology using ms-office the methods of teaching should be according to nature of content to be taught have personal computer/laptop know what is elearning using online technologies for communication (email, whatsapp, chat etc) a teacher should use new pedagogical approaches have unlimited internet in institution elearning improves quality of teaching and learning locating variety of resources from internet teacher should create lesson plans before teaching have access to a printer in institution elearning will improve efficiency in teaching source: research data indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 134 table-4: bottom four statements in each dimension of elr tr pr rr a in developing podcast for my lessons students’ physical presence is not must in a teaching learning process video editing software is available in institution elearning reduces communication barriers between teacher and student in developing e-books teacher should develop question bank for the courses that they teach e-content creation software are available in institution elearning is difficult to handle & frustrating to use in developing online quiz (using hot potatoes/ socrative/kahoot etc.) learner centered teaching is better than teacher centered teaching * institution does not give any special credit for using elearning * elearning increases workload of teachers in creating discussion boards teacher should integrate various digital tools in teaching * the institution does not have sufficient human resources to support elearning i consider myself as expert in using elearning technologies source: research data * negatively worded statements conclusion and implications the present study concludes that demographic factors like age, gender, discipline, teaching experience and designation of faculty members does not have a significant influence on their elr score. however, teaching experience was found to be a significant factor in elr. with regard to dimensions of elearning, a good indication is that faculty members are tr for elearning. however, it is very essential to organize training programmes to increase tr (especially with reference to improve their skills to develop podcasts, e-books, e-quiz, discussion boards and blogs. such training will not only change their attitude towards elearning but also would increase their expertise in using elearning technologies. the faculty members should also be encouraged to use various digital tools and develop e-question banks to increase their pr scores. institutions should take the responsibility of providing necessary software and hardware facilities to faculty members for implementing elearning practices which will increase their resource readiness scores. the findings derived in the present study provide a direction to the policy makers to take further steps in implementing/ indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 135 promoting elearning in higher education institutions. the findings also give an idea to the higher education institutions regarding the strength and weakness of their faculty members and suggest a way forward to them in adoption of elearning practices. however, the present study considers only 4 dimensions of elearning readiness and hence, further studies can explore the other dimensions of elearning readiness. 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[conference session]. universities: taking a leading role in ict enabled human development. kampala, uganda. https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/8935247/integration -of-ict-in-organisations-challenges-dr-ff-tusubira. volery, t., & lord, d. (2000). critical success factors in online education. international j ournal of educational management. wong, s. l., & hanafi, a. (2007). gender differences in attitudes towards information technology among malaysian student teachers: a case study at universiti putra malaysia. journal of educational technology & society, 10(2), 158. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 28 introductıon indian education system is in a muchneeded phase of transition. this transition needs to address both the quality and quantity concerns of the indian education system. when it comes to quality issues, according to a recent report of times higher education (the) rankings (2023 edition), among the top 500 universities in the world, india shares only 5 universities, the best being the indian institute of science, which was in 251-300 band. furthermore, according to quacquarelli symonds (qs) world university rankings (2023 edition), none of the indian universities were able to feature in the top 150. in the top 500, only 9 universities have managed to make a place for themselves, again, the best being the indian institute of science, which had secured 155th rank. these metrics reflect that, on the quality front, indian universities have a great deal of scope for improvement. according to the recent indian census, which was conducted in 2011, only 8.15 per cent of the indian populace were graduates, and 4.15 per cent of the indian populace were postgraduates. so, even when it comes to quantity, india has a long way to go to address the educational needs and requirements of its populace. this is all the more important because india is in the phase of encashing its demographic dividend. 62.5 per cent of the indian population are in the age group of 15-59 years. according to the economic survey 201819, the demographic dividend of india is expected to peak by around 2041, when the share of the indian workingage population (20-59) is expected to be around 59 per cent. research article effectiveness and efficacy of online undergraduate and post-graduate courses in india: a pre-emptive analysis g.k. chetan kumar1, rangappa k.b.2 & suchitra s3 1assistant professor, head of economics dept , government first grade degree college siddapur, sirsi email: chetankumar.dragonlordv7@gmail.com 2professor, department of studies in economics, davangere university, davangere, karnataka 3professor, department of studies in economics, davangere university, davangere, karnataka abstract the indian education system is in a state of transition. national education policy 2020 of india has envisaged leveraging technology to enhance the reach and efficacy of education. in line with the same, in 2023, university grants commission (ugc) of india, which is the apex institution for governing higher education, has given permission for 57 indian universities to commence online graduate and postgraduate courses. karnataka has become the first state in india to actively implement a national education policy and leverage technology to enhance the learning experience. in this regard, the study aims to identify and analyze the factors which influence the effectiveness of technology in improving learning outcomes among graduate and postgraduate students in karnataka. keywords: national education policy 2020, ugc, online education, graduate students, postgraduate students indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 29 if proper measures are not undertaken in time to train the burgeoning young populace of india, then india’s demographic dividend might as well become a demographic liability for the nation. understanding and acknowledging the crucial importance of education for indian youth, the central government of india brought about the national education policy in 2020, with an aim to address the quality and quantity concerns of the indian educational system and to make necessary structural, administrative and organisational changes. in fact, national education policy 2020 has stressed a great deal about the possibilities of leveraging technology to address the quantity and quality concerns of the indian education system. in line with the same, in january 2023, university grants commission (ugc) of india, which is the apex body for governing higher education, gave permission for 57 indian universities to run online graduate and postgraduate courses in india. among indian states, karnataka has become the first state to implement national education policy 2020. before full-fledged online classes are started, we wanted to estimate and identify the various factors which may impact the efficacy of online learning among graduate and postgraduate students in the state of karnataka. hence, the present study was undertaken. lıterature revıew according to goundar and bimal (2022), most of the studies pertaining to online learning in recent times have been set in developed countries of asia and europe. so, there is a need to understand the feasibility of online learning in a developing country like india. to identify the relevant variables which needed to be considered for our study, we tried to understand the various variables which were taken for consideration by previous researchers who had worked to analyze the efficacy of online learning among students pursuing higher education. based on the review of the literature, the prominent variables which we were able to identify were as follows: gender: based on previous literature, we observed that the role of gender in determining the usefulness of technology among students is a bit vague. some empirical studies (upadhayaya et al., 2021; sitala khan et al., 2023;) pertaining to online learning among undergraduate students noted that gender did not have any statistically significant association with the usefulness of technology. furthermore, studies (paris, 2004; singh,2021) conducted among senior secondary students also did not observe any statistically significant association between gender and the usefulness of technology in enhancing their learning outcomes. however, some other empirical studies (singh & riza, 2022) did find gender to play a statistically significant role in how undergraduate students perceived the usefulness of technology in enhancing their learning outcomes. nature of residence: one of the other variables affecting the usefulness of technology is the nature of residence. kumar et al. (2022), in their study, which focused on analyzing the effectiveness of ict among rural and urban graduate students pursuing higher education in india, found that urban graduate students were more adept in leveraging technology to enhance their learning outcomes as opposed to rural students. another study conducted by upadhayaya et al. (2021) among undergraduate students of nepal also came to the conclusion that the nature of residence had a prominent impact on the graduate student’s perception of the usefulness indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 30 of technology. furthermore, another study undertaken by surapuramath, (2021) during covid time also asserted the role of place in affecting the usefulness of technology among students. even in a much more recent study, which was undertaken during the post-pandemic period by papadaki et al. (2023), the researchers have noted that environmental and cultural aspects had a significant influence on the usefulness of technology. gadgets: from the available literature we were not able to derive any conclusive view as to which of the digital tools were more effective in enhancing learning outcomes. ullah and khan (2017), in their empirical research, observed that personal computers did not have any significant association with enhancing the learning outcomes of students pursuing higher education. however, another study undertaken by cross et al (2019) pertaining to e-learning among graduate students observed a positive correlation between handheld digital devices and improvement in their learning efficacy. in another empirical study undertaken by kumar & rangappa (2021), the researchers observed that smartphones were more useful in enhancing the learning outcomes of rural students and tablets were more useful in enhancing the learning outcomes of urban students. applications: with regards to evaluating the efficacy of applications in enhancing learning outcomes, through our literature review, we couldn’t find any negative association. so (2016) conducted a controlled group study among undergraduate students who had enrolled in a teacher’s training institute in hong kong. through his empirical study, he inferred that the group which used whatsapp exclusively for study purposes fared much better than the group which had used whatsapp for generic purposes. sözen & guven (2019) conducted a study among undergraduate geography students, and they observed that online tools for assessment were viewed favourably by the study group. further, rajan (2021), through his research, inferred that a mobile learning application termed “mel app” enhanced the efficacy of learning outcomes among e-learners. educational stream: from our review of previous studies, we were able to note that even the stream of students in question played a significant role in determining their efficacy with technology. bhuvaneswari, a. s. & padmanaban, t. (2012), through their study, observed that there was a definite difference in the attitude of arts and science students with regard to the usefulness of technology in learning. vajravelu and tammy (2016), through their empirical study, inferred that ict enhanced the learning outcomes of students studying calculus. another study conducted by kumar et al. (2022) in rural india observed that, among graduate and post-graduate students pursuing arts, science and commerce, students pursuing science were more adept in using ict to enhance their learning outcomes as opposed to students pursuing commerce or arts. further, another recent study conducted by sitala khan et al. (2023) also observed that there was a significant difference in the attitude between the undergraduate students of arts and science with regard to the perception of the usefulness of technology in enhancing their learning outcomes. infrastructure: from our review of previous studies, we were able to infer that ict infrastructure played a prominent role in enabling students to effectively use technology. for instance, katyetova (2023), in her study in kazakhisthan observed that ineffective ict infrastructure in kazakhistan reduced the efficacy of online learning outcomes among students. furthermore, other studies (keskin et indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 31 al.,2022; bawaneh & malkawı.,2023) have also asserted the importance of infrastructure in facilitating e-learning. educational level: another prominent variable which seems to influence e-learning outcome of students is the students’ educational level. keskin et al. (2023) in their study observed that undergraduate students were not satisfied with online learning. on the other hand, omar et al. (2021) in their study observed that undergraduate students were satisfied with online learning. demographic factors: shia et al. (2006) and upadhyaya et al. (2021) in their respective studies pertaining to online learning, observed that demographic features like school type, ethnicity and the like did not play any significant role with regards to students’ perception of online learning. community based learning: physical isolation of students from other students is one of the problems with online learning platforms. studies which have reflected on this issue have observed that structured discussion (tibi, 2018) among teachers and students along with moderated discussion among students (tibi, 2018; rehman et al., 2023) helps in enhancing their e-learning outcomes. in our research design, we have made an effort to inculcate most of the prominent variables observed in previous studies. research desıgn & methodology there are several studies which have tried to evaluate the efficacy of online learning at global level and in india. global studies (lederman, 2020; swan et al., 2020; voloshinov, 2020; opara, 2023) pertaining to online learning have substantiated that online learning does have the potential to enhance the learning outcome of students. even in the context of india, there are several studies (kumar & rangappa 2021; kumar et al., 2022; sitala et al., 2023; khan et al., 2023) which have made an attempt to evaluate the efficacy of online learning. some of the studies (thakkar & joshi, 2017) have supported online education’s potential to supplement offline learning whereas some studies (namreen & panakaje, 2022) have observed the absence of proper ict infrastructure in india to facilitate full-fledged online learning. india is a land of extremes; what is true in the context of india can be equally untrue. particularly in the backdrop of our research premise, one needs to note that: national education policy (2020) was envisaged to leverage technology to enhance the learning outcomes of students across india. in this backdrop university grants commission has given permission for 57 universities to run full-fledged online graduate and postgraduate courses in india. full-fledged online learning is a recent phenomenon in india whose waters are yet to be tested. there is scarcity of research pertaining to efficacy of full-fledged online learning in india. as karnataka became the first state in india to implement nep, we conducted our research in karnataka. we have undertaken our study to aid the government and educational institutions in drawing a better framework for designing and implementing online graduate and postgraduate courses. the preliminary objectives behind our undertaken research are as follows: 1. to identify the socio-economic and technological factors which are affecting the usefulness of technology among students. 2. to assess as to which educational stream is more favorable for implementing full-fledged online learning. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 32 3. to assess the efficacy of graduate and postgraduate students across technological parameters pertaining to online learning. 4. to analyze the formulated objectives, the corresponding hypotheses formulated for the undertaken study are as follows: hypothesis 1. both socio-economic factors and technological factors affect the usefulness of technology in enhancing students’ learning outcomes. hypothesis 2. online learning may not be equally effective for all educational streams. hypothesis 3. the efficacy of graduate and postgraduate students is likely going to differ across different technological parameters pertaining to online learning. sampling and data collection the set objectives of our study were to identify and analyze the factors which could influence online learning among graduate and post graduate students in the state of karnataka. profile of the study area: karnataka is one of the economically stronger states of india. despite being the third richest state in terms of state gross domestic product (2023), karnataka does have glaring intra-regional inequalities. due to the presence of extreme intra-regional inequalities in its various districts, we can, to some extent, to understand the efficacy of online learning across economically diverse districts based on the incidence of poverty. research methodology: the research methodology for this study focuses on understanding the efficacy of online learning across districts in karnataka, stratified by poverty incidence, using the 2021 multidimensional poverty index (mpi) from niti aayog. the districts selected represent varying levels of poverty: bangalore and mysore for the lowest poverty incidence, davangere and chitradurga for average poverty incidence, and yadgir for the highest poverty incidence. proportional sampling was employed to ensure that the number of respondents reflected the population size of each district according to the 2011 census. a total of 570 graduate and postgraduate students were surveyed, with 400 respondents from bangalore and mysore, 130 from davangere and chitradurga, and 40 from yadgir. the graduateto-postgraduate ratio was set at 2:1, mirroring national education trends, with 380 undergraduate students and 190 postgraduate students being included in the sample. data was collected through questionnaires administered in person by the researcher, ensuring consistency and accuracy in responses. the survey was conducted at various universities and colleges, including bangalore university, bangalore city university, don bosco institute of management, st. francis college (bangalore), government first grade college (mysore), davangere university, and government first grade colleges and post graduate centers in chitradurga and yadgir. the questionnaire focused on key aspects of students’ experiences with online learning during the covid-19 pandemic, including access to technology, quality of online content, learning outcomes, and overall satisfaction. the sampling methodology was designed to ensure a representative sample across districts with different poverty levels. data analysis involved using of statistical tools to compare factors like accessibility, student engagement, learning outcomes, and satisfaction with online learning across the selected districts. ethical indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 33 table-1: significance of association between socio-economic factors and usefulness of technology usefulness of technology socio economic factors low medium high total fishers’ exact /ꭓ2 p-value gender female ꭓ2 7.34 p-value: 0.025* 34 145 146 325 (50.75) (63.88) (52.90) (57.02) male 33 82 130 245 (49.25) (36.12) (47.10) (42.98) total 67 (100.00) 227 (100.00) 276 (100.00) 570 (100.00) place bangalore urban 29 80 105 214 fisher’s exact p-value: 0.000** (43.28) (35.24) (38.04) (37.54) mysore 24 71 91 186 (35.82) (31.28) (32.97) (32.63) davangere 10 52 29 91 (14.93) (22.91) (10.51) (15.96) chitradurga 01 17 21 39 (01.49) (07.49) (07.61) (06.84) yadgir 03 07 30 40 (04.48) (03.08) (10.87) (07.02) total 67 (100.00) 227 (100.00) 276 (100.00) 570 (100.00) considerations were prioritized, with informed consent obtained from all participants, confidentiality maintained through anonymized data, and voluntary participation ensured, allowing respondents the freedom to withdraw from the study at any time. this approach has tried to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the impact of socio-economic disparities on online learning in the state of karnataka. empirical analysis first objective the first objective of our study was to understand the various socio-economic factors which affected the ability of the students to leverage technology to enhance their learning outcomes. from tables 1, 2, 3 and 4 we have made an attempt to understand as to which of the socio-economic and technological factors have their influence on students’ ability to leverage technology for enhancing their learning outcomes. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 34 found technology to enhance their learning outcomes. interestingly, when it came to place, from our research we were able to infer that students who were belonging to districts like bangalore and mysore, found technology to be highly effective in enhancing their learning outcomes. this does seem logical as districts of bangalore and mysore do have better ict infrastructure as compared to rest of the districts. to the readers who are not well versed about the societal dynamics of india, we need to point out that, when it comes to caste categorization, people belonging to the general category are held in high esteem in the social hierarchy, followed by people belonging to the general (economically weaker section), other backward castes, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. through our research, we were able to infer that the caste of the student did not play any statistically significant role in determining the usefulness of technology. further, through our research, we were able to infer that the students who had a separate room for studying found technology to be highly useful in enhancing their learning outcomes. in table 2, we have made an attempt to analyze which of the digital devices were more beneficial for the students in leveraging technology to enhance their learning outcomes. caste scheduled tribe 02 09 05 16 fisher’s exact p-value: 0.531 (02.99) (03.96) (01.81) (02.81) scheduled caste 17 40 52 109 (25.37) (17.62) (18.84) (19.12) other backward caste 34 (50.75) 121 (53.30) 135 (48.91) 280 (50.88) general (poor) 00 01 02 03 (0.00) (00.44) (00.72) (00.53) general 14 56 82 152 (20.90) (24.67) (29.71) (26.67) total 67 (100.00) 227 (100.00) 276 (100.00) 570 (100.00) absent 19 111 109 239 ꭓ2 10.26 p-value: 0.006** (28.36) (48.90) (39.49) (41.93) present 48 116 167 331 (71.64) (51.10) (60.51) (58.07) total 67 (100.00) 227 (100.00) 276 (100.00) 570 (100.00) note. *p<.05, **p<.01 from table 1, we can observe that, among students, nearly 52 per cent of girls indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 35 from table 2, we couldn’t derive any statistically significant inference between the relationship between digital gadgets and usefulness of technology. in table 3, we have made an attempt to understand as to which of the digital applications normally used by students were more useful for them in leveraging technology to enhance their learning outcomes. table-2: significance of the association between digital gadgets and the usefulness of technology usefulness of technology digital gadgets low medium high total fishers’ exact /ꭓ2 p-value mobile not using 05 06 06 17 ꭓ2 5.36 p-value: 0.069 (07.46) (02.64) (02.17) (02.98) using 62 221 270 553 (92.54) (97.36) (97.83) (97.02) total 67 (100.00) 227 (100.00) 276 (100.00) 570 (100.00) tablet not using 67 225 269 561 fisher’s exact p-value: 0.251 (100.00) (99.12) (97.46) (98.42) using 00 02 07 09 (00.00) (00.88) (02.54) (01.58) total 67 (100.00) 227 (100.00) 276 (100.00) 570 (100.00) personal computer not using 65 222 263 550 fisher’s exact p-value: 0.316 (97.01) (97.80) (95.29) (96.49) using 02 05 13 20 (02.99) (02.20) (04.71) (03.51) total 67 (100.00) 227 (100.00) 276 (100.00) 570 (100.00) laptop not using 57 200 228 485 ꭓ2 2.96 p-value: 0.227 (85.07) (88.11) (82.61) (85.09) using 10 27 48 85 (14.93) (11.89) (17.39) (14.91) total 67 (100.00) 227 (100.00) 276 (100.00) 570 (100.00) note. *p<.05, **p<.01 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 36 table-3: significance of association between digital applications and usefulness of technology usefulness of technology digital applications low medium high total fishers’ exact /ꭓ2 p-value youtube not using 10 17 45 72 ꭓ2 9.13 p-value: 0.010* (14.93) (07.49) (16.30) (12.63) using 57 210 231 498 (85.07) (92.51) (83.70) (87.37) total 67 (100.00) 227 (100.00) 276 (100.00) 570 (100.00) educational websites not using 13 27 39 79 ꭓ2 2.47 p-value: 0.290 (19.40) (11.89) (14.13) (13.86) using 54 200 237 491 (80.60) (88.11) (85.87) (86.14) total 67 (100.00) 227 (100.00) 276 (100.00) 570 (100.00) educational applications not using 40 96 118 254 ꭓ2 7.05 p-value: 0.029* (59.70) (42.29) (42.75) (44.56) using 27 131 158 316 (40.30) (57.71) (57.25) (55.44) total 67 (100.00) 227 (100.00) 276 (100.00) 570 (100.00) video applications not using 16 48 68 132 ꭓ2 p-value: 0.645 (23.88) (21.15) (24.64) (23.16) using 51 179 208 438 (76.12) (78.85) (75.36) (76.84) total 67 (100.00) 227 (100.00) 276 (100.00) 570 (100.00) note. *p<.05, **p<.01 from table 3, we can observe that among digital applications, youtube and educational websites had a statistically significant relationship with regard to the usefulness of technology among students. interestingly, video conferencing apps and educational websites were not found to have any statistically significant impact on enhancing the learning outcomes of students. in table 4, we have made an attempt to analyze which other technological factors enhanced the impact of technology in enhancing the learning outcome of students. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 37 table-4: significance of association between other technological factors and usefulness of technology usefulness of technology other digital factors low medium high total fishers’ exact /ꭓ2 p-value coverage bad 12 33 25 70 ꭓ2 26.62 p-value: 0.000** (17.91) (14.54) (09.06) (12.28) satisfactory 31 108 89 228 (46.27) (47.58) (32.25) (40.00) good 24 86 162 272 (35.82) (37.89) (58.70) (47.72) total 67 (100.00) 227 (100.00) 276 (100.00) 570 (100.00) access of electricity bad 05 13 10 28 ꭓ2 18.28 p-value: 0.001** (07.46) (05.73) (03.62) (04.91) satisfactory 24 91 68 183 (35.82) (40.09) (24.64) (32.11) good 38 123 198 359 (56.72) (54.19) (71.74) (62.98) total 67 (100.00) 227 (100.00) 276 (100.00) 570 (100.00) device(s) enhances learning no 18 41 12 71 ꭓ2 72.79 p-value: 0.000** (26.87) (18.06) (04.35) (12.46) maybe 33 101 81 215 (49.25) (44.49) (29.35) (37.72) yes 16 85 183 284 (23.88) (37.44) (66.30) (49.82) total 67 (100.00) 227 (100.00) 276 (100.00) 570 (100.00) ownership of device internet café 05 00 05 10 fisher’s exact p-value: 0.005** (07.46) (0.00) (01.81) (01.75) neighbour 01 01 07 09 (01.49) (00.44) (02.54) (01.58) student’s family 16 63 68 147 (23.88) (27.75) (24.64) (25.79) student 45 163 196 404 (67.16) (71.81) (71.01) (70.88) total 67 (100.00) 227 (100.00) 276 (100.00) 570 (100.00) note. *p<.05, **p<.01 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 38 table-5: significance of association between educational streams and online learning online learning educational stream low medium high total fishers’ exact /ꭓ2 p-value educational stream arts 21 53 88 162 fisher’s exact p-value: 0.001** (12.96) (32.72) (54.32) (100.00) commerce 46 139 159 344 (13.37) (40.41) (46.22) (100.00) science 00 35 29 064 (00.00) (54.69) (45.31) (100.00) total 67 (11.75) 227 (39.82) 276 (48.42) 570 (100.00) note. *p<.05, **p<.01 from table 4, we can observe that there is a statistically significant relationship between network coverage and availibility of electricity with usefulness of technology among students. majority of the students who had access to good network facility (58.70 per cent) and had greater access to electricity (71.14 per cent) found technology to be more useful in enhancing their learning endeavour. further, from table 4, we can observe that use and ownership of devices also had statistically significant relationship with usefulness of technology among students. 66.30 per cent of students perceived that digital devices enhanced their learning outcomes. 71.01 per cent of students who owned their own digital devices strongly felt that technology enhanced their learning outcomes. second objective through our second objective, we wanted to analyze as to which educational stream was more conducive to full-fledged online courses in india. hence, we tested the significance of the association between educational streams and the usefulness of technology through chi-square. the results are summarized in table 5. from table 5, we can observe that educational stream did have statistically significant relationship with online learning among students. particularly students belonging to arts stream (54.32 per cent) strongly believed that online learning could enhance their learning outcomes, which was followed by students belonging to commerce stream (46.22 per cent) and students belonging to science stream (45.31 per cent). third objective through our third objective, we wanted to assess the efficacy of graduate and post-graduate students across various technological parameters pertaining to online learning. to analyze the same, we constructed a binomial logistic regression model. to test the stability and the reliability of the model, we have relied upon the psuedo r square, the hosmer-lemeshow test for goodness of fit and the proportion by chance criterion. the results of the reliability tests are summarized in subsequent tables. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 39 from table 6, we can observe that, the pseudo r square of our model is 0.24. according to mcfadden (1977, p.35), if the value of pseudo r square is in the range of 0.2 to 0.4, then the constructed model is supposed to the pseudo r square presented in table 6, we can infer that our model has a ble 6, we can infer that our model has good fit. table-6: stability of the model binomial logistic regression total number of observations 570 log likeihood=-273.27567 lr ꭓ2 (20) 179.07 prob>ꭓ2 0.0000** pseudo r2 0.2468 note. *p<.05, **p<.01 table-7: case processing summary case processing summary educational level categorical outcome number of observations marginal percentage under graduate 380 66 post graduate 190 33 total 570 100 the accuracy of the model can be checked by proportion by chance criterion. the benchmark accuracy of our model is estimated to be: 1.25 * {(0.66*0.66) + (0.33*0.33)} = 0.694 or 69.4 per cent table-8: estimated accuracy of the model  observed outcome predicted graduate (0) postgraduate (1) percentage correct graduate (0) 338 42 88.9 postgraduate (1) 99 91 47.9 overall percentage 75.3 from table 8, we can observe that, the estimated accuracy of our model is 75.3 per cent, which is greater than the estimated accuracy of our model i.e., 69.4 per cent. thus, it implies that the prediction of our model is reliable. the estimation of our binomial logistic regression model is presented in table 9. from table 9, we can observe that students belonging to the science stream are more likely to pursue a master’s, followed by students belonging to commerce and students belonging to arts. when it comes to gender, girls are more likely to pursue post-graduation as opposed to boys. among the students who have independent rooms, they indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 40 are more likely to be undergraduate students as opposed to postgraduate students. if students use youtube more frequently to learn, they are more likely to be undergraduate students rather than postgraduate students. on the other hand, if the students are using educational apps and educational websites, they are more likely to be postgraduate students. furthermore, if students find educational websites more useful, they are more likely to be postgraduate students. table-9: estimation of binomial logistic regression model (undergraduate student is taken as base reference category)  education level (base undergraduate students) coeffecient std. err. z p>|z| education stream coded 1.020651 0.1971537 5.18 0.000** gender -1.222171 0.2297383 -5.32 0.000** caste -0.122689 0.0954839 -1.28 0.199 independentroom -0.500189 0.2231010 -2.24 0.025* mobile -0.463535 0.6048716 -0.77 0.443 tablet 1.240407 0.8447653 1.47 0.142 pc 0.970338 0.5842075 1.66 0.097 laptop -0.121342 0.3235700 -0.38 0.708 deviceownercode 0.365894 0.1998225 1.83 0.067 availibilityofelectricity -0.118763 0.1921091 -0.62 0.536 youtube -1.999567 0.4381815 -4.56 0.000** educationalwebsites -0.510924 0.4476940 -1.14 0.254 educationalapps 0.620659 0.2309380 2.69 0.007** youtubeuseful 0.249736 0.1559678 1.6 0.109 educational websitesuseful 0.718548 0.1532507 4.69 0.000** video conferencing apps useful -0.142563 0.1152581 -1.24 0.216 readingway 0.390279 0.2362956 1.65 0.099 devices enhanced learning 0.169491 0.1771462 0.96 0.339 technical problems inonlineclass -0.26543 0.2158786 -1.23 0.219 usefulness of technology -0.045167 0.1789673 -0.25 0.801 _cons -1.089080 0.8490684 -1.28 0.200 note. *p<.05, **p<.01 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 41 hypothesis 1 both socio-economic factors and technological factors affect the usefulness of technology in enhancing students’ learning outcomes. through our study, we were able to ascertain that, socio-economic and technological factors did affect the extent to which technology was useful in enhancing the learning outcomes of students. pertaining to social factors, gender, place and independent room were found to be affecting the usefulness of technology among students. with regards to gender, we found that girls are more likely to be effective in leveraging technology for enhancing their learning outcomes. hence, they would benefit more from online courses as opposed to boys. with regards to place, bangalore and mysore were found to be more conducive for implementing online courses. incidentally, bangalore and mysore have the lowest incidence of poverty along with high-tier ict infrastructure. so, in this backdrop, the extent to which online learning can help in addressing regional imbalances, particularly with regard to education, is an issue of concern. with regards to privacy, from our study, we were able to infer that students who had access to independent study rooms were able to effectively use technology to enhance their learning outcomes. pertaining to technological factors, we were able to statistically ascertain that digital devices, ownership of digital devices, access to a better networks and availability of electricity enhanced the usefulness of technology in the students’ learning endeavour. hypothesis 2 online learning may not be equally effective for all educational streams. from our study, we were able to infer that students belonging to the arts stream found online learning to be more conducive to enhancing their learning outcome, which was followed by students belonging to the commerce and science streams, respectively. hypothesis 3 the efficacy of graduate and postgraduate students is likely going to differ across different technological parameters pertaining to online learning. from the binomial logit model, we were able to infer that graduate and postgraduate students did differ across different technological parameters pertaining to online learning. youtube format of learning was likely to be more favoured by undergraduate students, and educational apps-based learning was more favoured by postgraduate students. in addition to that, from our study, we were able to infer that educational websites were more likely to be useful for postgraduate students. policy implications at the beginning of 2023, the university grants commission of india took the bold step of giving permission for 57 indian universities to run online undergraduate and postgraduate courses. for a vast country like india, in which the graduate and postgraduate populace comprises merely 8 per cent and 4 per cent of the total populace, the initiative undertaken by the university grants commission should be deemed commendable. when we observed the courses which were to be taught through online mode, there were courses pertaining to science, arts and commerce streams. furthermore, the districts in which the universities were offering the said courses spanned from rich to poor. in india, rich districts are characterized by superior socioindian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 42 economic infrastructure as compared to poor districts. in this regard, through the undertaken study, we wanted to analyze how feasible online courses were across different districts of varied economic prosperity, across different educational streams and across students of different educational levels. as the state of karnataka was the first state in india to implement a new national education policy, we chose to conduct our study in the different districts of the state of karnataka, spanning from districts having the lowest incidence of poverty to districts having the highest incidence of poverty. through analyzing the students who had undergone at least one semester of full-fledged online courses during the covid-19 pandemic across different districts of karnataka, we wanted to analyze the feasibility of the implementation of online graduate and postgraduate courses. the policy implications of our study with regard to the technical, academic and social feasibility of the courses are summarized as follows: 1. subsidizing online education for girls in india, there is conspicuous gender divide in among boys and girls in social, economic and academic dimensions. through our study we noted that the girls were able to leverage technology in a better manner to enhance their learning outcome as opposed to boys. in this backdrop, if girls were to be subsidized by government for online education, it could help in bridging the gender divide and heralding inclusive social development. 2. create conducive tele commnication infrastructure in districts with high incidence of poverty further, when it came to districts under consideration, through our study, we were able to analyze that online education was more conducive to districts like bangalore and mysore, which incidentally had the lowest incidence of poverty. being economically welloff districts, they have better ict infrastructure. thus, online learning is bound to be more effective in districts with better ict infrastructure. through our research, we were able to ascertain that better network facilities and better availability of electricity enhanced the learning outcomes of students. thus, to enhance the efficacy of online learning, the government must enhance the infrastructural facilities pertaining to ict in districts with higher incidences of poverty. 3. provide digital gadgets to students through our research, we were able to infer that the usefulness of technology among students not only depended on using digital devices but also depended on the ownership of digital devices. in this regard, if the concerned state governments could either subsidize or provide credit lines for students pursuing online courses to procure their own digital gadgets, particularly for students who are residing in districts with high incidences of poverty, that initiative could go a long way in enhancing the effectiveness of online learning among students. 4. full-fledged online under graduate and postgraduate courses are more conducive for students pursuing subjects of arts stream rather than those of commerce or science. through our research, we were able to infer that students indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 43 pursuing arts or humanities streams felt more comfortable in leveraging technology for online learning as opposed to students pursuing commerce or science. this does seem logical, as teaching theoretical subjects would be easier to teach and learn through online mode. hence, we would recommend full-fledged online programmes for theoretical subjects rather than technical or lab-oriented subjects, 5. more interactive online curricula are required for undergraduate students through our study, we were able to infer that educational apps and youtube enhanced the learning outcomes of students. thus, while designing online courses for undergraduate students, it would be better for the universities to compose relatively more audiovisual-based interactive content rather than just online literary material for students pursuing undergraduate courses. this would enhance the learning efficiency among undergraduate students (hegeman, 2015; trespalacios et al, 2020;). 6. professional development for educators: to ensure the success of online education, there is a pressing need to invest in the professional development of educators. training programs should focus on effective online teaching strategies, digital pedagogy, and the use of technology in the classroom. supporting teachers in adopting innovative teaching methods will enhance the overall quality of online courses and improve student outcomes. 7. monitoring and evaluation of online programs: establishing robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks for online courses is essential (kumar and rangappa, 2021; keskin et al, 2023a). regular assessments should be conducted to measure the effectiveness of these programs, identify areas for improvement, and ensure that educational standards are maintained. feedback mechanisms involving students and educators can provide valuable insights for continuous improvement, ensuring that online education remains relevant and effective in meeting learners’ needs. 8. incorporating local context and relevance: online curricula should be designed to incorporate local context and cultural relevance to better engage students (goundar and bimal, 2022). by integrating regional examples, case studies, and local languages, universities can make online learning more relatable and effective for students from diverse backgrounds. this approach not only enhances engagement but also fosters a sense of belonging among students. 9. promoting lifelong learning and skill development: given the rapid changes in job markets and industry requirements, online education should focus on lifelong learning and skill development. institutions should offer flexible online courses and modules that cater to working professionals and non-traditional students looking to upskill or reskill. promoting such initiatives can help bridge the gap between indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 44 education and employability, ensuring that learners remain competitive in the workforce. conclusion and way forward india is a vast and diverse country. education in india is not just about knowledge, but it is also about social mobility along with a chance of having a better life and livelihood. at the same time, providing quality education for the emerging aspirational middle class is no less a daunting task for the nation and its government. in this regard, commencing full-fledged online courses by traditional universities can not only help provide affordable education for the masses but also help increase the productivity and efficiency of talented and gifted teachers. in this light, the permission provided by india’s university grants commission for 57 indian universities to run full-fledged online graduate and postgraduate courses is truly a commendable step in the right direction. the online courses are supposed to start from the academic year 2023-24 onwards. our research was a preemptive analysis to evaluate the feasibility of such a program based on the responses taken from undergraduate and postgraduate students who were forced to undergo online courses during the covid-19 pandemic for at least one semester. subsequent cross-sectional studies across various regions and states would shed more light on the issues that need to be addressed to enhance the efficacy of such online programs. regardless of the issues to be ironed out, few would disagree about the potential of online courses to promote inclusive education, particularly in a vast and diverse country like india. further cross-sectional studies across regions and states will be essential to 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(2020). realities and prospects of distance learning at higher education institutions of ukraine. ukrainian journal of educational studies and information technology. 8. 1-16. 10.32919/uesit.2020.01.01. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 133 research article digital competence among school teachers in nagaland state: differences with reference to type of management, work experience, and subject taught yangermenla jamir1& m. rajendra nath babu2 1research scholar, department of teacher education, nagaland university (a central university), kohima campus, meriema, nagaland 2assistant professor, department of teacher education, nagaland university (a central university), kohima campus, meriema, nagaland email-mrnb.svu@gmail.com abstract the purpose of this study is to examine the digital competence among the school teachers in nagaland state with reference to the type of management, work experience, and subject taught. a total of 400 teachers participated in the study. the sampling method of study is multi-stage random sampling method. the digital competence scale for teachers (dcst) was used as a data collection tool in the study. the study revealed that private school teachers have higher digital competence. the study also revealed a significant difference among the school teachers about work experience, the school teachers having less than 2 years were found to have higher digital competence than those teachers having more years of work experience. with regard to the results of the subject taught, it is evident that there seems to be no significant difference among the school teachers teaching different subjects. keywords: digital competence, school teachers, management, work experience, subject taught introduction with the progression of digital technology in education, there has been a paradigm shift in the education system throughout the world. it is proceeding from the traditional methods of teachercentered learning to modern learnercentered teaching methods. today, students learn facts, skills, knowledge, and attitudes from computers, the internet, and social media. technology has created a significant difference in various processes related to education. digitalization of education includes using digital tools and technologies for educational administration, the teaching and learning process, evaluation, research, and extension activities. teaching and learning through digital technology is playing an increasingly vital role in assisting teachers meet many of the expectations of today’s technological world by providing innovative teaching tools, access to information, global collaboration opportunities, and alternative ways to professional development that have consistently resulted in the enhancement of the educational development of many nations. technology has heralded the development and implementation of new and innovative teaching strategies in higher education. globally, there is an increasing demand for skilled teachers to prepare students to lead successful lives in a technology-infused, knowledge-based society. technology offers teachers the keys to unlock a huge world of opportunities available to meet the demands of the education indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 134 system across the world. one of the most acceptable ways of learning being practised nowadays is learning through digital technology. shipra (2020) the university grants commission (ugc) is encouraging the development of e-contents for all subjects. teachers can also use online courses like modular object-oriented dynamic learning environment (moodle) and massive open online courses (moocs) such as swayam, coursera, edix, udacity, future learn, novoed, canvas, etc ., to develop their ict based lessons. software like m.s.word , excel spreadsheets, spss, publisher, vlc media player, youtube, clip-grab, etc. can be used by the teachers for their techno-pedagogical needs. the internet has a vast variety of e-resources such as e-mail, group mail, podcasting, e-portfolios, e-learning platforms, audiovisual resources and multimedia, blogs and library websites like eric (education resources information center) books, online databases, gateways and portals, e-journals, e-reports, websites and home pages like central institute of educational technology (ciet) is a unit of the national council of educational research and training (ncert), yahoo, google, bing, aol, altavista, excite, lycos, etc., can also be used by the teachers as ict resources for their techno-pedagogic teaching. teachers and students can use open educational resources (oer) these are public domain resources or resources that can be used under an intellectual property license that allows re-use or adaptation e.g., creative commons for their teaching/ learning process. oer can be used as educational resources by all, especially those in resource-poor environments to achieve quality education. digital competence consists of various skills and competencies and its scope covers media and communication, technology and computing, literacy, and information science. digital competence consists of technical skills and abilities to use digital technologies in a meaningful way for working, studying, and for daily life in various general activities, abilities to critically evaluate digital technologies, and motivation to participate in the digital era. literature review anjali shokeen et al.,(2022) found that attitude & self-efficacy, required skills & knowledge, practical experiences of using technology, and access to technology are the factors that majorly influence pre-service teachers’ digital competence. himangshu et al., (2022) found no significant difference between male and female teachers in access and use of ict in the teachinglearning process. nandhakumar & govindarajan (2022) found that significant effects like digital pedagogy in the teaching-learning process led to the effective teaching competency of the b.ed. students in physical science. mohalik (2020) study intended to find out the level of digital literacy and its uses among teacher trainees at the secondary level. this study indicates that teacher training institutes are equipped with digital devices and the majority of trainees have a smartphone with a data plan. the study also indicates that trainees are using digital devices during the internship in the teaching programme for planning lessons, preparing teaching-learning materials, and presenting the lesson. yazon et al., (2019) showed that there is a strong and significant relationship between faculty members’ digital literacy and research productivity. lagarto et al., (2018) found that there was a significant improvement in the number of teachers who have undergone information and communication technologies training vázquez-cano et al., (2017) found that males had greater perceived competence in digital cartography and indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 135 online presentations, whereas females preferred to request personal tutorials to resolve doubts about technology and had greater perceived competence in corporate emailing. dangwal and srivastava (2016) discussed the role of digital pedagogy in the indian teacher education system. they concluded that every teacher must ensure technological integration, pedagogy, and subject area content effectively in their classroom teaching. grünwald et al., (2016) found that university teachers had the optimal level of competence in media and equipment, media literacy, and teaching staff motivation but showed a low-level competence that requires specific professional knowledge in courses, didactics, and instructional design, learning management systems and e-moderation. kimmons (2015) conducted a study on technology integration coursework and finding meaning in pre-service teachers’ reflective practice and suggested that they need to have good command over accessing, creating, and effectively utilizing such digital resources to get their learners acquainted with a better understanding of its meaningful exploitation. srivastava and bisht (2015) revealed that the majority of the pre-service teachers have a positive attitude towards the use of ict and they are competent in the use of a few basic ict tools. the study also indicated no significant difference between male and female pre-service teachers’ competence and attitudes toward ict. shabana tabusum et al., (2014) findings of the study revealed that the students were digitally literate and the majority of them were average in computer literacy level. kumbar and pattanshetti (2013) examined the essential competencies of indian school librarians in the digital age and found that competence and collaboration are the key factors that may determine the professional growth and contribution the school librarians and with proper training, they may become the main link between digital resources and users. magdaş and bontea (2011) developed educational software for developing digital skills among students of xii grade of a technical profile. they found that the use of educational software and computer-assisted instruction in teaching and learning contributes to a significant increase of the efficiency of education. objectives of the study 1. to study the difference in digital competence scores among school teachers with respect to management. 2. to study the difference in digital competence scores among school teachers with respect to work experience. 3. to study the difference in digital competence scores among school teachers with respect to the subject taught. hypotheses of the study 1. there is no significant difference between government and private school teachers towards digital competence scores. 2. there is no significant difference in digital competence among school teachers with reference to work experience. 3. there is no significant difference in digital competence scores among school teachers with reference to the subject taught. methodology research design: a research design program guides the investigator in collecting, analyzing, and interpreting observations. it thus provides a systematic plan of procedure for the indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 136 researcher to follow. (krishnaswami & ranganatham, 2016) research method: for the present study descriptive method was used. descriptive studies are primarily concerned with finding out “what is”. to obtain quantitative data, the digital competence scale for teachers (dcst) developed by ramkrishna (2017) and the personal data sheet prepared by the researchers to obtain the qualitative data, were applied to the school teachers. population and sample: the population of the present study comprised all teachers working in high schools and higher secondary schools of bo1th government and private schools in nagaland. the sample used in the present study is 400 school teachers which comprise 128 male and 272 female school teachers who were the sample subjects. for the present study, multi-stage random sampling technique was adopted to select the school teachers of both government and private schools. data collection tools: 1) personal data sheet: personal data sheet prepared by the researchers consist of questions such as the name of the teacher, name of the school, management of the school, years of work experience, and subject taught. to gather information about the teachers who are the subjects in the study. 2) digital competence scale for teachers (dcst): the tool which was used by the investigator in the present study was digital competence scale for teachers (dcst) developed and standardized by ramkrishna (2017) was adopted and used by the researchers to determine the difference in digital competence about gender, age and educational qualifications. the scale consisted of 50 items and the major factors included in this scale are: a. knowledge of digital practices, b. expertise in using digital technology for teaching learning, c. evaluating and authorizing online information, d. managing and communicating digital data, e. collaborating and sharing digital data for teaching learning. application and data collection: the investigators personally met the school teachers and asked them to volunteer to participate in the study conducted. each of them was given sufficient time to reflect on the question while answering them so that they could understand each and every question properly before they answer them. after collecting the data, tabulation of the information according to the objectives and subsequent evaluation of the data was done. data analysis: in this context, in the analysis of the data; independent t-test, anova were used. data analysis and interpretation digital competence and management: to find out the significant difference, the data has been analysed and interpreted using descriptive statistics such as mean, and standard deviation. the hypothesis is tested by employing the “t” test. the value of “t” was set at 1.96 for the significance level with df = 398. it is presented in the table below. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 137 table-1: mean score, sd and tvalue of digital competence scores between government and private school teachers variable and its dimensions management n mean s.d t-value knowledge of digital practices government 185 44.88 7.859 4.252* private 215 48.25 7.920 expertise in using digital technology for teaching learning government 185 45.57 6.537 7.262* private 215 50.43 6.789 evaluating and authorizing online information government 185 36.19 5.746 5.947* private 215 39.79 6.250 managing and communicating digital data government 185 29.92 4.650 5.305* private 215 32.31 4.325 collaborating and sharing digital data for teaching learning government 185 31.42 4.332 5.325* private 215 34.15 5.722 digital competence score government 185 187.98 26.263 6.256* private 215 204.92 27.617 note: table value for 398 df at 0.05 level= 1.96 @ indicates not significant at 0.05 level and * indicates significant at 0.05 level from table-1 overall data shows the mean score of digital competence of government teachers is 187.98 and the mean score of private teachers is 204.92. this indicates the difference of mean score of 16.94 which is in favour of private school teachers and shows that private school teachers have higher digital competence than private school teachers. again a result from the above table shows the observed t-value is 6.256 is higher than the table value (1.96) with 398 df at 0.05 level of significance. it indicates that there is a significant difference in digital competence with respect to government and private school teachers. the stated null hypothesis, “there is no significant difference between government and private school teachers towards digital competence scores” is not accepted. thus the result revealed that the private school teachers have higher digital competence than the school teachers working in government schools. the probable reason may be that in private schools the teachers performance is being monitored as a result private school teachers are updated with modern teaching methods which is lacking in government schools. digital competence and work experience: the secondary school teachers were classified as having work experience, less than 2 years, 2 years to 5 years, 6 years to 10 years, 11 years and above, and the results are given in table2. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 138 table-2: summary of analysis of variance digital competence scores on school teachers based on the work experience variable and its dimensions sum of squares mean of squares f value knowledge of digital practices between groups 270.927 4.310* within groups 62.865 expertise in using digital technology for teaching learning between groups 244.536 5.058* within groups 48.347 evaluating and authorizing online information between groups 38.193 0.969@ within groups 39.405 managing and communicating digital data between groups 52.757 2.500* within groups 21.104 collaborating and sharing digital data for teaching learning between groups 27.058 0.963@ within groups 28.090 digital competence score between groups 2119.843 2.700* within groups 785.237 note: table value for (4,395) df at 0.05 level= 2.39 @ indicates not significant at 0.05 level and * indicates significant at 0.05 level the above table-2 shows that the calculated value of f is 2.700 which is greater than the table value of 2.39 at 0.05 level of significance with (4,395) df. hence, we do not accept the null hypothesis, “there is no significant difference in digital competence among school teachers with reference to work experience.”. we may, therefore, conclude that there is a significant difference in digital competence with years of work experience among school teachers in nagaland. the observed result shows that the teachers having less than 2 years have more digital competence than teachers having more years of teaching experience. this may be because the newly added teacher was more proficient in using digital devices and was able to prepare the lesson and get more information about the content. overall data shows the mean scores of digital competence with respect to categories of years of work experience, i.e., less than 2 years and 2 years to 5 years is 205.43 and 202.12 respectively, 6 years to 10 years and 11 years and above mean scores is 195.95 and 192.15 each. lastly, the mean scores of other categories are 200.33. this indicates that school teachers with less than 2 years of working experience have higher digital competence. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 139 digital competence and subject taught: table-3: summary of analysis of variance digital competence scores on school teachers based on the subject taught variable and its dimensions sum of squares mean of squares f value knowledge of digital practices between groups 176.786 2.770* within groups 63.819 expertise in using digital technology for teaching learning between groups 17.157 0.339@ within groups 50.649 evaluating and authorizing online information between groups 26.808 0.678@ within groups 39.520 managing and communicating digital data between groups 36.370 1.710@ within groups 21.270 collaborating and sharing digital data for teaching learning between groups 15.178 0.538@ within groups 28.211 digital competence score between groups 669.246 0.837@ within groups 799.926 note: table value for (4,395) df at 0.05 level= 2.39 @ indicates not significant at 0.05 level and * indicates significant at 0.05 level the above table-3 shows that the calculated value of f is .837 which is lower than the table value of 2.39 at 0.05 level of significance with (4,395) df. hence, we accept the null hypothesis, “there is no significant difference in digital competence scores among school teachers with reference to the subject taught”. we may, therefore, conclude that there is no significant difference in digital competence among school teachers about subjects taught in dimapur district. the results also depicts that teachers teaching mathematics subject have slightly higher digital competence than teachers teaching other subject the probable reason may be that mathematics subject is mostly considered a dull and difficult subject to many students therefore the teacher may be using digital tools to arouse the interest of the students in this subject which have resulted in higher digital competence among the school teachers. overall data shows the mean scores of digital competence concerning the subject taught i.e., the mean scores of mathematics and science are 200.98 and 200.58 respectively, and social studies and languages mean scores are 196.03 and 193.80 each. lastly, the mean scores of other categories are 196.95. thus it can be concluded that school teachers teaching mathematics subject has slightly higher digital competence than school teachers teaching other subjects. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 140 discussion, educational implications and conclusion discussion according to the results of digital competence among school teachers with reference to management, there is a significant difference in digital competence between government school teachers and private school teachers. thus, private school teachers have higher digital competence when compared to teachers working in government schools. this may be due to better awareness and better infrastructure along with regular supervision in private schools as compared to government schools. another finding of the present study observed that there is a significant difference among school teachers regarding work experience. among the categories such as less than 2 years, 2 years to 5 years, 6 years to 10 years, 11 years and above, and others, the school teachers having less than 2 years were found to have higher digital competence than those with more work experience. this may be because those school teachers comprise young and fresh graduates who are experts in ict. contradictory results have, however, also been reported by benali et al. (2018) where the findings reveal that teachers with higher levels of digital teaching confidence are those with more years of experience. through this study, the researcher also identified that there were no significant differences among school teachers with reference to their subject taught. however, mathematics subject school teachers are found to have slightly higher digital competence than other subject teachers namely science, social science, english and other subject teachers. the probable reason may be because mathematics subject is mostly considered as a dull and challenging subject to many students therefore the teacher may be using digital tools in order to arouse the interest of the students in this subject which may have resulted in higher digital competence among the school teachers. these findings contradict the findings of kozuh et al. (2021) which show that science and technology teachers apply digital tools while teaching more frequently than other subject teachers. educational implications of the study any research is useful and meaningful as long as it is fruitful in adapting to current educational changes and providing insights to guide the field in question to a higher level of achievement. an attempt was made to explore teachers’ digital literacy regarding administration, work experience, and subjects taught. this study makes several valuable contributions to the educational system and the learning process of education as far as teacher quality is concerned. following are the main implications of this study: 1. the results indicate that those teachers with higher digital competence which comprise of young and fresh graduates tend to perform better and more effectively than those with lower levels of digital competence. schools, school education departments, and governments at large should therefore take appropriate steps to provide regular digital literacy training to school teachers working in both public and private schools. 2. the importance of digital empowerment and ict training of school teachers for quality education should be recognized by all concerned stakeholders to adapt to the urgency of the digitalization of education systems. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 141 3. this research is of great importance because the digital skills of school teachers are a new trend in the education system to increase professional efficiency in teaching and to provide quality education to students. 4. special efforts should be made to raise awareness of digital literacy among school teachers. 5. school education departments should take the lead in providing in-service training courses for secondary school teachers to improve their digital literacy skills. conclusion the study investigated the level of digital competence among school teachers. the sample of 400 teachers was drawn from the school teachers working in government and private schools in dimapur district. a glance at the findings of the result reveals that private school teachers have higher digital competence. it was also revealed that there is a significant difference among the school teachers with reference to work experience. the school teachers having less than 2 years of experience were found to have higher digital competence than those having more work experience. this study makes several valuable contributions to the education system regarding teacher quality. this research has significant educational implications related to teacher digital literacy and some of its key determinants. in today’s world of increasing economic globalization and the digitization of education, there is an urgency to improve the digital competencies of teachers so that they can inspire new generations through well-informed guidance and decisions in educational practice. references shokeen, a. & kaur, b. (2022). factors influencing digital competence of pre-service teachers: a systematic review of literature, indian journal of educational technology , 4 (1), 218 – 229. benali, m., kaddouri, m., & azzimani, t. (2018). digital competence of moroccan teachers of english. international journal of education and development using information and communication technology, 14 (2), 99-120. dangwal, k. l., & srivastava, s. (2016). digital pedagogy in teacher education. international journal of information science and computing, 3(2), 67-72 gruenwald, n., pfaffenberger, k., melnikova, j., zaščerinska, j. & ahrens, a. (2016). a study on digital teaching competence of university teachers from lithuania and latvia within the peesa project. andragogika, 1(7), 109-123 doi: 10.15181/andragogy.v7i0.1380 https://www. researchgate.net/publication/311655078 retrieved 8-5-2018. sarma, h. s. & baruah, r. (2022). access, use and integration of information and communication technology among government school teachers of jorhat district, assam: a status study on trends and problems, indian journal of educational technology , 4 (2), 104 113 kimmons, r., miller, b. g., amador, j., desjardins, c. d., & hall, c. (2015). technology integration coursework and finding meaning in pre-service teachers’ reflective practice. technology research and development, 63(6), 809–829. kožuh, a., maksimović, j., & zajić, j. o. (2021). fourth industrial revolution and digital competences of teachers. world journal on educational technology , 13 (2), 160-177. krishnaswami, o. r., & ranganatham, m. (2016). methodology of research in social sciences. mumbai: himalaya publishing house pvt.ltd. kumbar, r. & pattanshetti, d. (2013). essential competencies of indian school librarians in indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 142 the digital age: a study. retrieved from http://library.ifla.org at 3-11-2014. lagarto, j. r., & lopes, m. d. l. (2018). digital literacy teachers of the 2nd and 3rd cycles of viseu (portugal) county schools. revista brasileira de educação, 23, 128. magdaş, i. & bontea, t. (2011). developing digital competences using educational software. a pedagogical research acta didactica napocensia, 4(4), 31-48. mohalik, r. (2020). digital literacy and its use by teacher trainess at secondary level in odisha. randwick international of education and linguistics science (riels) journal, 1( 2), 226234. nandhakumar, r., & govindarajan, k. (2022). effectiveness of digital pedagogy on teaching competency in physical science among b.ed. students with special reference. indian journal of educational technology , 4 (1), 52 – 61. shipra, s. (2020). digital competence and life skills: a study of higher education teachers [ph.d. thesis, university of lucknow]. university of lucknow, https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/ handle/10603/285777# srivastava, s. & bisht, d. (2015). competence and attitude of pre-service teacher’s towards ict. in k. l. dangwal and m. d. singh (ed.) skills to excel in higher education (pp.79-89). lucknow: vedant publications. tabusum, s. s. z., a. saleem & sadik, m. b. (2014). digital literacy awareness among arts and science college students in tiruvallur district: a study. international journal of managerial studies and research, 2(4), 61-67. vázquez-cano, e., meneses, e. l., & garcía-garzón, e. (2017). differences in basic digital competences between male and female university students of social sciences in spain. international journal of educational technology in higher education, 14(1), 27. yazon, a. d, ang-manaig, k., buama, c. a., & tesoro, j. f. (2019). digital literacy, digital competence and research productivity of educators. universal journal of educational research, 7(8), 1734-1743. doi:10.13189/ujer.2019.070812 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 193 research article effectiveness of blended learning approach on the academic achievements of learners: a meta-analytical study gautam kumar1,sumit gangwar2 & rashmi mehrotra3 1research scholar, faculty of education, teerthanker mahaveer university, moradabad email : gautamkumar.edu11@gmail.com 2assistant professor, faculty of education, teerthanker mahaveer university, moradabad 3professor & principal, faculty of education, teerthanker mahaveer university, moradabad abstract this study’s major goal was to conduct a meta-analysis of previous research on how well the blended learning strategy affected students’ academic success. the samples for this analysis were chosen by the researcher using the purposive sampling method. keeping in mind that google search was used to get every study from 2015 to 2021. the researcher chose 20 of these articles to examine how well a blended learning method affected the student’s academic successes. the average effect size was established after quantitative data was gathered from particular research publications and transformed into an industry-standard scale, i.e., effect size, using meta essentials software. the average impact size across all studies was determined to be 1.46. (large effect size). these results allow us to conclude that blended learning approaches significantly improve students’ academic performance. keywords: blended learning, meta-analysis, effect size learning is defined as the concepts of subject matter for students and lecturers, the nature of various concepts connected to the field of data, the objectives of teachinglearning, the nature of teaching, as well as the process of learning. in the traditional method of instruction, the teacher demonstrates to the students a wealth of information related to the subject and makes the erroneous assumption that they are the intended audience for the information. the term “teacher-centered” or “universal teaching method” is used to describe this form of instruction. teaching methods, approaches, and strategies let the instructor select how to begin the instructional strategy in the classroom so that the student is fully engaged in the strategy (science pedagogy, 2018). the national information framework from 2005 placed a strong emphasis on learner-centered methods or combining learning techniques to achieve the information’s goals. the course material and the technique of its exchange become simple, captivating, and successful with the aid of learnercentered approaches or a blended learning strategy, making it simple to form desired modifications in the behaviour of the learners. the learner-centered blended learning strategy gives children a chance to gain knowledge and understanding through a variety of experiences, including chatting, listening, speaking, doing practical work, experimenting, observing, and having discussions. in order to satisfy all learners according to their interests, pace, need, aptitude, maturity, and skill, the instructor must indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 194 employ creative and learner-centered teaching methods when creating the learning environment. learning interests, aptitudes, motivation, and student’s capacity to apply knowledge to novel situations are all influenced by a variety of circumstances. the learning opportunities offered by studentcentered pedagogy are adapted to the needs of students from different backgrounds (science pedagogy, 2018). the main positive qualities of the blended learning technique are activity and usefulness. by doing so, both the student and the teacher actively collaborate to create new knowledge. the blended learning strategy makes teaching engaging and effective, which improves the teacher’s effectiveness and aids in the achievement of the learning goals. numerous blended learning strategies are now being used in the sector to enhance learning and raise the bar for education. in the classroom, no uniformity is encouraged rather than uniformity through the blending of various instructional strategies. the blended learning approach is individual, personalized for each learner, and appropriate for their backgrounds, aptitudes, and goals. it is important to use information adaptation techniques that take into account this diversity, including reward-based, project-based, multisensory learning, organizing teaching and learning by defining the required scope, working in teams, cooperative learning, learning through peer teams, team learning, inter-class grouping, multiple age teams, and teaching work that is done through self-learning. associate degree individualized learning programmes are also established to enable this amount of exposure to the concept in the classroom before the teaching of any subject in blended learning. as a result, “alternative and augmented” communication aid students who are having problems acting on their own or without outside assistance (science pedagogy, 2018). the utilization of new techniques and activities by teachers during teaching-learning illustrates the relationship between the mixed-learning approach and new technologies. additionally, the blended learning approach uses ict and its fundamentally useful components, like package deals, ppts, academic films, and learning management tools. rationale of the study there has been a lot of studies carried out on the meta-analysis in the different research areas. voyer & voyer (2014) carried out a study on gender differences in scholastic achievement: a metaanalysis. schiefele, krapp & winteler (1992) carried out a study on interest as a predictor of academic achievement: a meta-analysis of research. lomos, hofman, & bosker (2011) studied on professional communities and student achievement – a meta-analysis. mehana & reynolds (2004) carried out a study on school mobility and achievement: a meta-analysis. schroeder & et al. (2007) studied on a meta-analysis of national research: effects of teaching strategies on student achievement in science in the united states. these researchers discovered that the results varied greatly, with some meta-analyses displaying moderate results, others displaying extraordinarily high results, and still others displaying very low results. the observation of these metaanalysis-related studies shows that the researcher has worked on projects in various areas. according to the limits of the researcher’s knowledge, no researcher has conducted a metaanalysis in relation to the effectiveness of blended learning on academic achievement. as a result, it aroused the researcher’s curiosity about what conclusions from his meta-analysis were presented in the study he was examining, which looked at the efficacy indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 195 of branded education. in an effort to learn more, the researcher tried looking for a meta-analysis of all the studies he had previously included in his study. operational definitions blended learning: blended learning is learning that combines in-person instruction with online learning. the term “blended teaching strategy” in the current analysis study refers to the numerous teaching modalities in the elect analysis studies. effectiveness: effectiveness is the capacity to produce the desired result or the power to produce it. when an object yields the desired or anticipated outcome, it is said to be effective. effectiveness in the current analysis relates to the capacity of the blended learning strategy contained in the chosen analysis papers to provide desired results for the learners’ educational success. meta-analysis: meta-analysis refers to the methods of applied mathematics used to quantitatively integrate the findings of quantitative analytic assignments (gupta and gupta, 2018). paper meta-analysis in the gift analysis suggests that quantitative integration be achieved by converting quantitative data from elect analysis articles into a uniform scale (effect size). research objective the purpose of the current study was to carry out a meta-analytical assessment of the analysis work pertaining to the effectiveness of the blended learning strategy on students’ academic progress. the phrase for the quantitative chemical examination of analytical data is “metaanalysis” (gupta and gupta, 2018). hypothesis the blended learning approach has no discernible effect on students’ academic achievement. sampling and sampling techniques purposive sampling was utilized in this analysis. as a result, phrases like “blended learning method,” “meta-analysis,” and “efficacy of mixed learning approach on accomplishment” were used. there were 90 papers available for download between 2015 and 2021. when the researchers started their review, they discovered that the notion had been the main focus of around forty-three investigations. nobody has quantitative expertise on that. even though there was a lack of comprehensive knowledge, the remaining twenty-seven pieces of research were detailed and supported this quantitative knowledge. with the use of these insights, a meta-analysis was not feasible. the remaining 20 studies, which gave the information the investigator needed for the meta-analysis, were annexed by the researcher. so that the researchers’ analysts pick the final 20 analysis articles and compile a meta-analysis of their findings. table-1: very brief description of selected research papers s. no. publication month & year volume issue researcher (s) 1 july, 2015 05 09 m. deivam and dr. n. devaki 2 2015 proceedings dhanya krishnan 3 september, 2016 05 09 dr.p.s.chitra and dr.g.singaravelu indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 196 4 2016 07 35 khader and nisreen saleh khader 5 december, 2016 13 03 ya-wen lin, chih-lung tseng and po-jui chiang 6 july, 2018 05 01 amosa isiaka gambari, ahmed tajudeen shittu, o. olufunmilola ogunlade and olourotimi rufus osunlade 7 november, 2018 proceedings thelal iqab oweis 8 2018 42 27 iga setia utami 9 september, 2019 05 09 najeh rajeh alsalhi, mohd. elmagzoub eltahir and sami sulieman al-qatawneh 10 november, 2019 1413 01 f m hawi and p sudira 11 december, 2019 19 01 gie-ok noh and dong hee kim 12 august, 2020 13 09 omar obaid alrouji 13 december, 2020 04 02 barıs ciftci 14 july, 2020 08 08 dr. amaal al masri 15 march, 2021 17 04 najeh rajeh alsalhi, sami alqatawneh, mohd eltahir and khitam aqel 16 september, 2021 16 09 athira balakrishnan1, sreedharan nair, vijayanarayana kunhikatta, muhammed rashid, m. k.unnikrishnan, p. s. jagannatha, viji p. chandran, kanav khera1, girish thungaid 17 september, 2021 03 03 yassine benhadj 18 november, 2021 12 -yuhong jiang, yingying chen, jiasheng lu and yiqing wang 19 october, 2020 26 01 cihad senturk 20 july, 2021 12 07 dr. yousef houssni zrekat a brief review of the chosen research papers for the study deivam and devaki in 2015 studied on the efficiency of blended learning in teaching educational psychology to b.ed. candidates. this study’s main objective was to ascertain whether training improved trainees’ academic performance in educational psychology. a quasi-experimental research design was adopted for this investigation. 100 student teacher were selected using simple random sampling. equal randomization groups were created from the experimental group 50 and the control group 50. for the goal of acquiring information, the researcher created and prepared an achievement exam. the words mean, sd and t-test were applied to analyze the collected data. following data analysis, it was found that student teachers’ performance in educational psychology was significantly impacted by blended learning methodologies. krishnan (2015) carried out a study indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 197 on the effect of a blended learning strategy on learning science. examining the effects of a mixed learning strategy on secondary-level scientific accomplishment and science process skills was the main objective of this study. in this quasi-experimental design were used, a pre-test, post-test non-randomized control group design adopted. an intentional sampling technique was used to choose an intact group of 36 students as the control group and an intact group of 38 children as the experimental group. a test of science process skills and a test of science achievement were developed and validated by the researcher, and the reliability coefficients (cronbach alfa) for each were 0.86 and 0.87, respectively. to better understand the difficulties students had when using the blended learning method, a schedule of interviews was developed. ancova was used to analyse the data. data analysis demonstrated that science achievement might be improved, and students could become global learners by successfully integrating in-person instruction with online learning. chitra and singaravelu 2016 conducted a study named potency of blended learning in learning science. the study’s main objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of blended learning in scientific learning. a rational group experimental approach was adopted in the investigation. sixty ninth-graders from coimbatore’s gopal naidu higher secondary school served as the study’s sample. 30 more students were chosen for the control group, and 30 more were chosen for the experimental group. a self-created achievement test was employed by researchers as a research tool. achievement contained 25 questions. using the test-retest approach, the reliability in this study was computed, and the result was 0.76, which is highly significant. to establish the test’s validity, the expert judgment of the co-staff members was obtained. t-test, mean, and sd were adopted to analyze the data. after data analysis, it was discovered that blended learning is superior to third-place learning in learning science for learners in standard 9. khader (2016), studied on effectiveness of blended learning in improving student achievement in bani kenana. this study’s main objective was to see if blended learning, as opposed to the traditional method, could boost kids’ performance in the third grade. this research employed a quasiexperimental research design. with the aid of simple random sampling, 108 kids (both male and female) in third grade from one school were chosen for this study. for this study, the researcher created a self-made achievement test. there were 20 multiple-choice questions in the sample. a panel of 12 arbitrators examined the reliability of the test components. the taste reliability was examined by applying the taste to an exploratory sample, and the reliability was assessed using the pearson correlation coefficient of 0.87. the researcher utilized ancova, eta square, and two-way to examine the data. after analysing the data, it was discovered that using blended learning as a teaching strategy helped students become less burdened by their academic obligations and gave them the opportunity to learn while having fun. this new approach to teaching gave students a chance to interact with others and enjoy themselves while learning. lin, taseng, and chiang (2016) carried out a study on the effect of blended learning in mathematics courses. the main objective of the study was to investigate how the blended learning approach affected junior high school student’s academic performance and attitude toward mathematics. the study indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 198 used a pre-test, post-test, and control group quasi-experimental research designs. out of the total of 54 students, 27 students were selected for the experiment group and 27 students for the control group. data was gathered using pre-and post-tests. ancova and mancova were used with spss 18.0 to analyze the data. the trial group’s students benefited from the mixed learning experience by increasing their learning outcomes and also their attitudes toward studying mathematics in a blended learning atmosphere, it was found after data analysis. gambar, shittu, ogunlade, and osunlade (2017) carried out a study entitled effectiveness of blender learning and e-learning modes of instruction on the performance of undergraduate. the study’s main objective was to determine how well undergraduate students are in the nigerian state of kwara. in a quasi-experimental context, the study employed a pre-test, post-test control group design. 35 undergraduates were chosen for the sampling with the aid of randomization. 25 people were exposed to the control group, 30 to experimental group i, and another 30 to experimental group ii. the educational materials and methods performance test was adopted to collect data (empt). a reliability coefficient of 0.71 was generated by the kuder-richardson (kr-20) formula. following data analysis, it was shown that exposing undergraduate students to a blended learning mode of instruction increased their performance. oweis (2018) studied the effects of using a blended learning method on students’ achievement and motivation to learn english. this study sought to determine how blended learning affected the academic performance and motivation of german jordan university students to learn english. a pilot case study methodology was employed. 34 gju thirdand fourth-year students were chosen for the first semester based on purposive sampling. 16 students made comprised the experimental group, and the control group received other samples (18 students). data gathering methods included an english proficiency exam and a scale for gauging enthusiasm to learn the language. by giving the achievement test to 24 university professors, the validity of the test was evaluated. using the pearson equation, the reliability of the accomplishment test was evaluated, and the dependability percentage was 0.83. ancova and the mean sd were applied to analyze the data. after data analysis, it was shown that the experimental group did much better than the control group and that each group’s motivation to learn english differed noticeably. utami (2018) studied on the effect of the blended learning model on students’ achievement. the study’s main objective was to determine how senior high school student’s academic performance. a randomized control group pre-and post-test design was adopted in the investigation. 63 students enrolling in an ict course were chosen at random. the information was gathered via an objective test with 35 questions. the mean, sd, and t-test were applied to analyze the data. after doing a data analysis, it was shown that the blended learning strategy raised student accomplishment levels over those of the conventional learning model. alsalhi, eltehir, and al-qatawneh (2019) studied on the effect of blended learning on the achievement in science and attitude toward its use. the main aim of the study was to examine how 9thgrade students’ attitudes and science achievement were impacted by blended learning. to conduct the study, a case study with a quasi-experimental design was used. twelve ninth-grade students indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 199 were chosen at random. two groups were made: the experimental group (n=61) and the control group (n=51). a questionnaire and achievement exam were created to collect data. the accomplishment test’s reliability was examined by applying the test-retest method, and the coefficient value was 0.88ten members of the university teaching staff were given it to test the taste’s veracity. using spss software, mean, sd, and ancova were utilized to analyze the data. after data analysis, it was discovered that their attitude favored pupils who demonstrated a certain level of academic achievement in a science field. hawi and sudira (2019) studied the effect of the blended learning model to improve the conceptual understanding of computer and network engineering students. this study’s primary goal was to determine how using a blended learning strategy improved students’ conceptual knowledge. for this investigation, the researcher used a quasi-experimental research approach. 58 students were chosen at random; 30 of them were exposed to the experimental group and 28 to the control group. an exam called the essay was employed to collect the data. data analysis was done using mancova. after data analysis, it was discovered that students who were taught utilizing a blended learning paradigm had a superior grasp of the fundamentals of computer networks. noh and kim (2019) undertook a study entitled effectiveness of a self-directed learning program using blended coaching among nursing students. the study’s primary objective was to determine whether a self-directed learning approach incorporating blended teaching was helpful for nursing students engaged in clinical practise. this study employed a non-equivalent quasi-experimental pre-post-test nonsynchronized intervention control group. convenience sampling was used to select 92 students in total. 47 were regarded as the control group, and 44 as the experimental group. data analysis revealed that a self-directed learning program with a blended teaching method is an effective educational technique to raise nursing students’ happiness with their clinical practice experiences and their skill in putting self-directed learning into practice. alroji (2020) study entitled the effectiveness of blended learning in encouraging competence in metagraph writing. this study’s major objective was determining how well-blended learning at shaqra university improved the english metagraph writing skills. in this study, the experimental research design was employed. the use of random sampling enabled the selection of 70 students. the experimental group (35) and the control group (35) each received the same amount of the sample (35). (35). data were gathered using the essay-writing preand posttests given to the participants. using spss, the data was evaluated (version 17). in this investigation, a p-value of 0.05 was regarded as the significant level. following data analysis, it was found that the control group, which used the traditional teaching approach, performed far better than the experimental group, which used the blended teaching method. this highlights the importance of a blended approach in assisting saudi students in developing their paragraph-writing skills. ciftci (2020) carried out a study on the effect of blended learning on academic achievement and attitude in social studies courses. the study’s primary objective was to investigate the efficacy and sustainability of the blended learning approach in social studies lessons. data were gathered indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 200 using both the pre-test and the posttest. the data were analyzed using an anova, mean, and sd. following data analysis, it was shown that, in terms of student accomplishment persistence, blended learning is superior to face-toface learning. masri (2020) studied on effectiveness of using blended learning for teaching english language vocabulary to first grade students. this study’s main objective was to evaluate the effects of implementing a blended learning approach in first-grade classes of public schools managed by the ai-tafila directorate of education. 46 students were assigned to the experimental group, and 46 students were assigned to the control group out of 92 students who were randomly selected. data were gathered using an english vocabulary exam that was created by the researcher. using abel’s and godard richard coefficients, respectively, the validity and reliability were examined. the test’s coefficient value was 0.762. mean, sd and the t-test were employed to analyse the data. after data analysis, it was discovered that students who used the mixed-learning approach had greater grades than those who used the traditional approach. alsalhi, al-qatawneh, eltehir, and aqel (2021) carried out a study on does blended learning improves the academic achievement of undergraduates. the main objective of the study was to ascertain the effects of blended learning on undergraduate students’ performance in mathematics (mth 121) at ajman university. in the investigation, a quasi-experimental methodology was adopted. male and female students enrolled in mathematics classes totaling 196 were chosen and divided into experimental (99 students) and control groups (97 students). the researcher created an achievement test to collect data. the test’s reliability was examined using the test-retest method, which yielded a coefficient value of 0.801. also used were the average, standard deviation, the independent sample t-test, and one-way ancova. the researchers used the spss tool to analyse the study’s data. following data analysis, it was shown that the experimental group had an advantage over the control group on the accomplishment exam due to measurably significant differences between the two groups. balakrishnan et al. (2021) conducted a study entitled effectiveness of blended learning in pharmacy education. this study aimed to assess how well-blended learning works in pharmacy education. an experimental research design was employed. using cluster randomization, a total of 241 individuals from 12 colleges were chosen. spss version 20 was used for all of the statistical analysis. the data analysis employed means standard deviation, the sapiro-wilks test, and the games-howell test. to determine the relationship between variables, use spearman correlation. mann the whitney u-test was used to examine the differences in the students’ opinions in the wel and bl groups. the students in the mixed learning group employed all learning and motivational methods more frequently than the students in the didactic and web-based e-learning group, except intrinsic goal orientation, task value, control of learning belief, and help-seeking techniques. benhadj (2021) undertook a study entitled a quasi-experimental study on the impact of blended learning on efl students’ language proficiency. the study sought to determine what impact blended learning has on moroccan high school students’ command of the english language. 79 moroccan firstyear bachelorettes in total conveniently, students between the ages of 16 and 18 were chosen to participate in this experiment. 39 students were chosen for indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 201 the control group, and 40 students were randomly assigned to the experimental group. pre-tests and post-tests were employed to collect data. maemillam publisher created and validated the simple rapid placement and diagnostic test (placement test, 2012). with a score of 0.78, cronbach alpha was used to gauge consistency. it was thought to be highly reliable. mean sd and ancova were employed in this study to analyze the data. following data analysis, it was shown that blended learning presents a significant chance to inspire students of any gender to study and advance their english proficiency skills. jiyang chen and wang (2021) carried out a study on the the effect of the online and offline blended teaching model on english as a foreign language. the study examined how online and offline mixed learning modes affected students’ learning outcomes. the researcher used a hybrid approach to the study, combining qualitative and quantitative research. 95 participants were chosen by means of convenience and cluster sampling. 42 people were recruited for the experimental group, and 53 were chosen for the control group. the data t-test and paired sample test were used for analysis with spss 26.0. in this work, pearson correlation analysis was used to pinpoint the variables influencing various ec and cc preand post-test components. after data analysis, it was discovered that the blended exercise was helpful in improving students’ listening skills. additionally, students’ attitudes toward learning english by hearing have changed from a generally unfavorable enhancement to one that is more positive. at the same time, student interests have increased, and their learning strategies have become more varied. senturk (2020) studied the effects of the blended learning model on pre-service teachers’ academic achievements. the primary goal of the study was to investigate how pre-service teachers who had taken the teaching principles and technique courses fared academically and in terms of 21stcentury skills. the study employed a pretest and post-test quasi-experimental research design. a total of 172 preservice teachers were selected through purposeful sampling. the experimental group was given 86 people, while the control group received 86 participants. the multidimensional 21st century skill scale and academic achievement test were both used in this study to gather data. the data were analysed using kolmogorov-smirnov and sapiro-wilk z-tests. when the data was analysed, it became clear that the experimental group had considerably more academic success and 21st-century abilities than the control group. zrekal (2021) studied on the effectiveness of blended learning in the efi context: an experiment study at arab open university ksa. the study’s primary goal was to determine whether blended learning was beneficial, especially in terms of enhancing students’ ability to speak english at an arab institution in saudi arabia. they divided into two groups: a control group, which consisted of 30 pupils, and an experimental group (30 students). data was gathered through an online assignment that was sent via email. the spss software was used for data analysis to calculate the mean, sd, and percentage of achievement scores for each group. after data analysis, it was discovered that blended learning enhances students’ informal foreign language acquisition while also helping to improve student learning results. data collection the researcher gathered quantitative data for the current study project from all of the chosen research papers. the following table includes information about that: indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 202 table-2: details of quantitative data of selected research papers s. n. researcher group n mean/ adjusted mean sd f/t 1 deivan and devaki (2015) experimental 50 38.46 2.22 t=15.11 control 50 32.98 1.38 2 krishnan (2015) experimental 35 38.12 – f=16.632 control 36 33.80 – 3 chitra and singaravelu (2016) experimental 30 36.32 3.64 t=14.80 control 30 23 3.32 4 khader (2016) experimental 54 18.13 2.26 f=21.004 control 54 15.78 3.10 5 lin, tseng and chiang (2016) experimental 27 64.30 24.39 f=5.23 control 27 54.70 28.58 6 gambar, shittu, ogunlade and osunlade (2017) experimental 30 18.73 – f=14.035 control 25 14.68 – 7 oweis (2018) experimental 16 32.269 6.609 f=6.253 control 18 29.456 5.995 8 utami (2018) experimental 31 82.5 6.117 t=5.657 control 32 72.9 7.328 9 alsalhi, eltehir and alqatawneh (2019) experimental 61 16.11 1.67 f=3.054 control 51 14.12 1.60 10 hawi and sudira (2019) experimental 30 74.86 – f= 29.063 control 28 67.89 – 11 noh and kim (2019) experimental 91 8.13 1.17 t=3.10 control 91 7.10 1.88 12 alrouji (2020) experimental 35 30.86 5.801 t=-20.094 control 35 20.37 4.551 13 ciftci (2020) experimental 26 77.69 4.64 f=119.749 control 26 63.07 4.69 14 masri (2020) experimental 46 2.79 1.34 t=5.28 control 46 5.82 2.68 15 alsalhi, al-qatawneh, eltehir and aqel (2021) experimental 99 16.87 2.10 f=9.657 control 97 12.74 1.89 16 balakrishnan et. al. (2021) experimental 92 39.39 11.02 f=30.50 control 86 33.50 6.63 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 203 17 benhadj (2021) experimental 40 39.50 7.51 f=30.29 control 39 28.17 8.72 18 jiang, chen, lu and wang (2021) experimental 42 22.74 2.61 t=7.069 control 53 18.77 2.79 19 senturk (2021) experimental 86 43.04 1.82 t=14.801 control 86 34.68 4.90 20 zrekat (2021) experimental 30 82.40 12.12 t=2.75 control 30 73.47 13.03 the quantitative information gathered from the content analysis of a few chosen research publications is shown in the table above. maximum data was gathered during the within-content analysis process, accounting for the sample size, mean or adjusted mean, standard deviation, t-value, and f-value. data analysis and interpretation quantitative information was acquired for the current study project in order to carry out a meta-analysis. metaobjective analysis’s is to statistically combine the results of related study types. meta-analysis may calculate the average effect size by converting the numerical results from several studies into a consistent scale (effect size) (gupta and gupta, 2018). the current study used meta essentials software to do a meta-analysis on the collected quantitative data. the programme is freely available on the website of the erasmus research institute of management (erim), which is housed at the university of rotterdam in the netherlands. this software’s unique feature is that it transforms the impact size into the average effect size using little quantitative data from a variety of research (gangwar, 2022). the following table displays the findings of the quantitative data analysis performed using meta essentials software. table-3: study-wise individual effect size and average effect size s. no. researcher(s) effect size interpretation 1 deivan and devaki (2015) 3.00 vary large effect size 2 krishnan (2015) 0.96 large effect size 3 chitra and singaravelu (2016) 3.77 vary large effect size 4 khader (2016) 0.88 large effect size 5 lin, tseng and chiang (2016) 0.61 moderate effect size 6 gambar, shittu, ogunlade and osunlade (2017) 1.00 large effect size 7 oweis (2018) 0.84 large effect size 8 utami (2018) 1.41 vary large effect size 9 alsalhi, eltehir and al-qatawneh (2019) 0.33 small effect size 10 hawi and sudira (2019) 1.40 vary large effect size 11 noh and kim (2019) 0.46 small effect size indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 204 12 alrouji (2020) 4.75 vary large effect size 13 ciftci (2020) 2.99 vary large effect size 14 masri (2020) 1.09 large effect size 15 alsalhi, al-qatawneh, eltehir and aqel (2021) 0.44 small effect size 16 balakrishnan et. al. (2021) 0.82 large effect size 17 benhadj (2021) 1.23 large effect size 18 jiang, chen, lu and wang (2021) 1.45 vary large effect size 19 senturk (2021) 2.25 vary large effect size 20 zrekat (2021) 0.70 moderate effect size average effect size 1.46 vary large effect size it is evident from the observation of the aforementioned table that all investigations, with the exception of studies (9), (11) and (15), exhibit average to large effect sizes (cohen, 1988). the average effect size across all studies is displayed in the table’s final row with a value of 1.46. the cohen effect size number displayed in the reference table is more than 1.2. (cohen, 1988). that means the effect magnitude is really large. thus, it can be drawn that the blended learning strategy significantly affects the academic achievement of the pupils. graph-1: forrest plot of effect size it is evident from looking at the effect size forest plot that the scale of the effect size is marked on the x-axis at the top of the plot. the forest plot’s midpoint, except the bottom row, indicates the effect size of a single research with a fidelity interval of 95 per cent. the outcome of the meta-analysis is shown by the lowest row (summary row) of the forest plot. two gaps are present around a midway in this meta-analytical result of meta-essentials (line 21 in graph 1). with a value of 1.46, this midpoint denotes the average impact size, also known as the combined effect size or the weighted average effect size. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 205 table-4: z-value and significance value z-value 5.62 one-tailed p-value 0.000 two-tailed p-value 0.000 it is clear from table 4 that the twotailed significant value of 0.000 at the 0.05 significance level and the z-value of the mean impact size are both zero. this number is significant at the 0.05 significance level because it is less than 0.05. this makes it possible to reject the null hypothesis that the blended learning approach has no discernible effect on students’ academic achievement. therefore, it may be argued that the blended learning strategy significantly affects students’ academic advancement. research conclusion and interpretation the purpose of the current study was to undertake a meta-analytical investigation of previous research on the impact of blended learning on students’ academic progress. the investigator discovered, after examining the quantitative data, that the learners’ educational success is significantly impacted by the blended learning technique. in their many metaanalytical studies, these researchers also discovered that innovative and student-centered teaching strategies have a positive and pregnant influence on students’ academic achievement at various levels and that these strategies’ effects are also very large. the main factor influencing the scope of the current investigation is the organized and uncomplicated way in which the subject matter selected for instruction using a mixed learning strategy was presented while taking into account the learners’ age, interest, attitude, and individual differences. every learner is provided the opportunity and space they need to explore the subject at their own speed. kids are inherently active, and when learning through blended learning, the child stays active and employs the majority of his or her senses, which facilitates learning. one of the reasons for this analytical volume is also due to the involvement of young people. additionally, the blended learning approach’s concept, which considers both the role of the student and the teacher as a helper, is used in the classroom to construct learnercentered learning systems and learning efficiently in learning ecosystems where the learner is in the lead role. the outcomes of this analysis may even be attributable to this in a substantial way. educational implications the following are the educational consequences of this analysis work: for policymakers according to the study’s findings, students improve their tutorial performance by demonstrating information-supported curiosity, selfdiscipline, and individual variety in a highly stimulating learning environment produced in their classrooms with the use of a blended learning strategy. in light of those findings, this study can provide a platform for increasing the knowledge of academic policymakers and disciplines, enabling them to create curricula that are supported by integrating learning principles while creating curricula for diverse courses. for lecturers the findings of the present study indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 206 can help instructors choose the most modern teaching techniques. for various subjects, the nature of the subject content is fundamentally different. that the instructor selects entirely unique teaching strategies. the results of the current analysis show that the mixed-learning approach will boost the student’s academic accomplishment. based on this assumption, the instructor will use the mixed learning method to create a significant improvement in the student’s accomplishment. for choosing the best methods for academic analysis in place of old methods, a blended learning strategy is currently being applied to track students’ educational progress. these assessment techniques let the teacher evaluate the student’s academic progress as well as his or her own learning so that he can make the required adjustments to the teaching-learning process in his or her discipline (gangwar and singh, 2020). according to the national policy on education, 2020, professors should employ student-centered and innovative assessment strategies such as rubrics, portfolios, projects, and cluster activities to evaluate students’ information in a manner comparable to how data is compiled. recent research can introduce professors to a blended learning strategy that improves tutorial success. as a result, the instructor will incorporate the proper blended learning approaches, such as conceptrelated tasks, portfolios, rubrics, etc., at the side of the teaching-learning method for formative analysis of the students’ many subject areas. for book authors according to the study’s findings, a blended learning approach significantly affects how well pupils learn a subject. in this context, our analysis work will also serve as a foundation for book authors of many subject areas to organize the information included in their books in enticing, student-centered, systematic ways that make it simple for students to learn new things. for alternative researchers researchers will also benefit from this analysis’s methodology and scope. the world health organization is interested in and needs to use meta-analytical analysis research. references alrouji, o. o. (2020). the effectiveness of blended learning in enhancing saudi students’ competence in paragraph writing. english language teaching, 13(9), 72-82. alsalhi, n. r., al-qatawneh, s., eltahir, m., & aqel, k. (2021). does blended learning improve the academic achievement of undergraduate students in the mathematics course?: a case study in higher education. eurasia journal of mathematics, science and technology education, 17(4), em1951. balakrishnan, a., nair, s., kunhikatta, v., rashid, m., unnikrishnan, m. k., jagannatha, p. s., ... & thunga, g. (2021). effectiveness of blended learning in pharmacy education: an experimental study using clinical research modules. plos one, 16(9), e0256814. benhadj, y. (2021). a quasi-experimental study on the impact of blendedlearning on efl students’ language proficiency.  international journal of language and literary studies, 3(3), 146-155. çiftçi, b. (2020). the effect of blended learning on academic achievement and attitudes at social studies courses. open journal for educational research, 4(2), 143-150. cohen, j. (1988). statistical power analysis for the behavioural sciences (second edition). hillsdale, indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 207 new jersey: lawrence alburm association. deivam, m., & devaki, n. (2015). effectiveness of blended learning approach in teaching of educational psychology among b. ed. trainees‟.  international journal of development research, 5(9), 5558-5561. gambari, a. i., shittu, a. t., ogunlade, o. o., & osunlade, o. r. (2018). effectiveness of blended learning and elearning modes of instruction on the performance of undergraduates in kwara state, nigeria. mojes: malaysian online journal of educational sciences, 5(1), 25-36. gangwar, s & singh, s. p. (2020). madhyamik star ke vidyarthiyon ki nirmanvadi shikshan upagam ke prati pratikriya ka adhyayan. gyan garima sindhu, 65, 320-347. gangwar, s. (2022). navachari shikaahn vidhiyon ki prabhavsheelta : para-vishleshnatmak adhyayan. bhartiya adhunik shiksha, in press. gupta, s. p. & gupta, a. (2018). vyavharparak vigyanon mein sankhiykiya vidhiyan. allahabad: sharda pustak bhavan. hawi, f. m., & sudira, p. (2019, november). the effect of blended learning model to improve the conceptual understanding of computer and network engineering students. in journal of physics: conference series (vol. 1413, no. 1, p. 012023). iop publishing. jiang, y., chen, y., lu, j., & wang, y. (2021). the effect of the online and offline blended teaching mode on english as a foreign language learners’ listening performance in a chinese context. frontiers in psychology, 12, 742742-742742. khader, n. s. k. (2016). the effectiveness of blended learning in improving students’ achievement in third grade’s science in bani kenana. journal of education and practice, 7(35), 109-116. krishnan, d. (2015). effect of blended learning strategy on learning science among secondary school students. proceedings: emerging computational media and science education, mumbai: cinnamonteal publishing. lin, y. w., tseng, c. l., & chiang, p. j. (2016). the effect of blended learning in mathematics course. eurasia journal of mathematics, science and technology education, 13(3), 741-770. lomos, c., hofman, r. h., & bosker, r. j. (2011). professional communities and student achievement–a meta-analysis. school effectiveness and school improvement, 22(2), 121-148. mehana, m., & reynolds, a. j. (2004). school mobility and achievement: a metaanalysis. children and youth services review, 26(1), 93-119. national council of educational research and training. 2018. science pedagogy. ncert, new delhi. noh, g. o., & kim, d. h. (2019). effectiveness of a self-directed learning program using blended coaching among nursing students in clinical practice: a quasi-experimental research design. bmc medical education, 19(1), 1-8. oweis, t. i. (2018). effects of using a blended learning method on students’ achievement and motivation to learn english in jordan: a pilot case study. education research international, 2018. schiefele, u., krapp, a., & winteler, a. (1992). interest as a predictor of academic achievement: a meta-analysis of research. schroeder, c. m., scott, t. p., tolson, h., huang, t. y., & lee, y. h. (2007). a meta‐analysis of national research: effects of teaching strategies on student achievement in science in the united states. journal of research in science teaching: the official journal of the national association for research in science teaching, 44(10), 1436-1460. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 208 senturk (2020). effects of blended learning model on pre-service teachers academic achievements and 21st century skills. educ inf technol (dordr). 26(1), 35–48. utami, i. s. (2018). the effect of blended learning model on senior high school students’ achievement. in shs web of conferences (vol. 42, p. 00027). edp sciences. voyer, d., & voyer, s. d. (2014). gender differences in scholastic achievement: a metaanalysis. psychological bulletin, 140(4), 1174. zrekal (2021). the effectiveness of blended learning in efi contaxt: an experiment study at arab open university ksa. turkish online journal of qualitative inquiry (tojqi), 12(7), 9284 -9293. indian journal of educational technology volume 6, issue 2, july 2024 442 app review ejaadui pitara: empowering early childhood education himanshu jain software engineer, meta inc., san francisco, california email: himanshukj17122000@gmail.com ejaadui pitara is an educational treasure trove developed by the national council of educational research and training (ncert) in india. designed specifically for parents and teachers, it empowers them to create engaging, enjoyable, and interactive learning experiences for children aged 3-8 years. this initiative aims to realise the national curriculum framework for foundational stage (ncf-fs) 2022 goals at the grassroots level, providing valuable support for both adults and children. through ejaadui pitara, parents and teachers can learn engaging methods and access a wealth of resources to help children learn and thrive. features and processes: y playful learning: emphasises “learning through play,” allowing children to learn through interactive activities, games, stories, and songs. y multiple access points: ¾ mobile app: download the free app for a wide variety of educational content, including stories, rhymes, puzzles, and activities. download link ¾ dial-up service (ivrs): for those without internet access, listen to daily stories, songs, riddles, and questions by dialling a toll-free number. y ai-powered assistance: get help from ai-powered bots on whatsapp and telegram, providing ageappropriate activity suggestions and answering questions on early childhood development. ¾ story bot (katha sakhi): suggests stories in different languages. ¾ parent bot (parent tara) & teacher bot (teacher tara): offers expert knowledge on nep 2020, ncfs, kids’ activities, psychology, pedagogy, etc. y focus on foundational skills: resources build essential skills such as language development, maths concepts, critical thinking, and socialemotional skills. y multilingual support: offers content in 10 indian languages (assamese, bengali, gujarati, hindi, odiya, punjabi, tamil, telugu, kannada, malayalam) and english. impact: y strong audience reach: ejaadui pitara has over 45,641 downloads, indicating a growing interest in early childhood education. y active engagement: with over 205,563 total plays, users are actively engaging with the content, suggesting it provides valuable learning experiences. y diverse access points: utilisation of ivrs calls (1,385) and ai-powered chatbots (story bot messages 4,488, teacher bot messages 6,097, parent bot messages 4,402) showcases the app’s accessibility. by offering a variety of engaging and accessible resources, ejaadui pitara empowers parents and educators to create a fun and enriching learning indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 124 research article attitude of students towards the use of interactive whiteboard in higher education tarun kumar tyagi1 & krishna kumar rajak2 1assistant professor, department of teacher education, school of education central university of south bihar, gaya, bihar, email: taruntyagi@cusb.ac.in 2research scholar, department of teacher education, school of education central university of south bihar, gaya, bihar abstract the present study aimed to examine the attitude of university students towards the use of interactive whiteboard (iwb) in higher education along with differences in attitude resulting from some demographic variables. 129 university students, age ranged from 19-25 years who actively used iwbs in the classroom for instruction, were selected purposively in the sample. a self-developed tool based on a five-point likert scale followed by three open-ended items was used to collect the data. mann-whitney u test, kruskal wallis h test and percentage analysis were used to analyze the data. the results showed that students have a positive attitude towards the use of iwb in higher education. the results further revealed the significant differences in the attitude of students towards iwb based on gender, types of discipline and basic knowledge of computers. however, the gender difference was found only in one dimension i.e., perceived teaching effectiveness. furthermore, the students of education discipline showed higher scores on the attitude towards iwb than their counterparts. students with high basic knowledge of computers were found to be higher in attitude towards iwb than the students of science and social science discipline. students agreed that iwb is more effective than traditional boards in terms of accuracy, drawing the multidimensional figures and shape perfectly and its movement from different angles effectively, increasing interaction, making the teachinglearning process more enjoyable and providing facilities to use the stored learning material. nevertheless, students have highlighted the major problems likelack of trained ict teachers, lack of technical support and internet access. possible education and policy implications are outlined. keywords: students’ attitude, interactive whiteboard, higher education introduction due to technological and scientific advancement, the world is transforming into a digital world that comprises real and digital worlds (zhu, et al. 2016). undoubtedly, the advancement of ict has brought drastic changes not only in industry, business, and other sectors but also into the entire spectrum of the education system across the world (murcia, 2014). ergo, the traditional pedagogical practices are replaced by the ict based pedagogical practices. as a result, interactive whiteboard (iwb) is one of the latest examples of technological developments in the field of the education system. however, initially, it was developed for other sectors, but over the last decade, it has begun in the education system also. the use of iwbs makes the teaching and learning atmosphere more enjoyable, creative, and interesting (elaziz, 2008) by integrating different pedagogical strategies (serdyukov, 2017). the earlier context of the learning process has been morphed to a new sight, which harmonizes hi-tech as a tool for teaching-learning processes. hence, the indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 125 students enhance their knowledge in different fields beyond the classrooms and create a metamorphosing learning environment. for the significant use of digital technologies in indian classrooms, govt. of india, and various organizations have taken positive steps to make the education system dynamic and extravagant. despite efforts, however, all education institutions at higher levels are not well-equipped with smart boards and projectors. but a road map may be outlined for the developing countries like india that are in the process of ameliorating their education system by orienting them with technological advancement and innovation. it plays a pivotal role to resolve different issues like access, equity, and quality. an iwb is also known as an electronic board, touch-sensitive board, digital whiteboard, smartboard. it has taken the place of a blackboard or green board for offering an attraction through different colours of pictures and to be able to manipulate, save texts, objects, pictures, voice, etc., as per the requirement of the teaching-learning process. due to the indispensable role of iwb in the digital world, it is also described as a ‘digital hub through which other technologies can be channelized’ (warwick, mercer, kershner & staarman, 2010). rationale of the study several research studies paid scholarly attention to the use of iwb in english language learning (shams & ketabi, 2015), mathematics learning (vita, verschaffel & elen, 2014) and the attitude of students and teachers towards the use of interactive whiteboards in particular (elaziz, 2008). research studies demonstrated that the average level of ict awareness of teachers is influenced by their gender and age (bindu, 2017). singaravelu (2017) reported that the student-teachers have favourable attitudes towards the use of iwb and are more comfortable in using iwb instead of a traditional blackboard. in support, balta and duran (2015) also reported similar findings and concluded that the students and teachers both have positive attitudes towards using iwb, but their attitudes differ across their genders at the school level. in contrast, the gender difference was not reported by bindu (2017) and mahajan (2016). gashan and alshumaimeri (2015) studied the analysis of the teachers’ responses and revealed negative opinions toward the iwb. most of the teachers agreed positively that they were not scared to use ieb in the class as it makes them comfortable in the teaching-learning process. the major challenges that they faced were: the lack of sufficient training and the non-appropriate curriculum content for the application of the iwb. it has been demonstrated through research studies that due to lack of ict competency, teachers face challenges, while using iwb in their classrooms (al-faki & khamis, 2014) therefore, training is required to support teachers (akkoyunlu & erkan, 2013). elaziz (2008) reported the positive attitude of student teachers towards iwb and highlighted iwbs as useful devices for ameliorating the standard of the teaching-learning process. it increases their interest, motivation and draws their attention for effective learning (tataroglu & erduran, 2010). the lack of teacher involvement in technology-based instruction is primarily due to a lack of training, support, time, and resources. therefore, as new technology continues to evolve, educators must challenge themselves to become technologically savvy in today’s digital world (williams, 2017). based on the analysis of the previous research findings from india and overseas, it is realized that in the developing country the biggest challenge in front of the education system is to modernize the classroom environment and to equip well-trained teachers for developing a indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 126 positive attitude towards the use of ict in education. due to the importance of iwb in education, the majority of students and teachers showed a favourable attitude towards the use of ict like the use of an interactive whiteboard in the classroom (singaravelu, 2017; gashan & alshumaimeri, 2015; balta, 2015; elaziz, 2008). in contrast, less effective learning through smart classrooms was reported (yang, zhou & huang, 2018). there are different barriers in the willing to use ict in the teaching-learning process (singhavi & basargekar, 2019; gashan & alshumaimeri, 2015) namely lack of interest, not having proper training and facilities in the classroom (ghavifekr & rosdy, 2015). after analysis of the research findings, first and foremost, it was found that state-of-the-art literature is deficient to address the transformation of cutting-edge technology like the use of iwb especially in the higher classrooms of the indian context. in india, iwb technology has been recently introduced in the field of education. however, it has not yet reached use in the entire spectrum of education, i.e. higher to pre-primary level. besides this, it was also found that there is no standardized certified tool to measure attitude towards iwb at the level of higher education. the development of the certified tools for investigating the students’ attitude towards iwb in indian higher education represents the novelty of this study. with all claimed benefits and possible disadvantages of iwbs, and to add additional knowledge in the area of possible differences based on demographic variables, the study may be helpful to teacher educators, teachers, and prospective teachers. in the light of the above-mentioned discussion, the present study has been conducted to address the following research questions: 1. what is the attitude of university students towards the use of iwb in higher education? 2. do the differences based on gender, discipline, level of education (ug/pg), and basic knowledge of computers exist in students’ attitudes towards the use of iwb in higher education? 3. what are the views of university students towards the use of iwb in higher education? objectives of the study the following objectives of the present study were: 1. to study the attitude of students towards the use of an interactive whiteboards in higher education. 2. to compare the attitude of students towards the use of interactive whiteboard in higher education for (i) gender (ii) locality (iii) level of programme (iv) discipline hypotheses of the study the following null hypotheses were formulated to achieve the objectives of the study: there is no significant difference in the attitude of students towards the use of an interactive whiteboard in higher education with respect to (i) gender (ii) locality (iii) level of programme (iv) discipline research methodology method: descriptive survey method was used to achieve the objectives of the study. participants: 129 university students were selected through a purposive sampling technique from three schools of central institution namely science, social science, and education discipline. the age group of the selected sample was from 19-25 years. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 127 instrument: the tool consists of three sections a, b, & c. in the first section, demographic information was asked by the participants. in the second section, 39 items (positive and negative*) based on the five-point likert’s scale and in the third section three open-ended questions were asked to collect the data from participants. the “attitude scale towards the use of interactive whiteboard’’ (astuiwb) is based on a five-point likert’s scale (from strongly agree=5 to strongly disagree=1 for positive items and reverse for negative items/statements) was developed by the investigators. however, after receiving the feedback of the expert, 40 items out of 50 items and three openended questions were finalized for the tryout phase of the test construction. after an item analysis procedure, one item was rejected. however, one item was modified and included in the test. ergo, 39 items out of 50 items were finally included in the scale. thus, the tool consisted of two measuring instruments in which one is based on the five-point likert’s scale with 39 items and the second is questionnaire type with three open-ended questions. the scale has four dimensions namely perceived learning experience (ple), perceived teaching experience (pte), basic knowledge (bk), and usability (u). reliability of the tool cronbach’s alpha (coefficient alpha) is used to calculate the reliability coefficient of the tool along with dimensions. the reliability coefficients of the four dimensions namely ple, pte, bk, and u were found to be 0.80, 0.77, 0.51, and 0.84, respectively. based on internal consistency analysis, the reliability coefficient of the entire scale was found to be 0.91. this value indicates good internal consistency of the items in the attitude scale towards the use of iwbs. hence, the scale was considered to be highly reliable. validity of the tool: the content validity of the tool was established through the experts’ judgement. three experts from the university: one a psychologist, second an ict expert and language expert reviewed all items of the tool by considering the fundamental aspects like content, items, language, vagueness, length, dimensions etc. after receiving the experts’ feedback and using item analysis, a minor revision was applied to the tool for improving its validity to the research questions of the study. thus, 39 items and three open-ended items were found to be appropriate for the final draft of the tool. procedure of data collection: first, permission was taken from the concerned authorities of the concerned schools; thereafter the investigator administered the tool through online mode to collect the data from the concerned participants. participants were fully informed about the purpose of the study before the distribution of the tool. besides this, they were invited to participate in this study voluntarily and were allowed to withdraw from the study at any time. after establishing a rapport with the participants, all required instructions were given very clearly in the tool. all the procedure of data collection was completed in seven days in september 2020. after the collection of the data, the scoring procedure was done. statistical analysis: descriptive statistics like mean, sd, kurtosis, skewness and the sampling procedure both are required to choose the appropriate statistical procedure for analysing data. table 1 shows the basic statistics of the group of the participants’ age ranging from 19-25 years. it is apparent from table 1 that the sd value of attitude towards iwb is 16.90 for mean 147.88 which is approximately one-ninth to mean and even skewness (0.18) and kurtosis (0.03) values are not close to the ideal values of normal probability curve (npc). indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 128 table-1: details of participants variable n min max mean sd skewness kurtosis attitude towards iwb 129 99 187 147.88 16.90 0.18 0.03 as can be seen from table 1, the nature of data is non-normal due to the positively skewed and not mesokurtic nature of data. because of not showing the gaussian distribution of data, the best alternatives of t-test and f-test in nonparametric statistics are the mannwhitney u test and the kruskal wallis h test respectively. statistical package for social sciences (spss-20) was used to analyze the data except for the three open-ended items of the questionnaire. furthermore, percentage analysis was used to analyse the data in the case of three open-ended items of the tool. results table-2: result of mann whitney u test for attitude towards iwb (gender) s no. areas gender n mean rank rank sum u z p value decision 1. perceived learning effectiveness male 70 67.85 4749.50 1865.50 -0.94 p > .05 ns female 59 61.62 3635.50 2. perceived teaching effectiveness male 70 72.54 5077.50 1537.50 2.50 p < .05 s female 59 56.06 3307.50 3. basic knowledge male 70 65.24 4567.00 2048.00 0.81 p > .05 ns female 59 64.71 3818.00 4. usability male 70 68.63 4804.00 1811.00 1.21 p > .05 ns female 59 60.69 3581.00 5. attitude towards iwb male 70 69.68 4877.50 1745.00 -1.55 p > .05 ns female 59 59.45 3507.50 s-significant; ns-not significant as can be seen from table 2 the obtained ‘u’ value (z = 2.50; p<.05; df = 127) was found to be significant only in the case of the perceived teaching effectiveness (pte) dimension of attitude towards iwb. hence, ho is rejected and it indicates that male and female students were found to differ in the pte dimension i.e., male students were significantly higher in pte of attitude towards the iwb than their female students’ counterparts. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 129 table-3: result of mann whitney u test for attitude towards iwb (locality) s no areas locality n mean rank rank sum u z p value decision 1. perceived learning effectiveness rural 62 67.76 4201.00 1906.00 0.81 p > .05 ns urban 67 62.45 4184.00 2. perceived teaching effectiveness rural 62 65.52 4062.00 2045.00 0.15 p > .05 ns urban 67 64.52 4323.00 3. basic knowledge rural 62 66.67 4133.50 1973.50 0.49 p > .05 ns urban 67 63.46 4251.50 4. usability rural 62 66.57 4127.50 1979.50 0.46 p > .05 ns urban 67 63.54 4257.50 5. attitude towards iwb rural 62 67.00 4154.00 1953.00 0.56 p > .05 ns urban 67 63.15 4231.00 s-significant; ns-not significant it is evident from table 3 that the obtained ‘u’ values (z = -0.81, -0.15, -0.49, -0.46, & -0.56; df = 127; p > .05) were found to be not significant in the scores of attitude towards the use of iwb along with its all dimensions with respect to locality. hence, the decision failed to reject ho in favour of h1. it indicates that there is no statistically significant difference between the attitude of urban and rural students towards the use of the iwb i.e., both rural and urban students have a similar extent of attitude towards the use of iwb. table-4: result of mann whitney u test for attitude towards iwb (programme) s no areas programme n mean rank rank sum u z p value decision 1. perceived learning effectiveness pg 68 61.40 4175.50 1829.50 -1.15 p > .05 ns ug 61 69.01 4209.50 2. perceived teaching effectiveness pg 68 64.60 4392.50 2046.50 -1.30 p > .05 ns ug 61 65.45 3992.50 3. basic knowledge pg 68 66.67 4533.50 1960.50 -0.53 p > .05 ns ug 61 63.14 3851.50 4. usability pg 68 66.10 4494.50 1999.50 -0.35 p > .05 ns ug 61 63.78 3890.50 indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 130 5. attitude towards iwb pg 68 64.47 4384.00 2038.50 -0.17 p > .05 ns ug 61 65.59 4001.00 s-significant; ns-not significant table 4 shows that the obtained ‘u’ values (z = -1.15, -1.30, -0.53, -0.35 & -0.17; df = 127; p>.05) were found to be not significant in attitude towards the use of iwb between ug and pg students respectively. hence, the decision failed to reject ho in favour of h1. therefore, it is concluded that both ug and pg students are having similar attitudes toward the use of iwb. table-5: result of kruskal wallis h test for attitude towards iwb (discipline) s no. areas variable (disciplines) n mean rank h value p value decision 1. perceived l e a r n i n g effect iveness social science 27 45.59 9.25 p < .05 seducation 73 70.38 science 29 69.52 2. perceived t e a c h i n g effect iveness social science 27 45.65 9.32 p < .05 seducation 73 70.99 science 29 67.95 3. b a s i c knowledge social science 27 50.07 11.78 p < .05 seducation 73 74.77 science 29 54.31 4. usability social science 27 47.80 8.87 p < .05 seducation 73 72.47 science 29 62.22 5. a t t i t u d e t o w a r d s iwb social science 27 43.54 12.72 p < .05 seducation 73 73.50 science 29 63.79 s-significant; ns-not significant it is evident from table 5 that the obtained kruskal-wallis h values (h = 9.25, 9.32, 11.78, 8.87, & 12.72; df =2; p  < .05) were found to be statistically significant in attitude towards the use of iwb along with its all dimensions among the students of three disciplines namely, social science, education and science. hence, ho is rejected. therefore, a posthoc analysis was used to examine the differences between the mean ranks of two different groups. indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 131 table-6: procedure of post-hoc analysis (disciplines) variable disciplines n mean rank sum of ranks u value z value p-value attitude towards iwb social science 27 33.93 916.00 538.00 -3.48 p < .05 education 73 56.63 4134.00 education 73 53.87 3932.50 885.50 -1.23 ns science 29 45.53 1320.50 science 29 33.05 637.50 259.50 -2.17 p < .05 social science 27 23.61 958.50 s-significant; ns-not significant table 6 depicts that obtained z values (z = 3.48, & 2.17, p < .05, df = 98) were found to be significant in the scores of attitude towards iwb. hence, ho is rejected. statistically, it indicates the significant difference in an attitude of students towards the use of iwb with respect to social science & education and similarly with social science and science discipline. therefore, it is concluded that students of education discipline are having higher scores in attitude towards the use of iwb than their social science discipline. furthermore, it is also concluded that students of science discipline are having a higher score on attitude towards iwb than their social science discipline. table-7: result of kruskal wallis h test for attitude towards iwb (basic knowledge of computer) s no areas knowledge of computer n mean rank h value p value decision 1. perceived learning effectiveness high 30 83.35 24.68 p < .05 saverage 81 66.34 low 18 28.39 2. perceived teaching effectiveness high 30 74.35 9.47 p < .05 saverage 81 66.85 low 18 41.08 3. basic knowledge high 30 76.65 17.42 p < .05 saverage 81 67.96 low 18 32.25 4. usability high 30 76.73 14.01 p < .05 saverage 81 67.06 low 18 36.19 5. attitude towards iwb high 30 79.33 20.96 p < .05 saverage 81 67.56 low 18 29.58 s-significant; ns-not significant indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 132 as can be seen from table 7, the obtained kruskal-wallis h values (h= 24.68, 9.47, 17.42, 14.01, & 20.96, df =2, p < .05) were found to be statistically significant in students’ attitude towards the use of iwb along with its all dimensions for high, average, and low level of basic knowledge of computer. hence, ho is rejected. ergo, post-hoc analysis was used to examine the differences between the mean ranks of two different groups. table-8: procedure of post-hoc analysis (basic knowledge of computer) variable level n mean rank sum of ranks u-value z-value p-value knowledge of computer high 30 64.08 1922.50 972.50 -1.16 ns average 81 53.01 4293.50 average 81 55.56 4500.00 279.00 -4.08 p < .05 low 18 25.00 450.00 low 18 14.08 253.50 82.50 -3.99 p < .05 high 30 30.75 922.50 s-significant; ns-not significant it is evident from table 8 that obtained z values (z = -4.08, p < .05, df =109; z = -3.99, p < .05, df = 97) were found to be statistically significant in students’ attitude towards the use of iwb scores with respect to students’ knowledge of computer. hence, ho is rejected. it indicates the statistically significant difference in attitude towards the use of iwb among the students having different degrees of computer knowledge. furthermore, it is also concluded that students with high basic knowledge of computers were having a highly positive degree of attitude towards iwb along with its dimension than their counterparts. qualitative analysis the first item asked from the participants was-  how does iwb facilitate the teaching-learning environment? after analysis of the comments of participants, the result revealed that 63 percent of the students accepted that iwb is more effective than traditional boards in terms of accuracy, drawing the multidimensional figures and shapes perfectly and their movement from different angles effectively and increasing interaction between students and teachers. 57 percent of students stated that iwb contributes to enhancing motivation and making the t-l process more enjoyable and fetching maximum attention of learners for long term retention. 10 percent of students stated that iwb is very helpful in reviewing and revising any lesion effectively. in addition, it enhances the level of engagement with the iwb that supports for a better learning environment. the second item of the tool asked from the participants waswhat are major problems faced by the students when teachers use iwb in the classroom? the generic statement of 53 percent of students pointed out the lack of training of teachers because most of the teachers failed to calibrate the iwb with the projector properly. in addition, 43 percent of the students faced technological and network problems that affected their teaching-learning process. 52 percent of students felt indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 133 that the teachers lack experience and confidence during the use of iwb in the classroom. if teachers do not have the confidence to use iwb effectively then it may be the cause of poor performance and lack of effective use of the technology in the classrooms. the third item of the tool wasprovide your suggestions for the effective use of iwb in the teaching-learning process. participants have highlighted several problems, however, these are shortterm in nature i.e. ‘teething troubles’ than long term difficulties. apart from showing a favourable attitude towards iwb, students have also shared their views for the effective use of iwbs in the t-l process. it was highlighted by 64 percent of participants that training and refresher courses should be given to the in-service teachers and preservice teachers too for enhancing their confidence and competence to work with iwb effectively. in addition, they stated that technical support is considered to be a vital component in any ict related tasks. 18 percent of students responded that the teacher should simultaneously use the traditional board and iwb for an effective teaching-learning process. at last, 17 percent of students stated that teachers may conduct assessments and evaluations for the effective use of iwbs. discussion & conclusions the aim of the present study is to examine the students’ attitude towards the use of iwb in higher education and also focus and ferret out the differences for the same based on gender, locality and level of education, discipline and basic knowledge of computers. the findings of this study revealed that students have a positive attitude towards the use of iwb in higher education. similar findings are also supported by different research studies (tataroglu & erduran, 2010; elaziz, 2008: hall & higgins, 2005). iwb based teaching-learning processes are perceived by university students as more effective and enjoyable because of fetching attention, increasing interest, motivation and classroom interaction, multiple dimension presentation, etc. and even facilities not only for saving the lectures and material but also using it simultaneously. however, despite having advantages of iwb in the teaching-learning process, it is also suggested by the students that the iwb tool may be used in specific lessons or topics, but for creating a natural environment, improving writing skills on a blackboard, green board, and drawing the figure and pictures manually as feasible for teachers by considering the time and appropriateness, it would be better to use the blackboard, green board by teachers and students. furthermore, the gender difference was not found with respect to attitude towards the use of iwbs in higher education except for only one dimension, i.e. perceived teaching effectiveness. male students were found to be significantly higher than their female students’ for the same. however, it is not supported by the several research studies (singaravelu, 2017; bindu, 2017; mahajan, 2016, balta & duran, 2015) that have reported the gender differences in attitude towards iwb. it is the gender bias notion, that male students are technologically more adapted than girls. it will be a barrier to maximum utilization of human resources for national development because of ignoring half of the population’s efforts. however, the role of family and other agencies also play an active role to encourage them by highlighting their achievements in different fields from time to time. in addition, locality differences were also not found in the attitude of students towards the use of iwb in higher classrooms. however, the findings of the study were supported by loong, indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 134 doig, and groves (2011) because they reported a little difference across most aspects of ict use between rural and urban students. but in contrast, unlu, dokme and sarikaya (2014) reported a significant difference in the use of the internet in favour of urban students than their counterparts. the reason for this could be that the urban people are more exposed not only towards the use of computers and english language but also other aspects as they have better socioeconomic status and other facilities than rural background students. rural indian students face a more challenging situation for the effective use of ict in education, because of the lack of technology, internet access, and qualified trainers. and this study suggested that in this situation ict enabled education in rural schools can be an innovative step to fill this literacy gap and to uproot the teachinglearning process. in addition to the level of education, wise differences were also not found among the students of ug and pg programmes. nevertheless, disciplinary differences were found. the students of education discipline were having a higher positive attitude towards the use of iwb than social science students. however, similar findings were reported by balta & duran (2015). the possible explanation of the result may be due to the training of the students of education discipline. at last, the difference based on the basic knowledge of computers was also found in the attitude of students towards the use of iwb along with its all dimensions. students with high and average basic knowledge of computers showed a higher attitude towards iwb than the students having less basic knowledge of computers. this result may be due to one possible factor, i.e. the positive relationship between ict knowledge and effective use of iwb. therefore, the findings of this study suggested that a support system (learning material) may be provided to the students to enhance their competencies like including the course of ict in education, orienting the students and faculty members for the effective use of iwb in their teachinglearning process. the technology shifts the paradigm from the traditional system of learning to ict enabled learning which helps to improve the learners’ skills and promote active learning and interaction in the classroom (aflalo, zana, & huri, 2018; hall & higgins, 2005). most of the students agreed that iwb is helpful in making the teachinglearning process more interesting and effective (mata, lazar & lazar, 2016; hall & higgins, 2005). in addition, it helps to increase motivation, level of engagement, and retention levels of the learners. iwb is also very useful for better understanding of content using cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains of the learners. the important issue raised through the findings of the study is that there is a great need for adequate training to increase the maximum utilization of the iwb in the teaching-learning process (hall & higgins, 2005; elaziz, 2008). despite having a larger population in india, the govt. initiatives are being incorporated to provide the iwbs facilities at the entire spectrum of education across the country. but several reasons may cause the ineffective implementation of iwb in the teaching-learning processes like (i) untrained teachers at the elementary level, secondary level and higher level too; (ii) no internet facilities, technological assistance and maintenance in remote areas and village schools (iii) unavailability of ict expert teacher to assist other teachers for the use of iwbs by using update ict knowledge. although, the study suggests that the policymaker and administrator should observe such difficulties faced by the teachers and learners’ practices with the iwb and initiate important indian journal of educational technology volume 4, issue 1, january 2022 135 steps to remove the problems. despite the methodological strength, the present study has some limitations. one concern related to this study has been claimed to have a positive attitude of students towards the use of iwb in higher education, but with some limitations like a small sample, selection of only one institution and not using triangulations (interview, observation). therefore, the findings of the study may be less valid to generalize the population. secondly, teachers’ views should be involved to validate the findings of the study in terms of the advantages and disadvantages of the use of iwb in the classroom. even in most cases, teachers are not having a great deal of exposure to lessons or limited exposure with iwbs; therefore, it may be the reason for not capturing the true extent of the attitude of the students towards the use of iwb. third, the content validity of the tool was only established. although this study includes both qualitative and quantitative data, classroom observations are missing to explore to what extent students and teachers will be benefitted from the potential use of this technological device as claimed in literature? therefore, a longitudinal study may be conducted to confirm the findings of the study as required correlating the greater use of iwb and more positive attitude of students towards iwbs (elaziz, 2008). future research may be conducted at the primary and secondary levels to study the effectiveness of the use of iwb in the classroom in terms of learners’ performance and teaching effectiveness. it could be extended for the subject-specific domain like social science and language. past and present studies have not yet addressed the concerning issues such as how can we foster students’ creative thinking by using iwb? ergo, longitudinal and experimental research may be conducted to look at other issues and for a better understanding of the effectiveness of iwb. (acknowledgement: authors are very grateful to dr. pragya gupta, assistant professor, department of teacher education, central university of south bihar, india for providing her constructive feedback for the improvement of this manuscript and also to the students who participated in this research.) references aflalo, e., zana, l., & huri, t. (2018). the interactive whiteboard in primary school science and interaction. interactive learning environments, 26(4), 525-538. doi:10.1080/10494820. 2017.1367695 akkoyunlu, b., & erkan, s. (2013). a study on student and teacher views on technology use. procedia-social and behavioral sciences, 103, 68 76. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.10.309 al-faki, i. m., & khamis, a. h. a. (2014). difficulties facing teachers in using interactive whiteboards in their classes. american international journal of social science, 3(2), 136-158. balta, n., & duran, m. 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(2016). a research framework of smart education. smart learning environment, 3(4), 1-17. doi:10.1186/s40561-016-0026-2 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 129 research article integrating gamification into preschool concepts: a developmental approach n dhanya1 , jesna k m 2& jumana haseen a 3 1 associate professor department of home science st. teresa’s college (autonomous) ernakulam, kerala 2 pg student, department of home science st. teresa’s college (autonomous), ernakulam, kerala 3 pg student, department of home science st. teresa’s college (autonomous), ernakulam, kerala emailjumanah93@gmail.com abstract the study titled ‘integrating gamification into preschool concepts: a developmental approach’ has explored the effect of gamification books on preschool children’s learning at kalamassery, ernakulam, kerala, india. the sample for the study was selected using a purposive sampling method. the sample for the study included 70 children belonging to the age group of 3-5 years and 15 teachers. the study investigated the impact of gamification in learning numeracy, literacy, fine motor skills, and social interaction among the preschool children. the results revealed a significant improvement in learning outcomes, engagement, motivation, and social interaction among children, with positive feedback from the teachers. the approach using gamification showed enhanced understanding of educational concepts, fostering improved communication skills, creativity, and self-expression. the result concludes that the gamification approach is a promising tool for preschool education which in turn would help in creating a positive impact on the development of children in early childhood education. keywords: gamification, early childhood education, developmental approach, preschool curriculum, learning outcome introduction gamification is the use of concepts and aspects of game design elements in non-gaming environments. it has created significant focus in recent years and is used as a strategy to engage and motivate individuals to attain specific goals. in 2002, pelling suggested that by incorporating game-like elements such as challenges, levels, badges, points, and rewards, gamification ensures more engaging and enjoyable experiences. often the traditional teaching methods lack the capacity to gain the complete attention of the learners. however, this gamification approach has proven very effective in educational settings. early childhood education (ece) is considered to be a crucial stage in a child’s development that lays the foundation for lifelong academic success and overall well-being. during this period, children absorb information rapidly. this period is ideal for interventions and enrichments. highquality ece programs are linked with numerous benefits, including enhanced socialisation, problem-solving skills, and emotional regulation (brown, 2020). development of ece has long indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 130 term benefits like reduced healthcare costs, lower crime rates and increased productivity among workers (johnson et al., 2021). the traditional learning method lacks motivation, creativity, and innovation as it relies more on theoretical instruction than practical application. as a result, the retention of concepts and content taught becomes limited among the learners. in contrast, playbased learning, when supported by recent technologies in cognitive science and educational neuroscience, offers a promising change in the capacity to learn. this approach focuses on attention, active engagement, feedback, and consolidation that acts as key factors for effective learning (lamrani, 2020). gamification, when incorporated with ece, can make learning much more interactive and enjoyable. teachers can integrate game activities into daily routines thereby creating stimulating environments. this encourages children to actively participate and explore. for example, low-structured game materials can develop creativity and guided exploration in science areas can promote scientific thinking (zheng, 2022). the high-quality preschool education sets the stage for lifelong learning and enhances cognitive, linguistic, and socio-emotional development. the integration of gamification into ece can contribute to the education field and can significantly enhance motivation, engagement, and learning outcomes. by enhancing the motivational power of games, teachers can create more effective and engaging learning environments that are suitable to meet the diverse needs and interests of young learners (hamari et al., 2015). relevance of the study modern teaching and learning techniques must be integrated into the quickly evolving educational landscape of today’s scenario in order to satisfy their various needs. recently there has been a growing recognition of the importance of early childhood education in laying the foundation for lifelong learning, active participation and development in different areas of domains. however young children are hard to hold and engage with when using traditional teaching methods which leads to low learning outcomes and disengagement. this is where gamification, a tactic that uses the excitement and drive that comes from playing games to improve learning becomes relevant. the creation of a gamification manual is highly relevant in the preschool education context where establishing a love of learning and fundamental skills is crucial. preschoolers’ learning experiences could be revolutionised by such a manual which offers teachers useful advice and resources for incorporating gamified components into the curriculum. gamification can foster curiosity, encourage active engagement and develop critical thinking, problemsolving and teamwork skills through interactive exercises, challenges and reward systems. however, gamifications value in developing preschool curricula goes beyond its ability to improve student performance. in an increasingly digital and technologically advanced world children are growing up surrounded by interactive media and digital devices. by meeting kids where they are and taking advantage of their familiarity with technology, teachers can design meaningful and captivating learning experiences through gamification. additionally, given the state of educational practices today creative solutions that accommodate students’ unique learning preferences indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 131 and styles are desperately needed. gamifications adaptability and flexibility present a promising solution as classrooms become more diverse containing students with a range of backgrounds and abilities. gamification can meet the individual needs of every child by offering a variety of learning pathways and personalised experiences thereby fostering equity and inclusivity in education practice. gamification of the preschool curriculum has enormous potential in kerala where resources for early childhood education are plentiful and education is highly valued. kerala can improve the standard and inclusivity of early childhood education and guarantee that every child has access to stimulating and productive learning opportunities by adopting cutting-edge teaching and learning methodologies. kerala’s culturally and linguistically varied environment also offers exceptional chances for the creation and application of gamified educational resources that are in line with regional customs and values. an additional supportive environment for the implementation of gamification in education is kerala’s long history of technological innovation and digital literacy. teachers in kerala can use gamified book manuals to enhance classroom instruction, encourage active learning and provide students the tools they need to become selfdirected learners as they have more access to digital devices and online resources. to conclude, creating a book on gamification for preschool curricula is essential and pertinent given the changing demands and difficulties of early childhood education. through the adoption of gamification educators can establish dynamic immersive and efficacious learning environments that stimulate curiosity, nurture creativity and establish a foundation for lifetime learning and achievement. the incorporation of gamification offers new opportunities for preschool education by illuminating the intricacies of education in the twenty-first century. objectives the main objectives of the study are as follows. 1. to develop a comprehensive book manual integrating gamification principles into the preschool concepts. 2. to assess the effectiveness of the gamification book. 3. to assess engagement, motivation, social interaction, acceptance and learning outcomes among preschool-aged children through the implementation of gamified educational activities. 4. to provide educators with practical guidelines and instructions for incorporating gamification into preschool teaching methods and evaluation of books by the teachers. literature review nair and menon (2019) investigated the use and efficacy of gamification strategies in kerala india’s preschool curriculum. through a thorough analysis of multiple preschools, they looked into how game elements could be incorporated into a variety of learning activities. the purpose of the study was to evaluate how gamification affects learning outcomes, motivation and student engagement. the study’s conclusions demonstrated that gamification strategies increased student engagement and promoted an engaging and interactive learning environment. furthermore, when it came to learning tasks that were gamified, students showed increased motivation and excitement. the study also showed that gamification enhanced learning outcomes as students showed indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 132 higher levels of participation in class activities and enhanced retention of concepts. all things considered, the study demonstrated how gamification can be used as a powerful teaching tool in early childhood education settings especially when it comes to raising student engagement and learning objectives. in 2020, kumar and pillai investigated how early literacy skill development in kerala preschools are affected by gamification. kumar and pillai look into the use of gamification strategies to improve young learners’ literacy acquisition through observations, interviews and activity analysis. the findings of this study demonstrate how well gamification can be incorporated into preschool curricula. teachers can use game components like rhyming games, interactive reading sessions and storytelling to get kids excited about reading. the results imply that in addition to raising student’s engagement and motivation, gamification promotes the growth of critical early literacy abilities like comprehension, vocabulary, acquisition and phonological awareness. furthermore, the research emphasises how crucial it is to include culturally appropriate activities and content in gamified literacy training to guarantee its efficacy in kerala’s heterogeneous educational environment. in summary, this study highlights the potential of gamification as a useful instrument for fostering early literacy abilities in preschool environments. it also provides useful information for educators and policymakers looking to implement creative approaches to early childhood education in kerala. menon and kumar, (2022) examine how gamification affects preschoolers’ social and emotional development in kerala. they measured how gamified activities affect different facets of young learners’ social and emotional competence through a mixed-methods approach that includes surveys, interviews and observations. the study shows that preschoolers’ social skills— such as cooperation, communication and empathy—are positively impacted by gamification. in the classroom, gamified activities that encourage prosocial behaviour and improve peer interactions include cooperative games, role-playing scenarios and storytelling. furthermore, the results imply that gamification aids in the development of emotional regulation abilities since gamified experiences teach students how to express their feelings, handle frustration and overcome obstacles. in general, the study underscores the potential of gamification as a useful instrument for fostering preschoolers’ holistic development providing insightful information for teachers and other professionals who aim to facilitate social and emotional learning in keralan early childhood education settings. menon et al. (2018), examines how parents in kerala’s urban areas feel about the gamified preschool curriculum. menon and colleagues investigate the views, worries and satisfaction levels of parents regarding the incorporation of gamification techniques into preschool education through surveys and parent interviews. according to the study’s findings, parents generally have positive opinions of gamified preschool curricula and see it as a creative and interesting way to teach young children. parents recognise the potential of gamification to improve skill development and school readiness and they are appreciative of their children’s increased motivation and enthusiasm for learning activities. however, a few parents voice worries regarding screen time overstimulation risks and the necessity of striking a balance between traditional and gamified learning opportunities. overall, the study emphasises how critical it is to address parents’ concerns and include them in conversations about indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 133 gamification in preschool education in order to successfully implement and accept gamified curricula in urban kerala. skaržauskienė and kalinauskas (2014), demonstrated how gamification may promote group creativity by raising the enjoyment of activity engagement. their study shed light on the ways that gamification techniques could boost participants’ pleasure and engagement in tasks creating an atmosphere that is favourable for brainstorming and creative thinking in groups. in their investigation, skaržauskienė and kalinauskas looked at how gamification strategies affected group dynamics and artistic output. they sought to increase participants’ intrinsic motivation and excitement for the task by incorporating game elements like points, levels, challenges and rewards into cooperative tasks. according to their research findings, gamification does in fact significantly contribute to the development of group creativity. participants were more likely to actively contribute ideas, consider alternate solutions and work well with others when the activity was made more fun and interactive. group members felt more comradery and were inspired to think creatively to accomplish common objectives thanks to the competitive and cooperative elements gamification brought in. additionally, skaržauskienė and kalinauskas emphasised how crucial it is to create gamified experiences that complement the particular aims and objectives of the group activity. teachers and facilitators can ensure meaningful learning outcomes while boosting creativity and engagement by customising gamification mechanics to the participants preferences and the situation at hand. their research taken as a whole shed light on how gamification might be used to foster group creativity and idea generation. educators and organisations can create dynamic and stimulating environments that inspire creativity and problemsolving among participants by utilising game elements to increase enjoyment, motivation and collaboration. using gamification mårell-olsson (2021) assisted students in developing skills and abilities relevant to the twenty-first century. these abilities usually cover a wide range and are becoming more and more necessary for success in the modern world such as critical thinking, creativity, teamwork, communication and digital literacy. gamification has the potential to enhance student engagement, active learning and skill development in the classroom. through the incorporation of game elements into educational activities educators can craft immersive learning environments that inspire students to investigate, test and solve problems. a more studentcentred approach to education can be promoted by gamification which can also offer chances for individualised learning feedback and self-assessment. students are encouraged to investigate challenging issues to try out various solutions and work with peers to accomplish common goals through gamified experiences. because gamification is interactive and offers instant feedback students can evaluate their progress, pinpoint areas for development and refine their methods. additionally, through the simulation of real-world problems and scenarios gamification can aid in bridging the gap between conventional classroom instruction and practical applications. through the use of gamification and immersive learning environments students can gain practical skills and competencies that they can apply to their future academic and professional endeavours. chen and wang (2020), explored how preschoolers’ motivation and engagement are affected by gamified learning environments. their study indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 134 looks into how adding different game features—like challenges, rewards and feedback mechanisms—affects kids’ attitudes about learning and how engaged they are in gamified activities. chen and wang use a mixedmethods approach to investigate how gamification affects preschoolers’ motivation and engagement in various educational settings. they obtain information on children’s experiences with gamified learning environments and their opinions of the game elements used through observations, questionnaires and interviews. preschoolers’ motivation and engagement in educational activities can be improved through gamification as the study reveals. gamified learning environments encourage children to actively participate in learning tasks by incorporating elements like rewards and challenges which in turn stimulates their intrinsic motivation. children are further motivated to interact with the material when they receive timely and constructive feedback in gamified activities which also creates a sense of accomplishment and progress. chen and wang also investigate how gamification might encourage preschoolers to collaborate and socialise. they draw attention to the ways that gamified activities can foster peer cooperation, communication and teamwork all of which enhance the creation of a positive and lively learning environment. smith and johnson’s (2018) research is based on understanding that social interaction is essential to the process of early childhood development. the researchers want to investigate how gamification can act as a catalyst for improving social interaction among young learners given that the preschool years are crucial for children’s development of social skills. the research uses a mixed-methods approach to thoroughly evaluate the effect of gamification on social interaction by fusing quantitative measurements with qualitative observations. scientists watch as gamification strategies are incorporated into regular preschool activities and record instances of peer engagement, communication, cooperation and competition. smith and johnson examine the dynamics of social interaction in gamified learning environments through structured observations and interviews with teachers and students. they investigate the ways in which game features—like points, prizes, cooperative missions and team-based tasks—affect kids’ conduct and relationships with their classmates. the study’s conclusions show a favourable relationship between gamification integration and improved preschoolers’ social interaction. as kids cooperate to accomplish shared objectives, gamified activities foster cooperation problem-solving and communication skills. additionally, healthy peer relationships are fostered by competition within a supportive environment which promotes cooperation over division. kuo-wei lee (2023), conducted a study to assess the effectiveness of gamification in early childhood education and explained as gamification has an intriguing influence on learning and could be a useful teaching approach to improve learning. the term “gamification” refers to the application of game design aspects outside of gaming environments. these elements may include competitiveness, fun failure, levels, badges, goals, feedback, competition, and challenges. only since 2010 has gamification become widely used. studies on “gamification in education” are still in their infancy. additional empirical data is required to fully understand how gamification affects student learning. several research investigations have endeavoured to validate if gamification enhances learning. the positive indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 135 outcomes have increased hopes for how gamification in education will progress. gamification has been linked to higher levels of student motivation, emotional involvement, and enjoyment, according to several research. according to garcia, smith, johnson, and patel, (2019), preschoolers’ social skills are developed through play and their study looked into how well gamified learning activities can do this. in order to encourage social interaction, empathy and conflict resolution skills in young children, the researchers created a set of gamified activities that would be incorporated into the preschool curriculum. preschoolers from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds ages 3 to 5 made up the study’s sample. the individuals completed a variety of gamified learning activities aimed at addressing particular social skills over the course of six weeks. participatory storytelling sessions, cooperative games and group challenges that promoted peer cooperation and communication were some of these activities. to evaluate the effect of the gamified activities on the development of social skills the researchers used a mixed-methods approach. through pre and post-intervention assessments, quantitative data on improvements in social interaction empathy and conflict resolution skills were gathered. the participants’ experiences and opinions of the gamified learning activities were revealed by the qualitative data that was gathered through observations, interviews and student reflections. preschoolers who engaged in the gamified learning activities showed notable gains in social skills according to the study’s findings. the participants exhibited better conflict resolution skills, greater empathy for their peers and improved communication skills. additionally, both students and teachers found the gamified activities to be well-received with many expressing high levels of motivation, enjoyment and engagement. the researchers came to the conclusion that gamified learning activities have potential as useful resources for fostering the development of social skills in young children. teachers may design dynamic and interactive learning environments that support young children’s healthy social interactions and peer relationships by utilizing game elements like cooperation, competition and storytelling. kim, lee, park, and choi, (2022), addresses the importance of social interaction in preschool settings and aims to explore innovative approaches to promote positive peer relationships and social development. acknowledging the potential of gamification as an engagement and learning tool the researchers look into how gamified learning environments can improve preschoolers’ social interactions. in order to assess how gamified activities affect social interaction the study uses a mixed-methods research design that combines quantitative and qualitative measures. kim et al. collected data through surveys observations and interviews with teachers and students. evaluate the impact of different gamification techniques on preschoolers’ prosocial empathy and communication skills. in order to encourage social interaction, the researchers investigate a variety of gamified learning activities. these activities include collaborative games, virtual simulations and group projects that encourage children to work together, communicate effectively and empathise with their peers. gamer’s engagement and motivation are increased by integrating game elements like avatars, storylines, narratives, points and rewards. the study’s conclusions show that preschoolers’ social interaction improves in gamified learning environments. through participation in indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 136 gamified activities children demonstrate improved communication skills, greater empathy towards others and increased willingness to collaborate and share with their peers. gamifications immersive and interactive features encourage children to participate in meaningful social interactions and foster a sense of community within the classroom. chen and kim, (2021), conducted an in-depth examination of teacher perspectives regarding gamified learning within high school environments. the researchers hope to obtain a thorough grasp of how educators view the incorporation of gamification into their teaching practices by using a case study methodology. they investigate a variety of topics including attitudes toward gamification, perceived advantages and difficulties, implementation techniques, effect on student engagement, and learning outcomes through observations, interviews, and surveys. the study provides insights into the special opportunities and challenges related to gamified learning at the secondary education level by concentrating on high school settings. rich contextualised insights into teacher perspectives on gamified learning and its implications for high school instructional practices are provided by the findings which add to the body of knowledge already in existence. according to research by kwon and özpolat (2021), gamification in the classroom might not have the desired effect and might even backfire. for instance, kwon and özpolat discovered that gamification dramatically lowered student satisfaction, topic knowledge, and overall course experience in an undergraduate course. the findings of the study underscore the importance of carefully considering the design and implementation of gamified interventions in the classroom. even though gamification is highly popular not all students may find that having game-like components in the classroom enhances their learning experience. students’ opinions and attitudes toward gamification can be influenced by a variety of factors including their individual preferences, learning preferences and past experiences in gamified environments. several factors could contribute to the negative outcomes observed in kwon and özpolats study. poorly designed gamified experiences, unclear instructions, intense competition or a mismatch between the game mechanics and learning objectives can all compromise the effectiveness of gamification and the overall learning experience. furthermore, too much reliance on artificial or forced gamification strategies or extrinsic rewards may cause students to become disengaged and frustrated. the results of the study by kwon and özpolats show that gamification in education requires a nuanced and evidence-based approach. when using gamification in the classroom, educators should consider the possible advantages and disadvantages carefully and keep in mind the opinions and experiences of their students. gamified interventions must also be continuously evaluated and enhanced in order to minimise unintended consequences and optimise learning outcomes. methodology of the study selection of area the study was conducted in ernakulam district, kerala, india, a major educational area. the district’s urban centres like kalamassery stand out in particular for the concentration of early childhood education centres and other educational facilities that serve the needs of kids from different communities and backgrounds. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 137 sample the study involved 70 preschoolers aged 3-5 from ernakulam district, specifically 58 from four anganwadis and 12 from preschool in kalamassery. purposive sampling was used to select participants based on age, enrolment, and availability. feedback was collected from 15 teachers (8 from anganwadis, 7 from the preschool) for evaluating the integration of gamification. tools 1. self-designed gamification book for preschool curriculum: the “fun and learn” book uses gamification to improve preschool education. it provides games that align with developmental needs and curriculum goals and offer clear guidelines for educators. the book mainly aims to improve engagement, motivation, and learning, while supporting social and emotional growth. 2. self-designed questionnaire for children’s demographic details: the self-designed questionnaire was developed by the investigator to understand the demographic details of the sample. the questionnaire helps to collect the details about the age, gender of the children. the questionnaire included multiple choice questions. 3. self-designed questionnaire to assess performance before and after gamification: the questionnaire is divided into five sections that evaluate preschoolers’ engagement, motivation, learning outcomes, acceptability, and social interaction with game-based learning. the questionnaire consisted of 10 questions across five areas of assessment. the test was designed as per likert rating scale as follows: totally agree(5),agree(4), neutral(3), disagree(2) and totally disagree(1) . 4. self-designed questionnaire to gather teacher feedback: the questionnaire had three sections: (i) pre-implementation feedback on teachers’ initial perceptions and expectations, (ii) evaluation of gamification integration and its perceived benefits, and (iii) overall feedback on teachers’ experiences with gamification. conduct of the study phase i: development and testing y created “fun & learn,” a gamification book with activities for the preschool curriculum. y developed pre and post-tests that cover areas like numeracy, alphabet recognition, language, and fine motor skills. y administered questionnaires for children’s performance and teachers’ feedback. phase ii: implementation and observation 1. introduced gamification book to the teachers and provided classroom instruction. 2. designed and implemented gamified learning exercises. 3. observed and adjusted teaching methods based on children’s engagement and performance. phase iii: evaluation and feedback analysed pre-test and post-test results to assess changes in children’s performance. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 138 analysis and interpretation the results of assessment done were interpreted using percentage analysis and parametric ttest. result and discussion table-1: assessing the effectiveness of the gamification book pre-test score distribution among children item(s) percentage of children achieved specific scores 5 4 3 2 1 numeracy 0 0 12.8 44.2 44.2 alphabetics 0 0 30 42.8 27.1 language 0 0 35.7 45.7 18.5 fine motor skills 0 0 20 42.8 37.1 table-2: assessing the effectiveness of the gamification bookpost-test score distribution among children item(s) percentage of children achieved specific scores 5 4 3 2 1 numeracy 0 20 62.8 14.2 2.8 alphabetics 0 15.7 67.1 17.1 0 language 0 18.5 52.8 28.5 0 fine motor skills 0 20 55.7 24.2 0 to assess the effectiveness of the gamification book, pre-test and post-test was done on children that were structured around numeracy, alphabetics, language and fine motor skills. table 1 and 2 show the percentage of children who achieved specific scores in pre-test & post-test that indicated a higher score in post-test compared to the pre-test that in turn implies that gamification book has got positive effectiveness. to check the effectiveness of the book in improving the learning outcome, a paired sample t-test was conducted where the pre-test and post-test is taken into consideration. table-3 :comparison of means on numeracy, alphabets, language and fine motor skills before and after introducing the gamification book mean n std. deviation std. error mean pair 1 numeracy pre-test 1.7000 70 .68841 .08228 numeracy post-test 3.0000 70 .68101 .08140 pair 2 alphabet pre-test 2.0286 70 .76084 .09094 alphabet posttest 2.9857 70 .57717 .06899 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 139 mean n std. deviation std. error mean pair 3 language pre-test 2.1714 70 .72174 .08626 language posttest 2.9000 70 .68419 .08178 pair 4 fine motor pre-test 1.8143 70 .72817 .08703 fine motor post-test 2.9571 70 .66889 .07995 table-4: paired t-test to assess the effectiveness of the gamification book introduced to the children mean paired differences t df sig.(2tailed) std. deviation std. error mean 95% confidence interval of the difference lower upper pair 1 numeracy pre test -numeracy post test 1.30000 .93793 .11210 -1.52364 -1.07636 11.596 69 .000 pair 2 alphabet pre -test– alphabet post-test -.95714 .95456 .11409 -1.18475 -.72954 -8.389 69 .000 pair 3 language pretestlanguage pre-test-.72857 .93128 .11131 -.95063 -.50651 -6.545 69 .000 pair 4 fine motor pre-test fine motor post-test finepost 1.14286 .88932 .10629 -1.35491 -.93081 10.752 69 .000 from table 3 and 4, paired–samples t-test was conducted to compare the means on numeracy skill, alphabetics, language, fine motor skills with and without introduction of the gamification book (pre-test and post-test).there was a significant difference in the scores of the paired samples ttest showed that the children’s level of performance in numeracy increased from pretest (m=1.700, sd=.68841) to posttest(m=3.000,sd=.68101; t= -11.596, p=.000).the knowledge alphabetics in the pre-test (m=2.0286,sd=.76084) to post-test (m=2.9857,sd=.57717; t= -8.389,p=.000).the knowledge of the respondents on the language skill in the pre-test (m=2.1714,sd=.72174) to posttest (m=2.900,sd=.68419; t=-6.545,p=.000).the fine motor skill of the respondents from pretest (m= 1.8143,sd=.72817) to post-test(m=2.9571,sd=.66889;t= -10.752,p=.000). hence the null hypothesis is rejected. these results suggests that there is a definite effect of the developed gamification book for improving learning outcome among pre-schoolers. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 140 table-5: assessment of children’s responses to gamification in learning through observation question(s) respondents % strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly agree engagement level during gamified activities, the child actively participates and shows interest. 0 0 7 34 58 the child becomes excited when presented with new gamified learning tasks. 0 0 6 36 58 motivation level gamified activities in preschool motivate the child to learn. 0 0 13 41 46 gamified educational activities in preschool help to sustain the child’s interest and attention for longer periods. 0 0 13 40 47 learning outcome the child demonstrates improved understanding of educational concepts through gamified activities. 0 0 6 40 54 gamified learning in preschool enhances the child’s problem-solving skills 0 0 14 24 61 social interaction feel that playing games with the classmates helps to become better friends. 0 0 20 29 51 feel encouraged to communicate and share ideas with others while playing games. 0 0 16 36 49 acceptance the child liked the idea of playing games as a way to learn new things in preschool. 0 0 7 34 59 believed that gamified activities should be part of our regular preschool curriculum. 0 0 7 23 70 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 141 table 5 indicates the engagement level, motivation level and learning outcome responses of the children via observations. the findings revealed that 58 percentage (strongly agree) of the children that participated showed engagement in the gamified activities. it was noted that 46 percentage of children showed motivation in learning through game-based activities. of the respondents showed high levels of motivation in gamified activities. therefore, a significant majority of participants demonstrated a positive inclination towards learning when engaged with game-based approaches, highlighting the potential effectiveness of gamification in fostering intrinsic motivation. more than half of the sample indicated high levels of learning outcome by using gamified activities. the outcome indicates that 60 per cent of respondents strongly agreed, 24 per cent agreed, and 10 per cent remained neutral regarding the enhancement of their child’s problem-solving skills through gamified learning in preschool. continuous assessment and modification will be essential as gamified learning in preschool education develops to guarantee that it is beneficial in fostering young learners’ holistic and cognitive development. through gamification of learning can be attributed to its potential to enhance motivation, curiosity and retention of educational content. the majority of respondents, i.e., 51 per cent strongly agreed that playing games with classmates fosters better friendship. it appears that a sizable majority—93 per cent —strongly agreed or agreed with the statement that the child found it enjoyable to use games as a way to learn new information while in preschool. this implies that a large proportion of participants believe the child has favourable attitude toward playing educational games in a preschool environment. 7 per cent of the respondents expressed neutrality meaning they were undecided about the statement. this may suggest that there is a lack of consensus or ambiguity in this groups thinking about the preschooler’s attitude toward the use of games for learning. table-6: teacher’s feedback based on pre-implementation evaluation question(s) respondents % very poor poor neutral good very good before introducing game-based learning, how would you rate the overall academic performance of children in our classroom? 0 0 46.7 46.7 6.7 how engaged were the children during traditional learning activities prior to the introduction of gamification? 0 0 80 20 0 table 6 indicates that before gamebased learning, only 7 per cent of respondents rated student performance as very good, while 46.7 per cent rated it as neutral to good, indicating modest achievement. these results suggest that gamification, through techniques like incentive challenges and interactive modules, could enhance engagement and improve academic performance. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 142 table-7: teacher’s feedback on integration of game-based learning question(s) respondents % strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly agree to what extent do you believe gamification has enhanced children’s enthusiasm for learning? 0 0 13 41 46 how effectively do you think gamification has improved children’s retention of educational concepts? 0 0 13 40 47 has the integration of gamification positively impacted children’s collaborative skills and teamwork? 0 0 0 53.3 46.7 do you perceive gamification as an effective tool for promoting creativity and problem-solving skills among children? 0 0 0 33.3 66.7 table 7 represents the enthusiasm in the children that was found to be improved. the data shows that 5.3 per cent of respondents believe gamification greatly improved children’s enthusiasm for learning, while 46.7 per cent think it made a significant difference. this suggests gamification is highly effective in boosting kids’ excitement and participation in learning. gamification has significantly improved children’s retention of the academic concepts, with 60 per cent of respondents finding it very effective. additionally, 40 per cent believe it can greatly enhance retention, indicating that gamification is widely seen as a valuable tool for improving learning outcomes. gamification has positively impacted kids’ cooperation and teamwork, with 53 per cent of respondents agreeing and 46 per cent strongly agreeing. this suggests that gamified learning activities effectively encourage collaboration. gamification is widely trusted to increase children’s creativity and problem-solving skills, with 66 per cent of respondents strongly agreeing and 33 per cent agreeing. this shows strong confidence in gamification as a strategy for developing these critical abilities in kids. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 143 from table 9, 92.9 per cent of respondents were highly satisfied. gamification in the preschool curriculum has been a great success, improving learning experiences and receiving strong approval from parents and teachers. given the high levels of endorsement, with 86 per cent definitely in favour and 30 per cent probably in favour, continuing gamification is strongly recommended. conclusion the present study discussed “integrating gamification into preschool concepts: a developmental approach”. it analysed children’s demographic details (age, class, gender) upon their knowledge level on the topic. the study concludes that there is a general concern among the importance of game-based learning in preschool children and presents facts that improve the motivation, engagement, social interaction and learning outcome. the gamification book developed by the investigator was sufficient to provide games for actively involving in learning through concept-based games. it was found using paired t-test there was a definite positive difference in the level of learning outcome after going through the gamification book. they displayed improved motivation, attention, retention, engagement, social interaction, language development and learning outcome. these findings imply that developing children’s learning through imaginative games catered to their needs is a successful strategy. this study highlights the potential of such game strategies to empower preschool children, increase their selfconfidence, self-esteem, and provide them the skills they need to effectively communicate their ideas and views. the gamification book is a useful tool for parents, therapists, and teachers who want to make understand the basic concepts that essentially needed to know at the particular age group providing them with fresh opportunities for self-expression and creativity. table-8: overall feedback of the teachers question(s) respondents % very satisfied satisfied neutral dissatisfied very dissatis fied overall, how satisfied are you with the integration of gamification into the preschool curriculum? 92.9 7.1 0 0 0 would you recommend the continuation of gamification in the preschool curriculum for future academic years? definitely not probably not unsure probably yes definitely yes 0 0 0 13.3 86.7 how likely are you to explore additional gamification strategies or resources for preschool education in the future? not likely at all somewhat likely moderately likely very likely extremely likely 0 0 0 0 100 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 144 limitations y the study was limited to kalamassery, ernakulam, kerala. y time constraints to learn and integrate gamification into preschool concepts. recommendations the study puts forward the following implications: y the school authorities and teachers have to integrate elements of gamification such as points, badges, and leader boards, to enhance the active participation. y structure the gamified activities to be developmentally and age appropriate for preschool children. y provide special training programs for preschool teachers to effectively implement and to correct deficiencies in children. y pay attention to developing skills in children according to the peers. y make parents aware of game-based learning and provide information and resources about benefits of extended learning at home via agamified activities. references brown, a. 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(2021). gamified learning and long-term motivational development in preschoolers: a meta-analysis. journal of educational psychology, 113(3), 432-447. kuswandi, d., & fadhli, m. (2022). the effects of gamification method and cognitive style on children’s early reading ability. cogent education, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/233118 6x.2022.2145809 kwon, h. y., & özpolat, k. (2021). the dark side of narrow gamification: negative impact of assessment gamification on student perceptions and content knowledge. informs transactions on education, 21(2), 67–81. https://doi.org/10.1287/ited.2019.0227 menon, s., et al. (2018). parental perceptions of gamified preschool curriculum in urban kerala. journal of early childhood education, 35(3), 321335.nair, r., & menon, s. (2019). gamification in early childhood education: a case study of preschools in kerala. journal of early childhood education, 36(2), 187-201.org/10.1007/s10758-020-09487r, l., & abdelwahed, e. h. (n.d.). game-based learning and gamification to improve skills in early years education. computer science and information system, 7(1), 339–356. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339740181_game-based_learning_and_ gamification_to_improve_skills_in_early_years_education indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 145 shpakova, a., dörfler, v., & macbryde, j. (2016). gamification and innovation: a mutually beneficial union. https://pureportal.strath.ac.uk/en/publications/gamification-andinnovation-a-mutually-beneficial-union zhang, t. (2022). exploration and practice of gamification in kindergarten curriculum. the educational review usa, 6(10), 549–551. https://doi.org/10.26855/er.2022.10.005. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 73 research article exploring school teacher ict competency, awareness, and challenges in using technology in the classroom teaching and learning: consequences for pedagogical alignment and policy frameworks minorita lyngdoh associate professor, martin luther christian university email: minorita@mlcuniv.in abstract the present study explores the use of information and communication technology (ict) skills, awareness, and difficulty faced by school teachers in using ict for classroom teaching and learning. the objective of the research is to find the current levels of ict competency among school teachers, to examine the benefits and challenges of using ict in teaching practices, and to determine the ict-related training requirements for educators. we self-administered the questionnaire in printed copies to 85 in-service school teachers in the jaintia hills district of meghalaya. findings show that teachers never use ict applications for teaching. another finding indicated that the majority of teachers claimed to be unaware of the ministry of education’s digital education initiatives. overall research findings demonstrate teachers strongly agree on the benefits and challenges of incorporating ict into teaching practices. furthermore, school teachers expressed a desire to receive ict-related training in the future, pedagogical alignment, and policy frameworks to address identified challenges effectively. in conclusion, this study highlights the significance of appreciating the advantages as well as the difficulties of incorporating ict into instructional strategies. keywords: ict incorporation, teaching and learning, learning management systems (lms), digital initiatives, blended learning. introduction ict stands for information and communication technology. it pertains to the process of accessing information through information technology. today’s education field extensively uses computers, the internet, and electronic delivery systems like radios, televisions, and projectors, among other ict tools. according to unesco (2020), ict increases educational opportunities by enabling learning to happen anywhere, at any time. the 1992 update to the national policy on education strongly emphasised the application of ict to enhance educational standards. the framework has also emphasised how crucial ict is to education (ncf, 2005). however, the current global pandemic, covid-19, has only partially utilised ict in education and has not fully integrated it into the lms platform. the epidemic has significantly altered the functioning of the indian educational system, incorporating ict in a manner that simplifies its adaptation and support of students’ educational needs. during covid-19, teachers used computers, smartphones, the internet, and other devices to teach students from the comfort of their homes via the online platform. (gurung, 2021). however, integrating ict into the classroom presents challenges, especially in areas where there is a indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 74 digital divide and teachers lack access to technology. (selwyn, 2011). teachers in areas like jaintia hills district of meghalaya exemplify this situation. the infrastructural constraints and physical isolation compound the digital divide (lyngdoh, 2017). this introduction situates the study within the broader address on ict in education, highlighting its transformative potential and the persistent challenges posed by the digital divide. it underscores the relevance of the study in the specific context of meghalaya’s jaintia hills and sets the stage for examining strategies to report the digital divide and promote ict incorporation in pedagogy. statement of the problem although the significance of ict in education is becoming more widely acknowledged, less is known about the difficulty and experiences faced by teachers when incorporating ict into teaching and learning. despite the advantages of ict integration, more research is still needed to identify the challenges teachers encounter in actually utilising ict in the classroom for teaching and learning. supporting and improving ict incorporation in education may not have effect if teacher experiences and difficulties are not fully understood. the indian ministry of education introduced the national policy on ict in school education to encourage teachers to use ict more often (dsel policy, 2012). eighty-four (84) percent of teachers noted they had trouble teaching online in a recent survey. most educators lack the skills and experience required to oversee and instruct in an online learning environment. (bao, 2020). the current study aims to report on the critical need to bridge the digital gap among school teachers in rural areas in the district of meghalaya. the objective is to improve teaching methods, encourage student centred learning, and develop digital literacy in this underprivileged area by equipping teachers with ict competencies. research questions q1. what are the ict levels of school teachers in terms of classroom teaching and learning? q2. what are the benefits and challenges of integrating ict into teaching and learning practices? q3. what are the training needs of teachers for incorporating ict into classroom teaching and learning? research objectives 1. to determine school teachers’ current ict competency levels; 2. to determine the benefits and challenges of using ict in teaching and learning practices; 3. to identify the teacher training needs for integrating ict into classroom teaching and learning practices. literature review in umar and yusoff’s (2014) research on teachers in malaysia, no association was found between the years of service of teachers and their perceptions of the impact of ict use on students’ learning and their impact on teaching and learning. additionally, the survey showed that junior instructors utilise ict more frequently than senior teachers do for generating presentations and delivering reading materials, looking for educational resources, and teachinglearning. in a study conducted in 2014 by simon and lydiah at kenya’s public secondary schools, there is a low degree of teacher indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 75 awareness regarding ict integration readiness. even though 90 per cent of teachers stated that computer literacy increased national advantages, yet many have not incorporated ict into secondary education in public schools. according to a 2015 study by ghavifekr and rosdy, ict integration had benefited both the teachers and students equally. the results also demonstrate that the capacity of teachers to use ict tools for lesson planning and learning material preparation is the key success element for technology-based teachinglearning. davis (2015) stated that the application of ict has become essential to modern education, greatly impacting the technique of classroom teachinglearning. studies have indicated a clear correlation between teachers’ ict skills and their capacity to improve learning outcomes through the application of these tools. bhattacharjee and deb (2016) in their study on the “role of ict in 21st century teacher education” stated that teachers need to understand how to use ict in their subject areas to support learners more effectively. a study by lalchhanhimi (2016) found that between 94 per cent and 95 per cent of teachers and students from both diets pointed that using ict makes them feel uncomfortable, but it also helps them learn things more quickly. additionally, they reported that ict enhanced their classroom teaching and that it might increase educational standards by 56 per cent to 67 per cent and 75 per cent to 94 per cent, respectively. arigusman (2019) explored the teachers’ ict readiness, implementation of ict use, and challenges and found that 86 per cent of the teachers have already had good ict skills, while 14 per cent of them still have low skills. according to hassan and mirza (2020), in addition to knowing how to utilise ict, teachers need to apply it to enhance classroom teaching learning. the determination of ict as a pedagogical tool for learning cannot be fulfilled by using it as a simple teaching tool in a passive manner; rather, application of ict technology must lead to the development of new learning environments to meet the demands of learners. the study conducted by subaveerapandiyan and nandhakumar in 2021 focused on the integration of ict and the proficiency of teacher educators in online instruction amidst the epidemic in india. zoom and google meet are the most highly suggested online platforms to use. lameras and moumoutzis (2021) present a digital competency framework and show that teachers may need to learn digital skills in order to make a positive, welcoming digital learning space where synchronous and asynchronous learning tools can be used to plan flexible, activity-based learning. arigusman (2019) explored the teachers’ ict readiness, implementation of ict use, and challenges and found that 86 per cent of the teachers have already had good ict skills, while 14 per cent of them still have low skills. prodani et al. (2022) try to identify and analyse the factors that make a high school teacher in southeastern albania integrate the application of digital technologies in the classroom. these factors were used to analyse the correlation between them employing the pearson correlation coefficient. jiang (2023) expresses the importance of aligning technology use with pedagogical goals, supporting active learning, and meeting the varied needs of students, as well as the need for indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 76 teacher professional development to facilitate effective integration of technology. permata and purnawarman (2024) emphasise the need for pedagogical adjustments, emphasising that the educational institution or external body should enhance and continue to train teachers in ict and teaching strategies for better adaptation and enhancement of their teaching methods. rawal (2024) investigates the digital competency of school teachers in india and finds that despite government interventions, growth rates of teacher training in computer usage slowed down post-covid-19. there is a high positive correlation between teachers’ training in computer usage and the availability of computer and internet facilities in schools methodology research design a purposive sampling design was employed to select in-service school teachers from rural areas of the jaintia hills districts in meghalaya. these teachers were chosen because they possess unique insights and experiences related to the challenges of teaching in rural areas, which are central to the study’s objectives. 85 teachers completed the questionnaires and therefore, they served as the sample of the study. tools for data collection the tools consist of a survey questionnaire in printed copies, which was administered to 85 school teachers. the questions consist of three parts. the first part consisted of a demographic representation of school teachers, in which questions such as gender, age, teacher qualification, years of teaching experience, types of schools, as well as questions about the computer experiences. the second part contains questions on ict skills and tools used by school teachers, which include questions on ict competency, use of learning management system (lms), access, and use of digital education initiatives of ncert under the aegis of the ministry of education, government of india (ncert, 2020). the last part consists of questions on ict training and challenges. data analysis data were recorded in excel sheets and spss spreadsheets, with each variable labelled and coded for analysis purposes. we assessed the data using spss version 28 to obtain the survey results. a descriptive statistical test was used to derive the frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation. we displayed the quantitative data in a tabular format, recorded each table’s explanation, and recorded the significance results. ethical considerations the university research committee (urec) granted ethical permission before the data collection. the option to withdraw at any point in time from the study was granted to participants. validity and reliability validity was assured in this study by positively correlating the research instruments with the core concepts of ict competency, awareness, and technology use pedagogical implications in classrooms. validation begins with a review of existing literature, followed by a content validity review by educational experts who assessed the survey. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 77 cronbach’s alpha and a threshold of 0.7 were used to test the internal consistency of the survey instrument, that is, the items of each construct were measuring the same underlying dimension. findings and discussion demographic profile of school teachers data in table 1 demonstrates the demographic profile of school teachers. most of the teachers fall within the age range of 25-35 (54.1 per cent), a significant gender disparity within the teachers, with females (87.1 per cent) and males (12.9 per cent). further, it indicates that (12.5 per cent) are graduates and postgraduates (7.3 per cent). the most prevalent category in teacher experiences is 10+ (43.5 percent), followed by 1-3 years (18.3 per cent). the majority of the teachers (17.5 per cent) are teaching in private schools, followed by government 24 (7 per cent). the data shows a wide range of computer experiences in years; among the teachers, the common category is less than 1 year (34.1 per cent) and no experience (38.8 per cent). table-1: demographic profile of school teachers (n=85) variables categories frequency percentage gender female 74 87.1 male 11 12.9 age 18-24 3 03.5 25-35 47 55.3 36-45 15 17.6 45+ 20 23.5 teacher qualification class x 1 0.3 class xii 15 4.4 graduate 43 12.5 post graduate 25 7.3 table 2 demonstrates the representation of school teachers by teaching experiences, types of school, and computer experiences. the most prevalent category in teacher experiences is 10+ (43.5 percent), followed by 1-3 years (18.3 per cent). the majority of the teachers (17.5 per cent) are teaching in private schools, followed by the government 24 (7 per cent). the data shows a wide range of computer experiences in years; among the teachers, the common category is less than 1 year (34.1 per cent) and no experience (38.8 per cent). similar studies show a range of demographic representation (ertmer and ottenbreitleftwich, 2010; ingersoll and strong, 2011; ingersoll and merrill, 2017; oecd, 2019). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 78 table-2: teaching experiences, types of school and computer experiences (n=85) variables categories frequency percentage teaching experiences 1-3 16 18.8 10 or more 37 43.5 4-5 7 8.2 6-7 10 11.8 8-9 6 7.1 less than 1 year 9 10.6 types of school deficit 1 0.3 government 24 7.0 private 60 17.5 computer experiences 1-3 15 17.6 10+ 4 4.7 4-5 2 2.4 8-9 2 2.4 less than 1 year 29 34.1 no experience 33 38.8 ict tools used by school teachers data in table 3 displays the use patterns of several ict tools and technologies by teachers. as a result, the majority said they never use ict tools in the classroom. however, a sizable percentage (48.1 per cent) said they used whatsapp or youtube for teaching and learning practices. table-3: ict tools use by school teachers (n=85) ict competency yes (%) no (%) powerpoint presentation 8.9 32.8 internet browsing 15 22 emailing (eg. gmail, yahoo) 6.6 31 social media (whatsapp, youtube etc) 48.1 11 word processing (eg.word) 16.8 20.6 spreadsheet (eg. excel) 8.4 28.3 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 79 laptop/ pc/ desktop 5.7 31.9 mobile phone 10.2 27.5 projector 24.8 12.8 interactive whiteboard 5.3 32.3 microphone / camera/speakers 14.6 23 tablets 4 33.7 access and use of lms and digital education initiatives according to data in table 4, the majority of teachers are not knowledgeable of how to use lms and access to digital education initiatives under the aegis of the moe, govt. of india (ncert, 2020). findings revealed that teachers do not use google classroom (80.2 per cent), moodle (87.6 per cent), zoom meet (83.9 per cent), and google meet (76.5 per cent) for teaching learning practices. further data presents the awareness levels of school teachers regarding the access and use of digital education initiatives. a portion of teachers are not knowledgeable of epathshala (71.6 per cent), nishtha (84.9 per cent), diksha (70.7 per cent), swayam prabha (81.3 per cent), and swayam (68.9 per cent). this analysis sheds light on the lack of awareness and knowledge about the ncert digital projects. it draws attention to suggest recommendations to address this issue. similar studies suggested that zoom and google meet are the most highly suggested lms platforms to use (subaveerapandiyan and nandhakumar’s, 2021). further other related findings indicated that the absence of awareness among teachers about these initiatives can limit their capacity to leverage available resources (kumar and kumar, 2021). table-4: lms and digital education initiatives use by teachers (n=85) use of lms yes (%) no (%) google classroom 19.8 80.2 moodle 12.3 87.6 zoom meet 16 83.9 google meet 23.4 76.5 digital education initiatives yes (%) no (%) epathshala 0.6 71.6 nishtha 3.4 84.9 diksha 4.4 70.7 swayam prabha 1 81.3 swayam 3.1 68.9 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 80 ict training for teachers data in table 5 presents responses regarding ict training among teachers. 45.3 per cent of teachers have not received ict related training programs. 22.0 per cent of teachers indicate that involvement in ict training is compulsory, while 34.7 per cent of teachers stated that it is not compulsory. 69.3 per cent of teachers express a desire to receive ict-related training in the future. professional development is crucial; ongoing training helps teachers translate ict knowledge into effective classroom practices. a similar study expressed that limited teacher training and digital skills among teachers pose barriers to utilising ict tools in pedagogy (ertmer, ottenbreit-leftwich, and tondeur, 2015; zinger et al., 2017; saxena, 2017; rawal, 2024). table-5: ict training for teachers (n=85) ict training yes (%) no (%) have you received ict-related training program in your school or elsewhere? 11.3 45.3 are teachers in your school required to take ict training? 22.0 34.7 would you like to received ict related training in future? 69.3 6.8 challenges faced by school teachers table 6 presents various problems associated with the incorporation of ict in education. result provides understandings into the various challenges faced by teachers when ict is used for teaching and learning practices. lack of knowledge on ict use (46.6 per cent), lack of technical support (52.5 per cent), access and network connection issues (52.4 per cent), and absence of fundamental ict facilities like printers, whiteboards, pcs, and projectors (50 per cent) are the major challenges expressed by school teachers. it identifies potential areas for improvement or interventions to enhance the effective use of ict in educational environments. common obstacles include inadequate training, lack of access to resources, and the rapid pace of technological change, which can overwhelm educators. the gaps and needs for involvement, teachers desire for further ict training, and the challenges in incorporating ict into education are addressed in similar studies (ertmer et al., 2012; admiraal et al., 2017; saxena, 2017; zinger et al., 2017). table-6: challenges faced by teachers (n=85) challenges yes (%) no (%) lack of knowledge about how to make full use of icts 46.6 18.6 lack of technical support 52.5 12.7 lack of time 43.3 22 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 81 access and network connection issues 52.4 12.7 lack of understanding about how to incorporate icts into teaching 44 21.2 lack of basic ict services in schools (printer, whiteboard, pc, projector) 50 15.3 security and safety issues 40.7 24.6 inadequacy of training 47.5 17.8 inadequacy of teachers’ skills 44.1 21.2 positive impact of ict uses in education table 7 displays the teachers’ perceptions of the beneficial effects of ict. the study highlights the advantages of teachers using ict, including how it affects learning, engagement, communication, and skill development. the results demonstrate that the majority of teachers have favourable views regarding the integration of ict into the classroom. teachers’ evaluations of the advantages of using ict in the classroom highlight several significant benefits, including improved communication, increased student engagement, improved learning, and skill development, which have been addressed in similar studies (higgins et al. in 2012, means et al. in 2013, voogt et al. in 2013, davis in 2015, ghavifekr and rosdy in 2015, hassan and mirza in 2020, and lameras and moumoutzis in 2021). table-7: positive impact of ict uses in education positive impact of ict strongly agree agree neither agree nor disagree strongly disagree disagree ict improves subject learning 3.8 21.2 3.5 0 0 ict use encourages learning 4.9 19.8 3.1 0.3 0.3 ict improves engagement and knowledge retention 4.5 19.8 4.2 0 0 ease of use and quick sharing of notes or materials 4.2 14.9 8.0 1.4 0 promote working in group projects 4.2 20.5 3.8 0 0 encourage interaction with teacher/students 4.5 20.5 3.1 0 0 flexibility, learn anytime and anywhere 4.5 18.4 5.2 0.3 0 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 82 improves the modes of communication 3.5 21.5 3.5 0 0 skills in technology increase 4.5 20.8 3.1 0 0 ict for multimedia resources and support like texts files, images, audios files, videos files 3.5 20.1 4.5 0.3 0 attitude towards the use of ict in classroom table 8 presents the attitudes of a teacher associated with use of ict in education. a considerable number of teachers concur that utilising ict is a positive experience (46.6 per cent), that it should be a priority in school education (43.1 per cent), that they implement ict because of school policies (39.7 per cent), that ict enhances student engagement (46.6 per cent), that ict encourages further exploration (43.1 per cent), that i use ict in my class (40.5 per cent), and that we should encourage teachers to use ict in the classroom (40.5 per cent). a notable percentage (12.9 per cent) of teachers disagree with the statement that ict is a waste of time due to technical issues, with a smaller portion expressing agreement. few teachers agree (23.3 per cent) that ict is not effectively used in education, with a notable portion expressing neutrality or disagreement. a significant percentage of teachers agree (40.5 per cent) that students learn better when incorporating ict for classroom teaching and learning. similar findings indicate a generally positive perception of ict among teachers, with recognition of its benefits for student engagement and learning (kurt, 2010; means et al., 2013; ertmer et al., 2015; oecd, 2018). table-8: attitude towards the use of ict in classroom attitude strongly agree agree neither agree nor disagree strongly disagree disagree using ict is a good experience 18.1 46.6 6.9 0 0 ict should be a preference in school education 13.8 43.1 13.8 0 0 i use ict because it is necessary by school policy 4.3 39.7 17.2 1.7 8.6 ict in the classroom make the topic or subject more engaging for students 13.8 46.6 6 0 5.2 ict makes the students to explore further 17.2 43.1 11.2 0 0 i enjoy and prefer to utilised ict in my class 12.1 40.5 13.8 0 5.2 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 83 teacher should be encouraged for applying ict in classroom 16.4 40.5 9.5 0 5.2 because of technical issues ict is total waste of time 8.6 20.7 19.8 8.6 12.9 ict is not use in education effectively 0.9 23.3 27.6 5.2 13.8 students learn better when incorporating ict for classroom teaching and learning 6.5 40.5 20.7 0 0 conclusion in conclusion, the study brought to light the difficulties and barriers that educators face while incorporating ict into the classroom. the study assessed teachers’ perceptions of learning management system (lms) and their level of ict proficiency. the result shows that teachers have little idea how to apply ict in the classroom for teaching and learning and are not aware of digital education initiatives. nonetheless, many teachers are aware of the potential benefits and difficulties associated with incorporating ict into their classroom. however, teachers have stated that they would want more ict-related training in the future. in conclusion, it will take consistent work from various stakeholders to bridge the digital divide in meghalaya’s jaintia hills. in-service teachers can be empowered, and local children’s educational programs can be improved by investing in infrastructure, creating digital content, offering focused teacher training, and encouraging community involvement. these suggestions provide feasible policies to close the digital gap and guarantee that every student may take advantage of the benefits of the digital revolution in education. (acknowledgement: i express my gratitude to the teachers who participated in this study and to the head of the respective institutions for their cooperation and support in facilitating data collection. their guidance and collaboration have been invaluable to the success of this research.) references admiraal, w., louws, m., lockhorst, d., paas, t., buynsters, m., cviko, a., ... & kester, l. (2017). teachers in school-based technology innovations: a typology of their beliefs on teaching and technology. computers & education, 114, 57-68. anoop, saxena. (2017). issues and impediments faced by canadian teachers while integrating ict in pedagogical practice. turkish online journal of educational technology, 16(2):58-70. anggi, arigusman. (2019). the use of ict in efl classrooms: teachers’ readiness, implementation, and challenges. bao, w. 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(2013). challenges to learning and schooling in the digital networked world of the 21st century. journal of computer assisted learning, 29(5), 403-413. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 309 review article hybrid education in the age of education 5.0a study of engagement and innovations in the indian education system amidst covid-19 yuvika singh1 & shivinder phoolka2 1assistant professor, faculty of management studies, the icfai university, himachal pradesh email-yuvikasinghofficial@gmail.com 2assistant professor, punjabi university centre for emerging and innovative technology, mohali abstract amidst the global pandemic, the landscape of education witnessed a seismic shift, compelling both students and educators to embrace digital platforms for learning. education 5.0 emerged as a beacon of hope, offering innovative solutions to navigate the challenges posed by the covid-19 scenario. this paper presents an overview of the educational sector, focusing on the engagement and innovations that shaped hybrid education in the indian education system during the pandemic. investigating the form and effectiveness of digital platforms, the research explores their benefits as vehicles for exchanging information. additionally, it highlights the pivotal role of ai in education 5.0, empowering educators with data-driven insights and personalized support through digital platforms. the study also explores the transformative potential of blended learning, envisioning a paradigm shift in india’s educational ecosystem through education 5.0faculty-student engagement model with the addition of blended learning and artificial intelligence. through this exploration of engaging pedagogies and cutting-edge technologies, the paper underlines the resilience of the indian education system amidst adversity. keywords: blended learning, pandemic challenges, faculty and student engagement, innovations in higher education, artificial intelligence introduction to digital engagement in the higher education sector just like social engagement, the word ‘digital engagement’ is often used for any use of social media by an organization to promote the participation of its stakeholders. for a business organization, its stakeholders are customers, employees, management, shareholders, suppliers, government, etc, and for an educational organization, its main stakeholders are its faculty and its students, along with its management. covid-19 is considered a ‘black swan’. the very first feature of a ‘black swan’ is the uncertainty in their occurrence, and the second key feature is that the impact of their occurrence is very big, just like any terrorist attack in the past or any global financial recession (erken et al., 2020). digital engagement is a very complex topic, and two modes of engagement, offline and online, are responsible for engaging people on digital platforms (hecht, 2014). covid 19 has a great indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 310 impact on global education and its learners. global statistics by unesco show that about 1.38 billion learners are being affected by the pandemic situation (li and lalani, 2020). the hunt for talent will become difficult, and organizations will be compelled to ensure the engagement of existing employees to drive performance and sustain competitive advantage (mukherjee, 2014). it is not the engagement of people, but the engagement of the digital age, which requires a framework of thoughts, strategies, and innovation. the digital platform has been successful in engaging the faculty as well as students through various tools such as whatsapp, which is one of the most used messaging apps in the world. nowadays, it is used mostly by students and staff, acting as a topmost social platform. presently it has become a successful medium to exchange information, especially in the education sector. on the other hand, facebook has become a dominating social media app that has just increased its branches in one or the other way. it is not only providing opportunities to marketers or businesspersons but also innovators and educators. the linkedin account always acts as a network where professionals can share their thoughts on learning, innovation, and teaching. one can say that twitter acts as the best place for digital engagement connecting people globally. today teachers are finding youtube as the best way to connect with students globally (stoller, 2019). objectives of the study 1. to study the importance of digital engagement and how it acts as an opportunity or a challenge in the education sector during the covid-19 period. 2. to study different online innovative modes and platforms that have been successful in the engagement of faculty and students during the pandemic at the global level. 3. to discuss a hybrid education framework adopted by the indian education system under education 5.0 after covid-19 with the inclusion of artificial intelligence (ai) to engage the faculty and students for the long term. research methodology for a deeper understanding of the higher education sector and faculty and student engagement on the digital platform, this paper compiles relevant material with the aid of sixtythree pieces of literature, including book chapters, articles, and research papers. ebsco, proquest, and web of science databases were used to search the literature on teacher and student participation. this research adapts a systematic assessment approach suggested by cerchione and esposito (2016), easterby-smith et al. (2012), petticrew & roberts (2006), and pittaway et al. (2004). thus, the research is segmented into certain phases such as keyword research, database selection stage, inclusion and exclusion of the literature based on the definitions, analyzing and classifying the selected publications, and lastly the content analysis by examining the publications and categorizing the subjects. a structured review strategy is being adopted by implementing manual filtering and transparency (tranfield et al., 2003). overview of the education system in india before the emergence of covid-19 a study conducted by kpmg in india and google shows that india has a complex or one can say multipleindian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 311 layered structure, where the formal educational structure is placed upon primary schools, secondary schools, graduation, post-graduation, and other degree courses, where the governing bodies are central or state governments. the university grant commission plays a very important role in the higher education sector. informal education includes coaching, private mode of tuition, online certification courses, training programs, etc. it can be seen in figure 1 that online education was only a part of informal education before covid-19. the indian education system has always relied upon only the physical mode rather than the online mode, whether it is a question of physical classes, or examination system, or a student evaluation system. the online channels in india were mostly used either for marketing or business purposes (all india survey on higher education, 2015; online education in india, 2017). figure-1: education system in india before covid-19 (source: all india survey on higher education, 2015; online education in india, 2017) figure 1 reveals the educational landscape across different age groups and shows the progression in formal education from pre-primary to higher education, along with informal learning opportunities. it also differentiates between the foundational education for children and professional development for adults, thus showcasing the mixture of offline and online educational channels with schools, colleges, and training institutes as different types of infrastructures in education. content delivery methods from the traditional instructor-led approaches to the modern approaches are also explained here, and thus, figure 1 focuses on the continuity in the learning process throughout one’s life at different stages of learning (all india survey on higher education, 2015; online education in india, 2017). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 312 but the emergence of the pandemic has completely transformed the scenario in the education system. in the last hundred years, no one has thought that the world would ever face such a situation where people can’t move out for education or work. now, the education sector is more focused on online teaching and tools than physical teaching. earlier, virtual teaching was just considered as an option for distance learning or any other training course, but now it has become a compulsion. digital engagement and its stakeholders in higher education there are different stakeholders in the higher education sector, such as students, teachers, investors, government, nongovernment organizations, administration, employers, suppliers, management, and even parents (speck, 1996). however, keeping in mind the pandemic situation, the most important stakeholders connecting education and digital engagement are management, government, faculty, and students. the most important role is played by a faculty member who connects with the students, motivates them, and makes the best use of different pedagogy tools to teach them (marshall, 2018). covid-19 has completely transformed the scenario of teaching at the global level. today a teacher has become a digital teacher by providing the students with virtual classes, engaging the students on the digital platform, sharing the e-content with them, interfacing with the application-based evaluation system, and much more (brown, 2021). three basic pillars of the education system in india in the pandemic are: 1. curriculum (models defined by ugc and aicte) it includes all the immediate guidelines given by the ugc and aicte to all the colleges and universities at the time of emergency lockdown in the pandemic, which was the need of time. these guidelines included all the instructions regarding online classes, online exam conduction, and e-content sharing. the details of some of the ugc letters communicated immediately to the employees and the students after the covid-19 outbreak: a. ugc letter dated 25th march 2020 regarding ict initiatives of mhrd and ugc. the details of all the platforms mentioned in the letter were shared with both the faculty as well as the students. the various online platforms are swayam online courses, ug/pg moocs, e-pathshala, swayam prabha, ugc youtube channels, shodhganga, national digital library, e-shodh sindhu, vidwan, etc. (university grant commission, 2020) b. ugc letter dated 28th march 2020 where an appeal was made for a contribution to combat covid-19 with one day’s salary by the employees to provide financial help for the nation (university grant commission, 2020). c. the ugc letter dated 28th march 2020 provides the ugc quality mandate to suggest various activities be completed within the semester to improve the quality in the higher education sector and to face the different challenges like employability, quality teaching, ict tools, course completion, etc (university grant commission, 2020). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 313 3. conduction of classes on the digital platform the second most important pillar of the indian education system in the pandemic was the education regarding the digital platforms available for the conduction of classes such as skype, gotomeeting, zoom, cisco webex, whatsapp, google meet, free conference.com, etc to engage the students as well the teachers which could have otherwise hampered the teaching-learning process. video lectures and live streaming on youtube or facebook are also a part of the online platforms. 4. evaluation (online assessment tools for teachers for the quiz, grades, tutorials, material sharing, etc.) the third pillar is the availability of online assessment tools required by teachers to assess the performance of the students without their physical presence for examination. different online tools such as google classroom, moodle, microsoft whiteboard, hot potatoes, quizzes, google forms, and microsoft teams were being introduced to the teachers for online content sharing, examination, and grading system which in turn is acting as a boon for them. new opportunities for faculty and student engagement in higher education through a digital platform at the global level one cannot deny the fact that higher education is moving from the adoption of old teaching methods to new innovative teaching techniques. teachers are actively engaged in more sophisticated tools to instruct the students (soni, 2020). unesco just came up with different platforms to help parents, teachers, and students provide a solution for learning and teaching opportunities in the time of social distancing. table-1: online learning management system given by unicef s. no. digital learning tools application 1. century-tech teaching and learning platform through artificial intelligence 2. class-dojo a platform to connect parents, teachers and students through online mode 3. ed-modo a platform to connect parents, teachers and students through online mode and helps in sharing e-content 4. google-class a learning management system to connect parents, teachers and students through online mode and helps in sharing e-content and managing assessment 5. lms-moodle a learning management system to connect teachers and students through online mode and helps in sharing e-content and managing assessment 6. paper-airplanes offers sessions on english through online platform indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 314 s. no. digital learning tools application 7 school-ogy a learning management system to connect teachers and students through online mode and helps in sharing e-content and managing assessment 8 see-saw an online tool to connect teachers and students through online mode and helps in sharing e-content and managing assessment.  9 skooler a learning management system to connect teachers and students through microsoft. source: unesco, 2021 table-2: collaboration online platforms for communication and interaction s. no. digital collaboration platforms application 1. ding-talk free online platform for communication 2. lark a communication tool for messaging, conferencing, and data exchange 3. google-hangouts video calling, chats, and voice calls 4. microsoft-teams a communication tool for messaging, conferencing, and data exchange 5. skype video calling, chats, and voice calls 6. wechat-work communication and corporate tool for workplace 7. whatsapp a communication app for messaging, calling and data exchange 8. zoom a platform for messaging, conferencing, and data exchange source: unesco, 2021 table-3: tools for creating e-content s. no. digital tools for teachers application 1. thing-link a tool or an app to create images, videos, etc 2. buncee e-content sharing through innovative virtual presentations 3. ed-puzzle e-content sharing through innovative virtual presentations by connecting them with lms 4. kaltura video creation tool and connects with lms 5. near-pod interactive presentation and video creation tool 6. pear-deck interactive presentation and video creation tool 7. squill a tool converting the content into interactive presentation through artificial intelligence 8. trello a collaborative tool for designing courses and managing classes. source: unesco, 2021 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 315 “unesco is not only guiding about all these tools and applications but also providing mental support to parents, students, and teachers at the global level to eradicate any kind of panic. it is also creating awareness regarding child support and health in the pandemic (unesco, 2021). all the abovementioned tools are being followed by different educational stakeholders worldwide which has somewhat reduced the problem of content sharing as well as communication. covid-19 as a catalyst in faculty and student engagement this pandemic has acted as a catalyst in engaging the faculty and students on a digital platform. these online tools and techniques are acting as an omnichannel in the education sector. digital global reports by statshot in 2020 show how the digital world has grown at the global level at a very fast pace. table no. 4 and figure 2 clearly show how people have increased their usage of the internet, mobile phones, and social media during the pandemic. table-4: global digital growth (during the pandemic) statistics by hootsuite total population mobile phone users internet users social media users april 2020 vs. april 2019 + 82 million +128 million +301 million +304 million digital growth 1.10% 2.50% 7.10% 8.70% (source: kemp, 2020) figure-2: people spending their time with online devices after the emergence of covid-19 (source: kemp, 2020) in one of the surveys, figure 2 shows that by april 2020 users aged 16 to 64 years in countries like australia, brazil, india, china, france, canada, germany, ireland italy, new zealand, philippines, singapore, spain, uk, south africa, and the usa started spending more and more time on the digital devices like smartphones, laptops, computers, tablets, gamification, smartwatches, etc at the global level (kemp, 2020). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 316 new engagement model adapted in the education sector in covid-19 the pandemic situation forced everyone to come up with novel ideas, tools, technologies, and technologies to adjust to the changing environment and to face this challenge even if the students and teachers were not computer savvy in most of the areas and cases, and that too in a very short period. the changes are to be implemented in a very short period with high accuracy as it is a question of the education sector that is the future of any country. so, a new education online system is mostly adopted in the current situation as shown in figure 3 keeping in mind the previous education models suggested by different researchers (speck, 1996; mishra et al., 2020). figure-3: adapted faculty-student engagement model through digital platform in covid (source: adapted from speck, 1996 and mishra et al., 2020) figure 3 shows a comprehensive model for adapting educational systems to online platforms during the covid-19 pandemic, with the outbreak of a pandemic, the education system has to completely rely on the online system (speck, 1996; mishra et al., 2020). 1. initiating factor immediate guidelines were issued by the indian government, ugc, and mhrd, which pushed the education stakeholders like faculty, administration, leaders, collaborators, students as well as parents to adapt themselves at the individual as well as the organizational levels with novel skills, limited resources keeping in mind the time constraint. 2. key components the key components of this model were: new skills: educators, as well as students, needed to acquire digital literacy in a short time. motivation: maintaining engagement and drive in a novel and potentially challenged environment. available resources: identifying and utilizing accessible digital tools or platforms. time management: adapting to the new schedules and balancing different responsibilities in remote settings. team collaboration: fostering virtual teamwork and proper communication among the educational stakeholders. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 317 3. central action the combined action plan included the implementation of online modes of teaching, online examination systems, e-content sharing, online examination modes and methods, effective online evaluation system which can effectively engage the faculty as well as the students at the online platforms. finally, a regular feedback system that can act as a watchdog. 4. dual adaptation levels adaptation at an individual level: the knowledge of the digital platform became a necessity not only in the agriculture sector or it sector but also in the education sector and thus, an attempt was made to train students as well as teachers so that they may acquire knowledge of ict tools and techniques with the already existing resources (singh, 2012). the situation is just like war after a pandemic, so everyone must work as a team and, most importantly, work according to the time available. adaptation at the organizational level: all educational institutions, as well as the universities, must change their mode of instruction, feedback, and collaboration methods to achieve quick goals which are not possible without top-level management support, administrative staff, students as well as teachers’ support. the circular arrows indicate that these adaptations continuously affect and refine the action plan. outcome due to the lack of face-to-face interaction between educational stakeholders, it became very necessary to take timely feedback to improve the processes on time. the final stage involves data collection in the form of feedback and reviews on the effectiveness of the implemented changes, their analysis, and dissemination of the information for the further improvisation of the system. thus, this model provides a holistic approach, recognizing the successful transformation to online education. the challenges in faculty and student engagement at digital platform there are different challenges in adopting the online platform for learning as most of the learners are struggling at the global level without internet facilities as well as proper training on online platforms. the usage of the right technology may lead to more effective learning (li and lalani, 2020). in the digital era, everything can be done in the blink of an eye and has become a new rule for everyone. the new generation is living up to the latest gadgets, iphones, laptops, smartphones, and the internet, which have reduced the need for physical infrastructure. the mode of study of language communication and social interaction has completely changed. in the last few years, universities like harvard have developed different innovative strategies to connect faculty and students (hewitt, 2014). the students at an institute or a university are its assets. some of the previous studies show that the e-learning methods have not shown consistent results in increasing the productivity of students in academics. so, the researcher conducted a study on undergraduate students at a korean university and thus measured student engagement on the digital platform. this study revealed that the students believe that their online assignments completely engaged them during their classes. but this study was also conducted on campus (kim et al., 2019). different barriers act as a challenge in adopting a digital platform for learning. some of the challenges on the part of indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 318 learners and teachers are as follows (swan, 2017; singh & tiwana, 2018; chen et al., 2022): 1. one of the challenges is to handle the weak students as compared to the average or brilliant students through the online platform. 2. another challenge is related to the assignments that must be completed in teams or groups with zero defects, where learners may face technical and coordination issues. 3. the complete engagement or attentiveness of the student while attending the class is always questionable, as there is no faceto-face interaction between the learner and the teacher. 4. another major issue is the promotion of quality writing among students who have become so technology savvy that they may forget writing in academics. 5. if there are no media or devices, then how will a student learn? this can also act as a great challenge. 6. finally, there are technical issues like the unavailability of internet facilities in remote areas. not all the teachers and students are computer savvy, and some of the courses need only physical classroom teaching. apart from the above challenges, nowadays, everyone is facing security issues related to the internet and devices, and one has to face unethical hackers in this field (unesco, 2021). as india is the second most, after china, in the top 20 nations in having internet facilities, the challenges faced may be less as more than 95 per cent of users in india have access to mobile phones while 93 per cent of the higher education students use the internet daily (internet world stats, 2020). is the digital platform successful in engaging the faculty and students? this question is ironic. in the period of covid-19, with the adoption of technology, education has completely transformed from teacher-centric to teacherstudent-centric education. virtual classrooms and innovative online tools help to engage faculty as well as students just like a real-time classroom. the only thing that digital education requires is the coordination between reliable course content, faculty dedication, reliable technology, dedicated students, and, most importantly, an easily available internet connection. covid-19 brought in a lot of uncertainties. while office-going employees are adapting to the remote work culture, colleges, and universities are embracing online learning modules and discussions. for many, the lockdown has resulted in an uncertain examination schedule, lost internship opportunities, and the pulling back of job offers (dhawan, 2020). however, the main question of the reliability of digital platforms will always remain unsolved as everyone will agree with the fact that for a successful digital engagement, a learner or an instructor must also be honest. shadow of education 5.0blended mode of learning education 5.0 evolves from education 4.0 by emphasizing a human-centric approach, focusing on social and emotional skills, and promoting environmental consciousness for a sustainable future. blended learning is not just the combination of the offline mode and the online mode of learning but also includes all those activities that drive teacher-student engagement with more effective results. the university grants commission (ugc) on 20th may 2021 released a concept note for the implementation of a blended mode of learning – a mix of online and offline education – in universities with the indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 319 following proposed guidelines (kalita, 2021): 1. syllabus completion according to this concept note, higher education institutes will be allowed to teach up to 40 per cent of each course, other than swayam courses, online, and the remaining 60 per cent syllabus of the course can be taught offline which can act as a boon in the education sector. 2. swayam platform the new provision that may make up to 40 per cent of online education permissible for swayam courses is also very desirable as this change will transform passive learners into active learners. 3. proper infrastructure for ict preparations before implementing blended learning, proper time must be given to prepare educational institutions to prepare for online teaching and learning, as earlier, online teaching was not a part of the curriculum. blended learning will require proper computer labs and teaching tools. as mentioned in the concept note, proper infrastructure facilities such as lms, erp, wifi, bandwidth, smart classes, data service centres, and studio facilities are to be taken care of. 4. proper planning proper planning on the part of a university or a college will be required for the introduction of blended learning as the incremental learning process will reduce the chances of failures. 5. proper training to introduce this learning model in education, the students and teachers will require proper training and education. 6. assessment and evaluation another important point discussed in the concept note focuses on the online assessment strategies to be followed partially in all the subjects. rubrics should be developed for the assessment including projects. 7. effective feedback course-related feedback, 360-degree feedback, and student feedback must be taken regularly (2-3 times a semester) to monitor the flaws or the progress of the learning system. 8. flexible course system a flexible course system will help the students to discover themselves and expand their horizons. this flexible system will also be very helpful in times of lockdown or other emergencies where a complete syllabus is to be taught through online mode. 9. new room for innovations the blended learning model will open new rooms for innovative tools and techniques and more autonomy in teaching and learning processes. new era of artificial intelligence education 5.0 in the realm of education 5.0, artificial intelligence (ai) has emerged as a game-changer, revolutionizing the field of education with its profound contributions. one of the key contributions of ai in education 5.0 is its ability to analyze vast datasets to identify learning gaps and design targeted interventions. chen and liu (2021) conducted a comprehensive survey on ai in education, highlighting how ai-powered algorithms can process massive amounts of student data, including assessment scores, learning behaviors, and preferences. by analyzing this data, ai algorithms can pinpoint areas where students are struggling, indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 320 enabling educators to tailor their teaching approaches and resources accordingly. one of the projects, udaan, launched by iit bombay in india, is an ai-based translation ecosystem designed to translate scientific or technical content from english to different indian languages by reducing the translation time and efforts (indian institute of technology bombay, 2021). even iit madras is developing a virtual reality-based education model for rural schools that helps the students learn and conduct experiments. this initiative also includes the mobile application “memory bytes” to bridge the digital issues in the future (indian institute of technology madras, 2023). another noteworthy contribution of ai in education 5.0 is the development of ai-powered chatbots and virtual tutors. martin et al. (2022) explored the potential of chatbots as virtual tutors and found that these ai-driven tools offer real-time support to students. these chatbots can answer queries, clarify doubts, and provide guidance on various topics, promoting continuous learning beyond the confines of traditional classroom hours. in india, aicte (all india council for technical education) entered a partnership with microsoft on 25th september 2024 to enhance skills and employability among students and teachers by providing certifications, mentorship, ai cloud, hands-on learning through platforms like microsoft learn and azure developer community (ministry of education, aicte, & microsoft, 2023). furthermore, ai has streamlined the assessment and feedback mechanisms in education 5.0. wang et al. (2023) investigated the integration of ai in assessment practices and reported that ai-powered systems can automatically grade assignments, quizzes, and exams with high accuracy. this automation not only saves valuable time for educators but also provides timely and constructive feedback to learners. instant feedback is instrumental in helping students understand their mistakes, make improvements, and progress in their learning journey. it also allows educators to track student progress effectively, enabling targeted interventions when needed. thus, artificial intelligence has significantly transformed education 5.0 by empowering educators with data-driven insights, providing real-time support to students, and streamlining assessment processes. the personalized learning experiences facilitated by artificial intelligencedriven educational technologies ensure that each student’s needs are met, enhancing overall learning outcomes (d’mello and calvo, 2011; johnson et al., 2016; siemens and baker, 2012). as artificial intelligence continues to advance, its role in education is likely to expand further, promising an exciting future for the evolution of education 5.0. additionally, such analytics enable the identification of at-risk students, allowing for timely interventions and support systems (romero and ventura, 2010). in terms of innovation, education 5.0 can facilitate the development of intelligent tutoring systems that simulate humanlike interactions and adapt to students’ needs, fostering deeper engagement and improving learning outcomes (vanlehn, 2011). technologies such as virtual reality (vr) and augmented reality (ar) can also create immersive and interactive learning environments, enabling students to explore complex concepts in a hands-on manner (chen et al., 2016). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 321 ai tools and post-pandemic innovations in shaping hybrid education models (2021-2024) table no 5 reveals the key contributions of artificial intelligence in improvising the hybrid education experience during and after the covid-19 pandemic. every facet of hybrid education has been transformed by ai tools and postpandemic pedagogical innovations, more adaptable, personalized, and comprehensive education environment. table-5: ai tools and post-pandemic innovations in shaping hybrid education models (2021-2024) aspect researcher artificial intelligence (ai) in education post-pandemic pedagogical innovations impact on hybrid education tools used learning experience chen et al. (2020); ouyang & jiao (2021); holmes & tuomi (2022); acosta et al. (2023); carius (2021); moorhouse et al. (2023); pathiranage & karunaratne (2022). personalized learning paths, intelligent tutoring systems, adaptive assessments. shift towards student-centred learning, increased emphasis on selfdirected learning. blended learning models combining online and in-person instruction, flexible learning environments. learning management systems (lms), virtual reality (vr) and augmented reality (ar) platforms, ai-powered educational apps. teaching methods grassini (2023); mirzaeian et al. (2016); olszewska (2020); chin et al. (2019); sangster et al. (2020); zhao & watterston (2021). ai-assisted content creation, automated grading and feedback. flipped classroom approaches, project-based and problembased learning. synchronous and asynchronous teaching methods, increased use of multimedia and interactive content. video conferencing tools (e.g., zoom, microsoft teams), interactive whiteboards, aipowered content recommen dation systems. student support narayanan et al. (2023); huang (2024); carius (2021); grassini (2023); khedrane (2024); holmes & tuomi (2022). ai chatbots for student queries, early warning systems for atrisk students. virtual office hours and online mentoring, peer-to-peer online support networks. 24/7 access to learning resources and support, seamless integration of in-person and online support services. ai-powered chatbots, online collaboration platforms, learning analytics dashboards. assessment and feedback ouyang & jiao (2021); chen et al. (2020); acosta et al. (2023); pathiranage & karunaratne (2022); sangster et al. (2020); moorhouse et al. (2023). ai-driven formative assessments, automated essay scoring shift towards continuous assessment, increased use of project portfolios and peer assessments combination of online and offline assessment methods, real-time feedback mechanisms. online proctoring software, ai-powered plagiarism detection tools, digital portfolio platforms. curriculum design roy (2020); roschelle et al. (2020); zhao & watterston (2021); grassini (2023); carius (2021); holmes & tuomi (2022). ai-assisted curriculum mapping and optimization; adaptive learning pathways. integration of digital literacy and 21stcentury skills; emphasis on interdisciplinary learning. modular course designs for flexibility; integration of online and offline learning experiences. curriculum mapping software, learning design platforms, aipowered content recommendation engines indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 322 aspect researcher artificial intelligence (ai) in education post-pandemic pedagogical innovations impact on hybrid education tools used accessibility and inclusion zawacki-richter et al. (2019); huang (2024); acosta et al. (2023); zhao & watterston (2021); khedrane (2024); moorhouse et al. (2023). ai-powered assistive technologies, language translation for international students. universal design for learning (udl) principles in online environments, increased focus on digital equity. combination of synchronous and asynchronous options for diverse learner needs, adaptive technologies for both online and in-person settings. screen readers and text-tospeech software, closed captioning and transcription tools, adaptive learning platforms (source: literature review) 1. learning experience literature highlights how intelligent tutoring systems and flexible projects and assessments have enhanced personalized learning areas (chen et al., 2020; ouyang & jiao, 2021; holmes & tuomi, 2022). such systems help in a student-centred approach where the students engage with customized educational content. this transition, coupled with hybrid learning methods that combine both online and offline instructions, has completely changed the students’ experience with learning. ai platforms such as learning management systems (lms), virtual reality (vr), and augmented reality (ar) applications have improved learner engagement and made learning interactive (acosta et al., 2023; carius, 2021; moorhouse et al., 2023). 2. pedagogical approaches artificial intelligence has not only reshaped the teaching pedagogies but also the automated grading systems (grassini, 2023; mirzaeian et al., 2016). these technologies assist educators in optimizing their workflows, hence allowing for increased student participation. the use of video conferencing platforms like zoom and ai-powered content recommendation systems has expanded the horizons for teachers (sangster et al., 2020; zhao & watterston, 2021). 3. student support ai chatbots provide round-theclock assistance, addressing student inquiries. virtual office hours, online guidance, and peer-to-peer support networks lead to student engagement. online meetup platforms and learning analytics dashboards assist educators in keeping track of student’s performance (carius, 2021; grassini, 2023; narayanan et al., 2023; huang, 2024). 4. evaluation and feedback the ai-driven evaluation system has completely transformed the assessment practices (ouyang & jiao, 2021; chen et al., 2020). after the pandemic, there has been a shift towards continuous and peer assessments. this methodology of assessment is the combination of both online and offline methods, supported by real-time feedback mechanisms. even ai-powered plagiarism detection tools improve the efficacy of these evaluations in the hybrid learning environment (acosta et al., 2023; sangster et al., 2020). 5. curriculum development ai tools assist educators in creating indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 323 adaptive learning pathways that can be modified as per the student’s performance and needs. curriculum mapping software and learning design platforms help in the creation of flexible course designs appropriate for hybrid education models (roy, 2020; roschelle et al., 2020; zhao & watterston, 2021; carius, 2021). 6. accessibility in education the usage of ai assistive technologies has improved accessibility in education by offering language translation, screen readers, and text-to-speech functions for students with disabilities as well as international students. post-pandemic innovations have prioritized digital equity, enabling students to have equal access to educational materials and support (acosta et al., 2023; khedrane, 2024; moorhouse et al., 2023; zawackirichter et al., 2019; huang, 2024). findings and discussions engaging the faculty as well as the students and that too a single online mode is a very difficult task but one cannot deny the fact that the introduction of the blended learning and teaching model can enhance the engagement levels of faculty as well as the students in future which also impacts the employability in one or the other way (mandernach et al., 2015). as can be analyzed from figure 4 below once the element of blended learning is being added in the adapted model, along with the introduction of artificial intelligence, the education model itself becomes flexible irrespective of any crisis (kalita, 2021). figure-4: education 5.0faculty-student engagement model with the addition of blended learning and artificial intelligence (source: adapted from speck, 1996 and mishra et al., 2020; kalita, 2021; university grant commission, 2021; vanlehn, 2011; wang et al., 2023) thus, the blended teaching and learning processes greatly affect the student engagement process (sahni, 2019). a blended approach has been identified already by various academic institutions and universities in the past but has not been accepted completely in most countries yet (lars, 2012). it can be summed up that by combining the previous education models (speck, 1996 and mishra et al., 2020) along with the current situation of the pandemic and looking forward to the necessity in the future the above-mentioned model has to be followed in any case to upgrade ourselves from the old methodologies of learning and engaging processes (kalita, 2021; university grant commission, 2021) especially in the developing nations including india. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 324 however, its practical implementations may face several challenges such as infrastructure disparities when we compare premier institutions like iits and iisc with rural or semi-urban institutions, faculty readiness with the latest blended teaching methods, resource allocation, cultural adaptation, logistical and technological challenges, and alignment with the new regulations. conclusion virtual classrooms and innovative online tools help to engage faculty as well as students just like a real-time classroom. along with some challenges covid-19 also acted as an opportunity in the education sector to explore more in the form of adoption of a hybrid education model. there is no age constraint in a learning process which may act as a hurdle, and the usage of artificial intelligence and gamification concepts in online learning may lead to a rapid developmental process. the only thing that digital education requires is the coordination between reliable course content, faculty dedication, reliable technology, dedicated students, and, most importantly, an easily available internet connection. for many, the lockdown has resulted in an uncertain examination schedule, lost internship opportunities, and the pulling back of job offers. however, the main question of the reliability of digital platforms will always remain unsolved as everyone will agree with the fact that for a successful digital engagement, a learner or an instructor must also be honest. this reliability can be achieved by introducing a blended model of teaching and learning, which, once incorporated successfully in the indian education sector, can do wonders by transforming the quality of the education system in india. educators must adopt technology and pursue professional development through this education model. policymakers must invest in infrastructure and training and foster partnerships with tech companies to raise digital education standards. together these strategies can create an effective and strong educational framework, transforming india’s landscape and preparing the students for future challenges. references acosta, c., et al. 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(2021). ai and hybrid learning: transforming education post-pandemic. computers & education, 164, 104117. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 269 research article youtube educational videos in bridging the learning gaps among school students vinod kumar kanvaria1 & payal jain2 1professor department of education, university of delhi 2m.ed. student department of education, university of delhi emailpayaljain0058@gmail.com abstract videos have a long-term effect on learners. youtube plays a major role in enhancing the learning of school students after school hours whenever they need to study at their own pace. when they learn from youtube, the same concept can be explained by different teachers, and the best part is that they can learn at their own pace. youtube acts as a complementary learning platform that fulfils the learning needs of learners with educational videos. the purpose is to find out the effects of youtube educational videos on learning among school students as net generation learners. the research is related to educational technology in which a questionnaire is prepared to ask general questions about youtube and how youtube educational videos help in studies and to improve the learning gaps, clearing doubts that arise in studies. mixed method research design is used to conduct research. both quantitative and qualitative methods are used to collect the data. a questionnaire is prepared, and data is collected through google forms. semi-structured interviews are conducted to collect the data. the sample taken are school students from class 6th-8th. the major findings are that youtube videos help school students fill their learning gaps by mobile learning using their mobile by doing self-paced learning, and videos have long-lasting effects on their learning. keywords: youtube, technology, videos, self-paced learning, mobile learning, net generation introduction youtube is a platform where videos can be shared and explored by the viewers. it is one of the most frequently accessed websites on the internet (chau, 2010). youtube is a well-known video-sharing platform for uploading, sharing, and viewing video clips (duffy, 2008). its popularity increased day by day, and the boost-up period came during the lockdown itself. researchers can see the boost so much that this portal changes into a community where people bond with peers, acquire new skills, explore, and engage in discourse activities of learning using this youtube platform (chau, 2010). the 21st century wants to stay connected in groups and wants to learn in groups rather than in isolation. collaboration plays an integral role in net generation. the integration of emerging technologies helps create a community and collaboration that leads to the development of effective teaching models (beldarrain, 2004 ). youtube helps in creating groups and communities and thus leads to collaborative learning, which helps learners to collaborate with peers. today’s generation can be referred to as the netgeneration as they are very familiar with the internet, its various features, and effective use of technology. lockdown has had a significant influence on making learners tech-friendly and has opened the indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 270 doors for the successful integration of technology in education. the integration of technology is a boon for the effective teaching-learning process. background information youtube has a long history of being created, and how its popularity has increased so far that even students and small kids can be seen scrolling and using it as a medium to study. it was created in the year 2005. although it has a long history of growth, it is so popular today that even laymen use this app for various purposes. history of youtube educational videos create an impact on students towards learning the content in a way that content retains for a longer period and is understandable. youtube is a source of all types of content and learners can access content anytime according to their need and availability of time. youtube acts as a complementary learning platform that fulfils the learning needs of learners with educational videos. as a platform that supports participatory culture, youtube allows exhibition spaces that provide exposure that leads to recognition, feedback, and opportunities for collaboration (chau, 2010). significance of the research chtouki. et al. (2012) youtube has the greatest advantage as it is a free webbased service that provides short and relevant content and important concepts are there which are also taught in school. (prensky, 2001) pointed out that “future content” as future content needs to be digital and technological to meet the needs of the learners. he suggests that learning new stuff using different ways is more important than learning anything, and youtube plays an important role in it. this research helps to know exactly how much time learners spend on youtube for educational purposes and the effects of videos on retaining the content for the long term. this research is helpful in exploring the importance and effects of youtube educational videos among school students. the purpose is to explore the impact of youtube on the mindset of school students and help in selfpaced learning among learners. (kohler, 2021) youtube has great accessibility nowadays, and due to its low-barrier functions, this platform has a great advantage in transmitting scientific knowledge. self-paced learning is very crucial in today’s era to cater to the individual needs of the learners as they can learn anytime, anywhere, at their own choice. youtube, as an educational platform, has the capability to promote self-paced learning among learners. research objectives y to explore the effectiveness of videos in better learning. y to what extent can youtube educational videos help bridge the learning gaps among school students? y recognizing the effectiveness of youtube videos can help in retaining the content for a longer period. y to identify the effectiveness of youtube educational videos to promote self-paced learning among learners. y research problems or questions y to what extent do youtube educational videos help in bridging the learning gaps among school students? y why are videos effective in better learning? y how do youtube educational videos help in retaining the content for a longer period? y how do youtube educational videos promote self-paced learning among learners? indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 271 review of related literature much research has been done on the usage of youtube for educational purposes. chau (2010), youtube acts as an intersection of media creation and social networking that provides young people with a participatory culture in which they can create and share original content in this era. according to chau (2010), participatory culture contains five major characteristics that are relatively low barriers to artistic expression and civic engagement, strong support for creating and sharing one’s project, informal mentorship, a belief that contribution matters, and a sense of social connection. (duffy, 2008) youtube and some other web 2.0 technologies play a significant role in education as an engagement tool among net generation learners. roodt and peier (2013) conducted research on undergraduate students to check out how youtube can help in student engagement. students’ classes are being taken through youtube for the whole semester, and at the end of the semester, a questionnaire is filled out by the participants to explore the impact of youtube videos on netgeneration learners. duffy (2012) points out that the new “learning ecology” is present where web 2.0 plays a significant role in collaboration and creative evaluation. research suggests some specific features of videos to be an effective tool in the study and a semistructured contributing factor in this. jia (2019) has done an extensive literature review where the comparison of the benefits and limitations of youtube videos in education is made. otchie (2020) researched to find the answer to the question can youtube videos facilitate the teaching and learning of stem subjects in high schools?. (fleck, 2014) pointed out that blended learning theory and information processing theory work towards the integration of technology in the classroom ,and it is a successful integration. blended learning theory talks about the involvement and usage of web 2.0 increases; instructors are using multimedia and different platforms in teaching. elareshi & et al. (2022) made a hybrid analysis semann-based approach in understanding students’ academic performance by the adoption of youtube for learning during covid. the major findings from this research clearly show that respondents are willing to use technology, applications and support for the usage of youtube in academia. from all these studies, it is clear that youtube has the potential to apply in education and act as a helpful aid to bridge the learning gaps among individuals. key theories or concepts kearsley and shneiderman (1998) summarized the work and created an engagement theory: a framework for technology-based teaching and learning. engagement theory emphasizes on building a successful collaborative team to work on ambitious projects that help in meaningful learning outside the classroom. the three major components are relate createdonate required in activities that occur in groups, such as the creation of collaborative teams, project-based activities, and having an outside authenticity. p. duffy (2013) suggests video learning should not be passive and suggests guidelines for using videos effectively as they contain various aspects that are essential for the effectiveness of video learning. these aspects include segment, notes, pause, sound off feature, picture off, preview, integration, cut, focus, and feedback. segment allows students to watch the videos in small segments, not as a whole at a time. note-taking is an important characteristic feature of videos. the video should be like that, which allows you to take notes and then rewind the video and check the notes, indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 272 whether individually or in a group, like a brainstorming activity. the pause feature suggests that the video should allow this feature to pause to memorize and recall any picture for better engagement. the sound-off feature is important and the best technique for listing out the steps of a process. picture off feature focuses on the audio that audio clues are given, and prion is made. previews suggest that each video should show the learning objectives of the lesson. the integration feature of video has features that will be able to integrate the experimental content into the conceptual knowledge. that feature allows the usage of online video editors to capture. the focus feature allows to enhance the focus of the student, starting the video with an activity that can be conducted to enhance meaningful learning. feedback plays an important role in making the significance of the video and relating the video for long-term usability. gaps in the literature much research is being conducted in this area of the educational field. mobile learning and its impact on students’ learning have been explored, as well as the side effects and usage of technology in education. this study focuses on identifying the importance of youtube educational videos to fill the learning gaps in studies and to improve the academics of school students by increasing self-paced learning. selfpaced learning is important to cater to the individual differences among learners. whether youtube has that potential needs to be explored through this research, as well as the significance of educational videos for school students. research methodology a mixed design research method is used that includes both qualitative and quantitative approaches for which the questionnaire is prepared, and the questions are both open-ended to analyze qualitative and quantitative analysis. interviews are also being conducted with students of various schools to check the effect of youtube educational videos on their studies. for qualitative design, the data is collected through interview schedules; major themes are identified as time spent on youtube by the students, purpose of study, and time slots for using youtube. tool questions are prepared of both types open-ended and closed-ended. also, the interviews were conducted with school students. questions prepared related to youtube as whether students are familiar with the portal or not, how much time they spend on youtube, whether they are able to get quality education through youtube, and what is the significant role of these educational videos in improving their academic performance. google form is used to collect data, and semi-structured interviews are conducted in which data is gathered through school students who use youtube as a medium of study. open-ended questions are asked to them, and their personal experience of learning is asked while studying through youtube as a medium of the platform. sample and data collection methods random sampling technique is used as different school students of different classes are used to collect the data. data is collected through google forms. a questionnaire is prepared to collect the data from school students and google form is used as a medium to find out the answers. 5-point rating scale, open-ended questions to analyze data qualitatively and also close-ended questions to analyze the opinion of the learners. school students of classes 6th indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 273 -12th are used as a sample to conduct this study. data is presented through pie chart and bar graph based on the utility. also, theme based data analysis is done through the study. data findings and interpretations it has been found that all the students are familiar with the youtube videos and use youtube as a platform to study. total 75 participants participated in the questionnaire through google form out of which 40 per cent are female that are 30 and 60 per cent are male that are 45. all of them know about youtube and know about certain youtube channels which they used to study. this clearly shows they have exposure to youtube. 88.9 per cent of students have been exposed to mobile learning, and they share that many times it helps them, and exposure to mobile learning signifies progressiveness in terms of equality and exposure to the studies. still, 11.1 per cent of students do not have exposure to mobile learning due to many reasons, such as not having access to mobile phones or not having internet packages, etc., which shows the digital divide among the population. 68.5 per cent of students spend time on youtube daily for study purposes. figure-1: time spent on youtube by school students on daily basis many learners find out that youtube is a very interesting and engaging platform for them because there are a number of teachers teaching the same concept in different ways, which helps them fill the learning gaps. the topic they are not able to understand properly, they can listen to it again and again. it is found that students spend time on youtube to study and also to find information related to studies, like to know about admission procedure, certain notification details, etc. 48 per cent of students out of a total of 75 participants prefer recorded lectures instead of live sessions on youtube which shows that live classes through youtube are not that much effective and the reason behind that is a lot of advertisements and unnecessary comments discussed during the class. 48 per cent, approximately half of the sample, strongly agree that youtube educational videos help them fill the learning gaps. these educational videos help them to achieve good scores and enhance their academic process. most participants use youtube as a medium to study, and when they are absent or not able to understand the concept indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 274 in the classroom, they use youtube videos. 48 per cent, almost half of the population, prefer recorded lectures only. in interview schedules, the major findings were that students prefer recorded lectures over live lectures because it saves their time, and they will increase the speed and playback again and again until they understand the concept clearly. figure-2: students’ perception regarding usage of youtube for educational support 36 out of 75 students that is 48 per cent strongly agree that usage of youtube for educational purposes helps them in academics. youtube educational videos are very effective as this is the platform that almost every student visits once, and the research is being conducted on the students of schools from both private and government backgrounds. the result is that youtube is a great medium to study, but there are certain distractions. many students said that after a few minutes, there would be an advertisement, and because of that advertisement, they lose their concentration level and then move to the shorts or some sort of entertainment which hinders their learning. but at the same time, some students are very enthusiastic and learn from the various channels of youtube not only for educational, and academicrelated topics but also for future trends like universe-related topics, channels, etc. one of the major findings through the data is youtube educational videos using animations which make learning interesting and increase retention power of the learners. the key findings are that some students use youtube for their studies when there is some doubt or for specific topics and subjects, some use it for checking for ncert solutions. purposes may vary but somehow it is clearly found that it is a platform which is used by students widely and impacts the study of the learners and hence help in bridging the learning gaps among learners. ncert official youtube channel provides audio as well as audio video content delivered by experts helps the learners. econtent is created by ncert in various formats for school education that helps the learners (jain & babbar, 2024). implications and limitations of the study youtube educational videos are very effective for long-term memory and also for self-paced learning of individuals. nep 2020 laid emphasis on the usage of technology in studies. as 21st century indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 275 learners, the study using technology is the need of the hour. the appropriate skills must be developed among the learners to use the technology effectively and in this the role of parents and teachers comes to guide the students from time to time. also, youtube as a platform has the potential to reach remote areas and help the learners to study. the lockdown also has impacts on the school students as they lack the basics. some students find it difficult to understand, so they use youtube so they can rewind the videos many times. many teachers can explain the same concept so a learner can identify the teacher with whom he /she wants to learn depending on the way of teaching. (lee et.al, 2017) youtube compares through self-directed learning perspective by making sense of comments on youtube educational videos. this shows the clear and strong implications of youtube educational videos and the limitations in the collection of data. more responses can be added or analyzed. limitations can be time-variant because time is always lacking on both sides for researchers as well as for the samples. conclusion the integration of technology in education is the need of the hour. after lockdown, it is more important to use technology in education to make it interesting for the students as their concentration power affects it. learners find youtube an interesting platform to study because of its features and mechanisms of short and pause options, and rewind options and it is the tool they use for self-paced learning again school teaching or formal training cannot replace these platforms but still have a significant impact on the studies of the learners and to make them curious with the new ideas and innovations. recommendations by nep 2020 nep 2020 laid emphasis on the integration of technology in education. technological adoption, when applied in an effective way, has the potential to present appreciable results in education. educational videos have long-term effects, and youtube plays an important role. almost all learners say that they know youtube and they use it; some use it continuously, and some rarely, but nobody says that they don’t know about youtube. this shows the popularity and, hence, the requirement of study in this field. educational technology is an emerging field in the era of the technological revolution. nep 2020 suggests extensive use of technology in the education system as teaching and learning that helps in removing language barriers, increasing access to special children and helping to cater to educational planning and management (nep, 2020). national education policy document on bullet point 6.13. recommends appropriate technology allowing children to study at their own pace and integrate youtube to provide a significant platform to study at their own pace. contribution to the field and recommendations for future research as broadcast and technical web portals are beginning to merge with social networking web sites, it is important to consider how new spaces can leverage web 2.0 technologies to create a sociotechnical participatory culture in which members feel empowered to engage and participate. more detailed research can be done in terms of comparison of various channels or the types of teachers and the reason for the popularity of certain videos or the learner choice, etc. more detailed research can be done that includes indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 276 more geographical areas because, according to areas, the needs and the findings differ. the detailed analysis of the quality of educational videos and their authenticity can be explored in future as it is very important to know what kind of content is delivered and what its significant effects on learners are. every classroom must be equipped with the latest-enabled technology (nep, 2020). references beldarrain, y. (2006). distance education trends: integrating new technologies to foster student interaction and collaboration. distance education, 27(2), 139-153. chau, clement. (2010). youtube as a participatory culture. new directions for youth development. 2010. 65-74. duffy, p. (2012). engaging the youtube google-eyed generation: strategies for using web. leading issues in e-learning research for researchers, teachers,and students, 1, 47. elareshi, m., habes, m., youssef, e., salloum, s. a., alfaisal, r., & ziani, a. (2022). sem-annbased approach to understanding students’ academic-performance adoption of youtube for learning during covid. heliyon, 8(4). fleck, b. k., beckman, l. m., sterns, j. l., & hussey, h. d. (2014). youtube in the classroom: helpful tips and student perceptions. journal of effective teaching, 14(3), 21-37. jain, p., & babbar, p. (2024). multimedia education for inclusive development: exploring ncert’s open-access initiatives in india’s school education system. indian journal of educational technology, 6(i), 341-349. jia, s. (2019). literature review of youtube in teaching activities. kearsley, g., & shneiderman, b. (1998). engagement theory: a framework for technologybased teaching and learning. educational technology, 38(5), 20-23. kohler, s., & dietrich, t. c. (2021). potentials and limitations of educational videos on youtube for science communication. frontiers in communication, 6, 581302 lee, c. s., osop, h., goh, d. h. l., & kelni, g. (2017). making sense of comments on youtube educational videos: a self-directed learning perspective. online information review, 41(5), 611-625. national education policy 2020, ministry of human resource development, government of india. otchie, w. o., pedaste, m., bardone, e., & chounta, i. a. (2020). can youtube videos facilitate the teaching and learning of stem subjects in high schools? bulletin of the technical committee on learning technology, 20(1), 3-8. prensky, m. (2001). digital natives, digital immigrants part 2: do they think differently? on the horizon, 9(6), 1-6. roodt, s., & peier, d. (2013, july). using youtube© in the classroom for the next generation of students. in proceedings of the informing science and information technology education conference (pp. 473-488). informing science institute. y. chtouki, h. harroud, m. khalidi and s. bennani, “the impact of youtube videos on the student’s learning,” 2012 international conference on information technology based higher education and training (ithet), istanbul, turkey, 2012, pp. 1-4, doi: 10.1109/ithet.2012.624604. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 381 review article transforming teacher professional development through artificial intelligence anil kumar yadav1 & sanjay singh yadav2 1phd. research scholar, department of education, university of lucknow, lucknow, up email: anilresearchscholar1995@gmail.com 2assistant professor, department of education, university of lucknow, lucknow, up abstract artificial intelligence (ai) is set to transform teacher professional development through innovative approaches in personalised learning, collaboration, mentoring, datadriven decision-making, and workload management. as educational systems adapt to technological advancements, ai presents a valuable opportunity to enhance teachers’ professional growth and meet evolving student needs. one significant application of ai is personalised learning. ibm’s watson education, for instance, analyses extensive datasets to provide targeted training recommendations aligned with individual teachers’ performance, instructional styles, and professional goals. this tailored approach ensures that professional development is relevant and effective, leading to improved pedagogical methods and classroom outcomes. ai also fosters collaboration through platforms like microsoft teams for education. these platforms use ai to suggest relevant professional development communities and discussion groups based on user interactions, thereby enhancing peer learning and the exchange of best practices among educators. this interconnected environment supports innovative teaching strategies and better student outcomes. in mentoring and coaching, ai tools such as coachbot offer personalised insights into mentee progress, while teachfx provides real-time feedback from classroom interactions. these tools improve mentoring effectiveness and expand access to high-quality support, irrespective of location. ai’s impact extends to data-driven decision-making with tools like brightbytes, which analyse large datasets to inform professional development priorities and resource allocation. however, this integration raises ethical concerns, including data privacy, algorithmic bias, and overreliance on quantitative measures.ai also reduces teacher workload by automating tasks like grading and scheduling. gradescope exemplifies this by automating grading processes, which allows teachers to focus on instructional improvement and reduces burnout. in conclusion, while ai has the potential to revolutionise teacher professional development, addressing ethical concerns is crucial to ensure its benefits are realised while maintaining teacher autonomy and data protection. keywords: personalised learning, collaborative learning, mentoring, data-driven decision-making, ai tools in education. introduction artificial intelligence (ai) is recognised as a powerful tool in the field of teaching and learning process by offering innovative solutions that cater to personalised learning, collaboration, mentoring, and data-driven decisionmaking. as the education landscape indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 382 continues to evolve with rapid technological advancements, ai provides educators with opportunities to enhance their professional growth, ensuring they can effectively meet the changing needs of their students. ai-driven tools such as ibm’s watson education and microsoft teams for education exemplify how technology can create tailored learning plans, foster collaborative environments, and provide real-time feedback, all of which contribute to more effective teaching practices (johnson, 2022; smith and brown, 2023). despite the promising benefits, ai and its integration into teacher development also presents challenges, including ethical concerns around privacy of data and the potential over-reliance on quantitative measures (williams, 2023). therefore, while ai has a very high level of potential to revolutionise professional development for teachers, careful consideration must be given to these challenges to decasualise that the technology supports and enhances the continuous growth of educators. reviews of related literature ai’s transformative potential in teacher professional development is wellsupported across multiple areas. personalised learning is one such area, where ai tailors professional development to meet individual educators’ needs. personalised learning has become a cornerstone of teacher professional development, with ai tools offering tailored recommendations based on individual educators’ performance, teaching styles, and goals. building on luckin et al. (2016) and bakhshi et al. (2017), recent studies affirm ai’s ability to address teachers’ unique learning needs. tammets and ley (2023) emphasise how ai-driven adaptive teaching tools can refine decision-making, improving professional development outcomes. similarly, rütti-joy et al. (2023) stress the importance of ai literacy for educators, urging institutions to integrate ai into teacher training for a more personalised approach. goksel and bozkurt (2019) align with this view, highlighting ai’s role in identifying specific areas for improvement and providing targeted resources to address them. ai also plays a vital role in fostering collaboration among educators. according to kusmawan (2023), ai facilitates peer learning through platforms that support virtual collaborations, such as ai-guided microteaching simulations. johnson et al. (2021) and krushinskaia et al. (2023) discuss how ai technologies encourage role adaptation and foster communities of practice among educators. these ai-driven tools not only link teachers but also drive continuous professional development by enabling them to exchange best practices and enhance shared learning experiences. in the area of mentoring and coaching, ai tools such as coachbot are making a significant impact by offering personalised and timely support. this aligns with williamson and eynon (2020) and grant and basye (2017), who emphasize the importance of aidriven mentoring. chan and tsi (2023) further note that these ai-powered systems enhance instructional support by analysing data patterns to offer meaningful guidance. sysoyev (2023) emphasises the need for readiness among educators to adopt ai tools, while wang and hannafin (2021) highlight the development of new models that provide simulations for practical training, ensuring ai-based coaching remains accessible and responsive to teachers’ needs. ai and data analytics are also transforming decision-making in professional development. brightbytes, as noted by herold (2020), utilises ai to indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 383 offer actionable insights for improving teaching practices. tammets and ley (2023) reinforce this by highlighting ai’s role in making data-informed professional growth possible, tailored to specific educational environments. qin et al. (2021) highlight a teaching practice evaluation system that encourages teachers to reflect on datadriven insights. however, cautioning against the misuse of data, barber et al. (2017) emphasise the necessity for ethical oversight in ai-driven decisionmaking processes. despite the promising benefits of ai in education, ethical concerns remain a significant issue. recent studies echo the ethical concerns raised by selwyn (2019) and bostrom and yudkowsky (2018). floridi et al. (2020) advocate for transparency and accountability in ai integration, while krushinskaia et al. (2023) stress the need for ethical frameworks to guide ai’s evolving role in teacher professional development. these studies collectively highlight the importance of mitigating privacy risks and biases to ensure ai is applied responsibly. ai has also shown potential in reducing teacher burnout and improving retention. abramowitz and antonenko (2022) discuss ai’s dual role in empowering and potentially constraining teacher autonomy, expanding on concerns raised by zhao and frank (2018). chan and tsi (2023) acknowledge ai’s role in reducing teacher workload and improving job satisfaction, which can enhance retention. however, a balance between ai facilitation and human control is essential to maintain teacher satisfaction and preserve teacher agency. insights from jones et al. (2019) and white and bowers (2021) support the idea that ai can enhance job satisfaction, but safeguards must be in place to ensure teachers’ roles are protected. overall, ai presents significant opportunities and challenges, underscoring the need for balanced and responsible integration. rationale of the study this study aims to fill the gap in the existing literature by providing a detailed review of ai tools and their applications in teacher professional development. by analysing current aidriven platforms, case studies, and the associated benefits and challenges, this research seeks to synthesise existing knowledge and offer insights into the practical implications of ai integration in professional development programs. the study also aims to explore the ethical considerations surrounding ai in education, offering recommendations on how to mitigate potential risks while maximising the benefits. the rationale for this study is thus grounded in the need to better understand how ai can be effectively and ethically integrated into teacher professional development. as the education sector continues to evolve. this study will provide insightful information that will help policymakers, educational leaders, and practitioners in harnessing ai to support teacher growth and enhance the overall quality of education. research questions this study aims to explore the impact of artificial intelligence (ai) on teacher professional development, focusing on its potential benefits, challenges, and ethical implications. the following research questions guide the investigation: 1. how do ai tools contribute to personalised learning and professional development for teachers? 2. in what ways does ai enhance collaboration, mentoring, and peer learning among educators? indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 384 3. what role does ai play in datadriven decision-making within the context of teacher professional development? 4. what are the challenges and ethical considerations related to the integration of ai in teacher professional development? 5. what are the overall impacts of ai on teacher workload, job satisfaction, and retention? the purpose of these study questions is to offer a thorough grasp of how artificial intelligence is changing teacher professional development, offering insights into both its potential and the challenges that need to be addressed for successful implementation. methodology this study followed a systematic review approach that included the following essential steps: 1. literature review: a comprehensive search and analysis of scholarly articles, research papers, and reports on ai in teacher professional development were conducted using databases like google scholar and ieee xplore. 2. case study analysis: detailed examinations of ai tools such as ibm watson education, microsoft teams for education, coachbot, teachfx, and brightbytes were performed to assess their impact on teacher professional development. 3. data synthesis: information from the literature and case studies was synthesised to identify key themes, benefits, challenges, and ethical considerations related to ai integration. s. no. components description 1. type of research design descriptive research design 2. method of the study literature review and case studies 3. sample size n/a (qualitative study based on a review of existing literature and selected case studies) 4. sampling technique purposive sampling (selection of relevant studies, articles, and case studies on ai in education) 5. statistical technique thematic analysis (qualitative synthesis of themes emerging from the literature and case studies) thematic analysis the following table lists and defines each theme found through thematic analysis in relation to how artificial intelligence is affecting teacher professional development. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 385 theme definition key examples personalised professional development tailored training recommendations based on individual needs, performance, and goals. ibm’s watson education: provides customized training and resources based on comprehensive analysis of teacher data. enhanced collaboration ai-facilitated exchange of ideas and best practices among educators through collaborative platforms. microsoft teams for education: uses ai to suggest professional development communities and discussion groups. mentoring and coaching ai-supported tools providing personalised guidance and feedback to educators. coachbot: offers insights into mentee progress and areas for improvement. teachfx: provides real-time feedback from classroom interactions. data-driven decision making insights derived from ai analytics to inform and prioritise professional development efforts. brightbytes: analyses datasets on teacher performance and student outcomes to guide development priorities. workload reduction automation of routine tasks to improve teacher efficiency and reduce administrative burdens. gradescope: automates the grading process, allowing teachers to focus more on instruction and professional growth. report writing personalised learning and professional development ai-driven personalisation: personalised learning has become a cornerstone of effective professional development, with ai tools offering tailored recommendations based on individual teacher performance, instructional style, and goals (smith, 2022). ibm’s watson education exemplifies this approach by analysing comprehensive datasets to provide targeted development resources and training recommendations (johnson & lee, 2021). this level of personalisation ensures that professional development is closely aligned with teachers’ specific needs, facilitating continuous improvement in pedagogical practices and enhancing classroom outcomes (doe, 2023). case study: ibm watson education ibm watson education utilises ai to process extensive data on educators, providing insights and recommendations for professional growth (brown & smith, 2023). this personalised approach enables teachers to engage in targeted training, refine their methods, and stay current with educational advancements (white, 2022). the effectiveness of this approach is evident in enhanced teaching efficacy and increased student engagement (jones, 2024). collaborative learning ai-enhanced collaboration: ai tools are fostering collaborative environments among educators by enabling the exchange of ideas and best practices (taylor, 2023). microsoft teams for education integrates ai to recommend relevant professional development communities and discussion groups based on user interactions (anderson & roberts, indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 386 2022). this integration promotes a collaborative culture where teachers can leverage collective expertise, leading to innovative teaching strategies and improved student outcomes (clark, 2024). case study: microsoft teams for education microsoft teams for education employs ai algorithms to suggest professional development opportunities and communities tailored to educators’ needs (anderson & roberts, 2022). this interconnected platform enhances peer learning and facilitates the sharing of successful practices across educational settings, promoting a collaborative environment among teachers (clark, 2024). mentoring and coaching ai in mentoring: ai-driven mentoring tools offer personalised and timely support for educators. coachbot tracks mentee progress and provides actionable insights to mentors, enhancing the effectiveness of guidance and support (green and patel, 2023). additionally, teachfx delivers realtime feedback based on classroom interactions, making high-quality mentoring accessible regardless of geographic constraints (wilson, 2024). case study: coachbot and teachfx coachbot delivers tailored insights to mentors, refining the mentoring process by highlighting individual strengths and areas for improvement (green and patel, 2023). teachfx, on the other hand, provides real-time feedback based on classroom interactions, aiding educators in refining their practices and enhancing teaching effectiveness through virtual coaching (wilson, 2024). data-driven decision-making ai and data analytics: ai tools such as brightbytes analyse large datasets on teacher performance and student outcomes to provide actionable insights for professional development (miller and davis, 2023). this data-driven approach enables educational leaders to prioritise development efforts and allocate resources effectively (smith, 2024). however, challenges including data privacy and potential biases must be addressed to ensure the fair and effective use of ai in decision-making (jones, 2024). case study: brightbytes brightbytes utilizes ai to evaluate data on educational outcomes, guiding professional development priorities through comprehensive analytics (miller & davis, 2023). this approach helps educators receive targeted support and enhances overall teaching strategies (smith, 2024). workload management ai in reducing teacher workload: ai tools are effectively reducing teacher workload by automating routine tasks such as grading and scheduling (johnson and lee, 2023). gradescope, for example, automates the grading process, enabling teachers to concentrate more on instructional improvement and professional growth (doe, 2024). this reduction in administrative tasks helps in decreasing tiredness, boost contentment in work, and enhance teacher retention (brown and smith, 2023). case study: gradescope gradescope’s ai-driven grading automation significantly reduces the time educators spend on grading, allowing them to focus more on enhancing their teaching practices and engaging in professional development activities (johnson and lee, 2023). this indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 387 efficiency not only supports instructional improvement but also contributes to better job satisfaction and reduced burnout (doe, 2024). challenges and ethical considerations ethical implications:several ethical issues are brought up by the use of ai in teacher professional development. including data privacy, algorithmic bias, and over-reliance on quantitative measures (smith and jones, 2023). ensuring that ai tools are used ethically and transparently is crucial for maintaining teacher autonomy and protecting sensitive data (brown, 2024). addressing challenges educational institutions must establish clear guidelines for ai use, emphasizing transparency, data protection, and equity (taylor and davis, 2023). addressing these concerns will help maximise the benefits of ai while mitigating potential risks, ensuring that ai tools support rather than undermine educational practices (green, 2024). conclusion the integration of ai into teacher professional development offers transformative potential by enhancing personalised learning, facilitating collaboration, and streamlining administrative tasks. ai tools like ibm watson education, microsoft teams for education, coachbot, teachfx, brightbytes, and gradescope exemplify how ai can be leveraged to support educators through targeted development, real-time feedback, and data-driven insights. these advancements contribute to improved teaching practices, increased job satisfaction, and reduced burnout. however, the inclusion of ai also presents challenges, including ethical concerns related to, algorithmic bias, data privacy, and the potential overreliance on quantitative measures. taking these issues up through clear guidelines, transparency, and equitable practices is essential for ensuring that ai tools are used responsibly and effectively. overall, regardless of whether ai has an enormous amount of potential to improve teacher professional development, its successful implementation will depend on carefully navigating the associated challenges and maintaining a focus on ethical considerations. hence, educational institutions can harness the full potential of ai to foster a more dynamic and creating a professional learning environment for students as well as educators. references addo, s., & sentance, s. (2023). teachers’ motivation for teaching ai in k-12 settings. https:// dx.doi.org/10.1145/3633083.3633192 anderson, t., & roberts, k. (2022). microsoft teams for education: enhancing peer learning through ai. journal of educational technology, 45(3), 123-135. bakhshi, s., wang, s., & zhang, y. (2017). ai in professional development: adapting to teachers’ evolving needs. educational technology review, 34(2), 45-58. barber, m., donnelly, k., & rizvi, s. (2017). how ai analytics can transform education: trends and predictions. educational leadership quarterly, 56(1), 78-90. bostrom, n., & yudkowsky, e. (2018). the ethics of artificial intelligence. cambridge handbook of artificial intelligence, 1, 312-334. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 388 brown, j., & smith, a. (2023). ibm watson education: personalizing professional development for educators. journal of learning technologies, 39(4), 210-223. clark, r. (2024). leveraging ai for collaborative learning: a case study of microsoft teams. international journal of educational innovation, 28(1), 65-79. doe, j. (2023). personalized learning through ai: improving teaching practices. education today, 31(2), 112-125. doe, j. (2024). the impact of ai on teacher workload and job satisfaction. teaching and learning journal, 45(3), 134-145. floridi, l., cowls, j., taddeo, m., & floridi, l. (2020). the ethics of artificial intelligence: issues and challenges. oxford university press. gatlin, m. (2023). assessing pre-service teachers’ attitudes and perceptions of using artificial intelligence in the classroom. (https://dx.doi.org/10.59719/txep.v7i2.35) goksel, a., & bozkurt, g. (2019). ai tools for targeted professional development. international review of education, 65(2), 143-159. green, m., & patel, n. (2023). ai-driven mentoring: enhancing guidance and support for educators. mentoring & coaching journal, 16(1), 87-99. grant, c., & basye, d. (2017). coachbot: ai-enhanced mentoring for educators. journal of educational technology research, 37(4), 98-110. herold, b. (2020). data-driven decision-making in education: the role of ai tools. educational data review, 40(2), 56-68. holmes, w., bialik, m., & fadel, c. (2019). ai in education: enhancing collaboration and peer learning. harvard education review, 89(1), 33-50. johnson, l. (2022). ai-driven personalized learning in teacher professional development. journal of educational innovation, 30(2), 77-89. johnson, l., & lee, h. (2021). the effectiveness of ai in tailored professional development. journal of learning sciences, 42(3), 99-112. johnson, l., & lee, h. (2023). ai tools in reducing teacher workload: a case study of gradescope. educational efficiency review, 24(4), 150-165. jones, a. (2024). ai and teacher retention: addressing burnout through automation. teacher development journal, 36(2), 112-125. jones, b., smith, c., & johnson, a. (2019). the role of ai in reducing teacher burnout. journal of educational administration, 52(1), 75-89. kusmawan, u. (2023). redefining teacher training: the promise of ai-supported teaching practices. https://dx.doi.org/10.36348/jaep.2023.v07i09.001. krushinskaia, k., elen, j., & raes, a. (2023). systematic literature review on teachers’ roles in ai-supported education. https://dx.doi.org/10.22318/cscl2023.109177. miller, r., & davis, e. (2023). ai analytics for guiding professional development: a bright bytes case study. educational data review, 45(3), 112-126. norvig, p., & russell, s. (2020). ai and collaborative learning: facilitating peer interactions. ai & society journal, 31(2), 140-155. rütti-joy, o., winder, g., & biedermann, h. (2023). building ai literacy for sustainable teacher education. https://dx.doi.org/10.21240/zfhe/18-04/10. selwyn, n. (2019). ethical issues in ai in education: data privacy and bias. educational technology ethics, 11(4), 234-247. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 389 smith, j. (2022). ai-driven personalization in professional development: benefits and challenges. journal of digital education, 29(3), 90-103. smith, j., & brown, k. (2023). ai tools for enhancing teacher development: an overview. international journal of educational technology, 27(2), 67-80. tammets, k., & ley, t. (2023). integrating ai tools in teacher professional learning: a conceptual model and illustrative case. https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/frai.2023.1255089. taylor, j., & davis, p. (2023). addressing challenges in ai integration: transparency and equity. educational policy journal, 44(1), 120-133. wang, s., & hannafin, m. (2021). virtual coaching and ai in teacher professional development. technology in education review, 33(2), 156-169. white, l., & bowers, r. (2021). ai and teacher retention: reducing burnout through automation. educational administration quarterly, 54(2), 88-101. williamson, b., & eynon, r. (2020). ai in mentoring: the case of coachbot. journal of digital learning, 23(1), 74-87. wilson, k. (2024). ai-driven real-time feedback for educators: the teachfx case. journal of classroom technology, 32(3), 101-115. zhao, y., & frank, k. (2018). ai and teacher autonomy: balancing support and agency. educational technology review, 38(1), 45-59. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 423 review article toward a holistic integration of digital technologies in physical education: global perspectives, pedagogical frameworks, and critical considerations deepika malhotra1 & vineet mehta,2 1assistant professor, district institute of education and training, (scert) delhi emaildeepikamalhotra73@gmail.com 2assistant professor, shaheed bhagat singh evening college, university of delhi abstract rapid developments in digital technology are transforming how we teach and learn, including in physical education (pe). this paper examines the use of digital tools—such as video feedback, mobile apps, social media, virtual reality (vr), and artificial intelligence (ai)—in pe. it offers an overview of key theories, international viewpoints, and practical examples. drawing on models such as social cognitive theory and tpack, it explores how technology can enhance motor skill acquisition, enrich assessment practices, and foster self-regulated learning. case studies highlight the potential for innovative tools to improve motivation, engagement, and skill development, while also identifying key challenges related to resource disparities, teacher training, privacy concerns, and the potential overemphasis on performance metrics. the analysis emphasises that realising the full potential of technology in pe requires a careful balance between innovation and pedagogical intentionality. strategies for effective professional development, curriculum design, and supportive policies are discussed. this paper articulates a vision for a holistic, ethically grounded, and learner-centred approach to integrating digital tools in pe by situating current practices within historical contexts and emerging trends. it concludes by offering research directions and policy recommendations to ensure that technology serves as a means to enrich, rather than replace, meaningful physical education experiences. keywords: digital technology, physical education, tpack, social cognitive theory, video feedback, virtual reality, assessment, teacher training, pedagogy, global perspectives introduction the rapid advancement of digital technology has transformed numerous sectors, including education. within the realm of physical education (pe), these developments have not only influenced teaching methodologies but have also reshaped how students engage in the learning process. smartphones, tablets, video feedback systems, and virtual reality (vr) are now common in pe classes, bringing both benefits and challenges. as koekoek and hilvoorde (2018) observe, the integration of digital tools in pe introduces novel pedagogical dimensions that require careful navigation by teachers to optimise learning outcomes. the adoption of digital technology in pe has sparked both enthusiasm and scepticism. some educators worry that technology use might reduce physical engagement, leading to too much focus on tracking performance rather than handson learning (gard, 2014). however, indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 424 proponents emphasise the substantial benefits, including improved motor skill acquisition, heightened student motivation, and enhanced feedback mechanisms (koekoek and hilvoorde, 2018). this paper seeks to explore these divergent perspectives, offering insights into how digital tools can be integrated thoughtfully into pe to enhance pedagogical effectiveness. despite its promise, the integration of digital technology in pe is not without obstacles. challenges like limited class time, inadequate resources, and large class sizes still hinder the effective use of technology, especially in developing areas (hardman, 2008). furthermore, disparities in access to digital resources persist, challenging inclusion efforts and equitable learning opportunities (hardman, 2008). these challenges underscore the need for critical reflection on the pedagogical implications of digital technologies, as their impact on student learning in pe remains inadequately understood (sargent, 2018). in response to these challenges, intergovernmental initiatives, such as the european parliament’s 2007 resolution on the role of sport in education, have highlighted the importance of pe in fostering educational outcomes and securing its sustainable future (hardman, 2008). by examining international perspectives, including research from the united states, united kingdom, europe, and new zealand, this paper provides a comprehensive understanding of how digital technology is transforming pe globally. through an analysis of theoretical foundations, practical applications, and case studies, this research aims to critically assess the role of digital technology in pe pedagogy and propose strategies for effective integration to enhance both teaching practices and student learning. research design and methodology this study employs a systematic literature review approach to examine the integration of digital technologies in physical education (pe). the objective of this review is to synthesise existing research, identify key theoretical frameworks, highlight practical applications, and explore pedagogical challenges associated with digital technology in pe. scope of the review this review focuses on studies covering: • theoretical perspectives – research grounded in social cognitive theory (sct), technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpack), and related pedagogical frameworks. • empirical studies – case studies, experimental studies, and qualitative analyses exploring technology use in pe. • technological innovations – the role of video feedback, virtual reality (vr), mobile applications, social media, and artificial intelligence (ai) in pe instruction. • barriers and challenges – studies discussing implementation barriers such as teacher preparedness, resource constraints, and digital inequalities. literature search strategy the search was conducted using a combination of keywords, including: • “digital technology in physical education” • “video feedback in pe” • “virtual reality and motor skill learning” indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 425 • “social cognitive theory and digital learning” • “tpack model in physical education” data extraction and analysis the selected studies were analysed using qualitative content analysis. key themes were identified and categorised into the following domains: • historical development of digital technology in pe • theoretical frameworks informing technology integration • practical applications and pedagogical approaches • challenges and limitations • future research directions and policy implications by systematically analysing existing research, this review provides a structured understanding of how digital technologies are shaping the field of physical education. figure-1: holistic integration of digital technologies in physical education figure 1 illustrates how theoretical frameworks, historical context, practical applications, pedagogical challenges, and professional development converge to inform effective digital integration in pe. historical context of digital technologies in physical education technology has influenced education since the early 20th century, starting with lantern slides and films that made lessons more engaging (révész and hazewinkel, 1924). this marked the beginning of technological innovation in education, laying the foundation for the integration of more advanced tools in later years. in physical education (pe), digital technologies such as video-based tools have played a transformative role, allowing educators to record, analyse, and provide feedback on students’ indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 426 physical movements, thereby enriching motor skill acquisition and teaching methodologies (koekoek et al., 2018). however, early technological advancements often faced challenges, including a lack of pedagogical alignment and teacher preparedness. cuban (1986) noted that many new technologies were introduced from the top down, without enough consideration for teachers’ day-to-day needs. this critique remains relevant in pe, where tools like video technologies and virtual simulations have been met with both optimism and scepticism. critics such as gard (2014) caution against the risk of overemphasising performance metrics and standardisation, potentially undermining the holistic development of students. despite these challenges, research underscores the potential of digital technologies to enhance various dimensions of pe. tools such as smartphones, tablets, and apps have been shown to support motor skill development, student motivation, and collaborative learning, addressing long-standing pedagogical challenges (modra et al., 2021; penney and jones, 2013). moreover, digital tools when implemented thoughtfully can facilitate learning across physical, cognitive, social, and affective domains (goodyear, 2020). barriers such as insufficient teacher training, resource limitations, and scepticism continue to hinder widespread adoption (maksimović, 2023; weir and connor, 2009). however, recent studies suggest that well-designed digital interventions, including digital video and peer-led assessments, can significantly enhance learning outcomes (o’loughlin et al., 2013; wallace et al., 2022). the covid-19 pandemic further accelerated the adoption of digital technologies in education, emphasising the need for digital literacy and adaptive instructional strategies (nkomo and matli, 2022; stankevičiūtė, 2023). this historical overview highlights the complex interplay of challenges and opportunities in integrating digital technologies into pe. while barriers persist, ongoing research and evolving pedagogical practices suggest a promising future for technologyenhanced pe, fostering more effective and engaging learning environments. the current state of technology in physical education digital technology has made great strides in pe, including virtual reality (vr), gaming platforms, and social media. these innovations offer diverse methods to engage students, creating interactive and personalised learning experiences. social media platforms, such as youtube, have emerged as valuable resources for skill acquisition, exemplified by kenyan javelin thrower julius yego, who became a world champion by learning techniques via youtube videos (koekoek and hilvoorde, 2018). this demonstrates the transformative potential of digital platforms in pe education. technological advancements in pe extend to personalised learning through tools like ipads and mobile applications, enabling immediate feedback and self-regulated learning. kok and van der kamp (2018) emphasise the importance of self-regulated learning, supported by digital tools such as video feedback, which significantly enhances motor skill acquisition and student motivation. tools like fitness trackers and multimedia apps have also expanded how teachers deliver lessons, boosting student engagement and enhancing assessments (krause et al., 2017; xu, 2023). despite these advancements, challenges persist in implementing technology effectively in pe. educators face barriers such as limited resources, inequitable access, and outdated pedagogical concepts indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 427 (yadav et al., 2023; yao, 2023). moreover, the reliance on video feedback and performance tracking raises concerns about an overemphasis on measurable outcomes, potentially detracting from the holistic development focus of pe (gard, 2014). nonetheless, the integration of advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (ai) and vr shows promise in revolutionising pe pedagogy. ai facilitates tailored feedback and enhances performance analysis (wei et al., 2021; zhang and fu, 2022), while vr creates immersive learning environments that boost student motivation and engagement (shi, 2023). these technologies, coupled with professional development for educators, are key to maximising their pedagogical potential (osmanović et al., 2021). the current state of technology in pe reflects a dynamic shift towards interactive and personalised education. while challenges remain, the strategic use of advanced technologies promises to enhance the effectiveness and engagement of pe programs globally. social cognitive theory the integration of digital technology in physical education (pe) can be effectively understood through bandura’s social cognitive theory (sct), which highlights the interplay of personal, behavioural, and environmental factors in shaping learning (bandura, 1986). sct emphasises observational learning, imitation, and modelling, processes that align well with the use of digital tools like video feedback, wearable devices, and virtual simulations in pe. by observing demonstrations and receiving realtime feedback, students can better understand and replicate motor skills, fostering deeper cognitive and physical engagement (dowrick, 2012; zhang and li, 2018). one prominent application of sct in pe is video self-modelling, where students observe their own optimal performances to enhance motor skill acquisition. this approach enables students to self-regulate their learning, analyse their techniques, and make informed adjustments (dowrick, 2012). zhang and li (2018) showed that when students controlled their video feedback, they performed better and felt more motivated. sct’s processes of attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation are thus reinforced through digital interventions, enhancing learning outcomes. the teacher’s role is pivotal in leveraging sct for digital integration. osmanović et al. (2021) stress that teacher competency in digital tools is essential for creating effective learning environments. teachers who feel confident using technology can model its benefits, thereby fostering student engagement and active participation. maksimović (2023) underscores the importance of teacher training, noting that educators equipped with digital competencies can better monitor and support students’ physical activities beyond the classroom. digital technologies also promote social learning by facilitating peer interaction and collaboration. khan (2023) highlights that digital platforms enable students to observe and emulate peers’ strategies, enhancing their cognitive development. additionally, raab (2023) points out that wearable technologies and fitness-tracking tools encourage health awareness and behavioural modelling, further supporting sct’s principles. despite these advancements, challenges such as insufficient teacher preparation and resource limitations persist (kretschmann, 2015; starkey, 2019). addressing these gaps through indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 428 targeted professional development can enhance teachers’ self-efficacy, ensuring the effective integration of digital tools in pe. by aligning sct’s theoretical principles with practical applications, educators can create dynamic, inclusive, and technologydriven learning environments that enrich the pe experience for students. tpack model the integration of digital technology in physical education (pe) can also be analysed through the lens of the tpack model (technological pedagogical content knowledge), introduced by mishra and koehler (2006). this model stresses how technology, teaching methods, and subject knowledge all intersect, requiring a balance of each for effective technology use in the classroom. for pe educators, the tpack model provides a roadmap for leveraging digital tools to enhance teaching practices and student outcomes. within the tpack framework, teachers must integrate deep content knowledge— such as motor skills, physical fitness, and teamwork—with pedagogical expertise to deliver meaningful instruction. the additional layer of technological knowledge requires educators to critically evaluate and utilise digital tools to support and enrich the learning process (koehler and mishra, 2009). for instance, using video feedback for motor skill analysis or apps to track student performance can significantly enhance student engagement and learning outcomes. but simply having the technology doesn’t ensure better results. teachers must use it with clear teaching strategies in mind (koekoek and hilvoorde, 2018). despite its potential, technological knowledge and integration often lag behind pedagogical and content knowledge in pe settings. research by espínola et al. (2018) highlights that while pe teachers typically possess strong pedagogical and content knowledge, technological proficiency remains a challenge, particularly in remote digital teaching contexts (tanucan et al., 2021). factors such as demographics, teaching experience, and exposure to technology integration in teacher education programs significantly influence tpack development (tanucan et al., 2021). improving tpack requires targeted professional development and the enhancement of teacher education programs to better equip educators for digital integration. programs that emphasise the affordances and constraints of digital tools can empower teachers to create meaningful, technology-enhanced learning environments. by aligning technological tools with pedagogical goals, the tpack model offers a robust framework for advancing the integration of digital technologies in pe, ensuring they are used to complement rather than replace traditional teaching methods (esposito and moroney, 2020). video feedback and self-modelling in physical education video feedback and self-modelling represent transformative applications of digital technology in physical education (pe), significantly enhancing motor skill acquisition and self-efficacy. these tools enable students to visualise their performances, analyse movements, and receive immediate feedback, fostering deeper engagement with their physical capabilities. zhang and li (2018) demonstrated the effectiveness of video feedback in refining motor skills, highlighting its role in helping students understand their physical strengths and areas for improvement. a two-year study in ireland involving 12 schools explored the use of digital video for assessing and improving pe performance. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 429 students compiled digital portfolios using keynote software to document their progress over time. according to weir and connor (2009), found that watching their own performances pushed students to improve, set goals, and track their progress. this selfregulation process was instrumental in enhancing both their motor learning and overall motivation. video feedback’s benefits extend beyond students to include teacher development. romano and schwartz (2005) explored its use in teacher training programs, where firstyear pe teachers recorded their lessons and conducted video analyses to reflect on their instructional practices. this process allowed educators to identify strengths and weaknesses in their teaching methods, contributing to professional growth and pedagogical effectiveness. empirical studies further underscore the impact of video feedback and selfmodelling in specific pe contexts. trabelsi et al. (2021) highlighted the efficacy of video modelling examples (vmes) in gymnastics, improving skill performance and activating metacognitive strategies such as self-talk and mental rehearsal. similarly, self-controlled video feedback in shot-put practices enhanced learning outcomes and self-efficacy compared to externally controlled feedback (kok et al., 2020). in hurdle clearance, video feedback with model superposition led to superior technical improvements compared to traditional verbal feedback (amara et al., 2015). despite these benefits, challenges such as time constraints and teachers’ technological competencies remain barriers to broader implementation (palao et al., 2015). addressing these challenges through professional development can maximise the potential of video feedback and self-modelling as integral tools in modern pe pedagogy. social media and virtual reality in physical education using social media and virtual reality (vr) in pe offers new ways to learn beyond traditional activities. these tools provide interactive, immersive experiences, enhancing student engagement and broadening access to diverse physical activities. in new zealand, vr has emerged as a practical solution for simulating real-life physical activities in controlled environments, allowing students to practice sports and skills regardless of facility limitations. bowes and swanwick (2018) highlight how vr can mimic real-world conditions, enabling students to experience a variety of physical activities that may otherwise be inaccessible. social media platforms, such as youtube and facebook, also offer innovative avenues for collaboration and learning in pe. andré (2018) explored how educators can leverage these platforms to extend classroom interactions, fostering a sense of community and encouraging students to engage actively with course content. for example, students can share videos, discuss strategies, and receive feedback from peers and teachers, creating a participatory and interactive learning environment. vr technology has shown significant promise in enhancing pe outcomes. studies reveal that vr-based interventions improve student motivation, engagement, and skill acquisition while also supporting knowledge retention and adherence to exercise regimens (kuleva, 2024; hamizi et al., 2024). the integration of vr and wearable devices enables real-time performance analysis, data collection, and personalised feedback, aligning with contemporary educational goals (singh and awasthi, 2024). moreover, vr can replicate bodily responses similar to traditional exercises, as evidenced by heart rate measurements and student perceptions (hamizi, et al. (2024). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 430 despite its benefits, challenges such as equipment costs, technical limitations, and potential student isolation must be addressed for effective implementation (kuleva, 2024). nevertheless, vr’s potential to facilitate conceptual change and provide simulated environments underscores its value as an innovative tool in pe (pasco, 2013). combined with social media’s collaborative capabilities, these technologies offer transformative opportunities to redefine the pe learning experience. pedagogical challenges and opportunities one major concern is depending too much on technology. this may lead teachers to focus more on scores and data than on the broader aims of pe. a primary concern is the risk of overreliance on technology, which can shift focus toward measurability and accountability at the expense of holistic educational goals. gard (2014) warns that an emphasis on performance tracking might overshadow the collaborative and physical engagement aspects central to pe. furthermore, the increasing use of digital tools raises critical issues around data privacy and security. as mandinach and jimerson (2022) highlight, educators must ensure that student data is collected, stored, and used responsibly, prioritising privacy in the digital age. despite these challenges, digital technology presents significant opportunities to enrich pe pedagogy. tools like video feedback and apps enable personalised learning, realtime progress tracking, and enhanced student motivation. kok and van der kamp (2018) emphasise that fostering self-regulation through digital tools can drive sustained student engagement and improved outcomes, marking a pivotal advancement for pe education. broader educational studies echo similar themes, emphasising both the potential and the challenges of integrating technology into pedagogy. moocs offer innovative learning opportunities but grapple with business models and pedagogical challenges (dalipi et al., 2016). emergency remote teaching during the covid-19 pandemic revealed technological and social barriers, such as limited internet access and reduced human interaction (ferri et al., 2020). these challenges mirror those in pe, where curriculum integration, resource allocation, and teacher preparedness remain critical hurdles. technological influence on modelsbased practices the integration of technology into models-based practices in physical education (pe), such as sport education (se) and teaching games for understanding (tgfu), has significantly enhanced instructional effectiveness and student engagement. these methods emphasise tactics, decisionmaking, and well-rounded sports knowledge. technology can help achieve these goals and improve how students learn. sinelnikov (2018) highlights how video analysis tools can enhance the se model by enabling students to review game footage, reflect on their performance, and make real-time adjustments. this process deepens their understanding of game rules and strategies. similarly, hopper, sanford, and fu (2018) explore the use of video gaming design concepts in tgfu and se, such as real-time feedback and level-based progression, to create interactive and engaging learning environments. these technological integrations make the learning process more meaningful by linking tactical and strategic elements with active participation. recent studies emphasise that hybrid approaches, such as tgfu-se, offer promising avenues for indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 431 inclusive pe practices, though additional research is required to address the needs of special populations (dimmick, 2024). however, challenges persist, including inconsistent modelling of effective technology integration by university instructors (semiz and ince, 2012). as these models evolve, technology continues to play a crucial role in transforming pe pedagogy, fostering deeper learning and student involvement in assessment and decision-making (mcmath, 2010). digital technology and assessment in physical education the incorporation of digital technology into assessment practices in physical education (pe) has revolutionised how educators evaluate student performance. tools like ipads, apps, and video analysis software enable more efficient, accurate, and detailed assessments, providing teachers with critical insights into student competencies. rossum and morley (2018) underscore the utility of digital tools in assessing children’s movement skills in primary schools, allowing educators to pinpoint areas for improvement and personalise their instructional approaches. digital technology also supports formative assessment by offering real-time feedback to students. for instance, sargent and casey (2018) describe a pe teacher in the uk who used an app to record student performance and provide immediate feedback during lessons. this approach helped students adjust their techniques on the spot, fostering skill improvement and active learning within the lesson context. research highlights the broader potential of digital tools in enhancing assessment practices across educational levels. penney et al. (2011, 2012) emphasise that these tools can create authentic and integrated learning experiences, improving student motivation and engagement. in primary pe, digital technologies aid in implementing quality assessment practices and enhancing teachers’ assessment literacy (iannucci et al., 2023). at the secondary level, they effectively combine theoretical and practical components, aligning with curriculum objectives and offering valid and comprehensive evaluation methods (penney et al., 2012). in higher education, innovative approaches such as video narratives serve as democratic assessment tools, fostering selfawareness, emotional engagement, and authentic evaluation experiences (sargent and lynch, 2021). despite these benefits, further research is needed to address equity concerns and explore the application of digital assessments across diverse educational contexts (penney et al., 2011; iannucci et al., 2023). by integrating digital tools thoughtfully, pe can advance assessment practices to better meet the needs of both students and educators. professional development and teacher training the integration of digital technology into physical education (pe) teaching practices requires targeted professional development (pd) and teacher training programs. as digital tools continue to evolve, equipping educators with the skills to effectively implement these technologies is crucial. neutzling, pagnano richardson, and sheehy (2018) emphasise the role of virtual reality (vr) simulations in physical education teacher education (pete) programs, where pre-service teachers can practice teaching in controlled, simulated environments. this approach allows them to gain valuable experience and confidence before entering real-world classrooms. marron and coulter (2021) further highlight the utility of ipads in teacher training, enabling pre-service teachers to experiment with various indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 432 apps and digital tools. this hands-on experience helps future educators understand how to use technology to enhance student learning, ensuring they are well-prepared to integrate digital tools into their teaching practices. effective pd programs are essential for improving teacher quality and classroom effectiveness (phillips, 2008). research shows that well-structured pd can enhance teachers’ qualifications, performance, and professionalism (nzarirwehi and atuhumuze, 2019). to achieve maximum impact, pd initiatives should incorporate adult learning principles, subject specificity, mentoring, and workplace-relevant materials (phillips, 2008). however, challenges remain in standardizing pd practices, as diversity in duration, content, and modalities complicate implementation (vaillant and cardozogaibisso, 2017). to ensure sustainable success, pd must be carefully planned, executed, and evaluated, with adequate resources and incentives provided (nzarirwehi and atuhumuze, 2019). as new digital technologies continue to emerge, ongoing research is needed to explore innovative approaches to pd and extend our understanding of how to train educators effectively (borko, 2004). discussion and critical reflection the evolving role of digital technology in pe presents both opportunities and tensions. on one hand, vr and wearable devices can greatly improve learning by offering detailed feedback and letting students try activities they otherwise might not experience. these tools align with constructivist and socio-cognitive principles, fostering observational learning, self-regulation, and peer collaboration. on the other hand, the paper’s findings highlight the risk of narrowing educational goals if digital technologies prioritize performance metrics and standardisation over holistic development. disparities in technology access, especially in developing regions, pose equity challenges. professional development emerges as a central lever for change: teachers must navigate the complexity of integrating emerging technologies with robust pedagogical frameworks. without comprehensive training and ongoing support, educators may struggle to move beyond superficial uses of technology, limiting long-term impact. moreover, as pe broadens its scope to include not only physical proficiency but also socio-emotional skills, the interplay of technology with cognitive, social, and affective learning domains warrants deeper investigation. future research must critically examine how digital tools might shape or constrain these multifaceted outcomes, ensuring that technology-enhanced pe remains anchored in inclusive, student-centred, and ethically responsible practices. ethical concerns and practical recommendations for educators the use of digital technology in physical education (pe) offers many benefits but also brings ethical challenges that must be carefully addressed to ensure fair and responsible use (goodyear, 2017). one of the main concerns is data privacy and security, as many digital tools used in pe—such as video feedback systems, wearable devices, and ai-driven performance analysis—collect sensitive student data (borthwick et al., 2015). schools and educators must enforce strict data protection policies to comply with regulations like gdpr (general data protection regulation), a european union law governing information privacy (vejmelka et al., 2020). it is also essential to obtain clear consent from students and their guardians before collecting, recording, or sharing personal data (muravyeva et al., 2018). another major indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 433 challenge is equal access to technology. students from well-funded schools often have access to advanced digital tools, while those from resource-limited backgrounds struggle with outdated or unavailable technology, creating a digital divide (valadez and durán, 2007). to promote fair access, schools should introduce low-cost or open-source alternatives and design lessons that allow all students to benefit, regardless of their financial situation (warschauer et al., 2014). over-reliance on technology in pe is another concern. while digital tools help track progress and improve assessment, they should support—not replace—face-to-face coaching and hands-on physical learning. a balanced approach ensures students continue to develop physical, social, and emotional skills through real-world activities alongside digital learning. additionally, the increasing use of ai-driven tools to assess student performance brings risks such as algorithmic bias and lack of human oversight (röhl, 2021). teachers must critically evaluate ai-generated feedback and ensure that human judgment remains central to assessing student progress. educators also need proper digital training, including best practices in cybersecurity, ethical ai use, and inclusive technology applications to use these tools effectively (pujeda, 2023). clear communication with students and parents is essential. schools must explain how digital tools will be used, what data will be collected, and the steps taken to protect privacy. social media is also playing a larger role in pe, making it important to establish safe online behaviour guidelines to prevent cyberbullying, online safety risks, and misinformation (kirk, 2018). similarly, the use of wearable fitness devices and biometric tracking should be carefully regulated to ensure that participation is voluntary and that students’ personal health data remains confidential. by addressing these ethical concerns and adopting responsible practices, educators can ensure that digital technology enhances pe instruction while protecting students’ privacy, rights, and well-being. a balanced, inclusive, and ethical approach will help maximise the benefits of technology while maintaining fairness and integrity in pe education. conclusion this paper’s exploration of digital technology in pe underscores a dynamic interplay between innovation and tradition, potential and caution. technology can support personalised learning, broader participation, and better assessments. however, success depends on using it carefully, guided by good teaching practices and ethical standards. to fully realise the potential of these tools, stakeholders—from policymakers to teacher educators and researchers—must collaborate to refine training programs, ensure equitable resource distribution, and articulate clear objectives that transcend mere efficiency and data-driven metrics. by situating current practices within broader theoretical frameworks and examining both historical contexts and emerging trends, this paper provides a roadmap for a more reflexive, intentional, and transformative approach to technology use in pe. in doing so, it lays the groundwork for future research that deepens our understanding of how digital tools can best serve students’ physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development. ultimately, 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(2018). digital video and self-modeling in the pe classroom. in j. koekoek & i. van hilvoorde (eds.), digital technology in physical education: global perspectives (pp. 19–31). routledge. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 41 research article a conceptual framework based on mayer’s theoretical framework to make edutainment videos for activity-based learning in school lalon1, shashank mehta2 & pawan sudhir3 1phd scholar, national institute of design, nid, ahmedabad, gujarat email: lalon@nid.edu 2principal faculty, national institute of design, nid, ahmedabad, gujarat 3ex-head, department of education in arts and aesthetics (deaa), ncert, delhi abstract national education policy 2020 introduced by the ministry of education, govt of india, has given a lot of emphasis to experiential and skill-based learning. digital technology and the use of digital media as resources could be critical in implementing the nep 2020 recommendations. the proliferation of digital technology in education has made it easier for the dissemination of effective multimedia instructional designs. this paper investigates ways of making edutainment videos for activity-based learning for the preparatory stage of nep 2020. in order to understand the theoretical underpinnings of multimedia learning design, a study is conducted of parameters related to mayer’s theoretical framework. this includes examining the principles for reducing extraneous processing and fostering generative processing, their empirical bases, and their implications for multimedia learning design. these principles are considered in the indian context and in light of the nep 2020 recommendations for developing online educational videos. the research used the pedagogical approaches related to content development in conjunction with the theoretical framework of mayer and the 12 principles to develop a conceptual framework. the framework was designed to make online videos to impart material-based learning as part of art-integrated education for the preparatory stage of the school system in the indian context. the conceptual framework was developed based on the action research of creating 16 videos by three groups totaling 59 design students. the current study reveals critical parameters related to introductory content, demonstration of materialprocess, and conclusion. the conceptual framework developed in the context of nep 2020 for the indian context is expected to be of use to designers, filmmakers, teachers, etc. to develop relevant online edutainment video content. keywords: edutainment videos, nep 2020, multimedia learning design, indian context, conceptual framework introduction the national education policy 2020 has made a series of recommendations that are pertinent for our times (nep, 2020). the emphasis on creativity and practice-based approaches as recommendations pose their challenges of implementation in the current school system. one of the approaches to overcoming this challenge could be through the use of edutainment videos which can be widely disseminated. with the increase in use of smartphones and media technologies across the country, it would become easier to disseminate indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 42 education across the country in an economic manner. (kumar, 2011). how can edutainment video modules help towards communicating activity-based learning to the masses? how can the content be structured and planned for such videos? how can the videos be made in a way which brings together education and entertainment aspects together? the methodology used for the research is qualitative and the approach is pragmatic. mayer’s framework and nep 2020 policy recommendations form the theoretical foundation based on which action research has been carried out. it offers a framework for creating educational multimedia that aligns with how the human mind works. this theory is operationalised through various principles that have been empirically tested and validated. this paper delves into mayer’s theoretical framework, examining the principles for reducing extraneous processing and fostering generative processing, their empirical bases, and their implications for multimedia learning design. this framework is studied in the context of the approaches recommended by nep 2020 so that it can be further contextualized for children studying in indian schools. this has resulted in a conceptual framework and guidelines for making educational videos for the context. national educational policy (nep) 2020 the national council of education, research and training, ncert in india has been considering new frontiers of education in terms of both content and pedagogical aspects. (sudhir, p., and tagore, r., 2010). accordingly, nep 2020 has recommended a number of approaches. this includes various ways of teaching-learning including experiential learning, activity and practice-based approaches, storytelling as a way of making learning fun and entertaining for children etc. there is also an overall emphasis on skill based learning and vocational training as well as on creativity and design thinking. the principles and strategies of experiential learning underscores the importance of active engagement and practical application for the students. the integration of hands-on activities, artistic elements, and storytelling techniques, is done with the aim to immerse students in their learning experiences to enable deeper understanding and skill development. it will help students not only to acquire knowledge but also develop practical skills that are essential for real-world applications and future career paths. experiential learning also encourages students to explore various vocations by providing them with opportunities to collaborate and learn directly from local artisans. art integrated education for preparatory stage (classes iii-v) children studying at the preparatory stage largely come in the concrete operational stage as per piaget’s theory. it is the third stage of cognitive development in which children develop logical thinking about concrete events. children, at this stage, understand classification, sequencing, multidimensional thinking, and reversibility, allowing them to organise, transform, and systematically manipulate objects. this stage marks significant cognitive advancements as children become better at using logic and reasoning. however, their thinking is still concrete and tangible, meaning that they are comfortable with tangible mediums but struggle with abstract or hypothetical concepts. this is the indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 43 stage wherein maximum learning can happen through introducing concepts using the concrete medium. thus, the concrete operational stage should be appropriate for introducing experiential, activitybased ail modules (piaget, 1971). it is recommended that subjects be integrated with the arts in an unstructured, exploratory manner. arts (visual and performing) can easily be integrated with languages, mathematics, environmental science, etc., for teaching and evaluation. since one teacher teaches all subjects at this level, it is easier to use art-integrated learning as a way of teaching and learning different subjects. integration of arts is a two-way process that includes the integration of various art forms with each other and the integration of arts with other school subjects. the objective of art-integrated education for the preparatory stage is multi fold. this includes an inclusive understanding of indian culture, critical thinking, and providing joyful experiences to children. india has a rich cultural history and a plethora of festivals, as well as diverse visual and performing arts, film, and other media. while looking at art from different regions, exercises are carefully designed to enhance critical thinking and include skills of observation, exploration, critical, divergent thinking, and reasoning. this will also give students tolerance and sensitivity to the understanding of multiple views and cultures that they may encounter during their adult life. the arts education program is also expected to provide students the joyful experience of exploring and creating with a wide range of media and artistic forms in an integrated manner be it clay, wood, papier-mache, painting, dance, music, theatre, literature, and poetry, and even simple filmmaking. educational videos for art integration, nep 2020 information communication technology (ict) skills required to teach and apply technology in the classroom as a resource and as professional development includes dynamic and qr code qr-embedded textbooks and other supplementary resources for students and teachers. (unesco, 2020). the increase in use of edutainment media has been made possible due to technological advancements, particularly in the domain of digital videos. platforms like youtube and vimeo have experienced a lot of growth and attracted millions of subscribers globally. in india, the increasingly widespread accessibility of the internet has created possibilities for delivering high-quality educational content to a wider audience. this trend was initiated during the pandemic. the pandemic brought in the necessity for online education. as a result, there has been a significant increase in online learning platforms, production of digital educational content and improvements in infrastructure. (dayal,2023). this shift towards online education has not only facilitated greater flexibility and accessibility but has also increased the comfort level for online video-based education amongst educators and learners and marked a shift towards more digitalvideo centric modes of teaching and learning. the videos also make abstract concepts simpler to understand through audio-visual content delivery. thus, educational videos have emerged as important resources for students to learn academic subjects, refine skills, and enhance overall learning. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 44 figure-1: percentage of schools with functional educational resources by management type the above is a graphical representation showing the percentage of schools with functional educational resources by management type in india for the academic year 2021-22 (government of india, 2022). each bar segment corresponds to a different type of school management including government, government aided, private unaided, and others. it displays the availability of resources such as desktop pcs, laptops/notebooks, tablets, integrated teaching learning devices, projectors, smart classrooms, mobile phones for teaching, and digital libraries. we find that nearly half of the private and government funded schools have the required infrastructure to show digital content. with the increase in the number of digital devices and smartphone penetration, this percentage is likely to increase significantly. mayer’s theoretical framework mayer’s theoretical framework, as elucidated through the principles presented in the provided document, offers a comprehensive guide for optimising multimedia learning environments. (mayer, r. e.,2014). this framework, rooted in cognitive theory and empirical evidence, puts forth strategies for the reduction of external processing and supporting internal generative processing amongst learners. mayer’s principles are grounded in the cognitive theory of multimedia learning which elaborates that effective multimedia design should cater to the brain’s processing capabilities. these principles provide a blueprint for creating educational multimedia that reduces unnecessary cognitive load and promotes meaningful learning. by examining these principles in detail, researchers can better understand how to design multimedia instructional materials that optimise learning outcomes. the following are the principles for reducing external processing amongst learners: 1. coherence principle: this principle underscores the importance of eliminating unnecessary words, pictures, and sounds from indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 45 learning materials. extraneous content can distract from the essential material, reducing the effectiveness of learning. 2. signaling principle: highlighting the organisation of essential material with cues can significantly enhance learning. this principle suggests that guiding learners’ attention to crucial information helps in better processing and retention. 3. redundancy principle: according to this principle, learning is more effective when information is presented through both graphics as well as narration rather than combining graphics, narration, along with on-screen text. overloading learners with multiple forms of the same information can be counterproductive. 4. spatial contiguity principle: positioning related words and pictures close to each other enhances learning by facilitating the integration of verbal and visual information. 5. temporal contiguity principle: presenting words and pictures simultaneously rather than sequentially improves learning by reducing the cognitive load required to integrate information over time. 6. segmenting principle: breaking down multimedia lessons into user-paced segments allows learners to process information in manageable chunks, enhancing understanding and retention. 7. pre-training principle: familiarising learners with the names and critical aspects of the content before an audio-visual lesson can significantly improve learning outcomes by providing a framework for integrating new information. 8. modality principle: this principle states that learners understand and remember information better when it is presented through graphics and narration instead of through animation and on-screen text. other principles dealt with fostering generative processing. these included the below: 9. multimedia principle: combining words and pictures in instructional materials is more effective than using only words. this principle leverages the capacity of both verbal and visual memory systems to enhance learning. 10. personalisation principle: instructional materials that utilise a conversational style are more effective than those using a formal style. this approach helps in creating a more engaging and relatable learning experience. 11. voice principle: narration in a friendly human voice is more conducive to learning than a machine voice, likely due to the increased engagement and relatability of human speech. 12. image principle: interestingly, this principle indicates that the presence of human images i.e. the speaker in a multimedia lesson, may not always contribute to cognitive processing in a meaningful way. this framework can be practically used as a design approach to create multimedia learning environments that are coherent, well-signaled, nonredundant, spatially and temporally contiguous, segmented, pre-trained, indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 46 modality-considered, multimedia-enhanced, personalised, and human-voiced. the features are very well suited to be incorporated in videos for activity-based learning for the preparatory stage. coherence and non-redundancy will help in understanding the educational content. signaling and segmentation principles guiding the children through providing cues will help them to focus on relevant content in the video while breaking the activity into segments will help them to imitate the activity in a step-by-step manner. personalisation and voice principle suggests a friendly conversational style which could work very well with preparatory stage children, thus making the learning experience more joyful and engaging. this approach not only facilitates learning but also addresses the diverse needs of learners. by adhering to principles that reduce extraneous cognitive load and foster generative processing, educators and designers may enhance the efficacy of multimedia learning. the framework is backed by substantial empirical evidence, making it a useful tool in the development of educational technologies to shape effective, efficient, and engaging learning experiences. mayer’s theoretical framework has been applied in various contexts including for the designing of digital presentation tools for education (kian and huey, 2022), and for developing augmented reality learning environments (kruger and bodemer, 2022). objective and methods the objective of the research was to identify parameters for making edutainment videos for activity-based learning at the preparatory stage and to explain the approaches. the research plan was based on the guidelines related to pedagogical approaches provided by nep 2020 as well as mayer’s theoretical framework for multimedia instructional design for developing the edutainment instructional videos. the research study was carried out with three groups totalling 59 design students. they were briefed about both nep 2020 pedagogical approaches as well as mayer’s framework for making videos. a total of 16 distinct videos for activitybased learning were created throughout 2 to 3 weeks. the variables chosen to be studied were content development and parameters for video conceptualisation. the content development was based on subject specific learning modules given in textbooks incorporated in storytelling format as per one of the recommendations of content delivery for preparatory stage. the parameters for making video were based on mayer’s framework which is a generic framework for any multimedia content. qualitative methods included an interview schedule of the filmmakers (design students), participatory observation of the entire process of filmmaking, and a detailed structural analysis of the video modules using mayer’s framework. (creswell, j.w. 2018). this was done to understand how the variables manifest themselves and the sequence of occurrence. 5 video modules were further selected for detailed analysis based on their distinct nature including the educational content, the thematic storytelling approach to content delivery and the style of video making. a detailed structural analysis of the 5 distinct video modules is given below: structural analysis of video modules which were developed using the pedagogical approach recommended by nep 2020 and multimedia instructional approach using the mayer framework: indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 47 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 48 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 49 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 50 findings and recommendations the model reflects the goals of nep 2020, emphasising holistic, multidisciplinary education that engages students actively and promotes critical thinking and creativity. it underlines the importance of contextually rich content that is interactive and can adapt to different learning styles, promoting retention and application of knowledge. this model is designed to guide content creators in producing edutainment videos that align with nep 2020’s focus on holistic development and active learning. it emphasises the use of storytelling, clear instructional design, integration across subjects, and a conclusion that reinforces learning, all delivered in a personalised, engaging style. conceptual framework and recommendations to make video content based on nep 2020 sequence of video the sequence is guided by the overall script which serves as the backbone of the video. it is structured with a prologue to introduce the story, demonstrations that show the art activity in the process, and subject integration where educational content is weaved in. the script concludes with an epilogue or quiz/trivia to reinforce the learned material. it can be divided into three phases as shown in the diagram: introduction, main content, and conclusion. introduction this section implies the use of a story to engage learners. mayer’s principles suggest that learners can better understand the material when they can connect new information to a narrative structure or prior knowledge. this can be a traditional, moral, or regional story, which helps learners to integrate new concepts with familiar contexts. the script follows the segmented learning principle elucidated by meyer. it also incorporates the pre-training phase through the prologue. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 51 main content (activity) in line with mayer’s principles, this section emphasises the “dos” of demonstrating activities, using both words and pictures and integrating different subjects. this adheres to mayer’s modality principle, in which he elaborates about how people learn better from pictures and narration rather than from pictures and on-screen text. activity based learning is easier to do with visuals and narration for children as cognitively the visual focus can be on the images and the audio focus on the narration. the step-by-step approach of presenting the edutainment modules makes it easy to understand and carry out activity-based learning based on the videos. the “don’ts” reflect mayer’s coherence principle, suggesting that extraneous content can distract from the learning process. hence, the model advises avoiding extra content and repeated information. the focus of the camera in the video is on the activity of making, thus removing extra information and visual clutter, making it easier to understand the making process. it emphasises a comprehensive educational approach where subjects such as language, evs (environmental studies), and math are taught through methods that encourage observation, exploration, experimentation, and expression. the implication here is that art-based activities are not merely for creative expression but are used to achieve tangible learning outcomes in various subject matters. conclusion the video will conclude by discussing variations, emphasizing the fact that the art activity demonstrated in the main content can be carried out in different ways and that there could be many ways of creative expression. furthermore, the quiz will help reinforce the learning and enhance the learning further. these techniques will align with mayer’s principles to promote engagement and retrieval practice, which helps solidify learning. style the execution of the video is determined by the style of the presentation. the presentation details are crucial to engaging the audience. it includes a host who presumably guides the viewer through the content. the presentation is anchored by a host, suggesting a personal touch to the content delivery. mayer’s personalization principle states that a conversational style and human voice in multimedia instructions can result in deeper learning. a friendly, conversational style makes learning enjoyable and relatable to children. the setting is grounded in real life which will resonate with the child’s experiences/ context. audio-visual continuity is ensured. dialogue and background sounds are carefully selected to enhance the educational value. audio-visual continuity ensures that the narration matches the visual content, it is easier to learn when words and associated pictures are presented together rather than successively one after the other. (mayer,2014). the framework might be used to study how different elements of art and multimedia can be integrated to enhance learning in various subjects. this framework could also be the basis for experimental studies, where different variables like the type of inspiration or presentation approach could be manipulated to observe their effects on learning outcomes and engagement. the ultimate goal is to create educational content that is not only instructional but also inherently captivating, leveraging the power of art and media to facilitate learning more holistically and engagingly. the conceptual framework is proposed indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 52 to be used by designers, filmmakers, teachers, and other stakeholders to develop edutainment videos for the preparatory stage as a way of implementing the recommendations of nep 2020 effectively. references creswell,j.w., and creswell, j.d., (2018). research design (5th edition).sage publications dayal, s. 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(2010). country report on art education in india. department of education in arts & aesthetics, national council of educational research & training, ministry of human resource development govt. of india. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 105 research article revolutionizing higher education: integrating the academic bank of credits (abc) with moocs for personalized, flexible learning and enhanced skill development md asraul hoque icssr doctoral fellow (thesis submitted) department of development studies, school of social science and policy, central university of south bihar (gaya) email: mdasraul@yahoo.com, mdasraul@cusb.ac.in abstract the integration of the academic bank of credits (abc) and massive open online courses (moocs) aims to enhance flexibility, accessibility, and personalized learning in higher education. this study explores the experiences of social sciences students at the central university of south bihar with the abc-moocs model, focusing on flexibility, workload management, content quality, technical challenges, and skill development. using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines quantitative survey data with qualitative insights from open-ended responses and interviews. findings indicate that while students appreciate the flexibility and personalized learning opportunities, challenges such as managing workloads, perceived lack of depth in some moocs, and technical issues hinder the model’s effectiveness. concerns about limited interaction in moocs also emerged, affecting collaborative learning. despite these issues, students reported positive outcomes in skill development, particularly in data analysis and practical applications. the study concludes that improvements are needed to optimize the integration of abc-moocs, including enhanced course quality, better workload support, improved infrastructure, and increased interactivity. these measures can foster a balanced, enriching learning experience that meets students’ diverse academic and professional needs. keywords: academic bank of credits (abc), massive open online courses (moocs), higher education, flexibility, personalized learning, skill development, student engagement, social sciences introduction the integration of the academic bank of credits (abc) and massive open online courses (moocs) represents a transformative approach in indian higher education, fostering flexibility and personalized learning pathways (saleh et al., 2023). this model allows students to accumulate credits from diverse courses, enhancing their educational experiences while promoting lifelong learning. feedback from social sciences students at the central university of south bihar highlights both the benefits and challenges associated with this integration. students appreciate the opportunity to engage in interdisciplinary learning and explore subjects beyond traditional curricula (adham, & lundqvist, 2015). however, concerns persist regarding the quality and rigor of moocs compared to conventional courses, with many students perceiving moocs as lacking depth. this perception underscores the need for enhanced quality assurance to align online education with established academic standards (williams, 2024). technical barriers, such as unreliable indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 106 internet access and platform issues, have further complicated the learning experience, leading to disruptions that diminish the perceived value of online education (nunes, 2004). additionally, the absence of real-time interaction limits engagement, making it difficult for students to benefit from collaborative learning experiences typically found in classroom settings (baporikar, 2016). despite these challenges, positive outcomes are evident, particularly in skill acquisition through practical projects that connect theoretical knowledge to real-world applications. the abc-moocs model has shown potential in bridging the gap between academic learning and career readiness (yadav & yadav, 2024). by addressing concerns about quality, accessibility, and interaction, educational institutions can enhance the effectiveness of the abc-moocs integration, ensuring it meets the diverse needs of students in a rapidly evolving educational landscape. literature review the integration of the academic bank of credits (abc) and massive open online courses (moocs) represents a transformative shift in higher education, particularly in india. this model enhances flexibility, accessibility, and personalized learning by enabling students to accumulate credits across various institutions (bhadri & patil, 2022). as recent studies highlight, the integration of abc and moocs presents significant opportunities and challenges, particularly concerning educational experiences, learning quality, and skill development (jung & lee, 2018). flexibility emerges as a central advantage of the abc-moocs model, allowing students to design individualized learning paths that align with their interests and career aspirations. research by (zhang and perris, 2023) indicates that this autonomy fosters a sense of ownership over education, enabling students to pursue diverse subjects. (garg and chauhan, 2024) further emphasize how flexible schedules cater to those juggling education, work, and family responsibilities. however, (figueira and almeida, 2022) argue that while moocs facilitate flexibility, they often lack adaptive technologies for deep personalization, suggesting a need for enhanced integration of individualized learning approaches within moocs (kintu, et al., 2017). despite the apparent benefits, managing workload in a blended learning environment remains a significant challenge. (kulkarni et al. 2023) observe that while the self-paced nature of moocs is advantageous, it can lead to increased stress and burnout when combined with traditional coursework. (jones and roberts, 2023) support this view, noting that students struggle to balance online and offline academic demands, which adversely affects learning outcomes. this feedback from social sciences students at the central university of south bihar underscores the necessity for effective workload management strategies tailored to this unique educational landscape. concerns regarding the quality and depth of moocs persist, particularly as they relate to the rigour expected in higher education. (li and zhao, 2023) note that many moocs are often perceived as superficial, focusing predominantly on introductory content. (wilkins and ahn, 2022) stress the importance of robust quality assurance mechanisms to ensure alignment with university curricula. students at the central university of south bihar echo these sentiments, highlighting that certain moocs lack the depth and thoroughness of traditional courses. understanding how perceptions of course quality influence student indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 107 engagement and satisfaction is crucial for optimizing the abc-moocs integration (williams, 2024). technical challenges also pose significant barriers to effective online learning. (hossain et al. 2023) identify that students in regions with limited digital infrastructure face considerable obstacles, including poor internet connectivity and platform usability issues (williams, 2024). these technical difficulties disrupt learning and diminish the perceived value of online education. students at the central university of south bihar frequently report issues related to unreliable internet access and platform glitches, which hinder their ability to engage fully in moocs. addressing these technical challenges is essential for improving accessibility and the overall user experience of online education (sebbeq & faddouli, 2020). engagement and interaction in moocs compared to traditional classroom settings, are critical areas of concern. (al-samarraie et al. 2023) and (liu and chen, 2022) find that the absence of real-time discussions and direct interaction with instructors can lead to feelings of isolation, which diminishes student motivation (ogunyemi, et al., 2022). the asynchronous nature of many moocs limits collaborative learning opportunities, particularly vital in social sciences education. feedback from students at the central university of south bihar reveals that the lack of classroom discussions and personalized guidance makes the online learning experience less fulfilling (wang et al., 2022). this highlights the need for strategies to enhance engagement and interaction in online course designs. finally, skill development remains a key benefit of moocs when they incorporate practical assignments and case studies. (pappano and silvernail, 2023) demonstrate that project-based moocs significantly enhance practical skills relevant to various fields. students at the central university of south bihar report that projects in moocs have equipped them with skills applicable to their academic and professional pursuits (sunar et al., 2016). this reinforces the necessity for further research to understand how these skills translate into real-world contexts. overall, the literature indicates that the abc-moocs integration has the potential to significantly improve higher education by increasing flexibility and promoting skill development (fantinelli et al., 2024). nonetheless, challenges related to workload management, quality assurance, technical infrastructure, and student engagement must be addressed (dagenais et al., 2024). this study aims to explore the specific experiences and perceptions of social sciences students at the central university of south bihar, offering valuable insights into optimizing the abc-moocs integration for better educational outcomes. synthesis and gap identification the literature provides a foundational understanding of the individual components—abc, moocs, and personalized learning. however, there is a notable gap in comprehensive studies exploring the combined impact of integrating abc and moocs on students’ learning experiences and skill acquisition, particularly within diverse social sciences programs. this study seeks to address this gap by examining the interplay between abc and moocs and its implications for students across various disciplines. need and significance of the study the integration of the academic bank of credits (abc) and massive open online courses (moocs) signifies a transformative shift in higher education, indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 108 providing students with flexible, accessible pathways to accumulate credits and pursue personalized learning (mutawa, 2023). this model aims to broaden educational access and foster lifelong learning by allowing students to select courses from diverse institutions, aligning their educational journey with personal interests and career goals. given the growing prominence of abc-moocs, particularly in india, there is a need to assess its impact on student experiences, skill acquisition, and satisfaction. understanding these aspects is essential for optimizing the system and addressing challenges to ensure it meets its intended objectives (bartolomé et al., 2018). this study focuses on social sciences students at the central university of south bihar, a group whose specific needs in the context of abc-moocs integration have not been thoroughly explored. key areas such as workload management, course quality, and personalization of learning are examined, providing insights into the unique challenges and benefits of this model. additionally, the study investigates technical infrastructure issues that could hinder effective online learning, emphasizing the need for robust digital resources (buhl & andreasen, 2018). by exploring how students apply skills gained from moocs in real-world contexts, this research highlights the practical value of abc-moocs integration, offering guidance to educators, policymakers, and administrators to refine and enhance online learning strategies for broader, more inclusive educational outcomes (marienko et al., 2020). y research questions y how do students perceive the integration of academic bank of credits (abc) and moocs within their educational journey? y what is the impact of abc and moocs on the development of key skills such as research, critical thinking, communication, and interdisciplinary learning among students? y how do individualized learning paths enabled by abc and moocs affect student engagement, motivation, and their sense of ownership over their learning process? objectives of the study y explore how students perceive the integration of academic bank of credits (abc) and massive open online courses (moocs) in their overall educational experience. y evaluate the impact of abc and moocs on students’ skill acquisition, focusing on research, critical thinking, communication, and interdisciplinary competencies. y investigate the influence of individualized learning paths facilitated by abc and moocs on student engagement, motivation, and ownership of their education. methodology this study utilizes a mixed-methods approach to evaluate the integration of the academic bank of credits (abc) and massive open online courses (moocs) at the central university of south bihar, focusing on student experiences. by combining quantitative and qualitative data, the research aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how abc and moocs impact flexibility, workload management, skill development, and personalized learning. the sample comprised 186 students for a questionnaire survey and 40 students for semi-structured interviews, specifically from social sciences programs such as economics, psychology, sociology, political science, hindi, history, and english. purposive sampling ensured that interview indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 109 participants had relevant exposure to abc and moocs, while simple random sampling captured a broader perspective for the surveys. an expert review process was implemented to validate research instruments, refining survey and interview questions to align with the research objectives. data collection methods included surveys, open-ended questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews. quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics to identify trends, while qualitative data were examined thematically to extract key themes. the study is delimited to social sciences students, focusing on self-reported experiences rather than academic performance metrics, which may limit generalizability. ethical considerations were strictly adhered to, ensuring informed consent, anonymity, and the right to withdraw, ultimately providing valuable insights into the strengths and challenges of abc and moocs integration in higher education. data analysis and interpretation section a: analysis of student perceptions, skill acquisition, and individualized learning paths with abc and moocs integration the integration of the academic bank of credits (abc) and massive open online courses (moocs) in educational systems provides various opportunities and challenges. based on the data collected through field surveys, three aspects—student perceptions, skill acquisition, and individualized learning paths—were analyzed to understand the overall impact. table-1: assess student perceptions (abc and moocs integration) sl. no particulars strongly agree agree uncer tain disagree strongly disagree mean s. d decision 1. to what extent do you agree that the integration of abc and moocs provides flexibility in pursuing your education? 41(22.0) 54(29.0) 54(29.0) 32(17.2) 5(2.7) 3.50 1.09 high 2. to what extent do you agree that the content of moocs contributes to your academic and career goals? 38(20.4) 68(36.6) 48(25.8) 27(14.5) 5(2.7) 3.57 1.05 high 3. to what extent do you agree that the moocs offered through abc are accessible in terms of language, technology, and ease of enrollment? 21(11.3) 57(30.6) 60(32.3) 44(23.7) 4(2.2) 3.25 1.01 low 4. to what extent do you agree that transferring credits from moocs through abc is a straightforward and efficient process? 45(24.2) 58(31.2) 49(26.3) 28(15.1) 6(3.2) 3.58 1.10 high indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 110 the data in table 1 assesses student perceptions of integrating the academic bank of credits (abc) and moocs, highlighting flexibility, content relevance, accessibility, credit transfer, quality, satisfaction, and certification recognition. the analysis reveals mixed results; students perceive the integration as enhancing flexibility (mean: 3.50) and aligning with personal and professional interests (mean: 3.66). the contribution of moocs to academic and career goals (mean: 3.57) and the credit transfer process (mean: 3.58) received positive ratings. however, concerns about accessibility (mean: 3.25) emerge, particularly regarding language, technology, and enrolment challenges. the quality of moocs compared to traditional courses (mean: 2.93) and overall satisfaction with the integration (mean: 3.30) also show dissatisfaction. the overall weighted average of 3.38 indicates moderate satisfaction, emphasizing strengths in flexibility and credit transfer while highlighting the need for improvements in accessibility, quality, and certification recognition. sl. no particulars strongly agree agree uncer tain disagree strongly disagree mean s. d decision 5. to what extent do you agree that the quality of moocs integrated into abc is comparable to traditional classroom-based courses? 25(13.4) 36(19.4) 42(22.6) 67(36.0) 16(8.6) 2.93 1.19 low 6. to what extent do you agree that you are satisfied with the overall integration of abc and moocs in your educational experience? 27(14.5) 52(28.0) 59(31.7) 46(24.7) 2(1.1) 3.30 1.03 low 7. to what extent do you agree that the certifications and credits earned through moocs are valuable and recognized by educational institutions and employers? 31(16.7) 43(23.1) 67(36.0) 40(21.5) 5(2.7) 3.29 1.06 low 8. to what extent do you agree that the integration of abc and moocs provides you with flexibility to choose courses aligned with your personal and professional interests? 49(26.3) 61(32.8) 46(24.7) 25(13.4) 5(2.7) 3.66 1.08 high note: numbers in parenthesis are in percentage, decisionweighted average=27.08/8=3.38 source: field survey indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 111 table-2: measure impact on skill acquisition (research, critical thinking, communication, and interdisciplinary skills) sl. no particulars strongly agree agree uncer tain disagree strongly disagree mean s. d decision 1. to what extent do you agree that abc and moocs have enhanced your ability to conduct research and engage in critical thinking? 49(26.3) 51(27.4) 50(26.9) 33(17.7) 3(1.6) 3.59 1.10 high 2. to what extent do you agree that the integration of abc and moocs has improved your communication skills and ability to collaborate in a multidisciplinary environment? 50(26.9) 57(30.6) 46(24.7) 29(15.6) 4(2.2) 3.64 1.10 high 3. to what extent do you agree that abc and moocs have improved your ability to analyze and solve complex problems? 44(23.7) 51(27.4) 52(28.0) 34(18.3) 5(.27) 3.51 1.12 low 4. to what extent do you agree that abc and moocs have strengthened your ability to understand and integrate knowledge across different disciplines? 52(28.0) 62(33.3) 45(24.2) 25(13.4) 2(1.1) 3.73 1.04 high 5. to what extent do you agree that abc and moocs have developed your ability to learn independently and take responsibility for your own learning? 42(22.6) 55(29.6) 52(28.0) 35(18.8) 2(1.1) 3.53 1.07 low 6. to what extent do you agree that abc and moocs have enhanced your ability to apply theoretical knowledge to practical, realworld situations? 56(30.1) 55(29.6) 49(26.3) 23(12.4) 3(1.6) 3.74 1.06 high indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 112 sl. no particulars strongly agree agree uncer tain disagree strongly disagree mean s. d decision 7. to what extent do you agree that the integration of abc and moocs has provided opportunities for collaborative research with peers or faculty? 37(19.9) 45(24.2) 58(31.2) 43(23.1) 3(1.6) 3.37 1.09 low note: numbers in parenthesis are in percentage, decisionweighted average=25.11/7=3.58 source: field survey while table 2 highlights the evaluates the impact of abc and moocs on skill acquisition, specifically research, critical thinking, communication, problemsolving, interdisciplinary understanding, and practical application. the analysis shows positive outcomes in key areas. students report significant enhancement in their research and critical thinking abilities (mean: 3.59), communication and collaboration skills (mean: 3.64), interdisciplinary knowledge integration (mean: 3.73), and applying theoretical knowledge to real-world situations (mean: 3.74). however, there are mixed perceptions regarding independent learning (mean: 3.53) and problem-solving (mean: 3.51), which are rated lower. opportunities for collaborative research are viewed less positively (mean: 3.37). the overall weighted average of 3.58 indicates that abc and moocs are generally effective in improving key skills, though areas like problem-solving and research collaboration need attention. table-3: explore individualized learning paths (engagement, motivation, and ownership of learning) sl. no particulars strongly agree agree uncer tain disagree strongly disagree mean s. d decision 1. to what extent do you agree that abc and moocs have empowered you to design your own learning path and take responsibility for your educational outcomes? 59(31.7) 65(34.9) 49(26.3) 10(5.1) 3(1.6) 3.89 .96 high 2. to what extent do you agree that the flexible, individualized learning paths provided by abc and moocs have increased your motivation and engagement in your educational journey? 49(26.3) 73(39.2) 41(22.0) 19(10.2) 4(2.2) 3.77 1.02 high indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 113 sl. no particulars strongly agree agree uncer tain disagree strongly disagree mean s. d decision 3. to what extent do you agree that the integration of abc and moocs has increased your autonomy in deciding what, when, and how you learn? 64(34.4) 73(39.2) 34(18.3) 11(5.9) 4(2.2) 3.97 .98 high 4. to what extent do you agree that abc and moocs allow you to customize your learning experience based on your personal interests and career goals? 35(18.8) 70(37.8) 48(25.8) 29(15.6) 4(2.2) 3.55 1.03 low 5. to what extent do you agree that the integration of abc and moocs has enhanced your engagement with learning materials and resources? 52(28.0) 67(36.0) 45(24.2) 17(9.1) 5(2.7) 3.77 1.04 high 6. to what extent do you agree that abc and moocs have provided you with control over the pace at which you complete your courses and learning tasks? 39(21.0) 62(33.3) 45(24.2) 38(20.4) 2(1.1) 3.52 1.07 low 7. to what extent do you agree that the individualized learning paths offered by abc and moocs have increased your motivation to continue learning throughout your life? 51(27.4) 77(41.4) 42(22.6) 14(7.5) 2(1.1) 3.86 .94 high note: numbers in parenthesis are in percentage, decisionweighted average=26.33/7=3.76 source: field survey table 3, on the other hand, highlights the data and explores how abc and moocs impact individualized learning paths, focusing on engagement, motivation, and ownership of learning. overall, students express positive perceptions. the ability to design their own learning path and take responsibility for outcomes is highly rated (mean: 3.89), along with increased autonomy in deciding what, when, and how to learn (mean: 3.97). the flexible learning paths have also enhanced motivation and engagement (mean: 3.77) and encouraged lifelong learning (mean: 3.86). however, there is some uncertainty regarding customization based on personal interests (mean: 3.55) and control over the pace of learning (mean: 3.52), which are rated lower. the weighted average of 3.76 reflects strong support for individualized learning, indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 114 table-4: “how would you describe your overall experience with the integration of academic bank of credits (abc) and massive open online courses (moocs) in your education?” from 40 students at the central university of south bihar, enrolled in various social sciences programs social sciences participants flexibility and convenience challenges in balancing workload quality and depth of moocs technical difficulties lack of interaction and engagement m.a. economics “the flexibility to choose courses through abc was great.” “balancing online moocs with regular coursework was difficult.” “the quality of some moocs was lower than expected.” “i frequently encountered technical issues that made accessing some moocs difficult.” “i missed the personal guidance and interaction that are part of traditional classroom learning.” m.a. psychology “i enjoyed being able to take a variety of moocs.” “i struggled to keep up with the workload of both moocs and regular classes.” “i found that the online format of moocs didn’t match the engagement of traditional classes.” “i faced numerous technical challenges that negatively impacted my learning process.” “i found the online courses less engaging due to the absence of classroom discussions.” m.a. sociology “moocs gave me access to international resources.” “i found it difficult to stay motivated in the selfpaced format of moocs.” “i felt that the online courses lacked depth.” “technical difficulties were a persistent problem that affected my ability to keep pace with my studies.” “the lack of student-teacher interaction in moocs made the learning experience feel less fulfilling.” m.a. pol. science “being able to accumulate credits from moocs was helpful.” “i felt disconnected from my classmates and professors during the online courses.” “the quality of some moocs was not as high as our in-class courses.” “the online platform’s accessibility issues created obstacles in my coursework.” “the lack of realtime interaction with professors in moocs was a downside compared to traditional classes.” m.a. hindi “i appreciate the academic freedom abc gave me.” “the workload of managing both was difficult.” “the content of some online courses was too basic for me.” “navigating the technology used for moocs was often frustrating and timeconsuming.” “moocs felt more detached because there wasn’t the same level of interaction as in physical classes.” although areas like course pacing and personalization could be improved for greater effectiveness. section b: this analysis of feedback from 40 social sciences students at the central university of south bihar provides a comprehensive insight into the integration of the academic bank of credits (abc) and massive open online courses (moocs) within their educational experience. key findings across different programs can be summarized as follows: indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 115 social sciences participants flexibility and convenience challenges in balancing workload quality and depth of moocs technical difficulties lack of interaction and engagement m.a. history “abc helped me choose courses more suited to my interests.” “the content of some online courses was too basic for me.” “some moocs felt too general compared to our specialized subjects.” “the technical issues i faced during online classes often disrupted my focus and motivation.” “i struggled to stay engaged in moocs since there were no interactive elements like in-person discussions.” m.a. pol. science “the flexibility of moocs was helpful.” “balancing the workload of moocs and my classes was difficult.” “i wish there were more advanced moocs available; some were too basic.” “the reliability of the platform used for moocs was inconsistent, making it hard to participate effectively.” “the absence of classroom discussions and direct engagement with professors made moocs less appealing.” m.a. sociology “abc allowed me to earn credits outside my major.” “i found that some moocs were too basic for my level.” “some moocs lacked depth, especially compared to our university classes.” “poor internet connectivity was a significant barrier that hindered my experience with moocs.” “i missed the personal interaction with classmates and instructors, which made moocs feel isolating.” m.a. english “i liked the variety of subjects offered by moocs.” “i found it challenging to manage the workload from both moocs and my regular classes.” “i felt the quality of some moocs wasn’t as rigorous as our university curriculum.” “technical difficulties often disrupted my ability to fully engage with online courses.” “moocs lacked the depth of interaction that we usually have in our university courses, which affected my learning experience.” table 4 illustrates the feedback from 40 social sciences students at the central university of south bihar, highlighting both the benefits and challenges of integrating abc and moocs. students value the flexibility and variety of courses, particularly the ability to choose subjects based on their interests. however, balancing the workload of moocs with regular coursework was a common struggle, leading to stress. concerns were raised about the quality and depth of moocs, with some courses perceived as too basic. technical issues, such as unreliable platforms and poor internet connectivity, along with a lack of interaction, further hindered the learning experience. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 116 table-5: a qualitative analysis of responses to the question “how do you think the integration of abc and moocs has contributed to your understanding of course materials and subjects?” from 40 students enrolled in various social sciences programs at the central university of south bihar revealed the following insights common themes observation respond diversification of perspectives many students reported that the integration of academic bank of credits (abc) and moocs broadened their perspectives on course materials by providing additional viewpoints and supplementary content from different sources and disciplines. “in the m.a. in political science, the moocs covered international perspectives not fully addressed in our regular classes. it enriched my understanding of global political dynamics.” enhanced depth of knowledge students often noted that moocs contributed to a more in-depth understanding of specific topics, allowing them to explore subjects in greater detail beyond the scope of their regular coursework. “being in the m.a. in history program, the moocs delved into specific historical events in detail, offering a richer context that complemented our broader curriculum.” application of theoretical concepts several participants mentioned that the integration facilitated the application of theoretical concepts learned in class to real-world scenarios, making the learning experience more practical. “as an m.a. in economics student, the moocs provided real-world case studies, helping me apply economic theories to current economic issues and policies.” interdisciplinary connections students appreciated how the integration helped them make interdisciplinary connections between their core subjects and other areas of study, fostering a holistic understanding. “the m.a. in sociology program benefited from moocs that explored sociological aspects in tandem with other disciplines, creating a more interconnected knowledge base.” individualized learning paths some participants highlighted that the integration allowed for individualized learning paths, enabling them to explore specific topics of personal interest within their academic discipline. “in the m.a. in psychology program, the flexibility of moocs let me focus on specific areas of psychology that aligned with my career goals, adding depth to my studies.” table 5, on the other hand, highlights the qualitative analysis of responses from 40 social sciences students at the central university of south bihar, revealing the key benefits of integrating abc and moocs. students appreciated the diversification of perspectives, particularly through international viewpoints and supplementary content that enriched their understanding. the depth of knowledge gained through moocs allowed for deeper exploration of topics, while real-world case studies helped bridge theory and practice. the integration also fostered interdisciplinary connections and personalized learning paths, allowing students to tailor their studies to personal interests and career goals. overall, the integration enhanced both academic depth and practical understanding. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 117 while table 6 highlights the qualitative analysis from 40 social sciences students at the central university of south bihar, which shows that the integration of abc and moocs has personalized their learning experiences. students appreciated the flexible learning paths, which allowed them to explore topics at their own pace and focus on skills aligned with their career goals. the integration catered to different learning styles and personal schedules, making learning more engaging and adaptable, ultimately enhancing both academic and personal development. table-6: a qualitative analysis of responses to the question to what extent do you feel that the integration of abc and moocs has personalized your learning experience? can you provide responses? from 40 students at the central university of south bihar enrolled in various social sciences programs common themes observation respond flexible learning paths many students expressed appreciation for the personalized learning paths facilitated by moocs, allowing them to explore specific areas of interest at their own pace. “in the m.a. in english program, the moocs offered a range of literature courses, letting me personalize my learning journey by selecting topics aligned with my literary interests.” tailored skill development participants often noted that the integration allowed for the customization of skill development, enabling them to focus on areas that aligned with their career aspirations. “as an m.a. in psychology student, the integration allowed me to choose moocs that specifically enhanced my research skills, aligning with my career goal of becoming a researcher.” individualized research opportunities some students highlighted the personalized nature of research opportunities, where they could explore specific topics in-depth, enhancing their understanding. “in the m.a. in sociology program, the integration provided research-oriented moocs that allowed me to delve into niche sociological areas, making my research more personalized.” catering to varied learning styles participants noted that the integration accommodated different learning styles, providing diverse resources such as videos, articles, and interactive content. “for m.a. in political science, the moocs included multimedia content, catering to various learning styles and making the learning experience more personalized.” adaptability to personal schedules students highlighted how the integration allowed them to adapt their learning to personal schedules, especially beneficial for those with part-time jobs or other commitments. “in the m.a. in hindi program, the flexibility of moocs helped me balance my studies with work commitments, making my learning experience more personalized and adaptable.” indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 118 table-7: a qualitative analysis of responses to the question: can you describe any specific projects or assignments from moocs that you believe enhanced your practical skills or knowledge? from 40 students at the central university of south bihar, enrolled in various social sciences programs common themes respond data analysis and visualization “i undertook a project in a data analytics mooc where i had to analyze economic indicators and present the findings visually. this enhanced my practical skills in data interpretation. (m.a. in economics): “ literary critique and creative writing “a mooc project required us to analyze a classic novel and create a modern adaptation. this project honed my creative writing skills and deepened my literary analysis (m.a. in english).” historical research and archival work “a mooc on ancient civilizations required a project researching primary sources. it gave me hands-on experience with historical research and archival analysis. (m.a. in history): “ policy analysis and simulation “we conducted a policy simulation project in a political science mooc, analyzing the impact of proposed policies. this practical exercise improved my policy analysis skills. (m.a. in political science)” table 7 shows on the analysis of responses from 40 social sciences students at the central university of south bihar shows that moocs projects have significantly enhanced practical skills. economics students improved data analysis, english students honed creative writing, history students gained archival research experience, and political science students sharpened policy analysis skills. these projects linked theory to real-world practice. table-8: a qualitative analysis of responses to the question: can you share responses of how the skills acquired through abc and moocs have been applicable in your academic or professional life? from 40 students at the central university of south bihar enrolled in various social sciences programs common themes respond research skills in academic writing “the research skills i honed in a literature analysis mooc have been crucial in my academic writing, allowing me to conduct thorough literature reviews for my m.a. thesis (m.a. in english).” data analysis skills in economic research “the data analysis techniques learned in a mooc have been invaluable in my economic research projects. i can now analyze economic data more effectively (m.a. in economics).” language proficiency in translation work “the language enhancement mooc directly improved my translation skills. i now work as a translator, and the proficiency gained has been beneficial in my professional life (m.a. in hindi).” policy analysis in government internships “the policy analysis skills from a mooc were instrumental in my government internship. i could contribute effectively to analyzing and formulating policies (m.a. in political science).” indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 119 common themes respond psychological research skills in clinical setting “the research methods mooc greatly enhanced my psychological research skills. i now apply these skills in a clinical setting, improving patient assessments (m.a. in psychology):” table 8 further show the analysis of 40 social sciences students at the central university of south bihar reveals that skills gained through abc and moocs have practical applications. research, data analysis, and language skills have enhanced students’ academic work, professional translation, clinical assessments, and contributions to policy formulation through internships. findings and discussion the integration of abc and moocs has been met with both positive and critical feedback from students, as reflected in the field survey data and interviews. the integration of the academic bank of credits (abc) and massive open online courses (moocs) has generated both positive and critical responses from students at the central university of south bihar, particularly among those in social sciences programs. a survey revealed that while students appreciate the flexibility offered by these platforms, challenges regarding workload management and the quality of moocs remain prominent. students indicated a strong preference for autonomy in selecting courses that align with their academic and professional interests. the average mean scores of 3.50 for flexibility and 3.66 for alignment with personal goals underscore the importance of such options. however, many expressed difficulty balancing moocs with traditional coursework, which increased stress and feelings of isolation. this suggests that while flexibility is a significant advantage, it can also lead to challenges that impact student well-being. concerns about the quality of moocs were also evident, with a mean score of 2.93 indicating perceptions of inferior rigour compared to traditional courses. technical issues and a lack of interaction detracted from the learning experience, highlighting a critical gap between online and in-person education. this lack of engagement contributed to students feeling disconnected from their peers and instructors, revealing that the effectiveness of moocs in enhancing educational experiences may be limited without sufficient interactive components. despite these challenges, the integration of abc and moocs has fostered interdisciplinary connections and a richer understanding of course materials. students reported that exposure to diverse perspectives enhanced their academic discussions, enabling them to apply theoretical concepts to real-world scenarios. furthermore, the personalized learning paths afforded by abc and moocs were appreciated, allowing students to pursue their interests and tailor their education to fit individual career aspirations. overall, the integration of abc and moocs presents a mixed landscape of opportunities and challenges. while students benefit from flexibility and personalized learning experiences, concerns about workload, course quality, and social engagement need to be addressed. fostering a more balanced approach to these challenges will enhance the educational experience and ensure that the integration effectively meets the evolving needs of students in the social sciences. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 120 suggestions to enhance the integration of the academic bank of credits (abc) and massive open online courses (moocs) at the central university of south bihar, a multifaceted approach addressing student feedback is essential. the analysis of student perceptions indicates several key areas for improvement. y quality control for moocs is paramount. the relatively low ratings for mooc quality (mean: 2.93) highlight the need for a robust review system that ensures these courses match the rigour of traditional offerings. collaborating with academic departments to align mooc content with existing curricula will enhance their relevance and academic challenge. y technical support and resources must also be prioritized. students reported frustrations with online platforms due to technical difficulties. providing comprehensive tutorials and workshops can empower students to navigate these platforms effectively, minimizing barriers to access. y facilitating interaction and engagement within moocs is crucial for enhancing the learning experience. the absence of peer interaction and instructor engagement can lead to feelings of isolation. introducing virtual discussion forums and live q&a sessions will foster a sense of community. additionally, incorporating group projects and peer review assignments can encourage collaborative learning. y workload management is another significant concern. many students struggle to balance moocs with their traditional coursework, leading to stress. institutions should develop structured schedules and guidelines that help students manage their workload, ensuring a more balanced educational experience. y expanding the diverse learning resources available within moocs can cater to varied learning styles. by integrating more multimedia content and interactive elements, the learning experience becomes more engaging and personalized, thus increasing student satisfaction. y personalized learning pathways can further enhance the educational experience. providing tools for students to customize their learning paths based on individual interests and career aspirations will foster deeper engagement with the material. y implementing a feedback mechanism for continuous improvement is also vital. a robust system that allows students to share their experiences and suggestions will enable institutions to adapt and refine moocs to better meet student needs. y lastly, emphasizing career guidance and application of skills learned through moocs will bridge the gap between education and professional development. workshops connecting students with industry professionals can illuminate the practical application of skills acquired through these courses. by addressing these critical areas, the integration of abc and moocs can be optimized, enhancing both academic performance and the overall student experience. this comprehensive approach will not only improve student satisfaction but also equip learners with the necessary skills for their future careers. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 121 concluding remarks the integration of the academic bank of credits (abc) and massive open online courses (moocs) at the central university of south bihar represents a significant advancement in education for social sciences students. this approach provides students with essential flexibility and autonomy, enabling them to tailor their learning experiences to align with personal and professional objectives. the positive feedback regarding skill acquisition, particularly in research and interdisciplinary knowledge, highlights the potential of moocs to enhance both academic understanding and practical application. however, several challenges remain that require attention. accessibility issues, concerns about the perceived quality of moocs, and the difficulty of balancing workloads indicate the need for continuous improvement. students have expressed a strong desire for greater interaction, collaboration, and support, emphasizing the importance of creating an inclusive and engaging learning environment. to optimize the integration of abc and moocs, institutions must focus on enhancing course quality, improving accessibility, and bolstering student support mechanisms. by addressing these concerns and implementing targeted improvements, educational institutions can create a more effective framework that meets the diverse needs of students, ultimately enriching their learning experiences and preparing them for the complexities of the modern world. 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(2023). a tale of online learning during covid-19: a reflection from the south asian association for regional cooperation (saarc) countries. heliyon, 9(6), e16347. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16347 sebbeq, h., & faddouli, n. e. (2020). towards quality assurance in moocs: a comprehensive review and micro-level framework. the international review of research in open and distributed learning, 25(1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v25i1.7544 sunar, a. s., abdullah, n. a., white, s., & davis, h. (2016). personalisation in moocs: a critical literature review. in communications in computer and information science (pp. 152–168). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29585-5_9 wang, r., cao, j., xu, y., & li, y. (2022). learning engagement in massive open online courses: a systematic review. frontiers in education, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.1074435 williams, r. t. (2024). an overview of moocs and blended learning: integrating mooc technologies into traditional classes. iete journal of education, 1–8. https://doi.org/10. 1080/09747338.2024.2303040 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 123 yadav, b., & yadav, d. (2024). academic flexibilities &amp; opportunities to the learners through moocs in context of national education policy 2020. bsss journal of education, 13(1), 161–186. https://doi.org/10.51767/je1312 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 146 research article exploring gender stereotypical attitude towards using technology in teaching and learning: perspectives of prospective secondary level school teachers debanjali ghosh1 & vijay kumar yadav2 1 scholar, department of education, central university of jharkhand, ranchi, jharkhand emaildebanjalighosh2013@gmail.com 2 assistant professor, department of education, central university of jharkhand, ranchi, jharkhand abstract over the years, there has been a biased, stereotypical view concerning gender roles and technology use. despite rigorous policy reforms and implementation in society to spread societal awareness of gender sensitivity and gender inclusion, women’s role in stem (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) professions is a matter of great concern. in this regard, teachers play a pivotal role in teaching their students the skills to use technology for educational purposes, along with inculcating values to eliminate gender stereotypical attitudes among them. so, it is much required to explore the prospective teachers’ attitude, who are the future nation-builders, whether they have a gender-stereotypical attitude towards using technology in teaching and learning or not. the piece of research mainly explores the prospective teachers’ overall gender sensitisation as well as their gender sensitisation regarding technology use in teaching and learning. the study also provides a few suggestions that should be included in the b.ed. curriculum and adopted by prospective teachers to bridge the gender digital divide that exists in people’s minds. the present study follows the descriptive survey method for prospective b.ed. teachers in jharkhand, where 400 prospective teachers pursuing b.ed. courses were selected randomly from 10 teacher training institutions as a sample. the data was collected through circulating questionnaires via google forms. data analysis and interpretation are made by calculating percentages and diagrammatic representations. as a result, it is found that male prospective teachers have a gender stereotypical attitude towards using technology, which is being nurtured by patriarchal society. it is also revealed that the teacher education programme rarely practices the elimination of the digital gender divide from the society which indicates the strong requirement to promote gender sensitisation in society by organising gendersensitive and gender-neutral technological skill development programmes into teacher education courses. keywords: gender stereotypical attitude, gender sensitisation, technology in teaching and learning, prospective teachers. introduction over the years technology is playing a significant role in not only performing our daily activities seamlessly but also performing better in the academic field. especially after the outbreak of the pandemic, the education sector is using technology to provide effective teaching and learning, and teacher education indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 147 institutes are being no exception there. despite the progress in technology integration in our daily life chores and having a deep societal awareness about gender sensitivity and gender inclusion, women still face discrimination in stem (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields. factors like, biased upbringing, where girls are forced to choose humanities and language subjects over the science or mathematics one, and lack of training in promoting gender awareness, play as the great influencer in contributing to this gender stereotypical attitude in the society. which is clearly a reflection of gender biasness in the society. societal unconscious gender bias and a lack of training in promoting awareness from a gender perspective mainly trigger this gender stereotypical attitude. in this context, quality teachers play a major role, not only in the education system, but also in the societal reforms, by guiding their students in the path of wisdom and rationality. basically, the purpose of the teacher education institutions is to prepare quality teachers to work in the educational institutions who will shape the young minds by instilling good values and enhance their rational thinking related to the ideas of equal opportunity and eradicate the patriarchal mindset that induces gender discrimination. in the education system, gender sensitivity has become a buzz term now and teachers are there to promote gender sensitivity among students through imparting value education and making them progressive thinkers and responsible citizens (naqvi & ahsan, 2021). regarding this, at first, future nation-builders should be gender-sensitised and have a genderneutral perspective to filter gender stereotypes from students’ minds and from the society itself, in the broader sense. following the recent technological trends, prospective teachers are also being trained to conduct technology integrated teaching and learning. but the issue is that the integration of technology in teaching and learning has led to a gender-differenced outlook, with male students often choosing careers requiring technological skills more frequently than female students. this has resulted in the underrepresentation of women in fields like technology related education, employment and research and to solve this issue, along with other policy and programs, unesco aims to implement training for information and communication technology (ict) in education to achieve sustainable development goal 4 by 2030, which is related to technology education. however, these programs often lack a gender perspective, leading to unequal use and access of technology among genders (trigueros and aldecoa, 2021). to address this issue, new teaching methodologies incorporating ict should be practiced in teacher education institutes to avoid the gender difference in using ict and promote gender sensitisation towards females. prospective secondary level school teachers are selected for this study due to their crucial role in adolescent development, particularly by instilling good values through their teaching and actively contributing in their personality development. literature review the following section presents a thematic analysis of past research studies on gender dynamics, access to and use of technology, and the persistent gender gap in stem fields, despite the implementation of social norms aimed at increasing women’s participation. the analysis is organised under relevant thematic categories. structural barriers in academia: systemic inequalities have been indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 148 found as per the research by puri and sengupta (2022). the study highlights that women participation is prevented due to multifaceted barriers. it is also found that the factor, patriarchal structures reproducing in educational institutions is creating an invisible yet strong function of exclusion and strategically disadvantageous women. barriers like unequal access for having quality education, limited faculty recruitment in stem fields, gender biased curriculum, insufficient support for women in technical fields. nandi and others in their study (2023) demonstrates how much importance the social norms have for significantly impacting girls’ educational trajectories. social norms focusing on familial expectations, community perceptions, cultural standards etc., influence women’s educational involvement in the stem field. digital resource access and digital divide: chakravorti and chaturvedi (2023) in their research reveals the fact that india has a significant digital gender divide. women have limited access to technological resources. limited digital literacy hinders stem involvement. another factor like socioeconomic factors came up as the reason behind technological exclusion. mehta and kumar (2022) in their research explored the required intervention for addressing these disparities. they recommended providing scholarships, targeting women in stem, community awareness programs for removing traditional gender roles, and initiatives for mentorship. multifaceted complex dynamics: patel and narayanan (2024) in their study argued that gender bias in stem cannot be understood through a binary perspective. caste, regional variations, class have a deep impact on modulating women’s experiences. sociological and psychological dimensions: lekha and kumar (2024) explored how stereotypical attitude creates psychological barriers. stereotypical threats impact academic performance and professional outcomes, undermining women’s confidence in the stem field. early intervention is needed to address these issues. recommendations by policies and institutes: indian schemes like mahila shakti kendra, beti bachao beti padhao transformative strategies adoption through multifaceted and interdisciplinary approaches like gendersensitive curriculum adaptation, creating supportive and inclusive learning environments, developing mentorship programs (jeyakumar, gayathri, 2023), challenging existing gender-bias social practices in stem fields were suggested to address gender biasness (chakrabarty, 2023). gati (gender advancement for transforming institutions) an initiative by the indian government aims to promote gender equality in stem fields by working with academic and research institutes (modi, 2024). objectives to study about the prospective secondary level school teachers’ attitude towards overall gender sensitisation. 1. to study about the prospective secondary level school teachers’ attitude towards overall gender sensitisation. 2. to explore the prospective secondary level school teachers’ attitude towards gender sensitisation for using technology in teaching and learning. 3. to suggest a few measures which should be adopted and practiced indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 149 by the prospective secondary level school teachers for bridging the gender digital divide in using technology during teaching and learning and spreading gender sensitivity in the society. methods and procedures method: to fulfil the set objectives and as per the need of the present study, descriptive survey method has been adopted by the researcher. population and sample of the study: table 1: gender demographic profile of the respondents gender frequency of prospective teachers % male 151 37.75% female 249 62.3% in the present study, the prospective secondary level school teachers of jharkhand state are considered as the population. 10 districts from 24 districts of jharkhand were selected purposively and from each district 1 teacher education institute providing b.ed. course was selected randomly and from each teacher education institute, 40 prospective secondary level school teachers were selected randomly as the sample of the study. each institute has about 100 secondary level prospective teachers. 40 sample is chosen from the 100 prospective teachers from each institute by using lottery method. the distribution of gender and pedagogy opted by prospective teachers are shown below in the form of table and pie chart respectively. male female representation and different pedagogy wise representation in the total number of sample are shown in table 1 and figure 1. figure-1: pie chart representing distribution of respondents from different pedagogy sampling procedure chart sampling procedure followed in the present study is represented below in figure 2. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 150 figure-2: diagrammatic representation of sampling procedure tools used in the study to explore the gender sensitive and gender stereotypical attitude of the secondary level prospective teachers, a self-made questionnaire has been made by the researcher and content validity was checked by the experts of the field. the close-ended questionnaire is divided in 2 dimensions like, “overall gender sensitivity” and “gender sensitive attitude towards technology in teaching and learning”. the first dimension “overall gender sensitivity” is divided among 3 areas like traits (communal traits, weaknesses, dominance traits, agentic traits), men-women relationship, gender sensitisation in women education. the second dimension “gender sensitive attitude towards technology in teaching and learning” is divided among 5 areas like “digital gender gap for using technology in educational purpose”, “gender based perception of using technology”, “gender based perception regarding access of technological resources and techno competency”, “gender based perception of using technology for educational purpose”, “exposure related to develop gender neutral and gender sensitive attitude regarding using technology for educational purpose”. the questionnaire consists of 32 items. the items of the questionnaire are in the statement form with multiple options under each. suitable and relevant options should be chosen by the researcher. item analysis has been done by calculating the percentage of occurrence of each option chosen by the sample. the questionnaire was distributed to the participants via sending google form to them. data analysis and interpretation a. data analysis and interpretation pertaining to objective 1: to study about the prospective secondary level school teachers’ attitude towards overall gender sensitisation to investigate the secondary level prospective teachers’ attitude towards overall gender sensitivity, a two way framework is used in the study. the first one is how the participants perceived themselves and the second one is how they perceived their opposite gender’s desirable traits. in this context four types of traits, communal traits (compassionate, sensitive attitude towards others, supportive, cooperative, trusting), weaknesses (worrying, dependent, approval seeking, insecure, uncertain), dominance traits (controlling, stubborn, arrogant, dominant, egoistic), and agentic traits indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 151 (ambitious, competitive, efficient, independent, having leadership quality) were taken account into by the researcher. gender based comparison is done between them and shown in the following diagrammatic representations. figure-3: comparison chart of personal and desirable communal trait ¾ concerning prospective teachers’ overall gender sensitisation in terms of communal traits were assessed and it is found (figure 3) that except to ‘cooperative nature’ all the participants prefer that their opposite gender should have these qualities within them. the least number of participants (41.40 per cent) think that they are not ‘compassionate’ enough but almost 50.50 per cent participants desire that their opposite gender should have this quality. among all the communal traits the highest number of people (80.20 per cent) think that they are cooperative and almost 71.20 per cent people prefers that other gender people should be cooperative. almost 89.30 per cent participants desire that other gender people should be supportive in nature though a little less no of respondents (72.10 per cent) people think them as supportive. also, it is found that communality traits are more selected by the women as their personal trait and by the most of the men this trait is selected as a desirable trait for women. figure-4: comparison chart of personal and desirable weakness indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 152 ¾ prospective teachers’ personal weakness and in opposite genders’ desirable weakness is checked (figure 4) and it is found that almost 46.80 per cent people think that they are of worrying nature. 25.20 per cent of people think that this is a desirable trait. among all the weaknesses, ‘dependency’ is the least chosen trait by the participants (6.30 per cent) and 14.40 per cent participants think it as a desirable trait in their opposite gender. a smaller number of people have selected these traits ‘seeking approval’ and ‘insecurity’ as their personal traits or as the desirable traits. so, it is found that people desire approval seeking traits in the opposite gender. it is also found that men want few weaknesses like ‘dependency’, ‘seeking for approval’, ‘insecurity’ in their opposite gender and they do not think that they possess such kind of traits wherein few women believe that they possess such kind of weakness and these traits are not desirable in their opposite gender. here reflects respondents’ gender insensitivity, which is the reflection of gender stereotypical attitude among the society. where from the young age traits like ‘communality’, ‘weaknesses’ are associated with women (femininity) only. even if women are equally competent in comparison to men, they still get rejected from getting hired in the job and are underrepresented in stem fields. figure-5: comparison chart of personal and desirable dominance trait ¾ prospective teachers’ personal and desirable dominance is demonstrated in figure 5. the two items ‘controlling’ and ‘stubborn’ got selected by most of the participants (26.10 per cent) as their personal trait. the least number of people (4.50 per cent) have chosen egoistic nature as their personal trait and as a desirable trait only 5.40 per cent people have chosen arrogance. the desirable dominance trait that is chosen by the highest number of people 19.80 per cent is controlling nature. it is found that each and every dominance trait is chosen as a personal trait by more male participants rather than female indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 153 participants and a lesser number of male participants chose this trait as a desirable trait in other gender in comparison the case of women. the data shows a tendency that the trait associated with masculinity is more considered as a desirable trait for men which reflects prospective teachers’ gender stereotypical attitude. figure-6: comparison chart of personal and desirable agentic trait ¾ the personal and desirable agentic traits of the prospective secondary level school teachers are assessed (figure 6) and it is found that being ‘ambitious’ is selected by the maximum number of respondents (63.10 per cent) as personal characteristics. wherein being independent and ambitious both have been chosen as the desirable trait by most of the participants (63.10 per cent). leadership’ quality is chosen as personal quality by least of the respondents (43.20 per cent) and ‘competitive’ nature is being reflected as an unpreferable quality of opposite gender as it is chosen by the least number of respondents (53.20 per cent) as a desirable trait. it is also found that‘agentic’ trait is selected as a desirable trait by most of the women, whereas most of the male respondents chose this trait as their personal trait and less desirable for women. the socialisation process is the underlying cause of such gender insensitive idea where from childhood the girls are taught to be more weak, soft hearted, and communal as it considered as representation of femininity wherein dominance trait, agentic trait is more related to masculinity, the true representation of gender stereotypic attitude. ¾ gender-stereotypical attitudes are cultivated from an early age within the family, school, and society, which later contribute to the development of genderinsensitive individuals and, more broadly, a male-dominated society. in this context to explore the secondary level prospective teachers’ attitude towards overall gender sensitivity their attitude about relations between men and women is also assessed. the result is represented in figure 7. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 154 figure-7: attitude about relationships between men and women after analysing the data pertaining to this issue (figure 7), it is very shocking that 23 per cent men think that working women are taking the job away from men. infact, few women also think this way. beyond their future roles as educators, prospective secondary school teachers—who are also key contributors to nation-building—hold significant gender-based perceptions. among them, 27.8 per cent of male respondents believe that women are taking rights away from men. nearly 56 per cent of men feel that they should not express emotions, such as crying, in front of others, and interestingly, 32 per cent of female respondents share this belief. additionally, 48 per cent of male prospective teachers believe that a woman’s role is to care for the family while a man’s role is to earn money. only 38 per cent of male participants support the idea of a women’s reservation system in higher education institutions. on a positive note, attitudes toward pursuing stem careers showed fewer signs of gender bias. regardless of gender, most respondents expressed the need for campaigns to raise awareness about gender sensitivity and to prevent violence against women. it is true that societal practices spread such kinds of gender biasness and as a result male prospective secondary level school teachers also think that women are emotional, sensitive, cowardly, less intelligent, talkative whereas they think that men are intelligent, sober, brave, emotionally stable, caring, bold. it is found that there exists gender inequality in every norm making, decision making, power distribution management, resource access in institutions etc., where teachers are one of the groups where gender inequality is found. on women empowerment, male prospective secondary level school teachers do not prefer the entrance of women in the job market as they think that they are taking away the job from men. according to them, women’s earnings are just for luxuries spending and so better they stay at home and do household work. ¾ prospective teachers’ views on women education and women empowerment is also assessed, where 98 per cent respondents think that women education and women empowerment are the key steps towards building gender sensitive attitudes in the society. this rational thinking is needed more in the society because the gender biased outlook of the prospective secondary level school teachers will carry with them even when they enter the teaching profession. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 155 figure-8: attitude towards women education and gender sensitisation b. data analysis and interpretation of objective 2: to explore the prospective secondary level school teachers’ attitude towards gender sensitisation for using technology in teaching and learning. to study on the secondary level prospective teachers’ gender bias attitude towards gender sensitisation for using technology in teaching and learning, the 400 participants’ fundamental skills to use digital platform for educational purpose is assessed. along with this, a few general value statements related to using technology skilfully and accessing technological resources for educational purpose is also surveyed focusing onto gender perspective. a survey also performed on whether the participants have ever got the chance to be a part of any awareness program related to developing gender neutral and gender sensitive attitude regarding using technology for educational purpose. ¾ to explore about digital gender gap, it is required to know the skills and competency of technology users in the field of education. digital gender gap is the idea of male dominant society, where women are considered to be inferior in the world of ict in compare to man. so, the prospective secondary level school teacher’s fundamental digital skills which they can use for their educational purpose was assessed to see if girls have less competency in this area and is shown in the diagrammatic representation below. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 156 figure-9: gender based comparison of 21st century fundamental digital skills used for educational purpose from figure 9, it can be seen that secondary level prospective teachers have highest competency in ‘creating attractive presentations’ and lowest competency in ‘creating digital portfolios’. among all the items in creating digital quizzes, attractive presentation, connecting digitally and discovering new contents from the web, recording and editing audio files female secondary level prospective teachers have more competency than the male. for using technology in different activities of teaching and learning process both genders have more or less equal competency. it is seen that for each item, both genders have moderate type of competency in using technology. this shows that even though the digital gender divide is overcoming day by day in using technology, there are still few social practices which contribute to lower technology preference by females and that results in male dominance in those fields where every day new technology develops. limited investment in digital training and technological resources hinders the development of a gender-equitable and inclusive environment, with women receiving fewer opportunities to build digital skills. key indicators influencing this gap include a country’s connectivity, internet accessibility, integration of digital technologies, and availability of human capital. the secondary level prospective teachers’ genderbased perception of using technology is assessed to know more deeply about the digital gender divide that causes the reinforcement of gender stereotypes and makes the society gender insensitive. to eradicate this gender biased outlook nurtured by social and cultural practices, the future nation builder’s perception is studied to make the society a way more technologically inclusive, equitable and sustainable. the result is shown in figure 10. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 157 figure-10: gender based perception of using technology from figure 10, it is found that, almost everyone has positive gender perception regarding the use of technology. according to the respondents “boys are more capable in pursuing careers that requires technological skills” is least justified. and “compared to girls, boys are more competent in using technological gadgets”, is perceived as true by maximum number of respondents irrespective of gender. it is also found that less exposure of technology to women in the society can cause such negative perception. as teachers play a very important role in moulding tomorrows society so they should have training regarding not only using the modern technology in their work but also, they should possess value regarding gender sensitivity. the digital gender gap is the result of disparity in using ict in social structure. greater male-dominance in the field of managing ict can cause poor perception of women and hence results into less confidence. the less access of technological resources like software and hardwires can cause less competency in this area so genderbased perception of secondary level prospective teachers is assessed. figure-11: gender based perception regarding access of technological resources and techno competency from figure11, it is found that 9.90 per cent male respondents think that they have more techno pedagogic skills. 17.10 per cent male respondents think indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 158 that they have more confidence to use technology whereas 13.80 per cent female respondents think that male have more confidence. more female secondary level prospective teachers (15.60 per cent) think that men have more access to technological resources. 62.20 per cent male secondary level prospective teachers and 31.79 per cent female respondents do not think none of the items is true. this disparity can be the result of having access to internet issues, network and computer access, low participation, less involvement and less interest in women’s training and capability development in the use of specific technological gadgets. it is detected that female secondary level prospective teachers cannot identify which technological resources can be used for developing teaching tasks. this leads to their professional development hinders the development of digital competency and finally produces negative self-perception regarding technology, lower motivation and negative societal perception towards technology skills in the educational field. female respondents feel that they have received less training to include ict in their pedagogy whereas male respondents think that they have got adequate training which may be the result of sociocultural factors and in few cases attitudinal factors. increasing access to and digital resources by all the students irrespective of any gender from an early age in school and as well as in the society can compensate for the gender inequality and develop gender sensitisation. the secondary level prospective teachers’ gender-based perception of using technology for educational purposes is surveyed and showed in figure 12. figure-12: gender based perception of using technology for educational purpose it is found that almost 31.50 per cent female secondary level prospective teachers think that they face challenges and 20.70 per cent male secondary level prospective teachers also think the same for women. it is found that a very less portion of secondary level prospective teachers (5.40 per cent male, 1.25 per cent female) think that stem profession is for men only 18.70 per cent women indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 159 face more anxiety in using technology for educational purpose which is quite greater than men’s perception regarding women. 14.90 per cent men have a negative perception regarding that women are less interested in using technology for educational purposes. the female respondents’ negative attitude is the result of gender gap in using and accessing technological resources, knowledge gap of ict and job preference where these skills are required. self-perceptions of female secondary level prospective teachers and perception of male secondary level prospective teachers towards women is found negative in terms of teachers’ digital competence and planning of teaching, using digital resources in teaching and learning, knowledge processing and creating of information with the help of ict. it is also found that absence or less presence of digital classroom technology, lower level of technology enabled learning in the classroom can be the cause for negative perception of female secondary level prospective teachers which may have negative perception of using digital content during teaching and learning and about ethical safety that causes inequality of being the active role model as a techno pedagogue among the students. to assess gender insensitivity among the secondary level prospective teachers, data regarding the values they have instilled and the exposures and awareness program they have experienced in their lifetime are assessed and shown in figure 13. figure-13: exposure related to develop gender neutral and gender sensitive attitude regarding using technology for educational purpose from figure 13, it is found that 49.50 per cent have knowledge about various government policies/ rules related to gender sensitisation and gender equality. only 29.70 per cent of respondents from different universities said that in their b.ed. syllabus there exists few content which promote gender sensitivity regarding the use of technology in teaching and learning and only 22.50 per cent respondents tell that in b.ed. curriculum there exists a few activities those needed to be done in order to support gender sensitivity in using technology, which is similar for school curriculum also. gender biasness is also reflected in textbooks. only 18 per cent and 27 per cent respondents shared that during their b.ed. they were trained for building up their own awareness related to gender sensitivity in using technology during teaching and learning and organised some awareness programs/ social activities in local communities respectively. also, it is found that almost 26 per cent indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 160 of respondents have no experience regarding any of the above activities. so, the above data reveals that to mitigate gender stereotypes, female teacher’s technological training, implementation of technology integrated teaching learning model should be there in the b.ed. curriculum. when prospective teachers internalise and reflect gender-insensitive values, they are likely to perpetuate the same biases among their future students. this can negatively impact female students, particularly in subjects like science and mathematics, where they may receive less encouragement and attention. such bias can contribute to lower academic performance, reduced confidence, and increased self-doubt among female learners. therefore, it is essential to positively shape teachers’ task competency and task values, while promoting a more gender-sensitive and inclusive outlook within society. c. data analysis and interpretation of objective 3: to suggest a few measures those should be adopted and practiced by the prospective secondary level school teachers for bridging the gender digital divide in using technology during teaching and learning and spreading gender sensitivity in the society. digital technology advancements lead to society’s development but also contribute to gender inequality. women are often left behind due to gender bias and societal insensitivity. to promote gender sensitisation, education and skill development programs are essential. along with that men must also change their mindset to support gender sensitisation and teachers should instil value in students to create a healthy, gender-equal society. in this context, prospective teachers should implement measures at various levels to bridge the gender digital divide in teaching and learning, promoting gender sensitivity and utilising technology effectively. some suggested initiatives at different levels are as follows: 1. the teacher training program lacks opportunities to address gender inequality, necessitating a focus on gender mainstreaming in teacher education curricula through considering all social dimensions. 2. feminist critical pedagogy, as proposed by freire, shor, giroux, and mclaren, aims to promote gender parity through the b.ed. curriculum by addressing power structures, redressing inequality, and understanding the perpetuation of gender inequality in patriarchal societies should be adopted in contemporary b.ed. curriculum. the proper training for prospective teachers should be provided to eliminate gender disparities in perceptions of technology integrated teacher education. 3. the implementation of technologyenhanced teaching and learning models is crucial for future teachers to effectively utilise technological tools and combat the digital gender divide. 4. transmission of more female examples in the technological field is suggested to make a gender equitable society. 5. the proposal suggests providing easy access to technological resources for prospective teachers to enhance their skills, regardless of gender. 6. continuous professional development to provide techno-based opportunities. 7. online training facilities should be there in all teacher training institutes. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 161 8. quality teachers with genderneutral outlooks and ict skills should be appointed as teachers and teacher educators to teach students ict skills and ict papers. 9. government initiatives should focus on eliminating gender bias, promoting gender sensitisation, and fostering a tech-sustainable world, ensuring no gender disparity in planning, theory, and implementation. 10. portraying gender biasness in terms of various examples in text books, media should be stopped. 11. regular training, workshops, seminars, and conferences, social activities should be organised to raise awareness about gender sensitivity for integrating technology in teaching and learning. 12. unesco has recognised technology as the focal part of the knowledge system. several programmes like i-2010 (2005 2009), digital agenda 2010, digital education action plan 2018 etc. aim to provide software hardware for better employability through ict, technology in teaching and training, innovative technology based pedagogical techniques. so, awareness and information should be spread to have knowledge regarding various government policies/ rules related to gender sensitisation and gender equality in technology so that the aims and objectives of such programs have fruitful vision. 13. b.ed. syllabus should incorporate a few chapters that support gender sensitivity in using technology including activities needed to be done in order to support gender sensitivity in using technology 14. to enhance a nation’s digital competitiveness, a genderresponsive approach to education, skill, career and professional development should be implemented by focusing on technology-oriented solutions, stem guidance and experiential learning opportunities. 15. inclusivity and equality in terms of gender should be taken care of by tech industries and policies and initiatives regarding gender sensitisation should be implemented in a proper way to have a positive change in people’s mind. 16. to reform the society, gender sensitisation should be taught in the family, school, society. prospective teachers, who are the future teachers, will address this issue and mould their students in a desired way to make a technology based, gender sensitive, inclusive, sustainable world. major findings and discussion y concerning prospective teachers’ overall gender sensitisation in terms of communal traits were assessed and it is found communality traits are more selected by the women as their personal trait and by most of the men as a desirable trait for women. y prospective teachers’ personal weakness and in opposite genders’ desirable weakness is checked and found that men want few weaknesses like ‘dependency’, ‘seeking for approval’, ‘insecurity’ in their opposite gender and they do not think that they possess such kind of traits wherein few women believe that they possess such kind of weakness and these traits are not desirable in their opposite indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 162 gender. here reflects respondents’ gender insensitivity, as from the young age traits like ‘communality’, ‘weaknesses’ are associated with women (femininity) only. y dominance trait is chosen as the personal trait by more male participants rather than female participants and a lesser number of male participants chose this trait as a desirable trait in the opposite gender in comparison to the case of women. it shows a tendency that the trait associated with masculinity is more considered as a desirable trait for men which reflects prospective teachers’ gender stereotypical attitude. y agentic’ trait is selected as a desirable trait by most of the women, whereas most of the male respondents chose this trait as their personal trait and less desirable for women as it is more related to masculinity, the true representation of gender stereotypic attitude. y regarding the attitude towards relationship between men and women about gender roles it is found that, on women empowerment male prospective secondary level school teachers do not prefer the entrance of women in the job market as they think that they are taking away the job from men. according to them, women’s earnings are just for luxury spending and so they stay at home and do household work. y it is found that prospective teachers think that women education and women empowerment are the key steps towards building gender sensitive attitudes in the society. y for using technology in different activities of teaching and learning process both the gender has moderate competency. it is found that there is a male dominance in those fields where every day new technology develops. the less investment in training and less technological resources dragging back the gender equitable and gender inclusive setup as women get less training to develop digital skills. y a saddening fact came out through the study that, “boys are more capable in pursuing careers that requires technological skills” least justified and “compared to girls, boys are more competent in using technological gadgets”, is perceived as true by maximum number of respondents irrespective of any gender depicts a negative attitude towards gender sensitivity, which is a result of digital gender gap. y it is detected in the study, that female secondary level prospective teachers cannot identify which technological resources can be used for developing teaching task leads to their professional development hinders the development of digital competency and finally produce women’s negative self-perception regarding technology, lower motivation and negative societal perception of women towards stem skills. their male counterparts also believe the same sowing gender insensitive attitude in the society. y regarding the values the prospective teachers have instilled and the exposure and awareness program they have experienced in their lifetime reveals that to mitigate gender stereotypes, female teacher’s technological training, implementation of technology integrated teaching learning model should be there in the b.ed. curriculum. because when there is a lack of skills within the female, they start doubting themselves and the rest of the world also thinks the same about them. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 163 educational implications the study has a great educational implication as it aligns with the recommendations of various indian policies and schemes in the context of indian education, as mentioned below: y national education policy (nep) 2020 recommends having inclusive and equitable education, by reducing gender barriers and promoting a larger gender involvement in access to quality education. one of the core principles of nep 2020 is to promote digital literacy by practicing technologyenabled learning to challenge gender biased perceptions and gender stereotypes in educational spaces. the findings of the study suggests that gender stereotypes should impede this goal if it is not addressed. y the findings of the study emphasises to address gender stereotypes in technology integration, that has a linkage with various government initiatives as mentioned below: ¾ digital india programmes aim to bridge the digital divide by focusing on skill development, promoting digital literacy for all the stakeholders of education and proper teacher training. ¾ samagra shiksha abhiyan focuses on the gender -sensitive teacher training and awareness programs for practicing inclusive and equitable quality education. ¾ beti bachao beti padhao scheme aims to empower the girls by ensuring that the teachers are equipped with educational technology to support girls’ education. ¾ pm evidya scheme promotes digital and technology integrated teaching and learning with special reference to address gender disparities. y the outcome of the study highly recommends teachers’ training and sensitisation programmes, curriculum development and redesigning of prospective teachers’ training curricula by integrating gendersensitive technological engagement, providing mentorship and support, creating targeted interventions, conducting professional development programs on gender sensitive educational technology inclusion etc. y the study underscores a significant need for conducting further research and evaluating its effectiveness of addressing gender stereotypes by promoting inclusive practices to provide equal opportunities irrespective of any gender, in having technology-enable education. conclusion the present study is mainly aimed to explore the prospective secondary level school teachers’ gender stereotypical attitude towards using technology in teaching and learning. it is an important piece of research in the context of a developing country like india. the findings of the study reveals that the secondary level prospective teachers’ attitudes towards technology use and gender insensitivity are influenced by the male-dominated patriarchal society. it is also noted that, to promote gendersensitive education and a genderneutral society, initiatives should be taken at various levels and by following multidimensional approach to remove gender stereotypes from the society and in educational technology by mainly emphasising on the role of teacher education, to make women techno-savvy, building up their selfconfidence. it can be said that by applying appropriate strategies, it is possible to remove gender stereotypical indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 164 attitudes from the society, towards using educational technology and finally creating a more inclusive and equitable learning environment and an inclusive society in a broader sense. references chakrabarty, m. (2023). ‘beti bachao beti padhao’–a mechanism of women empowerment. dai, a., li, d., zhu, h., & zhang, z. (2021). how do teachers’ gender stereotypes impact students?. advances in social science, education and humanities research, volume 637. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.220131.133 jeyakumar, r. a., & gayathri, a. (2023). schemes for women empowerment in india. ncsdsge–2023, 175. lekha, n. b., & kumar, p. (eds.). (2024). routledge handbook of gender, culture, and development in india. routledge. lindner, j., makarova, e., bernhard, d., & brovelli, d. (2022). toward gender equality in educationteachers’ beliefs about gender and math. education sciences. 12(6), 373. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12060373. modi, n. (2024). accelerating women empowerment: a reconnaissance of government policies and initiatives. modi’s vision to empower women, 74. nandi, a., sahoo, s., haberland, n., & ngô, t. d. (2023). a glass ceiling at the playhouse? gender gaps in public and private preschool enrollment in india. international journal of educational development, 103, 102905. naqvi, f., ahsan, m. (2021). prospective teachers’ perception of gender roles education and stereotypes. academia journal of educational research, 9(9), 161-165. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/364193477 saif, s. (2019). attitude of prospective teachers and prospective teacher educators’ towards the usage of information and communication technology and its related technologies in colleges of teacher education. ijrdojournal of social science and humanities research, 4(7), 243-250. https://doi.org/10.53555/sshr.v4i7.3105 sengupta, p., & puri, r. (2022). gender pay gap in india: a reality and the way forward—an empirical approach using quantile regression technique. studies in microeconomics, 10(1), 50-81. https://doi.org/10.1177/2321022221995674 syed, s. (2017). introducing gender equity to adolescent school children: a mixed method’s study. journal of family medicine and primary care, 6(2), 254-258. https://doi.org/10.4103/2249-4863.220020 trigueros, g., maria, i., aldecoa, c. (2021). the digital gender gap in teacher education: the tpack framework for the 21st century. european journal of investigation in health., psychology and education, 11(4), 1333-1349. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe11040097 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 289 research article augmented podcasts: a low bandwidth solution for effective learning sameer sahasrabudhe1, ajita deshmukh2, dhairya pandya3 & rwitajit majumdar4 1professor of practice, iit gandhinagar, gujarat 2assistant professor, mit art design, technology university, maharashtra 3project assistant, iit gandhinagar, gujarat emaildhs.pandya@gmail.com 4associate professor, kumamoto university, japan abstract the evolution of video has significantly transformed the ways in which educational content is delivered and consumed. post the pandemic, the digital divide existing in the indian educational system is more evident, which creates a requirement of low bandwidth educational technologies, without compromising learning effectiveness. this study proposes a new medium: augmented podcasts (mp3 file + pdf file of the screenshots used in the lecture), an audio narration synchronised with slides, as a more bandwidth-friendly alternative to traditional video lectures. we compare the data consumption and effectiveness of augmented podcasts as an educational tool in comparison to traditional video lectures. the comparison is done based on three main levels of difficulty (low-medium-high) in the assessments of these lectures. the study employs a quantitative approach with an experimental design. participants from urban areas of mumbai were initially selected using purposive sampling. these participants were then randomly assigned to either of the two groups: the augmented podcast or video lecture group. descriptive and inferential statistics, including mann-whitney u tests, were used for data analysis in addition to a significant reduction in the data payload compared to video lectures, the findings reveal that augmented podcasts are equally as effective in promoting learning, with no significant differences observed in their test scores in low and medium level learning. however, findings reveal a significant difference in high-level learning. the research also highlights consistent engagement levels with augmented podcasts compared to video lectures, offering key insights for curriculum designers and educators to optimize instructional materials. keywords: augmented podcasts, video lectures, digital divide, low bandwidth, scores, instructional materials introduction the dynamic world of digital education is characterised by the pursuit of effective and accessible instructional methods and resources is a continuous challenge. the proliferation of online education is undeniable. moocs and online education with video content as a major component are an established format. however, disparities in internet connectivity persist as one of the major impediments for online education. at the same time, technology providers are developing user-friendly, crossover technologies that allow users to access information anytime, anywhere on indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 290 multiple devices in different forms and formats (evans, 2008). with exponential technological advancement, where media and technologies are becoming easier to mix, merge and evolve, it has added to the innovative ways to utilise them in education (carson et al., 2021). with education becoming learnercentric, more autonomy lies with the learners leading to rise in asynchronous learning. one of the popular asynchronous media amongst the millennial generation is podcasts. the presence of multiple podcasting platforms, including those by tech giants, is a testimony in itself to the popularity. while the audio format of media has a long history in terms of radio, its resurgence in the form of podcasts provides educators with a motive to experiment with its usage in learning as an easy-to-access media for learning (besser et al., 2021). there are several types of podcasts which can be used in education (forbes and khoo, 2015). nevertheless, recent research has also brought forth certain disadvantages, such as lack of visual cues, distractions, lack of interaction, and limited note taking, amongst others. despite these disadvantages, there have been multiple researches on various aspects of using podcasts in education (gunderson and cumming., 2022). recognizing the need for a more accessible medium, this research investigates the potential payload reduction when transitioning from video lectures to a hybrid option of audio augmented with text. this study looks at augmented podcasts as an educational media as a solution for reducing the digital divide by addressing bandwidth without compromising learner engagement. by delving into the preferences and experiences of students, this study aims to discern the impact of this hybrid format on learning outcomes, engagement, and satisfaction. through this exploration, the goal of this research is to contribute valuable insights that can inform educational practices and enhance the inclusivity of digital learning platforms in diverse settings. literature review the evolution of web 2.0 has democratised content creation, broadening access and empowering contributors with greater control over content consumption. numerous studies have examined aspects such as engagement, student perception, and motivation for using educational podcasts, along with the overall impact of media usage. research across various fields, from the humanities to medical education, provides insights into the use, preferences, and impacts of different media in education. in all these media formats, the use of videos in higher education and, in particular, distance learning courses has increased significantly in recent years (harrison, 2019). post-pandemic, video-based solutions have quickly become the most sought-after alternative to in-person instruction (wang et al., 2021). on the other hand, the increasing availability of podcasts before and during the peri-pandemic period reflects learners’ growing preference for this medium as a valuable option for acquiring knowledge (okonski et al., 2022). this leads to the subsequent inquiry regarding the methods for assessing the effectiveness of such educational interventions. typically, the effectiveness of educational interventions is measured using achievement scores. in education, experimental and quantitative methods, including surveys and test scores, are commonly used to assess indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 291 behaviour change and intervention effects. another crucial area is the data payload, which influences policymakers and content creators to make informed decisions, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity. with this background, the literature review of this study comprises three distinct sections. the first section reviews studies on the effectiveness of podcasts as educational tools. the second section examines literature comparing the effectiveness of audio media versus video lectures as educational tools. the final section sets the stage for the current study by presenting consumption and usage metrics and trends. effectiveness of podcasts as an educational tool podcasts have been a popular informal education medium in medical education (berk et al., 2020). though there have been disadvantages like distractions, medical residents informed that podcasts gave them a broader sense of core content and personalised learning, as well as fostering their connections to communitieslocal and national (riddell et al., 2020). research studies have also put forth how podcasts were leveraged as a tool for continuing medical education during the pandemic (tarchichi and szymusiak, 2020). the study of using podcasts as an instructional tool for a leadership education course showed several benefits and preferences of students, especially in a post-pandemic world (mccarron and yamanaka, 2022). podcasts have been shown to provide opportunities for reflective inquiry, aid communities of practice and help negotiate theoretical and practical knowledge (turner et al., 2021). systematic review of 17 studies podcasts aligns well with the principles of universal design for learning (udl) and serves as a unique way of engagement despite its limited impact on academic achievement (gunderson and cumming, 2022). research has shown that listening to podcasts closely helps in identifying logical and coherent thinking, thereby improving students’ analytical abilities and writing skills (vandenberg, 2018). following a sociocultural approach, podcasts have shown to provide for establishing student agency in learning and collaboration (carson et al., 2021). another study highlights the role of podcasts in education planning and asserts that podcasts can enhance active learning in blended learning environments (moore, 2022). an empirical study on best practices of using podcasts as “readings” revealed that students who read the podcast transcripts were able to score more than the students who heard only podcasts (oslawski-lopez and kordsmeier, 2021). podcast vs educational videos as learning resources podcasts, though having only audio content, have been found to be effective in improving achievement scores as well as enhancing critical thinking, analytical thinking, problem-solving and deeper reflections, along with an increase in their respective scores in the domain of business and information system (jager et al., 2023). a similar study (yasmiatun, 2023) reported increased critical thinking skills along with better engagement in an efl class. musa (2021) found that both basic podcasts and vodcasts increased student achievement scores in the technical subject of woodwork as compared to the traditional methods of teachinglearning. a phenomenological study indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 292 by nurani et al. (2023) showed that 76.92 per cent of students understood learning materials with podcast media using the spotify platform as a learning resource. ahmad (2023) found that an information technology course that used podcasts as micro-learning tools showed higher achievement, especially for female students. song and marchionini (2007) put forth the term ‘surrogates’ (condensed representation of entire digital media) and studied the effectiveness and impact of three surrogatesaudio, visual, text-based storyboard, individual and in combinations (e.g. storyboard + audio) which sometimes were not in sync. this study revealed that participants could combine these surrogates for learning even if they were not synced. the study also concluded that combined surrogates were preferred, effective, and did not compromise on learning efficiency as measured by post-experiment tasks and questionnaires. it also brings up the question of the need to synchronise various multimedia channels. in yet another multimethod study (ilin,2021) on the effectiveness of three media types (audio, video and e-text) in blended learning reports that user preference is the determinant in usage and hence in the resultant effectiveness of the particular media. the same study disclosed that for 13-year-olds, it was usefulness and enjoyment that dictated the preference. the reviewed literature indicates the scope of studying podcasts as an educational tool in the learning environments that are becoming increasingly digital every passing day. it can be safely concluded that when it comes to media usage, the ‘no -no-sizefits-all’ paradigm becomes of utmost importance. podcasts as a new media: the digital footprints india has a history of using audio mediums in the form of radio for freedom struggle and social reform. this may be considered as an ease and conditioning of people in india towards audio medium. in the modern days, this has to be looked at in terms of data usage/consumption of audio medium with a specific reference to podcasts for this study. the digital population of india in 2023 is reported to be 6.92 million and smartphone users around 1 billion (basuroy, 2023; sun, 2023). data consumption of video streaming and audio streaming has been reported and spoken about on various technical platforms. it has been reported that video streaming data consumption is between 100 mb to 7 gb per hour and the consumption for audio/podcast streaming lies between 43-144 mb per hour. according to a survey conducted in september 2023, 27 per cent of urban indians listen to podcasts at least once daily and another 25 per cent listen to podcasts two-three times per week. only 10 per cent of urban indians reported never listening to podcasts. it is also interesting to note that the cagr report predicts market penetration of podcasts in india to be around 43 per cent in 2024 after showing steady growth since 2019. the use of podcasts as an educational tool in india and, thereby, its study is still in its infant stage. there have been studies that revealed its non-usage in arts and science colleges and another one studying the motivation of indian podcasters in general. the study this quantitative study is part of a indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 293 larger mixed method research project that studies the efficacy of augmented podcasts as educational tools. drawing from the reviewed literature, the present study focuses on studying the student achievement and engagement through the test scores with augmented podcasts vis-a-vis videos amongst students enrolled in an higher education institution in the urban area of mumbai. operational definitions this research uses terms which are defined as follows in the purview of the given study. 1. augmented podcasts: a content format with two distinct files, mp3 and pdf, accessible on the same page of the learning management system (lms). the user begins to play the mp3 file for audio content and instructions. once the audio starts, the user opens the pdf, which contains the corresponding visuals. the instructions to navigate the pdf are provided in the mp3 file via a bell sound. users have the flexibility to move back and forth in both the files independently. 2. payload: the file size of the augmented podcast and the video expressed in kb/mb/gb. 3. test scores: score obtained by students in the quiz on a particular topic covered in the video or augmented podcast during the experiment. 4. effectiveness of interventions: the difference in the test scores of two groups which were given two distinct interventions. research questions using podcasts in a large, diverse and developing country of india cannot happen without considering technical feasibility despite being one of the world leaders in the use of educational technology. considering accessibility and effectiveness as the backbone, this study is guided by the following research questions: rq1: how much is the payload reduction when a video lecture is converted into a hybrid option of using augmented podcasts? rq2: to what extent does the media (video or podcast) affect student test scores across different levels of question complexity/difficulty? hypothesis the study puts forth a hypotheses guided by research question 2 by three levels of assessment questions: 1. h0: there is no significant difference in the test scores between learners who use augmented podcasts and those who use videos for low-difficulty tests. 2. h0: there is no significant difference in the test scores between learners who use augmented podcasts and those who use videos for mediumdifficulty tests. 3. h0: there is no significant difference in the test scores between learners who use augmented podcasts and those who use videos for high-difficulty tests. methodology 1. learning context a broad and relevant topic was chosen for the experiment, in indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 294 order to get larger participation and generate comprehensive data. the swayam course titled: ‘macroeconomics’ was selected since it was appropriate to the curriculum of commercial banks and banking system (commerce). the course covers fundamental as well as advanced topics related to macroeconomics with a focus on application in the banking sector. the course is well structured with comprehensive content making it an ideal choice for this experiment. to identify the most relevant content for the experiment, a review process was undertaken. the entire course was analysed focusing on the content of the video lectures that matched the objectives of the experiment as well as were relevant to the curriculum of commercial banks and banking systems. out of all the available lectures, eight were deemed most suitable for the study on the basis of content, clarity and alignment with experiment goals. 2. augmented podcast: a distinct pedagogical innovation: the key innovation in this study lies in the development of augmented podcasts (aps), a structured content format designed to enhance both pedagogical effectiveness and accessibility. unlike conventional audio-based resources, an ap consists of two separate but synchronized files—an mp3 (audio) and a pdf (visuals/text)—made available on the same page within the learning management system (lms). the learning experience begins when users play the mp3 file, which delivers spoken content along with navigation cues. simultaneously, learners open the pdf, which contains corresponding visuals, diagrams, or textual highlights. a deliberate bell sound cue embedded in the audio guides learners through the content, signalling when to shift their focus within the pdf. this dual-format approach allows for independent navigation of both files, offering greater learner autonomy and flexibility compared to traditional linear video or audio formats. the pedagogical intent behind augmented podcasts extends beyond simple file separation. unlike direct audio extractions from video lectures, which often lack coherence when consumed independently, aps are carefully curated and edited to align with their medium. the integration of intentional auditory cues ensures a structured, engaging, and effective learning experience. moreover, this format reduces file size constraints while maintaining rich, multimodal interaction—making it particularly valuable in bandwidth-limited environments. this innovation was conceptualized with the goal of maximizing accessibility, learner control, and cognitive engagement without the drawbacks associated with passive video consumption. 3. preparation of augmented podcasts audio was extracted from the course videos, and saved as mp3 files. additionally, chronological screenshots were saved from the video. these screenshot images were combined to make a single pdf file. the combination of this modified mp3 (with the marker sounds) and the pdf containing screenshots together form ‘augmented podcasts’. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 295 figure-1: screenshot of augmented podcast (mp3 and pdf combination) on the same page of bookroll lms figure 1 shows an example of augmented podcasts. audio and visuals are operable separately on the same page of bookroll lms. 4. functional perspective on payload and media comparison: the comparison of payload (i.e., file size and bandwidth requirements) in this study is not intended as a direct quality comparison between videos and augmented podcasts (aps). instead, it serves a functional purpose, examining whether a combined audio + text format— where both components can be accessed independently—can achieve comparable educational outcomes to video-based learning while significantly reducing bandwidth consumption. given the inherently larger file sizes of videos, which incorporate both visual and auditory elements, audio-based and text-based media provide a low-bandwidth alternative, particularly relevant in settings where internet accessibility and data costs are constraints. from a pedagogical standpoint, this study investigates whether the perceived necessity of video-based learning can be mitigated through well-designed augmented podcasts. rather than positioning videos and aps as equivalent substitutes, the study explores their situational advantages—videos excel in visually intensive topics, while for theoretical or concept-heavy content, aps (a structured package of audio and text files) may provide an equally effective, yet more bandwidth-efficient, alternative. this approach highlights the practical implications of aps in digital education, offering a scalable, adaptable learning format without compromising accessibility or pedagogical intent. 5. the experimental setup this section will delve into three aspects of this study. (a) online learning tools used for the experiment, (b) participant profile and (c) research design and data collection. online learning tools the augmented podcasts and the video were accessed by both the experimental group (ap) and the control group (av) via two separate online learning tools. lareflect (for control group) and bookroll (for experimental group). y la-reflect: it is a platform that lets teachers create engaging microlearning activities. teachers indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 296 can design these activities using the authoring tool, and learners can access them through the viewer. la-reflect seamlessly integrates with any lms that supports the lti protocol, providing a smooth learning experience for both teachers and students (majumdar et al., 2023). figure-2: the moodle lms used to conduct the study figure 2 shows the moodle lms used for this study. two groups were created. group a experimental group and group b control group. participants from each group can access the content of their respective group only. the figure also shows the navigation settings and administrative settings. the navigation settings help the instructor to navigate across the courses and let them access information such as badges, completion, grades, divisions. the administration setting allows the instructor to perform administrative-level tasks such as course editing, import/export, generating reports, etc. y bookroll: developed by kyoto university, is an online e-book system that allows students to view digital materials used in lectures (ogata, majumdar & flanagan, 2023). to make augmented podcasts easily operable bookroll was chosen as it allows learners to see audio and pdf in a single screen. both these platforms could be accessed using mobile phones as well as laptops/ desktops. figure-3: lecture materials shared on of bookroll platform indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 297 figure 3 shows the ui feature of the bookroll platform for accessing the augmented podcasts. at the top of the page, accessibility features such as fullscreen, zoom-in, zoom-out, and search are provided. besides these, an audio player with essential features such as play/pause and forward/backwards are available. the pdf is visible below the accessibility and audio tabs. users can change the page by scrolling up and down, and they can navigate to the next or previous lecture with the arrow button. participant profile the experiment employed purposive sampling to ensure that the participants were well-suited for the objectives of the study. an institute from mumbai (1-tier city), known for its vibrant educational landscape and diverse student population was selected as the setting of the experiment. the institute, located in the central and well-connected area of mumbai, offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs in various domains. for this study, the focus was on undergraduate programs within the domain of commerce and banking. in the institute considered for study, students of b.com banking & insurance were found to be a good fit. this selection was guided by the objectives of the study, which focused on media and its impact on achievement through test scores. the study compares two groups viz the control group and experimental group. the control group (av) consisted of 27 students, and the experimental group (ap) consisted of 35 students. each group consisted of a balanced mix of male and female students. due diligence was taken during the group formation that the groups were representative of the population under consideration. rationale for conducting the pilot in a tier-1 city the decision to conduct the pilot study in a tier-1 city was strategic and aimed at eliminating extraneous variables that could have confounded the study’s findings. factors such as inconsistent network speeds, data limitations, and infrastructural disparities often pose significant challenges in lower-tier cities and rural areas. by ensuring a stable digital infrastructure in the pilot phase, we were able to control for these external influences, allowing the study to focus exclusively on the comparative effectiveness of augmented podcasts (aps) versus traditional video-based learning. furthermore, this approach was instrumental in assessing usability, engagement, and pedagogical effectiveness under optimal conditions before considering wider implementation. the pilot study’s insights serve as a foundation for future scalability, particularly for tier-2 and tier-3 cities, where bandwidth constraints and data costs remain substantial barriers to digital education. by first refining the design, content delivery, and navigation features of augmented podcasts in an ideal setting, we could better anticipate the challenges and adaptations necessary for more bandwidthconstrained environments. this systematic approach ensures that when augmented podcasts are introduced in lowresource settings, their usability indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 298 and pedagogical efficacy have already been optimized, making them a more viable alternative to high-bandwidth-dependent video content. research design and data collection the experimental group was exposed to augmented podcasts, while the control group was exposed to the videoformat lectures. the experimental and control groups were closely monitored throughout the study to ensure the integrity of the experiment. measures were taken to prevent the exchange of content in both formats between the groups, thereby eliminating spillage or dilution of experimental conditions. the strict monitoring ensured that the findings accurately reflect the impact of these media on student achievement in the test scores across levels of question complexity, providing valuable insights into their effectiveness as educational tools. the study utilised post-test design only experimental research design. the test was administered for both groups to assess their understanding and retention of the course content consumed using two media. the test consisted of eight items validated by the subject experts to ensure their clarity, relevance and alignment with objectives. the test comprised four questions of low difficulty level, 2 of medium and 2 of high difficulty level. as per the cognitive demands required to answer these questions. this 50 per cent-25 per cent-25 per cent distribution of questions helped to maintain the norms of question paper blueprint as well as formed the basis of nuanced analysis of student score/performance across varying degrees of cognitive challenge. table 1 shows the difficulty level of all eight questions. the difficulty level of the distribution of questions ensured that the placement of questions varied. the difficulty level was slowly increased starting with a low level in the beginning, gradually increasing it. the high difficulty level questions were concentrated towards the end. initial gradation provided a flavour and tempo, the in between low difficulty level questions gave a breathing space considering the cognitive load of the media which was needed for the high difficulty level questions towards the end. table-1: classification of difficulty level of each questions difficulty level of each questions question no. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 difficulty level low medium high low low low medium high the test was conducted via google forms seamlessly integrated into the lms. this integration facilitated smooth administration and efficient data collection. the scores generated from these tests formed the primary data sets used to test the hypotheses of this study. ethical considerations as per the requirements of the institutional ethical committee (iec), due diligence was maintained regarding student privacy and data security. student information and consent was collected using a form called a participant information sheet (pis) as per the specifications of the iec. the data is stored on a password protected personal computer of the principal investigator. the data will be stored securely for the standard time requirements. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 299 findings and discussion data analysis this study employs a rigorous quantitative research approach, utilising both descriptive and inferential statistical methods to analyse the data collected from the tests. descriptive analysis: descriptive analysis was conducted primarily through percentage calculations. this analysis served two key purposes: 1. quantification of file size reduction: the second aspect involved quantifying any reduction in file size, which was relevant in assessing the efficiency and accessibility of the media formats used. although this is more ancillary to the primary research question, it provided insights into the technical advantages or disadvantages of each media type. 2. comparison of correctly answered questions: the first aspect of the descriptive analysis focused on comparing the number of correctly answered questions between the experimental and control groups. this aspect is further done in three stages: (1) comparing percentages questions-wise, (2) comparing percentages lecture-wise, and (3) overall comparison of percentages. by calculating the percentage of correct responses for each group, the study aimed to identify trends and differences in performance that might be attributable to the use of different educational media (video/podcast). the findings of the current research are based on two major aspects: the payload reduction and effectiveness of augmented podcasts. while studying the comparative effectiveness of augmented podcast vs video lectures, test scores are used as measurement. reduction in payload while designing and creating multimedia content for educational purposes, an important factor is the payload the file size. lower payload helps in increasing accessibility of content. the current study is guided by research question that studies payload reduction in a bid to bring forth this point. rq1: how much is the payload reduction when an audio visual is converted into a hybrid option of using augmented podcasts? table 2 shows the payload (file size) of augmented podcasts and that of the video lectures. it is evident that the payload reduction of augmented podcasts is 88 percent that of the video file. table-2. reduction of payload lecture 1 lecture 2 lecture 3 lecture 4 av payload 249.0 mb 258.7 mb 237.8 mb 276.3 mb ap payload 27.7 mb 29.2 mb 28.1 mb 37.8 mb reduction in size 221.3 mb 229.5 mb 209.7 mb 238.5 mb % reduction 88.8 88.7 88.1 86.3 average % reduction 88.023 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 300 taking an instance, the course examined in this study consists of 36 lectures, with the average video file size being 250 mb. making the total storage requirement for the video files to approximately 9,000 mb (9 gb). in contrast, the same content in audio format has an average file size of 30 mb. therefore, the total storage required for the augmented podcast files is around 1,080 mb (approximately 1 gb). which can potentially address the digital divide by consuming low data in the areas of low network connections and taking less storage space. analysis of test scores rq2: to what extent does the media (video /podcast) affect student test scores across different level of question complexity/difficulty? the analysis of question wise score comparing the two groups was carried out for a finer understanding of the difference in the scores as per the difficulty level as well as to understand the trend, if any. for this, the tool google sheets was used. the graphs give a vivid picture of the nuanced differences in the scores as below. figure-3: question wise comparison of ap and av scores figure 3 shows the graph mapping the scores with question numbers along with their difficulty level. it shows an observable difference in the scores of the two groups for every question, right from the first question, which was a lowlevel question. for the first question, the experimental group marked as ap in the legend scored higher than the control group labelled as av in the legend. it is noted that the changes in the scoring pattern remain more or less the same irrespective of the media. the score displays a dip, a plateau and a rise at certain questions for both the groups. the analysis is indicative that in most cases, the difference in scores is dependent on the difficulty level of the questions and is independent of the media. there is an exception to this trend, as seen in q.3, which is a highlevel question. for this, there is a rise in the scores of the experimental group while a dip is observed in the scores of the av group. other than this, the scores followed the same pattern. in order to confirm this, a trend analysis was carried out. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 301 figure-4: overall trendline of ap and av scores figure 4 shows the trend analysis of the overall scores of the experimental and control groups. the trend lines confirm that both groups exhibit the same overall trend in their scoring. this is suggestive of the dependency of scores being independent of the media when seen overall. the gap in the trendline is indicative of the impact of the media. a tendency for scores to converge towards the average, thereby masking the distinct effects associated with varying question levels. such findings underscore the importance of examining data at a more granular level to capture the nuanced impacts of media on high-, medium-, and low-level questions. questions 3 and 8 are both highlevel questions. in question 3, there is a noteworthy gap in the scores of both groups. in question 8, the gap is similar to other questions. upon further examination of the nature of both questions, it becomes evident that despite being categorized as highlevel questions, they differ in the type of knowledge they assess. question 3 requires the ability to synthesize complex concepts of policy and understand the relationships between ideas. conversely, question 8 assesses higher-level classification integrating a factual recall. the consistent scores of the audio group in both questions could be because of the interactive nature of the audio + slides format, which allows learners to process information at their own pace. while video groups’ drop in question requiring synthesizing could be because of the passive nature of the video while excelling in factual recall of question 8. it is clear that this necessitates further investigation in future research. descriptive analysis of quiz wise scores the first step of determining effectiveness of the augmented podcasts was descriptive analysis of the test scores. analysis was done question wise as well as lecture segment wise. the following tables show the analysis of the results. table 3 shows the percentages of question wise scores of both groups. it is worthwhile to note that the scores, which may be translated as engagement with media, remain consistent with the video lectures (av group) for the first indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 302 two questions, unlike the augmented podcast (ap group). however, in q.3 a sharp drop can be seen in av, while ap remains consistent. it is evident from the table that though the students of the ap group showed lesser scores in the first two questions, the scores picked up in the next questions and remained consistent till q.7. this hike in the ap group has dropped in the last question. in the av group, from q.4, there is a hike in the scores, which gradually decreases by q.8. table-4: lecture-wise assessment scores of both the groups lecture 1 lecture 2 lecture 3 lecture 4 lecture wise of ap 68.57% 85.71% 90% 72.86% correct answers (%) av 74.07% 64.81% 85.19% 74.07% table-3: quiz wise assessment scores of both the groups q.1 q.2 q.3 q.4 q.5 q.6 q.7 q.8 question wise ap 77.14% 60% 77.14% 94.29% 97.14% 82.86% 80% 65.71% correct answers (%) av 74.07% 37.04% 92.59% 88.89% 81.48% 77.78% 70.37% 74.07% assessment scores of the students who took the augmented podcast and audio visual descriptive analysis of lecture wise scores table 4 shows the lecture wise percentages of scores of students of both groups. each lecture had two questions based on the content. as noted above, in lecture 1 the percentage of students who gave the correct answer in group ap is lower as compared to group av. after that, the percentages for lecture 2 are higher for group ap as compared to group av. for lecture 3, a hike in the percentage of students with correct answers can be seen in both groups. for lecture 4, both groups had almost the same number of students with correct answers. assessment scores of the students who took the augmented podcast and audio visual descriptive analysis of overall scores table 5 shows the overall percentages of both the groups. the overall score of av is lesser than ap by almost 5 per cent. table-5: overall assessment scores of both groups assessment scores of the students who took the augmented podcast and audio visual overall of correct ap 79.29% answers (%) av 74.54% indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 303 this difference in the percentages scores is pronounced due to the initial low scores in av, which undermined the increase in the latter questions. the above descriptive analysis shows that overall both the groups have performed equally irrespective of having different media to learn. inferential analysis at the outset, the collected data was checked for normality using the shapirowilk test (khatun, 2021). the results revealed that the data collected was non-normal. this led to the application of mann whitney u test for inferential analysis. mann whitney u test is particularly suited for situations where the assumption of equal variances between groups may not hold, making it a robust choice for analyzing the test scores (milenović, 2011). by comparing the scores of the two groups, the mann-whitney u test provided insights into the effectiveness of video versus podcast formats in enhancing student test scores. this test was conducted to test hypotheses regarding the impact of the media formats on student test scores. the test was conducted on the scores obtained from both the experimental and control groups. this analysis aimed to determine whether there were statistically significant differences in performance between the groups that could be attributed to the use of different media formats. overall, this combination of descriptive and inferential analyses allowed for a comprehensive examination of the data, enabling the study to draw meaningful conclusions about the impact of educational media on student performance across different levels of question difficulty. in order to further consolidate the findings, inferential analysis was carried out. this analysis was done for all three levels. scores of each student for all the questions of the same level were summed together for both the groups. the mann-whitney was done between these level wise scores ap and av. low-level questions question 1, 4, 5 and 6 were the low level questions. table 6 shows the sum of all low level questions of each student in both the groups. as the data is not normally distributed mann-whitney u test was done. table-6: scores of all low level questions in both the groups total assessment scores of the students for all low level questions who took the augmented podcast and audio visual 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 ap 4 2 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 1 4 3 3 3 3 3 1 4 4 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 3 4 mann-whitney u test: the 35 participants (m= 3.51, sd = 0.81) who received the intervention of augmented podcasts were compared with 27 participants (m = 3.37, sd = 0.83) who received instruction via video lectures. there was no significant difference in the test scores between the two groups indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 304 p = 0.4028. the result is not significant at p < 0.05. from the analysis of the low level questions, it is evident that both media have worked equally well for the learning of the low level questions. medium level questions questions 2 and 7 were medium-level questions. table 7 shows the sum of all medium-level questions of each student in both groups. as the data is not normally distributed, the mann-whitney u test was done. table-7: scores of all medium level questions in both the groups total assessment scores of the students for all medium level questions who took the augmented podcast and audio visual 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 ap 0 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 0 2 2 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 2 1 2 2 2 1 2 ap 1 2 2 0 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 0 2 1 2 2 1 0 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 mann-whitney u test: the 35 participants (m= 1.4, sd = 0.65) who received the intervention of augmented podcasts were compared with 27 participants (m = 1.51, sd = 0.70) who received instruction via video lectures. there was no significant difference in the test scores between the two groups p = 0.3753. the result is not significant at p < 0.05. from the analysis of the medium level questions, it is evident that both media have worked equally well for the learning of medium level questions. high-level questions questions 3 and 8 are high-level questions. table 8 shows the sum of all high-level questions of each student in both groups. since the data is not normally distributed, the mann-whitney u test was done. table-8: scores of all high-level questions in both groups total assessment scores of the students for all high level questions who took the augmented podcast and audio visual 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 ap 2 2 0 0 2 2 1 2 1 2 1 1 2 2 1 2 1 0 2 0 1 0 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 1 ap 1 2 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 mann-whitney u test: the 35 participants (m= 1.42, sd = 0.73) who received the intervention of augmented podcasts were compared with 27 participants (m = 1.07, sd = 0.67) who received instruction via video lectures. there was a significant difference in the test scores between the two groups p indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 305 = 0.0381. the result is significant at p < 0.05. from the analysis of the high-level questions, it is evident that both media have not worked equally well for the learning of medium-level questions. this needs further investigation. it is evident that both media have worked equally well for the learning of low and medium questions. usability and engagement while videos offer a passive consumption model, augmented podcasts (aps) require active engagement through interactive elements such as synchronized transcripts, clickable timestamps, and supplementary resources. this additional effort in navigation is not a drawback but a feature that deepens cognitive engagement and enhances learning retention. y active learning over passive consumption: unlike videos, which often lead to passive watching, aps require intentional interaction— skimming through transcripts, revisiting key points, and engaging with supplementary materials. this aligns with cognitive load theory, where controlled effort leads to better retention. y personalized pace of learning: aps allow users to navigate based on their needs, spending more time on difficult concepts and skipping familiar ones. this control fosters selfregulated learning, which research suggests enhances motivation and comprehension. y mobile optimization & usability: the argument that aps demand extra effort is mitigated by the fact that modern podcast platforms are designed for seamless tap-and-scroll interactions, making them just as easy to use as video platforms, if not more so. it was also possible for learners to annotate the pdf of the slides whenever they felt necessary. this feature of additional learner autonomy and responsibility is not available in the video format. y cognitive load reduction: videos often integrate multiple simultaneous stimuli (visual, auditory, textual), which can overwhelm learners. aps break this down by separating audio track, and the visual slides, allowing for more focused and self-paced learning. y screen independence: learners with visual impairments or those in scenarios where screen use is impractical (e.g., commuting) benefit from the flexibility of aps. conclusion this research provides important insights into student engagement with augmented podcasts and video lectures, demonstrating that both media effectively support learning, though their strengths may vary depending on the complexity of the content. while no significant differences were found in test scores between learners who used podcasts and those who used videos in lowand medium-difficulty tests, a difference emerged in highdifficulty tests, where videos slightly outperformed podcasts. however, this does not diminish the potential of augmented podcasts, especially when paired with supplementary pdfs, which allow for content delivery that is both efficient and effective. augmented podcasts proved to be a novel and comparable alternative to video lectures, particularly for content that is less complex and does not rely heavily on visual elements. the combination of audio with text-based materials allows learners to engage deeply with the content, without the distractions that sometimes accompany indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 306 video-based learning. their reduced data load makes them an ideal, low-bandwidth alternative, offering significant advantages in overcoming digital divide issues, particularly in regions where internet access is limited or unreliable. for educators and curriculum designers, these findings highlight the importance of not relying solely on video lectures. incorporating augmented podcasts into the curriculum can enhance accessibility and engagement, particularly for content that can be conveyed effectively through audio. the results of this study invite educators to re-examine how different media can serve different educational needs, encouraging a more balanced and inclusive approach to instructional design. future research should continue to explore the impact of these media by focusing on the qualitative experiences of students using augmented podcasts. such studies would help uncover further nuances in student preferences and media consumption patterns, ultimately guiding the development of more personalised and effective educational content. further research should also explore the impact of these media on other subjects which rely heavily on visual elements. future research directions while this study establishes the usability and effectiveness of augmented podcasts (aps) in a controlled learning environment, certain aspects require further exploration. one key area for future research is optimizing aps for mobile accessibility. while it is currently functional on mobile devices, its seamless navigation, integration with learning management systems, and user experience across different screen sizes and operating systems warrant deeper investigation. additionally, transcripts and assistive features can enhance the accessibility of aps, particularly for learners with hearing impairments. future research can explore how synchronized transcripts, interactive transcripts, or ai-generated captions may contribute to inclusivity without compromising engagement. limitations despite its contributions, this study has certain limitations. the study was initially conducted in a tier-1 city, where infrastructure issues like low bandwidth or unstable connectivity were not a concern. although this helped control for extraneous variables, future research should examine aps in tier-2 and tier-3 cities to assess their real-world effectiveness across varied digital environments. this consideration was incorporated in the later stages of the experiment. this paper presents findings from the pilot study, which is part of a larger research project. this study focused on concept-heavy content, where aps may serve as a viable alternative to videos. however, for visually intensive subjects (e.g., engineering diagrams, medical imaging), aps may have inherent limitations. further research should investigate their applicability across different disciplines. while aps encourage active engagement through navigation, the additional cognitive effort required might be a barrier for some learners, particularly those accustomed to passive video consumption. future research should examine user preferences, cognitive load, and engagement levels in different learner populations. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 307 (acknowledgement: this research is funded by indian council of social science research (icssr), new delhi, india, under its major research category. the research and development of the la-reflect system (the platform used for data collection) is partially supported by jsps kakenhi grant-in-aid for scientific research (b) jp22h03902. we would like to express our gratitude to dr. sarika chouhan for her assistance in data collection for this research.) references ahmad, n. 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(2023). students’ attitudes toward the use of podcast as digital material in efl classroom. linguistic, english education and art (leea) journal, 6(2), 209–221. https:// doi.org/10.31539/leea.v6i2.2792 khatun, n. (2021). applications of normality test in statistical analysis. open journal of statistics, 11(01), 113–122. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojs.2021.111006 milenović, ž. (2011). application of mann-whitney u test in research of professional training of primary school teachers. metodički obzori/methodological horizons, 6(1), 73–79. https://doi.org/10.32728/mo.06.1.2011.06 harrison, t. (2019). how distance education students perceive the impact of teaching videos on their learning. open learning: the journal of open, distance and e-learning, 1–17. doi:10.1080/02680513.2019.1702518 wang, t., towey, d., ng, r. y., & gill, a. s. 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(2022). podcasting as a learning tool in medical education: prior to and during the pandemic period. balkan medical journal, 39(5), 334–339. https://doi.org/10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2022.2022-7-81 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 213 research article navigating the role of chatgpt in education from the perspectives of phd scholars sruthi sugunan p1 & thiyagu k2 1phd research scholar, department of education, saraswathi building, central university of kerala, tejaswini hills, periye (po), kasaragod, kerala emailsruthisugunan898@gmail.com 2associate professor, department of education, central university of karnataka abstract as an open ai language model, chatgpt generates one billion visitors per month. the specialists in chatgpt ensure that it will explore all fields, especially the educational system, because of its natural language processing and provision of human-like responses. this innovative technology has the power to transform traditional educational approaches and create a more dynamic learning environment for students around the world. some teachers and educators perceive it as an educational tool for supporting teaching and learning processes in the classroom. they are also seeking tremendous opportunities to include chatgpt in the educational system. moreover, they are also concerned about the ethical issues and challenges of using chatgpt as an educational tool. the present study reveals the opportunities and challenges of chatgpt in education from the perspectives of phd scholars. the major findings on perceptions of chatgpt in education highlight its ease of use, student-centric approach, personalized learning capabilities, and broad applicability for content creation as a pedagogical tool. however, challenges such as concerns about authenticity, ethical issues, impacts on critical thinking and creativity, and the necessity for teacher competence and training are also significant. in this study, a qualitative, semi-structured interview approach was employed for data collection, conducted with 30 phd scholars chosen via a convenient sampling technique, and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis. keywords: artificial intelligence, chatbot, chatgpt in education, opportunities, challenges introduction the world and the lives of human beings have been orbiting around a digital explosion for recent years. the remarkable advancement in artificial intelligence (ai) has permeated every aspect of human life, like healthcare, transportation systems, education, and entertainment. the term ai has been around for several decades, and it was coined in the 1950s by computer scientist john mccarthy, one of the founding fathers of ai (hassani et al., 2020). ai generally means building a computer program similar to human intelligence, such as reasoning, perception, decision making and natural language processing (kahn & winters, 2021). the world of ai is as diverse as it is fascinating, encompassing an array of technologies such as chatbots, chatgpt, autonomous vehicles, image recognition systems, and machine learning algorithms. chatbots or conversational algorithms have been familiar for years and used in everyday life in the case of e-shopping, booking a flight ticket, movie ticket and food delivery (zemčík, 2019). a chatbot is a computer program in the form of a virtual email correspondent that can reply to messages from computer users indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 214 (definition of chatbot | dictionary.com). the idea of eliza, the first chatbot, was raised from the thoughts of alan turing about how a computer program can be used to talk with a group of people (adamopoulou & moussiades, 2020). now, it explores advanced chatbots by breaking the major limitations of traditional chatbots, like understanding and generating natural language and the ability to handle complex or unexpected user input. as an openai language model, chatgpt generates one billion visitors per month. the specialists in chatgpt ensure that it will explore all fields, especially the educational system, because of its natural language processing and provision of human-like responses. this innovative technology has the power to transform traditional educational approaches and create a more dynamic learning environment for students around the world. some teachers and educators perceive it as an educational tool for supporting teaching and learning processes in the classroom. they are also seeking tremendous opportunities to include chatgpt in the educational system. moreover, they are also concerned about the ethical issues and challenges of using chatgpt as an educational tool. this paper discusses the most advanced and sophisticated chatbot, chatgpt, from phd scholars’ perspectives. the present study reveals the opportunities and challenges of chatgpt in education from the perspectives of phd scholars. here, the method used for data collection is a qualitative, semi-structured interview method, which was carried out on 30 phd scholars selected through a convenient sampling method. brief literature review chatgpt: overview chatgpt is a powerful, transformative, artificially intelligent tool developed by openai based on recent advancements in ai and natural language processing (nlp) (dwivedi et al., 2023). the gpt (generative pretrained transformer) was first introduced by openai in 2018 as a language model (ollivier et al., 2023). the third version of the gpt series, gpt-3, was released in 2020 (dehouche, 2021), followed by gpt-1 and gpt-2 language models. chatgpt is a derivative of gpt-3 specially designed for use in conversational interfaces such as chatbots. chatgpt is a sophisticated ai language model used for various tasks, including language translation, content creation, and (javaid et al., 2023) chatbot development, in all contexts of society. like chatgpt, there are more recent chatbots such as blenderbot, and gpt-4, also known as lamda, is the latest version of openai’s gpt series (o’leary, 2023) released on march 14, 2023, and was considered a significant advancement from gpt-3.5 for chatgpt, impressing observers. chatgpt in educational context education is constantly evolving with the latest trends in technology. openai chatgpt stands at the forefront of modern education, revolutionizing every aspect of the education sector. according to the available data, chatgpt crossed one billion users worldwide in march 2023 (ruby, 2023). the availability, accessibility, conversational interface, multilingual support, easiness of getting knowledge, etc., made it famous in different fields of society, especially the education sector. chatgpt is gaining popularity and becoming appealing in the higher education sector (baig & yadegaridehkordi, 2024). now, teachers, researchers, and professionals are seeking various opportunities to include chatgpt to update the modern educational system. the limitless opportunities of chatgpt can be leveraged to build new teaching approaches, boost student participation and teamwork, enhance learning, indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 215 promote hands-on and experiential learning, stimulate collaboration among students, improve the evaluation capabilities of instructors and innovate new assessment strategies (firat, 2023a). also, large language models have the potential to provide a wide range of opportunities for professionals and students at all levels of education (kasneci et al., 2023) (from the elementary to higher education sectors). this includes strategies for personalized learning and asynchronous learning, helps in teacher lesson plan preparation and professional development, for research and writing, etc. students prefer chatbots such as chatgpt due to their various advantages in the educational experience (ngo, 2023; stöhr et al., 2024). they are motivated to use this human-like interface (shoufan, 2023). for these reasons, many specialists in this field believe that chatgpt will become a vital component of the educational system as soon as possible (mhlanga, 2023). besides the wide opportunities the chatgpt provides, there are serious challenges too (gordijn & have, 2023). they are reliability and accuracy of scientific work, overreliance on ai, quality control, large energy consumption and environmental impact, privacy and safety concerns of users (ray, 2023), slowdown of real-time responses, the chance of misinformation, ethical issues (lo, 2023), the digital divide, copyright issues, etc. also, when considering the higher education system, there is much scope for plagiarized works on behalf of students without using their creativity and critical thinking, like submitting assignments and projects (dehouche, 2021). but some strategies can be used by the teachers to prevent plagiarism, like close monitoring of work (originality, checking for sources, and citation), educating students on the bad effects of plagiarism, using plagiarismchecking tools, and providing clear-cut guidance on how to use gpt-3 (cotton et al., 2023). the further issues caused by chatgpt are multilingualism and fair access to all, which are critical issues to consider; otherwise, it will create a significant digital divide and education gap worldwide (kasneci et al., 2023). research indicates that chatgpt development remains nascent, focusing on natural language processing and comprehension, dialogue systems, speech processing and recognition, learning systems, chatbots, and response generation (baber et al., 2023). however, openai’s research team is constantly working to improve the capabilities and reliability of chatgpt and overcome the challenges (sohail et al., 2023). if it’s possible, ai will have a significant impact on the whole world of human beings in all aspects. unfortunately, many educators and educational institutions are unaware of the effective integration of technology into their teaching (redecker, 2017a). studies are carried out on the perception of students and scholars on chatgpt from turkey, sweden, canada, and australia. the study findings identified different aspects of chatgpt (firat, 2023b). however, students are still skeptical about using chatgpt positively impacting academic purposes (singh et al., 2023). as students’ reliance on chatgpt grows, educational institutions must thoughtfully explore its integration into the assessment procedure. it is essential to create evaluations that promote the responsible use of chatgpt, safeguarding students’ critical thinking skills and creativity in their writing assessments (maheshwari, 2024). however, there are concerns about the authenticity and ethical aspects of the data generated by these. faculty members in pakistan typically have a negative perception of chatgpt, voicing major worries regarding risks like cheating and plagiarism while recognizing advantages such as easier lesson planning and assessment. the indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 216 study shows that university teachers need additional information and training on chatgpt to effectively decide on its application in education (iqbal et al., 2023). research gap identified in the literature while there is a growing body of research examining the perceptions of students, teachers, and educators regarding chatgpt in various educational contexts, these studies remain limited and largely in their infancy. notably, research specifically focusing on the perceptions of phd scholars is scarce, and there is a significant lack of studies addressing these issues within the indian context. the current study discusses phd scholars’ perspectives on the opportunities and challenges of chatgpt in education through qualitative, semi-structured interview methods. twelve openended questions were included and constructed by the researcher. research purpose and questions the study is carried out to examine the phd scholars’ perception of the challenges and opportunities of chatgpt in education. a semi-structured interview method was adopted to find out this. which consists of the following questions. 1. have you ever used chatgpt as an educational tool? if so, what was your experience like? 2. what is your perception of the use of chatgpt in the education system? 3. in what ways do you think chatgpt can be utilized to enhance the teaching and learning process? 4. what challenges do you foresee in using chatgpt in the education system? 5. how do you think the use of chatgpt will impact the role of teachers in the classroom? 6. what precautions do you think should be taken to ensure the ethical use of chatgpt in the education system? 7. what are your thoughts on the potential of chatgpt to personalize learning and meet the individual needs of students? 8. how can teacher educators be trained to effectively incorporate chatgpt into their teaching strategies? 9. in your opinion, what are some of the limitations of chatgpt as an educational tool? 10. what do you see as the future of chatgpt in the education system? 11. do you have a positive/neutral/ negative attitude about chatgpt as an educational tool? why? 12. did you use chatgpt for your research purposes? if yes, what are the ways chatgpt will help you as a researcher? method a qualitative approach and semistructured interview technique were used to get the chatgpt perception of phd scholars.  participants for the study, convenient sampling methods were used. the sample consisted of 30 phd scholars from the kasaragod and kannur districts. data collection convenient sampling methods were used for the data collection process. the interview data was recorded as audio.  indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 217 data analysis after all interviews, thematic analysis was carried out for data analysis. for this purpose, the collected interview data was analyzed question by question, and then recurring themes were identified from the responses. result 30 phd scholars of kasaragod and kannur university were selected for the interview. only 17 phd scholars (56.67%) tried chatgpt, and 10 phd scholars (33.33%) are exploring its maximum potential as an educational tool. the users have good experience in one word. however, when further questions were asked, it revealed a wealth of information on the opportunities and challenges of chatgpt. it is very exciting that the study found that 13 phd scholars (43.33%) have never tried it, and they have very little awareness. discussion research question 1: have you ever used chatgpt as an educational tool? if so, what was your experience like? the 17 phd scholars are impressive, and they have good experience with the data getting beyond their thinking and don’t think that much at all times. for them, more attractiveness is easiness in using and getting ideas very quickly. many studies discuss the potential concern of how a chatbot like chatgpt can help the researcher (khlaif et al., 2023; sallam, 2023; alzaabi et al., 2023). however, some of them have had bad experiences with chatgpt regarding the reliability and accuracy of the content. research question 2: what is your perception of the use of chatgpt in the education system? only a few phd scholars are perceived at all levels of chatgpt in the education system. the active users are interested in how chatgpt responds to a particular question. they admit that the outstanding and attractive capabilities of chatgpt to provide natural language have much to do with being an educational tool (opara et al., 2023). also, they pointed out its broad applicability  to content creation, its benefits in getting new and vast ideas, and its immediate solution to a problematic question and language learning. on the other hand,  they are very concerned about its limitations too. there are similar studies, like the perception of chatgpt in education, which resembles all the above concerns (chellappa & luximon, 2024 such as chatgpt, have contributed to their growing popularity in education. however, there is currently a lack of evidence regarding the perception of chatgpt, specifically among design students. this study aimed to understand the product design (pd; arguello et al., 2024). research question 3: in what ways do you think chatgpt can be utilized to enhance the teaching and learning process? the phd scholars believe that chatgpt can potentially enhance the teachinglearning process in some way, and they suggested several forms for including chatgpt. they are: chatgpt can be used as a pedagogical tool, teachers can develop instructional devices based on that, and teachers can engage students actively by adopting different methods of teaching-learning process inside and outside the classroom with the help of chatgpt. if a teacher is assisted correctly on how to use chatgpt by the student  for language learning, doing assignments, and solving problems using their brain, it will become a new trend in learning. studies show how chatgpt can be a supporting tool in the teaching-learning process (elsayary, indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 218 2024resulting in the emergence of a “knowledge society.” however, students and teachers have faced challenges in adapting to this digitalization. in the united arab emirates (uae ; baidoo-anu & ansah, 2023; ali et al., 2024). research question 4: what challenges do you foresee in using chatgpt in the education system? moreover, regarding the potential benefits of using chatgpt, the phd scholars are very concerned about the challenges and limitations of chatgpt in the education system. if someone becomes too reliant on chatgpt for their learning, it may hinder their creativity and limit their capacity for critical thinking. especially if the students are not trained in using chatgpt, it will lead to merely copying data for their assignments and homework (adeshola & adepoju, 2023). other major challenges they foresee are a lack of ensuring authenticity and control of data provided by the chatgpt. because sometimes it provides limited ideas and less clarification for some topics, in some cases, bias and inaccuracies in the data also happen, and there is no provision to ensure the authenticity of data, so students should not rely on chatgpt alone. also, some of them suggest that blind dependence upon chatgpt will cause a more negative impact on the teaching-learning process rather than good output (farrokhnia et al., 2024). so, in the educational system, teachers have to train the students properly about how to use chatgpt in a better way; otherwise, it will block the natural thinking capacity and creativity of students. there are studies which show that ai-based chatbots like chatgpt’s significant role in critical thinking (essel et al., 2024; suriano et al., 2025). research question 5: how do you think the use of chatgpt will impact the role of teachers in the classroom? phd scholars believe that the role of the teacher cannot be replaced by anything. however, there is concern that students may rely too heavily on chatgpt for their educational needs if the teacher neglects them for their doubt clarification and less care in the classroom. even if the teacher cares about students to some extent, due to its vast knowledge availability and ease of getting information, there is a possibility that they may prefer chatgpt over their teachers. not only these things but also chatgpt’s humanlike response and free resource support for learning will sometimes affect the student’s dependency on it rather than the teacher. for that, phd scholars mentioned the importance of being a conscious and alert  teacher even though ai is a machine and can’t provide emotional support for students.  research question 6: what precautions do you think should be taken to ensure the ethical use of chatgpt in the education system? phd scholars are unaware of the extent to which precautions can be taken for the ethical use of chatgpt in the educational system. however, some of them suggested the importance of cross-checking the content delivered by chatgpt by the teacher. like when a student is submitting assignments and homework the teacher has to ensure that the student did the work and understands it. moreover, regarding the potential benefits of using chatgpt, the phd scholars are very concerned about the challenges and limitations of chatgpt in the education system. if someone becomes too reliant on chatgpt for their learning, it may hinder their creativity and limit their capacity for critical thinking. especially if the students are not trained in using chatgpt, it will lead to merely copying data for indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 219 their assignments and homework (adeshola & adepoju, 2023). other major challenges they foresee are a lack of ensuring authenticity and control of data provided by the chatgpt. because sometimes it provides limited ideas and less clarification for some topics, in some cases, bias and inaccuracies in the data also happen, and there is no provision to ensure the authenticity of data, so students should not rely on chatgpt alone. also, some of them suggest that blind dependence upon chatgpt will cause a more negative impact on the teaching-learning process rather than good output (farrokhnia et al., 2024). so, in the educational system, teachers have to train the students properly about how to use chatgpt in a better way; otherwise, it will block the natural thinking capacity and creativity of students. there are studies which show that ai-based chatbots like chatgpt’s significant role in critical thinking (essel et al., 2024; suriano et al., 2025). research question 7: what are your thoughts on the potential of chatgpt to personalize learning and meet students’ individual needs? the phd scholars are concerned about our current situation of a sizeable student-teacher ratio in a classroom. because of this, teachers can’t take care of everyone at a time, and then here they added  the importance of chatgpt for personalized learning. because of the time limits, sometimes the students and their doubts were unknowingly neglected by the teacher inside the classroom. here, the phd scholars pointed out some attractive characteristics of chatgpt that emphasize personalized learning to meet the students’ needs. through chatgpt, the students get individualized doubt clarification at their own pace and time. sometimes, in the classroom, some students are scared to ask doubts, and  here, they can freely ask their doubts to chatgpt without fear. also, they can choose their learning style while using chatgpt. research question 8: how can teacher educators be trained to effectively incorporate chatgpt into their teaching strategies? they are concerned about teacher educators’ unawareness of technology integration in education, especially new trends like chatgpt. most teacher educators still stand with the traditional chalk-and-board classroom. to avoid this problem, they all suggested the authorities make proper provisions for pre-service and in-service training programs for teacher educators, including workshops, refreshment courses, expert classes, and online orientation courses at all teacher education levels. if the teachers are getting proper training on these challenging trends in the educational system, there is nothing to fear about the upcoming generation. research question 9: in your opinion, what are some of the limitations of chatgpt as an educational tool? the limitations of chatgpt, which was coined by phd scholars, are that it works fully on a network-bound platform,  and now the basic version is free. this causes the digital divide in our educational system, one of the significant limitations restricting equal and quality educational opportunities worldwide. the other limitations pointed out are that chatgpt couldn’t provide the latest and recent data, the problems with authenticity and ethical issues with information getting; while using chatgpt, it calls for enquiry nature from the user, while communication, even if it supports natural language processing and conversational mode of learning it lacks emotional intelligence. it will restrict students’ cognition if they indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 220 rely entirely on it. also, it cannot provide much information on the indian context, such as specified things.  research question 10: what do you see as the future of chatgpt in the education system? the phd scholars pointed out that if chatgpt were improved and updated on its limitations, in future, it would transform our educational system in all dimensions. some scholars argue that it has much scope in the future in the higher education sector rather than the elementary level. it will enhance the possibilities of personalized learning to  all extent in the higher education sector in the formal and non-formal education sectors. research question 11: do you have a positive/neutral/negative attitude about chatgpt as an educational tool? why? most scholars have a positive attitude towards chatgpt and enjoy its use and support in education. no one is against chatgpt as an educational tool because of its impressive wide range of information and ease of use. however, some scholars are neutral because they are concerned about the limitations and challenges. if chatgpt were  advanced, it would indeed have the potential to win the hearts of students, teachers, and education experts. research question 12: did you use chatgpt for your research purpose? if yes, in what ways will chatgpt help you as a researcher? chatgpt is a relatively new trend in education and research, but most scholars are still in the experimental stage regarding its use. out of 17 phd scholars, only 10 were use chatgpt for research purposes. they found chatgpt can be used to find related topics and studies, collect literature reviews, find relevant references and get additional resources to develop their study. educational implications the following are the educational implications of the study based on the above findings. y the study’s findings highlight the importance of providing training programs for teacher educators on integrating ai-powered tools in the teaching-learning process. y the study recommends the development of ai-supported teaching methodologies and instructional devices on behalf of researchers, teachers and experts in ai and education. y the study also reveals the digital divide problem in the educational system. so, the authorities should take some actions that pave the way for all students equal access to ai advancements without any barriers. y the study’s findings, like aisupported personalized learning, the wide applicability of ai in elementary education to higher education, and ethical aspects of ai in education, highlight the need for further research by experts in these areas. limitations y the data is collected from only 30 phd scholars of the kannur and kasaragod districts. y semi-structured interview methods were carried out for data collection. y convenient sampling methods were used for the study conclusion now, chatgpt represents the revolutionary trend  of ai applications indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 221 in all fields, especially education. the advanced features of chatgpt, like nlp, instant access and availability of a wide area of information, are favoured by some phd scholars, and they are aware of both the wide opportunities and challenges of chatgpt as an educational tool. but the reality is exciting; here, most of the research scholars are still in the initial stage, and none are interested in experimenting with new technological innovations in simple featured artificial intelligence like chatgpt. the concerns expressed by phd scholars regarding the negative impact of chatgpt on the academic field reflect a broader apprehension about the lack of awareness surrounding the controlled and constructive use of such chatbots in educational settings. this indicates a need for increased education and training to promote the responsible integration of ai tools in academia. the rapid adoption of chatgpt, reaching over 100 million users within just two months of its launch, underscores a concerning situation in the indian context where a significant portion of the global population engages with this technology without adequate understanding or guidance. this phenomenon raises critical questions about the implications of such widespread use, particularly in educational contexts, where the potential for positive and negative impacts remains largely unexplored. at national and international levels, there are several frameworks, selfassessment tools and training programs for teacher educators to assess and support their digital competency in the field of education (redecker, 2017b) educators require an increasingly broad and more sophisticated set of competences than before. in particular the ubiquity of digital devices and the duty to help students become digitally competent requires educators to develop their own digital competence. on international and national level a number of frameworks, self-assessment tools and training programmes have been developed to describe the facets of digital competence for educators and to help them assess their competence, identify their training needs and offer targeted training. analysing and clustering these instruments, this report presents a common european framework for the digital competence of educators (digcompedu. so, there is an urgent need for awareness  and training programs for teacher educators at all levels. it should ensure that the teacher educators are equipped with the 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(2019). a brief history of chatbots. destech transactions on computer science and engineering. https://doi.org/10.12783/dtcse/aicae2019/31439 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 342 review article transforming school education with artificial intelligence (ai): current approaches and implications vikram kumar assistant professor, diet daryaganj, new delhi emaildrvikramkumar7@gmail.com abstract artificial intelligence (ai) has transformed the education system with the help of technology, thus affecting different aspects of human life. this paper gives a general idea of ai in school education in the current scenario, focusing on approaches such as data science, machine learning and deep learning. it explores the historical integration of ai in schools, highlighting initiatives undertaken and approaches related to ai, and emphasises the disciplinary aspect of ai education. the practice of ai in education and its implications such as teacher training, curriculum development, interdisciplinary integration and ethical considerations are discussed in this paper. by examining examples and best practices, this paper underscores the potential of ai to enhance teaching, learning, and administrative processes, while recognising the challenges and ethical considerations that need to be addressed for responsible ai education implementation. keywords: artificial intelligence, ai, school education, machine learning, deep learning, data science, intelligent tutoring systems, personalised learning platforms, ai-driven assessment tools, computational thinking, ethical considerations, teacher training, curriculum development, interdisciplinary integration, successful ai education programs, and best practices introduction artificial intelligence (ai) has become a transformative technology that is revolutionising various domains of our society, including education (chan et al., 2021; johnson et al., 2019). as ai continues to advance, it holds immense potential to enhance and transform school education, offering new opportunities for personalised learning, intelligent assessment, and administrative processes (luckin et al., 2016). ai technology encompasses extensive use of methodologies and techniques, including machine learning, deep learning, and data science, enabling computers and systems to mimic human intelligence, analyse immense data, and estimate and decide (siemens, 2013). in the educational perspective, ai can assist in automating routine tasks, individualising instructions and providing valuable insights to educators (van harmelen, 2019). recently, the integration of ai in schools has gained momentum, with numerous initiatives and applications being developed and implemented, aiming to improve teaching and learning outcomes, optimise administrative processes, and equip students with essential skills for the future (chan et al., 2021). to understand the prospects and challenges that ai poses in education, it is important to ensure its effective integration and ethical utilisation (johnson et al., 2019). this paper intends to provide a summary of the current state of ai in school education, exploring the indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 343 historical development of ai in schools, examining current initiatives, and discussing the disciplinary aspect of ai education and its implications for practice. through a thorough review of relevant literature, research studies, and educational resources, this paper will synthesise what one can expect and the difficulties faced in ai integration in education, serving as a valuable resource for educators, policymakers, and investigators interested in ai in school education. methodology this review article conducts a thorough examination of existing literature and research papers to investigate the use of artificial intelligence (ai) in teacher education and professional development. a systematic strategy was used to locate relevant peer-reviewed articles, conference proceedings, and reports published in the last two decades, with a focus on key topics such as personalised learning, datadriven decision-making, and ethical considerations in ai. databases such as pubmed, ieee xplore, and google scholar were extensively searched for terms such as “ai in teacher education,” “personalised learning with ai,” and “ai ethics in education.” articles were chosen for their relevance, rigour, and contribution to the field. thematic analysis was used to summarise data, identify trends, and fill gaps in the literature. the review also critically explores ai’s benefits, challenges, and ethical concerns, ensuring a balanced discussion that provides practical insights for future research and practice in incorporating ai into teacher education programs. terminology in a wider context to ensure a shared understanding, this section provides clarification on key terms related to ai, specifically machine learning, deep learning, and data science, and how they fit into the broader ai landscape. 1. machine learning: machine learning is a subdivision of ai emphasising on facilitating computers to learn from data and thus perform in a better manner with an unambiguous programming method (mitchell, 1997). it comprises of developing statistical models and algorithms that allow machines to identify patterns automatically and predict or decide on the basis of data. an example of machine learning in education is using algorithms to evaluate data for student performance and deliver recommendations personally for further resources or interventions in learning (baker and yacef, 2009). 2. deep learning: another specialised area of machine learning, deep learning is an inspiration of the structure of the neural networks of human brain and its function (lecun et al., 2015). deep learning trains the artificial neural networks with multiple layers to develop complex data representations and extract meaningful patterns. it has proved successful in tasks such as speech and image recognition. in education, deep learning techniques can be applied to analyse large datasets, such as student responses, to uncover underlying patterns and insights (wang et al., 2019). 3. data science: an interdisciplinary field, data science is a combination of machine learning, statistical analysis and domain expertise to gain information and understanding from large and complex datasets (provost and fawcett, 2013). it involves collecting, cleaning, organising and analysing data to derive meaningful information and support decision-making. in education, data science can help uncover trends, identify learning gaps, and inform the development of evidence-based strategies (romero and ventura, 2013). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 344 these concepts, machine learning, deep learning, and data science, are interrelated and contribute to the broader field of ai. while machine learning focuses on algorithms and models that enable machines to learn from data, deep learning dives deeper into neural network architectures to process complex information. data science provides the tools and techniques to extract valuable insights from data and make informed decisions in various domains, including education. by understanding these terms and their interconnections, educators and researchers can grasp the potential applications and implications of ai in education and effectively incorporate ai-related approaches into teaching, learning and administrative practices. tracing ai’s history in schools this section focuses on the historical exploration of the integration of ai in school education, highlighting early initiatives, challenges faced, and the evolution of ai technologies within educational settings. 1. early initiatives: in the 1960s, researchers began exploring the potential of computer technology in education (haugeland, 1985). early initiatives focused on creating learning environments with the use of computers and tutoring systems that were smart. for example, the plato system developed at the university of illinois in the 1960s provided interactive learning experiences to students through computer terminals (kearsley, 2010). 2. challenges faced: in the early stages, the integration of ai in schools encountered several challenges. limited access to computer technology, high costs, and lack of expertise posed significant barriers to widespread adoption (dede, 1990). additionally, the complexity of ai systems and the need for sophisticated algorithms and computational resources presented challenges in developing effective educational applications (koedinger& corbett, 2006). 3. evolution of ai technologies: over time, advancements in ai technologies and computing capabilities have significantly impacted ai integration in schools. the creation of machine learning algorithms, increased computing power, and the availability of large educational datasets have opened new possibilities for ai applications in education (baker and inventado, 2014). this brought intelligent tutoring systems, learning analytics platforms, and personalised learning environments into the scenario. 4. intelligent tutoring systems: this has been a notable development in ai integration in schools. the intelligent tutoring systems employ artificial intelligence techniques for providing personalised instructions and support to individual students. its can be adjusted to cater to students’ needs, provide feedback, and track their progress (van lehn, 2011). for example, the cognitive tutor developed at carnegie mellon university has been widely used to teach mathematics concepts and adaptively support students’ learning (koedinger et al., 1997). 5. learning analytics: another significant development is the application of learning analytics, which involves the use of techniques of ai and data analysis to gain insights from educational data (siemens & long, 2011). learning analytics can help identify learning patterns, predict student performance, and inform instructional decision-making (romero & ventura, 2013). for instance, analysing student engagement data collected through online learning platforms can provide valuable information indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 345 on student learning behaviours and improve instructional strategies. 6. personalised learning environments: ai has also enabled the creation of personalised learning environments suitable to students’ individual necessities and preferences. these environments leverage ai algorithms to deliver tailored content, exercises and assessments (hwang et al., 2018). by analysing student data and performance, ai systems can provide targeted recommendations and interventions. this promotes individualised learning experiences and supports students in their academic journey. despite the progress made, challenges remain in ai integration in schools. ethical considerations, privacy concerns, and the need for teacher training in ai pedagogy are areas that require careful attention (bulger et al., 2016). however, with ongoing research, collaboration between educators and ai experts, and effective policy frameworks, ai is a prospective to revolutionise teaching and learning, making education more customised, engaging and effective. current initiatives and ai-related approaches in schools this section delves into the current landscape of ai in schools, highlighting initiatives and approaches that leverage ai to enhance teaching, learning and administrative processes. it showcases examples of intelligent tutoring systems, personalised learning platforms, ai-driven assessment tools, virtual assistants and data analytics for personalised interventions. 1. intelligent tutoring systems (its): this system makes use of ai technologies that fulfils students’ needs of customized instructions and support (vanlehn, 2011). for example, carnegie learning’s cognitive tutor helps students learn mathematics by providing interactive lessons, adaptive practice, and real-time feedback based on individual performance and learning needs (koedinger et al., 1997). 2. personalised learning platforms: ai enables the development of personalized learning platforms that cater to individual learning preferences and needs (hwang et al., 2018). khan academy, an online learning platform, uses ai to recommend relevant learning resources, adapt learning paths, and provide targeted practice exercises based on students’ strengths and weaknesses (khan academy, n.d.). 3. ai-driven assessment tools: ai has the potential to transform assessment practices by automating and enhancing the evaluation process (dikli, 2003). turnitin, an online plagiarism detection tool, employs ai algorithms to analyse student writing and identify potential instances of plagiarism, supporting academic integrity (turnitin, n.d.). 4. virtual assistants: ai-powered virtual assistants, such as chatbots, are increasingly employed in schools to support administrative tasks and enhance communication (shawar and atwell, 2007). these assistants can provide quick responses to common queries, assist with scheduling, and provide information to students, parents and staff (google, n.d.). 5. data analytics for personalised interventions: ai-driven data analytics tools help educators analyse vast amounts of educational data to gain insights and inform decision-making (romero and ventura, 2013). learning analytics platforms like bright space analytics provide dashboards and visualisations that enable educators to monitor student progress, identify struggling students, and intervene with targeted support at an early stage (d2l, n.d.). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 346 artificial intelligence (ai) is playing an increasingly pivotal role in transforming education, with notable trends and challenges emerging as it becomes more integrated into school systems. prominent trends include the growing use of personalised learning platforms, intelligent tutoring systems, and aibased assessment tools, which enable tailored learning experiences to meet diverse student needs (johnson et al., 2022). moreover, virtual assistants and chatbots are being utilised to offer realtime academic support and improve administrative efficiency. ai is also being incorporated into school curricula to promote computational thinking and enhance students’ digital literacy skills (kumar and patel, 2023). however, the implementation of ai in education is not without challenges. key concerns include ethical issues, particularly around data privacy and security, which pose significant barriers. many schools face resource constraints, such as inadequate infrastructure and insufficiently trained staff, hindering the effective adoption of ai (smith and lee, 2021). the digital divide further amplifies inequities, with disadvantaged schools often lacking access to advanced ai technologies (gupta and sharma, 2022). additionally, continuous professional development for teachers is essential to integrate ai tools effectively into their teaching practices. tackling these challenges is vital to fully harness the transformative power of ai in education. these examples demonstrate the diverse applications of ai in schools, enhancing various aspects of education. intelligent tutoring systems, personalised learning platforms, ai-driven assessment tools, virtual assistants, and data analytics tools all contribute to creating more personalised, adaptive and effective learning experiences for students. while these initiatives hold great promise, it is essential to ensure ethical use, address privacy concerns, and provide necessary support and training for educators to maximise the benefits of artificial intelligence in education. disciplinary aspects of artificial intelligence artificial intelligence is not an exclusive tool or application but also a subject of study in its own right. this section highlights the significance of introducing ai as a discipline in school curricula, emphasising the benefits of teaching ai-related concepts and skills, including computational thinking and ethical considerations. 1. computational thinking: ai education fosters computational thinking, which refers to the ability of formulation and problem solving in a way that computers can understand and process (wing, 2006). by incorporating ai into the curriculum, students develop computational thinking skills that are valuable in problem-solving across various domains (grover and pea, 2013). for example, programming ai models to classify images or predict outcomes requires students to think critically, analyse data, and design algorithms. 2. ethical considerations: teaching ai as a discipline in schools provides an opportunity to address ethical considerations associated with ai technologies (floridi et al., 2018). students learn to navigate ethical challenges related to algorithmic bias, data privacy, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence (jobin et al., 2019). they develop an understanding of the potential societal impact of ai and the importance of designing ai systems that align with ethical values. 3. interdisciplinary connections: ai education creates interdisciplinary connections, bridging ai concepts with other disciplines (luckin et al., 2020). ai intersects with fields such as mathematics, computer science, social indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 347 sciences and ethics (bundy et al., 2017). teaching ai as a discipline encourages collaboration and integration across subject areas, fostering holistic understanding and cross-disciplinary problem-solving. 4. future career readiness: integrating ai education prepares students for the future job market, where ai and related technologies are rapidly advancing (manyika et al., 2017). by gaining knowledge and skills in ai, students are better equipped to pursue careers in fields such as data science, ai research, robotics and automation (baker and yacef, 2009). moreover, understanding ai concepts and applications enhance students’ digital literacy and adaptability in a technology-driven world. 5. real-world applications: teaching ai in schools allows students to engage with real-world applications and hands-on projects (papamitsiou and economides, 2014). these practical experiences enable students to apply ai concepts to real-life scenarios, fostering creativity, problem-solving skills, and innovation. for example, students can work on designing chatbots, creating machine learning models or building aibased projects. integrating ai as a disciplinary subject in school curricula equips students with essential skills and knowledge to navigate an ai-driven world. by fostering computational thinking, addressing ethical considerations, promoting interdisciplinary connections, and offering practical applications, ai education empowers students to become critical thinkers, responsible users of technology and future innovators. implications for ai education practice this section discusses the implications for the practice of ai education in schools, emphasising the importance of teacher training, curriculum development and the integration of ai across disciplines. it also provides examples of successful ai education programs and best practices. 1. teacher training: to implement ai into education and achieve its integration effectively, teachers should be provided the relevant skills and knowledge so that they can teach in efficient ways (moursund, 2018). professional development programs should be designed to enhance teachers’ understanding of ai technologies, their applications and pedagogical strategies for ai integration. for instance, workshops, online courses, and collaborative learning communities can empower teachers to design ai-driven lessons, guide student projects, and support ethical considerations related to ai (moursund and bielefeldt, 2020). example: the ai for k-12 initiative developed by a local education authority provides comprehensive training to teachers, thus providing relevant skills and knowledge for the integration of ai concepts in various subject areas. the training includes hands-on activities, lesson plans, and access to ai tools and resources (smith et al., 2022). 2. curriculum development: integrating ai into school curricula requires the development of well-designed and age-appropriate ai-focused learning experiences (grover and pea, 2018). curriculum developers should collaborate with ai experts and educators to identify learning outcomes, design ai-related activities, and align them with subject-specific standards. this ensures that ai education is integrated seamlessly into existing curriculum frameworks and supports interdisciplinary connections (datta et al., 2021). example: a curriculum development team collaborates with ai researchers and educators to create a series of ai modules that are embedded within indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 348 different subjects, such as science, mathematics and social studies. these modules introduce ai concepts, engage students in hands-on projects, and connect ai with real-world applications in their respective subject areas (koedinger et al., 2019). 3. integration across disciplines: ai education should not be confined to a single subject but should be integrated across multiple disciplines (luckin et al., 2020). this approach encourages crosscurricular connections and enables students to explore ai applications in diverse contexts. by integrating ai concepts into various subjects, such as science, mathematics, language, arts and social sciences, students develop a holistic understanding of ai’s multidimensional nature and its potential impact on different domains (bundy et al., 2017). example: in a social sciences class, students explore the ethical implications of ai algorithms in decision-making processes, examining the potential biases and consequences. in parallel, students in a mathematics class explore the mathematical concepts behind machine learning algorithms and apply them to analyze real-world datasets (mourshed et al., 2018). 4. ethical considerations: ai education should emphasize the ethical implications of ai technologies and foster responsible ai use (floridi et al., 2018). students need to develop an awareness of the ethical considerations related to data privacy, bias, algorithmic fairness and the impact of ai on society. integrating ethical discussions and critical thinking exercises into ai education helps students understand the broader societal implications of ai and equips them to make informed decisions (jobin et al., 2019). example: students engage in ethical dilemma scenarios, discussing the trade-offs and considerations involved in ai decision-making processes. they critically analyse real-world cases where ai technologies have raised ethical concerns such as facial recognition, and propose alternative approaches or strategies for deploying ai in ethical ways (floridi et al., 2018). by prioritising teacher training, curriculum development, interdisciplinary integration and ethical considerations, ai education can be effectively implemented in schools. examples of successful ai education programs, collaborative initiatives and best practices provide valuable insights and inspiration for schools and educators seeking to embrace ai so that it becomes integral in all educational experiences. conclusion artificial intelligence (ai) has immense potential to revolutionise education by redefining traditional approaches. its integration into schools has shed light on significant initiatives, the challenges faced, and the technological advancements aimed at modernising the conventional education system. this evolution underscores ai’s capacity to enrich educational experiences, making learning more engaging and effective. concepts such as machine learning, deep learning, and data science provide educators with valuable insights into how ai applications can transform teaching and learning processes. the ongoing adoption of ai in education highlights progress through tools like intelligent tutoring systems, personalised learning platforms, aipowered assessment tools, and virtual assistants. these innovations have improved teaching methods, tailored learning experiences for students, and optimised administrative tasks. furthermore, incorporating ai as a subject in school curricula has been instrumental in developing students’ computational thinking and indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 349 understanding of ai principles, while also addressing ethical considerations. training programs for educators to design ai-based curricula have further supported effective implementation, motivating policymakers and educators to embrace proven strategies for successful integration. looking to the future, expanding research into the long-term effects of ai on educational equity, addressing challenges like data privacy, and embedding ai ethics into pedagogy will be essential. policymakers and educators should prioritise collaboration among researchers, educational institutions, and industry experts to explore innovative, responsible ways of integrating ai into education. key recommendations include developing inclusive ai tools that cater to diverse learning needs, providing ongoing professional development for teachers, and establishing policies that address ethical and privacy issues. with continued research, sharing of best practices, and inclusive policy-making, ai has the potential to transform education, creating dynamic, inclusive, and future-ready learning environments for students globally. references baker, r. s., & inventado, p. s. 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(2020). a systematic review of the research on artificial intelligence applications in k-12 education. journal of research on technology in education, 52(4), 453-470. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 166 research article understanding music as a mathematical activity through chrome music lab kumar gandharv mishra independent researcher, email: mishrakumargandharv@gmail.com abstract the paper is an attempt to present some (four) experiments of chrome music lab in the context of mathematics. the activities suggested in the paper can be used by teacherstudents as a pedagogical tool to understand music as a mathematical activity as well as to explore and work on some mathematical concepts as a part of music composition. the activities discussed in the paper can also be worked upon by the general public, parents, mathematics and music enthusiasts, and educators to understand and communicate music as a mathematical activity in an interactive manner. keywords: mathematics, music, chrome music lab, pattern, digital technology, inquiry based learning, visual, auditory, kinaesthetic introduction the national educational policy 2020 envisions a multidisciplinary, experiential learning and arts integrated approach to curriculum (ministry of education, 2020, p. 12). it also advocates for breaking the boundaries between sciences and arts. when it comes to mathematics, research and various reports across the globe also emphasise connecting mathematics with interdisciplinary aspects to make learning an enjoyable experience for children. for example: the position paper on teaching of mathematics (ncert, 2006) emphasises the need for making connections, within mathematics, and between mathematics and other subjects of study. it also emphasises the need to present mathematics as a part of culture through art, architecture and music. the principal and standards for school mathematics by nctm (2000) on teaching of mathematics also emphasise linking mathematics with other subjects. among other disciplines, music is one such area which is enjoyed by learners across all age groups. everyone enjoys to tap, clap, dance or hum even without any formal knowledge of music. children can be observed dancing according to some rhythm. according to shilling (2002) young children come to school with intuitive knowledge of musical patterns and rhythms. infact, integrating music in a mathematics classroom can be an engaging and joyful experience for children. on the other hand, it is also important that children develop a sense of appreciation towards aesthetical aspects of music; especially in the context of mathematics i.e. they should be able to see or realise the mathematical elements in it and they should be also able to apply mathematical knowledge to understand indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 167 and appreciate this form of creativity (music). music involves auditory senses. it involves listening, singing, playing instruments but it is also a challenge to describe music in the context of mathematics only through written material. thus, visualisation and engagement with learners are important to present or describe music as mathematics. digital technology can ease this process through visualisation. infact, teaching of interdisciplinary aspects of mathematics is well supported by digital aspects of educational technology such as videos, animations, software, mobile applications, interactive tools etc. chrome music lab is one such example of interactive digital tools which can be used as an educational resource to explore the relationship between music and mathematics. this paper covers four experiments of music lab: kandinsky, rhythm, melody maker and song maker. the paper also suggests some activities related to these experiments which can be used with inquiry based approaches to understand music as a mathematical activity. as a part of music composition during activity, mathematical concepts can also be taught to children. mathematics and music mathematical concepts (elements) in music: the relation between music and mathematics can be represented in various aspects. a musical piece has elements of steady beats, rhythm, tempo, notes, scale, harmony, melody, frequency, time intervals (metre or metrics), cycle, octaves, contrast (high pitch-low pitch) etc. these elements can be explored in the context of patterns, numbers, operations, fractions, multiplication, division, functions etc. infact, a lot has been written on musicmathematics connections. dave benson (2006) presents a comprehensive view of mathematics in music: from trigonometric functions, fourier analysis, simple integer ratios, scales to symmetry. konar (2019a, 2019b, 2019c) in a series of article “the sounds of music: the science of scales”, discusses the mathematical aspects in sound, western music and indian classical music. the three articles explain the science of frequencies, scales (a collection of musical notes), ratio of musical notes, pythagorean and equal tempered scale and the mathematical correspondence between indian classical music and western classical music. however, the activities discussed in this paper are limited to these aspects: beats (rhythm) and melody combination. the activities implicitly involve frequency, pitch, scales and octaves. challenges in teaching and communicating mathematical aspects of music: a piece of music or sound can be pleasant to ears, it can be felt or perceived by ears but it can’t be seen or visualised directly through eyes. it is a challenge to communicate the mathematics behind rhythm of sounds or combination and timing of musical notes as these are abstract and moreover it depends on the perceiving ability of the listener. in this context, one also needs to introduce such a piece of music for which pattern can be easily recognised or deciphered by the audience. for example: most of the listeners can talk about a song or a indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 168 musical composition by humming it or clapping at some critical points, while some music enthusiasts or experts can discuss the same composition in terms of its beat cycle (say, a raga yaman composition based on teen taal), genre of music, its speed (tempo) etc. one may understand or internalize these ideas with practice (consciously or subconsciously). however, if one tries to communicate these ideas or concepts to children or the common public, it becomes a challenge both for the learner as well as the instructor. infact, exploring patterns (mathematics) in a musical piece is not as similar as finding colour patterns in a drawing or pattern in arrangement of something concrete like pebbles. often, people react in a surprised manner when one asks them about the relationship between mathematics and music. the task again becomes challenging when one has to demonstrate and communicate with them about these connections. so, visualisation of music is important and digital technology can bridge this gap between mathematics and music. with the advent of various softwares and digital tools related to music, experimentation with music has become feasible. thus, one of the rationales behind writing this paper is also to present such activities which can help in communicating and demonstrating music as a mathematical activity to the society. chrome music lab chrome music lab is an interactive online resource to play and learn music visually. chrome music lab is a website with a collection of ‘experiments’ to create and learn music with hands-on experience. experiments in music lab have been built with freely accessible web technology such as tone.js, web audio api and webmidi. these experiments can be played across various devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops (chrome music lab, n.d.). exploring music lab to visualise and engage with mathematical concepts: according to edelson & johnson, “in music, children find patterns in the repeated melodies, refrains, or rhythms of a song. working with patterns enhances children's thinking and reasoning skills, because they must: 1) analyze the pattern to figure out the rule, 2) communicate the rule in words, and 3) predict what will come next in the pattern” (2003, p. 78). music lab explores such possibilities. in music lab one can begin with a simple pattern building-understanding exercise and then finally move to composing an instrumental music or song. children can play with these music lab experiments and create their music and they might not even realise or connect their actions with mathematics. but, engaging them in these experiments through some activities (which explicitly emphasise mathematical terms and concepts) can help them understand their actions as a ‘mathematical activity’. to add, an inquiry based approach can let them develop insights into the mathematical aspect of their music lab activities. it will also help them understand and indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 169 visualize what mathematics lies in making their musical composition. the following section briefly discusses the features and some activities designed for experiments from music lab: kandinsky, rhythm, melody maker and song maker. one can visit chrome music lab at https://musiclab. chromeexperiments.com/ and check out its experiments. 1. kandinsky to begin with, kandinsky can be used as a warm up activity to make as well as understand patterns. kandinsky is inspired by wassily kandinsky, an artist who considered painting to make music (chrome music lab, n.d.). figure-1: scribbles and drawings on kandinsky interface source: https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/kandinsky/ working: any scribble or shape on kandinsky produces a sound. children (users) are free to scribble or draw any shape on the interface and listen to their composition (https://musiclab. chromeexperiments.com/kandinsky/). each shape sounds different from each other (however, it should not be emphasised that shapes have their own sound and music is generated because of shapes. the shapes and drawings are just for fun). when different sounds from the first shape to the last shape get played, it keeps repeating itself and this is an extension of the drawing in a cyclic way. colour of the shapes can be changed by taping the colour option (left to play button). sound also changes with change of colour. engaging children with patterns: when children scribble or draw their shapes on the interface and tap the play button, they should listen to it for some cycles and understand the pattern. they can be asked to sing or hum the music played to recall the pattern. they can also be asked to scribble again in a way which produces the same pattern. they can also be asked to point or clap at the strongest sound they experience in their drawing (musical composition). some questions can be posed (without using technical terms): does the strongest (stressed) sound or a particular sound helps in pattern recognition? what is the role of this sound in pattern generation? they can be asked to listen and compare their music-drawing with their peers and speak out any difference in other’s indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 170 patterns. let this activity be subjective. mathematical significance and relevance: children are often involved in pattern making or pattern decoding exercises through tactile resources or by drawing various shapes on a surface. but, kandinsky also involves auditory aspects. the activity can be a good warm up for children to create music and sense auditory patterns through repetitions of sound of their drawing. in kandinsky closed figures sound different from nearly closed figures (figure-2). this way, children can learn to create their own sound pattern. 2. rhythm figure-2: rhythm interface source: https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/rhythm/ developer: george michael brower rhythm is a pattern of set of sounds (say, drum beats) in a fixed interval of time. when it repeats for some time, one can decipher the pattern easily. this activity lets one create a rhythm through a combination of three different sounds (percussion or another instrument) by placing them on vertical lines/ markings (equally spaced). one sound or combination of more than one sound produced at one time (on one vertical line) can be counted as one sound. the activity is available in three levels with change of characters and also in the sound quality of drums (percussion) and instruments. the number of vertical lines/markings increases in the other two levels. for example, the cycle repeats itself after 6, 8 and 10 lines in the first, second and third level respectively (tap on the arrow pointing right to move to the other two levels). characters change in these activities and they play their respective instruments based on the arrangement of sounds made by the user. for example, in this activity (figure), beats can be created by tapping on the points marked on the six vertical markings. here, there are a total 18 points (positions) and a particular sound (grey coloured triangle or orange circle or brown circle) can be placed/ indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 171 played at maximum 6 positions (in their corresponding rows). if all the points of one vertical marking are occupied it would sound together. steps to play and create rhythm (music): 1. go to https://musiclab. chromeexperiments.com 2. tap on rhythm 3. tap on the topmost point on any of the six lines. similarly, tap on the middle point and on the lowermost point of any of these lines. 4. each point corresponds to the instrument played by the two characters. it also represents the corresponding sound. this way one can check the different sounds on three ordered positions of lines. 5. select or tap on all of these points or some points and then select the play option. 6. listen to the music created through ‘arrangement of different sounds’. 7. likewise, one can create different ‘patterns’ by changing (increasing or decreasing) the number of sounds and also its position. note: let the cycle of arrangement of these sounds repeat for some time until you realise or understand its pattern. how can children understand rhythm as a mathematical activity? e. geist (n.d.) highlights the importance of rhythm (in general) as “rhythm helps children learn to recognize oneto-one correspondence and to identify and predict distinct patterns” (para. 9). the discussed activity also involves making sense of permutation and combination of three types of sounds, pattern making, symmetry, counting the number of sounds and the position of sounds (cardinal, ordinal and nominal) and spatial thinking (spatial arrangement of sound on the interface and symmetry of arrangement/position of sounds). children can construct their own rules to make it and play. they can identify their rule in terms of their musical pattern. edelson & johnson (2003) suggest some pattern building activities (p. 3) through music. some of these pattern building exercises can be explored with rhythm in the following ways: a. naming or codifying patterns: figure-3: representation of sounds by letters source: https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/rhythm/ indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 172 in figure-3 (a snapshot from the activity), rhythm has been created with 4 grey triangles (sound a) in the first row, 3 yellow circles (sound b) and 1 orange circle (sound c). the positions (dots) are at equal intervals (though it depends on the user/children if they wish to play the sounds a, b and c at equal positions or any position). these different pieces of sound can also be played together. for example, if two positions on a line or all the positions a, b and c in a line are played together then it can be represented using brackets as – (ab) or (bc) or (abc). a ‘-’ can be used to denote an empty line (no sound played on a line). for this figure the pattern can be written or named as (ab) abab (ac). numerals can also be used. for example: (12)1212(13), 1-2312, (123)-21 (23)12 etc. corresponding colours (grey, yellow, orange for occupied positions and white for an empty space) can also be used to represent the pattern in colour codes. b. translating the pattern: in this activity a pattern can be translated from one medium to another; for example, from sound to visual. the rhythm pattern (figure) can be visualised in the form of gestures of physical movements by children. each sound a, b and c can correspond to certain physical movements or gestures. for example: table-1: physical movements and gestures as per rhythm sounds sound physical movements/gestures a raise left hand b clap c raise right hand (abc) raise both hands and clap simultaneously (ab) clap to left side (bc) clap to right side (ac) raise both hands ‘-’ empty space free your hands c. different elements in pattern: the above pattern is a three element pattern. three instruments are played by two characters. children can be asked to identify the characters from corresponding sounds. d. tracking any changes in pattern: let children listen to patterns and engage them to raise their hand when they sense any change in the pattern. they can also raise their hand at the point of change. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 173 some additional activities can be suggested for rhythm: a. children can be asked to find out the ratio of their three sounds in one cycle. for example: what is the ratio of these sounds a, b and c in one cycle? what is the fraction of sound a used in the composition? b. otherwise, they can be asked to create a musical piece where the ratio of three sounds is 1:2:5 (say). for example: what can be the different combinations of this ratio (a: b: c :: 1:2:5)? play these and check how these combinations sound. c. based on the pattern they create, they can be asked to listen to different compositions and tell which pattern they like the most and why? is there any symmetry in it or not? d. a student can create a piece of music, and then another student can be asked to find out the respective positions of sounds produced by the two characters. so, by doing this, they can understand the mathematical grammar behind their music – combination and timing of sounds (beats). e. children can be asked to investigate position for a particular sound using coordinates and create a rhythm based on some set of coordinates. for example in (a, b) , if a corresponds to the position of vertical line (from left) and b corresponds to the position of point on line/marking (count as 1, 2 or 3 from the bottom of vertical marking), then sounds can also be represented through coordinates. 3. melody maker figure-4: melody maker interface source: https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/melody-maker/ developer: yotam mann and eric rosenbaum indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 174 in a song, melody is the movement from one note to another note. melody maker is based on a grid-like structure a collection of 14 x 8 cells (14 rows and 8 columns) as seen in figure-4. each cell corresponds to a melody. one can play 14 different sounds in this structure. sounds vary in pitch as one goes through the lowermost row to the top row. in each column, only one cell can be selected (played) at a time. cells corresponding to a particular position (row, column) can be identified with a colour. although there are 14 cells (different sounds), these are represented by 7 colours in an ordered way. one can select some cells at different positions and listen to the melody created. there is an option of switching the sound quality from piano to guitar etc. one can also increase or decrease the speed of the melody using the tempo option. here, the range of tempo is 70-140 (measured in beats per minute). steps to play and create music: 1. go to https://musiclab. chromeexperiments.com 2. tap on melody maker 3. tap on any cell in one of the columns to play notes. 4. tap on some cells in any row. (by repeating steps 3 & 4, one can get used to the working of cells) 5. tap on cells based on some pattern and then click the play button. the melody starts repeating after the last column. one can listen to the pattern. 6. one can increase or decrease the speed (duration) of your music using the tempo option. how can children understand melody maker as a mathematical activity? like rhythm, this activity also involves permutation and combination of various cells. arrangement of various cells at different positions also leads to spatial thinking. children can create their own pattern using coloured cellsmusical and colour pattern; and compare with patterns made by their peers. they can change the tempo of their melody piece and understand this action in terms of fraction, multiplication and division. some activities have been suggested: a. pattern building • exercises can be developed based on the pattern exercises discussed for rhythm. • children can be asked to explain the colour pattern and musical pattern (rule) of their melody. • they can also be asked to create a melody based on a fixed (given) pattern. • the cells can be played at odd positions, even positions, equal intervals, random intervals. b. ratio and proportion: • like rhythm, children can be asked to create melody and find out the ratio of different colours (sounds) generated. they can also be provided with a ratio of colours and asked to make a melody based on this. “are there multiple ways/ combinations to create melody indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 175 based on this?” such questions can be posed to children. c. fractions: the concept of fractions can be involved through some questions based on investigation and actions: for example: “what fraction of a particular row is coloured?”, “make a melody where 2/3 of the first row and ¾ of the last row are coloured” etc. d. multiplication and division: children can be asked to change the tempo by half, one fourth, one third of the current tempo. likewise, they can be asked to increase or double the tempo. this way they can understand the speed of a melody (musical piece) in context of multiplication and division of tempo. they can also realise that as the tempo increases, the duration of completion of one cycle of arrangement of cells decreases and vice-versa. e. identifying a cell through [row, column] coordinates: the contrast between sounds of a cell can be investigated through coordinates (without help of graph), especially high pitched and low pitch. 4. song maker figure-5: song maker interface (a grid of bar length 3 and 2 octaves) figure-6: playing music in song maker sources: https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/song-maker/ indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 176 song maker is an extended version of melody maker. it has the flexibility to increase the number of grids and columns. features of rhythm are also present below the grid. while only one cell in a column can be played at a time in melody maker, song maker allows playing multiple cells in a column at a time. some practice with rhythm and melody maker will make it easy to play music with song maker. one can switch between 5 instruments for melody and 4 instruments for rhythm. the range of tempo in song maker is 40-140 (beats per minute). steps to play and create music the steps are quite similar to melody maker, with an addition of beats below the bar. there is also a flexibility to change the number of cells. 1. go to https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com 2. tap on song maker 3. tap on any cell in one of the columns. 4. tap on some cells in any row. (by repeating steps 3 & 4, you can get used to the working of cells) 5. tap on the dots below the grid. you can play some sound and generate a rhythm. 6. make your selection of cells and click the play button. the melody starts repeating after the last column. you can understand its pattern after listening to it for some time. 7. users can increase or decrease the speed (duration) of your music using the tempo option. 8. sound effects of the cell and rhythm portion can be changed by tapping on the options beside tempo. additional features: users can change the grid style and scale and number of notes (cell), number of beats through settings (figure-7). figure-7: song maker settings image source: https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/song-maker/ important features in settings length: length refers to the division of the complete grid into a fixed number of equal parts. for example a length of 4 bars means the whole grid has been divided into 4 equal parts. an alternate arrangement of 2 shaded and 2 unshaded bars can be observed. ‘beats per bar’ & ‘beat split’: there are two sounds in a beatbox. these indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 177 beats (strikes) are used for generating rhythm in song maker. in song maker, beat actually refers to the beat box (figure 5). the number of beat boxes in a grid depends on the configuration of ‘beat split’ and ‘beats per bar’ and length of grid. one can understand the grid configuration by manipulating the settings and observing the changes in grid and bar. for example: if ‘beats per bar’ is 4, and ‘beat split’ is 2, each bar gets divided into 8 columns and there are a total 8 beat boxes in that bar. likewise, if the beat split is 3 with 4 ‘beats per bar’ and the ‘length’ of the grid is 4 bars, then there are a total of 48 (3 x4 x 4) columns in the grid, 12 (3 x 4) columns per bar and one beatbox per column. the settings options for scale, start on and octave deal with the qualitative aspect of sound and presence of particular musical notes in the grid. for example: by changing the octave, one can divide the grid vertically into 2-3 parts. if you change the scale, the number of cells/notes in octave changes: major (7 notes), pentatonic (5 notes) and chromatic (12 notes). one can sense the difference in melody and sound of the set of notes/cells in 1st octave and 2nd octave and in different scales. the sharpness of sound produced by the same cell change when setting gets changed from low to middle to high. by changing the ‘start on’ notes (for example: c to c#), one can observe a pattern in the change of colour of cells as well as sound corresponding to a cell. how can children understand song maker as a mathematical activity? song maker can be treated as a combination of rhythm and an extended form of melody maker. like rhythm and melody maker, this activity also involves permutation and combination of various notes (cells and colour). activities based on ratio proportion, pattern building, fractions and multiplication and division can again be explored with song maker. song maker also lets one expand or reduce the size of grid, number of bars and columns according to one’s choice, for example: change in the number of columns and cells per bar by changing the number of ‘beats per bar’. ‘beat split’ and ‘length’. in addition to these, following activities can also be explored on song maker, which can add insights to the conceptual understanding of some topics among children. a. lcm: lowest common multiple using the rhythm option, in song maker, children can visualise and understand the concept of lcm. there are two types of sound (triangular ‘t’ and circular ‘c’) exactly below the melody bar (figure-8). depending upon the arrangement (position) of these two sounds; one can explore the concept of lcm. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 178 figure-8: lcm through occurrence of two different sounds image source: https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/song-maker/ for example: if children make a rule for the occurrence of these two sounds, then they can see these sounds in context of lcm. suppose, the two beats (say t and c) start at two different positions (count from extreme left of the grid): if t starts from 3rd position and sounds at every third position (interval of three) and c starts at the fourth position and then sounds at every fourth position (interval of four), then they would first sound together at the 12th position (and then sound together again at intervals of 12). in other words, 12 is the minimum distance on the grid where t and c (occurring first time at 3rd and 4th position) meet. thus, 12 as the lcm of 3 and 4 is justified and visualised through this activity on song maker. the beat strip can be extended by changing the parameters in settings and hence, the lcm concept can be explored on song maker flexibly for various pairs of numbers. note: experiment rhythm has a limited number of vertical lines for positioning its sounds in all three levels (6, 8 and 10), so song maker can be a better option than rhythm for visualizing lcm. interestingly, this can be posed as an inquiry based question for children to find out the pair of numbers for which rhythm supports generating lcm. b. manipulating ‘beat split’, ‘beats per bar’ and ‘length’ based on these two activities (a, b), some inquiry based questions can be posed to children. • does the lcm of two sounds (t and c) change, when the ‘length’ or ‘beats per bar’ change? • does the number of columns in a bar depend on ‘length’? • is the number of columns in the grid or a bar directly proportional to the ‘length’? • how is the number of columns in a bar dependent on the ‘beats per bar’ and beat split? • can you establish a relationship between the number of columns and ‘beats per bar’ and ‘beat split’? discussion and conclusion the musical activities discussed have been only explored by the author. there is a scope of further testing, experimentation and carrying out educational research with children using activities of music lab. however, the focus of the activities discussed is to make children and students aware and realise some mathematical concepts which they can use consciously or subconsciously while making music in daily experiences as well as in chrome music lab. as a part of this, their mathematical learning can also indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 179 take place. thus, the significance of these activities also lies in enhancing the mathematical learning of students. studies (an, capraro, & tillman, 2013; an & tillman, 2015) highlight musicmathematics integrated activities as application to gardner’s multiple intelligence theory (1983, 1993, 1999) and their results also indicate improvement in mathematical achievements of children after participation in musicmathematics integrated activities. likewise, researchers (an, zhang, tillman, lesser, siemssen, & tinajero, 2015; an & tillman, 2015) have discussed mathematics as a tool in music creation, music as catalyst in mathematics cognition and music as a pedagogical approach. embedding music activities naturally into children’s engagements with mathematics and movements provides a way for children to develop their logic/mathematical and musical/ rhythmic intelligences in ways we may not have considered before (shilling, 2002). thus, the activities discussed in the paper are relevant in the context of inquiry based learning; kinaesthetic activities, spatial-temporal reasoning and also significant from pedagogical perspective and cognitive development. designing activities based on chrome music lab’s experiments can prove to be an engaging and explorative way of teaching and highlighting a mathematical concept. on the other hand, it can also strengthen peer learning, classroom interactions, and connect with the diversity of learners in the classroom. music is a highly social, natural, and developmentally appropriate way to engage even the youngest child in math learning. music is children’s first patterning experience and helps engage them in mathematics even when they don’t recognize the activities as mathematics (geist, e. geist, & kuznik, 2012, p. 78). the activities which have been discussed so far for music lab involve basic mathematical concepts upto elementary level. for example: kandinsky can be used as a starter to engage children with auditory patterns. rhythm activities let one understand and appreciate the importance of basic elements (beats and timing of its position) in composing a piece of music. through it one can also understand the role of gaps (time intervals) in music composition. this interactive activity can also be used in the context of inquiry-based learning: asking students to create their own rhythm and investigating questions based on mathematical concepts in their rhythm. in their attempt to repeat the same pattern in these four experiments, children also develop oneto-one correspondence of their drawing, instruments, cells, and colours with corresponding sounds. by manipulating settings in song maker, children can understand the proportional relation between columns and beat counts in the grid. thus, while playing music lab through some designed activities, children and students can come across these major elementary concepts: pattern, one to one correspondence, making sense of cardinal, ordinal and nominal, permutation and combination, ratio and proportion, fractions, spatial thinking, coordinate representation, row-column representation, lowest common multiple, multiplication indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 180 (double, triple), division (half, onefourth etc.) and some allied concepts. the educational implication of music lab activities also lies in learning elementary mathematical concepts. apart from these concepts, various allied, basic and high-level concepts can also be included depending on the audience and exploration with music lab experiments. instructors may use the five phase instructional model for music-mathematics integrated lessons proposed by an (2012) and design their activities. each phase focuses on varying levels of music and mathematics. infact, there can be two approaches to use these experiments in music lab for teaching mathematical concepts through inquiry-based learning: 1. asking children, students to create a composition as per their wish and then taking them through their composition to make them realise the mathematical concepts used by them (consciously or subconsciously). 2. asking children to compose music based on some conditions put by the instructor (for example: the ratio of red notes to yellow notes should be 1:3, only 2/3 of a bar or row can be played in the melody maker etc.). the significance of these activities proposed for music lab also lies in the development of visual and auditory senses. such activities through music lab as an interactive digital tool can be used for inquiry based learning in music-mathematics integrated lessons. it will not only engage children musically in learning mathematics, but it will also let them understand and appreciate music as a mathematical activity. music lab resources: chrome music lab: https://musiclab. chromeexperiments.com/song-maker/ melody maker: https://musiclab. chromeexperiments.com/melodymaker/ rhythm https://musiclab. chromeexperiments.com/rhythm/ song maker: https://musiclab. chromeexperiments.com/song-maker/ references: an, s. (2012). the effects of music-mathematics integrated curriculum and instruction on elementary students’ mathematics achievement and dispositions.[doctoral dissertation]. texas a&m university. an, s. a., & tillman, d. a. (2015). music activities as a meaningful context for teaching elementary students mathematics: a quasi-experiment time series design with random assigned control group. european journal of science and mathematics education, 3(1), 45-60. an, s. a., zhang, m., tillman, d. a., lesser, l. m., siemssen, a., & tinajero, j. v. (2015). learning to teach music-themed mathematics: an examination of preservice teachers’ beliefs about developing and implementing interdisciplinary mathematics pedagogy. mathematics teacher education and development, 18(1), 20-36. indian journal of educational technology volume 3, issue 2, july 2021 181 an, s., capraro, m. m., & tillman, d. a. (2013). elementary teachers integrate music activities into regular mathematics lessons: effects on students’ mathematical abilities. journal for learning through the arts, 9(1). benson, d. (2008). music: a mathematical offering. retrieved from https:// homepages.abdn.ac.uk/d.j.benson/pages/html/music.pdf chrome music lab. (n.d.). retrieved from https://musiclab.chromeexperiments. com/about chrome music lab (n.d.). kandinsky. retrieved from chrome music lab: https:// musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/kandinsky/ edelson, r. j., & johnson, g. (2003). music makes math meaningful. childhood education, 80(2), 65-70. geist, e. (n.d.). support math readiness through music. retrieved from national association for education of young children: https://www.naeyc.org/our work/families/support-math-readiness-through-music geist, k., geist, e. a., & kuznik, k. (2012, january). the patterns of music: young children learning mathematics through beat, rhythm, and melody. young children, 67(1), 74-79. konar, s. (2019a). the sounds of music: science of musical scales. resonance, 24(8), 891-900. konar, s. (2019b). the sounds of music: science of musical scales. resonance, 24(9), 1015-1023. konar, s. (2019c). the sounds of music: science of musical scales. resonance, 24(10), 1125-1135. ministry of education. (2020). national education policy 2020. retrieved from https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/nep_final_ english.pdf national council of educational research and training. (2006). position paper: national focus group on teaching of mathematics. new delhi: author. national council of teachers of mathematics. (2000). principal and standards for school mathematics. reston va: author. shilling, w. a. (2002). mathematics, music and movement: exploring concepts and connections. early childhood education journal, 29, 179-184. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 28 research article perception and acceptance for e-content: a study on high school teachers sima kalita¹ & mallika gayary² ¹assistant professor, dept. of education, gauhati university ²research scholar, dept. of education, gauhati university department of education, gauhati university, assam email: mallikagayary78@gmail.com abstract technology and education go hand-in-hand nowadays. it is said that people retain 20 per cent hearing; 50 per cent of hearing and seeing; and 100 per cent of hearing and seeing and doing. in the teaching-learning process, students retain more of what they are hearing, seeing and doing. e-content is one such technological tool which a teacher may use in the regular teaching-learning process. the present study aimed to find out perception and the level of acceptance towards e-content among high school teachers. the study also emphasised on comparing the perception and level of acceptance of high school teachers based on the type of school, location and gender of teachers. the researchers applied a convenient sampling technique for selecting the sample for the study. a sample consists of 126 high school teachers for the present study. the present study has shown that the maximum number of teachers holds average perception. an average level of acceptance on the part of the teachers has also been found. no significant difference has been found while comparing the perception and acceptance based on the type of school, location and gender of teachers. keywords: e-content, high school teachers, technology, perception for e-content, acceptance for e-content introduction educational process is going through continuous changes in the era of new technological advancements. technology is one such element which has affected almost all the major aspects of human life. when we focus on the educational field, it can be seen that education and technology go hand in hand nowadays. almost all the people in the world from young to old cannot escape from the technological influence. in the educational field, concepts like multimedia, information and communication technologies have impacted the way of imparting education. impact of technology in education in a broader sense is the new normal of education. both learner and the facilitator use technology according to their own convenience. teachers use technology right from the preparation to the execution of their content delivery. on the other hand, a student uses technology to facilitate their knowledge and information to understand better, to complete their homework and assignments. both teacher and the students cordially utilise technology to share and clear their knowledge and information. with the onset of technology, imparting education has become much easier. the role of technology is to deliver systems for instructional purposes, act as an instrument for the improvement of the entire learning process and it is also indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 29 included as curriculum itself (arvindhan, 2019). technology being an important part of education makes learning materials easily accessible. students are benefited from online learning because it allows them to learn at their own speed, pause and re-watch videos, and explore course content independently according to their convenience (haleem et.el, 2022). internet based technologies can be utilised by teachers to form their own communities which will not be confined to school sites only (courville, 2011). in one of the studies, it is found that blending technology in teaching social science improves and enhances the performance of teachers (hero, 2019). but at the same time, if there are no appropriate guidelines for teachers on the use of technology, it limits them in using it for instruction. it also limits their desire to explore it apart from basic applications (okojie et.al., 2006). student academic achievement improves when technology is used appropriately in the classroom (young, 2008). e-content is one of the useful elements for teachers as well as students which is an outcome of the advancement of technology in education. e-content offers numerous advantages, including the ability to tailor educational resources to individual learning needs, providing multimedia-rich environments that cater to diverse learning styles (pappas, 2018). it is said that people retain 20 per cent of hearing; 50 per cent of hearing and seeing; and 100 per cent of hearing and seeing and doing (mishra, patel, and doshi, 2017). abolition of the disparity among learners through an effective educational process is the ultimate aim of e-content (duraisamy and surendiran, 2011). e-content can be considered as a useful tool in the teaching-learning process which helps the teachers in transfer and students in acquisition of knowledge remotely or in face-to-face mode. e-learning and materials reduces learning differences and cognitive load among learners (shieh and hsieh, 2021). review of literature meena and pareek (2020), conducted an achievement test in which e-content is found to be effective as well as useful for teaching and learning process of science subject. participants’ feedback on ict based approach of teaching is that it is quiet and effective in comparison to traditional methods. jrall and kiran (2022), measured the effectiveness of e-content module intervention to test the achievement of b. ed students which resulted in higher achievement among b. ed students. it is recommended for teachers and educators to make use of electronic contents to develop interest among upcoming teachers. according to duraisamy and surendiran (2011), e-content is useful in learning, facilitating the teachers in an effective manner and enhancing the learners’ knowledge level as a result of which quality of effective education is possible. khan (2019), proved that e-content is highly effective for pre-service teachers. it promotes active participation in the teaching learning which also encourages vigilance among the prospective teachers. the study also found that e-content is more beneficial and effective in comparison to the traditional lecture method and conventional method. alagappa and raajan (2018) conducted a study on b.ed. student-teachers in tamil nadu, revealing that e-content significantly improved mathematics achievement compared to traditional methods. lucero et al. (2022) assessed e-learning readiness in philippine higher education institutions, indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 30 finding that both faculty and students in private and government sectors were prepared for e-content integration. stelzer et al. (2008) compared multimedia modules with traditional textbooks in introductory physics courses, concluding that multimedia e-content led to better immediate and long-term learning outcomes. gharaibeh and alsmadi (2013) investigated the impact of courses on electronic curriculum design and multimedia, finding that they enhanced students’ e-content design skills and attitudes toward e-learning. alrasheedi and capretz (2018) conducted a meta-analysis identifying critical success factors in mobile learning, highlighting collaboration, ubiquitous access, and user-friendly design as key benefits of e-content. röhrl et al. (2024) reviewed intelligent educational technologies, noting that adaptive e-learning systems offering personalised learning paths can enhance learning quality and performance. baharudin et al. (2022) examined the use of schoology in visual arts education, finding that e-content platforms improved students’ creative thinking skills. kara et al. (2019) emphasised the importance of feedback in online learning, stating that effective e-content should include timely and personalised feedback to support student learning. chenari et al. (2024) analysed lessons from the pandemic, concluding that e-learning can be effective when institutions address challenges related to digital infrastructure and pedagogical strategies. ng (2019) highlighted that students’ self-regulation and digital literacy are crucial for effective online education, suggesting that e-content should support the development of these skills. rodrigues et al. (2019) conducted a systematic review on e-learning, identifying that well-designed e-content can enhance student engagement and learning outcomes. bobrytska et al. (2020) evaluated automated e-learning courses in ukrainian universities, finding positive perceptions among stakeholders regarding the integration of e-content into vocational programs. bossman and agyei (2022) studied e-learning satisfaction among distance students in ghana, concluding that the quality of e-content and instructor support significantly affect academic performance. cabi (2018) investigated the flipped classroom model, revealing that e-content used in this approach positively impacts students’ academic achievement. cattaneo et al. (2022) assessed digital competence among vocational teachers, emphasising the need for professional development in e-content creation and utilisation. need and significance of the study technology integration in education is the much-needed approach in today’s context. nep 2020 recommends investing in digital infrastructure, indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 31 online teaching-learning, e-content, and digital repositories. it focuses on addressing the digital divide in the country, leveraging technology to create virtual labs, enhancing digital literacy among teachers, using online exams and assessments, promoting blended learning and developing a rich variety of educational software in all major indian languages of the country. however, there has been limited integration of technology in the educational sphere. the digital divide remains the main problem which arises out of various factors. therefore, it is really important to understand what the teachers feel about technology integration and whether they accept the blending of technology in the regular classroom. the attitude of teachers could be one of the reasons behind the lag of technology usage in schools and other educational institutions. hence, the researchers found it important to study this area. moreover, there is a significant dearth of literature in the chosen field. objectives of the study 1. to find out high school teachers’ perception on the use of e-content; 2. to find out the teachers’ level of acceptance for e-content; 3. to check whether there is a difference in teachers’ perception for e-content in relation to the type of school, location of school and gender of students; 4. to examine whether there is a difference in acceptance for e-content by the teachers on the basis of the type of school, location of school and gender of students. null hypotheses of the study ho1: there exists no significant difference between private and government high school teachers’ perception towards e-content. ho2: there exists no significant difference between urban and rural high school teachers’ perception towards e-content. ho3: there exists no significant difference between male and female high school teachers’ perception towards e-content. ho4: there exists no significant difference in the acceptance of e-content between private high school teachers and government high school teachers. ho5: there exists no significant difference in the acceptance of e-content by high school teachers between urban and rural high school teachers towards e-content. ho6: there exists no significant difference in the acceptance of e-content by high school teachers between male and female high school teachers. operational definitions perception of e-content: perception of e-content refers to the cognitive and affective responses of teachers towards the use of digital educational resources. in the current study, it will be measured through a survey or questionnaire where teachers rate their views on the utility, ease of use, and effectiveness of e-content in enhancing teaching and learning processes. acceptance of e-content: acceptance of e-content refers to the degree to which teachers are willing to adopt and integrate e-content into their teaching practices. in this study, this will be indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 32 assessed by asking teachers how often they incorporate e-content in their lessons, and their openness to using it in the future. high-school teachers: in general, high school teachers, also known as secondary school teachers, teach and instruct students of grade 9th to 12th. in the current study, high-school teachers refer to the educators or teachers from various parts of assam who teach students in grade 9 and 10. research methodology nature of research: the present study bears the qualities of both quantitative and qualitative in nature. sample and sampling technique of the study the researchers conveniently took a total of 126 high school teachers, both male and female from different private and govt. schools residing in both urban and rural areas in the state of assam state. the primary technique used for the study is convenient sampling technique. research methods and tool for the study primarily, two research methods were leveraged for data collection purpose: 1. questionnaire 2. semi-structured interviews a self-constructed questionnaire has been used for the study. the researcher prepared a questionnaire which consisted of 15 items on the perception of teachers on e-content and 10 items on the level of acceptance for e-content by the teachers. content analysis has been done by two resource persons who are experts in the relevant field. scoring for questionnaire 1 point was given for all the positive responses made by the sample and 0 point for all the negative responses for both perception and acceptance related items. then the researchers set the norms of the tool with the help of quartiles i.e. first quartile (q1), second quartile (q2) and third quartile (q3). norms for the tool the norms of scoring for items related to perception which consisted of 15 items: table-1: norm of scoring for items related to perception category scores high level perception 12-15 average level perception 5-11 low level perception 1-4 the norms of scoring for items related to acceptance which consisted of 10 items: table-2: norm of scoring for items related to acceptance category scores high acceptance 8-10 average acceptance 4-7 low acceptance 1-3 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 33 the theme of the questionnaires is highlighted below: 1. perception of school teachers regarding e-content 2. level of acceptance by school teachers for e-content major area of semi-structured interview are as follows: advantages and disadvantages of e-content from the perception of teachers analysis and interpretation of collected data objective 1:to find out high school teachers’ perception on the use of e-content table-3: high school teachers’ perception on the use of e-content. level of perception category no. of respondents percentage high perception 8 6.3% average perception 90 71.4% low perception 28 22.2% interpretation: it has been found from the present study that very few respondents i.e. only 6.3 per cent have high perception regarding the use of e-content. most of the respondents i.e. 71.4 per cent have average perception and 22.2 per cent of the respondents have low perception. perception of high school teacher regarding advantages of e-content this section aimed to find out the viewpoints of teachers on the advantages and disadvantages of e-content. the viewpoints were gathered with the help of a semi-structured interview. according to the respondents, some of the advantages of e-contents are that it can maximise flexibility in teaching-learning process; can encourage self-learning among students; and can increase technical efficiency of both teachers and the students. the viewpoints of teachers are highlighted below --flexibility in teaching-learning process: use of e-content helps the teachers to have individual freedom in deciding where, what and when to teach and students will also have freedom how, what, when and where to learn. encourage self-learning among students: e-content will encourage self-directed learning among learners which will make students independent and responsible towards learning. increase technical efficiency of both teachers and the students: while using e-content, both teachers and students are not required to opt for the traditional teaching-learning process, and they will be motivated to learn and update themselves, thereby increasing their technical efficiency. according to the respondents some of the disadvantages of e-content are that it may decrease the interaction between teachers and students; students will not be able to clarify their doubts with teachers; may encourage indiscipline on the part of the learners. disadvantages as perceived by the sample teachers are as follows: indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 34 decrease the interaction between teacher and students: one to one interaction between teacher and students is not possible at certain times, after the application of e-content, which is a matter of concern for teachers. students will not be able to clarify their doubts from teachers: lacking in one to one interaction between teacher and students will hamper the students attempt to clarify doubts from teachers. encourage indiscipline on the part of the learners: freedom for learners in where, when and how to learn may bring indiscipline among learners. increased freedom in learning may increase indiscipline among the learners. objective 2: to find out the teachers’ level of acceptance for e-content table-4: level of acceptance for e-content by teachers level of acceptance category no. of respondents percentage high level acceptance 41 32.5% average level acceptance 58 46% low level acceptance 27 21.4% interpretation: it has been found from the present study that 32.5 per cent teachers had shown high acceptance towards the use of e-content. 46 per cent had shown average level of acceptance and only 21.4 per cent had shown low level of acceptance. objective 3: to check whether there is a difference in teachers’ perception for e-content in relation to the type of school, location of school and gender of students. ho1: there exists no significant difference between private and government high school teachers’ perception towards e-content. table-5: perception of teachers towards e-content in relation to the type of school type of school n mean sd df t-value p-value remarks govt. 47 7.55 3.105 124 .828 0.05 not significant private 79 7.08 3.141 interpretation: the t-value (.828) is found not to be significant at 0.05 level for df 124. so, we can accept the null hypothesis and it denotes that there is no significant difference in the perception towards e-content, among the high school teachers, based on the type of school. ho2: there exists no significant difference between urban and rural high school teachers’ perception towards e-content. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 35 table-6: perception of teachers regarding e-content in relation to location of the school location n mean sd df t-value p-value remarks urban 68 6.97 3.037 124 1.103 0.05 not significant rural 58 7.59 3.217 interpretation: the t-value (1.103) for 124 df, at 0.05 level of significance is found not to be significant between urban school teachers and rural school teachers. it has indicated that we can accept the null hypothesis in which it is stated that there is no significant difference among the high school teachers in their perception towards e-content based on the location of school. hence, it may be inferred that both urban school teachers and rural school teachers hold the same type of perception regarding the use of e-content. ho3: there exists no significant difference between male and female high school teachers’ perception towards e-content. table-7: perception of teachers regarding on the use of e-content in relation to their gender gender n mean sd df t-value p-value remarks male 74 7.32 2.623 124 .300 0.05 not significant female 52 7.15 3.749 interpretation: the t-value (.300) at df124 is found to be not significant at 0.05 level. it indicates that null hypothesis can be accepted which implies that there exists no such difference which proves to be significant, between the male and female high school teachers in terms of perception towards e-content. objective 4: to examine whether there are differences in acceptance of e-content by teachers on the basis of type of school, location of school and gender of students. ho4: there exists no significant difference in the acceptance of e-content between private high school teachers and government high school teachers. table-8: acceptance of the use of e-content by teachers on the basis of the type of school type of school n mean sd df t-value p-value remarks govt. 47 6.09 2.348 124 .122 0.05 not significant private 79 6.14 2.438 interpretation: the t-value (.122) is found to be not significant at df124 which means that we can accept the null hypothesis. it can be said that, on the basis of the type of school, there are differences on the acceptance indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 36 of e-content among the high school teachers. ho5: there exists no significant difference in the acceptance of e-content by high school teachers between urban and rural high school teachers towards e-content. table-9: acceptance of the use of e-content by teachers on the basis of location of school location n mean sd df t-value p-value remarks urban 68 6.03 2.474 124 .453 0.05 not significant rural 58 6.22 2.317 interpretation: the t-value (.453) for 124 at 0.05 level is found not to be significant between urban school teachers and rural school teachers. hence, we can accept the null hypothesis where it is said that based on the location of school, there is no difference among the high school teachers in their acceptance of e-content. ho6: there exists no significant difference in the acceptance of e-content by high school teachers between male and female high school teachers. table-10: acceptance of teachers on the use of e-content on the basis of their gender gender n mean sd df t-value p-value remarks male 74 6.12 2.410 124 .014 0.05 not significant female 52 6.12 2.398 interpretation: the t-value (.014) at df-124 is found not to be significant. it has indicated that, there exists no differences in the acceptance of e-content between male and female high school teachers, which can be termed as significant. discussion according to the study, very few teachers (6.3 per cent) held a high perception towards the use of e-content and the maximum number of teachers (71.4 per cent) held just an average perception. likewise, it is also found that less than half of the teachers (46 per cent) had shown average level of acceptance towards e-content. though in the present era, there is a huge technological advancement all over the world, it is a matter of worry that the maximum number of teachers do not hold high perception towards e-content and hence did not show high level of acceptance. the respondents gave their viewpoints regarding the use of e-content, which has resulted in their level of perception and acceptance. the advantages of e-content, described by those teachers, are that it can maximise the flexibility in teaching-learning process, can encourage self-learning among learners, and can increase technical efficiency of teachers and the students. some of the disadvantages according to the teachers are that e-content may decrease the interaction between teachers and the students; students will not be able to clarify indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 37 their doubts from the teachers, and may encourage indiscipline on the part of the learners. these findings align with previous research, which highlights that while technology can enhance educational flexibility, it also introduces challenges in maintaining teacher-student interaction (singh, 2020). another outcome of the study is that, no differences on the viewpoints of teachers are found on the basis of the type of school, location and gender. this suggests that teachers’ perceptions of e-content may be influenced more by their individual experiences with technology rather than external demographic factors, as noted in studies by kumar and patel (2019). furthermore, researchers have argued that adequate training and institutional support could address many of the concerns raised, thereby increasing both the perception and acceptance levels among teachers (sharma and joshi, 2021). conclusion technological advancement in the field of education is an urgent necessity. through the present study it is found that high school teachers neither hold a high perception nor do they highly accept the use of e-content. it is a matter of concern that they continue to distance themselves from e-content, even when technology influences nearly every sphere of our life. e-content is a relatively simple tool yet teachers do not choose to use it in the teaching-learning process. however, the study indicates that teachers feel that e-content maximises flexibility in teaching-learning process, can encourage self-learning among learners, and can increase technical efficiency of teachers and the students. this study shows that teachers are in a state of dilemma about whether to fully accept the e-content or not. therefore, steps should be taken to increase the use of this kind of technological aids in the teaching and learning process. this integration process can be started by blending technology in the regular classroom and using e-content. this will encourage self-directed learning among students which will be beneficial for the students in the long run. e-content will prove to be a positive emphasis in the development of the latest methods for effective teaching and learning. it provides students with access to necessary resources, which will build their confidence and in turn, will encourage them in becoming an independent learner. limitations of the present study 1. the teachers from lower assam and middle assam areas of north east india were included in the present study but teachers from upper assam areas were excluded as the sampling was done using convenient sampling techniques. hence, the result for the perception and acceptance of teachers is related to those two areas only and not to the teachers of the whole state of assam. 2. the sample for the study is not too large. so, it is not safe to generalise the findings to the whole teachers group of high school teachers of assam. also, it cannot be said that perception and acceptance for e-content of all the teachers are the same. 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(2008). using technology tools in the public school classroom. retrieved from: http://www2.uwstout.edu/content/lib/thesis/2008/2008youngr.pdf indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 307 research article status of indian higher education institutions online preparedness for implementation of the instructional design k.srinivas¹ & kajal yadav² ¹head ict and pmu, niepa, new delhi ²doctoral scholar, niepa, new delhi email-kajal@niepa.ac.in abstract instructional design (id) plays a critical role in improving the quality and efficacy of higher education by focusing on teaching methodology and needs of learners. indian higher education system faces issues like limited availability of resources, and a lack of readiness for the digital age. this study examines the status of instructional design in indian higher education and assesses its readiness for online learning through a survey of 848 faculty members across various indian states and union territories, the study examines the implementation of id principles, identifies barriers to adoption, and evaluates institutional preparedness for online and blended learning models. findings reveal a mixed landscape of institutions have policies favourable to online education, 33.5 per cent offer only partial support, and 6.4 per cent lack favourable policies. there are infrastructure gaps; near 32.1 per cent of institutions have the facilities needed for online learning, while 8.8 per cent lack. another issue is internet connectivity; 49.2 per cent of respondents said they had strong connectivity, 43.2 per cent said they had moderate connectivity, and 6.6 per cent said they had no connectivity. learning management systems (lms) are implemented only at 29.1 per cent of institutions. additionally, instructional design faculty training and awareness is also insufficient. although there has been progress, the study finds that there are still large gaps. to build a more successful and equitable higher education system in india, study recommends better infrastructure facilities, strong policy frameworks, faculty training be given top priority, and the significance of id be made more widely known. keywords: instructional design, indian higher education, online learning, digital infrastructure, outcome-based education, equitable access, universal design for learning, institutional readiness introduction instructional design (id) is a methodical process of creating educational experiences and resources to support efficient learning. it attempts to close the gap between learning results and educational goals by improving pedagogy, cognitive psychology, and adding technology. id is vital in determining the efficacy and quality of higher education by making sure that instructional strategies cater to wide range of learners and changing international trends. in higher education, instructional design is essential for developing curricula, improving teaching strategies, and making sure that learning opportunities meet the needs of various student populations. the significance of instructional design has increased as higher education institutions around the world struggle with the difficulties of digital transformation. this is especially after covid-19, which hastened the adoption of online and blended learning methods. adopting excellent indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 308 instructional design, however, is fraught with difficulties. rapid technological innovation and the growing need for easily accessible, highquality education are driving a major revolution in indian higher education. the indian higher education is among the biggest in the world, with more than 40,000 institutions and 1,000 universities. but in spite of its size, the system has several problems, such as inconsistent quality, restricted resource availability, and a lack of readiness for the digital era. these issues are made worse by sole conventional lecturebased teaching techniques, a lack of knowledge of and integration of pedagogical innovations, insufficient faculty training, and reluctance to embrace technology-enhanced learning. furthermore, the adoption of contemporary teaching methodologies is complicated by elements like fixed curricula, student demographics, huge class numbers, and infrastructure limitations. by promoting innovation in curriculum delivery, improving teaching and learning quality, and elevating the overall educational experience, instructional design, with its emphasis on structured, learner-centred approaches, has the ability to address many of these issues. this paper aims to evaluate the system’s readiness for online learning and investigate the state of instructional design in indian higher education. it will attempt to explore the degree to which id principles are implemented, the challenges it faces while implementing, and successful case studies where instructional design has been used successfully. the study will also assess indian higher education institutions’ preparedness for the shift to online and mixed learning models, taking into account elements including student accessibility, faculty training, and technology infrastructure. by doing this, it seeks to offer a thorough grasp of how instructional design contributes to improving the calibre and accessibility of indian higher education. instructional design described and defined it might be difficult to define instructional design because there are so many different definitions in the literature. in its most basic form, instructional design is a methodical and organised process for developing effective, interesting and engaging learning opportunities. it entails analysing learning needs, creating and developing educational resources, and assessing how well they work to fulfil the desired intended outcomes. it is the process of turning teaching and learning ideas into lesson plans and instructional activities. a learner-centred, research-based method that uses pedagogical ideas and technology to design, develop, implement, and assess relevant learning experiences is instructional design. in order to customise learning and enhance results, it places a strong emphasis on flexibility, inclusion, and the technology integration. in order to align with 21st century needs of students in a digital world that is changing quickly, modern instructional design also prioritises creating for a variety of learning contexts, such as online, hybrid, and blended formats. through deliberate and scalable teaching practices, the objective is to promote critical thinking, skill development, and engagement. in recent years, the role of the instructional designer has grown increasingly centred on the development of elearning integration within the instructional design process. when developing curricula for elearning activities, academics or teaching faculty—smes (subject matter experts) are consulted by instructional designers. with roots in educational theory and cognitive psychology, globally, learnerindian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 309 centred design, feedback, organised planning, and alignment with learning outcomes are all emphasised by id frameworks such as addie (analysis, design, development, implementation, evaluation) (branch and kopcha, 2021). id makes sure that organised curriculum design, activities, assessments, and technology integration are used to achieve course learning outcomes (clos) and programme learning outcomes (plos) in the framework of outcome-based education (obe) (bates, 2020). however, disparities still exist, especially in emerging nations like india where institutional preparedness differs greatly. addie model for instructional design the  addie model  is a popular framework for instructional design that has five stages: analysis, design, development, implementation, and performance and training evaluation. the addie supports y designing, developing, implementing, and assessing training and performance; y creating course materials that adhere to pedagogical and technology approaches; y the development and application of instructional elements; and  y the creation of instruments for assessment and evaluation. the creation of addie is linked to the efforts of numerous significant developers and organisations in the field of instructional design. key contributors to the addie model 1. florida state university (fsu) and u.s. military (1970s)the addie idea was first used in the 1970s, interservice procedures for instructional systems development (ipisd). the five phases of the original model eventually gave rise to the more adaptable addie framework that is in use today. 2. briggs, gagné, and others (foundations in instructional design) significant thinkers like leslie briggs and robert gagné (conditions of learning, 1965) helped to establish the theoretical underpinnings of systematic instructional design, which in turn impacted addie. later on, gagné’s nine events of instruction (1985) emerged as a crucial element in the addie design phase. 3. evolution by later scholars overtime scholars and practitioners (such as dick and carey, merrill, and reigeluth), made it more flexible and interactive. current addie place more emphasis on ongoing feedback loops than on a strictly linear procedure. how each addie phase connects to id principles addie phase id principle key activities a. analysis needs assessment and learner analysis identifying learning gaps, analysing learner demographics. b. design structured curriculum planning defining learning objectives, choosing instructional strategies (blended learning, microlearning), selecting assessment methods (quizzes, projects). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 310 addie phase id principle key activities c. development content creation and resource building developing e-learning modules, interactive activities, training faculty on digital tools. d. implementation delivery and engagement rolling out courses via lms, hybrid models, or swayam; providing technical support. e. evaluation continuous improvement formative evaluation (feedback during the course), summative evaluation (final assessment of learning outcomes). literature nep 2020 and id principles the  national education policy (nep) 2020  emphasises  technologyintegrated, learner-centric education, aligning closely with the principles of  instructional design (id). the policy advocates for flexible, multidisciplinary learning,  online/blended education, and  outcome-based curricula— all of which require structured id frameworks to ensure effective implementation. nep’s push for  digital infrastructure  (e.g., swayam, lms adoption) and  teacher training  mirrors id’s focus on  pedagogical innovation, accessibility, and data-driven design.  nep 2020 directives: category section key provisions digital infrastructure and online education 24.4 the “national educational technology forum (netf)” to supervise digital content, infrastructure, and capacity building 11.7 advocates for blended learning models and integration of moocs (e.g., swayam) into mainstream education. faculty training and capacity building 15.5 11.6 emphasises the need for faculty to adopt learnercentred approaches. policy frameworks and institutional autonomy 12.6 encourages universities to adopt flexible, outcomebased curricula. 23.5 calls for “light but tight” regulations to foster innovation in online education. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 311 research studies papers and studies reflect the evolving nature of instructional design, particularly its integration with technology, data, and learner-centred approaches: foundational studies on instructional design 1. chen, l., and wang, y. (2023): personalisation in online learning “ai-driven personalisation in online learning: effectiveness and ethical implications.” study examines how ai tailors learning experiences (adaptive content, chatbots, recommendation systems) and discusses ethical concerns (data privacy, bias). ai-driven platforms improved course completion rates by 22 per cent  by dynamically adjusting content difficulty based on learner performance. the key insights highlighted that  ai improves engagement but requires transparency to avoid over-reliance on automation. ai reduced human instructor interactions, leading to 12 per cent lower satisfaction  in courses with minimal faculty involvement. 2. trust and pektas (2021): ai in instructional design “exploring the use of artificial intelligence in instructional design: opportunities and challenges.” study examines ai’s transformative impact on instructional design, including automated content generation, adaptive learning systems, and ai-driven analytics. it also discusses challenges like ethical concerns and over-reliance on automation. study points automated content creation  reduced course development time by 30 per cent and personalised learning paths  improved outcomes for diverse learners. study recommend ai-driven id could address scalability issues but requires policy frameworks for equitable implementation. kumar and ritzhaupt (2020): competencies of instructional designers “what do instructional designers do? a study of competencies and practices.” study investigates the evolving roles and required competencies of instructional designers in 21st century, particularly their adaptability to new technologies, pedagogical knowledge, and project management for diverse learner needs. it highlights the shift toward more dynamic, techintegrated design practices. only 28 per cent of indian instructional designers reported formal training, compared to 65 per cent in the u.s. lack of institutional support and standardised certification programs in india. therefore, calls for  national faculty development programs  to bridge the id skills gap. the critical role of personalised learning in instructional design (id) 3. siemens, g., and long, p. (2021): analytics in learning and education “penetrating the fog: analytics in learning and education.” this paper explores the role of learning analytics in instructional design, emphasising how datadriven insights can inform the design of personalised and adaptive instruction, and educational decision-making, helping educators “penetrate the indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 312 fog” of uncertainty in teaching and learning processes. this improves teaching and learning outcomes. paper insights that learning analytics enables adaptive learning paths  by tailoring content based on individual learner data. bates (2020): teaching in a digital age “teaching in a digital age: guidelines for designing teaching and learning.” this book serves as a fundamental manual for educators and instructional designers in creating effective digital learning experiences. it emphasises pedagogical soundness, accessibility, and scalability, offering practical strategies for adapting teaching methods to the digital age. moving from traditional lecturing to designing interactive online courses demands specialised training. only 12 per cent of indian faculty reported receiving such training (ncert, 2023). faculty trained in id frameworks (e.g., addie) were 3× more likely to use lms features effectively (e.g., discussion forums, analytics). hodges, c., moore, s., lockee, b., trust, t., and bond, a. (2020) “the difference between emergency remote teaching and online learning.” this paper clarifies the distinction between hastily implemented remote teaching (due to emergencies like covid-19) and well-designed online learning. it underscores the critical role of instructional design in ensuring meaningful learning experiences rather than just temporary solutions. improved learning outcomes with id training 4. martin and bolliger (2022): engagement in online learning environments “engagement matters: student perceptions on the importance of engagement strategies in the online learning environment.” this study emphasise on engagement strategies in online learning. the researchers conducted a large-scale survey across multiple universities, identifying that  interactive and learner-centred design  significantly boosts engagement. it underscores interactive elements  (discussion forums, quizzes), instructor presence (timely feedback, video lectures), the need for deliberate design choices to maintain motivation and participation. from indian perspective the study underscores the need for localised id strategies that address infrastructural and cultural gaps in online education. the evidence-based applications 5. johnson, m., and lee, k. (2023) “the role of extended reality (xr) in instructional design: a metaanalysis.” the study evaluates vr/ar/mr applications in education. the study evaluates effectiveness  of xr for learning outcomes (e.g., retention, engagement), optimal implementation strategies  (e.g., blended vs. standalone use), subject-specific impacts, particularly in  stem fields. highlighting instructional design indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 313 principles for xr integration study recommend scaffolded learning: pair xr with structured activities. xr is most effective when integrated with guided instruction, not as a standalone tool. 6. branch, r. m., and kopcha, t. j. (2021)  “instructional design models.” the paper explores various instructional design models, like addie, sam, and design thinking, and discusses their adaptability and relevance in contemporary educational contexts, particularly in digital and hybrid learning. according to the study addie model shows it is often neglected in indian heis, leading to mismatched curricula (e.g., theoryheavy engineering programs) of analysis phase. only 29.1 per cent of indian institutions use lms (original study), failing addie’s design principles. less than 20 per cent employ analytics to assess learning outcomes. 7. reiser, r. a., and dempsey, j. v. (2021) “trends and issues in instructional design and technology.” this book (4th edition) discusses current trends in instructional design, including the integration of immersive technologies, gamification, and microlearning. it also addresses ethical considerations and the growing influence of data-driven design. objectives and research questions the key objective of the study is to understand the status of instructional design implementation in indian higher education institutions. the research questions are as follows: y how effectively instructional design principles are used in indian universities and colleges? y how prepared are indian institutions for online education? methodology the study data was collected via a descriptive and exploratory survey (questionnaire) from faculty members from indian higher education institutions across india. the total of 848 participants with major from andhra pradesh (109), tamil nadu (109), telangana (86), and fewer participants from sikkim, dadra and nagar haveli, daman and diu, and ladakh (one participant from each state/ ut) covering from central universities, state universities, deemed universities, and private universities. the data was collected from 848 participants. data the primary data on infrastructural facilities, online preparedness and policies framework reveal significant insights into the readiness of indian higher education institutions for digital learning. infrastructural facilities the integration of robust infrastructural facilities ensures that instructional designers can implement practical applications to enhance learner engagement and outcomes. moreover, adequate infrastructure supports inclusivity by accommodating diverse learning needs and ensuring accessibility for all students. a) access to devices for supporting online education the data on the availability of infrastructural facilities in the form of access devices for supporting online education indicates that: indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 314 table-1: institution have infrastructural facilities in the form of access devices for supporting online education source: primary data y the majority of institutions (58.0 per cent) have some facilities for online education but are not fully equipped. y about one-third (32.1 per cent) are fully equipped, indicating a significant portion with adequate infrastructure. y a small percentage (8.8 per cent) lack any facilities, highlighting a gap that needs to be addressed. the findings emphasise the importance of addressing infrastructural disparities to ensure equitable access to online education. while many institutions are making progress, there is a clear need for enhanced support and resources to achieve full readiness. b) internet connectivity for supporting online education the data on the availability of internet connectivity for supporting online education indicates that: table-2: institution have infrastructural facilities in the form of internet connectivity for supporting online education source: primary data y nearly half (49.2 per cent) of the respondents reported having good internet connectivity, indicating that a significant portion of institutions are well-equipped to support online education. y a small percentage (6.6 per cent) of respondents stated that their institutions lack internet connectivity, which is a critical barrier to online education. y a substantial number of respondents (43.2 per cent) reported moderate internet connectivity, suggesting that while internet access is available, it may not be fully reliable or sufficient for seamless online learning. the findings emphasise that addressing these connectivity issues is crucial for ensuring that all institutions can provide reliable and effective online education. online preparedness the adoption of swayam courses by educational institutions is a significant indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 315 step towards integrating digital learning platforms into traditional education systems. this analysis examines the extent to which institutions have framed policies and necessary measures to adopt swayam courses for their students. a) institutions’ swayam adoption policy progress the data on whether institutions have framed policies and necessary measures to adopt swayam courses for their students indicates that: table-3: institution framework on policies and necessary measures to adopt swayam courses for its students source: primary data y 33.1 per cent (281 of 847) of institutions have framed policies and measures for adopting swayam courses. y 28.2 per cent (239) suggest that institutions have not yet framed such policies. y 38.6 per cent (327) of responses show that the process of framing these policies is ongoing. this data suggests that while a considerable number of institutions are actively working towards adopting swayam courses, there is still a notable percentage that has not yet taken steps in this direction. b) institution adoption or subscription of a learning management system (lms) the data on the adoption or subscription of a learning management system (lms) by institutions for supporting online education indicates that: table-4: institution adoption or subscription of a learning management system (lms) by institutions for supporting online education source: primary data y less than one-third (29.1 per cent) of the respondents reported that their institution has fully adopted or subscribed to an lms. y a larger percentage (37.6 per cent) stated that their institution does indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 316 not have an lms, highlighting a substantial gap in the digital tools required for effective online education. y about one-fifth (21.1 per cent) indicated partial adoption of an lms, suggesting that some institutions are in the process of implementing or integrating these systems but are not fully equipped. y a notable percentage (12.0 per cent) were unsure about the adoption status of an lms at their institution. the high percentage of institutions without an lms underscores a critical need for investment in digital infrastructure to support effective online education. policy framework the institutional policy framework for supporting online education is a critical factor in ensuring the effectiveness and scalability of digital learning. this highlights the need for more comprehensive and inclusive policy frameworks that address infrastructure, faculty training, and student accessibility. strengthening these policies will ensure equitable access to quality online education and support the evolving needs of learners in a rapidly changing digital landscape. a) institutions’ framework on policies for supporting ict based teaching the data provides insights on whether institution frame some policies for supporting ict based teaching indicates that: table-5: institution framework on policies for supporting ict based teaching source: primary data y over one-third (38.1 per cent) 323 of the respondents reported that their institution has framed policies to support ict based teaching, indicating a significant commitment to integrating technology in education. y a smaller percentage (13.7 per cent) of respondents stated that their institution has not framed any policies for ict based teaching, highlighting a gap in institutional support for technology integration. y a similar percentage (36.3 per cent) 308 of respondents indicated that their institution has policies at some level, suggesting partial implementation or ongoing development of ict based teaching policies. y about one-tenth (11.8 per cent) of the respondents reported that policy framing is under process, indicating that these institutions are in the transitional phase of adopting ict based teaching policies. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 317 overall, the findings suggest that many institutions are moving towards embracing ict based teaching, but there is still room for improvement. b) institutional policies favourable for supporting online education the data provides insights on whether institutional policies favourable for supporting online education indicates that: table-6: institutional policies favourable for supporting online education source: primary data y 53.2 per cent majority of institutions have policies that are favorable for supporting online education, which is a positive indicator of their readiness for digital learning. y 33.5 per cent of respondents reported that policies are only favorable to a certain extent, indicating partial support or areas needing enhancement and room for improvement. y 6.4 per cent of institutions have policies that are not favorable, highlighting a need for policy improvements in these institutions. y 6.8 per cent of respondents were unsure, suggesting a need for better policy communication and development. overall, while many institutions are wellpositioned to support online education, there is a need for continuous evaluation and enhancement of policies to ensure comprehensive support for digital learning environments. data analysis nep 2020 and primary data the findings and recommendations of this study align closely with several key initiatives outlined in india’s  national education policy (nep) 2020, which emphasises digital transformation, equitable access, and faculty development in higher education. a. digital infrastructure and online education • the study’s finding that  only 32.1 per cent of institutions are fully equipped for online learning  underscores the urgency of nep’s call for infrastructure upgrades. • recommendation: accelerate the implementation of netf to address gaps in lms adoption (29.1 per cent) and internet connectivity (43.2 per cent moderate). b. faculty training and capacity building • the study reveals that  faculty lack id training, which correlates with low lms usage (29.1 per cent) and ineffective online engagement. • recommendation: institutionalize indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 318 cpd programs focused on: ◊ course design using addie/ sam models (branch & kopcha, 2021). ◊ diversity to address universal design for learning (udl) (tarconish et al., 2023). c. policy frameworks and institutional autonomy • the study notes that  53.2 per cent of institutions have favorable online policies, but enforcement is weak. • recommendation: strengthen policy frameworks to mandate: ◊ id-aligned curricula  (e.g., obe integration). ◊ annual audits  of digital readiness (lms usage, faculty training metrics). d. equitable access and inclusion • the study highlights  regional disparities  (e.g., 8.8 per cent institutions lack any facilities) and low udl adoption. • recommendation: scale up diksha-like platforms and subsidize devices for rural institutions, aligning with nep’s equity goals. e. research and innovation • the study identifies  gaps in ai-driven id adoption  (trust & pektas, 2021) due to infrastructure limitations. • recommendation: fund research projects exploring: ◊ low-bandwidth id solutions for rural areas. ai-powered personalised learning  within india’s resource constraints. insights from literature and data the primary data is linked with the reviewed paper and analysed critically. • the roles and skills of instructional designers are examined in the paper “competencies of instructional designers” by kumar and ritzhaupt. the primary study shows lack of institutional support and standardised certification programs in indian institutions and calls for  national faculty development programs to bridge the id skills gap. • ai in instructional design study by trust and pektas examines ai’s transformative impact on instructional design, including automated content generation. elevating the primary study and relevance to indian institutions: ai-driven id could address scalability issues but requires policy frameworks for equitable implementation • bates book serves as a foundational guide for educators and instructional designers in creating effective digital learning experiences. the original survey’s finding that only 29.1 per cent of institutions use lms aligns with bates’ observation that untrained faculty default to passive content uploads rather than interactive design. • the primary study underscores the need for localised id strategies that address infrastructural and cultural gaps in online education linked to martin and bolliger study on engagement strategies in online learning. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 319 data findings a. infrastructural challenges: a major barrier the absence of suitable infrastructure is one of the biggest obstacles to the successful application of instructional design in indian higher education. according to the research, only 32.1 per cent of institutions are fully prepared for online learning and 58.0 per cent have some facilities. additionally, 8.8 per cent of institutions have no to negligible facilities, which is a serious issue that requires attention. likewise, another issue is internet access, which is essential to online learning. of the institutions surveyed, 49.2 per cent report having decent internet connectivity, 43.2 per cent have only moderate connectivity, and 6.6 per cent have no connectivity at all. in addition to making, it more difficult to conduct online education, these infrastructure flaws make already-existing disparities worse by placing students from universities with less funding at a disadvantage. b. policy frameworks: progress and gaps the policy environment pertaining to instructional design and online education is further clarified by the study. ict-based teaching supported by higher education institutions, 53.2 per cent of institutions have policies that encourage online learning, sizable fraction 38.1 per cent partially supports institutions’ policies, 36.3 per cent have only partially implemented, and 13.7 per cent have no policies at all. this suggests that although the value of ict in education is becoming more widely acknowledged, stronger and more inclusive policy frameworks are required. this understanding has not yet been fully translated into workable policies. this notion is further demonstrated by the implementation of swayam courses, a crucial step in the integration of digital learning systems. 38.6 per cent of institutions are now in the process of adopting swayam courses, while 33.1 per cent have developed policies to do so. this implies that even while there has been some progress, much more work needs to be done before digital learning platforms are completely included into the system of higher education. c. faculty training and awareness faculty training is another crucial issue that needs focus. faculty training and their understanding in adjusting to new pedagogical approaches and technological advancements is critical to the effective use of instructional design concepts. however, the study shows that faculty members lack awareness and training, which makes it difficult to use id effectively in the classroom. programs for faculty development that integrate technology and instructional design concepts must be given top priority by institutions. this will guarantee that faculty members are prepared to fulfil the various demands of their students in addition to improving the quality of instruction. d. the role of learning management of learning system another area with notable disparities is the implementation of learning management systems (lms). just 29.1 per cent of institutions have subscribed to or fully embraced an lms, compared to 37.6 per cent that have not and 21.1 per cent that have just partially done so. this reveals a significant deficiency in the technological resources needed for successful online learning. online course management, student progress monitoring, and faculty-student contact are all made possible by lms platforms. one major obstacle to the effectiveness and scalability of online education in indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 320 india is the absence of broad adoption of lms platforms. conclusion instructional design (id) is not merely a theoretical framework but a practical tool that can address many of the systemic issues plaguing indian higher education. the exploration of instructional design in indian higher education, especially in the context of online preparedness, reveals a complex landscape marked by both progress and persistent challenges. the systematic approach of id, which involves analysing learning needs, designing tailored instructional materials, and evaluating outcomes, is essential for creating engaging and effective learning experiences. india has made significant strides in integrating technology and instructional design principles into higher education, there remains a substantial gap between the current state and the ideal scenario of a fully digital, inclusive, and effective learning environment. the implementation of id principles in indian higher education is uneven. while some institutions have embraced id to enhance their teaching methodologies and curriculum delivery, many others continue to rely on traditional, lecturebased approaches that are ill-suited to the demands of the digital age. the findings from this study underscore the critical role of instructional design in shaping the future of higher education in india, especially as the sector grapples with the dual challenges of scale and diversity. higher education in india could be revolutionised by instructional design, but there are a few things that must happen before this can happen. first, investment needs to be spent on infrastructure, especially on internet connectivity and access devices. second, organisations need to create and put into effect thorough policy frameworks that facilitate the fusion of instructional design concepts with ict. third, to guarantee that teachers are prepared to use technology in the classroom, faculty training initiatives need to be given top priority. lastly, more advocacy and understanding of the value of instructional design in raising the standard and accessibility of higher education are required. to conclude, the results of this study demonstrate the advancements and difficulties in the implementation of instructional design in indian higher education. even if there are positive indications of progress, especially with regard to the creation of policies and the uptake of digital learning environments, there are still large gaps. all stakeholders including legislators, educators, and researchers, must work together to close these gaps. india can use instructional design to build a more effective and inclusive higher education system by emphasising teacher training, infrastructure, and creating strong policy frameworks. digital transformation is a difficult and complicated process, but with the correct approaches and dedication, it can result in notable improvements in the quality and accessibility of indian higher education. references bates, a. w. (2020). teaching in a digital age: guidelines for designing teaching and learning. tony bates associates ltd. https://opentextbc.ca/teachinginadigitalage/ branch, r. m., & kopcha, t. j. (2021). instructional design models.  educational technology research and development, 69(4), 1239–1261.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-02109989-0 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 321 chen, l., & wang, y. (2023). ai-driven personalization in online learning: effectiveness and ethical implications.  journal of educational technology, 45(3), 112–130.  https://doi. org/10.xxxx/xxxxxx government of india. (2020). national education policy 2020. ministry of human resource development.  https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/nep_final_ english_0.pdf hodges, c., moore, s., lockee, b., trust, t., & bond, a. (2020). the difference between emergency remote teaching and online learning. educause review, 27(3), 1–12. https:// er.educause.edu/articles/2020/3/the-difference-between-emergency-remoteteaching-and-online-learning johnson, m., & lee, k. (2023). the role of extended reality (xr) in instructional design: a metaanalysis.  journal of educational technology & society, 26(2), 89–104. https://doi.org/10. xxxx/xxxxxx kanuka, h. (2006). instructional design and elearning: a discussion of pedagogical content knowledge as a missing construct. canadian journal of learning and technology, 9(2), 1–17. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ej846720.pdf kumar, s., & ritzhaupt, a. (2020). what do instructional designers do? a study of competencies and practices. techtrends, 64(5), 674–689. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-020-00518-1 martin, f., & bolliger, d. u. (2022). engagement matters: student perceptions on the importance of engagement strategies in the online learning environment.  journal of online learning and teaching, 18(2), 123–135. reiser, r. a., & dempsey, j. v. (2021). trends and issues in instructional design and technology (4th ed.). pearson. siemens, g., & long, p. (2021). penetrating the fog: analytics in learning and education. journal of learning analytics, 8(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.18608/jla.2021.1.1 tarconish, e., scott, s., banerjee, m., & lombardi, a. (2023). universal design for instruction & learning in higher education: where have we been and where are we headed? journal of postsecondary education and disability, 36(3), 207–223. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ ej1435143.pdf trust, t., & pektas, e. (2021). exploring the use of artificial intelligence in instructional design: opportunities and challenges.  journal of educational technology systems, 50(1), 45– 67. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472395211012345 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 115 research article smart minds in math: the tpack advantage of educators’ cognitive abilities richa arora1, sesadeba pany2 & sukanya singh3* 1assistant professor, lala jagat naryan education college, jalalabad, punjab 2associate professor, central university of punjab, bathinda, punjab 3junior project fellow, prd, ciet, ncert email-sukanyasingh6@gmail.com abstract with the advent of the 21st century, as in the entire teaching-learning process, the subject mathematics plays a dominant role. it becomes important for mathematics teachers to ensure the optimum learning of students by upgrading their abilities especially in the field of technology. this paper attempts to unlock the impact of cognitive abilities of mathematics educators on their technological pedagogical and content knowledge (tpack). the cognitive abilities namely, analytical, evaluative and creative abilities of mathematics educators are explored in the present study in context to mathematics subject. the tpack test for mathematics teachers and the cognitive factors test are validated instruments used in the study to collect information from 189 elementary mathematics educators of punjab (india) through a survey method. the data were analysed through percentage analysis, product moment correlation and s-estimation approach of robust least square regression. in the present study, the cognitive abilities of the mathematics educators are explored extensively. the study unveils the significant impact of cognitive abilities of mathematics educators on their tpack. it is suggested to take concrete initiatives in the direction of development of cognitive abilities and tpack among the mathematics educators. keywords: tpack, cognitive abilities, mathematics educators, analytical ability, evaluative ability, creative ability introduction mathematics is one of the greatest intellectual achievements of human endeavour that epitomises the power of deductive reasoning. moreover, the student’s experience as a learner needs to adopt a composite and comprehensive view to learn mathematics successfully. not surprisingly, much of the research on mathematics teaching and learning portrays mathematical proficiency which synthesises cognitive as well as intellectual ability. in particular, mathematics embraces an imperative place in the education of an individual as the knowledge of mathematics is vital in almost every sphere of life. yet, many students believe the subject to be challenging (akhter and akhter, 2018) which leads to their low grades in the subject. while tracing the probable reasons for students’ mediocre performance, it is widely acknowledged that mathematics teachers employ inefficient teaching strategies in their classrooms (marbán and sintema, 2021). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 116 due to the repeated shutdowns of indian schools during the covid-19 pandemic situation, nowadays the delivery of mathematics instruction is mostly done online, and educators have to improvise their teaching by incorporating cutting-edge pedagogies and technologies (juanda et al., 2021). mere use of technological tools into the mathematics classroom does not solve the purpose, it is the appropriate selection and integration of technology with the pedagogy and content, which will serve to benefit quality education (bakar et al., 2020; ozudogru, and ozudogru, 2019). thus, mathematics educators must be able to design their learning environment by optimum utilisation of their technological pedagogical and content knowledge (tpack). further, the cognitive abilities of mathematics educators can interplay their role in the process of acquisition of knowledge and skills. the purpose of the present study is to explore the cognitive abilities i.e., analytical, evaluative, and creative abilities of mathematics educators and unveiling their composite impact on tpack. in this paper, the higher cognitive abilities, i.e., analytical, evaluative, and creative abilities, of elementary mathematics educators are discussed in detail along with its influence on their tpack. theoretical foundation via review synthesis tpack framework for integrating technology in classroom for integration of technology in the classroom, a teacher needs to also consider other factors like pedagogy and content. a widely accepted framework, namely tpack framework, is the best suited theoretical foundation for successful integration of technology. the tpack framework was articulated by mishra and koehler in 2006 and it is an extended work of shulman (1986) on pedagogical content knowledge (pck). shulman posited that teachers should know general pedagogical methods for teaching a particular content. they should be able to develop the pedagogical strategies according to the content to be taught. in the era of technology, the pck framework was extended to tpack, interlocking the technology with content and pedagogy (anjeli and valanides, 2008). mishra and koehler (2006) conceived the third primary form of knowledge, i.e. tk, as the teachers’ know-how for integrating technology in the classroom. further, the constructs tpk, tck and pck are considered the foundation of tpack. in tpack framework, there is equal application of three areas of knowledge, i.e. tk, pk and ck, in the process of teaching and learning. in addition to these elementary forms of knowledge, tk, pk and ck, there are three secondary forms of knowledge, i.e. tck (technological content knowledge), pck (pedagogical content knowledge) and tpk (technological pedagogical knowledge), which are prepared from the intersection of these elementary forms of knowledge. the intersection of primary forms of knowledge resulting in the secondary forms is displayed through the venn diagram in figure 1. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 117 figure-1: revised version of the tpack image. © punya mishra, 2018. reproduced with permission  in this venn diagram, content is associated with ‘what’ i.e. what the teachers know? it may be any subject content e.g. science, mathematics etc. pedagogy is linked with ‘how’ i.e. how the teachers teach? there are various methods of teaching like dialogue, play-way method, experiential learning, differentiated instruction etc. technology deals with ‘which’ i.e. which technology is used e.g. smart board, mobile etc. tpk means how technology is applied in education without referring to specific content, for example, computersupported collaborative learning. tck refers to how the technology is used in a subject for effective learning, for example, geometer’s sketchpad. pck involves how to effectively engage the students in learning concepts, for example, a deductive method for solving mathematical problems. the recent update in tpack framework, includes another element of knowledge i.e. the contextual knowledge (xk). this xk is derived from the outer dotted circle i.e. an enclosed space showing the contexts. these contexts are the organisational or situational constraints that the teachers have to deal with while performing their tasks (mishra, 2006). in the present scenario where the classrooms are turning out to be virtual, the teachers need to update their knowledge in all three areas, i.e. technology, pedagogy and content, according to the contexts involved while teaching. notably, recent advancements in teacher education and instructional design have emphasised the integration of innovative frameworks and methodologies to enhance teaching practices and learning outcomes. one prominent theme is the necessity of experiential learning for pre-service educators. jia and yang (2024) emphasised the importance of off-campus internships indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 118 led by experts, enabling pre-service mathematics educators at shandong normal university to refine their teaching evaluation skills in real-world middle school settings. similarly, elim (2024) explored the use of generative ai within bloom’s taxonomy to enhance cognitive thinking. the study found “creating” and “evaluating” as critical domains for fostering reflection and questioning among primary school students, though it noted challenges in applying these skills to broader contexts. the findings offer valuable insights for integrating ai to improve critical thinking and learning outcomes. addressing the affective dimension in teaching, mclay and reyes (2024) extended the tpack model to tapack, incorporating affective elements such as emotions, attitudes and values. thereby promoting meaningful technology integration among preservice teachers (psts) in teaching and learning. their findings showed that explicitly engaging with these dimensions fosters positive attitude and orientations toward technology integration among pre-service teachers, enhancing teacher education programs. meanwhile, ning et al. (2024) introduced the ai-tpack framework to integrate artificial intelligence technology with pedagogical methods and subject-specific content, which aims to better understand the intricate interrelations and synergistic effects of ai technology. this comprehensive model offers insights for assessing and advancing teachers’ competencies in ai integration, supporting sustainable professional development in the aidriven educational landscape. mansour et al. (2024) sought to investigate competencies and self-efficacy within the domain of technological pedagogical content knowledge. the main emphasis was on project-based learning (pbl) and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (stem) curriculum. the findings showed that there were no notable disparities observed among science and mathematics teachers in terms of teaching experience and school level. nevertheless, there were still gender differences, since male teachers demonstrate superior performance in technology integration. li and li (2024) conducted a study on the tpack framework in mathematics education, specifically focusing on the role of contextual knowledge (xk) among middle school mathematics teachers in chongqing, china. they used structural equation modelling (sem) to examine the connections between different components of tpack. the results suggest that xk, when combined with pedagogical knowledge (pk), pedagogical content knowledge (pck), and technological content knowledge (tck), has a significant influence on the total tpack framework. utari et al. (2024) conducted a descriptive study on fourteen students with the objective of developing instructional sequences for teaching and learning that would enhance students’ collaborative abilities by utilising the technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpack) framework. the results showed that using the tpack framework like tk (computer and android software), pk (a project-based learning model), and ck (introduction to statistics through project-based learning) can help students work together better. importantly, kartal and çınar (2022) aimed to probe the tpack development of preservice elementary mathematics instructors, conducted a study on thirty-three preservice teachers (psts) who received the tpack survey. the six pre-service teachers (psts) carried out a total of four lessons that were indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 119 focused on technology. these lessons included two microteaching sessions as part of the mathematics teaching method course, and two lessons during their student teaching. the findings indicated that the participants did not demonstrate effective and efficient utilisation of technology during their microteaching sessions. upon assessing their initial instructional sessions in schools, pre-service teachers significantly enhanced their teaching. in this context, the content knowledge of middle school mathematics pre-service teachers in an australian school of education, is found to be weak (norton, 2019). the steady development of tpack among the pre-service and inservice teachers can result in better learning of students. the teachers’ knowledge of how to use ict is found to have a positive impact on the academic achievement of students (akturk and saka ozturk, 2019). evidently, the traditional classroom is continuously converting into smart classrooms, as the students take more interest in gadgets and other latest technologies. in india, national education policy (nep) 2020 also holds the view of integration of technology in the classroom for ensuring quality education. ciet-ncert is promoting the vision by providing various resources to the teachers for integrating technology in their teaching. in recent times, the government of india has taken various initiatives to promote digital learning under the mission, namely ‘national mission on education through information and communication technology (nmeict). a variety of learning materials in the form of e-resources, i.e. audios and videos, have been developed and shared through web portals like e-pathshala, study webs of active-learning for young minds (swayam), national repository of open educational resources (nroer) and mobile applications (epathshala). remarkably, nep 2020 mentions that the teachers will be provided with opportunities for their continuous professional development (cpd). for every teacher, it will be compulsory to attend 50 cpd courses which will focus on the latest pedagogies like artsintegrated pedagogy, story-telling and experiential learning etc. the nep 2020 has also emphasised on the concrete steps to be taken by ncert and scert for doing the required modifications in the curriculum and pedagogy for reducing the burden of students. cognitive abilities the psychological constructs, cognitive ability and intelligence, are used interchangeably according to the context involved. it describes the differences among the individuals on the basis of their mental abilities. cognitive abilities relate to the cognitive domain of learning. according to the original version of bloom’s taxonomy given by benjamin bloom in 1956, the cognitive domain is divided into six levels, i.e. knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation. in 2001, bloom’s taxonomy was revised with slight changes in the above-mentioned six levels. according to the revised bloom’s taxonomy, the levels are remember, understand, apply, analyse, evaluate and create. the first three levels, i.e. remember, understand and apply, correspond to the lower order of abilities in cognitive domain. the above three levels, i.e. analyse, evaluate and create, refer to the higher-order of abilities of an individual. considering the present study, cognitive abilities are confined to the higher-order thinking skills, i.e. analyse, evaluate and create. analytical ability refers to the indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 120 ability to analyse, i.e. to breakdown something into its constituent parts. with reference to the teachers, the analytical ability refers to the ability of analysing the classroom situations, students’ behaviour and performance which leads towards an appropriate solution or action to be taken by the teachers. evaluative ability of teachers refers to their ability to evaluate their students and give judgement. thus, the evaluative ability of teachers is not only confined to checking the responses or performance of students; rather, it also includes the feedback given by the teachers for the improvement of students’ learning. the creative ability of teachers refers to their ability to create something new or novel. in several countries, the employer always strives to assess the intellectual level of teachers before hiring them. thus, the cognitive abilities are the integral component involved in the procedure of teachers’ selection (klassen and kim, 2019). it is also found that the mathematics teachers’ knowledge about higherorder thinking skills is very low and they are unable to solve the higher-order thinking skills (hots) based problems (retnawati et al., 2018). the instances of relationship between technology and cognitive abilities are witnessed in various other fields like business, agriculture etc. hr professionals use technology in their business for handling data, metrics and statistics. it is revealed that hr professionals having a high level of analytical ability perform better in their job in comparison to their counterparts (kryscynski et al., 2017). similarly, it managers, having a combination of decision styles i.e. intuitive and analytical, can better evaluate information technology (selart et al., 2008). research has also been conducted on the farmers of the united states to study the interrelationship between their cognitive ability and technology adoption. it is found that the farmers who adopted the technology at an early stage are having high cognitive ability (barham et al., 2018). such study clearly indicates that the teachers with high cognitive ability may also be able to adopt technology in their daily practice. methodology the study involves a survey method of descriptive type of research conducted on 189 mathematics educators teaching mathematics to 8th standard students of government schools of punjab (india). for obtaining information about their tpack and cognitive abilities, instruments were prepared with reference to the subject mathematics only. the tpack test for mathematics teachers (tpack-mt) was a multiple-choice test covering the three broad dimensions tk, pk and ck. items of tk were further based on the sub-dimensions namely, awareness of technology, appropriate use of technology and integration of technology in content. similarly, the items under pk were framed according to the sub-dimensions namely, awareness of pedagogy, appropriate use of pedagogy, integration of pedagogy in content. after applying the procedure of standardisation of instruments, 17 items of the tpack test were finalised. the reliability of tpack test for mathematics teachers i.e. cronbach’s alpha came out to be 0.70. similarly, for assessing the cognitive abilities of mathematics educators, a cognitive factors test for mathematics teachers was constructed and validated. the cognitive factors test involved three dimensions namely, analytical, evaluative and creative ability. all the items were based on the content of mathematics. the items under indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 121 analytical and creative ability were multiple-choice items and the items under creative ability were open ended questions for the creative expression of mathematics educators. there were 16 items in the cognitive factors test for mathematics teachers. the instrument was reliable as the spearman-brown prophecy coefficient came out to be 0.75. thus, both the instruments used in the present study were valid and reliable for investigating the tpack and cognitive abilities of mathematics educators. the scoring of the tpack test for mathematics teachers was done using the answer key of the test. for the cognitive factors test, the scoring of analytical and evaluative ability was done with the answer key. for the analytical ability, items were based on deconstruction of mathematical figures or mathematical numbers e.g. ‘deconstruction of the number 1527593.75’ or ‘breaking down the figure’. the evaluative ability of mathematics educators was assessed through the items in which the educators had to judge the hypothetical responses or calculations done by the students. the score of 1 or 0 was given based on their right or wrong judgement. for the third part, i.e. creative ability, the non-verbal test of creative thinking (nvtct) by baqer mehdi (2005) was referred to. the items under the creative ability were scored on three components i.e. fluency, elaboration and originality. fluency deals with the number of relevant responses given by the respondents and one score is given for each relevant response of mathematics educators. elaboration deals with the depth of an explanation. for the minimum primary response, one score is given and for each additional idea given in the response, the respondents are given one score. originality deals with the ability of giving uncommon responses relative to their peers. if the response is uncommon to any of the relative peers (i.e. given by one respondent only), then that response gets an originality score of 5; if a response is given by 1 or 2 percent of subjects (i.e. 2 respondents) then the originality score becomes 4; if a response is given by 2 to 3 percent of respondents (i.e. 3 respondents) then score is given as 3; if a response is given by 3 to 4 percent of respondents (i.e. 4 respondents) then originality score becomes 2; if the response is given by 4 to 5 percent of respondents (i.e. 5 respondents) then the score of 1 is given and if the response is given by more than 5 percent of respondents (i.e. more than 5 subjects) then originality score is given as 0. after administering the instruments to the mathematics educators, their scores of tpack and cognitive abilities were subjected towards analysis for obtaining the results. results and discussion cognitive abilities of mathematics educators the cognitive abilities i.e. analytical, evaluative and creative abilities of elementary mathematics educators were investigated through the cognitive factors test for mathematics teachers. analytical ability for assessing the analytical ability of mathematics educators, items based on elementary level mathematics were formulated where the teachers had to analyse the statement for giving the correct response. the percentage of teachers who showcased their analytical ability by giving correct responses to the items is shown in figure 2. below; indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 122 figure-2: analytical ability of mathematics educators evaluative ability the evaluative ability of mathematics educators was determined by asking situation-based items from them. in these items, their ability to evaluate their students in mathematics was effectively shown through their responses as evident in figure 3. below; figure-3: evaluative ability of mathematics educators creative ability while responding to the following questions mentioned in figure 4. the mathematics educators were requested to think as creatively as they could by taking sufficient time for creative expression. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 123 figure-4: creative ability of mathematics educators items pattern of responses given by mathematics educators iteml. to make the students better understand the concept of ‘interior, exterior and boundary of the closed curve’ as shown below in figure, what examples from real life will you give? a c b for this item, the mathematics educators gave several interesting and unique examples like y tennis court y circle drawn on table and chalks placed on it y agriculture field of farmer y badminton ground and shuttle y map of punjab y piece of cloth y dartboard y leaf of a plant item2. frame one question on the topic ‘profit percentage’ beyond the text book. the mathematics educators framed questions related to purchase of various things like laptop, chocolates, cricket ball, eggs, mobile, bananas and refrigerator. item 3. if you get an opportunity to talk about values with the students, which values will you try to develop in the students while discussing about the topic ‘fraction’ also give a brief description about the way of developing them the mathematics educators exhibited their creativity by listing out various values while discussing about the topic fraction. the unique values were y positive and negative thoughts as numerator and denominator y unity is strength y eating by sharing y equal division of work y concept of big and small for teaching the values like respect for elders and taking care of young ones item 4. to teach the concept of ‘transversal lines’, which examples can be given to the students from their daily life which relate the position of lines as shown below in the figure; the mathematics educators showcased their creativity with various examples like y grills of window y rods in the wheel y railway lines y bridge on the nver y knitting needles in the roll of yarm y folding the paper and putting the pencils y luddo game y electricity poles item 5. while teaching the topic ‘profit & loss’, which story you will narrate for stimulating the interest of the students in the concept most of the stories narrated by the mathematics educators were unique relative to other respondents. all the mathematics educators got an originality score as 3 or more than 3 for this item. these stories were generally related to purchase of items. one story was related to an employer and employees which was a unique one among other stories of profit and loss. item 6. formulate a novel situation for (7 5)x6 (one such situation for (5+8) × 6 is: soham and reetika work for 6 days, soham works 5 hours a day and reetika 8 hours a day. how many hours do both of them work in a week? this item was responded similar to the example as stated above by many of the mathematics educators. they changed the names and figures and less input was there from their side. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 124 the findings related to cognitive abilities show that the majority of mathematics educators were adequately able to analyse, evaluate and create something novel in their classroom teaching. the question lies in the implementation of these abilities while teaching the subject mathematics to their students. impact of cognitive abilities on tpack the study also aimed to study the influence of cognitive abilities of mathematics educators on their tpack. for this, a composite score of cognitive abilities was calculated by adding the scores of analytical, evaluative and creative abilities for each sampled mathematics educator. similarly, the scores of tpack of corresponding mathematics educators was calculated using the scoring key of the tpack test for mathematics teachers. for finding the relationship of cognitive abilities with tpack, pearson product-moment correlation was applied. although the relationship of cognitive abilities with tpack came out to be positive i.e. 0.073, yet it was not statistically significant. the reason behind the non-significant relationship of cognitive abilities with the tpack lies in the outliers in the datasets and pearson’s product moment correlation is very sensitive to the extremities in the data under study as it is defined in terms of standard deviation (kennedy, 2015; schober et al., 2018). however, it is not always legitimate and logical to exclude the outliers before performing the correlation analysis (kwak and kim, 2017) as it may undermine the interpretive powers of outcomes. further, the non-significance of such a relationship between variables does not preclude the possibility of the impact of cognitive abilities on tpack as correlation does not imply causation (bewick et al. 2003) because one variable may cause another variable to change. it is generally found in case of extreme values in data that two variables might not be significantly related to each other but may show strong association in regression. thus, it was decided to apply robust least square regression which is suitable for such datasets with extreme values (rousseeuw and yohai, 1984) for further investigation of impact of cognitive abilities on tpack. the robust least square (rls) regression is less sensitive to outliers as it cuts down their influence with weighted and reweighted least square regression. thus, between the two ways of ‘excluding outliers from the data’ and ‘including all the data points equally’, rls regression helps in finding the middle ground.  figure 5: leverage plots of tpack vs cognitive abilities indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 125 the properties of datasets of tpack and cognitive abilities were studied by creating leverage plots which demonstrates in figure 5. significant outliers in the data. it was revealed that cognitive abilities have significant outliers because of the creative ability scores included in the data as shown in table 1. table-2: impact of cognitive abilities on tpack of teachers regressor coefficient std. error z-stat. p-val. cognitive abilities 0.226* 0.013 16.85 0.000 -stat. 284.19* dependent variable: tpack of teachers *p < 0.01 null hypothesis under rn-sq.: all the coefficients are equal to zero table-1: example of creative ability scores of respondents for item no.1 respondents responses fluency originality elaboration total creative ability score r1 example of pool, by closing the pool with ribbon. standing the students at points a, b and c. and asking the students 1 0 4 5 r2 students can be given examples from daily life. for this, examples of tyre of scooter, bus, motor cycle can be given. also, the example of trunk, tiffin box, ring can be given 6 20 6 32 from above examples of creative ability scores of respondents in table 1, it is apparent that the scores include the extreme values which contribute to the significant outliers in the scores of cognitive ability of mathematics educators. thus, s-estimation approach of robust least square regression was applied through spss to study the impact of cognitive abilities on tpack of mathematics educators. the results are presented in table 2. from the above table 2, it is evident that the coefficient of cognitive abilities is found to be positive and statistically significant at 0.01 level of significance. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 126 this indicates that the cognitive abilities of mathematics educators’ positively influence their tpack. furthermore, one unit increase in the cognitive abilities of mathematics educators increases their tpack by 0.226 units. these results are statistically robust as the r.n. – the squared statistic is relatively high and significant at 0.01 levels. to conclude, it can be stated that there is a significant relationship between the cognitive factors and tpack of mathematics educators. the present findings are concordant with the previous researches (barham et al., 2018; hiebert et al., 2017; jia and yang, 2024; retnawati et al., 2018; selart et al., 2008; van es and sherin, 2002). conclusion the outbreak of covid-19 has again pushed the idea of technologyintegration to the forefront with more momentum and the tpack framework is still relevant in this context. among the various factors affecting the tpack of mathematics teachers, cognitive abilities i.e. analytical, evaluative and creative abilities are the 21st century skills which are having significant impact on tpack of mathematics teachers. thus, the findings of the present study indicate the need of developing cognitive abilities of teachers for the regular development of tpack in the contemporary virtual learning environments. although, this study is confined to the application of tpack in mathematics; however, science and other subjects represent other avenues for further exploration about technology integration. integrating affective (attitudinal) dimensions into the tpack framework, as proposed by mclay and reyes (2024), can be investigated to enhance the significance of technological integration among educators, which is crucial for an effective classroom. similarly, with the rise of generative ai, frameworks such as aitpack, which was familiarised by ning et al. in 2024, emphasise how important it is for teachers to comprehend how ai technology, teaching strategies, and subject-matter expertise interact. as ai becomes more prevalent in educational applications, there is room for research on teachers’ use of ai-tpack to enhance student learning with new educational technologies. thus, while preparing the pre-service teachers for their profession of teaching, the importance of cognitive abilities and tpack may be borne in mind. the professional development programs may be organised for the in-service teachers where they can update their knowledge and skills to keep up with the increasing needs of technologymediated learning. limitations the limitation of the present study lies in its small 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(2002). learning to notice: scaffolding new teachers’ interpretations of classroom interactions. journal of technology and teacher education, 10(4), 571-596. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 295 research article bridging the digital-language gap: school education in rural and urban assam himangshu sekhar sarma¹ & indrani sarma² ¹research scholar, department of sociology, cotton university, guwahati ²assistant professor, department of sociology, cotton university, guwahati emailindrani.sarma@cottonuniversity.ac.in abstract the proliferation of information and communication technology (ict) has given prominence to the digital divide discourse, which has become a subject of global concern. the multifaceted issue of digital divide and inequality is ingrained in broader cultural and socio-economic systems. these frameworks interact to create various opportunities and obstacles for various students in terms of access, understanding and effective use of digital technology for learning. against this backdrop, this study also examines the relationship between linguistic proficiency as a form of cultural capital and digital divide in technology adoption among students in vernacular medium schools in jorhat district of assam. it finds that proficiency in dominant languages used in digital educational content and technological interfaces significantly enhances students’ access and agency over technology and broader digital communities within their respective actor-networks which not only results in better academic performance but also helps in accumulation of further cultural capital. conversely, lack of proficiency in these languages among rural and tribal students hinders their ability to engage with technology for educational purposes. further, lack of cultural capital among teachers and parents represents critical gaps in the actor-networks which hinder technology adoption among rural and tribal students. keywords: digital divide, language, rural-urban, schools, technologies introduction with the emergence of computer network digital technology has profoundly changed the methods of creation, distribution and access of knowledge information. the possibilities coming up with the rapid and explosive growth of digital technologies for education and learning are vast and their potential to transform the entire process of schooling is well recognised. through the distribution of information among people who have previously been denied it, they can increase social mobility chances and lessen historical disparities. with student-centric solutions, they may also improve teaching and learning flexibility and efficiency, boost digital literacy among school students, and offer the platform and resources for gaining new knowledge. however, the proliferation of information and communication technology (ict) has given prominence to the digital divide discourse, which has become a subject of global concern. caste, ethnicity, gender, language and socio-economic status are just a few of the social inequalities that have appeared along the usual lines of digital technology access, knowledge, and use disparities as these technologies have become more common and significant. the social inequalities that emerge due to unequal ability to access, adapt, and create knowledge via the use of indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 296 ict is called digital divide (warschauer, 2002). the digital divide that results from ict’s ability to reward proficient users with higher incomes as well as cultural and political advantages makes its effects more noticeable. the underlying tendency behind the seeming expansion and closing of ict inequalities is that privileged groups are becoming even more privileged as a result of their increased efficiency in acquiring and using technology, which benefits them exponentially. therefore, ict disparities typically make existing disparities between developed and developing worse. these gaps can be based on location (rural or urban), gender, ethnicity, age, disability, and most importantly, income level. due to a number of factors, including rural location, lack of financial resources, transportation, women’s safety concerns and a lack of access to educational resources, india has been facing an education-based digital divide. over the past few decades, the indian government and corporate sector have undertaken a number of measures to reduce the digital divide. it has been significantly driven by government’s focus on designing and strengthening online educational platforms and digital infrastructure facilities (such as diksha, swayam, pm e-vidya, digital india, bharat net etc.) and catering to the rising demand for up skilling among students and teachers (nistha, disha, pmgdisha etc.). in addition, there are educational radio programmes, directto-home (dth) television channels like swayamprabha and gyan brikshya and campaigns to raise awareness of digital issues. technology integration and utilisation for teacher training, effective teaching and learning, and assessment procedures, and expanding access to underprivileged populations are all suggested under the new education policy, 2020. in order to support digital efforts like dth channels, smart classrooms, and virtual classrooms, the samagra shiksha plan has been synchronised with nep, 2020. furthermore, the private sector’s initiatives have led to cheaper smart phones and reduce internet rates, which have further increased accessibility for the aforementioned sections of society. in recent years, online education has been the most effective substitute for traditional classroom instruction in reducing the negative effects of the covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown on all students’ academic accomplishments. however given the extent to which the digital divide has permeated indian society, the number of such initiatives may not have produced the expected outcomes to date, but the process has undoubtedly begun in india. review of literature education has been considered as one of the most important agents of social transformation. as stated by durkheim (1961), education is the process by which society creates a sense of belongingness among its members, which makes social life possible, as well as preparing them to become productive members of the society by fostering their commitment to a core set of shared beliefs and values. for durkheim, education is essential in today’s society since it equips people with the specialised skills needed for their future life. education has been called a ‘lever of social change’ by moore (1963) due to its benefits in fostering social mobility and transformation. but it is also true that gains like equality, progress and sustainable development are not always the results of education. even though society’s educational principles may be the same for everyone, unequal access to educational opportunities and educational outcomes can lead to unequal knowledge reproduction and the socio-economic power that comes with that information. in a nation with indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 297 structural inequality like india, a variety of socio-economic factors influence access to and utilisation of education. current studies on social reproduction of education show that educational disparities that benefit the wealthier classes and expand the gap between them and the underprivileged segments of society are being perpetuated. coleman (1966) finds that the inequalities imposed on children by their home, neighbourhood and peers during school directly translate into inequalities they confront during adult life after school. in this regard, illich (1971) asserts that since it concentrates benefits among middle-class students while denying the poor access to education, schools are more likely to maintain the status quo and prolong student’s ascribed socio-economic level than to foster achievement-based status. althusser (2001) argues that education is one of the many social structures that form state ideological apparatus that upholds prevailing class beliefs and compels people to perform unintentional behaviours that perpetuate their class positions. emphasising the connection between language proficiency and academic achievement, bernstein (1971) claims that children from various socio-economic backgrounds acquire distinct linguistic codes as a result of the socialisation they receive from their families and communities, which affects how they experience school later on. the speech patterns that children from middle-class families learn through early socialisation meet curricular requirements and are rewarded in the classroom, but working-class children’s speech patterns are frowned upon. this caused individuals to feel alienated, which hinders their ability to learn and makes them reluctant to engage in class. therefore, in addition to economic resources, supremacy also requires social and cultural resources (bourdieu, 1986). nambissan (1994) supports this claim by stating that the exclusion of tribal languages and regional dialects from schools contributes to the low academic achievement, lack of interest in learning, and school dropout rates of tribal students. weber (1978) observes that larger social inequalities are reproduced by the education system because higher status groups monopolise these resources through social closure. distinct socio-economic groups face distinct challenges and uncertainties when it comes to accessing high-quality education due to the intersection of sociological aspects of class, caste, ethnicity, language and gender. with the growing usage of ict in schools, this has taken on a new level of stratification, one that is based on access, knowledge and use of digital technologies. wellman et al. (2003) found that higher levels of selfreliance and entrepreneurial thinking are required of individuals enrolled in the majority of digital education programmes. therefore, the concept of a digital learner emphasises people’s ability to participate in an empowered manner, which is discovered only among the affluent students’ groups. following this, calvert et al. (2005) found that families with higher income and higher education levels are more likely to own computers and have internet access at home. kalyanpur and kirmani (2005), based on secondary data, examined how cultural disparities, communication style variations, language obstacles, and lack of knowledge with services and hardware that contribute to the digital divide among students. their research indicates that students from low-income families, rural households, minorities and disadvantaged groups are less likely to have access to modern technologies. furthermore, societal perceptions and gender bias affect girls’ access to and use of computer and the internet, similar inequalities also affect students with impairments. sinha (2012) focusing on the extent of internet literacy found indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 298 that the main challenges experienced by internet students are limited working hours, lack of computers, slow internet and frequent power outages. mishra and gohain (2010) sharing similar views added that despite these obstacles digital resources are accessed and utilised on a daily basis by the students. according to oyedemi (2012), while digital inequality perpetuated the social inequality that many students already face, social inequality determines one’s capacity to obtain digital knowledge. yu et al. (2012) based on their findings said that parents with basic levels of ict proficiency are better at managing their children’s computer usage, and as a result, their children spend more time on educational activities than their peers from homes with less advanced ict skills. they come to the conclusion that there is another digital divide in education in addition to the disparities in access and usage. it is demonstrated by the adept and wise use of ict, and family is very important in this context. in assam, raja (2014) conducted research on the use and adoption of digital media and found that while 93.5 per cent of higher secondary students and 95 per cent of bachelor students used mobile phones, 29.8 per cent of higher secondary students and 54 per cent of bachelor students owned laptops. nevertheless, social networking sites like facebook account for the majority of digital media usage. merely 10.2 per cent of students use it for educational and career-related purposes. sarma and das (2021) conducted a survey to study inequalities in education created due to rural-urban divide and class position in assam. only 14 percent respondents have access to online learning, while 86 percent respondents do not have digital learning experience. the biggest challenge, according to 91 per cent of respondents, is a lack of functional smart phones. instead of sending their children to school, 52 per cent of respondents said they would rather to get them involved in household generating activities. hussain et al. (2021) using secondary data found that poverty, infrastructure gaps, centralisation of ict sector and illiteracy are the major causes behind digital divide in assam. further, they find while private schools, colleges and universities have successfully implemented digital learning process, students in government schools and colleges lag behind. pizarro, caballes and vianzon (2024) find that digital literacy of elementary teachers in schools play an important role in determining how well they were able to perform their duties and responsibilities during the covid-19 pandemic. statement of the problem and objective the multifaceted issue of digital inequality is ingrained in broader cultural and socio-economic systems. these frameworks interact to create various opportunities and obstacles for various students in terms of access, understanding and effective use of digital technology for learning. relevant technologies in the field of education include computers, smart phones, radio, television, dth connections, and the internet. first-level digital divide refers to disparities in access to these resources caused by social, economic and cultural variables. further, inequality can also be observed in digital literacy, skills and readiness which determine whether a student is able to use these tools in a beneficial manner which is identified as the second level of digital divide (attewell, 2001). as a result, students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, low-income households, single parent households, villages and marginalised ethnic, linguistic and religious communities are particularly vulnerable. it is feared that digital inequalities will exacerbate indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 299 existing social disparities as ict is becoming increasingly pervasive in the field of school education. a significant portion of the population lacks access to smart phones or the internet, especially in impoverished regions, rural areas and low-income families. this is demonstrated by the experience obtained from the emergency switch to fully digital mode of schooling during covid-19 lockdown. in the contemporary scenario of the northeastern state of assam, many students and teachers have fallen behind in receiving and providing education due to irregular power supply, lack of access to smart phones and computers, poor internet connectivity and lack of technical knowledge. in assam, just 15 per cent of schools have computers, 5.8 per cent have internet, and over 25,000 schools lack energy connections (government of india, ministry of education, department of school education and literacy, 2019). compared to 78.3 per cent students in private schools, just 52.4 per cent of students at government schools own smart phones (pratham education foundation and aser centre, 2020). there is also clear gender and rural-urban divides. over 12.1 per cent of rural families in assam have access to computers and the internet, compared to 46.9 per cent of urban households (government of india, ministry of statistics and programme implementation, national statistical office, 2018). only 28.2 per cent of women have ever used the internet, compared to 42.3 per cent of men (government of india, ministry of health and family welfare, international institute for population sciences, 2020). to comprehend the facts on a practical level, a sociological examination of digital access and inequality among school students of assam is therefore essential. against this backdrop, this study seeks to evaluate the multitude of obstacles that students from different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds face at individual level as well as at school level while using digital technologies for educational purposes. to do so, various social, economic and cultural factors such as like socioeconomic background of students, gender, experience to use technology and psychological factors as well as regional and geographical factors like rural-urban divide has been explored in a qualitative manner. methodology the present study is conducted in jorhat district in assam. it is known for its rich historical, cultural and educational heritage. this study draws on phenomenological approach within sociology. it focuses on empathetic understanding to explore how individuals experience and interpret the world from their unique perspectives. one of the first major sociologists to bring phenomenological perspective into sociology was weber (1978) whose idea of verstehen or interpretation of subjective meaning that individuals attach to their actions and to the actions of others aligns closely with phenomenological approach. he argues that any social phenomena must be understood from the point of view of the actors through empathetic understanding. the study uses random sampling to include 30 students each from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds in the three schools in jorhat district of assam which have been selected through purposive sampling. this helps in ensuring that the sample represents a diverse range of experiences with digital technologies across different social groups. the sampling is designed to reflect intersectional social inequalities such as class, gender, language and rurality that shape digital access and use. the first school is located in the indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 300 heart of jorhat town. this school caters to a socio-economically diverse student body, including children from welloff households as well as low-income families. the mix of students from different social strata provided rich data on how digital capital varies even within urban areas. the second school is situated in a rural area and primarily serves students from nearby villages. most of the students come from families engaged in agriculture, as well as from households of asha workers and daily wage earners among others. this setting helps examine the rural-urban divide in digital access and literacy. the third school is located near a tea estate, enrols students predominantly from the tea-tribe community, one of the most educationally marginalised groups in the state. the school offers insights into how socio-economic and cultural marginalisation shapes students; access to and use of digital technologies. this study is based on both primary and secondary sources of data. the secondary data has been collected from newspapers, journal articles and various reports. the primary data is collected directly from the field by using methods and tools like interview schedule and non-participant observation. a purposive sampling technique was employed to select 30 students from each of the three high schools. the schools were chosen to represent diverse socio-economic backgrounds. group discussions with the parents have been carried out to obtain a collective attitude towards education of their children. further, non-participant observation played a key role in the data collection process. non-participant observations across classrooms, schools, households and informal community setting offered thick descriptions of digital practices embedded in everyday lives of students, teachers and parents. classroom activities, social interactions and the use of digital tools in both academic and informal settings were closely observed. additional observations during parentteacher meetings, result announcement and practical exams offered further insight into how each community used digital tools in education. the students of the three schools display varying levels of technology adoption for both educational and non-educational purposes. document analysis was used to study educational materials such as textbooks and online resources. official school records and academic results were also examined. policy documents, government reports, books, journals and newspaper articles were also reviewed to contextualise the findings within wider discussions on digital inequality in assam, in india and globally. results and discussion in all the states of india including assam, digital technology integration in education was revolutionised by the covid-19 lockdown. digital technology is becoming more important and relevant than ever in online education, content and communication. however, research indicates that students’ digital capital determines their capacity to learn through digital technologies. as a result, there is a concern that the digital divide has developed along the familiar paths of social inequality that were previously present. as per the findings of the study, languages can both facilitate and hinder student’s use of technology for both educational and non-educational purposes. because english and hindi languages are widely used in both instructional materials and technological interfaces, being proficient in these languages allows for a more engaging and rich interaction with technology. on the other hand, a lack of skill in these languages limits one’s ability to use technology, which in indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 301 turn limits access to new opportunities and exacerbate already-existing social injustices. the students of the first school taken for study which is located in the jorhat town, due to their fluency in hindi and english have a major cultural capital advantage. this gives learners access to a wide variety of learning materials, such as advanced classes on websites like gyan panda and physicswallah, which offer excellent instructional content with outstanding pictures at reasonable prices. additionally, it has made it possible for them to pursue interests and skills outside of the classroom, like learning a foreign language (inspired by their passion for foreign social media influencers, korean drama and pop music, and japanese anime, which they watch on various digital platforms with english subtitles), dancing, playing musical instruments, origami, football etc. further, their ability to communicate in hindi and english has allowed them to interact with virtual community members via social media and online gaming. these members have shown them new methods to take advantage of technology, including trading, content production, and online coaching. such information spreads throughout school peer groups after being obtained from virtual friends. it is a significant resource for raising student’s knowledge of digital issues. students at the other two schools in rural jorhat are severely limited in their access to a wide range of educational resources due to their limited fluency in the prevailing languages. in contrast to the high calibre of resources accessible in hindi and english, they face a conspicuous lack of high-quality academic literature in assamese. they encounter noticeable deficiency in availability of quality academic content in assamese medium which stands in contrast with the quality of resources available in english and hindi. rural students are forced to rely on the limited content that is either directly provided by their teachers or made available in assamese through platforms like diksha app and local online educators, in contrast to their urban counterparts who are fluent in these languages and have access to a wealth of educational resources. they usually face trouble utilising the diksha app because of things like slow loading times, confusing interface and less engaging content. many students reported slow loading speed. others mentioned that the application often froze and lagged in their phones while loading interactive digital content. furthermore, many local educators lack the financial means to match the high-end production value provided by their national and international counterparts who publish content in hindi and english. due to their inability to speak the prevalent language, rural students are consequently deprived of access to highquality academic materials. similarly, the prevalence of english jargons in the electronic interfaces and low digital skills among the teachers at the rural school resulted in major difficulties in employing technology to its fullest. as a result, they are unable to take full advantage of the technologies they employed. teachers can play a crucial role in encouraging students in remote areas to accept technology, but this is a significant obstacle. the proactive efforts of an urban school teacher show how teachers can assist their children to more successfully navigate multilingual surroundings. lastly, rural student’s inability to communicate in the mainstream language deters them from using technology for nonacademic activities. unlike their urban peers, who use technology to acquire new skills and hobbies, this restriction limits their usage of technology outside of the classroom to unproductive leisure activities and entertainment pursuits. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 302 this scenario demonstrates how a lack of language skills prevents human actors from actors interacting spontaneously with technology and other human players in the network. unlike their urban counterparts, who are able to successfully navigate, enhance and reshape their actor networks, rural student’s reliance on limited resources highlights a reactive adaptation to these limitations rather than an active engagement with the larger educational and technological network. this restricts rural student’s chances for social mobility and the advancement of their cultural capital. furthermore, the necessity of humannetwork compatibility with non-human players is illustrated by this scenario. the gap between students’ and instructors’ language proficiency and the main languages used in technology interfaces results in systemic limitations within the actor-network that impede students’ acceptance of technology as well as teachers’ professional development. in this sense, findings from the urban school show how teachers can help close the gap between the human and non-human players in the network. conversely, the actor-network of the rural school has suffered from a lack of cultural capital. notwithstanding this discrepancy, students in both urban and rural schools acknowledged a distinct benefit: the capacity to depend on parents or siblings to decipher and clarify the lessons that teachers provide digitally in assamese, especially during times of covid-19 lockdown. in this case, parents and siblings become more active members in the network, demonstrating how the actor-network is extended into family domains. family cultural capital is essential in this process because it helps to bridge the gaps between various network actors. because their family members’ language skills and the language of their course materials match, these students are able to take advantage of this benefit. however, indigenous communities who speak bagania as their mother tongue are not eligible for this advantage because they do not have the necessary cultural capital. assamese and hindi are useful languages for certain tribal children whose siblings and cousins have worked in adjacent towns and cities like jorhat, sivsagar, nagaon and guwahati. due to their focus on their own task, however, this leads to a fragmented and superficial adoption of technology. a significant gap in the actor-network is thus reflected in the lack of cultural capital resulting from restrictions in dominant language competency, where vital human players are unable to fulfil their duties because of incompatibility with non-human actors. it is interesting to note that, over the course of two years, as more people have access to smart phones and the internet, rural tribal community students have become more involved with hindi and english through social media, over-thetop (ott) platforms, and online gaming. this has encouraged them to learn these languages informally because they want to be good at gaming or making new friends. this phenomenon suggests that the actor network is still growing, with digital media acting as a non-human actor to help human actors (school students, in this case) in the network improves their language skills and builds cultural capital. as seen in the rural school where some students have begun using resources like gyanpanda and youtube, this gives the human actors more agencies to actively interact with the actor-network. however, due to inadequate guidance, these students’ adoption to technology and accumulation of cultural capital are predominantly driven by leisure and amusement, indicating a misalignment between the potential of technology adoption for educational reasons and their actual use. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 303 differences in the three schools’ gunotsav results for 2022 and 2023 show how the digital divide affects students’ real-world outcomes. due to the increased technological use, urban students performed well in gunotsav in 2022, when online learning was the norm. this result can be explained by the students’ privileged position within the actor-network due to their technological know-how and cultural capital, which enabled them to interact with other network actors and serve as crucial nodes in boosting the network’s ability to promote academic success. lower grade among rural and tribal students, on the other hand, are a reflection of their difficulties embracing technology and the negative consequences they encounter in the real world. language is a barrier to the adoption of technology, as evidenced by the inability to bridge these gaps because of a lack of cultural capital. the transition to hybrid classrooms in 2023 resulted in significant progress among tribal and rural students, demonstrating how altering the nonhuman component of the network can close gaps in actor-networks and have a favourable impact on real-world results. the digital divide was somewhat lessened by the offline environment, but the problem of parents’ low cultural capital was resolved by direct teacherstudent interaction. the results of this comparative study clearly illustrate the intricate relationship between cultural capital – more specifically language skills – and the digital divide in terms of technology use. it highlights the benefits that urban students have because of their fluency in hindi and english, which allows them to participate in online communities that improve their learning and skill development and empower them to effect change in addition to having access to a wealth of educational resources. contrarily, students in rural and tribal areas encounter significant difficulties since they are not proficient in these major languages, which restrict their access and engagement and contribute to the social reproduction of current disparities. furthermore, teachers play a critical role in empowering students to use technology by assisting them in better navigating the digital world, irrespective of their language proficiency. the study also emphasised how resilient and flexible tribal and rural students are as they use technology in an informal manner to gradually improve the language skills. however, the potential advantages of using technology for education among indigenous people are disrupted by a lack of focused guidance. differences in gunotsav results in 2022 demonstrate how these discrepancies have a substantial impact on their academic outcomes. nonetheless, hybrid classrooms have improved the performance of tribal and rural students by reducing effects of the digital divide and a lack of cultural capital. this study reflected how important it is to help teachers and students overcome language hurdles in order to guarantee fair technology adoption and democratise access to online learning materials. conclusion digital inequalities are major concerns beyond physical access. although digital technology is becoming a necessary component of both education and modern life, not everyone has equal access to it (miah, 2024). overall, india’s economic progress in the years since globalisation has been impressive, but it also has a social component with educational indicators. despite the nation’s increased literacy rates, there are paradoxical circumstances emerging. there are many school children who are tackling with the problems of inadequate access to indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 304 educational resources to meet the demands of digital educational facilities. digital divide in the form of disparities in distribution of digital capital extends beyond access to digital technologies. therefore, equal attention should be paid towards generating right attitude towards digital technology among students. teachers and peer groups play an important role in helping students develop digital capital. parents’ attitude towards use of digital technology is also important. finding quality content in local language is one of the biggest challenges. there is a dire need to pay close attention to access and participation of users of digital technologies in the indian context in general and assam, in particular. it is not only morally right to close the digital divide; it is also essential to guarantee that all people have access to high quality education. it is possible to guarantee that every student has an equal opportunity to succeed by giving priority to programmes that encourage fair use of educational technology, providing online resources to all, and training individuals in effective technology usage. in an effort to close the digital divide and expand access to digital resources, school management system software has emerged as a crucial instrument for streamlining administrative processes and enhancing communication between various stakeholders. by enabling educational institutions to adapt to the demands of the digital age, these systems encourage greater collaboration among educators, learners and parents. furthermore, to bridge the digital divide, especially in rural areas, where economic constraints limit smart-phone availability, radio and tv-based academic programmes on dth were initiated by the state. also, there is requirement for providing quality internet connection, availability of regional language content and its relevance, opportunities to utilise the ict tools for routine work, and more importantly the skills and competencies of users with the various ict tools in order to maximise the benefits of digital technologies. references althusser, l. 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(1978). economy and society: an outline of interpretive sociology (g. roth & c. wittich, eds., e. fischoff et al., trans.). university of california press. wellman, b., quan-haase, a., boase, j., chen, w., hampton, k., diaz, i., & miyata, k. (2003). the social affordances of the internet for networked individualism. journal of computermediated communication, 8(3). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2003.tb00216.x yu, m., yuen, a. h. k., & park, j. (2012). students’ computer use at home: a study on family environment and parental influence. research and practice in technology enhanced learning, 7(1), 3-23. retrived from https://rptel.apsce.net/index.php/rptel/article/view/2012-07002 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 70 research article design and implementation of a yogic educational game “yogapatnam” as a teaching tool poonam panwar1, shreyas pragya2, pradyumna singh shekhawat3 1research scholar, department of yoga and science of living, jain vishva bharati institute, rajasthan emailpoonampanwar090@gmail.com 2professor, department of yoga and science of living, jain vishva bharati institute, rajasthan 3associate professor, department of yoga and science of living, jain vishva bharati institute, rajasthan abstract the purpose of this paper is to develop and evaluate a mobile educational application that supports children’s learning of the theoretical aspects of yoga. this paper describes an educational game application called “yogapatnam”, which is an android-based snakes and ladders game application that aims to be a learning tool with an attractive design that would help children learn basic yogic terms. the methodology of this research includes the study of literature (analysing similar applications for educational purposes), as well as the design, development, and implementation of the application. the application was implemented in 50 school students of 6th-8th grade for 1 month. students were instructed to use the application on a daily basis as homework. the pre-and post-tests were conducted with the help of a multiple-choice questionnaire comprised of 50 questions related to yoga education. the scores collected were considered as pre and post data to evaluate the yogic knowledge of the students. the paired t-value was found to be 24.25 at the p>0.0001 level. the results show that the educational game application “yogapatnam” is an effective learning tool and can be used as a helping tool for learning basic yoga knowledge using an interesting and fun learning concept. keywords: school children, educational game, yoga education, android, yogapatnam introduction the use of technology in the classroom has completely changed how we study and teach a variety of disciplines in recent years. education technologies have developed steadily over time, from traditional classrooms to digital platforms. their aim is to improve interaction, engagement, and memory retention. extending this idea to yoga education, the incorporation of gamification concepts has the potential to completely transform how yoga is instructed and learned. traditional yoga teaching methods generally lack interactive and engaging components. this gap offers a fertile field for the development of innovative teaching methods that combine the ancient wisdom of yoga with modern educational technologies. this research paper aims to explore the design and implementation of a yogic educational game (yeg) named “yogapatnam” as a tool for teaching yoga. the yeg has developed a deep understanding of the fundamental principles of yoga and game design, ensuring an immersive and authentic experience for learners. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 71 the yeg was created with a thorough understanding of and simplifying the core concepts of yoga, guaranteeing the learners a unique and genuine experience. the objectives of this research paper are threefold. firstly, to investigate the potential benefits of incorporating gamification in yoga education, such as increased motivation, active participation, and enhanced learning outcomes. this research study has three distinct goals. first, look into the possible advantages of gamification in yoga instruction, such as improved learning outcomes, increased motivation, and active involvement. secondly, the principles of game design that can be effectively applied to the development of the yeg, fostering engagement, interactivity, and knowledge retention will be examined. at last, the effectiveness of yeg as a teaching tool was evaluated by comparing its impact on student learning outcomes. it seeks to empower yoga teachers with an innovative tool that can enhance their teaching methodologies by making yoga more accessible, enjoyable, and effective for students. review of related literature yau et al. (2022), conducted a systematic review to investigate the efficacy of mobile applications that encourage healthy dietary, physical activity, or sedentary behaviour modifications in children between the ages of 8 and 12 years in order to prevent childhood obesity. from january 2008 to july 2021, medline, embase, psycinfo, cinahl, and eric were all thoroughly searched for peer-reviewed primary papers. the majority of the 13 studies that were found (n=8, 62 per cent), employed a quasi-experimental design. there were observed significant increases in bmi (2/6, 33 per cent studies), nutritional outcomes (5/6, 83 per cent studies), physical activity (4/8, 50 per cent studies), and diet (yau et. al., 2022). since kids are among the most susceptible to disaster damage, the educational game ludo disaster alert was created to help kids become more prepared for disasters. it was put into practice at setonorejo kras elementary school as a disaster alert education technique. pre-experimental research was conducted utilising the one-group pre-test post-test design approach. the 20 students aged 8-9 years were included in this study. before playing the instructional ludo disaster alert game, 40 per cent of students fell into the category of almost prepared; however, after playing it, there was a rise in preparation, with 55 per cent of respondents falling into the category of really prepared. there was a significant difference between the pre and postinstructional game ludo disaster alert, with a significance value of p=0.05 (kurniawati & astuti, 2023). the analysed study contrasted the effects of using the malmath application versus the conventional method of teaching mathematics on students’ academic achievement. a quasiexperimental investigation was carried out using a sample population of 72 students. the students of the experimental malmath group performed better academically (45.11) than the students in the control group (33.23), which was statistically significant (shurygin et al., 2023). the purpose of this study was to determine whether game-based learning and mobile learning may be used in teaching accounting. a total of 46 students took part in the training. before the instructions began, a pre-test was given to the students. a post-test was given following the introduction of the game-based mobile learning approach. the findings demonstrated indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 72 that for every item, the post-test scores were significantly higher than the pretest values. it suggests that mobile learning through games can enhance learning results (kao et al., 2023). the reviewed study aimed to determine whether adding chordiq, a digital program, to music teaching would enhance students’ academic performance. a test of 25 theoretical questions and 25 practical exercises was created to evaluate academic performance. by computing the student’s t-test using the “test score” and “missed classes” parameters, the groups were compared. according to the data gathered, the experimental group’s mean score was 87.50 out of 100, but the control group’s was significantly lower at 65.37. compared to the control group, individuals in the experimental group were also proficient in the singing practice known as solfeggio (ouyang, 2023). the study evaluates the usability of a mobile game-based learning application called rory’s math adventure (romaad) in improving the mathematical abilities of year 4 primary students. it has 18 levels, which can be played without an internet connection. evaluation of usability was carried out from the viewpoint of 37 school students. the evaluated 5 constructs were ease of use, ease of learning, consistency, information structure, design and satisfaction. the study concludes that romaad is an effective educational mobile game for teaching year 4 mathematics in game-based learning, with the potential to improve students’ mathematical skills, computational thinking, motivation, active participation and interest (annamalai et al., 2022). this reviewed study by kuznetcova et al., 2023, proposed a new direction of vs (visuo-spatial) training focusing on the development of visuo-spatial selfefficacy (vsse), or one’s confidence that they could complete specific vs tasks. to implement and assess the effectiveness of a game-based vs intervention for middle school students, a quasi-experimental design with 169 students as samples by using purposive sampling. the 96 participants in the experimental group played the intervention game during 4 sessions over the course of 2 weeks, while the 73 participants in the control group engaged in typical class activities. the results revealed that the intervention significantly increased students’ vs selfefficacy but not their vs performance or stem performance (kuznetcova et al., 2023). the idea of this research paper is to design and develop a mobile gamebased yoga learning tool. the reviewed literature indicates the use of various mobile-based games in teaching various subjects or topics, which proves the effectiveness of educational mobile games. however, we did not find any such game for the theoretical aspect of yoga. like other subjects, there is a need to develop digital yoga teaching aids that may help introduce basic yoga terminologies to school children using a simple and play-based method. need of the study there are many applications available for yoga, such as “kids yoga at home nh fits”, “yoga for kids and family fitness”, “yoga for kids”, and “yoga for kids teenager workout”. however, all these apps focus only on the practical aspects of yoga, i.e., asanas, pranayama, and meditation. though these are very important, another side of the coin, i.e., the theoretical aspect, is missing in these apps. after learning theory, practising yoga may make the children perfect. the benefits of yoga should not be limited to asanas alone; it is a part of life and approaches us in a holistic manner. according to ncert indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 73 (2012), yoga could be introduced from the elementary (primary) level onwards, i.e., secondary and senior secondary, in informal ways (https://ncert.nic. in/dess/pdf/yoga.pdf). this kind of application can be used to convey the essence of our yogic scriptures in an interesting and interactive way so as to make children eager to learn about our traditional knowledge. mobile applications based on yoga can help attain the goal of incorporating yoga, i.e., traditional knowledge systems, in school education, as directed by nep (national education policy, india), 2020. using mobile apps for yoga education may help students learn with ease and improve their ability to use technology. with the help of yogic mobile game applications, children will be able to learn and understand the basic concepts of yoga in an interesting way. it will also enhance value-based education among the new generation. these apps can become powerful teaching aids in yoga education for teachers. application development and design steps followed by the developer for application development: step 1: create a new unity project and name it “snakesandladders”. step 2: create a new scene in the project and name it “gamescene”. step 3: create a 3d plane object in the scene and scale it to 10x10x1. this will serve as the game board. step 4: create a 3d cube object and scale it to 1x1x1. this will serve as the player’s token. step 5: create a script named “playercontroller” and attach it to the player’s token. this script will handle the movement of the player. step 6: in the playercontroller script, create a variable to store the current player position on the game board. step 7: create a method in the playercontroller script to move the player based on the result of a dice roll. the method should update the player’s position and move the token to the new position on the game board. step 8: create a script named “gamecontroller” and attach it to an empty game object in the scene. this script will handle the game logic. step 9: in the gamecontroller script, create a list of all the snakes and ladders on the game board. each item in the list should contain the start and end positions of the snake or ladder. step 10: create a method in the gamecontroller script to check if the player has landed on a snake or ladder. if they have, the method should move the player to the end position of the snake or ladder. step 11: create a ui canvas in the scene and add a button to roll the dice. step 12: create a script named “diceroller” and attach it to the roll dice button. this script will handle the dice roll. step 13: in the diceroller script, generate a random number between 1 and 6 to simulate a dice roll. step 14: in the diceroller script, call the move player method in the playercontroller script with the result of the dice roll. step 15: in the gamecontroller script, create a method to check if the player has won the game by landing on the last square of the game board. step 16: add a win condition to the game by displaying a message on the screen when the player wins. step 17: test the game and make any necessary adjustments to the code or game mechanics. these steps provide a basic outline for indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 74 creating a snakes and ladders game in unity. game design: after following these steps, this is the design of the game: 1. the designed and developed game is a special kind of game application similar to the traditional s&l game. it can be called a yogic snakes and ladders game. it is an android-based application, and it is a serious game. serious games are those that serve purposes other than entertainment, such as educational, political, advertising, exercise etc. the average size of the app is about 18 megabytes and it is an offline game. the player does not require internet access after downloading it once. so, it is very easy to use and access. this is a two-player game, and one piece is green, and the other one is blue. the players get a hint above the board about whose turn it is. 2. while playing any level, the player may have the option to pause, replay the level, or go to the home page. there is also pleasant background music that is optional to play or not (fig. 1). figure-1: options in between the game figure-2: home page 3. the snakes and ladders game is divided into 7 levels (fig. 2) and only after passing the previous level players are allowed to promote to the next level. the number of yogic terms increases as per the level. the squares with ladders represented the yogic practices / moral values helpful in the yogic path, while the squares with snakes represented evils or things that act as obstacles in the yogic path as well as in normal human life. 4. whenever the player reaches either snake or ladder, there opens a dialogue box with a yogic term. the player gets enough time to read the term. after that, the player is shifted to the other end of the snake or ladder and another dialogue box opens with the meaning of that yogic term (figs. 3 &4). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 75 figure-3: dialogue box with yogic term figure-4: dialogue box with the meaning of the yogic term at the end of each level, there is a screen with a tree having some fruits. the fruits are named after the positive yogic activities that the players learned at the level. this will help the players to remember the yogic terms collectively (figs. 5&6). figure5&6: summary of levels indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 76 yogic terms and their meanings in the levels of game: level 1 ladders meaning ahimsa not to harm anyone by body, mind and speech satya truthfulness asteya non-stealing brahmcharya celibacy/move into brahman consciousness aparigraha not to possess unnecessary things snakes meaning himsa to harm anyone by body, mind and speech asatya non-truthfulness steya stealing abrahmcharya not to move into brahman consciousness parigraha to possess unnecessary things level 2 ladders meaning shauch hygienic mind, body and speech santosh satisfaction tapa willingness to go through adverse situations swadhyay listening, understanding and implementation of knowledge ishwar-pranidhan faith in god ladders meaning ashauch unhygienic mind, body and speech asantosh non-satisfaction atapa being into comfort zone aswadhyay not to take knowledge from anywhere nastikta no faith in god indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 77 level 3 ladders meaning asana yogic postures mudr symbolic gestures, posture to channelize the pranic energy bandh postures in which we lock the flow of energy pranayam controlled breathing pratyahar inward senses/ full control on senses dharna concentrating on a particular object dhyan meditation/ unbroken flow of concentration smadhi meditator and the object of meditation integrate into the one single identity snakes meaning avidya lack of knowledge asmita feeling of me and mine raag deep attachment towards the things which give happiness dwesh strong dislikes or hatred towards the things which give sorrow or pain abhinivesh fear of death moodhta foolishness level 4 ladders meaning utsah a strong feeling of excitement sahas ability to face difficulties dhairy ability to remain calm in adverse situations tatva gyan knowledge of the reality nishchaya firm determination jansang ka tyag to avoid spending too much time with other people snakes meaning ati-ahar to eat more than necessary prayas excessive working prajalp excessive speaking niyamagraha bound in restrictions chanchal mana unstable/ scattered mind jansang to live around many people indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 78 level 5 ladders meaning balanced mooladhar chakra energetic, physically fit and strong balanced swadhishtan chakra creativity, enthusiasm, joy, bliss, passion balanced manipoor chakra strong self-esteem, sense of self and life’s purpose healthy metabolism balanced anahat chakra love, compassion balanced vishuddhi chakra clear speech, singing ability, balanced & calm thoughts balanced aagya chakra high concentration, wisdom, ability to discriminate between real and non-real balanced sahasrar chakra strong nervous system, spiritually blessed, open minded, feel connected to universe snakes meaning imbalanced mooladhar chakra anxiety, depression, insomnia, digestive issues imbalanced swadhishtan chakra urinary disease, infertility, allergy, negativity, addiction imbalanced manipoor chakra diabetes, obesity, lack of confidence and motivation imbalanced anahat chakra heart disease, asthma mistrust, anger, revenge imbalanced vishuddhi chakra anxiety, lack of freedom, restriction, thyroid and throat problems, speech disorders imbalanced aagya chakra lack of decision making power, intuition and attention, get stuck in negative thought pattern, confusion imbalanced sahasrar chakra poor coordination, difficulty in meditation and spiritual practices, unable to feel peaceful level 6 ladders meaning vairagya state of being free of attachment to materialistic life abhayas practice repeatedly to get perfection in a skill maitri loving-kindness, towards oneself as well as others karuna one identifies the suffering of others as one’s own. mudita empathetic joy as a result of knowing that others are happy. upeksha a sense of even-mindedness. yukta ahara balanced diet satsang being in company with good people vivek ability to differentiate between real and unreal mauna practicing silence anushasan discipline indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 79 snakes meaning moha attachment mada ego irshya intense dislike dormanasya frustration caused due to non-fulfillment of wishes ang-mejayatva shivering of body dukh misery vyadhi physical disease/ ailment styan lack of interest or motivation sanshya lack of faith pramad carelessness alasya love of comfort and mental ease/ laziness avirti stuck into desires level 7 ladders meaning shukla-karma good deeds kshama forgiveness dhriti steadiness and strength in the mind daya compassion arjavam sincerity and harmony in one’s thought mitahar moderate eating daan giving away as charity yajna sacrifice shravan careful listening vyavhar-kushalta good behavior kaivalya merge yourself with supreme consciousness snakes meaning krishna-karma bad deeds cruelty state of being cruel adhi mental disorders tamas quality of dullness or inactivity, apathy, inertia or lethargy kama lust krodha anger lobh greed matsarya jealous indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 80 in the designed game “yogapatnam”, both types of yogic terms produce either positive or negative effects and their operational definitions have been given according to the yogic texts patanjali’s yoga sutras, hathpradeepika, shri mad bhagwad geeta and yog vashishth. implementation a specially designed questionnaire (mcq) related to yoga was asked of 6th8th-grade students of navjyot public school, rohtak, haryana, india, in which their knowledge about yoga was assessed. the questionnaire consists of 50 questions related to the basic terminology and meanings related to yoga. then, students were allowed to play ‘yogapatnam’ for one month. as the purpose of our study was to include both practical and theoretical aspects of yoga, we selected a school where yoga has already been a part of the school curriculum. hence, students were learning both practical and theoretical aspects of yoga. after the intervention, a post-test was conducted using the same questionnaire to assess the effect of mobile game applications on yoga education among students. data analysis by using the paired ‘t’ test, the data obtained in pre & post-tests was analysed with the help of spss version 26. the data collected from the sample is shown in the chart below. the blue line and brown line data indicate pre and post data, respectively. figure-7: pre (blue) and post (brown) data results table-1: descriptive statistics n mean std. deviation std. error mean pre data 50 14.88 3.89 0.55 post data 50 33.16 7.45 1.05 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 81 tables 1, 2 and 3 depict descriptive statistics, paired sample correltaion and paired t-test values. the intervention drawn from the yogapatnam mobile game is found to be significant at p < 0.0001 for a sample size of 50 students. the calculated absolute value of the paired ‘t’ statistic was found to be 24.25, which is compared with the table value, i.e. 3.496 at 49 degrees of freedom, which was significant at p< 0.0005 level of significance. as the calculated value of ‘t’ was much greater than the table value, it can be argued that the t in the present study is very significant and can be used as an effective medium and as a teaching aid for children. the correlation between pre and post-data is 0.729, which indicates a significant positive relation. discussion this study aims to prove the efficacy of the ‘yogapatnam’ game application by introducing it to 50 school children and evaluating their level of yoga education before and after. there was a significant improvement in the yoga education (p=0.000) of the experimental group following 1 month of “yogapatnam” game practice, as shown in table 3. the mean of marks obtained at 0 days is 14.88, and after 30 days, it was 33.16, which shows the significant positive effect of the games on the level of yoga education. the intention behind e-learning is not to replace conventional methods of teaching and learning in the classroom. it is aimed at creating an augmented learning environment where technology is used to deliver a combined range of teaching and learning techniques aimed at maximising individual participation (anwar et al., 2020). understand yoga education takes one’s lifetime, while in this application, we attempted to use a fraction of the yogic knowledge to introduce children to some basic concepts of yoga. as yoga is a vast subject, many other valuable concepts may be included in further research. conclusion results indicate that the “yogapatnam” game may be helpful in transmitting the yogic knowledge hidden in yogic scriptures given by ancient sages. it has simplified the basic concepts of yoga, so; the teachers may also use it as a yoga teaching tool. it is concluded that the ‘yogapatnam’ game learning medium is acceptable, feasible and effective. declaration of interest: none declaration of generative ai in scientific writing: during the preparation of this work the authors used “unity engine” in order to develop the mobile game application. after using this tool/service, the authors reviewed and edited the content as needed and took full responsibility for the content of the publication. table-2: paired sample correlation n correlation sig. pre data & post data 50 .729 .000 table-3: paired sample ttest mean std. deviation std. error mean lower upper t df sig.(two tailed) -18.28 5.33 0.75 -19.79 -16.76 -24.25 49 <0.0001 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 82 references annamalai, s., omar, a. c., & salam, s. n. a. (2022). rory’s mathematics adventure’s (romaad) mobile game-based learning application: an evaluation of usability. 2022, volume 7(issue 48), 575–585. anwar, n., kristiadi, d., novezar, f., tanto, p., septha, k., ardhia, p., evan, k., chrysler, a., spits warnars, h. l. h., abraham, j., & setiawan, a. (2020). learning math through mobile game for primary school students. sylwan, 164, 346–352. kao, m.-c., yuan, y.-h., & wang, y.-x. (2023). the study on designed gamified mobile learning model to assess students’ learning outcome of accounting education. heliyon, 9(2). kurniawati, f., & astuti, v. w. (2023). ludo disaster alert educational game as a disaster preparedness education strategy. jurnal ners dan kebidanan (journal of ners and midwifery), 10(2), article 2. kuznetcova, i., glassman, m., tilak, s., wen, z., evans, m., pelfrey, l., & lin, t.-j. (2023). using a mobile virtual reality and computer game to improve visuospatial self-efficacy in middle school students. computers & education, 192, 104660. ouyang, m. (2023). employing mobile learning in music education. education and information technologies, 28(5), 5241-5257. shurygin, v., anisimova, t., orazbekova, r., & pronkin, n. (2024). modern approaches to teaching future teachers of mathematics: the use of mobile applications and their impact on students’ motivation and academic success in the context of stem education. interactive learning environments, 32(6), 2884-2898. syawaluddin, a., afriani rachman, s., & khaerunnisa. (2020). developing snake ladder game learning media to increase students’ interest and learning outcomes on social studies in elementary school. simulation & gaming, 51(4), 432–442. yau, k. w., tang, t. s., görges, m., pinkney, s., kim, a. d., kalia, a., & amed, s. (2022). effectiveness of mobile apps in promoting healthy behavior changes and preventing obesity in children: systematic review. jmir pediatrics and parenting, 5(1), e34967. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 246 research article a study of cyber safety awareness among students and educational initiatives harshita panjani¹ & alka mudgal² ¹ph.d. scholar, amity institute of education, auup, noida email-harshita.panjani@s.amity.edu ²head of institute, amity institute of education, auup, noida abstract in the digital era, cyber safety education in schools has become paramount in ensuring the ethical use of technology and responsible digital citizenship among students. technological integration in education demands a safe online environment for students. moreover, after the covid-19 pandemic, an exponential increase in the use of the internet in india can be observed, as a hybrid model of teaching-learning has been implemented since then. with an increase in the usage of the internet and technological advancements in the field of education, the risk of cybercrime and online threats has also increased. thus, cyber safety awareness is crucial as students are exposed to a variety of online risks. this research delves into various aspects of cyber safety education in schools, its significance in making students robust and responsible netizens, and the role of educators in fostering a safe online environment. a survey was conducted to assess cyber safety awareness among middle and secondary-level students of two age groups (12-15 years and 15-18 years). the result of the survey revealed that the majority of students were not well aware of safe internet use and digital practices. cyber safety awareness was low among middle-grade students of the age group (12-15) in comparison to secondary-level students of the age group (15-18). the study emphasises incorporating structured cyber safety education in school curricula and building teacher capacity through continuous professional development, leading to the development of responsible, informed, and digitally resilient citizens. keywords: cyber safety education, cyber crime, nep2020, continuous professional development of teachers introduction cyber safety, also known as online safety or internet safety, refers to the practice of protecting oneself and others from various online threats and dangers while using the internet and digital technologies. it encompasses a range of measures and behaviours aimed at ensuring a secure and responsible online experience. it is necessary to ensure that online resources are used safely with utmost care and in a responsible manner. it is concerned with keeping the information safe online and handling it responsibly. it also involves being respectful towards others online and using netiquette. cyber safety and security is also concerned with implementing and adopting strategies, to protect devices from attacks. the data should be protected from being misused through unauthorised access. (cyber safety security guidelines, ncert) information security is one of the biggest challenges in the present day. cybercrime is the first thing that comes to mind when we think about indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 247 cyber security, and they are growing significantly every day. (r. nihita, 2014). cyber safety is essential in the digital age to protect from cyber threats like cyberbullying, stalking, trolling, malware, phishing, identity theft, etc. the internet has made life of an individual easier, but there are some negative concerns that can also be easily observed. fraudulent activities including hacking, phishing attacks, cyber trolling, cyber bullying and, child pornography have increased with an impact as a consequence of lack of awareness regarding cyber-safety among internet users. they are becoming easy victims of these fraudulent actions. (l. prathamesh, 2021) need for cyber safety education in schools the risk of cyberattacks has increased due to the recent trend towards e-learning and a significant increase in online communications. cybercriminals are currently taking advantage of these opportunities to steal sensitive information, deceive educational organisations, or use ransomware schemes. it is the responsibility of each individual to protect themselves online. (ncert training module, july 2023) education on cybersecurity is also necessary to ensure responsible use of technology. teenagers use their devices to socialise online and spend a lot of time on computers. this gadget addiction consumes teenagers’ valuable time, and eventually, it becomes impossible to avoid becoming addicted to online games. this may lead to health issues for youngsters. users may not always be aware that they are being attacked, and these threats and attacks might take many different forms. therefore, immediate action is required in this concern to ensure the  safety of young children while using the resources online (rahman et al., 2020). since all protective elements are crucial in preventing cybersecurity threats, cyber safety education is also essential for addressing these issues. education about cybersecurity is required to protect internet users against both current and emerging cyber threats. national education policy (2020) envisions leveraging technology in education. in order to provide a safe and effective atmosphere for learning, it also places a strong emphasis on children’s safety and security, especially cyber safety and security. nep 2020 states that “children and adolescents enrolled in schools must not be forgotten in this whole process. their safety and rights should be prioritised and given due consideration. (para 8.11, nep 2020) indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 248 review of literature the increasing digitalisation in learning, especially after the covid-19 pandemic, has significantly changed students’ engagement with virtual space, raising concerns regarding cyber safety. the heightened use of the internet results in a greater risk of exposure to threats such as cyberbullying, phishing, identity theft, and privacy infringement (rahman et al., 2020). therefore, cyber safety education is recognised as an essential part of the school curriculum to promote responsible digital citizenship and protect students from cyberattacks. cyber safety refers to the attitudes and awareness required to protect users from cyber threats like malware, social engineering, and malicious content online (ncert, 2023). reddy and reddy (2013) found that the occurrences and sophistication of cyber threats have increased as digital tools are used more intensively, calling for early and organised intervention. the research highlighted awareness of students regarding online behaviours, legal aspects, and the adoption of protective mechanisms and measures. muniandy, muniandy, and samsudin (2017) conducted research on cybersecurity behaviours among malaysian higher education students and found restricted awareness and insecure online behaviour, especially involving sharing passwords, unverified downloads, and social media privacy. this indicates a global tendency of lack of cyber hygiene that starts early and continues through adulthood unless addressed. chawla, kapoor, and chawla (2023) undertook a regional study across delhi/ncr schools and colleges that the majority of youth are not well aware of ethical and safe digital practices. their research indicates that students who are frequent internet users are not well-informed regarding threats such as phishing, spoofing, and the legal aspects of online misbehaviour. the authors emphasize the necessity of wellorganised school-based interventions and more incorporation of cyber ethics into digital literacy initiatives, particularly in the developing world. yashwant (2021) further points out that education on cyber safety has to start at school and stresses the inclusion of subjects, including cyber hygiene, safe device usage, and netiquette in the regular curriculum. additionally, the national education policy (nep) 2020 emphasises child safety and digital security in schools (moe, 2020). the policy also insists that students be taught 21st century skills, which include digital responsibility. moreover, programs such as the cyberpeace foundation and the cyber safety guidelines of the cbse encourage cyber clubs, student-led awareness campaigns, and professional capacitybuilding for teachers (cbse, 2023). these programs not only aim to educate students but also equip teachers with the right skills to support learners in navigating cyberspace safely. objectives of the study y to identify the major aspects and the need for cyber safety education in schools. y to assess students’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours related to online safety and responsible digital citizenship. y to compare the cyber safety awareness among middle-grade (age group 12-15 years) and secondarylevel (age group 15-18 years) students y to identify best practices and recommendations for the effective implementation of cyber safety education programs in schools methodology this research employed a descriptive survey design to assess students’ levels indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 249 of cyber safety awareness at the middle and secondary levels. the design was used because it enables the gathering of quantitative and qualitative data from a specified population to uncover prevalent awareness, practice, and knowledge regarding cyber safety matters. the sample consisted of 222 students from two private, cbseaffiliated schools in the delhi-ncr region. out of these, 40 students were in the 12–15 years age group (middle grade), and 182 were in the 15–18 years age group (secondary grade). the schools do not have a formal cyber safety curriculum, but include cyber safety as a subject matter within the computer science subject at both grade levels. students were randomly sampled using a simple random sampling method to prevent bias and ensure equitable representation from the two age groups and schools. for data collection, written consent was first secured from school principals and class teachers. they were informed about the purpose, scope, and ethical aspects of research. data collection information was gathered by utilising a validated and structured questionnaire, formulated especially for this research. the questionnaire was comprised of two parts, part i consisted of 6 general cyber safety awareness questions and part ii consisted of 18 items: 15 multiplechoice questions (mcqs) targeting core concepts of cyber safety and safe internet use, practices, including password protection, cyberbullying, malware, phishing, identity theft, and managing privacy, and 3 open-ended questions that are designed to elicit students’ overall perception of cyberattacks, such as identity theft, phishing, spoofing, and their knowledge of it act or cyber law-based safeguards. the questionnaire was distributed in physical mode (pen-and-paper) at regular school hours, in the presence of the investigator and school-appointed invigilators. pre-content validation had previously been conducted by expert review by teachers and ict experts to ascertain the validity, clarity, and ageappropriateness of the items. scoring procedure every accurate answer in the mcq section was worth one mark, with a maximum possible score of 15. student awareness levels were graded based on total scores using the following scoring rubric: y high awareness: score ≥ 12 y medium awareness: score ≥ 8 and < 12 y low awareness: score ≥ 0 and < 8 general awareness-based questions were analysed to determine the percentage of students who selected the correct responses. quantitative information collected through the mcqs was handled using descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage) and inferential statistics (independent t-test) to contrast awareness levels between age groups. the open-ended answers were examined qualitatively to determine frequent themes, misconceptions, and awareness gaps. data analysis analysis was carried out using descriptive as well as inferential statistics to assess the level of cyber safety awareness among students. analysis of general awareness (part i) the responses of this part were analysed using percentage distribution to reflect upon the baseline familiarity and behaviour of the students related to cyber safety practices. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 250 table-1: general awareness of students on cyber safety s. no. general awareness question yes (%) no (%) 1. have you ever heard the term “cybersecurity”? 59.00% 41.00% 2. do you click on advertisement links while playing online games? 10.80% 89.20% 3. have you ever shared personal information on unknown websites or links? 6.30% 93.70% 4. have you purchased products after clicking ads on social media platforms (e.g., instagram)? 32.90% 67.10% 5. have you ever read or watched any material related to cybersecurity? 52.30% 47.70% 6. have you ever attended a programme or workshop on cyber safety? 59.90% 40.10% figure-1: general awareness of students on cyber safety awareness level based on mcq scores (part ii) this part of the questionnaire consisted of 15 mcqs to assess the knowledge and awareness of students about core cyber safety concepts. the values of mean and standard deviation were calculated as (9.857 and 3.236) for age group (12-15) years and (13.75 and 1.699) for age group (15-18) years). based on the maximum score, mean, and standard deviation, the level of cyber safety awareness among students was categorised as “high” (for score>=12), “medium” (for score>=8 and <12), and “low” (for score>=0 and <8). table-2: awareness level of students on cyber safety level of awareness of cyber safety high medium low total no. of students 102 (45.95%) 82 (36.94%) 38 (17.11%) 222 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 251 figure-2: level of awareness of students on cyber safety comparison of awareness across agegroups an independent samples t-test was conducted between two age groups: 12–15 years (n = 40) and 15–18 years (n = 182) to determine the difference in the awareness level by age. table-3: t-value for the difference in awareness of students about cyber safety -group wise age group mean score sd t-stats age (12-15) years 9.85714 3.236 6.914(significant) age (15-18) years 13.75 1.699 figure-3: mean score of students on cyber safety findings and discussions findings to measure basic knowledge and behaviours concerning cyber safety, six yes/no questions were given to students. examining the results of the questions showed different awareness levels: a significant number of students (131 of 222, 59.0%) had heard the word “cybersecurity” and so were moderately exposed to the indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 252 term. only 24 students (10.8%) had clicked on advertisement links while gaming online, so this risktaking behaviour appeared to be relatively rare. yet, 14 students (6.3%) had posted personal details such as phone numbers or email addresses on unfamiliar websites, demonstrating a possible susceptibility to phishing or identity theft. in addition, 73 students (32.9%) confirmed that they had purchased goods under ads viewed on social media such as facebook or instagram, which shows exposure to online commercialisation influence and scamming. positively, 116 students (52.3%) reported having followed content pertaining to cybersecurity, including articles, videos, or material disseminated in school. a good number, 133 students (59.9%) of the students indicated that they had attended a cyber safety programme or workshop, which demonstrates initiatives by the schools or outside agencies to disseminate awareness, although not as an organised component of the curriculum. the study indicates that the majority of students reflected general awareness of cyber crime and cyber safety measures. 45.95% (102/222) of students reflected a ‘high’ level of awareness for cybercrime, online threats, and cyber safety measures. 36.94% (82/222) students have a ‘medium’ level of awareness and only 17.11% (38/222) students were found to have a ‘low’ level of awareness as presented in table 2 and figure 2. these results indicate, the majority of students reflected high level of cyber safety awareness, while a significant number of students were found to be within the medium or low category of awareness. the mean scores of students aged (12-15) years were (mean = 9.86, sd = 3.24) and for (15-18) years were (mean = 13.75, sd = 1.70) respectively. this indicates that students at the secondary level are well aware of cyber safety as compared to middlegrade students. to analyse the significance of the difference in awareness among students based on their age groups independent t-test was employed and the result is presented in table 3. the t-ratio computed as 6.914, is significant at both .01 level and .05 levels of significance. this reveals that there exists a significant difference between the awareness among the students falling in both the groups. the answers provided by the students for open-ended questions reflected that the students were well aware of hacking, cyberbullying, and spoofing but the majority of students were not able to provide appropriate answers concerning online threats such as phishing, malware, spyware, etc. very few students showed familiarity with legal provisions of cyber law and it act 2000. discussions the findings of this research indicate the existing level of cyber safety awareness among secondary school students and highlight the critical areas that are in need indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 253 of educational intervention. the information shows that while the majority of students know the term cybersecurity, their experiential knowledge and behavioural use of online resources and online practices vary. while students reported that they had exposure to cyber safety content, awareness sessions, and workshops, this did not necessarily equate to conceptual understanding or informed and responsible online behaviour. this aligns with chawla, kapoor, and chawla’s (2023–24) concerns that even more digitally engaged students tend to have little knowledge of advanced cyber threats and ethical technology use. this disconnect can be attributed to the fact that there is not enough integration of cyber safety education within the formal curriculum, with such content being limited to a handful of lessons in the computer science subject. one of the main findings of the study was the noticeable disparity in levels of awareness between middle and secondary level students. the secondary level exhibited greater consciousness of online threats and more secure behaviour online, which implies that maturity and exposure to technology can enhance digital competence. however, this raises concerns regarding the vulnerability of younger teens using digital platforms, potentially without the skills they need to do so securely. these results align with those of yashwant (2021) and rahman et al. (2020), who highlight the significance of age-specific cyber safety education from an early adolescent stage. further, the analysis based on responses of open-ended questions indicates a lack of knowledge regarding cyber laws and the function of legal protection, including the it act, among the majority of students. while some students could define common cyber threats, such as cyberbullying or identity theft, few reflected on legal protection mechanisms in mind. this supports muniandy et al. (2017) and ncert (2023) suggestions, which prioritise the inclusion of legal literacy in digital studies to enable students not only to protect themselves but also to identify their rights and responsibilities on the internet. another significant implication derived from the study is the necessity for teachers’ roles to be enhanced in integrating cyber safety education. although external workshops and awareness programs organised in school are beneficial, their one-off nature fails to have long-term consequences unless anchored by ongoing schoolbased education and teacher facilitation. both the cbse cyber safety guidelines (2023) and the national education policy 2020 emphasise teacher training and student participation through systematic digital citizenship programs, although in the schools studied, cyber safety was not introduced as an independent curriculum, highlighting the need for educational initiatives in this regard. thus, the current study on cybersafety awareness among students cannot rely on limited exposure through subject-specific learning, indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 254 a few workshops, or short-term interventions. it requires a holistic, curriculum-integrated, and ageappropriate strategy with the backing of skilled teachers who can lead the students to become responsible and knowledgeable digital citizens. recommendations and provisions for enhancing cyber safety in schools in the current digital era, it is crucial to make students aware of information security and the development of digital skills required to securely browse the internet. particularly young children need to be guided to use the internet safely and to safeguard themselves. our country is rapidly developing its cyber infrastructure; thus, we must teach the populace and the next generation how to use it responsibly. issues related to cyber safety, cyber security, and ethical use of technology must be included in the educational process from a young age. technological elements, operational aspects, awareness, training, and educatıon are all important components of cybersecurity (yashwant, 2021). some initiatives at the administrative and institutional levels to integrate cyber safety education include: establishment of i4c (indian cyber crime coordination centre) i4c was established by the government of india under the ministry of home affairs. this centre aims to offer an all-encompassing, well-coordinated framework for successfully combating cybercrimes. formation of cyber crime cells within the police departments in various states most states in india have their cybercrime cells or units within their respective police departments. these units are tasked with investigating cybercrimes within their jurisdiction. the delhi police unit operates an association called cypad (cyber prevention awareness detection) that deals with all cybercrime cases, including cyberattacks, hacking, cracking, phishing, snooping, spoofing, child pornography and crime against women. the cypad also develops standardised awareness modules to spread cyber safety awareness. this special cell also organises awareness programmes for teachers and students of schools across delhi and provides material associated to safety measures including videos, digital presentations, handouts on faq, online safety rules etc. initiatives of cyberpeace foundation the objective of the indian nonprofit cyberpeace foundation is to increase resilience in cybersecurity against cyberattacks and cybercrimes. cyberpeace is working in  collaboration  with the un, several state and federal governments, and global educational institutions. this organisation is a member of un global compact network india and is registered with niti aayog. formation of cyber clubs in schools to counteract cyber risks and raise awareness, education is essential. due to the younger generation’s increased susceptibility to cybercrime, students in schools must receive adequate education about cyber hygiene and potential threats. cbse has also provided guidelines for ensuring cyber safety in schools and issued a circular dated: 25.03.2023 for “formation of cyber clubs in schools for developing an ecosystem to prevent cybercrime.” with joint endeavours among educational institutions, educators, and learners, these cyber clubs can make a substantial impact towards cultivating more secure cyberspace and alleviating cyber hazards within our community. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 255 teachers’ empowerment and professional development encouraging educators and students to become more aware of cyber concerns is an initiative that educational institutions and administration  could take to prevent these groups from emerging cybersecurity dangers (muniandy et al., 2017). teachers must spread cybersecurity awareness to encourage responsible online behaviour. the training and continuous professional development of teachers on cyber safety can apprise them with the required knowledge and capacity building for guiding and supporting students. teachers can instruct students about checking the validation of online communication sources, methods, and mediums; secure data-sharing methods; being careful about communication and sharing of information while playing online on gaming sites, and carefully sharing information on social media platforms, social networks, and even on e-learning platforms (ncert training module, july 2023). some of the sources of training and professional development of in-service teachers on cyber safety include: y workshops, seminars, training sessions organised by the government and online courses, and resource materials specifically designed to help teachers integrate cyber safety education into their curriculum. y conferences, seminars, or workshops focused on technology integration, digital citizenship, or cyber safety. y e-learning modules and training programmes available on technology platforms that include diksha, swayam, coursera, edx, udemy, etc. y capacity building programmes are organised by cbse, and online training programmes are offered through the cbse training portal regularly throughout the academic session. conclusion cyber safety awareness is essential for an interconnected world, as students are exposed to a variety of online risks. with an increase in the usage of the internet and technological advancements in the field of education, the risk of cybercrime and online threats has also increased. this study indicates the urgent need for the structured implementation of cyber safety education in schools. the results of the study highlight that general cyber safety awareness exists among students, but significant gaps remain in students’ understanding of online threats, safe browsing, and legal protection, specifically among middlegrade students. the answers provided by the students for open-ended questions reflected that the students were well aware of hacking, cyberbullying, and spoofing, but the majority of students were not able to provide appropriate answers concerning online threats such as phishing, malware, spyware, and provisions of cyber law and it act 2000. the knowledge about these online threats can be provided by organising cyber safety programmes in collaboration with national organisations like ncert, cyberpeace, cypad (cyber crime cell), etc., and by starting cyber safety clubs in schools for active participation of students in cyber safety programmes. various provisions are also required to integrate cyber safety into the school curriculum and to encourage teachers’ participation in training and certification programmes in cyber safety to empower them to provide essential support  for the development of students as responsible and knowledgeable digital citizens. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 256 references cbse. (2023). cyber safety manual for schools. central board of secondary education. https://cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/manuals/cyber_safety_manual.pdf chawla, v., kapoor, a., & chawla, r. (2024). cybersecurity awareness amongst youth – a survey in delhi/ncr. computer science journal, 9(2).https://doi.org/10.17010/ijcs/2023/ v8/i2/172777 ministry of education. (2020). national education policy 2020. government of india. https:// www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/nep_final_english_0.pdf muniandy, l., muniandy, b., & samsudin, z. (2017). cybersecurity behaviour among higher education students in malaysia. journal of information assurance & cybersecurity, 2017, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.5171/2017.800299 ncert. (2023). cyber safety and security guidelines for schools. central institute of educational technology. https://ciet.nic.in/upload/cyber_safety_for_schools_new.pdf rahman, n. a. a., sairi, i. h., zizi, n. a. m., & khalid, f. (2020). the importance of cybersecurity education in school. international journal of information and education technology, 10(5), 378–382. https://doi.org/10.18178/ijiet.2020.10.5.1393 reddy, g. n., & reddy, g. j. u. (2013). study of cloud computing in healthcare industry. international journal of scientific & engineering research, 4(9), 68–71. https://www.ijser. org/onlineresearchpaperviewer.aspx?study-of-cloud-computing-in-health-careindustry.pdf yashwant, l. p. (2021). need of cyber security education in school. international journal of innovative research in technology, 8(2), 199–203. https://www.ijirt.org/master/ publishedpaper/ijirt152027_paper.pdf indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 165 research article a study on ict integration in vocational education: implications for student learning experiences and alignment with the national education policy 2020 r. ravichandran¹ & rakesh kumar raman² ¹department of humanities, science, education & research, pss central institute of vocational education (ncert),shyamla hills, bhopal, madhya pradesh ²department of humanities, science, education & research, pss central institute of vocational education (ncert),shyamla hills, bhopal, madhya pradesh abstract this study investigates the integration of information and communication technology (ict) into vocational education, aiming to enhance students’ learning experiences and prepare them for the demands of the modern workforce. utilising a mixed-methods approach, data were collected from vocational teachers and students across various states in india. the study explores the benefits, challenges, and implications of ict integration in vocational education. findings reveal that effective integration of ict can provide interactive and engaging learning environments, addressing disparities in access and usage while boosting students’ confidence and competence in utilizing technology. furthermore, understanding students’ motivation and providing teacher support are crucial for promoting student engagement and enhancing vocational education outcomes. the study emphasises the importance of tailored teacher training programs and ongoing professional development initiatives to optimise ict utilisation. overall, the study underscores ict’s transformative potential in enriching vocational learning experiences and preparing students for success in the 21st-century workforce. keywords: integration of information and communication technology (ict); teaching and learning; vocational subjects; school education introduction in an era marked by rapid technological advancement and evolving economic landscapes, the integration of information and communication technology (ict) into education has emerged as a pivotal component in shaping the learning landscape and preparing students for the demands of the modern workforce. within the domain of vocational education, where practical skills and industry relevance are paramount, the effective integration of ict holds significant promise for enriching teaching and learning practices. the national education policy (nep) of 2020, a landmark document that outlines the vision for the future of education in india, emphasises the importance of leveraging technology to enhance educational outcomes and promote inclusive practices. the nep advocates for the integration of ict across all levels of education, recognising its potential to democratise access to quality education, foster innovation, and empower learners with 21st century skills. against this backdrop, this study delves into the integration of ict in vocational education, with a specific focus on its implications for students’ learning experiences across various states in india. by examining the utilisation of ict tools, addressing disparities indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 166 in access and usage, and exploring students’ perceptions and challenges, this research seeks to offer insights into the transformative potential of ict integration in vocational education in alignment with the goals outlined in the nep. the introduction of ict in vocational education brings forth a myriad of opportunities, including the provision of interactive and engaging learning environments through simulations, multimedia resources, and online platforms. such tools offer handson learning experiences that foster deeper understanding and retention of vocational knowledge, aligning with the nep’s vision of promoting experiential and holistic learning approaches. however, alongside these opportunities, disparities in access to and utilisation of ict facilities pose significant challenges, particularly in underserved regions. bridging this digital divide is imperative to ensure equitable access for all vocational students, thereby maximising the benefits of ict integration and fostering inclusive educational practices, as advocated by the nep. furthermore, empowering students with confidence and competence in utilising technology is crucial for their success in the digital age. tailored training programs and support mechanisms can enhance students’ digital literacy skills, aligning with the nep’s emphasis on nurturing critical thinking, creativity, and digital fluency among learners. moreover, understanding students’ motivation towards ict usage and providing teacher support are essential factors in promoting student engagement and enhancing vocational education outcomes, echoing the nep’s call for learner-centric and personalised approaches to education delivery. by addressing these challenges and capitalising on the opportunities presented by ict integration, vocational education can evolve to meet the aspirations outlined in the nep, ensuring that students are equipped with the skills and competencies needed for success in their careers and contributing to the socio-economic development of the nation. this study aims to contribute to the realisation of the nep’s vision for education, offering valuable insights for policymakers, educators, and stakeholders committed to shaping the future of vocational learning in india. research objectives 1. investigate the integration of ict into the learning processes of vocational students across various states, assessing the extent of utilisation and effectiveness. 2. analyse the availability and utilisation of ict facilities in schools across different states, examining variations and disparities in access and usage. 3. explore students’ perceptions of their ict self-efficacy in vocational education, examining their confidence and competence in utilising technology for learning purposes. 4. assess students’ motivation towards the usage of ict for learning vocational subjects, identifying factors influencing their engagement with technology in the educational context. 5. examine the level of support provided by teachers to students in accessing ict tools for teaching and learning methodologies across different states, identifying variations and areas for improvement. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 167 review of literature in contemporary education, the integration of information and communication technology (ict) has transformed traditional teaching and learning paradigms, offering unprecedented opportunities for innovation and advancement across diverse disciplines. ishtiningsih (2022) underscores the crucial role of ict integration within the technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpack) framework, emphasising its potential to empower teachers and enhance student learning experiences in vocational education. richa banagiri (2021) highlights how globalisation and technological advancements have reshaped work dynamics, necessitating the strategic use of ict to meet emerging literacy targets and elevate educational standards. wiranda et al. (2020) elucidate teachers’ utilisation of ict tools in teaching methodologies, emphasising the need for comprehensive ict support and addressing challenges to optimize its efficacy. ghavifekr and yulin (2021) identify challenges facing technical vocational education and training (tvet) in malaysia, emphasising the importance of comprehensive solutions to ensure effectiveness amidst the shift to e-learning. saripudin et al. (2020) stress targeted training programs to enhance vocational teachers’ ict abilities, while kumar and pandey (2021) underscore the transformative potential of ict integration in vocational education, albeit with nuanced challenges. barfi et al. (2020) advocate for improved ict infrastructure and teacher training in ghanaian schools, aligning with ennin’s (2023) emphasis on thoughtful ict integration strategies grounded in educational theory. wijayasundara (2020) provides insights into successful ict integration initiatives globally, emphasising the importance of infrastructure, teacher training, and english proficiency. banagiri et al. (2021) explored how globalisation and technological advancement reshape modern work and life perceptions. previous studies, including pinho et al. (2024), pruñonosa et al. (2020), and abdullah et al. (2021), indicate that ict integration in vocational education enhances student motivation, engagement, and learning outcomes. however, challenges like inadequate infrastructure and teacher training require attention for successful integration. further research is needed to explore ict’s impact comprehensively. these studies collectively underscore ict’s multifaceted role in modern education, advocating for strategic integration to optimise teaching and learning outcomes while addressing inherent challenges. methodology research design this study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. participants’ opinions were gathered through a structured checklist and questionnaire, featuring both openended and descriptive questions. the utilisation of a descriptive survey design was chosen for its ability to accurately capture natural conditions. the questionnaire, comprising checklist items and various types of questions, was tailored to solicit insights from teachers and students regarding the integration of icts in teaching and learning. participants this study included teachers and students from vocational schools within a specific geographic area. the sample size was determined based on the population of teachers and students in vocational schools within that area. the population consisted of teachers and indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 168 students from government secondary schools where vocational courses had been introduced under the national skill qualifications framework. the study covered schools in andaman and nicobar islands, puducherry, madhya pradesh, nagaland, jammu and kashmir, and ladakh. sample the schools were selected using purposive sampling. the sample comprised 2 states and 4 union territories. 2 districts from each state and union territory were selected. 2 schools from each district were randomly chosen, resulting in a total of 4 schools from each state and union territory. in each school, 1 vocational teacher was selected from 2 job roles, totalling 2 teachers from each school. additionally, 5 students from each job role in class 9 were included, totalling 10 students in each class. similarly, 10 students from each job role in class 11 were included, resulting in 20 students from each school. the components of the total sample have been given below: total no. of sample states and uts no. of districts (2 districts from each state) no. of schools (2 schools from each district) no. of teachers (2 teachers from each school) no. of students (20 students from each school) madhya pradesh 2 4 8 80 nagaland 2 4 8 80 andaman and nicobar 2 4 8 80 jammu and kashmir 2 4 8 80 puducherry 2 4 8 80 ladakh 2 4 8 80 total 12 districts 24 schools 48 teachers 480 students development of questionnaire the development and validation of questionnaires for both vocational teachers and students involved meticulous structuring by covering crucial dimensions such as ict utilisation, self-efficacy perceptions, teacher support, and challenges encountered. administered surveys aimed at quantifiable data through structured close-ended questions, while open-ended inquiries facilitated deeper insights and suggestions. validation by external experts and pilot testing ensured clarity and effectiveness. by addressing these dimensions, the questionnaires sought to provide a comprehensive understanding of stakeholders’ perspectives on ict integration in vocational education. data collection methods the study utilised checklists and questionnaires to collect quantitative data from vocational teachers and students. qualitative data were obtained from open-ended questionnaire responses. permission was obtained from school authorities, and data collection was conducted in madhya indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 169 pradesh and andaman and nicobar islands through personal visits, while in nagaland and puducherry, it was via postal mode. in jammu and kashmir, a mixed approach was adopted, with teachers completing questionnaires during a capacity building program and students’ responses obtained through teachers. completed questionnaires were returned via post for analysis. data analysis quantitative data from vocational teachers and students’ questionnaire responses were analysed using microsoft excel to uncover patterns and trends. thematic analysis was applied to qualitative data, identifying key themes and variations in experiences and perspectives. integrating both quantitative and qualitative findings provided a comprehensive understanding of ict usage in vocational education. simple percentage methods were used for quantitative analysis, with results visually presented through tables and charts. validity and reliability the content validity of the tool was confirmed through expert review. a panel of four experts in vocational education, ict, and curriculum design evaluated the survey to ensure that it covered all relevant aspects of ict integration. their feedback helped to refine the survey to better reflect the goals of the study. also, the research instruments were pre-tested with a sample of participants. the reliability of the data collection tool was assessed using cronbach’s alpha to determine internal consistency across different sections of the survey using spss software, and it was found that all sections demonstrate strong internal consistency, with cronbach’s alpha values exceeding the acceptable threshold of 0.7. these results indicate a reliable measure of the constructs assessed in this study. results & discussion the study employed a mixed-methods approach to gather insights from teachers and students in vocational schools, focusing on ict integration in teaching and learning. quantitative data were collected via surveys containing diverse tools such as checklists and questionnaires, covering aspects like usage, benefits, challenges, and suggestions. qualitative data came from open-ended survey questions, allowing participants to share experiences and concerns. results and discussions are divided into segments for teachers and students, ensuring focused analysis while offering comprehensive conclusions by integrating data from both groups. ict integration in learning processes of vocational students across studied states the following sections provide a comprehensive analysis of the integration of information and communication technology (ict) in teaching and learning of vocational subjects. through an examination of various factors, including the availability of ict facilities, students’ perceptions of ict self-efficacy, support from teachers, and challenges faced in utilising ict for learning, this study aims to offer insights into the effectiveness and challenges of ict integration in vocational education and the results are discussed here in: ict facilities and their extent of utilisation across states the data in table 1 offers a comprehensive overview of the availability of information and communication technology (ict) facilities in schools across different indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 170 states in india, focusing on resources that directly impact students’ learning experiences. the percentages represent the prevalence of specific ict tools and infrastructure in schools within each state. in madhya pradesh (mp), the data reveals a relatively high availability of desktop computers (72.50%), printers (75%), lcd projectors (77.50%), power outlets (77.50%), cameras (85%), speakers (95%), internet access (87.50%), and wi-fi (92.50%). this indicates a strong infrastructure in mp, ensuring students have access to a diverse range of ict resoutin the provision of laptops, tablets, and smartphones. the data suggests that while nagaland has invested in some key ict infrastructure, there is room for improvement in ensuring access to personal computing devices for students. table-1: availability of the ict facilities in schools for students resources mp nagaland j&k ladakh a&n puducherry generic ict tools desktop computer 72.50% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% printer 75% 100% 86.25% 100% 100% 100% laptop 20% 88.33% 87.50% 64.28% 28.50% 35% tablet 30% 50% 12.50% 81.42% 2.80% 0% lcd projector 77.50% 51.66% 87.50% 94.28% 100% 66.66% power outlets 77.50% 66.60% 76.25% 65.71% 100% 100% cameras 85% 35% 68.75% 68.57% 100% 33.33% speakers 95% 66.66% 91.25% 92.85% 100% 66.66% advanced ict tools smart phones 52.50% 66.66% 33.75% 1.25% 44.28% 35% interactive/ smart board 52.50% 1.25% 95% 100% 100% 35% internet access 87.50% 35% 58.75% 94.28% 100% 100% wi-fi 92.50% 33.33% 68.75% 100% 100% 66.66% e-book reader 2.50% 1.25% 65% 27.14% 72.85% 35% network connectivity 80% 35% 51.25% 94.28% 100% 100% virtual classroom 57.50% 33.33% 78.75% 98.75% 42.85% 33.33% scanner 80% 35% 58.75% 64.28% 100% 100% videorecorder 46.50% 0% 68.75% 28.57% 28.57% 0% vocational specific equipment (sector specific) 1.25% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% software generic 33.75% 0% 85% 65.71% 100% 0% software vocation specific 37.50% 0% 67.50% 60% 70% 0% miscellaneous supporting staff 68.75% 0% 80% 62.85% 55.71% 100% indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 171 jammu and kashmir, ladakh, andaman and nicobar islands, and puducherry consistently exhibit high percentages across most ict resources, indicating a robust commitment to providing students with a technologically equipped learning environment. these states have near or complete availability of desktop computers, printers, lcd projectors, power outlets, cameras, speakers, internet access, wi-fi, and other essential tools. puducherry, while showing high percentages in certain categories like power outlets (100%) and supporting staff (100%), presents a lower availability of certain hardware like laptops, tablets, and smartphones. this suggests a potential need for increased investment in personal computing devices to ensure a more holistic ict infrastructure for students. it is noteworthy that certain states, such as andaman and nicobar islands, ladakh, and puducherry, boast a complete availability of specific resources like interactive/ smart boards and virtual classrooms, indicating a forward-looking approach to modernising the learning experience. in conclusion, the data highlights the varying degrees of ict facility availability across states, with some regions showcasing a comprehensive and advanced infrastructure, while others may need targeted interventions. this underscores the importance of continued government support and investment in ict resources to ensure that students across the country have equitable access to technology for enhanced learning opportunities. the percentages serve as a quantitative benchmark, guiding policymakers to address specific areas of improvement and fostering a more inclusive ict landscape in schools. state wise analysis of availability of ict facilities in schools fig. 1 offers a comprehensive overview of the availability of information and communication technology (ict) facilities in schools across different states in india, and it’s crucial to assess the comparative utilisation of these resources in the learning process. figure-1: comparative assessment of the ict facilities available and extent of their utilisation across states studied indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 172 (77.50%), power outlets (77.50%), cameras (85%), speakers (95%), internet access (87.50%), and wi-fi (92.50%) suggests a solid ict infrastructure. however, the lower percentages for laptops (20%) and tablets (30%) indicate potential challenges in providing personal computing devices for students, impacting the extent of utilisation. nagaland, with complete availability of desktop computers (100%) and printers (100%), presents a mixed scenario regarding personal computing devices. the higher percentages for laptops (88.33%) and tablets (50%) suggest a better-equipped ict infrastructure, potentially enhancing utilization compared to mp. jammu and kashmir, ladakh, andaman and nicobar islands, and puducherry consistently exhibit high percentages across most ict resources, indicating robust availability. the utilisation, however, depends on factors such as the integration of these resources into the curriculum and teacher training. puducherry’s relatively lower percentages in laptops (28.50%), tablets (2.80%), and smartphones (44.28%) may impact utilisation. however, the complete availability of interactive/ smart boards and virtual classrooms suggests a progressive approach, potentially enhancing the interactive and collaborative learning experiences. comparatively, the availability of smartphones in ladakh (1.25%) is low, impacting potential utilisation in mobile learning. in contrast, the high availability of laptops (64.28%) and tablets (81.42%) in ladakh indicates a more diverse range of personal computing devices for students. the availability of sector-specific equipment and vocation-specific software is relatively low across states, potentially limiting the utilisation of resources tailored to specific educational needs. overall, while the availability of ict resources is a crucial first step, their effective utilisation depends on factors such as teacher training, curriculum integration, and policies supporting technology-enhanced learning. states with comprehensive infrastructure, like jammu and kashmir and ladakh, may need to focus on strategies to maximise the utilisation of available resources, while states with lower availability, like mp, should prioritise investments in essential devices for students to ensure equitable access and utilisation. student’s perceptions of ict selfefficacy assessing students’ self-efficacy in ict is crucial for understanding the implementation and status of ict in the studied schools. comprehensive evaluation of observed results across states provides valuable insights into students’ perceptions of their ict abilities. table 2 provides insights into students’ perceptions of ict selfefficacy in the context of learning vocational subjects. in terms of confidence levels, a majority of students (60.00%) feel very confident in using ict for learning vocational subjects, while 22.85% feel somewhat confident. this indicates a positive outlook among students towards utilising technology in their studies indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 173 table-2: students perception of ict self efficacy response very confident somewhat confident not very confident not confident at all feel confident in using ict in learning of vocational subjects 60.00% 22.85% 17.14% 0.00% motivation towards usage of ict for learning vocational subjects highly motivated moderately motivated not motivated at all 76.42% 23.57% 0.00% the pace of utilisation of ict tools in the study of vocational subjects frequent moderately motivated average less motivated not at all motivated 24.52% 34.52% 30.95% 8.30% 0.95% furthermore, when it comes to motivation, a significant proportion of students (76.42%) report being highly motivated to use ict for learning vocational subjects. this high level of motivation suggests that students recognise the benefits and value of incorporating technology into their educational experiences. regarding the pace of utilisation of ict tools, the data shows that a notable percentage of students (24.52%) frequently utilise ict tools in the study of vocational subjects. however, there is also a considerable proportion reporting moderate motivation (34.52%) and average motivation (30.95%). this suggests that while many students are actively using ict tools, there is room for improvement in increasing the pace of utilisation among others. overall, the data paints a positive picture of students’ perceptions of ict self-efficacy in the context of learning vocational subjects. the high levels of confidence, motivation, and frequent utilisation suggest a generally favourable environment for leveraging technology in education. however, it is crucial for educators and policymakers to address the varied responses in the pace of utilization, ensuring that all students have equitable access and support to maximise the benefits of ict in vocational education. student’s perceptions of ict selfefficacy: interstate studies the provided data in figure 2 reveals significant variations in students’ perceptions of ict self-efficacy across different states in india. the responses are categorized into four levels: very confident, somewhat confident, not very confident, and not confident at all. analysing the percentages allows for a comprehensive understanding of the extent of students’ confidence in using information and communication technology (ict) across states indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 174 figure-2: confidence in utilising ict for learning vocational subjects in madhya pradesh (mp), the majority of students (38.75%) report being very confident in their ict self-efficacy. however, a sizable portion (60%) falls into the somewhat confident category. this indicates a mixed level of confidence among students in mp, suggesting that while many feel very confident, there is a considerable number with a moderate level of confidence. jammu and kashmir stands out with an overwhelming percentage (83.75%) of students reporting very confident in their ict self-efficacy. this suggests a high level of confidence among students in the region, indicating effective ict integration in the educational system and potentially robust support structures for students. in the andaman and nicobar islands (a&n) and ladakh, a substantial percentage of students (87.14% and 42.85%, respectively) express very confident in their ict abilities. this indicates a positive perception of ict self-efficacy among students in these regions, with a&n showing particularly high levels of confidence. nagaland presents a unique scenario with only 1.66% of students reporting very confident, and the majority (98.33%) falling into the not very confident category. this suggests a significant challenge in building confidence and enhancing ict selfefficacy among students in nagaland, highlighting potential areas for targeted interventions and support. puducherry stands out as the only state where 100% of students report being very confident in their ict self-efficacy. this indicates a highly favourable environment for technology-enabled education in puducherry, potentially driven by robust infrastructure, effective training, and supportive policies. comparing these states, jammu and kashmir, andaman and nicobar islands, and puducherry shows higher percentages of students with very confident perceptions, suggesting a more positive outlook on their ict abilities. on the other hand, nagaland faces challenges, with a significant proportion of students expressing lower confidence in using ict. in conclusion, the data emphasises the need for tailored strategies and interventions to enhance students’ perceptions of ict self-efficacy, ensuring that all states strive towards creating an environment where students feel confident and empowered in utilising technology for learning. the varying percentages highlight the importance of considering regional nuances and implementing targeted initiatives to address specific challenges in building ict self-efficacy among students. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 175 motivation towards usage of ict for learning vocational subjects the data in fig. 3 on students’ motivation levels towards utilising information and communication technology (ict) in the context of learning across various states in india. the responses are categorized into three levels: ‘highly motivated’, ‘moderately motivated’, and ‘not motivated’ at all. analysing these figure-3: motivation level towards using ict for learning percentages provides valuable insights into students’ perceptions of ict self-efficacy and their willingness to engage with technology in the learning process. in madhya pradesh (mp), an impressive 85% of students express being ‘highly motivated’ to use ict, showcasing a strong positive attitude towards technology in education. the remaining 15% report being ‘moderately motivated’, indicating that the majority of students in mp exhibit a high level of enthusiasm and readiness to integrate ict tools into their learning experiences. jammu and kashmir and the andaman and nicobar islands (a&n) closely follow with 83.75% and 80% of students, respectively, reporting as ‘highly motivated’. this indicates a significant level of motivation among students in these regions, aligning with the positive trends observed in the previous analysis of ict self-efficacy. these states show a robust commitment to fostering students’ positive attitudes toward utilising technology for learning. in ladakh, 68.57% of students report being ‘highly motivated’, and 31.42% as ‘moderately motivated’. while the ‘highly motivated’ percentage is noteworthy, there is a substantial proportion in the ‘moderately motivated’ category, suggesting a diverse range of motivation levels among students. this may indicate variations in the exposure and accessibility of ict resources. nagaland presents a distinctive scenario, with only 33.33% of students reporting as highly motivated and a significant majority (66.66%) falling into the ‘moderately motivated’ category. this suggests a comparatively lower overall motivation towards utilising ict in nagaland, highlighting potential challenges that need to be addressed to enhance students’ engagement with technology. puducherry stands out as the only state where 100% of students report being ‘highly motivated’. this exceptional level of motivation suggests a highly favourable environment for technologyindian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 176 enabled education in puducherry, potentially driven by effective policies, infrastructure, and support mechanisms. comparing across states, while the majority of students across mp, jammu and kashmir, a&n, and puducherry exhibit a high level of motivation, ladakh and nagaland show more varied responses. this underscores the importance of understanding regional dynamics and tailoring interventions to address specific challenges and enhance students’ motivation for utilising ict tools effectively. in conclusion, the data highlights the varying levels of students’ motivation towards ict utilisation across states, emphasising the need for targeted strategies to foster positive attitudes and enhance engagement with technology in education. the percentages provide a quantitative measure of students’ motivation, guiding educators and policymakers in developing regionspecific initiatives to promote ict selfefficacy and create a more technologyfriendly learning environment. support from teacher to students in assessing ict tools in teaching learning methodology support from teachers to students in pursuance of assessing the ict tools in teaching and learning was evaluated under one of the parameters and it has been represented in terms of scale i.e. no, occasionally and frequently in figure 4. it has been evaluated comprehensively as well as state wise and reported in figure 4 and figure 5. figure-4: teacher assistance and support for student ict tool assessment the data illustrates the level of support provided by teachers to students in assessing ict tools across different aspects of teaching and learning methodology. regarding the use of ict tools by teachers, the majority reported frequent utilisation (47.61%), with occasional usage following closely behind (42.85%). only a small percentage indicated no use of ict tools for teaching, suggesting a proactive approach by teachers in integrating technology into their instructional methods. similarly, in the context of practical/training activities, a significant portion of teachers reported frequent use of ict tools (40%), with occasional usage slightly higher (45%). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 177 this indicates a substantial reliance on technology to enhance hands-on learning experiences, aligning with the modernisation of vocational education. in terms of ict usage for assessment purposes, a considerable number of teachers reported frequent use (37%), with occasional usage being slightly higher (51%). this suggests an evolving trend towards more dynamic and technology-driven assessment methods, potentially offering more accurate and efficient evaluation processes. furthermore, when considering the overall integration of ict in vocational subjects, the data indicates a balanced approach, with a substantial proportion of teachers reporting both frequent (40%) and occasional (56%) usage. this highlights a widespread adoption of technology to support teaching and learning activities within vocational education settings. overall, the data underscores the importance of teacher support in facilitating the effective use of ict tools across various aspects of teaching and learning methodology. it also reflects a positive trend towards embracing technology to enhance instructional practices and improve student outcomes within vocational education. state wise compendium of support from teachers to students in assessing ict tools in teaching and learning meth figure-5: state wise compendium of support from teachers to students (a) ict in assessment (b) ict tools for practical & training (c) use of ict tool by teacher (d) use of ict in vocational subject the data reveals varying levels of ict integration in assessment practices among teachers across regions in figure 5 (a). jammu and kashmir exhibits the highest frequency of frequent ict usage in assessment, while nagaland and puducherry show minimal usage. madhya pradesh and andaman and nicobar islands demonstrate moderate levels of frequent and occasional ict usage in assessment. notably, puducherry stands out with a significantly higher frequency of indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 178 occasional ict usage compared to other regions. overall, there are discernible differences in the incorporation of ict in assessment among teachers. the data presented in figure 5 (b) reveals varying frequencies of ict tool usage by teachers across different regions. jammu and kashmir stands out with 83.75% frequently utilising ict tools, while nagaland shows the lowest frequency at 1.66%. madhya pradesh and andaman and nicobar islands have a substantial percentage of teachers occasionally using ict tools. puducherry has a notable portion of teachers frequently using ict tools but also a considerable number who do not use them at all. overall, there’s a spectrum of adoption levels among teachers, suggesting differing levels of ict integration in teaching practices. the data illustrates varied frequencies of ict tool utilisation for practical training among teachers across regions fig. 5 (c). jammu and kashmir shows the highest frequency of frequent usage at 72.50%, while nagaland reports no frequent usage. madhya pradesh and andaman and nicobar islands demonstrate moderate levels of both frequent and occasional usage. puducherry stands out with a relatively higher frequency of occasional usage compared to other regions. overall, there’s a notable discrepancy in the adoption of ict tools for practical training among teachers. the data illustrates varied levels of ict utilisation in teaching vocational subjects among teachers across regions as represented in figure 5 (d). jammu and kashmir and puducherry exhibit higher frequencies of occasional ict usage, while madhya pradesh and ladakh demonstrate moderate to frequent usage. notably, nagaland shows minimal ict integration in vocational teaching. overall, there are discernible differences in the incorporation of ict in vocational subject instruction among teachers across the studied regions. students’ perception in using ict towards learning vocational subjects: overall the presented data in figure 6 provides valuable insights into students’ perceptions of using information and communication technology (ict) for learning vocational subjects across various aspects, including internet usage, availability of sector-specific tools, online learning platforms, and generic and vocation-specific software. it has been evaluated for overall as well as individually and is presented here under: internet for accessing information: a majority of students, 79.04%, perceive using the internet to access information for learning vocational subjects, indicating a high level of reliance on online resources. availability of ict tools for sectorspecific education: only 5.20% of students perceive the availability of ict tools for pursuing sector-specific education, suggesting a significant gap in providing specialized resources for vocational learning. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 179 figure-6: overall perception of students of using ict in learning online learning platforms: a relatively lower percentage, 24.52%, of students perceive using online learning platforms for vocational education, indicating a potential underutilisation or awareness gap regarding such platforms. generic software usage: nearly half of the students, 47.41%, perceive using generic software for learning vocational subjects, indicating a moderate level of adoption of general-purpose software tools in their education. vocation-specific software usage: around 41.66% of students perceive using vocation-specific software for learning, suggesting a considerable interest in specialised software tailored to their vocational fields. in summary, the data highlights a positive perception among students in using the internet for accessing information related to vocational subjects. however, there are significant gaps in their awareness and utilisation of sector-specific ict tools, online learning platforms, and software designed for vocational education. the high percentage of students indicating a lack of awareness or availability of these resources underscores the importance of enhancing digital literacy, providing access to specialised tools, and promoting the integration of technology in vocational education to better meet the evolving needs of students in this domain. state wise distribution of students’ perception in using of ict towards learning vocational subjects the following table 3 provides an overview of students’ perceptions regarding the use of information and communication technology (ict) in learning vocational subjects across different states. table-3: students’ perception in using of ict towards learning vocational subjects: across states students’ perception in using of ict towards learning vocational subjects   mp   yes no internet for access information 87.50% 12.50% lability of ict tools to pursue sector specific education 1.25% 98.75% online learning platforms 0% 100% indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 180 students’ perception in using of ict towards learning vocational subjects   mp   yes no software generic 33.75% 66.25% software vocation specific 37.50% 62.50% jammu and kashmir yes no internet for access information 58.75% 41.25% lability of ict tools to pursue sector specific education 0% 100% online learning platforms 40% 60% software generic 85% 15% software vocation specific 67.50% 32.50% an yes no internet for access information 100% 0% lability of ict tools to pursue sector specific education 0% 100% online learning platforms 95.71% 4.29% software generic 100% 0% software vocation specific 70% 30% ladakh yes no internet for access information 94.28% 5.72% lability of ict tools to pursue sector specific education 0% 100% online learning platforms 1.42% 95.80% software generic 65.71% 34.29% software vocation specific 60% 40% nagaland yes no internet for access information 35% 65% lability of ict tools to pursue sector specific education 0% 100% online learning platforms 0% 100% software generic 0% 100% software vocation specific 0% 100% puducherry yes no internet for access information 100% 0% lability of ict tools to pursue sector specific education 0% 100% online learning platforms 15% 85% software generic 0% 100% software vocation specific 0% 100% indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 181 the data on students’ perceptions of using ict for learning vocational subjects across different states provides a diverse picture of the digital landscape in education. let’s delve into the analysis of each state’s responses: 1. madhya pradesh (mp): ¾ internet for accessing information: a significant majority (87.50%) of students in mp perceive the internet as a valuable tool for accessing information related to vocational subjects. ¾ availability of sector-specific ict tools: unfortunately, only a small percentage (1.25%) believes that there are ict tools available for pursuing sectorspecific education. ¾ online learning platforms: none of the respondents in mp reported using online learning platforms for vocational subjects, indicating a potential area for improvement. ¾ software usage: a relatively higher percentage (33.75%) acknowledges the use of generic software, while a lower percentage (37.50%) indicates awareness of vocation-specific software. 2. jammu and kashmir (jk): ¾ internet for accessing information: a majority (58.75%) of students in jk recognise the internet’s importance for accessing information relevant to vocational subjects. ¾ availability of sector-specific ict tools: none of the respondents in jk believe there are ict tools available for pursuing sectorspecific education. ¾ online learning platforms: a notable portion (40%) of students uses online learning platforms for vocational subjects. ¾ software usage: there is a high percentage (85%) of students using generic software, and a substantial proportion (67.50%) utilises vocation-specific software. 3. andaman and nicobar islands (an): ¾ internet for accessing information: all respondents (100%) in an recognise the internet as a vital tool for accessing information related to vocational subjects. ¾ availability of sector-specific ict tools: like jk, none of the respondents believe that there are ict tools available for pursuing sector-specific education. ¾ online learning platforms: a vast majority (95.71%) of students in an utilises online learning platforms for vocational subjects. ¾ software usage: all respondents in an use generic software, and a significant percentage (70%) utilises vocation-specific software. 4. ladakh: ¾ internet for accessing information: the majority (94.28%) of students in ladakh use the internet for accessing information related to vocational subjects. ¾ availability of sector-specific ict tools: none of the respondents in ladakh believe that there are ict tools available for pursuing sector-specific education. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 182 ¾ online learning platforms: a very small percentage (1.42%) of students utilises online learning platforms for vocational subjects. ¾ software usage: a substantial majority uses generic software (65.71%), and a significant portion (60%) utilises vocationspecific software. 5. nagaland: ¾ internet for accessing information: a lower percentage (35%) of students in nagaland use the internet for accessing information related to vocational subjects. ¾ availability of sector-specific ict tools: none of the respondents in nagaland believe that there are ict tools available for pursuing sector-specific education. ¾ online learning platforms: none of the respondents in nagaland use online learning platforms for vocational subjects. ¾ software usage: none of the respondents in nagaland use generic or vocation-specific software. puducherry: ¾ internet for accessing information: all respondents (100%) in puducherry recognize the internet as a crucial tool for accessing information related to vocational subjects. ¾ availability of sector-specific ict tools: none of the respondents in puducherry believe that there are ict tools available for pursuing sector-specific education. ¾ online learning platforms: a notable but comparatively lower percentage (15%) of students in puducherry uses online learning platforms for vocational subjects. ¾ software usage: none of the respondents in puducherry use generic or vocationspecific software. in comparing these states, there are noticeable variations in the perception and utilisation of ict tools for vocational subjects. an stand out with all respondents recognising the importance of the internet and widespread usage of online learning platforms. jk demonstrates a significant usage of generic and vocation-specific software. on the other hand, nagaland shows lower utilisation of the internet and a complete absence of software usage. puducherry reflects a high reliance on the internet but lower usage of online learning platforms. challenges faced in using ict for learning vocational subjects the data in figure 7 underscores the necessity for targeted initiatives aimed at bridging the gaps in awareness and utilisation of ict tools for vocational education. improving internet accessibility, promoting sector-specific tools, and raising awareness about online learning platforms can significantly contribute to a more comprehensive and effective integration of ict in vocational education across different states. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 183 figure-7: overall challenges reported by students in learning vocational subjects the provided data highlights five distinct challenges encountered in using information and communication technology (ict) for learning vocational subjects. these challenges, as indicated by the percentages, highlighted the obstacles faced by students across various regions. firstly, nearly half of the respondents (48.57%) identify limited access to ict devices as a significant challenge, revealing disparities in device availability and emphasising the need for initiatives to ensure equal access to essential ict tools. secondly, around one-fifth of the participants (19.76%) express concerns about unreliable internet access, highlighting the importance of stable and accessible internet connectivity for effective ict integration in vocational learning. thirdly, a relatively low percentage of respondents (2.38%) mention a lack of technical skills or training as a challenge. despite the low percentage, this emphasises the need for targeted training programs to enhance students’ proficiency in utilising ict tools effectively for vocational subjects. additionally, over one-fifth of participants (22.14%) indicate challenges related to the insufficient availability of ict resources and materials, calling for comprehensive resource planning and distribution strategies to ensure students have access to necessary digital content and tools. lastly, a moderate percentage of respondents (8%) find it challenging to integrate ict into classroom activities, which may stem from various factors such as resistance to change or lack of pedagogical support. addressing this challenge requires collaborative efforts between educators and administrators to promote effective integration strategies. challenges faced in using ict in learning vocational subjects: across states studied the data presented in fig.8 illustrates the significant challenges encountered in using ict for learning vocational subjects across different states. limited access to ict devices is a prevalent issue, with high percentages reported in states like mp (51.25%), nagaland (75%), and puducherry (41.66%). this indicates a disparity in device availability, necessitating initiatives to ensure equal access to essential ict tools. additionally, unreliable internet access poses challenges, with percentages ranging from 8.75% in mp to 33.33% in puducherry. addressing this issue is crucial for effective ict integration in vocational learning. a indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 184 lack of technical skills or training is mentioned by a small percentage of respondents across states, emphasising the need for targeted training programs. insufficient availability of ict resources and materials is cited as a challenge in several states, indicating the need for comprehensive resource planning. some states also face difficulties integrating ict into classroom activities, underscoring the importance of promoting effective integration strategies through collaborative efforts between educators and administrators. figure-8 : challenges faced in using ict in learning: students perspective implications of the study for vocational education the study’s findings highlight the transformative potential of integrating information and communication technology (ict) into vocational education, offering a multifaceted approach to enriching students’ learning experiences. by implementing ict tools like simulations and multimedia resources, vocational education can transcend traditional boundaries, providing hands-on learning opportunities that foster deeper understanding and retention of vocational knowledge. however, the study also reveals significant disparities in access to and utilisation of ict facilities across different states, underscoring the need for targeted interventions to ensure equitable access for all vocational students. policymakers must prioritise bridging this digital divide by providing adequate infrastructure and resources, particularly in underserved regions. furthermore, students’ perceptions of their ict self-efficacy underscore the importance of fostering confidence and competence in utilising technology for vocational learning. tailored training programs and support mechanisms can empower students, enhancing their digital literacy skills and preparing them for the demands of the modern workplace. additionally, understanding students’ motivation towards ict usage emphasises the importance of designing learning experiences that align with their interests and preferences. incorporating gamification elements, interactive multimedia, and realworld applications of ict can enhance student engagement and motivation, ultimately leading to improved learning indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 185 outcomes. lastly, the study highlights the crucial role of teachers in facilitating students’ access to ict tools and supporting their learning journey. comprehensive teacher training programs and ongoing professional development initiatives are essential to ensure educators are equipped with the skills and competencies to integrate ict effectively into vocational teaching practices, further enhancing the quality of vocational education delivery. conclusion the study underscores the profound impact of integrating information and communication technology (ict) into vocational education, offering a pathway to enhance students’ learning experiences and prepare them for the challenges of the modern workforce. by leveraging ict tools such as simulations, multimedia resources, and interactive learning platforms, vocational education can transcend traditional boundaries, providing handson learning opportunities that foster deeper understanding and retention of vocational knowledge. however, the study also sheds light on significant disparities in access to and utilisation of ict facilities across different states, highlighting the pressing need for targeted interventions to ensure equitable access for all students. furthermore, empowering students with confidence and competence in utilising technology, alongside promoting engagement and motivation through tailored learning experiences, are essential aspects of enhancing vocational education outcomes. additionally, the crucial role of teachers in facilitating students’ access to ict tools and supporting their learning journey cannot be overstated, emphasising the importance of comprehensive teacher training and ongoing professional development initiatives. by addressing these challenges and capitalising on the opportunities presented by ict integration, vocational education can evolve to meet the evolving demands of the 21st-century workforce, ensuring that students are equipped with the skills and competencies needed for success in their careers. 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(2011). factors influencing teachers’ intention to use technology: model development and test. computers & education, 57(4), 2432-2440. torres-pruñonosa, j., plaza-navas, m. a., díez-martín, f., & prado-roman, c. (2020). the sources of knowledge of the economic and social value in sport industry research: a cocitation analysis. frontiers in psychology, 11, 629951. wang, m., & wu, d. (2021). ict-based assistive technology as the extension of human eyes: technological empowerment and social inclusion of visually impaired people in china. asian journal of communication, 31(6), 470-484. wijayasundara, m. (2020). integration of ict in teaching and learning in schools. international journal of research, 1(10), 198-209. wiranda, r., petrus, i., & vianty, m. (2020). the use of ict in learning process by vocational teachers of english. english review: journal of english education, 8(2), 283-290. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 237 research article online training as a strategy for continuous professional development (cpd) of teachers angel rathnabai s assistant professor, central institute of educational technology, ncert emailangel.rathnabai@ciet.nic.in abstract the role of a teacher is regarded as one of the most demanding professions across the globe. providing appropriate training to the teacher workforce is imperative to their physical, emotional, and mental well-being (unesco ict framework for teachers, 2011). the national education policy (nep) 2020 recognizes the need for continuous professional development (cpd) of teachers on innovative pedagogies and digital technologies, due to which there are several efforts taken up at the national and international levels. during the pandemic, a sudden pressure on teachers and educators to use technology for teaching-learning provided ample opportunity and enhanced the scope of online training. there were a large number of online training planned and executed by various organizations and individuals to build the digital competency of teachers and educators. several researchers have shown online training as an effective strategy for creating awareness. in the context of india, where there is a dearth of digital infrastructure and digital competencies among teachers and educators, it is essential to study the impact of online training as a strategy for capacity building of stakeholders in the use and integration of educational technology (et) and information communication technology (ict) for teaching and learning. this research article aims to address this need by exploring the efficacy of online training as an alternative strategy for capacity building in the use of et and ict in educational settings. hence a series of online training programs were conducted, and the response to such training was studied. though the training was attended by most of the learners teachers, and educators on their interest and motivation, the number of enrolment in these training programs reveals that there is a demand for online training for upscaling their competencies. the results of the study reveal that the representation of trainees of 36 states/ uts in some training was encouraging. the data also indicates that participants from only 50 per cent of the states/ uts participated consistently. also, the data shows that the modality of communication and advocacy was found to play a crucial role in enhancing participation. results revealed that nearly 60 per cent of the participants were found to achieve the expected performance in the post-training assessment. it may be interpreted that the online training program is an effective strategy for large-scale capacity building and enhances the overall scope for self-learning modalities. to reach out to a large number of beneficiaries in a very short period without much financial or physical constraint, online training of teachers and educators was found as a better strategy for creating awareness of the use and integration of et and ict. the findings of this study have the potential to make a significant impact on educational practices by shedding light on the effectiveness of online training in fostering awareness and proficiency in et and ict usage. keywords: ict training, online training, capacity building, continuous professional development (cpd), educational technology indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 238 introduction although the digitalization of education has been at its peak for the last decade, its dissemination has seen exponential progress, especially during the pandemic (covid-19). the pandemic has compelled teachers and educators to adopt and adapt online and hybrid teaching environments, necessitating comprehensive training to equip teachers with modern digital tools and pedagogical approaches. however, providing such training presents a complex task, as it requires teachers to relearn behaviors, skills, and break patterns to enhance their professional development. this transformation is time-consuming, considering the cognitive and sociocultural patterns ingrained in their teaching practices over the years (darling-hammond, 2017). despite recognizing the importance of teacher training for technology integration in the classroom, the implementation and management of such interventions have been uneven. to address this challenge, it is crucial to prioritize ongoing professional development programs and support teachers with strategies like mentoring, collaboration, and communities of practice (zhao et al., 2002). by empowering teachers with the necessary skills, they can effectively leverage technology to solve real classroom problems, enhance students’ learning experiences, and advance their competencies (levin & wadmany, 2006). integrating technology in education and cultivating effective pedagogical techniques further enhance teacher effectiveness (hattie, 2009; ertmer, 2005). policymakers and educational institutions shall invest in evidencebased teacher capacity-building programs to empower a skilled and motivated educator workforce, contributing significantly to the nation’s educational excellence (marzano et al., 2001; oecd, 2019). it is imperative to develop the professional skills of the teachers in light of the enormous number of qualified educators necessary to achieve unesco’s sustainable development goal 4 (unesco, 2017) and implement the recommendations of india’s national education policy (mhrd, 2020). the covid-19 epidemic forced a shift towards digital teaching and learning. as a result, the need to build digital competencies of teachers and educators has potentially increased. along with the present changes in the educational landscape, teachers’ roles will continue to evolve. to meet the demands of today’s teaching and learning, it is crucial to build the capacity of teachers to flourish in change and innovation. online training provides a flexible and accessible platform for teachers, educators, and other learners to acquire the necessary skills and competencies at their own pace and convenience. therefore, online training can serve as a catalyst for improved pedagogy and enhanced learning outcomes. by identifying the strengths and limitations of such a self-learning strategy, this research can inform the development of more targeted and effective training programs that align with the needs of teachers, educators, and other learners. ultimately, the goal is to create an educational ecosystem where et and ict are seamlessly integrated, enriching the teaching and learning experiences and preparing learners for the challenges and opportunities of the digital age and future skills. need for online capacity building on et/ ict according to fazekas and burns (2012), as cited in the oecd report, capacity building refers to the process of learning and knowledge production among various stakeholders in the education sector. teachers, the main indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 239 conveyors of knowledge, play a vital role in shaping students’ intellectual development. therefore, providing suitable training and professional development opportunities is essential for their physical, emotional, and mental well-being (unesco ict framework for teachers, 2011). research has shown a positive link between teacher professional development and student achievement in various subjects and grade levels (darling-hammond et al., 2017). the covid-19 epidemic has affected practically every nation. india had difficulties as a result of the unexpected transition to online education, much like many other nations globally (dadhe & patil, 2021). the use of ict in educational settings has the potential to enhance instruction, performance, and learning (yadav, 2023). teachers need to be technologically proficient and have a strong understanding of pedagogy to engage students in ways that help them acquire the necessary information, skills, and attitudes (mishra et al., 2019). technology-based pedagogy integration is an important step in establishing ict capability for education to fulfill demands (byungura et al., 2016). a dedicated teacher attempts to advance continuous professional development (cpd). the need for professional development stems from teachers’ passion for their profession and the ingrained belief that they are lifelong learners (shankar, 2022). ict must be significantly integrated into educational settings (pandey et al., 2022). the government of india has urged educational institutions to undertake online education using ict amid the pandemic emergency (subaveerapandiyan & nandhakumar, 2021). ict has changed the globe more than any other contemporary technology. icts have had a significant impact on the sphere of education, undoubtedly changing the entire educational process. as a result, if teachers want to effectively employ cutting-edge techniques and technology for aspiring teachers, they must possess a positive attitude in addition to a sufficient understanding of and experience with ict tools and equipment (beri & sharma, 2019). gupta & singh (2018) have pointed out that a significant number of teachers and students lack the necessary competency to effectively utilize e-learning tools. this deficiency can hinder the full realization of the potential benefits of ict in education. gupta’s study (2019) further emphasizes that providing teachers with appropriate training in using e-learning tools and incorporating ict components into their teaching practices can lead to a substantial positive impact on their knowledge and skills development. due to the explosion of emerging technologies, the world is changing rapidly. the world is witnessing these changes, along with developing nations like indonesia, china, and india, among others. the developing nations must adopt these reforms one at a time to improve the value of education and improve the setting for learning and instruction in the classroom (sudha, 2019). a majority of the investigations found a favorable correlation between teachers’ usage of ict and their attitudes toward the use of ict resources (mukherjee & maity, 2019). numerous changes are being made to the indian educational system. the use of ict in teaching and learning has begun to become unavoidable. rashtriya madhyamik shiksha abhiyan (rmsa), an initiative of the indian government, established the ict program in all schools (sudha, 2018). when investigating strategies to develop teacher competencies in ict integration, lim (2007) introduced the concept of microlessons. these microlessons indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 240 were implemented at the national institute of education in singapore, offering a structured 12-lesson module to engage pre-service teachers. by focusing on constructing multimedia packages aligned with constructivist principles, microlessons aimed to enhance pre-service teachers’ clarity and understanding of instructional approaches. moreover, these micro lessons provided diverse examples of how ict could be effectively used in classrooms to support student learning. self-learning is anticipated to take its rightful position in pedagogical theory and practice. there is a considerable surge in interest in self-learning concerns connected to technology, the fast proliferation of information, and the adoption of a competency-based strategy in specialized instruction and professional development (kenesbekova et al., 2019). particularly in light of the covid-19 epidemic, online learning platforms have taken on an entirely novel position in education (dilling & vogler, 2023). teachers may manage their classes more effectively by taking advantage of online training that will improve their knowledge and abilities (almutairi, 2022). research questions this research investigates the role of online training as a strategy for capacity building of teachers and teacher educators in the use of et and ict. the primary research questions guiding this study are as follows: 1. can online training be a strategy for the continuous professional development (cpd) of teachers on the use of ict? 2. what are the perceived benefits and challenges of using online training as a strategy for cpd? 3. what are the enablers of online training as a strategy for cpd? methodology of the study to study the efficacy of online training as a strategy for capacity building of teachers, a series of online training was conducted, and the feedback of the learners and their performance in the post-training assessment was studied. for this study, a quasi-experimental design was adopted. seven online training packages were developed with slide presentations. each training was conducted for 5 hours spread across five days in online mode through a youtube channel as a live program and also simulcast through pmevidya dth tv channels across the country for wider reach. after the five days (one hour each per day) of training, the recorded videos and slide presentations were uploaded and provided to the learners as selflearning resources. at the end of each training, the post-training assessment was conducted to study the impact of training programs organized in seven cycles for the acquisition of knowledge in the concerned area. the reaction of the learners towards each training was also measured and analyzed through a feedback mechanism. the purposive sampling technique was adopted for the selection of the sample, as the learners participated on a voluntary basis. the sample selected for the study is given in table-1 below: indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 241 table-1: training-wise selection of participants s.no titles of the trainings no. of states/ uts participated no. of participants 1 open educational resources (oer) and licenses 18 4,564 2 digital tools for teaching, learning and assessment of specific subjects 12 68,219 3 game-based learning 32 8,230 4 digital pedagogy 36 23,889 5 multimedia resources for teaching, learning, and assessment 12 51,135 6 virtual labs for teaching, learning, and assessment 36 34978 7 let’s be a cyber warrior 9 6005 total no of participants included in the study 1,97,020 insights on participation in the online training seven trainings of five days each were identified randomly for this study. the data were analyzed to understand the participation trend. the information regarding this training was shared officially with the states/ uts and autonomous organizations and through the social media handles of ciet-ncert, but participation in the training was voluntary. table-2: training-wise participation s.no titles of the trainings no. of states/ uts participated state with max. participation state with min. participation 1 open educational resources (oer) and licenses 18 arunachal pradesh bihar 2 digital tools for teaching, learning and assessment of specific subjects 12 karnataka nagaland 3 game-based learning 32 jharkhand ladakh 4 digital pedagogy 36 odisha dadra and nagar haveli, daman & diu indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 242 5 multimedia resources for teaching, learning, and assessment 12 karnataka mizoram 6 virtual labs for teaching, learning, and assessment 36 uttar pradesh ladakh 7 let’s be a cyber warrior 9 bihar andaman & nicobar islands, manipur, sikkim insights from the data related to participation reveal the following: the data entered in table-2 shows the overall registration of participants in seven trainings. the data reveals that the representation of participants from 36 states/ uts was witnessed only in one training, i.e., virtual labs for teaching, learning, and assessment. however, the data further shows that in training on cyber safety, participants from 9 states/ uts only participated. from the data given in table-1, it is evident that the maximum number of participants were found to be in training on “digital tools for teaching, learning, and assessment of specific subjects,” i.e., 68219. at the same time, the overall minimum participation was found to be in the training “open educational resources (oer) and licenses,” which could attract about 4564 participants. the data entered in table-2 reveals that across all the seven pieces of training, the state from which the maximum participation was reported was karnataka which was 37,924 in training “digital tools for teaching, learning, and assessment of specific subjects.” on the other hand, it may be seen from the data that the minimum participation across the seven training sessions was from the states like andaman & nicobar islands, manipur, and sikkim in training “let’s be a cyber warrior.” it may be logically reasoned that in the state of karnataka, a large number of teachers have undergone training on ict-basics as part of the implementation of the ict curriculum by ciet-ncert. also, subject teacher forums (stf) have been created for the use and integration of technology, and the teachers of karnataka are very active in social media groups. so the information disseminated through multiple modes might have contributed to a higher number of participants from the karnataka state. in the case of andaman nicobar islands, manipur, and sikkim, lack of advocacy, less internet penetration, etc., might have contributed to low enrolment. though registration in this training was not a mandatory requirement, learners have registered themselves keeping in view their needs and interest. this shows the motivation of the learners to join such online courses. however, the reasons for variation in the training need to be further studied. such research may support in effective implementation of this training., also, data collected through the feedback mechanism shows that around 97 per cent of the learners have reported that they are interested in joining online courses because of the following reasons: • training is free indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 243 • no travel involved • topics included in the training are the latest areas of knowledge and coming under their interest areas. from the data, it was evident that around 63 per cent of the participants who missed the live sessions used the recorded videos provided on ciet.nic. in website for self-learning. also, the participants were of the opinion that the access to the recording of all seven trainings and presentations that were provided as self-learning materials encouraged them to learn at their own pace and appear in the post-training assessment for obtaining a successful participation certificate. analysis and interpretation of performance in the post-training assessment the data entered in table-3 shows the no of registration in each training and the number of participants in the posttraining assessment. table-3: participation in post-training assessment s.no. name of the training programme no of registration no of participation in post-training assessment 1 open educational resources (oer) and licenses 4,564 2,890 2 digital tools for teaching, learning and assessment of specific subjects 68,219 16,336 3 game based learning 8,230 5,698 4 digital pedagogy 23,889 7,824 5 multimedia resources for teaching, learning and assessment 51,135 22,631 6 virtual labs for teaching, learning and assessment 34,978 17,120 7 let’s be a cyber warrior 6005 6,281 total 1,97,020 78,780 the data presented in table-3 shows that the total number of registrations across all seven trainings was 1,97,020; however, the number of people who have participated in the post-training is only 78,780, i.e., only 39.99 per cent of the registered participants. the maximum registration was received from “digital tools for teaching, learning, and assessment of specific subjects,” i.e., 68,219; however, the number of people who eventually participated in the post-training assessment was only 16,336. on the contrary, “let’s be a cyber warrior” training received only 6,005 registrations. still, the number of people who participated in the quiz was more than the people who registered in the post-training assessment, i.e., 6,281. one of the reasons which were commonly expressed by teachers regarding non-participation in the post-training assessment was a lack of awareness about the method of certification in online training. many teachers and educators registered and participated in the training, but they missed to understand or follow the assessment strategy. hence, the following initiatives were planned to be taken for further training: indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 244 • banners on missed sessions and assessments are to be circulated among the registered participants. • details of the post-training assessment were announced during every session. • details of the post-training assessment were elaborated on the event page • n=1,97,020 figure-1: participation in post-training assessment and completion and performance looking at the scores obtained by the participants, it can be seen from the data that out of 78780 participants who took the post-training assessment, 82.86 per cent of the participants (i.e., 65,283) scored 70 per cent and above in the post-training assessment. this indicates that the information delivered during the training to the participants was well comprehended and imbibed by the majority of them. figure-2: percentage of completion of the training indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 245 based on the chart above, the maximum number of participants who scored 70 per cent and above in the quiz were from the “let’s be a cyber warrior” training, i.e., 90.14 per cent. in almost all training, the percentage of learners who scored more than 70 per cent is above 70 per cent. this indicates that online training was effective in knowledge acquisition. figure-3: scores in post-training assessment based on the chart given in figure 3, it can be concluded from the results that the majority of the participants obtained scores between the range of 26-30 and 21-25, i.e., nearly 60 per cent, which shows that the online training is effective in developing the knowledge of the learners in the use of et & ict. conclusion in conclusion, the integration of ict in education is a transformative and indispensable aspect of modern teaching and learning practices. to unlock the full potential of ict, it is essential to invest in the capacity building of teachers, providing them with the necessary training, resources, and support. moreover, school administrations play a key role in fostering a conducive environment for ict integration. as educational technology continues to evolve, continuous research and development are needed to equip teachers with the knowledge and skills required to navigate the digital landscape effectively and enhance the overall quality of education. based on this research, it is observed that online training has created an environment for teachers and other stakeholders in education to learn, use and integrate technology in their self-interest. the data further reveals that in almost all states/ uts, most participants have also showcased their understanding in post-training assessment. therefore, well-structured online training can educate the audience about the newage educational resources and tools to accomplish the teaching-learning objectives in school education. however, there is more scope to make the training intensive and improve to scale up and cover every single school teacher in the country as envisioned in nep-2020. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, 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(2002). conditions for classroom technology innovations. teachers college record, 104(3), 482–515. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 187 research article prospective teachers’ perception and preparedness towards ict during virtual school internship deepika pradeep chaurasiya¹ & sunita singh² ¹ph.d. scholar, niepa ²associate professor, department of education, university of delhi emailnitivasudev@gmail.com abstract ict played a crucial role in sustaining education during the covid-19 pandemic. the study explores prospective teachers’ preparedness and perceived experience towards using ict during virtual sip to attain inclusive classroom set-up. the researchers tried to examine how ict was used during the pandemic to enhance students’ potential and realise changes in classroom procedures during sip. the perceptions of prospective teachers were collected from the department of education of the five central universities of india. the result was analysed under two themes, i.e., awareness and preparedness of prospective teachers towards ict and understanding the role of ict in accomplishing inclusion in virtual sip. the result revealed that while prospective teachers understood the connection between ict and inclusion well, their use of ict tools in virtual sip was limited due to the digital divide, lack of resources, poor internet access, low parental support, and student inattentiveness. some central universities provided training and resources to enhance ict awareness among prospective teachers. the study recommends professional training in ict to create an environment where teachers can seamlessly integrate ict into education. keywords: inclusive education, perception and preparedness towards ict, virtual school internship programme (sip) introduction the 2020 covid-19 pandemic had challenged the school system, notably teachers’ digital competency (jogezai et al., 2023). around the world, the education system had experienced a shared shift toward “emergency e-learning,” referring to the rapid transition to online education driven by covid-19, a highly contagious virus (murphy, 2020).) before the pandemic, virtual teaching was uncommon in india; however, during covid-19, it had become the primary method to address the learning gap created by the lockdown (crawford et al., 2020). both teachers and students have had to navigate this unique and stressful situation, requiring them to adapt to new modes of teaching and learning. schools fulfil the sociopsychological needs of society, reflecting its structure and values. john dewey (1907) described schools as a “miniature of society,” a concept that became evident during the covid-19 lockdown when society rapidly transitioned into a digital space, reshaping education and communication. during this period, many teachers adapted to and preferred online learning modes to respond to the pandemic. due to its flexible, timely, and continuous learning capacity, online learning is an effective teaching strategy (brown, 2016). during lockdown, online learning is the single means of survival in schools’ teachinglearning process (reisdorf et al.,2020). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 188 online education enables greater flexibility in time and space, facilitates the quick and easy sharing of study materials, provides faster feedback, and offers more opportunities to connect with faculty (khan et al., 2020). it has also reduced transportation and financial costs, enhanced the technological skills of both teachers and students (kim, 2020), and increased the convenience and comfort of learners (aithal et al., 2016). online education was already prevalent in developed countries, but the covid-19 pandemic forced teachers in underdeveloped nations to adopt digital platforms for teaching and assessing students to sustain their academic engagement (haleem et al., 2022). this crisis spurred innovation and growth within the education sector to ensure the continuity of student learning. due to the nationwide lockdown, the unexpected closure of schools in early 2020 presented teachers worldwide with a significant challenge, such as using available information and communication technologies (ict) to maintain student engagement and facilitate remote learning (oecd, 2020). however, online education is not widely recognised in india, and most prospective teachers lack the skills to conduct virtual classes (kamal and illiyan, (2021). ict made learning possible and provided platforms that were accessible to the teachers as well as learners barbour et al., 2020; and selwyn et al., 2010 highlighting the role of ict in maintaining continuity in education when traditional physical class teaching was not feasible. the integration of ict in virtual classrooms has been crucial in facilitating inclusive education, ensuring that diverse learners receive equitable learning opportunities. teachers changed their pedagogical practices and confined the classroom to phones, computers, laptops, and tablets. schools in developing countries, including india, face significant hurdles in adopting ict due to infrastructural and socioeconomic constraints (dwivedi et al., 2021). the abrupt transition of classes to the online platform resulted in issues reported by all stakeholders involved in education at various levels (kim, 2020; al-amin et al., 2021; ullah et al., 2021). however, several issues, such as network problems, lack of attention, learning skill development activity, hospitality and noise interruptions, were faced by the stakeholders and students involved in professional courses where the internship was a required component of the curriculum (dani et al., 2020; asgari et al., 2021; zaman, 2021; zhang et al., 2022). without schools, teacher-education programs would not be possible. these professional courses also include deep-laid and participatory internships. the internship program is a crucial component of teacher preparation. internships help students develop positive attitudes, values, and confidence. additionally, it fosters students’ independence, social development, and interpersonal abilities (jawabri, 2017; gupta et al., 2020; anjum, 2020). through the school internship program (sip), prospective teachers acquire practical experience by teaching in real classrooms, allowing them to engage firsthand with the responsibilities they will undertake as future teachers. since independence, teacher education in india has evolved significantly with various policies and committees shaping its direction. these policies aimed at improving teacher training, professional development etc., such as the radhakrishnan commission (1948) emphasised the need for welltrained teachers and high academic standards, the mudaliar commission (1952) highlighted the importance of training secondary school teachers, and the kothari commission (1964-66) stressed the need for comprehensive teacher education. nep (1986 and 1992) recognised the crucial role indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 189 of teachers and teacher education. national curriculum framework for teacher education (2009) focused on a constructivist approach to teacher training. to promote continuous involvement between students and schools, ncfte (2009) supports internships as a partnership approach. schools facilitate the connection between theory and practice. these spaces provide prospective teachers with opportunities to understand school realities, learn about genuine difficulties, and reflect on their pedagogical skills. it is expected that student-teachers complete internships in the school to become part of their ecology. justice verma committee (2012) proposed reforms in teacher education to improve quality. national education policy (nep), 2020 advocated for a four-year integrated b.ed. degree as the minimum qualification for teachers as well as recognised the value of internships in the preparation of teachers (para 5.23, pg 23). school internship programs (sips) aim to develop professional competencies, student-teacher dispositions, sensibilities, and skills to address the different needs of learners in the classroom. during the school internship program, pupilteachers function as in-service regular teachers and engage in all school activities, including planning, teaching, evaluation, collaborating with school faculty, and fostering a community of learners. these interactions in educational institutions, classrooms, and communities are significant. it influences the social, psychological, and pedagogical perspectives of the interns and aids them in cultivating their professional competencies to demonstrate ethical duties as educators. throughout the internship, interns have the opportunity to cultivate and exhibit various skills while assuming diverse roles such as subject teacher, class teacher, mentor, counsellor, and leader, thereby effectively preparing themselves to address crises and critical situations. school internships, although being a vital component of teacher training programs, experience significant neglect. during the lockdown period data of seminal research supported that prospective teachers experienced anxiety, concern, and a widespread sense of unpreparedness during school closures. (moor house, 2021; oecd, 2020; pressley, 2021). at the time of lockdown, it became essential for prospective teachers to focus on learning how to integrate ict tools and foster inclusiveness. therefore, the 16-week online school internship program (sip) was conducted in various ways, such as simulation teaching, allotting them virtual school exposure, etc., to meet the needs during covid. instruction and communication during school closures relied extensively on ict (konig et al., 2020). during the lockdown, schools worldwide transitioned to full or partial distance education using various methods, including television and radio programs, live virtual lessons, selfpaced structured courses, educational content, and online support services for both parents and students (darlinghammond and hyler, 2020; schleicher, 2020). the impact of online teaching, the elements that affect pre-service teachers’ professional development, the difficulties associated with poor online teaching substructure, the lack of experience of prospective teachers, a lack of information and resources, complex home environments, and a lack of mentoring and support have all been the subject of extensive research in teacher preparation programs (huber and helm, 2020; judd et al., 2020; zhang et al., 2020). nevertheless, there has been limited research regarding preservice teachers’ understanding and preparedness to utilise ict for online instruction, particularly in the context of secondary education, underscoring a notable knowledge gap. the following indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 190 research questions guided the study to gain deeper insights into pre-service teachers’ experiences with online teaching during the pandemic. research question y to what extent are prospective teachers cognisant and equipped to employ ict for successful teaching and learning? y what is the role of ict implementation in fostering inclusiveness within virtual school internship programs (sip)? research objective to explore prospective teachers’ preparedness and perceived experience towards using ict to attain inclusiveness during the virtual school internship programme. need and rationale of the study while considerable research has been conducted on the effectiveness of ict during internship programmes and its integration with various disciplines, there is a notable gap in the literature regarding the use of ict by pre-service teachers, specifically in the context of virtual sip current studies do not adequately address whether prospective teachers are utilising ict during internship or the type of training they receive, if any, to support this integration. this research aims to fill this gap by investigating the preparedness of prospective teachers and their experiences with the utilisation of information and communication technology. it explores the extent of utilisation of ict, including digital technological tools and their applications during the virtual school internship programme. methodology research design this study used a mixed methods research design to collect the data. this approach allows for a comprehensive understanding. data were gathered through a closed-ended questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, virtual classroom observations, and focus group discussions. sample selection the study utilised purposive sampling to select 75 prospective teachers enrolled in the b.ed. programmes of five central universities in india. concerning the rationale for the selection of five central universities among the higher education institutions researcher used a convenient and purposive sampling procedure. only 10 prospective teachers for semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions as shown in the table below. the selection was based on the universities’ active implementation of ict in teacher education programs during the pandemic. sample size table:1number of prospective teachers who participated in the study observation (no. of classes observed) semi-structured interview and focus group discussion (no. of prospective teachers) open ended questionnaire (no. of prospective teachers who responded) total-30 class (2 observations were kept from each class) subjects class vi class vii class vii english hindi math science social science total 10 total 75 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 191 tools y open-ended questionnaire: an open-ended questionnaire was developed to assess prospective teachers’ awareness, preparedness, and experiences with ict. the google form was distributed among the prospective teachers of india’s five central universities (delhi university, guru ghasi das central university, banaras hindu university, hemvati nandan bahuguna university, and purvanchal university). data collection was conducted online via google forms due to covid-19 restrictions. y semi-structured interview schedule: semi-structured interviews were conducted to obtain qualitative insights into the subjective experiences and insights on using ict in virtual school internship programs (sip). additionally, a focus group discussion was also conducted. y classroom observations virtual sip classrooms across different subjects (english, hindi, mathematics, science, and social science) were observed. results data analysis and interpretation the data needed to be subjected to a qualitative analysis to shed some light on the subject of our concern. the responses were analysed under two different themes. y theme 1: awareness and preparedness of prospective teachers towards ict. y theme 2: understanding the role of ict implementation to gain inclusion in virtual sip. y figure-1: representation of frequency of questions’ and their responses with percentages for each sub-theme there are 75 responses obtained from google forms, and 92 per cent of prospective teachers agree that the teacher training curriculum has offered and incorporated ict-based content in some of the theoretical course papers, which helps understand ict and its relevance in contemporary pedagogical practices. the data indicates a high familiarity with ict among prospective teachers. sekar (2015) also mentioned that the prospective teachers of b.ed. have a moderate level of awareness of ict. willis et al., (2002) noted that if student teachers are not empowered to use technology skills, then they may not be able to use them in routine classrooms. mishra et al., (2020) found indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 192 that the online mode of instruction is unbound by time or location, allowing for accessibility to instruction at anytime from anywhere, with 67 per cent of responses showing that the online mode facilitates meaningful and smooth teaching. zayapragassarazan, (2020) emphasised promoting flexible teaching learning through the integration of ict, with a variety of learning choices to make learning outcomes useful and exciting. interestingly, 76 per cent per cent of pre-service teachers have actively used ict tools during virtual sip. this significant adoption rate implies that many prospective teachers see value in leveraging ict technology for educational purposes, reflecting a trend towards integrating advanced technologies in teaching practices. technology such as laptops, lcd projectors, educom, smart classrooms, and memory sticks are increasingly being used in teacher education (bhattacharjee and deb, 2016). over 60 per cent of the prospective teachers express that ict helps prospective teachers in planning and preparing at the time of lesson delivery. whereas 70 per cent of the prospective teachers agreed that they were using ict as an assessing tool during virtual sip. they were aware about ict-based assisting tools such as learning management systems (lms) like google classroom and moodle, assessment tools like google forms, collaboration tools such as google docs, and zoom text-to-speech software etc. effective integration of ict in education requires that prospective teachers are adequately trained to use these tools confidently and effectively. understanding the role of ict implementation to gain inclusion in virtual sip: under theme 2, the observation of class during virtual sip and the graphical representation of major sub-themes that emerged are shown in the table below. figure-2: representation of frequency of questions’ and their responses with percentages for each sub-theme the above bar graph represents an understanding of the role of ict implementation in gaining inclusion during virtual sip. the idea of inclusion in the field of education refers to the notion that all students should get equal opportunities and provide the same level of education, regardless of their varied abilities unesco, (2009). here inclusion refers to ensuring all prospective teachers and students are equipped to effectively teach diverse learners with different abilities and needs, addressing potential barriers indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 193 that might arise due to remote learning or accessibility issues at the time of lockdown. looking towards the situation, schools shifted to digital platforms with the help of ict majority of the prospective teachers from various backgrounds, geographical locations, and abilities were able to participate in internship programs effectively. 80 per cent have used ict in their lesson plans. respondents believe that ict is very effective in enhancing the learning experience for students. the significant majority highlights that ict enables equal access to resources, ensuring diverse learners, including those from different socio-economic, linguistic, and geographical backgrounds, can participate in virtual sips. over 67 per cent have this belief that despite ict helping to create inclusion in the classroom, its integration results in digital exclusion. this highlights an important barrier to widespread ict adoption. the (aser, 2021) report states that younger children are more deprived when it comes to access to smartphones, with most of the students having no internet access despite having devices at home. favale et al., (2020) also found the same result as 88 per cent of prospective teachers report the integration of ict across various platforms fosters inclusivity by ensuring equal access to resources, opportunities, and participation for diverse individuals. whereas 86 per cent of prospective teachers agree that ict and soft pedagogical practices promote inclusion by creating flexible, studentcentred learning environments. ict enhances accessibility through digital tools, while soft pedagogical practices, such as interactive teaching and personalized learning, address diverse learning needs. together, they foster engagement, bridge learning gaps, and ensure an equitable educational experience. over 75 per cent of the prospective teachers believe ict as an assistive technology is transforming education by ensuring inclusivity, accessibility, and engagement for all learners. further analysis is based on classroom observation at the time of virtual sip and transcriptions of conversations with the prospective teachers at the time of interview and focus group discussion. teacher training curriculum incorporates ict content ncf 2005 highlighted the importance of ict in school education, whereas cbse offers a course related to artificial intelligence to secondary schools. according to geer and sweeney, (2012); and kumar and biradar, (2010), to prepare effective teachers, there is a need to train them in the application of technology. the prospective teachers who got training had fairly good ideas about inclusion and ict, one of the prospective teachers of delhi university said regarding preparedness, “during a 15-day workshop on techno-pedagogical workshop we learned using g-suite tools, google docs, google classroom, online meeting tools like google meet, cisco webex, google chrome add-ons, online whiteboard, jamboard, canvas board, tools related to online assessment like quiz formation, google forms, and the use of some assistive technology for learners with disabilities.” prospective teachers of guru ghasi das university, banaras hindu university, hemvati nandan bahuguna university, and purvanchal university were further selected for telephonic interviews. some shared popular responses from conversations are cited as, “i acquired new skills in creating a productive learning environment and better-utilising technology during simulation class of practice teaching. it was a very unique experience for me to teach students in virtual sip. it was indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 194 fascinating to me how some concepts were taught to kids using novel methods and approaches.” “each component of these online classes was different from their inperson classes, demonstrating to me how i can instruct them in a variety of ways. although covid-19 is a challenge, i learned a lot of new things through the simulated teaching-learning practices before virtual sip.” “i was able to learn more by simulation on online teaching. i was also supervised and guided by our teacher educators regarding how to manage students’ online classroom setup and get them involved and engaged.” the above responses reflected that in selected university’s prospective teachers were aware to use the ict in online sip. when the b.ed. students of purvanchal university contacted for the interview during covid-19 it was found that there was no such exposure given in their respective educational institute. it was elucidated that they were not confident regarding the use of ict, and their awareness was moderate. willis and montes, (2002) study indicates that many mentor teachers still do not have adequate technology skills. they also noted that if student teachers are not empowered to use technology skills, then they may not be able to use them in routine classrooms. after a focus group discussion with prospective teachers, it was noted that the majority of the teacher educators of their universities provided assignments such as preparing multimedia presentations through the use of a recent technology tool for the application of technical knowledge. some of the prospective teachers shared during the interview that these courses offered in b.ed. are elective ones so it was not chosen by each prospective teacher. looking at the covid-19 situation and online teaching challenges during virtual sip it was found that universities proposed a workshop on techno-pedagogical interventions for the preparedness of prospective teachers for the successful execution of the virtual sip programme. many of the research findings also support the idea of nurturing teachers with 21st-century skills in which digital literacy and skill are important skills. teacher educators guide in terms of pedagogy and “real world” classroom experience (kay, 2006). doering, hughes, and huffman, (2003) identified the prospective teacher’s placement with a mentor teacher as a “crucial cog” in the preparation of student teachers to use ict in teaching. the above responses reflect the concerns of the prospective teachers. the teachers’ narratives quoted above reflect that the virtual field experiences were beneficial for the pre-service teachers, yet at the same time, they all acknowledged that they suffered to gain offline experience of sip due to the pandemic. they agreed that their curriculum and various virtual platforms, lectures of youtube support them in the use of ict during virtual sip. teaching is smooth and meaningful in online mode during observation of virtual sip classes, it was observed that the majority of the prospective teachers of delhi university used ict more competently by using gem board and google classroom. prospective teachers mentioned positively, “using technology in education makes students more interested and helps them remember what they learn.” when ict is used in the classroom, kids are more interested in what they are doing. this is because technology makes it possible to teach the same things in different ways that are more fun and interesting.” indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 195 for prospective teachers who may be unfamiliar with new labs, new tools, or different software versions, providing technical and instructional support is a key factor for the successful integration of technology (bullock, 2004; dexter and riedel, 2003; doering et al., 2003; grove et al., 2004). joshua stern also found the online classroom environment as a convenient way to fit education into their busy lives. other researchers such as ammanni and aparanjani, (2016), also found the use of ict increases the scope of teaching, it also provides quality learning materials, and creates autonomy in learning. seminal studies (fu, 2013) stated that ict in education intends to promote educational productivity and efficiency to improve the teaching and learning process. tools related to ict used by prospective teachers on the third subtheme, i.e., tools related to ict used by the prospective teachers, one of the teachers highlighted their practical experience, stating, “there are many ict tools that i have implemented successfully during virtual sip. there are tools such as multi-link headphones, digital cameras, webcams, and audio recording software that encourage the development of speaking and listening skills while teaching languages. interactive whiteboards and smart boards promote writing skills on a large scale” “better and faster communication is now possible thanks to ict tools, as is the presenting of ideas in a more efficient and relevant manner. students are today better informed than ever before thanks to the widespread availability of this powerful resource for gathering information.” after observation of virtual sip, it was found that due to the acquired knowledge of ict, sip programs become more effective. prospective teachers with a single computer in the classroom noted development of personal productivity skills such as keeping grade books, lesson planning, and delivering presentations but few opportunities to develop, and learn how to facilitate lessons that involved student use of technology with contentarea topics (dexter and reidel 2003; grove et al., 2004), while those with access to computers during class noted higher frequencies of their students’ use of technology (grove et al., 2004). technology integration nowadays has gone through innovations and transformed our societies that have changed the way of thinking of people, work, and life, (grabe, 2007). the use of technology in education contributes a lot to the pedagogical aspects in which the application of ict will lead to effective learning with the help and support from ict elements and components (jamieson et al., 2013). ict helps teachers in preparation for teaching during sip on the other sub-theme, one of the teachers stated, “planning is important in teaching as it ensures learning progression in subject learning and also in the general capabilities of the curriculum. through the use of effective ict tools, we can better manage student boredom while teaching online”. the prospective teacher also stated, “if i’m teaching about weather, for example, i want to not only talk about the subject but also show my students relevant pictures so they can better understand the topic. fortunately, the internet and ict tools provide more opportunities than ever to find relevant images so we can give students a concrete context for the subject. preselected images can also be projected or shown on individual computers to reinforce the lesson while we talk.” indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 196 the responses cited above show the notion of prospective teachers towards ict that it makes them capable of obtaining dynamic and proactive teaching-learning environments. the schools and other stakeholders that are supposed to prepare students to live in “a knowledge society” need to consider ict integration in their curriculum and teaching (ghavifekr et al., 2012). ict used as an assessment tool “on the fifth subtheme of the bar graph, ict is used as an assisting tool. this aligns with the perspective shared by a prospective teacher from delhi university, “she used ict in assessment practices during the formation of quizzes, in mcq-based test series, paragraph comprehension, etc. and also collected feedback with the help of google classrooms during virtual sip. some of the prospective teachers shared that at the beginning of sip, they were more used to social apps such as whatsapp, email telephonic conversations, etc., to impart knowledge and assess the students. as we moved further in the lockdown, pre-service teachers and students got more wellversed with app-based software like goassessment app, zoom, google meet, and webex, to name a few.” many teachers also stated “when we have conducted online examinations, we were left with no choice but to conduct the exams online along with online lectures. also, at home, we had to singlehandedly manage everything, right from uploading the paper to collecting them to checking to mark tabulation which contributed to an increase in the overall efforts. this is very hectic for us.” also, some of the prospective teachers had shared that “to make assessment transparent moderate efforts made by them before the exams since there was a difficulty in setting paper online and the problems in inter-faculty coordination for paper setting added to the difficulties. it has been observed that a school culture that emphasises competition and an assessment system with high stakes can discourage instructors from integrating technology into their classrooms.” ict can provide students with grades or feedback in addition to building or delivering materials. geoffrey, (2011) stated that the assessment that is based on ict can be taken up with many technological devices in his teacher’s handbook that was on e-assessment. it reveals that some of the stakeholders found it difficult to assist students through ict tools as they were uncomfortable managing their work single-handedly. ict won’t be useful in the classroom if teachers don’t know how to use it to meet teaching goals (koc, 2005). understanding the role of ict implementation to gain inclusion in virtual sip ict tools helped to address lingual diversity the idea of the information society, which refers to “the central role information technology has for production, economy, and society at large, is closely related to the concept of e-inclusion unesco, (2009). the term e-inclusion refers to the objective of ensuring access to information-societybased products and services for all individuals, including those with special needs or at risk of exclusion such as the elderly, people with disabilities, those with little formal education, the unemployed, ethnic minorities, and people living in isolated rural area northway, (1997). the idea of inclusion has also been applied to the field of education, where it refers to the notion that all students are guaranteed equal opportunities; as a result, one of the target objectives to be met by today’s school systems is that of providing the indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 197 same level of education to all students, regardless of their varied abilities unesco, (2009). after interaction with some of the prospective teachers, it was found that prospective teachers were using many different tools for inclusion, narratives acknowledged as, “for students to be engaged, learning has to be relevant and meaningful on a personal level. ict can offer a variety of options for information intake and processing, idea interpretation, and learning expression for students with different learning styles. ict assists these students in experiencing the information rather than just reading and hearing it, students learn best through visual and tactile modalities. but it is difficult when we are not able to use ict tools properly due to lack of resources.” most of the respondents mentioned the same popular response on the above aspect. one of the prospective teachers also stated, “students whose mother tongue is different from the official language of instruction are less likely to understand than students from the majority. there is material available to them online in their language, so here information can be gathered and shown by using ict”. so, from the above discussion, it is analysed that ict tools help prospective teachers correct their language errors and support them in making their language academic. some of the participants shared that they frequently use grammarly, quiltbot, and other software for the same. ict tools can help improve the skills of minority language students, especially in learning the official language of instruction through features such as automatic speech recognition, the availability of authentic audio-visual materials, chat functions, etc. ict integration and digital exclusion the researcher observed some of the classes and noticed the challenges faced by prospective teachers and enrolled students are related to the digital divide problems such as access to devices and internet facilities. it was also observed that in some of the government schools in the initial phase of covid-19 online classes are organised and monitored through whatsapp groups. the group consists of 40 to 50 students, but only 50 per cent of students participate in online mode due to insufficient data and access to resources. the (aser, 2021) report states that younger children are more deprived when it comes to access to smartphones, with most of the students having no internet access despite having devices at home. the prospective teachers’ narratives acknowledged that “access to online platforms was sometimes poor, and there were connection problems from our side as well, especially when the number of students connected was high.” most of the respondents mentioned the same in this aspect. some experts use the term to describe the disparity in access to the internet between those who have it and those who don’t. various factors which contribute to digital exclusion are poverty, geography, illiteracy, disability, etc. (mehra, 2002). other researchers, such as single, (2008), argue that simply allowing children to sit with their peers in regular classes will not result in “inclusion” unless an effort is made to combat the exclusionary forces. all possible support structures in terms of physical infrastructure, equipment, teaching-learning material, curriculum, and trained human resource personnel must be provided for the successful implementation of inclusive education (bansal and kaur, 2021). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 198 ict integration on different platforms creates inclusion the other subtheme as ict integration on different platforms creates inclusion. about this, the researcher observed the classroom and saw that most of the students were able to communicate and interact in english during an interactive lesson in ppt. class subject (chapter) ict tools audio visual aid used by prospective teacher classroom observation viith english (preposition jumbled sentence) videos, ppt, and pictures images, self-made worksheet students were involved and engaged, they made guesses about the pictures and responded. vith hindi (कठपुतली) story and multimedia pictures the lively atmosphere and real-life environment created by stories encourage the students to talk and discuss with each other. tools used by the prospective teacher helped the learners to improve their understanding, pronunciation, intonation, words, sentence stress, etc. vith math (3-d shapes) geogebra app, youtube the math subject in school has taken many innovations from the traditional method and their love for mathematics. it primarily helped students to apply the problemsolving process when using a computer to solve a problem of shapes, and then ict is involved in developing the solution for all kinds of learners. viiith science (cellstructure and functions) self-made animated video with audio and pictures a self-made animated video energized the audience to listen more and more with total attention. the students look attentive and relaxed while answering the questions on the topic in their classes. viiith social science (india after independence) flow chart, pictures, map, and short films. short films were shown to the learners and it is an important listening activity, which with the right support, helps children in building listening skills and learning through simulating the actual situations. from the above table, it is inferred that the majority of the prospective teachers, besides the disciplinary subject nature difference, use ict tools in the form of animated videos, presentations, e-stories, pictures, and other assistive indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 199 technology for disabled students etc. they also used gem board, white board, and other tools, such as the geogebra app, youtube, etc. for teaching purposes. one of the target objectives of nep, 2020 is to develop competency in learners regardless of their varied abilities or possibilities. the concept of inclusion has been expanded to include the idea that all students are guaranteed equal opportunities. by offering many means of presenting data, expressing knowledge, and engaging in learning activities, including assessment, ict can encourage inclusiveness, this encompasses both conventional educational technology and assistive technology created especially for people with disabilities. during classroom observation, it was noted that a visually impaired student of class viiith displayed a strong interest in learning the science topic of cell structure and function. throughout the session, the student actively participated, engaged in discussions, and responded to questions. additionally, the student utilised a recording device to aid in learning during the lesson. whereas the teacher incorporated assistive technology in a social science class viiith while teaching the topic ‘india after independence’. short films were shown to the students as an essential listening activity designed to enhance their listening skills and facilitate learning by simulating real-life situations. notably, a hearing-impaired student participated in the session with appropriate support, demonstrating engagement and comprehension through visual cues and interactive discussions. prospective teachers’ narratives acknowledged ict tools can be utilised to facilitate collaborative and imaginative learning environments where students with disabilities are included in educational activities and have roles or responsibilities in groups or classes. during observation, when a prospective teacher begins to introduce science lessons, the lively atmosphere and real-life environment created by self-made animated videos encourage the students to talk and discuss with each other. some related quotes of pre-service teachers “ict tools support many perceptual and mental modalities. computers and specialised software can be used to capture, modify, and exchange thoughts, as well as to speed up the completion of assignments and boost motivation. students can watch youtube videos related to their content anytime and anywhere ict helps to learn beyond the classroom environment.” inclusive education is a long-term process that must be relentlessly pursued. to do this, it is examined from the above response that it is a requirement for future teachers to become proactive and ready to deliberate ict in a pedagogical approach so that significant adjustments be made in their instructional contents, methodologies, structures, and tactics, etc. ott and pozzi, (2009). the effective integration of ict alongside the curriculum is associated with a new pedagogy that changes the role of the teachers and increases students’ control of their learning, self-regulation, and collaboration. this presupposes a shift from traditional lesson formats, based on transmitting information philosophies, towards student-centred approaches that promote active engagement, help them control their learning, and support collaborative learning and meaningful understanding. sabada and bringue, (2010) identify the primary characteristics of children and teenagers regarding the use of ict, and teachers must refer to ict both in the planning as well as in the development of their classes, to adjust, make flexible, and lead their pedagogical practices to good use. along with pedagogical practices, a few teachers also explained the importance of short films, songs, indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 200 and movie clips used during online sip to bring inclusion. ict and soft pedagogical practices responsible for inclusion the researcher observed the hindi classroom to examine the role of short films in teaching listening skills and found that short video stories and movie clips support listening skills. one of the prospective teachers stated, “the affective domain, reflective attitudes, and experience-based learning are all effectively addressed by using movies in the classroom. using emotional movie triggers to learn allows for the emergence of dilemmas, questions, and expectations for both learners and teachers. movies offer a narrative model that is rooted in the familiar world of the learners and is framed in feelings and images.” the student teacher acknowledged that they value soft pedagogy because they are easier to manage in a classroom and during class time than a feature film, and because they frequently have something unique to offer a quirky plot, an unusual location, or a unique visual aesthetic. ict and assistive technology for inclusion the term inclusion here means making sure that every student, no matter who they are, feels welcome, valued, and able to take part in all activities. ict includes tools such as computers, smartphones, the internet, educational apps, online learning platforms, etc. these technologies help all people, including those with disabilities, to learn, communicate, and participate fully in school, work, and society. prospective teachers incorporating ict stated that “assistive technology (at) is opening up new opportunities for everyone, but they are particularly important for people with disabilities (pwds), who use assistive technology more frequently than the average person for daily tasks. disabled end-users are more able than ever to engage in all facets of social life on an equal basis when using assistive technology that is tailored to the abilities of everyone. to participate in an open and barrier-free information society, students must gain access to the rapid development of ict on an equal basis.” a few responses by prospective teachers: “a lot of effort is required to address the special requirements of students with disabilities, using new pedagogical technologies and appropriate methods of educational, administrative, and legislative measures to ensure their full integration and inclusion.” “the new information and communication technologies are crucial tools for promoting social inclusion because they enable pwds to interact, access, and use information, which opens up opportunities for them to pursue education. through the use of information and communication technologies (ict) and assistive technology (at), students with disabilities are now able to interact with one another and learn.” so, the purpose of this study was to capture all of these real-world encounters from the perspective of prospective teachers. the objective was fulfilled through the triangulation method and most of the institutions managed sip through providing online workshops. a majority of stakeholders were able to use ict tools to bring inclusiveness to the online classroom. the researcher’s analysis of the various themes and subthemes revealed that the majority of the prospective teachers employed a variety of strategies, including the use of ict, creating a democratic classroom environment, focusing on learner-centred pedagogy, and offering them a variety of inclusion opportunities during the sip. this indicated that the prospective teachers had a strong knowledge of the ict indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 201 course which was essential for the online school education programme. most of the teacher training institutions have conducted virtual workshops to train the student teachers for conducting online sip. ultimately, each decision made by stakeholders has a great impact on the opportunities available to students and impacts their sip. findings and conclusion implementation of ict leads to learning which is more interesting and less burdening to bring inclusion. how effectively a teacher can use these tools is of prime importance, to promote learning through ict to bring inclusion in the classroom (kaur, 2016). our prospective educators would benefit greatly from internships because they provide hands-on experience with ict technologies in a professional setting. it’s a chance to put what you’ve learned into practice, design and deliver effective classes, and refine your approach based on the observations of your superiors. the bulk of b.ed. internships have been completed online because of the covid-19 epidemic (alam, 2021; dvivedi et al., 2022). in this situation, it is a great time when there is a need to modify the curriculum of teacher-training courses and include the training and skills related to online classes and ict in regular internship programs for inclusion. this will lead the prospective teachers to acquire techno-pedagogical expertise. much effort was made by the teacher training institutes to provide meaningful training and workshops by removing the shortcomings and some of the best results have also come out, like the use of ict, handling the online learning and online platforms, selflearning, saving time and energy, which could not have happened in traditional training style, (dvivedi, et.al: 2022). the prospective teachers’ narratives reflect the ideas and initiatives that they apply in their classrooms. the responses and narratives in the two themes as well as observations shared above substantiate each other to establish certain findings. it can be said that the student teachers implicitly have made their teaching smooth and meaningful in online mode during sip. the instances or anecdotes specified by them in their narratives show that they have a comprehensive idea of using appropriate ict tools. on the other hand, some problems and difficulties are being faced by the student teachers to pursue their sip, especially those students who reside in rural areas and villages. they are facing challenges in arranging internship classes for their sip and most of the students complain about not having enough space and a supportive environment at their home. this is a common problem for most of the student teachers who belong to the middle or lower classes or reside in villages or rural areas. the responses in the second theme proved that the teachers employ a diverse range of strategies that they think would contribute towards inclusiveness during online sip. the integration of ict with education provides better opportunities for all learners, teachers, and administrators to work better in the current scenario of the education system (raushan, 2020). considering this, the national education policy (nep, 2020) notes the extensive use of technology in teaching and learning, removing language barriers, increasing access to all as well as education planning and management. covid-19 and its outbreak across the world geared up and gave a boost to the field of technology. training and support in ict for prospective teachers are relatively important to provide inclusiveness in online classrooms so training was provided through virtual workshops. new technologies such as ict as a tool to promote diversity, soft pedagogical practices, assistive technology for disabled students, and its indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 202 integration resulted in digital inclusion while conducting online sip. the process of achieving inclusive education is ongoing and long-term; to that end, all available and appropriate methods should be used, including technological tools that are widely acknowledged as having great potential. school e-inclusion requires time, effort, competence, and strong conviction by all the stakeholders. (ott and pozzi, 2009) implications of the study internship programs are an essential component of professional education (anjum 2020). teaching, managing a classroom, assessing students’ progress, running a morning assembly, mentoring students, coordinating extracurricular activities, leading a school, etc., gives prospective teachers hands-on experience to be effective and efficient teachers (oecd, 2009). the majority of the sip program of b.ed. was held in online mode due to the covid-19 pandemic, (noel, 2021). most of the prospective teachers of urban areas had gained expertise in techno pedagogy as a result of this, they were able to handle virtual sip smoothly. but, at the same time, the teacher training institute, which is located in rural areas, needs much improvement in workshops for the awareness of ict tools. at the time of the 21st century, looking at the situation there is a need to compulsorily implement the ict course in the b.ed. curriculum. because of this, it is crucial to update the standard internship program to include preparation for teaching online classes. there is an urgent need for developing communities of technology-using teachers in urban and rural schools (radinsky, lawless and smolin, 2005), teams of university faculty and pre-service teachers are needed to investigate and develop effective uses of ict in the classrooms (bannon and nonis, 2002); and additional virtual field experiences using video conferencing are also required (karchmer-klein, 2007). clarifying our current international status regarding ict in initial teacher preparation is a welcome step toward improvement. reference aithal, p. s. and aithal, shubhrajyotsna. 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(2020). suspending classes without stopping learning: china’s education emergency management policy in the covid-19 outbreak. journal of risk and financial management. 13(58):1–6. doi: 10.3390/jrfm13030055. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 243 research article evaluating perception of delhi government school teachers towards the diksha platform: a tam-based analysis anjali shokeen1 & banipreet kaur2 1associate professor, university school of education, guru gobind singh indraprastha university 2research scholar, university school of education, guru gobind singh indraprastha university emailbanipreet2022@gmail.com abstract the digital infrastructure for knowledge sharing (diksha) platform was launched by the government of india to enhance the nationwide accessibility to educational content through digital means. by employing a descriptive research design, this study explores the perceptions of delhi government school teachers regarding the diksha platform using the technology acceptance model (tam). a total of 71 teachers were randomly selected from three regions in delhi, and data were collected through a validated likert-scale questionnaire. findings revealed that teachers’ engagement with the diksha platform is hindered by various challenges, such as familiarity with the platform, infrequent usage, and accessibility of the training content. correlation analysis showed that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude and behavioural intention significantly predict the actual usage of the diksha platform among the teachers. further analysis revealed that teachers with greater familiarity with the platform exhibited a moderate positive inclination towards its usefulness in classrooms. while those with more frequent usage demonstrated a stronger perception of its usefulness in classrooms. the study has its limitations regarding sample size, limited variables and geographical location. this study offers implications for various stakeholders in improving the adoption and utilization of the diksha platform among school teachers. keywords: attitude, diksha, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, tam model, teachers introduction digitization of learning has greatly enhanced the accessibility of educational materials via the  internet, multimedia platforms and other online courses (haleem et al., 2022). this online accessibility of educational content finds its roots in the open education movement. it promotes the free sharing and adoption of digital educational resources with minimal constraints under open licensing frameworks (cip, 2021). recently, the world has faced unprecedented global events in the form of the pandemic, which enabled countries to revisit and accelerate the accessibility of learning materials through digital mediums (undp, 2023). in this step, the government of india in 2020 had launched the pm evidya platform to achieve the vision of one nation, one digital learning platform. this initiative aims to meet the diverse educational requirements of the students through one single digital platform (moe, goi, 2020). pm evidya programme accumulates various initiatives taken by the  government of india such as diksha, swayam, swayamprabha dth channels, special indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 244 e-content for cwsn, etc.  , to enable multimodal access to the educational content and resources (desk, 2020). built upon an open-source platform, namely sunbird, digital infrastructure for knowledge sharing, popularly known as the  diksha platform, is a key digital platform infrastructure (dpi) initiative under pm evidya, that enables the accessibility of e-textbooks, teaching-learning resources, and course materials through an online portal and mobile application for teachers and students (moe, goi, 2021; singal, 2023). diksha features digitized ncert textbooks and over 2.43 lakh teaching resources contributed by academicians. it offers multilingual access in 18 languages, enabling widespread reach of the educational content in the nation. to further enhance the educational experience, india’s national egovernance division (negd) under the ministry of electronics and information technology (meity) is also planning the integration of the  personalized adaptive learning (pal) system within diksha. pal is based on utilizing ai algorithms to create an individualized learning path that is responsive to the needs and abilities of each student. integration of pal into diksha has the potential to significantly improve student learning outcomes and engagement (porecha, 2023). however, the success of the initiative depends on the  acceptance and adoption of the platform among the targeted users. while diksha holds promises to expand access to high-quality educational content, it is also essential to understand how teachers are interacting with and adopting this platform. successful implementation of any educational technology requires the acceptance and utilization by teachers, who are the critical conduits for translating improved educational technologies into actual learning outcomes. thus, this paper applies the technology acceptance model (tam) to analyse the perceptions of delhi government school teachers regarding the diksha platform. introduced by fred davis in 1989, the technology acceptance model (tam) provides a robust framework for understanding user adoption and acceptance of information technologies (davis, 1989; shrestha et al., 2021). tam is one of the most widely used theoretical models in technology adoption research. tam was adapted from the theory of reasoned action (tra) which identifies perceived usefulness (pu) and perceived ease of use (peu) as the two key determinants of technology acceptance (davis et al., 1989; chen et al., 2011). the model consists of  five variables which are perceived usefulness (pu), perceived ease of use (peu), attitude towards use, behavioural intention to use and actual usage. out of these five variables, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, in combination with the variable attitude towards the  use of technology, frame the core variables of the  tam model, whereas behavioural intention and actual usage are considered outcome variables (shrestha et al., 2021; chen et al., 2011). the variable perceived usefulness refers to the degree to which a user believes that using a particular technology would enhance their job performance (davis et al., 1989). in the context of the  present study, it refers to the degree to which teachers believe that using the diksha app enhances their teaching effectiveness, supports student learning, and improves overall educational outcomes. the variable perceived ease of use refers to the extent to which  users believe they can effortlessly use a technology tool (davis et al., 1989). in the context of the present study, it refers to how teachers find the diksha app simple, intuitive, and free from technical issues, making it easy to navigate and use as a teaching tool. the variable attitude towards using indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 245 studies have suggested that the experience of using technology can influence the adaption of the technology among users (abdullah & ward, 2016; alfadda & mahdi, 2021; alismaiel et al., 2022). thus, this paper utilises familiarity with the  diksha platform and the frequency of using the diksha platform as external variables to analyse government teachers’ perception of the  diksha platform. the paper comprises the  following research questions to study the perceptions of government school teachers using the tam model: 1. is there any relation between the perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude and behavioural intention for using the diksha application in schools among the delhi government school teachers? 2. is there any relation between familiarity with the  diksha platform and tam variables? 3. is there any relation between the frequency of using the  diksha platform and tam variables? review of related literature nair and mukunda das (2012) investigated the attitudes of high school mathematics teachers in kerala, india, towards using information technology (it) as a tool for instruction by employing the  tam model. the study revealed that tam was a suitable framework for studying the attitude of teachers towards technology acceptance. the study also indicated that the teachers’ perceived ease of use of it significantly influenced their perception of its usefulness and overall attitude towards incorporating it into their teaching practices. haleem et al. (2022), in their review paper, provided an insightful overview of how digital technologies can help transform classrooms and improve educational outcomes. for teachers, it may reduce the burden by automating regular tasks such as attendance diksha refers to the overall positive or negative feelings that teachers have towards using the diksha app in their teaching practices, reflecting their enthusiasm and satisfaction. the variable behavioural intention helps in identifying the likelihood or intention of teachers to continue using and recommending the diksha app, reflecting their motivation to further explore, improve, and advocate for its use. the variable actual use refers to the frequency and consistency with which teachers actively engage with the diksha app in their teaching activities, including resource access, using its different features, and encouraging student participation. figure-1: tam model for analysing the actual use of the diksha platform source: technology acceptance model (davis et al., 1989) indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 246 marking, performance monitoring, etc., whereas for students, it may help them to develop self-study habits by providing a  customised learning experience. it is also highlighted that if technology is thoughtfully incorporated into learning, then it can serve various benefits to the future of education. kampa, (2023) applied a m-learning readiness scale based on tram (technology readiness and acceptance model) among the open and distance learning students in india, in which it was revealed that optimism and innovativeness contribute to perceived ease of use (peu), perceived usefulness (pu) and user adoption of m-learning positively. on the other hand, discomfort and insecurity negatively impacted the peu. it was suggested that the m-learning can be utilised in the odl environment. muralidharan et al. (2019) demonstrated in their study that personalized and technologyaided instruction enhanced the learning outcomes for middle school students in india. the academically weaker students had shown improvement in their performances in this afterschool instruction programme. the results highlighted that a well-designed edtech programme can improve the delivery of education. jafar et al. (2023) conducted a study in the  tamil nadu region and concluded that although government initiatives have improved online education access, there are still many students, especially in rural areas, who lack digital resources. it was suggested that the government should prioritize projects like distributing laptops/tablets/mobile devices to the marginalized students and teachers should be trained to adapt to remote and blended teaching-learning approaches. ghosh, (2022) explored the diksha application as an e-resource for elt teachers across different kvs in india and found that diksha serves as an invaluable resource for kv elt teachers by giving them access to training materials, e-content (video lessons, pdfs, mcqs, and interactive exercises), and various teaching-learning aids. however, various limitations, such as technical glitches, the need for frequent app updates, and interface issues, also emerged in the study. methodology this study is based on a  descriptive research design that was found appropriate for obtaining perceptions from the population and examining factors that influence government school teachers’ adoption of the diksha platform using the technology acceptance model (tam). the target population for this study consisted of all the government school teachers in delhi. the list of the region-wise delhi government schools was obtained from the website of the  education department govt. of nct of delhi (govt.  of nct of delhi, 2024). in this list, schools were divided into east delhi, north-east, north, north-west, west delhi, south west, south delhi, central delhi and south east regions. the researcher randomly selected three regions (west, north-west and south-west regions of delhi) out of the 09 regions given in the list using the random number generator on google. a simple random sampling method was employed to select eight government schools from the selected regions. this method helped in mitigating the sampling bias and ensured that the sample was not skewed toward teachers already familiar with diksha. the responses were collected using a google form, which was circulated after getting permission from the head of the schools. a total of 71 responses were received which comprised the sample for the study. a likert scale, which consisted of questions related to the diksha application was developed. the questionnaire was divided into three sections. the  first section consisted of  questions related to indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 247 the demographic profile of government school teachers. the second section had questions related to familiarity with and general usage of the diksha platform. the third section consisted of 25 items related to all five constructs (pu, peu, attitude, intention and actual use) of tam (alfadda & mahdi (2021); davis (1989)). the responses for the third part of the  questionnaire were recorded through a five-point likert scale (strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, strongly disagree). two experts from the field of educational technology reviewed the instrument to establish the validity of the content of the questionnaire. based on their feedback, minor modifications were made. afterwards, a pilot test of the questionnaire was done on 25 government school teachers from delhi state. the average response time to complete the questionnaire was recorded to be 15 minutes. the questionnaire had a cronbach’s alpha of 0.965 which displayed high reliability. results table 1 represents the demographic background of the participants. most of the school teachers (90.1 per cent) in the study were female. 52.1 per cent of  teachers were having 1-10 years of experience in teaching. the majority of the teachers were teaching at the  secondary level (56.33 per cent) in delhi government schools. table-1: demographic background of the participants (n=71) n percent gender female 64 90.1 male 07 9.9 teaching experience 1-10 years 37 52.1 11-20 years 22 31 21-30 years 11 15.5 more than 30 years 01 1.4 teaching level primary 19 26.8 middle 12 16.9 secondary 40 56.33 in table 2, 59.2 per cent (n= 42) of participants said that they are familiar with the  diksha platform. however, the usage of the  diksha platform is relatively low among the participants. 38 per cent of the participants reported that they rarely use it, while 35.2 per cent reported that they use it in a month. only indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 248 2.8 per cent said that they use it daily. a large majority (91.5 per cent, n=65) felt that the content available on diksha is well-aligned with the curriculum of delhi government schools. over 80 per cent of the participants (n=58) had completed at least one nishtha training module through the  diksha platform. more than half (69.01 per cent) of the participants had said that they easily accessed the nishtha training modules via diksha. however, a  majority also claimed (53.5 per cent, n=38) that they had not received any formal training to use the platform. table-2: diksha usage among school teachers (n=71) statements n per cent familiarity with the diksha platform yes 42 59.2% no 29 40.84% frequency of using the diksha platform daily 02 2.8% weekly 11 15.5% monthly 25 35.2% rarely 27 38% never 06 8.5% received formal training to use the diksha platform yes 33 46.5% no 38 53.5% alignment of the diksha platform with the curriculum yes 65 91.5% no 06 8.45% have you ever accessed any nishtha training offered through the diksha platform? yes, i have completed multiple trainings 43 60.6% yes, i have completed at least one training. 15 21.1% no, i have not participated in any training 13 18.30% are nishtha trainings easily accessible on the diksha platform? yes 49 69.01% no 10 14.1% not sure 12 16.9% indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 249 table 4 shows the correlation between familiarity with the diksha platform and the constructs of tam. the variable, familiarity with diksha showed a moderate positive correlation with perceived usefulness (r=.363, p<.01). this suggests that the teachers who were more familiar with the platform tended to view it as more useful for their teaching. for understanding the  relationship among the tam constructs (perceived usefulness (pu), perceived ease of use (peu), attitude toward use, behavioural intention to use (bi), and actual use (au)), pearson correlation coefficient (using spss) among these constructs was applied. table 3 revealed that pu and peu had a high positive correlation with the attitude (pu= 0.748; peu= 0.721) and bi (pu= 0.738; peu= 0.715). additionally, bi also displayed a positive correlation with au (r = 0.745). attitude demonstrated the highest correlation with au (r =.824). all correlations were significant at the p<.01 level. table-3: correlation among the constructs constructs mean s.d. pu peu attitude bi au pu 3.7915 .50533 1 peu 3.6845 .60063 .686** 1 attitude 3.6958 .54810 .748** .721** 1 bi 3.6676 .55749 .738** .715** .786** 1 au 3.5268 .63807 .689** .708** .824** .745** 1 **correlation is significant at the .01 level (2-tailed) table-4: correlation between familiarity with diksha and tam variables variable pu peu attitude intention actual use familiarity with diksha .363** .214 .146 .257* .121 71 71 71 71 71 **correlation is significant at the .01 level (2-tailed) *correlation is significant at the .05 level (2-tailed) the variable, frequency of using diksha revealed stronger positive correlations with all tam constructs (table 5). the variable had a positive correlation with pu (r=.403, p<.01) which indicated that the participants who frequently used this platform perceived it useful. the variable also had statistically significant correlations with peu (r=.294, p<.05), attitude (r=.285, p<.05), intention (r=.377, p<.01), and actual use (r=.349, p<.01). thus, it can be said that the frequency of using diksha positively impacts the perception, actual usage and adaption of the diksha platform among the school teachers. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 250 it is evident from table 4 and table 5 that the frequency of using the diksha platform had a slightly higher correlation with other variables of tam when compared to familiarity with the platform. this suggests that regularly using the diksha platform had a greater influence on improving the perceptions of teachers towards its usefulness, ease of use, fostering positive attitude, intention to use and driving actual adoption of the technology in the classrooms. findings & discussions the findings of the study align with the existing literature, which emphasized that perceived usefulness and ease of use significantly influence the attitudes, intentions, and actual usage behaviour of a user in a tam model (abdullah & ward, 2016; buabeng-andoh, 2018; davis et al.,1989; shrestha et al., 2021). table 2 revealed that while many teachers are using diksha to some degree, they still face barriers such as limited familiarity, infrequent usage, and difficulty in accessing training content. these findings are consistent with jafar et al. (2023), who found that even with government-led digital initiatives, a lack of digital resources and inadequate training continue to hinder effective technology use, particularly in rural and under-resourced areas. for the first research question, a strong positive correlation (table 3) was found between perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use (r=.686, p<.01), which indicated that teachers who perceived diksha as easier to use also found it a more useful tool. this aligns with the findings of nair and mukunda das (2012), who noted that perceived ease of use significantly influences the perception of teachers regarding technology’s usefulness and their overall attitude toward its adoption. in this study, teachers who perceived diksha was useful had a more positive attitude, greater intention to use, and higher actual usage of the platform (granić, 2022). it suggested that simplifying the platform interface and fostering positive attitudes by demonstrating the benefits of this platform could enhance its massive adoption among teachers. haleem et al. (2022) also highlight that reducing technical burdens for teachers, such as simplifying platform navigation and automating routine tasks, can foster positive attitudes and increased intention to use digital platforms. similarly, teachers who expressed greater intention to use diksha displayed higher usage behaviour (r=.745, p<.01). however, this relationship was slightly weaker than for attitude, which also suggests that intention alone may not translate fully into actual adoption without a supportive attitude. this finding is in line with the insights of the study conducted by kampa (2023) on m-learning, in which it was found that user optimism and ease of use were essential for the  adoption of the technology. pu, peu, attitude and intention were found to be significant positive predictors of actual usage behaviour among the participants. thus, it can be said that table-5: correlation of frequency of using diksha application with tam variables variable pu peu attitude intention actual use frequency of using diksha .403** .294* .285* .377** .349** 71 71 71 71 71 **correlation is significant at the .01 level (2-tailed) *correlation is significant at the .05 level (2-tailed) indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 251 tam is a valid framework to predict the acceptance and usage of diksha among school teachers. regarding the  second research question, familiarity with the  diksha platform (table 4) had a moderate positive correlation with the variable perceived usefulness and behavioural intention of using the platform. ghosh (2022) highlights that the teachers in indian kvs value diksha for its e-resources, yet they struggle with technical issues and a need for regular updates, underscoring that familiarity alone is insufficient to drive adoption these findings also suggest that familiarity with diksha is important, it must be coupled with frequent, handson experience to strengthen pu, peu, and related behavioural intentions. for the  third research question, the frequency of using diksha (table 5) had a positive correlation with all the constructs of tam. thus, it can be said that the greater familiarity with diksha appears insufficient on its own to fully improve acceptance based on the tam model. however, increased frequency of using the platform/ experience with the technology has stronger ties to enhancing pu, peu, attitude, behavioural intention and actual usage. these findings are supported by muralidharan et al. (2019), who reported that continuous engagement with technology-aided instruction can lead to improved learning outcomes, especially for students. moving teachers from basic familiarity to regular use could therefore be key to technology acceptance, as sustained usage has been linked to better-perceived benefits and enhanced acceptance of digital tools (buabeng-andoh, 2018). as haleem et al. (2022) and ghosh (2022) both highlight ongoing support, training, and access to resources are critical for ensuring long-term engagement of teachers with educational technology. these findings indicate that moving teachers from basic familiarity to repeated and regular hands-on use of diksha is key to supporting technology acceptance and improved perception. thus, providing more training, incentives and support to increase repeated usage could positively influence tam constructs and improve the adoption of the diksha platform. conclusion this study explored the perception of delhi government school teachers towards the  diksha platform using the technology acceptance model. the findings suggest that simplifying the diksha interface and providing hands-on training to teachers can significantly improve its acceptance among teachers. the study implies that policymakers should allocate more resources to train stakeholders and increase investment in the development of the digital education infrastructure. the policymakers may also consider making guidelines for rewarding the stakeholders who regularly utilize diksha by introducing gamification elements such as implementing a badge system or levels to further engage and motivate the users. at the  school level, conducting regular training for teachers and improving the accessibility of the  diksha platform should be prioritised. the schools should also recognise and provide realtime technical support to the teachers. teachers should also proactively participate in professional development activities to build their technological competence. teachers can enhance collaboration and contribute to the development of high-quality e-content by engaging with online communities and partnering with educators from across the nation. the platform developers should strengthen the inbuilt feedback and real-time technical indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 252 glitch-addressing system. this feature can instantly solve the problems faced by teachers and students. the study had various limitations related to sample size, variables and geographical location. with a sample size of 71 teachers, this study serves as a preliminary investigation. future studies could build upon these findings by using a larger, more diverse sample for enhanced generalizability and more robust statistical analyses, such as regression and correlation. the studies may also utilise qualitative insights by incorporating interviews, focused group discussions, etc., to provide a comprehensive analysis of the perception. future research may also benefit from incorporating other technology adoption determinants, such as social influence, self-efficacy, and privacy concerns. the studies can explore the extended versions of the tam model to observe the impact of subjective norms and other psychosocial variables on the perceived usefulness of the diksha platform and its actual adaptation. the researchers can also take comparative studies among diksha and various private edtech tools available in the market and can provide useful insights. overall, this study had important implications for stakeholders in improving the adoption and utilization of the  diksha platform among teachers to ultimately enhance learning outcomes through digital platforms. references abdullah, f., & ward, r. (2016). developing a general extended technology acceptance model for e-learning (getamel) by analysing commonly used external factors. computers in human behavior, 56(56), 238–256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.11.036 alfadda, h. a., & mahdi, h. s. (2021). measuring students’ use of zoom application in language course based on the technology acceptance model (tam). journal of psycholinguistic research, 50, 883–900. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10936-020-09752-1 alismaiel, o. a., cifuentes-faura, j., & al-rahmi, w. m. (2022). social media technologies used for education: an empirical study on tam model during the covid-19 pandemic. frontiers in education, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.882831 buabeng-andoh, c. (2018). predicting students’ intention to adopt mobile learning: a combination of the theory of reasoned action and technology acceptance model. journal of research in innovative teaching & learning, 11(2), 178–191. https://doi.org/10.1108/ jrit-03-2017-0004 cip. (2021). the rise of the open education movement. caduceus international publishing. https:// www.cipcourses.com/blog/the-rise-of-the-open-education-movement/ chen, s.-c., li, s.-h., & li, c.-y. (2011). recent related research in technology acceptance model: a literature review. australian journal of business and management research, 01(09), 124–127. https://doi.org/10.52283/nswrca. ajbmr.20110109a14 davis, f. d. (1989). perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. mis quarterly, 13(3), 319–339. https://doi.org/10.2307/249008 davis, f. d., bagozzi, r. p., & warshaw, p. r. (1989). user acceptance of computer technology: a comparison of two theoretical models. management science, 35(8), 982–1003. https:// doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.35.8.982 desk, smes. (2020, may). “pm e-vidya” initiative to redefine education sector. smestreet.in. https://smestreet.in/limelight/pm-e-vidya-initiative-to-redefine-education-sector/ indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 253 ghosh, k. (2022). impact of diksha app as an electronic resource in english language teaching learning process in different kendriya vidyalayas’ of india. proquest, 17426588. https:// doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2286/1/012019 govt. of nct of delhi. (2024). dele education department. www.edudel.nic.in. https://www. edudel.nic.in/ granić, a. (2022). educational technology adoption: a systematic review. education and information technologies, 27(7), 9725–9744. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-10951-7 haleem, a., javaid, m., qadri, m. a., & suman, r. (2022). understanding the role of digital technologies in education: a review. sustainable operations and computers, 3(3), 275– 285. sciencedirect. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.susoc.2022.05.004 jafar, k., ananthpur, k., & venkatachalam, l. (2023). digital divide and access to online education: new evidence from tamil nadu, india. journal of social and economic development, 25, 313–333. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40847-023-00236-1 kampa, r. k. (2023). combining technology readiness and acceptance model for investigating the acceptance of m-learning in higher education in india. asian association of open universities journal, 18(2), 105–120. https://doi.org/10.1108/aaouj-10-2022-0149 moe, goi. (2020). pm e-vidya. pmevidya.education.gov.in. https://pmevidya.education.gov. in/index.html moe, goi, d. o. s. e. & l. (2021). india report digital education remote learning initiatives across india. https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/irde_21.pdf muralidharan, k., singh, a., & ganimian, a. j. (2019). disrupting education? experimental evidence on technology-aided instruction in india. american economic review, 109(4), 1426–1460. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.20171112 nair, i., & mukunda das, v. (2012). using technology acceptance model to assess teachers’ attitude towards use of technology as teaching tool: a sem approach. international journal of computer applications, 42(2), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.5120/5661-7691 porecha, m. (2023). centre’s digital infrastructure for knowledge sharing education platform to offer ai help. the hindu. https://www.thehindu.com/education/centresdigital-infrastructure-for-knowledge-sharing-education-platform-to-offer-ai-help/ article67263862.ece shrestha, a. k., vassileva, j., joshi, s., & just, j. 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[online] undp. available at: https:// www.undp.org/news/inspiring-collective-action-digital-india-sets-stage-g20.. appendix the questionnaire y gender (male/female) y teaching experience (1-10; 11-20; 21-30; more than 30 years) y teaching level ((primary; middle; secondary) indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 254 usage of diksha among school teachers y are you familiar with the diksha platform for teaching and learning purposes? (yes/no) y how often do you use the diksha app for accessing educational resources and content? (daily; weekly; monthly; rarely; never) y have you received any formal training or support to effectively use the diksha app in your teaching? (yes/no) y have you ever accessed any nishtha training offered through the diksha platform? y are nishtha trainings easily accessible on the diksha platform? perceived usefulness 1. using the diksha app significantly enhances my teaching effectiveness. 2. the educational content available on diksha is valuable to me. 3. accessing resources on diksha positively impacts the learning outcomes of my students. 4. the app makes it easier to explain complex concepts to my students. 5. diksha content enhances the educational experience for my students. perceived ease of use 6. the interface of diksha app is user-friendly 7. i find it convenient to access content on the diksha app. 8. the instructions provided within the app are clear and straightforward 9. i can easily participate in nishtha training modules within diksha application 10. i don’t encounter technical difficulties when using diksha attitude 11. i enjoy using diksha for teaching and learning. 12. diksha is a valuable addition to my teaching toolkit. 13. i look forward to exploring new features and content on diksha 14. i have a strong preference for using diksha over other educational platforms. 15. i am enthusiastic about incorporating diksha into my classroom activities behavioural intention 16. i would recommend diksha to my colleagues 17. i want to attend training sessions to improve my use of diksha 18. i look forward to contributing my own content to diksha indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 255 19. i am open to collaborating with other educators through the diksha platform 20. i intend to continue using the diksha app in my teaching actual use 21. i frequently log in to diksha to access educational resources 22. i actively seek out new materials on diksha application for my classes 23. i consistently engage with diksha’s features and tools 24. i encourage my students to use diksha for learning outside of school 25. i contribute to the diksha platform by uploading my teaching resources. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 322 research article technology acceptance in developing critical thinking ability: evidence from preparatory stage students dheeraj yadav¹, saroj yadav² & anamika yadav³ ¹research scholar, department of education, university of allahabad, prayagraj ²professor, department of education, university of allahabad, prayagraj ³assistant professor, department of education, university of allahabad, prayagra emailanamika1051@gmail.com abstract this paper aims to explain the role of technology acceptance in the development of students’ critical thinking skills. based on technology acceptance model (tam) and relevant pedagogy theories this study examines the influence of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and actual intention to use technology. a mixed-method approach combining structured surveys and classroom observations was essential to explore the complex interplay between technology engagement and cognitive skill development. the findings showed a significant positive relationship between students’ acceptance of technology and critical thinking ability. students who believe technology to be useful and easy to use are more likely to exhibit inquiry, analysis, and collaborative problem-solving. key enablers of sustained engagement and reflective learning include teacher facilitation and interactive digital environments. the study calls on curriculum designers to introduce intuitive and goal-oriented technology tools to ensure that they are in line with learning outcomes. we should prioritise strategies that increase digital engagement and critical thinking in teacher training. educational institutions need to foster the acceptance of technology by demonstrating its educational value. this study provides an understanding of the long-term impact of technology acceptance in influencing cognitive development and problem-solving skills for the younger generation. keywords: technology acceptance, critical thinking, primary education, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, behavioural intention, digital learning environments. introduction critical thinking is an essential skill of the 21st century that allows students to analyse information, evaluate different perspectives, and formulate solutions. primary school does establish the basis of these cognitive skills. this stage of development includes reasoning skills, curiosity, and problemsolving, and occurs through structured guidance and exploration. technology into education provides additional ways to cultivate critical thinking through interactive and engaging tools, as well as inquiry and self-directed learning. the truth is that no technology will lead to better education unless it is indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 323 embraced by students and teachers. technology needs to be perceived as beneficial, and easy to use, so that students are able to adapt, while educators are trained to integrate those technologies properly. even with increasing digital literacy, not every classroom advances the integration of tech for higher-order thinking. it is necessary to learn about the acceptance of technologies, which affect both cognitive and educational development at this stage. the relevance of this to educational policy, curriculum development and teacher training is further explored in the context of how technology acceptance is conducive to the development of critical thinking for primary level students. yet, technology alone does not automatically translate into better learning outcomes or improved critical thinking skills. its effectiveness requires acceptance by students and teachers. even the best tools are useless without user adoption. students must find technology helpful and usable, and teachers must feel confident about its use in their instructional practices. factors such as prior exposure, ease of access, perceived usefulness, and the support available in educational settings play a role in their acceptance and preparedness to use technologies. so many classrooms are still not doing much with technology, even after all the hoopla about teaching digital literacy. just because we have access to digital tools does not mean we leverage them to foster higher-order thinking. some teachers are not trained to properly use the teaching technology, students only engage digitally through passive screen interaction without opportunities to actively explore and reflect. the technology acceptance model (tam) provides a framework to explain why students are inclined to use or discard technology. as per tam, these determinants (relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, image, and observability) rely primarily on the perceived usefulness (the belief that using new technology will enhance learning) and perceived ease of use (the degree to which the technology is easy and intuitive to operate) that affect users’ behavioural intentions. students are more likely to use technology if they think it helps them learn better and if it is easy to use. improving primary level critical and creative thinking development through understanding technology acceptance as digital tools are now more enmeshed in the classroom than ever, educators, curriculum developers and policy makers need to understand how these three forces interact. the actual use of these technology initiatives is based on their acceptability and appropriate implementation and not just availability. it also looks at how teachers can lead toward these outcomes by using technology effectively in their own classrooms. thus, the end goal of this research is to inform the advancement of a more seamless learning experience from a technological perspective. focusing on primary education — the period where cognitive foundations are established — this study illuminates how early exposure to technology can ultimately influence lifelong skills in reasoning, analysis and decisionmaking. literature review critical thinking in primary education critical thinking is about explanation, inference, evaluate, analyse, and interpretation. students at the primary level start to question, reason, and draw conclusions. problem-based and inquiry-based learning scaffold indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 324 this ability that teachers are trying to enhance. paul and elder (2021) suggest that for young learners, critical thinking is supported when students are offered authentic, real-world problems and guided through reflective dialogue. the epitome of creative pedagogy is an active learning environment that encourages critical thinking through questioning, individual case studies, and project-based learning. researchers in the field of education have been addressing the development of critical thinking skills at the primary education level for decades. central cognitive processes included in critical thinking are explanation, inference, evaluation, analysis, and interpretation. as anderson and krathwohl (2018) state, learners equipped with such higher-order thinking skills develop a capacity for curiosity towards problems, where they are able to deconstruct complex ideas, assess evidence, and then draw reasoned conclusions. these foundational skills are developed through purposeful instructional strategies that lead learners to explore, question, reason, and reflect in primary school classrooms. inquiry-based learning is one of the most effective pedagogical approaches when it comes to promoting critical thinking. chen and tsai (2021) found that such a format, where students are presented with a real-world (authentic) problem and have to explore potential solutions through guided inquiry, cultivates deeper analytical skills among students. problem-based learning (pbl) can be relevant to this process as well, since the subject of inquiry in pbl is to require students to directly investigate, formulate hypothesis, and resolve tasks in group. environments where students learn together digitally foster critical thinking by allowing learners to share ideas, challenge assumptions and build knowledge as a group (kukulska-hulme and viberg, 2018). technology acceptance model (tam) the tam (davis 1989) states that users’ behavioural intention to use technology is determined by both perceived useful and perceived ease of use. these perceptions factor into students’ motivation to use technology in classrooms. continued refinement (venkatesh and bala, 2020), showed that self-efficacy, anxiety and enjoyment are also predictors of technology acceptance, arguing widely that students would be more likely to use technology if they felt confident and comfortable. students perceive such topics differently depending on acceptance from teachers. the technology acceptance model (tam), originally developed by davis (1989), offers a theoretical framework that helps explain how users accept and utilise technology. tam analyses the users’ decision in two aspects which are perceived usefulness (pu) and perceived ease of use  (peou). pu is defined as the extent to which an individual believes that using a specific technology will enhance the performance, results, or outcomes while peou is defined as the extent in which the technology is abstruse to use. as noted by venkatesh and bala (2020), these components play a substantial role in the formation of a behavioural intention, which correlates with the actual usage of data and systems. for students, particularly in primary education, technology acceptance is more than just utility. other important factors that influence people’s attitudes, comprising confidence in one’s ability to utilise the technology, or self-efficacy as well as anxiety and enjoyment regarding tech, all contribute significantly to how people respond to the increasing indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 325 use of educational technology. according to ertmer and ottenbreitleftwich (2020), students’ receptivity to tech tools is widely seen as a reflection of their educators’ approach (motivation and competence) toward tech tools. when teachers model confidence and intentional technology use, students are more likely to see it as an enabler of learning as opposed to just slick new toys. technology and critical thinking a good example of this is with digitally assisted learning. research demonstrates that when students use technology with purpose, it fosters critical thinking through exploration and reflection. a study by liu et al. (2022) showed that digital simulations and virtual labs fostered hypothesis testing and evaluative thinking in primary students. moreover, collaborative technology platforms in particular google workspace and microsoft teams give students a space to work on the same document together, an opportunity for analytical dialogue and collaborative reasoning. many scholars stress that technology acceptance highly relates to pedagogical innovation. as brown and green argued in 2023, technology-integrated learning environments support students to engage in metacognitive processes, which can deepen their ability to think critically and self-assess. robinson et al. (2023) found that the use of adaptive learning technologies in digital platforms — for example, ai-powered feedback — significantly enhance students’ evaluative and inferential skills. parker and lee (2023) further challenged the notion by asserting that students’ skill in using digital literacy which is instilled in them through early exposure of educational technology yields confidence and competence especially in analytical reasoning tasks. research interests are coalescing around the intersection of technology and critical thinking in education. studies have shown that when technology is used with clear pedagogical intent, it helps students develop higher-order cognitive skills. liu et al. (2022) found that working in virtual labs with digital simulations enabled primary school aged children to formulate hypotheses, observe what happened, and to engage in evaluative thinking. such tools allow safe, non-realworld trial and error, exploration with low fear of failure. collaborative digital platforms, such as google workspace and microsoft teams, build critical thinking by enabling students to collaborate in real time on shared documents. parker and lee (2023) note that these platforms support collaborative reasoning and analytical thinking and allow for the learning from one another leading to the individuals developing individual critical thinking skills. technology-rich learning conditions foster metacognitive practices, which are critical in self-assessment and reflection (brown and green, 2023). adaptive learning technologies provide personalised content and feedback based on an individual student’s historical performance and learning trajectories, and they have been demonstrated to improve evaluative and inferential skills (roberts et al., 2023). ai-based feedback systems will prove to be extremely helpful in this aspect, allowing students to reflect on their reasoning and adapt their thinking strategies. in addition, confidence and proficiency with analytical skills are associated with digital literacy skills, which are acquired as a result of early exposure to educational technology. according to kim and park (2021), digitally literate students are better at filtering complex indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 326 pieces of information, synthesising information across different sources, and developing logical arguments. research gaps most literature acknowledges the potential of technology to facilitate critical thinking (for example, see: huang, et al., 2017; albiladi, 2020); however, there is little exploration into the dynamics of critical thinking and technology with young learners. most available studies have been conducted in secondary or higher education settings, where learners already have some degree of mastery related to autonomous learning and digital navigation. the primary education setting is special since pupils are still acquiring fundamental cognitive and literacy competencies. also, most relevant research focuses on the availability of technology as opposed to its acceptance. how users engage with what the devices or platforms provide is not guaranteed by how they have access to the devices or platforms. to bridge this gap, the current study focuses on specifically how the different variables, like the students’ perceived usefulness, the perceived ease of use, and behavioural intention influence the critical thinking development of university students. moreover, it is necessary to understand the role of teacher facilitation in this relationship. technology cannot replace good instruction (garrison and akyol, 2020).well, they create experiences that encourage students to inquire, solve problems and reflect on their thinking. in this study, we utilise this understanding to examine what the impact of classroom-level technology integration with a focus on teacher proficiency and confidence in integration has on students’ critical thinking abilities. objectives of the study the objective of this study is to examine the influence of technology acceptance on the development of critical thinking abilities among primary level students. specifically, the study aims to: y to study the relationship between perceived usefulness of technology and critical thinking ability among primary level students. y to study the relationship between perceived ease of technology and critical thinking ability among primary level students. y to study the relationship between behavioural intention to use technology and critical thinking ability among primary level students. y explore the relationship between students’ technology acceptance and their self-reported critical thinking skills. y identify how the integration of technology in the classroom by teachers influences students’ critical thinking development. y provide recommendations for curriculum developers and educators on effective use of technology to foster critical thinking in early education. research methodology the research design focused on the quantitative and qualitative data on the technology acceptance influences the critical thinking ability on primary school students. the present study utilised a mixed-methods research design to provide depth and breadth of understanding. this method gave the researchers a variety of types of numeric data to reveal statistical relationships, along with qualitative observations that clarified and explained how and why these relationships happen in classrooms. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 327 research design in the quantitative aspect of the study, structured surveys were administered for both students and teachers. these surveys assessed major constructs of technology acceptance (i.e., perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and behavioural intention) and participants reported critical thinking skills. this quantitative data was complemented by the qualitative component consisting of classroom observations and semistructured interviews with teachers. these were observations of how human-activity-tech interaction took place in real time in classroom settings, how students interact with digital tools when the teacher was to lead to critical thinking behaviours. both quantitative and qualitative data were collected through a mixedmethods research design in this study. a quantitative research approach was used to carry out survey of mid-high school students’ technology acceptance and self-reported critical thinking skills and qualitative approach was used for getting data from teachers. the qualitative aspect involved classroom observations along with semistructured interviews with teachers in order to better understand how technology integration translated into critical thinking behaviours in practice. using these methods along with one another created a holistic view of the sensitive factors. participants for this study a sample of 300 primary school students between 8–11 years of age was chosen; this developmental stage is essential because cognitive functions such as reasoning, problemsolving and logical thinking start to be consolidated. participants were drawn from five urban schools representing different socioeconomic groups. this diversity was essential to explore how access, exposure and attitudes to technology vary by economic strata. the study involved 20 teachers from primary schools, in addition to students. these teachers were grouped according to their proficiency with technology, were representing 50 per cent as high level of proficiency and 50 per cent with moderate proficiency. teaching experience varied, from earlycareer educators (0–5 years) to veteran teachers with more than 15 years of experience. this range provided researchers some ability to analyse the effects of teacher experience and comfort with technology in integrating it with the classroom and any effects on student outcomes. research instruments y technology acceptance survey: this survey was adapted from an existing measurement (the technology acceptance model [tam]) and it measured students’ perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and behavioural intention toward the use of educational technology. the survey items attempted to assess students’ attitudes, and perceptions toward technology as part of their learning process using a five-point likert scale that ranged from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree”. y critical thinking selfassessment questionnaire: the questionnaire we used to assess students’ self-perceived abilities included items related to some of the core critical thinking dimensions, among others, analysis, inference, evaluation, and explanation. items asked students to rate statements like “i can explain why a problem happens,” or “i can evaluate different solutions and decide which is best.” it is a questionnaire designed to determine the students’ confidence indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 328 to use their higher-order thinking skills. y classroom observation checklist: developed by sonny magna in 2017, this checklist emphasised the collection of current indicators of how students interact with technology. the key features of interest varied, including the observation of behaviours related to problem solving, collaborative group work, the prevalence of technologybased activities, teacher-student interactions during digitalised lessons, as well as evidence of research-based or inquiry-based learning practices. the data was obtained by observing the classroom and putting tick (√) in various sections. using this checklist, researchers were able to capture concrete examples of student critical thinking in response to technology use. y teacher interview guide: the semi-structured interview guide consisted of open-ended questions aiming to explore teachers’ opinions regarding how technology enhances critical thinking in their classrooms. interviews with teachers probed how the interviewees select and implement technology tools in their instruction, their comfort level in facilitating digital learning, and perceived challenges and successes in teaching higher-order thinking through tech-based learning opportunities. data collection method surveys were delivered via electronic platforms during school day hours through secure login methods. teachers monitored the process to help students decode the questions and give accurate answers. before the survey administration, a short orientation listening session was conducted to explain the purpose of the survey and assure confidentiality. added classroom observations spanning four weeks across mathematics, science, and language arts. the researchers participated in classes as passive observers, recording information about patterns of interaction, the use of new educational technologies, and facilitation techniques by the teacher. observations documented the both the fidelity and quality of the engagement with technology as well as the ways in which it acted as an antecedent to critical thinking behaviours. teacher interviews were taken after the observation period. teachers were asked to reflect on their practices and share their perspective. interviews were audio recorded and lasted approximately 30 to 45 minutes depending on the participant’s responses but were conducted with participant consent. researchers adopted a conversational style, giving teachers space to expand on their responses and share real-world classroom examples. test used in the study: spss software was used for quantitative data analysis. demographic characteristics and general survey responses were summarised using descriptive statistics. the relationships between technology acceptance constructs and critical thinking abilities were examined using pearson’s correlation analysis. moreover, multiple regression analysis was performed to establish the extent to which behavioural intention predicts engagement in activities that are vital for higher order thinking in students. all qualitative data from the classroom observations and teacher interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed. the qualitative findings helped to contextualise the quantitative ones, and surfaced particular classroom approaches that supported or inhibited the development of critical thinking. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 329 the research offered a unique contribution to the field by including both qualitative and quantitative data, painting a well-rounded picture of the impact of technology acceptance on critical thinking skills development in primary-level students, bolstered by evidence from real classroom scenarios and statistical confirmation. data analysis and interpretation table-1: demographic profile of the study demographic variables categories number of participants percentage (%) total students — 300 100 age 8 years 60 20 9 years 80 26.7 10 years 90 30 11 years 70 23.3 gender male 150 50 female 150 50 school type urban schools 5 — socioeconomic status low income 90 30 middle income 150 50 high income 60 20 total teachers — 20 100 teacher proficiency high technology proficiency 10 50 moderate technology proficiency 10 50 teaching experience 0–5 years 6 30 6–10 years 8 40 11–15 years 4 20 over 15 years 2 10 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 330 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 331 interpretation the study included participants with diverse demographic characteristics, which enhances the generalisability of study findings. there are equal numbers of male and female students, which means findings from the data can be generalised to both male and female learners. students aged 8–11 years fall under critical formative years where the cognitive capacity for logic, reasoning, and problem-solving begins, making this age group suitable for exploring research into the developmental trajectory of critical thinking skills. the sample also provides a relatively large socioeconomic diversity across the three economic strata, where 30 per cent of the sample belongs to low-income families, 50 per cent to middle-income families, and 20 per cent to high-income families, offering an inclusive perspective on how technology acceptance and critical thinking development occurs across economic strata. big variation, which is essential, because access to technology and exposure to digital tools often align with socioeconomic status. this study provides an in-depth analysis of teachers’ perceptions of various tools, as it examines the use of talk by teachers within the professional learning community (n=20), also enabling the study of ideas from teachers with low and high tech proficiency (50 per cent high, 50 per cent moderate). it also illustrates how varying levels of educator expertise might affect technology integration within classrooms, and thus students’ critical thinking abilities. the amount of teaching experience is tabled below, which indicates a pattern of mid-career educators (40 per cent with 6–10 years of experience) who are generally adaptable and are open to adopting new instructional methods. adding early-career to veteran teachers expands one of the variables to also look at how experience and professional development influence technology use in education. testing of hypothesis h01: there is no significant positive relationship between perceived usefulness of technology and critical thinking ability among primary level students. table-2: correlation variables mean standard deviation correlation coefficient (r) significance (p-value) perceived usefulness of technology 4.2 0.65 0.68 p < 0.01 critical thinking ability (self-reported) 4.0 0.72 — — interpretation (h01) for the analysis of first null hypothesis (h01), a positive and statistically significant correlation was found (r = 0.68, p < 0.01) between perception of student’s technology usefulness and critical thinking ability among the primary level students. such as that when students realise technology can support and enhance their learning processes, they will be more willing to pursue tasks that involve analysis, evaluation, and problem-solving. perceived usefulness serves as an incentivising factor for students in exploring the new learning tasks with analytical and curious perspectives. this relationship highlights the importance indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 332 of choosing education technologies that are well aligned with learning outcomes — and proving their worth to students. thus, schools and educators must remember to weave into everything they build meaningful and relevant tools that will drive their students to apply critical thinking to their digital selves. h02: there is no significant positive relationship between perceived ease of use of technology and critical thinking ability among primary level students. table-3: correlation variables mean standard deviation correlation coefficient (r) significance (p-value) perceived ease of use of technology 4.1 0.68 0.55 p < 0.01 critical thinking ability (self-reported) 4.0 0.72 — — interpretation null hypothesis 2 analysis indicates that there is positive significant relation between perceived ease of use of technology and critical thinking ability of primary level students. pearson’s correlation coefficient (r = 0.55, p < 0.01) shows a moderate positive correlation. this implies that students are likely to self-report higher critical thinking ability as they perceive technology to be easier to use. perceived ease of use of technology a m = 4.1, sd = 0.68, on average students agree that the technology they interact with is user-friendly. likewise, the mean critical thinking ability (m = 4.0, sd = 0.72) indicates a moderate high selfrating of the students’ capacity to think critically. we have a statistically significant p-value (p < 0.01) which supports the finding that the relationship is unlikely just coincidence. that translates into the need for making tech tools more approachable and intuitive for children that can then translate into positive experiences -or not -in the types of tasks that encourage analysis, reasoning and problem-solving. our results indicate that the recommendations can facilitate critical thinking of the primary school students in the education system which is further supported by the ease of use of educational technology tools. h03: behavioural intention to use technology did not significantly predict engagement in critical thinking activities among primary level students. table-4: regression analysis predictor variable unstandardised coefficient (b) standard error standardised coefficient (β) t-value significance (p-value) behavioural intention to use technology 0.59 0.08 0.61 7.38 p < 0.01 interpretation (h03) the results of the regression analysis for null hypothesis 3 indicate that behavioural intention to use technology is a significant but average predictor of indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 333 students’ participation in critical thinking activities (β = 0.61, p < 0.01). in addition, the unstandardised coefficient with b = 0,59, standard error is 0,08 and t is 7.38 (p <.001), calculate something else that also strengthens this prediction. this means that students who have intention to use technology are more likely to be involved in activities dealing with analysis, reflection, and problem solving. the corresponding beta of 0.61 demonstrates a strong predictive association; the students’ behavioural intention towards technology adoption positively led to students’ task engagement with critical thinking. p values of <0.01 strongly indicate that this discovery is statistically significant and not an artifact of random variation. this finding emphasises the importance of behavioural intention in education. students with motivation and willingness to use technology tend to use it for higher-order cognitive skills. the findings suggest that educating and designing curricula should emphasise creating positive behavioural intention intentions towards technology utilisation. fostering curiosity, developing digital confidence and creating meaningful technological contexts strengthen students’ involvement in critical thinking activities. however, the challenge does not lay principally in the upskilling of educators but in the fact that schools need to consider institutional interventions and education at the classroom level that not only enable educators to acquire new skills but also develop positive attitudes towards integrating educational technology. qualitative data analysis qualitative data were acquired through teachers’ interviews and classroom observations, giving high context to the quantitative outcomes. it found that classrooms in which teachers used technology as an active educational tool, rather than a passive one, tended to exhibit more inquirybased behaviours and collaborative problem-solving among students. when tasks were mediated by interactive digital tools, students tended to ask questions, clarify, and engage in group discussions more often. teachers with a higher level of proficiency in using technology were seen employing more adaptive and flexible teaching strategies, such as giving real-time digital feedback or using project-based learning activities that demanded more critical analysis and synthesis of information. these classrooms nurtured environments in which students were willing to explore, hypothesise, and think reflectively about how they were learning. interviews with teachers showed that those who saw technology as a vehicle for deeper learning — not a distraction — were much more effective in facilitating critical thinking among their students. all teachers reported needing ongoing professional development, saying that how confident they were with digital tools directly affected how well they could facilitate the critical thinking of their students in their classrooms. major findings of the study these varied findings from this research show that technology acceptance has a significant impact on the critical thinking skills of primary-level students. the research concluded with three major findings that illustrate how perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and behavioural intention of students towards technology facilitate student’s cognitive contribution and development. both evidence-based research and in-class experiences back up these key factors for the effective indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 334 leveraging of technology in primary education. perceived usefulness of technology strongly correlates with critical thinking abilities first, there was a positive correlation found between student’s critical thinking ability and their perception of the usefulness of technology. the statistical analysis (r = 0.68, p < 0.01) showed that students who feel that technology is worthwhile in their learning engage in activities that demand analysis, evaluation, and problem-solving to a much higher degree. in short, and as students realise that technology is useful to help them understand concepts better, carry out tasks more effectively, or explore topics in greater detail, they develop curiosity and a willingness to engage critical thinking skills. this was reinforced in classroom observations: when aligned with meaningful learning goals, students eagerly pursued technology-enabled activities. for instance, students were seen using virtual labs to test hypotheses, using academic apps to deconstruct complex math problems, and working together on shared documents to reason through and iterate on ideas. the main lesson is that technology cannot be added for the shininess of it; it needs to add a tangible educational effect in order to facilitate cognitive engagement. perceived ease of use influences student comfort and critical thinking engagement the next key finding is a perception of ease of use of technology strongly influences students’ engagement with critical think tasks. r = 0.55 (p < 0.01), moderately positive correlation. more likely when their technology use is simple, intuitive, and accessible, students engage in higher-order thinking activities. the interface must be intuitive so that students do not get distractive and have a smooth experience conducting analytical or problem-solving activities. in this instance, the perceived ease of use had a mean score of m = 4.1, suggesting that, on the whole, students felt that the technology was userfriendly. despite (and because of) these heightened expectations, teachers reported that simple interfaces, easyto-use collaborative platforms, and responsive learning apps drove student participation and engagement up. this finding highlights the importance for those designing education technology or administering schools to make user experience an open consideration for all, even for young learners still building their fluency with being users of a digital world. finally, the authors found the link between the behavioural intention to use technology as an antecedent to students’ engagement in activities for critical thinking, which was the third and maybe the most important finding of the study. the regression indicated a standardised beta coefficient of 0.61 (p < 0.01), showing that students’ willingness and motivation to engage with technology are significant in their participating in analytical and reflective tasks. students are more commonly engaged with tasks promoting critical thinking when they accept technology, combined with proactive disposition toward the use of technology. classroom observations reflected this finding as students who had a clear intention to use the technology were more willing to voluntarily participate in digital activities and worked to solve the problem at hand. teachers said that those students with strong digital curiosity and self-motivation led groups, initiated the use of additional learning indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 335 tools and asked more thoughtful questions. specifically, this finding reveals the importance of fostering a positive view of technology use, rather than emphasising only technical skills, as the means of stimulating cognitive growth. interconnected nature of the findings these findings collectively demonstrate that technology acceptance is not a simple factor; rather, it is a complex interplay of perceptions and attitudes that guide succeeding collaborations of students with learning tools. students are much more likely to utilise critical thinking skills when they see technology as useful, find it easy to build motivation around using, and have a desire to engage in the technology. all of this is augmented when teachers embed technology within the fabric of lesson design, ask students to generate inquiry, and deliver useful feedback. practical implications of the findings the results highlight that curriculum designers have to centre around accompanying the technology that students not only have access to, however see as advantageous and simple to execute. professional development should include efforts that teach teachers how to cultivate positive behavioural intentions toward using the technology with students, not simply how to use it. educational technology companies should prioritise intuitive design and functionality that align with educational outcomes and promote inquiry-based learning. discussion thus, these results strongly imply that technology acceptance will increase the critical thinking of primary school students. constraints on how perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and behavioural intention relate in academic contexts is consistent with other literature, in addition to offering new perspective on how this operates for younger learners in actual classroom dynamics. first, one of the latter two strong association suggests perceived usefulness might indeed play a role in promoting neat and integrated knowledge and therefore increases in cognitive abilities, similar to wright and ganey (2013). when students see that a digital tool adds value to their learning process, they are more likely to think critically and participate in higher-level thinking tasks. also, chen and tsai (2021) has noted a similar finding that technology-support inquirybased learning will support developing critical thinking through authentic learning. the current study found that when students perceived digital tools as directly influencing their understanding of concepts or their capability of solving problems, they became more questioning, relational, and reflexive — and these findings were confirmed through classrooms observations. second, the moderate and significant correlation between ease of use and critical thinking ability indicates significant usability when engaging critical thinking. this is consistent with the observations of venkatesh and bala (2020) that a highly usable system minimises cognitive barriers so that learners can concentrate on solving problems, rather than grappling with the intricacies of an interface. classes observed during this study made use of simple, yet well designed tools that supported students to experiment and collaborate without hesitation. by contrast, tools with clunky user interfaces or steep learning curves tended to result in frustration — or worse, disengagement — particularly younger students, who are less willing indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 336 to tolerate overly technical processes. this is an important take-home lesson for educational technology designers: no matter how advanced, how innovative, any tool is, if the new tool in not user friendly then its educational potential is limited. the most striking finding from all of them is how well intentions to use technology predicts engagement in critical thinking activities. the high regression coefficient (β = 0.61) shows how technology adoption and engagement act as a driving force behind students’ engagement in cognitive tasks that involve analysis, evaluation, and synthesis. this backs up claims put forward by brown and green (2023) that student motivation and digital curiosity are as significant (if not more so) than access and skill to technologyenhanced learning outcomes. these mixed-methods analyses highlighted the work of both teachers and residents, however, the qualitative interviewing and observational data added additional nuance to our understanding of how these elements came together in practice. in classrooms where teachers showed confidence and creativity when integrating technology, there was higher student engagement and stronger critical thinking behaviours. these teachers employed digital tools as an integral part of inquiry-based learning and not add on. they guided student discussions about digital projects, challenged their questions, and employed adaptivelearning platforms that offered realtime feedback. the outcome was a lab where students felt comfortable about intellectual risk-taking, making hypotheses, testing them, and learning from the results. by contrast, in classrooms where technology use was shallow that is, when students devoted much of their time to passive activities, such as watching videos or filling out digital worksheets there was little evidence that students’ critical thinking had improved. these findings agree with work by higgins and hall (2020), who emphasise that improved learning with technology does not happen on its own we must design our learning experience in consideration of how technology can play a role. so, the teacher’s role is paramount. educators with pedagogic muscles with digital confidence are more likely to set the conditions for critical thinking. the results also indicate that technology acceptance is not merely reliant on the students, but a matter of the school as a whole and the system as a whole. how effectively technology is used in the classroom relies on teacher attitudes toward technology, the presence of institutional support and access to ongoing professional development. this study highlighted the needs identified by teachers for features such as more functional training, sharing best practices for use, and the availability of technology that is relevant and transferable across subject areas. in addition, the socio-economic diversity of study sample contributes an essential layer of commentary. students in higher-income families have had more access to technology and digital tools; however, well-designed and accessible platforms in schools can help to bridge the divide. the triple takeaway is technology can be used as a great equaliser but only if the schools are putting money and thought into infrastructure, training and proactive curriculum design in order to be ensure that every single student, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to interact productively with digital learning experiences. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 337 broader educational implications these results carry important for ramifications for educational policy and curriculum development. for policymakers, this research underscores that investments in education technology must be matched with investments in teacher training and infrastructure. you are only prepared if you have responsible methods of device usage that integrate fully with teaching and learning. curriculum developers: there’s work to do to integrate digital tools for inquirybased and problem-based learning. curricula should provide opportunities for students to collaborate and participate in project-based learning, all while using technology as a resource and space for reflection and to think critically about their learning. not only how digital tools may be utilised, but also how to encourage the intention to behave positively with good use of the tools among students, which must be found in teacher training programs. implications of the study curriculum designers must consider accessible digital platforms that complement academic goals. these platforms should be user-friendly, as well, and encourage inquiry, reflection, and collaboration. curriculum frameworks integrate digital tools into the learning experience, learning goals, assessments, and teaching practices rather than treating technology as an add-on, and help make it a routine part of the classroom experience. teacher training: emphasising pedagogy, including from theory to practice and being digital citizenships. this includes professional development workshops centred on technologyinfused lesson planning, digital dialogue facilitation, and real-time feedback with adaptive learning systems. training should also help build teachers’ confidence in trying out new tools and support reflective teaching practices that adjust to student needs. to educate schools by showing them the effectiveness of technology. this may involve presenting successful case studies, supporting technology co-creation projects by teachers and students, and providing open channels for discussing the effectiveness of digital tools. administrators need to build infrastructure that enables effective use of technology in any activity, and to tie their vision of this into a narrative for students around the importance of digital learning as part of student development. if we take a holistic view of the implications, it suggests that systemic policy, curriculum, and school leadership that create a culture of acceptance of technology would lead to further acceptance of technology, resulting in enhanced critical thinking skills in primary level students. conclusion this research highlighted the significant impact of technology acceptance on teaching critical thinking skills at the primary level. the results indicate that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and behavioural intention toward technology are all statistically significant predictors of cognitive engagement (i.e., deep learning) of the students by performing analysis, evaluation, and creation of the students. the cases where technology is most effective is when students can see the immediate benefits, the tools are easy to use and intuitive, and students have a strong personal intent to use them. several conclusions were drawn from this study, where it highlighted the importance of technology acceptance integrating with critical thinking skills indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 338 and how it aids the primary students. the results unambiguously show that constructs such as perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and behavioural intention to use technology transcend abstract ideas and have realworld applications and implications for young learners in regard to their classroom engagement in analysis, evaluation, problem-solving, and collaboration activities. motivation to engage in such inquiry-based learning and cognitive involvement in educational activities are higher among students who are positive about technology. this link between how technology is perceived to be useful in learning and the degree to which students’ faculties for critical thinking are leveraged is particularly relevant for curriculum designers and school leaders, who must pursue technology as a means to an end for learning rather than as some shiny object that appears to be trending. another important driver that emerged was ease of use. the research illustrates how, when technology is intuitive and accessible, students have more self-assurance and willingness to take part in tasks that push their thinking. this finding is crucial for technology developers and educational institutions: if not user-friendly, the potential educational value of tools will be lost. yet for critical thinking engagement, the strongest predictor is behavioural intention. it is most engaged with technology who apply critical thinking then. we cannot only have my highly expensive high very high technology in the classrooms to be mean-correct usage of technology means curating curious students, who are digitally confident and have a positive mindset towards the use of technology. furthermore, the study highlights that technology acceptance is a collaborative effort between students, teachers, and institutional systems. one important factor driving the implementation of technology in the classroom is the proficiency and comfort level of the teacher. schools that prioritise ongoing professional development, peer support, and collaborative opportunities for educators are more likely to nurture classrooms where technology can facilitate higher-order thinking. the findings imply a broader lesson: merely supplying devices or access to digital platforms doesn’t suffice. policy, curriculum, and leadership need to align to support a holistic culture of purpose-driven technology integration in schools. the goal here is not to (and indeed cannot) replace traditional methods of learning but to amplify them by infusing critical thinking opportunities at every touch point of a digital interaction. in the long run, such an integration can help mild a generation of learners who are not just digitally literate but also capable of analytical reasoning, creative problem-solving, and reflective learning skills that will be indispensable in a world that is becoming increasingly complex and information-rich. if technology is perceived, designed, and taught through an exploratory lens, it can become a building block to nurturing independent thinkers and problem-solvers from early on in their lives. so, the more we can meaningfully accept and integrate technology, the more cognitive development we will get. it will take all of us working together policymakers who set the policies that establish a foundation of what digital education should look like, teachers who bring those policies and frameworks to life when they enter the classroom, and indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 339 students who need to be challenged and inspired to think of technology not only as an opportunity for consumption but also for learning, discovery and critical thought. future studies might delve more into these dynamics within rural contexts or among learners with different levels of digital literacy, in order to make these outcomes more widely applicable. so far, it works: acceptance leads to 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(2018). higher-order thinking in science education: students’ learning and teacher professional development. springer international publishing. https://doi. org/10.1007/978-94-017-1254-7 indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 226 research article technology enabled capacity building for teachers in inclusive evaluation: udl best practice ananthi g pillai1 & k.sambathrani2 1ph.d-research scholar, department of special education avinashilingam institute for home science and higher education for women emailananthigowrimuthupillai@gmail.com 2professor & head, department of special education avinashilingam institute for home science and higher education for women coimbatore, tamilnadu abstract as we all know, universal design for learning (udl) is an approach to teaching and learning that gives all students an equal opportunity to succeed. the present study is an experimental attempt to examine the significance of universal design for learning (udl) principles in inclusive evaluation. to strengthen the difficulties faced by the teachers in inclusive evaluation, the investigator adopted the purposive sampling method in the study entitled “technology enabled capacity building for teachers in inclusive evaluation: udl best practice.” this sampling technique can be effective in exploring anthropological situations where the discovery of meaning can benefit from an intuitive approach. thirty-two participants of the research were chosen from noida, u.p government, and non-government schools. out of these, 15 were male teachers and 17 were female teachers who were made into two groups; the same participants were divided by qualification; 15 teachers were qualified with undergraduate, and the remaining 17 were post-graduate teachers. 16 teachers were employed in government schools, and the other half of teachers (16) were working in non-government schools. the independent variables of the study were teachers’ gender, qualification and school of employment. a quasi-experimental design was adopted for the research; there was no control group. the main aim of the study is to analyze the challenges of teachers in the technology-incorporated evaluation process and build digital capacity with the help of universal design for learning (udl) principles to create an equitable, inclusive learning environment. keywords: teacher competency, inclusive education, technology enablement, udl, capacity building, and digital evaluation. introduction the modern curriculum focuses on student-centric teaching and learning. many western countries are providing self-paced learning for their students. this millennium is evidencing great transformation from the ancient teaching method, which was teachercentric bureaucratese. the technology ensures a global standard in education as reflected in the digital curriculum. as we all know, universal design for learning (udl) is an approach to teaching and learning that gives all students an equal opportunity to succeed. in short, universal design for learning (udl) helps in the creation of an inclusive teaching-learning environment. in cast’s universal design for learning: theory and practice, assessment is defined as “the process of indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 227 gathering information about a learner’s performance to make educational decisions” (salvia & ysseldyke, 2009). sustainable developmental goals (sdg) 2040 highlights inclusive education; many acts and policies are supported, including the rights for persons with disabilities (rpwd) act 2016, national educational policy (nep) 2020. it is high time for educational institutions to look into digital evaluation processes to access inclusive student performance. several studies focused on digital evaluation in the western context but, not in the indian context. while adopting the western system, teachers of our nation need to be properly trained to meet the challenges. in this context, the present study aims to analyze the challenges of teachers in technology incorporated evaluation process and build digital capacity with the help of universal design for learning (udl) principles to create an equitable, inclusive learning environment. need for the study technology brings the world under one roof; we can learn anything with a finger touch. it laid the foundation for globalization. thus, globalization in education brings enormous changes to the indian education system. our education system is ancient and has a long-rooted history, which is bound by traditional methods of teaching and learning. great thinkers and philosophers are evident in this traditional curriculum. westernization of education seeds the modern curriculum by adopting the traditional method of teaching and learning is also often referred to as the learner-centric method. this leads to technologyenabled classrooms and teachers are trained. universal design for learning (udl) helps in the creation of inclusive teaching-learning environments in both offline (classroom) and online teaching. during the covid-19 pandemic situation, online teaching and learning succussed because of this technology enablement in school and higher education, including the research community. it is high time for india, like developing countries, to enable technology in the evaluation process as developed countries. this study mainly aims to build digital competency among inclusive teachers to enable them in the technology-based evaluation process from the primary level itself by scaffolding universal design for learning (udl) principles. objectives of the study the following are the major objectives of the experimental study. • to measure the inclusive teachers’ competency in technology-enabled evaluation • to develop appropriate material to access the inclusive teachers’ competency in the digital evaluation. • to compare the inclusive teachers’ competency in digital evaluation based on gender, qualification and type of school they were employed. • to build digital competency among inclusive teachers to enable them in the technology-based evaluation process by scaffolding universal design for learning (udl) principles. • to compare the teachers’ digital competency in the pre-test and post-test phases. • to provide need-based training for teachers on digital evaluation for the fruitful inclusion concept by incorporating universal design for learning (udl) principles. hypothesis of the study the null hypothesis framed for the testing of objectives is as follows: indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 228 1. there is no significant difference in the teachers’ capacity for inclusive evaluation in pre-test and post-test, according to gender. 2. there is no significant difference in the teachers’ capacity for inclusive evaluation in pre-test and post-test, according to qualification. 3. there is no significant difference in the teachers’ capacity for inclusive evaluation in pre-test and post-test, according to the school. review of literature liyan feng and team 2013 examined the effectiveness of electronic evaluation in 53 schools in kaohsiung city, taiwan. they found that 50 per cent of the schools are using digital portfolios for evaluation. a total of 56.10 per cent of the teacher participants of the study reported high professional growth activities. in their study, fatma cumhur and sefika sumeyye cam 2021 explored the digital transformation in the assessment and evaluation process with 52 student teachers in the faculty of education in turkey. a mixed method research design is followed for the study through quasi-experiment. the result reveals that digitalized evaluation is effective and accurate. similarly, nonmanut pongsakdi, arto kortelaninen, and marjaana veermans (2021) aimed to explore the enhancement of the skills of teachers in digital assessment tools. about 98 teachers are chosen for the study from finland. the results of the study highlight that teachers’ digital skills depend on their ict confidence level. materials and methods method: quasi-experimental design is followed for the present study. the participants of the study were chosen by purposive sampling method. the study is new to the indian context, thus, the researcher chose the purposive sampling method. this sampling technique can be effective in exploring anthropological situations where the discovery of meaning can benefit from an intuitive approach. sample: the 32 teachers from various regions of noida, up, were identified from the out-reach data record of sasr india, faridabad, haryana, as part of community promotional activities. out of these, 15 male teachers and 17 female teachers were made into two groups; the same participants were divided by qualification; 15 teachers were qualified with undergraduate, and the remaining 17 were post-graduate teachers. 16 teachers were employed in government schools, and the other half of teachers (16) were working in non-government schools. the ethical clearance was also sought for the study. material i. universal design for learning digital evaluation (udl-de) tool. ii. universal design for learning digital evaluation training (udldet). description a checklist was prepared with closeended questions developed by the investigators and was named as universal design for learningdigital evaluation (udl-de) tool. the udlde tool has three components i) accountability, ii) student progress, and iii) instruction. these were prepared based on universal design for learning principles; multiple means of engagement, multiple means of action and expression, and multiple means of representation. this udl-de tool is administrated to the teachers in the pretest and post-test phases. the chosen independent variables of the study are teachers’ gender, qualification, indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 229 and school of employment. a quasiexperimental design is adopted for the research; there is no control group. udl-enabled digital training, named as universal design for learningdigital evaluation training (udl-det), is given to the teachers to build digital competency in the inclusive evaluation process. the data collected from the teachers in the pre-test and post-test phases were recorded. statistical techniques were applied, and the results of the analyzed data were tabulated and presented in a pictorial form. limitations of the study • the sample of the study is small size. the purposive sampling method limits the participation of the other teachers. • in quasi-experimental design, participants are not randomized to the intervention named udldet. thus, this method may lead to systematic biases and influence the group membership. so, further research can be carried out with a true experimental method with control groups. • the study focused only government, and non-government schools of noida, u.p. • special school teachers are excluded from the study. • the teachers who were unwilling to participate in the pre-test and the post-test phases were not included in the study. result and discussion the demography of the teachers is given in table no: 1 with numbers and percentages. table-1: distribution of participants with number and percentage s.no area level number percentage 1. gender male 15 47% female 17 53% 2. qualification under-graduate 15 47% post-graduate 17 53% 3. school government school 16 50% non-government school 16 50% figure-1: distribution of teachers based on gender indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 230 figure-2: distribution of teachers based on qualification figure-3: distribution of teachers based on schools table-2: pre-test and post-test scores of teachers in technology-enabled inclusive evaluation based on gender gender n test mean sd t-test significance p-value male 15 pre-test 19.13 3.98 -3.42* .000974 post-test 23.47 2.87 female 17 pre-test 17.65 3.95 -3.24* .001382 post-test 23.65 3.08 *significant at 0.05 level indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 231 table no: 2 describes the male and female teachers’ pre-test and posttest mean scores and sd with t-value in the technology-enabled inclusive evaluation. the male teacher’s pre-test mean score was foubd to be 19.13 with 3.98 sd, whereas the female got 17.65 by administrating the udl-de tool. this difference shows that both male and female teachers have different levels of competency in digital evaluation. in the post-test, mean scores of males were 23.47, and for females it was 23.65. female teachers made an extra effort in udl-det, which resulted in high post-test scores. the t-value of males was -3.42, and -3.24 for females which were significant at 0.05 level. thus, the null hypothesis stated that, “there is no significance difference among the teachers’ capacity on inclusive evaluation in pre-test and post-test according to gender,” is rejected. figure-4: gender-wise scores of teachers in technology-enabled inclusive evaluation table-3: pre-test and post-test scores of teachers in technology-enabled inclusive evaluation based on qualification qualification n test mean sd t-test significance p-value ug 15 pre-test 17.03 3.79 -3.34* .001179 post-test 21.53 3.52 pg 17 pre-test 19.47 3.89 -3.47* .000756 post-test 23.65 3.08 *significant at 0.05 level table no: 3 presents the teachers’ competency in the digital evaluation process based on udl in the udl-de tool. for teachers with ug qualifications, the pre-test mean score is 17.03, and the post-test score is 21.53 with .001179 p-value; for teachers with pg qualifications, 19.47 is the pre-test score, and 23.65 is the post-test score. while analyzing the scores, teachers with pg qualifications got high scores in the pre-test and post-test phases; this may be due to the academic exposure gained as part of the master’s degree program and the impact of udl-det. the pre-test t-vale was -3.34, and the indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 232 post-test value was -3.47. both were significant. this significant reference of teachers with ug and pg qualifications made the investigator reject the null hypothesis: “there is no significant difference among the teacher’s capacity on inclusive evaluation in pre-test and post-test according to qualification. figure-5: qualification-wise scores of teachers in technology-enabled inclusive evaluation table-4: pre-test and post-test scores of teachers in technology-enabled inclusive evaluation based on the type of school school n test mean sd t-test significance p-value government 16 pre-test 19.44 4.02 -3.46* .000813 post-test 23.69 2.82 non-government 16 pre-test 17.25 3.73 -3.32* .001186 post-test 21.62 3.72 *significant at 0.05 level table no: 4 portrays the mean score and sd with t and p values of the teachers scored in the pre-test and post-test by udl-de tool. the government school teachers’ pre-test score is 19.44 for nongovernment school teachers 17.25 with 3.73 sd. the post-test scores are 23.69 for government school teachers with -3.46 t-value 21.62 for non-government school teachers with -3.32 t-value. both the t-values were significant at 0.05 level. in both the pre-test and post-test phases, government school teachers performed high while compared to non-government school teachers. this shows that government school teachers have more opportunities for refresher and in-service training, whereas the opportunities are minimal for non-governmental school teachers. udl-det has a higher impact on government school teachers. hence, the null hypothesis stated, “there is no significance difference among the teacher’s capacity on inclusive evaluation in pre-test and post-test according to school,” is rejected. indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 233 figure-6: school-wise scores of teachers in technology-enabled inclusive evaluation findings and conclusion in the participants’ group, 47 per cent were male, and the remaining 53 per cent were female teachers from government and non-government schools of noida, up. 47 per cent of the teachers were qualified with under graduation, and 17 of them were with post-graduation, which means 53 per cent of the study were participants. 50 per cent of the teachers were employed in government schools of noida and the remaining 16 teachers were from non-government schools. several studies focused on digital evaluation in a western context but, not in the indian context. while adopting the western system, teachers of our nation should be properly trained to meet the challenges. male teachers’ pre-test mean score was 19.13 with 3.98 sd, whereas females got 17.65 in udl-de tool. this difference shows both male and female teachers have different levels of competency in digital evaluation. while planning the training program, the stakeholders should give some special focus on female teachers, in a post-test mean score of males 23.47 and females 23.65. female teachers made an extra effort in udl-det, which resulted in higher post-test scores. for teachers with ug qualifications pre-test mean score is 17.03, and the post-test score was 21.53 in the udlde tool assessment. .001179 p-value, for teachers with pg qualification also, 19.47 is the pre-test score, and 23.65 is the post-test score. while analyzing the scores, teachers with pg qualifications got high scores in the pre-test and post-test phases; this may be due to the academic exposure gained as part of the master’s degree program. this shows that udl-det has a higher impact among teachers with pg qualifications. bachelor’s degree programs should strengthen the curriculum with digital evaluation to prepare their teacher trainees to meet the challenges of technology-enabled inclusive evaluation. the government school teachers’ pre-test score was 19.44 and for non-government school teachers 17.25 with 3.73 sd. the posttest scores were 23.69 for government school teachers with -3.46 t-value 21.62 for non-government school teachers with -3.32 t-value. both the t-values were significant at 0.05 level. in both the pretest and post-test phases, government school teachers performed highly as compared to non-government school teachers. this shows that government school teachers have more opportunities indian journal of educational technology volume 5, issue 2, july 2023 234 for refresher and in-service training, whereas the opportunities are minimal for non-governmental school teachers. these training programs helped the government school teachers in udldet. the non-government school teachers should also be provide with the same opportunities as government school teachers w.r.t the training programs. marjaana veermans (2021) also states that teachers’ digital skills depend on their ict confidence level. thus, the study helped inclusive teachers to increase their digital competency through udl-det. suggestions • most research studies focused on digital evaluation in a western context, not in the indian context. while adopting a western system of grading, teachers of our nation should be properly trained to meet the challenges. • while planning the digital training program, the stakeholders should give some special focus and additional training to female teachers and teachers with disabilities. • the digital training should incorporate universal design for learning principles. • bachelor’s degree programs should strengthen the curriculum with digital evaluation to prepare their teacher trainees to meet the challenges in technology-enabled inclusive evaluation. • non-government school teachers should also be provided with the same opportunities as that of government school teachers w.r.t training programs like pre-service, in-service and refresher courses. • the training should be practical rather than theoretical. • the digital training can be in both the forms; off-line (center or institutional-based) and online with low cost or no cost. 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(2011). effectiveness of digital educational materials for developing spatial thinking of elementary school students. procedia social and behavioral sciences, 21(1), 116119. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 173 research article implementing the revised bloom’s taxonomy (2001) in ai-digital and online learning environments: a strategic approach r.s.s.nehru1, sandra paredes2, subhas chandra roy3, ton quang cuong4 & bui thi thanh huong5 1assistant professor, department of education, sikkim university, gangtok, sikkim, india,&amp; post doctoral scholar (d.litt. in education), sambalpur university, sambalpur, odisha emaildr.rssnehru@gmail.com 2assistant professor, department of education, tecnologico de monterrey, mexico 3professor of education, north east regional institute of education (nerie), ncert, umiam, ri-bhoi, meghalaya 4dean, faculty of educational technology, university of education, vnu hanoi (vnu-ued), hanoi, vietnam 5bui thi thanh huong, vnu school of interdisciplinary studies, vietnam abstract integrating digital technology in 21st-century education requires a strategic, transformative pedagogical approach to enhance learning outcomes and skill development. as educators, researchers, and policymakers, our role shapes this future. the revised bloom’s taxonomy (2001) offers an essential framework for structuring educational objectives in ai-driven and online learning environments, where cultivating higher-order thinking is paramount. this study explores the strategic application for designing and assessing learning objectives within digital pedagogy, categorizing activities that bolster analytical, creative, and evaluative skills. this taxonomy is a foundational tool for structuring digital learning experiences that meet contemporary educational needs. the research provides a theoretical analysis of how the taxonomy’s hierarchical approach aids in crafting objectives aligned with advanced digital tools and interactive platforms, enhancing engagement and competency. it also examines alternative revisions to the taxonomy, focusing on the 2001 model, which emphasizes active, dynamic learning. this alignment enables clear and adaptable learning goals that promote effective digital learning and assessment practices, guiding students toward key educational objectives in a technology-enhanced environment despite challenges related to technology access and varied educational contexts. keywords: learning objectives, digital pedagogy, revised bloom’s taxonomy, ai-digital learning environments, higher-order thinking introduction incorporating advanced technology in modern education has markedly altered how learners engage with material and obtain new knowledge. wireless indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 174 connectivity, including bluetooth, facilitates connections among devices such as cameras, laptops, and desktops, streamlining network configurations and enhancing digital interactivity. smartphones with advanced functionalities provide immediate access to multimedia, gaming, and communication via straightforward screen interactions (kroski, 2008). digital tools function as personal assistants, spanning educational, social, and professional domains to improve learning accessibility (roschelle et al., 2005). digital technology is adaptable and meets various learning requirements, improving engagement, facilitating collaboration, and guaranteeing equitable access to resources, particularly for marginalized groups (duncan-howell & lee, 2007). these tools enable students to control their learning, enhancing academic and social skills while connecting education to practical applications. methodology adopted for this approach this research employs a thoughtful, multi-phase approach to incorporate the revised bloom’s taxonomy (2001) with ai and digital tools in online learning settings. framework analysis: the study thoroughly examines the revised bloom’s taxonomy to grasp its hierarchical structure of cognitive domains, ranging from basic skills like remembering and understanding to advanced skills such as evaluating and creating. the relevance of these domains to current educational goals is carefully assessed (anderson & krathwohl, 2001). integration with digital tools: cutting-edge ai technologies and digital learning platforms must align with the cognitive domains and determine their suitability. key strategies, including interactive quizzes and ai-based analytics, are identified to enhance student engagement and knowledge retention (nehru et al., 2023). pedagogical design: learning scenarios crafted to connect each level of bloom’s taxonomy with appropriate digital tools include developing templates and online course structures that systematically integrate ai tools across all cognitive levels (nehru et al., 2023). case study/implementation: the methodology virtual classrooms or online environments. pilot studies to test its practicality, offering a realworld demonstration of the theoretical framework. feedback and iteration: feedback from educators and students through surveys and interviews. the process is iterative, refining the framework to ensure it remains adequate and relevant (nehru et al., 2023). outcome evaluation: the model’s success is measured by assessing learning outcomes. comparative studies with traditional teaching methods to highlight the improvements achieved in meeting educational objectives. advocate for a fundamental overhaul of instead proposes adjustments to meet the needs of millennials and generation z, who thrive in digital, interactive learning environments. bloom’s revised taxonomy has long guided educators in setting learning objectives, designing curricula, and structuring assessments across cognitive levels (anderson & krathwohl, 2001; joyce & weil, 1996). however, the digital preferences of modern learners necessitate adaptations to this framework for alignment with technology-rich modalities (taylor, 2005). andrew churches (2009) extended bloom’s framework into bloom’s digital taxonomy, incorporating technologyindian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 175 driven activities that support active learning. this adaptation integrates digital tools—that foster engagement and critical skills (cheal, 2007). principles, the digital taxonomy promotes analysis, evaluation, and synthesis, which is crucial for 21st-century learning. this paper recommends analyzing digital technology’s role within bloom’s taxonomy. it suggests enhancements to support cognitive development and engagement for digital-native students without requiring a complete framework revision. a review of methodology and approach this framework is designed for proficiency in digital technologies, referred to as millennials. historically, educators have employed set assessments at various cognitive levels (anderson & krathwohl, 2001; joyce & weil, 1996). however, the unique learning styles and preferences of millennials, proficient in digital and online interactions, highlight the need to adapt bloom’s model to inclinations (taylor, 2005). andrew churches (2009) proposed adapting digital education and leveraging digital tools to enhance active learning through journaling, collaboration, roleplaying, and problem-solving (cheal, 2007). this framework integrates digital artifacts to strengthen higher-order thinking skills, engaging students in constructivist learning and fostering critical analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of information. this study utilizes a comprehensive methodology to analyze the connection between bloom’s revised taxonomy and digital learning environments. the proposal aims to use digital tools to enhance cognitive engagement and improve the educational experience for modern technology-oriented learners rather than suggesting a significant restructuring. this strategic approach advocates for integrating ai and digital platforms to enhance interactive and personalized learning experiences that align with the skills required for the digital era. the emergence of digital learning table-1: how the digital technology has evolved over the past couple of decades (from crompton, 2014) indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 176 a strategic approach due to technological advancements that have incorporated digital devices into daily life, digital learning has undergone significant transformation since the 1970s. electronic learning tools are always ubiquitous and available in locations, transforming the knowledge acquisition process. the ongoing development of digital tools, as illustrated in table 1, indicates a dynamic educational ecosystem propelled by progressively sophisticated and accessible devices. in the past two decades, increased accessibility to digital devices has heightened interest in digital learning have promoted global education, highlighting the potential for improved learning and mobility, offering a crucial framework for digital learning, facilitating cognitive engagement and the development, analyzing, and creating. effective digital learning depends on a cohesive ecosystem in which technology facilitates significant outcomes. traxler (2009) and hamm et al. (2014) highlight the significance of learner and device mobility in influencing the timing, location, and manner of learning. in ai-driven online settings, bloom’s framework is utilized via voip, text, digital television, and web tools (ozan et al., 2015), promoting foundational knowledge and creative problemsolving. this method integrates digital pedagogy with bloom’s objectives, facilitating cognitive development in the contemporary educational environment. the necessity of adopting digital pedagogy advances in digital learning are still evolving, presenting immense growth potential. educators and researchers must integrate innovative educational frameworks, such as the revised bloom’s taxonomy (2001), to stay relevant as students increasingly turn to digital tools (papadakis et al., 2021). this taxonomy offers a structured approach for cultivating higher-order thinking in digital settings, facilitating nuanced, layered knowledge and skill development. today’s learners exhibit unique digital habits and preferences, which, along with institutional support for ai-driven learning, underscore the necessity for pedagogical evolution aligned with digital demands. the accessibility of digital tools, from tablets and computers to advanced ai platforms, enables students to access resources, collaborate, and engage with instructors on digital platforms. digital pedagogy grants learners unprecedented flexibility to complete assignments, participate in discussions, and explore subjects (criollo et al., 2021). social media and collaborative tools like facebook, diigo, and delicious enhance interactions and support learning inside and outside the classroom. multimedia platforms like youtube, tiktok, and vimeo introduce dynamic, interactive elements that engage diverse learning styles, reinforcing learning experiences. implementing the revised bloom’s taxonomy within ai-enhanced digital environments provides strategic advantages. by aligning learning objectives across cognitive levels, educators can craft adaptive, immersive, and critical thinking-focused experiences that meet modern learners’ evolving needs and expectations. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 177 figure-1: traditional vs. ai digital learning embracing digital pedagogy is essential and responsive to the broader cognitive, social, and digital competencies that today’s learners require. educators can craft targeted, strategic approaches that cultivate critical skills for the 21st century by integrating the revised bloom’s taxonomy with ai and digital resources. promoting meaningful and effective online learning govindasamy (2002a) underscores the significance of crafting online environments. as digital learning advances beyond traditional e-learning and distance learning, it offers flexibility unbound by time and location, enhancing educational experiences (traxler, 2009). this transition marks a shift from static e-learning to dynamic digital learning models characterized by adaptability, immediacy, and personalization. historically, e-learning has referred to structured, multimedia content with interactive elements, while digital learning provides greater spontaneity and customization, aligning closely with individual learner needs (laouris & eteokleous, 2005; friesen, 2005). leveraging artificial intelligence (ai) and the revised bloom’s taxonomy (2001), educators can design highly personalized learning experiences, fostering engagement with cognitive skills ranging from basic recall to complex creation. in ai-integrated digital platforms, learning becomes adaptive; ai systems align challenges with each student’s cognitive level, encouraging higherorder thinking. such platforms might offer assessments that escalate in complexity, enhancing knowledge application and making learning journeys more efficient and impactful. this synergy of ai, digital learning, and bloom’s taxonomy supports the creation of meaningful educational experiences tailored to modern learners’ needs. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 178 ai-digital learning vs. e-learning: navigating the terminology in recent years, the terminology surrounding “digital learning” and “e-learning” has become central to discussions on education and professional training in technologyenhanced environments. although these terms are used interchangeably, each represents distinct aspects of modern learning with significant implications for strategic implementation. clarifying and aligning these terms with specific learning outcomes is essential to fully leverage the revised bloom’s taxonomy (2001) in ai-driven educational spaces. distinguishing ai-digital learning and e-learning in technologyenhanced education “ai-digital learning” has become essential in professional education due to the growing demands for mobility and continuous workforce training. digital learning includes various that promote ongoing skill acquisition and career development. char characterized adaptability, digital learning integrates self-paced content with immersive, synchronous experiences, feedback loops, and multi-environment progress tracking. this blended structure, merging online and offline elements, creates interactive and collaborative learning spaces, offering field-based opportunities that enrich learning (nehru, 2014). in contrast, e-learning is entirely online and accessible remotely, focusing on self-paced instruction, digital content, and assessments. although flexible, e-learning needs more interactive and blended elements in digital learning. when applying revised bloom’s taxonomy in ai-enhanced settings, digital learning supports higher-order skills—analyzing, evaluating, and creating—while e-learning, traditionally aligned with lower-order skills like remembering and understanding, can be enhanced to encourage critical thinking through ai-driven adaptations. leveraging ai-powered digital learning environments frameworks allow educators to design ai-driven experiences that cater to each cognitive level. for example: 1. remembering: in e-learning environments, ai can deliver and reinforce foundational knowledge through quizzes, flashcards, and spaced repetition algorithms. 2. understanding: ai-powered tools can assist learners in comprehending new material by providing interactive simulations and visualization aids. 3. applying: digital learning offers an environment where learners can apply knowledge through immersive scenarios and real-time feedback, bridging theoretical learning with practical application. 4. analyzing: ai algorithms can help learners dissect complex information, compare concepts, and identify patterns, especially in digital learning settings where blended experiences encourage critical thinking. 5. evaluating: digital learning’s comprehensive resources allow learners to engage in peer reviews, self-assessments, and ai-supported evaluations, making informed judgments and improving decisionmaking skills. 6. creating: ai’s role in digital learning can be transformative in creative tasks, supporting project-based learning, collaborative workspaces, and innovation-driven exercises that culminate in original outputs. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 179 figure-2: ai integration in digital learning understanding the differences between digital learning and e-learning can help educators and learners strategically implement bloom’s taxonomy within aipowered platforms, ensuring learning outcomes across a spectrum of cognitive levels. as educational technology evolves, recognizing the unique affordances of digital and e-learning can guide institutions in creating more effective, inclusive, and strategically aligned learning experiences in online and digital settings. the growth and development of bloom’s taxonomy concerning education and technology the significance of endured from foundational teachings continues to influence contemporary learning frameworks (johnson et al., 2013). however, methods and foundational educational frameworks have retained their importance. one such framework provided educators with a robust model for understanding processes. it aims to help educators define what students should achieve and comprehend through structured educational experiences (krathwohl, 2002). bloom’s taxonomy integrates educational and psychological perspectives, aligning teaching objectives with insights into learning (bloom et al., 1956, p. 6). the foundation of bloom’s taxonomy: first generation in educational practice, learning is divided into three fundamental domains: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor (bloom et al., 1956). this classification allowed educators to view learning through simple and complex lenses, making teaching more systematic. bloom originally developed the taxonomy to standardize education goals and facilitate efficient preparation for comprehensive exams by reducing the workload on educators (krathwohl, 2002). in 1949, bloom collaborated with experts to finalize this framework, which was later published in psychiatry and humanities (bloom et al., 1956). according to krathwohl, bloom’s taxonomy had several objectives: • establishing a shared language regarding educational goals for students, educators, and administrators. • offering a framework for defining objectives across courses or curricula. • ensuring coherence between instructional objectives, learning activities, and assessments. • establishing a basis (bloom et al., 1956, p. 14). objectivity may differ indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 180 based on various educational philosophies and priorities (furst, 1981). the revised bloom’s taxonomy: second generation in 2001, anderson and krathwohl revisited and refined the model to better align with contemporary educational requirements. they retained the core structure of the taxonomy while introducing modified names and eliminating previous classifications, refining the remaining three to better align with the expanded objectives of the taxonomy. this revision presented a dual-dimensional framework integrating knowledge types and cognitive processes, enhancing adaptability to the changing requirements of education (krathwohl, 2002). growe (2011) observed that these changes represented a shift from conventional knowledge transfer models, aligning education with the necessary skillsets for a rapidly evolving world. knowledge dimension: the revised taxonomy retained the original knowledge classifications while adding a new category: metacognitive knowledge, emphasizing awareness and mindfulness of one’s cognitive processes (krathwohl, 2002). this fourth category extended the taxonomy’s ability to capture self-awareness in learning, a crucial skill in modern education and digital learning environments. cognitive dimension: substantial updates in the mental dimension redefined the six categories and incorporated action verbs to clarify the educational goals within each level (krathwohl, 2002). “remembering” became a broader concept synonymous with “understanding,” merging some elements of knowledge and comprehension. the categories of application, analysis, and evaluation, while “synthesis,” were restructured to enhance each cognitive level’s depth and applicability (krathwohl, 2002). these updates gave educators more flexibility in designing learning experiences aligned with higher-order thinking skills and diverse learning activities. integration in ai-enhanced and online learning environments a strategic framework for setting educational objectives in ai-driven and digital learning environments. this two-dimensional structure enables educators to craft learning experiences that cultivate cognitive depth and metacognitive awareness, which is essential for self-directed digital learning. by fostering self-regulation and reflective abilities, metacognitive skills enhance student autonomy. modernized with active verbs, the taxonomy’s cognitive categories seamlessly integrate with ai-enabled instructional design, supporting adaptive feedback and personalized learning pathways. this synergy between revised bloom’s taxonomy and digital education supports structured, responsive learning activities and assessments. embedding these principles into digital platforms empowers educators to cater to diverse learning styles and boost engagement while building essential analytical, creative, and evaluative skills. this approach transforms traditional educational methods, preparing learners for success in an adaptive, aienhanced world. ai-enhanced digital learning utilising revised bloom's taxonomy the revised bloom’s taxonomy provides a strategic framework for setting educational goals within ai-driven and digital learning contexts. its dualdimensional model allows educators to indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 181 create experiences that foster cognitive depth and metacognitive awareness— essential for self-directed digital learning. emphasizing metacognitive skills encourages self-regulation and reflection, enhancing student autonomy. the taxonomy’s updated cognitive categories, expressed with active verbs, align seamlessly with aibased instructional design, supporting adaptive feedback and personalized learning paths. integrating revised bloom’s taxonomy with digital education is about more than just structured, responsive learning activities and assessments. it is about preparing students for success in a flexible, ai-enhanced educational landscape. by embedding these principles into digital platforms, educators can accommodate diverse learning styles, boost engagement, and cultivate critical analytical, creative, and evaluative skills. this approachapproach redefines traditional education, ensuring that students are wellequipped for the future. 1. leveraging ai for descriptive communication: ai-powered digital tools can support various aspects of bloom’s taxonomy by identifying, interpreting, and categorizing information. for example, ai applications can simplify complex topics into manageable, descriptive multimedia messages, enhancing student comprehension and retention. 2. method selection and contextual application: bloom’s revised framework emphasizes selecting methods appropriate to the context. ai in digital learning can dynamically suggest strategies based on students’ cognitive levels and learning styles, particularly aiding in the “apply” stage. this adaptability ensures that students gain knowledge and can effectively apply it in diverse scenarios. 3. decomposition and analyzing interrelationships: at the analysis stage, ai platforms enable students to decompose complex concepts and explore interrelationships, fostering a more profound understanding. ai-guided analysis supports critically examining how individual components contribute to an overall subject. 4. establishing standards and evaluative criteria: evaluation requires clear standards and criteria. in digital contexts, ai can assist educators in setting consistent rubrics and benchmarks for evaluating student work, making assessment processes transparent and measurable. 5. facilitating innovation and simplification: the “create” stage encourages innovation. ai tools like simulations and design software enable students to simplify, innovate, and refine their ideas, reaching higher cognitive levels of bloom’s taxonomy. ai platforms facilitate self-assessment, goal-setting, and progress monitoring through metacognitive support, allowing students to personalize and effectively self-regulate their learning journey. integrating cognitive and metacognitive skills creates a comprehensive, efficient digital learning experience. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 182 figure-3: : revised bloom taxonom source:https://elearningbunch.wordpress.com/2013/02/20/revised-bloom-taxonomy/ implementation and impact in digital learning: educators can utilize the updated taxonomy in digital and ai-enhanced settings to create curricula that correspond with defined objectives, evaluate learning outcomes, and establish a cohesive strategy for teaching, learning, and assessment. as digital learning increasingly influences educational institutions, the taxonomy in developing remote learning programs. ai tools facilitate adaptable and focused instruction across all cognitive tiers, ranging from fundamental comprehension to advanced creative reasoning (friesen, 2005; krathwohl & anderson, 2010; fisher, 2011). incorporating bloom’s updated taxonomy into ai-enhanced digital learning creates a structured and adaptable approach that aligns with modern educational demands. with digital tools effectively supporting each cognitive stage, educators and students can achieve meaningful learning outcomes in the dynamic and complex nature of knowledge in the 21st century. table-2: bloom’s taxonomy cognitive and knowledge dimensions (fisher, 2011) improving activity success and attaining objectives: efficient strategies various techniques can enhance activity success, effectively achieve learning objectives, and draw on learners’ existing background knowledge. these approaches are instrumental in reinforcing information, improving retention, and fostering a deeper understanding of the material in digital learning environments. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 183 integrating revised bloom’s taxonomy into ai-driven digital learning environments aligning with learning frameworks the revised bloom’s taxonomy (2001) provides a strategic framework for developing educational experiences in ai-integrated, digital, and online learning environments. this updated taxonomy enhances the conventional cognitive hierarchy to better align with modern digital platforms, where interactivity and adaptability are paramount. methods include repetition and the timely use of the solo (structure of observed learning) model, fink’s taxonomy, the outcome taxonomy, and the pi model. each model facilitates the organization of learning activities to promote increasingly advanced cognitive processes and metacognitive involvement. a closer look at learning models among these models, the provides a unique approach, progressing learners through levels of understanding from simple recognition to advanced abstract thinking. this model complements bloom’s approach by fostering progressive complexity in learning tasks. it encourages the design of learning paths that evolve from foundational knowledge acquisition to integration, analysis, and abstract application, thereby promoting deep, sustained learning. such structure is precious in ai-assisted platforms that track and respond to learner progress in real time. incorporating metacognitive elements the revised bloom’s and fink’s taxonomy emphasize introspective learning and metacognitive skills. reflection and self-assessment help fink’s (2003) students interact more profoundly and independently with knowledge. online forums and collaborative projects let learners contextualize and reflect on their learning. shea et al. (2011) recommend categorizing online talks by cognitive difficulty using the solo framework. this classification helps students assess their progress and improve their learning methods. the cognitive domain in digital contexts the pi model (garrison et al., 2001) further supports cognitive development by focusing on knowledge-building within online communities. schrire (2004) underscores its value over traditional frameworks like bloom’s and solo when analyzing cognitive processes in collaborative digital learning. the model’s emphasis on knowledge construction and critical thinking is particularly relevant in aidriven platforms that can adapt to and facilitate group learning. employing digital tools in alignment with the revised bloom’s taxonomy rise ai and digital applications have transformed open and distance learning, offering tools that innovatively support the various stages of bloom’s taxonomy. each tool below contributes to specific cognitive levels, from knowledge recall to creation, making them well-suited for ai-enhanced learning environments: 1. blogger– through content analysis and discussion, blogger fosters critical thinking and knowledge synthesis as students interact with peers and instructors. 2. edu-creations– this interactive whiteboard and screen-casting tool leverages open video resources, supporting the application and analysis stages by allowing users to create and share instructional content indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 184 3. zoho docs– providing extensive document collaboration and offline storage, zoho docs enables students to share and refine ideas collectively, supporting the application and synthesis stages of learning. 4. inspiration maps™this adaptable visual tool helps organize ideas and promotes comprehension, analysis, and higher-order thinking skills. 5. skype– facilitating real-time discussions across multiple devices, skype supports analysis and synthesis as learners collaborate and discuss in virtual environments. 6. edumodo– integrating with learning management systems, edumodo allows students to participate in discussions and share resources, enabling the reinforcement and extension of their learning. 7. splice– with unrestricted video editing capabilities, splice encourages creativity and application, enabling students to produce original video content without constraints. 8. vid trim– an android-based video editor, vid trim facilitates knowledge application and sharing by allowing learners to edit and share video projects effectively. 9. wufoo – this form-building platform enhances information gathering and analysis, supporting higherorder skills as students create forms and surveys for data collection and project organization. table-3: emerging technologies and instructional software to support the revised bloom taxonomy 10. integration with digital tools: leveraging advanced aipowered tools and digital learning technologies to align with cognitive domains. specific strategies are outlined for embedding digital resources, such as interactive quizzes and ai-driven analytics, within the taxonomy framework to enhance student engagement and knowledge retention (nehru et al., 2023). strategically integrating these technologies inside an ai-supported framework fosters student engagement across all cognitive levels defined in bloom’s revised taxonomy, from fundamental recall to innovative output. as educational technology advances, integrating these digital tools with established frameworks such as bloom’s indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 185 taxonomy and the solo model will improve online learning experiences, resulting in more effective attainment of educational goals. employing revised bloom’s taxonomy: digital classroom engagements the revised lets students actively use digital tools and apps to enhance learning outcomes. the path from foundational infor mation to advanced critical thinking skills is regulated when teachers and students choose resources based on educational goals rather than tools. the fundamental goal of this taxonomy is to help pupils navigate cognitive levels. the following table outlines digital activities aligned with each level of demonstrating how these can be applied effectively within online and aisupported learning platforms: table 4: engagement strategies for the digital classroom strategic implications for digital and online learning environments aligns with essential support systems and enhances collaborative, interactive environments. research shows that structured digital platforms improve learning flow and enrich educational outcomes (cole & stanton, 2003; ryu & parsons, 2009). this approachapproach addresses contemporary pedagogical demands by using ai and digital resources, fostering adaptive, cognitive, and digital skills development. digital tools facilitate interactive learning experiences tailored to educational objectives. establishes a framework of objectives that fosters 21st-century abilities like analysis, creativity, and problem-solving (fisher, 2011; yen et al., 2012). mobile applications interact effortlessly across educational platforms, promoting varied and inclusive learning possibilities. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 186 emerging technology trends underscore collaboration between educators and developers to expand global access to high-quality resources through tools like social media and online courses (ozan et al., 2015). policy initiatives, including those in india, emphasize framework can guide effective design (arshavskiy, 2016). ultimately, integrating digital tools and educational philosophies enriches learning experiences, blending traditional and digital pedagogy to prepare students for a better digital world. revised bloom’s taxonomy vs. ai: learning environment effects ai-enhanced to developing a deeper understanding of learning beyond rote memorization, prioritizing critical thinking as a vital component. with its cognitive framework—”remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating”—the groundwork for designing assessments and structuring curricula that encourage progressive levels of thinking. this hierarchy reflects increasingly complex information processes, offering an ideal structure for embedding higher-order thinking (hot) models that educators can employ to elevate learning. integrating ai to enrich bloom’s cognitive spectrum artificial intelligence revolutionizes the learning experience by shifting focus from static content delivery to dynamic, learner-centered engagement. aienhanced environments support adaptive, personalized learning paths that empower students to pursue selfactualization, making education not just a process but a transformative experience. ai tools serve as primary conduits for continuous data flow, helping teachers (or “mentors”) provide insightful, real-time feedback that is supportive rather than corrective. this feedback loop fosters growth without traditional assessment pressures, creating an environment conducive to cognitive and emotional development. cognitive engagement in ai-driven learning ai bolsters cognitive growth through the revised bloom’s taxonomy by creating intellectually supportive environments where students learn and explore without overwhelming stress. techniques such as adaptive testing, which tailors assessment difficulty based on the student’s response patterns, and problem-solving tasks requiring critical assessment align with bloom’s cognitive goals. additionally, ai tools enable collaborative interaction, real-time feedback, and iterative improvement— strengthening memory retention and conceptual understanding. the synergy between ai and revised bloom’s taxonomy activates neural pathways reinforcing deep learning and comprehension. challenges and ethical considerations in ai-based learning while ai dramatically enhances educational environments, it also introduces unique challenges. issues such as algorithmic biases, digital addiction, and lacking humanized engagement can create barriers to effective learning. educators strategically counter these challenges by embedding critical thinking, creativity, and socio-emotional skills alongside technological competencies. by doing so, they ensure that ai is an aid rather than a replacement for humanistic learning, fostering a balanced approach that prepares students for complex digital interactions without sacrificing empathy or ethical judgment. enhancing cognitive engagement through taxonomy in online settings integrating bloom’s taxonomy into indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 187 educational strategies enhances cognitive engagement and fosters personalized learning by leveraging digital tools aligned with various cognitive levels. revised bloom’s taxonomy emphasizes higher-order thinking skills such as analyzing, evaluating, and creating, which are critical in online education (anderson et al., 2001; amer, 2006). interactive activities designed with taxonomy frameworks can significantly deepen understanding (akyol et al., 2009; hui, 2024). digital tools, including adaptive ai platforms and gamified learning environments, effectively support these objectives by scaffolding tasks to meet individual learner needs (fink, 2003; lai et al., 2007). aligning digital tools with taxonomy levels mobile technologies further facilitate experiential learning, enabling learners to engage in authentic, context-driven activities that promote cognitive progression (criollo-c et al., 2021; herrington et al., 2009). frameworks like solo also complement bloom’s taxonomy by emphasizing competence progression in curriculum design (brabrand & dahl, 2009). these methods align with research advocating for self-directed, significant learning experiences (frohberg et al., 2009; nehru et al., 2020). bridging personalized learning gaps using digital frameworks customized, taxonomy-based digital frameworks can address gaps in personalized learning, fostering tailored educational experiences that align with cognitive and developmental needs (krathwohl, 2002; shea et al., 2011). for instance, mobile learning platforms utilizing bloom’s principles have demonstrated measurable improvements in learning outcomes, particularly in stem disciplines (papadakis et al., 2021; kuo et al., 2011). combining these strategies with effective teaching practices ensures an inclusive, progressive educational environment (anderson, 2005; iowa state university, n.d.). conclusion in conjunction with ai and digital learning systems, it provides a powerful model for achieving educational objectives that align with 21st-century skills. this integration promotes cognitive development across bloom’s levels and supports learners in achieving durable, meaningful learning outcomes. aidriven education can cultivate wellrounded individuals prepared to navigate and thrive in the digital age by incorporating critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills. references akyol, z., garrison, d. r., & ozden, m. y. 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(2016). revising the community of inquiry framework for analyzing one-to-one online learning relationships. the international review of research in open and distributed learning, 17(3). https://www.learntechlib.org/p/173725/ yen, j. c., lee, c. y., & chen, i. (2012). the effects of image-based concept mapping on mobile learners’ learning outcomes and cognitive processes. british journal of educational technology, 43(2), 307–320. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8535.2011.01189.x indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 53 research article investigating the incorporation of robotics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning algorithms to support hands-on learning and adaptive tutoring systems in education ashim datta research scholar, department of teacher education, nagaland university, nagaland emailaashimdutt@gmail.com abstract the integration of robotics, artificial intelligence (ai), and machine learning (ml) algorithms in education aims to revolutionise the learning experience by providing enhanced handson learning opportunities and adaptive tutoring systems. this investigation explores the various ways in which these advanced technologies can be harnessed to support and improve educational outcomes. combining these technologies offers a transformative approach to education, enriching traditional pedagogical methods with interactive, personalised learning opportunities. robotics enables experiential learning, bridging theory with practice through tangible engagement with robots. ai and ml algorithms, on the other hand, facilitate adaptive tutoring systems that customise educational content and feedback in real-time based on student’s unique needs. this paper explores the potential of such integration, examining its impact on learning outcomes and the development of critical skills. additionally, it addresses the challenges inherent in implementing these innovations and proposes strategies for effective integration. by investigating the fusion of robotics, ai, and ml in education, this study contributes significantly to understanding how technology can revolutionise teaching and learning processes. it highlights the potential of these advanced technologies to create more dynamic, inclusive, and effective educational experiences. keywords: robotics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, adaptive tutoring systems introduction in recent years, the integration of “robotics, artificial intelligence (ai), and machine learning (ml)” in education has emerged as a promising avenue to revolutionise traditional learning paradigms. this fusion of cutting-edge technologies holds immense potential to enhance hands-on learning experiences and revolutionise adaptive tutoring systems. by leveraging robotics, students can engage in interactive, tangible experiences that bridge theoretical knowledge with practical application (chen et al. 2023). combining hands-on robotics with ai and ml technologies offers a powerful approach to education that enhances both understanding and skill development. robotics provides an engaging way for students to learn complex concepts and develop critical skills such as problem-solving, creativity, and collaboration. by integrating ai and ml algorithms strategies, educators can create a learning environment that not only addresses the varied needs of the students but also empowers each learner to take control of their educational journey, fostering greater engagement and achievement. this fusion of technologies not only prepares students for the 21st-century workforce but also promotes more inclusive indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 54 and effective educational outcomes. as educational systems continue to embrace these innovations, they are well-positioned to meet the diverse needs of all students, regardless of their individual needs and backgrounds, and foster a generation of skilled, adaptable, and creative individuals (rane et al. 2023). these technologies offer a personalised approach that adapts to individual needs, maximises engagement, and ensures that all learners have access to the technology-related resources. in this paper, researchers explore the potential of integrating robotics, ai, and ml algorithms into educational settings. we examine how these technologies can transform traditional teaching methods, offering new opportunities for immersive learning experiences and individualised instruction. additionally, we discuss the challenges and considerations associated with implementing such innovations and propose strategies to overcome barriers and optimise the integration process. through this investigation, we aim to provide insights into the future of education, where technologydriven solutions empower learners and educators alike. research background the assimilation of robotics, ai, and ml algorithms into educational settings marks a significant shift in modern pedagogy. robotics offers tangible platforms for students to apply theoretical knowledge in practical contexts, fostering hands-on learning experiences that promote deeper understanding and skill development. additionally, ai and ml algorithms enable the creation of adaptive tutoring systems capable of tailoring educational content and feedback to individual student needs in real-time, thereby optimising learning outcomes (su and yang, 2022). research in this area has demonstrated the potential of these technologies to revolutionise traditional teaching methods. studies have shown that incorporating robotics into educational curricula enhances student engagement, motivation, and critical thinking skills. furthermore, adaptive tutoring systems powered by ai and ml algorithms have been found to improve learning efficiency by providing personalised learning pathways and timely interventions (akgun and greenhow, 2022). despite the promise of integrating robotics, ai, and ml into educational settings, challenges remain. these include issues related to access and equity, teacher training, and the ethical implications of deploying ai in learning environments. addressing these challenges is crucial for realising the full potential of technology-enhanced education and ensuring that all students benefit from innovative teaching methodologies. investigating the combination of robotics, ai, and ml algorithms in educational settings reveals how these technologies can significantly enhance hands-on learning experiences and adaptive tutoring systems. this exploration aims to understand how these innovations can transform education by providing more dynamic, personalised, and effective learning environments. aims this investigation aims to explore the incorporation of robotics, ai, and ml algorithms in educational settings, assessing their impact on hands-on learning experiences and the effectiveness of adaptive tutoring systems. research objectives to evaluate the effectiveness of incorporating robotics into educational indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 55 settings to enhance hands-on learning experiences and foster student engagement. to investigate the role of ai in developing adaptive tutoring systems that personalise educational content and feedback for individual students. to determine the impact of ml algorithms on optimising learning outcomes within technology-enhanced educational environments. to analyse the challenges and opportunities related to incorporating robotics, ai, and ml algorithms into educational settings, aiming to provide insights for effective implementation strategies. literature review existing literature has demonstrated that the incorporation of robotics, ai, and ml algorithms into educational settings holds immense promise for transforming traditional learning paradigms (xu and ouyang, 2022). robotics offers students tangible platforms to apply theoretical knowledge in practical scenarios, fostering handson learning experiences that enhance engagement and comprehension. these interactive experiences not only deepen understanding but can also effectively promote the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills, preparing students to thrive in the modern workforce. moreover, the incorporation of ai and ml algorithms enables the creation of adaptive tutoring systems that personalize learning experiences to meet the unique needs of all students (saxena et al. 2023). by analysing data on student performance and preferences, these systems can adjust instructional content, pacing, and feedback, thereby optimising learning outcomes. by focusing on a personalised approach in robotics education, schools can cater to varied learning techniques, fostering an assistive and inclusive learning environment that empowers students to learn at their individual rates of progress. overall, the combination of robotics, ai, and ml in educational settings represents a paradigm shift towards more student-centred, experiential learning approaches. this transformation not only enhances educational outcomes but also ensures that all students have the opportunity to thrive in their learning journey and prepares students for success in an increasingly technology-driven world (ayanwale et al. 2024). challenges associated with the incorporation of technologies the literature underscores several challenges associated with the blending of robotics, ai, and ml into educational settings, necessitating careful consideration and strategic planning. one significant challenge is access and equity. while these technologies hold immense potential to enhance learning experiences, unequal access to resources and infrastructure may intensify existing disparities (kasumu and agbarakwe, 2024). ensuring equitable access to technology is crucial to prevent further marginalisation of underserved student populations. additionally, teacher training and support emerge as critical factors. many educators may lack the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively amalgamate robotics, ai, and ml technologies in teaching practices. comprehensive professional development programs are needed to equip teachers with the competencies to leverage these tools optimally. ethical considerations also loom large. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 56 figure-1: obstacles in technology deploying ai and machine learning (ml) algorithms in educational settings undoubtedly brings numerous advantages, such as personalised learning experiences, efficient administrative processes, and improved educational outcomes. however, these technologies also raise significant concerns that need to be addressed to ensure ethical and effective implementation. three primary concerns are data privacy, security, and algorithmic bias. safeguarding student data and ensuring transparency and suitability in algorithmic decisionmaking is paramount to advocating ethical values. moreover, the sustainability of technology integration poses a challenge (saeed et al. 2024). educational institutions must contend with the cost of acquiring and maintaining sophisticated technology infrastructure, as well as the rapid pace of technological obsolescence. lastly, resistance to change within educational systems can impede progress. overcoming institutional inertia and adopting a culture of innovation and experimentation are crucial to realise the full potential of technology-enhanced learning environments. addressing the challenges of deploying ai and ml in educational settings indeed requires a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach that involves collaboration among various stakeholders, strategic investments in infrastructure and professional development, and a commitment to ethical and inclusive practices (rane and rane, 2023). only through coordinated actions educational institutions can effectively leverage technology to provide all students with high-quality, engaging, and equitable learning experiences. figure-2: ai for teachers indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 57 methodology the study utilised a primary approach to investigate the convergence of neuroscience and education, aiming to enhance teaching methodologies and curriculum design. specifically, a descriptive research design was employed to examine the distribution of variables within the dataset. the primary data collection method involved gathering information from sources that did not previously exist. additionally, the formulation of close-ended questions in survey questionnaires facilitated data acquisition. a diverse sample of educators from various academic and technical institutions was selected randomly to ensure data variability. data about the study was obtained through an online and offline survey with a total of 50 respondents (female 20, male 30). furthermore, the ibm spss statistical analysis tool was utilised to conduct descriptive analyses and correlation tests for data interpretation. analysis and interpretation of data age table-1: age of respondents age frequency percentage cumulative percentage 18-30 5 10 10 31-40 25 50 60 41-50 15 30 90 51-60 5 10 100 the above table represents different age groups of respondents. the highest number of respondents was from the age group of 31 to 40. the age groups have been divided to analyse the proportionate of participants who have participated from different age groups. descriptive analysist table-2: descriptive analysis of the variables variables n min max mean sd skewness statistic std. error dv_ adaptive tutoring systems 50 2 10 7.6 2.602 -1.131 .337 iv1_ robotics 2 10 7.9 2.873 -.971 .337 iv2_ machine learning 3 15 11.8 4.328 -.928 .337 iv3_ ai 3 15 12.3 4.381 -1.204 .337 the descriptive analysis of this study includes the mean and standard deviation of data. the mean value is highest in iv3 which is 12.30 and this represents that ai includes the highest positive answers in comparison to other variables. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 58 regression analysis table-3: regression analysis model summaryb model r r square adjusted r square std. error of the estimate change statistics durbinwatsonr square change f change df1 df2 sig. f. change 1 .989 .979 .978 .38897 .979 1073.656 2 47 .000 1.116 anova model sum of squares df mean square f sig. 1. regression    residual    total 324.889 7.111 332.000 2 47 49 162.444 .151 1073.656 000b coefficients model unstandardized coefficients standardized coefficients 1 sig.b std. error beta  1. (constant)    iv2    iv3 356 271 .329 .166 .037 .037 451 554 2.141 7.232 8.880 .037 .000 .000 the regression analysis helps to understand the pattern of relationship between the variables. the regression model r square value is 0.979 indicating there is a positive relation between the independent variables and the dependent variable which is adaptive tutoring systems. on the other hand, the r-value was 0.631. the significance value of this analysis is less than 0.5 which represents a strong relation among the variables. pearson correlation test table-4: correlation test of the variables correlations dv iv1 iv2 iv3 dv   pearson correlation      sig. (2-tailed)      n 1 50 .977” .000 50 .971” .000 50 .977” .000 50 iv1   pearson correlation      sig. (2-tailed)      n .977” .000 50 1 50 .999” .000 50 .951” .000 50 iv2   pearson correlation      sig. (2-tailed)      n .97”1 .000 50 .999” .000 50 1 50 .940” .000 50 iv3   pearson correlation      sig. (2-tailed)      n .977” .000 50 .951” .000 50 .940” .000 50 1 50 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 59 correlation analysis helps to know the internal relation of all variables. this varies from 0 to 1 and the values nearer to 1 are recognised as positive relations. all the values of this correlation analysis are more than 0.5 and this determines a positive relation among all the variables. in that case, correlation analysis suggests that all independent variables and positively correlate with adaptive tutoring systems. discussion the incorporation of “robotics, ai, and ml algorithms” into educational settings represents a significant advancement with profound implications for teaching and learning. incorporating robotics into educational settings offers a multitude of benefits that enhance the learning experience. educators can create dynamic and interactive learning environments tailored to diverse student needs and learning styles by integrating these technologies. one key advantage of utilising robotics in education is the facilitation of handson learning experiences. this approach allows students to engage directly with robots, applying theoretical concepts to real-world scenarios. such practical engagement fosters a deeper understanding and retention of knowledge, as students can see the immediate impact of their learning. additionally, by embracing robotics in education curricula, academic institutions can provide students with the critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration skills necessary for success in the rapidly changing, technology-driven landscape of the 21st century (khensous et al. 2024). furthermore, ai and ml algorithms enable the development of adaptive tutoring systems that personalise learning experiences for individual students. these help to evaluate student data to tailor instructional content, pacing, and feedback, thereby optimising learning outcomes. students can learn at their own pace and achieve their full potential by providing personalised support and guidance, and adaptive tutoring systems. however, the integration of these technologies also presents challenges, including issues related to access and equity, teacher training, and ethical considerations (ayanwale et al. 2024). addressing these challenges demands collaborative efforts among teachers’ technology developers, and policymakers to guarantee that all students have ingress to affective education utilising the revolutionary potential of robotics, ai, and ml. the integration of these technologies promises to revolutionise education, equipping students with the skills and knowledge for success in a digital environment. through the strategic application of these tools, educators can craft more personalised, effective, and inclusive learning environments. references chen, x., cheng, g., zou, d., zhong, b., & xie, h. (2023). artificial intelligent robots for precision education: a topic modeling-based bibliometric analysis. educational technology & society, 26(1), 171–186. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48707975 rane, n., choudhary, s., & rane, j. (2023). education 4.0 and 5.0: integrating artificial intelligence (ai) for personalized and adaptive learning. available at ssrn 4638365. su, j., & yang, w. (2022). artificial intelligence in early childhood education: a scoping review. computers and education: artificial intelligence, 3, 100049. xu, w., & ouyang, f. (2022). the application of ai technologies in stem education: a systematic review from 2011 to 2021. international journal of stem education, 9(1), 59. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 60 akgun, s., & greenhow, c. (2022). artificial intelligence in education: addressing ethical challenges in k-12 settings. ai and ethics, 2(3), 431-440. saxena, a. k., garcía, v., amin, m. r., salazar, j. m. r., & dey, s. (2023). structure, objectives, and operational framework for ethical integration of artificial intelligence in educational. sage science review of educational technology, 6(1), 88-100. ayanwale, m. a., adelana, o. p., molefi, r. r., adeeko, o., & ishola, a. m. (2024). examining artificial intelligence literacy among pre-service teachers for future classrooms. computers and education open, 6, 100179. saeed, m. m., saeed, r. a., ahmed, z. e., gaid, a. s., & mokhtar, r. a. (2024). ai technologies in engineering education. in ai-enhanced teaching methods (pp. 61-87). igi global. khensous, g., boumedjout, a., & labed, k. (2024). exploring the role of artificial intelligence in education. in intelligent methods and alternative economic models for sustainability (pp. 155-169). igi global. rane, nitin and choudhary, saurabh and rane, jayesh, education 4.0 and 5.0: integrating artificial intelligence (ai) for personalized and adaptive learning (november 2, 2023). available at ssrn: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4638365. kasumu, r. y., & agbarakwe, h. a. (2024). awareness, perception and challenges of artificial intelligence integration for learning among postgraduate students in faculty of education, ignatius ajuru university of education, port harcourt, rivers state. journal of education in developing areas, 32(1), 51-64. ayanwale, m.a., adelana, o.p., molefi, r.r., adeeko, o., & ishola, a.m. (2024). examining artificial intelligence literacy among pre-service teachers for future classrooms. computers and education open. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 17 research article the benefits of social media technology (smt) for student-teachers in the b.ed. professional course: implications for the classroom jitendranath gorai assistant professor smt. savitaben panalal kothari college of secondary education (spkcse), vidyamandir trust, palanpur, gujarat affiliated to hemchandracharya north gujarat university (hngu) emailjitendra.gorai@vidyamandir.org abstract the lines separating virtual and “real-world” communities are collapsing quickly, especially for the younger generation whose existence is heavily influenced by social media technology (smt). student-teachers (s-ts) used popular music, films, websites, videos, newspapers, magazines, and student-made media productions made with video cameras or computers in their b.ed. classes to spark students’ interest in the subject matter, develop their critical thinking and communication skills, support political activism, or foster social and personal growth. this study focuses on recent initiatives in classroom education and reasons for incorporating social media literacy in b.ed. through smt and icts in teacher trainees. this study used a quantitative methodology to examine how the smt is a helping hand in the teaching-learning process in the classroom. the snowball sampling technique was used to choose the sample. a total of 300 trainee student-teachers were chosen. the researcher used a self-standardised five-point likert scale. the research revealed that smt exchanges can foster classroom involvement, encourage social and personal development, and enhance communication and critical-thinking abilities. considering these facts, post-secondary educators ought to start looking closely at the possibility of purposefully and deliberately leveraging the power of these revolutionary shifts in technology use to better meet the requirements of their students and increase their chances of success. the study finds various social media platforms (such as radio, educational broadcasts, internet-connected projectors, various photos, etc.) improved the atmosphere in the classroom and made it healthier and happier. experienced s-ts can effectively integrate icts through smt to advance classroom learning. results also showed that, in most classrooms, the various experiences and activities recommended in the unit were not appropriately implemented. these problems included a lack of ict tools, a shortage of electric power, and a lack of training and expertise in using icts in social media, not permission for social media gadget for s-ts. keywords: social media technology, classroom, development, revolutionary shifts, icts introduction the word “social media” is used to refer to a wide range of technical platforms that support community and collaboration (joosten, 2012). tools and technologies have become increasingly intricate, interactive, highly accessible, inexpensive, and specialised as internet capabilities and applications have evolved (tuten and marks, 2012). although it seems that a precise indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 18 definition would be difficult to come across (kaplan and haenlein, 2010), social media is frequently explained through examples. applications commonly depicted in contemporary drawings include blogs, wikis, social networking sites, multimedia platforms, virtual gaming worlds, and virtual social worlds (barnes and lescault, 2011; mcewan, 2012; gorai, 2023). social media and other web 2.0 technologies are exploding at an unprecedented rate (lenhart et al., 2010). the pervasiveness of social media is never more visible than at the university, where technology is revolutionising how students connect, collaborate, and study (tartari, 2015). social media technology (smt) usage has increased quickly in recent years as people have integrated social networks like facebook into their daily lives and businesses have begun to employ social technologies to interact with students (tuten and marks, 2012). even as today’s college student meets a range of classroom formats (i.e., “brick and mortar,” virtual, and hybrid), the use and influence of social media differ depending on context. many academics support for the intentional use of social media as an educational tool (tartari, 2015). the nep-2020 places a greater emphasis on “icts in education,” which is a factor that b.ed. program implementation will depend heavily on. in this case, it was essential to investigate the smt successful implementation of this course to gather baseline data for subsequent implementation process improvement (majoka, et al., 2013). for high-quality learning and teaching, the application of information and communication technology in smt teacher education has drawn a lot of attention (wee and bakar, 2006). in addition to the emergence of new technologies and educational challenges, teacher education has experienced rapid development and transformation (moon, 2004). as a result, educational institutions have reorganised and restructured their teaching methodologies to better prepare their students for upcoming challenges (auerswald & magambo, 2006). therefore, researcher here investigate how smt helps to studentteachers (s-t) for classroom-oriented process. research question how the “social media technology (smt)” is a helping hand in teachinglearning process in classroom? literature review the author included the most reliable reviews, which supports the study’s objective. according to reid and weigle, (2014), incorporation of smt within teacher training programs like the b.ed., has markedly improved teaching methods and student involvement. research suggests that smt’s use in education promotes interaction, cooperation, and the availability of varied learning materials. smt enhance technological skills, teaching techniques, and advanced communication abilities, enabling them to engage with peers, mentors, and educational content beyond the traditional classroom which are consequential for their impending teaching environments. tartari (2015) and back (2005) stated that the asynchronous nature of social media enables student-teachers to engage with educational content at their own pace and reflection on pedagogical strategies. o’keeffe and clarke-pearson (2011) observed that educators who actively engage with smt become proficient with diverse tools and platforms, which can subsequently be incorporated into their teaching methodologies. this proficiency in technology equips them for contemporary educational environments and enables them to demonstrate the effective application of technology to their students. boyd indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 19 (2007) states that by leveraging smt, student-teachers (s-ts) learn to create, curate, and share digital content, thereby enhancing their capabilities in employing these technologies for future instructional designs. tartari, (2015) also stated that platforms such as facebook, twitter, and linkedin enable future educators to connect with professionals in the education sector, access new teaching resources, and stay updated on the latest educational trends. according to ito et al. (2008), integrating technology into their future classrooms effectively engage and create interactive learning environments for their students. smt fosters the development of critical thinking and problem solving skills, as student-teachers are exposed to diverse viewpoints and collaborative problem-solving activities through online interactions. this all important review strongly supports to carry out research to mentioned objective. the researcher collected lots of rrl for more strengthen and finding gap of this study (i.e., pelgrum, 2001; moon, 2004; sandholtz and reilly, 2004; back, 2005; auerswald and magambo, 2006; sahin and thompson, 2006; wee and bakar, 2006; boyd, 2007; balanskat et al., 2007; moses et al., 2008; han et al., 2008; afshari et al., 2009; plump et al., (eds.) 2009; kaplan and haenlein, 2010; lenhart et al., 2010; o’keeffe et al., 2011; mikre, 2011; barnes and lescault, 2011; joosten, 2012; tuten and marks, 2012; mcewan, 2012; majoka et al., 2013; tess, 2013; reid and weigle, 2014; tartari, 2015; sharma, 2020; bhat et al., 2022; gorai, 2023; gorai and angadi, 2023; kundu and bej, 2021 and kundu et al., 2024). method a total of 300 trainee student-teachers (s-ts) were sample of the study. three teacher training institutions from palanpur, gujarat were selected as target population. for this study, cross sectional survey research methodology was used. the information was gathered through questionnaire from s-ts through snow ball sampling technique. research tools for study online questionnaire according to irwing and hughes (2018), research tools are typically created in response to a practical study need, a theoretical advance, or an empirical advancement. social media technology scale (smts) was developed for assessing student-teachers’ smt benefits towards implementing classroom. researcher using the standardised scale creation procedure outlined by tripathi (2003); sharma (2020); gorai et al., (2024); and kundu et al., (2024). to determine the efficacy of the created tools, a pilot version of the online surveys was first given to a small group of respondents with various characteristics (kundu and bej, 2021; gorai et al., 2024). author created an online questionnaire with 30 question items in the final version to measure how the “social media in education” is a helping hand for classroom in six domains:– “learning through readymade applications (ltra)” (items 1–5), “planning lesson for integrating icts (pli-icts)” (items 6–10), “icts tools/resources for teaching multiple subjects (icts-t/rtms)” (items 11–15), “internet usage and online resources (iuor)” (items 16–20); “usage of educational games/puzzles (ue-g/p)” (items 21–25), “usage of interactive radio and broadcast television (uirbt)” (items 26–30).. all the domains were adapted from majoka et. al., 2013 article. section 1 of the scale contained user demographics including name, gender, institutional area, educational stream, and contact information (not mandatory). section 2 had six domains’ items and comprised positive and negative items with a 5-point likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) (bhat, et al., 2022). the indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 20 domain-wise internal consistencies (cronbach’s alpha) were 0.82, 0.83, 0.86, 0.91, 0.87, and 0.826 overall. cronbach’s alpha measures a group’s emphasis on a single concept or idea (cronbach, 1951). negatively phrased questions (i3, i8, i17, i19, i23, i24, and i27) were reverse scored. this smts was gone through all the validation and reliability procedure (gorai & angadi, 2023). total and domain mean scores and sd were summarised individually. procedure for data collection the author distributed questionnaire over a three-month period, from august 15, 2023, to november 15, 2023, across three teacher training institutions. the researcher collected whatsapp numbers from the principals to send to student-teacher groups. the likert scale was frequently used in this research to measure a range of responses, as back (2005) and han et al. (2008) observed. to ensure the reliability of the information collected, member checking was used. all 300 out of 350 responses received were used in the final tally. statistical techniques for data analysis data were analysed in accordance with each study technique, and the results were shown in a variety of tables (kundu et al., 2024). excel is used to organise data analysis using both descriptive and inferential statistics through graphical presentation. table 1 presents the itemby-item percentage analysis from the samples that were gathered. sl.no domains items sa a u d sd 1. learning through readymade applications (ltra) i am comfortable to use social media. 30 60 2 5 3 i use video prompts when i teaching in the classroom. 45 30 15 5 5 i am not using lesson planning but using video resources from different sources. 30 55 10 3 2 i am using pre-made ict applications to prepare lesson plans. 73 7 10 5 5 i am use of documentaries and video/movies discussions during teaching. 35 15 20 25 15 2. planning lesson for integrating ict s (pliicts) i am using video commercial’s purpose. 30 20 30 12 8 i have to incorporate multimedia into my classroom instruction. 45 30 10 5 10 it did not really matter if the classroom i taught in had an internet connection. 15 45 25 5 10 i using facebook and other social network tools. 30 35 20 5 10 i using social media technology (smt) for preparing lesion plan. 30 55 10 3 2 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 21 3. icts tools/ resources for teaching multiple subjects (icts-t/ rtms) various ict tools, such as dvds and cds, are employed by me in my instruction, based on the subject matter. 10 30 40 15 15 i using movies, video animations and tv broadcast for as a teaching and learning materials (tlm). 30 20 30 12 8 i using of videos for professional development of students. 45 30 10 5 10 in my view, a variety of disciplines should use various social media sites to improve comprehension. 15 45 25 5 10 i think students’ problems can be identified through icts tools. 30 35 20 5 10 4. internet usage and online resources (iuor) i think notion of globalization depend on internet networks. 15 35 25 20 15 i do not like online tutorials for teaching learning. 10 20 10 40 20 social media notification it is disturbing for me. 45 30 10 5 10 i am not using of digital libraries, archive, and e-books. 0 25 15 30 30 it is crucial for students and teachers to use interactive web tools like google earth and maps. 20 60 10 5 5 5. usage of educational games/ puzzles (ueg/p) i utilise the investigate to teach a variety of subjects through games and puzzles. 10 50 20 10 10 i create a storyline board for a teaching game. 10 30 40 15 15 create an internet puzzle game that is not beneficial for students. 30 20 30 12 8 puzzles increase creative mind. 45 30 10 5 10 playing games or solving puzzles takes the focus away from studying. 15 45 25 5 10 6. usage of interactive radio and broadcast television (uirbt) comprehending power of audio/radio as educational tool. 30 35 20 5 10 i used educational materials for radio, audio, and images through ipr (intellectual property right) and follow instruction. 20 25 30 20 5 i think case studies to enhance instruction via radio broadcast. 10 60 10 10 10 tv broadcast in education helpful for learning all times. 15 45 25 5 10 if you have the chance, consider doing a teaching video broadcast. 45 30 10 5 10 note: strongly agree (sa), agree (a), undecided (u), disagree (d), strongly disagree (sa) indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 22 discussion discussion for learning through readymade applications (ltra) in this first domain “ltra”, author incorporate 5 items (see figure 1). all items related to readymade application which has been used our teaching learning methods. here studentteachers (s-t) 73 per cent strongly agree on “i am using pre-made ict applications to prepare lesson plans” this item. this result indicated that when s-t prepared lesson plan for delivering teaching icts application very much helpful for classroom application. on the other side s-t dose not handier for using on video resources which is related to icts tools. figure-1: learning through readymade applications (ltra) discussion for planning lesson for integrating icts (pli-icts) the appearance of pli-icts for studentteachers in b.ed. programmes is shown in figure 2. fifty per cent of respondents believed that using multimedia in the classroom would aid in learning. among s-ts, 65 per cent have already said they will use facebook and other social media platforms. eighty-five percent of s-ts agreed to prepare lesson plans using smt. conversely, 50 per cent of s-ts consented to use commercial video when utilising smt as a source of temporary income. accordingly, the researcher can state that smt can be highly beneficial for creating a lesson plan during the teaching and learning process (tartari, 2015). figure-2: planning lesson for integrating icts (pli-icts) indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 23 discussion for icts tools/resources for teaching multiple subjects (icts-t/rtms) figure 3 shows that due to a lack of expertise, s-ts were occasionally allowed to use cds and dvds to teach various courses. a half of the s-ts agreed that video cartoons, instructional tv shows, and movies may be used as a tlm. ict technologies can be used to identify problems; 65 per cent of s-ts agreed on this point. thus, the researcher concludes that icts in education will be beneficial to the process of teaching and learning in the future supported auerswald and magambos (2006) study. large numbers of s-ts agreed some professional videos developed professional growth for s-ts of b.ed. program before going to proper school environment. figure-3: icts tools/resources for teaching multiple subjects (icts-t/rtms) discussion for internet usage and online resources (iuor) figure 4 illustrates that 80 per cent of s-ts of the b.ed. programme agreed that it is essential for teachers and students to use interactive online resources like google earth and maps. just 30 per cent of s-ts ware respondents said they dislike online tutorials for teaching and learning, with the remaining respondents agreeing to support them. only a small portion of s-ts had access to e-books and digital libraries. here, the researcher ascertains factors orally, such as inadequate access, inadequate instruction for usage, and a lack of institutional facilities. social media notifications can cause a person to lose focus on specific tasks in this digital age, making it extremely difficult for s-ts to maintain control over them. figure-4: internet usage and online resources (iuor) indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 24 discussion for usage of educational games/puzzles (ue-g/p) figure 5 shows that 60 per cent of s-ts in the b.ed. programme agreed that educational games and puzzles can be used to teaching a variety of subjects. 70 per cent disagreed with the creation of narrative teaching games for the purpose of teaching and learning. fifty percent of s-t agreed that online puzzle games are bad for students. 75 per cent of respondents believed that “puzzles” aid in problem solving and stimulate the creative mind. 65 per cent of respondents stated that studying this statement is distracted by games or riddles. in this instance, the roles of families and teachers are vital for raising awareness. figure-5: usage of educational games/puzzles (ue-g/p) figure-6: usage of interactive radio and broadcast television (uirbt) discussion for usage of interactive radio and broadcast television (uirbt) figure 6 demonstrates that 65 per cent of s-ts in the b.ed. programme concurred that understanding the potential of audio and radio as instructional tools aids in the teaching-learning process in the classroom. numerous disciplines can be taught using educational games and puzzles. the ipr for confirming educational materials from radio, audio, or other sources is unknown or uninformed to 55 per cent of s-ts. it was agreed that broadcast media is beneficial to learning for 65 per cent of s-ts in b.ed. trainees. if you have the opportunity, think about creating a teaching video broadcast. since 75 per cent of s-ts agreed with this remark, we can infer that most learners nowadays are capable of digitisation and are “digi friendly.” indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 25 conclusion while investigating into the research question, “how social media technology (smt) helps in the classroom teachinglearning process?” it was discovered that classroom engagement increased favourably when student-teachers (s-ts) applied smt to the class environment. it also handles the icts in education implementation process. these results are in line with earlier research by moses et al. (2008), who discussed laptops as useful ict integration tools for both educators and students alike. additionally, they have mentioned the important function that knowledgeable and skilled s-ts of smt perform. according to sandholtz and reilly (2004), experienced s-ts can successfully integrate icts through smt progress. the study also showed how s-ts who employed various social media platforms (such as radio, educational broadcast, internet-connected projector, various photos, etc.) improved the atmosphere in the classroom and made it healthier. however, the researcher also found that facebook was not very effective in terms of teaching and learning strategies for students. however, the s-ts that used icts to offer instruction found it challenging to adhere to the lesson plan in terms of time management. researchers sahin and thompson (2006); tess (2013); balanskat et al. (2007) have found that s-ts’ awareness, reluctance to utilise smt, and skill neglect are significant elements that support the maintenance of a healthy classroom environment and high-quality instruction for students. the majority of s-ts agreed and acknowledge, however, that the lack of ict tools and resources and a lack of electricity can make it impossible to implement the lesson plan that has been established (plump et al., 2009). a common obstacle to smt implementation and integration is lack of access to computers, networks, infrastructure, and resources (pelgrum, 2001; afshari et al., 2009; mikre, 2011). ict tools and resources have been seen by plump et al. (2009) as necessary for the proper classroom’s deployment and integration of icts in education. the success or failure of an educational effort, programme, or intervention is primarily determined by the teacher. thus, it is essential that teachers receive thorough training to strengthen the educational system (muhammad et al., 2013). the findings also revealed that the different experiences and activities suggested in the unit were not properly carried out in the majority of schools. among these issues were a lack of ict resources, a lack of electricity, a lack of knowledge and experience with ict use in social media, and a refusal to provide s-ts permission to use social media devices. the national education policy (nep) 2020 places a greater emphasis on updating stakeholders through refresher programmes in the country. references afshari, m., bakar, k. a., luan, w. s., samah, b. a., & fooi, f. s. (2009). factors affecting teachers use of information and communication technology. international journal of instruction, 2(1), 77-104. auerswald, m. & magambo, j. (2006). fostering ict use in teacher education in africa. kantretrieved from http://www.uni-koeln.de/phil-fak/ afrikanistik/kant/data/ am1_kant1. pdf back, k. (2005). the effects of image congruence on customers’ brand loyalty in the upper middle-class hotel industry. journal of hospitality and tourism research, 29(4), 448–467. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 26 balanskat, a., blamire, r., & kafal, s. (2007). a review of studies of ict impact on schools in europe european school net. barnes, n. g., & lescault, a. (2011). the 2011 inc. 500 social media update: blogging declines as newer tools rule. center for marketing research charlton college of business: university of massachusetts dartmouth. bhat, s. a., mir, a. a. & islam, s. b. 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(2006). obstacles towards the use of ict tools in teaching and learning of information system in malysia universities. the international arab journal of information technology, 3(3), 203-209. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 406 review article digital transformation in education: a comprehensive bibliometric analysis, government initiatives and challenges priya dahiya1, somya kishnani2, shivani kishnani3, rinki dahiya4 & deepika5 1assistant professor, department of commerce, sri guru nanak dev khalsa college, university of delhi email id: priya.dahiya@sgndkc.du.ac.in 2assistant professor, department of commerce, keshav mahavidyalaya, university of delhi 3assistant professor, department of commerce, jesus and mary college, university of delhi 4assistant professor, department of economics, sri guru nanak dev khalsa college, university of delhi 5assistant professor, department of political science, indraprastha college for women, university of delhi abstract the escalating significance of digital transformation in education signifies a paradigm shift in learning delivery, driven by technological advancements like ai, virtual reality, and data analytics. it aims to enhance accessibility, personalise learning, and foster collaborative experiences. this research explores the evolution of digital transformation research in education, tracing its trajectory from basic tools to comprehensive restructuring. a bibliometric analysis reveals a surge in research publications post 2019, influenced by seminal articles and the covid-19 pandemic. citation analysis highlights impactful papers, emphasising the pandemic’s profound impact on digital education. keyword network maps and cluster analysis unveil research trends, while initiatives in india exemplify government efforts in digital education transformation, ensuring inclusivity and accessibility. despite digital transformation’s positive impact on education, strategic high-level challenges persist. resistance to change impedes the adoption of new methods, necessitating effective leadership, pilot projects, and orientation programs. technology infrastructure challenges, including glitches and data security concerns, underscore the need for investments in stable technologies. compatibility issues with existing systems and the lack of a clear strategy pose hurdles, emphasising robust planning and phased implementation. additionally, inferior technology skills and inequality in access necessitate training programs and measures to address socio-economic disparities for successful digital transformation in education. keywords: digital transformation, education sector, bibliometric analysis, online learning, government initiatives, national education policy 2020 introduction the digital revolution has touched almost every aspect of our lives. with over 3.5 billion people connected to the internet and more than 5 billion owning mobile devices, the world has become more interconnected than ever before. this connectivity has transformed indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 407 how people interact with each other, access information, and perceive the world around them. unsurprisingly, the education sector has not been immune to these changes. digital technologies have become indispensable in education due to globalisation, leading to a significant shift in how teaching and learning are conducted in schools and universities. from information transfer to student evaluation and administrative processes, digitalisation is revolutionising every aspect of education, aiming to provide enhanced opportunities for effective learning. educators across all levels, from primary schools to higher education, are adapting to digital transformation, reshaping not only classroom dynamics but also transforming how teachers engage with their students. the primary objective of digital transformation in education is to create a more efficient, effective, and accessible learning environment. key principles guiding investments and actions in digital learning include prioritising marginalised groups, offering free highquality digital education content, and fostering pedagogical innovation and change. digital transformation benefits both teachers and students by providing a variety of online learning options and enabling mobile learning. hybrid courses, personalised instruction, and innovative teaching techniques are becoming more prevalent, offering new learning opportunities for students. additionally, students are encouraged to not only consume digital content but also become proficient producers of digital media, showcasing their knowledge and ideas through various digital platforms. while online learning platforms existed before, the global impact of covid-19 accelerated the adoption of online teaching as educational institutions worldwide were forced to transition to online learning to sustain the education system. the pandemic pushed over 1.5 billion students into online learning environments, prompting educational institutions to embrace digital strategies for handling lockdown situations. digital technologies help students acquire essential skills for the future workplace, such as problem-solving and critical thinking. educational resources and digital tools enhance classroom atmosphere and allow for more flexible curriculum customisation to meet individual student needs. integrating technology into education makes learning more engaging and dynamic, sparking students’ curiosity and increasing their engagement levels. in conclusion, digital transformation in education offers flexibility for teaching and learning from remote locations and supports a versatile course structure, enabling students to learn anytime, anywhere. the study seeks to accomplish the following goals: 1. conducting a thorough bibliometric analysis to understand the nuances of digital transformation in the education sector. 2. exploring the initiatives implemented by the indian government to facilitate and streamline digital transformation in the country’s education sector. 3. investigating the challenges of digital transformation in the education sector. 1. conducting a thorough bibliometric analysis to understand the nuances of digital transformation in the education sector. the evolution of digital transformation research in education reflects a journey from early experimentation indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 408 to sophisticated exploration of transformative technologies. initially, research focused on integrating basic digital tools like computer-assisted instruction and online platforms to enhance traditional teaching methods. as technology advanced, the research expanded to include interactive multimedia content, e-learning platforms, and emerging technologies like virtual reality. recent focus intensified on holistic digital transformation, exploring ai, data analytics, and cloud computing to reshape pedagogical approaches and student outcomes. in recent years, the focus has intensified on the holistic concept of digital transformation, reflecting a profound restructuring of educational processes and systems. research now delves into the integration of artificial intelligence, data analytics, cloud computing, and adaptive learning technologies. moreover, there is a growing interest in examining the societal and equity implications of digital transformation in education. researchers are investigating issues related to digital literacy, the digital divide, and the impact of technology on educational access and inclusivity. as education systems globally grapple with the challenges and opportunities posed by digital transformation, research has evolved to provide insights into effective strategies, best practices, and potential pitfalls. the evolution of digital transformation research in education is marked by an increasing recognition of the need for interdisciplinary collaboration. looking ahead, the trajectory of digital transformation research in education is likely to continue evolving, with an emphasis on longitudinal studies, indepth qualitative investigations, and a nuanced exploration of the sociocultural dimensions of technology integration in diverse educational settings. this evolution reflects the ongoing commitment to harnessing the potential of digital technologies to enhance the quality, accessibility, and inclusivity of education on a global scale. methodology descriptive bibliometric analysis conducting a descriptive bibliometric analysis is the focal point of this study, aiming to illuminate key characteristics within our dataset related to the digital transformation of the education sector. this includes: a. identifying frequently cited papers and examining citation distribution over the years. b. analysing citations by year to highlight the most cited documents. c. investigating keyword co-occurrence to understand interconnected themes in the literature. bibliometric analyses this article utilises a meta-review approach with the objective of synthesising the comprehensive body of completed and documented work conducted by researchers. meta-reviews are acknowledged as effective methods for aggregating literature and exerting a substantial impact on research, practice, and policy. the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and metaanalysis (prisma) further advocates for the use of meta-review as it facilitates the exploration of new ideas, concepts, and debates in a critical, rigorous, and transparent manner. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 409 figure-1: prisma approach the search was conducted in elsevier’s scopus on january 4, 2024. this search combined the terms (‘digital transformation’ or ‘digital technologies’ and (‘education sector’ or ‘educational institutions’) and (‘impact’ or ‘benefits’ or ‘challenges’) in the title-abstractkeywords (title-abs-key) to identify manuscripts within the research area from 20152023 (identification phase). subsequently, pre-selected filters (i.e., language, source, and document type) were applied during the screening phase to identify the most relevant manuscripts. the next phase included accessibility criteria (eligibility phase), involving the removal of duplicated articles and those not strictly related to the topic. incorporating additional articles helped to justify and/or reinforce the arguments used in the results section. articles, conference papers, book chapters etc. were also considered relevant and not excluded. careful attention to transparency, led us to include the flowchart (figure 1) and its respective explanation. as mentioned earlier, data collection in the scopus databases was carried out from 2015 to 2023. the database was selected because it is considered the largest international and multidisciplinary research database of peer-reviewed manuscripts. after performing the search using the terms (‘digital transformation’ or ‘digital technologies’ and (‘education sector’ or ‘educational institutions’) and (‘impact’ or ‘benefits’ or ‘challenges’ in the title-abs-key, 366 manuscripts were identified. following this, filter by full-text journal articles was applied to obtain high-quality research articles from the year 2015 -2023 and obtained 353 articles. for indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 410 readability and interpretation reasons, only articles in english were selected, as difficulties in interpretation could lead to biased results. this phase resulted in the selection of 321 scientific journal articles. the prisma protocol that was followed uses the same process of identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion. in this study, indicators of scientific production were utilised, including the distribution of analysed documents by the year of publication, keyword cooccurrence and cited papers. to achieve this, the software tool vosviewer was employed for mapping. this tool facilitated the processing of keywords and the grouping analysis, with the objective of visualising maps based on co-authorship and co-occurrence. additionally, vosviewer unveiled indicators of collaborative structure, assessing network links among authors, institutions, and countries, and identified research trends based on the use of keywords. findings a. year wise description of 321 documents the bibliometric analysis of the publication trend for research papers on digital transformation in the education sector reveals a notable evolution over the years. in the initial period from 2015 to 2019, the subject attracted limited attention, with only four research papers published in 2015. the interest gradually grew, reaching fourteen papers by 2018. however, the real turning point occurred in 2019, signalling a substantial surge in interest and recognition. in that year, 18 research papers were published, and this upward trend continued with 39 papers in 2020, 57 in 2021, and 78 in 2022. the peak of this surge was observed in 2023, with an impressive 99 research papers dedicated to the subject (figure 2). this exponential increase in publications underscores the growing importance and relevance of digital transformation in the education sector. figure-2: year wise publishing documents it is crucial to acknowledge that this burgeoning interest can be attributed to influential articles published in earlier years, laying the groundwork for subsequent research endeavours. additionally, the covid-19 pandemic acted as a catalyst, accelerating the realisation of the imperative need for the education sector to embrace digital transformation. the pandemic indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 411 prompted a swift shift towards online learning, amplifying the urgency and relevance of research in this domain. as a result, the combination of seminal articles, increased awareness, and the transformative impact of the pandemic contributed to the remarkable growth in research publications on digital transformation in the education sector. b. citations by year and most cited documents authors title year cited by de’ r.; pandey n.; pal a. impact of digital surge during covid-19 pandemic: a viewpoint on research and practice 2020 509 mhlanga d.; moloi t. covid-19 and the digital transformation of education: what are we learning on 4ir in south africa? 2020 176 sá m.j.; serpa s. the covid-19 pandemic as an opportunity to foster the sustainable development of teaching in higher education 2020 96 laurillard d.; kennedy e.; charlton p.; wild j.; dimakopoulos d. using technology to develop teachers as designers of tel: evaluating the learning designer 2018 59 coghlan s.; miller t.; paterson j. good proctor or “big brother”? ethics of online exam supervision technologies 2021 53 abad-segura e.; gonzálezzamar m.-d.; luque-de la rosa a.; cevallos m.b.m. sustainability of educational technologies: an approach to augmented reality research 2020 50 scully d.; lehane p.; scully c. ‘it is no longer scary’: digital learning before and during the covid-19 pandemic in irish secondary schools 2021 48 anthony jnr b.; noel s. examining the adoption of emergency remote teaching and virtual learning during and after covid-19 pandemic 2021 45 rof a.; bikfalvi a.; marquès p. digital transformation for business model innovation in higher education: overcoming the tensions 2020 40 khitskov e.a.; veretekhina s.v.; medvedeva a.v.; mnatsakanyan o.l.; shmakova e.g.; kotenev a. digital transformation of society: problems entering in the digital economy 2017 38 the number of citations provides a sense of the documents’ applicability to a indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 412 certain subject of study. table 1 displays the total number of citations per article every year, taking into account the maximum and average total citations. this graph specifically emphasises the most referenced article each year as well as the year in which the papers are on average more cited. this analysis, which is constrained to citations that are present in our data set, enables us to determine the years in which the average accurately reflects the impact of the papers and the years in which it is distorted by the presence of a single paper with a large number of citations but other documents that join it with few citations. this happened in the year 2020, in which most cited papers with a number of citations were much higher than average. in table 1, about the top 10 cited papers, the first paper, although first published, has 509 citations. the theme of the paper revolves around the profound impact of the covid-19 pandemic on the increased use of digital technologies worldwide. as social distancing norms and lockdowns became ubiquitous, individuals and organisations globally had to adapt to new ways of work and life. the paper explores the various scenarios arising from this digital surge and delves into key research issues that have emerged. the transition to work-from-home is a significant aspect, leading to a heightened relevance of blockchain technology with implications for design and regulations. the rise of the gig economy presents research challenges related to work allocation, collaboration, motivation, and issues like work overload and presenteeism. workplace monitoring and technostress issues gain prominence as digital presence increases. the paper anticipates a growth in online fraud, necessitating research on security management. regulatory aspects of the internet post-pandemic become crucial, including addressing the consequences and causes of the digital divide. net neutrality and zero-rating plans are identified as areas deserving scrutiny. additionally, the paper emphasises the research imperative on the impact and consequences of internet shutdowns employed by countries. the role of digital money in crisis situations is highlighted, prompting research into adoption, consequences, and modes of digital currency. surveillance and privacy concerns are underscored as significant considerations in the face of heightened digital usage. overall, the paper provides a comprehensive overview of the multifaceted implications and research avenues arising from the increased reliance on digital technologies during the covid-19 pandemic. the second paper (with 176 citations) is the central theme of this study is the examination of the influence of the covid-19 pandemic on motivating digital transformation within the education sector in south africa. prompted by the widespread disruption caused by the pandemic and subsequent lockdown, the study focuses on assessing the adoption of fourth industrial revolution (4ir) tools in educational institutions during this period. utilising data obtained from secondary sources, the findings reveal a significant surge in the use of 4ir tools across all levels of education, from primary to higher and tertiary education, as institutions transitioned to remote (online) learning. the study emphasises that south africa, despite facing challenges in access to education, demonstrated pockets of excellence in driving the education sector towards the 4ir, potentially addressing issues of limited access, particularly at higher education levels. while acknowledging the widespread human suffering caused by the pandemic, the study highlights the unprecedented opportunity it presented to evaluate the successes and failures of deployed technologies, their associated costs, and the potential for indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 413 scaling these technologies to improve access to education. the findings contribute valuable insights for shaping the future of education in the context of digital transformation. the other most cited papers, in table 1, have fewer citations (from 38 to 96). c. keywords network visualisation and cluster analysis the keyword network map provided by bibliometric analysis stands out as a valuable tool, offering insights into the usage patterns and preferences of researchers regarding keywords. through this map, a comprehensive understanding of the chosen keywords is gained, identifying the ones favoured by researchers and uncovering the network connections that link these preferred keywords. figure-3: keywords co-occurrence visualisation when analysing studies on digital transformation and education in the scopus database, 1644 different keywords were identified. the most preferred keyword is “e-learning,” as depicted in figure 3. it is believed that the keywords presented in figure 3 will offer valuable insights to researchers regarding current trends in studies related to digital transformation in the education sector. the network map shown in figure 3 was generated by considering publications that utilised at least five keywords, resulting in 63 publications meeting this threshold and forming six clusters. the five keywords with the highest link strength are e-learning (327), educational institutions (245), digital transformation (225), digital technologies (205), and covid-19 (189). additionally, the network analysis revealed the presence of six clusters. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 414 red cluster: artificial intelligence and education technology this cluster contains 16 keywords focusing on the intersection of artificial intelligence and education technology, emphasising their use in educational settings, especially higher education. sadiku et al. (2021) describe artificial intelligence as enabling computers to perform human functions like thinking and learning, revolutionising teaching in classrooms and schools. the study explores various ai applications in the classroom. similarly, huang et al. (2023) highlight the impact of new technologies on teaching and learning, with ai’s rapid progress evident in education. the article discusses ai’s use in virtual classrooms, adaptive learning, and educational assessment, improving instruction and learning quality. references to ai supporting educational reform are provided, alongside potential challenges ai applications in education may face in the future. green cluster: digital literacy, education 4.0, and innovation this cluster contains 15 keywords and focuses on digital literacy, innovation in education, and technology integration (education 4.0) for improved learning outcomes and addressing contemporary educational challenges. frank (2017) elaborates on digital literacy as crucial for education, emphasising the need for learners to critically evaluate information sources. despite widespread digital content, there are challenges in determining content legitimacy and authenticity. to navigate the digital world effectively, students must be taught digital literacy. today’s digital era has replaced traditional media with electronic text, television, and the internet. lankshear (2015) explores various digital literacy concepts and their relation to information literacy, computer literacy, media literacy, functional literacy, and digital competence. he highlights the diverse aspects and benefits of digital literacy. chan (2017) investigates digital concepts and techniques for developing digital literacy, emphasising its importance in education, work, and social life. blue cluster: decision making, technology, and pandemic this cluster includes 11 keywords focusing on decision-making processes, the impact of digital technology on education, distance education, and the influence of the covid-19 pandemic on educational practices. challenges exist in teaching and learning in the twentyfirst century, requiring adaptation to digital resources. information literacy and technology proficiency are essential for learners engaging with digital media, challenging traditional literacy methods. the mckinsey and company report (2017) emphasises the necessity of trade-off decisions for successful digital transformation. similarly, korherr (2022) suggests four management archetypes based on interviews with top executives from germany, clarifying their traits, skills, and roles: strategist, coach, guide, and analytical thinker. yellow cluster: covid-19 effect on digital education this cluster includes 10 keywords and focuses on the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on education, particularly digital education, online learning, and challenges related to the digital divide. gandhi, anju, and rani, kavita (2020) highlight the emergence of new educational approaches during the pandemic, such as teaching via social media, digital platforms, and cloudbased video communication platforms. they summarise the significant shift in technology use for teaching and learning during the pandemic. the indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 415 study assesses the positive and negative effects of the covid-19 pandemic on education, including the discussion of digital programs launched by the indian government to ensure continued education during lockdowns, such as diksha, swayam, vidya daan, e-pathshala, swayam prabha, and national repository of open educational resources (nroer). dashtestani and hojatpanah (2020) emphasise how the pandemic exposed digital deficiencies in education, particularly in higher education, where new techniques and resources like digital platforms, simulation-based learning, video conferencing, and collaborative learning were not equally distributed. the digital divide also significantly impacted secondary schools. purple cluster: digital skills and transformation in education this cluster comprises 9 items and underscores digital skills, educational transformation through technology, and the integration of digital technologies across the education sector. digital literacy skills are essential for effective learning in modern digital environments. rêgo et al. (2023) aims to understand how digital transformation (dt) has impacted educational methods, necessitating a new professional profile. it examines the most in-demand skills and identifies opportunities for future experts. additionally, it explores whether academic institutions have incorporated the new competencies demanded by the dt-affected job market. light blue cluster: online education systems this cluster includes 2 keywords and revolves around online education systems, indicating a focus on the structure, design, and implementation of education systems delivered through online platforms. tadesse (2020), review the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on the education system in developing countries. he highlighted that after covid-19, the educational institutions had to re-design strategies and methods to recover lost learning, preparing students, parents, and teachers, and to scale distance learning accessibility. these thematic clusters provide a comprehensive overview of the diverse topics covered in the analysed literature, allowing for a more nuanced understanding of the interconnectedness of keywords within each cluster. 2. exploring the initiatives implemented by the indian government to facilitate and streamline digital transformation in the country’s education sector. in recent years, india has witnessed a remarkable transformation in the education sector, primarily driven by the adoption of digital technologies. the push for digitalisation in education has been catalysed by the indian government’s ambitious vision to make education more inclusive, accessible and future-ready. the covid-19 pandemic further underscored the urgent need for robust digital infrastructure and innovative learning methods, revealing both the potential and the gaps within the system. in response, the indian government has launched a series of initiatives aimed at integrating digital tools, platforms and pedagogies across all levels of education. central to this transformation is the national education policy (nep) 2020, which serves as a comprehensive roadmap for reimagining education in india through digital empowerment. nep 2020 marks a paradigm shift in india’s approach to education, placing strong emphasis on technology as a key enabler of quality and equity. it indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 416 envisions the use of digital tools not just as supplementary aids, but as foundational elements in the teachinglearning ecosystem. one of the policy’s core pillars is the promotion of digital learning to bridge the urban-rural divide, enhance teacher training, foster personalised learning and support lifelong education. it highlights the creation of digital content in regional languages, development of accessible platforms for learners with disabilities and integration of emerging technologies like ai and data analytics into classrooms. aligned with the goals of nep 2020, the government has introduced several strategic initiatives such as diksha, swayam, e-pathshala, pm e-vidya and special e-content for cwsn etc. nep 2020 not only recognises the transformative power of digital tools but also underscores the need for inclusive, ethical and learner-centric implementation. it calls for minimising the digital divide by ensuring access to internet connectivity and digital devices, particularly for disadvantaged groups. the government’s holistic approach spanning infrastructure, content, capacity building and policy support underscores a long-term vision for an equitable and digitally empowered education system. diksha diksha (digital infrastructure for knowledge sharing) is a pivotal component of the pm e-vidya initiative introduced under the atma nirbhar bharat programme, representing the vision of ‘one nation, one digital platform’ for school education in india. launched in 2017, diksha serves as a national platform accessible to schools across all states and caters to students from grades 1 to 12. diksha offers an extensive array of resources, including courses designed for teachers, quizzes, and a wealth of e-content meticulously aligned with the curriculum (ministry of human resource development, 2020). aligned with the nep 2020, diksha supports equitable and inclusive learning by providing flexible digital access to all learners, including students with special needs and teachers in remote areas. a significant addition to diksha’s repertoire is vidyadaan, a content contribution program launched in april 2020. this inclusive approach encourages contributions from experts, private entities, and educational bodies, fostering a collaborative environment for the enhancement of digital education in india. swayam prabha swayam prabha, a distinctive mode of education, is specifically designed to cater to individuals who lack access to traditional educational resources. this initiative ensures that high-quality educational programs are telecasted through a total of 32 dedicated channels, strategically allocated to meet the diverse requirements of both higher education and school education. as emphasised by nep 2020, such multi-platform delivery methods aim to bridge the digital divide by reaching learners in the remotest parts of the country. recognising the importance of broadening the reach of educational content, the department of school education and literacy has collaborated with private direct-to-home (dth) operators such as tata sky and airtel. this transformation aligns with the vision of ‘one class, one channel,’ where each grade from 1 to 12 will have a dedicated channel. this comprehensive approach underscores the commitment to democratising education and making it accessible to learners across diverse backgrounds and geographical locations. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 417 e-pathshala the e-pathshala mobile app, compatible with android, ios, and windows platforms, along with its web portal, serves as a comprehensive platform for accessing e-textbooks. designed to cater to students, teachers, and parents alike, this educational resource offers a diverse range of content, including 3,500 pieces of audio and video content from the ncert. the platform’s inclusivity is reflected in its availability in multiple languages, accommodating a broader audience by providing e-textbooks in english, sanskrit, urdu, and hindi (ministry of human resource development, 2020). this accessibility and diversity make e-pathshala a versatile tool for enhancing educational experiences across different linguistic and demographic contexts. radio broadcasting radio broadcasting has emerged as a dynamic tool for fostering activity-based learning methods, engaging students through an interactive approach that enhances education. to facilitate this, 289 community radio stations broadcast content tailored to the national institute of open learning (nios) curriculum for students in grades 9 to 12. this extensive network provides educational access to students in remote areas, democratising knowledge. a noteworthy initiative is the shiksha vani podcast launched by the cbse, offering over 430 audio content pieces covering subjects from grades 1 to 12. this innovative use of radio broadcasting and podcasts promotes inclusive education, facilitating learning for students across grades and geographical locations. swayam the ncert plays a pivotal role as the national coordinator for the development and dissemination of massive open online courses (moocs) dedicated to school education, specifically designed for classes ix to xii. accessible through the “swayam” (study webs of active learning for young aspiring minds) portal and mobile app, these courses aim to bridge the digital divide, providing educational opportunities to students who have been historically underserved students. as advocated by nep 2020, the swayam platform supports self-paced, quality learning through structured content including video lectures, reading material, self-assessment, and discussion forums. ncert’s commitment to these courses enriches students’ learning experiences and aids them in achieving desired educational outcomes (ministry of human resource development, 2020). special e-content for cwsn inclusive education for children with special needs is a priority, and various initiatives have been undertaken to ensure accessibility and support tailored to their specific requirements. consistent with nep 2020’s inclusive education agenda, diksha hosts audiobooks for visually impaired learners, facilitating their access to educational content. the nios is committed to inclusivity, making its website accessible to individuals with disabilities. the website incorporates diverse features such as display settings adjustment, ease of navigation, and enhanced content readability. nios employs the digitally accessible information system (daisy) standard, providing study material in digital audiobook format for visually impaired learners. an indian sign language (isl) dictionary aids communication and education for the deaf and hard-of-hearing learners. nios has produced over 270 sign language videos across seven subjects and a yoga course, available on youtube, offering educational access to learners indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 418 at the secondary level. selected nios course content is recorded in sign language for hearing-impaired learners, available on both the nios website and youtube. these recorded materials are further distributed to hearingimpaired students on dvds, ensuring comprehensive educational support for children with special needs, reflecting a commitment to inclusive education and equal access to learning resources. investigating the challenges of digital transformation in the education sector. business entities, irrespective of their industry, encounter challenges when incorporating digital technologies into their established practices and procedures. in the case of education institutions, the process of digital transformation becomes more complex due to a number of problematic trends such as rise in operational costs, changing educational demands etc. various challenges, including socio-economic disadvantages and financial limitations, impact students’ academic performance. even though comprehensive policies have been implemented to reduce educational gaps, certain students continue to face difficulties in completing their degrees due to various factors such as age, socioeconomic status, academic qualifications, and financial obstacles. covid-19 has presented a new set of challenges in education institutions. the stakeholders have been compelled by these constraints to reconsider their approaches to teaching and learning in order to allow for more flexibility and to quickly address the complicated issues. the introduction of electronic initiatives in the teaching and learning processes in higher education institutions during covid-19 has become a crucial catalyst for the change of education due to technological advancements. even though the impact of digital transformation on education is mostly positive and the benefit range is quite vast, there are still several challenges that act as an obstacle in the digital transformation of education institutes. the main strategic high-level challenges that higher education institutes usually face while adopting digital transformation are as follows: resistance to change there is a widely accepted notion that the primary challenge faced by higher education institutions in embracing digital transformation lies in adapting to new teaching methods, learning settings, and models. essentially, individuals tend to prefer the familiar and resist stepping out of their comfort zones, impeding progress and development. in the field of education, many harbour a fear of failure and are reluctant to acquire new skills or adapt to novel technologies, cultures, or mentalities. to implement digital transformation in the education sector, instructors need the management and thinking ability of administrators to change. they need to explore possibilities in the virtual space and harness technology effectively. implementing small pilot projects can offer a clear preview of potential changes, alleviating uncertainties and faculty concerns related to job security. educational institutions must embrace knowledge and digital thinking to comprehend the boundaries and master technology. technology infrastructure in today’s world, businesses and organisations rely heavily on technology for smooth operations and data security. technical issues and lack of technical knowledge can lead to errors and dependencies. investing in stable, secure, and scalable technology is crucial to prevent breakdowns. a indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 419 major challenge in education’s digital transformation is the non-compliance with modern technologies, requiring upgrades or replacements of existing systems. many educational institutions lack sufficient infrastructure for transformative learning. updating technology infrastructure should be the initial focus to facilitate meaningful change. the education industry requires new equipment and technology infrastructure. selecting a platform with easy access and efficient course creation is a challenge for educational institutes, highlighting the importance of technology infrastructure in fostering an engaging learning culture. lack of clear strategy understanding digital transformation direction is a major hurdle for progress. mass change can be daunting, making it challenging to determine the right course of action or formulate an effective strategy. adopting new technologies without a plan can lead to difficulties. major educational institutions face challenges in utilising new technology for tasks, hindering learning and goal achievement. robust strategies are essential to focus on objectives and achieve success. the process of creating automated systems lacks a defined methodology. employee dependence and high training expenses result from less user-friendly technologies. administrators require outside support to modify procedures, causing delays. developing a plan for technology integration in education is crucial, designed in stages with a tracking system for optimal effect. however, many educational institutions struggle to develop digitalisation strategies due to busyness or lack of technology knowledge, hindering desired outcomes. inferior knowledge or skills in utilising technology enough competence, trust, and abilities are necessary to foster innovation within the organisation. if educators lack the skills to use technology, digital transformation will fail. thus, instructors must be updated with skills to guide students effectively. students must also continually upskill to keep pace with evolving technology. helping students is the primary priority of teachers and administrative personnel. however, unfamiliarity with complex technology can hinder rather than aid learning. therefore, institutions should organise frequent training programs for staff to ensure they remain proficient in navigating systems effectively. inequality in education given the expenses linked with contemporary technology, it is unlikely that every student could afford it. digital equity can only be achieved by unrestricted access to technology, regardless of time or location. however, this may also make learning more unequally accessible to pupils from different backgrounds and geographic locations. for example, students located in rural or mountainous areas are facing difficulty accessing highquality education and have limited resources available for study. it is, for this reason, that classrooms must give students access to all the resources in an accessible manner if the digital transformation is to succeed. conclusion in conclusion, the evolution of digital transformation research in education reflects a dynamic journey from early experimentation with basic tools to a comprehensive exploration of transformative technologies. the surge in research publications, particularly post-2019, underscores the growing importance of digital transformation in indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 420 the education sector. seminal articles and the covid-19 pandemic acted as catalysts, accelerating the realisation of the imperative need for digital education. the bibliometric analysis provides insights into publication trends, citations, and impactful papers, emphasising the profound impact of the pandemic on digital education. the keyword network map and cluster analysis reveal the diverse topics covered in the literature, offering a nuanced understanding of research trends. initiatives in india exemplify government efforts to promote digital education, ensuring inclusivity and accessibility through platforms like diksha, swayam prabha, e-pathshala, and innovative uses of radio broadcasting. the digital transformation of education institutions faces multifaceted challenges, ranging from operational costs and changing educational demands to socioeconomic disparities and financial constraints. the shift to online learning, accelerated by the impact of covid-19, has introduced a new set of uncertainties and complexities. while digital transformation brings positive impacts, including greater flexibility and efficiency, several key challenges hinder its seamless adoption. these challenges include resistance to change, inadequate technology infrastructure, a lack of a clear strategy, and insufficient knowledge or skills in utilising technology. moreover, the issue of inequality in access to technology amplifies existing disparities among students. overcoming these challenges requires a concerted effort to inspire a vision of digital maturity, invest in stable technology infrastructure, develop clear strategies, and ensure continuous training for educators and staff. addressing these obstacles is essential to realising the full potential of digital transformation in shaping the future of education. looking ahead, the trajectory of digital transformation research in education is expected to continue evolving, with a focus on longitudinal studies, interdisciplinary collaboration, and exploring socio-cultural dimensions. the commitment to harnessing digital technologies for global education enhancement remains a priority for researchers, policymakers, and educators alike. references chan, b. s. k., churchill, d., & chiu, t. k. f. 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(2020). usable educational software: teachereducators’ opinion about ọpón-ìmọ ̀technology enhanced learning system. international journal of education and development using information and communication technology, 16, 88–106. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 422 van eck, n. j., & waltman, l. (2010). software survey: vosviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping. scientometrics, 84(2), 523–538. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192009-0146-3 zhou, s., tao, z., zhu, y., & tao, l. (2019). mapping theme trends and recognizing hot spots in postmenopausal osteoporosis research: a bibliometric analysis. peerj, 7(e8145), e8145. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.8145 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 225 introduction when the covid-19 pandemic hit the world, no one had the faintest clue about the drastic impact it has in terms of shattering the educational systems worldwide. education as a sector has been seriously impacted due to the closing down of educational institutions, which are prime public places. due to the high transmission rate and rapid spreading of the covid-19 virus, a complete lockdown of all kinds of public activities was done worldwide as a measure to curb the pandemic in the face of no effective measures and vaccines (mudenda et al.,2023). this led to the shutting down of educational institutions right from school education to higher education institutes. closing of schools, institutions and other learning spaces impacted more than 94 per cent of the world’s student population (pokhrel & chhetri, 2021). the higher education institutions of learning in 185 countries were closed (marinoni et al. research article predicting student performance using past data during covid-19 pandemic: a validation study nitu kaur1, r. p. vadhera2 1assistant professor, department of education, mizoram university, aizawl emailnitukaurmzu@mzu.edu.in 2prof. r.p. vadhera 2vice chancellor, icfai university, aizawl abstract covid-19 has been a time of test in almost all sectors of life, and education is not an untouched sector. the online teaching-learning process emerged to be the only viable and effective mode of carrying on instructional processes in heis. however, it became difficult to ensure that learning happened the way it is expected in the offline mode of teaching-learning. the guiding underlying rationale behind the present study is the impact of teaching online mode on students in terms of learning and evaluation. student testing and evaluation without the assurance of meaningful learning is an emergent problem owing to poor online connectivity and the digital divide denying democratic access to all learners. through the present study, the authors want to propose that some indigenous alternative strategies should always be tested and tried in advance to evaluate students. this can solve the problems of unforeseen, unfavourable and unpredictable times, such as the covid-19 pandemic, with regard to student evaluation. the study aims to suggest a viable student evaluation strategy using the statistical technique of prediction. the present paper discusses this effective and innovative strategy tried out using the available examination result database of the pg programme students from mizoram university for three consecutive sessions spanning from 2015-2019 and the prediction of the final semester result of the 2018-2020 session. pearson productmoment correlation, regression analysis, and student t-test were used to analyze the data. the result of the analysis suggests that statistical prediction must be adopted as an alternative strategy for evaluating students. keywords: prediction using past data, student performance, covid-19 pandemic, validation study indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 226 2020).  the impact of this pandemic on public institutions is of manifolds more of a negative nature. offline mode of education, especially in india, has been the most viable and effective means of conducting the teaching-learning processes both in schools and higher education institutions (heis). but in the face of the covid-19 pandemic worldwide, a sudden switching on to an online mode of education has not been so easy for both teachers and students. especially in places where the digital form of education is a new thing, there are many questions surfacing in everyone’s mind. technology, on the one hand, is disruptive, failing to establish connections with the affective and psychomotor domain along with the cognitive domain of the learner, whereas on the other hand, it is rewarding by enabling the continuation of education amidst the pandemic (kaur & vadhera, 2021). the teaching community is facing challenging scenarios in the new mode of online teaching-learning processes as they have never faced it before. our teaching-learning processes had always been in face-to-face mode. with the upsurge of the pandemic, the digital platform of education became the most promising medium we had, and only in the past few years that heis realized its potential and gravity when they actually used it. however, in a country like ours, where a large digital divide is already built in the societal milieu, it is very difficult to predict the role of technology in student evaluation practices and benefits. every student does not have equality on the grounds of the quality of technological access. the problem is two-fold: firstly, access to the right digital platforms is restricted to urbaneconomically well-to-do sections of society and secondly, not all higher education teachers are prepared for this change in evaluating students. a similar scenario is visible in school education as well. owing to the loss of education, parents of lower-grade students in schools felt that it would be better to let their children repeat the next academic year (pokhrel & chhetri, 2021). as the whole country witnessed the problem of evaluating students through online platforms of education, there was an urgent need to devise some innovative mechanism to evaluate students utilizing existing information databases so that in times of emergencies like the global pandemic, we can resort to some full-proof, tried and tested modalities of student evaluation. innovation does not happen in a vacuum. rather, it happens out of compelling circumstances that demand a reform of existing practices. alternative assessments are a viable option for assessing students if measures are implemented to reduce associated academic integrity risks (adama et al, 2023). a similar innovative thinking has been tried during the covid-19 pandemic by predicting student’s term end scores using regression analysis which may evolve as a suitable means of student evaluation in future. the practice is not new in the context of many developed educational systems worldwide, but it is very new in our country, especially its usage in student evaluation. in recent times predicting student academic performance has drawn considerable attention in education (namoun & alshanqiti, 2021). in the present study, the prediction of pg (postgraduate) students’ end-term scores is made in terms of their sgpa (semester grade point average) scores in the fourth semester and cgpa (cumulative grade point average) of all 4 semesters. it is hypothesized that a prediction equation based on the previous year’s database of students’ scores of sgpa and cgpa can correctly predict the end semester sgpa and cgpa of any outgoing batch. this can thus enable safe prediction of students’ examination results in the absence of a face-to-face mode of examination. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 227 rationale of the study university grants commission (ugc), the governing body for heis (higher education institutions) in india, came up with guidelines for the conduct of examinations in the year 2020. the critical analysis of various alternatives of examinations suggested by the ugc gives a clue that there is always a scope for innovation in student evaluation at an institutional level reserved for adverse situations. as per the ugc guidelines, notified on 6th july 2020, there is a suggestion to the heis to follow any of the following three alternatives/models of examination to address the issues relating to the examinations of final year/semester students in the face of covid-19 pandemic viz.: a) traditional examination; b) online examination &c) blending of traditional and online examination. however, there is another alternative that has been suggested by various educationists and stakeholders like students, parents, and the community. owing to the adversities of the digital divide, it is foreseen students are facing trouble in accessing digital platforms for education. even if they gain access, the communication is asynchronous most of the time during the curriculum transaction due to poor network availability. although technology-enabled classrooms are popularizing democratic access to education, the question of the successful transfer of value of knowledge often arises. the guiding underlying rationale behind the present study is the impact of teaching through online mode. testing without assurance of meaningful learning has no meaning, and that was the crux of the problem of evaluating students in the midst of covid-19 times. it is difficult to assess students’ performance on collective fronts of cognitive, affective and conative domains. students’ mindset also needs to be explored in light of new evaluative modalities on account of the severe negative impact of the pandemic and stress. therefore, it is felt that some alternative mechanism must be worked out in advance to enable a more transparent, viable, valid and reliable student evaluation process in the face of any crises. it is thus proposed that some indigenous alternative strategy should always be tested and tried in advance to solve the problems of unforeseen, unfavourable and unpredictable times such as the covid-19 pandemic. objectives of the study a. primary objective: to work out an alternative strategy to allocate end-term scores to pg program university students in response to the absence of a face-to-face mode of examination. b. secondary objectives: the secondary objectives have been classified into two sub-categories category 1: objectives for prediction of scores 1. to find out the correlation between the average sgpa of the first three semesters with the sgpa of the fourth semester of students in 2015-17, 2016-18 and 2017-19 academic sessions separately. 2. to find out the correlation between the average sgpa of the first three semesters of all three batches of students (2015-17, 2016-18, & 2017-19) with their sgpa of the fourth semester. 3. to establish a simple regression equation for the prediction of the fourth semester sgpa from the average sgpa of the first three semesters. 4. to study the significance of the difference between predicted indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 228 sgpa and actual sgpa of the fourth semester. 5. to test the significance of differences between the average sgpa of the first three semesters and the sgpa of the fourth semester. 6. to study the consistency in students’ performance in all four semesters. 7. to predict the fourth-semester sgpa of the target session (201820) on the basis of the regression equation. 8. to suggest a mechanism for the assignment of sgpa and cgpa to fourth-semester students of the ongoing batch of ma education on the basis of the findings of this study. category 2: objectives postprediction of scores 1. to correlate the predicted score of the fourth-semester sgpa and cgpa of the target batch, 2018-2020, with their actual obtained sgpa and cgpa scores, respectively. 2. to find out the correlation between the average sgpa of the first three semesters and the sgpa of the fourth semester of students of the 2018-20 batch for which prediction was made. 3. to study the significance of the difference between the predicted sgpa and actual sgpa of the fourth semester for the 2018-20 batch. 4. to test the significance of differences between the average sgpa of the first three semesters and the sgpa of the fourth semester for the 2018-20 batch methodology of study a descriptive methodology is used for the present study. the sample used for establishing the regression equation were the students’ sgpa and cgpa scores from 2015 to 2019 for three consecutive batches of the m.a. (education) programme of mizoram university with proper consent from the examination department of mizoram university. the target batch for which the prediction was made is the outgoing batch of the m.a. (education) 201820 session. in the face of the sudden pandemic in 2020, the end-semester examination could not be conducted in traditional face-to-face mode. instead, an online mode of examination was tried in the university for the first time, which created a lot of problems both on the part of teachers and students in providing and undergoing evaluation safely. hence, small action research was performed to come out with an alternative strategy to allocate marks to students if the pandemic sustains and resurges in the near future. the following formula is used to calculate the sgpa and cgpa as reflected in the pg mark sheet of mizoram university sgpa= sum of grade points awarded for a semester/ total credit of a semester. cgp=sum of grade points awarded for the entire programme/ total credit for the entire programme. the cgpa between 8-10 is regarded as distinction, of 6 and less than 8 is regarded as first division and cgpa between 5 and less than 6 is regarded as second division. the study was conducted in two phases: firstly, the phase of predicting students’ end semester scores and secondly, the analysis of data post-prediction of end semester scores. both descriptive and inferential statistics have been utilized for the analysis of data. descriptive statistics, indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 229 like measures of central tendency and dispersion, are highly useful in explaining the data and finding patterns. further, under inferential statistics, relationship analysis was performed using the pearson product-moment correlation, which is justified since the students’ academic achievement score relates to the interval scale of measurement. student t-test of two-sample assuming equal variances was performed for testing of significance of difference pertaining to essential objectives of study. an f-test was performed to measure the variance assumptions of the sample. statistical analysis and findings: i) findings of secondary objectives for prediction of scores under category 1 1. to find out the correlation between the average sgpa of the first three semesters with the sgpa of the fourth semester of students in 2015-17, 2016-18 and 2017-19 academic sessions separately. 2. to find out the correlation between the average sgpa of the first three semesters of all three batches of students (2015-17, 2016-18, & 2017-19) with their sgpa of the fourth semester. findings: it is found that there is a significant and very high correlation between the aggregate sgpa of the first three semesters and the sgpa of the fourth semester for each of the batches 2015-17, 2016-18 and 201719; the data of which was available to the investigators. also, the overall correlation between the aggregate/ combined sgpa scores of the first three semesters and the sgpa of the fourth semesters combined for all 3 batches is also significantly high (table 1). table -1: correlation coefficient values between aggregate sgpa of first three semesters and sgpa of 4thsemester independent variable(x) dependent variable(y) n df pearson’s correlation coefficient significance level aggregate sgpa of first three semesters of batch (2015-17) fourth semester sgpa(2015-17) 29 27 0.844 significant** aggregate sgpa of first three semesters of batch (2016-18) fourth semester sgpa(2016-18) 34 32 0.783 significant** aggregate sgpa of first three semesters of batch (2017-19) fourth semester sgpa(2017-19) 38 36 0.734 significant** aggregate sgpa of first three semesters of all three batches (2015-17, 2016-18, & 2017-19) fourth semester sgpa(2015-19) 101 99 0.808 significant** source: field data. ** significant at .01 level 1. to establish a simple regression equation for prediction of fourth semester sgpa from the average sgpa of the first three semesters. on the basis of obtained value of overall correlation coefficient indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 230 between the aggregate sgpa of first three semesters and the sgpa of fourth semesters combined for all 3 batches a regression equation was tried to develop. following is the generalized form of the linear regression equation: y = y intercept+ slope * x wherein x=iv (independent variable); y=dv (dependent variable) x= regressor variable, aggregate of first three semesters of all three batches (2015-2019) here y intercept means the value of y variable i.e. sgpa of fourth semester if x=0 i.e. iv=0 table 2 depicts the obtained regression equation. table-2: prediction of regressed variable (y) from regressor variable (x) regressor variable(x) df n(101) r2 r standard error of estimate regression equation for predicting variable y, sgpa of fourth semester aggregate of first three semesters of all three batches (201519) 99 0.653 0.808** 0.299 y = 1.323+0.851*x **significant at 0.01 level 1. to study the significance of the difference between the predicted sgpa and actual sgpa of the fourth semester for the three batches. on the basis of established regression equation, it was tried to see how it works with the available data of 3 consecutive batches (2015-2019). if it has a good power of prediction there should be no difference between the predicted scores and actual obtained scores in the fourth semester sgpa. a null hypothesis is thus proposed. null hypothesis: there is no significant difference in mean scores of predicted and actual sgpa scores of fourth semester findings: it is found that there is a good power in the established regression equation in predicting students’ 4th semester scores as there is no significant difference in predicted and actual scores (table 3). table-3: significance of difference between predicted and actual sgpa of fourth semester students of 2018-20 batch variables n mean s.d. sem ‘t value’ df ‘p value’ signifi cance of differ ence decision on h0 predicted sgpa of fourth semester 101 7.459 .408 .0406 .039 200 .9689 ns accepted actual sgpa of fourth semester 101 7.446 .505 .0503 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 231 table-4: significance of difference between average sgpa of first three semesters and sgpa of fourth semester variables n mean s.d. sem ‘t value’ df ‘p value’ signifi cance of differ ence decision on h0 average sgpa of first three semesters 101 7.199 .4802 .0478 3.572 200 .0004 s** rejected sgpa of fourth semester 101 7.446 .505 .0503 **the test suggests that the difference between the two means is extremely significant at 0.01 level. ns: the test suggests that the difference between the two means is not significant at 0.05 level. 1. to test the significance of differences between the average sgpa of the first three semesters and the sgpa of the fourth semester. also, it was tried to see whether the average sgpa score of students for the first 3 semesters differed from the sgpa scores of the fourth semester from the available data of 3 consecutive batches (2015-19). a null hypothesis was proposed as null hypothesis: there is no significant difference in mean scores of the average sgpa of the first three semesters and the sgpa of the fourth semester. findings: the test suggests that in the available data the sgpa of fourth semesters had been significantly higher than the average sgpa of first 3 semesters. it indicates that scores in fourth semester are generally higher and perhaps judge the overall cgpa of the students (table 4). 1. to study the consistency in students’ performance in all four semesters. findings: the consistency of students’ performance was also analysed using the available data from three consecutive batches. a bird’s eye view approach was employed as the sample size was 101 only. it was found that the sgpa scores obtained in all 4 semesters were quite consistent, with a trend of gradual improvement towards the end of semesters. none of the students scored both sgpa and cgpa below 6 points. all were first class, and many obtained distinction points as well. this analysis was done to narrow down to the conclusion that in the past, the students’ scores were indicative of consistency and can be taken as a clue that the trend of the traditional face-to-face mode of evaluation has been providing consistent scores with gradual improvement in higher semesters. 2. to predict the fourth-semester sgpa scores of the students of the target session (2018-2020) on the basis of the regression equation. for this analysis the obtained regression equation (1.323+ 0.851*x where x= aggregate scores of students obtained in first three semesters of 2018-20 session) was used. findings: the description of predicted scores shows that the mean obtained sgpa score in the 4th semester is likely to be 7.634 (table 5), indicating a predictable good performance of the outgoing target batch (2018-20). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 232 1. to suggest a mechanism for the assignment of sgpa and cgpa to fourth-semester students of the ongoing batch of ma education on the basis of the findings of this study. on the basis of estimated predicted scores, it was suggested that the strategy of providing grace marks in correspondence to the predicted sgpa of the students for endsemester examinations through internal assessments be applied only in the face of no examinations. however, with complete safety measures, the online mode of examination was conducted in augustseptember 2020, after the completion of the online mode of teaching-learning processes from april 2020 to august 2020 in all ug and pg departments under mizoram university. ii) findings of secondary objectives for post-prediction of scores under category 1 1. to correlate the predicted score of fourth-semester sgpa and cgpa of the target batch 2018-20 with their actual obtained sgpa and cgpa scores, respectively. findings: once the final results of the target outgoing batch of 20182020 were published in october 2020, it was tried to correlate the predicted and actual scores of the fourth semester both in terms of sgpa and cgpa. it was found that both the predicted and obtained scores are significantly and very highly correlated in the case of sgpa and cgpa. it is thus concluded that students’ scores were correctly predicted for the target sample of students (table 6). table-5: descriptive statistics of predicted scores of fourth semester sgpa of 2018-20 batch of ma education students number mean of sgpa standard error of mean standard deviation sample variance 37 7.634 0.0491 0.299 0.089 table-6: correlation between the predicted score of fourth semester sgpa and cgpa of the target batch 2018-20 with their actual obtained scores variable 1 variable 2 n df pearson’s correlation coefficient significance level obtained sgpa in fourth semester predicted sgpa in fourth semester 37 35 0.98 significant** obtained cgpa in fourth semester predicted cgpa in fourth semester 37 35 0.99 significant** source: field data. ** significant at .01 level 1. to find out the correlation between the average sgpa of the first three semesters and the sgpa of the fourth semester of students of the 2018-20 batch for which prediction was made. findings: it was also tried to correlate the aggregate sgpa of indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 233 the first 3 semesters and the sgpa of the fourth semester for the target outgoing batch (2018-20). it was found that the correlation is significantly high, indicating that the trend is consistent with the earlier trend (table 7). table-7: correlation between the average sgpa of the first three semesters and the predicted sgpa of the fourth semester of students of the 2018-19 batch. variable 1 variable 2 n df pearson’s correlation coefficient significance level aggregate sgpa of first three semesters of batch (20182020) fourth semester sgpa(2018-20) 37 35 0.98 significant** source: field data. ** significant at .01 level 1. to study the significance of the difference between the predicted sgpa and actual sgpa of the fourth semester for the 2018-20 batch. in order to study the significance of the difference between the mean scores of predicted and actual sgpa scores of the fourth semester for the 2018-20 batch following null hypothesis is proposed null hypothesis: there is no significant difference in mean scores of predicted and actual sgpa scores of the fourth semester for the 2018-20 batch. findings: an insignificant difference between the predicted and actual mean sgpa of the fourth semester of 2018-20 is a clear indication/ evidence that predicted scores in this study were quite accurate (table 8). table-8: significance of difference between predicted sgpa and actual sgpa of fourth semester of 2018-19 batch variables n mean s.d. sem ‘tvalue’ df ‘p value’ signifi cance of differ ence decision on h0 predicted sgpa of fourth semester 37 7.63 0.299 0.049 1.76 72 0.081 ns accepted actual sgpa of fourth semester 37 7.51 0.293 0.048 ns: the test suggests that the difference between the two means is not significant at 0.05 level. 2. to test the significance of the difference between the average sgpa of the first three semesters and the sgpa of the fourth semester for the 2018-20 batch. a null hypothesis is thus proposed, which is as follows: indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 234 iii) findings of the primary objective the primary objective for the present study is to work out an alternative strategy to allocate end-term scores to pg program university students in response to absence of face-to-face mode of examination. in 2020, an online mode of examinations was conducted for end-semester examinations in the face of the sudden pandemic in mizoram central university. in the department of education, statistical prediction of the scores of students was made through regression equations based on available data from the last three batches (2015-2019). a regression equation for predicting variable sgpa of the fourth semester was established, and scores were predicted. it was found that the predicted scores for the fourth semester sgpa and cgpa of the batch 2018-2020 are highly and positively correlated with the scores they obtained. the findings suggest that on the basis of prediction, marks could be allotted on the basis of internal assessments in certain emergencies, such as the current pandemic of covid-19. on the basis of statistical findings, it is proposed that prediction can be used as a viable alternative model for students’ evaluation. the power of prediction has been much less explored in evaluating students in our indigenous settings. the regression analysis suggests that students’ predicted scores highly correlate with their actual null hypothesis: there is no significant difference between mean scores of the average sgpa of the first three semesters and sgpa of the fourth semester for the 2018-20 batch. findings: a similar analysis of comparison of aggregate sgpa of the first 3 semesters and sgpa of the fourth semester of the target outgoing batch (2018-2020) showed that there is no significant difference, indicating that scores were given very consistent to students’ last performance (table 9). however, this trend was not in agreement with the earlier collective trend of the last three batches, where the fourth semester mean sgpa scores were significantly better than the last three semesters. this finding suggests that students in the target batch were given average scores to nullify the shortcomings of online teaching-learning processes. the student evaluative strategy followed the midway approach of neither being lenient in allotting marks nor being stringent at the same time. table-9: significance of difference between the average sgpa of the first three semesters and sgpa of the fourth semester. variables n mean s.d. sem ‘tvalue’ df ‘p value’ signifi cance of differ ence decision on h0 aggregate sgpa of first three semesters 37 7.42 0.35 0.058 1.28 72 0.20 ns accepted sgpa of fourth semester 37 7.51 0.29 0.048 ns: the test suggests that the difference between the two means is not significant at 0.05 level. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 235 obtained scores; hence, it is a reliable and valid means to evaluate students who lack actual exams. it is suggested the end-term scores can be worked out on the basis of the available database of students. maintaining a thorough database is thus a prerequisite for the implementation of this strategy. discussion india, like many other countries, announced the cancellation of the school annual examinations and promotion of the students in the absence of examinations due to the increasing number of covid-19 cases. this measure was taken to ensure students’ safety. several alternative strategies were worked out to decide the criterion of promotion on the basis of previous performances. when in the year 2021, both class x and class xii board exams were finally cancelled, a unique methodology was applied to calculate the final grades of students’ board exams. for the cbse (central board of secondary education) class x result declaration, as per the new evaluation criteria, schools evaluated students for 80 marks on the basis of the various internal assessments taken during the academic session, which was just 20 earlier. similarly, for evaluating cbse class xii results, the theory marks of each subject were computed using 40 per cent of the marks they got in the subject pre-boards or mid-term exams held by their schools earlier, 30 per cent from their class xi final exam marks, and 30 per cent from their class x board exam results. this was then added to the actual marks of students who got in their class xii internal assessments and practicals for that subject. in a similar wakeup call, former union minister mr kapil sibal raised the question of online examination being “extremely discriminatory” (the hindu, 2020). he mentioned that examinations shouldn’t be the priority at the university level until there is a pandemic because there exists a digital divide in the country, especially in remote and rural belts, and hence examinations will be working against the students from poor and marginalised sections of society. however, he asserted that major changes would take place in the education system in the coming years with better internet connectivity and convergence across the country, which would enable better access to quality education in difficult pandemic situations. digitisation is perhaps the only solution that will provide connectivity to every school and college in different corners of the country in the coming times. the unpredictability of the pandemic time needs strategic planning and better innovative solutions for proper student evaluation, as the present mechanism does not give a scope for democratic assessments. the present evaluative pattern favours the students with resources and works against those who do not possess them. the pandemic compelled us to think of this important aspect of education. further, the university grants commission (ugc) released an advisory in july 2020 to follow any of the three alternative models for the evaluation of students, which were either to conduct a traditional examination following standard operating procedure or to conduct an online examination and a third model of blending of both the traditional and online examination was also suggested. however, many autonomous institutions like the iits (indian institute of technologies) and colleges have cancelled exams and have promoted students on the basis of past performance. iit goa came out with a unique method for evaluating students (timesnownews.com, 2021). students were asked to frame questions, answer them and get marks. the method adopted by iit goa is considered to be innovative and unique. prediction of students’ future performance is also one indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 236 such reliable and authentic mechanism which does not discriminate the unprivileged over privileged students. also, regression analysis has been successfully used to predict the future performances of students in many advanced countries where the culture of maintaining databases is a common practice. considering the indian context, the majority of the student population in higher education go for ug (undergraduate) and pg (postgraduate) programmes of 3 years and 2 years, respectively. amidst the pandemic of covid 19, heis across the country took a decision to cancel face-to-face examinations, including the endsemester examinations. students were to face either the 2nd, 4th or 6th semesters for ug courses and the 2nd or 4th semesters for pg courses during the first wave of the pandemic. the first wave of the covid-19 pandemic commenced with increased detection of cases in january-march 2020, with the september 2020 peak (banerjee, 2020) with receding cases for the first time across the country by october 2020 (hindustantimes. com). the present study evidently supports that the decision to promote students during the first wave of the covid-19 pandemic in india was not futile. specifically considering the endsemester examination, table 10 depicts the summary of student evaluations already done and remaining in various ug & pg programs during the first wave of the covid-19 pandemic. the summary conveys that when bulk student evaluation is already over, promotion on the basis of past performances is risk-free. as far as nonend semesters are concerned, student promotion is granted considering the amount of remaining time available for their complete assessments. it is very evident that high-performing students will consistently perform well in upcoming exams and vice versa. today’s educational system, especially indian higher education, is very immune to change of any kind and is busy producing graduates and postgraduates, very much confirming the marks-ridden criterion of qualifying and succeeding in the examinations. for that matter, evaluation through examination is restricted to the filtration of candidates, and examinations provide no feedback on holistic aspects of one’s progress. feedback is the key to evaluation of any kind, and continuous internal assessment is the game changer. the prediction of students’ scores is very much based on their continuously assessed performances on the basis of which future performance can be assessed. the method is highly reliable and authentic, leaving no scope for biased student assessment, which may operate and discriminate the unprivileged over privileged students. regression analysis as a technique has been tested across time and space which has the potential to predict the future performances of students. the present study reiterates this fact through the analysis done in the postprediction phase, where a very high correlation is obtained between the predicted and the actual end-semester scores obtained through online examination by the students of the education pg program in the year 2020. through the present study, the authors want to propose that some indigenous alternative strategies should always be tested and tried in advance to evaluate students. this can solve the problems of unforeseen, unfavourable and unpredictable times, such as the current pandemic, in terms of student evaluation. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 237 table-10: summary of evaluation already done and remaining in various ug & pg programs during first wave of covid-19 pandemic, 2020 sl. no. pg programmes (2 yrs. duration) students have already been examined for exams to be conducted only for m.a. 3 semesters (75% of teaching & evaluation through traditional mode is already over) 4th semester (only 25% evaluation is remaining)m. sc. m. com. m.b.a. m. lib. sci. m. tech. any other pg programme ug programmes (3 yrs. duration) students have already been examined for exams to be conducted only for b.a. 5 semesters (83% of teaching & evaluation through traditional mode is already over) 6th semester (only 17% evaluation is remaining)b.sc. b. com l.l.b. (three yrs) b.b.a. ug programmes (4 yrs. duration) students have already been examined for exams to be conducted only for b. tech. 7 semesters (87% of teaching & evaluation through traditional mode is already over) 8th semester (only 13% evaluation is remaining)m.b.b.s. b.ed.4yrs. integrated any other ug programme of 3yrs duration integrated programmes (ug+pg) (5 yrs. duration) students have already been examined for exams to be conducted only for integrated mba 9 semesters (90% of teaching & evaluation through traditional mode is already over) 10th semester (only 10% evaluation is remaining)integrated llb integrated m. lib. sci. any other integrated (ug+pg) programme indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 238 understanding the online teaching –learning amidst the covid 19 pandemic: the indian context several new modalities found their way in, especially in the dynamics of online classrooms amidst this pandemic. alternative assessments such as oral assessment or viva or live psychomotor skill demonstration via zoom or similar video conferencing, submission of video recordings of presentations, take-home open book assessments, time-limited online open-book assessments and assignments, take-home long and short answer assessments are viable options for assessing students if measures are implemented to reduce associated academic integrity risks (adama et al, 2023). the covid-19 pandemic kindled a shift in traditional pedagogy, especially for university-level students, changing the way students learn, attend classes, or communicate with teachers (tulaskar & turunen, 2022).  innovative ideas like team teaching came up as a major choice by many higher education institutions across the country, offering tremendous benefits when it is tried in online mode. when two or more teachers interact collectively with students in online platforms they can prove to supplement and complement their assets and shortcomings. their difference in teaching style actually enhances the attention and retention on the part of the students. in 2020 and 2021, for the first time, an online interface is adopted in teacher training institutions (ttis) spanning pre-internship, internship and post-internship online sessions (dvivedi & kaur et al.,2022). it was a successful attempt and is in the process of documentation in terms of teachers’ and trainees’ first-hand experiences. students from the neighbourhood, available in the vicinity, were taught by pupil teachers solving the problem of the non-availability of schools for internship. the pupil-teacher recorded the lessons, creating a simulated environment for the purpose. they also created a laboratory at home for demonstrating simple experiences. something out of the box was trying to overcome the boredom of online platforms of learning. sometimes, students provide the best solution to a problem by peer-teaching, creating discussion forums, and using online space for writing, expressing poetry, and academic discussions during the online internship. some special case studies of innovations in teaching sciences during the covid-19 pandemic, such as biological laboratory in-house/out-of-school, technological embedment in preparing science projects and use of science learning demonstrative videos, etc., were tried in different online instruction times by the pupil teachers. the concept of cube (collaboratively understanding biology education) program at the homi bhabha center for science education (tata institute of fundamental research) is a project-based science education program classes meant for teaching online and distance biology. it is one of the most successful ideas, and it is well-recognized and documented (kharatmal, nagarjuna & yadav, 2020). the year 2020 has been a big year for educational technology amidst the pandemic. a lot of ict tools found their way to online classrooms, such as google platform/workspace, including google quizzes/ forms, jam boards (interactive boards), google docs, google sheets, slido polls, pedlet, learning management systems (lms) like moodle, all used in mizoram university along with other indian heis. software like microsoft teams, zoom, cisco webex and social media tools like whats app, facebook, youtube, etc., are being extensively utilized to facilitate the teachinglearning process. traditionally, people think there are both pros and cons to applying technology to education. on one side, it offers great benefits of indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 239 reaching out to distant learners, but on the other side, it is problematic, especially in determining whether learning has occurred or not. the latter problem has doubled on account of the prevailing digital divide in the country. technology is thus a means but not the end. the opportunities and challenges of emergency remote teaching-based experiences of covid-19 times are vital knowledge reservoirs for taking up teaching-learning processes in the post-covid times and now need to be documented for future planning. many pertinent questions are on the floor, such as how can we make maximum use of the potential of our students through technology? are the teachers ready to perform online evaluations with transparency? is the blended mode of teaching-learning processes the best for current times and the future? etc. the rise in student mental health difficulties has been a growing international concern long before the onset of the covid-19 pandemic (cuijpers et al. 2019). working on student’s emotional health is essential and hence the role of affect in online classes needs to be researched. is it totally missing, or is it all the same? the online examination amidst the covid-19 pandemic raised many questions about the authenticity of examinations, and their impact on the emotional well-being of students during the pandemic still remains an unaddressed question. as found by reeves (2005), there is “no significant difference” in terms of students’ achievement with respect to the modality of learning experiences, i.e. between offline and online teachinglearning processes. for many of us, teaching through online mode is as good as face-to-face, but we forget students’ perspectives, experiences, and limitations. we need to focus on effect rather than cognition alone while teaching concepts. according to mok et al. (2021), many studies during the pandemic raised the issue of assessment while shifting to the complete online modality of transaction of content, leading to a serious impact on student competence. further, it is reiterated in their study that this sudden shift to online learning has opened the room for improving the current assessment standards, leading to innovating new non-traditional methods not focusing on learning outcomes but on student experience. innovative, creative and sustainable development skills of youth, which are missing in the present evaluative system in our nation, are to be prioritized. evaluation on the basis of skilled competency is important. providing emergency training for unfavourable circumstances such as a pandemic, providing counselling services for proper mental health, and involving learners’ experiences and creative solutions are new lessons learned. our training is very poor on digital platforms, and we have proven to be good teachers in face-to-face learning. how can we overcome the gap through minimal digital investment? is a new question to be answered. lessons need to be learned from developed countries which have used this pandemic time to devise and strategize new modes of examination and are still improvising to fit new situations. some promising practices evolved during the last four years amidst the pandemic and post-pandemic times, which all need to be documented. various ways to design meaningful learning experiences for students by adding technology to the methodology are being tried. however, adding technology should target improving the quality of students’ experiences. flexibility in design in terms of time, space, content (contextbased), and evaluation is the call of the new days based on the central question: how do students feel they should be evaluated? an argument is indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 240 placed that responsibility for the design should be shared by both teachers and students, and students’ needs should be bulk shared in designing experiences through technology (oliver, 2015). thus, where on one end, developed countries utilized the covid-19 pandemic to innovate and refine existing practices of evaluating students online; on the other end, developing countries like ours had a chance to gain first-time experiences in online teaching-learning processes. the experience is unique both at the level of students and teachers and is a vital reservoir readily available for proper future education planning at heis specifically. conclusion the objective of the present study was to draw attention to sensitive aspects of student evaluation through digital platforms, especially in the context of higher education. during the covid-19 pandemic when, for almost the entire 2020-2021 session, online teachinglearning processes were the only valid and viable mode of instruction. it is very important to understand the validity of various digital platforms in educating the youth, especially in a nation like ours, where both teachers and students have the opportunity to have exclusive firsthand experience. the present study suggests that a culture of maintaining databases should be encouraged at higher educational levels so that effective and innovative strategies of prediction can be tried out. the present study made a similar attempt using the available examination result database of the pg programme students from mizoram university. the result of the analysis is suggestive that statistical prediction must be adopted as an alternative strategy to evaluate students. technology and its application in educational settings have proved to be a blessing in disguise in covid-19 times. across the globe, there are many best practices for evaluating students online, especially lessons from developed countries, which should be discussed more now in order to strengthen evaluative strategies. some of the tested innovative strategies are an equal partnership of both teacher and students in designing digital experiences, discussion forums as an apt way to overcome the boredom of online platforms of learning, the concept of providing achievement badges to acknowledge learners and provide feedback, open book examination to bring in tr4ansparency in evaluative practices, use of problem-oriented integrated curriculum packages such as life skill, competency-based curriculum packages to strengthen learner’s engagement, online team teaching, online /blended mode of internships in teacher training institutions (ttis) and statistical prediction of students’ score. the importance of using students’ data to drive improvement in education planning is one of the most used strategies, as well as techniques for obtaining knowledge from databases such as large arrays of student data from academic institution databases (arsad & buniyamin, 2014). the covid-19 pandemic brought in tough times globally. the educational sector is deeply impacted, although the extreme situations enabled education to think out of the box. the pandemic, as a challenge, compelled us all to be more promising in our efforts to combat it. we learnt new things and practised them. technology has become our partner in solving problems and providing innovative solutions in many places, but it has also become a hurdle for the marginalized section. the covid-19 pandemic led us all to think of a different perspective on technology, mostly solving the problem of teaching only to those who have adequate resources to access it. circumstantially, many new ideas for student evaluation were tried in many places where the prediction of indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 241 students’ scores emerged as a valid and reliable alternative model which needs to be documented as an objective practice for the sake of transparency in student evaluation. funding no external funding was received. disclosure the authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. data availability statement (das) data shall be made available on demand. references adama, e.a., graf, a., adusei-asante, k. & afrifa-yamoah, e. (2023). covid-19 and alternative assessments in higher education: implications for academic integrity among nursing and social science students. international journal of educational integrity, 19(8) https:// doi.org/10.1007/s40979-023-00129-0 arsad, p. m., & buniyamin, n. (2014, april). neural network and linear regression methods for prediction of students’ academic achievement. in  2014 ieee global engineering education conference (educon) (pp. 916-921). ieee. banerjee, s. (2020). pune prepared to deal with second wave: divisional commissioner. the hindu, 3, 00. cuijpers, p., r. auerbach, c. benjet, r. bruffaerts, d. ebert, e. karyotaki, and r. kessler. (2019). the world health organisation world mental health international college student initiative: an overview.  international journal of methods in psychiatric research  28 (2): e1761. doi:10.1002/mpr.1761 dvivedi, s., kaur, n., dwivedi, s, & mishra, a. (2022). internship during covid 19 pandemic: experiences of stakeholders of teacher training institutions. journal of xi’an shiyou university, natural sciences edition 65 (7), 79-99. doi 10.17605/osf.io/hpf64 kaur, n. & vadhera, r.p. (2021). perspectives of parents and students on online teaching learning process during the covid-19 pandemic. mizoram university journal of humanities & social sciences (mzujhss) 7 (1), 135-147. kharatmal, m., nagarjuna, g. & yadav, k.( 2020, november 18 ).undergraduates in lockdown — sustaining research projects with cube home labs and chatshaala. india bioscience.https://indiabioscience.org/columns/education/undergraduates-inlockdown-sustaining-research-projects-with-cube-home-labs marinoni, g, van’t land, h & jensen, t (2020) the impact of covid-19 on higher education around the world. iau global survey report 23:1–7 mok, k. h., xiong, w., & bin aedy rahman, h. n. (2021). covid-19 pandemic’s disruption on university teaching and learning and competence cultivation: student evaluation of online learning experiences in hong kong.  international journal of chinese education, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/22125868211007011 mudenda, s., daka, v., mufwambi, w., et al. (2023) student’s perspectives, satisfaction and experiences with online and classroom learning during the covid-19 pandemic: findings and implications on blended learning.  sage open medicine. 11. doi:10.1177/20503121231218904 mullick, j. (2020, october 8). india’s first covid-19 wave finally recedes. hindustan times https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-s-first-covid-19-wave-finallyrecedes/story-clqammmd2tiyd3i1csmw3j.html indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 242 namoun, a. & alshanqiti, a.(2021) predicting student performance using data mining and learning analytics techniques: a systematic literature review.  applied sciences. 11(1):237. https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010237 oliver, m. (2015). from openness to permeability: reframing open education in terms of positive liberty in the enactment of academic practices. learning, media and technology,40(3),365-384.https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1475491/3/ oliver_1475491_permeability%20paper%20v3.pdf pokhrel, s., & chhetri, r. (2021). a literature review on impact of covid-19 pandemic on teaching and learning. higher education for the future, 8(1), 133-141. https://doi. org/10.1177/2347631120983481 pti (2020, june 28).universities should not conduct exams amid pandemic, online tests ‘discriminatory’, says kapil sibal. the hindu. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ universities-should-not-conduct-exams-amid-pandemic-online-tests-discriminatorysays-kapil-sibal/article31938294.ece# reeves, t. c. (2005). no significant differences revisited: a historical perspective on the research informing contemporary online learning. in g. kearsley (ed.), online learning: personal reflections on the transformation of education, 299-308. englewood cliffs, nj: educational technology publications. samantaray, n. (2021, may 28). no exams in covid: iit goa’s unique method of evaluating students wins accolades. timesnownews.com. https://www.timesnownews.com/ education/article/no-exams-in-covid-iit-goas-unique-method-of-evaluating-studentswins-accolades/763004 tulaskar, r. & turunen, m. (2022). what students want? experiences, challenges, and engagement during emergency remote learning amidst covid-19 crisis. educational information technology, 27, 551–587. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10747-1 university grants commission. (2020, july 6). ugc revised guidelines on examinations and academic calendar for the universities in view of covid-19. https://www.ugc.ac.in/ pdfnews/6100894_ugc-revised-guidelines-on-examinations-and-academic-calendarfor-the-universities-in-view-of-covid-19-pandemic_06_07_2020.pdf indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 61 research article generative ai in academia: navigating copyright and intellectual property challenges priya rai university librarian, national law university delhi emailpriyarai@nludelhi.ac.in “the ai does not compete with the human mind, it complements it.” — ginni rometty abstract generative artificial intelligence has emerged as a powerful asset in academic research, enabling the independent creation of diverse types of content. these technologies have significantly transformed the methodologies employed in academic inquiry; however, their integration into the educational sphere raises intricate intellectual property (ip) and copyright challenges. this paper investigates the potential issues of managing intellectual property and copyright concerns of generative ai research in academic contexts. it further explores the intricacies of licensing contracts, datasets, ownership, derivative works, fair use, and the enigma raised by ai-generated content. however, several studies have demonstrated that end users of generative ai can issue commands that, when followed, result in works that closely mimic copyright-protected content. lucchi (2023) raised concerns about ai’s prospects and new applications in various sectors, including replicating human conduct affecting society and law. the paper also delves into appropriate legal implications of ownership of ai-generated content and analyses the risk of copyright infringement of ai-generated content. keywords: generative ai; copyright; intellectual property challenges; academia introdution generative ai embraces the rise of innovations and transformation in academia, especially striking features like text generators, data lakes, and question snippets to recover relationships and patterns. the construction of billions of parameters in software processing escalates the risk of infringement of intellectual property proliferated by the capabilities of writing essays and poems, mimicking and imitating human behaviour with diffusion models. however, with these advancements come significant challenges, particularly in copyright and intellectual property (ip). as generative ai content has a substantial and prevalent impact in the educational sector, many questions relate to inherent risks in managing generative ai content and new skills and capabilities to address the considerable thresholds associated with new driving features. mckinsey and company, in a report, states the accelerating impact of ai and economic potential by contributing $15.7 trillion to gdp by 2030. the report noted that most stakes are from creative industries, media, entertainment, and design, with a high growth rate (cagr) of 20-30 per cent in the coming years. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 62 another debatable discussion relates to copyright protection for ai-generated works. centre for strategic and international studies (csis), in one of its reports, raised concerns about the ownership of generative ai content in relation to the “right to input and the rights to outputs”. section 17 of the copyright act foresters the concept of human authorship and ownership concerning intellectual property rights; section 17 of the copyright act specifically states only persons can be the author (‘persons’ includes individuals and entities like companies can be assigned copyright) that means the human-centric approach is prerequisite for a creation to be under copyrights preview nonetheless, section 17 of the copyright act of 1957 also states that  the author is the first owner of copyright work. in the case of andersen v. stability, ai is considered to set a precedent about copyright laws applicable to generative ai models without permission to train. the case focuses on various questions about how copyright law applies to ai technologies, whether the use of copyrighted works to train ai constitutes infringement, and whether ai-generated outputs violate the rights of the original creators. review of literature the academic community is urged to contemplate alluring perspectives of the intersection between ai-generated content, laws, and regulations and to explore the expanding scope of copyright protection in the ai world. grimmelmann (2020) explores various legal issues relating to authorship in ai and further finds the urgent need to strengthen the present framework for ai. abbott (2018) explores the prospects of acknowledging authorship of artificial intelligence and ai algorithms within previewing copyright laws. mccarthy (2021) and elkin-koren and gal (2022) investigate the legal consequences of copyright infringement to train ai without authorisation; the author also discusses the implacability of such publications under fair use and ethical issues in educational contexts. both bailey (2022) and fischer (2021) highlighted the potential threats and risks of plagiarism and redundant publications in academic writings due to the application of ai tools for content generation. do these inclusions raise concerns about abuse of technology, or can they ensure fairness in research outcomes and academic standards? technological developments have encircled a diverse range of creators’ rights in the intellectual property landscape. khan and vaishnav (2024) address the issues of the intersection of technology and law in the realm of ipr, including patents, copyrights, and trademarks. the author comprehensively analysed the global impact of the growth of ai and ip rights, especially criminal liability of ai-generated content, and highlighted the progressions and evaluation in various aspects, including ethical implications and legal reforms. the universal acceptance of ai has triggered an intense legal debate over the ownership of ai-generated content, with many countries addressing the issues regarding the legal entity of ai. aziz (2023) advocates the copyright protection of ai-generated work based on originality output, novelty, and distinct from training data. the author argues that ai-generated content is not only reproduction but also assimilates unique creations based on a set of rules and patterns, a prerequisite to being eligible for copyright. the article recommends the urgent need for legislative changes to address ownership issues of ai-produced work. wipo report (2022) highlights that policymakers should drive balance in innovations and ip protection while developing comprehensive policies; also, in various indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 63 wipo conversations, wipo mentioned the increasing growth and importance of ai with training data and high-power computing in intellectual creations. the literature on generative ai in academia highlights the evolving landscape of ia and the revolving significant issues and challenges related to copyright and intellectual property. while discussing the ambiguity among legal provisions in the current copyright laws, kumar and dhingra (2025) argue that the use of copyrighted content to train generative artificial intelligence models have raised questions about ownership and rights, complicating the legal landscape for creators and developers of the contents. they further feel that the content generated by artificial intelligence shall blur the lights of the creativity of the human resources, which will contradict with the legal provisions of exciting intellectual property laws. hanif et.al (2025) submit their concerns about the academic integrity and plagiarism, may arise due to use of generative artificial intelligence. objective of the study the rise of generative ai in academia has sparked debate on copyright and intellectual property (ip) rights. as ai technologies become increasingly capable of generating text, images, music, and other creative content, several challenges and considerations have emerged. 1. to analyse the legal ramifications of authorship and ownership of ai-generated content within the academic context. 2. to analyse the challenges in determining ownership of aiproduced content. 3. to explore copyright infringement and fair use implications for aigenerated works 4. to explore the ethical challenges associated with the use of generative ai in academia. 5. this paper highlights areas where further research is needed to understand the long-term impact of generative ai on academia, particularly legal, ethical, and policy developments. research methodology a questionnaire was designed to gather detailed perspectives on the management and perception of generative ai in academia, particularly regarding copyright and intellectual property challenges, among llb, llm, and phd students at national law university, delhi with a sample size of 200, approximately 80 percent of the students responded to the survey. the study employed various evaluative techniques, including percentage analysis, cross-tabulation, and other statistical methods, to interpret the data and derive meaningful conclusions. the legal landscape: challenges and interpretations traditional copyright law copyright law has historically been based on the premise that the creator of a work is a human being who invests creativity, labour, and originality into producing something new. this framework grants the author exclusive rights to control and benefit from their creation. however, ai-generated works do not aptly fit into this paradigm. when an ai system produces a novel piece of art, writes a poem, or composes music with little human intervention, the question arises: “can ai be considered an author, or should the rights belong to the human who owns or operates the ai?” yet the answer is complex and depends on legal, ethical, and indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 64 philosophical considerations. legally, most jurisdictions currently do not recognise ai as an author. copyright law traditionally attributes authorship to human creators, meaning that the rights typically belong to the person or entity that controls and directs the ai’s output, often the human operator or owner (grimmelmann, 2020). however, debates continue to find a clear view and correct perspective on the proper ownership of ai scholarships and the role of the humans behind the machine, which could be resolved by implementing clear laws and regulations. (aggarwal and sircar, 2022) jurisdictional approaches different jurisdictions have taken varied stances on the issue of ai authorship. the u.s. copyright office registers only those works that are original and created by human beings; it explicitly states that copyright protection is provided to those created by human authors, which means human intervention is an essential criterion to be registered and protected under u.s. copyright laws. in the european union, the notion of authorship is not mentioned in eu legislation or the court of justice of the european union (cjeu). the idea of “authorial creativity” clearly focuses on human involvement in european copyright law, which states that ai-generated without significant human input is not recognised under copyright protection. conversely, the uk copyright, designs, and patents act of 1988 (cdpa) states that computercreated artistic work can be protected under copyright. the uk laws separate the notion of authorship and creativity, where section 179 of cdpa states that in computer-generated work, the author makes necessary arrangements to create the work so the copyright is automatically provided. that indicates the human or person providing initial inputs is considered the work’s author. these differing approaches highlight the lack of a global consensus on aigenerated works, leading to potential conflicts in international intellectual property management. table-1: comparative global approaches on ai generative work jurisdiction ai as author human intervention required ownership of ai-generated works copyright protection united states ai cannot be the author; human authorship is required. human input is required to qualify for copyright. copyright belongs to human creators who significantly contribute. pure aigenerated works are not protected under copyright law (e.g., u.s. copyright office guidance). european union ai is not recognised as an author. substantial human involvement is required. ownership vasts in the human creator or entities involved in ai’s output. copyright applies only to humangenerated works. united kingdom ai cannot be the author, but the person arranging the work may own it. requires minimal human involvement to claim ownership. copyright belongs to the individual who sets the ai process in motion. copyright is granted to the user/operator who arranges the ai process. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 65 australia ai is not an author under copyright law. human input is necessary for copyright. the copyright holder is the human who guided the ai. copyright protection extends to works with sufficient human contribution. china ai cannot be the author, but courts may protect some ai-generated works. a human role is essential for legal protection. ownership is generally granted to the human or organization using ai. courts have granted limited protection to aiassisted works. japan ai is not recognised as an author. human input is mandatory to claim authorship. rights are vested in the human developer/operator of the ai. ai-generated works with significant human input may be protected. india ai cannot be the author; human creativity is required. significant human intervention is essential for copyright. the person using ai or making final creative decisions holds the copyright. ai-generated content without human intervention may not qualify for copyright. table 1 visualises a comparison of copyright laws based on the several parameters. none of the copyright laws of various jurisdiction now considers ai as an author. ownership of ai-generated works one of the most pressing questions, “who owns the rights to content generated by ai?” is haunting the halls of academia. traditionally, copyright is granted to human creators. however, with ai, the role of the human is restricted to a facilitator or operator rather than a direct creator. determining whether the creator, the ai, or the institution that owns the ai has the rights to the generated content is complex. legal frameworks are still evolving to address these scenarios. however, artificial intelligence’s rapid advancement has dramatically altered various industries, including art, literature, music, and software development. ai’s ability to autonomously generate content that mimics or even surpasses human creativity has sparked significant debate over the ownership of such works. traditional copyright laws designed for human authorship are increasingly challenged by ai-generated content, raising complex legal and ethical questions about whom, if anyone, should own the rights to these creations. over the past five years, the u.s. copyright office has seen a 15 per cent rise in inquiries and disputes related to ai-generated works. this trend highlights the legal uncertainties surrounding authorship and ownership of ai-created content. as of 2023, only a handful of countries, such as the united kingdom and japan, have introduced specific legal frameworks addressing the ownership of ai-generated works. however, 72 per cent of intellectual property professionals expect that more countries will adopt such measures within the next five years as the need for indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 66 international harmonisation becomes more pressing to answer certain evolving aspects like ownership claims, legal precedents of ai-generated works, jurisdictional differences, contractual agreements between ai developers and users. perspective on the allocation of ownership rights to explore respondents’ perspectives on the appropriate allocation of ownership rights, a question was asked: “how should ownership of ai-generated content be attributed among various stakeholders in academic research?” figure 1 illustrates how ownership should be attributed in academic research according to respondents’ opinions; the highest 55 percent was attributed to academic users of ai tools, reflecting the belief that those who directly use the ai should hold primary ownership. this is followed by ai developers’ 25 percent, who received a significantly lower share of ownership. academic institutions and research teams or collaborators were attributed equal percentages of 10 percent each, indicating a shared recognition of their roles in the research process figure-1: perspectives on the appropriate allocation of ownership rights specific academic guidelines on ownership of ai-generated works there has been increasing use of ai tools in academic research and content creation; another question was asked with the respondents about other dimensions of ownership: “what specific guidelines or policies do you believe are necessary to address the ownership and authorship of ai-generated works?” figure 2 shows the distribution of focus areas related to guidelines on the use of ai in academia. as copyright policies are the foundation of assigning ownership of intellectual property, 35 per cent of respondents believe there is an urgent need for clear and updated guidelines for academic copyright policies concerning ai tools for universities, research institutions, and publishers. 30 per cent mentioned that there is utmost need to adhere to standardised guidelines addressing how ai-generated research output may be treated under intellectual property to clarify the ownership under which category ai has the right to act as author or co-author. 20 per cent mentioned that institutions should mention ai usage policies to clarify ownership retention over airesearch-assisted output. 10 per cent suggested apparent collaboration and authorship, especially in collaborative projects, to define how ownership and authorship shall be credited to handle ownership disputes if they arise. these percentages represent the relative emphasis or importance given to each area in the context of academic and airelated policy development. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 67 figure-2: distribution of focus areas related to guidelines on the use of ai in academia challenges in determining ownership researchers often face significant challenges when defining the specific contributions made by ai, mainly when ai assists with tasks like data analysis, literature review, or content creation. a common difficulty is determining how much credit should be given to the researcher versus the ai. in the survey, students were asked about the challenges they face or anticipate in assessing the ownership of ai-generated academic papers, which revealed the following insights: 40 per cent of students acknowledged the ambiguity in existing academic copyright laws as their most significant challenge. 30 per cent of students highlighted the difficulty in defining ai’s role and contribution as an essential concern. 15 per cent of students reported disagreements among research collaborators when determining the ownership of aigenerated academic works. 10 per cent of students mentioned the complexities of intellectual property management as a key issue. this data underscores the growing need for clear guidelines and legal frameworks to address the complexities surrounding ai’s role in academic work. figure-3: challenges in determining ownership of ai-generated academic works future impact of ai on ownership rights the future impact of ai on ownership rights is expected to be profound, particularly in intellectual property (ip) and content development. students were asked whether advancements in ai technology will impact ownership rights in academic research. 50 percent of students reported a good influence, 25 percent a neutral impact, 15 percent a negative impact, and 10 percent no impact. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 68 figure4: future impact of ai on ownership rights copyright infringement and fair use implications for ai-generated works the prevalence of generative ai content in academia pushes toward a new set of infringements and issues about ownership, authorship, and fair use under copyright laws. machine learning algorithms generate new content based on patterns and relationships in extensive data sets inspired or similar to existing data. these algorithms do not possess any content-creating intent but result from complex mathematical models. these raise new debates on legal adjustment and acknowledging ai as co-authorship where the contributors are both ai and human for a single work (vishnu, 2024). copyright infringement in the context of ai copyright infringement deals with using copyrighted works without authorisation and permission. the protection subsets literature, music, and software. copyright exclusively provides the right to distribute, reproduce, perform, and display copyright-protected work. aspect description reproduction copying or reproducing the work in any form. distribution selling or distributing copies of the work. performance performing the work publicly, such as in music or theatre. display showing the work publicly, such as in visual arts. ai systems often use existing works as training data to generate new content, and ai models may be trained on large datasets that include copyrighted works. if the ai system’s output closely resembles the original works, it may lead to infringement claims. if an ai generates content similar to or derivative of a copyrighted work, the original copyright holder may argue that the ai’s output infringes on their rights. in authors guild v. google, inc., the court ruled that google’s project to digitise books and make them searchable did not infringe on copyright because it was considered transformative fair indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 69 use. although not directly related to ai, this case is relevant for understanding how derivative use of copyrighted works is assessed. the case, thaler v. vidal, involved discussions on whether the ai’s output could be considered a copyrightable work and who would hold the rights. types of copyright infringement concerns several copyright infringement concerns include reproduction infringement, distribution infringement, public performance infringement, derivative work infringement, public display infringement, software piracy, internet copyright infringement, and plagiarism. the question is, “which is most concerned with the type of copyright infringement about ai-generated works?” line chart 1 explains the largest category, 40 percent, indicating that most copyright issues are due to using copyrighted material without proper authorisation. this can include using text, images, videos, or other media without obtaining the copyright holder’s permission, where, in 25 per cent of instances, copyrighted material is copied or reproduced without the original creator’s consent. it’s a significant concern, as reproducing someone else’s work can lead to copyright violations if the work is used for commercial or personal purposes without permission. 15 per cent shows that a notable portion of copyright issues involve works that modify or build upon existing works, often without proper authorisation. 10 per cent represents plagiarism or misattribution of data. figure-5: types of copyright infringement concerns challenges in managing copyright and fair use ai can produce a wide range of content, including text, images, and music. the originality of ai-generated content and the determination of copyright ownership will become more complex, challenging traditional concepts of authorship and rights (ginsburg, 2023). moreover, current copyright laws are primarily designed for human creators. new legal definitions and frameworks may be required to address ownership issues related to ai-created works (bently and sherman, 2022). the students were asked, “how do you foresee the evolution of ai technology impacting copyright and fair use issues in the future?” ambiguity in copyright laws accounts for 40 percent, whereas 30 percent found difficulty in fair use determination, 18 percent of students mentioned the high complexity of ai’s contribution to copyrighted work, and 12 percent stated dispute issues over content rights. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 70 figure-6: ai technology impacting copyright and fair use issues recommendation of the study the rise of generative ai in academia has created exciting possibilities, but it also brings challenges around copyright and intellectual property (ip). as ai evolves, future developments must address these complexities to ensure the ethical and legal use of ai-generated content in academic settings. some recommendations for navigating these challenges are discussed hereunder. reforming copyright laws current copyright laws are often ambiguous regarding ai-generated works. legal reforms must clearly define guidelines on authorship and ownership of ai-created content. new forms of protection specific to aigenerated outputs that differ from traditional human-created works must be introduced. redefining fair use ai-generated content raises questions about fair use, particularly regarding how much human involvement qualifies as original authorship. clarifying and establishing clear criteria for when ai-generated works qualify under fair use, particularly in education and research contexts, is required. developing licensing models tailored for ai-produced content, ensuring that creators, ai developers, and users are pretty compensated. ownership of ai-generated content the ai used to generate academic content is in high demand and is raising high discourse on intellectual property ownership. the legal framework could be instrumented to have a balanced approach towards human and machinegenerated content to recognise the potential of ai in academia. ethical and institutional policies of ai ai generates a massive amount of academic content, which poses unique challenges to academia. it is essential to balance innovation and academic integrity; this leads to adopting and creating new ethical standard guidelines to account for academic integrity and evaluate ai-generated research’s ethical and legal implications. conclusion generative ai has profoundly impacted global education as technologies are integral to research and academic content creation. a recent survey (educause, 2023) found that 83 percent of users stated that, remarkably, higher education within three to five years could be changed by generative ai. the legislative foundation of copyright protection is significantly disrupted by the emergence of ai, which is human authorship. this raises massive confusion about the involvement of human assistance and its significant impact on creative indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 71 processes and ai-generated works. many countries are proactively working towards amending their statutes to accommodate ai-generated content as human interventions (gaffar and albarashdi, 2024). there is an urgent need to foster comprehensive policies harmonizing the multifaceted approach to ai, integrating legal and ethical considerations, and ensuring that all benefits of ai are harnessed while protecting intellectual property rights. proactively addressing these challenges will embrace ai’s proposed opportunities while safeguarding all stockholders’ rights. references aziz, a. (2023). artificial intelligence produced original work: a new approach to copyright protection and ownership. european journal of artificial intelligence and machine learning, 2(2), 9–16. https://doi.org/10.24018/ejai. bently, lionel & sherman, brad et al., intellectual property law, oxford university press, 6th ed. 2022, p.1560. isbn: 9780198869917 elkin-koren, n., & gal, m. s. (2022). ai trainers as intellectual property infringers: copyright infringement in the age of machine learning. the journal of world intellectual property, 25(1-2), 6-23. gaffar h and albarashdi s. copyright protection for ai-generated works: exploring originality and ownership in a digital landscape.  asian journal of international law. published online 2024:1-24. doi:10.1017/s2044251323000735 ginsburg, j. c. (2022). copyright and the ai revolution: a new paradigm. columbia journal of law & the arts, 45(1), 45-72. grimmelmann, j. (2020). there’s no such thing as a computer-authored work—and it’s a good thing, too. columbia journal of law & the arts, 39(3), 403-416. grimmelmann, j. (2020). there can be no ai authors. the columbia journal of law & the arts, 44(3), 263-282. guild v. google, inc., united states court of appeals for the second circuit 804 f.3d 202 (2015) hanafi, a., ahmed, m. a., al-mansi, m. m., & al-sharif, o. a. (2025). generative ai in academia: a comprehensive review of applications and implications for the research process. international journal of engineering and applied sciences, 2(1), 91–110. https:// doi.org/10.21608/ijeasou.2025.349520.1041 hugenholtz, b., & senftleben, m. (2021). fair use in the age of ai: challenges and opportunities. journal of intellectual property law & practice, 16(3), 245-256. khan, aakib, & prashant vaishnav. (2024) intellectual property law in the era of artificial intelligence. international journal of law, policy and social review 6 (2), 125-129 kitchin, r. (2022). ai and the future of copyright: a critical review. information, communication & society, 25(4), 456-472. kumar, v., & dhingra, r. (2025). towards transparency and fair compensation: resolving copyright challenges in generative ai.  social science research network. https://doi. org/10.2139/ssrn.5017775. lucchi n. (2023). chatgpt: a case study on copyright challenges for generative artificial intelligence systems.  european journal of risk regulation. published online 2023:1-23. doi:10.1017/err.2023.59 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 72 mccarthy, k. (2021). ai and copyright: emerging challenges for authors, creators, and rights holders. international journal of law and information technology, 29(3), 221-245. norton, b., & harlan, d. (2023). ethics and ai: navigating the implications for academic research. ethics in science and environmental politics, 23(2), 179-194. thaler v. vidal is 43 f.4th 1207, 1210 (fed. cir. 2022). vishnu s, (2024) journal of intellectual property rights, 29, 103-108, doi: 10.56042/jipr. v29i2.1205. world intellectual property organization (wipo). (2022). wipo technology trends 2022: artificial intelligence and intellectual property. wipo. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 280 research article a children-based survey on virtual schooling/ classrooms and psycho-social impacts thereof in elementary education in northeast india ayushi singh¹ & virendra pratap singh² ¹pratham education foundation,b4-59, safadarjung enclave, new delhi ²department of elementary education, ncert, sri aurobindo marg, new delhi email-vpsn_ncert@nic.in abstract this study aims to assess the impact of virtual schooling on learning outcomes for elementary school children, particularly from marginalised social and economic groups, in eight aspirational districts across the north-east region: namsai (arunachal), hailakandi (assam), chandel (manipur), ribhoi (meghalaya), mamit (mizoram), kiphire (nagaland), gyalshing (sikkim), and dhalai (tripura). this paper evaluates schools’ preparedness for online teaching and examines the impact of covid-19 on the psychosocial well-being of elementary school children. the study used a mixed-methods approach, collecting both quantitative and qualitative data from class vii and viii students during the 2022-23 academic year. schools were randomly selected based on administrative support, and the study focused on assessing systemic readiness, teaching quality, and the achievement of desired learning outcomes. the key concerns in online learning include the psychological well-being of students, the lack of essential infrastructure like devices and internet connectivity, and challenges such as network issues, material difficulty, distractions, and a preference for in-person learning. addressing these requires creative, engaging teaching methods, robust support systems, and adapting teaching to meet students’ needs. teachers need strong communication skills and updated ict resources. ensuring students are prepared and educating parents to foster a conducive home learning environment is also important. social isolation and the need for better interaction between students and teachers can be mitigated through ict tools. effective assessment methods, such as assignments and objectivebased evaluations, are necessary to gauge learning while minimising dishonesty. keywords: aspirational district, covid-19, elementary school children, north-east region, statistical survey, introduction the government of india (goi) introduced the national education policy (nep) 2020 in july 2020 during the covid-19 pandemic, focusing on quality, innovation, competency-based education, equity, and digital initiatives, with an emphasis on aspirational districts identified by niti aayog (2018) through the nipun bharat mission. the nep 2020 emphasises that the highest priority should be given to improving children’s learning outcomes through foundational literacy and numeracy (fln) in primary schools by 2025. without achieving basic learning skills (reading, writing, and arithmetic) at the foundational level, the rest of the policy will have limited relevance for a large portion of children. to address this, the government of india (goi) launched the nipun program in mission mode to create an enabling environment for indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 281 universal fln acquisition. the goal is for every child to attain the required competencies in reading, writing, and numeracy by the end of grade iii, or at the latest by grade v, by 2026-27. at the same time, the country underwent multiple lockdowns to curb the spread of covid-19. during this period, the goi issued guidelines for online teaching and distance learning, which became necessary due to the closure of schools, especially in rural areas. this shift from in-person classes to online learning required alternative educational methods, as traditional face-to-face teaching was no longer possible (dhawan, 2020). teachers’ computer proficiency and internet access enable remote work. thoughtful encouragement and a positive attitude can boost their morale and support an improved teachinglearning environment post-covid-19 disruption (bhat et. al, 2020). the nep2020 recognised the need to harness the benefits of technology in education while addressing the associated risks. it stressed that the use of technology for online and digital education must prioritise equity, calling for welldesigned pilot studies to evaluate how digital learning can be effectively utilised while minimising its potential drawbacks (goi, 2020). objectives of the study keeping in view the nep-2020 and nipun bharat mission, and thrust areas identified by the goi on quality and innovation, competency-based education, equity, ict and digital initiatives, focus on aspirational districts, the present research study aimed to identify the negative and positive effects of covid-19 pandemic on the competency-based learning for elementary school children in selected aspirational districts of the north-east region with research objectives – to assess the preparedness of schools for implementing online/virtual teaching and to examine the impact of covid-19 on the psycho-social well-being of elementary school children. research design of the study the study was designed using both quantitative and qualitative data, gathered through a research schedule aligned with the study’s objectives, focusing on the impact of covid-19 on elementary school children. a research schedule was created to collect information from children enrolled in classes vii and viii during the academic year 2022-23. this schedule included data on the steps taken so far, school preparedness for online/virtual teaching, and the psycho-social effects of covid-19 on elementary school children in the north-east region. in brief, the children’s schedule covered the data items on the availability of online class facilities and devices, sources of access to and availability of smartphones, teaching and learning methods/resources used during covid-19, challenges faced in implementing online learning, satisfaction with the learning schedule/ assigned tasks, disruptions encountered during online classes, children’s views on online classes, comfort with the learning format in online classes, degree of challenges encountered at home during online learning, satisfaction with interest/motivation for learning, insight into children’s engagement in online learning, and children’s experiences with online learning in the home environment. to conduct the study, eight aspirational districts from the region—namsai, hailakandi, chandel, ribhoi, mamit, kiphire, gyalshing, and dhalai—were selected, and 16 schools were randomly chosen for inclusion in the study. besides, 4 schools were randomly selected to indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 282 try out the schedule in the mamit and gyalshing districts. accordingly, data for the study were gathered from children attending 20 randomly chosen schools. the sampling unit was the schools, which were randomly selected based on administrative support from district authorities. from each randomly selected school, children were invited to participate in the survey based on their willingness. a sample of approximately 30 children (14 from class vii and 16 from class viii) from two schools in each of the eight north-east states was considered. data collection was conducted face-to-face, under the supervision of state nodal officers appointed by state authorities. the data, which included both closedand open-ended questions, were entered into ms excel worksheets, processed for tabulation, and analysed as suggested by cox (1996), daniels et.al. (2002), and kumar (2019). data presentation and analysis the present study aimed to assess the impact of covid-19 on elementary school children, focusing on the readiness of schools to implement online/virtual teaching and the effect of covid-19 on the psycho-social wellbeing of children in selected aspirational districts of the north-east region. to achieve this, a research schedule for children was developed, tested in field conditions, and finalised with inputs from an expert group. quantitative and qualitative data were collected from school children across all states of the north-east region, with one aspirational district selected from each state. the data were then categorised to provide general information about the children, as well as specific insights related to the study’s objectives. as per the study’s design, the target sample size for selected children was set at 300. however, due to the responses received, the number increased to 307. consequently, the study involved 307 children from selected 20 schools offering elementary education for classes vii and viii during the 2022-23 academic year. these children were considered the most vulnerable during the covid-19 pandemic, particularly during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 academic sessions. table-1: gender and class-wise number of sampled children gender class-wise number of sampled children total class – vii class – viii boys 79 75 154 girls 68 85 153 total 147 160 307 table 1 presents gender and class-wise details of the children included in the study. of the total 307 children, 154 were boys and 153 were girls, indicating a balanced gender ratio. among them, 147 children (79 boys and 68 girls) were enrolled in class vii, while 75 boys and 85 girls were in class viii at the time of data collection for this study. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 283 figure 1 illustrates the distribution of children across various social groups, including general, educationally backward minority communities (ebmc), other backward classes (obc), others/ not available, scheduled castes (sc), and scheduled tribes (st). among the children, 62% belonged to the st group, followed by 15% from the general group. the specific information gathered from the children was analysed using a mixed-method approach (both qualitative and quantitative) to derive objective-based findings. in line with the research objectives of the study, the data items/questions from the children’s schedule were identified as detailed in the research design section. the analysis involved reviewing each item or question of the children’s schedule, focusing on the frequency of responses. the objective-wise data presentation and analysis are then presented through tables, figures, and related interpretations, as outlined in the following paragraphs in this section. preparedness of schools for implementing online/ virtual teaching availability of online class facilities and devices table-2: accessibility of online class facility and devices for attending online classes to children accessibility of online class facility and devices children having access the school provided an online class facility during covid-19 87% children had access to a device for attending online classes yes 59% yes, but it did not work effectively 11% yes, but i shared it with others 12% no, i do not have one 18% children used devices for online learning (multiple responses are received) laptop 7%desktop computer tablet indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 284 accessibility of online class facility and devices children having access smartphone 91% tv/dth 2% radio children obtained devices for online learning at home already owned 67% purchased 15% borrowed 16% donated/ sponsored 2% any other (youth club, missionary etc.) the children were asked to share details about the availability of online class facilities and devices for attending these classes. table 2 summarises the data regarding the online class facilities provided by schools during the covid-19 pandemic, the proportion of children with access to devices for online learning, the types of devices used, and the sources from which children obtained these devices for home-based online learning. the data reveals that 87 per cent of children reported receiving online class facilities from their schools during the pandemic, while 82 per cent had access to a device for attending these classes. smartphones were the primary device used for online learning, with 91 per cent of children relying on them. additionally, around 82 per cent of children either already owned or purchased their devices, whereas 16 per cent borrowed them for online learning at home. sources of access to and availability of smartphones table-3: sources of accessibility and availability of smartphones to children sources of accessibility of smartphones availability of smart phone to children members of children’s households have smartphones 24% children have a smartphone 18% children use their parent’s smartphones for online classes 58% indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 285 table 3 presents data on the sources through which children accessed and obtained smartphones for attending online classes during the covid-19 pandemic. table 3 shows that approximately 24 per cent of children’s household members owned smartphones, while 18 per cent of children had their smartphones. moreover, 58 per cent of children relied on their parents’ smartphones to attend online classes. figure 2 provides a breakdown of the smartphones used by these 58 per cent of children, indicating that 53 per cent used their father’s smartphone, while 47 per cent used their mother’s smartphone for online learning during the covid-19 pandemic. teaching and learning methods/resources used during covid-19 table-4: children’s response on teaching-learning aids/ process used during covid-19 lockdown period s.no. teaching-learning aids during covid-19 lockdown children’s response to teaching-learning aids available/ used 1. ict devices used by teachers. computer 3% laptop 5% mobile phone 75% both laptop & mobile phone 17% 2. digital resources used in online learning. digital textbook/ worksheets 21% videos 48% powerpoint presentations 11% quizzes/assessment questions 25% online learning tools 16% other online resources: such as sending pictures of textbook chapters 38% children were asked about the teaching-learning aids and processes utilised during the covid-19 lockdown, including ict devices used by their teachers, the quality of internet connectivity, instances of internet disruptions from the teacher’s side, and the digital resources employed for online learning. table 4 outlines the ict devices and digital resources utilised by teachers during this period. according to table 4, about 75 per cent of teachers used mobile phones as their primary ict device for online teaching, while 17 per cent used a combination of laptops and mobile phones. the use of computers or laptops alone was minimal, particularly in sparsely populated and remote areas within the aspirational districts of the northeast region of india. additionally, table 4 highlights children’s responses regarding digital resources used during online learning. videos were the most common resource, used by 48 per cent of teachers, followed by 38 per cent who relied on other online materials, such as images of textbook chapters. furthermore, teachers incorporated teaching aids such as quizzes or assessment questions (25 per cent) and digital textbooks or worksheets (21 per cent) into their online learning practices during the pandemic. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 286 figure 3 illustrates children’s feedback on the quality of internet connectivity during virtual learning sessions from their teachers, rated on a three-point scale: very good, good, and bad. according to figure 4.1.2, 60 per cent of children rated the internet quality as “good,” while 24 per cent described it as “bad” during the online teachinglearning process during the pandemic. challenges faced in implementing online learning the children’s questionnaire included items on obstacles they encountered with online learning during the covid-19 lockdown, asking them to respond “yes” or “no” to statements about (i) whether they felt online learning made learning easier, (ii) whether the materials provided were easy to understand, and (iii) whether they felt comfortable with online learning methods. for analysis, a “no” response was interpreted as indicating an obstacle. figure 4 presents children’s opinions on these obstacles experienced in implementing online learning. approximately 60 per cent of children felt that online learning did not make learning easier, 50 per cent reported discomfort with online learning methods, and 48 per cent encountered difficulties with the provided materials, finding them hard to understand. table-5: applications used by children for online learning s.no. applications used for online learning used by children 1 whatsapp 75% 2. google classroom 17% 3. zoom meeting 20% 4. google meet 28% 5. microsoft teams 4% table 5 provides data on the percentage of children using various applications for online learning during the covid-19 lockdown. table 5 indicates that 75 per cent of children used whatsapp for online learning, followed by 28 per cent who used google meet, and 20 per cent who used zoom. microsoft teams was the least accessed, with only 4 per cent of children using it during the lockdown. this limited access to various applications, with whatsapp being the primary option, may have been a significant obstacle due to the lack of alternative online learning platforms. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 287 satisfaction with the learning schedule/assigned tasks children were asked to rate their satisfaction regarding the clarity of the learning schedule or timetable provided, the clarity of assigned tasks or homework, and the quantity of tasks given. responses were collected on a three-point scale: “to a great extent,” “to some extent,” and “not at all.” table-6: children’s response on items of satisfaction s.no. items of satisfaction children’s response to a great extent to some extent not at all 1. clarity of learning schedule/ timetable 40% 57% 2% 2. clarity of the tasks set/ given homework 39% 52% 8% 3. the number of tasks assigned 36% 58% 7% table 6 shows that 97 per cent of children were satisfied with the clarity of the learning schedule or timetable provided by the school, either “to a great extent” or “to some extent.” similarly, 91 per cent of children felt satisfied with the clarity of tasks or homework assigned by their teachers, following a similar pattern regarding satisfaction with the number of tasks assigned. disruptions encountered during online classes the children’s questionnaire included a question asking them to share their experiences of distractions at home while attending online classes during the covid-19 lockdown. in this context, distractions identified in the existing literature—such as video games, people moving around the house, internet surfing, sleeping, household activities, and other potential sources—were considered. multiple responses were anticipated and were indeed received from the children during data collection. upon reviewing the responses, it was found that out of the 307 sampled children, 277 (90 per cent) provided input on the distractions they faced. table-7: distractions faced by children at home while attending the online classes causes of distraction faced by children causes of distraction faced by children video games 18% movement of people at home 30% surfing the network 46% sleep 5% any others 9% household activities 14% table 7 shows that 46 per cent of children identified internet surfing as the primary cause of distraction, followed by 30 per cent who cited the movement of people at home as a distraction during online classes. video games ranked third, with 18 per cent, and household activities were the fourth most common cause, reported by 14 per cent of children as distractions while attending online classes during the covid-19 lockdown. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 288 impact of covid-19 on the psycho-social well-being of elementary school children children’s views on online classes data on children’s perceptions of online classes, specifically whether these classes encouraged them to develop an interest in their studies and helped them improve their ability to plan their work during the covid-19 lockdown, were gathered using a three-point rating scale: to a great extent, to some extent, and not at all. the results are presented in percentage form in figure 5. as shown in figure 5, 60 per cent of children felt that online classes encouraged them to take an interest in their studies, and 53 per cent believed that online classes helped them develop the ability to plan their work. however, the percentage of children who rated these aspects as “to a great extent” or “not at all” was below 30 per cent for both points. comfort with the learning format in online classes the children were asked to share their views on their comfort level with different modes of learning during the covid-19 lockdown period. their opinions were collected using a threepoint rating scale: face-to-face, online, blended/hybrid, and cannot say. additionally, children were asked if they experienced any physical or mental stress due to online classes, with responses recorded as either yes or no. if children preferred not to comment on stress, it was considered as no response. figures 6 and 7 illustrate the children’s comfort with the mode of learning in online classes and their perception of physical or mental stress caused by online learning during the covid-19 lockdown. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 289 as shown in figure 6, 65 per cent of children felt most comfortable with face-to-face learning, followed by 21 per cent who preferred the blended/ hybrid (face-to-face and online) mode. interestingly, only 10 per cent of children favoured the online mode of learning during the covid-19 lockdown period. similarly, figure 7 shows that 57 per cent of children did not experience any physical or mental stress, while 36 per cent reported feeling stress due to online classes during the covid-19 lockdown period. degree of challenges encountered at home during online learning the children’s questionnaire included a question about the personal challenges they faced while learning online from home, rated on a three-point scale: most significant, moderately significant, and least significant. the challenges identified included: (i) numerous distractions at home, such as household chores, (ii) social isolation, (iii) anxiety about the effects of the coronavirus on class promotion, and (iv) cyberbullying. table 8 presents the responses, divided into two groups: children who responded and those who did not. the proportion of non-responding children was 5 per cent or less for each challenge. from table 8, it is clear that 49 per cent of responding children found distractions at home, including household activities, to be moderately significant, followed by 34 per cent who considered it the least significant. for social isolation, the responses ranged between 29 per cent and 35 per cent, depending on the rating scale chosen. similarly, children expressed moderate concern about anxiety related to class promotion due to the pandemic. the least significant challenge, according to 69 per cent of children, was cyberbullying during online learning. table-8: extent of personal challenges faced by children on online learning from home s.no. extent of personal challenges children’s response* nonresponding childrenmost significant moderately significant least significant 1. too many distractions at home including household activities 17% 49% 34% 4% 2. social isolation 29% 34% 35% 6% 3. anxiety about the impact of the coronavirus on my class promotion 38% 30% 31% 4% 4. faced cyber bullying 12% 20% 69% 5% *percent point was worked out based on the total responding children keeping in view that non-responding children were outliers. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 290 satisfaction with interest/motivation for learning figure 8 shows children’s satisfaction with the increased interest in learning and motivation for self-learning. using a three-point rating scale, 49 per cent of responding children indicated “to some extent,” while 38 per cent rated it as “to a great extent” regarding the increased interest in learning. similarly, 43 per cent of children rated “to some extent,” and 44 per cent chose “to a great extent” in terms of motivation for self-learning. only 13 per cent of children responded with “not at all” for both aspects. insight into children’s engagement in online learning a three-point rating scale was used to evaluate children’s engagement in online learning and their views on it, with the following queries: (i) how unhappy did you feel about missing the class? (ii) how unhappy did you feel about skipping the class? (iii) how unhappy did you feel about missing peer interactions? (iv) how unhappy did you feel about missing games and sports? (v) how unhappy did you feel about missing co-curricular activities such as music, dance, and drama? indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 291 figure 9 clearly shows that children’s perception of their engagement in online classes reveals significant unhappiness about missing or skipping classes, peer interactions, games, sports, and cocurricular and co-scholastic activities. this unhappiness was reported at a rate of 44 per cent to 54 per cent for the “to a great extent” rating, followed by 37 per cent to 42 per cent for “to some extent.” when combining the responses for both “to a great extent” and “to some extent,” it becomes evident that children’s engagement in online learning was a major source of unhappiness, with 93 per cent feeling distressed about missing peer interactions, 91 per cent about missing classes, 90 per cent about missing co-scholastic activities (such as music, dance, drama), 89 per cent about missing games and sports, and 82 per cent about skipping classes. children’s experiences with online learning in the home environment children’s experiences with online learning in the home environment showed that communication with teachers was perceived to be better in face-to-face learning. some children enjoyed attending online classes, and a few isolated themselves in a study room, which helped them complete their lessons independently. participating in online classes allowed them to interact with their classmates and avoid feelings of loneliness or boredom at home. the home environment helped develop communication skills to some extent through virtual classes, and children adapted to new learning methods, allowing them to understand their lessons. however, most children reported missing their classmates and teachers and feeling lonely during online learning at home. many children faced significant challenges due to poor internet connectivity, limited data access, and power outages, which disrupted their online learning. during the early days of the covid-19 lockdown, children also felt awkward or hesitant about facing the camera during virtual classes. they reported frequent disturbances caused by their home environment. while some children initially felt good about virtual learning, they became restless after a month due to the lack of involvement in co-scholastic activities like drama, sports, and peer interaction. distractions from siblings and the need to share devices with family members for online classes were common, leading to delayed homework. the absence of teachers to check homework was seen as a significant drawback of online learning during the lockdown. additionally, lessons were often explained briefly, making it difficult for children to fully understand the material. some children disliked online learning because they had to manage academic work along with household chores, which caused distractions from their studies at home. findings the study aimed to assess the impact of online learning and virtual schooling, which became essential during the covid-19 pandemic. a key focus of the study was to evaluate the level of systemic preparedness, the quality of the teaching and learning process, and the extent to which the desired learning outcomes were achieved. the study specifically targeted children currently enrolled in classes vii and viii at the elementary level, who were at the primary school level during the pandemic. the findings presented below are based on the data collected and analysed in this paper: 1. schools adapted to the situation by organising online learning and virtual schooling, allowing children to receive education from home. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 292 however, while the supply-side challenge was addressed, the readiness of children to engage with these inputs remained a concern. it was found that a small percentage (13.36 per cent) of children did not have access to online learning facilities. 2. smartphones were the most commonly used devices for online learning among children. 3. although some children owned their smartphones, most were reliant on those belonging to family members. 4. according to the children, the majority of teachers (92 per cent) used mobile phones to deliver learning materials. 5. when it came to digital resources for teaching, videos were the most frequently used tool (48 per cent), while other resources such as digital textbooks, powerpoint presentations, quizzes, and online learning tools were also employed by teachers. 6. a large majority of children (75 per cent) used whatsapp as a tool for their learning. 7. most children expressed satisfaction with the learning schedule (97 per cent), clarity of tasks (91 per cent), and the overall workload in terms of the number of tasks assigned (94 per cent). 8. children reported encountering several challenges in online learning, including discomfort with online methods, difficulty with the material, and issues with how easily they could learn. 9. distractions during online learning were common, with the most frequent being internet surfing and the movement of people at home. 10. a significant number of children (60 per cent) felt that online classes helped them develop an interest in their studies, and 53 per cent said it helped them learn to manage their own work. 11. despite online learning being available to all children, only 10 per cent expressed a preference for it, with the majority (65 per cent) preferring in-person learning. 12. around 36 per cent of children reported experiencing stress due to online classes. 13. a large percentage of children experienced anxiety related to the coronavirus (68 per cent) and social isolation (63 per cent), with 32 per cent reporting instances of cyberbullying. 14. when asked about their interest and motivation in online learning, 43 per cent of children said they developed some interest, while 44 per cent said they developed a great deal of interest. however, 13 per cent did not develop any interest or motivation. 15. most children expressed disappointment about missing peer interaction (93 per cent), inperson classes (91 per cent), and extracurricular activities like music, dance, drama, sports, and games (90 per cent). 16. while children acknowledged that communication with teachers was better in face-to-face classes, some enjoyed online learning during the pandemic. they appreciated having their own study space and being able to interact with classmates, despite not being able to meet friends in person. they valued the new learning process at home. 17. challenges in fully benefiting from online learning included poor internet connectivity, power indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 293 outages, and initial hesitation to appear on camera during virtual classes. 18. other concerns included sharing mobile phones with siblings who were also attending online classes and the lack of teacher feedback on homework. conclusions based on the data presentation, analysis, and findings, the following conclusions and recommendations have been made: 1. the psychological well-being of students has become a major concern, requiring educators to be highly creative and innovative in making online learning both engaging and enjoyable. 2. the lack of essential infrastructure, such as electronic devices and reliable internet connectivity, posed significant challenges for both students and teachers. however, these obstacles present an opportunity to refine policies and improve the quality of online education. 3. the feedback provided by students regarding the challenges they encountered during online learning offers valuable insights for future planning. issues such as network connectivity, the difficulty level of materials, distractions during learning, preference for in-person schooling, and access to devices were key concerns raised by students. 4. to address these concerns, teachers need to be equipped with strong communication and creative skills, as well as up-to-date ict teaching resources. establishing a solid support system for online learning, ensuring punctuality, adapting teaching methods to meet the linguistic and learning needs of students, and exploring alternative models such as hybrid and blended learning are crucial for effective online education. 5. ensuring learners are prepared and educating parents to create a supportive learning environment at home could help resolve some of the issues identified by children. 6. social isolation was a significant challenge in online learning. approaches that increase interaction between learners and teachers, as well as among learners, should be explored through various ict tools. 7. assessing student learning in the online environment requires careful consideration. the prevalence of cheating highlights the need for assessments that minimize opportunities for dishonesty. 8. assignments, worksheets, and regular testing can effectively measure understanding and learning outcomes. objectivebased assessments, such as multiple-choice questions and short-answer formats, can provide a comprehensive evaluation of students’ grasp of the material. references niti aayog (2018). aspirational districts baseline ranking, march 2018. https://www.niti.gov. in/aspirational-districts-programme. bhat, r., singh, v. k., naik, n., kamath, c. r., mulimani, p., & kulkarni, n. (2020). covid 2019 outbreak: the disappointment in indian teachers. asian journal of psychiatry, 50, 102047. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102047 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 294 cox, j. (1996). your opinion, please: how to build the best questionnaires in the field of education. thousand oaks, ca: corwin. daniels, d. h., beaumont, l. j. & doolin, c. a. (2002). understanding children: an interview and observation guide for educators. boston: mcgraw-hill. dhawan s. (2020). online learning: a panacea in the time of covid-19 crisis. journal of educational technology systems, 49(1): 5-22. doi:10.1177/0047239520934018. goi (2020). national education policy – 2020. goi-ministry of education, new delhi. kumar, r., (2019). research methodology: a step-by-step guide for beginners. sage publications. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 229 research article shadow education and online learning in preand postpandemic contexts: experiences of parents in a resettlement colony of delhi rajshree chanchal1, saheed meo2, & ruchira das3 1assistant professor, dr b.r ambedkar university delhi emailrajshree07raj@gmail.com 2assistant professor, maulana azad national urdu university 3associate professor, ihe, university of delhi. abstract this study seeks to understand the educational experiences of parents from marginalised and vulnerable communities, within the context of the covid-19 pandemic, in a resettlement colony in delhi. the study examines shifts in shadow education in pre and post-pandemic times, how marginalised families in a delhi resettlement navigated school closures and online learning, and how these shifts reinforced exclusion and privilege based on parental ability to support children’s education. this qualitative study used purposive sampling to select 46 parents (15 fathers, 31 mothers) to provide insights on availing private tuitions for children. it is observed that despite the adoption of online mode of learning during the pandemic and its subtle normalisation in the postpandemic period, parents from the marginalised backgrounds seems to be compelled to turn to relatively affordable [in-person] private tutoring services to address the learning loss experienced by their children due to the school closures. pandemic-related school closures have further accelerated the proliferation of shadow education in delhi, embedding it more firmly within the post-pandemic educational order as families at the margins increasingly seek supplementary academic support to bridge the learning gaps children suffer. keywords: shadow education, supplementary education, pandemic, education market, online education introduction shadow education, popularly known as private tuition or private coaching, a form of supplementary academic support outside the school hours, has witnessed global expansion. a number of studies have been conducted to understand the nature of the shadow education market in different countries (bray, 1999; bray and links, 2010; majumdar, 2018; rao, 2017; yadav, 2022). scholars emphasise that “this phenomenon has received significant attention due to its impact on the upbringing of new generations, economic growth, the functioning of formal education systems, cultural and social development” (rao, 2017; hajar and karakus in karakus, et. al, 2024). the crisis of covid-19 pandemic in 2020, led to closing of schools which further forced working class parents to look for private tuitions as a means to compensate for learning loss suffered by children due to lack of access to online education. the literature on impact of covid-19 on education of marginalised children highlights that lack of access to digital devices has further aggravated the educational inequalities (chanchal indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 230 and lenka, 2023; tilak, 2023; meo and chanchal, 2024). the pandemic-induced shift to online learning compelled underprivileged parents to reassess strategies for keeping their children engaged in educational activities. to counter learning losses, many turned to supplementary tutoring services also known as shadow education. researchers have focused on the shadow education market with an emphasis on coaching institutions which prepare students for entrance examinations for professional courses such as engineering and medical in the indian context (kumar, 2005; panjabi, 2020; rao, 2017; orberg, 2017). how parents across different social classes and geographical locations perceive private tuition still remains an underresearched area. the present study attempts to understand how workingclass parents perceive private tuitions in the context of online learning and reopening of schools in post-pandemic. with the rise of the education technology market specially during the pandemic that hit the world in 2019, private tutoring became increasingly accessible, essential, unavoidable and diversified. though, its purpose continues to differ across social classes. in fact, private coaching, especially in the online mode, witnessed a significant rise across states in india during the pandemic and continued because of its increasing demand in the post-pandemic era. research evidence shows that growth of private tuitions is not just the result of parental demand but schools have also encouraged students to go for private tuitions (majumdar, 2014; sharma, 2018; sujatha, 2014). middle class families avail private tuition to provide a competitive edge to their wards and help them perform well not only in their school level examinations but also to prepare them for competitive examinations to enter into prestigious higher education institutions. interestingly, for parents belonging to the marginal sections, the need for private tutoring visibly emerged as a measure to compensate for the learning loss that occurred due to school closure during the pandemic. this is coupled with parental failure to meet the paraphernalia when school moved to online classes, due to financial setbacks and loss of employment (deshpande, 2022; kabir et al., 2021). according to the aser 2021 report, about 40 per cent of the school going children depended on tuition in 2021 (during pandemic) as compared to 36 per cent in 2020 and 28.6 per cent in 2018 (pre-covid times). this rise is witnessed across the states, except kerala, which according to the report was a natural response to the prolonged school closure in the country amidst covid-19 related social distancing measures enforced by the state. therefore, the questions that arise are: has the acceleration of the private (in-person) tuition market emerged to compensate for corporeal classes that schools failed to provide as they shifted to online mode of learning? in what ways is the formal education system falling short, driving the continued and strong demand for supplementary education, especially among marginalised groups, even in the post-pandemic period? primarily in this context, the paper attempts to explore how the shift to online education during the pandemic, particularly for underprivileged children, prompted parents to turn to private in-person tuition over digital alternatives—a trend that persists post-pandemic. it focuses on how, despite school closures and income loss, parents in a low-income delhi neighbourhood have managed to sustain their children’s education through reliance on private tuition. the study, situated in a low-income settlement of delhi, examines the impact of pandemic-induced online education and the growing reliance on private tuitions among marginalised indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 231 communities. it further explores how this shift has deepened exclusion and privilege, shaped by parental capacity to support children’s learning. the discussion that follows first outlines educational provisions in delhi, highlighting inequalities in access and the limitations of online education that have driven vulnerable families toward private tutoring. it then explores how working-class parents in a low-income settlement navigate these options to address persistent learning gaps faced by the children. marketisation and shadow education shadow education provides the most significant form of academic support outside regular school hours (bray, 2023 cited in karakus et al., 2024). this explanation of shadow education does not include school managed co/extracurricular classes or programs related to cultural events or sports. nevertheless, shadow education corresponds to and has a strong relationship with regular schooling and comprises a wide range of academic activities undertaken outside of formal schooling that not only include private tutoring to take care of the scholastic aspects, it also catered to the non-scholastic aspects through enrichment programs, and extra-curricular activities for the overall development of the children (kobakhidze and suter, 2020 cited in karakus et al., 2024). in india, shadow education has flourished seamlessly with the increasing aspirations of the parents. shadow education remains highly marketised with a variety of providers ranging from housemakers, ‘underemployed’ individuals and big corporate companies (gupta, 2023). the private tuition market may be categorised into three segments viz. group tuitions (personalised setup), private tutoring (exclusive) and coaching centres (competitive) (yadav, 2022). emphasising on the scale of the private coaching market, rao (2017) in a study of kota city argues that the city has transformed itself into a shadow education market hub since the 1990s. parents across the diverse social classes send their children for private tuitions to supplement school education, acquire competitive skills and crack high stake board examinations to achieve their desired academic goals (panjabi, 2020; gupta, 2023). majumdar (2014) argues “the extent to which ‘shadow education’ has broken into the school life of a child in bengal in our time is rather exceptional. the demand for tuition is increasingly rising across the different social classes. it became both a culture and requisite standard practice for children to upgrade their skills and supplement schooling for a better future. the costs incurred on tuition vary considerably according to the quality, location, size of tutorial group, nature of premises, and other factors (bray and links, 2010). internalising the growing culture of tutoring and influenced by the climate of competition in the market driven age, even the parents of the marginal sections are increasingly sending their children to private tutors or coaching centres to facilitate competitive advantage to their children for a stable future, something that their immediate, stigmatised social milieu fails to provide. however, parents from the margins are yet to believe that sending children for private tuitions can actually bring social transformation and change their impoverished lives (majumdar, 2018). it has been challenging to get precise data about the extent of the private tutoring market in the country, especially with respect to its geographic and classbased specificities, subscription and impact. nevertheless, the 75th round of national sample organisation (nsso) data highlights that at all india level approximately 20 percent of children enrolled in pre-primary and upper levels attended private tuition during the year 2017-18. according to the indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 232 report, out of the total expenditure on education approximately 12 percent is spent on private coaching at all levels of education (goi, 2019). further, according to the nsso report on household social consumption on education in india, approximately 32 percent of students were found taking private coaching (ibid). sujatha (2014) in her study discusses the shadow education market in four indian states where she found that the extent of private tuition depends on the socioeconomic status and location. in rural areas at secondary level of education 29 percent of students were going for private tuition in comparison to their urban counterparts which is 64 percent (ibid). further, tuition for certain subjects such as mathematics, english and sciences, often termed as ‘hard subjects’ is much sought after. studies highlight that the shadow education system experienced significant growth during the covid-19 pandemic due to the closure of schools worldwide (hajar and karakus, 2023a; lee et al., 2023). in many countries including india, face-to-face tutoring was also put on hold, prompting tutorial centres to shift to online mode quicker than the regular schools. additionally, shadow education played a crucial role in helping children cope with the learning gaps that happened due to missed schooling during the closure. as a result, the pandemic considerably boosted the shadow education market, solidifying its position as an alternative medium to regular school systems (karakus, et. al, 2024). shadow education has thus taken an online route to foreground its operations further. it has attempted to cover rural areas or small towns which have been sort of unreached geographies especially to the new actors emerging in edtech domain (mohan, 2023). taking a note of the shadow education market, the government of india in its national education policy, 2020 had put on record the harmful effects of coaching. ironically, the government also attempted to legalise the ‘coaching cultures’ by publishing the guidelines in the month of january 2024 (rao, 2024). school closure and sudden move to online education marked a line between those who were able to afford and access online learning and those who couldn’t. along with issues of access, abrupt shift to online mode of education delivery also showed lack of teachers’ preparedness, poor content and pedagogy (jain et. al.,2020). in this context the shadow education modified its operations and launched online spaces for individualised learning in forms of various learning apps. sayed et al., 2023:135 argue that the model of ed-tech equipped shadow education adopted in the post pandemic world attempts to stand alone where “edtech can be packaged, personalised, platformed and made available to consumers at their convenience and capacity to pay for devices and resources”. it can be said that shadow education rooted in neoliberal and consumerist sensibilities have thus challenged the earlier socialist visions of education in society (hajar and tabaeva, 2024; verger et al., 2020). unequal educational landscape of delhi and the ‘tuition culture’ the educational landscape of delhi is segregated and hierarchical. there are multiple types of government and private schools in delhi which vary in terms of infrastructure, number of regular teachers and clientele. elite private schools were quick to use online platforms to continue the teachinglearning process while government schools, especially those run by local bodies took refuge to whatsapp schooling as majority of the students enrolled in government schools lacked the necessary means to access online classes in a synchronous mode. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 233 amongst the government schools, the municipal corporation of delhi (mcds) managed schools occupy the lowest tier in the educational hierarchy, primarily serving the children of delhi’s workingclass migrant population. like the hierarchical landscape of schools, delhi’s residential geography is also marked by stark spatial and social inequalities. on one side are wellplanned, gentrified neighbourhoods housing the elite and middle class; on the other are unplanned settlements, including slums, ‘jhuggi-jhompri’ clusters, unauthorised colonies, and resettlement areas. the unauthorised residential spaces lack access to basic services including education. the social inequality between scheduled castes and scheduled tribes and other social groups continues to accentuate due to a variety of reasons. studies show that in delhi slums/poor settlements are the mainstay of the low-income population who have low literacy level and poor access to schools (chanchal, 2022; chugh, 2009; nambissan, 2023). devi and ray (2022) in a study of delhi highlight the fact that chances for upward mobility are restricted for people living in low-income areas particularly resettlements colonies due to lack of access to non-economic resources such as networks to access information about education and employment opportunities. the covid-19 pandemic not only exposed the digital divide across rural and urban areas and poor technology infrastructure and lack of teacher’s preparedness to support online education, but also the state’s neglect towards the ‘learning crisis’ faced by underprivileged children (reddy and vaidehi, 2020; singh at el., 2020). according to nsso reports, only 9 percent of students enrolled in any educational course have access to online education (cited in reddy and vaidehi, 2020). reddy and vaidehi (2020) also highlighted that there are stark spatial disparities when it comes to ownership of computers with internet connection as only 4 percent of rural and 20 percent of urban households respectively have it. it is also important to keep in mind that urban areas are further segregated on socio-economic basis which means over 80 percent of households in urban areas do not have computers with internet connection in the country (ibid). coupled with digital disparities in terms of access to appropriate devices with internet connection and pandemic induced closure of educational institutions across the country has created a ‘new kind of educational crisis’ for disadvantaged children. unesco 2021 data shows that approximately 800 million students are facing different problems and disruption in their education due to complete closure of schools in 38 countries while in 48 countries students are accessing parttime academic institutions. further due to covid-19 on an average two third of the academic year is lost worldwide as a result of school closures. emphasising the adverse impact of school closure on marginalised sections of the society audrey azoulay, director-general of unesco aptly noted that the prolonged and repeated closures of education institutions are taking a rising psychosocial toll on students, increasing learning losses and the risk of dropping out, disproportionately impacting the most vulnerable. complete school closures must therefore be a last resort and reopening them safely a priority.  the integration of digital technology in education remains a topic of debate in india, where the system is deeply stratified. for the majority of underprivileged communities, equitable access to quality education continues to be an unmet goal. according to a study conducted by the azim premji foundation, almost 60 percent of school children in india cannot access indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 234 online learning opportunities. learning online not only remains an ‘operational nightmare, it rather forces many to opt for alternate ways such as in-person tutoring services within their reach in the colony or outside. many studies found fault and flaws in its chauvinistic nature, surveillance, and parental inefficiency in handling the digital technologies, etc. in the operation of online mode of educational dissemination (azim premji foundation report 2020; oxfam, 2020; unicef, 2021; save the children, 2020; tilak, 2023; meo and chanchal, 2023). research methodology this exploratory study adopted a qualitative research method to gain an in-depth understanding of the parental experiences and concerns about children’s learning loss, private tutoring and online education in pandemic context. the study focused on three key objectives. first, it examined the transformative impacts of shadow education from the preto post-pandemic contexts. second, it explored how families from marginalised communities in a resettlement colony of delhi navigated the pandemic driven learning crisis with school closures, learning loss, and the subsequent shift to online education as a compensatory measure. finally, the study analyses how the shift towards online education platforms has led to exclusion and privilege based on parental ability to support the education pathways of their children. field site the field of study is a low-income resettlement colony of delhi. the colony was developed by the delhi development authority (dda) under the plan scheme of jj resettlement during the period 1960 – 85. located in north-west delhi, it is a large slum cluster which is divided into 12 blocks. the area comprises migrants mostly from the states of west bengal, bihar and uttar pradesh. as per the census of india (2011), the population of the study area in 2011 is 1,97,148; of which men and women are 1,06,388 and 90,760 respectively. 76.5 % are hindus while muslims comprise 21.5 percent of the population. the remaining two percent comprise other religions like sikh, christian, jain, buddhist, etc. a larger section of the population belongs to scheduled castes. the average literacy rate is 77.6 percent; the average literacy rate of the men is 84.21 percent that of the women is about 70 percent. there are more than 5000 households in the area and most are engaged in the trade of rag-picking and daily wage earners. as the population of the area majorly includes migrants, no uniform or single language is spoken. migrants who came from diverse native locales spoke their regional dialect. since the migrants belong to the states of west bengal, bihar and uttar pradesh, the language or the dialects most commonly spoken are hindi, magadhi and bengali. all the houses in the area are pakka houses which are mostly constructed in a cramped manner leaving no space between the adjoining houses and, connected through quite narrow streets and constricted walkways. sampling and respondents’ profile this study employed purposive sampling to identify parents of the school-going children. this approach was particularly effective in selecting participants who were most likely to provide relevant and insightful information aligned with the objectives of the study. a total of 46 parents (15 fathers and 31 mothers) were interviewed to understand the issues of accessibility, learning opportunities and private tutoring driven by the pandemic. table 1 shows the socio-demographic profile of the respondents. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 235 table-1: socio-demographic profile of the respondents sample characteristics respondents (n=46) % social category scheduled caste (sc)  23  50 othe backward classes (obcs)  15  32 general caste groups  8  17 education attained non-literate  10  21 literate  5  10 primary  12  26 elementary  9  19 high school  5  10 secondary  3  7 graduation and above  2  4 respondent’s occupation not working at present/housemaker  6  13 domestic help  22  47 daily wage labour  8  17 regular salary earner*  10  21 occupation of respondent’s spouses lost employment**  10  21 daily wage labour  21  46 regular salary earner*  8  17 petty business  7  15 total monthly income (in rs.) 8,000-10,000  23  50 10,000-15,000  16  34 15,000-22,000  7  15 type of mobile phones in family basic  34  73 smart  6  13 no mobile phone  6  13 source: field study, 2021, * working as a security guard and school bus/personal driver (father), **it is reported that respondents’ spouses (particularly fathers) work as and when they get some work. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 236 table1 shows that the highest level of education attained by the men respondents is post-graduation and the lowest is till the fifth standard. as far as the education of the women parents is concerned, it varies from non-literates to graduates. many of the parents reported that they either lost their job or their salaries were reduced, which had put an added pressure on them. the monthly income of the respondents ranged from 8,000/to 22,000/-. most of the men parents worked in private companies as supervisors, security guards, daily wage workers, and a few were into petty businesses. mothers reported that they were mostly working as domestic help before the pandemic and some are doing piece-rate work to supplement the family income. data collection and analysis we conducted telephonic interviews to collect data. we used snowball technique along with the purposive sampling to reach out to the parents. a semi-structured interview schedule was prepared by the researchers. the telephonic interview lasted for 40-45 minutes on an average. the data was collected in 2021. the same respondents were reached many times to probe some of the issues related to schooling, tuition and seek further clarifications. the participation in the study was voluntary. the researchers explained the aim of the study and informed the prospective respondents that the data collected will be used only for academic purposes. the participant parents had children enrolled in both government and private schools, spanning grades from kindergarten to class 12. the data was analysed using narrative analysis, guided by emerging themes relevant to the study objectives. discussion underprivileged parents, resources and online education delhi is home to a heterogeneous landscape of government and private schools that cater to varied socio-economic segments. during the pandemic and in its aftermath, the majority of these institutions adopted online modes of instruction, employing both synchronous (realtime) and asynchronous (flexible, selfpaced) delivery formats. this shift marked a significant transformation in pedagogical practices, driven by the urgency to ensure continuity of education amidst prolonged school closures. the synchronous mode of online education is perceived relatively better by parents despite technical issues and data limitations as children get a chance to listen to the teacher and interact with their peers. a few parents whose children are enrolled in government schools were worried about the quality of homework received through whatsapp. quite often the nature of work given is based on copying and children tend to copy-paste without putting their minds on the tasks given. critical thinking and group learning tend to be compromised in asynchronous mode of online education. many parents reported that their children are facing difficulty with time management and discipline as they tend to ignore teachers’ instructions. many times, due to connectivity issues children are not able to listen and follow the instructions given. parents reported that they were not prepared to have online education classes while the schools expected that they should be able to help children with their lessons. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 237 the online education has added another layer to the highly segregated and stratified school system of delhi. the access to synchronous classes also depends on the kind of school a child is enrolled in. for instance, children enrolled in private schools attend online classes while those in mcd schools receive homework in asynchronous manner. a particular set of competencies and preparedness is required to navigate the online learning space(s). online education fundamentally relies on the availability of technology, the learner’s preparedness to engage with digital instruction, a disposition toward independent learning, and proficient online communication skills as essential prerequisites the already existing inequalities exacerbated in the pandemic as parents from vulnerable sections felt that they are unable to provide the minimum facilities such as smart phones, and most importantly a conducive space for children to attend the online classes. parents were found devoting a lot of their time and energy not only to educate their children but also to keep them under surveillance as staying at home and hardly getting to interact/play with their peers in the neighbourhood, they stopped leading a disciplined life. hence parents juggled between the educational needs of their wards and meeting the basic familial requirements in the times of financial scarcity. parental anxieties were wellfounded, stemming from concerns that prolonged school closures may lead to a loss of interest in studies and increase the risk of dropouts. beyond the fear of disengagement from the education system, parents also expressed apprehension about the academic setbacks their children experienced, as the learning materials shared through whatsapp were often limited in scope and sometimes disconnected from the prescribed curriculum. parents, especially mothers, shared that their work during the covid-19 had increased as they have to constantly make sure that there is minimum background disturbance during the online classes of their children. in resettlement colonies, space is always scarce. hence to ensure a silent environment, many times mothers ask children who are not attending online class to go outside or wait on the stairs so that the one having online class is able to attend without any disturbance. most parents shared that school closures have disrupted the daily routine of children, resulting in a lack of a routine-life and significantly reduced peer interaction. many expressed concerns over their children’s growing frustration at not being able to go outside or meet friends, highlighting the serious constraints placed on children’s social lives and emotional well-being. in the online mode of education, the personal touch of the teacher is lost. there are no one-to-one online interactions to facilitate the process of teaching and learning. many parents felt that use of whatsapp for sending homework fails to fulfil the purpose of education. parents expressed their discontent over the kind of work received through whatsapp as they revealed that children do not pay any attention to the work. they simply copy it without any understanding. the parents were asked to take a picture of the work and send it to the teacher. a few mothers opined that because all the children have to stay at home and attend online classes quite often children tend to fight for the only smartphone available in families. also given the limited available physical space, mothers have to bear the brunt of children’s anger. rama mother of three school going children, said, indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 238 “i have to ask my two children to either sit on the stairs or go outside the home so their sibling can attend her online classes with some concentration. when the online classes are going-on, the other members have to keep quiet. i have to also do my household chores accordingly so that it does not get in the way of the scheduled online classes of my children”. parents have to complement and compensate for the learning opportunities children missed due to pandemic forced school closure. parents’ lack of expertise and confidence made it challenging all the more to support their children. the lack of financial security adds further stress on parents which hinders the genuine involvement with their children’s studies at home. parents do not feel entitled to intervene during the online class or convey anything to the school authority about the quality of online classes or about their children’s learning lacunae even if they are aware of it. most of the parents expressed that their children’s educational deficits have accentuated due the continuous closure of the schools for one and half years. parents also highlighted that even when schools opened, children felt left out due to lack of mobile internet data as the schools continued to send homework over whatsapp. children felt left out as they couldn’t access the information provided by school teachers. parental involvement and education post-colonial indian education policies have invoked family/parent participation in the process of modernisation. in this context, the goal of creating future citizens is shared with the families and its support and contribution is garnered. at the same, “family is seen as a passive site of state cooperation” (hodges, 2004:1162). researchers such as maithreyi and sriprakash (2018) illustrate that india’s education policies recommended community participation in the process of schooling in the form of school management communities (smc) to ensure parental participation under ssa. they further highlight that ‘responsibilized family’ subjects in the project of education have taken precedence. the rte 2009 act explicitly makes it obligatory on the state and parents to ensure that children in the age group of 6 to 14 years are enrolled in schools. in the context of covid-19 and online learning, parents ought to uphold their children’s right to education and provide necessary resources. the underprivileged parents are targeted under the online educational push despite the fact they do not have the required resources. all the respondents, particularly mothers, said that they monitor their children and ensure that children are attending online classes or completing the worksheets shared by the teacher on whatsapp. the online mode of education adopted by the schools in general and government schools in particular is based on the assumption that parents share a similar experience of involvement in their children’s education. working class parents feel that they ‘hadn’t been listened to’ as they struggle to afford smartphone and broadband internet connection. for instance, one of the mothers shared, “even after lockdown was over children remained out of touch with the teachers and online learning for months. later we borrowed money and purchased a second-hand (smart) phone and recharged it with an internet data pack. sometimes, the network is not good, so the children are not able to listen to the teacher. children are not able to talk or ask anything from the teacher. i feel helpless as i can’t ask the teacher to listen to my child’s concern.” indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 239 ‘self-certainty’ is considered crucial for academic success which is often lacking amongst the underprivileged parents given their own limited success [in the field of education], capabilities and confidence. while most of the parents conceptualised their relationship to online education as one of complementing the education of their children and backing up the efforts of the teachers, they lacked expertise to control the content taught online or provide avenues for their children, to interrupt the online lessons to ask the teacher questions or to repeat the content. a restricted educational level undermines parent’s sense of competency in relation to academic work and leaves them feeling disempowered in online mode of education. flourishing private tutoring market parents find it easier to arrange for private tutors within the vicinity. most of the private tutors live in the neighbourhood and they call children in different batches of four or five depending upon the availability of space and social distancing protocols during the pandemic. the tuition fees charged by these tutors vary based on the student’s grade level. monthly fees range from rs. 100 for pre-nursery classes to rs. 350 for upper primary levels. additionally, some parents mentioned the presence of ngos in the area that also offer paid tutoring services. there were parents who also mentioned ngos that not only tutor their children but they also provide good quality free meals along with books and stationery. parents stated that more than schools, ngos as learning centres contribute more towards the overall development of their children. in fact, parents are of the belief that in the tuition spaces children are far more expressive and vocal in asking their doubts to the tutors over teachers in school who create an atmosphere of threat and fear for children which prohibits children particularly from the marginal sections to open up to teachers for clearing their doubts that further impact their learning comprehension in the classes. amidst the uncertainties brought by the pandemic, parents have turned to private tuition as an immediate solution to keep their children engaged in learning and to ensure they receive individual attention from a tutor. parents informed that these private tutors are their only hope given the fact that their children are lagging behind academically. many of them were worried that if the schools remain closed for a longer time, then there are chances that their children will lose interest in their studies which will further have a long-term adverse impact on their future. according to many parents, sending children to private tuition helps them to keep children disciplined and focused on their studies, and excel in their school activities and examinations. though all the parents agreed that sending children to private tuition incur extra financial burden but they are willing to cut on other household expenditure to facilitate their children’s education. they said they have a high level of anxiety about the poor academic performance of the children and their inability to support their studies at home. hence, they have to look for private tuition even if it incurs a substantial cost. one of the fathers forlornly said, “well, it is difficult to pay for the private tutor in these times. but it is the question of children’s future. i cannot help the children with their studies. i am sending my son for private tuition, to get that extra support required to perform better or else i am afraid he might fail in the examinations. it will then be a huge problem for us and most importantly affect the morale of my child.” indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 240 a few parents said that they arranged for private tuition to compensate for the learning loss their children suffered due to school closing in the pandemic. they said that for children it is always better to have face-to-face interaction with the teacher. hence, they prefer to send them for in-person private tuition. moreover, a few parents said that they find private tuition better than online classes. this is still ‘cost effective’ as there is no need to invest a huge amount on the smartphone at once and buy internet data regularly. if their family has two –three children, they can be sent to private tuition intermittently without putting much financial strain on the household. moreover, parents conveyed that they feel at ease as children get individual attention in the offline tuition class, interact with the teacher and can clear their doubts without any hesitation. a few parents also mentioned that in case they fail to pay for the private tuition fee for one or two months they can negotiate with the tutor and children can continue to study. some parents reported that the private tutors have also agreed to give some discount and also the payment can be made as and when parents have the money. this flexible payment options are preferred over data recharge packages as it helps the children to continue their studies with individual face to face interaction. it is seen as an added ‘benefit’ of private tuition. the future remains deeply uncertain and the cumulative effect of the schoolclosure especially for marginalised children is likely to be far more concerning. many parents suggested that their children miss the school space which provided them a sense of ‘belongingness’. there they had a space (socially and culturally) embedded with transformative potential, whereas the online learning spaces have restricted the children’s imagination as well as their abilities to relate with the teacher, class-mates and the subject. measures to provide infrastructure and support to facilitate access to online learning found to be non-existent in low-income areas of delhi. in times of school closure during covid-19 and after for many working-class parents, private tuition was the only support to rely on since they were unable to make sense of the worksheets given online by the teachers as it hardly had coherence with the content given in the textbooks. parents said that tutors were saviours as they helped children to complete the worksheets received online from school. many parents expressed that once the schools will restart, children will have to switch back to textbooks and hence the need for sending children to private tuition which will help them cope-up the academic pressure with teachers expecting them to engage with the content given in the textbooks. for instance, one of the fathers said, “now the schools have started to call children and the online system will not work. in the class, children will read from their books and have to answer the questions asked by the teacher. i decided to send children to private tuition so that they can learn from the books and prepare. whatsapp learning was of no help to the children”. parents are informed that tuition teachers use textbooks and hence it becomes easier for the children to relate and understand what is being taught. parents further said that private tuition provided children with a time bound routine which is essential for children when they are not attending the regular school. online pedagogical practices, especially the lessons and the worksheets are disconnected from indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 241 the textbook content and are not age/ grade/level appropriate which do not promote real learning—just copying. as a result, parents felt compelled to opt for private tuitions to ensure some quality learning through textbooks. for instance, a father with a graduate degree said, “the worksheet given by teachers online doesn’t reflect anything written in the textbooks. it just required children to copy and paste and complete the worksheet. hence, i thought that it is better to send children for private tuition so that they can study from their textbooks. now children go to tuition on time and study for at least one and half hour. sooner or later children will have to go to school and then shifting back to books will be easier”. a number of parents also said that they were sending children to private tuitions earlier as well because there is a lot of pressure from the school teachers to provide children with academic support at home to cope with the learning process in school, particularly for those who are weak in their studies. teachers, in fact, themselves suggest that if parents are unable to provide support, then they arrange for private tuition to strengthen their learning progress. it appeared that the private tutors filled the void left by an unresponsive formal education system, offering face-to-face support, motivation, and individual attention to working-class children who were effectively abandoned by schools for nearly a year and a half since march 2020. it is argued that access to education and supplementary tutoring remains gender biased where preference is given to boys. a number of studies on access to digital resources during the pandemic also document the fact that girls had relatively poor access to smartphones with internet data packages to access online classes/ reading material. meo and chanchal (2024) in a study in haryana highlight the fact that parents and other male members were sceptical about giving smartphones to girls and if they were allowed to use the device, it was done under strict surveillance of parents. the present study also found that parents availed private tuition relatively more for boys than girls with few exceptions where parents said that they are sending both to private tuitions. parents cited financial constraints as the primary reason for not sending girls to private tuition. the literature suggests that families tend to discriminate against girls due to larger societal norms of patriarchy which governs the access and type of education provided to girls (chanana, 2001; gupta, 2015; härmä, 2011; karlekar, 1988). conclusions this paper critically examines how school closure and the shift to online modes of educational delivery had far-reaching and multifaceted implications for the education of marginalised communities in a resettlement colony of delhi. the abrupt transition to online mode of learning exposed and exacerbated existing structural inequalities, particularly in terms of access to digital infrastructure, parental support, and learning environments. the use of digital devices and resources in the field of education in the post-pandemic world has become indispensable as schools continue to use digital media to circulate school related information, reading/resource material and other activities. at the same time reliance on informal and often unregulated forms of shadow education amongst underprivileged parents to ensure their children remain in the education system has accelerated. parents felt that online instructions were piecemeal and lacked a holistic approach as many complained indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 242 that there was no parity between the worksheets and the textbooks. hence, parents and children were not able to make any sense of the work given by the teachers. many parents turned towards private tuitions as an alternate measure to ensure children learn from the prescribed textbooks. parents opined that in private tuition classes, children are able to meet and interact with the tutor face to face and learn from the textbooks. it also has the added benefit of clearing doubts and confusions while receiving individual attention. though the quality of private tutoring remains questionable, parents find it costeffective as they don’t need to provide individualised physical space and smart-phones with high-speed internet simultaneously to two or three children in the home. further, the reliance on private tutoring as a substitute for regular classroom teaching amongst the working-class families will adversely affect the credibility of government schools which are seen ‘dysfunctional’ in the city. the new forms of inequalities emerging due to the push towards online education with negligible support for working-class parents and students will have long-term ramifications for the public education system at elementary level. continued use of digital means to disseminate information and reading/ resource material without ensuring mass digital literacy and access to compatible digital devices will further push parents to look for private tuitions as a stop-gap arrangement. overall, the unchecked expansion of the shadow education market carries serious implications for both the formal schooling system and social justice (yung and bray, 2017). it not only weakens the formal education system but also exposes disadvantaged parents and students to market-driven vulnerabilities. the tradition of supplementary education that already existed that further got accelerated in the pandemic is meant to stay particularly with the increase of its market in the neo-liberal era. at policy level it is important to regulate the private tuition market. ‘schools must ensure that their teachers do not give tuition privately to students. schools need to also ensure that the practice of burdening children with homework is lessened so that there is less dependency on tuition to complete extensive home tasks. examination systems in schools also need to be worked upon to discourage the tuition market where children are prepared to cope and succumb to the pressure of examinations’ (majumdar, 2014). at policy level interventions are required to make sure that children and parents from underprivileged sections of society have equitable access to digital devices, resources and appropriate training to use the same for educational purposes. references aser [annual status of education report] (2021). annual status of education report 2021, https://www.asercentre.org/ [last access: 03 12 2023]. bray, m. 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(2017). shadow education: features, expansion and implications. in t. k. c. tse & m. lee (eds.), making sense of education in post-handover hong kong: achievements and challenges (pp. 95-111). london: routledge. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 366 review article systematic review on enhancing science process skills through virtual reality in school education premalatha.r¹ & indu.h² ¹research scholar (ugc-net jrf), department of education, avinashilingam institute for home science and higher education for women, tamil nadu emailrpremalatha93@gmail.com ²professor and dean, school of education, avinashilingam institute for home science and higher education for women, tamil nadu abstract developing science process skills (sps) is fundamental to fostering scientific inquiry and problem-solving abilities among students. this article presents a systematic literature review (slr) examining the utilisation of virtual reality (vr) technology to enhance sps in school education settings. the study follows the prisma model, employing rigorous methodology to identify and analyse relevant research articles from 2012 to 2022. a comprehensive search across databases, including scopus, web of science, springer link, and google scholar, initially yielded 933 articles, from which 28 were selected for detailed analysis. the review explores vr applications across elementary, middle, and high school levels, focussing on methodologies, theoretical frameworks, and input/ output devices used in vr-based science education. the findings reveal that vr technology facilitates immersive and interactive learning experiences in various scientific disciplines, such as botany, biology, physics, and chemistry. studies demonstrate the effectiveness of vr in enhancing student engagement, comprehension, and laboratory skills through simulations, games, and virtual field trips. the article highlights the potential of vr to transform science education by encouraging deeper understanding, critical thinking, and skill development among students. it recommends further research into optimal vr design, long-term learning outcomes, and issues of accessibility and equity in science education. keywords: virtual reality, science process skills, science education, and school students introduction scientific knowledge and the quality of science education determine a nation’s level of development (kaptan and timurlenk, 2012). driven by discoveries, innovations, and insights, science is always changing and progressing (ncf, 2005). the future generation has to be properly taught this scientific understanding through education. science education encompasses various branches of the natural sciences, including biology, chemistry, physics, earth science, and environmental sciences.,. science education, which is mandated in schools, aims to instill in students a positive attitude toward learning the subject, a scientific temperament, and an awareness of nature (léna, 2012). as a result, learners need to develop the ability to closely observe, examine, and control their physical and biological surroundings. thus, science and scientific products—two crucial components of the process—can be indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 367 used to gauge how well science is taught in schools. studies, however, reveal that science is taught in schools in a highly mechanical manner, with little to no opportunity for creativity, problemsolving, or critical thinking. students are also restricted to their textbooks. they are examination-oriented, and rote memorisation is the norm. among the characteristics of science are method and outcome. however, the majority of the science currently taught in classrooms emphasizes outcomes, which include learning ideas, rules, hypotheses, and facts. when teaching science, teachers tend to neglect the scientific method. students are hardly encouraged to pay attention, investigate, quantify, categorise, and evaluate the ordinary occurrences going on around them (ramesh, patel, 2013). according to ncf (2005) and ncf(2023), a curriculum must include students in learning the procedures and techniques that produce and validate scientific knowledge, nature, and a child’s innate scientific curiosity and creativity. therefore, it is crucial to build process skills in order to understand science effectively. science process skills are a set of skills that are crucial for all human beings, not just in scientific investigations but also in situations associated with daily living. learners engage in observation, inquiry, hypothesis, prediction, investigation, interpretation, and communication as they engage with the world in a scientific way. these are sometimes referred to as science’s “process skills”. when it comes to assisting kids in developing scientific concepts, process skills are essential. primary and integrated skills are the two categories into which the process skills are classified. processing in basic science includes observation, inquiry, measurement, communication, classification, prediction, and inference. controlling variables, establishing operational terms, developing hypotheses, analysing data, and creating models are all necessary components of integrated science process abilities. thinking and reasoning skills are enhanced when primary and integrated skills are combined. science process skills (sps) are essential for scientific inquiry and problemsolving and are developed through science education (kurniawati, 2021). however, the development of sps can be hindered by traditional teaching methods and time constraints (ya and jun-li, 2012). this is particularly evident in non-science undergraduate students, who only sometimes apply sps to problem-solving (fugarasti et al., 2019). therefore, there is a need for innovative teaching methods and training to enhance the development of sps in students. sps can be developed through two categories: with technology integration, which involves allowing students to interact with simulations and utilising technological tools like data loggers, sensors, and educational apps to enhance engagement and learning, and without technology integration, which includes hands-on experiments, scientific inquiry activities, collaborative projects, and field trips. research has shown that science process skills can be developed through both traditional methods and technology integration. fan (2014) found that a virtual experiment environment can effectively diagnose students’ science process skills. campbell (2016) further emphasised the potential of immersive visualisation, particularly virtual reality, to enhance scientific insight. connolly (2005)  highlighted the increasing capabilities of virtual applications in science and technology, suggesting their potential to support and enhance the learning process.  these studies collectively underscore the indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 368 potential of technology, particularly virtual simulations, in developing science process skills. when it comes to technology integration, utilising simulations is particularly important. a virtual simulation is a category of simulation that uses simulation equipment to create a simulated world for the user. it allows users to interact with a virtual world. virtual simulations utilise a range of input and output hardware to create immersive experiences for users. input hardware includes body tracking systems that capture movements, eye trackers for detecting eye movements, physical controllers for direct manipulation, and voice and sound recognition for interaction. advanced research explores brain-computer interfaces (bcis) to enhance immersion. for output, virtual simulations employ various hardware such as visual displays (including desktop and wrap-around screens and head-mounted displays), aural displays (using speakers or headphones for spatial audio), haptic displays (providing tactile feedback), and vestibular displays (motion simulators for sensations of motion and acceleration). these technologies combine to simulate rich and engaging virtual environments (ray and deb, 2016). simulations are often called virtual reality (virtual reality headset,, 2024). virtual reality (vr) technology enhances science process skills by engaging students actively. vr offers interactive and hands-on learning experiences, visualises abstract concepts, and motivates students with immersive environments. the multisensory feedback in vr fosters engagement facilitates collaborative learning and connects classroom concepts to realworld applications. vr’s accessibility and inclusivity make it a promising tool for developing critical thinking and process skills in science education. it is essential to systematically analyse research articles to conduct future research using vr technology to enhance science process skills. specifically, this research investigates the types of vr technological input and output utilised, the learning outcomes observed, the specific virtual environments employed, and the science process skills developed through vr technology. this analysis will provide valuable insights into how vr can be effectively integrated into science education to promote active learning and skill development. the research objectives include: ¾ identifying the specific vr technological inputs and outputs used in science education, ¾ examining the learning outcomes associated with vrbased science learning, ¾ investigating the types of virtual environments utilised for teaching science concepts, ¾ identifying the particular science process skills that are enhanced through vr technology. conceptual framework virtual reality in science education virtual reality (vr) creates a sense of presence in a digital space, evolving from 19th-century panoramic art, like roubaud’s “battle of borodino”, to today’s immersive, sensory-stimulating computer simulations. tracing back to heilig’s 1956 sensorama, vr’s history showcases its transformative journey (evenden, 2016). vr technology has evolved significantly, and several types of vr experiences are available today. virtual reality technology encompasses a spectrum from non-immersive experiences, akin to video games, to fully immersive simulations with headmounted displays and body suits. semiimmersive vr blends virtual elements with the physical world, often for training purposes, while augmented reality indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 369 enhances real-world environments with digital overlays. collaborative vr connects users in a shared virtual space for interaction and teamwork. figure-1: types of vr technology and their input/output devices even with the help of words and two-dimensional representations, young learners sometimes struggle to comprehend the number of abstract and complicated concepts included in scientific knowledge (parker and heywood, 1998). additionally, laboratory experiments play a crucial part in science teaching. however, there is a risk of excessive material waste from tests, thus safety precautions need to be implemented. because of the educational opportunities provided by information and communication technology, virtual labs and simulations have emerged as a useful and efficient substitute for physical, hands-on laboratories (naz et al., 2024). students need to be interested in order to learn science in virtual reality, in addition to feeling present in the environment. scholars (mikropoulos and strouboulis, 2004) have proposed a number of strategies to use vr’s technical advantages for science teaching. examples include embodying a distinct person or object, presenting incredibly little or massive items that are not easily visible, and providing first-order feelings of being able to move and interact with objects in novel environments (durukan et al., 2020). these suggestions emphasise virtual reality’s technological potential for scientific education. to guarantee the significance of the way the learning materials are organised and the advantages of social interactions in vr research, these guidelines must be updated (matovu et al., 2023). virtual reality on enhancing science process skills numerous recommendations exist about the science process skills that students have to acquire and engage effectively. the most significant set of guidelines, however, was produced in 1967 by a team of scientists and science educators at the american association for the advancement of science (mccomas, 2014). they had observed scientists at work and created a list of competencies that were commonly utilised by all scientists. essential science process skills, which are the cornerstones of scientific inquiry, are identified by the national curriculum framework (ncf), 2005. these abilities include seeing, categorising, inferring, measuring, predicting, and communicating. it also indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 370 includes integrated skills like controlling variables, formulating hypotheses, conducting experiments, and interpreting data, which are crucial for advanced scientific understanding. the framework encourages experiential learning through direct interaction with the environment and practical activities that foster conceptual clarity. moving to the ncf 2023 builds upon the previous framework by emphasising hands-on learning through projects, experiments, and investigative activities. it stresses the importance of applying scientific knowledge to real-life scenarios, enhancing students’ problem-solving and critical-thinking abilities. the ncf 2023 also recommends regular assessments evaluating knowledge acquisition and applying science process skills in diverse contexts. science process skills evolve as students’ progress through different educational levels, building a solid foundation for scientific thinking and inquiry. basic sps typically begin to be developed at the  elementary level  of education.  (ahsani and rusilowati, 2022). usually presented in middle and high school, integrated sps involves more complicated activities including controlling variables, defining concepts, generating hypotheses, and analysing results (roth and roychoudhury, 1993). virtual reality technology can potentially lead to a new milestone in acquiring science process skills (artun et al., 2020). the diversity inherent in vr’s application is evident in the varied content areas, educational levels, and contexts explored. (dede et al., 2017) illuminated vr’s potential to impart ecological concepts to middle school students. this underscores vr’s adaptability to bridge gaps in understanding complex scientific concepts among younger learners. simultaneously, studies such as those by mikropoulos and natsis (2011) extend vr’s reach to tertiary education, indicating its efficacy in cultivating higher-order thinking skills. this versatility suggests the potential for vr to be integrated across diverse educational levels and settings. bailenson et al. (2008) exemplify the integration of the experiential learning theory in designing a vr-based science curriculum. this theoretical foundation underscores the immersive experiences that vr environments can facilitate, aligning with kolb’s assertion that learning is inherently experiential. moreover, the infusion of gaming elements within vr applications is notable (konak et al., 2014) methodology to gain a comprehensive and concrete understanding of how virtual reality can enhance science process skills, we carried out a systematic literature review (slr) using a strict and welldefined process. the process included finding, choosing, and evaluating all pertinent research material associated with certain research problems (radianti et al., 2020). the prisma approach, which stands for preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses, was followed to ensure our review process’s systematic and transparent conduct (moher et al., 2009). the review process involved the following steps (lan et al., 2023): y specifying research questions y searching relevant databases y applying inclusion/exclusion criteria to select studies y analysing and extracting data from the selected studies indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 371 y summarising and interpreting the findings y writing the review report the databases searched included scopus, web of science, springer link, and google scholar. various terms in the literature have referred to immersive virtual reality, including virtual reality, fully immersive virtual reality, 3d virtual reality, interactive virtual reality, immersive technology, and virtual environments. to ensure a comprehensive search of the relevant literature, we followed (merchant et al., 2014) recommendation to consider alternative terms with equivalent meanings. we used boolean operators (and, or) to mix alternative terms that we found in the database thesaurus. key phrases such as “immersive virtual reality,” “science process skills,” “application content,” and “educational level,” as well as synonyms, are listed in table 1 and were pertinent to our research subject and concerns. by employing these substitute phrases, our objective was to optimize the data acquired during our methodical literature analysis and guarantee our study encompassed every relevant investigation. the primary search string used was “virtual reality” or “immersive virtual reality” and “science process skills” and “school students*”. (“immersive virtual reality” or “fully immersive virtual reality” or “3d virtual reality” or “interactive virtual reality” or “immersive technology” or “virtual environment” or “synthetic reality” or “augmented virtuality” or “mixed reality” or “extended reality”) and (“scientific process skills” or “scientific method” or “scientific inquiry”) and (“school students” or “k-12 students” or “primary school students” or “secondary school students” or “middle school students”) and (“engaging features” or “interactive components” or “realistic stimuli” or “sensory effects” or “participatory features”) to streamline the research, we set precise inclusion criteria for selecting empirical, peer-reviewed studies on virtual reality in science education from 2012 to 2022, conducted in school settings and focusing on sps. exclusion criteria excluded non english studies outside of school education or vr, opinion pieces, abstract-only publications, and irrelevant outcomes. the initial search conducted across various academic and electronic databases yielded 933 items. after applying the initial filters to remove duplicates, considering publication dates, and assessing titles for relevance, 876 items were discarded. the abstract review process was used to examine the remaining 57 publications in further detail. excluded were studies that did not address the particular subjects of interest in scientific education, leading to the removal of 29 more articles. the remaining 28 articles were subjected to a thorough review guided by the established inclusion and exclusion criteria. upon closer examination, ten studies among the 14 articles were found to need more clear empirical evidence regarding immersive virtual reality technology. consequently, these studies were removed from the final dataset. the remaining 18 articles, which met all the criteria and provided relevant empirical evidence, were included in the systematic review. the paper uses prisma in figure 1 to show the flow of study selection and inclusion and to demonstrate the review process. this graphic depiction helps to illustrate the transparency and rigour of the review procedure. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 372 figure-2: prisma review process findings the 14 selected articles were comprehensively analysed to derive aggregated findings pertinent to the research questions. a triangulation approach was adopted to establish a robust foundation (kern, 2016). the initial step involved meticulously examining and evaluating immersive virtual reality studies, encompassing trends, theoretical frameworks, methodologies, objectives, outcomes, and their intersections with science education. research school level methodology theories skill input/output devices lee et al. (2022) elementary school mixed method hypothesised learning model understanding vr headsets (hmd) rasheed et al. (2021) secondary school quantitative research not mentioned observation, measurement, data analysis, and critical thinking. oculus rift hmd tutwiler et al. (2012) secondary school quasiexperimental method constructivism observation, data collection, analysis, interpretation laptop webb et al. (2021) secondary school quantitative method learning and haptic feedback understanding computer and vr headset tsivitanidou et al. (2021) high school quantitative method inquiry-based approach critical thinking, scientific reasoning oculus (hmd) and personal computers boda and brown (2020) elementary school quantitative method situated learning theory communication skills phones google cardboard jagodzinski and wolski (2015) middle school and high school mixed method constructivist and experiential learning theories experimental design. a kinect sensor and a computer indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 373 research school level methodology theories skill input/output devices anderson and barnett (2013) middle school mixed method game-based learning theory does not explicitly state computer chen et al. (2013) middle school quasi experimental design 5e instructional model inquiry, problemsolving, and critical thinking computer chao et al. (2016) high school quasiexperimental design knowledge integration assessment framework data collection, interpretation motion sensors wilson et al. (2018) high school mixed method cognitive load collaborative knowledge construction computer hite et al. (2019) secondary school quantitative research piaget’s theory of cognitive development not mentioned 3-d screen, haptic technology, eyeglasses georgiou et al. (2021) high school mixed method learning experience (lx) statement of problems, formulation of hypotheses, experimentation, oculus rift head-mounted makransky and mayer (2022) middle school quantitative method cognitive, affective model understand scientific temper interpret headmounted display (hmd) lee et al. (2022) conducted a mixed method study at the elementary school level to develop a hypothesised learning model that incorporated epistemic curiosity, affective factors, and learning outcomes to enhance students’ understanding of plant concepts. they utilised samsung gear vr headsets as input/output devices. rasheed et al. (2021) employed quantitative research at the secondary school level, using oculus rift head-mounted displays (hmds) to investigate observation, measurement, data analysis, and critical thinking skills. the specific theories guiding the study were not explicitly mentioned. tutwiler et al. (2012) utilised a quasi-experimental methodology at the secondary school level with a constructivist approach. their study focused on observation, data collection, analysis, interpretation, critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills using laptops as input/output devices. webb et al. (2021) employed a quantitative method at the secondary school level, integrating learning and haptic feedback to enhance understanding. they utilised computers and vr headsets as input/output devices. tsivitanidou et al. (2021) conducted a quantitative study at the high school level, applying an inquirybased approach to promote critical thinking, scientific reasoning, data analysis, and interpretation. they used oculus rift hmds and personal computers as input/output devices. boda and brown (2020) utilised a quantitative method at the elementary school level, applying situated learning theory to enhance communication skills. they used samsung galaxy s6 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 374 phones and google cardboard as input/ output devices. jagodzinski and wolski (2015) employed a mixed-methods approach with middle and high school students, guided by constructivist and experiential learning theories. they utilised a kinect sensor and a computer for observation, measurement, data analysis, and experimental design. anderson and barnett (2013) used a mixed methodology at the middle school level, focusing on game-based learning theory using computers as input/output devices. however, explicit theories guiding the study were not mentioned. chen et al. (2013) implemented a quasi-experimental design at the middle school level, employing the 5e instructional model to enhance inquiry, problem solving, and critical thinking skills. they used computers as input/ output devices. chao et al. (2016) conducted a quasi-experimental study at the high school level, employing a knowledge integration assessment framework using temperature, pressure, and motion sensors as input/ output devices. wilson et al. (2018) conducted a mixed method study at the high school level, employing situated learning and cognitive load theories to foster collaborative knowledge construction and scientific argumentation using computers as input/output devices. at the secondary school level, hite et al. (2019) used quantitative research under the direction of piaget’s theory of cognitive development. they used polarised eyeglasses with reflecting sensors for tracking cameras, a 3-button stylus with integrated haptic technology, and a liquid crystal 3-d stereoscopic display screen. georgiou et al. (2021) employed a mixed method approach at the high school level, utilising a learning experience (lx) design within an inquiry-based learning environment. they used oculus rift head-mounted displays (hmds) as input/ output devices. makransky and mayer (2022) conducted a quantitative study at the middle school level, applying a cognitive-affective model to understand scientific temper and interpretation. they used head-mounted displays (hmds) as input/output devices. figure -3: science subjects were explored using vr virtual reality (vr) technology has been explored across various educational scientific disciplines, including botany, biology, physics, and chemistry. in indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 375 botany, a study on elementary school students utilised a vr application (“find the root”) to engage students in interactive exploration of botanical concepts, potentially encompassing plant structures and growth patterns. in biology, vr has been employed extensively with four distinct educational concepts: the development of a haptic-enabled 3d vr model of the cell membrane for secondary school education, the creation of an immersive game (“universe”) for high school biology teaching, and conducting virtual field trips to greenland using headmounted displays (hmds) for middle school biology education. in physics, vr has facilitated hands-on learning through simulations and experiments across secondary and high school levels, including teaching complex concepts such as the theory of relativity through immersive experiences. likewise, in chemistry, vr applications have ranged from developing custom vr software and games for interactive learning to implementing sensor augmented virtual labs for high school students to explore gas behaviour. these educational initiatives highlight the innovative use of vr technology to enhance understanding, engagement, and practical learning experiences in diverse scientific disciplines within educational settings. each study demonstrates the potential of vr to create immersive and interactive educational contexts that support deeper exploration and comprehension of complex scientific concepts across different grade levels. discussion and suggestion the review identified several factors that influenced the effectiveness of vr in developing science process skills. these included the design and quality of the vr program, the level of student engagement, and the role of the teacher in facilitating the learning process. studies also highlighted the importance of providing appropriate guidance and scaffolding to students to effectively use vr for learning science process skills. vr provides immersive experiences that enhance engagement and facilitate understanding complex scientific concepts like molecular structures or planetary systems. this technology improves student motivation by offering interactive learning experiences and hands-on experimentation, leading to increased knowledge acquisition and retention. vr simulations also foster specific skills such as experimentation, data analysis, problem-solving, and collaboration, which are essential for scientific inquiry and exploration. overall, vr-based learning offers an innovative and practical approach to enhancing science education and developing critical science process skills among students. all the referenced studies were conducted outside india and are not specific to indian contexts. additionally, most of the above reviewed studies utilised already-developed vr applications and software. therefore, countries like india can incorporate these developed vr applications to teach abstract science concepts. conducting research with vr in science education can effectively enhance science process skills. the following suggestions can address the issues and effectively propose ways to incorporate vr into science teaching. y infrastructure development: focus on advocating for network infrastructure development in educational institutions, especially in rural areas. this could involve government initiatives to enhance connectivity and access to digital technologies, which are essential for effectively integrating vr into science education. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 376 y digital literacy education: emphasise the importance of education and training programs to improve students’ digital literacy. this includes teaching students how to search for and utilise information effectively, which is crucial for leveraging vr technologies in learning. y inclusive policies and actions: advocate for appropriate actions to ensure the sustainable integration of socially excluded groups, including those facing economic challenges or residing in remote areas. this could involve policy interventions that promote equitable access to educational resources, including vr technologies. y community initiatives: highlight the role of charitable organisations and community-driven initiatives in bridging the digital divide. for instance, providing recycled computers and establishing wifi networks in lowincome households can facilitate access to educational resources, including vr-based learning tools. various educational approaches have been developed to enhance the efficacy of virtual reality in scientific teaching. as a result, a few recent studies have demonstrated that using different scaffolding methodologies with vr can boost its effectiveness. virtual reality technology encompasses a spectrum from non-immersive experiences, akin to video games, to fully immersive simulations with head-mounted displays and body suits. semi-immersive vr blends virtual elements with the physical world, often for training purposes, while augmented reality enhances real-world environments with digital overlays. collaborative vr connects users in a shared virtual space for interaction and teamwork. conclusion virtual reality (vr) can revolutionise science education by enhancing student engagement, understanding of concepts, and laboratory skills (potkonjak et al., 2016). it particularly promotes deeper learning, content mastery, and creative endeavour in high school science (mikropoulos and natsis, 2011). however, the design of vr software for teacher education should consider factors such as interactivity, feedback, and user control (matsubara et al., 2002). despite the potential of vr, there is a need for further research to explore its impact on learning outcomes in science education (durukan et al., 2020). the systematic analysis of vr technology in science education reveals significant insights. vr has demonstrated efficacy in enhancing science process skills through immersive and interactive experiences, improving student engagement and knowledge retention. future research should explore optimal vr design principles, assess longterm learning outcomes, and address accessibility and equity concerns. educators and researchers should collaborate to develop standardised vr content aligned with curriculum objectives, ensuring inclusive and effective integration into science education. integrating vr into science curricula holds immense potential to transform teaching and learning, fostering more profound understanding, critical thinking, and skill development among students. this technology can bridge gaps in traditional education by providing dynamic and experiential learning opportunities, paving the way for innovative and effective science education practices. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 377 references ahsani, e. l. f., & rusilowati, a. 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(2012). modern information technology makes the class teaching alive. 2012 international conference on information management, innovation management and industrial engineering, 435–437. https://doi.org/10.1109/iciii.2012.6339696 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 277 research article a study on techno pedagogical skills of college teachers in west bengal indrani karmakar1, santosh kumar behera2 & ramakanta mohalik3 1b.ed. student-teacher, j.c. bose institute of education and research, purba bardhaman, west bengal 2associate professor, department of education, kazi nazrul university, asansol, paschim bardhaman, west bengal 3professor, rie (ncert), bhubaneswar, odisha email: mohalikrk@gmail.com abstract the use of technological pedagogical skills (tps) can make quality education available and inexpensive to everyone. the use of tps can make teaching and learning enjoyable because it alters how teachers and learners engage with one another. when teachers acquire technological pedagogical skills, they may try to apply them frequently in their instruction to improve the teaching-learning process. this study attempts to find out and compare the techno-pedagogical skills of college teachers with reference to gender, locality, stream, caste, and types of jobs. the descriptive survey method was used. one hundred forty college teachers were selected through simple random sampling techniques as samples from the bankura district of west bengal, india. techno pedagogical skills scale consisting of 40 items based on four aspects: technological skills, pedagogical skills, skills related to subject or content and planning and decisionmaking skills was used in the present study as a tool for data collection. the data of the study were analysed by using the statistical package for social sciences (spss) 21 software. it was also found that there is no significant difference in the tpss of college teachers with respect to their gender, locality, and caste. it is revealed that the tpss of college teachers are at an average level. the study also discovered that there are statistically significant differences in the tpss among the college teachers with respect to the type of jobs and stream. the study has implications for college principals, university administrators, and policymakers in providing training on tpss to college teachers so that their capacity can be built. keywords: technology, pedagogy, skill, techno pedagogical skill, college teachers introduction rabindranath tagore, the great poet and educationist, rightly said, “real education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence”. the literate citizen is increasingly expected to access and alter information via computer technology in the 21st century. it’s critical to know how to manage electronic data from a growing number of sources and in a variety of forms (gloria & benjamin, 2014). as a teacher, one should grasp the value of technology because it allows students to understand the information more readily (guru & beura, 2019). the use of technology in education has been shown to be significant in terms of adjusting to period requirements, saving time, and enhancing efficiency (cam & koc, 2019). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 278 teachers who gain techno-pedagogical abilities may attempt to apply them frequently in their teaching, resulting in a simple and effective learning process (anand, 2019). technology has long been acknowledged as a powerful enabler with enormous potential for improving educational processes (atkinson & castro, 2008). the integration of technology into the educational process will result in appropriate modifications and advancements in both the educational and technological landscapes (bala & tao, 2018). the majority of teachers use the term “techno-pedagogy” to refer to online lectures. a platform comprising course management systems, asynchronous presentations, videoconferencing, and online evaluation tools is used by several of them (courts & tucker, 2012).the student can tailor their education thanks to the flexibility and choice brought about by technology (hart, 2016). the content, pedagogy, and technology are the three pillars of techno pedagogy. pedagogy is a term that refers to a collection of teaching and learning techniques, tactics, procedures, and methodologies (ali, 2018). the ability to use ict in a pedagogical environment is termed techno-pedagogical skills. only a few researchers have looked into the methods utilized to help instructors build their techno-pedagogical skills (grenon et al., 2019). developing technopedagogical skills will make teaching and learning enjoyable since it will relieve pressure on teachers and allow students to engage more deeply in the process of learning (lyonga et al., 2021). the use of techno pedagogy encourages teachers to use technology to communicate knowledge, and the learner maintains an on-going interest in learning new things (prasanth & rajan, 2022). through the use of ict by teachers, techno-pedagogical skills encourage students’ further development, achievement of learning outcomes, and maintenance of the context of building classroom-based resources. as a result, the method of techno-pedagogy was a vital component of teacher education (beaudin & hadden, 2004). technological pedagogical and content knowledge (tpack) has had a significant impact on the field of educational technology research (cox & graham, 2009).in the framework of technological pedagogical and content knowledge (figure 1), the paradigm known as technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpack) describes how teachers can use technology more successfully. in this context, the tpack competencies of teachers are crucial (yildiz & baltaci, 2017). according to koehler and mishra (2009) “tpk requires a forward-looking, creative, and openminded seeking of technology use, not for its own sake but for the sake of advancing student learning and understanding” (p. 66). as a result, teachers anticipate that technology will be employed in the classroom teachinglearning process to assist them in studying, developing important ict skills, and mastering the technology fluency required in their individual subject domain (keshwan, 2015). so, technological pedagogical competency is an important capacity of teachers that must be cultivated in order to convey knowledge to students in a meaningful way (ali, 2018). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 279 figure-1: technological pedagogical content knowledge source: tpack (koehler & mishra, 2009) need of the study the national education policy 2020 has emphasized including ict in all levels of education. technology must be used as teaching, learning and assessment aid for all levels of education. it has the potential to transform the nature, process and product of education across levels of education and subjects. hence, it is an important area of educational research which has been focused by both national and international researchers. some of the important research findings are discussed here. jain and singh (2023) focused on the effect of generative ai on technopedagogical skills and the effect of generative ai on the happiness of prospective teachers. a mixed-methods approach was employed to investigate the effect of using generative ai tools in teaching. there were thirty prospective teachers in the study’s sample. the study revealed the positive effect of employing generative ai-based applications on prospective teachers’ happiness and techno-pedagogical skills. this study demonstrates that generative ai technologies are able to support prospective teachers’ technopedagogical skills and happiness. kulaksiz and karaca (2022) discovered that tpack is context-oriented in addition to being a set of stand-alone knowledge and skills. setua (2022) revealed that there is an averagely positive relationship between effective online teaching and technological pedagogical skills. they also found that there is a significant difference between the high level and low level of techno-pedagogical skills of secondary school teachers with their effective online teaching. yusuf et al. (2021) reported the gender differences in student teachers’ perceptions of their technological knowledge (tk) and technological content knowledge (tck) favouring male respondents. melo (2020) investigated pedagogical content knowledge (pck) or becoming a physics teacher in a colombian secondary school. the study found that knowledge about the curriculum and teaching practices evolved following indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 280 the intervention program. however, information regarding evaluation and learners did not. beri and sharma (2019) concluded that the technological pedagogical competency of teacher educators in private colleges is higher than that of teacher educators in g o v e r n m e n t / g o v e r n m e n t a i d e d colleges. they also discovered that teacher-educators with a science background have significantly higher techno-pedagogical competencies than those with an arts background. bala and tao (2018) revealed that senior secondary school teachers in the phagwara district have excellent technopedagogical competence and a low level of fear about using instructional aids in the classroom. yildiz and baltaci (2017) revealed that teachers had made significant improvements in the design, implementation, and problem-solving internee of tpack competencies. ozdemir (2016) discovered that preservice teachers who took technology and material development courses improved their tpack. thakur (2015) mentioned in his paper how to integrate technology and pedagogy so that both teachers and students are aware of how technology can be used to shape educational demands. the above discussion indicated that many types of research are carried out on teaching competence, the use of technology in teaching, as well as on techno-pedagogical content knowledge among school teachers at the secondary level. few studies have also been carried out on the techno-pedagogical skills of b.ed. students. however, no researchers reported that it was carried out on the techno pedagogical skills (tps) of college teachers in west bengal. hence, this gap led to the study of techno-pedagogical skills among college teachers in a particular region of west bengal. objectives 1. to find out the techno pedagogical skills (tps) of college teachers. 2. to find out the difference in tps of college teachers with respect to gender (male & female) and locality (rural & urban). 3. to find out the difference in tps of college teachers with respect to the type of jobs (permanent, state aided college teacher-i, state aided college teacher-ii and visiting faculty), caste (general, sc, st and obc) and stream (arts, science and commerce). hypotheses 1. the college teachers will have low techno pedagogical skills. 2. there is no significant difference in the tps of college teachers with respect to their gender (male & female) and locality (rural and urban). 3. there is no significant difference in tps of college teachers with respect to their type of jobs (permanent, state aided college teacher-i, state aided college teacher-ii and visiting faculty), caste (general, sc, st and obc) and stream (arts, science, and commerce). methodology the survey method was used to examine the current state of tps of college teachers. the study was confined to the bankura district of west bengal, india. only state-aided general college teachers (govt. of west bengal) were considered in the present study. the male and female, rural and urban, arts, science, and commerce streams, different castes, permanent, visiting, and state-aided college teachers were indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 281 involved in this study. a total of 140 college teachers from the bankura district were taken as the representative sample of the whole population (table 1). a simple random sampling technique was adopted to select college teachers from the bankura district of west bengal. the details of the sample are given in table-1. table-1: details of sample variable n total gender male 104 140 female 36 locality rural 95 140 urban 45 stream arts 92 140 science 44 commerce 4 caste general 98 140sc 11 st 2 obc 29 type of jobs permanent 76 140 sact-i 17 sact-ii 44 visiting faculty 3 the techno pedagogical skill scale was constructed by the investigators to know the techno-pedagogical skills of college teachers. the investigators built the original tool using four dimensions and forty statements. the dimensions were technological skills (10 items), pedagogical skills (10 items), skills related to subject or content (10 items) and planning and decision-making skills (10 items). every item was in statements with five choices such as strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree and strongly disagree. all statements on the scale were positive in measuring techno pedagogical skills. in each dimension, there were groups of statements. each element explained certain behaviours. in the scoring procedure, the score of 5 for strongly agree, 4 for agree, 3 for neutral, 2 for disagree and 1 for strongly disagree. the test-retest reliability of the scale was found to be 0.87 with a time gap of 10 days. content validity has been established for the scale by referring it to experts in the field. the college teachers submitted their responses both via google forms indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 282 and offline once they had finished their responses according to the instructions. non-parametric tests such as mannwhitney u and kruskal-wallis tests were used to analyse the collected data and verify the hypotheses. result and discussion the collected data were analysed as per the objectives and hypotheses of the study by using non-parametric measures, which are presented in the following paragraphs. level of techno-pedagogical skills of college teachers table-2: the level of techno pedagogical skills of college teachers percentile range raw scores range no. of sample % of sample level of technopedagogical skills above p75 above 185 33 23.57 high p25 to p75 162 – 185 74 52.86 moderate below p25 below 162 33 23.57 low from the table 2, it is found that 33 (23.57 per cent) college teachers had low levels of techno pedagogical skills, 74 (52.86 per cent) college teachers had moderate levels of techno pedagogical skills, and 33 (23.57 per cent) college teachers had high levels of techno pedagogical skills. the trend of the level of techno pedagogical skills revealed in the study insisted that the researchers conclude the result to be neither high nor low but satisfactory or moderate. figure-2: dimension-wise mean of techno pedagogical skills score of college teachers from figure 2, it is also explored that the pedagogical skills (dimension-2) of college teachers are comparatively higher than other skills or dimensions and technological skills of college teachers are relatively very low than other skills. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 283 comparison of tps of college teachers with reference to sex and locality table-3: mann-whitney u test variables n mean mann whitney u value z value p remarks gender male college teachers 104 71.87 1730.000 -.677 0.498 not significantfemale college teachers 36 66.56 locality rural college teachers 95 69.36 2029.500 -.482 0.630 not significant urban college teachers 45 72.90 the above test statistics (table 3) show that the mann-whitney u value =1730.000, z value = -.677, p= 0.498 (p> 0.05). hence, it is not significant, and h02 (male & female) is accepted. therefore, it can be said that there is no significant difference between male and female college teachers in their scores in techno pedagogical skills. it was also found that the mean techno pedagogical skills score of male college teachers is greater than that of female college teachers. the above test statistics (table 3) show that the mann-whitney u value=2029.500, z value=-.482, p=0.630 (p>0.05). hence, it is not significant, and h02 (rural and urban) is retained. therefore, it can be said that there is no significant difference between rural and urban college teachers in terms of their scores in techno-pedagogical skills. it is also found that the mean techno pedagogical skills score of urban college teachers is greater than rural college teachers. comparison of tps of college teachers with reference to type of jobs table-4: results of kruskal-wallis test for type of jobs groups n mean rank chisquare df p remarks permanent 76 82.47 15.814 3 .001 significantsact-1 17 63.35 sact-ii 44 52.51 visiting faculty 3 71.67 the above test statistics (table 4) show that the chi-square value =15.814, df =3, p=.001 (p<0.05). hence, it is significant and h03 (permanent, sact-i, sact-ii, visiting faculty) is rejected. therefore, it can be said that there are significant differences in tps among permanent, sact-i, sact-ii and visiting college indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 284 teachers. it was also found that the mean techno pedagogical skills score of permanent teachers is higher than others. comparison of tps of college teachers with reference to caste table-5: kruskal-wallis test for caste groups n mean rank chi-square df p remarks general 98 71.22 7.451 3 .059 not significant sc 11 88.14 st 2 6.75 obc 29 65.78 the above test statistics (table 5) show that the chi-square value is 7.451, df =3, p= .059 (p>0.05). hence, it is not significant that h03 (general, sc, st and obc) is accepted. therefore, it can be said that there are no significant differences among general, sc, st, and obc college teachers in their scores in techno pedagogical skills. that is to say that the techno pedagogical skills of schedule caste (sc) college teachers are comparatively higher than those of another caste. comparison of tps of college teachers with reference to stream table-6: results of kruskal-wallis test for stream groups n mean rank chi-square df p remarks arts 92 62.41 11.539 2 0.003 significantscience 44 87.64 commerce 4 68.13 the above test statistics (table 6) show that the chi-square value is 11.539, df =2, p= .003 (p<0.05). hence, it is significant. the h03 (arts, science, and commerce) is rejected. therefore, it can be said that there are significant differences among arts, science, and commerce college teachers in their scores in techno pedagogical skills. that is to say that the techno pedagogical skills of science college teachers are relatively higher than arts and commerce teachers. discussion of result the study found that the techno pedagogical skills of college teachers are moderate in level. this is due to the fact that most teachers know the content and pedagogy very well but lack the inclusion of technology. few teachers plan and decide their instruction effectively. the present finding corroborates the findings of the study conducted by sathiyaraj & rajasekar (2013), sekhar (2016), jeyaraj & ramnath (2018), and kumar (2018), contradicts the findings of thakur (2015), bhuyan and tripathy (2020). it is found that the techno-pedagogical skills of male college teachers are comparatively higher than those of female college teachers. this is due indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 285 to the fact that male college teachers are smarter in utilizing the content through the integration of technology in the classroom situation than female college teachers. it is also found that male teachers are more interested in their teaching through technology, while female college teachers are not comfortable using technology in their teaching. the present study also supported the earlier finding of anand (2019), who concluded that the techno-pedagogical skill of male faculty members is better than that of female faculty members. the study revealed that urban college teachers have comparatively higher techno-pedagogical skills than rural college teachers. it is also evident that teachers at urban colleges are more interested in employing technology to enhance their instruction than teachers at rural colleges. at the time of data collection, it is seen that adequate technological facilities are available in urban colleges than the rural colleges. the present study also supported the earlier finding of parkash & hooda (2018), who concluded that the technopedagogical competency of urban government school teachers is better than that of rural government higher secondary school teachers. it was found that permanent college teachers are comparatively more skilled in techno-pedagogy than their counterparts. for this reason, permanent teachers use technology in the classroom more intelligently than other college teachers, which makes them better at utilizing the course material. additionally, it has been discovered that permanent teachers are more enthusiastic about employing technology in their instruction than other college teachers. the current study revealed that the college teachers belonging to the sc community were having higher techno-pedagogical skills than their counterparts. it is the result of the sc college teachers’ superior knowledge of how to use the subject by incorporating technology in the classroom environment as compared to other category teachers. additionally, it has been discovered that sc college teachers are more interested in adopting technology to enhance their instruction than other category teachers in the colleges. the present study exposed that science college teachers have higher techno-pedagogical skills than their counterparts. the reason for this is that science college teachers are more adept than other college teachers at utilising the subject by integrating technology in the classroom. it’s because science college teachers are more adept than other college teachers at utilizing the subject matter in a classroom setting by integrating technology. the findings of the study are corroborated by the studies of sathya & venkateswaran (2017), yildiz (2017) and kumar (2018). educational implications techno-pedagogical skills are very essential to make teaching learning effective and qualitative at all levels of education. the study revealed that the college teachers in west bengal have moderate/average techno pedagogical skills. as this study was a humble attempt to know the level of technopedagogical skills of college teachers, it will assist policymakers in addressing the challenges of developing the muchsaid among college teachers. along with that, the improvement of the skills of teachers will improve the overall quality of education. the government could take the initiative to improve college teachers’ tps skills and could initiate adequate online/ or blended courses for their improvement. govt. can start various initiatives such as workshops, seminars, indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 286 ict-based orientation programmes and skill-building programmes related to tps to enhance college teachers’ skills in technology and pedagogy. according to the findings of the study female, rural, st, arts, and sact-ii college teachers need special training to equip them with new inventions to improve. it was also revealed that a fundamental understanding of integrating technology and content with pedagogy in education is necessary for college teachers. it will assist the governing bodies in providing the essential infrastructure, such as sufficient classrooms, computers, internet access, and communication tools for college teachers, to ensure efficient operation. conclusion the passage of time causes everything in our nature to change. this transition is a continuous process where everything changes automatically; it cannot be detected by drawing sectional lines. the transition from the traditional gurukul system to a formal schooling system in the sphere of education has an impact on the teaching process, how students connect with one another, and how they participate in the teachinglearning process. the old lecture style and teacher-centred education system are replaced by a student-centred approach in which interaction is the key to learning. a classroom without technology nowadays is inconceivable since students of this generation are “digital natives.” a teacher becomes a techno pedagogue when they combine technology with pedagogy. when transmitting lessons to students through a voyage of a virtual world, teachers should be fully aware of the usage of emerging technology. every educational professional should be able to effectively integrate subject-specific content, pedagogy, and technology into their classroom interactions. a significant barrier to integrating these three key components is discovered to be teachers’ lack of awareness of technological pedagogical abilities. it is possible to conclude that technologicalpedagogical skills is an important capacity of teachers that must be cultivated in order to 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(2013). the relationship between the techno-pedagogical competency of higher secondary school teachers and their anxiety towards the use of instructional aids in teaching. international journal of teacher educational research, 2(12), 7-14. sathya, g., & venkateswaran, r. (2017).techno-pedagogical skills of b. ed. students. research nebula, 6(1), 48-49. sekhar, j. m. a. (2016). awareness of b.ed. students towards information and communication technology (ict): ncheka. setua, c. (2022).effectiveness of techno-pedagogical skills of secondary school teachers on online teaching during covid-19 pandemic. mier journal of educational studies trends & practices, 15(1), 171-182. doi: 10.52634/mier/2022/v12/i1/1842 thakur, n. (2015). a study on the implementation of techno-pedagogical skills, its challenges, and role to release at a higher level of education. american international journal of research in humanities, arts and social sciences, 9(2), 182-186. yildiz, a. (2017). the factors affecting techno-pedagogical competencies and critical thinking skills of pre-service mathematics teachers. malaysian online journal of educational sciences, 5(2), 66-81. yildiz, a., & baltaci, s. (2017). reflections from the lesson study for the development of techno-pedagogical competencies in teaching fractal geometry. european journal of educational research, 6(1), 41-50. doi: 10.12973/eu-jer.6.1.41 yusuf, m.o., ahmed, t.f., ansah, s.d., & yusuf, h.t. (2021).gender influence on student teachers’ perceptions of the constructs of technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpack) in nigerian universities. journal of educational and psychological studies, 15(4), 533-544. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jeps indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 345 review article recent trends of online degrees in india: a student’s perspective rupali ahuja1 & janhavi khandelwal2 1assistant professor, maitreyi college, university of delhi emailrahuja@maitreyi.du.ac.in 2undergraduate student, maitreyi college, university of delhi abstract online degree programs are undeniably expanding the horizons of knowledge dissemination by providing education without constraints related to age, gender, educational background, or socioeconomic status. in april 2022, the university grants commission issued guidelines that permit dual degree and joint degree programs, as well as the initiation of fully online degree programs by accredited higher education institutions. this move has opened up avenues for students to pursue either exclusively online degrees or a combination of online and traditional courses. while existing research has delved into the perspectives of teachers, administrators, and employers regarding online education delivery, there has been a notable gap in understanding the experiences and viewpoints of students. this research analyzed students’ experiences, perceptions, challenges, newfound opportunities, and overall opinions regarding online degree programs through a qualitative survey. it conducted a comparative assessment of the viewpoints of students enrolled in online and/or traditional educational programs and critically examined students’ perspectives statistically. the overall consensus among students regarding the reliability and future of online degree courses was notably positive. the findings from this study can be leveraged to improve instructional methods and enhance the accessibility and quality of education delivery. keywords: online degree, traditional degree, dual degree, online education, online higher education, student’s perspective introduction online degree programs are gaining significant traction on a global scale. the covid-19 pandemic played a pivotal role in reshaping the education landscape by necessitating a shift from traditional classroom settings to online platforms. this transformation underscored that virtually anyone with a smart device and internet access can engage with various forms of education through online channels. the indian government has introduced several initiatives to encourage online education, including programs like pm e-vidya (2024), which will benefit nearly 25 crore school-going children across the country, pradhan mantri gramin digital saksharta abhiyan, the establishment of the national education technology forum (2024) and the opening of national digital university (2022). according to the iamai-kantar icube report (2022), 52 per cent of the indian population, equivalent to 759 million individuals, including 399 million from rural areas and 360 million urban dwellers, have embraced active internet usage, and this figure is expected to reach 900 million by 2025. this report highlights the pivotal role of rural india in propelling the country’s internet expansion. internet expansion may significantly increase the accessibility of indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 346 education where several individuals are unable to pursue secondary or higher education due to a range of factors such as financial limitations, family responsibilities, personal circumstances, inadequate study resources, limited institutional access, etc. the rise of online education has been supported by ugc initiatives, including recognizing swayam credits (abhiraj p, 2022) and urging institutions to offer comprehensive online courses. this has significantly broadened the availability of online learning, meeting the educational needs of india. platforms like ilearn, swayam, nptel, upgrad, and futurelearn, along with institutions like aligarh muslim university, jamia millia islamia, amity university, anna university, jawaharlal nehru university, iits, and iims, now offer diverse online degree programs in fields like data science, programming, artificial intelligence, digital marketing, and communication skills. ugc affirms that degrees obtained through online modes are considered equivalent to those earned through traditional in-person methods (times of india, 2022). the ugc has issued guidelines encouraging students to consider online learning programs. franchising for online programs is prohibited, and students are advised to check the recognition status of higher educational institutions (heis) and follow the academic session duration, qualification requirements, and nomenclature as per ugc notifications. popular online courses include mba, data science, bca, bba, b.com, ma, bsc, and pgdm and programs like m.phil and ph.d. are not permitted online (chanda, 2022). data from distance education bureau (university grants commission, 2023) of india indicates a consistent rise in the number of institutions participating in online learning, reflecting the sector’s increased emphasis on remote education due to the digital transformation accelerated by the covid-19 pandemic. by 2022, over 72,000 students enrolled in 371 online programs from 66 accredited institutions, marking a 179 per cent increase compared to previous years. figure-1: trend of online degree programs from the year 2021-2025 figure 1 illustrates a consistent upward trajectory in the provision of online degree programs from 2021 to 2025 by a diverse range of institutions, including central, state, public, and private universities. in the academic year 20212022, the total count of online courses stood at a modest 345, rising to a indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 347 noteworthy surge of 543 new courses in 2023-2024 and 669 in academic year 2024-2025 (university grants commission, 2023). this data clearly demonstrates a definitive and ongoing expansion in the availability of online educational offerings, reflecting both the dynamic nature of higher education and the increasing importance and relevance of online learning options. the digital transformation of education is evidently a driving force behind this expansion, as institutions strive to meet the evolving needs and preferences of a diverse, geographically dispersed student population. figure 2 further illustrates this trend by displaying the number of universities and institutions offering online degree courses across different indian states in 2024. figure-2: state-wise density of universities providing online degrees figure 3 displays the distribution of online courses. 32 per cent of the courses fall under the category of online postgraduate (pg) programs, while the remaining 68 per cent are dedicated to online undergraduate (ug) courses. figure-3: distribution of online courses in pg and ug indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 348 background online degree programs are popular because of their unbiased structure. they offer flexibility in pace, are costeffective, and remove age, social, geographical and migration constraints (yang, y., & cornelius, l. f, 2004). they offer quality education, promote collaboration, connect globally, and are affordable and accessible.. the curriculum is continuously updated to align with the latest trends and global standards. several universities are luring students to pursue online programs by providing incentives and scholarships. for example, ignou (2023) is providing a 20 per cent reduction in tuition fees for all online degree programs, while mumbai university (2024) is granting a 50 per cent scholarship to students from low-income backgrounds who choose to pursue online degree programs. life challenges often interrupt education, leading to untimely breaks in learning for a significant portion of the population. online education’s flexibility allows remote degree pursuit, attracting students as well as full-time employees. it offers a chance to catch up on lost time, upgrade skills, enhance knowledge and achieve ambitions (appana, 2008). online degrees are gaining greater acceptance among employers also. employers increasingly acknowledge that online degrees hold the same rigour and value as traditional degrees. an example of this shift is infosys (2024), india’s second-largest it company, which has officially stated that it will recognize online degrees from universities approved by the ugc . despite the growing popularity of online degree programs, there are widespread misconceptions surrounding them. according to jonathan adams (2008), certain obstacles, like the absence of face-to-face classroom experiences, concerns about the reputation of institutions in terms of academic rigour, and the perceived lack of mentored learning experiences, prevent online degrees from being perceived as equivalent to traditional degrees. literature review several researchers have provided insights into stakeholder perspectives on online degree programs. according to calvin d. fogle and devonda elliot (2013), many employers find traditional or hybrid education modes more credible than purely online ones, believing offline classrooms better foster confidence, skill development, and effective learning. vukelic, b., & pogarcic, i. (2011) found that 90 per cent of employers they interviewed, view online degrees as lacking sufficient verification of knowledge and skills, often valuing traditional degrees more and believing online graduates may face challenges securing higher salary packages. according to raj (2010), a traditional degree holds more value than an online degree. concerns about frequent trivial preference for online modality question the acceptability and reliability of online degree courses (defleur, m. h., & adams, j., 2004). bharath et al., (2022) found online learning to be as effective as traditional methods, though internet connectivity issues hindered its usage. the study suggests integrating online methods to promote future blended learning approaches. joshi and kantola (2022) examined teachers’ views on fully online degrees, highlighting the need for organizational support, collaboration, and community building. their research highlights the importance of involving educators in designing online programs and recognizing managers, coordinators, and educators as key stakeholders. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 349 bolliger and wasilik (2009) identified faculty satisfaction as critical in online teaching, influenced by instructor, student, and institutional factors. a unesco report noted positive teacher attitudes toward online learning during covid-19, despite mixed views on its effectiveness. teachers worldwide adapted to online formats, though challenges remain (rahayu & wirza., 2020). smith, d. e., & mitry, d. j. (2008) argue that the potential of e-learning depends on universities meeting high academic standards for faculty expertise. similarly, defleur and adams (2004) found that online bachelor’s degrees are not seen as equally acceptable for graduate admissions. adcock (2023) explored the social perception of online degrees, particularly in tech fields, while ortagus, j. c., hughes, r., & allchin, h.(2023) noted higher completion challenges in fully online programs, especially among minority and low-income students at for-profit institutions, recommending policy changes to support retention. panda and kaur (2023) highlighted the rise of digital credentials and the need for standardization to improve accessibility and employability. to minimize logistical barriers, providing e-learners with reliable internet and devices is essential, and some institutions now offer devices to admitted students (pallavi, d. r., ramachandran, m., & sathiyaraj, c., 2022). research on modality effectiveness has assessed traditional and online learning in terms of course objective fulfilment, student satisfaction, and completion rates (levterova-gadjalova, d., & tsokov, g., 2021). despite noted constraints, online education expands learning opportunities with support from ugc interventions and nep 2020. online higher education continues to gain acceptance among lifelong learners, driven by the demands of an evolving vuca world (mack, o., & khare, a., 2016). as the second-largest e-learning market, with a user base of around 9.5 billion, india highlights the urgent need for online degree standards, aligning with the government of india’s goal to achieve a 50 per cent ger in higher education by 2035. industry forecasts predict that the indian online education market will reach $8.6 billion by 2026 (saini, n., 2023). research gaps state of the art focuses on the perceptions of various stakeholders and the acceptability of online degrees among employers, faculty, students, outcome and societal acceptance. most of the studies focussed on the challenges and opportunities leveraged by online degrees by its stakeholders but none focussed on the views, opinions, apprehensions, challenges, anxiety levels and choices of students. research objectives 1. to explore student perceptions about online and traditional degree programs, their views on the reliability and future potential of online education, and the perceived value in the job market. 2. to identify the challenges students face in online degree programs, including issues related to motivation, technology access, engagement, and the impact of ugc guidelines on dual and joint degree programs on students’ choices and experiences. 3. to examine the benefits and opportunities students gain from online education, such as flexibility, career development, and overall satisfaction compared to traditional or hybrid education formats. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 350 4. to offer insights that can help devise policies and strategies for enhancing the quality, accessibility, and future potential of online degree programs. methodology data was collected from primary and secondary data sources. primary data source consisted of an online survey comprising a questionnaire that was circulated among students of age ranging 16 to 50. statistical data analysis was performed on the data collected to gather insights into viewpoints of students. secondary data was used to perform literature review to identify research gaps. a concise overview of the methodology is presented in figure 4. figure-4: methodology primary data sources the survey participants primarily consisted of students who were enrolled in one of three categories: traditional degree programs, online degree programs, or a combination of both. the sample was diverse, encompassing individuals from various socio-economic backgrounds, geographical regions, genders, age groups and a wide array of academic disciplines. the survey form was distributed through social media platforms such as telegram, instagram, whatsapp, and facebook. a total of 618 responses were collected from individuals across these platforms. the survey questionnaire comprised three sections, with each participant completing two of them. the first section gathered preliminary demographic information about the participants, while the subsequent two sections aimed to understand the perceptions of students, both those pursuing online degrees and those not pursuing them. further analysis was conducted to discern the distinctions between online and traditional educational experiences in the indian context. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 351 the statistical and visual analysis of the data collected from the survey, which was administered through google forms was performed using microsoft excel. the survey questionnaire encompassed both quantitative items, designed to objectively analyze the challenges faced and opportunities gained by respondents in the online learning modality, and qualitative items, intended to subjectively capture the views, opinions, perceptions, experiences, attitudes, and beliefs of respondents concerning online higher education. it also delves into factors such as stress levels, anxiety, and motivation among students in the context of nep dual degree programs and online degrees offered in india. table 1 provides details of the survey. table-1: survey details research design exploratory cum descriptive population students belonging to rural as well as urban area sampling unit students pursuing online and offline degree courses sample size 618 sampling area india (north, west and east india) source of data collection primary: questionnaire secondary: journals, research papers, scholarly articles, government websites, private institution websites and the internet. survey form google form: https://forms.gle/qzjxyrrggzx5errq6 secondary data sources the project conducted a comprehensive literature review using various secondary data sources, including journals, reports, government websites, private institution websites/ portals, research papers, scholarly articles, and academic publications, to explore the opinions and perceptions of different stakeholders regarding online degrees. data from 2004 to 2024 were searched using keywords such as “online degree,” “online graduation,” “online degree course,” and “online education.” about the survey conducted the survey was conducted to gather insights on students’ experiences, challenges, opportunities, and perceptions regarding online degree programs, especially in the context of india’s educational reforms, such as the national education policy (nep) 2020 and ugc’s approval for multiple-degree provisions. the survey was divided into three sections: one for students currently pursuing online degrees, one for students not pursuing online degrees, and a section on personal engagement and future perceptions. figure 5 illustrates a summary of questions that were asked in the survey. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 352 figure-5: questionnaire details results and discussions analysis of the data gathered through the survey provided critical insights about the viewpoints, encounters, impressions, obstacles encountered and advantages gained by students pursuing online degree programs. in the following sections, we present its findings and outcomes. 1. demographic, and geographic information a dominant 96.76 per cent of respondents were aged between 16 and 25 years, indicating that the online learning model is particularly appealing to younger, tech-savvy individuals. this aligns with broader trends in online education, where younger students are often more adaptable to the digital format of learning. 81 per cent of survey respondents reside in urban areas, with a significant proportion (37.5 per cent) coming from delhi, genderwise, females made up 71 per cent of the total respondents, followed by 18.0 per cent from haryana and 17.6 per cent from uttar pradesh, highlighting regional concentration in the survey’s responses. 2. opinion with regard to the new ugc guidelines the introduction of new ugc guidelines, allowing students to pursue dual degrees simultaneously, has sparked intriguing questions regarding the choices and stress levels among students. 3. course combination preference figure 6 reveals that 53.8 per cent of students expressed a preference for combining an online degree with a traditional offline program. following closely, 22.3 per cent of participants favoured pursuing a single degree at a time, while 15.6 per cent opted for a combination indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 353 of two offline degree courses. the least favoured option, chosen by 8.3 per cent of respondents, was the pursuit of two online degree courses. figure-6: course combination preference as per ugc guidelines 4. stress levels perceived due to dual degree ugc guidelines a significant portion of students (67.8 per cent) expressed concern that the introduction of the ugc’s dual-degree guidelines would increase their stress levels. while 33.2 per cent disagreed with this anticipation. among those anticipating higher stress, 24.8 per cent see it as a challenge they are willing to face. conversely, 15.6 per cent of those who disagree believe that recent developments in education and specialization justify these changes, reducing perceived stress. these findings illustrate the multifaceted attitudes and factors influencing stress perceptions in light of the ugc guidelines and shed light on the mental health challenges associated with pursuing online degrees. 5. survey of stu5.dents pursuing an online degree 19.3 per cent of the surveyed participants, as shown in figure 7, are currently engaged in online degree programs. these respondents were queried about the most favourable and unfavourable aspects of online degree programs. they were also prompted to share their personal experiences, perceptions, obstacles they encountered, and the opportunities they have garnered through their online educational endeavours. they also provided a subjective summary of their overall perspective on the matter. figure-7: percentage of students pursuing an online degree indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 354 notably, 65.5 per cent of online degree students simultaneously pursue traditional offline degrees, 19 per cent are working professionals, and 15.5 per cent exclusively focus on online degrees, as shown in figure 8. this suggests that students prefer a balance between online learning’s flexibility and the interactive, engaging nature of inperson education. figure-8: engagements being pursued alongside respective online degree courses 5.1 popular fields for online degree courses the preference among online degree students for emerging fields like data science, programming, digital marketing, ai, and machine learning reflects the strong market demand for expertise in these areas. the limited offline options for such cutting-edge subjects further push students towards online platforms to gain relevant skills. this shift underscores the value of online education in providing careerfocused, in-demand technical skills. 5.2 reasons for pursuing an online degree a variety of reasons, as depicted in figure 9, were identified for pursuing an online degree, with the most frequently mentioned being the desire for a competitive edge, cited by 14.6 per cent of respondents. 13.4 per cent expressed the need to develop multiple skill sets, while 10.3 per cent highlighted the convenience of pursuing a degree from the comfort of their homes. additionally, 9.9 per cent cited the pursuit of online degrees to help fulfil their career goals, 8.5 per cent mentioned the development of lifelong learning habits, and 8 per cent emphasized the enhancement of creativity as a motivating factor for their choice. figure-9: reasons for pursuing an online degree indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 355 5.3 incentives to pursue online degree courses students currently pursuing online degree courses mentioned several advantages that motivated their choice over traditional offline degrees, as displayed in figure 10. the most significant factors include the flexibility offered by online programs 18.8 per cent, learner-centric course pedagogy 15.4 per cent, integrated learning 11.8 per cent, a holistic educational approach 9.6 per cent and the opportunity for discussion-based learning 8.9 per cent. respondents also valued the discoveryoriented and multidisciplinary nature of online education at 8.7 per cent and the possibilities for experiential learning at 7.6 per cent. figure-10: incentives to pursue an online degree 5.4 reliability of online degrees online degree courses garnered high reliability ratings among online degree respondents, with 48.72 per cent rating them as highly dependable. the average reliability score of 4.2 indicates that online degree students generally view these courses as very reliable. figure 11 displays the reliability rating scale. these statistics prove the widespread perception of online degrees as trustworthy among students actively involved in these programs. however, this perception is not universal. adcock (2023) reported in his work that employer scepticism toward online degrees persists, particularly for advanced roles in fields such as technology. employers often view online degrees as less rigorous compared to traditional degrees, potentially affecting graduates’ career prospects. however, the survey’s findings indicate that this perception may change, with students showing greater confidence in the reliability of online degrees and as more students graduate from reputable online programs, employers may begin to view online degrees with greater legitimacy. figure-11: reliability of online degree courses as perceived by online degree students indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 356 5.5 experiences in pursuing an online degree a crucial aspect of the experiences of students pursuing an online degree is the manageability of course load. among respondents pursuing traditional offline degrees, 51.8 per cent find the course load challenging to manage, while 48.2 per cent deem it manageable. among the total respondents, 9.5 per cent who are working professionals find the workload easy to manage, whereas 6.9 per cent of working professionals find it difficult to balance their engagements. lastly, among respondents without any additional engagements, 71.4 per cent consider the course load easy to manage, while 28.57 per cent find it difficult to handle as depicted in figure 12. figure-12: various experiences of the students who have pursued online degree 5.6 challenges in pursuing an online degree exploring the challenges faced by students pursuing online degree programs, several key difficulties were identified. the most prominent challenges included a lack of selfmotivation and time management issues (19.6 per cent), followed by competitiveness arising from the need for constant upskilling (13.4 per cent). additionally, some students encountered challenges related to maintaining continuous and rigorous schedules and managing distractions in the online learning environment (10.9 per cent). other challenges included a lack of social interaction (9.8 per cent), uncertainties due to changing rules (8.9 per cent), and a lack of necessary infrastructure (7 per cent), as depicted in figure 13. figure-13: challenges faced by students in pursuing online degree indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 357 these findings echo concerns raised by ortagus et al. (2023) that online students must develop self-regulated learning behaviors to succeed, as the lack of structure and in-person interaction can lead to disengagement and time management challenges, ultimately affecting academic performance. 5.7 opportunities gained it’s crucial to understand the motivations that drive students to continue their online degree pursuit. key opportunities gained from online degrees, as displayed in figure 14, include a flexible course structure (34.9 per cent), the convenience of studying from home (32.6 per cent), and financial savings (8.7 per cent). additionally, students noted the growth of self-discipline and motivation (5 per cent), opportunities to pursue hobbies and passions (4.1 per cent), time saved on commuting (6.4 per cent), ease of connecting with a diverse global community (2.3 per cent), and the development of lifelong learning habits (3.7 per cent). lastly, 2.3 per cent appreciated the ease of acquiring new skills through online education. figure-14: opportunities gained in the pursuit of online degree these benefits underscore the appeal of online education, particularly for non-traditional students such as working adults or those with caregiving responsibilities. 5 per cent of respondents who reported increased self-discipline and motivation as benefits of online learning support the claim made by ortagus et al. (2023) that online education, while challenging, fosters essential skills such as time management and self-motivation. 5.8 preferred mode of learning among online degree students, 62.1 per cent prefer the hybrid learning mode, while 25 per cent favour the fully online mode, and 12.9 per cent opt for traditional in-person learning as shown in figure 15. these preferences highlight the diversity in learning modality preferences. figure-15: preference in modality of learning as per online degree students indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 358 5.9 opinion on the future of online degree courses exploring the outlook for online degree programs within the context of ugc’s multiple-degree approval, as shown in figure 16, a significant majority of 50.42 per cent participants are notably optimistic, rating the future as very bright (score of 5). subsequently, 29.9 per cent express a positive outlook, deeming it bright, while 16.2 per cent maintain a neutral stance. on average, with a rating of 4.26, participants generally perceive the future of online degree courses as promising, which aligns with recent trends predicting a shift towards online and hybrid models in higher education. figure-16: perceived future of online degree courses 6. survey of students not pursuing an online degree most of the respondents in this category were engaged in traditional bachelor’s programs. and not currently enrolled in online degree programs. their perspectives were recorded and compared to those participants who were part of online courses. this comparison aimed to identify any significant differences in perceptions of online education between those who are already part of online degree programs and those who remain in conventional educational tracks. 6.1 reasons behind not pursuing an online degree one key aspect of students opting not to pursue online degrees is understanding their deterrents as depicted in figure 17. the majority of respondents highlighted the demanding nature of time management and meticulous planning (23.9 per cent) as a significant challenge. this was followed by difficulty in balancing other commitments (17.1 per cent), a preference for traditional in-person learning (13.9 per cent), demotivation due to the lack of social interaction (12.5 per cent), uncertainty about the acceptance of online degrees in job markets (12.3 per cent), and the requirement for selfdiscipline and motivation (11.2 per cent) as influential factors in their decisionmaking process. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 359 figure-17: reasons for not pursuing an online degree 6.2 opinion regarding competitiveness figure 18 examines the impact of the new ugc guidelines on educational competitiveness; 57.6 per cent of participants not currently pursuing online degrees anticipate increased competition among their peers. surprisingly, 28.6 per cent were unaware of these guidelines, indicating a lack of information, while 13.8 per cent believed that educational competitiveness would remain unchanged. figure-18: perceived competitiveness of multiple degree pursuit 6.3 perceived reliability of online degree courses figure 19 reveals the reliability rating of participants not currently pursuing online degree programs. results indicate that 45.8 per cent view online degrees as neutrally reliable, without strong convictions of reliability or unreliability; 37.04 per cent find online degrees reliable, while 17.08 per cent consider them not very reliable. on average, the respondents’ rating of 3.32 suggests a generally neutral stance, indicating a lack of strong opinions regarding the reliability of online degrees. figure 19: perceived reliability of online degree courses indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 360 6.4 future plans to pursue an online degree when contemplating future plans for pursuing online degrees with resolved challenges, participants displayed diverse responses, as shown in figure 20. approximately 37.2 per cent have no specific plans at present but are open to considering online degrees in the future. 28 per cent express a definite intention to pursue online degrees, citing their advantages. 19.5 per cent intend to adhere to traditional learning methods, while 15.2 per cent plan to individually pursue online degrees due to the challenge of managing two degrees simultaneously. these insights offer a snapshot of participants’ varied future considerations for online degree pursuits when potential obstacles are addressed. figure-20: future plans to pursue online degrees 6.5 prior experience in pursuing an online degree figure 21 highlights that a significant majority, 70.4 per cent of participant’s not currently pursuing online degrees, have no prior experience with such programs. among them, 49.6 per cent express an intention to explore online degrees in the future, citing perceived advantages, while 20.8 per cent deem online degrees irrelevant to their career and educational aspirations. among 35.9 per cent with previous online degree experience, the majority, 63.8 per cent, found it unsatisfactory for their career and educational goals, while a minority, 36.1 per cent, found it suitable. overall, the survey portrays mixed sentiments, with 60.3 per cent holding a positive view of online degrees and 39.7 per cent expressing a negative perspective. figure-21: prior experiences in pursuing an online degree course 6.6 perceived opportunities in online degrees the consideration of available opportunities for participants contemplating future online degree pursuits is significant. figure 22 reveals that 23.4 per cent of respondents believed that online degree courses would demand fewer financial and time resources, while 19.2 per cent thought they could rapidly acquire the necessary skills. additionally, 18.4 per cent felt that choosing the right course from a indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 361 reputable institution would guarantee employability. about 14.8 per cent saw it as a means to foster self-motivation and discipline, while 13.6 per cent believed that issues like age-agnosticism and social challenges like ragging and bullying would be resolved. finally, 10.6 per cent saw it as a potential for expanding their social circles in terms of diversity as an opportunity. figure-22: opportunities in pursuit of online degree programmes 6.7 likelihood of pursuing an online     degree considering the diverse perspectives discussed earlier, respondents were asked about their inclination to pursue an online degree if their current constraints were resolved. figure 23 shows that 51.4 per cent are uncertain and open to the possibility while 35.8 per cent express a strong intention to pursue such a course, while 12.8 per cent are certain they would not pursue an online degree course under any circumstances. these responses depict the varying attitudes and intentions among the surveyed participants regarding online degree pursuit if barriers were eliminated. figure-23: the probability of embarking on an online degree. 6.8 preferred mode of learning while acknowledging that many respondents not pursuing an online degree lack direct experience with the online mode of learning, their perspectives on the most favourable learning mode are notable. among these participants, the majority, 48.4 per cent, favoured traditional offline learning, 46.1 per cent expressed a preference for a hybrid learning approach, and a smaller proportion, 5.6 per cent, favoured fully online learning, as shown in figure 24. these preferences highlight the growing significance of online mode as a complement to traditional, in-person learning for this group despite their limited exposure to online education. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 362 figure-24: preference in modality of learning 6.9 opinion on the future of online degree courses considering the ugc’s multiple-degree approval initiative, participants were surveyed to assess their outlook on the future of online degree courses. results shown in figure 25 reveal that a significant portion, 35.8 per cent, consider the future moderately bright, with a rating of 3. meanwhile, 31.8 per cent hold a neutral stance, and 9.6 per cent express optimism, rating the future as very bright. the overall average rating of 3.65 suggests that respondents maintain a neutral perspective on the future of online degrees. they neither view it as excessively promising nor overly pessimistic, reflecting a nuanced perception of the potential outcomes of this educational shift. figure-25: perceived future of online degree courses comparative analysis f-test of reliability rating an f-test of the sample for variances was performed on the reliability scores given by students currently pursuing online degree programs and those who are not pursuing any online degree program. for online reliability, the mean score is approximately 4.24, with a variance of about 0.86, based on 116 observations. for offline reliability, the mean score is approximately 3.32, with a variance of about 1.09, based on 486 observations, as shown in table 2. the f-statistic, which measures the ratio of the variances, is 0.789278. when we compare this value to the critical f-value of 0.776836 for a one-tail test, we find that the calculated f-statistic does not exceed the critical value. additionally, the p-value (p(f<=f)) of 0.061525, which represents the probability of obtaining such an f-statistic by random chance, is greater than the commonly used significance level of 0.05. f-test results indicate that variances between online and offline reliability scores differ significantly, revealing the difference in perceptions of viewpoints of students. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 363 table-2: f-test two-sample for variances comparing the reliability scores between online and offline modality online offline mean 4.241379 3.323045 variance 0.862969 1.093365 observations 116 486 df 115 485 f 0.789278 p(f<=f) one-tail 0.061525 f critical one-tail 0.776836 f-test for the future of online degree programs f-test two-sample for variances was conducted for the future scenario of online degree programs in india to compare the variances of ratings given by students pursuing online and offline degree programs. the mean score of students pursuing an online degree is 4.258621, with a variance of 0.784708, based on 116 observations. for offline degree students, the mean score is 3.650206 with a variance of 0.974299, based on 486 observations, as shown in table 3. the calculated f-statistic is 0.805407, indicating the ratio of variances between online and offline reliability scores. in this case, the probability of obtaining an f-statistic as extreme as 0.805407 (or more extreme) by random chance (p(f<=f)) is 0.079157. when compared with the critical f-value of 0.776836 for a one-tail test, which is the threshold beyond which the results are considered statistically significant, the calculated f-statistic of 0.805407 is greater. the f-test suggests that students’ belief in the future of online degree programs, as perceived by online degree programs, is statistically significantly different from the offline reliability scores. this indicates a meaningful difference in the variability between these two groups. table-3: f-test two-sample for variances conducted for the future scenario modality online offline mean 4.258621 3.650206 variance 0.784708 0.974299 observations 116 486 df 115 485 f 0.805407 p(f<=f) one-tail 0.079157 f critical one-tail 0.776836 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 364 limitations and drawbacks of the study the study’s limitations include its limited generalizability due to a sample primarily composed of students aged 16-25, mostly female, and from north indian urban areas like delhi, haryana and uttar pradesh which restricts applicability to a broader demography. self-reported survey data introduces potential biases, as it may not accurately reflect objective challenges faced in online education. the cross-sectional design captures perceptions only at one point in time, missing potential shifts in attitudes as online education evolves. additionally, the study lacks sufficient representation of nontraditional students, such as working professionals, and a narrow geographic focus may not capture regional disparities in access to technology and internet connectivity. the study’s limited exploration of technological barriers overlooks significant challenges for students in rural areas. these constraints highlight the need for future research incorporating diverse demographics to create a more comprehensive understanding of online degree programs. conclusion this study highlights the increasing relevance of online degrees, among urban students aged 16-25, mostly female, with gradual acceptance in rural areas. new ugc guidelines permitting dual degrees prompted many respondents to undertake a combination of online and traditional degrees, though many anticipated it added stress. popular fields among online degree students include data science, ai, and digital marketing, driven by the demand for industry-aligned skills. flexible course structures were a major draw, while time management and self-motivation presented challenges. respondents not enrolled in online programs cited concerns about time and planning, though many expressed openness to enrolling in online degrees in the future. the study demonstrates a positive shift towards online education for skill enhancement, yet widespread acceptance relies on technological, policy, and industry alignment. overall, online degrees are seen as valuable but require more integration into mainstream education opportunities to fully meet educational and career demands. these findings suggest that the structure of online programs if designed effectively, can promote the development of skills that are beneficial in both academic and professional settings. (acknowledgment: we extend our sincere thanks to the centre for research at maitreyi college for their unwavering support, guidance, and resources and to all the respondents for sparing their valuable time in sharing their feedback about online and dual degree programs. special thanks to lavanya for her assistance in data collection.) references pm e-vidya (2024), ministry of education. retrieved from https://pmevidya.education.gov.in/ national education technology forum (2024). retrieved from https://netf.aicte-india.org/ national digital university (2022). retrieved from education.gov.in: https://www.education. gov.in/digital-university\ internet adoption in india iamai-kantar cube report icube (2022). retrieved from https:// www.iamai.in/sites/default/files/research/internet%20in%20india%202022_print%20 version.pdf indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 365 abhiraj p, (2022, june 3). ugc asks universities to enable credit transfer for swayam courses. careers360.com an educational news platform to read latest education news about colleges, courses, exam, school, careers and more. retrieved from https://news. careers360.com/ugc-asks-universities-enable-credit-transfer-for-swayam-courses times of india. 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(2023). perceptions about acceptability of online degrees in hiring or promotion decisions in technology services industry in india. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 207 research article prompt engineering with chatgpt a paradigm shift in education: a guide for school teachers narendra d deshmukh¹ & vinita a shrouty² ¹homi bhabha centre for science education, tifr, mumbai emailndd@hbcse.tifr.res.in ²sndt women’s university, mumbai abstract advancements in the area of artificial intelligence (ai) significantly impacted education in the era of the fourth industrial revolution. chatgpt is an ai-powered application designed to generate chat responses in a conversational style, paving the way for flexible and responsive education to become mainstream. various research on chatgpt has sparked debates about its potential implications to support education for providing adaptive and personalized environments. this ongoing descriptive study analysed the use of chatgpt by 24 school teachers who participated in a course in the first step of study. it aimed to evaluate teachers’ initial knowledge regarding chatgpt, particularly its educational applications and potential advantages, before their course. based on connectivism learning theory the present study sought to pinpoint effective prompts that teachers could incorporate into their teaching methods. furthermore, it aimed to gauge the impact of the course on enhancing teachers’ awareness and understanding about chatgpt, basically prompt engineering with its possible applications. the data was collected from base survey, feedback form, discussion forum and assignments and analysed using the descriptive method. the first step of the study revealed that teachers have minimal baseline knowledge of chatgpt but after the course they found chatgpt as their virtual teacher assistant. it emphasises the importance of preparing teachers for a paradigm shift in education. the study found a direct correlation between cognitive engagement and interaction levels of connectivism theory. however, as interaction levels increase, participant involvement tends to decline. keywords: chatgpt, connectivism theory, prompt engineering, school teachers, paradigm shift in education introduction effective classroom management is essential for creating a conducive learning environment, where a teacher uses a blend of strategies to create an ideal learning environment. engaging lesson plans, suitable teaching methodologies, appropriate teaching aids, and diverse assessment strategies compose a toolbox that collectively foster an optimal learning atmosphere. whereas, the learning outcomes of the class depends upon the satisfactory completion of learning needs of the student. nevertheless, personalised lesson plans in a heterogeneous classroom is a quiet challenge. prompt engineering as an important emerging skill prompt engineering is the process of designing, refining, and optimising input indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 208 prompts to effectively communicate the user’s intent to a language model like chatgpt. it can be called as the art of crafting effective prompts which can guide chatgpt to generate desired responses (ekin, 2023). it also plays a significant role in enhancing the user experience and ensuring effective communication when interacting with ai models like chatgpt (ray, 2023). according to ekin (2023), the quality of the prompts directly affects the quality of the generated responses, understanding the nuances of prompt engineering is vital for creating effective and meaningful interactions with chatgpt. chatgpt 3.5 has the potential to revolutionise education systems providing personalised learning experiences (dempere et al., 2023). teachers can incorporate chatgpt by leveraging the ai’s capabilities to help create, organise, and structure course content in a coherent and effective manner (dilmegani, 2024). nevertheless, chatgpt will not replace teachers (atlas, 2023), instead teachers can use it to enhance their practice (lo, 2023). however, dilmegani (2024) reveals educators’ concerns about chatbots amplifying plagiarism while recognizing their transformative potential in education, emphasising the importance of ethical guidelines and proactive integration into teaching approaches. winkler and söllner (2018) emphasised the need to explore the potential of chatbots for mentoring students. teachers should adapt to this upcoming ai technologies like chatgpt to keep education relevant and effective. they should learn how it works, how to access information, and create engaging and interactive lessons. they should have expertise in prompt engineering (ding et al., 2023 & farrokhnia, et al., 2023). because of naiveness in using chatgpt, barrett and pack (2023) stressed the essentialness of teacher training. hence, in this study we conducted the first step of our course in september 2023 for the school teachers on the skill of prompting questions. as the usage of the tool is at infancy, we provided the teachers with a variety of prompts to assist in effectively utilising chatgpt. chatgpt: opportunities and challenges in education chatgpt presents numerous opportunities in education. it enables personalised learning, 24/7 virtual guidance, and grants access to material. it provides a simulated experience of having assistance from a more knowledgeable person. it gives a wide range of potential applications including assistance in writing, serving as research assistant, offering individualised feedback and developing writing and communication skills, creating lesson plans, presentations, grading student work, designing syllabus, quizzes, and evaluating student progress (atlas, 2023). furthermore, chatgpt facilitates adaptive learning, and aids in developing innovative assessments (koos and wachsmann, 2023). along with opportunities chatgpt poses several challenges, and potential issues and concerns (panagopoulou et al., 2023) like generation of incorrect information, undermining students’ critical thinking skills (woodland, 2023) and lack of emotional intelligence. it gives inaccurate, fabricated, or biased information (mohammad et al., 2023) also there is a risk of plagiarism, loss of critical thinking skills, and difficulty in evaluating information generated by chatgpt (rahman and watanobe, 2023). currie and barry (2023) highlighted concern for cheating on exams and assignments. hence, the use of chatgpt requires careful consideration of ethical principles to ensure its responsible and ethical integration in various domains (ali and djalilian, 2023). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 209 rationale of the study while numerous studies have explored the application and significance of chatgpt in medical science (lee, 2023), its utilisation in teacher and school education has not been extensively explored, leaving a gap in harnessing its potential. well-crafted prompts enable teachers to craft input instructions to guide chatgpt to generate educational content. considering this, it’s crucial for teachers to know how to formulate prompts that align with their teaching objectives. following this rationale the objective of this ongoing study is to assess the impact of a chatgpt course on teachers’ knowledge, highlighting the need for teachers to not only be proficient in chatgpt usage but also skilled in formulating prompts. along these lines, the present research was examined the following research questions: rq 1: what is the baseline level of knowledge that school teachers currently possess regarding chatgpt, particularly its applications and potential benefits in education, before receiving training? rq 2: what are the various prompts that school teachers can effectively utilize in their instructional practices? rq 3: to what extent has the course improved school teachers’ awareness and knowledge about chatgpt and its potential applications in the field of education? to answer the above research questions, we conducted a course on chatgpt in online asynchronous mode using google classroom. theoretical framework theory of connectivism george siemens and stephen downes developed a theory for the digital age, called connectivism (duke, et al., 2013). this theory provides a framework for understanding the role of humans and appliances in the learning process and how they interact with each other to create new knowledge (omodan, 2023). siemens (2005) suggested implication of the connectivism theory as designing learning environments which facilitates learning by incorporating internet technologies into the educational process. chatgpt views learning as a networked phenomenon influenced by technology and socialisation, where learners develop mental connections between pieces of information through interaction with various sources (liet al. 2022). voskoglou (2022) described connectivism as a new theory for understanding learning in our digital era. according to kop (2011), icts has led to the concept of connectivism, emphasising learning through networks and digital resources. connectivism serves as both a learning and instructional theory in the 21st century (kropf, 2013). it provides a conceptual framework for understanding how learning occurs in a digital environment (dziubaniuk et al. 2023). the theory explains how internet technologies help people learn and it creates new learning opportunities by using the latest digital technologies e.g. twitter, wikis, blogs, open educational resources etc. methodology the below section discusses the research methodology used in the study. method considering the nature of the present study we employed a descriptive method. data was collected using a survey. as described by mathiyazhagan indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 210 and nandan (2010), survey research is a descriptive research method used for the collection of data from the representative sample of the target population. participants and data collection a purposive sampling technique was employed to select 24 participants (see table-1) out of the 56 practicing teachers who had enrolled in the google classroom. these 24 individuals successfully completed the baseline test and the feedback form. a purposive sampling which can be used for both qualitative and quantitative research (tongco, 2007) was used as a sampling technique. the study collected data using base survey, feedback form, discussion forum and assignments which validated from five experts. data before the training program was gathered through a google form that included 17 closed-ended questions (see table 1), and one open-ended question. post course teachers’ feedback and knowledge assessment was collected using a gamification tool quizizz.com. it included 14 closed-ended questions. planning and implementation the section below discusses in detail about the planning of the course and implementation guided by connectivist levels of interaction. planning a google classroom was created for the purpose of uploading learning material, assignments, base survey questionnaires, and feedback form. discussion forums were used for sharing the ideas among the participants. within this platform, a course was designed and for its implementation four sessions were planned. in each session a presentation was shared on google classroom. course design is shown in appendix 1. the first session was focused on the objective of the course, information related assignment submission and the outline of the session and as they were novice to chatgpt this session also familiarise them with it. the objective of the next session was to give understanding about prompt engineering. the following two sessions were planned to help them to know how prompts should be designed. a whatsapp group was formed to facilitate communication and to provide a platform for easy interaction and resolving doubts. participants were guided to join the google classroom and log in to chatgpt. at the outset, an initial base survey was administered, and upon conclusion, participants were provided with a feedback form. implementation guided by connectivist levels of interaction to facilitate effective and meaningful learning experiences we used the conceptual framework from connectivism theory having four levels of interaction asi) operation interaction, ii) wayfinding interaction, iii) sensemaking interaction, and iv) innovation interaction designed by wang, et al. (2014). this framework is inspired by the hierarchical model for instructional interaction (hmii) proposed by chen (2004) in distance learning. connectivism theory was also used in the study on chatgpt in advanced programming courses by gottipat et al. (2023). the following figure 1 shows the interconnectedness between four interaction levels and increase in cognitive engagement and learner’s interaction (wang, et al., 2014). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 211 figure-1: the four interaction levels, cognitive engagement and learner’sinteraction (wang, et al., 2014) the following paragraph gives the details about four interaction levels as suggested by wang, et al. (2014) and the incorporation of it in our course. (i) operation interaction is the first level that provides the possibility to connect with different groups of people and information, and to change their sensemaking behaviours. (ii) wayfinding interaction is the second level in which learners actively connect with technologies and people in groups having similar learning goals, to share and exchange knowledge. (iii) sensemaking interaction is the third level of connectivism framework. it emphasizes learnerlearner, learner-teacher and learner-content interaction. it is a collaborative process that includes information sharing, discussion, negotiation, reflection, and decision-making. in this level the learner shows more interaction as compared to previous interaction level. (iv) innovation interaction is the deepest, highest and most challenging form of interaction in which the learner is involved in artifact creation. the learner creates something new or a modified version. this level requires the deepest cognitive engagement compared to all four interactions. to reach the highest level, the learner should have deepest cognitive engagement, self-directedness, and creativity. based on four interaction levels as suggested by wang, et al. (2014) the researchers designed a framework for interaction and cognitive engagement in connectivist learning (see figure 1). course design and implementation during the implementation of the present study, a whatsapp group was formed to give the instructions, guidance and for solving the doubts of the participants. they were asked to join the google classroom using the shared link. novice participants were guided to using google classroom. the paragraph below discusses the course design of four sessions and its implementation in detail. session 1 during the session, the participants were guided to install chatgpt. links for installing chatgpt on mobile and indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 212 laptop were provided (https://chat. openai.com). the session incorporated knowledge about how chatgpt generates data, benefits and challenges of using it. also introduced the use of chatgpt for various interactive activities like generating questions answers, lesson plan, rubrics, blueprint, planning of virtual tours, generating debate topics, creative writing etc. the session-1 concluded by creating a discussion forum where participants were encouraged to share their perspectives on the advantages of utilising chatgpt. session 2 operation interaction along with wayfinding interaction was continued as emphasis was given on building social networks and informational networks. during session 2, the participants were given an understanding about prompt engineering and its importance as it is essential for controlling the model’s behaviour and generating accurate and useful responses. initially, they were introduced with various features and buttons of chatgpt like +new chat, regenerating button etc. they were given clear understanding about cross checking and editing the responses for accuracy and relevance. and also instructed about providing a source material and a clear, context-rich prompt for obtaining accurate and relevant results. next, they were given steps for giving the prompts to chatgpt as 1) select and highlight the shared prompt; 2) copy the prompt; 3) go to the chatgpt platform; 4) click in the chat box where you will talk to gpt, and 5) paste the prompt and press enter. at the end of session 2 the first assignment was shared. in the first assignment participants were given a paragraph and asked to paste it into chatgpt’s workspace. subsequently, they were directed to use the given prompt to create a lesson plan based on the steam approach and submit their response. a discussion was also initiated about the variations in outcomes when using the same prompts. getting different responses for the same prompt shows sensemaking interaction. on discussion forums we noticed learner-learner, learner-content and learner-teacher interaction in a deeper sense. session 3 as this session provided participants with subject specific prompts (appendix-1), group interaction among particular subject teachers was observed. session 4 this session provided prompts on creative aspects, designing rubrics, method of teaching etc. at the end of session 4 second assignments were shared. however, following the session, only a few of the participants shared their creative prompts. in the second assignment focusing on innovative applications of chatgpt in teaching, the emphasis was on fostering innovative interactions. among the 24 participants only four participated in this aspect of the assignment. among them, a science teacher devised an assignment involving chatgpt, where students were instructed to bring a short paragraph using chat gpt on deforestation using a provided prompt. the plan was for students to generate responses from chatgpt, which they would subsequently share in class. this would lead to a discussion on environmental conservation. similarly, a mathematics teacher crafted a prompt for her students aimed at generating a variety of mathematical problems based on concept in proportion. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 213 in the present study, researchers observed that initial stages, wayfinding and sensemaking showed participants’ involvement, while fewer participants reached the innovation level. this pattern of teacher participation aligns with findings from wang et al. (2014) study, which states that as the interaction levels become more innovative, the number of participants tends to decrease. data analysis and discussion our research primarily focuses on empowering teachers with the knowledge about the chatgpt and guiding them for its practical use in their instructional process. though 56 participants joined the google classroom only 24 participants filled the base survey and feedback form. also, among them a few took part in a discussion forum and submitted the assignment. here, one of the reasons can be their limited competency in basic digital literacy and learning literacy as these are essential to engage in connectivist learning (wang, et al. 2014). during the program implementation before and after the course participants’ responses were collected and analysed. the section below discusses the responses collected on closed and open-ended questions in base surveys, participants’ feedback and submission of assignment based on levels of connectivist learning. the following paragraphs analyses and discusses the data of the base survey, feedback form, discussion forum and assignments. data analysis and discussion of the base survey below is the data analysis and discussion of the base survey. it is divided into two parts—data analysis and discussion of closed ended questions of base survey and data analysis and discussion of open-ended questions of base survey. data analysis of closed ended questions of base survey the base survey included 17 closedended questions (see table 1, table 2, table 3), and the following sections provide an analysis of these questions. the analysis of teacher backgrounds indicates a diverse distribution of subjects they specialise in. approximately 37.5 per cent were focused on mathematics and science, closely followed by 33.8 per cent specialising in language arts. moreover, 20.8 per cent of participants were involved in teaching social studies, while 4.2 per cent were responsible for art and music instruction. a quarter of the participants, precisely 25 per cent, were engaged in teaching other subjects, reflecting the varied expertise within the educator group. the participants from various grade levels and teaching various subjects were enrolled for the course. regarding technology integration in classroom practices, 50 per cent of participants reported moderate familiarity. and 45.8 per cent expressed interest in using aidriven tools or chatbots but reported they haven’t used them; rather 54.2 per cent of participants expressed willingness for integrating chatgptgenerated content into their lesson plans (see table-1). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 214 table-1: geographical distribution, experiences and future perspectives of using technology and ai tools # question responses (n=24) % 1. teaching subjects which subject(s) do you primarily teach? (you can choose multiple options) science 37.5% mathematics 37.5% language arts 33.3% social studies 20.8% arts and music 4.2% physical education 0% other 25% 2. grade for which grade level(s) do you primarily teach? (you can choose multiple options) elementary (pre-k to grade 5) 37.5% middle school (grade 6 to 8) 45.8% high school (grade 9 to 12) 33.3% college/university 29.2% 3. familiarity with     technology how familiar are you with integrating technology into your teaching practices? very familiar 20.8% somewhat familiar 50% neutral 16.7% not very familiar 12.5% not familiar at all 0% 4. have you previously used ai-driven tools or chatbots in your teaching? yes, frequently 0% yes, occasionally 29.2% no, but i’m interested 45.8% no, never 25% 5. future perspectives how likely are you to incorporate chatgpt generated content in your lesson plans? very likely 12.5% likely 54.2% neutral 25% unlikely 8.3% prior understanding for application of chatgpt among participants shows: 75 per cent recognised it as a language model for interactive lessons and student queries, 79.2 per cent recognised chatgpt as an ai-based text generation tool. 66.7 per cent correctly understood chatgpt’s support for critical thinking and providing additional resources, 75 per cent know that it can be used to assist in lesson planning and content generation. the study found misunderstandings of participants that chatgpt couldn’t provide personalised learning (29.2 per cent), enhance creativity (41.7 per cent), minimise indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 215 teacher workload (41.7 per cent), or improve accessibility for diverse learners (29.2 per cent). but on the other hand, 79.2 per cent of participants correctly identified its versatility across subjects like science and literature and another 79.2 per cent of participants correctly identified it for natural language understanding but some of them also misunderstood its use for stock trading, video game development and weather forecasting (see table 2). table-2: teachers prior understanding about application of chatgpt # question responses (n=24) % 1. what is chat gpt, and how can it be applied in an educational context? (you can choose multiple options) chatgpt is a gaming platform for students. it can be used for creating educational games. 20.8% chatgpt is a language model ai. it can generate interactive lesson plans and answer student questions. 75% chatgpt is a video conferencing tool for online classes. 8.3% 2. which of the following best describes chatgpt’s function? (choose as many options) a video conferencing tool 8.3% a language translation service 16.7% an ai-based text generation tool 79.2% a social media platform 12.5% i don’t know 4.2% 3. how can chatgpt be used to enhance classroom engagement? (choose as many options) by replacing all teacher-student interactions 25% by automating all aspects of teaching 25% by fostering critical thinking and providing additional resources 66.7% by eliminating the need for teacher involvement 12.5% i don’t know 8.3% 4. in education, how can chat gpt be utilised? (choose as many options) as a substitute for teachers 20.8% to automate grading without review 4.2% to assist in lesson planning and content generation 75% i don’t know 8.3% 5. which of the following is/are not potential benefits of using chatgpt in education? (choose as many options) personalised learning experiences 29.2% enhanced creativity in students 41.7% increased teacher workload 41.7% improved accessibility for diverse learners 29.2% i don’t know 12.5% 6. chatgpt can assist in generating content for which of the following subjects? (choose as many options) only mathematics 0% only history 4.2% a wide range of subjects, from science to literature 79.2% none, it is limited to language translation 8.3% i don’t know 8.3% indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 216 # question responses (n=24) % 7. chatgpt is designed for which of the following applications? choose as many options) stock trading 12.5% video game development 16.7% natural language understanding 79.2% weather forecasting 12.5% i don’t know 12.5% while taking prior knowledge 50 per cent of participants correctly identified chatgpt as “generative pretrained transformer. 66.7 per cent of participants knew chatgpt’s limitation in providing incorrect or biased information. though 66.7 per cent of participants understood chatgpt generates text from statistical patterns, 33.3 per cent think it accesses real-time internet data. additionally, 20.8 per cent misunderstood it as generating text randomly. whereas, the majority of participants (58.3 per cent) correctly identified the internet text dataset as chatgpt’s primary training source. also, 20.8 per cent indicated they didn’t know its training method. 41.7 per cent of participants correctly recognised gptzero’s ability to distinguish between human and ai-written content however, 33.3 per cent misunderstood its capability for complex calculations, and 25 per cent were uncertain about its features (see table-3). table-3: teachers prior knowledge about chatgpt sr. no question responses (n=24) % 1. what is/are the main limitation/s of chatgpt when it comes to generating text? (choose as many options) general predictive transformer 8.3% generative pre-trained transformer 50% global prediction toolkit 16.7% general purpose text 0% i don’t know 25% 2. what is/are the main limitation/s of chatgpt when it comes to generating text? (choose as many options) it generates text that is too short. 20.8% it cannot generate coherent text. 8.3% it may sometimes produce incorrect or biased information. 66.7% it is too slow in generating responses. 4.2% i don’t know 12.5% 3. chatgpt uses patterns and information from a large dataset to generate text. which of the following statements are true? (choose as many options) it generates text randomly without any patterns. 20.8% it relies on personal experiences and emotions. 4.2% it generates text based on statistical patterns in the training data. 66.7% it accesses real-time information from the internet. 33.3% i don’t know 4.2% indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 217 sr. no question responses (n=24) % 4. what is/are the primary source/s of training data for chatgpt? (choose as many options) real-time user conversations 37.5% a massive dataset of internet text 58.3% encyclopedias and textbooks 20.8% private research documents 12.5% i don’t know 20.8% 5. what is/are the primary distinguishing feature of gpt zero? (choose as many options) it generates highly creative and imaginative content. 37.5% it has the ability to perform complex calculations. 33.3% it accurately distinguishes between human and ai-written content. 41.7% it can predict future events with high accuracy. 8.3% i don’t know 25% discussion on closed ended questions of base survey before the commencement of the course responses on base surveys were collected using google form and were analysed. the responses revealed various misconceptions about chatgpt among the participants prior to the course. notably about 50 per cent of participants showed a moderate understanding of the subject. some participants displayed no prior knowledge of chatgpt, while others had misperceptions considering it as a gaming tool, a video conferencing platform, or even a social media tool. they showed their misconceptions about its applications ranging from associating it with weather forecasting to stock trading. only a few recognised the potential of chatgpt in enhancing classroom engagement, personalizing learning experiences, nurturing student creativity, and improving accessibility for diverse learners. even some participants have a notion that chatgpt could replace teachers. participants also showed misconceptions regarding the subject-specific utility of chatgpt, with some participants in a delusion that use of chatgpt is limited to english classes. they assume limitations of chatgpt as it generates incoherent and brief responses and the speed of providing responses is slow. in addition, there were misconceptions about the operation of chatgpt including the belief that it generates text randomly without any patterns or that it accesses real-time internet information. their misconceptions about the sources of chatgpt’s training data included realtime user conversations, encyclopedias, textbooks, and private research documents. lastly, they showed their misunderstanding about gptzero as it can generate highly creative and imaginative content, perform complex calculations, or even predict future events with remarkable accuracy. these different views and misconceptions emphasise the importance of providing the course regarding what chatgpt can and cannot do within an educational setting. a noteworthy observation was that a significant number of participants expressed a keen interest in incorporating chatgpt generated content into their teaching practices. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 218 data analysis and discussion of open-ended questions of base survey including the closed ended questions, the base survey also asked one open ended question to get deeper understanding about the participants’ vision regarding chatgpt in impacting the future of education. the following paragraph analyses and discusses the open-ended responses provided by participants in response to “how do you foresee ai-powered tools such as chatgpt influencing the future of education?” data analysis of open-ended questions of base survey 75 per cent participants expressed positive views on the impact of ai tools, mentioning benefits like making teaching more interesting and easier, enhancing the teaching-learning process, and assisting with various aspects of education. 16.66 per cent participants were unsure about or had no specific idea regarding the impact. very few (8.33 per cent) participants explicitly stated their intention to use chatgpt for teaching (ding et al., 2023). overall, a majority of the participants (75 per cent) held positive views about the potential impact of ai tools in education, while the remaining participants had either uncertain or no opinions. discussion open ended questions of base survey many participants recognised the potential benefits of integrating ai tools into the educational context. they foresee chatgpt as a virtual assistant that can help teachers to invest their extra time on creative and complex activities. they shared that it can enhance the teaching learning process by incorporating various techniques and strategies as per the classroom’s needs, making learning engaging and effective. two of them recognised the benefit of using it for students as it will provide students with quick access to information. it can assist students in understanding topics, providing detailed explanations, and preparing projects and assignments. however, one of the participants shared that though ai-powered chatbots can assist in the learning process, it will never replace human teachers, as machines can never provide emotional support to students. a few participants shared challenges and concerns of using ai-powered tools like chatgpt. they find the need to focus on potential consequences of using such tools. secondly, one of the participants showed concern about their impact on students’ exploration ability and connection with books. many participants find chatgpt as a new technology to learn, they do not have any idea about it, some of them inquired about—how can teachers use chatgpt for enhancing teaching learning experience? and how to accurately provide a prompt to have suitable output from gpt. this emphasises the need for the implemented course. data analysis and discussion on feedback form the feedback form comprised 13 questions aimed at assessing the knowledge acquired by the participants concerning chatgpt after completing the course. the subsequent paragraph delves into an analysis and discussion of the data collected from these feedback forms. data analysis of feedback form following the course, a substantial 88 per cent of participants now hold the belief that chatgpt cannot serve as a replacement for human educators. 91.67 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 219 per cent of participants are now aware that chatgpt primarily comprehends and interacts with spoken language. and 87.5 per cent correctly identified chatgpt’s primary training purpose as generating human-like text responses. after attaining the course 62.5 per cent of participants understood that chatgpt is a natural language processing tool and they correctly understood that chatgpt generates responses from its training data patterns. now 75 per cent of participants correctly identified that a prompt refers to an input or instruction given to chatgpt. however, 17 per cent mistakenly believe it means a user’s response to chatgpt’s question. 83 per cent of participants are now aware that chatgpt can understand and respond to prompts in various languages. 83.33 per cent know openai created the chatgpt model. 87.5 per cent correctly recognise that chatgpt can facilitate personalized learning, assist students with disabilities, and provide instant feedback. now 83.33 per cent of participants believe that educators can ensure the quality of chatgptgenerated content through careful review. 79.17 per cent understood the importance of prompt engineering as they think providing context and specifying desired outputs increases the effectiveness of prompt; also 75 per cent of participants recognise that overly complex prompts can be a common challenge. 75 per cent find chatgpt capable of generating random and unique prompts for creative exercises (see table-4). table-4: effectiveness of implementation program # question responses (n=24) % 1. can chatgpt replace human teachers entirely? yes 8.33% no 87.5% unattempted 4.17% 2. what type of input does chatgpt primarily understand and respond to? spoken language 8.33% text-based input 91.67% 3. what is chatgpt? a natural language processing tool 62.5% a speech recognition software 37.5% 4. what is a prompt in the context of chatgpt? an input or instruction given to chatgpt 75% a user’s response to chatgpt’s question 17% chatgpt’s response 8.33% 5. can chatgpt understand and respond to prompts in different languages? no, it only understands english 16.66% yes, it can work with multiple languages 83.33% 6. how does chatgpt generate responses? by using a set of predefined responses 8.33% by generating new responses based on patterns in its training data 63% by searching a database of previously seen responses 21% by randomly selecting words and phrases from a large vocabulary 8.33% indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 220 # question responses (n=24) % 7. which company developed chatgpt? microsoft 4.17% google 8.33% amazon 4.17% openai 81.33% 8. what is the potential impact of chatgpt on education? it can facilitate personalised learning 4.33% it can help students with disabilities or special needs 8.33% all of the above 87.5% 9. what is the primary purpose of chatgpt’s training? to generate human-like text responses 87.5% to translate between different languages 4.33% to perform complex mathematical calculations 8.33% 10. how can educators ensure the quality of content generated by chatgpt for educational purposes? by not reviewing the content at all 83.33% by trusting it completely 17% 11. when using chatgpt for teaching, what can educators do to ensure effective prompts? provide context and specify the desired output 79.17% never use prompts, only free-form conversation 12.5% use complex jargon and terminology 8.33% 12. can chatgpt generate random prompts for creative exercises? no, it can only generate responses to pro mpts 12.5% no, it can only generate responses based on its training data 8.33% yes, it can generate random and unique prompts for creative exercises 75% no, it only follows a fixed pattern 4.33% 13. which of the following is a common challenge when using chatgpt for prompts in teaching? overly complex prompts 75% chatgpt can’t generate human-like text 8.33% chatgpt can’t understand human language 4.33% chatgpt can’t be used for teaching 8.33% discussion on feedback form the feedback after the completion of the course unveils valuable insights into the knowledge enhancement among participants about chatgpt. the responses show that the course made a positive impact on their understanding of chatgpt. when students have positive attitudes toward online courses, they are more likely to be satisfied with them (alshammari et al., 2023). a significant proportion of participants now acknowledge that chatgpt cannot replace human teachers. this indicates that participants have a more realistic understanding of the capabilities and limitations of chatgpt. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 221 in terms of chatgpt’s functionality it’s apparent that the course has effectively communicated chatgpt primarily understands and responds to spoken language. also, chatgpt is a natural language processing tool distinguishing it from the misconception that it’s a speech recognition software. participants have recognised the meaning of what a “prompt” means in the context of chatgpt. in terms of multilingual capabilities, a substantial portion of participants now understand that chatgpt can respond to prompts in different languages, dispelling the misconception that it’s limited to english only. there found no significant shift in participants’ comprehension about ‘‘how does chatgpt generate responses?’’ they may have found it challenging to fully comprehend the meaning of “patterns in its training data”. for further clarification, qualitative insights from the teachers’ will be required. the majority of participants now correctly attribute the development of chatgpt to openai. they now showcase their awareness for recognising the chatgpt’s potential for personalised learning, support for students with disabilities, instant feedback and assistance. participants now have the clear understanding that generating human-like text responses is the primary purpose of chatgpt’s training. after getting the experience of using prompts, participants acknowledge the importance of carefully reviewing and verifying the content. overall, the feedback shows the knowledge improvement in participants about the chatgpt. data analysis and discussion on participants interaction on google discussion forum the following paragraph analyses and discusses the interaction of participants on google discussion forum. data analysis of participants interaction on google discussion forum though all the participants joined the discussion forum a limited number of participants (16.66 per cent) were active. all participants found chatgpt as their virtual personal assistant. a few (16.66 per cent) showed their concern about ethical use of chatgpt in teaching. most of the participants (75 per cent) agreed that students’ assignments should be designed in a creative way and students should also get the opportunity to use ai tools like chatgpt which will serve to enhance 21st century skills. very few participants (12.5 per cent) discussed the variations in outcomes when using the same prompts. discussion on participants’ interaction on google discussion forum discussion forum shows very few participants reached sensemaking interaction level. participants shared their experiences about novices in using chatgpt. they shared their thoughts on the essentialness of using technology like ai in an ethical way. as there is a strong possibility of getting the assignment done from chatgpt they unanimously come to the point that participants should design the assignment in a creative manner so that students will make use of chatgpt and its results will get discussed in the classroom. thus, students will also get the opportunity to use ai tools like chatgpt. hence, there will be enhancement in questioning, and 4c’s skills. most of the participants experimented on the provided prompts from the course. they uploaded their assignments. thereby they noticed that for the same prompt the chatgpt has given different responses. among a few of them discussed and understood the importance of clear and specific prompts and noticed chatgpt may provide various responses for the same prompt. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 222 discussion on response variability led to the conclusion that for consistent results, users should provide clear and specific prompts and they should be prepared for some level of variation in response as suggested by chatgpt 3.5. in line with this finding, stojanov (2023) also identified textual inconsistencies in their auto ethnographic study. data analysis and discussion on submission of assignments during the course the participants were assigned two assignments to assess their proficiency in utilizing suitable prompts. the subsequent paragraph analyses and discusses the submission of assignments. data analysis on submission of assignments first assignment was uploaded by most of the participants (80 per cent). while the second assignment was uploaded by a few participants (16.66 per cent). discussion on submission of assignments the following section discusses submission of assignment 1 and assignment 2. discussion on submission of assignment 1 the first assignment instructed participants to utilise the provided prompt to design a lesson plan following the steam approach and submit their response, along with the outcomes generated by chatgpt. the study shows an increase in the number of submissions of the first assignment; it can be attributed to several factors. participants may have found the first assignment relatively easy; they didn’t need to spend much time designing prompts. another reason could be their convenience in using the prompt as the prompt was already provided in the session 2. discussion on submission of assignment 2 the second assignment instructed participants to share innovative applications of chatgpt in teaching. thus, the second assignment focused on the innovation interaction level, which involved creating an artifact. only a few participants submitted this assignment. several factors could contribute to this low submission rate. it’s possible that they found the assignment challenging, or the course design may have failed to sufficiently engage them. additionally, it’s plausible that the designers of the course did not provide adequate guidance, support (wang et al., 2014). or it may be due to some participants not inherently self-directed learners or may lack confidence in their creative skills. while chatgpt can generate a wealth of ideas and information, effective presentation also relies on strong pedagogical content knowledge (pck) (schroeven et al., 2023). thus, a deficiency in pck might be another contributing factor that cannot be overlooked. discussion on implementation of four interaction levels of connectivism theory the following figure 2 gives the idea about the implemented course in the study and the framework for interaction and cognitive engagement in connectivist learning, based on wang et al. (2014). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 223 figure-2: framework for interaction and cognitive engagement in connectivist learning, based on wang et al. (2014) the present study shows lower levels of interaction of connectivism theory serve as the foundation of higher levels of interaction. and all the interaction levels are interlinked with each other. the theory demands digital literacy for deeper involvement with the four interactions. increased interaction occurs among learners, technology, teachers, and content, fostering deeper engagement with both social and informational networks. the level of cognitive engagement increases as the learners cross each interaction level. in the operational interaction, the participants showed interaction with technology, researcher as a mentor, and the content. in the beginning, the participants joined whatsapp group, google classroom, sign in chatgpt, took initiative in discussion and uploaded assignments that showed participants connected with technology. it is in line with the study by wang et al. (2014) which suggests, operational interaction deals with engagement of the learners with technology as this level serves as a basis for their further learning. in the wayfinding interaction, the participants showed interaction with technology, learner, mentor, and the content. thus, it helps to expand the level of interaction and involvement in sensemaking interaction. in the present study, it was observed as participants submitted assignments and they participated actively in discussion on variability in responses of chatgpt. here it formed the basis of sensemaking interaction. the learner-learner, learnercontent, learner-technology and learnerteacher interaction was observed at a deeper sense in sensemaking interaction which helped them to reflect and make decisions. in the present study, the second assignment was based on creativity which is the innovation interaction stage. a low submission rate for creating an artifact was noted which may be due to the various aspects as discussed in the above paragraph (discussion on submission of assignment 2). limitations of the study the study has many limitations, data on a small sample comprising 24 participants, is too less to generalise the findings. furthermore, while the study did incorporate qualitative data in the form of responses for having the understanding of chatgpt before and after the course, it might have indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 224 been constrained. a more thorough qualitative examination, using methods like thematic coding and focus group interviews, will serve a deeper into the experiences of the teachers. immediate collection of data on the post-course knowledge assessment may not capture the long-term impact of the course on teachers’ practices and understanding. lastly, the limited participation in submitting assignments and engaging in the discussion forum restricted the holistic understanding of the integration of chatgpt in teaching practices and comprehension. these recognised limitations highlight the potential for future research to explore these areas and to address these gaps. conclusion and implications this ongoing qualitative study sheds light on the significance of training school teachers on chatgpt in an online asynchronous mode based on connectivism theory (barnett et al., 2013). the study is underpinned by the theoretical framework of connectivism, which offers valuable insights into the essential learning skills and tasks required for learners to thrive in the digital age (siemens, 2005). the study observed a knowledge gap and misconceptions about chatgpt in teachers before the course. however, after the implementation of the course a noticeable change was observed in their understanding. they recognised potential benefits of using chatgpt in their teaching and they found it as a virtual teacher assistant. they recognised the potential of chatgpt in enhancing the teaching-learning process and reducing their workload (subramaniam, apr 1, 2023). however, they also expressed concerns about the ethical implications and the need for human support and guidance in education. all the prompts in the course on chatgpt served as a guide for upgrading the skill of prompt engineering. teachers recognised the significance of prompt engineering in their teaching practices. they acknowledged that for consistent results, it is crucial for users to offer clear and specific prompts, and noticed the quality of the prompts significantly affects the quality of the generated content. additionally, they understood the need to be prepared for some level of variation in responses, as advised by chatgpt. the study found a direct correlation between cognitive engagement and interaction levels. however, as interaction levels increase, participant involvement tends to decline. the study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on chatgpt in education. it emphasises the importance of preparing teachers for a paradigm shift in education. acknowledgements dr narendra d deshmukh acknowledges the support of the government of india, department of atomic energy, under project identification no. rti4001. the authors would like to recognise the support of the 24 school teachers who participated in this study. declarations availability of data and materials the anonymous datasets used and/ or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. competing interests the authors declare that they have no competing interests. funding no funding was received. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 225 references ali., m.. a. & djalilian, a. 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(2023). analysis of connectivism as a tool for posthuman university classrooms. journal of curriculum studies research, 5(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.46303/jcsr.2023.2 panagopoulou, f., parpoula, .c. & karpouzis, k. (2023). legal and ethical considerations regarding the use of chatgpt in education. arxiv.org, doi: 10.48550/arxiv.2306.10037 https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.10037 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 227 ray. p.p. (2023). chatgpt: a comprehensive review on background, applications, key challenges, bias, ethics, limitations and future scope. https://www.sciencedirect.com/ science/article/pii/s266734522300024x rahman, m. watanobe.y. (2023). chatgpt for education and research: opportunities, threats, and strategies. applied sciences, https://typeset.io/papers/chatgpt-foreducation-and-research-opportunities-threats-and-3hotu7mu schroeven, m., buelens, w. & kirschner, p. a. (january 31, 2023). chatgpt – what teachers need to know. https://3starlearningexperiences.wordpress.com/2023/01/31/chatgptwhat-teachers-need-to-know/ siemens, g. (2005) connectivism: a learning theory for the digital age https://jotamac. typepad.com/jotamacs_weblog/files/connectivism.pdf stojanov, a. (2023). learning with chatgpt 3.5 as a more knowledgeable other: an autoethnographic study. international journal of educational technology in higher education 20, 35 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00404-7 subramaniam, r. (april 1, 2023). how can chatgpt help teachers manage their workload, provide feedback to students. https://www.financialexpress.com/jobs-career/ education-how-can-chatgpt-help-teachers-manage-their-workload-provide-feedbackto-students-3026863/ tongco, m. d. c. (2007) purposive sampling as a tool for informant selection. ethnobotany research & applications 5:147-158. https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/ bitstream/10125/227/4/i1547-3465-05-147.pdf voskoglou, m. g. (2022). connectivism vs traditional theories of learning. american journal of educational research, 10(4), 257-261. https://pubs.sciepub.com/education/10/4/15/ wang, z., chen, l., & anderson, t. (2014). a framework for interaction and cognitive engagement in connectivist learning contexts. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ ej1030140.pdf wilichowski, t. & cobo, c., (may 02, 2023). how to use chatgpt to support teachers: the good, the bad, and the ugly. https://blogs.worldbank.org/education/how-use-chatgptsupport-teachers-good-bad-and-ugly winkler, r. & söllner, m. (2018). unleashing the potential of chatbots in education: a state-ofthe-art analysis. https://journals.aom.org/doi/10.5465/ambpp.2018.15903abstract woodland, t. (2023). chatgpt for improving medical education: proceed with caution. https://www.mcpdigitalhealth.org/article/s2949-7612(23)00033-0/fulltext day 04 | chatgpt and ai tools for educators | online fdp carmel college mala. (2023, september 24). day 04 | chatgpt and ai tools for educators | online fdp carmel college mala. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrkmpva-cti indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 228 appendix-1 session # course content 1. (i)  how to install chatgpt? (ii)   how does chatgpt generate data? (iii)   what are the benefits and challenges of using it in the classroom? (iv) how does chat gpt help various subject teachers to design their instructional strategies? (v)   various interactive activities for classroom teaching using chatgpt. 2. (i)   what is prompt engineering? (ii)   what is the importance of prompt engineering? (iii) prompts fordesigning lesson plans, getting previous knowledge/ discussion on topic, creating questions, creating study guides, creating cornell notes, creating flashcards an designing ‘think-pair-share activity 3. (i)   prompts fordesigning graphic organisers, designing role play, designing projects as an group activity (ii)   subject specific prompts 4. prompts for creating creativity (ex. writing stories), tailoring rubrics, using teaching aid, method, diagram and summative assessment. assignments 1. use the given prompt of designing a lesson plan on steam approach. submit the response along with the results generated by chatgpt. 2. sharing innovative applications of chatgpt in teaching, discussion forum 1. discuss the advantages of utilising chatgpt 2. discuss the variability in responses of chatgpt indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 257 research article teacher professional development in technology-enhanced learning environments: successful models for indian educators to succeed in digital classrooms sharad sinha professor & head, department of teacher education, nie, n.c.e.r.t, new delhi emaildrsharadsinha@gmail.com abstract this paper describes contemporary models of teacher professional development (tpd) in technology-enhanced learning environments in the indian education sector. with digital adoption in education continuing at a fast rate, particularly post covid-19 pandemic and introduction of the national education policy 2020, there is a pressing need to reframe how teachers develop technological pedagogical content knowledge. through systematic review of existing literature and case study analysis in diverse indian learning contexts, this study finds best models and frameworks that facilitate teachers to build digital competence. effective tpd programs, as mentioned in this study, consist of continuous learning paths, communities of practice with collaborative interaction, contextualisation of technology integration, and reflective practice. the paper presents a comprehensive tpd framework to suit the country-specific socioeconomic and infrastructural challenges of the indian education system to maintain the global best practices of digital pedagogy. based on the evidence in this study, this paper presents an integrated technology-based teacher professional development (tpd) framework to address the unique requirements and problems of the indian education system. keywords: teacher professional development, education technology, digital pedagogy, indian education, technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpack), communities of practice. introduction the indian education system is in the midst of a deep digital shift, driven by the covid-19 pandemic and steered by the far-reaching vision of the national education policy 2020 (nep 2020). the nep clearly focuses on the integration of technology in teaching and learning activities with the goal of “appropriately integrate technology into all levels of education” (ministry of education, 2020). however, the success of technology integration is highly dependent on teacher readiness and competence. according to mishra and koehler (2006), successful technology integration is not only about knowing technology, but also knowing where technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge intersect. indian educators’ issues with adopting education technology are multifaceted. there exists an enormous digital divide that spans geography and socioeconomic groups (jena, 2020), in which there exist wide disparities in possessing devices, good internet connectivity, and digital literacy. further, traditional teacher indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 258 education programs have traditionally not sufficiently prepared teachers to use technology to enhance teaching (padmanabhan and ramatoulaye, 2023). all these necessitate that teacher professional development makes bold moves that are sensitive to the indian education’s diverse and unique context. this paper reflects on the current state of teacher professional development (tpd) in technology-enabled environments in india and what can be emulated in terms of best practices that equip teachers for success in increasingly digital classrooms. drawing from theoretical models as well as authentic case studies, it tries to answer the following research questions: 1. what are the primary challenges and opportunities for inculcating digital competences in indian teachers? 2. what professional development models are best suited to enable teachers to integrate technology into pedagogical practice? 3. how should tpd be designed to answer the diverse settings andconstraints of indian schooling? 4. what role do communities of practice play in sustaining teacher development in digital technology? 5. how technology embedded pedagogy is to be used for achieving class specific learning outcomes in future? the paper concludes by presenting a comprehensive framework for technology-focused tpd addressing the specific needs and limitations of the indian schooling environment. theoretical framework technological pedagogical content knowledge (tpack) the tpack model (mishra and koehler, 2006) is a theoretical model of foundation to understand the complex knowledge requirements of effective technology integration in education. tpack is an extension of shulman’s (1986) pedagogical content knowledge with the addition of technology as a necessary third aspect. the tpack model conceptualises teacher knowledge as the intersection of content knowledge (what to teach), pedagogical knowledge (how to teach), and technological knowledge (tools to facilitate teaching). in the indian scenario, tpack needs to be adopted to suit the diversity of education settings from technology-equipped private schools in urban areas to government schools with meagre resources in rural settings. indian teachers have strong content knowledge but may be lacking in technological knowledge to include digital resources in a meaningful way in their teaching, as suggested by padmanabhan and ramatoulaye (2023). effective tpd programs should therefore address this knowledge gap and also enlighten teachers on how technology can transform, rather than supplement, their pedagogical practices. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 259 source: karsten krauskopf (2017) situated learning and communities of practice: lave and wenger’s (1991) situatedlearning theory assumes that learning is a social phenomenon and takes place within communities of practice. this view is most applicable to technology-oriented tpd, as it acknowledges that learning digital competencies is not only about learning technical skills but being part of a community that prizes and encourages technology integration. indian teachers greatly benefit from comparative learning spaces in which they may exchange stories, solve problems, and cooperatively develop creative methods of integrating technology, thakur (2022). such communities of practice can be located in single schools, school networks, schools, school complexes or virtual places that ignore physical boundaries. adult learning theory and teacher agency andragogical principles focus on the fact that adult learners are self-directed, experience-based, and intrinsically motivated by relevance to their professional setting, knowles’ (1984). aligning to the same school of thought successful tpd programs recognise teachers as independent professionals and treat teachers as skilled professionals with valuable insights. they promote autonomy by involving teachers in setting learning goals and strategies. this fosters ownership and relevance, making the learning process more impactful. such agency leads to deeper engagement and lasting improvements in practice. in the indian context, national curriculum framework 2005, 4.8 (page 98) has discussed autonomy of teachers. batra (2020) contends that conventional tpd models in india have too often made teachers mere passive recipients of knowledge instead of being active co– constructors. technology-centred tpd presents a chance to reimagine this. literature review the use of educational technology in india has undergone a profound transformation. early debates, once indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 260 focused on the fundamental adoption or rejection of technology, have evolved into an intricate exploration of effective integration approaches (charania et al., 2022b). this revolutionary process was strongly boosted by the covid-19 pandemic, which irrevocably reshaped the conversation around technology’s presence in pedagogy (wohlfart et al., 2021). as such, the post-pandemic period has highlighted the imperative necessity for teacher professional development (tpd) in online learning, calling for an unequivocal shift towards technology-aided learning (anis, 2024; rana and sharma, 2022). the national education policy (nep) 2020 envisages as a holistic and vision-oriented document that explicitly recognises the central role played by technology to meet the ever-changing demands of 21st century learning (sarkar, 2021). the policy highlights that while the world continues to digitise, teachers are required to develop not only content knowledge but also the technological skills necessary to effectively apply digital tools within their teaching environments. teachers are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunities offered in the digital age to develop greater skills, improve pedagogical processes, and stay attuned to international educational developments (rajesh and rao, 2021). at the heart of the nep’s vision lies the promotion of lifelong learning, redefining teachers as dynamic, changing learners who stay abreast of both pedagogical and technological changes (sarkar, 2021). it is this philosophy that forms the basis of the nep’s core aim: to create systematic tpd programs for personal and professional development. formulated to be adaptable and flexible, these programs address the unique requirements of teachers in different geographic settings, such as urban, rural, and remote locations (kumar and singh, 2021). in order to maximise accessibility and comprehensiveness, these programs are regularly administered using blended learning models, merging face-toface instruction with digital learning platforms without any interruption (kumar and singh, 2021). this flexibility is especially beneficial for teachers who are located in remote or resource-scarce areas, where access to traditional professional development courses is limited (natarajan and singh, 2020). in addition to official training, nep 2020 purposefully encourages peer learning through enhancing collaborative professional networks. teachers are motivated to engage in communities of practice, enabling the active sharing of resources, expertise, and experience to foster a culture of shared growth (ministry of education, 2020). this peer-learning approach tends to deconstruct the conventional isolation usually felt by teachers, triggering cogrowth of solutions for classroom problems and fostering innovation in instructional methods. additionally, the nep 2020 aims to enhance teacher development through increased access to online materials, such as massive open online courses (moocs), professional webinars, and digital libraries (bhattacharya, 2020). these online offerings provide teachers with on-demand, selfdirected learning, allowing them indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 261 to stay current on cutting-edge teaching techniques, new research, and advancing tools. this deliberate infusion of technology repositions professional development from sporadic workshop-style events to an ongoing, dynamic process, which allows teachers to continue to build their skills throughout their professional careers. one of the notable, school-level initiatives aligned with nep’s vision is the integrated approach to technology in education (ite) (charania, 2022). introduced in 2012 for indian secondary government school teachers (grades 5-10), ite focused on project-based learning with technology (pblt). the cornerstone principle was to enable teachers to create curriculum-aligned activities that allow students to create digital learning artifacts. the effective rollout and continued uptake of the pblt/ite approach, especially within rural government schools, all depended on strong tpd (charania, 2022). the context of operation for such initiatives is indian government schools that follow a standardized curriculum in accordance with the national curriculum framework (ncert, 2005) and offer free schooling under the right to education act 2009 (government of india, 2009). of particular note is that 65% of pupils enrolled in such schools come from lower socioeconomic status (aser centre, 2017). nep’s drive for technology integration goes beyond the basic adoption of digital literacy by teachers; its approach is to fundamentally change the teaching-learning process (sharma, 2020). the policy invites teachers to go beyond traditional practices, which leads to experimentation with blended learning approaches, inverted classrooms, and interactive technologies. this forward-thinking policy ensures that teachers are not only more prepared for the modern classroom but also are set to innovate and take on leadership positions in an increasingly digitalised education system (sharma, 2020). to ensure this happens, the policy actively promotes national digital platforms like swayam (study webs of active learning for young aspiring minds) and diksha (digital infrastructure for knowledge sharing). they provide an abundance of learning resources, ranging from training modules to online courses and instructional videos, especially designed to assist in teachers’ professional development (ministry of education, 2020). they grant wide exposure to various areas of academic study (swayam) and customise content for teacher education, ranging from pedagogical to subject matter ones (diksha). they enrich teachers’ exposure to worldwide best practices, making the educational community more connected and enlightened (mukherjee, 2021). despite the evident policy guidelines and technological innovation, issues continue to plague tpd for digital classrooms. as much as programs such as diksha and nishtha have provided greater access to training, the problem of high-quality, context-specific programs continues to be a challenge (jithesh and jadoun, 2024). most teachers still feel inadequate when it comes to using indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 262 technology because they were not well trained (priyamvada, 2022), and issues such as few resources, resistance, and insufficient time continue to prevail (anis, 2024). however, effective implementation models and approaches to technology-enhanced tpd have been established. successful tpd models include individual learning plans, online courses, and collaborative communities (anis, 2024). effective implementation involves ongoing, practice-oriented, and responsive approaches (charania et al., 2023), in combination with followup assistance and extensive school leadership (jithesh and jadoun, 2024). school-level tpd through technology has proved to be effective in facilitating pedagogical change and enhancing classroom practices, especially under resource-poor conditions (shohel and banks, 2012). in addition, successful types of technologyenabled tpd for lowand middleincome countries are virtual coaching, social messaging, blended learning, and videostimulated reflection (hennessy et al., 2022). kerala’s kite and hi-tech school programmes are examples of the potential of state-led, policydriven professional development (jithesh and jadoun, 2024). in order to meet changing needs and achieve maximum efficacy, tpd must prioritise digital proficiency, social-emotional development, and overcoming recognised barriers (anis, 2024). as much as benefits for instructors are realised, current evidence remains minimal regarding the sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and measurable effects of these programs on students’ performance (hennessy et al., 2022). thus, in order to improve their effectiveness, tpd programs need to uphold the interpersonal aspect of teachers’ learning and recognise the significant contribution of facilitators or peer experts (hennessy et al., 2022). in essence, nep 2020 presumes a future with empowered, selfregulated teachers who are able to innovate, adapt, and ultimately improve the learning experiences delivered to learners. by taking a comprehensive approach towards tpd, the policy seeks to place teachers at the forefront of educational change, hence catalysing not just student success but also the overall quality of education in india. methodology this study used a mixed-methods convergent parallel research design where both quantitative and qualitative data are collected simultaneously and then merged for analysis to examine effective models of technology-centred tpd in india. the methodology involved: case study analysis detailed analysis of five tpd programs in various indian states that reflect varied socioeconomic contexts and education settings: implementation of diksha platform in maharashtra, ict integration program for teachers in kerala, microsoft innovative educator program in schools in delhi-ncr, rural teacher mentorship programme in technology indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 263 in rajasthan, tpd component of the andhra pradesh technology-enabled learning initiative. expert interviews semi-structured interviews with 15 stakeholders i.e. teacher educators, educational technology experts, policy makers, and school principals. the major questions were on digital pedagogy integration, effectiveness of different timing models for technology integration in pre-service vs. in-service training: essential digital skills and pedagogical knowledge teachers need, assessment methods: how to evaluate teachers’ technology integration capabilities ; cultural adaptation: strategies for contextualising global ed-tech practices for indian classrooms; infrastructure requirements and minimum technology standards for effective digital learning environments; choosing appropriate learning management systems and tools and implementation challenges. survey of teacher experiences online survey of 287 teachers who took part in technology-focused tpd programs in 12 indian states. the survey questions covered a wide range including demographic and background factors capturing their teaching experience (years in profession), subject areas and grade levels taught, geographic location (urban/rural/semi-urban), type of institution (government/private/ aided), educational qualifications and technology training background, technology access and infrastructure, available hardware and software resources, internet connectivity quality and reliability, technical support availability, personal device ownership and usage patterns, classroom technology setup and maintenance: professional development experiences; pedagogical integration. practices; technology use in lesson planning and curriculum design, student engagement strategies using digital tools, assessment and feedback mechanisms differentiated instruction approaches, collaboration and communication enhancement, challenges and barriers; outcomes and impact assessment, impact of plcs etc. data analysis utilised thematic coding with nvivo software, adopting an interpretivist strategy that aimed to explore the lived experience of teachers working with technologyoriented professional development. findings and discussions the analysis of data leads to following findings: current state of technology-focused tpd in india: the study found considerable differences in the extent and quality of technology-oriented tpd in india. urban areas, especially in more economically developed states like maharashtra, karnataka, and delhincr, had stronger and more systematic systems for building teachers’ digital capacity. rural areas and poorer states had more dispersed and irregular tpd offerings. various national programs have tried to bridge this gap. the diksha (digital infrastructure for knowledge sharing) platform, rolled out under the national teacher platform, offers digital content, courses, and tools for assessment for teachers in india. likewise, the national initiative for school heads’ and teachers’ holistic advancement (nishtha) also has major modules dealing with integration indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 264 with technology. nevertheless, survey reports showed wide disparity in awareness and use of such resources, as only 42% of respondents reported accessing national tpd platforms, on a regular basis.the study enumerated the following major challenges in technologyfocused tpd implementation. table-1: access to national tpd platforms by respondents access frequency percentage of respondents accessing tpd platforms regularly 42% not accessing tpd platforms regularly 58% total 100% infrastructure and access even with remarkable advancements in digital infrastructure, most schools, especially in rural settings, continue to grapple with simple issues regarding constant electricity supply, internet access, and the availability of devices. rural school respondents indicated that 67% encountered frequent internet outages while participating in online tpd, and 58% did not have specific devices allocated for professional development purposes. most of the computers in the rural settings lacked updated software. table-2: internet connectivity issues among rural school respondents in online tpd issue percentage of respondents frequent internet outages during online tpd 67% no frequent internet outages 33% total 100% indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 265 table-3: availability of devices for professional development in rural schools device availability status percentage of respondents no specific devices allocated for professional development 58% devices allocated for professional development 42% total 100% one-size-fits-all approaches most tpd programs did not consider the different technological environments and differing levels of digital literacy among indian teachers. as an interviewee explained: “the training presumes we all begin at the same point. but in my school, some teachers have never even used a computer, while others are already producing digital content. “we require differentiated pathways.” a teacher, government school, bihar. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 266 connection between training and classroom reality teachers consistently reported a disconnect between the technological uses modelled in tpd courses and what was possible within their classroom settings. professional development (pd) often showcases technology under ideal conditions using the latest tools, while many schools operate with outdated or limited tech infrastructure. training sessions typically overlook the minimal it support in schools, leaving teachers to resolve technical problems on their own. the time required to apply new technology in real classrooms is often underestimated, especially in existing curriculum demands. the diverse conditions of actual classrooms, such as different student needs, class sizes, and room layouts are not paid attention in the tdp programmes. technology use is often emphasised in these programmes without aligning it to the curriculum standards teachers are expected to follow. further assessment methods mandated in schools may or may not align with the tools used in the programme. teachers are often left without follow-up guidance after initial training, making implementation difficult. lack of regular mentoring and troubleshooting support greatly hindered teachers from overcoming initial hurdles in technology integration. this discrepancy frequently resulted in minimal transfer of learning, as 73% of respondents to the survey reported they applied less than half the technology-related practices taught in tpd sessions. table-4: application of technology-related practices from tpd sessions application level percentage of respondents applied less than half of the practices taught 73% applied half or more of the practices taught 27% total 100% indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 267 sustainability and follow-up support most tpd initiatives were defined by single-shot workshops with no persistent follow-up or implementation support. effective models of technologycentred tpd despite these challenges, the study identified several promising frameworks that were found to be effective in increasing teachers’ technological pedagogical knowledge: school-based learning communities of the kerala ict integration case study uncovered the potential of school-based teacher professional learning communities (plcs) that collectively experimented with technology uses. the plcs were conducted on a regular basis to exchange experience, cooperatively develop digital resources, and offer feedback via peers. the model illustrated noteworthy benefits in capacity building in a sustainable way, whereby participating schools achieved a 37% higher rate of technology integration compared to schools that did not have effective plcs. table-5: impact of effective plcs on technology integration in schools school type technology integration rate schools with effective plcs higher by 37% schools without effective plcs baseline (reference group) coaching and mentorship programs of rajasthan the rajasthan teacher mentorship program formed alliances between teachers with higher levels of digital competence and their less competent peers in a structured mentoring system. this approach provided individualised, timely support that addressed the precise needs teachers had in classrooms. studies based on surveys showed that teachers who participated in mentoring alliances were 2.3 times as likely to report being confident using educational technology compared to teachers who participated in workshopbased training alone. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 268 table-6: teacher confidence in using educational technology based on training type training type relative confidence in using edtech mentoring alliances 2.3× more likely to report high confidence workshop-based training only baseline (reference group) blended learning strategies in the delhi-ncr microsoft innovative educator program used blended learning strategy that integrated face-to-face workshops with online learning modules, virtual mentoring, and collaborative activities. the strategy supported teachers’ hectic work schedules and offered multiple points of entry for skill acquisition. the rates of enrolment were considerably higher (82% completion) when compared to the all-online (34%) on allface-to-face (61%) programs. table-7: effectiveness of blended learning blended program 82% all online program 34% face-to-face program 61% indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 269 microlearning and tpd through mobile as the spread of smartphones in india increased, mobile learning strategies led to encouraging outcomes in terms of making tpd accessible. the andhra pradesh program utilised brief, targeted learning modules offered through mobile applications, enabling teachers to experience professional development through available short time slots. the strategy also effectively reached rural teachers, with 76% reporting frequent use of the mobile platform in rural areas. mobile learning resulted in teacher-led design and implementation interventions that made teachers codesigners instead of recipients of tpd were more effective in participation and implementation. table-8: frequency of mobile platform use in rural areas usage frequency percentage of respondents (rural areas) frequent use of mobile platform 76% infrequent or no use 24% total 100% the teacher leadership-based kerala ict integration program it engaged teachers in self-identification of learning needs, development of relevant interventions, and peer learning workshops. this generated more ownership and pertinence, with 52% higher implementation rates than top-down tpd programs. table-9: implementation rates – bottom-up vs. top-down tpd programs tpd program type implementation rate bottom-up (generated ownership and pertinence) 52% higher than top-down tpd top-down tpd programs baseline (reference group) indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 270 essential elements of successful technology-centric tpd case study and analysis of surveys identified a number of essential factors that defined good technology-centred tpd: (i) contextualisation within domestic interventions (ii) contexts effective programs tailored content and delivery to consider local infrastructure language usage iv) cultural settings (v) prevalent technological ecosystems. contextualisation in this way rendered tpd pertinent and immediately applicable to teachers’ particular circumstances. practical, experiential education tdp courses that utilised active, experiential methods in which the instructor used the technology in real teaching situations resulted in much improved outcomes compared to lecture or demonstration-based courses. as one teacher described: “actually creating a digital lesson plan and applying it with feedback made all the difference. i was able to see what was going well and what wasn’t working in real-time.” teacher, private school, bangalore. the maharashtra digital education framework saral 2.0: systematic administrative reforms for achieving learning maharashtra’s saral 2.0 (systematic administrative reforms for achieving learning by students) serves as the foundation for digital education transformation, creating a comprehensive platform that manages student, school, and teacher data while facilitating governmentfunded education schemes. this initiative benefits approximately 2.25 crore students across maharashtra tracking teacher career progression, while providing unified professional development pathways, and streamlines the implementation of government schemes by reducing time and effort required for information collection at the school level. practical skill building for teachers includes hands-on training in google classroom integration, collabgeo tools, and technical support systems, supported by multilingual access including marathi language support and qr code integration indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 271 with ncert textbooks the model systematically addresses identified barriers like teachers’ ict reluctance and insufficient training. educational application focus rather than technological functionality of the most successful programs is focused on the pedagogical value of technology and not just on technical processes. teachers indicated higher use when tpd centred on the ways technology could solve specific teaching problems or improve specific learning experience. ongoing engagement throughout duration one-day workshops had little impact on classroom practices. by contrast, programs that were designed as an extended learning process with repeated interactions, incremental skill development, and opportunities for reflection had much greater implementation rates and greater teacher satisfaction. interventions that incorporated formal recognition of teachers’ developing competence, such as digital badges, certificates, career development opportunities, or reward systems based on performance, showed higher completion and persistence. challenges in implementing technology centric tpd the study uncovered some persistent issues in the effective technologyfocused tpd: infrastructure and accessibility constraints in spite of tremendous strides in digital platforms, especially rural, schools, are still grappling with fundamental issues of stable electricity, connectivity, and availability of devices. rural school respondents in the survey indicated that 67% of their schools frequently experienced intern et connectivity during online tpd, and 58% did not have dedicated devices for professional development. uniform methods the majority of tpd programs were not planned with the multiple technological contexts and disparate digital literacies of indian teachers in considerations. as one interview mentioned: “the training presumes that everybody is beginning from a level playing field. but in my institution, some teachers have never worked on a computer, while others are occupied creating digital resources.” it is important that we develop differentiated learning pathways. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 272 training vs. classroom environment discrepancy teachers often complained about a mismatch between the technological applications showcased in tpd programs and what was practically possible in their classroom environments. this mismatch was often responsible for minimal transfer of learning, and 73% of the survey respondents reported to have applied less than half of the technologybased practices presented during tpd sessions. table-10: application of technology-based practices from tpd sessions level of practice application percentage of respondents applied less than half of the practices 73% applied half or more of the practices 27% total 100% ongoing support and sustainability most tpd efforts were marked with single-shot workshops that lacked continued follow-up or implementation facilitation. lack of continued mentoring and troubleshooting support greatly hindered teachers’ capacity to overcome starting blocks in technology integration. successful models for technologycentric tpd despite these challenges, the research identified several promising frameworks that showed effectiveness in the improvement of teachers’ technological pedagogical knowledge: school-based learning communities the kerala ict case study uncovered the power of the school-based professional learning communities (plcs) where teachers met together to discuss uses of technology. the plcs met regularly and shared experience, co-creating digital materials, and gave peer review. this was demonstrated to have real strengths in its ability to develop capacity sustainably, with these schools achieving 37% more than the rate in schools without functioning plcs. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 273 table-11: impact of functioning plcs on sustainable capacity development school type capacity development rate schools with functioning plcs 37% higher than schools without plcs schools without functioning plcs baseline (reference group) mentorship and coaching programs the rajasthan teacher technology mentorship program matched technology comfortable teachers with less experienced peers in a formalised mentoring framework. this method offered context-specific and timely assistance that was specifically tailored to the particular problems of teachers in their learning environments. survey information collected showed that teachers who took part in mentorship programs were 2.3 times more likely to report confidence in the use of educational technology than teachers who only attended training through workshops. table-12: teacher confidence in educational technology use by type of professional development type of professional development relative likelihood of reporting confidence mentorship programs 2.3× more likely workshop-based training only baseline (reference group) indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 274 blended learning strategies the microsoft innovative educator program in delhi-ncr adopted a blended model of learning that combined face-to-face workshops with online learning modules, virtual coaching, and collaborative projects. this was convenient for teachers with hectic schedules and provided multiple channels for acquiring skills. the engagement rates were significantly higher (82% completion) than for solely online (34%) or solely face-to-face (61%) programs. micro-learning and mobile-based tpd with the widespread use of smartphones in india, mobile-based micro-learning strategies were found to be yielding encouraging outcomes in terms of making tpd more accessible. the andhra pradesh program included short, targeted learning modules imparted through a mobile app, enabling teachers to receive professional development in short available windows. this method was found to be especially valuable in terms of reaching rural teachers, with 76% or rural teachers indicating frequent usage of the mobile platform. this method was found to be especially valuable in terms of reaching rural teachers, with 76% of rural teachers indicating frequent usage of the mobile platform. teacher-led design and implementation interventions that viewed teachers as co-designers, not mere recipients of professional development, had more favourable use and participation outcomes. ict integration by teachers in kerala involved teachers in needs assessment, developing contextspecific interventions, and conducting peer learning activities. this approach allowed for higher ownership and context-specific applicability, and implementation rates were 52% higher compared to top-down professional development programs. a suggested framework for technology-oriented teacher professional development based on the evidences in this study, this paper presents an integrated technology-based teacher professional development (tpd) framework to address the unique requirements and problems of the indian education system. the arise framework (access, relevance, integration, support, empowerment) consists of five interconnected dimensions: indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 275 source: author access: enabling equal opportunities (i) develop multi-channel delivery mechanisms for tpd (offline digital goods, online, fact-to-face, mobile) (ii) create low-bandwidth and offlineaccessible materials for low – connectivity areas (iii) set up technology resource centres at block or cluster levels and school complexes for teachers without personal devices (iv) provide varying entry points based on teachers’ existing digital literacy levels, and plan programmes of varied duration. (v) carrying out prior needs assessments to determine context-specific challenges and opportunities relevance (i) create content in local languages other than hindi and english (ii) use examples and applications appropriate to various indian classroom contexts (iii) coordinate tpd content with curriculum frameworks and assessment practices integration: connecting technology with teaching methodology (i) structure tpd around particular pedagogical concerns rather than particular technical competencies. (ii) recognise discipline-specific instructional technology strategies that address the distinctive pedagogical requirements of various subjects. (iii) enable the development, implementation, and assessment of lessons involving technology upgrades. (iv) explain adaptations to different levels of resources (high-tech, lowtech, and no-tech solutions). support: facilitating continued implementation by communities (i) build school-based professional learning communities for technology integration (iii) create mentorship programs that match technology-savvy teacherswith colleagues (iii) establish virtual networks of teachers from geographical locations indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 276 (iv) provide easy-to-access technical support and troubleshooting resources empowerment: increasing teacher autonomy and leadership (i) involve teachers in identifying tpd needs and designing appropriate interventions identify and tap teachers’ prior knowledge and experience (ii) establish channels for teachers to become leaders and mentors in technology integration (iii) create recognition mechanisms that identify emerging expertise suggestions implementation of considerations for successful technology-focused tpd in india requires concerted efforts from various stakeholders and system levels. the following are some of the important considerations emerging from this study: policy alignment and support the nep-2020 offers an enabling policy framework for embedding technology in education. yet, the translation of policy vision into effective tpd entails: (i) committed financial sources for sustainable technology-driven tpd (ii) integration of teaching digital skills within teacher professional standards and career progression routes (iii) alignment of pre-service teacher education programs and in-service professional development (iv) recognition of the time spent on professional development as legitimate professional activity. institutional capacity building schools and institutions of education need more capacity and support to facilitate technology-mediated tpd. (i) fostering educational leadership that emphasises and facilitates the incorporation of technology. (ii) strengthening district institutes of education and training (diets) to support technology-based tpd. (iii) creating jobs for technology integration specialists in educational systems. (iv) establishing partnerships with technology firms and institutions of higher education. leveraging existing ecosystems instead of building entirely new systems, successful implementation should build on and enhance current educational settings: (i) inserting technology components into the existing tpd channels and activities (ii) strengthening existing teacher networks to include technology integration priorities building on popular platforms such as diksha but transcending their limitations (iii) partnering with existing civil society organisations in educational technology monitoring, research and continuous improvement sustainable impact ongoing review and refinement (i) building frameworks to assess the effect of technology-enabled tpd on student achievement and teaching practice. (ii) establishing feedback loops to continuously improve tpd. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 277 (iii) enabling practitioner inquiry where teachers reflect on their own approaches to technology integration. (iv) cultivating venues for sharing lessons learned and innovations among various educational settings. conclusion with ongoing digitalisation of india’s education system, it is important to implement successful technology-centred teacher professional development strategies so that this change improves, rather than diminishes, educational quality and equity. this study has revealed critical obstacles in existing teacher professional development practices, such as infrastructural deficits, one-size-fits-all mentality, irrelevance in the classroom, and poor sustainability. however, this study has suggested potential model that addresses such challenges by means of school-based learning communities, mentorship initiatives, blended learning approaches, mobile micro-learning methods, and teacherdesigned models. these models share some commonalities: they localise learningto local contexts, prioritise experiential learning, focus on pedagogical implementation, sustain motivation in the long term, and integrate systems of recognition. the arise framework suggested in the paper provides an integrated strategy for technology-oriented tpd that is responsive to the unique needs and limitations of the indian educational context. by specifying issues of access, relevance, integration, support, and empowerment, this framework presents a strategy for building teachers’ capacity to integrate technology in their teaching in a meaningful way. future research can study the long-term effects of various tpd models on teachers’ teaching and students’ learning, study the scalability of successful approaches, and study how technology-enabled tpd can be used to address particular issues like multilingual teaching and inclusive teaching. as ed-tech continues to change, so must our methods of preparing teachers to harness its potential to improve teaching and learning in heterogeneously constituted indian classrooms. references batra, p. 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(2021). the unique effects of covid-19— a qualitative study of the factors that influence teachers’ acceptance and usage of digital tools. education and information technologies, 26(6), 7359–7379. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s10639-021-10574-4 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 148 research article effectiveness of concept mapping and branching programming learning material on achievement in economics neeraj joshi1, anmol tuteja2 and sakina millwala3 1department of education, srt campus, tehri garhwal, h.n.b garhwal central university, srinagar, uttarakhand email: neerajjoshisir@gmail.com 2research students, school of education, davv, indore 3research students, school of education, davv, indore abstract the title of the research was “effectiveness of concept mapping and branching programming learning material on achievement in economics”. the objectives of the study were (i) to compare the mean ranks of gain scores of the traditional lecture group and concept mapping group and (ii) to compare the mean ranks of gain scores of the traditional lecture group and the branching programming learning material group. (iii) to compare the mean rank of gain scores for the concept mapping group and branching programming learning material group. a purposive sampling technique was used by the researcher in which the sample size was 67, from which 25 students were from experimental group 1 (concept mapping group), 25 students were from experimental group 2 (branching programming learning material group), and 17 students were from the traditional lecture group, for data collection self-made achievement test was used. the non-equivalent control group design was used for this study, and data was collected from two schools in indore. the treatment was given to experimental groups for 9 days, including administration of pre and post-tests. the mann-whitney u test was used to analyze the objectives. the findings of the research were that (i) the mean ranks of the concept mapping group were significantly higher than those of the traditional lecture group, (ii) the mean ranks of the branching programming learning material group were significantly higher than those of the traditional lecture group, (iii) the mean ranks of branching programming learning material group was significantly higher than concept mapping group. keywords: achievement in economics, branching programming learning material, concept mapping introduction learning is a purposeful, conscious and complex process. an important feature of learning is that it involves a complex interactive system that includes environmental, social, motivational, emotional, and cognitive factors (cheema & mirza, 2013). in the traditional learning process, the teacher transmits the facts and assumes students as passive receptors of knowledge. this passive learning prevents the students from constructing their knowledge and understanding the concepts to apply them in their day-to-day lives. nowadays, various teaching-learning strategies have been developed to accelerate students’ learning process. the curriculum demands teaching-learning strategies that may involve students in their own knowledge construction, placing them as the centre of learning activity and indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 149 the teacher as a facilitator. this strategy involved mind mapping, topic mapping, concept mapping, programmed learning, etc. concept mapping is one of the teaching-learning strategies under constructivism having its orientation in david ausubel’s assimilation theory 1968 of cognitive learning which aims at fostering meaningful learning by students. concept map is a tool that is used to illicit students’ knowledge and helps the learner in learning of concepts. concept mapping the techniques of concept mapping were developed by joseph novak of cornell university in the 1970s as a means of demonstrating the developing science knowledge of students. concept maps have been used as a tool to upturn important learning in science and other subjects as well as to characterize the expert knowledge of individuals in education. concepts are defined as abstract ideas. it is a generally accepted and understoo d collection of meaning and characteristics associated with certain events, objects, conditions, situations, people or behaviour. concepts are denoted by names, symbols or signs of our language. a concept map or conceptual diagram is a diagram that describes suggested connections between concepts. it typically denotes ideas and information as boxes or circles, which it links with labelled arrows, often in a downward branching hierarchical structure but also in free-form maps. according to novak and gowin (2010), “concept maps are constructed to represent visually meaningful relationships among concepts in the form of propositions”. branching programming learning material (bplm) norman a. crowder, an american psychologist, is credited for developing branching programming learning. branched or intrinsic programming is one which adapts to the needs of the learner. in this type, each frame is of a relatively bigger size and may contain two or three ideas related to the sequence. a single question, usually of the multiple-choice type, is asked at the end. the learner selects the response. if the learner chooses correctly, he is taken to the next frame in the main teaching sequence. if his response is wrong, he is diverted (branched) to a remedial frame where his mistake is explained, and the topic under consideration is further explained, perhaps using some more examples. after remedial work, he is directed to the original frame to make another attempt at choosing the right answer. the learner moves forward if he answers correctly but is diverted (branched) to one or more remedial frames if he does not. this cycle goes on till the learner passes through the whole instructional material. rationale traditional methods or strategies of teaching are teacher-centred. piaget and kohlberg are the constructivists who gave more focus on active learning, keeping the child in the centre. different methods and techniques are used by the teachers to keep the student active and engaged in the classroom by keeping in mind the interests and needs of the individual learner. economics is a social science, which means it studies society and the relationship between them. economics is a part of social science till class 8, but some parts of economics may be taught from class 6, including civics. till class fifth, students already learn something about social science in evs, but economics is a new and complex subject for class 6 to 8 students. economics sometimes deals with some statistical data and technical words, which is sometimes very difficult for students to understand the basic concept, so teachers try to use different indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 150 methods for teaching economics, such as concept maps, project methods, playway methods, programmed learning material, etc. few studies on the use of programming instruction have been found in india like: shah (1968) developed programme material in mathematics on solving equations for class vi students and conducted an experiment for using it. it was found that the group taught by the program alone did significantly better than the traditional lecture method group. joshi (1972) developed programmed learning material for first-year degree students in maharashtra. it was found that learning with programmed learning material was more effective, permanent, and interesting than the traditional method. chopra (1995) developed the programmed learning material in home science on food and nutrition for twelfthgrade students and found it effective for learning. shihabudeen (2001) found that the group that learnt english through programmed instruction achieved higher mean scores than that of the control group, which learnt through the conventional method of teaching. ujjainwala (2012) conducted a study to know the effectiveness of computerized branched programme learning material in achievement in chemistry subjects and found that the use of branched programme learning material improved the achievement of students in chemistry. jain (2017) found that programmed instruction is effective in terms of achievement in english. sambasivarao (2020) conducted a study on the impact of programmed instruction on academic achievement in mathematics. the study found that the use of a programmed instruction strategy improved achievement in mathematics learning. novak (1983) found concept mapping is effective for junior high school science students. pankratius (1990) found that achievement in the physics of concept mapping group was significantly higher than that of groups that received standard instructions. ragwalan (1991) studied concept mapping in learning physical science and found that the experimental and control groups of boys, girls and co-educational students had no difference in posttest scholastic performance. regis and giorgio (1996) proposed the application of concept maps in chemistry teaching in high schools. williams (1998) used concept maps to assess conceptual knowledge and found it effective in terms of mathematical achievement. gupta (1999) found that the concept mapping model is significantly more effective than the conventional method to foster concept learning in terms of comprehension and application of concepts in chemistry. ahuja (2007) studied the effectiveness of concept mapping in science and found positive results. shailaja (2008) found concept mapping is effective in the achievement of physics. dammani (2011) found that the concept mapping strategy was significantly more effective than the concept attainment model in terms of understanding english grammar concepts. amita (2015) found that the achievement in biology of class ix students in the concept mapping group was significantly higher than that of the traditional group. kumuda (2016) developed the concept maps for higher secondary school students in physics and found that the gain scores of students taught through concept mapping are significantly higher than the gain scores of students taught through the lecture method. anamika (2016) developed the concept maps for ix students in chemistry and found that concept mapping has a positive effect on cognitive skills and enriches the concept attainment. besty (2019) found that achievement in chemistry of higher secondary indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 151 students is significantly improved by concept mapping as compared to activity oriented method. chauhan (2020) found that the understanding in various concepts of social science is significantly higher by concept mapping as compared to conventional methods. jena (2020) found a significant difference in science achievement between the spider map concept approach and the hierarchal concept map approach over the traditional approach of teaching. pandey (2020) found that concept mapping is more effective than traditional teaching of biology. nausheen (2021) found concept mapping is effective in terms of science achievement. it is clear from above previous research works that most of the research works have been done regarding concept mapping and science subject, but no one has done this study in economics. thus, in this study researcher wants to study the effect of concept map and bplm on achievement of students in economics of class vii students. statement of problem “effectiveness of concept mapping and branching programming learning material on achievement in economics” operational definition of key terms • concept mapping: it is a strategy or technique of teaching any topic or concept by dividing the one concept or topic in various different subconcepts or subtopics by establishing link or relationship between them. • achievement: this refers to the marks scored by students in the economics test related to chapter 7, ‘market around us’. • bplm: it is an ms office powerpoint based self-learning material where content is arranged in a logical sequence. in which each slide consists of content after which a question will be asked, on choosing the correct option the learner will move forward to read the next content, if the answer is wrong then the learner will be given remedy and has to re-read that slide. objectives 1. to compare the mean ranks of gain scores of the traditional lecture group and concept mapping group. 2. to compare the mean ranks of gain scores of the traditional lecture group and branching programming learning material group. 3. to compare the mean ranks of gain scores of the concept mapping group and branching programming learning material group. hypothesis 1. there is no significant difference between the mean ranks of gain scores of the traditional lecture group and the concept mapping group. 2. there is no significant difference between the mean ranks of gain scores of the traditional lecture group and the branching programming learning material group. 3. there is no significant difference between the mean ranks of gain scores of the concept mapping group and the branching programming learning material group. delimitations • the study was delimited to only english medium students. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 152 • the concept maps and bplm were developed in chapter 7, “market around us”, of economics only. • the study was delimited to schools affiliated with only the mp board. methodology the experimental method was used for this research in which the independent variable was teaching strategy, and the dependent variable was an achievement in economics. sample the present study was conducted in two schools in indore city. the population comprises all students of class 7th in the session 20222023 in indore mp board school. a purposive sampling technique was used to select the schools. the selected schools were namdev panjwani higher secondary school and jagdale higher secondary school. the selected schools were assigned randomly to two levels of treatment. namdev panjwani higher secondary school formed the experimental groups and taught with concept mapping and branching programming learning material, while jagdale higher secondary school formed the traditional lecture group and taught with traditional strategy. the sample consists of 67 students, out of which 25 students were from experimental group 1(concept mapping group), 25 students were from experimental group 2 (branching programming learning material group), and 17 students were from the traditional lecture group. the age range was to be 12 to 14 years. the medium of instruction in both schools was english, and both schools belonged to the urban area of the indore district. the students were from different socioeconomic statuses. table-1: group-wise and gender-wise sample school name group gender sample namdev panjwani higher secondary school experimental group 1 (concept mapping) male female 9 16 experimental group 2 (bplm) male 25 jagdale higher secondary school traditional lecture group male female 6 11 total 67 tool: achievement test the achievement test consisted of 20 multiple choice questions related to chapter 7 “market around us” of economics which have 4 alternatives and out of 4 alternatives, one alternative was correct. for one correct answer one mark was given and zero mark was given for a wrong answer. the test was of 30 minutes duration and of 20 marks. the general information was filled by the students such as name, class, gender and school name. experimental design in the present study non-equivalent control group design was used. firstly the pre-test was administered on both the traditional and experimental groups and then treatment was given to only experimental groups after that post-test was administered on both the groups. the layout of designs is as follows indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 153 traditional lecture group o1 o2 experimental group 1 o1 x1 o2 experimental group 2 o1 x2 o2 where o1 stands for pre-test o2 stands for post-test x1 stands for concept mapping x2 stands for branching programming learning material ….. non-equivalency development of concept map and branching programming learning material to make the concept map, the researcher searched for the different apps through which concept maps can be made very easily and in an interesting manner, along with different images, colours and backgrounds. thus, the researcher found different apps such as design hill, canvas, get mind, nova mind, map tool, etc. the researcher chose the map tool to design a concept map as this tool contains many features like inserting images, colours, background images, and adding different links. multiple links can be added to each concept to form a dynamic map that opens web pages or local documents. the branching programming learning material was developed through the microsoft powerpoint application. for creating the presentation, a slide with all the instructions regarding the program was mentioned, and then the homepage was made where the content was displayed. for this, the content analysis was done by dividing the content into major parts. the content was explained in simple language, and for every difficult word, the meaning was provided with the help of a hyperlink so that on hovering over the difficult word, the meaning of the word would appear. for a better understanding of the content, images, graphs and tables were also used. after each content, multiple choice questions related to the content were asked. on choosing the right answer, reinforcement was given with the help of gifs or images, and for wrong answers, a remedy was given. data collection first, permission was obtained from the principals of all schools. a good rapport was established between the students. then pretest was taken of both the experimental and traditional group on the first day. then the treatment was given to experimental group for consecutive 7 days. meanwhile, the traditional group was taught the same topics with traditional method. after giving treatment for 7 days, a post-test was taken from the experimental and traditional groups on the last day. data analysis in the research study, there are three groups: concept mapping, branching programming learning material group, and traditional lecture group and group. the sample size was 25, 25, and 17, respectively. in fewer samples, there is a strong chance that any or all assumptions of normality, homogeneity, and outliers will likely be violated. due to the purposive sampling technique and smaller sample size, mann whitney u test was used, and it is also equally powerful, as evidenced by the significant result of the study. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 154 comparison of mean ranks of gain scores of traditional lecture group and concept mapping group the first objective of the research was “to compare the mean ranks of gain scores of traditional lecture group and concept mapping group”. for analyzing the data mann-whitney u test was used, and the results for the treatment effect on achievement were as follows: table-2: summary of mann-whitney u test for comparing the mean ranks of gain scores of traditional and concept mapping group dv treatment n mean ranks sum of ranks mann – whitney u z p ach. lecture 17 15.35 261.00 108.00 -2.69 .007* concept mapping 25 25.68 642.00 *significant at 0.01 level from the above table, it is clear that the value of mann-whitney u for the treatment is 108.00, and the z value is 2.69, for which the value of two-tailed significance is 0.007, which is less than 0.01 level of significance. therefore, the u value is significant at a 0.01 level of significance. in this view, the null hypothesis, “there is no significant difference between the mean ranks of gain scores of traditional lecture group and concept mapping group” is rejected. this means that there is a significant difference between the mean rank of gain scores of the traditional lecture group and the concept mapping group. from the above table, it is also clear that the value of mean rank of concept mapping group is 25.68 which is higher than traditional lecture group which is 15.35.therefore, it is concluded that the treatment of concept mapping is found to be significantly higher to the traditional method for teaching economics. comparison of mean ranks of gain scores of traditional lecture group and branching programming learning material group the second objective of the research was “to compare the mean ranks of gain scores of traditional lecture group and branching programming learning material group. for analyzing the data, mann whitney u test was used, and the results for the treatment effect on achievement were as follows: table-3: summary of mann-whitney u test for comparing the mean ranks of gain scores of the traditional group and branching programming learning material group dv treatment n mean ranks sum of ranks mann – whitney u z p ach. lecture 17 11.21 190.5 37.5 -4.5 .000*bplm 25 28.5 712.5 *significant at 0.01 level indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 155 from the above table, it is clear that the value of mann-whitney u for the treatment is 37.5 and the z value is – 4.5, for which the value of two-tailed significance is 0.000, which is less than 0.01 level of significance. therefore, the u value is significant at a 0.01 level of significance. in this view, the null hypothesis, “there is no significant difference between the mean ranks of gain scores of the traditional group and branching programming learning material group”, is rejected. this means that there is a significant difference between the mean rank of gain scores of the traditional group and the branching programming learning material group. from the above table, it is also clear that the value of mean rank of branching programming learning material group is 28.5 which are higher than traditional group which is 11.21. therefore, it is concluded that the treatment of branching programming learning material is found to be significantly higher to the traditional lecture method for teaching economics. comparison of mean ranks of gain scores of concept mapping group and branching programming learning material group the third objective of the research was “to compare the mean ranks of gain scores of concept mapping group and branching programming learning material group”. for analyzing the data, mann whitney u test was used, and the results for the treatment effect on achievement were as follows: table-4: summary of mann-whitney u test for comparing the mean ranks of gain scores of concept mapping group and branching programming learning material group dv treatment n mean ranks sum of ranks mann whitney u z p ach concept mapping 25 20.86 521.50 196.50 -2.26 .024 *bplm 25 30.14 753.50 *significant at 0.05 level from the above table, it is clear that the value of mann-whitney u for the treatment is 196.50, and the z value is is-2.26, for which the value of two-tailed significance is 0.024, which is less than 0.05 level of significance. therefore, the u value is significant at a 0.05 level of significance. in this view, the null hypothesis, “there is no significant difference between the mean ranks of gain scores of concept mapping group and branching programming learning material group”, is rejected. this means that there is a significant difference between the mean rank of gain scores for the concept mapping group and the branching programming learning material group. from the above table, it is also clear that the value of mean rank of branching programming learning material group is 30.14 which are higher than concept mapping group which is 20.86. therefore, it is concluded that the treatment of branching programming learning material is found to be significantly higher to the concept mapping for teaching economics. findings 1. concept mapping is more effective as compared to the traditional lecture methods in terms of the achievement of students. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 156 2. branching programming learning material is more effective as compared to traditional lecture method in terms of achievement of students. 3. branching programming learning material is more effective as compared to concept mapping in terms of achievement of students. discussion novak (1983), pankratius (1990), and shailaja (2008) demonstrated its success in improving science and physics performance. similarly, regis and giorgio (1996) and gupta (1999) confirmed its efficacy in chemistry, while williams (1998) found it beneficial for mathematics. ahuja (2007) and dammani (2011) supported the method’s positive impact on science and english grammar learning, respectively. studies by amita (2015), kumuda (2016), and besty (2019) reaffirmed that concept mapping led to significantly higher achievement in biology, physics, and chemistry when compared to traditional methods. research by chauhan (2020), jena (2020), and pandey (2020) further emphasized its superiority over conventional teaching approaches in social science and science. overall, the findings show that concept mapping not only enhances comprehension but also fosters deeper understanding, making it more effective than traditional methods in improving student achievement across disciplines. shah (1968) and joshi (1972) demonstrated that students taught using programmed instruction in mathematics and at the degree level outperformed those taught through traditional methods. similarly, chopra (1995) found programmed instruction in home science to be more effective for learning. shihabudeen (2001) and jain (2017) confirmed the method’s success in english, while ujjainwala (2012) and sambasivarao (2020) found that computerized and branched programmed learning significantly improved student achievement in chemistry and mathematics, respectively. the cumulative findings strongly suggest that programmed instruction, particularly branching programming, offers individualized learning that enhances comprehension, retention, and engagement. therefore, applying branching programmed learning material in teaching economics is expected to result in better student achievement compared to traditional methods, as it allows students to learn at their own pace and grasp complex ideas more effectively. conclusion the discussion shows that both concept mapping and programmed instruction are more effective than traditional teaching methods across various subjects. concept mapping improves student achievement in science, mathematics, chemistry, social science, and english by enhancing comprehension and fostering deeper understanding. similarly, programmed instruction, especially branching programming, proves superior in improving student performance in subjects like mathematics, english, home science, and chemistry by offering individualized, self-paced learning. in conclusion, both methods significantly enhance student achievement, making them valuable alternatives to conventional teaching strategies. their application in subjects like economics is likely to yield similar positive outcomes. implications the findings have implications for the teachers, students, parents and content developers, which are as follows:teachersconcept mapping strategy proved to be very useful for teachers indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 157 as they can make their teaching very effective by using concept maps in teaching various concepts of economics. further, the teachers also use branching programming learning material to divide the whole content into small chunks and give a chance to students to learn at their own pace. also, the teachers are being exposed to the concept map; there is a need to stress that the content given in the syllabus should be analyzed in sequences, and appropriate concepts should be identified by teachers so as to make their teaching effective. studentsconcept maps and branching programming learning material is very useful for students to make their learning very effective. the student should understand each and every concept thoroughly which will help in meaningful learning and which in turn enhance their achievement also students can make their own concept maps on their own understanding which will help them to remember the concept for a lifetime. parentsconcept maps and branching programming learning material are equal important for parents as it will help them to teach their child at home and helps their child in doing the revision of the ideas during their exams. content developersconcept maps and branching programming learning materials serve as tools for content developers. building and using a concept map representing the entire study programme is beneficial for different stakeholders involved in the content development. concept map and bplm is a guide for the sequencing of topics throughout the curriculum. the use of concept maps and bplm allows identifying missing linkages, inconsistencies, false assumptions and previously unrecognized relationships. references ahuja, a. (2007). effectiveness of concept mapping in learning of science. (unpublished doctoral thesis). department of education delhi university, delhi. amita, (2015). effectiveness of concept mapping model and concept attainment model in biology teaching at ninth grade. (ph. d thesis chaudhary charan singh university, meerut ) retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10603/37009 anamika(2016). an experiment on concept mapping cognitive skills and concept attainment of ix grade chemistry students. (ph. d thesis chaudhary charan singh university, meerut) retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10603/112513 ausubel d (1968). educational psychology: a cognitive view. new york: holt rinehart. besty, j. e. (2019). effectiveness of concept mapping approach on selected cognitive and affective correlates in teaching chemistry at higher secondary level (ph. d thesis mahatma gandhi university, kottyam) retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10603/252096 chauhan, a. (2020). a study of effect of concept mapping on understanding social science concepts at elementary level. (ph. d thesis jamia millia islamia university, new delhi) retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10603/305402. cheema, a. b. and mirza, m. s. (2013). effect of concept mapping on students academic achievement. journal of research and reflection in education, 7. chopra, p. (1995). development and empirical validation of programmed learning material in home science on food and nutrition for twelfth grade student (unpublished doctoral thesis). guru nanak dev university, amritsar. dammani, k. (2019). comparison of concept mapping strategy, concept attainment model and conventional method in terms of understanding of english grammar concepts of class ix indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 158 students of m. p. board (unpublished doctoral thesis). devi ahilya vishwavidyalaya, indore. gupta, v. (1999). effectiveness of concept mapping in comparison to inductive model in science education (unpublished doctoral thesis). delhi university, delhi. jain, p. (2015). study of concept mapping strategy for teaching science concepts at middle level in terms of achievement,creativity and reaction. (unpublished m ed dissertation). devi ahilya vishwavidyalaya, indore. jain, s. (2017). effectiveness of programmed learning and computer assisted instruction as selflearning techniques in teaching of english grammar at secondary level (ph. d thesis maharshi dayanand university, rohtak). retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10603/207046. jena, a. k. (2020). concept mapping as a constructivist approach for meaning making in science learning and attitude among elementary school children (ph. d thesis utkal university, bhubhneshwar). retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10603/281033. joshi, g. k. (1972). a programmed remedial course in modern english usage for the b a preuniversity classes. first survey of research in education, chapter 9 page310. nausheen, u. (2021). effectiveness of concept mapping strategy on students achievements in science a study (ph. d thesis gondwana university, gadchiroli) retrieved from http:// hdl.handle.net/10603/310449. novak, j. (1977). a theory of education. new york: cornell university press. novak, j. d. & gowin, d. b. (1984). learning how to learn. cambridge: cambridge university press. pandey, d. (2020). effectiveness of concept attainment and concept mapping strategies for teaching biology to class ix students (ph. d thesis allahabad university, allahabad). retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10603/270035. pankratius, w. j. (1990). building an organized knowledge base: concept mapping and achievement in secondary school physics. journal of research and science teaching, 27(4). regis, a. and giorgio, p. (1996). a proposed application of concept maps in chemistry teaching in high schools. j. chem. educ., 73 (11): 1084. sambasivarao, r. (2020). impact of programmed instruction in learning mathematics. aut aut research journal, 269-276. shah, m. s. (1964). a programme on equation solving. first survey of research in education, chapter 9 page315. shihabudeen, s. (2001). a study of the effectiveness of programmed instruction in learning english as a second language by secondary school pupils (ph. d thesis university of calicut, calicut). retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10603/28711. williams, c. g. (1998). using concept maps to assess conceptual knowledge of function. journal for research in mathematics education, 29(4). ujjainwala, a. (2012). development and effectiveness of computerised branched programed learning material for ix students on selected topics of chemistry in terms of their achievement and reaction. (unpublished m ed dissertation) devi ahilya vishwavidyalaya, indore. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 202 research article in their own words: exploring students’ perspective on accessing assistive technologies in a blind school sarita devi1 and meenakshi r. ingole2 1research scholar, department of education, university of delhi email-sarita.851084@gmail.com 2assistant professor, department of education, university of delhi abstract assistive technologies are pivotal in enhancing the  daily lives of students with visual impairments (svis), facilitating activities such as orientation, mobility, reading, writing, and exploring their surroundings. this study adopts a qualitative case study approach to investigate the availability of assistive technologies at a blind school in delhi and understand the perspective of svis towards accessing these technologies. participants in the study include middle school students aged 12-18 years. primary data is gathered through observations, unstructured interviews, and conversations, complemented by secondary data from relevant literature. the data is analyzed thematically by categorizing it using an iterative reflective process. the results indicate a prevalence of traditional assistive technologies in schools, including braille slate, stylus, braille books, and taylor frame for arithmetic. students exhibit a preference for these traditional tools, finding them more comfortable. nevertheless, smartphones are concurrently utilized to stimulate academic and leisure interests. the study highlights the limited reach of various assistive technologies at the grassroots level. students’ engagement with traditional assistive technologies and smartphones for learning introduces an intersubjective dimension, rendering them more preferable to alternative options keywords: assistive technologies, accessibility, students with visual impairment, smartphones, blind school introduction nearly one in three students with disabilities in india has a visual impairment (29 per cent), as reported by the eighth all india school education survey (ncert, 2016). to support the daily living and education of svis, the rights of persons with disabilities act, 2016 (rpwd act, 2016) and national education policy 2020 (nep, 2020) ensure assistive devices, appropriate technological tools, and languageappropriate teaching-learning material such as braille and large print for svis. moreover, various governmental entities, including the national council for educational research and training (ncert), the national institute for the empowerment of persons with visual disabilities (niepvd), and the artificial limbs manufacturing corporation of india (alimco), are dedicated to enhancing accessibility to education and improving the quality of life for individuals with visual impairments. this commitment is manifested through the development and manufacture of assistive technologies and devices tailored to the specific needs of svis. in this direction, one such initiative has been taken in the form of assistance to disabled persons for purchase/fitting of aids and appliances (adip scheme). for approximately three decades, this scheme has been a cornerstone in operationalizing policy initiatives concerning assistive technologies indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 203 for persons with disabilities (pwds). focused on facilitating physical, social, and psychological rehabilitation, the scheme empowers pwds by providing essential aids and appliances. in 2020 alone, twenty-one dedicated adip camps were held nationwide, effectively distributing crucial assistive resources. available assistive technologies for svis the world health organization (who) frames assistive technology as a comprehensive system encompassing devices and services that empower individuals with disabilities to function independently within their environment. this definition expands beyond tools to encompass the infrastructure and support necessary for effective utilization. as ravneberg and söderström (2017) emphasize, assistive technologies not only simplify daily tasks for persons with disabilities but also facilitate their active participation in social life, aligning with the principles of universal design. advancements in technology have driven the evolution of these tools, leading to a diverse array of solutions applicable across various aspects of daily living, from mobility and education to sports and leisure. furthermore, laconsay et al. (2021) argued that the  incorporation of technology in (chemistry) education benefits not only the svis but also the sighted students. in the indian context, various assistive technologies are available, developed, and distributed through the above-mentioned government entities and schemes. some of the assistive technologies available in india (department of empowerment of persons with disabilities (divyangjan), ministry of social justice and empowerment, government of india, 2014; saktek, n.d.) are described below: orientation and mobility for orientation and mobility, various canes are available for svis. there are white canes, including rigid long canes and foldable canes, that help detect the obstacles in the way. there are smart canes which are foldable and come with detachable sensors. these ultrasonic sensor units inform the user about the potential obstacles with the help of vibrations. also, various spectacles are available for persons with low vision, which help with orientation and mobility. educational kits and devices 1. reading and writingfor assistance in reading, a wide range of devices and software are available according to the needs of svis. there are devices and software like handheld magnifiers and magnifying software for lowvision students. the other available assistive technologies for reading are audiobooks, daisy player, and victor reader (used for listening to audio files and text files through read-aloud options and recording lectures). similarly, the refreshable braille displays are used as an alternative to standard computer monitors to help svis read output text. also, there is a variety of builtin software with screen reading features in computers, tablets, laptops, and smartphones, which help navigate these devices and read different document file formats. such software includes job access with speech (jaws), non-visual desktop access (nvda), talkback, and google text to speech. for assistance in writing, the braille slate and stylus are traditional equipment that comes in two varieties: interline and interpoint. various voice typing software is built indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 204 into computers and smartphones, and devices like braillers and orbit writer (braille keyboard for computers and smartphones) are also available. 2. mathematicsthe available assistive technologies for mathematics learning are the taylor frame and cubarithm, which are used for mathematical calculations of arithmetic and algebra. also, an abacus with braille markings is available for mathematical calculations. there is a geometric board with accessories such as a serrated scale, spring divider, braille protector with serrated arms fitted, aluminum spoon, braille quarter protector, serrated circle, and foot ruler. additionally, for the measurement, the measuring tape with inch and centimetre markings stapled with pins was used for tactile cues. 3. science and social science to assist svis in science, tactile diagrams are embossed on the plastic cards. also, for social science, there is a tactile globe and tactile drawing books for various monuments. games and sportsfor playing purposes, many sports equipment are modified to make them accessible to svis. these include an audible cricket ball, braille playing cards, a chess board, a draught board with plastic coins, a tactile snake and ladders with dice, ludo with dice and dice plate, a scrabble board with plastic coins, a puzzle, and an audible football. daily livingto assist the svis in their daily living, some of the assistive technologies are smart phone with accessibility features, talking and tactile watch, large print watches, talking pulse oximeter, talking blood pressure monitors, talking thermometer, talking calculator, tactile medicine pill box/ dispenser, plastic measuring jugs and beaker, measuring cups and spoon, liquid level indicator with sound and vibration feedback, signature guide, bumpons (labeling devices). many studies (senjam et al., 2022; ghai et al., 2022; bhatt & kumari, 2015; murphy & darrah, 2015; tagore, n.d.) have found the critical role of assistive technologies and devices in supporting the education of svis in school. these studies report the various devices and technologies and how the svis can utilize them. the assistive technologies are based on other sensory stimulations, such as haptic and aural stimulations, to help svis learn by touch and auditory means (jones et al., 2006). nevertheless, the investigation needed to see the reach of these assistive technologies at the grassroots level. the following research questions help to take the inquiry further. research questions • what assistive technologies are available to students with visual impairment in a blind school in delhi? • how is the accessibility of assistive technologies perceived by the students with visual impairment enrolled in a blind school in delhi? methodology research design the study employs a qualitative single case study research design. baxter & jack (2010) explain that “qualitative case study is an approach to research that facilitates exploration of a phenomenon within its context using a variety of data sources’’ (p. 544). here, the case of the present research is a group of 15 svis studying in middle school, and two staff from the  administrative office are sharing their perspective indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 205 about accessing assistive technologies. keeping in mind the nature of the study, the researcher employed a  purposive sampling technique. tools and data analysis the research tools employed in this research design are observations, unstructured interviews, and conversations. all these tools are used to get deeper insights from the field and the participants. secondary data is obtained by reviewing the existing literature in this field. as per the nature of the research design, the thematic analysis was done by reflecting on the transcribed data and giving codes to repeated words, phrases, and sentences. the themes were generated using the iterative analysis and coding process. as for the research ethics, the students and the school were informed about the research and permission to record data through field notes, audio recordings, and photos. also, the participants’ anonymity is maintained throughout the research writing process. field and context of the study the study is situated in a residential special school for boys in a famous market area of delhi. the school was a charitable blind school and a branch of one of the oldest blind schools in delhi. this school was managed with the help of donations from people and aid granted by the government of delhi. this school is an elementary school that provides a hostel and mess facilities as well. books and uniforms are provided free of cost to all the students. most children in this school come from neighbouring states such as uttar pradesh, bihar, haryana, and rajasthan. a large number of students are from bihar. the number of students in each class varies, and the number of students in upper primary classes is less than in primary classes. the participants are boys aged 12-18 years studying in upper primary classes. these students come from lower socioeconomic strata. the degree of visual impairment also varies as some students are totally blind, some have low vision and can see some colours and large prints, and some have a perception of light and shapes. result and discussion the analysis is based on observations and transcriptions of conversations with the students and staff of the school and unstructured interviews with students. the identification of the themes is done by providing codes to organize the data into categories with an iterative reflective process. availability of assistive technologies for svis in the school the school is a charitable school run with the help of donations from affluent people and aid from the government of delhi. the school gets some assistive technologies in the form of donations and aids, as the secretary of the school said: “we have some devices given by the government and non-government organizations. we have scanners that read books in an audio format and devices for recording and listening, but they are one or two devices and, therefore, not given for use. and we provide students with ncert braille books.” as the above statement highlights, except for traditional assistive technologies like braille, the school has very few assistive devices available for reading, which are insufficient for all the students. furthermore, it was observed that the only traditional assistive technology available in the school for assistance in writing is braille slate with stylus and braille sheet. each student has their slate and stylus. braille sheets indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 206 and books were always under their desks, and stacks of braille books were organized in each classroom. similarly, observations reveal that each student has a taylor frame with types used to teach arithmetic for assistance in mathematics. it was also observed that no assistive technologies are available except braille books for assistance in science and social science. as one of the students of class 7 said: “we study science from books, and sir sometimes sends audio; we listen and make notes.” students’ primary learning in science (also in other subjects) happens through braille books and lectures given by teachers in the classroom. many studies (senjam et al., 2022; dey et al., 2018; eligi & mwantimwa, 2017; bhatt & kumari, 2015; haider & zaman, 2015)) also found a limited availability of assistive technologies specifically related to curricular areas like science and mathematics in schools. further, students inquired about the availability of assistive devices for playing; they were asked about the games they play. student responses show that they play different games using assistive technologies such as audible cricket balls, chess, snakes, and ladders during and after school hours. as one of the students of class 6 said: “yes, we play cricket, snakes and ladders, and carrom…no, there is no carrom, but it will come soon, and we also sometimes race in sports, period. we enjoy it a lot while playing.” the other student in class 8 said: “we play cricket, the cricket ball is different, it has a sound… do you know there are small metal balls (chharre) used in the tire of a bicycle. these are inserted in a ball through a hole after that ball makes a sound. also, we play chess and rassakashi (tug of war).” the above excerpts highlight that students are aware about the features of the equipment used by them for playing and the other equipment which are going to be available soon. similarly, for orientation mobility and daily living, no assistive technologies were mentioned by students and have yet to be observed by the researcher as also reported by senjam et al. (2022) that there is inadequate availability of walking canes in blind schools in delhi. however, one of the students of class 8 mentioned: “i had a walking stick earlier… yes, the smart cane, but i gave it to someone else, and he lost it somewhere.” one of the students from class 7 said: “we usually do not go outside the school; therefore, we do not need canes to move…but when sometimes we go to another school, the school bus takes us there.” the other student said: “we do not need any device for walking as we do not go anywhere, and when we have to go home, our parents take us with them”. however, students’ responses reflect their limited perspective on the utilization of walking canes within the school periphery only, where they do not usually require it. additionally, due to their familiarity with the school environment, students are less dependent on external assistance within the school premises. ravneberg and söderström (2017) argue that users abandon assistive technologies when there is no need for them. notably, as observed, collaborative movements in pairs or groups are prevalent, particularly as a means of support for those with low vision assisting their peers who are entirely blind. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 207 assistive technologies: as a part of rehabilitation students are aware of assistive technologies, and one of the community ophthalmic rehabilitation training teams from a renowned medical institution comes to train them to use these devices. this team comes for the weekly or monthly training and demonstration of assistive technologies for students. as one of the students of class 8 recalled: “the team comes every week or two; they bring many devices, and let us know how to use them and ask for our feedback on these devices.” the researcher observed one such demonstration session; the team gathered a few students from classes 7 and 8 and helped them recall their previous sessions in which they demonstrated using devices like daisy player and victor reader. they handed these devices to students and asked them questions about their functioning. moreover, students agree that the team made them aware of devices like daisy player, victor reader, hand lenses, smart spectacles, and data-storing devices like flash drive. however, in post-rehabilitation training sessions, students do not have the requisite devices for the practice, leading to a lapse in their proficiency with these tools, as the absence of regular practice in their daily routines results in a diminished familiarity with their functionalities. figure-1: some of the assistive technologies used by students in classroom and rehabilitation training. braille slate daisy player victor reader taylor frame smart vision glasses variety of magnifiers video magnifier indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 208 furthermore, students show reluctance towards the rehabilitation training, as observed in class 6, where two students refused to attend the rehabilitation session when a teacher asked them to go to the computer lab. one of the students told the researcher: “this is a waste of time; they take periods of our other classes, and there is no benefit; the devices are expensive.” the other student said: “these are such expensive devices, and we can only read the recorded books…phones are better; we can search for anything we want anytime on the internet.” the students’ reaction indicates that they are disappointed by the rehabilitation training as they are aware that the devices are not affordable financially and that  getting training for them is pointless. silondwa and muzata (2019) discuss that assistive technologies are usually developed outside the country, which makes them expensive and financially inaccessible for svis. on the other hand, class lectures and smartphones are easily accessible and affordable. also, senjam et al. (2021) found in their study that the two major barriers to accessing assistive technologies are unavailability  and economic constraints among students who are acquainted with the assistive technologies. habituation to braille all the students in this school are taught reading and writing braille script from class 1. they practice braille daily through language, science, and social science classes. teachers also encourage them to read the books and take notes from them. one of the class 6 students said: “sir helped us a lot in reading braille…he says that we must have braille letters in our memory so we do not have difficulty reading braille script.” students are accustomed to reading and writing braille whether they have low vision or are totally blind; therefore, they feel more confident learning through braille. as one of the students of class 8 said: “ma’am…how will a blind read if not from braille?... and we understand well reading through braille and reading practice is also needed” the statement asserts that students perceive braille as the most convenient and effective medium for understanding text. braille engages a different cognitive pathway than visual reading, potentially leading to deeper comprehension and information retention. also, it empowers svis to access information directly without relying on sighted assistance. the other student in class 7 said: “we read through braille, and sometimes sir send the audio of question answers, and we note them on sheets of paper.” students are so accustomed to braille that even audios are utilized after converting them into braille notes. studies (bhatt & kumari, 2015; senjam et al., 2022) show that svis are reluctant to adopt new assistive technologies because learning to use new devices requires practice and time. one of the students of class 6 said: “...until eighth, we read through books and afterwards students use audios… now we only require books for reading and pdfs of ncert have diagrams when we listen to them. the diagrams were read as some weird codes.” the other class 8 student said: “ma’am braille is the most convenient way to read; suppose sometimes we do not have internet; how we will read through audio or instareader.” indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 209 another student of class 8 said: “...yes, there are many reading devices, but we need to purchase them, and they are expensive and can get damaged over time.” in the above excerpts, the limitations of assistive technologies are highlighted, emphasizing that their effectiveness hinges on appropriate user input. while technologies like daisy players offer specific functionalities like data reading, recording, and storage, their narrow scope and potential expense raise concerns about their suitability for broader assistive applications. studies (bhatt & kumari, 2015; borg et al., 2015) also conclude that one of the challenges of adopting assistive technologies is its high cost and nonavailability. furthermore, borg et al. (2015) explain that less awareness about assistive technologies and the lower purchasing capacity of people can hamper production and result in high costs. these concerns highlight the nuanced relationship between technology and individual needs, where advantages and drawbacks must be carefully considered. limitations of braille braille has significantly supported the education of svis. it helped in independent learning by tactile and kinesthetic input. however, braille books have limitations as they do not have diagrams, figures, or graphics to illustrate a particular science or social science concept. as one of the students of class 7 said: “no diagrams are there in the book… there is only a mention of diagram that the print version had the diagram on this particular page; it becomes difficult for those who are totally blind have not experienced that diagram visually.” the other student said: “we are blind; we do not need diagrams… even when there is some mention of a diagram while reading, sir, always skip it.” the above responses highlight that the teachers and students believe that diagrams can be experienced visually. this belief limits the scope of utilization of alternatives such as tactile diagrams and 3d models for learning the concepts. however, it is argued that the tactile and kinesthetic value of tactile diagrams, maps, 3d models and charts, and graphs have educational implications for svis (penny and mary, 2001, as cited by haider & zaman, 2015). smartphones as assistive technology after braille, smartphones are the second-best preference as an assistive technology that students use for education and leisure. in contemporary times, smartphones come with accessibility features that help svis navigate through the phone and search for anything that piques their curiosity. however, before 2019, the students relied on braille books only. as one of the class 8 students said: “earlier, we did not have phones; it’s all because of covid that our parents had to buy them for us.” another student said: “i got the phone during covid because teachers were taking online classes on google meet.” covid has allowed the svis to explore other technologies like talkback, read aloud, and voice assistance software. similarly, senjam et al. (2021) argue that recent technological advancements have equipped mobile technology with sound and haptic gestures to interact with smartphones. svis sometimes clear their conceptual doubts by visiting different sites and downloading various mobile applications. as one student said: indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 210 “i am interested in astronomy, so i search about space and planets on youtube.” moreover, for svis, smartphones have transcended the limitations of traditional textbooks, opening doors to diverse educational and leisure opportunities. audio-based applications offering narrated stories, podcasts, and even ncert textbook pdfs through document reading software like instareader and adobereader’s readaloud features have broadened their content engagement. this technology extends their learning beyond prescribed curricula, allowing them to delve deeper into topics that pique their curiosity through independent online research. smartphones further enrich their lives by serving as portals for leisure activities like music listening, cricket commentary, and entertainment news, fostering connection and enjoyment beyond academic pursuits. in essence, smartphones have become indispensable companions for svis, enriching their educational journeys and leisure pursuits. conclusion in summary, the school has limited availability of assistive technologies. economic constraints are the reason for the unavailability of assistive technologies, as the school exhibits a limited capacity to adequately provide fundamental amenities, including  traditional assistive technologies. due to such financial constraints, it is difficult to afford expensive assistive technologies with functional specificities. therefore, students and teachers both rely on traditional assistive technologies as these are affordable and accessible for them. moreover, the rehabilitation program has given the svis exposure to modern assistive technologies and helped them learn about the functionalities. however, limited interaction with these modern assistive technologies does not engage the svis in the same way as the traditional assistive technologies do. similarly, covid has allowed svis to engage with smartphones and explore different accessibility features. engagement with assistive technologies involves the intersubjective dimensions, such as social and learning dimensions of assistive technologies, as well as existential dimensions of impairment and disability (berndtsson, 2018). therefore, accessing assistive technologies not only requires the availability of it but continuous interaction and practice to make it a part of one’s existence. references baxter, p. e., & jack, s. m. (2010). qualitative case study methodology: study design and implementation for novice researchers. the qualitative report, 13(4). researchgate. 10.46743/2160-3715/2008.1573 berndtsson, i. c. (2018). considering the concepts of the lived body and the lifeworld as tools for better understanding the meaning of assistive technology in everyday life. european journal of disability research, 12, 140-152. elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. alter.2018.01.001 bhatt, a., & kumari, a. (2015). assistive technology for the visually impaired children for their academic excellence. global journal of medical case report. researchgate. borg, j., berman-bieler, r., khasnabis, c., mitra, g., myhill, w. n., & raja, d. s. (2015). assistive technology for children with disabilities: creating opportunities for education, inclusion and participation [a discussion paper]. shonaquip. https://shonaquipse.org.za/wpcontent/uploads/2020/12/2015-who-unicef-assistive-tech-web_compressed.pdf indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 211 department of disability affairs. (2014). aids/devices approved for visually impaired for financial assistance under revised adip scheme [office memorandum]. department of empowerment of persons with disabilities. https://adip.depwd.gov.in/files/aids_and_ assisstive_devices_for_visually_impaired.pdf department of empowerment of persons with disabilities (divyangjan), ministry of social justice and empowerment, government of india. (2014). aids/devices approved for visually impaired for financial assistance under revised adip scheme [office memorandum]. arjun.https://adip.disabilityaffairs.gov.in/files/aids_and_assisstive_devices_for_ visually_impaired.pdf dey, s., y, v., bhushan, s., & neerukonda, m. (2018). creating an accessible technology ecosystem for learning science and math: a case of visually impaired children in indian schools. researchgate. 329521418_creating_an_accessible_technology_ecosystem_ for_learning_science_and_math_a_case_of_visually_impaired_children_in_indian_ schools eligi, i., & mwantimwa. (2017). ict accessibility and usability to support learning of visuallyimpaired students in tanzania. international journal of education and development using information and communication technology, 13(2), 87-102. researchgate. ghai, g., raj, r., & kaur, r. (2022). an inclusive science laboratory for visually impaired students. journal of engineering education transformations, 36(2), 87-100. researchgate. 10.16920/jeet/2022/v36i2/22157 jones, m. g., minogue, j., oppewal, t., cook, m. p., & broadwell, b. (2006). visualizing without vision at the microscale: students with visual impairments explore cells with touch. journal of science education and technology, 15(5), 345-351. springer. 10.1007/s10956006-9022-6 laconsay, c. j., wedler, h. b., & tantillo, d. j. (2021). visualization without vision – how blind and visually impaired students and researchers engage with molecular structures. journal of science education for students with disabilities, 24(1), 1-21. eric. ministry of human resource development, government of india. (2020). national education policy.https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/nep_final_english_0. pdf ministry of law and justice, government of india. (2016). rights of persons with disabilities act. department of empowerment of persons with disabilities. https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/ s3e58aea67b01fa747687f038dfde066f6/uploads/2023/10/202310161053958942.pdf murphy, k., & darrah, m. (2015). haptics-based apps for middle school students with visual impairments. ieee transactions on haptics, 8(3), 318-326. ieee xplore. 10.1109/ toh.2015.2401832 national council of educational research and training. (2016). eighth all india school education survey [a concise report]. national council of educational research and training. https://ncert.nic.in/all-india-school-education-survey.php?ln=en ravneberg, b., & söderström, s. (2017). disability, society and assistive technology. taylor & francis group. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/pdfviewer/ saktek. (n.d.). saktek: technology solutions for vi. saktek. https://saktek.in/ senjam, s. s., foster, a., & bascaran, c. (2022). assistive technology for visual impairment and trainers at schools for the blind in delhi. assistive technology, 34(4), 418-422. taylor & francis online. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400435.2020.1839144 senjam, s. s., manna, s., & bascaran, c. (2021). smartphones-based assistive technology: accessibility features and apps for people with visual impairment, and its usage, challenges, and usability testing. clinical optometry, 311-322. taylor & francis. 10.2147/ opto.s336361 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 1, january 2025 212 silondwa, o., & muzata, k. k. (2019). teaching and learning integrated science: an analysis of the challenges teachers, and learners with visual impairments face in chinsali district zambia. international journal of education and research, 7(10), 113-124. researchgate. https://www.ijern.com/journal/2019/october-2019/09.pdf tagore, g. (n.d.). a study on user’s preferences and expectations on assistive devices used by persons with visual impairment and low vision in southern states of india [research project]. national institute for the empowerment of persons with visual disabilities. https://drive.google.com/file/d/19jyrkyjvi6iks7fe1dvkhs23_mypq8xd/view indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 86 research article preference of teaching-learning mode of the under-graduate students of india in the dawn of adoption of the new education policy 2022: a predictive analysis satabdee banerjee¹ & debrupa chakraborty² ¹assistant professor, department of commerce, netaji nagar day college, kolkata email id: satabdeebanerjee@nndc.ac.in ²associate professor, department of commerce, netaji nagar college, kolkata abstract the blended mode of education has been given due importance in the new education policy 2022 to provide an adaptive and world-class education system to the new-generation learners of post-pandemic india. however, there is a question of infrastructural preparedness of the educational institutions as well as the mind-set of the students to adapt to this new opportunity as well as challenge. in this connection, the present study is an attempt to identify the probable decisive factors that contribute towards the preference of an under-graduate student among offline/traditional mode, online mode, and blended mode of teaching-learning, through the application of the multinomial logistic regression (mlr) model. findings suggest that the choice of the students primarily depend upon their stream of education and their inclination towards technological awareness. the academic institutions can set up their infrastructure on a priority basis and design their respective curricula accordingly. keywords: preference of teaching-learning mode, blended mode of lecture delivery, undergraduate students, multinomial logistic regression (mlr), technological awareness, curriculum design introduction due to the onset of covid-19 pandemic and the consequent lockdown, educational institutions across the globe came to a standstill during the second quarter of 2020. this situation created an enormous disruption in the education system affecting 94 per cent learners in more than 190 countries across all the continents (united nations, 2020). the pandemic affected more than 90 per cent of total student population of the world during april 2020 and nearly 67 per cent during june 2020. occurrence of covid-19 affected more than 120 crores of students and youths worldwide (unesco, 2022). in india, more than 32 crores of students were impacted by the various restrictions and the countrywide lockdown for covid-19 (unesco, 2022). the pandemic created many challenges and also various opportunities for countering the challenges in a developing country like india. the government of india and the diverse stakeholders of education initiated the process of open and distance learning (odl) by adopting different digital technologies to tide over the crisis of covid-19. teaching establishments started opting for alternative teaching learning methods. most of  the educational institutes across india initiated online  classroom teaching using various video indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 87 conferencing platforms for imparting knowledge to the students both in the urban and the rural areas. software and applications were developed to tide over the crisis while imparting online education parallel to the mainstream teaching-learning. the study webs of active-learning for young aspiring minds (swayam) portal developed by the ministry of human resource development (mhrd), government of india to ensure access, equity and quality of education among aspiring individuals, gained more prominence and popularity during this period. the online teaching-learning industry was valued at $750 million in 2020 and was predicted to reach $4 billion by 2025 (sharma, 2022). the online teaching-learning methods, using technologically advanced electronic equipment, internet and information technology posed to be both beneficial as well as challenging for the students as well as the teachers of the undergraduate colleges in india.  it was observed that the urban undergraduates were coping with this new mode of education, though a major section of them were dissatisfied due to the high cost involved in making internet facilities, smartphones or similar technologies inaccessible to them (chakraborty and banerjee, 2022). however, with the offline classes resuming in full swing after the third wave of covid-19 since early 2022, the education sector in india faced difficulties, with some institutes opting for hybrid model and some coaching institutes at national level considering mass lay-offs of employees (sharma, 2022). while basic teaching and learning shifted offline across india since february, 2022, there remained plenty of scope for test preparations, coding, web development , digital marketing, cybersecurity and other specialised courses online. many online tutorial platforms developed in regional languages as well. sectors identified to have online growth potential include test preparation, skill development, soft-skills training and english-language classes for adults. the national education policy (nep) 2022 approved on 29 july 2020 by the union cabinet of india (replacing the existing educational policy of india made in 1986), is being considered as a milestone in the education system of india. this policy has been framed to include elementary education up to higher education encompassing vocational training in both urban and rural areas.  positive changes brought about by nep 2022 includes increased accessibility to digital form of books online by the students (via digital library), setting up of virtual labs benefitting students of science and technology to gather experimental knowledge at undergraduate level and the adoption of pre-primary holistic education to strengthen the structure of online education in india (sony, 2022). literature review the outbreak of novel coronavirus and subsequent lockdown forced educational institutions across the globe to move from offline to online mode of teaching learning. the concern at the initial phase of lockdown was not whether online teaching–learning methods can provide quality education; it was rather how academic institutions will be able to adopt online teachinglearning in such a massive manner (carey, 2020). tools and techniques for online learning safeguarding the continuity of learning, the merits and demerits of online learning platform and the perceptions of learners and educators about online learning system during lockdown, together helped in framing the necessary measures and modalities at the governmental and institutional level (jena p. k., 2020). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 88 various studies are being undertaken across kashmir to kerala, across different social and economic strata, age groups and subjects to understand the possibilities and challenges of digital education (mathrani et al., 2021; mandal, 2023; sarkar 2023; varsha and sunitha, 2023). bhat and ali (2024) undertook a study on college teachers across both the genders and various academic streams. no significant difference could be found in their attitudes towards virtual classrooms which was more or less positive during the covid-19 pandemic period. though majority of the faculty members believe that technology-enabled digital learning promotes student engagement (nayak and hegde, 2024), there are many instances where it could not be followed in reality due to a number of practical problems like digital divide and lack of infrastructure and initiative from faculty, learner and administrative perspectives (chakraborty and banerjee, 2024). in the post-pandemic era, thomas and thiyagu (2024) observed the presence of a moderate level of technological anxiety among most of the high school students. according to malla et al. (2024), in india there is lack of digital equity as a consequence of which the tribal students face academic hardships and marginalisation in virtual learning. the undergraduate students in the urban areas of india are observed to have almost accommodated themselves with the new concept of online mode of education during the pandemic. the preference and perception of the students regarding the online classes in the field of agricultural (practical, field-oriented) education indicated that majority of the students evinced a positive attitude towards online classes in the wake of corona (muthuprasad, et al. 2021). however, a major section of these students is not satisfied with it. the most critical challenge appears to be the high cost involved in making internet facilities, smartphones or similar technologies inaccessible to many of them due to their financial status. another significant setback is the high data cost, making technology beyond the reach of many of them (chakraborty and banerjee, 2022). students are also found to be poorly prepared for several e-learning competencies and academictype competencies due to low-level preparedness regarding the usage of learning management systems (parkes et al., 2015). dhawan (2020) in her study undertook a thorough swoc analysis of e-learning during covid-19 pandemic and focused her study on the growth of ed-tech start-ups during the same period. her study suggested that robust and resilient technological infrastructure had historically provided and has the potential to provide necessary support in the future also, to tide over any academic crisis of similar nature (dhawan, 2020). distance, scale, and lack of personalised teaching-learning were the three major impediments of online teaching. meeting these challenges called for innovative solutions at the governmental as well as institutional level (liguori and winkler, 2020). keeping in mind the positive and negative impacts of covid 19 on education, govt. of india framed and published some measures for carrying out uninterrupted education (jena p. , 2020). at the global level, the world bank working with the ministry of education of different countries issued guidance notes offering principles to maximise countries’ effectiveness in designing and executing remote learning (barron rodriguez, et al. 2021). the world bank’s ed-tech team also published a resource list encompassing remote learning, distance education and online learning during the pandemic (muñoznajar, et al., 2021). they prescribed that online teaching-learning methods should be made creative, interactive, relevant, student-centric, and groupindian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 89 based (partlow & gibbs, 2003). a study conducted by kapasia, et al. (2020) suggested a targeted intervention for creating a vibrant space for the students belonging to the vulnerable sections of the society. objective of the study to facilitate decision-making and infrastructural development of the educational institutions on the wake of the adoption of nep 2022, the present study attempts to find out the decisive factors which contribute towards the choice of an under-graduate student among offline/traditional mode, online mode and combined/blended mode of teaching-learning (where lectures are delivered in physical classrooms using audio-visual technology). data a structured questionnaire using a google form was framed and circulated among the undergraduate students for primary data collection. 377 responses could be collected for the study by the application of non-probabilistic snowball sampling technique. the respondents are the college-students of urban and sub-urban areas of different colleges in and around kolkata, india in the age group of 17-21. they had access to internet and at least, had basic understanding of mobile technology. methodology the study initially presents multiple cross-tabular formats for scrutinising the relationship between the selected variables. to find out the existence of any association between the chosen variables, and the strength of such association, if any, chi-square test and cramer’s v test were applied consecutively thereafter. multinomial logistic regression (mlr) model is generally used in cases where the dependent variable is a categorical variable with more than two categories. so finally, an mlr test has been conducted to predict the preference of college-goer students of kolkata among: (a) offline/ traditional teachinglearning method vis-à-vis (b) online teaching-learning method and (c) combined/ blended teachinglearning method. such predictions were based on their streams of education, categories (honours/ general), perceived benefits and problems experienced during online teaching-learning process post outbreak of covid-19 pandemic. an mlr model is a modification of the logistic regression model where the response variables are explained in terms of odds ratio, measuring the association between response and explanatory variables. suppose in this study, we have n independent observations of p independent variables, and there are k categories for the qualitative dependent variable. one of these k categories has to be considered as the base category relative to which the multinomial logits would be constructed. now if we intend to find the relationship between the probabilities of p independent variables and an observation falling in the jth (k1) category, the multinomial logit model would be as: where, j = 1, 2, ….. , (k-1) and i = 1, 2, ...... , n indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 90 = the effect of the log odds that the dependent variable (y) is equal to 1, other remaining constant, alternatively stated, exp = the multiplicative effect on the odds of a unit increase in other remaining constant since, = 1 the equation can be represented and the model estimated as follows: (el-habil, 2012) findings and analysis to begin with, table 1 summarises the number of responses along with their frequency distributions against each of the questions asked. it reveals that a majority of the students prefer either offline (35.5%) or blended (36.1%) mode of teaching-learning. when asked about their preferred mode of examination, each of the modes earned almost equal weightage. characteristics frequency (n) percentage (%) stream ba 67 18 bcom 227 60.3 bsc 83 21.7 category honours 281 74.8 general 96 25.2 preferred mode of teaching-learning offline/ traditional 134 35.5 online 107 28.4 blended 136 36.1 perceived benefits derived from online teachinglearning process availability of study materials 28 7.4 facilitation of understanding the subject using audio-visual aids (power-point presentations, google docs, jamboard, google forms etc) 42 11.2 getting accustomed with video conferencing technologies (like google meet, zoom etc) 263 69.8 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 91 scope for getting recorded versions of the class lectures for future reference 44 11.6 perceived problems faced during online teachinglearning process easy distraction 53 14 expensive network connectivity (financial constraints related to data recharging) 126 33.4 lack of motivation due to absence of formal classroom atmosphere 58 15.4 lack of online infrastructure (like smartphones, desktop, laptop etc) t140 37.2 preferred mode of examination offline 190 50.4 online 187 49.6 as the values of both the contingency coefficient and cramer’s v are quite low for all the cases, it is implied that the strength of association between the choice of teaching-learning mode and the selected response variables are not very high. however, the null hypothesis of the chi-square test of the existence of no association between the choice of teaching-learning mode and the problems of online teachinglearning has failed to be rejected, and hence no association between them can be claimed. therefore, the response variable ‘the problems of online teaching-learning’ has not been considered for further analysis in the modelling. chi-square test is then conducted to find out whether there is any association between the choices of the teachinglearning mode with the other selected response variables. the results of the test are captured in table 2 which suggest that the choices of the mode of teaching-learning are associated with: (i) the stream to which the student belongs, (ii) his or her category, i.e., whether the student is an honours student or not, and (iii) the benefits derived from online teaching-learning. table-2: association between choice of teaching-learning mode and selected independent variables preference of learning mode dependent on ↓ pearson’s chi-square value** df p contingency coefficient cramer’s v stream 13.421 4 0.009* 0.185 0.133 category 9.069 2 0.011* 0.153 0.155 advantages of online learning 18.369 6 0.005* 0.216 0.156 problems of online learning 4.216 6 0.651 *significant at 1 per cent level **all the cells have expected value more than 5. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 92 table-3: case processing summary for the calculation of by chance accuracy rate preference n marginal percentage (%) 1  offline/ traditional 2  online 3  blended 134 35.54 107 28.38 136 36.07 valid 377 100 missing 0 total 377 subpopulation 22a a. the dependent variable has only one value observed in 3 (13.6%) subpopulations. table-4: parameter estimates table preferencea b std. error wald df sig. exp(b) offline intercept .768 .521 2.176 1 .140 [stream=1] -.029 .409 .005 1 .943 .971 [stream=2] -.284 .305 .867 1 .352 .753 [stream=3] 0b . . 0 . . [category=1] .270 .318 .724 1 .395 1.310 [category=2] 0b . . 0 . . [advantages=1] .004 .588 .000 1 .995 1.004 [advantages=2] -.947 .517 3.352 1 .067 .388 [advantages=3] -1.062 .393 7.300 1 .007 .346 [advantages=4] 0b . . 0 . . table 3 is an excerpt of a larger table comprising of all the response as well as explanatory variables. each sub-population involves a unique combination of explanatory variables specified in the model. out of the 22 combinations in this case, only 3 (13.6%) subpopulations have one observed value of the dependent variable. therefore, the proportional by chance accuracy rate (the sum of squares of proportions) can be calculated to be (0.35542 + 0.28382 + 0.36072) = 0.336956 = 33.7%. hence, the benchmark criteria for the proportional by chance accuracy rate would be 1.25 * 0.336954 = 42.12%. moreover, as the value of standard errors is not more than 2 in the parameter estimates (table 4), the model would not produce any spurious outcome (el-habil, 2012). in the next stage we looked for the value of standard errors of more than 2 in the parameter estimates table, as portrayed in table 4. but to our satisfaction no such value could be obtained, signifying that the model would not produce any spurious outcomes (el-habil, 2012). indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 93 online intercept -.843 .650 1.682 1 .195 [stream=1] 1.141 .467 5.962 1 .015 3.130 [stream=2] .662 .388 2.912 1 .088 1.940 [stream=3] 0b . . 0 . . [category=1] -.363 .297 1.494 1 .222 .696 [category=2] 0b . . 0 . . [advantages=1] .219 .746 .086 1 .769 1.245 [advantages=2] .185 .625 .088 1 .767 1.203 [advantages=3] .245 .514 .227 1 .633 1.278 [advantages=4] 0b . . 0 . . a. the reference category is combination/ blended. b. this parameter is set to zero as it is redundant. for the response variable “stream”, 1 stands for ba, 2 for bcom and 3, i.e., the baseline, stands for bsc. for the response variable “category”, 1 stands for honours and 2 stands for general category students. response variable “advantages” have four classes. here 1 stands for study materials, 2 for audiovisual aids, 3 stands for technology and 4 stands for recorded lectures. as the parameter estimates of the independent variable “category” was not statistically significant (table 4) the model was recalculated after eliminating the stated variable. table-5: remodelled parameter estimates table preferencea b std. error wald df sig. exp(b) offline intercept 1.039 .413 6.340 1 .012 [stream=1] -.098 .400 .060 1 .807 .907 [stream=2] -.353 .294 1.439 1 .230 .703 [stream=3] 0b . . 0 . . [advantages=1] -.020 .587 .001 1 .973 .980 [advantages=2] -.937 .516 3.296 1 .069 .392 [advantages=3] -1.073 .393 7.458 1 .006 .342 [advantages=4] 0b . . 0 . . online intercept -1.225 .576 4.516 1 .034 [stream=1] 1.266 .456 7.706 1 .006 3.547 [stream=2] .780 .376 4.302 1 .038 2.181 [stream=3] 0b . . 0 . . [advantages=1] .274 .744 .135 1 .713 1.315 [advantages=2] .184 .624 .087 1 .769 1.202 [advantages=3] .278 .513 .293 1 .588 1.320 [advantages=4] 0b . . 0 . . a. the reference category is combination/ blended. b. this parameter is set to zero as it is redundant. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 94 the recalibrated model, as depicted in table 5, produced mixed outcomes. in case the preferred mode is online, the parameter estimates are not found to be significant for the response variable “advantages”; nonetheless, it produced significant results for the offline mode. similarly, the response variable “stream” appeared to provide statistically significant values for online mode but not for offline mode. further diagnostic tests revealed the that the only difference in the case processing summary of the new model is that in this new model the number of subpopulations has been reduced to 12 from 22. moreover, now only 1 (8.3%) subpopulation has one observed value of the dependent variable. table-6: classification table of the selected model observed predicted offline online combination percent correct offline 44 13 77 32.8% online 16 22 69 20.6% combination 20 15 101 74.3% overall percentage 21.2% 13.3% 65.5% 44.3% the classification table 6 of the new model shows that the computed overall percentage of 44.3% is greater than the proportional by chance accuracy rate of 42.12% as calculated earlier from table 3. hence, the classification accuracy criterion has been satisfied. table-7: pseudo r-square cox and snell .081 nagelkerke .091 mcfadden .039 the pseudo r-square statistic has been reported in the table 7. moreover, the computed asymptotic correlation matrix substantiated that the correlation between the choice of teaching-learning mode and stream, as well as, the choice of teaching-learning mode and advantages of online teaching-learning are very low, reducing the likelihood of occurrence of multi-collinearity problem in this model. table-8: model fitting information model model fitting criteria likelihood ratio tests -2 log likelihood chi-square df sig. intercept only 118.854 final 87.033 31.821 10 0.001 indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 95 table-9: likelihood ratio tests effect model fitting criteria likelihood ratio tests -2 log likelihood of reduced model chi-square df sig. intercept 87.033a .000 0 . stream 101.093 14.060 4 .007 advantages 104.525 17.492 6 .008 the chi-square statistic is the difference in -2 log-likelihoods between the final model and a reduced model. the reduced model is formed by omitting an effect from the final model. the null hypothesis is that all parameters of that effect are 0. a. this reduced model is equivalent to the final model because omitting the effect does not increase the degrees of freedom. table 8 proves that the model is a well fitted one, as the chi-square value is significant at 1% level, rejecting the null hypothesis of no difference between the model with independent variables and the model without independent variables. thus, the existence of a relationship among the dependent and independent variables is sustained. table 9 also validates the existence of a relationship among the dependent and independent variables. moreover, it also portrays that there is a relationship between the dependent variable and each of the independent variables individually. hence, in the next table 10 we are encapsulating the significant results only from table 5, for further analysis. table-10: parameter estimates table preferencea b std. error wald df sig. exp(b) offline intercept 1.039 .413 6.340 1 .012 [advantages=3] -1.073 .393 7.458 1 .006 .342 [advantages=4] 0b . . 0 . . online intercept -1.225 .576 4.516 1 .034 [stream=1] 1.266 .456 7.706 1 .006 3.547 [stream=2] .780 .376 4.302 1 .038 2.181 [stream=3] 0b . . 0 . . a. the reference category is combination/ blended. b. this parameter is set to zero as it is redundant. indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 96 table-11: estimated probabilities of six possible outcomes of the model teaching learning mode ba bcom bsc technology technology technology offline 0.3213 0.5806 0.2740 0.5247 0.4276 0.6860 online 0.3463 0.2140 0.4424 0.2897 0.2938 0.0713 blended 0.3324 0.2054 0.2835 0.1856 0.4424 0.2427 the column “exp(b)” of table 10 shows the odds ratio of the independent variables with the dependent variable. an odds ratio greater than 1 indicates an increase in the dependent variable, as is evident in case of ‘online’ mode, from table 10; and an odds ratio less than 1 indicates a decrease in the dependent variable, as in case of ‘offline’ mode; while an odds ratio close to 1 indicate non-responsiveness, i.e. a unit change in the independent variable would not result in any change in the dependent variable. in the model, we have placed the blended mode of teaching-learning as the baseline category denoted by and its estimate by offline mode denoted by and its estimate by and online mode by and its estimate by . therefore, from the parameter estimates of table 7 we can compute the respective probabilities as follows: firstly, as we have three categories (j = 3) of the dependent variable, we would be having the following two equations: the rest of the categories of the independent variables cannot be included in the equations as they were not found to be statistically significant at 5% level of significance. secondly, are computed where e or exp = 2.71828 is the base of the natural logarithmic system. there were 12 sub-populations in this model and the prediction is based upon classifying the combination in one of the three groups of the dependent variables. no corresponding statements about most of the categories of the independent variables can be made as the odds ratios of those independent variables were not found to be statistically significant. the model comprises of two equations to estimate the three response probabilities : suppose, a student is interested in becoming technically aware, then y1 = 1.039 -1.073(1) = -0.034 otherwise, y1 = 1.073 (0) = 1.039 secondly, suppose, a student is in arts stream, then indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 97 y2 = -1.225 + 1.266 (1) = 0.041 or if a student is in commerce stream, then y2 = -1.225 + 0.780 (1) = 0.445 had he/she been in science stream (baseline category), the value would have been y2 = -1.225 hence, by using the above equations, the estimated probability of occurrence of each of the six possibilities can be estimated to be: case 1: where an undergraduate student of arts stream to whom technological awareness is the biggest advantage of online class: similarly, the calculated probabilities of the rest of the five possibilities have been encapsulated in table (11) which can be explained in a case-by-case basis as follows: case 2: an undergraduate student of arts stream to whom technological awareness is the biggest advantage of online class is likely to give almost equal preference to all the three teachinglearning modes. there is almost equal probability of him/ her choosing any mode of teaching-learning, case 3: an undergraduate student of arts stream to whom technological awareness is not something of concern has the probability of 0.5806 to occur that (s)he would choose offline teachinglearning mode over other modes of teaching-learning. case 4: an undergraduate student of commerce stream to whom technological awareness is the biggest advantage of online class has a probability of 0.4424 to occur that (s)he would choose online teaching-learning mode of training. case 5: an undergraduate student of commerce stream to whom technological awareness is not something of concern has the probability of 0.5247 to occur that (s)he would choose offline teaching-learning mode over other modes of teachinglearning. case 6: an undergraduate student of science stream to whom technological awareness is the biggest advantage of online class has a probability of 0.4424 to occur that (s)he would choose blended mode of teaching-learning. case 7: an undergraduate student of science stream to whom technological awareness is not something of concern has the probability of 0.686 to occur that (s)he would choose offline teachinglearning mode over other modes of teaching-learning. conclusion the study substantiates that though the undergraduate students have almost accommodated themselves with the new concept of online education during the covid period, nevertheless, given the option to choose among offline/ traditional mode, online mode and blended mode of teaching-learning, it is highly probable that they would choose offline mode of training. though there is scope of self-paced audiovisual learning, the importance of personal interaction, more importantly for practical lessons can never be understated. the decisive factors, in this regard, are the stream of education and their inclination towards acquisition of technological competence, depending on which the final choices of the indian journal of educational technology volume 7, issue 2, july 2025 98 undergraduate students vary. hence, during the implementation of the nep 2020 in higher education, these factors should be given due cognizance to ensure its wholesome success. in this age of machine learning (ml), artificial intelligence (ai) and big data analysis (bda), there is no way that we can avoid the digital platform and mode. instead, to remain competitive, the sooner we adopt, the better it is for the upcoming generations. to bring e-learning into the mainstream, and to eliminate the digital divide, a robust and sensible policy at the governmental level to bring educationtechnology platforms under one umbrella is the need of the hour. at the governmental level, new schemes can be introduced for providing instruments of communication and internet service free of cost or at a subsidised rate to the students belonging to economically backward sections both in urban and rural areas. these measures along with the modification of the education sector can bring about a new dawn in the overall education system of india making it inclusive in its true sense. online teaching-learning might supplement the regular classroom lectures, but should not be thought as a replacement to it. technologyenabled face to face teachinglearning should be promoted to aid and facilitate quality education in india. as proposed in nep 2020, this journey towards digitisation should be transitional. the faculty members should be induced and trained first, and the students introduced to the digital teaching-learning mode from their primary school-level, if not from the pre-primary level. however, the greatest importance should be given on building the digital infrastructure to bridge the digital divide and make online education accessible and affordable to each and every student, failing which the overall purpose of this endeavour would fail to its core. given the on-going shifts in educational paradigm, especially in the context of post-pandemic recovery, adoption of academic technology has become a matter of prime importance and urgency. hence, the academic institutions should set up their infrastructure on a priority basis even if in piecemeal, and design their respective curricula accordingly. the major drawback of this study is that the respondents are solely the college-goers of kolkata metropolitan area and its surrounding suburbs, who have both access to internet and knowledge of smart technology. this academic gap could be bridged by the future researchers by taking a larger sample from all strata of the society. nonetheless, the study can serve as a blueprint for auxiliary analysis to take active stance for the successful implementation of the nep 2022 through gradual adoption of technology in the traditional academic institutions. declaration of competing interest the authors 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